As Harry slowly came back to awareness, he became aware of the dull aches and pains that filled his every muscle and bone. He felt like jelly and couldn't even raise a limb without putting all of his will power into it. He kept his eyes closed as he snuggled into the warmth of the bed, trying to figure out where he was and why he ached so much. He became aware of voices echoing from down the ward and chanced to peak his eyes open briefly, taking in glaring white. He quickly shut his eyes with a silent moan and tried to bury his face into his pillow.
Why am I in the Infirmary already? School hasn't even started. Wait…school hasn't started, why am I at Hogwarts? He thought to himself, straining to remember what had happened. Then it came to him, his illness, Vernon being fired and taking it out on Harry and the blinding fiery pain that had engulfed him. His illness seemed to be gone, as he was not sick to his stomach nor dizzy, nor feverish. He was amazed he didn't hurt worse, but figured that Madam Pomfrey had healed him. Oh, shit…does that mean she knows what happened? No, she can't possibly know…but then I would still hurt, he thought in a panic as he worked his eyes open again, adjusting to the mid-afternoon light of the infirmary. How long had he been asleep?
He gently sat up, using the railings on the bed for help and used to pillows surrounding him to prop himself up and looked around. He discovered that the voices were coming from Madam Pomfrey's office in the back of the ward and he could distinctly hear three voices, two male and one female. Undoubtedly Pomfrey and Dumbledore were two of them, but who was the other? He glanced around, spotting on his table a yellowed envelope addressed to him. He couldn't imagine who had sent it to him, as the handwriting was not familiar, but since it had been left for him he knew it was safe.
He picked up the envelope, examining the outside curiously, but quickly lowered his hands to his lap when he heard a door open and a very familiar voice snap, "I know what I have to do! You know as well as I that the rest lies with him." Harry's eyes sought the tall figure in black and he felt his stomach turn unpleasantly at the sight of Professor Snape stalking down the Infirmary. Snape stopped, however, when he saw that Harry was awake and sitting up. He stood stock-still, staring at the boy until he was unnerved by the gaze and muttered softly, "Don't do anything foolish, we don't want you to hurt yourself further."
With that, Snape left the ward and a very confused Harry behind. Was SNAPE actually being nice to me? The thought unsettled him as much as the man's indecipherable gaze had. Did Snape know what happened to him? The thought made him feel ill; he was sure the man would use the information against him. However, the man certainly had not said anything yet, so maybe he didn't know. Harry finally looked back to the letter in his hands, turning it over with a bit of trepidation now. He was interrupted again at the sound of two sets of shoes coming towards his bed. He looked up, seeing that his earlier guess had been correct and that it was Pomfrey and Dumbledore.
"Hello my boy, how are you feeling?" Dumbledore asked, sitting in the chair that had been occupied by Severus the night before. Madam Pomfrey quickly cast a few diagnosis spells and checked on his health, eyeing Harry critically before barking that he was to rest and not over-exert himself. With that, the mediwitch left Harry alone with the Headmaster.
"I'm…alright, I guess. What was Snape doing here?" He replied once the mediwitch was back in her office.
"That's Professor Snape, Harry…and he was with me when we found you at Privet Drive. In fact, he stayed in the ward with you last night while Poppy got some rest," Dumbledore explained patiently, noticing the slight flinch the boy gave at the mention of Privet Drive.
"So he knows…" Harry muttered to himself, feeling very sour towards the Potion's Master.
"Knows what, Harry?" Dumbledore questioned softly, watching the boy intently as he paled and a barely noticeable shake began in his hands that tightly clutched the unopened letter.
"He knows what happened to me. What my uncle did," Harry replied after a moment, remembering his earlier resolve to tell Dumbledore nearly anything to get out of going back to his relatives again.
"What did he do, Harry? You were quite gravely injured when we found you," Dumbledore pressed, gently patting the boy's hands, causing the boy to look up at him with pain-filled eyes.
