Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: Welcome back to Infusions. Thanks to an amazing response to my question about Harry and Daphne – it's a landslide vote for contract and my favourite idea came from ( . .86). Next question: should they find out between first and second year after Harry goes to stay with his friends, in which they keep it a secret from their friends for a while or third year (only issue with this is it's a way off). Thanks for your help. Of course, we ended with the start of the Wellness Check so we'll have that, Harry waking up, flying lessons and Harry finally talks to Dumbledore, where Severus makes a shocking announcement in response to Albus' Dursley argument. Sweet as bro! (Kiwi saying.)

From Last Time:

Over the next week, Severus and Harry had many encounters. And still the Professor could not bring himself to warn the young boy.

Eventually, the day for wellness checks arrived.

Madam Pomfrey stood at the door to the infirmary, smiling kindly. Warmth flooded Harry. "Come on then Mr Potter, let's have a look."

Chapter 4: Severus' Bombshell

Reluctantly, Harry entered the Wing. Daphne and Tracy had told him how kind the Matron was but nevertheless, when the Prefects had announced that first year Wellness Checks would be happening that week, his stomach had dropped. He'd be sent back again and the Dursley's would abuse him for 'snitching' about them.

"Strip down to your underpants if you will Mr Potter." She said to him.

Harry blanched. "What?" They'd see his scars, the marks that he'd worked so hard to conceal.

"Your underwear Mr Potter." She repeated. He looked worriedly to Professor Snape, who nodded. "Believe it or not, Mr Potter, we do not want to hurt you. This is for your benefit."

Harry sighed. "Well, alright. But don't laugh."

"Laugh, Mr Potter? What is there to laugh at?"

"I dunno. I might look funny. And you'll get in trouble." He said shyly.

Severus rolled his eyes while Madam Pomfrey frowned. "Just do it. Please. You haven't got anything the Matron hasn't seen."

"Fine…" Harry whined.

She handed him a robe and stepped out from the bed, pulling the curtain around her. While Harry put it on, Madam Pomfrey and Severus quietly whispered to each other.

"I think he's been beaten. The way he acts, it's eerily familiar." She said softly.

"I noticed it too – the moment I saw him. I was prepared to hate the boy on sight, what with him being the son of James Potter but having experienced what I have, I recognised the signs. His robes hang on him, and every time the mention of family comes up, he flinches and tries not to retreat within himself."

"But what happens if it's true? He can't go back to his relatives… surely not, Severus."

He sighed. "I have a backup plan, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, Poppy."

Once Harry was finally robed, Madam Pomfrey drew the curtain back. He sat atop the bed, looking rather small.

"Now Mr Potter, all I'm going to do is wave my wand over you and watch as the report creates itself."

Harry stiffened but nodded his reluctant permission. She did as promised and to his surprise a very pleasant tingling filled him. He, along with Professor Snape and Madam Pomfrey, watched in fascination as a scroll appeared and lengthened, writing copious notes as the scan progressed. His fascination however, turned to fear as both adults became progressively angrier. Professor Snape's lips were so thin they were a pale white line.

When the tingling ended, Madam Pomfrey bustled off to get Skele-Gro, Blood Replenishing Potion and Nutrient Supplement. She came back with an armful of bottles. "Mr Potter, please drink these and then answer my questions."

Harry raised his eyebrows. "What are they?"

Professor Snape answered. "Mr P- Harry, if I may, the green one is Skelegro, which repairs broken bones; the blue one is a nutrient supplement; and the red one, unsurprisingly, is a blood replenishing serum. All are made by myself, so never fear, you are in good hands."

"But –" Harry began, giving the Professor a dubious look.

"Drink now, talk after." Professor Snape grunted.

Harry sighed and gulped down the Potions, trying his best not to gag. This was disgusting.

HP SS HP SS

A few minutes earlier….

Severus watched in horror as the scroll lengthened. Out of all the cases he'd seen, this had to be the worst. He glanced at it while he could. Six broken ribs? Wrist cracked ten times? Fractured shoulder right now? How was Lily's son still alive? He sighed. "Oh, my Flower, I let you down?"

