"Headmaster," Snape said curtly when he spotted the other wizard waiting for him through the Hogwarts gates.
"Ah, Severus," Dumbledore exclaimed brightly. "I was beginning to wonder where you were."
"Yes, of course you were," the Potions Master murmured as he stalked past the aged old man and through the Hogwarts wards, a wide-eyed Potter and two eels swimming in a levitating bubble behind him.
"Ah, Severus? Just what are you doing?"
Looking off to his side in his peripheral vision, Severus could see Albus side-eyeing the little Potter and his eels as the old wizard lengthened his strides in an attempt to catch up to the tall Potions Master.
"Headmaster, meet Potter," Severus gestured to the bubble, not breaking his stride. "He has been living in the ocean for the last four years. The eels are his only friends. He barely speaks English and finds it hard to breathe above water." The Potions Master sighed as he finally made it to the edges of the enormous Black Lake, which was luckily not far from the entrance. Lowering the changed boy and his eels into the water with a quick warming charm on all three of them, Severus turned to look at the stunned old man. "He's also your problem now," he added.
Walking away, the lanky man threw a "Goodbye, Mr. Potter," over his shoulder before focusing on funneling his magic into his legs. It would be a bit of a walk up to the hospital wing for Poppy's tender care, and his legs would never get him there on their own.

-

Dumbledore watched as his surly Potions Master stomped away in dismay, before turning to the supposed child of James and Lily Potter who was staring up at him with wide green orbs.
"Hello there," the Headmaster offered quietly, disconcerted by the odd child staring up at him. Albus thought briefly on how Severus should have had the decency to at least let him adjust to this abrupt change of events before leaving him alone with the child, but he changed his train of thought quickly. He needed to figure out how to deal with 'his problem', as his Potions Master had so eloquently stated.
"Hello!"
Dumbledore abruptly returned his penetrating gaze onto the smiling child. The old wizard quickly saw the familiar, discolored lightning-shaped skin on the child's forehead, and realized that Severus had indeed been right. There was no possible way this was not Harry Potter for the scar was identical. The Headmaster also absently noticed the sharp teeth the child had as he opened his mouth again.
"I'm Freak." The Potter child pointed at himself, before his face crumpled as he looked around. "Where did man go?"
Albus' lips quirked at the child's speech before he frowned. Harry believe his name was Freak. That was not a good sign. How had the child remained unaware of his name for so long? Better yet, how had he even become what he is now?
"That man was Professor Severus Snape. He went into the school behind you," Dumbledore replied, pointing at the glittering Hogwarts castle.
Harry turned around and his eyes widened in awe as he hissed, long and low. "Wow... it's so big and beautiful."
The Headmaster frowned in confusion when he heard the Potter heir hissing. Then his eyes widened in shock and despair. The eels- it was obvious Harry could speak Parseltongue, and they were brought along because they were his friends. Otherwise Snape would have never brought the two random saltwater animals. The boy already looked different, speaking to snakes would not endear him to anyone.
"Freak is not your name, my boy," Dumbledore stated firmly, before he tried to explain. "Your parents' names were Lily and James Potter. They named you Harry Potter."
"Lily?" Freak repeated quietly to himself. He had heard his Aunt say that name before. His mother was named Lily. But then why did his relatives call him Freak? And why did his mother call him Hairy? He didn't have any hair anymore, did that mean he couldn't go by his real name?
"I don't have hair. I can't be Hairy?" Hairy questioned the old man. It was getting easier to talk, especially the more he heard the man say. Should he be named Speaky instead?
Dumbledore looked over the child with a chuckle. He indeed did not have any hair. "It is not a description, my boy. You can be Harry without having any hair."
The Potter heir let out a sound of understanding before he went below the surface for a moment and came back up. "I'm Harry. Why you sssay 'my boy'?"
Dumbledore smile widened even as he finally began to realize just how limited the boy's understanding of English was. That would most definitely need to be fixed soon.
"It is a term of endearment," the Headmaster explained. "I use it when talking to people that I like and appreciate. It's somewhat similar calling someone your friend," he continued.
Harry let out a small sound of understanding, his green orbs widening in interest.
The headmaster watched in interest as those strange eyes narrowed a moment later as a yawn caused the child's face to scrunch up with his jaw open wide, showing off his sharp teeth.
Harry rubbed at his eyes with a black-colored hand before Dumbledore chuckled, returning the Potter's attention to himself. "If you could wait here for a little while longer, Harry, I'm sure I can find a place for you to sleep. I believe I must talk with someone first however."
The changed child nodded as he stifled another yawn. Harry felt really tired. The sun was just rising in the sky, but before he had come to this wonderful place, it had been setting. Harry didn't really understand that, but the sun had always worked mysteriously. The Potter would normally have settled down in a cave with Snap and Snoop by now, his internal clock was telling him.
Harry focused on keeping himself awake as he blearily watched the white-haired man stick his head under the water and screech. Sinking below the surface himself, the child felt a spike of energy as an interesting creature suddenly appeared around a bunch of seaweed and began swimming up towards them. It looked like a cross between a human and a fish, much like himself. Harry smiled widely at the being's gaze, only to frown when the being started singing to the old man.
"What is that human doing?" Snoop asked as he wrapped himself around Hairy's arm. His golden head was pointed towards the odd pair in front of them curiously.
"I think they're singing," Hairy hissed quietly back, his eyes not straying from the stoic face of the creature. The sounds were beautiful, though he couldn't understand any of the words.
Snap flicked his tail at Harry as he swam to his other side. "No, foolish human. They are talking. Mermish sounds like singing to those who can't speak it."
"Mermish?" Harry hissed back excitedly. "Like mermaids?!" Harry could feel himself brightening at the excitement he felt. These were real mermaids! He had seen beings that looked half-human, half-fish before, but they were never the actual thing.
Harry giggled in delight as the mermaid turned to look at him with a sharp smile on her face. The being waved her webbed fingers at Harry, and Harry enthusiastically waved his own back.
First he saw that huge castle, and now he gets to meet a real mer! Harry would have the thank man that brought him here once he saw him again.