The rest of Severus and Harry's Sunday was spent enjoying each other's company. After lunch, they made their way down to their cozy home with Harry's friends surrounding him, determined to protect him, and Severus accompanied by Albus, who wanted to ensure Severus was truly alright after the morning's events.
Once their friends had left them alone, Severus spent a couple of hours helping Harry catch up on his schoolwork, as none of his summer assignments had been completed due to his relatives locking them away. Severus had already spoken with most of the teachers, who had granted Harry an extension, but both of them wanted to finish the work as soon as possible. As they worked, Harry grew increasingly tired, his eyes drooping until he eventually curled up on Severus's lap, fast asleep.
Amused, the professor decided not to move the boy, and they remained in that position until dinner.
While Harry slept, Severus gently ran his long, calloused fingers through the boy's hair, finding the action soothing for both of them. About an hour later, he heard the Floo activate behind him. Glancing over, he saw Don arriving and gestured for the healer to take a seat.
Don, wearing a smile, sat down in the chair across from Severus and the sleeping boy in his lap. His prediction about Harry becoming drowsy in the afternoon seemed to be correct. Perhaps a regular nap after lunch would benefit the child.
Gazing up from Harry to Severus, Don donned his smile once more and shared his thoughts. "I wonder, Severus, do you think Harry would benefit from an afternoon nap every day?"
Severus continued to stroke the boy's hair as he considered the suggestion. "That might not be a bad idea. Ever since lunch ended, he's been struggling to keep his eyes open. I believe he has a free hour after lunch that he could use for resting."
Don nodded, a mischievous grin on his face. "Maybe it will also keep him out of trouble."
Severus smiled at the comment, glancing down at his child. "Anything to keep him out of trouble; it seems to follow him everywhere."
The healer agreed, then asked, "Is there anything else you need, Severus?"
Severus slowly shook his head, but then remembered the Muggle woman Harry had mentioned, who had helped him when he visited his aunt's bridge club. Harry had expressed a desire to see her again. Giving Don a thoughtful look, he inquired, "Actually, now that I think about it, there is something you could do. Is there any way you could arrange a meeting between Harry, a Muggle, and myself?"
"Just tell me who and when, and I'll see what I can do," Don replied, ready to help.
Severus proceeded to recount Harry's experiences in the cafeteria and garden to Don. As he listened, the healer nodded thoughtfully, expressing his interest in meeting the woman who had done her best to keep Harry safe when others had not. After Severus finished his explanation, Don rose from his chair and approached the fireplace.
"I'll see what I can arrange. Does next weekend sound like a good time for a visit? I hesitate to schedule it during the week when Harry might be tired from his classes."
"Thank you, Don."
With a smile, the healer exited through the Floo in search of Mrs. Landow.
Shortly after Don's departure, Harry stirred from his nap. Sleepily, he looked up at Severus, who was smiling warmly at him, and blinked a few times. Realizing that he was resting on the man's lap, Harry started to sit up, but Severus gently placed a soft yet firm hand on the boy's chest, stopping him.
"It's okay, Harry; you can stay there."
Harry relaxed under Severus's touch and leaned back comfortably, no longer resisting. Why fight when the man said it was okay?
"You were tired, weren't you? Are you feeling better now?"
Harry gave a small nod as Severus continued to comfort him by gently brushing his hair away from his face.
"I was just talking to Don a little while ago. He thought it might be a good idea for you to take a nap like this every day after lunch. What do you think?"
"But... but naps are for babies!"
Severus's smile deepened, and he ruffled the boy's hair fondly. "Alright then, how about taking a rest after lunch every day?"
Harry slowly nodded against Severus, acquiescing to the idea of resting, as long as it wasn't a nap. The professor patted Harry's shoulder, amused by the child's response, which revealed a glimpse of Lily's personality.
"Do you want to get up now? We have some time before dinner; we can play a game of chess if you want."
Harry nodded enthusiastically. "Can you teach me some tricks? It would be nice to beat Ron sometime. He always wins."
