Sirius stepped out of the darkness of the living room and into the fiery glow which was emitted off the gas lamps in the gloomy hall of 12 Grimmauld Place. Harry looked up at his godfather, glittering emerald eyes meeting warm brown ones, and smiled. For the first time in weeks he felt safe and wanted.
Sirius hugged Harry, but as Sirius' hands made contact with Harry's back Sirius could feel Harry flinch, if he could see Harry's face he would have seen a look of pain cross Harry's face. Motioning for Harry to follow him, Sirius headed back into the living room. Closing the door behind him, Sirius muttered "Lumos" and the lights flickered on.
"So, Harry, how've you been?" Sirius asked.
"All right I suppose, what about you?" Sirius gave a sigh of relief, the way Harry had flinched away from him had worried him.
"Fine, let's go find some food." Harry looked a bit confused, why had Sirius made him come to a room just to ask if he was OK?
But just as Harry turned to the door Sirius saw the tiniest bit of exposed skin above his neck line, whether this was just a rash or something bigger to explain the flinching.
"Harry take off your shirt." Harry gaped at Sirius.
"Wh-what?"
"Take off your shirt."
"I'd rather not thanks." Harry replied, suddenly cool.
"I'm your godfather, do as you're told." Sirius matched Harry's cold tone.
Do as you're told. Those words were always coupled with a punishment.
"Please don't make me." Harry's voice had suddenly become fearful. "They told me never to show anybody." Sirius was startled by the sudden voice change.
"Harry." He said softly, Harry looked away stubbornly. "Harry, look at me." Sirius took Harry by the chin and turned his face to him.
"I can't." Harry managed to choke out. His world was falling apart his one big secret. The one thing nobody could find out. Tears began to cascade down his cheeks.
"Please Harry, I want to help." Sirius was begging now.
"Fine." Harry sobbed, they'd kill him if they found out he'd told, but Sirius wouldn't leave him alone unless he told now.
Harry pulled off his shirt to reveal a horrific sight. Across his chest were dozens of red whelps, slits and bruises, some looked new, others were crusted and most looked infected. The most noticeable of all however were words which seemed to have been branded into him, they looked quite new too. They spelt out ALL YOUR FAULT. Sirius didn't know what to think, he couldn't help but notice how Harry's ribcage stuck out.
"Turn around." he whispered. The back was worse, more whelps, slits and bruises but worst of all, more words. Across his shoulder blades the word BURDEN stood out, looking older more like scars that would never fade, and across his lower back was the word FREAK.
Sirius just stared, anger boiling inside him. He heard the door open, Harry froze, his heart pounding. Sirius looked to the door and saw Fred and George standing there staring in disbelief.
"Fred, George, go. Tell no one what you have seen and tell Molly we'll have dinner later." Fred and George nodded before backing out the room, as the door closed behind the Sirius and Harry heard their soft whispers.
"There, I've shown you, can I go now?" Harry said coldly, he tried to grab his top but Sirius was quicker.
"No, you need to show Remus and Dumbledore." Sirius replied, his insides aching with sadness every time he saw the wounds.
"Why?It's not they should care or anything." Harry muttered.
"Harry people care about and and people love you, and we need to sort out this." Sirius waved his hand, indicating Harry's wounds.
"Why though? It doesn't bother me." Sirius was appalled at how his godson thought that these injuries were okay.
"Harry you don't know how serious this is, how wrong it is." Sirius tried to explain.
"Do I need to know? I can deal with it. Just leave me alone." Sirius flicked his wand and a silvery dog flew out, Harry sighed. "Why can't you just mind your own business for once, why can't anybody just leave me alone?" he shouted, but before Sirius could answer the fire erupted in green flames and Dumbledore stepped out quickly followed by Lupin and then to Sirius' surprise followed by Snape.
*Flashback*
Severus Snape was sitting at his desk planning his lessons for the new year, but looked up in mild surprise as Albus Dumbledore walked quickly through the door.
"Albus, for what do I owe this honour." Snape sneered sarcastically.
"We have a problem at Grimmauld Place." Dumbledore seemed slightly out of breath.
"Black run out of toilet paper?" Snape's eyes went back to the lesson plan.
"No, Harry Potter has arrived and Sirius said he has been suffering some sort of abuse." Dumbledore's tone became increasingly worried. Snape snorted.
"The boy's probably just walked into a door and has a tiny bruise, Albus I really don't have time for this."
"Sirius said it was urgent."
"The Potter boy is probably bragging about tumbling down the stairs."
"Severus please."
"Fine, but I will tell you know the boy doesn't know the meaning of abuse, Prince Potter is exactly that, a Prince." Severus spat.
*End of Flashback*
Harry dived behind the sofa when he saw Dumbledore come out of the fire. Sirius narrowed his eyes at Snape but made no further comment.
"Harry, come out." Dumbledore coaxed.
"No." was the muffled reply from behind the sofa.
"Potter stop wasting everybody's time and get out here." Snape said snidely. Harry was struck with an idea, he popped his head out from behind the sofa.
"See I'm fine, Sirius was just overreacting."
"Harry you know you're not, get out from there." Sirius growled.
Harry gulped the air, he had to do this, if not somebody would drag him out, he might as well walk out with dignity now than ashamed later, and with that thought in mind he stepped out from behind the sofa.
Dumbledore's eyes flashed with anger, Lupin's features turned wolf like, Snape stared.
This was no normal occurrence, quickly putting two and two together finally believed Harry's abuse was true and knew who had done it. The Dursleys.