Outofthisworldgal: Um because reasons. Obviously. Ok so my thinking was this is Snape right? He doesn't truly like Harry, slightly care about his safety yes, love his mother yes, but like him? No. So he pretty much assumes that this is some big deal over nothing- Potter being this pampered prince. As for the Weasley twins, let's just say they care too much about Harry and wanted to find out. Like "Tell me here and now!" And everyone else was either in too much shock to move or to curious to intervene.
As for skye cornering him in public, she was abused so she knows how victims will try to hide it or deny it because they're scared of being seen as weak or others agreeing with their abusers. I'm willing to bet she could've gone to Pomphrey or McGonagall but she wasn't willing to chance that they wouldn't take her seriously even though they probably would've. But it would've been hard because obviously Harry puts on this display of happiness and bravado that no one could really imagine him getting hurt in that way. Like, it doesn't line up in their brain. Does that kinda make sense? Cuz that's how I thought about it in my head. So yes there are other ways this could've gone but it would've made a different character and most likely a less interesting plot cuz I didn't have anything to write that direction. And ya know that's just kinda what I wrote so…
OK so slight Dumbledore bashing, violence, child abuse, child neglect, and so forth. Don't like, please don't read. If you want to take unneeded anger out, feel free to flame me- need something to laugh at anyway because it won't stop me and it's usually pathetic if you spend your time ranting on fanfiction about how bad it is when you don't have to read it.
Disclaimer: Me no own, you no sue
Chapter Three: How did we miss this?
~0ooOoo0~
Mcgonagall
When the girl first stood up, Mcgonagall was confused.
When Snape joined her, she was angry.
But now, Mcgonagall felt her eyes swell up with tears that threatened to fall. The pain in her little lion's eyes was nearly unbearable to witness, and the pain only rose when she saw the suffering accompanied by mortification and shame. As Harry was led out, she felt her heart clench and her body, which had remained frozen before sagged, her goblet clattering to the floor and drawing everyone's attention to her horror struck face as she beheld the aftermath of the confrontation. Blood lay where Harry's open wounds had dripped the offending liquid and several splatters outlined the area where his intense shaking, another image that would haunt her mind, had thrown it. Before the other emotions had overcome it, she had seen the pure fear that coated his eyes and seriously considered puking before disregarding the idea. That is, until unaccompanied and/or in her quarters.
She closed her eyes in pain. The image of his injuries seared into her eyelids, she knew she wouldn't sleep that night. She could only imagine the nights he went without sleep. At that thought her eyes flew open. He had been hit, whipped and flogged- but that was only what was visible, what else had this boy she viewed as a son been subjected too? Why? She wondered. Why wouldn't he tell us? Why had nobody noticed? And why- she shifted her eyes to Dumbledore with a glare that could reduce the bravest man to a shivering mess- did I listen to that old coot? Lowering her eyes in shame, she sighed. This was all her fault.
~0ooOoo0~
Draco
When the girl first stood up, Draco snickered and nudged his friends, seeing this little mudblood stand up to Potter would certainly be amusing. Leaning back in ease, as his godfather approached Harry, he nearly fell off his seat when Ha-Potter's injuries were revealed.
The sickly sight of Ha-POTTER'S back nearly made him sick to his stomach, and a quick glance around confirmed he was not the only one. His face paled. This, this couldn't be true. Potter was a pampered prince- loved and adored at his house. Any wizarding family would've spoiled him rotten!
Then it dawned on him, any wizarding family would've spoiled him rotten. His own words echoed back to him in his head and he slowly turned his head to the headmaster who seemed neither surprised nor disapproving. If anything he seemed… pleased. Draco felt hot, unadulterated anger bubbling and boiling within him as he turned the full force of his glare onto the man, who met his gaze without so much as a flinch.