Smiling, Severus helped Harry sit up on the couch. "Do you want to clean up before we play?"
Blushing slightly, Harry agreed and headed to the bathroom. Meanwhile, Severus summoned the chessboard and set it up on the table. He then called for a house elf, requesting a glass of milk for Harry, a cup of tea for himself, and a tray full of cookies. A few cookies before dinner wouldn't hurt Harry; in fact, it might help him gain some much-needed weight.
Upon returning from the bathroom, Harry saw the chessboard and smiled. He sat down across from Severus, but jumped when the house elf reappeared with their refreshments and snacks. He hadn't expected the small creature, and sudden movements still startled him.
With the refreshments neatly arranged on the table and the small elf having departed, Harry began to calm down from his fright by taking deep, steadying breaths. A few minutes later, once he had regained his composure, Harry reached for the glass of milk and sipped on it eagerly. He hadn't had anything to drink since lunch, and his thirst had grown quite intense.
As Harry set down his now empty glass, Severus offered him a warm smile.
"I'll have to make sure there are more beverages available for you. You know, if you ever feel hungry or thirsty, you're more than welcome to ask for something from the kitchens?"
"I know, sir, but I don't want to be a bother," Harry replied hesitantly.
Severus sighed gently. "Harry, you could never be a bother to anyone. I want you to tell me if you ever need anything, all right?"
Harry nodded slowly, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his shirt. Sensing the boy's unease, Severus sighed once more and decided to change the subject.
"So, Harry, have you played chess before?"
"Ron taught me last year, but I'm not very good," Harry admitted sheepishly.
Severus nodded. "Well, let's help you improve so that one of these days you can defeat Ron."
With that, the two dove into their game, Severus demonstrating various strategic moves that Harry had never seen before. They played until dinner time, at which point Severus looked over at the grinning boy across from him and shook his head fondly, conceding his defeat. Despite his learning challenges, Harry caught on quickly with a bit of extra guidance.
"That was very impressive, Harry. Are you ready for a bite to eat? We can head up to the Great Hall, or we could stay here?"
Shyly, Harry glanced down at the chessboard. "Could we stay here? Seeing my friends earlier was wonderful, but I think I'd prefer to stay here before tomorrow."
Severus nodded in agreement, and with an absent-minded wave of his wand, he levitated the chessboard back to its place on the shelf. He then summoned a house elf to both clear away the earlier dishes and order dinner for them. He was confident that the elf understood the unspoken directive to inform Albus that they would not be joining the rest of the school for dinner that night.
The man then rose from his chair, and Harry followed suit, mimicking his actions as they both approached the table. A few seconds later, the elf reappeared with the requested tray and, after setting their dinner on the table, presented a vial to Severus and another one to Harry. Severus scowled, while the elf merely stood there and watched as the potion was poured down the man's throat. Once he had finished, the elf turned to Harry, clearly expecting him to do the same. Harry, however, raised an eyebrow and looked up at Severus, seeking an explanation.
With a sigh, Severus scowled at the elf once more. "He won't leave until you drink that potion. This is the Headmaster's way of ensuring we take our potions without bothering us 'too much,' but it's still irritating."
As Harry continued to glance between the grinning elf and the frowning potions master, Severus cleared his throat to regain his attention.
"Well then, drink it up so this pesky little creature can report back, and we can proceed with our meal."
Harry looked up one last time before complying with his guardian's instructions, downing the entire potion in a single gulp. Once finished, the elf disappeared, and Severus offered Harry a small smile.
"Thank you, Harry, for getting rid of that little nuisance. I suspect we'll be seeing more of Tibby. She's Professor Dumbledore's favorite elf, and he enjoys checking up on me frequently."
Harry nodded slightly but found himself staring at the plate of food before him, suddenly lacking an appetite. The idea of an elf watching him made him uneasy. Would the elf observe him in the bathroom? The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
Noticing the boy's deflated demeanor, Severus stood from his chair and sat down on an empty one beside Harry. Gently, he lifted Harry by his arms and positioned the boy on his lap, his back pressed against Severus's chest. Somehow, he sensed that Harry needed more than just verbal reassurance and that something else was troubling him beyond the elf's presence.
