Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews!

…

"I'm pregnant."

Out of all the things they had expected Harry Potter to say, that was not it.

Severus stared dumbly. Ever since he had joined the Hogwarts staff he had made it his duty to help those children that needed it. Over the years he had helped dozens of children get the help they needed, either to get away from their homes, or reintroduce families that had somehow fallen apart. However many time he did it, it never got any easier, but with a calm, measured, external viewpoint, he had managed to get by with barely a falter, managing to avoid blame and recrimination, and keep his distance.

This time though, it was Lily's child. Not James Potter reincarnated. Lily's child. A child he had supposedly hated for the past three years. A child that was now sitting in front of him, saying he was pregnant – which was pretty ridiculous, considering there hadn't been a natural male pregnancy, that Severus knew of, in the last fifty years – living in a cupboard, seemingly not at all perturbed with the arrangement, and about to take part in one of the most dangerous tournaments in the wizarding world. And he was coming to Severus, his reviled potion's professor, who had gone out of his way to berate and belittle the boy for three years.

He needed to stay calm. He didn't know the whole story. All he had was supposition. He didn't know how to approach this. In all his years of teaching and trying to help abused children this was a first. Of course, Hogwarts had seen its share of teen pregnancy, but not with these implications…

Ignoring Lyra, who had collapsed into the nearest chair at that revelation, Severus found his voice and somehow managed to keep it level. He couldn't assume the worst yet and it wouldn't do to let the boy see how shaken he was. There was no need to treat the boy any differently… yet.

"Mr Potter, male pregnancy is extremely rare without the aid of fertility potions. Have you, or your partner been taking such potions?"

Potter was a strange, mottled combination of bright red and ghostly pale. Severus resisted the urge to push the brats head between his knees. "No sir."

"Then why are you so sure you are pregnant?"

"Because- because it happened before," Potter was completely white now; maybe tinged with green, which seemed to make his eyes glow even more than usual.

"You have been pregnant before?" Severus hadn't had to occlude this thoroughly since the Dark Lord's reign. Merlin, he wished the boy would look away – it was so hard to see Lily's eyes so… but Lily's eyes were never so full of pain.

Potter nodded, licking his lips and swallowing convulsively. "In second year. I- I lost h'm…" The boy ducked his head, trying to hide the tears welling up.

Severus took pity. "We shall come back to that," Severus could hardly think, the inference of what the boy was saying turning his mind into a whirlpool; a miscarriage at twelve? Was that what the boy was saying? There was no way they could go into that now. No point in making the boy hysterical. It helped his decision that he wasn't sure he could cope with the details at that moment.

He was unpleasantly aware of Miss Fawley behind him; as much as he wanted her to leave, he didn't think Potter being alone with his snarky potions professor would be conducive to this conversation and the fact that Potter had called on him proved that he did not trust the rest of the staff enough with this information – he really must be feeling isolated. "Mr Potter, for how long have you been sexually active?"

Potter shrugged, swiping at his nose. "I dunno. It's… complicated, I guess. I don't know when… I didn't know…"

Severus changed tack, not wanting to pull on that string before the culprit had been identified.

"Is your partner a student at Hogwarts?" he couldn't assume it was the relatives. Surely Albus would have known. There was no way Severus had been verbally abusing a child who was being raised by molesters.

Potter's head shot up again. "No, sir! I'm not… I don't have a partner, sir. And I'm not active!" he spat. "Hogwarts is s- safe." While the boy's voice cracked slightly, he still managed to maintain eye contact with Severus, allowing him a window into the open honesty of Harry's statements.

Gryffindor boldness shone through again. A shimmering anger that was always the undercurrent in his dealings with Potter – could what he had always seen as arrogant defiance have been a defence mechanism all this time?

"Then who, Mr Potter, is the sire of your child?" Even as he said it, praying that he was wrong and it would turn out to be a muggle playmate, experimenting without realising the consequences, Severus knew what the answer would be.

