In the Midst of the Night

In the Midst of the Night

Chapter 1 - On the Street

The tiny boy sat with his knees pulled up and his arms wrapped around them. It was early in the morning, but he had woken up from another nightmare and the pain had yet to melt away. It seared through his body and he shut his eyes as a small whimper escaped his lips.

Nearby, a figure rustled under the covers of the other bed. "Harry?" whispered another boy. "D'you have another dream?" He sat up slowly and rubbed his eyes tiredly, his youthful face filled with exhaustion.

The boy called Harry bit down on his lip and his eyes fluttered open to reveal strangely bright, emerald green orbs. "Go back to sleep, Aden," he murmured in a strained voice. He couldn't have been more than seven years of age (though he looked about five), but his eyes held a sense of maturity that most at the age of forty didn't have. He quickly turned his face away so that the other wouldn't be able to see the sudden drops of liquid that fell from his eyes.

Aden smothered a yawn behind his hand and shook his head. "Was it the same one?" he wondered quietly, as to not wake the other boys. Harry sniffed and didn't answer so Aden crawled off his bed and padded his way over to his friend's. Gently, he laid a hand on the other's bruised shoulder and peered carefully at him. Harry tensed at the touch, but didn't shrug it away. "It was just a dream - he can't get you. He ain't real," said Aden. He shook light brown hair from his chocolate brown eyes.

Harry told him, "Aden, go back to sleep. You'll get in trouble if you get caught again."

His friend rolled his eyes heavenward. "So'll you, git."

The raven-haired boy glanced over at the child next to him and a lopsided grin appeared upon his face. The pain was receding and so were his fears - the nightmare was over, for now.

"Thanks," he said softly, and Aden grinned.

~*~

The next morning, both boys found themselves roused violently from sleep by a tall lanky figure of a man. His face seemed set in a scowl while his eyes held depths of grey and ice. Mr. McKinnon was the head of St. Mary's Orphanage and he despised children. It wasn't known why, but all the boys knew it.

"Up, scamps! Else you can spend the day in the chastise room!" he growled and each boy quickly jumped out of bed stimulated by the threat.

Harry rubbed his eyes and stifled a great yawn. He followed the others to the kitchens where they would set up the tables with the proper mismatched silverware, plates, and cups for breakfast. The elder boys would cook the food. About an hour after their talk last night, Aden had fallen fast asleep, but Harry had sat up and in the end, had gotten next to no sleep. Now, he stumbled through the swinging door of the kitchen and went to the cupboard. The boy was short for his age, whether from malnutrition or genetics, it was hard to tell.

An elder boy named Jerold took a large stack of plates and shoved them towards the smaller boy who struggled to keep a firm hold upon them. Harry then sauntered towards the swinging door and only had time for his eyes to widen before it swung straight into him. The mismatched plates went flying and the sound of shattered glass echoed in the suddenly silent kitchen. A feeling of dread arose within his chest as the boy tentatively glanced up and saw Mr. McKinnon looking down at him with the icy color of his eyes more pronounced then ever. The man reached down and Harry scrambled backwards, but wasn't quick enough. By now, the silence seemed deafening and his almost inaudible whimper seemed to ricochet off the walls.

McKinnon's grip on Harry's arm tightened and his face contorted into a mask of fury. "What are you brats gaping at? Get on with your work!" he growled, then proceeded to pull the boy towards the door.

Aden ran up and tugged on his shirt. "Please, sir, t'wasn't Harry's fault! He couldn't help -," but the elder man backhanded him so that the boy fell hard upon the floor.

"Quiet, boy, else you'll get a beating like this 'un," snarled the man. Harry tried tugging his arm away as he was half dragged into the chastise room. He was rewarded with being thrown into the room, landing on his side. The tiny boy winced - that would leave a mark. "Now I'll have to spend what little money I've saved to get out of this hell hole on those blasted plates you shattered!" yelled McKinnon.

Harry struggled to get up, but was kicked back down and he gasped at the shooting pain that radiated up his ribs. "I'm not afraid of you," he said in the bravest voice he could muster, but the slight quaver gave him away.

The elder man raised a brow, a smirk appearing upon his face as he withdrew a belt from his coat pocket. Harry's eyes widened. As McKinnon approached, the small boy edged hastily backwards, emerald green orbs transfixed upon the familiar tool. "Afraid of me now, boy?" implored the man menacingly.

Harry shook his head defiantly, despite the fact that he had begun to shake. Was he afraid? No, he was terrified.

