Calamity by MellarkandArt

Harry had been ready to pass out and forget that this day had even happened, but now he was completely on his guard. If he thought that Ron seeing him like this would be something of nightmares, he truly had no analogies to describe how horrible of a situation he currently found himself in.

Did the universe truly despise him enough to have him beaten to a bloody pulp and receive medical treatment from Snape? Harry hadn’t even been aware that the evil man was a healer. What if this was Snape’s chance to finally poison Harry? Or worse, wave his medical chart around in front of everyone at school and mock him in class? It most certainly was not out of the realm of possibilities.

Perhaps he had died and gone to hell? Or maybe it really was just a nightmare, he tended to have particularly violent ones. Yes, very soon he would be waking up screaming in his bed at Privet Drive and this will all have been nothing more than a fabrication of his apparently greatly disturbed subconscious.

***

Severus Snape, Potions Master and professor at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, wasn’t so cruel as to mock an ill child, but as he took in the sight of an injured James Potter reincarnated sprawled about the Weasley’s living room sofa, he really couldn’t help but sneer while wondering what sort of trouble the boy had brought upon himself now.

He then attempted to school his features into his mask of indifference. Regardless of his personal feelings when it came to this boy, if he was to be the one to heal him then he must practice restraint, difficult as that might be.

“Mister Potter,” Severus started stiffly as he kneeled down on the floor near his patient and rummaged through his medical bag. One glance at the child on the couch informed him that he would require bruise balm. “What have you gotten yourself into this time?”

The boy shifted nervously but made no move to respond to the inquiry, his eyes were downcast as he avoided the potions master’s gaze. Severus sighed and the boy jumped as he drew his wand to cast a diagnosis charm. “Calm yourself, Mr. Potter, I am simply attempting to assess your injuries.” His muscles remained tense but he settled back down after a moment.

“I am going to run a diagnostic spell on you. If you were of age I would require your consent, but thankfully, you are not so we do not have to suffer through the usual Potter dramatics,” Severus stated, barely suppressing a smirk. He heard Molly let out a tsking noise but she managed to keep her mouth shut.

Severus waved his wand over the injured child and a parchment and quill appeared floating in the air. He slowly moved his wand from the top of Potter’s messy head to the tips of his toes and back. A faint glowing appeared on his skin, shining slightly brighter in places in need of healing. Which seemed to be a lot of places.

He frowned and after completing the scan he looked over at the parchment to read it. Besides the obvious facial bruising, it listed a sprained right wrist, fractured rib, broken right pinky and left foot, and excessive bruising pretty much everywhere. It also listed malnourishment, which would require daily nutritional potions for a month at least.

Severus glanced up at the Weasleys, now truly curious as to what might have transpired to cause the boy to be in this state, but there was nothing to be found there but worry on their faces.

He shook his head slightly to clear it and began to focus on his task. He would think about the implications later, right now his attention needed to be placed on the healing process.

He started on the wrist first, it was a bad sprain but nothing that couldn’t be fixed with a simple Episkey. The broken bones would require setting and Skele-Gro, the fractured rib would be a bit more difficult to work with as there was always the slight risk of impairing a lung during the setting of it, but it could be done.

After administering a pain potion, it took him about twenty minutes to complete the healing process, Molly held on tightly to Potter’s hand all the while. He would still be sore for a few days but for the most part, he would be fine.

The boy had been completely silent so far, even during the consumption of the foul tasting Skele-Gro, but as Severus made a move to remove Potter’s long sleeved shirt to apply the bruise balm that the parchment indicated would be needed, he let out a quiet whimper of protest.

Rather than irritated as he normally would be when dealing with a Potter, the sound of it made Severus feel extremely uncomfortable.

“I must see to your bruising, Potter, would you be so kind as to allow me to do so?” he snarked, but his heart wasn’t really in the rebuke. The boy seemed to make an effort to calm himself before nodding hesitantly.

Severus slowly removed the child’s shirt and gaped at the sight before him. Potter’s entire torso was littered with dark bruises. He heard Arthur and Molly let out audible gasps beside him. Potter’s eyes closed as he turned his head away from them and let go of Molly’s hand.

Severus just stared for a moment before once again shaking his head. He unscrewed the lid to the bruise balm and dipped his fingers into it. As gentle as he could manage, he began to spread it onto the child but the boy still flinched violently upon making contact. Severus’ hand stilled on Potter’s stomach for a few seconds before moving again. He made an effort to be quick and efficient yet still placid. After he had covered Potter’s front with the balm, he started on his back.

He felt as though he should be talking throughout this as he usually did with his patients to soothe their nerves, but he never imagined himself in this kind of situation with Potter, so he did his work silently. He finished with the back, which was somehow worse than the front, in a few awkward minutes and then he made a move to apply the balm to Potter’s face.

The boy did not flinch this time, but his eyes still remained closed tightly as Severus spread the balm onto his right cheek and over his left eye. Just as well, he wasn’t sure that he would be able to hold his composure if he saw Lily’s green eyes staring back at him in this moment.

Severus released a sigh as he debated on the remainder of Potter’s body. He did not fancy seeing any more of Potter’s body than strictly necessary and he felt that Potter would agree. He did not have to fret about it for long as the boy spoke up for the first time since Severus had arrived.

