Harry was nervous and refused to believe the fact that he should somehow lose his interest in the man and stop intervening with his fate but he just couldn't do that. Three days in a row he went to the same place and found nobody sitting under the lamp. It was clear that the man had no interest himself in anyone's solicitude but what if that wasn't true? Not knowing why Harry couldn't get rid of the persistent feeling that he got worse and is now dying somewhere without any help.

He started looking for him, if only for finding out that he is all right. He wouldn't even let him know he was there, then. Harry just had to make sure that he didn't come only for the reason that he didn't want any more help. Thinking where a man like him could be found, he supposed that a blind man without anything that would help him with orientation, couldn't get very far away. He found it hard to believe that he was able to move within great distances, he surely had just a few trackways where he could find his way back... to where?

Harry had no idea. At the edge of his consciousness, he heard that little voice that kept saying he went crazy, caring about a strange homeless man and Harry reluctantly agreed. Still, he couldn't help it, the man attracted him like a magnet. He had this unexplainable feeling that he ought to know him. It felt as if he had the name in front of his eyes, at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't reach it and say it aloud and that frustrated him immensely.

He walked through the streets of London in the dimly lit afternoon, looking for any hint of his presence. He passed buildings and storefronts of many shops, avoiding busy people, trying to keep himself steady on pathways that got wet from unpleasant drizzling soaking up the fallen leaves and created a very greasy slush. With an oncoming evening of the fourth day he resigned and started asking about him various unkempt dossers he met sitting at the edge of pavements or hurrying with a bottle of beer for shelter. Usually, he received only a grudging glance and shrugging of shoulders but just when he thought about giving up, a woman showed him a direction in exchange for a few coins.

Hoping she hadn't sent him somewhere completely off, he started walking in the direction she pointed out and shivered when a strong wind went through his black hoodie provided with a water-repelling spell. He didn't care for money, although he didn't have many of the muggle ones left, yet he worried more about spending all this time for nothing.

He became more alert when he went into a dark street that seemed vacant. Street lights were flickering and not allowing too much light to come in. On the paving laid scattered garbage and the end of the street wasn't visible due to lack of light. Thick fog and omnipresent drizzle made the place even scarier and even though Harry wasn't afraid, he pulled out his wand. Somewhere in the distance, a lonely howling of a dog sounded and an old window shutter in the wind above his head creaked loudly.

A muffled sound further down the street caught his attention. With his wand securely in his right hand, he went deeper into the darkness. For a brief moment, he considered casting a Lumos spell but kept walking in the dark. A shriek of pain and a burst of cruel laughter made him quicken his pace. He ran to the lamp that flickered from its last strength and saw a few figures moving away. He thought about running after them when he stopped watching his steps and fell to the ground right into a pile of rotting leaves.

He swore to himself and grabbed around to find his wand that slipped from his fingers while he stumbled over. He was relieved when he found it just a few inches away. "Lumos," he whispered, not caring about giving away his identity and froze when he realised what he stumbled upon. "So I found you," he mumbled rather to himself than to the blind man trying to sit up with painful moans. "Are you okay?"

"It's you again?" he groaned and hissed, catching his left elbow.

"Can you stand?" asked Harry, getting up himself.

"Perhaps," the man breathed out and clumsily stood up. His height surprised Harry, he was even taller than him, although crouched and holding his head in his hands. He mumbled something and it sounded suspiciously similar to Salazar.

The young wizard raised an eyebrow but instead asked: "Are you hurt?"

"Everything hurts," he answered peevishly. "Is my backpack here somewhere?"

"There's nothing in here," Harry said when he thoroughly looked around and confirmed when he tried a nonverbal searching spell. "I'm sorry-"

"Dammit," the man whispered and lowered his head. He lost everything. Apart from his ragged clothes, he had nothing. A thought came, suggesting it wouldn't be such a bad idea to just sit down somewhere, freeze and finally wait for death. "Thanks for looking." He then turned to walk away with his hand in front of him, reaching for the lamp still quietly buzzing in the sudden silence.

"Where are you going?" Harry blurted and quickened his pace to walk by his side.

"Don't worry. You've done enough for me already. Go home." There was a sharpness to his voice along with a hint of resignation that made Harry uneasy.

