A/N Updated 6/10/15

A/N See Disclaimer in Ch. 1. I barrowed two characters from Old-Crow with his permission to use in this story and they make their first appearance in this chapter. I am also reposting this chapter after it was pointed out numerous times that I forgot to proof read it. Take this as a lesson all you FF writers that posting a chapter when you are rushing out the door is not the best idea.

CH. 4

Harry awoke the next morning feeling quite confused. He was lying on the softest bed he had ever slept in and he felt more refreshed then he ever had after before. Opening his eyes and putting on his glasses he got out of bed and took in his surroundings. The memory of the previous day came back to him and he beamed when he remembered that he was no longer at the Durslys but at the same school his parents went to with kids who seemed to accept him and want to be friends with him. Jumping out of bed he quickly ran to the bathroom for a quick shower relishing under the hot water.

After getting dressed he walked into the common room and sat down on one of the couches. With a quick glance at the clock he noticed it was still a little early so he took out the potions book he bought in Diagon Alley and sat on the couch to await his friends. After flipping through the assigned potions book he noticed it was more like a cook book then a actual text book. Glancing at the potion section his eye was drawn to "Everything you need to Know about Potions" by Sam Mir. The book was wonderful. It explained why ingredients reacted with other ingredients differently and why you stirred in certain ways. When he got home, he was only able to smuggle his potions and herbology book and his wand to his room before Uncle Vernon had the rest of his school supplies locked in Harry's old cupboard. A few minutes of work on a floor board under his bed gave Harry the perfect hiding spot for his three favorite new things.

It wasn't long before both Susan and Hannah wandered into the common room and Harry could tell right away that neither witch was a morning person. Marking his place he got up to great his two friends. "Good morning Suzy and Hannah, finally decided to rouse yourselves out of bed?" He smiled at the two to show he was just teasing.

"Stuff it Potter we can't all be bright eyed and bushy tailed in the mornings" Hannah quipped back. Together they made their way up to breakfast. As they ate Harry started to get more nervous. He had never been to see a doctor before and he was worried about what would happen. Susan noticed his increase agitation laid a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Relax Harry everything will be all right. Madam Pomfrey just wants to give you a quick check up. Hannah and I can come with you if it will help."

Smiling gratefully at his friends he nodded and after finishing breakfast the three walked to the hospital wing. Poppy was sitting in her office when the door to the hospital wing opened and Harry walked flanked by both Hannah and Susan. "Good morning Mr. Potter. If you could just step behind the screen and change into these." She handed him a set of hospital scrubs and he went behind a curtain to change. After a few minutes Harry said he was ready and Madam Pomfrey stepped through the curtains to join him.

"Ok Mr. Potter take a seat on the end of the bed and I will do a quick diagnostic spell." Madam Pomfrey took out her wand and did a complicated wave over his head. A piece of parchment appeared in her hand and started to grow longer. As Madam Pomfrey started to read through the parchment, she visibly paled. Harry got a sinking suspicion that this wouldn't be a quick visit after all. When the parchment finally stopped growing it was almost a foot long.

"Mr. Potter this is a list of all your injuries that you have sustained over the years. Some of these injuries haven't properly healed. Now, when was the last time you were at the doctors?"

Harry looked down in embarrassment and mumbled something into his chest. "Sorry Mr. Potter can you please repeat that a little louder."

"I'veneverbeentothedoctor" Harry said it very fast in barely a quiet voice still staring at his feet. "Uncle Vernon said freaks don't deserve to go to the hospital." Two gasps showed that this time Harry spoke louder enough to be heard by his two friends.

Madam Pomfrey knelt down in front of Harry. "Harry, I am sure a lot of people will tell you this but you are not a freak. You are a wonderful boy and I will see that you never have to see those horrible people ever again."

With that Poppy got up and strode over to the fireplace and taking a handful of floo powder threw it into the fire and called out "Bones Manor" before sticking her head in the emerald flames. Susan all of a sudden smiled in understanding, and the two girls joined Harry sitting on the bed. "Remember I told you that Auntie was head of the DMLE. She will take those awful muggles down and you will never have to see them again."

