There was a loud thunk as Harry fainted. Heads turned towards the Gryffindor table, curious as to what had happened.
Shocked murmuring arose in the crowd nearest to Harry's fallen form once they realised who it was. Ron and Hermione were crouched by Harry's side immediately, worried frowns creasing their faces.
Hermione was shaking Harry's shoulder lightly, trying to wake him up. Harry simply stayed unresponsive, eyes closed, breathing shallowly.
Ron, on the other hand, was slapping Harry's face lightly, but Harry did not respond, his breathing instead grew shallower and more panicked. As he looked towards the staff table, he saw Dumbledore lean towards Snape. McGonagall was already halfway out of her seat, ready to check on the student. Snape was scowling. Ron guessed the Headmaster had wanted Snape to assist McGonagall, but being Slytherin, that greasy git was reluctant to render any assistance to any Gryffindor. As always, Dumbledore won the argument, and Snape got up from his seat, scowling darkly and muttering.
The pair of professors strode swiftly down the aisle between the tables towards Harry, McGonagall giving a startled gasp as she realised who it was. Ron caught Snape's eye as he bent down to check on Harry's pulse. There was a flicker of concern in his eyes, was it? But a moment later, it was gone as Snape looked away.
"Hospital Wing, now," came Snape's curt order. Ron and Hermione made to follow, but stopped as Snape said, "Weasley and Granger, both of you can stay here. Potter will be fine."
McGonagell levitated Harry's unconscious form onto a floating stretcher and allowed it to float before as she exited the Great Hall with Snape behind her, robes billowing behind him.
Murmurs erupted across the Hall as everyone took in the frail and weak form of Harry Potter, the Boy-Who-Lived. Everyone had seen his lifeless, lolling head as he had been levitated onto the stretcher. Even Dumbledore was worried. Something was definitely wrong for Harry to collapse in the Hall just like that. Very wrong, and Dumbledore would find out what.
Severus was puzzled. Potter would never allow himself to collapse just like that in front of the entire Hall, no, his pride was worth more than anything. But even if anything had happened, Potter wouldn't tell anyone. Stupid Gryffindor courage.
But he seems so weak, Severus thought, looking down at the limp form on the stretcher. Harry's breathing had not eased, and was as tense as ever. There was a strange rattle as Harry breathed, like he had difficulty breathing. He had lost weight too, Severus observed. From afar, Harry had seemed fine, but now looking at him upclose and intently, something had changed about the Gryffindor. He no longer slept peacefully, and even in unconsciousness, there was a grimace on his face.
No, Severus hurriedly stopped himself. Why should he care about the boy? He had hated that Potter boy for years, so why should he stop now? It wouldn't do for Severus Snape to get soft. No, it wouldn't.
Severus was broken out of his thoughts as they reached the Hospital Wing. Poppy rushed out to meet them, having been informed by the Headmaster, by one of his 'mysterious ways' Severus supposed.
"Here, place him here," Poppy directed them to a bed at the far end before pulling the sheets down. Severus, plastering on a scowl, lifted Harry gently and placed him on the bed.
"What happened, Minerva?" Poppy asked as she waved her wand over Harry's body.
"I don't know, really, it was during the school song, then suddenly he collapsed, just fainted, like that." McGonagall had a bewildered expression on her face. For the life of her, she couldn't explain why her student, Harry Potter no less, had suddenly collapsed.
"What's wrong, Poppy?" Severus, as usual, as direct and straight to the point. He had seen the mediwitch frowning.
"He's in a lot of pain, but the problem is that I don't know where. He's having trouble breathing, and seems panicky," Poppy seemed to be at a loss.
Severus, having learnt the basics of healing stepped to the side of the bed. More gently than it looked, he loosened the Gryffindor's tie and pulled his shirt open. The skin was smooth, flawless.
"There's seems to be nothing wrong," Minerva commented.
Snape rolled his eyes. "Glamour charms, perhaps?" he said sarcastically. With a swish of his wand, he removed whatever glamour charms Harry had put in place. Even years of torture had not prepared Severus for the sight that met his eyes. Both witches behind him gasped as they took in the sight.
Harry's body was a mass of cuts and bruises, some yellow, some darkening. There were uneven ridges where broken ribs jutted out. However, the most shocking of all was the dark purple hand-shaped bruise around Harry's neck. Someone had tried to strangle him.
Severus felt himself boil with rage. No child, not even his most hated student, deserved this. He had experienced some abuse as a child, but never this bad. He was just worried about Potter's psychological health.
Minerva and Poppy were speechless. Minerva reached out a cautious trembling hand and fingered a jutting bone from Harry's arm. Harry jerked away unconsciously, his breathing growing more erratic. Minerva bit her lip, struggling not to cry at the sight before her.
The poor boy! No one would ever understand what he had gone through. It would take a lot for him to get over this, she knew. But who had done this? Harry stayed with his relatives for the summer. They would not have done this to a poor child, would they? Would they? But Albus would have known, he would not have left Harry somewhere where he was unsafe!
Severus took in the flinch by the unconscious boy quietly. This was bad. Who knows what else the boy suffered over the summer?
His thoughts were interrupted by the creak of door opening softly. All heads looked up. It was the Headmaster.
"How is he, Poppy?"
Poppy stepped aside, too shaken to say anything. Dumbledore took in the sight gravely, the usual twinkle in his eyes now gone, replaced by an icy fury.
