"Evan," he said firmly. "Stop this at once. You're going to hurt someone." His hand was pressing against Harry's back, trying to get him to relax. Harry had shut himself up so tightly that no one was getting in.

With a jerk of his head, Severus indicated to Minerva that he was taking the boy from the hall. He heard Minerva call out the next student as he strode up the dais.

Once in the small antechamber behind the teachers table, with the door closed and the strongest wards Severus knew in place, he sat in an armchair, wrapped his arms around Harry and settled in to wait out the storm.

Harry did not struggle or fight. He simple curled in on himself in an obvious attempt to protect himself from outside forces. Wild magic swirled in the air, growing more violent with each passing moment until all of the lamps burst in a shower of glass and sparks, leaving the room in total darkness.

In that moment, Harry utterly collapsed and the magic stopped. With a wail, Harry flung himself off Severus's lap and scrambled away from him. Unable to see him, Severus cast a Lumos long enough to repair the lamps and relight them. Harry was cowering in the corner, his arms flung up over his head, whimpering "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" over and over again..

With a sigh, Severus crouched down in front of him, but did not touch him. "Harry," he said loudly. "You are safe. No-one is going to hurt you." He had to repeat himself several times before the boy calmed.

Slowly, Harry's hands dropped. "Pr…Professor?" he asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Harry."

"Is anyone else here?" Harry asked, slowly untangling himself and sitting on the floor, his back to the corner.

"No-one is in the room with us. We are in an antechamber off of the Great Hall."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Harry cried. "I messed up so badly."

"No Harry, you did nothing wrong," Severus said. "I should have realized that you would not handle the crowd well. We could have had you Sorted separately in a private room."

"I…I…," Harry swallowed heavily. "You're not angry with me?"

"No," Severus replied.

Harry reached out a hand and Severus took it into his own. Slowly he pulled the boy to his feet and drew him close. "I'm going to open the door now." Severus didn't let go when Harry started to pull away again. "We will not go out into the Great Hall. I will have Professor McGonagall bring the Sorting Hat here." In his heart, Severus was beginning to think that Sorting Harry was a mistake until he was healed somewhat and able to interact with others without panicking. When Minerva brought the hat into the room, he would try to speak to her about it.

Severus lifted Harry up and placed him in the chair. "Wait here."

Harry jerked.

"I'm not leaving," Severus reassured him, "I'm simply going to take down the wards and open the door. I will be right here."

With a flick of his wand, the wards released and he pulled the door open. Within seconds, Minerva and Albus entered the room, Minerva holding the Sorting Hat. Severus's shoulders tightened a bit when he saw the Headmaster enter the room.

"Come in, I think he's calm enough now." He gave a look to Minerva that hopefully she would interpret correctly.

Minerva hesitated before stepping forward. "Mr. Snape, I need to place the hat on your head."

Severus sneered, seeing his opening. Apparently, Dumbledore was not as forthcoming as he should have been with Minerva. "He can't hear you. Did Albus not tell you that the boy is blind and nearly deaf?"

Dumbledore looked contrite as Minerva rounded on him. "Sorry my dear," he said with false sincerity. "It must have slipped my mind."

Minerva narrowed her eyes at him. "You only forget when it's convenient for you to do so. What is it that you have up your sleeve for this boy?"

Dumbledore looked shocked. "Why, nothing!" he exclaimed, a little too forcefully.

Minerva poked a finger at him. "Do not play your games with this boy, Albus. I don't know what it is, but you're scheming something and you need to stop."

She turned back to Harry, who was now standing, clutching Severus's sleeve. Severus thought that she might understand what he was attempting to do. "Severus, are you sure that this child should even be at Hogwarts, much less be Sorted? He cannot attend classes or integrate with his year mates and he's obviously not emotionally ready."

"He has to be at the school," Dumbledore spoke before Severus could. "Therefore he must be Sorted."

Minerva glared at Dumbledore. "Albus, this child is not ready for school. Perhaps it would be better to delay Sorting for a year."

"No," Dumbledore replied. "There will be no delay. Place the Sorting Hat on his head."

Minerva stepped towards Harry with obvious lack of enthusiasm. Severus held up a hand to stop her. "I agree that he is not ready to attend classes, but I also agree that he needs to be here with me." He looked at Dumbledore. "I believe the Sorting should be delayed. It will do him no good to be forced into a House where he will not live."

"My decision is final. The boy must be Sorted." Dumbledore pulled one of those stupid candies out of his pocket and popped it into his mouth. He looked like a fool, but his eyes were hard.

Severus sneered. "Fine. We're just going to ignore what's best for the child so that we can do what's best for you. However, do not be surprised if this situation does not turn out how you intend." Severus now wondered if he had been somehow manipulated by Dumbledore in the hotel room. He had seemed so sincere at the time, but now it looked like it was all part of some game. Severus couldn't tell.

Dumbledore said nothing, just smiled his infuriating smile and twinkled. God, Severus hated that twinkle.