After a short conversation Madam Pomfrey returned to the three Hufflepuffs. "Harry as it seems Susan has already explained to you that Madam Bones will be able to help. I'm also going to contact your head of house and also Professor McGonagall. Usually I would have to contact Professor Dumbledore but since he was the one who put you in that horrible place in the first place, Professor McGonagall will be the more appropriate choice." While Madam Pomfrey was talking Madam Bones stepped through the fire place and strode right up to Harry. She smiled at Susan and Hannah sitting with Harry on the bed. "I'm glad to see you three together. Congratulations on getting in Hufflepuff I am sure Professor Sprout is very happy to have all three of you."

"I certainly am Amelia." Professor Sprout strode through the doors looking at her badgers with concern with Professor McGonagall walking in right behind her. Madam Pomfrey handed the two Professors the list of Harry's injuries and as they read through it the expressions darkened. They stood back and talked quietly among themselves. "I will see that he is happy here. I think my house is just what that boy needed. It looks like he already has two very good friends to help him."

"I told Albus those muggles where the worst kind but he was convinced that it was the best place for him. Let me know what I will need to do to help him and I will see it done. " Turning around Professor McGonagall walked out of the hospital wing her faith in the Headmaster severely shaken.

Poppy walked back towards Harry. "Can you show me your back please?" Harry blanched, he knew what she wanted to see but he didn't want anyone else to see them. He glanced towards Susan and Hannah and Poppy seeing his apprehension turned to the two girls. "Girls, will you give us some privacy please." Two quick hugs and the girls walked to the other side of the curtains. Slowly Harry removed his shirt and turned around. Even knowing they were there, Poppy was still unable to hold in the surprised gasp. Across Harry's back where a group of scars that crisscrossed all up and down his back. "Thank you Harry. We will be able to take care of most of those scars. I might not be able to make them disappear totally but we can make them fade.

Madam Bones putting herself on her official face knelt in front of Harry so she was eye level with him. "Harry, I need you to tell me who did this." Already suspecting the answer to this question, she still had to ask it. Harry hesitated. In the past when he had told adults about his relatives nothing had come of it except more beatings and trouble for the people he reported to. Looking around though seeing the supportive people surrounding him, adults who have said he would never have to go back their again, Suzy and Hannah his first ever friends, and even the sorting hat encouraging him to tell someone. All this ran through his head as he looked around the room finally looking back at Madam Bones, he lowered his head and in a quite whisper "My uncle got mad at me one day for ending up on the roof of the building. When he got home he took his belt and did this."

"Thank you Harry. Is your uncle also responsible for all the other injuries?"

"No, my cousin and his friends used to chase me and beat me up. My aunt has hit me a few times with the frying pan when I have burned breakfast."

Trying to keep her voice soft and calm when all she wanted to do was scream and curses at those horrible people was a test of Amelia's self-control. "Thank you Harry. I will get to the bottom of this and make sure they pay for what they did to you." Standing up she walked over to Professor Sprout, "At this time I am declaring the guardianship of the Durslys to Harry Potter suspended until my investigation is complete. If Harry has no objections, I will take over his guardianship on a temporary basis." Then in a quitter voice "It's the least I can do for James and Lily." She turned to Harry. "Harry, is that ok with you?"

Harry looked at her in disbelief. Did this person actually want him? Looking over at Susan he could see the hopeful smile on her face. Smiling himself he nodded "Ok. Did you know my parents? Can you tell me about them?"

"Of course I will tell you everything I know about them. But first there is work to be done. Poppy can I barrow your fireplace to make a few calls?"

"Go ahead whatever you need to do." Amelia threw some powder into the fire and calling out an address stuck her head in. A short conversation later and out walked another women around the same age as Amelia with greying hair. Amelia then repeated this process two more times resulting in another women and a man waiting in the hospital wing.

"Harry, this is Connie Hammer" she introduced the older lady, "and her partner Anna Daily" was the younger women Harry thought in her mid-30s. "This is Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt and they will be investigating your case. She gave the three new comers the rundown on the case and after nods of understanding they got to work. First they spent a few minutes talking to Harry with Anna and Connie talking pictures of his back. Harry liked Kingsley. His calming voice and manner was the exact opposite of his Uncle. After a half hour of questions all three law enforcement officials left to investigate further.