Harry squared his shoulders again and jutted out his chin. For once, Severus respected the courage that was the marker of a true Gryffindor, although hated the pride and bravado that had stopped him coming forward to them sooner.

"My Uncle, sir. And if I go back with a baby, he'll kill us both. I can't go back. I don't care what Professor Dumbledore says. I won't go back this time. There has to be somewhere else." He was sounding desperate again by the end.

Severus nodded. He had to gather his thoughts, to stop himself from hurtling to wherever it was Potter lived and killing the bastard, painfully, and then come back and throttle Albus. All these years, Albus had told him that Potter lived with a good family, with access to every amenity, when really… they would be having words. He could not rationally discuss this with Potter at that moment, and Potter needed Severus to be rational, or he would go running for the hills, or Forbidden Forest, or something equally foolish.

The easiest way to quell the murderous rage building up inside him was to concentrate on the practicalities of the situation. There was a supposedly pregnant – he still needed to check that out and make sure Potter wasn't just overreacting – abused, bullied and ostensibly homeless teenager in front of him and it was now well past curfew. Potter, he could now see was having a panic attack, his breath coming in short bursts and he was shaking so badly, Severus could practically feel tremors. Really though, the child was holding himself together impressively.

He realised he had been silent for too long when Potter cried out desperately, "I swear I'm telling the truth!"

Knocked out of his trance, Severus purred, "Mr Potter, I do not think you are lying," Potter visibly relaxed, and almost looked ready to cry. Severus channelled his energies into keeping his voice composed and professional, which hopefully would keep the child calm. Merlin, he really was just a child. "I think it would be best if we continued this conversation in somewhat more official surroundings." He wanted to get the boy out of the location of his self-imposed exile, but it amounted to the same thing. "Gather your possessions," he ordered. Potter got to his feet, a little shaky and pale, but compos mentis.

Severus turned to Miss Fawley, who looked thoroughly shaken by the revelations she had been witness to. In all honesty, if Severus had known what Potter was going to say, he would have sent her out of the room, but she had wanted to support the boy and both had foolishly assumed it was some sort of recent misunderstanding.

"Miss Fawley, shall we wait outside?" it wasn't a suggestion. Severus wanted to give Harry… Potter time to collect himself and doubted very much he wanted to be watched while packing.

Just as they were about to leave, Potter stopped him.

"Sir," the boy had a deep blush plastered over his pale cheeks. "I- I don't have a bag or… well, I have my book bag, but I mean I don't have-"

"You don't have your trunk?" Severus surmised.

"No, sir."

"How then, did you move into your new residence?" maybe Severus could wean some more information about that particular state of affairs without too much trouble.

"The twins- the Weasley twins, Fred and George-"

"I am familiar."

Potter's blush deepened. He was sweating now. "They snuck out my stuff in an expanding bag, but they needed it back, so I shoved it all in here. They don't know where I am. They want to help, but they're still in Gryff- I mean, they still live in the Tower. And… yeah. My trunk wouldn't fit in here anyway, so-"

"And when did this ousting take place?" Severus levelled.

"Ummm. A couple of days after the Goblet gave my name, I guess."

Two weeks. The boy's back must be killing him and Severus was surprised he didn't have hypothermia, the way these abandoned classrooms were heated. Potter must have been using some heating charm or other. "And who was the cause of this… exodus?" Severus asked through gritted teeth.

"Ummm," Potter prevaricated.

"I will find out, Mr Potter. There is no reason to defend your Housemates' disloyalty to me."

"It wasn't all of them!" Potter shouted.

"Then whom?" Severus wondered what had made the Gryffindor Golden Boy flee his warm bed, especially in his supposed condition.

"Nobody," Potter said, keeping his eyes down.

"Mr Potter," Severus warned, tired of such foolishness when there much more pressing matters to which to attend.

Potter rubbed his toe on the ground, like a guilty toddler, but eventually piped up, "McLaggen and his goons were rifling through my stuff. They said they were trying to find out how I crossed the age line, but they were just breaking stuff. They've never liked me."