~*~

Severus Snape scowled at Albus and pursed his lips. "I shant do it," he replied, anger laced in every syllable.

The headmaster had begun to lose patience with his former student, and that within itself was a hard task to accomplish. "Severus, it must be done," said Dumbledore.

The younger man's scowl deepened considerably. "Well, why must it be me? Tell that blasted oaf, Hagrid, to -," but he was cut off by the stern expression on his mentor's face. "All right, I'm sorry," he muttered after a short moment. "But I've a lot of work to do and I just received an ingredient I've been waiting for the exact moment you called me. Couldn't the boy just wait? He's been there for years already, I'm sure a few more days wouldn't hurt..."

Amusement twinkled in Albus' eyes. "No, Severus, he can't wait," he said, the sparkle dimming. "It seems I have made a grave mistake and it must be fixed at once." He held out a key to the potions professor. "That's Mr. Potter's key to his Gringotts account. I trust you'll see to it that the boy gets the proper necessities. I believe he will be residing somewhere new for quite a while." Dumbledore paused, anxiety traced in every ancient line upon his face. "And please, go quickly."

Severus growled inwardly knowing that he couldn't argue with the elder man. He owed so much to the headmaster already and this was the least he could do - but why did it have to be the Boy-Who-Bloody-Lived?

~*~

He looked at himself in the mirror and noted the sinister air of his ebony black robes. "Blasted muggles," he mumbled to himself and quickly disregarded the idea of trying to dress like one of the inferior beings. Severus then proceeded to walk out of the room and the Hogwarts grounds.

After apparating into muggle Manchester, he sniffed in disdain at the particularly soiled end of the city. Ahead stood the shabby residence called St. Mary's Orphanage. He clenched and unclenched his fists before reluctantly making his way inside. There, he was greeted by a tall lanky man whose scowl rivaled Severus' own. Currently, the head of the orphanage was in the process of shuffling papers without a purpose and muttering obscenities that went beyond the imagination of the former Death Eater.

The potions professor cleared his throat. "Pardon," he said in a low, gruff voice.

The other man glanced up, glowered, and said briskly in a very unfriendly tone, "What do you want?"

Severus pursed his lips and fingered the wand that lowered slightly in his sleeve. "I'm here to see a Mr. Harry James Potter," he said, "please," he added as an afterthought.

The man looked up quickly, panic flashing briefly past his eyes. "We have no one by that name here," he said quickly. "You may exit by whence you came."

"There is a Harry Potter here and I demand to see him. I'm on strict orders to retrieve him."

Jack McKinnon scowled darkly at the stranger in the strange robes. "Well, you may not because, as I have told you already, there is no one by that name here! Now, you can either leave or I can alert the police!"

But Severus would not be daunted. He pulled out his wand, and muttered a quick, "Petrificus totalus." After smirking down at the immobile body of the head of the orphanage, he walked down the hallway. A boy ran out of a room, followed closely by a larger young man whom Severus stopped with a tap on the head with his wand. "Kindly point me to Mr. Harry Potter," he said.

The boy looked up at the ominous man and swallowed. "Er - I'm not quite sure where he is...sir."

The smaller boy glared at Severus. "What do you want with 'im?"

He glanced down at the child. "That's none of your business. Now direct me to where he is," he demanded.

Aden crossed his arms. "No," responded the boy simply.

The elder man picked the boy up by the collar of his shirt. "Where - is - Harry - Potter?" he asked once more.

The child's eyes widened considerably and he pointed all the way down the hall. "Though, you mayn't wish to see him now...sir," he said softly.

But Severus didn't much care about the thoughts of a child and continued down the hall. It was on his reluctant walk to the designated room that he noticed the shabbiness of the setting. The place was as clean as could be, but the stains upon the once white walls, the holes and scratches on the floors, and the overall decadence of the orphanage told a different story. He wondered what kind of home this was for children.

After what seemed like only a minute, he stood before the door. His hand lingered on the handle before he turned it and...it was locked. A scowl appeared upon his face in irritation and he brandished his wand. "Alohomora," he muttered. As he stepped in, he noted the distinct smell of the room. He couldn't quite place it, but the feeling that the particular aroma projected sent shivers up his spine.

"Who's there?" wondered a small voice. The small light bulb flickered continuously and radiated solely a dim illumination.

Severus' eyes wandered to where the voice had originated and fell upon a small figure sitting Indian style in a corner. He brandished the wand and saw the child start in alarm. "Lumos," he said in low tone and sat who had spoken.