He smirked when the boy asked what the potions were? Harry definitely took after Lily in that regard. He was going to enjoy this.

So, he began. "Mr P- Harry, if I may, the green one is Skelegro, which repairs broken bones; the blue one is a nutrient supplement; and the red one, unsurprisingly, is a blood replenishing serum. All are made by myself, so never fear, you are in good hands." His thoughts ran wild as he said it. He wasn't the youngest Potions Master in a century for nothing. Skelegro was disgusting but thanks to his developments, it was far better than it had been. The nutrient potion would get rid of Harry's unnatural scrawniness and the blood replenishing serum, although horrible, would make the boy look a great deal healthier.

HP SS HP SS

Finally, the potion 'drinking' was over. Harry sat back with a sigh of relief. "May I have some water?"

Snape nodded. "Misty!"

A funny looking creature with rather long, floppy ears and a white dress appeared. "Yes Master Sevvy?"

"I wonder if you could bring a cup of water for Mr Potter here?"

It nodded excitedly and popped away. "What was that sir? I've not seen it in any of my books."

"That, Mr Potter, is a house elf. Now, how do you feel?"

Harry paused, surveying his aches and pains, only to find he had none. He said as much to his head of house, who looked subtly satisfied. The nurse returned. "Mr Potter, if you'll please answer my questions honestly, this will go well."

The return of Misty provided a welcome distraction. He nodded stiffly, waiting for the first one.

"Now, I see here that you, until today, had six broken ribs. What, or rather who, was the cause of that?"

Harry's hesitation was all the answer they needed. The Professor nodded impatiently, nostrils flaring like a dragon.

"Oh, uh, nothing?"

"Nothing, Mr Potter? Try again." Snape was growing madder by the second, although Harry couldn't understand why.

"Just, just, a… wall."

"Do I have to shove Veritaserum down your throat too?"

Madam Pomfrey tutted. "Oh Severus, do calm down. Mr Potter, you do know you're not the first or last abuse case I've seen, don't you?"

"A-a-abuse? Ma'am?"

She handed him a calming potion and once he'd taken that, a lemon drop to take away the taste. "Now, tell me, would you like to try again?"

Harry sighed. "What's in it for me?"

Severus rolled his eyes. That was a Slytherin response if he'd ever heard one.

"Safety."

"If I must. Fine. It was my uncle and cousin. Happy now?" He said angrily.

"Yes, very. How did it happen?"

Harry sighed again, keeping his lips sealed.

"Please, Mr Potter. We are not here to hurt you. If you're honest with us, we will reward you with more than just safety."

"How do you know I'll be safe?"

"I've been a nurse for many years. Trust me, I know these things."

"Promise?"

"I promise. When you're ready, please tell me."

Harry pondered the pros and cons of it. Yes, he could be putting himself in danger but the two adults before him really did seem to care. And he was feeling so much better already. He took a deep breath.

"It was after Diagon Alley. I got home after being with Hagrid and my uncle was waiting there at the door, anger blazing in his eyes. He grabbed me and threw me against the wall. After a few hits, he pushed me back into my cupboard and told me I was to have no meals for a week. One night, I snuck out and Dudley was there. He decided it was his turn and knocked me down before kicking me in the ribs over and over."

"And what, Mr Potter, do you mean by 'back into my cupboard'?"

"Oh, it was my room as a child." He was speaking a little more freely now.

Severus smiled to himself. Those lemon drops, laced with Veritaserum, worked like a charm every time.

"What about your wrist?"

"Harry Hunting."

She went white. "Harry what?"

"My cousin and his friends chased after me for fun, seeing who could get me the most. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon think it's funny."

Severus' mouth dropped open. "Did you say Petunia? The Petunia? You live with that horse faced jealous little excuse for a human?"

"Yes, sir."

He shook his head. "And your shoulder Harry?"

"Uh, I fell out of bed after a nightmare sir. You can ask Blaise or Theodore if you don't believe me? Not even Draco would deny it."

"Alright then Mr Potter. Just a couple more questions and then I shall let you sleep." Madam Pomfrey tutted.

Harry's mind whirled. Had he really said all that? What spell had she put on him?

