Chapter seven
First blood
Harry woke early the next morning his head aching. It took a few minutes before the events from the day before came to him. He had been disowned he was no longer a Potter. The strange thing was he wasn't as upset about it now that he actually thought about it.
What love had the Potters shown him? None they had given him up abandoned him the night his siblings stopped that madman. The only thing bad was he now had nothing to support himself on. He would be fine this year but next year he would run into trouble.
He wouldn't get his hopes up about adoption if his real family didn't want him then who would. He had even less of a chance because his family housed the Children who lived if they thought something was wrong with him then there had to be a problem right?
So that left him with learning to live on his own. He might be able to find a job in Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade. He didn't think any of the shops would hire a disowned underage wizard but there was always hope.
With these thoughts running through his mind he got out of bed and went to take a shower. He turned on the water as hot as it would go and just stood there letting the scalding water pound onto the sore muscles of his back. He didn't even care that the water was so hot it was turning the sensitive skin red.
He didn't know how long he stayed in the shower but when he got out he felt better. It was like his worries and troubles were swept away by the water and went down the drain with the dirt.
When he got back into the dorm to change his dorm mates didn't know what to say. Instead of doing or saying anything rash they just projected a sense of safety and protection around him.
They didn't have to ask the obvious either not a single person asked him if he was alright. Anyone with a single brain cell would realize he was not alright, what they did ask was how they could help.
Harry's answer was simple yet a little unexpected. "I don't need much but if my ex-family tries another stunt like that again keep me away from them or you just might be in the market for new saviors." He said simply. To anyone listening they didn't know what was more chilling the death threat or the calm and collected way it was delivered.
Harry was pleasantly surprised by the show of support when all the boys in his dorm traveled with him to the great hall. It was a very good thing they had because as soon as they entered the hall the smirks plastered on the Gryffindors face set his teeth on edge.
Under that intense scrutiny Harry didn't eat mainly shoved the small bit of food on his plate around. Draco saw this and became worried with the events of the previous day Harry hadn't eaten and here he was going on a second day without food.
"Calm down and eat Harry." Draco said in a low tone.
"I cant during my sessions with Severus I learned to avoid suspicion and to distrust stares. With everyone watching me I feel like one of my muggle biology projects." Harry answered the concerned blonde.
Harry's answer didn't help Draco any. He had to sit there and watch helplessly and Harry unintentionally starved himself. If he was a Gryffindor he would have done something rash and obvious, but he was a Slytherin and knew better. Any show of anger and the students would stare worse.
Not knowing what to do Draco unobtrusively scanned the staff table, only to find a pair of concerned obsidian eyes watching Harry as well. Mercury met ebony and with a barely noticeable nod Severus acknowledged the problem to Draco. His eyes sent silent reassurance to his concerned godson telling him he will take care of it later.
So breakfast past slowly Harry not eating anything because of the people watching him and Draco eating little because he was worried about Harry. Five minutes before class was to start they rose from the table and left the hall for the short walk to the transfiguration room.
Harry went through his classes woodenly he wasn't upset about the disowning like most thought. Only Draco and Severus knew the truth. The stares from the students made Harry want to run or fight and now he could do neither.
He was so distracted he forgot to be careful and preformed the spell five minutes after McGonagall explained it. It earned him an appraising glance and 10 points to Slytherin.
Harry knew he would have to be especially careful around McGonagall now. He had to make it look like that was just a very lucky occurrence.
In Flitwick's class Draco was able to stop Harry before he did too much. Flitwick praised the work he did do and earned another 5 points for Slytherin.
Lunch was spent in the same nervous apprehension that breakfast was. Harry didn't eat at all again causing a few other Slytherins to notice his eating habits.
Harry was very pleased to reach the dungeons. He liked the quiet and the dimness better then the loud and cheerful halls. He sat waiting for his mentor to appear.
When Severus did come in he immediately searched out Harry. "Harry please met me in my office after class I would like to talk to you." He told the dark haired youth gently.
"Yes professor," Harry answered his voice missing its usual fiery flare.
"Thank you." Severus answered back then moved away from them and started the lesson.
Harry was able to relax into a routine then. Potions was the one class he didn't have to hold back in. Brewing was an art a lot like drawing some people were just naturally gifted. Severus and he were two of those people. Draco truly loved potions but had to work much harder to get the same results.