With Harry on his lap, Severus adjusted their positions until they were both comfortable. He then gazed down at the unruly black hair before him and leaned in to whisper softly into the child's ear.
"Talk to me, Harry. I can see something is bothering you."
Shifting slightly, Harry looked up at Severus. "Will Tibby follow me everywhere I go?"
"No, child, she will only pop in to check on us occasionally. She won't invade our privacy. Is there something else that's troubling you? Perhaps something about tomorrow?"
Harry hesitated, considering the nagging thought that had been lingering in the back of his mind. He hadn't wanted to mention it, fearing that the man would mock or laugh at him. However, so far, he hadn't done so... He knew he could trust this man, but the matter was just so embarrassing. He despised himself for feeling so vulnerable.
Severus gently encouraged him, "It's okay, Harry. You can tell me what's on your mind. I'm here to help and support you."
Severus allowed Harry a few minutes to gather his thoughts, having an inkling of what was troubling the boy if this morning's incident was any indication. After a while, Severus gently readjusted Harry on his lap so that the boy could fully absorb the comfort he provided while also maintaining eye contact. Once settled, Severus tenderly placed a hand on the boy's cheek and summoned a handkerchief from his room, as he noticed the beginnings of tears forming in Harry's eyes. With great care, the man dabbed away the tears and hugged the child a bit closer.
"Come on, Harry. You can tell me anything."
With a shy glance downward into his lap, a few more tears escaped Harry's eyes. He despised feeling so weak. He couldn't control his bladder—even a baby could manage that!
"What if tomorrow...I can't...help it..."
Immediately understanding the issue, Severus turned the child to face him directly. "You want to know what would happen if you had an accident while you're in school. Am I right?"
Blushing, Harry looked back down at his lap and leaned against the sturdy chest supporting him.
"Well, Harry, let me tell you a story about my grandmother. You see, when she was young, she attended Hogwarts as well, and she faced a similar problem. Her bladder was weak, and sometimes accidents just occurred. It was something she couldn't help."
Severus smiled faintly, leaning back in his chair as he recalled the story his mother had told him. His grandmother had indeed been a strong, extraordinary woman. He truly wished he had gotten to know her better before she passed away.
"When she was a student here, during her sixth year, she was walking down the hall with a friend, tasked with delivering a message to another teacher. Some teachers preferred sending students as messengers rather than using owls between classrooms. Having grown accustomed to losing control, a small trail followed her as they strolled down the hall. My grandmother was aware of it, and so was her friend, but she simply didn't care and continued walking. Later, she did face consequences for not calling someone to clean up the mess or using magic to do so herself, but that's not the moral of this story. The moral is that she wasn't embarrassed, because there was nothing to be embarrassed about. Accidents happen to everyone at one time or another, and she understood that. I want you to know that as well, Harry."
Severus looked down at the boy in his lap and noticed that Harry had somewhat relaxed during his story. He assumed hearing about someone who had a similar problem had made the child feel a little less alone.
"So, Harry, do you know what we're going to do to ensure you don't have to worry about anything like that tomorrow?"
Harry looked up and shyly shook his head, prompting Severus to smile down at the boy as he gently ruffled his hair.
"Here's what we'll do. We'll follow the same approach my grandmother and I took when we were younger. Tonight, we will place an extra set of underclothes and trousers in your school bag so that if anything does happen, you'll have something to change into. I'll even teach you a simple replacement charm that you can perform while sitting at your desk, in case you don't want to get up and change in the restroom. I'll also provide a bag for your old clothes so that nothing else gets dirty.
How does that sound? Do you think that will make you feel better about going back to school?"
Harry looked up at the man with a hint of excitement in his eyes as he nodded. "That would be brilliant, sir! But will anyone notice the charm? I...I...kind of don't want anyone to know..."