Madam Pomfrey then took over. "Harry, I'm going to give you some potions that will help you with a lot of your problems. It seems that you have a slight swelling in your head that is affecting your eyes. Once that is taken care of you won't need glasses. A barrage of nutrient potions and bone restorative potions will also help your malnourished and improperly healed bones. I am going to ask Professor Snape to brew them for me as we normally don't stock some of these. Also I will have him make a salve for your scars on your back. I will need to apply that once a week for a few months but that should make the scars fade."

Nodding to show his understanding Harry waited for her to continue. "Also, I would like you to come and see me once a week just to come and talk. We can talk about whatever you like but I am a trained child psychologist and I can help you come to terms with what your relatives did to you and help repair some of the damage both physical and mental. How about Wednesday nights come and see me for an hour and we can apply your cream and talk."

Not knowing what to say Harry just nodded again to show that he understood and would come on Wednesdays. She turned to Amelia and motioned for her to follow her to her office as she sent a message to Severus to come to see her. "Most victims of domestic abuse will have a very low self-esteem and blame themselves for what has occurred some going so far as to think that they deserve it. I am hopeful that with counseling we can work past some of those issues."

"Is there anything else I can do to help him?" Amelia asked.

"Give him a happy loving home. I think he has lived his whole life at the Durslys without any kind of love or support. He probably feels that he can't rely on anyone but himself because that is all he has ever known. Show him that he can rely on other people to help him and that will go a long way. It seems Susan and Hannah are already helping with that issue. There is one issue that will need to be addressed that you can't do. Harry needs to have some positive male role model. His only reference on how a man should act is his Uncle. He needs someone positive to look up to and emulate, someone who he is comfortable with."

Nodding in understanding Amelia tried to think of someone to help Harry. She was going to give him the happy loving home he deserved but knew that Poppy was right that he needed a positive male influence. She would have to think about the best way to do that.

As Amelia and Poppy where talking Snape swooped in with his robes billowing, "What do you want Poppy that would be so important to interrupt my Saturday." Amelia glared at Snape. No matter how many times Albus said that he trusted this man she could never get past the dark mark on his arm. In her mind once a Death Eater always a Death Eater. Combined that with a drop in Auror recruits due to lack of potions requirement ever since this man took over potions at Hogwarts she flat out loathed this man.

"I need these potions please Severus as soon as possible." Snape took the list and scanned it. He recognized all these potions and using them together painted a picture of an abused child. His past experiences at the hands of his father left a sever dislike for anyone who would strike a child. Glancing down the hospital ward trying to see the child who was subject to this treatment he gasped. Sitting on the bed was the Potter spawn. "He said he would be safe and cared for" Snape murmured to himself. Taking one last look at the carbon copy of his child hood nemesis he scooped out of the hospital wing to brew his potions and do some serious thinking.

"I have to head in to help with the investigation. The quicker this can be done the better. We don't want any meddlesome headmasters getting wind of this." That brought Susan out of her conversation with Harry and Hannah remembering something the Headmaster said.

"Auntie, Professor Dumbledore made a strange announcement last night; something along the lines of a forbidden corridor in the castle that would result in a painful death. Leaving out the idea of their being something like that in a school for children, a warning like that just seems to invite curiosity."

"Hmmm, you are right Susan, I will look into it and have a talk with the headmaster when we come back and talk about Harry. I have to head out you three. Try to enjoy the rest of your weekend."

Giving farewell hugs to the two girls and a still surprised Harry she started to head to the fire when a small voice made her turn. "Thank you very much Madam Bones. No one has done so much for me before."

Smiling at the boy "No problem at all Harry, and you can call me Aunt Amelia or Auntie like Suzy sense we will be family after all."

A grin split Harry's face at the thought of having a real family and the look of hope and happiness warmed Amelia's heart and she vowed to do everything in her power to keep that smile on Harry's face. She stepped through the fire and into her office to personally see all responsible pay.

Back in the hospital wing Poppy turned to the kids. "Ok Mr. Potter I will send you a message when your potions are ready. In the mean time I will have a nutrient potion sent to you at every meal to take. So you are released to enjoy the rest of your weekend."

Giving Harry some privacy to change back into his clothes Harry quickly changed and exited the hospital wing with his friends feeling lighter and happier than he ever had.

A/N Thanks again for reading. Please read and review.