Severus stayed silent, wondering if the impetuous child would share more. He was rewarded.

"The guys in my dormitory didn't know. I mean, they were angry with me, but they wouldn't… Neville sat with me at lunch for a bit and… I just wanted some peace," he finished, lamely.

Severus raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I'm sure that the thing you were searching for in the midst of all this-" he gestured, hoping to convey the mess of the Tournament and whatever the extent of the abuse was. "- was further isolation."

Harry refused to look up. Seeing that he wouldn't get any more just now, Severus transfigured a clean handkerchief into a bag and put an expanding charm on the inside. It would hold up for a few hours, which was all that would be necessary.

"Here," Severus said, handing over the bag. "We shall be just outside when you are finished. For the record, Mr Potter, if you or your belongings were in danger, I understand your reaction, considering the circumstances; although in future it would be a better solution to approach an adult with such issues." He did not add that he would be speaking to the Weasley twins as soon as permissible; while it was admirable that they had tried to help the younger boy, they should have been sensible enough to report the cruelty being perpetrated within their own House.

Potter took the bag wordlessly, still with his head down, but Severus could see the muscles in his neck tense.

Severus swept out of the cold classroom, taking Miss Fawley with him. When the door had swung safely shut he turned to her, taking note of her pallor. "You did well in there."

She let out a shaky laugh, "Really? I was just falling apart."

Severus nodded, "I should not have allowed you to remain in the room during that conversation. I apologise."

She looked startled more than anything, "Do you think it upset him? My being there, I mean? Obviously he was upset but…"

Severus stared at her, oddly. "You misunderstand. If anything, your presence seemed to have a calming effect on him, especially at the beginning. I doubt he would have opened up even as much as he did if he had been alone with me. I mean to say that it was inappropriate for me to put you in that position."

She huffed another laugh and Severus remembered why he had recommended her for Head Girl, beyond her impeccable grades.

"That's okay," she said. "If he wants me there, I want to stay. I want to help."

Severus resisted asking for that in writing, to defend himself against rightfully angry parents, "We shall ask him what he would prefer before we recommence the conversation."

She sobered. "Do you think it's true?"

Severus sighed, "I see no reason to suspect him to be lying. There is nothing to be gained and all his behaviour seemed to indicate that he was telling the truth. I do want to check whether he is actually with child, as he claims, or whether it is some sort of hysterical reaction."

"Didn't seem hysterical to me," Miss Fawley grumbled at the wording. Honestly, Severus agreed, Potter had been almost calm; it indicated that the boy had had a long time to come to terms with the situation.

Before Severus could reply, the door opened a fraction and Potter slipped out, clutching the transfigured bag. Severus resisted the urge to sigh again. It should have taken much longer for the boy to be fully packed. He added checking the state of Potter's belongings, when the child was up to it, to the list; although hopefully it just meant his trunk was still half full.

"Thanks Professor," Potter mumbled, and Severus did not tell him to speak up – only because he did not want to force yet more conversation with the idiot boy, not because he was being soft with the brat. "It even fit my Firebolt."

Adopting his full Professor persona once more Severus sent a gentle sneer in Harry's direction, "If you are quite ready, I would first like to take you to the Hospital Wing, where you will be required to take a Male Pregnancy Test Potion."

"I did the charm the book said," Potter muttered, but followed Severus down the corridor.

Severus looked back at the boy, surprised at the proactive action and wondering where he had found such a book, as Hogwarts didn't stock any books on male fertility, "That's as maybe, Potter, but the potion is more accurate. Madam Pomfrey will order you to use one as soon as I have brewed it, so I suggest you get used to the idea."

"Professor?" Potter had stopped dead in the middle of the corridor. Severus rounded on him with a billow of robes and a raised eyebrow. Potter gulped, completely white faced. "Could I- do I have to go to the Hospital Wing, right now. Can I... I can wait somewhere until you've brewed the potion, if you really think I need to take it, but…"

"Get to the point, Potter," Severus snapped, seeing that the boy was working himself into a complete tizzy.

