Hogwarts is a very large school. It takes time getting from one place to another and the headmaster's office was a long ways away from the school's hospital wing. During the school year, all the fireplaces were interconnected for emergency use. But during the summer, the system is shut down. Only the headmaster's floo remained open. Severus would have gladly taken the floo, so that he could spend as little time as possible with Potter. There was no choice in the matter, however, and Severus was stuck walking Harry down the lengthy corridors towards the infirmary. Being eager to get there soon, the tall wizard walked with much speed and long gaist, so much so that little Harry had a hard time keeping up.

Severus grumbled under his breath and glowered all the way. He really rather not be here right now; in fact, he'd rather face a whole class of first year Gryffindor and Hufflepuff students then be here right now. There was really no describing how he loathed the Potters, every single one of them. Severus has enjoyed his Potter free life, and dreaded the day Potter junior would come to Hogwarts. Truth was that Severus hadn't thought about the Potters for many years. But here was the Potter protégée, making his Hogwarts debut five years too early, and forcing Severus to remember his past. Someone was going to pay.

"Stop dawdling, Potter. Pick up your feet!" Severus snapped impatiently. The sooner Potter was dealt with, the sooner he can return to his business.

"Sorry, sir," Harry apologized. He had to jog to keep up with Severus' long strides. The potions master snorted and did not slow down. At least he's obedient; I wonder how long that will last.

Due to the slow arrival of the moving stairs, it was five minutes before they made it to the infirmary.

oo0o0oo

Harry had never seen anything like Hogwarts before. Okay, so he hadn't seen a lot of places, but he could tell that this place was different. There was something in the air that felt…magical. The stone walls seemed very ancient, like in a castle from a fairy tale. Not that Harry's ever been to a castle before, but he'd caught glimpses of them from the cartoons Dudley watched. Harry was sure that this wasn't a castle though, after all, a castle like this only existed in stories. Wouldn't it be nice if he were a character in a fairy tale-Harry often thought-and have adventures instead of scrubbing the floor, and live in a castle instead of a cupboard under the stairs?

The halls were also crowed with all kinds of paintings from portraits to landscapes to strange animal; the boy could have sworn there was a half bird, half horse creature. All the more strange, the people in the paintings all seemed to be staring at him, falling him with their lifelike eyes even as he walked passed. Harry looked away, feeling uneasy. Wait! Harry flipped his head around, did that girl in the painting just wink and giggle at him? Don't be silly, Harry, you're seeing things. Paintings can't wink, much less giggle.

"Stop dawdling, Potter. Pick up your feet!" The man snapped at him.

"Sorry, sir," Harry turned around and immediately fell to Severus' side. Stop fooling around, Harry. You're making him angry and he can yell just as loud as Uncle Vernon, you don't want him to yell again, do you?

After what seemed like forever to Harry, he was finally led through set of double doors and into a polish white room. Harry recognized the place at once; this was a clinic.

The young boy remembered visiting the clinic only once. All he knew about clinics and nurses was from that single experience—that very unpleasant single experience. Harry bit his lip and frowned, he had hoped he'd never have visit the awful place again. Last time, the nurse there had stuck a needle in his arm and it had stung enough to make him cry. Dudley got the needle too and screamed so loud Harry had to cover his ears. Harry could only sniff as he watched Aunt Petunia fawned all over Dudley, cooing and giving him kisses, and promising him ice cream.

And though the nurse had given them both lollipops, his aunt snatched his away as soon as they were clear of the clinic doors. Dudley, of course, ended up with his treat.

oo0o0oo

"Poppy, I require your assistance," Severus called rapidly as soon as he pushed through the doors.

"Severus? Is that you?"

Poppy Pomfrey poked her head from behind her store room. Madam Pomfrey was the employed as Hogwarts full time nurse. Throughout the school year, she busies herself brewing healing potions and mixing salves. And when she is not busy doing that or tending to sick and injured students, which by the way always occupied at least on bed in the infirmary, she could be found tutoring her intern on the ways of healing. There never seemed an end to the things she had to do. Not that she minds…most of the time.

"I'll be just a minute," she called and a minute later appeared carrying a long checklist in her hands.

"Just the person I was looking for," Pomfrey said as she hurried over to Severus. "What brings you here today? Nevermind, nevermind. I need your help. I seemed to have a shortage of several potions. There's no way I can make them all by the time school starts," the nurse held up her checklist and ran a finger down the page. "Let's see, I need…"

"Madam!"

"Hmm?" the witch looked up. "Oh!" She said startled when her gaze fell on Harry. "Who is this young man?" the witch asked as she put down her stuff and leaned down to have a better look at the small boy. "I didn't know you had family, Severus."

Severus could have choked. The very thought of Potter being family was unnatural, not to mention highly unappealing.

"He is not family!"

"Oh well. What's your name then?"

