Author Note:

Thank you for all the reviews! I never expected people to like this story this much! I started this because I have read practically every abused, Slytherin!Harry story out there, most of them unfinished, and wanted another. I couldn't find one so this story came to me. Hope you like this chapter! I think it's longer than my previous chapters.

Draco quickly made his way to the Hospital Wing, Blaise and Pansy on either side of him. Classes were finally over for the day and Draco was anxious to see how Harry was doing. When they got there, however, Harry's curtains were drawn around his bed and they could hear two adults arguing. The three students were about to leave when they heard Professor Snape's voice.

"Albus, you cannot be serious! Mr. Potter has clearly been abused by those disgusting muggles and you want to send him back?" Draco exchanged glances with his friends and they slowly turned back to the bed.

"There's no proof that his relatives are the ones hurting him, Severus," came the headmaster's voice. "He needs the blood wards to keep him safe."

"He's not safe, Albus!" Draco had never heard his Godfather so angry. "He's been raped, for Merlin's sake!" Draco's eyes widened in horror. He knew Harry was abused but had no idea how bad.

"I'm sorry, Severus, but my decision stands. Come June, Harry will return to the Dursleys." There were footsteps and Draco pulled Blaise and Pansy into the shadows of the Infirmary. A moment later, Albus Dumbledore swept from the room. Draco quickly hurried around the curtains, the other two following, and saw Severus angrily slump into a chair. A quick glance at Harry showed the boy was asleep so Draco turned back to Severus.

"Sev?" The man's heard jerked up, showing how deep in thought he must have been. He was usually not so easily startled. "You...you're not going to let Harry go back there, are you?" Severus sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"How much did you hear?" he asked softly.

"We heard what he's been raped." This time it was Pansy who answered as it seemed Draco couldn't say anything. Severus cursed under his breath.

"No," Severus answered Draco's earlier question. "Harry will not be going back." He said it with such conviction that no one could, or would, contradict him.

When Harry woke up, it was dark outside and the Hospital Wing was empty. At first, he was confused as to why he was there. Then the memories of that morning started coming back and Harry curled in a ball, tears filling his emerald green eyes. Mr. Malfoy, Draco, and Professor Snape all knew about the abuse.

Would Mr. Malfoy want Draco to be friends with him, now that he knew what a freak Harry was? Would Draco even like him anymore? And Professor Snape...oh Merlin...Professor Snape would probably say he deserved it, and he'd be right. The Potions Master had always known he was a freak and now, he had proof. Harry closed his eyes, trying to will the tears away. When he felt like he was finally under control, he opened his eyes again and looked around the room.

There were two rows of beds, all of them empty except for his. The walls and ceiling were white, at least, he thought they are white. It was dark, with only the moon as his only light, so the walls could have been a light yellow. Looking around some more, he saw two doors besides the door he'd entered through earlier. Hoping one might lead to a bathroom, Harry gingerly got off the bed, only to grin when he could feel no pain. He couldn't remember the last time he was completely pain-free. He started to test his different limbs, only to have a small cramp in his abdomen remind him why he'd gotten out of bed in the first place.

Rushing over to the first door, he quickly pulled it open and breathed a sigh of relief at seeing the small bathroom. He relieved himself and washed his hands before hurrying back to the bed and slipping under the covers, pulling the blanket up to his chin and turning on his side to face the door. He didn't want anyone to sneak up on him. Closing his eyes, he realized how tired he still was even though he had slept all day. The last thing he thought of as he fell asleep was Draco and how he hoped he hadn't lost his first friend.

When Harry opened his eyes again, the sun was shining through the windows, confirming that the walls and ceiling were indeed white. He turned back to the door and yelped, seeing a blurry figure standing by his bed. He clumsily reached for the night stand, his hands closing on his glasses, and he shoved them on his nose, bringing the Headmaster's face into focus.

"Hello, Harry." The small boy frowned slightly at the familiarity, as though the man knew him more than just a student. "I'm sorry to startle you but I've been meaning to talk to you for a while." Harry pushed himself into a sitting position.

"W…what about s…sir?" His voice was small, meek, and Dumbledore frowned.

"There's no reason to be afraid, my boy," he said, sitting in the chair by Harry's bed. "There's been a mistake, Harry. You will have to be resorted."