Potter consciously lowered his shoulders with a huffed calming breath. He looked Severus right in the eye. "I don't want them to say I'm lying, sir."

Severus cocked an eyebrow, pondering on the implication that Potter had tried to tell someone before. He hoped it had not been a member of Hogwarts staff, or else he might be forced to take action… he would, of course take eventual action against anyone who had ignored such abuse, but if they were right in front of him, he might feel less inclined to plan it out for maximum effect, which would be frustrating in the long term. With these thoughts in mind, Severus swirled back round, adjusting his course of action as he went. "Indeed. Very well then, you may wait in my office while I brew the potion. It is slightly trickier than the average gravida concoction, but quite fast, if one is precise."

He pretended not to hear the relieved sigh. It made sense to follow this course, he mentally justified. The whole point was to keep Potter calm and apparently taking him to the Hospital Wing would not achieve that goal. He was not mollycoddling the child. He could also see if he could get any more of the story before opening the can of worms this would inevitably be when it got out, Severus added, wondering if he could, in good conscience assign Miss Fawley to the task, if he provided tea.

Before he forgot, Severus asked, "Are you comfortable with Miss Fawley accompanying us, or would you prefer to come alone?" He was only asking for form's sake. The two teens were walking parallel with each other and Potter was unconsciously leaning towards the older girl.

He heard Potter swallow – a sign of his unsettlement? "No, it's nice having her here. If that's okay, I mean. It's fine if-"

Suddenly, Potter's answer was cut off. Severus whipped round to see what the problem was, just in time to catch sight of a pale green Harry clap a hand over his mouth, use the other to grab the bag more tightly and leg it back to the boy's toilets they had just passed.

"Stay," Severus growled, as he saw Miss Fawley prepare to follow the boy.

He billowed out his robes to the maximum, bolstering his courage for the scene he was sure was to greet him and, low and behold, upon entering the lavatories he was assaulted with the wafting aroma of vomit and the sound of gagging, amplified to stereo by the acoustics of the tiles. Severus pulled the door firmly shut, blocking Miss Fawley from the experience.

A quick glance found the wretched boy in the third stall – the most direct to enter from the doorway. The stall door was wide open and Severus could see Potter kneeling in front of the toilet, holding himself up on trembling elbows. He hoped the boy would not need manual assistance – though his role as Head of House and the medi-wizard aspect of his apprenticeship meant he certainly had experience with sickness, he rather preferred not to be up close and personal with it. He could not supressed a shudder as a rather loud retch was followed immediately by a clumpy sounding splash.

With a grimace, Severus raised his voice, "Mr Potter?"

"S- sorry, sir," Potter gasped.

"Apologies are unnecessary, Potter. I was merely enquiring as to whether you were in need of assistance," Severus drawled, hoping his disgust at the notion wasn't evident.

Potter had the gall to let out snort, as he peeled himself off the dingy bathroom floor, "I'm fine Professor. Sorry, I knew it would happen at some point. I've been feeling off since dinner."

"Yes," Severus observed, as he led the way to the door. "Stress can often have a negative effect on one's appetite."

"Yes, sir," Potter agreed, quite politely, as he wiped his mouth with his sleeve – disgusting. "Partly that, I guess, but it's mainly that I seem to have worse morning sickness in the evenings… which is easier in some ways, but… That's why the Gryffindors are so convinced I put my name in, you see." Potter said, as they made their way back to Miss Fawley. "I was feeling really sick that night, although it had been getting better, so I went to the bathrooms on the seventh floor corridor, rather than the ones in the dormitories. I didn't want anyone to find me, and… I know it was stupid, but I didn't want anyone to know and they were getting suspicious…"

They were walking towards the dungeons again, but Severus was now keeping close to the teenagers, in case of a relapse, so he saw as Miss Fawley slipped her hand into Potter's and squeezed lightly.

