Severus Snape didn't particularly enjoy being woken up at seven 'o clock in the morning on a Saturday. In fact, he probably enjoyed it just as much as the next person. After dealing with hormone-ridden children for an entire week, he usually relied on the extra precious hours of sleep he could steal before Monday came around.

Being potions master, he was used to waking up extremely early to collect rare ingredients for his numerous potions, as well as stirring one of the random ones brewing in his lab. It wasn't uncommon for him to wake up at three in the morning to check on them.

But on this particular Saturday, the Saturday after the first week of term, he made sure he didn't have any orders for any particular potions and planned to relax. Now, his idea of relaxation was sipping on a cup of tea while delving into book after book about potions. Sometimes he would get a knock on the door from one of the snakes in his house fussing about something, but the older students would usually take them under their wing moments later.

However, this morning he was woken up by Albus Dumbledore's, the headmaster at the institution he was employed at, personal house elf. The house elf had frantically woken up Severus and told him the headmaster would need him in his office in the next fifteen minutes. This lead to Severus quickly changing into his all black attire with custom billowing cloak and strutted down the halls towards the stone gargoyle.

Early risen students cowered out of his way and when he was out of sight would sprint to their destination. Snape could only suspect that he had a look of pure malice on his face, but who could really blame him. When he arrived to his destination, he stated the password and stepped onto the spiraling staircase.

When the staircase stopped, he heard the unmistakable sound of a girl's sobbing as well as the sound of Albus offering one of his favorite hard candies, lemon drops. Severus knocked on the door and when he heard Albus' bellow of "Enter.", he opened the door.

There in the middle of the room was the muggleborn, know-it-all Hermione Granger along with 'blood-traitor' Ronald Weasley. Hermione was the one sobbing into a handkerchief, Severus assumed, Albus had given her, while Ronald had his arm around her shoulder and patted her on the back.

Usually, Harry Potter, one of Snape's least favorite students, was with the couple. Severus could only assume that this meeting had something to do with the wizarding world's celebrity-turned-superhero and he knew he wouldn't like it, not one bit.

"Severus, my dear boy," Albus exclaimed. ", I am very glad you could make it to our little gathering. I have some dire news to give you, which will need to be your number one priority for the time being."

Now Severus knew he would be hearing something he didn't like. He knew that having Potter come to this school not three years ago would be a mistake. Yes, he was an inexperienced third year, but he sure had made plenty of trouble in those short years.

First, Potter not only discovered and saved the philosopher's stone in his first year, but uncovered the plot of the dark lord's return. Second, Potter not only let the public know he could speak parseltongue, but discovered the Chamber of Secrets and took down one of the dark lord's spirits once again.

Goodness only knew what kind of trouble Potter would get into this year. The phrase 'expect the unexpected' was an everyday term concerning the boy.

"Headmaster, for what do I owe the honor of being in your presence at this ungodly hour?" Severus' voice held the usual hint of superiority he used when students were in his presence.

"It has been brought to my attention by these two adolescents that a case of abuse has been discovered in Gryffindor tower." Albus laced his fingers together and rested them underneath his nose.

Hermione gave a rather loud sob and latched herself around an unsuspecting red head. The boy awkwardly patted the girl on the back and whispered reassurances.

"And who, may I ask, is the one experiencing the abuse?" Severus had dealt with abuse yearly since taking the position as Slytherin head of house. Pure blood families were not uncommonly accused of abuse in the wizarding world. The parents and guardians expected the children to be at their beck and call for twenty-four hours, and some took it too far at times.

Snape himself had dealt with an abusive father and knew how it felt. During house meetings he would usually keep the abused children behind and talk to them as a sort of support group. Most of them knew the password to his quarters and sometimes stayed in the guestrooms when they needed someone to talk to about it.

"Harry Potter." Albus murmured, just slightly above a whisper. Severus' eyes could probably be compared to the size of dinner plates at that moment. Harry Potter? The boy who was more than likely spoiled and dressed lavishly by his muggle caretakers? Surely there has been a case of the wrong information being spread through the wrong people.

"And where is the proof that young Mr. Potter has been abused? Surely his caretakers knew about the vast Potter fortune he carried. Are you sure Mr. Potter didn't take corporal punishment or being grounded as something more?"

Hermione stood up and walked over to her professor with tears streaming down her cheeks and onto the hardwood beneath. "Please, professor! You have to believe us! They…they…branded him!" She broke into convulsive sobs and Severus knew that if she didn't calm down she could hurt herself.

"Miss Granger, please take a seat next to Mr. Weasley and calm yourself." Severus grasped her shoulder and led her to the seat and lightly pushed her down. He put his hand into his robes and took out a vial of what only could be a calming draught.

"Mr. Weasley can you please give her this and begin explaining. What does she mean by branding?" Ronald helped Hermione tip the vial to her mouth and coaxed her to drink it. As soon as it hit her throat, she visibly relaxed and collapsed against Ron.

"Exactly what she said, Professor. They branded the letters f-r-e-a-k onto his back. It looked fairly new as well. It had slight blisters and there were also deep cuts on his lower back that are a weird greenish yellow color. We told him to go to Madame Pomfrey, but after he saw that we saw he ran out of the room and out of the tower."

Severus nodded and digested this new information. Although he wasn't close with Potter, he had sympathy for him. Snape had also been 'branded' in a better sense of the word as well. His father had gotten a heated piece of metal from the fire place and swatted him on the back with it numerous times, only stopping when it was completely cooled down. He still had scars to this day.

"Headmaster, I have a feeling we need to find him soon or else something worse could happen." Severus knew from experience with some of the other victims of abuse that they sometimes went into catatonic states, normally resorting to self harm. He usually could predict when this was happening though and stop it before it got out of hand.

"I agree, Severus. Mr. Weasley, do you three happen to have any haunts that Harry might go to?" Hermione was the one that choked out a response.

"Just behind the outer layer of the forbidden forest and straight back there is an overturned tree. It is completely hallowed out and we have been going there for some peace and quiet throughout the week. We know we aren't supposed to go there, but we put up some wards that would alert us when anything was coming within a hundred meter radius of us."

To say Severus was impressed was an understatement. Normal third years could barely produce a ward strong enough to go ten meters, let alone one hundred.

"Are you taking runes this year, Miss Granger?" Albus enquired. Hermione blushed, but nodded all the same.

Snape rose from his seat and began trekking for the door. "Severus?" Albus stopped him. Severus' hand was literally on the handle, about to turn it. "Yes headmaster?"

"Bring Harry back at least slightly sane, please?" If Severus would have been another person he may have chuckled.

"I wouldn't see to it any other way, Albus."

Disclaimer: Je ne possède pas la série Harry Potter. No matter what language it is in, it still means the same thing. I do not own Harry Potter!

AN: Thank you for reading the first chapter to my brand new story Constant Vigilance. Please review or pm me any suggestions you may have or ideas you may like to see in the story!

Question of the day!: If you received a letter telling you that you had been accepted into Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, would you attend? What house would you be in? Why would you be in that house? What subject would you be good at? Why? (If you can, please answer these questions in a review! I am always looking for OC's!)