Professor Severus Snape returned to his quarters at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry exhausted. It was July 30, 1991 and it had been a very long day for him. Even though the start of the new school year was more than a month away, there was still much for him to do. Duties that included making sure Slytherin House was ready for the new school year, ordering new ingredients for the student stores, and restocking his private stores. He still needed to brew some potions for the hospital wing and he only had half his lesson plans finished.
Severus was thirty-one, tall and lean with shoulder-length raven black hair. He had a thin face, high cheekbones and a nicely shaped mouth with full lips. His nose was long, but fit his features. His eyes were so dark brown that people assumed they were black. He had been teaching at Hogwarts since he had attained his Potion's Mastery at the age of twenty-one and held the honor of being the youngest Potion Master ever in Wizarding Britain. He was also Head of Slytherin House. He poured himself two finger of Ogden's Best Fire Whiskey, slumped down into his favorite armchair and took a sip. The living room of his quarters was painted a light blue and the furniture and rugs contained an aqua and blue motif. The most noticeable thing about the room was an entire wall of bookcases that were filled to overflowing with all kinds of books. A small kitchen was off the living room and a hallway led to his bedrooms and a guest bedroom and Severus' private potion lab. He was just starting to relax when his floo sounded and he saw Minerva's head sitting in his fireplace. "Severus, may I come through?"
Severus sighed and replied, "Yes, Professor, please do." Minerva stepped through into his living room. "Please sit down. Can I get you something to drink; tea or perhaps something stronger?
Minerva sat down on the couch. "I'll have whatever you're having."
Severus poured two fingers of whiskey and handed her the glass. "Rough week?"
"Yes," Minerva replied. "All the acceptance letters, you know?"
"Of course." Severus nodded.
"And then there's the matter of Harry Potter …"
"What about him?" Severus asked sitting down again.
"I haven't yet received his acceptance letter and I've owled numerous letters to the Dursley's, but there's been no reply. I finally asked Charity if she would visit Surrey and try to discover why Harry might not be getting his letter. She said their house looked abandoned and one of the neighbors told her the Dursley's had left very suddenly about a week ago and nobody had seen or heard from them since.
"That is strange," Severus admitted. "Petunia certainly knew to expect Harry's Hogwarts' letter when he turned eleven."
Minerva finished her drink and got up. "Well, perhaps I'll give it a couple more days before I start to worry."
"Does the Headmaster know about this?"
"No. He's been gone for the last few days. I did warn Albus when he insisted on leaving Harry at the Dursley's that they were the worst sort of Muggles."
After Minerva had left, Severus cleared up and got ready for bed. He planned on reading the new potion textbook he'd purchased for his NEWT's class, but fell asleep before he read more than a couple of pages. He began to dream and found himself in the familiar neighborhood park of his childhood. There was the tree he and Lily had spent so many hours talking under and planning their futures and there was the swing set that they used to play on. To his shock he saw a familiar figure he hadn't seen in ten years seated on one of the swings. He wandered over and sat down on the swing next to her.
"Hello, Sev," Lily said turning and smiling at him.
"Hello, Lily," he replied and then asked. "What are you doing in my dream?"
"I need your help, Sev," Lily answered urgently. "Petunia and Vernon are mistreating Harry and they're not going to allow him to attend Hogwarts."
"Mistreating him how?"
"They keep locked in a small cupboard and make him do all the housework and yard work. He's been cooking for them since he was five. They hate him because he's magical."
"Then he needs to be taken away from them."
"And you're the only one that can do it, Sev. You're only one strong enough to stand up to Dumbledore. He wants Harry to stay with the Dursley's, but I won't stand for his interference."
"Do you know where Harry is right now?"
"Yes," Lily spread her hands apart and a picture appeared.
Severus saw an old battered wooden house on a large rock with large waves crashing around it. Rain and wind was pounding it and lightning was flashing.
"It just off the coast by Norwich," Lily said. "It's a horrible place, Sev. Please hurry."
"I will, Lily. I promise." No sooner had he said the words then he was awake. He got up, got dressed in heavy warm clothing and grabbed his broom, a Nimbus 2000. He made his way to Minerva's quarters on the seventh floor and knocked on her door. In a few seconds Minerva opened her door dressed in a tartan robe and matching sleep cap. "Severus, where are you going? It nearly eleven o'clock."
"I know where Harry is and I am going to go and get him. Do you have his letter?"
"Yes, but …" She stopped and then smiled. "Seeing that you've obviously already made up your mind, I'll get Harry's letter." She left and returned in a few seconds with the letter and handed it to Severus.