Severus bent down to speak to Harry. "Evan, Professor McGonagall is going to place the Sorting Hat on your head. You need to do nothing, it will decide which House you will be in."

Harry reluctantly nodded, and Severus motioned for Minerva to come forward.

~HPSSHPSS~

Harry really did not want to do this. Something called a Sorting Hat was going to decide where Harry would live for the next seven years. He was going to be taken away from Professor Snape and given to people he didn't know. People who could turn out to be just like the Dursleys. He had agreed to let Professor McGonagall do this only because he knew the consequences that came from disagreeing with adults. It was best to get it over with and deal with the loss later, when he was alone.

He was already ashamed that he had lost control in the Great Hall; the feel of so many people, the horror of having to wait, and even with Professor Snape trying to explain what was happening, and Draco gripping his hand, it had been too much. He hadn't lost his composure like that since the accident and he had discovered that he was blind. He was astonished that Professor Snape hadn't hit him for acting like such a baby.

He felt someone step closer to him and he put a hand out. The cloth beneath his fingers felt different from Professor Snape's. Softer and heavier. He allowed himself to grip the cloth for just a moment and then dropped it as he felt something being placed on his head. It was too large for him and slipped down around his face.

"Ah, Mr. Potter." Harry jumped when he heard the voice in his head.

"No need to be afraid," the voice said gently.

'Are you going to hurt me?' Harry silently asked the hat.

"Not at all, I'm here only to decide what House you shall be Sorted into."

'Do you have to Sort me?' Harry was amazed at his own courage in asking an unknown thing actual questions.

"Do you not want to be Sorted?" the Hat seem to be slight puzzled by this.

'Not if you're going to take me away from my professor,' Harry reluctantly admitted.

"I believe that you shall be residing with your professor regardless of what House I Sort you into," the Hat said and Harry was instantly relieved. So much so that he sagged a little and felt Professor Snape's arm come around him to help hold him up.

'Thank you,' he nearly sobbed.

"I think that you will do best in the house of your professor and your friend, so

"SLYTHERIN!"

The Hat was removed from his head and he felt the professor gather him closer. He heard him say something, but he didn't hear the words. It didn't matter, he was safe.

~HPSSHPSS~

Draco was worried. Evan had panicked and Uncle Sev had taken him from the room before he could be Sorted. Draco hadn't realised that the sudden gust of wind in the Great Hall was a burst of wild magic caused by Evan until he'd no longer been there. Once Uncle Sev had shut and locked the antechamber door, the wind had died down. Draco had tried to leave the table to see what was happening with Evan, but had been stopped by an older student, who told him that he was a prefect and that Draco was not allowed to leave the table until the end of the meal.

He sat and watched the rest of the first years get Sorted, but other than hearing that Ron Weasley went to Gryffindor, he didn't pay attention. The Headmaster made some stupid comments that Draco was sure were meant to be funny but only made him seem senile, and then the food arrived.

He put some of the meat and potatoes on his plate, but just pushed them around, his stomach too upset to even think about eating. He looked up when there was movement at the head table, and noticed that the door to the antechamber was open. He thought about getting up, but a look from the prefect kept him in his place.

Professor McGonagall picked up the Sorting Hat and, along with the Headmaster, disappeared into the antechamber. Draco fidgeted, played with his food and watched the doorway to the antechamber until Uncle Sev came out, holding a red-eyed Evan by the hand. Slowly, Uncle Sev led Evan over to the Slytherin table and helped him to sit next to Draco.

"I'll be right at the head table, just call out if you need me and I'll hear you. You're sitting next to Draco and he'll help you with dinner." Uncle Sev disentangled his hand from Evan's, put a silencing charm around the two boys so that Draco could talk to Evan without having to yell, and walked away. Evan started to stand, but Draco put a hand on his. "I'm right here, Evan, you're not alone."

Evan settled back onto the seat, but he was still tense, his fingers gripping the edge of the table as if he would fall over without the support. Draco helped him with some food from the serving dishes and, little by little, he relaxed. Draco found his appetite returned and ate along with Evan.

"Did you get Sorted into Slytherin?" Draco asked.

"Yes, the…Sorting Hat…said I should be near Professor Snape and you."

Draco felt a swell of pride at that statement.

"Where's Ron?" Evan asked suddenly, puncturing Draco's pride a bit.

"He got Sorted into Gryffindor. He's two tables over." Draco looked over at Ron who was watching Evan, an unreadable expression on his face. Oddly, Draco found himself hoping that Ron would not reject Evan simply because he was now in Slytherin.

The food disappeared and pudding appeared. Draco looked over all of the choices.

"Do you want pudding?" he asked Evan.

Evan looked confused. "I don't know, I've never had pudding before."

Draco's mouth dropped open slightly. "You've never had pudding? You mean never?"

"No, it was not something I was allowed. The chocolate frogs on the train were the first sweets I've ever had."

