As was swiftly becoming par for the course, they woke up in the Hospital Wing.

This time, both Ron and Millie were at their bedside, although both of them were sound asleep. Ron's head had slumped over on Millie's shoulder, a fact Jay found quite amusing. Looking around, he spied Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey by her office, having a hushed conversation.

So what the fuck happened? Jay inquired inside, but before anyone could reply, Madam Pomfrey had noticed they were awake and hurried over, Snape discreetly trailing behind.

"Mr. Potter!" she hissed, looking both delighted and infuriated. "You're awake."

"Yeah..." Jay replied slightly cautiously. The chills and random aches were gone, as was the maddening itch that had liked to appear on their leg. The entire system had forgotten about the scratch inflicted by the three-headed dog.

So it was quite a shock for Madam Pomfrey to inform them that said scratch had gotten badly infected and that they had nearly died.

And the fact that they'd been in the Hospital Wing for three days, Ron and Millie only leaving them when either Madam Pomfrey or Professor Snape would chase them off for proper meals and some better rest than they could gather in the cramped hospital chairs.

"What?" Jay's mouth dropped open.

"And that's not all we have to talk about, Mr. Potter," Madam Pomfrey informed him with a gimlet stare. "I'll wait until we're alone, for your privacy, but you've got quite a bit of explanation about your home life to do."

...Shit.

Jay prodded Tom anxiously inside. Had he managed to hide anything? At all? Still dazed, Tom replied that no, he hadn't. He hadn't been aware anything was seriously wrong until Blue keeled over while playing chess, and by then, it was too late.

Double shit.

Jay attempted a more winning smile, but it came out more ghastly than anything. It was probably a good thing Pomfrey was ignoring them as she fussed over her diagnostics and then gently woke Ron and Millie, telling them that yes, Harry was awake, but please don't rush him. He still has a lot of recovering to do.

I feel fine, Jay grumbled. I could leave now, if she'd fuck off!

And then you'd end up falling flat on your face, or didn't you notice how weak we are? Tom said in as acerbic a tone as he could muster. Because of the infection and how long we apparently let it progress, we're weak as a newborn kitten right now. But go ahead, try your heroics if you must.

Shut up, Jay snarled, mouth twisting in a scowl.

Ron and Millie fussed over him for a few minutes and he did his best to reassure them. Well, Millie more than Ron. His twin might appreciate Ron's company, but Jay still couldn't stand the boy. He did his best to be civil, but was fairly sure at least a bit of his animosity had leaked through. Hopefully it would just be blamed on their invalid state, and he could stop feeling like an arse who'd taken away one of Blue's friends.

"Mr. Potter needs rest now," Madam Pomfrey stated in a tone that brooked no disagreement. Jay started to protest, but subsided at a warning glare from the mediwitch. Ron also looked ready to argue, but said nothing, shuffling his feet on the floor and loping off with Millie following a sedate distance behind.

"Now, Mr. Potter, I do believe it's time to have that chat," she said sternly, drawing a curtain around them, as Professor Snape came forward as well, conjuring a chair and planting it firmly by their bedside.

"I thought you said we'd be alone," Jay said, pointing a finger at Snape. "But he's here, isn't he?"

"Severus is your Head of House and while the school year is in session, acts in loco parentis to all of his students," Pomfrey replied. "He stays."

In loco whatsis? Jay asked in confusion.

It means that he acts in place of our parents or guardians, Tom supplied. While we're at school, he acts in a guardian-like fashion for all of the Slytherins because he's our Head of House. Really, Jay, it's not that difficult.

Shut up, Jay snapped back.

"So, Mr. Potter...Harry," Madam Pomfrey began. "How long have you been able to hide severe malnutrition, exhaustion, the remnants of several old injuries, and the fact that you have extensive scarring over most of your back? Not to mention how many bones have improperly healed and yet somehow I failed to notice them before now?"

"Not my fault you can't do your job," Jay scowled, hating this bed, hating this conversation, hating everything. This wasn't supposed to be happening. He directed a baleful glare at their leg. If it wasn't for a stupid bloody scratch! That Harry got of all people. Host barely bloody comes out and manages this.

"Mind your tone, Potter," Snape barked at him.

"Fine," Jay said sullenly, picking at a loose thread in the sleeve of his hospital gown. "I don't know. A while." He shrugged.

"Why?" Now her tone had gentled, but Jay didn't trust it. Why should he? Not like anyone had ever helped them before. The school nurse in primary had tried to help, hadn't she, and look how that had ended up! Vernon had broken their fucking leg and blamed it all on the most transparent of all lies-Harry had "fallen down the stairs." And of course, nothing was done. By this point, Harry's system almost didn't want anything to be done. They were surviving, weren't they? It was difficult, but manageable. They didn't need any bloody adults mucking things up as usual.

"Pretty sure you can guess why," Jay finally replied, reluctant to say anything. He wasn't good at this, wasn't good at this gentle confrontation, the probing questions. Tom was, but they were afraid to switch in front of the two, afraid that they would somehow be able to guess at this, too. They'd never run across anything in the magical world that sounded anything like this. What if this made Harry even more freaky? No, thanks.

"Who did those things to you?" Pomfrey asked, her tone so gentle, it was like she assumed they were a frightened horse, ready to bolt. Jay straightened up further in the bed, slanting her a sullen glare from beneath his eyelashes. He was not scared. Annoyed. Angry, maybe. Not afraid.

"Again, pretty sure you can guess."

"The Dursleys?" Snape spoke up, sounding neutral. Jay swiveled around rapidly to stare at the man, panic buzzing in his ears. Of course his Head of House would know who their family was. Of course.

"I'm not saying anything," Jay snapped, anger bristling in every bit of him.

"Of course not," Snape sighed. "In that case..."

In an instant, the man's wand was pointed between their eyes, and Jay heard, "Legilimens!"