"It's not all, watch this," Minerva said softly. She placed a finger on Harry's bruised throat, but Harry's reaction to that far exceeded their expectations. Harry's body arched upwards as he gasped for breath. He started coughing uncontrollably, head shaking frantically from side to side.
"No, don't, please," the boy gasped. His hand flew up to grab his heaving chest. It seemed as though he was choking, unable to breathe. His eyes flew open, glazed and unseeing. Terror was evident in them.
"Hold him down, now," the mediwitch ordered. Hands rushed to obey orders. She herself grabbed a potion off the nearby shelf and hurried over, lifting the boy's head and resting on her shoulder.
"Harry, Harry, listen to me," she said sharply. He didn't seem to be able to hear her, but instead continued to cough, big hacking coughs. "I need you to take this." She lifted the vial to his lips, pouring some into his mouth, some potion spilling over, wetting the sheets.
She clamped his mouth shut, and Harry swallowed convulsively, almost choking in the process. Tense moments passed before the potion took effect and Harry's coughs subsided.
Poppy's hands never stopped working though. She hurried around the Infirmary, grabbing tubes and inserting them into Harry's nose and mouth. "Cardiac arrest arising from shock and panic attack." She had stated curtly, before finding a vein in Harry's arm and injecting a green potion into his system.
The other professors were too shocked to speak. Harry's condition was serious, very serious.
Meanwhile, the feast had ended and everyone had retired to their common rooms. The Gryffindors, however, were beside themselves with worry for their friend. Ron and Hermione were sitting in a corner, subdued. All the conversations were hushed, not wanting to upset the two even further, each person coming up with various theories for Harry's health.
Something was wrong with Harry, that was for sure, Hermione had felt it since the day school had let out. Harry had seemed distant and reluctant to return home somehow, but had brushed it off. It had been nagging at her then, but she had dismissed it, preferring to take Harry's word.
Even on the train, Harry had seemed very wary of his surroundings, too wary in fact. He had become jumpy at sudden noises and flinched at touches, even though he had tried to suppress it.
Ron wouldn't have noticed, he was always too caught up in other stuff. But Hermione was sure something had happened over the summer. She had seen this kind of symptoms before, but it couldn't be, could it? Harry's relatives would never treat him this way. She never they never liked him, but they wouldn't do that to a child... right?
She wrung her hands together in her lap. Ron was simply sitting beside her quietly. Snape didn't let them follow, that stupid git.
"Ronald," came a soft voice beside him. Ron looked up. Hermione. "I want to see how Harry is, tonight." Ron looked at her in surprise. Hermione Granger, breaking rules? That was news. But he nodded grimly. If the situation hadn't been so tense, it would have been funny. But concern for their friend was first and foremost in their minds.
Midnight finally came, and soon the two were the only ones left in the common room, seeing that the rest had retired to their dormitories. Quietly, they snuck out of the common room and padded softly towards the Hospital Wing.
Moonlight filtered in from the window, bathing Harry in a soft glow. The duo crept in, spying Harry on the last bed, and approached him quietly. They had to stifle gasps as they took in Harry's appearance. Bruises still littered his bare torso and limbs. Only with his clothes off did they realised how thin their friend had become over the summer. He was practically a living skeleton. His ribs were too obvious and his pale skin was stretched over him, almost translucent.
Tubes snaked out from Harry's nose and mouth, evidently helping him to breath. His chest rose shallowly with every breath, and the creased forehead told them that their friend was in evident pain, either from his injuries or from his breathing difficulty, they didn't know. A small patch had been stuck on his chest, probably to monitor his heartbeat.
Hermione fingered Harry's limp hand, trailing her fingers onto his wrist, where he was connected to a drip.
Tears ran unchecked down her cheeks. Harry, poor Harry. There was no doubt in her mind who had done this to her friend. And all this time, he hadn't said anything. And now her friend was lying here, unconscious, and so weak, even relying on a tube to help him breathe.
Ron stood there, stunned. Never in his wildest dreams had he imagined his friend to be this ill. "Mione, how..." he whispered.
"The Dursleys, Ron, they- they abused him." Hermione dissolved into tears on Ron's shoulder. Ron could not think properly, it was as though his mind was frozen. Harry, abused? He thought these kinds of things only happened in books.
"No...they couldn't have..." Ron stammered out.
"Perhaps we should discuss this in my office?" came a soft voice behind them. The duo whirled around and came face to face with their headmaster. There was a sad look in his eyes as his gaze fell on Harry's still unconscious form.
Minutes later, they were in the Headmaster's Office, drinking tea.
"Professor," Hermione began shakily. "Harry never mentioned this to us. We would have helped him!"
"Harry would never admit that he was being abused unless he was in dire need of aid. You know him." Hermione nodded sadly. "When Harry wakes, I request you not to let him know that you have discovered his being abused. I'm sure he has his reasons for not confiding in you, and he needs time, space, to recover. He will tell you when he is ready."
Ron opened his mouth to protest, but seeing sense, nodded slightly.
"But, why did they do this to him?" Ron blurted out.
"My guess is that they never liked the fact that he was a wizard, abnormal in their eyes. And so whenever something went wrong, it was easy for them to blame it on Harry. You see, how simple it is to blame things that they can't explain on magic? This is enough for tonight, I think, I trust that you will not go around spreading the extent of Harry's injuries to your classmates and friends?"
"Of course not!" said Ron indignantly. Hermione nodded vehemently in accordance.
Dumbledore smiled. "I'm glad Harry has such good friends as both of you."
So... how do you like it? Go review and tell me!