"How long have they been treating you this way?"

"As long as I can remember ma'am."

"And why has no one done anything?"

"They threatened me if I told."

Severus sighed as Madam Pomfrey handed Harry a sleeping draught. This was bad. Very bad.

HP SS HP SS HP SS

Hours later, Harry opened his eyes to find two blurs hanging over him. He reached groggily for his glasses, sliding them on so he could see. As he'd predicted, the blurs were Daphne and Tracy. Sitting up, he saw his dorm mates standing in a group behind them.

"Harry!" the girls shrieked in excitement. "When you didn't turn up for study hour, we found Professor Snape and he told us you were in here. We were dead worried. We thought something dreadful had happened. What happened?"

Harry shook his head in exasperation. "It's alright. I just had my wellness check."

"Are you alright?" Daphne gasped.

"Fine, fine. She just had me take a couple of potions before sleeping."

"Are you sure?"

"Daph, I'm fine."

"If you insist." She sighed doubtfully. "Oh Harry. It wouldn't have been the same without you."

He held out his arms. "C'mere." She wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders and cried.

Once all was calm, Harry's friends updated him on what had been happening while he'd been gone. Weasley had tried, with Finnigan and Thomas, to poison one of the older Slytherins; Blaise and Draco had argued over who was the better flier; and someone had started a rumour that an old betrothal contract had been discovered.

"Who started that?"

"One of the pureblood elite – Parkinson I think." Draco answered.

"Do you think there's any truth in it? Who between?" Harry asked.

"Maybe, but who ever believes her? Not sure, I stopped listening when I heard she was the one who'd said it."

The rest shrugged. "Anyway, we're only eleven… it can't be any of us." Blaise added chirpily.

HP SS HP SS HP SS

By the time Harry was released from the hospital wing, it was time for their first flying lesson. It was a clear and breezy day, the grass rippled under their feet as the they marched down the perfect sloped lawns to the grounds, standing in front of the rippling trees of the Forbidden Forest.

Arriving, the group of Slytherins discovered that the Gryffindor's were already there, as were twenty broomsticks in neat lines on the grass. Harry had heard complaints from other students about the school brooms, but these didn't look too bad.

His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of Madam Hooch, a short woman with grey spiked hair and yellow eyes like a hawk. "What are you waiting for?" she barked. "Everyone, stand by a broomstick. Hurry now." Harry glanced at his broom, which was old, and had had twigs that stuck out at odd angles. "Now, stick your right hand over the brrom and say 'up'!"

"UP!" the first years shouted with varying degrees of confidence. Harry's jumped into his hand instantly, but it was one of the few that did. Hermione Granger's just rolled over, Blaise's twitched and across from him, Neville Longbottom stood paralysed in fear. Harry could hear a quaver in Neville's voice that indicated very clearly that he wanted to stay right where he was, thank you very much. Hooch showed them how to mount their brooms without sliding off and went up and down each line, ensuring that they all had the correct technique. When she was happy she instructed them to kick off on her whistle. "Three – two –"

But Neville, nervous and jumpy and frightened of being left on the ground, pushed off hard before the whistle had touched Madam Hooch's lips. "Come back!" she shouted to no avail. Neville was rising straight up, like a wine cork. Harry watched with horror as Neville slipped and landed with a thud on the ground below.

She bent over him, her face pale. "Broken wrist. Off to the hospital wing we go. Everyone else, stay here and do not move. If you do, you'll be out of Hogwarts faster than you can say Quidditch."

Neville, his face tear-streaked, clutching his wrist, hobbled off with Madam Hooch, who had her arm around him.

There was silence for a few minutes and then Ronald Weasley made the mistake of grabbing Neville's Remembrall, which according to Theodore had been given to him by his grandmother in the owl post that morning. Grinning evilly, he threw it in the air, flying off after it. "Think I'll leave this here. Good place for Neville to find it, isn't it lads?" He said, nodding towards Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas.

Harry decided enough was enough. He mounted his broom again and flew at Ron. "Give it here, Weasley. That's not yours."

"Fly for it!"