Harry looked at her shyly.

"Harry, ma'am," he answered politely, but leaned into Severus for comfort. Harry didn't like nurses, and this woman really looked like a nurse.

"Hello Harry. What brings you to Hogwarts today? Isn't it a bit early for school, and aren't you a bit young to be staring Hogwarts?"

"Um…"

"No worries, little boys grow fast and you'll be starting you're first year in no time. Come and visit me won't you, but hopefully not under the state my usual guests arrive in."

"Uh…yes ma'am…no ma'am?"

"Good boy. Your nephew?" Pomfrey asked, standing up.

"I just told you, he is not family." Thank Merlin in his grave.

"Oh well…you never know."

"I am positive." Very positive.

"If you say so. Where was I? Oh yes, potions. I need five batches of fever reducer, ten batches of burn salves, and to be safe, at least three of…"

"This is Harry Potter," Severus announced bluntly, trying to get the woman's attention.

"…boil removing gel…what was that? What did you say?"

"This is Harry Potter." Severus repeated coolly and smirked when Pomfrey's eyes widened comically.

Pomfrey gasped and bend over too look at Harry again. She squinted her eyes. "Harry Potter? The Harry Potter? James and Lily's boy? Why…yes, yes of course. I can see it now. Oh the resemblance, so much like…"

"His father, yes," Severus said with dislike.

"And his mother's…"

"Eyes," Severus finished as he rolled his own. "What else is new? Now, I…"

"What a handsome young man," Pomfrey cooed fondly, making Severus twitch. "But what is Harry Potter doing here? He's not to start for at least, what is it, five years?"

"I know that!" Severus vented, he did not need to be reminded of that fact.

"My goodness has he grown…a bit small for his age though. But I'm sure you'll get that growth spurt soon," the witch smiled at Harry. "Why, I known a child who grew ten inches in one summer!"

Severus smirked despite himself, remembering Hagrid's tale of his third summer away from Hogwarts; the half giant had indeed grown nearly a foot in the two month period.

"Madam! Please pay attention."

"Why are his clothes all wet, Severus? Poor thing will catch a cold."

"If you please, Poppy, I need you to run a full diagnosis on the boy. Minerva seems to fear he might have some severe ailment. Rest assured, though, it's probably just a common cold."

"Yes. Hmm…he does seem a bit flushed," Pomfrey frowned. She put the back of her hand against Harry's forehead and tsked. "A bit warm, nothing too worrisome. I'll have to take his temperature and run a few spells."

Severus nodded and followed the nurse to a bed nearby, pulling Harry along.

"You haven't answered my question; what is Harry doing here?"

"If you must know I found him in an alley this morning, lost, apparently," Severus snorted.

"Lost? Oh, the poor dear."

"Yes. Poor Potter."

"Don't worry, Harry, we'll get you fixed up and home in no time," Pomfrey smiled at Harry, who didn't know whether to be happy or sad. On the one hand, he disliked this unfamiliar place and wanted to go home. On the other, he knew his aunt and uncle would be furious. Harry nodded his head, showing that he had heard her.

"I need you to take off those filthy clothes and change into these," said the nurse as she handed Harry a set of hospital robes. "I'll pull the curtain close and you tell me when you're done, okay?"

"Um…do I have to?" As soon as those words left Harry's vocal cords, he regretted it. Harry! What have you done? You should never ever disobey an adult. You should always do as you're told. Now she'll be mad, and she'll tell your aunt and uncle how disobedient and rude you were. And you'll go without meals again! And you've not had anything for dinner yesterday. You never learn do you? She's gonna yell at you now and it's your own fault.

Harry bit his lip and waited for the harsh scolding to begin, but it never came.

"Of course you do. We can't have you in those wet clothes, and they're filthy," Poppy said kindly. "The house elves would have them clean in a jiffy. In fact, you'll have them back by the time you go home today."

She's not mad? Thank goodness. She's more patient than Aunt Petunia that's for sure. And what are house elves? And why would they be washing my clothes? Drop it already, Harry, stop thinking and do as you're told.

"Yes ma'am."

"Good," Pomfrey said as she pulled the curtains close. "Severus, I think you should wait outside."

Severus raised an unimpressed eyebrow at her. "I am not waiting outside."

"I have a patient that needs tending, you will wait outside."

"Madam, I have no intention of waiting outside."

"This is the infirmary, if I let everyone who wants to stay, stay, there'd be chaos…"

"Ah, yes. Visiting hour can get quite hectic, am I right?" Pomfrey's lips thinned, confirming that visiting hours at Hogwarts were indeed hectic. Teenagers had no respect whatsoever. "But I am not one of those lawless teenagers. I am neither a disturbance nor distraction. There is no reason why I must wait outside. Hurry up and do your work. I am very busy today."

Pomfrey huffed. "Very well."