Draco may not have liked Harry specifically, but never would he wish that kind of treatment onto anyone. Anyone. Not after- Draco shuddered. Bad memories flooded his mind and he had to take a minute to calm down. How could that fool purposely put him with muggles, where he knew he wouldn't be treated well or appreciated and (in this case) abused. Looking back to where his godfather stood by the trembling boy, he saw his own thoughts mirrored in Snape's eyes before the man, with his usual exorbitant exit of swirling robes, quickly escorted Harry out- presumably to the medical bay.
Draco rested his head on the table as silent tears ran down his face. People who knew of his past quickly averted others who did not and the closest of them moved to his side, just in time to catch his whispers. Why didn't I notice? This is all my fault.
~0ooOoo0~
Hermione
She felt like banging her head on the table. How could she not have noticed?! After all what good is books and knowledge if you can't help anyone with it? If she couldn't recognize the signs of her best friend being abused then how was she expected to do anything for anyone else?
She looked away. It was extremely painful looking at Harry in that state. It only served as a reminder of how fragile he really was. It was easy to forget that, considering his reputation, and many people did. After what took place when he was a child, he pretty much seemed invincible to the population and the events of the previous two years enforced that what with the death defying acts he had put on. She felt ashamed for forgetting that, deep down, he was just as vulnerable as the rest of them.
Looking around she saw many were coming to that realization. Creevy's face seemed broken as he realized that his hero was hurt. He really looked up to Harry and seeing him in that state had frightened and saddened him.
Ron, on the other hand, had slowly stood up and made his way from the great hall somberly when he had finally broken from his stupor after Harry had been rushed out. Unseen to anyone else, he had made his way to an abandoned corridor and broke down in a darkened corner, sobbing with grief for his friend and a feeling of overwhelming guilt that nearly crippled him. When he had finally quieted, he made his way to write a letter to Molly, she'd kill him if she found out from someone else, and then to hospital wing. Perfectly content to sit outside and wait for Harry to be allowed visitors.
~0ooOoo0~
Snape
Snape looked up from the staff table when the murmurs stopped. The great hall was never quiet, especially not those bloody Gryffindors. When he saw the girl talking to the Potter brat, he smirked. Finally someone was putting that arrogant boy in his place, even if it was a little firstie lion. As he watched the events play out, he sighed. This was Potter, it was obviously some big deal over nothing.
When he heard the girl mention glamours he smirked, only the first day and Potter was breaking rules. Determined to put a stop to Potter's drama, he stormed forward.
"Rule breaking already Mr Potter? Glamour magic is frowned upon. Do as she says and take them off and I won't take many points." As expected the boy immediately lashed out, yelling not only at him, but the first year as well.
Snape quickly lost the rest of his patience and made quick work of removing the glamours on the boy thinking he was only hiding a few pimples or blemishes he didn't want his "adoring fans" to see. What he saw made him wish he had never stood up from the staff table.
Flesh hung off his back in chunks, raw and bloody from the blade of a whip, words were carved into his chest- a permanent reminder of what his family thought of him. Worthless across his shoulders, trash on his arm, and on his face- a large, jagged "Freak." Bruises decorated the majority of his body and no piece of skin was left untouched. Worse yet was the position his ankle was in. It was obviously broken as well as painful, and clearly made worse from use. There were burns on his hands and cuts on his arms. His ribs stuck out against his skin- malnutrition- and his hair was unkempt and greasy.
But none of that was what disturbed Snape the most. What disturbed Snape most was that he saw himself in the boy. He didn't know how long he stood there, frozen, wand still out but when he snapped out of it, everything seemed to move in slow motion. He had never particularly liked the boy, but no one deserved anything like that. What hurt the most is that, if he had bothered to even look, he probably could've noticed, could've stopped it. He lowered his head in shame.
"This is all my fault."
(AN: Sorry for the several month wait. No one really responded so I wasn't too sure what to write. Next chapter is up to you- more you respond faster it comes. More plot or flashbacks? And feel free to be grammar nazis and rip me to shreds because it helps me with my writing. Sorry if the characters seem OOC, but lets blame it on the shock and the sudden revolution.)
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