The boy was small and looked tinier in the baggy clothes he wore. The color was a dank looking gray and its original color was hard to determine. His eyes were large and seemed to be a deep green, but they swirled with shadows of black, and the potions professor could tell why. The boy's expression was blank, at the moment, and the color of his eyes helped to keep an unreadable and guarded expression permanent upon his face.

"My name is Professor Severus Snape, Potter, and I was sent by the headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry to come here and collect you," said the man in disdain.

Harry stared wide-eyed at the professor and felt tired by the amount of information issued in the solitary sentence. He was tired and aching, but the marks from the previous day seemed to have disappeared. It was hard to comprehend exactly what this strange man in the strange robes meant by all the long words, but nevertheless, he nodded as if he understood.

Severus watched as the boy's eyes took him in and sighed as he saw the confusion display across his face. "Stand up, boy; you are leaving this...place." The child hesitated a moment, before slowly climbing to his feet. He seemed to stumble for a minute, but reached out for the wall to steady him. "Come," he ordered, and led the way out.

The boy trailed after the man in the billowing black robes with excitement and fear building within him at the same time. He didn't know why exactly he was following the stranger and had no idea what it was that the man wanted, but he had had a certain feeling of home-coming when...what did he say his name was?...oh yes, Professor Severus Snape walked into the chastise room. Harry felt the eyes of the other boys of the orphanage and the heat of a blush arose upon his cheeks.

Just then, the professor stopped and Harry nearly ran into him. "Pack your things. You won't be returning," said he and the child took a few steps back.

"Not - not returning?" he stuttered, his brows furrowing with a mixture of fright and bewilderment. "Why not?"

Snape scowled with impatience. "Because this establishment has been deemed unfit for your upbringing," said the man in a near growl.

"Unfit..." repeated Harry numbly. He was so confused. Why did the strange man in the strange robes have to talk in such big words? And why, in heaven's name, did his robes have to billow like that?

Part II

Severus suppressed the urge to scream in frustration and vowed that he would take off one hundred points for being unbearably dim from the house that Harry Potter was sorted into in four years. "Yes, unfit," he repeated. "Now go on and collect your things. I'm a busy wizard, Potter, and have other chores to attend to."

Bewildered as he was at the mention of the word 'wizard', Harry didn't ask questions, but simply did as he was told. That was how life was at St. Mary's - do what is asked of you and don't ask questions. It was the orphanage's motto. He ran into his room and saw Aden walk in after him. "Where are you going?"

"I don't know," said Harry, his green eyes bright and intent on packing what little things he possessed.

It didn't pass unnoticed that the boy was favoring his left arm and Aden frowned in concern. How could his friend go off with an unfamiliar person like this? He knew that Harry was naïve, even for a street urchin, but Aden didn't know the other was so thick! He just couldn't let his friend wander off into unknown territory without complaint - and he wouldn't. "Well, you aren't going off with that strange man are you? He lifted me up by my collar! He must be the strongest man on the earth! He's dangerous!" he argued convincingly.

"Then I must go, don't you understand?" When Aden shook his head, Harry had to agree with the negative answer - he didn't understand a thing either! "He said - he said he was a teacher from - from Hoggerts School of Crafts and Wizardry," repeated the seven-year-old, the strange words difficultly slipping off his tongue.

"Hoggerts School of...." Aden shook his head in disbelief. "Bloody hell! He's a kidnapper! I never heard of a school called Hoggerts!"

Harry looked pained as he slung on his backpack. "I -," but he cut himself off when he saw Severus step in.

"Are you ready yet, Potter?" wondered the elder man, impatience laced in every word. And Harry, with a feeling of despondency, nodded.

Aden bit down on his lip. "May I say goodbye first?" he asked timidly, his earlier ferocious demeanor gone.

Snape scowled and glanced at the two boys who looked up at him with large pathetic eyes. Blasted children, he thought and curtly nodded once before turning and walking out. Somehow, despite his abhorrence of kids, he seemed unable to refuse certain things - especially when they used those cocker spaniel looking eyes that they have. The man growled at a young boy that stepped in his way and felt a feeling of satisfaction sweep through him.

"Since - since you're leaving, I suppose I should tell you that I'm - I'm going off with a family," he said quietly. Harry's eyes widened. "They came yesterday afternoon and Mr. McKinnon signed the papers."

