AN: Percyjacksonfan135 helped me add more to this to explain Harry and Zacharias' relationship and arrangement. We hope you enjoy the changes!
Trauma of a Savior
Chapter 6
As the days and weeks went by, Harry found that he actually preferred being a baby whenever he could. This meant that he had to make sure that he wouldn't fall behind in any of his classes or Hermione would probably yell at him, and that was something Harry did not want or need. It also meant that almost every single day, without fail, he would go to the room of requirement to do what he needed to do. Sometimes Zacharias was with him, other times he wasn't.
Whenever Zacharias was with him though, Harry felt much safer and more secure. That was one reason one day, he decided he wanted to make a potion that would make him much younger, both in mind and body. The reason for this was simple. Harry never really got a chance to be a real baby for a very long time because his aunt and uncle never allowed him to be a child. He also felt much safer; like no one could hurt him so he told Zacharias to ask the school nurse if there was a potion that would do just that without harmful side effects or negative consequences.
Knowing and understanding this reason, Zacharias did as Harry had asked; however, he had to be very careful because he didn't want anyone else know about his and Harry's secret. The baby daddy relationship was only for them, and them alone. Was it a little selfish to think that? Yes, maybe it was. However, Zacharias didn't care just as long as no one else found out. Which was why, at the beginning of October, he had a private meeting with professors Dumbledore, Sprout, and McGonagall to let them know that both he and Harry would not be in their separate dormitories for the rest of the school year. He made it quite clear that they were both safe, but that Harry truly needed someone to take care of him in more ways than one.
"I want your word," Zacharias told the teachers urgently, "I want you to know and understand that this is not to be discussed with anyone, and especially not Dolores. I don't know why, but Harry finds it much safer and feels much safer to play at and be a baby at times. I found him one day doing just that and yes I was shocked, but deep down, I knew he needed this. He has been abused in more ways than one and I will not allow it to happen again. I can take care of him in the room of requirement whenever we don't have defense meetings. I've been horrible to him, and I feel that this is the only way to make it up to him. I cannot replace his real parents. However, for the time being, I can give him what he needs."
Dumbledore looked thoughtful as he asked. "At about what age does Harry act whenever he is stressed?"
Zacharias looked thoughtful, but then he answered the headmaster's question. "Well, it's hard to say. Sometimes, in his mind, he's around two years old, but other times, he's much younger than that. There are times also, when sometimes, he is still a teenager but in what he calls his Little Headspace, he starts to cry and scream for no particular reason rather than using his words like a normal teenager would do. He is also rapidly losing control of his bladder, especially at night. He has been wearing nappies every night now because he is so afraid of many things."
"Does he still have nightmares about Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked gently.
Zacharias nodded his head vigorously. "Among other things, yes," he replied. "If I'm not mistaken, I think he also dreams about his aunt and uncle as well. It's hard for me to tell because even as a teenager, he never tells anyone what's bothering him and I think it has something to do with them. They never allowed him to express his feelings for anything or anyone so he's a little bit emotionally immature through no fault of his own."
"If what you are saying is true," Sprout said gently, "Might I suggest giving him a potion to make him younger during the night so you can take care of him easier?"
Zacharias smiled. "That was actually the reason why I wanted to meet with all three of you. Harry has asked me to talk to Madam Pomfrey about this as well. He agrees that being younger in both mind and body helps him to feel safer, but I don't want to do anything unless I know that the potion is safe for him to take without it being harmful or permanent."
So, it was settled. The two boys moved out of their respective dormitories and were now permanently living in the Room of Requirement after classes. The room also seemed to realize this because it had fixed itself so that it was both a work-study and a baby's nursery complete with changing table and crib. However, the room also partitioned itself off so that each room was separate, kind of like an apartment. The only time they had to leave the room was for meals and classes, but sometimes, when Harry was little, Zacharias would ask the house elves to provide baby bottles for them as the room was incapable of producing food or drink. Zacharias didn't want to admit it, but he was slowly growing very attached to the younger child and more than once, he thought of him as his own son even though in reality, they were both teenagers. However, it was little Harry, baby Harry, who was a lot more like a son. He was so fragile yet so adorable in many ways.
A few weeks before, Zacharias was often worried about why Harry would only use his nappies for wetting, but then he realized that Harry just wasn't comfortable with messing himself just yet, so sometimes Zacharias would often try and help him or encourage him to do so, especially when Harry's stomach was unbearably painful from holding it in. And every night without fail, Zacharias would slip the special potion into Harry's drink so that in no time at all, he was left holding an actual baby in his arms; helping him to drink from the baby bottle of warm milk.
Zacharias startled awake a few months later in the Room of Requirement to the sound of a screaming baby. Blurrily casting a Lumos spell, he sat up and stretched before standing and going to the cribside as the Room of Requirement turned up the lights a little so he wouldn't stumble.
"Hey, hey, Baby, easy… Calm, shh… Shh…" When Zacharias realized that his whispered reassurances were not working and that Harry's screams only seemed to get louder and gain a pained sound to them. Confused, Zacharias tried to pick Harry up, but the baby bent backward almost in full backbend, his cries becoming howls of pain as his little body went completely stiff in his Daddy's arms. Zacharias nearly dropped him because of this, and at the same time he realized that he couldn't handle this on his own, whatever it was.
Bundling the struggling, wailing baby up as best he could, Zacharias ripped open the door to the Room of Requirement and nearly flew down the moving stairs to Madam Pomfrey's office in the Hospital Wing, apologizing for waking her up in the middle of the night.
"It's Harry, Poppy. We've been… He feels safer as a baby, and I've agreed to be his Daddy, but I don't know what's wrong and I… I need help. Please help, Poppy."
"It's all right, Zacharias. Bring him in, I can help. I think I know what is bothering him. Come, come," she reached for the distressed little boy, "Oh yes. Sweet boy, are you in pain? I will help, shh… Oh, you're such a sweet boy… So handsome," as she talked to him, Poppy readied a bottle from in the cupboard and mixed the warm milk with a potion, reassuring Zacharias when he began to protest, "It's for a headache. I suspect his scar is bothering him. It's all right. And don't stress over not realizing it. New parents panic all the time. It's normal. But now that you know, you can soothe him when it happens again," Harry was much calmer now, but was still fussy even as he drank from the bottle, and Poppy seemed to understand that the boy wanted his Daddy.
Zacharias seemed to realize this as well, and reached for the boy he seemed to have become attached to in just a few short months. Poppy conjured up a rocking chair in the corner beside the bed, which she now turned into a crib without a word. Zacharias could only watch her work with gratitude and awe as he sat down gently in the chair. Harry had seemed terrified to tell anyone about his unconventional need, but Zacharias could clearly see that telling Poppy had been the right choice. Not only did she not seem to care, but she also seemed to understand Harry's need. Probably better than Zacharias did even. Zacharias didn't want to question her about it, as it didn't seem appropriate to do so, and instead turned to look at the baby boy now tucked safely in his arms, contently nursing now that the potion had taken effect.
"My darling boy… My sweet Harry… Shh, Daddy's here, you're safe. My beautiful boy…" All of a sudden, Zacharias found himself crying as he bent down to kiss Harry's scar. He was angry at not being able to protect this young boy from the evil in the world, silently vowing to kill Voldemort himself if he ever crossed his path. Harry didn't, hadn't deserved the life he was given at the hands of a wizard who only wanted revenge on a world he believed had done him an injustice.
Madam Pomfrey came up to put a hand on Zacharias' shoulder, and when Zacharias wiped his eyes and looked up at her, he saw a sad, knowing smile on her lips.
