Severus Snape both was and wasn't expecting to be summoned. On one hand, he knew the Dark Lord was back. On the other hand, he was pretty sure that by not showing up in the graveyard last time he called, he had pretty much had informed the Dark Lord he wasn't to be trusted. He dreaded going, but he had to. He knew that if the Dark Lord wanted him there bad enough, he could force portkey them with the dark marks. He hadn't gotten his Death Eater outfit together when he was force apparated in front of the Dark Lord.
He was not surprised to be held prisoner upon arrival. Mr. Crabbe and Goyle Sr. roughly forced him to his knees and held him there. By looking around quickly, he saw the whole circle there. His friend Lucius Malfoy took his wand and potions from his pocket.
"Severus, Severus. I know you are a traitor. I know you have been working with Dumbledore for the past few years, probably since I killed that red head. Dumbledore spoke at your trial so convincingly. What do you have to say for yourself? No excuses. Actually, what about a dose of Veritaserum? It's in that pouch, right Lucius?"
Severus Snape knew it was useless to fight. Fighting might just hurt him, especially as he was seen as a traitor. However, he was a spy. He would get his way back into favour somehow. He took the three drops that Lucius Malfoy poured into his mouth. Then there was a mental pressure he wasn't expecting. Unfortunately, he knew that his brand of Veritaserum lowered mental defences. He would answer verbally and the Dark Lord could see his memories. He knew there was no hiding.
Lord Voldemort was smug. He asked questions, and the turning of loyalty and the hiding of that loyalty was laid bare in front of him by his unfortunate potions master. He saw the vow of protection, the promise to Lily over her grave, and the life debt owed, though now paid, all tied to a particular boy the potions master hated. He saw the leaking of information done in such a sideways manner that none but a few understood what had been said, unless alone with the Headmaster. He also saw the protection the man had given to Potter, though his hate was apparent, and the care and blatant favoritism he gave to his Slytherins. He saw his dealings with a certain Headmaster. He also saw that lately the same man had traded sides once again but was unsure of his welcome and was hiding that as well. He knew his potions master's motives and understood his thought processes better than anyone else had ever done before other than the man himself and the unfortunate Lily.
"As for punishment, this is just a start."
Casting Crucio, Voldemort watched the man twitch uncontrollably on the ground. Knowing he was in pain, he sent him to a dungeon cell to await further punishment, doing nothing for the pain the man was in. Truthfully, he knew that unless something could be bad enough, nothing was staying his hand from killing the man.
"No one is to talk to him or go near him today or tomorrow. Only a house elf will give him water and some bread. Leave him completely alone. I must come up with a punishment that suits his crimes, yet leaves him alone. How many of us have a story that would induce the Headmaster to trust us? He does, and he once had that and was a traitor.
Now let us hear the reports."
Later that evening, the Dark Lord had a thought. He knew he felt something from the boy. Was there a connection perhaps? Searching, he found it and felt the boy's pain and tiredness. Maybe he could watch the boy tomorrow while coming up with a punishment for Severus. Maybe he wouldn't have to send him false information and see how it would spread. Maybe he would do that anyway.
The next day, he watched the boy's memories. The planning that his now father had to do to provide himself with enough water for the day, dodging his bullies, working on a long list of chores, going with little food, and barely getting time to read anything and how he had to keep his school books and other books his cousin had ripped out of sight. He watched the boy make the meals and do the dishes for a little bit of food. He watched how he was ignored or called names except for random times where the aunt and once his cousin treated him nicer, which was barely even civil. His father knew patience if this was how his life was.
He knew suddenly how he was going to treat his spy. He got up, and before he forgot, he put the memory of what Potter had gone through in that day in a pensieve. He was going to keep that memory and make his spy and whoever said aloud that Potter was spoiled watch it. His spy was going to also have to live a week as Potter. It was perfect. Take away his brewing, force him to live looking like Potter and live with those worthless human beings and he would see reason. If the man had guilt, it would weigh on him even more. It really was a perfect way to punish the traitor.
Maybe he could come up with a way that Potter could come home while waiting.