Behind the curtain, Harry folded his clothes and held them in his arms. Don't put them on the bed, if you get the sheets dirty, she'll make you wash them. He stood in front of the bed, cloaked in the over sized robes. The small boy was used to baggy clothes, as all of them were castoffs from his whale of a cousin. But these were so large they were falling off as he stood there; so large in fact that Harry reckoned Uncle Vernon would fit into them.

"Um…I'm done."

"Ah, good," came the reply and the curtains were pulled aside.

Harry had his head lowered and almost didn't notice Pomfrey pull out her wand, almost. The young boy cringed and pushed back into the bed, wondering why Pomfrey was pointing a stick at him. Harry's aunt sometimes pointed a spatula, a wooden spoon or feather duster at him, threatening to thrash him with it until he couldn't sit for a week. But Harry knew that was an empty threat because his aunt never hit him more than five or six times, and that was only when she got really angry. Uncle Vernon often took swings at him; like a few days ago when the large man had hit him until he cried and sent him to his cupboard. She's not going to hit me with it is she? Can she do that? Of course she can, she's an adult. I knew I shouldn't have disobeyed.

Harry shut his eyes and held his breath, waiting for the blows to fall. But all he heard were strange words being said. He kept his eyes shut though, and felt the fabric of the robes move around him.

"There you go, dear. Harry? You okay?"

Harry opened one of his eyes just, then slowly the other and peaked at her through his fringe.

"Sorry if I scared you, dear. That was just a shrinking spell."

Harry looked at her wondering what had happened and what a shrinking spell was when he noticed his robes and gasped in astonishment. "The…the robes, they fit!"

"Of course, that's what the shrinking spell was for."

Harry blinked at the nurse, his mouth still slightly agape from wonder. What's a shrinking spell? How did she make the robes fit like that? Harry had felt the robes move, but he was positive they hadn't be removed and changed for another set. And besides, he'd been changing himself for years; Aunt Petunia says he's too old to have help putting on clothes, even though she helps Dudley do it all the time. Why didn't just tell me to change? Before the puzzled boy could ponder the question further though, Madam Pomfrey spoke again.

"Here, give me your clothes, I'll have them cleaned."

Harry frowned, ever the more confused. 'I'll have them cleaned?' He thought silently. Did that mean he didn't have to wash them? But he'd always washed his own clothes. Surely she wasn't going to do it for him!

"Blinky," Madam Pomfrey called. There was a popping sound and a tiny creature appeared in the middle of the room.

"Madam called Blinky?" It rapped.

"Yes, takes these clothes and have them washed. Bring them back as soon as you are done. "

"Yes, Madam. Right away, Madam," the house elf obeyed and apparated out of sight.

Harry stared at the spot the creature disappeared with an opened mouth.

Severus snorted. "Close that gap of yours, Potter, before you catch flies."

"You've never seen a house elf, have you?" Madam Pomfrey figured.

Harry closed his mouth and shook his head no.

"Didn't those Muggles teach you anything?" the witch huffed, shaking her head. "Ah, well, not to worry, Hogwarts will teach you everything you need to know when the time comes. That was Blinky, the hospital house elf. They're harmless creatures."

"What are they?" Harry asked.

"Magical creatures bound for eternity to serve wizarding kind, unless you give them clothes to wear," Pomfrey answered. "Giving a house elf clothes will set them free."

The Muggle-raised boy blinked at her and tilted his head. Wizarding kind?

"Now, shoes off and get onto the bed."

Harry gaped at her in awe as he remained still as a board and planted on the ground.

"Potter! Are you hard of hearing? Do as you're told at once," Severus ordered.

But Harry was in his own little world. He can go on the bed? But…he wasn't allowed on the bed. At home, he wasn't even allowed to touch the bed much less get on. Harry knew that beds were not for him. Ugly, bothersome freaks don't deserve things so nice and soft. Uncle Vernon told him he should be grateful for the things he had—blankets and a roof over his head. Harry stared at the ground as he fretted over the dilemma; should he obey the nurse and risk getting in trouble with Uncle Vernon? Or maybe he ought to listen and get on the bed before she and the man called Severus got angrier? Too late.

"For crying out loud, Potter!" Severus barked impatiently. He reached out and grabbed Harry by the armpits and lifted him up onto the bed, ignoring the startled squeal. The wizard was surprised at how little Harry weighted; barely two stones. A boy Harry's age should weigh at least three. He frowned as he took a second look at Harry's skinny frame. The child was really very thin, as thin as a pole. James Potter had been lean, but his son looked downright malnourished. Something wasn't right.