Draco immediately put some treacle tart in front of Evan, explaining what it was. Cautiously Evan put a bite into his mouth. His whole fact lit up with delight.

"Oh, this is wonderful!" he exclaimed.

Smiling, Draco turned to his own pudding. When he turned back to Evan, it was to find him with his head down on the table. A few bites had been taken out of the treacle tart, but now Evan's eyes were closed. Draco looked up to see Uncle Sev coming to the table. He lifted Evan up and immediately he wound his legs around Uncle Sev's waist, his head on Uncle Sev's shoulder.

Uncle Sev put a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Go with the others when the prefects call. I'll come see you later."

Draco nodded and watched as the two of them left the Great Hall.

~HPSSHPSS~

Evan was not asleep, but close. Severus knew that the whole day, ending with that spectacular panic attack, had taken a lot out of the boy and he had finally reached the end of his endurance.

Severus debated taking Harry directly to his quarters, but Poppy would throw a fit if he delayed letting her see him any longer. The lecture he expected was going to be bad enough.

As expected, Poppy was waiting for him when he entered the hospital wing. She indicated a bed and he laid Harry on it. Sleepily, Harry clasped Severus's hand and didn't let go.

"I was going to come and get you, if you hadn't come here first," she said briskly. "You should have brought him to me as soon as you retrieved him." Her wand was waving over Harry as he clung to Severus.

"I did not think of it," Severus admitted. "I was only thinking of getting him away from that house and those horrible relatives of his and settled here in school." He summoned a chair and sat down close to the bed.

"Hmph," Poppy replied. "I suppose I can forgive you." She studied the results that hovered above Harry before copying them to a parchment in her hand.

"Luckily for you, there is nothing that can be done immediately." She looked at Harry, now asleep in the bed. "This happened so long ago that all of the damage is set." She came over to Severus and sat in the chair next to him.

"If the boy had been seen directly, much of this could have been avoided," she sighed, handing Severus the parchment.

Severus scanned the parchment, then handed it back to her. "I was aware of the badly healed bones and the brain damage," he said. "However, I was not aware of the severe malnutrition or the past damage to his internal organs." He clenched his hands in his lap. "Damn Albus! How could he leave this child with them and then just forget he was there! Did he not even once think to check on him?"

Poppy didn't look surprised at Severus's outburst. She knew that he was thinking about his own childhood, wishing that someone had rescued him from his father. She was relieved that he was identifying with Harry. It could have been so terrible if he had seen nothing but James Potters' son.

"You know the Headmaster wanted him to have a childhood away from the attention that his fame would have garnered," Poppy replied, knowing that is was a weak excuse. Albus should have at least checked on the child every year or so.

Severus looked at Poppy like she had sprouted a second head. "This is better?" he hissed, waving a hand in Harry's direction.

"No," Poppy shook her head. "Of course not. I'm not trying to excuse him. There is no excuse for what he's done."

"And now," Severus replied. "That manipulative old fool has got something going on in his head. He insisted that the child be Sorted, even though Minerva and I objected. I believe he's trying to manipulate us for whatever reason."

"We're going to have to let Minerva know about Harry so that she can be on guard," Poppy said.

Severus sighed. "I promised Harry that no-one beyond you and I and the Headmaster would know his real identity. I will have to explain it to him and let him decide."

"You cannot trust that the Headmaster will keep it quiet. He will argue that the teachers should be told."

Severus looked thunderous. "We will have to do everything possible to ensure that does not happen."

Poppy nodded and turned back to the parchment. "We will start with the organ damage and the malnutrition," she said. "I don't want to do anything else until we get him up to a better weight. His leg at least will have to be broken again so that it can be set correctly and it will be difficult even with him at a normal size."

Severus nodded, looking at Harry. "He is no bigger than an eight-year-old."

"Yes." Poppy said. "And he weighs less than a seven-year-old should."

"Is there a chance that he will reach normal height when he's an adult?" Severus asked.

"Probably not," Poppy replied. "If we had rescued him before the accident, when he was six or seven, I would have said yes, but now…" She didn't finish the sentence, but Severus knew what she was thinking. There was so much to be done before he hit puberty in the next two to three years. If they didn't have him completely better by then, he could have problems his entire life.

He went to gather Harry up to take to his quarters, but Poppy stopped his with a hand on his arm.

"Leave him here for the night. I know that you need to arrange your quarters and it will give you time to do so and me time to observe him."

Severus nodded. "I also need to check on my first years."

"God only knows what would happen to the Universe if you didn't lecture the firsties into tears right away," Poppy teased lightly.

"That's right," Severus sneered for a moment and then turned away. "I'm sure I'll be sending one or two to you in the next few hours."

Poppy nodded seriously. "How you wind up with all the abused children, I'll never know."

"It takes a lot of cunning to hide what's happening from the rest of the world." Severus replied with a scowl. "Can you see some Gryffindor doing that?"

Poppy laughed. "No, I suppose not."

Severus left Harry with her, turning towards the dungeons and his house full of Slytherins.