Severus smiled again, drawing the boy in for a close embrace. "The other professors have already been informed about your situation, so you don't have to worry about them. They will know, but they won't say anything if they see you performing the charm. The other students will likely not notice, as it's a small and quick spell. If they do, we'll come up with something to tell them, okay?"
Harry nodded against Severus's chest as the man held him a little tighter. When Severus heard a soft mumble from the boy, he sighed gently and smiled down into the mop of black hair.
"Thank you, Daddy."
Once Harry had completely calmed down, Severus placed him back in his chair and returned to his seat at the other end of the table. They enjoyed their dinner in amicable silence, occasionally chatting about various topics. When they finished, Severus sent the dishes back to the kitchens and led Harry to his room.
For the next hour or so, Severus helped Harry prepare for his first day back at school. In addition to packing his bag with the promised plastic bag and extra change of clothing, he also ensured that Harry had the supplementary workbooks Pam had sent over to keep the boy more organized.
As Severus finished getting Harry ready for the next day, he sent the boy to the bathroom to take a shower and prepare for bed. He wanted Harry well-rested for the following day, and he could tell by the bags under the boy's eyes that he was exhausted, despite his nap earlier. When Harry returned, clad in pajamas and with damp hair, Severus gently pulled back the covers and patted the bed, inviting the child to climb in. As soon as he did, Severus pulled up the covers and sat on the edge of the bed.
Gently, Severus brushed the still-damp hair away from the boy's face and smiled down at him.
"We just trimmed all this hair, and look, it's already grown back!"
Harry looked down at his blanket, trying to hold back tears. This man had been so kind to him and taken him in, but yet again, he was messing everything up. Why did his hair have to grow like that?
"I'm really sorry, sir..."
Severus's smile faded as he saw the boy become distressed. Sighing, he gently raised Harry's chin so he could look into those captivating green eyes. What had he said that upset the child? He knew he had to be careful not to bring up things that might remind Harry of the past, but it seemed that these invisible triggers were difficult to avoid.
"There's nothing to be sorry for, Harry. I was just joking around with you. Do you want to tell me what made you so upset now?"
Harry leaned into the soft touch and looked at his professor with a hint of fear in his eyes.
"Aunt... Aunt Petunia... she used to cut my hair when I was little. The next day, though, it always grew back. She... she would get so mad that she would get Uncle... Uncle Vernon..."
As Harry trailed off, caught up in his memory, Severus pulled back the covers and gently moved the boy so that he was sitting on his lap again. Hugging the child, Severus let Harry begin to weep into his robes. As he did, Severus rested his chin atop the boy's head and stared off into space, knowing that no words would calm the child right now. All he needed was the close contact of someone who cared.
While Severus sat there with Harry in his lap, he couldn't help thinking about all that had happened to this poor boy. It would take a long time for Harry to recover. He had already made significant progress, but how many years would it truly take?
When the crying softly faded away, Severus shook those thoughts from his mind and pulled Harry back from his chest to give him a comforting smile.
"I want you to know this, Harry. I will never get mad at you for your hair growing or for any accidental magic you do. You are just a child, and you can't help those things. I've already told you my rules, and I promise I will never add any more without you knowing first. Now, you must be sleepy. Let's get you back into bed for a good rest."
Harry nodded and yawned, confirming what Severus already knew. With another smile on his face, Severus placed Harry back onto the bed and pulled the covers up to the boy's chin.
"Close your eyes now, Harry. I'll stay here until you fall asleep."
Harry gave another small nod and slowly closed his eyes. "Good night, Daddy."
"Good night, son."
In just a few seconds, Harry was breathing deeply, indicating that he was sleeping peacefully. Severus sighed before getting off the bed but smiled as he looked down at the sleeping child. He knew that helping this boy wouldn't be easy, but when he saw the child like this, sleeping peacefully, he knew it was worth it. With that last thought, the man bent down and gently left a kiss on the boy's forehead.
"I will protect you, child, as long as you need me to."
That night was the first night that Harry had been free of nightmares in a long time. It helped that Severus had put a charm on the boy so that any slight disturbance would summon him immediately, allowing him to calm the child before he woke. Only once did Severus have to get out of his own bed, and he was able to return after soothing the bad dreams away from the child.
