“And you asked the headmaster to stay over the summer?”  Snape asks him at the end of the exceedingly long exam.

“Yes, sir,” He whispers.

Snape’s scowl deepens but he nods and turns to Madame Pomfrey.  

“I must see to my Snakes,” Is all his professor says before leaving.

“Will I have to go back?”  He asks.

“Not if we have anything to do with it,” Pomfrey answers, smoothing down his covers fretfully.

He drops his chin to his chest and sighs.

“But the headmaster gets the last say.  And he doesn’t think anything’s wrong.”

Maybe he thinks I deserve it.

“The headmaster is not the only authority on this,” Pomfrey says tersely, her lips thinning.

“Are there magical orphanages?”  He asks tremulously.

“No.  The wizarding world is inter-married enough that family is almost always found.”

“What if I get put with someone who is worse?”  

“Hopefully, it won’t come to that,” She answers, patting his knee gently.  “I’m keeping you here overnight and don’t frown at me! You knew I would need to.  If you were in the muggle world, it’d be even longer. So be thankful for that.”