"I've been looking for you for four days," he stated calmly.

"Why?" The man breathed out, surprised and stopped walking, turning his face to him.

Harry shrugged. "You weren't there," he explained. "I want to help you. Let me do that. You're very ill. Let me help you get better." He regretted the man couldn't see the expression of his face so he tried and put at least a bit of urgency to his voice. "Please." The man stood still for a while, considering his offer, when he nodded subtly. Then he gasped because Harry took his hand and transported them in front of his house.

"Merlin's beard," he moaned when he stood finally back on solid ground and quickly turned from Harry to not throw up all over him. Fortunately, he withstood that need to empty his stomach, although he didn't have anything to throw up in the first place. Taste of gall made him uneasy and he kept breathing deeply, praying to heavens not to cough.

"You're a wizard," Harry gasped in wonder and grabbed him under his arm.

"Not anymore," he replied, his voice lacking any emotion, shook his head and tried to break free from his grasp. "Let me go, you will-"

"Don't be silly," Harry muttered and led him to his house. "I'm used to worst things from my job. Be careful, there are three steps ahead."

"Where are we going?" he asked a little doubtful, still he obeyed and climbed the steps along with Harry.

"My home. I've got a small two-story house with a green facade and a little garden with a few trees. We landed on an interlocking pathway that leads right to my door. Careful now," he explained, trying to let his imagination clear things up a bit.

"But -" he protested and Harry stopped. He fixed his sight on him and regretted not being able to look into his eyes.

"There's no need to worry. I'm not planning on killing you or anything like that. I just thought you might appreciate a good shower and warm up by a fireplace, what do you say?" He raised an eyebrow and let honesty lead his voice.

"That sounds... acceptable," he got out of himself and Harry smiled a little. He couldn't miss the way he lit up.

"Great. Let me unlock the door then. It's brown if you wondered. Welcome." They went inside and both were hugged with a comfortable heat. "Would you like to eat first or should I lead you to a bathroom?"

He didn't have to think twice. The simple idea of soap and warm water made him shiver. "The bathroom... please."

"Okay. We'll go straight. I'll find you something clean to wear. You are taller than me but we'll fix that with some spells before we get you something that fits you well." He held him softly by his wrist and couldn't help but smile when he noticed the man's tension how he would run straight into the bathroom if he could. "I have to tell you, it's a relief for me that you're not a muggle. Makes things a lot easier."

"I guess," he hesitated, "but I don't have anything I could offer you in exchange. I don't want to stay in debt." He hated that feeling. He was used to taking care of himself but now he had to admit he found himself to found a complete rock bottom and without help could not survive.

"We'll talk about that later." Harry opened the door and led him to a spacious bathroom, with non-verbal magic called in black pants and a shirt with from his bedroom, handkerchief changed into a narrow piece of cloth and added a pair of socks and underwear. "There's a shower two steps ahead. In the right corner is a shelf, on it a shampoo in the round bottle and a soap in the angular one, right next to it there's a toothbrush and a paste. The faucet is in the same height a little bit to the left. Warm on the right, cold on the left. I'll leave you a towel and a brush in front of the door to the shower." He took his hand and showed him. "They open like a classic door and there's no stair that you could trip on. Fresh clothes will be next to the towel. And..." he stopped for a moment, "I suppose you won't need your old clothes anymore." With a pause, he handed him a plastic bag that he, too, summoned with non-verbal magic.

"I don't know how to thank you," he breathed out unhappily and stood still, hoping he leaves him alone. He didn't want to undress in front of him but was ready to get over it somehow. But he kept still and quietly clenched his nails into his palms.

"I've told you we'll talk about that later," Harry waved him off. "And I almost forgot," he swiped his wand and a bottle shifted through the air that he placed into his hand, "you must be exhausted. Take the Pepperup Potion." Severus took off the lid and smelled the familiar liquid before he swallowed it. Harry noticed the gesture but left it be for now. "There are many things you could hurt yourself with so I wouldn't recommend moving too much around here. I'll show you the rest of this house after. If anything, just call out to me." He laughed a little when he saw the man open his lips and took the empty bottle from him. "And stop thanking me. You don't have to rush, enjoy it." With that, he turned around, stepped out from the bathroom and left the man alone.