"That's understandable," Miss Fawley whispered. "I hate having people around when I throw up too."

Potter gave her a watery smile and swiped as his eyes. Severus could not find it in him to even mentally berate such sentimentality.

"Anyway," Potter continued, his voice a bit husky. "The whole common room saw me leave and the boys from my dorm know I didn't get back for about an hour, so… I guess it wasn't too wild a leap."

Severus glowered. Potter should not be defending those insolent wretches. If Slytherins had behaved as abominably as those Lions, the entire school would be up in arms… of course, that would be because his Snakes would have reported such activity immediately and the entire school would have known about it; not two people after two weeks, told practically by accident.

"Wh- If we receive confirmation of your condition, Potter," he said. "We shall also have complete confirmation of your innocence. The Cup was charmed against accepting entrants with conditions that would prove dangerous for competitors, including pregnancy."

Potter blushed, presumably at the prospect of vindication, but gnawed on his already raw lip even harder.

"Dangerous?" he questioned in a small voice.

Severus took a deep breath, "To the best of everyone's abilities, neither you nor your child shall come to any harm," he promised. "You have my word," the final part came out quite without Severus's approval, but as Potter graced them all with a half-smile, he did not find himself too angry with himself. They continued through the creepy deserted castle in silence, all the way to the dungeons. They did not even encounter a ghost along the way, much to Severus's relief.

When they reached the dungeons, Severus led them to his office. The two teenagers lingered awkwardly by the door, Severus was about to snap at them, until he realised that there was nowhere for them to actually sit that wasn't in the hard wooden seats at his desk. Understanding the reticence at sitting watching him brew, and knowing that his was a golden opportunity to get the boy to talk, Severus gave a long suffering sigh and transfigured the two chairs into a squashy sofa worthy of Dumbledore, although he kept it a sedate black – he did have some standards after all.

After levitating the sofa into the corner, far enough away from Severus's workstation that they hopefully wouldn't feel observed, and casting a heating charm over it, Severus directed Potter to sit.

"Try and get him to say something about the abuse," Severus whispered to Miss Fawley, as she came level. Much as he felt bad about putting this on her shoulders, and was already preparing himself for the deserved reprimand, she was technically an adult and was the only person Potter had seemed to relax around at all. Plus, she might as well have something to do while he brewed.

Miss Fawley nodded and slipped onto the sofa beside Potter.

"Nippy," Severus summoned again.

The little House Elf appeared, ears flapping, looking expectant.

"More tea for the children, please. Peppermint would be best," Severus said, thinking to alleviate any lingering nausea the boy might be suffering from. Peppermint always worked for him. He found ginger rather too close to some of the roots used in potions to be particularly soothing. "And the classroom we were in before needs cleaning," he added as an afterthought.

Nippy nipped off without comment, correctly reading the stress in her charge's demeanour. She returned just as Severus was lighting the fire under her cauldron, depositing the teapot and cups on a small table and chirruping a greeting to the teenagers, before popping off again.

Seeing that Potter looked a bit nervous at the tea Miss Fawley had served him, Severus decided to speak up, despite his wish for them to forget he was there, "It is perfectly unadulterated, Mr Potter," Severus murmured, just loud enough to be heard in the acoustics of the dungeon, causing Potter to jump and nearly spill the piping hot fluid all over himself. Wincing, Severus explained, "It might help your nausea. On top of that, I shall require a urine sample to test in the potion, which cannot to be provided if you are dehydrated."

The fourteen year old – Severus could not get the boy's age out of his head – blushed right to his hair follicles, but took an obedient gulp, spluttering slightly at the still too hot tea. Miss Fawley laughed softly and whispered something to him that made him grimace in return.