He was taking his potion up to Severus to grade with the rest of the class when it happened. His ex-sister Rose tripped him he fell hard to the ground not expecting it. The glass vial his potion was in shattered and he fell into the shards.
His face now had several angry red gashes dug into it. The wounds were pouring blood and the potion in it had stung. It was a simple potion that was used to treat baldness and his was made correctly, it would not poison him.
It just hurt like someone had poured acid onto the wounds. Everyone in the class knew Harry had to be in monstrous pain but he was not making a sound. He was just trying to get the wounds to stop pouring blood.
Severus worked to get the students cleaned up and out of the room before he picked Harry up bodily and carried the small child through a door in the classroom that led to Severus's private quarters.
When there Severus went around collecting various potions, he had Harry drink two a pain potion and a calming potion the rest he spread liberally on the wounds. The first would draw out any dirt or bits of glass imbedded in the wounds. The second was a disinfectant, and the last would help with blood loss and would help the wound seal.
After the potion had sealed the wounds Severus gently washed off the drying blood and saw the extent of the damage. One cut went from his hairline and crossed diagonally down the left side of his face to his chin. Another went strait across his right cheek to end connecting to the one on his left. His chin itself was a patchwork of angry red marks.
The potion had done more then burn it had made it so the wounds scarred and would remain that angry red color. Severus looked over the damage rage building in him. One of the wizarding world's saviors was the cause of this pain.
"Harry I wanted to talk to you for a reason and now is as good as any. I have been working on a solution to your plight. I wasn't exaggerating when I said Slytherins take care of their own. You can't go back to your aunts, now that you are a part of the wizarding world I think it would be a good idea to stay in it. I have been making a few inquires to the families of known light sided Slytherins or at least neutral. I have narrowed it down some, to the Malfoy's, the Zabini's and the Parkinson's, I would take you myself but my life is far too dangerous for me to keep you. I don't want you killed for one of my past mistakes." Severus explained to the apprehensive teen.
"All those families would take me in? Not even seeing me? I will tell you right now I would prefer to stay with you but if that doesn't work I think I wouldn't mind staying with Draco as long as he agrees." Harry told him.
"I was hoping you would say that as Lucius actually asked me if he could adopt you. Draco should be receiving a letter from his father with the preposition sometime today if he hasn't already gotten it while I was cleaning up.
Now we need to decide what we are going to do about Rose. I saw the whole thing I know it was her that tripped you." Severus explained.
"I don't think we can do anything. If we even try everyone will just say I am bitter about the disowning and trying to get my very famous family in trouble. A public display is out I think we need to do something a little less out in the open. I won't wear a concealment charm on the marks and we tell the truth to any who asks it. I think it will be more believable if they hear the story directly from me then reading about it in biased newspapers." Harry said after some thought.
"That could work but people will be starring more. You have to promise me if you go through with this you have to eat at least one good meal a day I don't care if you have it in the common room you can't keep going without food.
For tonight I was thinking about summoning Draco and having dinner down here in my quarters would you like that?" Severus asked.
"Yes that would be good. I don't think I could handle the great hall just yet but don't worry I'll be fine tomorrow." Harry answered.
With that Severus wrote a quick note then charmed the paper to appear in front of Draco.
Ten minutes later an extremely worried Draco came careening into the room to pull his small friend into a hug. "Don't you ever scare me like that again. There was so much blood and you were just sitting there calm as ever." Draco said so fast it took Harry a minute to process it.
"Draco I'm alright in fact this could work in our favor. As you can see the wounds scarred I am not going to conceal them and I will tell the truth to any who ask. Maybe then they will figure out their golden girl isn't so golden." Harry explained to his worked up friend. "Now come eat we have a lot to talk about."
With that they sat down to an excellent meal where all three of them could relax. Harry was smiling at Draco when the other boy nearly fell off his chair when Harry told them Lucius wanted to adopt him.
It was altogether a fun relaxing evening and it was just what they all needed Harry knew the next few days would be hard, but this night gave him hope it would get better.
A/N please review and tell me how I am doing. I decided to do something a little different then what I had planned on but it should work out.