"W…why?" Harry whispered. "I l…like S…S…Slytherin." His eyes filled with tears. He didn't understand. Did Professor Snape really hate him that much? Maybe it was because Draco didn't want to be friends anymore? His thoughts were interrupted by an angry voice, causing him to flinch.

"What is going on here?" Professor Snape was standing in the doorway, eyes blazing, and Harry hid under his blanket, body trembling as he prepared for the first hit. It never came. Hesitantly, he peeked out of his blanket and saw Snape glaring at Dumbledore. "A Hogwarts student cannot be resorted without consent of the student, the Headmaster, the student's current Head of House, and the student's prospective new Head of House." Harry slowly lowered the blanket, confused. What, exactly, was his professor saying? Dumbledore slowly stood up.

"Everyone knows how much you despise the boy, Severus." Harry flinched and, surprisingly, so did Severus. "I just assumed you'd have no problem with it." Severus's eyes narrowed but Dumbledore continued before he could speak. "And Minerva will do what is best for the child." Madame Pomfrey chose that moment to enter from the door that Harry saw the night before, the one that wasn't the bathroom, and bustled over. She took one look at Harry's still frightened face and shooed both men out before fussing over Harry. After a few swishes of her wand, she tucked him in and stepped back.

"Everything is healing nicely," she informed him. "I would like to keep you for another day, just to make sure everything heals." Harry nodded and Madame Pomfrey went back to her office to inform his teachers.

Harry awoke the next morning with a small grin. Draco, Blaise, and Pansy had visited him the day before, assuring him that nothing had changed and they were still his friends. They had eaten dinner with him and then taken turns reading the different passages that had been assigned the past two days. Blaise and Pansy had then taken their leave and Draco wrote Harry's essays as he dictated. By the time Draco had left, ten minutes before curfew, Harry hadn't been able to stop smiling.

After Madame Pomfrey gave him a clean bill of health, Harry went to the bathroom and quickly changed into the clothes Draco had brought the night before. There were no classes, so Harry was wearing dark blue jeans and a emerald green sweater that brought his eyes. He laced his brand new dragonhide boots and looked in the mirror. It felt really nice to be wearing clothes that actually fit. He ran back to his bed, grabbed his bag, and left the Hospital Wing, meeting Draco outside.

When they entered the Great Hall, all conversation stopped as everyone turned to look at him. Harry took a deep breath, his hand unconsciously reaching for Draco's as they headed for the Slytherin table.

"Mr. Potter." The Headmaster's voice froze him halfway to the table. He slowly turned to the Head Table and gulped when he saw the hat in Dumbledore's hands. "Please come up." Harry turned panicked eyes on Draco, seeing grey eyes wide with horror, and then made his way to the front. He never noticed Snape get up from his seat so the sudden hand on his shoulder startled him so much, he almost tripped.

"I'm sorry," the Professor said softly. "I tried." Harry didn't know what shocked him more: the man apologizing to him or the fact that he seemed to want to keep Harry in his house. Didn't he hate him? He just nodded and climbed on the stool.

"I'm sorry, Harry." He turned to Professor McGonagall, who was standing next to the Headmaster. "I would be honored to have you in my house but not like this." Dumbledore had obviously had enough and set the hat on Harry's head. The hat had just fallen over his eyes when the doors flew open.

"Albus Dumbledore!" Harry lifted the hat to see a very angry Lucius Malfoy making his way towards them. He stopped before them and softened his look as he looked at Harry. "Go sit with Draco, Harry." The boy didn't need to be told twice. He handed the hat to his Head of House and ran over to Draco, who gave him a quick hug. Lucius turned cold eyes on Dumbledore. "You seem to forget I'm the head of the Governors of Hogwarts and therefore, any decision this big has to go through me." He produced a piece of parchment. "You will find all twelve signatures on there overturning your decision to resort a child. Especially since that child has not given his consent and neither has Professor Snape."

"Lucius…"

"Don't Lucius me," the blonde hissed. "Another stunt like this will result in termination of your position and maybe even a stint in Azkaban. Let this be your only warning." He turned, his boots clicking on the floor in the silent hall, and walked over to Draco and Harry. "I'd like to talk to you after breakfast," he said quietly, making sure Dumbledore couldn't hear. "I will be in Professor Snape's office." Both boys nodded and Lucius left after another glare at Dumbledore. Harry ate quietly, making sure not to look at Dumbledore, who was furious.

Author Note:

Next Chapter: Halloween and Tom!