Severus decided to leave them to it and turned back to the potion in front of him. He had summoned his book on rare medicinal potions, which did have the instructions for a male pregnancy test in it, thankfully, as he did not want to waste time searching the library. While the potion was not particularly time consuming, or overly complicated, it was tricky as all the ingredients needed to be prepared fresh, and all had to be added within a twenty minute period – the timings meant that you needed to be a skilled brewer. Including simmering time, the potion should be ready for application in half an hour, and needed to be used within an hour, so Severus hoped that Potter didn't have a shy bladder.

Trusting that Miss Fawley would be able to handle the boy for now and needing to give his full attention to the fine chopping, shredding and carefully measured drops of carefully harvester juices, Severus sank into the familiar trance of potion preparation, occluding all thoughts of Potters and abusive relatives from his consciousness for the moment.

It was just another potion.

As he added the final pinch of finely ground dragonfly thoraxes and lowered the fire, so that the mixture could simmer softly for eight minutes, Severus returned his attention to his charges. Mis Fawley was practically curled up on the sofa, their shoes abandoned on the floor, while Potter had made sure to keep his feet off the actual upholstery, and was instead sort of hovering them, with his knees wrapped in his arms. Severus supressed a frown for what felt like the hundredth time that evening, assuming from her more relaxed stance, that it had been Miss Fawley's idea. Evidently they would be having a conversation about personal boundaries at some point.

Keeping one eye on the clock, as he always did when he had something brewing, and double checking the stasis charms on the Blood Replenishing Potion he had been brewing earlier, Severus crept forward, hoping to not interrupt the hushed conversation the teens were engaged in.

"I really think Ron and Hermione were about to come round, you know?" Potter was saying. "Until that bloody Skeeter article came out. I don't think I've ever been so embarrassed and… well, I told you what Dudley's like in public. I swear all I said to her was 'um'."

Miss Fawley was nodding so hard Severus was a little worried her neck might be injured.

"My parents won't let me read her articles. They say she's just a gossip monger and ambulance chaser of the worst sort."

Potter huffed, "I wish more people would see that. Merlin, even Fred and George gave me a hard time about all that 'tears in my eyes' stuff."

"Couldn't you write to the editor and ask for a retraction?" Miss Fawley reasoned.

"Could I?"

"Maybe-"

Severus coughed, to let his presence be known. They both jumped and stumbled to get into a more respectable position.

"Don't bother making yourselves uncomfortable on my account," Severus purred, sending a disapproving glare at Miss Fawley, who had the grace to look slightly ashamed, although nowhere near enough. Potter had slipped his shoes on so smoothly, Severus would have doubted anything had ever been amiss, if he were inclined to disbelieve his own eyes.

"Sorry, sir," he muttered.

Miss Fawley frowned, "I just thought it was more comfortable that way," she said, with her head help high. "Mum always says 'shoes get in the way of getting to know people'. You have to be so formal when you're wearing shoes"

"That's as maybe, Miss Fawley," Severus admonished. "But it is also cold down here, hence the necessity for footwear, and is also my office, which demands a level of respect, namely feet off the furniture."

Judging from the look on her face and its similarity to other such faces she had pulled over the years, Severus was fairly sure she would stick her tongue out at him as soon as his back was turned. This point was proven when Severus turned, under the guise of collecting another chair (they should have known he could just summon it) and Potter gave an undignified snort, although they had both righted themselves by the time Severus was back from his leisurely task. Potter also went back to examining the floor as soon as Severus had situated himself in his high back wooden chair.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Severus unwilling to push Potter for information until the potion had been completed, the teens unwilling to continue their conversation in front of the professor.

"Professor?" Severus looked up with a raised eyebrow, surprised that it was Potter that had broken the monotony of silence. "Did you need me to… give a sample?" the boy could only have been a deeper red if Severus had painted him.

A quick glance at the clock told him that the potion required another ninety seconds of simmering. He got up and glided back to his brewing station, quickly located the small supply of specimen cups he had 'acquired' from the infirmary when Poppy's back was turned, and beckoned Potter over, not wanting to leave the nearly complete potion. Any more than three seconds over and the entire concoction would be useless.

