When they arrived at the gates of Hogwarts Severus was practically cradling Harry. He walked as quickly as he could up to the main doors. Albus and Poppy were waiting just inside the door.

'I do hope Albus has prepared himself' Severus thought grimly.

"Severus, to the dungeons, dear boy, they are closer" Albus said.

Nodding, he hurried as fast as he could to his chambers, not knowing what he was about to get himself involved in.

As soon as they got inside his chambers Severus laid Harry down on his bed and Poppy ushered him out of the way before setting to work.

She worked as hard as she could for an hour and a half before finally gaining positive results. Enough, anyway, to be able to rest for a while, and find out what, exactly, had happened to the boy-who-lived.

Severus sat, unmoving throughout the whole ordeal. He explained detail-for-detail everything he had seen.

As the Head of Slytherin he'd dealt with many middle-of-the-night hospital visits on account of suicide attempts or unhealthy midnight dueling 'sessions.'

He'd seen plenty of blood before, as well, but this incident had really moved him. For the second time in his entire life he felt completely helpless.

Had Harry been in Slytherin Severus would have seen the signs early on, but because he was a Gryffindor and James Potter's child he blatently ignored whatever possible signs that had been present.

And, now that he thought on it, Harry had shown signs. But everyone was so bent on him and his greatness how could anyone even think that the boy was not alright?

He was good at hiding his secret.

'Almost too good.' Severus thought.

~~~

When Harry woke up it was dark. He was laying down on a really comfortable bed, too.

Memories from the past suddenly swam to the front of his head, causing Harry to feel a burst of fear shoot through his veins.

'Had it been days already, or only hours?' he wondered.

Snape had been at his Uncle's house, that was for certain.

He sat up and looked around. He was in Hogwarts. The Hospital Wing!

'Safe' He thought, as he lay back down.

Then, all of the past weeks caught up with him. He knew they were probably still upset with him. They had sent Snape, of all people, for Merlin's sake!

'Yes, definitely still mad, then. They had no choice but to help me. They couldn't let anything happen to their savior!' he thought disgustedly.

He lay there so caught up in his thoughts that he missed the dark shadow that had crept into the room.

~~~Snape's Point of View

Standing over him Severus looked at Harry. Really looked.

'He seems so...normal. Yet-all alone...I know that feeling all too well.'

Frowning at Harry's obviously unpleasant thoughts Severus moved to bring him back to reality.

Reaching out a hand tentatively he spoke, "Harry...Harry!-POTTER!"

Harry felt nothing but white-hot fear coursing throughout his body. Purely out of habit he immediately began scrambling to get out of the bed and out of sight.

Frowning further Severus made to go over to the distraught boy, but Harry's words efficiently froze him to the spot.

"Please, Uncle. I s-swear I didn't. It wasn't a p-p-poison. I was in p-pain. I'm sorry. Please!" he had curled into a corner waiting for the impending blow.

But blows never came. Instead Harry found himself being picked up, gently, and carried out of the Hospital Wing.

Panicked, Harry began to struggle, but Severus soothed him.

"Harry, it is still Severus. I'm still here. You are at Hogwarts. Do you remember?"

Harry looked up at the man, eyes wide.

"P-Professor Snape?"

He nodded.

"Why are you doing this?"

Feeling more than embarrassed, Harry jumped out of Severus' arms and looked at the dark man.

"I can walk, thank you very much." He said indignantly, crossing his arms over his chest, looking at Severus challengingly; and not doing a bad impersonation of the man himself.

As a response to Harry's outburst, and for the first time in nearly 17 years, Severus Snape laughed.