Poppy frowned and left her office, intent on scolding the potions master for his sharpness, until she saw the condition the young man before her was in.

“My lord, Severus!” she gasped, rushing forward and drawing her wand. “What on earth happened to him?!”

“I should think that was quite obvious, Poppy,” Snape sneered, the small bite of impatience in his voice spurring the matron to begin her exam. She was about halfway though — growing more anxious as she went — when the doors to the ward were forcedly opened again, revealing a rather grave looking Dumbledore.

“It seems that your suspicions were correct, Headmaster,” Snape called out, in a very condescending tone. “Assuming, of course, that this is what you were talking about when you sent me off to those vile creatures?”

Dumbledore, for his part, had by this time made his way to the bedside, looking as though he'd just had the weight of the world placed on his shoulders.

“Yes, Severus,” he answered heavily. “This is, unfortunately, was what was hinted upon in my sources …… but I didn't want to believe it…” He sighed heavily, closing his eyes for a moment before asking, “How is he, Poppy?”

The petite matron took a deep, shuddering breath, and shakily answered, “He's been shot in the shoulder by a Muggle weapon, causing extensive tissue damage. Though it will leave a nasty scar. The other injuries aren't as serious, but they aren't to be taken lightly either. There is extensive bruising on his body, mainly around the Torso and arms. Several broken ribs, a fractured thighbone, a dislocated shoulder, and an impact wound to the back of his head. He's also sustained a large number of nasty abrasions and welts to the majority of his

back…”

She paused to gather herself, before adding, confusedly, “Another thing I've noticed, Albus, is that, although Mr Potter is severely malnourished, he seems to be larger than what he was a month ago? I'm probably being paranoid, I know, but I just thought it rather odd…”

“Larger?” said Snape, sounding as though the woman had lost her mind.

“In what way, Poppy?” asked Albus, cutting off any scathing retorts that might have been intended.

“If you'll forgive me, Albus, but I'm not going to elaborate right now. I need to ask the two of you to leave while I treat Mr Potter. Out!”

Snape and Dumbledore found themselves being shoved rather briskly toward the doors, and moments later were standing out in the hallway. They both cringed as the doors slammed shut, sending a loud echo travelling through the halls.

Dumbledore sighed heavily, turning from the shut doors to face Snape, who was also momentarily speechless.

“How did Harry get like this, Severus?” he asked solemnly, sounding so grave that Severus almost let his mask slip.

“I'm not sure, Albus,” Snape answered honestly, shaking his head. “I arrived at the incident only half an hour ago, but as to all of his other injuries? I quite sure I could theorise on how he acquired them though…?”

Dumbledore nodded, accepting most of the answer, before asking, “Well then, perhaps you would settle for telling me how he was shot?” The Headmaster quirked an eyebrow questioningly. “As I recall, shootings require at least a second party?”

Snape gave a short, hollow laugh, recalling the event. He looked at his feet for a few moments, contemplating how to answer the question, without sounding as though Potter had done him a favour.

“His Uncle did that, Albus,” he settled on saying, seeing how Dumbledore didn't initially ask for specifics. “I was under Mr Potter's invisibility cloak as it happened.”

Dumbledore's blue eyes widened at the statement, obviously not contemplating that as one of the possibilities.

“Harry's UNCLE?!” Albus uttered, sounding disbelieving. “As in, Vernon Dursley?”

Snape nodded. “The very same, Albus. Tell me …… did you even suspect the kind of treatment Harry received at that place? Or were you intending to shorten his life span considerably?”

“If you are placing the blame for this on me, Severus, then I will not argue with you,” Albus stated bluntly. “If any ill comes from Harry's injuries, then I shall claim responsibility for it, as I should. It was my decision to place him at the Dursley's after all. But tell me, Severus …… Why is it that you didn't OWL me at all throughout the time you spent there this past week, if Harry's situation was as bad as it seems?”

Snap scowled at Dumbledore in a manner unbecoming of a Professor, but Dumbledore seemed to no longer be affected by it, and calmly waited for an answer.

“For starters, Albus, you were the one that told me to not owl you, for fear of blowing my cover. The real reason, I suppose, is that I had no idea what the boys condition was in, simply because I hadn't seen any sign of him for the whole week. The first time I saw him was tonight, and the circumstances of that finding have me believing he was forced to spend the majority of his existence in a back shed, for the duration of my stay, while I was privileged to spend my time in his room!”

Severus paused for a moment, needing to get a hold on his temper before it got away from him. “Can you believe them, Albus? They let a stranger take their nephews bedroom, treat him worse than a House-Elf, and showed no remorse after nearly killing him!”

Dumbledore nodded, resigned as to how wrong they'd all been, about Harry's home life. “Do you think he will blame me, Severus, for my decision to continually send him back there?”

Snape sighed, shaking his head slowly as both he and Albus paced the deserted corridor.

“Albus … I understand the desire for penance after grave wrongdoings better than most … but, I'm afraid that I don't know the boy well enough to predict his reaction to something like this.”

Dumbledore stopped pacing and sighed deeply, as though expelling all his negative thoughts and feelings related to the grim situation. He took a long, deep breath, before turning to the potions master and starting a completely different line of conversation.

“I received a most interesting package while you were away, Severus,” he stated, sounding stern though looking rather buoyant, despite the circumstances.

“And what, pray tell, was so interesting about it, Albus?” said Snape, humouring his old mentor.

“Well for starters, it was addressed to you,” Albus answered, deadpanned. “But I found the sender the most intriguing part. That and it was a delayed postage, initiated fifteen years ago.”

Snape froze, feeling utterly confused by the statement. Who on earth would send him a delayed package? And who could possibly have sent it that would have Dumbledore's eyes shining more than they ever have before?

The fact that the initial posting was done fifteen yrs ago only added to his confusion. Most of the people he associated with at that time were dead and buried, so why wait until now to send him a package? Unless it was something that couldn't be know back then??

“Would you like to open it now, Severus?” Dumbledore asked quietly, stopping Snape's train of thought. “Or would you rather wait ‘till morning?”

“I believe I shall first wait for any news regarding Mr Potter, Albus,” Snape answered, still seemingly deep in thought. “Then, depending on the diagnosis, I'll take the package down to my chambers.”