Not taking his eyes off the clock – partly to keep track of progress and partly out of a strange desire not to add to the boy's humiliation – Severus handed over the container.

"It is only necessary to fill it to about half way. The outside of the cup is self-cleaning, so don't worry about any… spillages," Severus could not withhold his smirk as he could practically feel see tendrils of heat from the boy's face at that statement. Slightly more gently, he said, "You have up to half an hour for the potion to be activated, so take your time."

Potter took the cup with a slight nod and scurried into the bathroom at the back of the office. Severus watched him close the door and then checked the wards to make sure he would be informed if Potter somehow managed to get himself in any trouble. Apart from that, the room was soundproof on both sides.

Severus turned back to Miss Fawley, who was still on the sofa and now that Potter was out of the room, was looking watery eyed again. Severus went back to his chair and faced her.

"Did he say anything?"

Miss Fawley nodded, swallowing.

Severus sighed, "Did you promise secrecy?" it really would be easier the more information they had, but he understood that it was more important Potter talk to someone he trusted.

"No," she whispered, coughing to clear her throat. "Sorry… no, I said I would talk to you if he would let me, and he said that would probably be better."

"Impressive," Severus drawled, trying to cover his surprise that the boy had been so reasonable.

"He's nice, if you actually talk to him," she mused.

Severus hummed. As far as was possible, he was trying to see the boy as any other student with problems at home, but his irrational mind kept oscillating between seeing him as Lily's boy, who he had failed so horribly, and the spitting image of his father, who most likely was working some sort of angle. Neither emotion was helpful, so impassivity was the best anyone could ask for.

"It's strange, I've heard so many people talk about the Boy Who Lived, but not many actually talking about Harry," Miss Fawley suddenly supplied.

Severus swallowed. That was it, wasn't it? Harry. Not Potter, or the Boy Who Lived, or any of the other ridiculous epithets that had been assigned to him. Not even Lily's son. The boy currently in his bathroom; waiting to take a test that would prove irrevocably that his life would never be the same again; about to embark on a competition designed for and against students many years his senior, which he clearly didn't enter himself; currently ostracized by all his peers and so alienated from adults that he would rather live in a broom-cupboard than ask for help, was just Harry.

Severus coughed, suddenly finding his throat a bit constricted. "Did he say anything useful?"

Miss Fawley examined her fingernails for a moment, "He wouldn't talk about what his uncle did. Whenever I tried to bring it up, he just started chugging the tea."

Severus nodded, "Did he mention anything else about his treatment there? He said they hated him, so I assume it wasn't just his uncle."

"The only thing he did say about…" she gestured at the bathroom door. "-was that he didn't think his Aunt knew. Apparently she would always give him chores and stuff, but – and I'm quoting here – 'always tried to miss with the frying pan and snuck him food when Uncle Vernon was at work, so she wasn't too bad'."

Severus's fist tightened of its own accord. Why had he believed Dumbledore when he said that the Blood Wards proved the Petunia had got over her jealousy of her sister? Yes, she probably hadn't known about the rape – even she wouldn't sink so low – but of course she would allow neglect and… physical abuse. That the boy found having a frying pan aimed at him normal…

Miss Fawley continued, "He was fine talking about some things. Things he thought you lot already knew," her voice was accusing, as was the look in her eyes, which were now trained directly on Severus's. For a second, he wondered if she had ever received any legilimency training.

"You lot?" he asked, for clarification.

"The staff at Hogwarts," she bit out. "Apparently his letter was addressed to the 'Cupboard under the Stairs', which was when he was moved into his cousin's second bedroom."

Severus got up so suddenly his chair clattered to the ground and he billowed round to face the bathroom door, staring at it as if trying to discern the figure within.

"Cupboard?" he choked.

Miss Fawley's voice was tired, "Yeah. And it's a four bedroom house, apparently. At least now we know why he didn't mind sleeping in that broom-cupboard. Apparently it's quite a bit larger than the one he's used to."