He threw it once more. Harry shot off after it. The girls watched in astonishment as he whipped through the air like he'd been born flying and caught it. He landed gently among claps.

"HARRY POTTER!" An angry voice called from a nearby tower.

"Oops," Harry muttered under his breath.

HP SS HP SS HP SS

The next week was agony for Severus. Following Harry's brave act, chaos had reigned amongst the staff and students. There'd been no choice but to appoint him seeker, at least according to Minerva. She'd even gone and bought him a broom and watched proudly from the sidelines as Harry learned the ins and outs of Quidditch.

He'd been amused, of course, to find that Harry was smothered in hugs and kisses by the first year Slytherin girls, Daphne and Tracy.

Once the shock was over, he'd gathered his resources for the fateful chat with Dumbledore. He'd contacted everyone he could, from Rita Skeeter to Amelia Bones. He needed as much help as he could to win this battle. Minerva and Poppy were on his side, but that didn't feel like enough.

Finally, it was time.

Severus

I must see you about something. Please see me in your office at your earliest convenience.

A.P.W.B.D

This was perfect. He gathered a handful of floo powder and a roll of parchment, sent a patronus to Minerva and Poppy, and motioned his hand forward to the fireplace, throwing it in. "Albus Dumbledore's office!"

HP SS HP SS HP SS

As it turned out, Harry had been grabbed by Minerva on his way to lunch and escorted to the headmaster's tower. He looked around nervously. He'd never been in Dumbledore's office. One thing was for sure, this was definitely the most interesting office he'd entered in his three weeks at Hogwarts. A bright red and orange bird was perched on the desk, portraits could be seen snoozing and the shelves were filled with books on every kind of magic and trinkets that showed you where someone was or if they were safe. It was quite the sight to behold. Behind the desk was Albus Dumbledore himself. And he was about to be burned.

To Harry's right was Professor McGonagall and to his left, Madam Pomfrey. Snape was directly ahead of them, poised with a scroll in hand. Harry watched as his head of house stepped forward, anger emanating off him.

"Albus, what was it you wished to see me about and why do I have an audience?"

"I merely wanted to know how you thought he was doing in Slytherin. They happen to be here, although I don't know why."

Severus huffed. "Mr Potter is performing extremely well in all his classes. His friends tell me that he's already transformed their opinions on blood purity and is working towards inter-house unity. Within Slytherin house itself, he is well liked and only bothered by a few of the Pureblood Elite that do not agree with his views. His health however is another story. Poppy, if you will."

Poppy stepped forward. "Albus, he cannot go back to those people you placed him with."

"I second that." Minerva said loudly from her place beside Harry.

Albus looked at Severus in confusion. "I also agree, Headmaster."

"What is going on?"

Severus tapped the scroll, which unrolled with a flourish. Madam Pomfrey spoke. "When Mr Potter came to me, I was expecting another normal healthy report. The results were the complete opposite, no disrespect to you Harry. Six broken ribs, wrist broken ten times, fractured shoulder. I honestly don't know how he's alive."

"That all sounds very sad but what does this have to do with his relatives?"

A hiss from the corner told him this was the wrong thing to say. "Albus, they are the ones that did it. I told you they were the worst sort of muggles."

"Petunia, Vernon and Dudley did this? Mr Potter is it true?"

He nodded shyly. "Yes sir, and I lived in a cupboard for ten years. They only moved me to Dudley's second bedroom because of the letter."

"Forgive an old man for his mistakes please. If I had known… but no place was safe. There wasn't anyone that could do it."

"That's where you're wrong Albus. Lily named me Godfather in her second will." Severus drawled. A knock on the door followed.

HP SS HP SS HP SS

Outside the office, a young eleven year old girl heard the extent of Harry Potter's injuries. She sprinted back to her common room, falling tearfully into the arms of her best friend.

No one noticed the beetle on the window of the headmaster's office. No one, except Severus Snape.

A/N: Sorry this took so long, I went on holiday and then when I came back my mum bought me Harry Potter (the 16 disc set) and we've been binge watching it. Did you catch my hint at future events? Remember, if you're reviewing, please be nice. Also, I know a lot went on but I think it flowed fairly well compared to my past writing.