Chapter 6. Informal Meeting.
The fireplace lit up with a green flare and Minerva McGonnagall walked out decisively.
"In your message yesterday you said it was important. Is there an emergency?"
"Not exactly an emergency, but I do think we need to act soon. If you can wait until Poppy arrives I'll fill you in."
"Why are you wearing Muggle clothes?"
"Because I've gone to pick up a child from a Muggle's house. I'll fill you in right away."
They didn't have to wait long, the fireplace lit up once more and Madam Pomphrey entered the room.
"What's the matter, are you ill?"
"No, Poppy, I'm fine, but there's a child upstairs who I think needs an examination immediately."
"Who is it?"
"It's Harry Potter."
Minerva looked at him in astonishment. "What is he doing here?"
"You may not know that Lily Evans lived near here as a child. Apparently Harry's grandparents' house has been vacant, and Harry's aunt and uncle have come to put it back up for rent."
"But why is Harry at your house?"
"I offered his uncle £15 in exchange for keeping Harry all day and he agreed."
"His uncle has rented the child to a stranger?" Poppy exclaimed indignantly.
"Exactly." Snape replied .
"You could do anything with him."
"In his defense I will say that he threatened to come and see the child at any time." said Snape sarcastically. "He might even bother to do it."
"Well what a guarantee." snorted Poppy. "But I'm getting worried. Why do you think he needs an examination?"
"I'll get the boy and show you."
Snape climbed the stairs and descended with Harry, who eyed the two women suspiciously, puzzled by the clothes they wore.
"Harry, may I present Professor McGonnagall and Madame Pomphrey."
"How do you do?" Harry said.
"Harry. how old are you?" Poppy asked.
"Eight, I think." the boy replied.
"You're not sure?" asked the nurse.
"My birthday is July 31, but I don't know what today is."
The women exchanged a worried glance. "Today is your birthday, Harry." Poppy said.
Harry smiled. "Then I'm nine."
"You're going to spend your birthday working at a stranger's house?" Minerva asked dumbfounded.
The boy just shrugged. "I guess so."
The women exchanged a glance. Then it was Poppy who spoke. "I'm going to give you a check-up, Harry. I just need you to hold very still."
Harry looked frightened. "Is it going to hurt?"
"No, it won't hurt."
"Ah, okay."
The healer pulled a parchment and quill from one of her pockets, pointed her wand at Harry and made a few motions while muttering a spell. The parchment floated in the air and the quill began to write on its own before the boy's surprised gaze.
"How does it do that?" he asked unable to contain himself.
"Hold still a moment longer, Harry. We'll explain it to you now." Minerva said.
The boy obeyed and Poppy finished collecting the data. Harry looked at Minerva waiting for her to speak.
"Poppy has used magic to find out what your health status is."
"Magic? Magic only exists in fairy tales, like Cinderella."
Minerva looked at him quizzically.
"A Muggle tale." Snape contributed.
"Yes," Harry continued, smiling. "We did a play at school. The fairy godmother turned a pumpkin into a carriage, and gave Cinderella a really pretty dress. I was a mouse, my aunt made me the costume, it was great, because the cape was turned around and it was the horse's head, because I was then a horse pulling the carriage, although at midnight everything went back to the way it was before."
"The transfiguration only lasted a few hours? Well, what an incompetent witch!" Minerva said somewhat irritated.
"She wasn't a witch, she was a good fairy. Witches are bad."
Snape's expression did not change, but he had to restrain himself when he saw the reaction of the two women.
"That's not true, Harry, we're both good witches." said Poppy flatly.
"Though there are evil witches too." Snape said thinking of Bellatrix.
"Mr. Snape is a wizard." Minerva said.
"A good wizard!" exclaimed Harry.
Snape looked at him without changing his expression, and Minerva spoke very determinedly. "Yes, a good wizard." she stated forcefully as she looked at Snape as if daring him to contradict her. He merely raised an eyebrow.
"Of course he's good. He fed me breakfast and let me read a book." stated Harry enthusiastically, implying how extraordinary it was to have something like that happen to him.
Poppy looked at the boy forlornly.
"I gave him a moderate amount of food. It's not good for someone to eat too much when they've been starving for too long." Snape stated.
"I agree with that." the nurse said, "but now we have to make sure he gets adequate food on a regular basis."
"That is precisely why we are here." Snape said.
Minerva looked at Harry thoughtfully. "Harry. did you know that your parents were wizards too?"
Harry shook his head "I didn't know that."
"Your aunt and uncle never told you anything about your parents?"
"They don't like to talk about them. My uncle said my mom was a freak, and my dad was a drunk and they were killed in a car accident because he'd been drinking."
"By all...!" exclaimed Poppy stopping herself before saying something unseemly in front of a child.
"That's not true. Your parents were good people. We knew them." said Minerva.
Harry thought for a moment and turned to Snape.
"Can I ask you a question Mr. Snape?"
"Go ahead." he replied.
"In the attic of the house there is a trunk, and my Aunt Petunia overlooked it. Inside I saw some pictures of a boy and a girl. Was the boy you?"
"That's right, Harry. It was me. You don't know who the girl was?"
Harry shook his head.
"The girl was your mother, Lily. She and I were neighbors when we were kids. The house you're in belonged to your grandparents." Snape wanted to change the conversation. "The ladies and I need to talk. What book have you chosen?"
"One called the Tales of Beddle the Bard."
"Very well, I want you to go upstairs to continue reading, and I'll let you know at lunchtime."
"Are you going to feed me again?" asked Harry excitedly.
"Yes." said Snape for all answer.
"Great, thank you very much!" said Harry just before he went upstairs.
The two women followed him with their eyes and then turned to Snape.
"I'll make tea." he said impassively.