So when Harry woke that morning to a gentle shake on his shoulder, he smiled as he opened his eyes. It was the first time in his short life that he had actually slept through an entire night, and he felt great.
"Are you ready for some breakfast, Harry?"
Slowly, Harry nodded and swung his feet off the edge of the bed. As he sat there, Severus looked down at the small boy and was happy to see a small smile looking up at him. The man much preferred the small smile to tears running down the boy's face.
"I thought since you're going to be with your friends all day, you might want to have your breakfast here. Is that alright?"
Harry nodded and launched himself into Severus's arms. "I'm going to miss you, sir."
"I'm not going anywhere, Harry. If you need me, you know where I'll be, and if it's an emergency, you have your pendant. You're going to be fine."
Harry nodded into Severus's chest and then pulled back from the embrace with a smile on his face. "I know, but I'm still going to miss you, Daddy."
Severus ruffled the boy's hair and gently pushed him towards the bathroom, where he had already laid out Harry's school robes. He had woken Harry a bit later than he should have, but he felt the child deserved more rest. At least that's how he justified watching his child sleep for over ten minutes. He didn't think he would ever get over how peaceful the boy looked when he was sleeping, and just seeing that warmed his heart. "Me too, Scamp. Now go get dressed. You don't want to be late on your first day back!"
As Harry left, Severus followed him as far as the bathroom and then went to the kitchen table where their food had already been laid out for them by the house elf. The elf that Albus had sent with their potions had been waiting there as well, so he could watch the two take their potions. When Severus saw the elf still standing there, he just rolled his eyes as the elf handed him his potion. Quickly, he downed it and promised the elf he would make sure Harry took his, but the elf had his orders and wouldn't budge until Harry had taken his potions as well. Stubborn little thing.
In just a few minutes, Harry came out of the bathroom dressed in his robes. He sat down in the chair next to Severus and dutifully took the potions from the elf. After he drank them, the elf popped away, much to Harry and Severus's delight. While they appreciated the elf's help, they didn't particularly like being watched by one every second. The two then quickly finished their meal, and Harry went to grab his things. Before Harry could leave the room, though, Severus stopped him in his tracks.
"Remember, Harry, I don't want you traveling the hallways on your own. Have a friend with you at all times, okay? Also, don't forget you are to come down here to have a rest during your hour break after lunch."
Harry gave a nod but then looked questioningly up at the man. "If you're not here, how do I get in?"
Severus smirked and rested a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder. "Thank you for reminding me, Harry. The password is 'Mr. Potter.' I thought no one would think of trying that, and I thought you might enjoy it."
Harry smiled wide. "I like it." He then came forward and embraced his new guardian. While pressed tightly to the other man, he managed to mumble out a few more things that, if Severus hadn't had sensitive hearing, he would have missed.
"I'll see you later on in potions, and I understand that you have to be mean. I'll still love you, Daddy."
Looking down at the messy mop of hair, Severus smiled. "I love you too, son. Now, you better be off before Professor McGonagall marks you late! I'm writing no excuses!"
Harry pulled away and gave the man one more smile before he left through the door. After he left, Severus carefully sat down and shook his head.
"That boy. One day he's scared about going to school, and the next he can't wait to get out the door. He really is going to be the death of me. His moods change so often, I wonder if I should talk to Don."
With that, Severus stood back up and started to get ready for his classes; he would ponder that later. Luckily for him, his classes had just been canceled while he had been at the clinic, and Albus had not tried to take over for him. If the old man had, he knew the first thing he would have to do was clean out the sticky candy messes from his cauldrons. Sighing in relief, he shrugged that awful memory from his mind. Since he didn't have that chore, he just had to make sure his lessons were in order and double-check his classroom to see that everything was in place.
Meanwhile, Harry was running up the stairs and almost ran right into Ron, who was coming down to see whether Harry wanted someone to walk with. After they realized whom they had almost run into, both boys donned smiles and shared a few laughs. As soon as they recovered from almost colliding, Ron turned serious.