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Severus Snape was not sure what to think. On one hand, being faced with a clear memory that had no fuzzy edges, as the sign of a true memory, showing that the lifestyle of the boy-who-lived didn't live like what he thought. Now he was going to forced to live it. He had been promised and vowed that nothing of the circumstances were going to be made harsher for his benefit. He didn't know to be happy or upset at the moment.
The Dark Lord had banned him from making potions for the week. He already felt weaker and missing something he lived with.
Due to the punishment being something the Dark Lord had thought up last minute, most of the potions he would be using would be bought from Knock Turn Alley. He despised doing that.
Since he needed some of Potter's hairs, he needed to go to Grimmauld Place. He got permission to go only if he was back in two minutes, after swearing a vow not to tell anything about why it was needed and to come back. After trimming the boy's hair, he was slightly surprised to see that the boy's hair grew back quickly. Once back, and made to swear he hadn't alerted anyone, he took the Poly Juice potion, grimacing at the taste, but changed into a Harry Potter with perfect eyesight and his robes which were suddenly too large. One of his escorts transfigured his robes to look like Potter's clothes, and a pair of glasses from a stone.
Walking to the Dursleys, he was filled in what the neighborhood treated the boy as by what the Dark Lord had seen. He was told of the various boys and how to get away from most. The two people who got him to mow their lawns for money and the indifferent attitude of most on the street.
He was also told the secrets of how to survive the Dursleys. He was told where to put his clothes, how to clean so many things so that his aunt liked it. He was also shown a loose board. Having had one in his own childhood, he understood what it was for. He was also told what meals were usually made and served at what times.
Finally, he was left in that bedroom with so many locks. They left behind a snowy owl, who he knew wasn't one that had lots of loyalty to him. However, it would follow most of his orders, and he thought the ability to send out mail would be huge in the next week. Groaning, he wondered what Potter's relatives might have to say about suddenly seeing 'their nephew' when they thought they wouldn't have to deal with him for the rest of the summer.
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The Dark Lord grinned. He loved it when plans came together. Lucius was going to have to make sure that his father wasn't going to be expelled, for if that happened, then his father would be stuck in Order Headquarters for more than a summer.
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Back in Little Whinging, Severus Snape had a slight conundrum on his hands. Currently, he was for the Dark Lord, but he did have Albus Dumbledore as a boss still. He was also covering for a fourteen year old in a muggle neighborhood. Does he tell Dumbledore that he won't be able to answer him for a while? Does he stay silent and hope that Dumbledore doesn't need him in the next week. Seeing as he had seen Dumbledore once that summer, it would be possible that he wouldn't need him. However, he didn't want Dumbledore to send his patronus looking for him. Best scenario, he thought, would be to mail a letter to the ministry to send to Albus Dumbledore.
The letter was simple. "I will be incommunicado for at least a week. If you need potions, please check my office if Poppy doesn't have them."
He did not sign his name, but knew that Dumbledore would know who its from.
He did decide to send letters to the Dark Lord twice a week just like Potter had been doing.
Now to get what sleep he could get before morning came.
Severus Snape was in an emotional pickle. He was first angry: angry at the Dark Lord for sending him once again in a situation that reminded him of his father, angry at Potter for having the connection so that the Dark Lord see this, angry at Potter's relatives, and angry at whoever put Potter here in the first place. Then, he started thinking. His attitude towards Potter was based off of where his attitude that he could see matched up with his father's attitude. However, there was something that he had been missing. Could his "arrogance" that he had been displaying all these years have been just pure survivors' grit and a general lack of trust? In that case, were the letters to the Dark Lord a plea for survival? Also hadn't Dumbledore sent Potter here? A quick look into the cupboard under the stairs as he was getting cleaners showed him the picture of Hagrid flying on the motorbike. The blanket, broken toys, and room sign pointed at maybe storage until he saw Harry's envelope. Under the stairs on the address pointed to something very different. After that, anger came again as well as a determination to fix things. While being the son of his worst enemy, Potter didn't deserve growing up like this. No one did. The cell like room he was in was bad enough. So, he planned.