Harry slept late the following day, eventually being woken by Madam Pomfrey at about 11 with a breakfast tray. He pushed himself up into a sitting position and rubbed his eyes sleepily, surprised at how exhausted he felt.

'I hate waking up in here,' he told her grumpily and she chuckled.

'You do seem to spend rather a lot of your time here don't you dear. I would like to treat your wrist this morning if that's all right with you?'

Harry grimaced but agreed. At least this way he would be sorted before everyone came back to school. He picked at his breakfast and thought through yesterdays events. It had been harder than he thought to face Professor McGonagall, although he was extremely grateful at the calm way the meeting had gone.

After eating a pitiful amount of food, he pushed his tray away and ignored Madam Pomfrey's pursed lips. Thankfully, she didn't make comment but instead handed him another vial of nutrient potion which he took without argument.

She sent him off for a shower and then got him to change into fresh pyjamas and hop back into bed. She elevated his arm on top of two fluffy pillows and pulled up a chair beside the bed.

'Right then Mr Potter. You broke two bones in your wrist and they have started to heal at a wrong angle. I am going to re break them and then cast a spell that will start them healing again. Now because this is a re break, it might take a little time.'

'How long do you think?' Harry asked worriedly. He really didn't want to spend the rest of his holiday in the hospital wing.

'The spell should only take a few hours, four at most, but I'm afraid this is going to be rather uncomfortable. You will also have to wear a splint for a week or two until the wrist is a little stronger. '

Harry's mood fell rapidly. So much for no one else knowing he thought with annoyance. He gave an encouraging smile to the mediwitch to show he had understood and she stood and pointed her wand at his arm with an apologetic smile.

'Effrego memor' she whispered and Harry hissed in pain as a pair of resounding cracks echoed through the hospital wing.

Stood behind a hospital screen, Severus winced as he heard the spell and Harry's sharp intake of breath.

Ouch, he thought with sympathy. That had to hurt!

He heard as Poppy spoke the long and complicated spell that would start the bones weaving back together. Severus was relieved he hadn't attempted to fix the wrist himself as he knew the witch would not have used that particular incantation unless it was strictly necessary. It meant Potter was about to have a few very unpleasant hours.

He waited until the witch had finished and had given Potter a few pain potions before making his presence known. The boy was as white as a ghost and sweat was beaded across his forehead. He saw the moment that Potter noticed him and the grim smile that crossed his face.

'Good morning Sir.'

'Morning Mr Potter, I see Madam Pomfrey is fixing your wrist.'

The boy nodded and grimaced. 'I have to wear a splint for a while.'

'Have you thought about what you will tell your friends?'

Harry shrugged. 'The truth I guess; I mean, not everyone obviously but it's probably time I stopped...well, hiding.'

Severus nodded, slightly alarmed by Harry's pallor.

'I think you will find it all a great deal easier with the support of your friends.'

Harry looked up at his grim faced professor and wondered if it would be rude to ask the question. As if the man had read his mind, Snape's eyebrow rose and a familiar snarl fell into place.

'What is running through that adolescent brain of yours Potter?'

'I just wondered if you ever told anyone?'

Severus sighed and with a flick of his wand, pulled over a chair. He sat down beside the teenager and took a moment to gather his thoughts. Had he really got close enough to the boy to divulge such personal details?

After a moments thought he realised that he was probably closer to Potter than any other wizard right now. Even Albus had been held at arms length all these years. What a difference three weeks had made, he thought wryly.

'I never told anyone whilst I was at school. There were times when members of the teaching staff were suspicious but I always denied there was a problem if asked. It was a very different world, even then. The authorities were less likely to interfere with a family, even then they did know there were problems.' He paused and looked at the boy thoughtfully. 'I think your mother knew how difficult my home life was. She occasionally encouraged me to talk to someone.'

Harry learnt back against the pillow and listened sadly to his professor.

'I'm sorry it was so bad for you professor and I'm really sorry if my dad made it worse for you. I was...not pleased when I saw that memory. It reminded me of Malfoy and his goons.'

Severus felt his shoulders tighten in familiar annoyance at the reminder of that particular incident.

'Yes, well Potter,' he drawled. 'It is probably wise if you refrain from reminding me of that particular intrusion into my private memories.'

Harry blushed and looked down at his arm which was now burning as if it was being held too close to a fire. 'Sorry sir,' he mumbled and his professor grunted in return.

Madam Pomfrey came over with a pale green bandage and with a short nod to her colleague cast a spell that caused Harry's arm to levitate a few inches above the pillow. The green bandage swiftly wrapped itself around his wrist and hand and then with a flash of light went rigid, leaving Harry's arm encased in a green cast.

'There you go Mr Potter, that should support the wrist for the next week or two. I suggest you stay here until you can no longer feel any heat in the bones.'

Harry tapped the splint and found it surprisingly solid.

'It' a bit like a muggle cast,' he said in surprise and the witch smiled.

'It's a very similar idea, except that it will automatically adjust to any changes in your arm, so shouldn't be hot or itchy and will stretch if your wrist or arm swells. You can also shower or bathe in it; it wont get wet.'

She left him and Severus then and returned to her office to write up her notes. Poppy opened Harry's medical notes with a sigh. They were already the thickest set of notes she had on any student and she had yet to add yesterdays scans and reports to the pile.

Poor boy, she thought sadly, listening the murmurs of Harry and Severus's conversation drifting into the office. At least he had some support now. That boy had been coping alone for far too long.

In the hospital wing, Severus watched as the remaining bit of colour in Harry's face fled in the face of the discomfort in his arm.

'How about a game of chess Potter?' he asked abruptly and the boys eyes opened in surprise.

'Are you sure sir. The students come back tomorrow evening. You must have better things to do with your time than babysit me?

Severus smirked. 'Yes, well, that may be true but I imagine some distraction might be welcome just now?'

Harry grimaced and nodded. 'Yes sir, it would. Thank you.'

Severus conjured a small table and chess set and helped Harry into a better position. They settled down in silence to play.

)O(

When Albus Dumbledore walked into the hospital wing an hour later, it was his potions professors voice he heard first. Pausing for a moment, he waved his hand over his body, becoming instantly invisible and walked quietly around the screen. His eyes were instantly drawn to the green eyed teenager tucked up in bed, his face tense in a mixture of pain and concentration.

He looked gravely at the elevated arm, seeing the waves of magical energy surrounding the pale green splint as the bones healed themselves. The wrist had been broken as Harry was thrown to the floor by his uncle, according to the report he had read last night. An injury that was more than five months old, had never been treated and Harry had kept a secret from everyone through a whole term of school.

The thought of it made Albus want to weep.

In the hospital pyjamas, Harry looked thinner than ever and the elderly wizard found himself filled with rage as he thought of Vernon and Petunia Dursley's deliberate neglect of this child.

With one last look at the boy, he silently crossed to Poppy's office and let himself in. He had been able to fix most of the damage inflicted on him by his deputy headmistress the night before but not all. He wished now that he hadn't fixed his nose so quickly. He was the one who deserved to be in pain just now, not the young boy in the bed.

Thank heavens for Severus, he thought gravelly. If the potions master hadn't spotted what was happening then Harry would have been returned to that place for another summer. The file suggested that the violence had escalated severely this past year and Albus found himself going cold at the thought of what another summer in the Dursleys' care might have brought.