Harry Potter had defeated Voldemort in the graveyard just a few days ago and was now home locked in his cupboard. He'd been sick since before the first task he'd been sick that summer but had hid it. It was easy since he was a Slytherin and no one cared to past the famous Harry Potter and not Harry. No one saw him for him. What they all saw were the masks that Harry kept in place.

The problem was Harry wasn't sure how much longer he could hide how sick he was. His beatings weren't healing as fast and the Dursley's had noticed. It seemed that they thought it was because they were finally beating the magic out of him. He pulled himself out of the cupboard and into the kitchen.

"Your chores." Vernon grunted handing him a list. "If you finish I might feed you."

Harry nodded and went outside to start his weeding. Half way through his nose began bleeding again. It had been doing that a lot lately. Harry ignored it feeling that his aunt was watching him. When he was done with the weeds he mowed the lawn and began painting the fence.


Severus watched from the tree as a snake, Minerva as her tabby cat sat with him. They shared a look then Severus slithered down and over to Harry hiding in the plants.

'He workssss hard.' Severus hissed knowing Harry would understand him. Harry blinked and glanced down. ' Hello, human.'

'Hello.' Harry hissed back. 'I'm done here. I have to go get the hose if you stick around you can have some water. It'll cool you off.'

Severus couldn't believe the child's response and followed him all over the yard. Watching him wash windows, powerhose the siding, clean gutters, fix a gutter, paint the shed, clean out the shed, organize the shed, and wash the car.

'I have to go inside and do my chores now.'

'Have you not been doing your chores out here, speaker?"

'Yes, but I have more inside." Harry held his arm out to the snake. "You can come with you can ride in my hood. Don't let anyone see you. I'll feed you a nice juicy rat. I have to clean the attic out.'


Harry's coughing got worse as he worked Dudley who was exploring glanced at him.

"You okay?" He asked then gasped when he saw blood on the hand Harry had used to cover his mouth. " Are you alright?"

"Yeah." Harry mumbled swaying. "can you... do me ... a favor ?"

Dudley looked torn but nodded,

"Write a letter to Severus Snape..." Severus the snake jolted, " Potions Master, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. " Harry hit his knees. Dudley had come running back with a pen parchment and a disgruntled owl.

' Dear Professor Snape,

I'm sorry to interrupt your time away from us brats but I find myself getting sicker and sicker by the day.

I'm not healing as fast as I normally do and was wondering if something could be wrong with me and if you could please send me some medicine .

I am incapable of writing to you at the moment myself and I know that if I write to HIM something bad will happen. So I asked my cousin to write this for me.

His name is Dudley Dursley and I believe him to have some kind of magic just like Auntie.

Could you please come or send help?

I'm not sure what's going on but I know that I finally need to swallow that 'Potter Pride' and ask for help because I'm sure I wont last much longer with out it.

I have something I need to tell you that I've always wanted to tell you so I hope you send me help soon because I don't want to miss my chance.

Can you, if it's not too much trouble, locate HIM for me? I'd like to see both of you.

Harry James Potter.'

Dudley looked up at Harry who was now sitting against a trunk blood spilling from his mouth eyes almost closed.

"Is this right?"

"Tie... Hedwig's ... leg..."


Severus met Hedwig outside and sent her off to Hogwarts. Drawing his wand he and Minerva burst in and made a show of searching Harry out before taking all four of them and heading for the safe house.

" Poppy!" Severus bellowed laying Harry on the couch ignoring the gaping witches and wizard's. She rushed forward. " He's slipping! We need to stabilize him!"

They spent the next few hours shocking and awing Dudley and Petunia as they healed the sick child.

" He has cancer doesn't he?" Petunia asked, Severus hissed at her as she approached, "Sev, you know my mother died from breast cancer..."

"Potter's a boy."

"My father died from Colon Cancer." She continued. " His brother had Pancreatic Cancer. " She sniffed tears filling her eyes. " Cancer runs from both sides of the family... but wouldn't his magic blood ..."

"He's a half-blood." Severus replied. "We half-bloods can catch illnesses from both Muggle and Wizard and his magic shows signs of being stretched to it's limits and his magic being bound much like your son's will I'm sure." He took a deep breath and released. " Yes, he has cancer." Petunia covered her mouth. " It's very advanced I'd say he's been fighting it for a year by himself. Relying on his magic to heal him. "

Harry closed his eyes in guilt looking away. There were only two voices he wanted to hear. One was next to him the other probably was in China by now. His eyes shot open when he heard the other's voice.

"What do we do?" Sirius bellowed grabbing Harry's hand in his own. "How do help him?!"

"There is no magical cure." Severus explained, "We'll have to do this the Muggle way. Luckily I'm certified to do this. I studied it as a part of my Healers training. Poppy will not be touching him anymore because she has been hiding not only massive abuse but a bind on a child's magic. She'll be in Azkaban before you can say Qudditch."