"Come on, Harry, or we'll be late!"
Harry nodded and accepted the arm that was slipped through his. Arms linked, the two started to run up the stairs to where their first class of the day was, Transfiguration.
As fast as they could, the two boys ran up the stairs, and it appeared they made it just in time, for McGonagall had just walked into the room. Quickly, the two boys took their seats next to Hermione while the bushy brown-haired girl raised an eyebrow at the panting boys.
Quietly, she whispered, "Why do you two look as though you just ran a marathon?"
Ron almost hissed back to her, "It's a long way from the dungeons, and we were almost late!"
"Mr. Weasley! Is there something you would like to share with the class?"
Everyone's head turned to look at Ron, and the redhead blushed. "No, Professor, I'm sorry."
Minerva nodded, and everyone's attention returned to her as she resumed her lecture. The rest of the class passed without any further incidents, and all three members of the trio were relieved when the class came to an end—though for different reasons. Harry was having trouble keeping up in class and remembering what he had read in the text, while the other two wanted to ask Harry about his weekend with Snape.
As soon as the class was dismissed, Hermione grabbed the two boys' arms and rushed them to the door of the classroom. Before they could leave, though, Minerva stopped them by the door with a call.
"Mr. Potter, I need a word."
On one hand, Harry was glad that Professor McGonagall had called him; it meant he could put off telling his friends everything for now. But on the other hand, he was nervous and unsure of what the witch wanted.
All three of them stopped in their tracks and turned to look at their Professor. With a smile, the woman gave a small nod.
"You two should get going to your next class. Tell Professor Flitwick Harry will be along in a moment."
The two nodded and, with one last look at Harry, they left the classroom. Slowly and stiffly, Harry approached where his Professor was behind her desk.
Minerva sighed a little as she saw Harry come closer. The poor boy probably thought he was in some kind of trouble, but then again, when wasn't he?
"Sit down, Harry, and relax. You're not in trouble. I just wanted to see how you were doing in class since this is your first day back."
Harry sat down in the closest desk to his Professor's, but her words didn't seem to soothe him the way she had intended. He had had a lot of trouble in class today, and quite frankly, he was embarrassed. He didn't understand why he was having so much trouble keeping up. He did everything else the other kids were doing; maybe he should have followed what Pam had taught him.
Seeing that the boy was still on edge, Minerva came out from behind her desk and sat next to the child in another desk. Merlin, she needed to start bugging Albus for new desks again—these things were awful!
"It's okay, Harry. I saw that you were having a little trouble. Do you want to tell me what exactly was giving you problems so I can make sure to give you extra help when I come around?"
Harry gave a small nod. "I... I was having trouble remembering what I read in the text, so the worksheet was hard... and everything seemed to be just going so... fast."
Minerva nodded. She couldn't slow down the entire class for just Harry, but she could help him with his worksheet when she walked around. She had to remember to walk around more often; maybe that would help more than just Harry understand things a little better. She had walked around a bit today and had actually helped correct quite a few mistakes that would have been missed otherwise.
Minerva then had a brainstorm and rose from her seat next to Harry. She quickly walked behind her desk, rifling through some papers as if searching for something. When she found what she was looking for, she returned and handed the parchment to the child.
"I want you to go over this worksheet with Pam when you see her tonight, okay? I can see some of the answers are not filled in; maybe she can help you with those."
Harry smiled and nodded. He had only been able to answer half the questions on that sheet correctly, so he was glad he would be able to finish it. He knew it wasn't a large part of his grade, but every little bit helped, right?
Taking the paper, he put it in his bag next to his Transfiguration text and stood up from his desk.
"Thank you, ma'am."
"You're welcome, Mr. Potter. Now, run along to your next class."
Harry nodded and almost sprinted out of the classroom. He knew he was already late and that he had been excused already, but he still wanted to get there before he missed anything too important. Catching up was hard enough for him; he didn't want to make it any more difficult by missing more than he had to.