"Well - well that's wonderful, Aden! Maybe we'll see each other again!" he said with a falsely cheerful voice.

The other boy nodded, but his face was solemn and scared. "I don't know what they're like, really," he whispered, looking down. When he looked up again, he said, "I'll miss you, Harry." He then grinned. "This won't be the last time you see me!" Aden pushed his friend towards the door and before slamming it, the word, "Hopefully," was heard.

Harry looked at the closed door, and then turned to see the professor looking his way with an unreadable expression.

Severus turned without a word and led the way to the head of the desk. He muttered a quick, "Finite incantatem," and with a flick of his wand, Mr. McKinnon was unbound. The man stared mutely at the wizard with large eyes and a widely gaping mouth before his gaze drifted towards Harry. The boy winced and stumbled backwards as the McKinnon's features hardened with anger.

"You," he spat out, fury burning in his eyes. He took a step forward, but Severus intervened with a frown.

"We will be leaving now," he said, and pointed his wand between the man's eyes. "Obliviate." He watched as the man's eyes crossed and rolled, then turned towards the boy who glanced up at him briefly before flushing and looking down at his shoes. "Come," ordered Professor Snape, and Harry followed.

~*~

It was only moments after they had stepped out of the orphanage that Harry began to wonder what exactly he had gotten himself into. The miracle that the strange man before him did could only be something supernatural - something magical, and it frightened him to no end. The man in his dreams did such things...though those scared him more than the things that the professor did. They both held those wooden sticks and hurt people with them...and he didn't know what to think, on account of the man called Severus Snape stepping in between him and Mr. McKinnon.

"Stay close to me, Potter," Severus commanded, and Harry nodded. The elder man walked into an empty alley way and raised his wand hand. There was a loud 'BANG' and Harry jumped in surprise. Before them, a large bus gurgled and shook to a stop. His eyes were wide with amazement and shock, and Severus had to prod the boy forward onto the bus after silencing the conductor's introduction with an impatient wave of his hand.

He was surprised to find that the boy scurried away from his touch as if he was being burnt. After seeming to comprehend what he had done, Harry bit down on his lip and averted his gaze from the piercing one of the elder. Severus found himselffrowning yet again, but shook his head slightly and entered the bus, the child following him on.

They both took separate beds and Harry sat with his knees up, head resting on them, and arms folded around them. His eyes stared vacantly out the window and the only movement he made until they arrived at Diagon Alley was a jump at the second 'BANG' of the bus - this one on its rusty start. Severus took note of the small rucksack, seemingly filled with next to nothing, sitting idly by the boy's side, but didn't comment. He continued surveying the child, but when Harry glanced curiously at him, he turned away. His thoughts drifted back to the potion at his manor, waiting to be made, and he sighed at what a waste of time this errand was.

It seemed like hours on end until the bus slowed to a stop, and Severus stood quickly, relishing the feeling of being grounded once more. Brooms and buses were two very different things and broom rides, to him, were the only way to go. He didn't check to see if the Potter boy was following him off the flying vehicle, but hastily stepped off. That done, he reclaimed what dignity he had left and brushed off his robes as if he was as undaunted as always. He looked back to see Harry looking at him with that blasted curious look again and scowled at the boy. The child flinched and took an instinctive step backwards, and Severus felt another moment of satisfaction rush through him.

They walked down the alley, Severus walking swiftly and Harry half running to try and keep up with the elder man's long strides. His sides were beginning to hurt with the effort and he felt the unseen bruises and welts aching with the exertion. The professor soon stopped before a strange looking building and Harry tried to control his spastic breathing.

Severus looked for a moment at Gringotts, and then pulled a key from his pocket. He next checked on the boy behind him to see the child grasping his shirt at the chest in a tight fist. "What's wrong, Potter?" he asked, trying to make his voice cold, but his curiosity was showing through anyway.

Harry looked up, then down again quickly after he shook his head. "N-nothing, sir," he replied almost inaudibly. And the elder noticed that he was breathing rapidly, as if having run a long way. He rolled his eyes and bade heaven to save him from imbeciles before making himself remember to walk at a slower pace.

Snape was glaring at him reproachfully, but the boy was looking at his god-awful looking shoes. Note, stop by the tailor shop, he thought, and made sure to remember to have the boy sent to the infirmary once they arrived at the castle - just in case. "Just so you know, the headmaster has also ordered me to take you to get some supplies - clothes...shoes, and the such," he informed the child.