“Please, sir- can you let me just... may I see to the rest myself, please?”

It was a moment before Severus nodded as he worried that he simply would be taking the easy way out and not putting in his best efforts as a healer, but he thought that the boy should be able to come out of this with at least a small portion of his dignity still intact.

Potter struggled slightly as he rose to get off of the couch and practically fled to the bathroom. The adults all looked towards one another when he shut the door and locked it behind him.

“What on earth happened to him?” Severus demanded in a quiet tone. Husband and wife looked at one another for a long moment before Arthur answered him, running a hand over his face.

“We don’t know exactly, he hasn’t really said anything. I went to Surrey to retrieve him about an hour ago after Arabella Figg paid us a visit earlier today.”

“Arabella Figg?” Severus questioned. “The elderly squib that was in The Order?”

Arthur nodded. “Apparently she is Harry’s neighbor, has been for as long as he’s been living with his relatives. She said that Dumbledore placed her in the neighborhood to keep an eye on Harry.”

“And what was the reason for her visit?”

Arthur sat himself down heavily on the loveseat beside his wife. “She said that… well, we knew already Harry’s relationship with his relatives wasn’t good, but, we never thought that… she said that she has always suspected abuse, she just-“

“You mean to tell me that his family did this to him?” Severus bellowed. Arthur put up a hand to quiet him, shooting a glance at the bathroom door.

“We don’t know for sure, but… I think that it’s more than likely.”

Severus had known, really, in the back of his mind while he was healing the boy, but hearing it in his subconscious thoughts and actually hearing it being said were two very different things. The three adults were silent for a time as they mulled it all over in their heads.

Molly had stood up and was pacing the room when the boy came back out of the bathroom, hugging his arms around his waist, his eyes lowered to the floor. He stood there in the middle of the room awkwardly for a moment.

“Lay back down, you need to rest,” Severus said quietly as he rubbed his index finger and thumb together over his eyebrow.

Potter obeyed instantly, nearly flopping onto the couch and drawing the blanket practically up to his nose, if he brought it up any further he would smother himself. Molly reached out slowly so that she wouldn’t startle him to take off his glasses and set them down on the coffee table. “Go to sleep, darling,” she murmured as she patted his hand delicately.

Potter squished himself further into the couch and closed his eyes but they kept fluttering closed and snapping back open every few minutes. Severus rummaged through his bag and took out a bottle of dreamless sleep. He measured out the proper dosage and instructed his patient to drink. After that, Potter fell into a deep sleep in seconds.

Severus just stared at the sleeping child of his best friend and his enemy for a few more moments before taking out his wand again and running a more in depth diagnostic scan that would list all injuries since birth. Another parchment floated in the air and the only sound in The Burrow was the quiet scratching of a quill as it recorded.

Severus read over it when it was complete, and handed it over to Molly once he had finished.

He wanted to deny it, but Severus was not an imbecile. Children’s medical histories should not be this tainted with injuries. How he had missed the signs for two years he didn’t know. How Madam Pomfrey had Potter in the infirmary at least once a month during the Quidditch season and yet never discovered anything was beyond him.

Severus interrupted the subdued atmosphere that The Burrow living room had become while everyone had been lost in their thoughts.

“You know that as a healer, I am under magical oath and required to file a report with the Ministry.”

Arthur nodded grimly. “I’m aware. Is there any way to keep it from the press?”

“As Mr. Potter is a minor, the records will be sealed. The only person that should know would be Amelia Bones, unless there is a trial in which case a small addition of people would become aware and would all be under oath not to speak of it outside of the courtroom.”

“Would it be possible for us to become his guardians?” Molly asked.

“Once Potter’s relatives have lost custody of him, you could petition for guardianship of him. There will likely be a number of hurdles to jump through, but it can be done. The main issue is that someone like Lucius Malloy could come along and petition for guardianship himself, and while they will consider your family’s already well established relationship with Potter, we must take into account Mr. Malfoy’s influence with the Ministry…”

Severus pinched the bridge of his nose. “We will just have to hope that it doesn’t come to that, I have no choice but to file the report.”

Molly and Arthur looked to each other worriedly. They were all thinking the same thing, the Malfoys could be worse than the Dursley’s. Severus heaved a heavy sigh and continued.

“I am aware that he has no living relations besides the muggles, but I am still required to send a sample of his blood along with the report.” Severus reached into his bag and pulled out a syringe.

“As the healer who filed the report, the results of the blood test will be sent to me by owl. Custody can automatically be granted to close living blood relations, but as he has none besides the Dursleys it should not affect your petition for guardianship.” He gently stuck the needle into Potter’s arm and drew out a sample of blood. He then placed the small glass vial into his bag.

“I must write up my report and send it off. I will return tomorrow with nutritional potions, he will have to take them every day at breakfast for at least a month.” He collected his things and stood.

Molly took hold of his hand before he could leave. “Severus, I- thank you,” she said softly, looking over at Potter who was still fast asleep on the couch.

Severus glanced over at the sleeping teen once more for himself before turning away towards the floo. “I will inform you when I have received correspondence from the Ministry. Until tomorrow.”

He threw in a pinch of floo powder and disappeared into the green flames.