As he hurried through the halls, however, his scar began to hurt—badly. More than just pain, it felt like his entire forehead was going to explode. The agony made him stop in the hall almost immediately, and that's when he heard it. Someone was talking. He looked around and saw no one in the halls, and then he heard it again, making his head hurt even worse. Was he hearing things? No, this was something more; it was as if someone was yelling at him, and it just kept getting louder and louder.
"Kill, kill, kill, kill..."
As the voice grew louder in Harry's head and, without really even realizing it, his knees sank to the floor. With the intense pain coursing through his head, Harry finally took one hand that was clutching his head and slowly moved it down to the pendant around his neck. He needed help, now! His head felt like it was going to burst open, and that voice terrified him.
After calling for Severus, Harry's hand flew back to clutch his throbbing head, and he leaned over his knees, trying to curl into as small a ball as he could. His head hadn't hurt this much since last year when he had met Voldemort.
About ten minutes later, Severus came running toward the small figure hugging his knees on the floor. Unbeknownst to him, the poor boy was still hearing voices, and Harry was now very frightened. This time, the voice was going on about eating something juicy and sweet and how fun it was to break the bones. Harry began to think the voice was talking about him; he didn't want to be eaten!
At that thought, Harry felt sick to his stomach, and as soon as Severus came close enough to pick him up, the poor child vomited all his breakfast onto Severus's shoes. Severus just ignored the stench and mess, cleaning it up with a quick Scourgify. With practiced ease, he picked the child up into his arms and held him while he examined the now-open scar. What he saw on the child alarmed him greatly—blood was everywhere.
"Harry! Harry, child, can you hear me?"
No response came from the child, so Severus did the only thing he could think to do: he called Don and started to walk quickly towards their rooms. He had to get Harry somewhere he could lie down so they could examine him more closely. What if the child had fallen and hit his head, causing a concussion?
All the while, as Severus carried the child down to his rooms, Harry was crying out not only in pain but also in confusion and fear. He didn't know what was happening or where that voice was coming from, and that scared him a great deal. When he didn't know what was going on, that usually meant something bad was going to happen. One thing he was thankful for, though, was that the voice was slowly moving away. It was gradually getting quieter, and when they reached their destination, the voice was only a memory—albeit a very scary one.
As soon as they reached their rooms, Don met them at the door and quickly took Harry into his arms. Gently, he placed the child on the couch and pried the child's hands away from his head so he could see what was wrong. When the Healer saw the bloody mess, he summoned a warm, wet washcloth, some healing creams, and bandages so he could take care of it. He recognized it for what it was: the boy's scar had just split open. While this was not the worst thing that could have happened, it was still a serious injury and had to be treated as such.
While he was gently wiping away all the blood, Don tried to reach the scared child.
"Harry, if you can hear me, please squeeze my hand."
When Harry didn't respond, Don turned to Severus and asked him to bring a pain potion immediately. Harry was in too much pain from his scar to hear anyone properly.
With the potion now in his hand, Don gently pried open Harry's mouth and poured the thick liquid down the boy's throat. Gently, he helped the boy swallow and was relieved when he saw Harry start to calm down a bit.
"Harry, I need to know if you can hear me. If you can, please squeeze my hand."
This time, the Healer's hand was weakly squeezed, and Severus almost collapsed back into a chair in sheer relief. He had been greatly scared when Harry wasn't responding to anyone. He had been more than worried when the pendant around his neck had begun to heat up, prompting him to rush out of his classroom full of students to reach the boy. Alarm had struck him as soon as he saw the boy on the floor, clutching his head as if his life depended on it.
As gentle as ever, Don continued to wipe away the blood from the boy's scar and then began to apply the healing cream and bandages to it. He worked slowly and diligently on purpose, not wanting to give the child another fright.
"Harry, can you tell me what happened? Why did your scar split open?"
Slowly, the tears subsided, and Harry gave a small nod. "I...I...was going to class...and...and I...I heard a voice...it...it...hurt my head..."