"The bastard beat me. He hasn't done it for years, he's been too afraid to since I started school…but when Dudley burned my arm a few days ago, I did something stupid to him and Uncle Vernon beat me for it. Used his belt and Dudley's old bat from that American sport," Harry spoke, his voice strong in the beginning, but growing quieter as he spoke.
"Did he beat you that badly when you were younger?" Dumbledore asked, his brow furrowing in concern.
"No sir…usually just a bit of slapping me around, but this time he was out for blood. To defend myself I kicked Dudley in the jewels…Uncle Vernon didn't look kindly on that…and then the day you found me, he was fired from his job. He came home and took it out on me. He normally doesn't get that violent unless he's been drinking, though. I guess it was the last straw, he put all of his rage into it…" Harry finished quietly, now as pale as a ghost and lightly shaking at the memory.
"And then he raped you?" Dumbledore questioned quietly, shifting to the bed to gently wrap his arm around Harry's shoulders as the boy swallowed a sob at the question, tears trailing down his cheeks at the memory and the shame that welled in him. He nodded jerkily and allowed himself to be held, burying his face in the Headmaster's soft robes and clinging to him like a lifeline after a moment.
"I'm so sorry, my boy…had I known, I would never have sent you back there. I have failed you, Harry, and I hope that one day you can forgive me…You are not at fault my boy; no child that is abused is. Severus was here not only because he was with me when we found you, but he helped Madam Pomfrey heal you and he is the staff member most experienced with abused children. Many that come out of Slytherin did not have a happy home life and as their Head of House, they turn to him," Dumbledore explained, gently rubbing Harry's back. "Why did you not come to us about your uncle, Harry?"
After a few minutes, Harry had calmed and had pulled away from the embrace, now fingering the envelope once more, staring at it intently, "I thought you knew at first, but when I realized that you didn't, I was too ashamed to bring it up. He hadn't done it for years, so I thought you would think I was grabbing at straws to try to avoid going home. And he told me if I ever told anyone, he'd find out and I'd pay." That last sentence was spoken so softly that Dumbledore had to strain to hear it.
"Oh my boy, I should have known about it, I should have checked on you more often…You are not to be ashamed for this, it was nothing you could have stopped. Had you acted against him, you could have been expelled from using magic outside of school. He will never lay a hand on you again, my boy, you can be sure of that. We will figure out a new living arrangement for you in due time. As for this summer, you will be staying here at Hogwarts to recover. That letter in your hands was written to you with a time-delay charm on it. I myself got one, as did Professor Snape. You will understand why, when you read it. It is from your mother, so please trust anything she says. We know they were not tampered with, due to a sealing charm, so the letter is unaltered from her," Dumbledore explained, now on more familiar territory rather than feeling lost.
Harry's heart stopped briefly in his chest as he held the envelope up, his eyes grazing over the handwriting that was his mother's. "My mum? Why did she--"
"Read the letter Harry, it will explain everything. Moreover, should you need anyone to talk to about it, you have me, Madam Pomfrey, Professor Snape and Hagrid. We are ALL open to have you speak with us about it, as all four of us know what is in the letters. Please do not do anything rash from what you find out, my boy and remember that your mother loved you dearly and only wanted to protect you," Dumbledore explained and stood, patting Harry's shoulder. He smiled warmly to the boy, "I shall be in my office, Poppy is in her office, professor Snape is undoubtedly in his office or personal quarters and Hagrid is at his home. If you need to leave, please ask Madam Pomfrey first so we don't have to send out a search party for you on her order. Happy reading, my boy." With that, he gently squeezed Harry's shoulder in silent support and retreated from the ward.
Harry barely glanced up or acknowledged what had been said to him. He gripped the enveloped tightly, hands shaking now, but for a different reason. My mum wrote this to me? Why did she write to Dumbledore and Snape too? He couldn't imagine a less likely group of people to receive relating letters from someone. With that, he shook his head and opened the envelope in a flash of blue light.
A/N: Yes yes, evil cliffy I know. I have to go to work, but I may write the next chapter tonight rather than wait until tomorrow. ;) Reviews are always appreciated, just not flaming.