Severus scrubbed a hand across his face, as if to wipe away the discombobulation. He needed to remain calm. In just another ten minutes he would need to speak to the boy about hurrying up and the last thing he would want was half-baked pity – Severus knew that.

With his mask firmly back in place, Severus swung back round and righted his toppled chair. "The letters are addressed by an enchanted quill. As far as I know, they are only checked when there is a delay in the process, or when multiples have to be sent."

"By which time, he would have been moved," Miss Fawley finished, seemingly placated.

Severus took a deep breath, not liking the fact that he would have to implicate Minerva McGonagall in all this –he now counted the woman as almost a friend, and she still terrified him. "While I have no reason to suspect that anyone here knew, I will check with the parties concerned."

Miss Fawley smiled widely at him, as if he was doing her a favour.

"He was locked in?" Severus asked. It was the logical conclusion to putting a child in a cupboard. His own father had only done it a couple of times, but those occasions stood out.

Her face fell again, "Yeah. He just called them his punishment periods. No food, although, like I said, his aunt would sneak him stuff. Sometimes let out for chores if people were coming over, but most of the time stayed in there. They… he said most of the time they at least let him out morning and night for… you know."

Severus grimaced, "Most of the time?"

Miss Fawley's nose curled, "That's what he said," she swallowed.

Severus closed his eyes against the anger that assaulted him. Logical, Severus, Logical, he chanted in his head. "I will make sure he is checked for kidney damage," he eventually bit out. "Was there anything else? He mentioned a Dudley?"

Miss Fawley giggled, although it was tinged with sadness, "That's his cousin… the one with two bedrooms. Harry says he like a pig in a wig, but without the charm. They… he's encouraged to beat up on Harry. Harry Hunting, he said it was called. The teachers at his primary school apparently knew what his cousin was like, but were friends with his Aunt so…"

They were silent for a few seconds; she having no more to say and him not knowing what to say.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Miss Fawley said in a thin voice, "He's never even been to the cinema."

Severus often said it was best at least one of the Head Boy or Head Girl slots be filled by a muggle born or half blood, as they would understand these things and the inferences. Before Severus could respond, the door to the bathroom opened, and a pale Potter emerged.

"I'm… uh…"

"Eloquent, as always, Mr Potter," Severus drawled, occluding as hard as possible. The potion needed to be used in the next eleven minutes to be effective, and really the sooner the better. He glided over and took the sample from the boy's balled fist, being sure not to look at it, since there was no need to cause the child more distress until the results were definitively known.

"Sorry it took so long," Potter mutter, with an expression on his face that any other day Severus would have labelled as sullen… defensive? Embarrassed?

Severus waved the apology aside, "That is unnecessary. Given the circumstances, it is understandable."

In one fell motion, Severus glided to his workstation and scooped the correct portion of potion into one of his high end testing jars, where the results would be recorded onto the jar as soon as it was finished. These jars were expensive and wasteful, as they could only be used once, and the only reason Severus had them in his lab was that Dumbledore had ignored his views on them and bought them as a Christmas present. As much as Severus abhorred the notion of gift giving and such sentimentality, he could not, in good conscience throw them away. Now, they would come in useful – the results would be recognised as valid by all manner of authorities (the manufacturers were among the most well respected in Europe) and would be corroborated long after the sample discarded, hopefully discounting the need for Potter to be put through multiple tests.

With exactly the right amount of potion in the jar, Severus tipped in approximately a tablespoon's worth of Potter's sample. They now just had to wait for the potion to react and the results given.

They held their breathe.

A minute later, a pale glow surrounded the jar. When it had dissipated, Severus picked it up and read the results, although he really didn't need to, as the potion had turned from a murky green to clear blue.

Harry Potter

Male Pregnancy Test

14th November 1994

Results: Positive. 13 Weeks 3 Days

Well, that answers that, Severus thought.

…

Chapter Update 14th September. Please Read and Review.