Don looked over at Severus and closed his eyes for a moment. Then, the Healer gently picked up the boy and sat down with him in his lap. Leaning the boy down so that he was resting on his shoulder, Don started to gently rub the boy's back and send a touch of calming magic into him.
"Can you tell me what the voice was saying to you, Harry? Was it telling you to hurt yourself?"
Harry turned his head into Don's chest, shook his head, and started to shiver a little. The Healer looked over at Severus with concern before reaching down to try to soothe the boy some more. When the Healer realized that this would take some time, he looked up again at Severus and mouthed a silent 'go to your class.' Before the man could protest, Don sent him a look that left no room for arguments.
Sighing, the man got up from where he had collapsed and went over to the two on the couch. Very carefully, he bent down over the child and placed a gentle kiss on the back of the boy's head.
"I'm going to go now, Harry, but if you need or want me, just tell Don, and I will come."
With his face still in Don's chest, Harry's head moved up and down a little to acknowledge that he had heard. With that nod, Severus shared another significant look with the Healer and then took his leave. He had, after all, left his class under the supervision of a prefect while he was gone.
As soon as Severus left, Don pulled the child away from his chest a bit so that he could brush away the new tears that had formed in his eyes.
"Hush now, Harry, everything is alright. I need you to tell me what that voice told you, though; this is very important."
Harry made a move to bury his head again into the man's chest, but Don kept a steady hand on the boy and would not let him move. When Harry realized that there was no other option but to tell this man what he had heard, he started to cry a little harder. He was scared that Don would think he was crazy and would lock him up. After all, that's what you did to a crazy person – you locked them away so you wouldn't have to see them again.
Don heaved a small sigh when he saw more tears continue to flow and started to reconsider pushing the boy to tell. He needed to know, but was the child up for this right now? Sighing, he realized he could not back down now, though. He had pushed this far, and it looked as if the child might be ready to tell.
"Come on, child, I know you can do this for me. Tell me what it told you."
That did Harry in. The Healer let the child fall back into him when he saw that Harry was indeed going to tell him and let a bit of soothing magic flow through his hands into the boy.
"It...kept chanting...kill...kill...kill...and...and...then it was talking about how fun it was to break bones...and how...how juicy and sweet...blood was..."
Harry was almost inconsolable now. He just buried his head into Don's chest, and the Healer let him. As he did so, Don held onto the child a little tighter and started to rock the boy and whisper soothing words into his ear, trying to calm him the best he could.
On the outside, Don was the perfect picture of calm and collected, but inside his mind was going nearly ninety miles a minute. Was this child schizophrenic, or was this something else? If he was, then why hadn't he caught this earlier? Had there been any other signs? What should he do now? Should he be taken back to the clinic? Should he stay here and continue to go to classes? Maybe classes were out of the picture for now. Maybe he just needed some more rest. The big question, though, was why had his scar split open like that? The only other time it had done that was at the end of last year when, well...you know.
The words that the voice had said to Harry troubled the Healer greatly, though. It was telling him to kill, or at least that's what it seemed like to him. Why was it talking about how sweet blood was, though? Had Harry even tasted blood before?
Don did decide on one thing, though. He needed to put Harry to sleep so he could figure something out and so that the child would not overwork himself. It was almost a relief to see Harry so upset by those words, though; otherwise, they could have a real problem on their hands.
Summoning a dreamless sleep potion, he gently brought the vial to the boy's lips. Carefully, he poured it down the boy's throat while rubbing his back, silently willing the whole thing to go down. Within minutes, the boy was fast asleep.
Gently rising, Don walked to the location of the boy's bed and carefully placed him on top of the sheets. He removed the child's shoes, and using magic, he swapped the boy's clothing for more comfortable pajamas. Once finished, he picked the boy up again, pulled back the covers, and placed him into the bed.
After ensuring that Harry was comfortable and had his small kneazle and lion nearby, he went to the fireplace to use the Floo Network to contact Albus. He needed to discuss the situation with someone, and he knew Albus would be able to consider all aspects of this predicament.
Voices