The raven haired boy looked up cautiously. "But, I - I haven't got any money...sir," he stammered uncertainly.

The latter repressed a growl of annoyance. "Of course you have money, Potter, did you think your parent left you nothing - bothersome as they were?" he asked, and he saw the emerald green orbs light up despite the scathing remark.

"My parents?" wondered the boy, his voice escalating with surprise.

Severus didn't answer, but went on into the wizarding bank. "Harry Potter's vault," he said upon greeting and handed the goblin the key. The creature looked down at the filthy child with scrutinizing eyes before accepting the key, calling upon another called Splurge.

Splurge took the key from the first goblin, then led the way to a trolley. They later arrived at the vault and Harry watched hesitantly as the professor stood and walked into the dark and sinister looking room. His insides squirmed with butterflies and he heard the chink of metal on metal. The elder man came out from the room carrying a hand sized purple velvet pouch. He stuffed it into an inner cloak pocket and it wasn't long until they were back in the sunlight in Diagon Alley.

Harry never had the chance to look around the strange street because he had earlier just focused on trying to follow the elder man. Now, his emerald green eyes widened with astonishment at the amount of people that bustled along, each concentrated on doing different chores and errands. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Severus start walking to the right and he quickly trotted to catch up. This time, he noticed that he didn't have to run to keep up with the latter and relished the slow pace.

He felt out of place in the busy alley - he had never been exposed to so many people at once and he felt a tinge of fear creep up his spine. The boy stepped closer to the adult and Severus pretended not to notice. This being his first time in a crowd, Harry surveyed the strange clothes that the people wore. They looked much the same as the professor's and the child looked down at his own in wonder. Why did these people dress wrong? Or perhaps it was he and all the other boys at St. Mary's that didn't dress right? He shook his head as if to dispel the confusion and looked around at the shops and various objects that each sold. They soon arrived at Madam Malkin's and walked in. The owner strolled up to them with a smile and Harry stepped behind Professor Snape as if to hide.

Madam Malkin's eyebrows rose in surprise as she saw the tiny creature scurry behind his father as if in fear and she turned a curious gaze upon the elder man. Oh, the child could not be this man's son - most definitely not! Many knew about the infamous Severus Snape and his awful past - one had to be sorry for the young man, really. Yet her stomach churned in anxiety at what the teeny little boy was doing with such a person.

"Hello, Professor," she greeted amiably. Her smile was perfected with practice and hours upon hours of use for disagreeable customers.

He curtly nodded once. "I need a set of black robes for Mr. Potter," he said, and ignored her double take. He stepped to the side and Harry felt oddly bare without the protection of the more familiar adult in front of him. The child dropped his gaze and scuffed his feet nervously.

The woman smiled gently, putting aside her initial shock in favor of comforting the poor child who was with such an intimidating figure. "Come, Harry," she said tenderly, "let's find you some descent robes, huh?" She held her hand out to take hold of his, but he jumped back and scampered behind Severus once more.

The man pursed his lips and glanced at Madam Malkin with a sour expression. She covered a grin - amazed as she was - behind her hand. Professor Snape turned around and looked at the young Potter boy who looked everywhere except at him. "Potter, I need to pick up a few ingredients...elsewhere," he said, not wishing to mention Knockturn Alley in front of the woman. "Make sure that I don't hear one complaint from Madam Malkin when I return," he told the boy sternly. He saw the child's shoulders tense as if a defense mechanism and Harry stepped back a few paces, looking up at him with large green eyes. He resisted the urge to sigh in irritation at how easily the boy was unsettled. He directed his gaze upon the woman and saw that she was looking at him with disapproval written across her face. Ignoring it, he said, "I will return in half an hour. Please make sure everything is ready by then - I'm on orders to return to Hogwarts within an hour and don't wish to be late."

With that, he turned and left the store without a backward glance.

~*~

Harry watched the only person he knew in this strange place walk out without him and felt the familiar feeling of despair well within him. He bit down on his lip and stepped further away from the woman that he had earlier heard was named Madam Malkin.

"It's all right, child," said she in what seemed like a comforting tone. "We're just going to get you some new clothes." Harry chanced a look up and saw a warm hue in her eyes.

Perhaps...

When he took a step forward, he felt the tension leave the room and she smiled brightly. "This way, Harry," she told him and led the way. He followed her further into the shop - and farther away from Professor Severus Snape, 'wizard' sent by the headmaster of Hoggerts School of Crafts and Wizardry.