Severus, being Slytherin head of house, knew how to spot child neglect and abuse. However, the idea of the wizarding world's golden boy being neglected was unimaginable. It was preposterous; the brat was spoiled, pampered, and dolt on like a prince, not abused! Severus convinced himself. The multiple bruises on the boy's spindly arms could be explained easily enough. Little boys fell often and bruised easily. Potter had been running and hiding, he could have easily gotten those bruises. The Hogwarts professor shook his head to clear away the ridiculous thoughts. He took a hold of Harry's foot and with a tug pulled off Harry's shoe and dropped the filthy thing onto the floor, then proceeded with the second foot.

Severus did not fail to notice how ancient and torn Harry's shoes were. It was another sign, but he resolutely ignored them all, refusing to believe what they were telling him. You're delusional. Potter's the great savior. Nobody would abuse brat, rotten him with indulgence and pampering was more like it.

Harry let his foot drop and he sat half cowering on the bed. His hands were folded in his lap and his eyes were trained downward. His heart thumped wildly, refusing to slow down. Severus really scared him by picking him up like that. The poor child half expected to be shoved inside a cupboard.

The potions master looked over at Pomfrey who seemed to be concentrating on something. So she notices too, he thought. The nurse's brows were knitted together and her lips were thinned into a line. Severus turned his gaze back to Harry. Something was definitely not right. He may loathe Potter, but the thought of any child being abused was unsettling. How could anyone harm an innocent child? As Harry sat there, looking so timid and pitiful, Severus began doubting himself.

"Did you say he was lost, Severus?" The nurse sounded very concerned.

"Yes," the potions master replied. "I found him alone in an alley quite a distance from Little Winging."

"Hm…"

Severus studied her. Was she thinking the same thing he was thinking? Was Potter just being a stupid, spoiled child and ran away just to freak out his relatives? Or were there legitimate reason? But how in the world did he get himself to Greensdale? They couldn't have abandoned him, could they? No, there wasn't the remotest possibility of that.

A moment of pregnant silence enveloped the two adults as they looked at each other, both thinking the same unspeakable thing, and praying that they were misreading the signs. It was Madam Pomfrey who put recovered first and put a smile back on her face.

"Now, Harry. I am going to perform a diagnosis spell on you. It will only take a minute, and then we can see if you are sick. Okay?"

Harry cocked his head to one was that word again…spell.

"Lie down, Potter," said Severus ordered, Harry obeyed and lay down, putting his head on the pillow.

He shrank away from the nurse as she raised her wand.

"It's alright, don't be frightened."

"Will…will it hurt?"

"Oh no, dear. You won't feel a thing. I promise," Madam Pomfrey's soothing voice did nothing to reassure the child.

Harry bit his lip and dropped his head, not trusting the witch at all. He glanced sideways at Severus, seeking reassurance from the man who had given it to him before.

Why is he looking at me? Severus glowered. He had no intention of giving any reassurance to Potter, and was about to raise his signature eyebrow of indifference when something made him hesitate. Harry's eyes, big and green, bore at him beseechingly. They were Lily's eyes; so uniquely, unnaturally yet beautifully green. In that moment Severus found that he could not look away. And suddenly he also found that James didn't matter anymore, Potter was Lily's son. How could Petunia harm Lily's child; her nephew in flesh and blood? Severus' head was spinning; how could they have let this happen? If Potter was indeed been neglected, why hadn't they heard any reports from Arabella Figg, the squib responsible for watching Harry? Despite his thoughts, Severus' face betrayed no emotion and he gave the boy a single nod.

That was all Harry needed. "Kay," he replied, feeling better but still nervous.

Madam Pomfrey began muttering spells and ran her wand down Harry's entire body, from head to toe. Harry had his eyes shut the entire time, his head twisted sideways and fists gripping the sheets.

Several diagnostic spells later, Pomfrey finally lowered her wand and sighed. It was not a good sigh.

"Alright, Harry, you can sit up now."

"Poppy?" Severus inquired.

"Well, the good news is that Harry doesn't have any serious injury or illness, and nothing permanent," the witch said as she jotted down the last of her notes.

"And the bad news?"

Pomfrey looked at him with grieved eyes, distress written all over her face. "Here, see for yourself."

Severus took the chart from her hands. He scanned the page once and looked up at the boy who he believed to be spoiled. Here sat a child who was underweight, malnourished and had several wounds on his body. None of them were very severe though. Thank Merlin for that. Severus had seen worse. The child also suffered from slight cold, which along with everything else could be remedied with enough vitamins, potions, and rest. The physical ailments were easy enough to detect and also easy enough to cure; it was the emotional state of an abused child Severus focused on. Though Potter's injuries were not bad, his mental state was anyone's guess.

Now the stern potions master could fathom as to why Harry had attached himself to him—Severus had held him when he cried. If Potter is being abused, then there was a definite likely-hood that his relatives spend more time making him cry than comforting him when he did.

Severus continued to study Harry, who sat quietly swinging his legs back and forth.

So the Boy-Who-Lived had indeed been abused.

Albus was not going to be happy.