"Potter, I need to go over the test results with your godfather. You may either stay or go into the other room." Severus asked.
"I'll stay," Harry answered.
Severus just nodded and turned to Sirius passing over the parchment which read:
Age 2 Years: Broken left femur
Age 2 Years 2 Months: Concussion
Age 2 Years 3 Months: 2nd degree burn, right hand
Age 2 Years 7 Months: Sprain, right wrist
Age 3 Years: Concussion
Age 3 Years 5 Months: Multiple lacerations, torso
Age 3 Years 8 Months: Shoulder dislocation, left
Age 4 Years 2 Months: Broken hand, right
Age 4 Years 9 Months: Concussion
Age 5 Years 2 Months: Multiple lacerations, back
Age 5 Years 3 Months: Bruise, right eye
Age 5 Years 7 Months: Multiple Lacerations, back and torso
Age 6: Broken left ankle
Age 6 Years 4 Months: Concussion
Age 6 Years 5 Months: 2nd degree burn, right hand
Age 6 Years 7 Months: Sprained left wrist
Age 6 Years 10 Months: Broken nose, Bruise, bilateral eyes
Age 7 Years: Multiple lacerations, back
Age 7 Years 2 Months: 2nd degree sunburns, total body
Age 7 Years 3 Months: Multiple lacerations, face
Age 7 Years 6 Months: Broken left femur
Age 7 Years 8 Months: Concussion
Age 8 Years: Sprained left wrist
Age 8 Years 1 Month: Multiple lacerations, back
Age 8 Years 2 Months: 2nd degree sunburns, total body
Age 8 Years 4 Months: Multiple lacerations, back and torso
Age 8 Years 6 Months: Broken right humerus
Age 8 Years 8 Months: Bruise, bilateral eyes
Age 8 Years 9 Months: Multiple lacerations, back
Age 8 Years 10 Months: 2nd degree burn, right hand
Age 9 Years: Concussion
Age 9 Years 1 Month: Multiple lacerations, back and torso
Age 9 Years 2 Months: Broken nose
Age 9 Years 3 Months: Sprained right wrist
Age 9 Years 5 Months: Broken left femur
Age 9 Years 6 Months: Multiple lacerations, back
Age 9 Years 7 Months: Bruise, left eye
Age 9 Years 9 Months: Hypothermia
Current Injuries: Multiple lacerations, back; concussion; 3 broken ribs; broken left ankle; sprained left wrist; malnutrition; sleep deprivation; depression; anxiety; agoraphobia
"Black, I've healed the lacerations and applied a healing balm to the skin and bruises. The skin is still very tender which is why I have it wrapped. The balm and bandages can be reapplied every evening after Potter showers. There's nothing I can do for the concussion right now so Potter will have to be careful not to hit his head for the next 3 months. I'll tape his ankle and wrist and a low morning dose of skelegrow for the next week should have the broken ribs, ankle, and the sprained wrist healed. Questions?" Snape started.
"How do we treat the malnutrition and sleep deprivation?" Sirius asked nervously.
"Patience, Black. Potter, would you explain why you haven't been able to sleep?" Severus asked.
"It's not just one thing," Harry mumbled.
"Explain the best you can, Potter," Severus instructed.
"Sometimes, I'm supposed to do chores and they end up keeping me up late into the night. A lot of the time, my body aches so much that I have a hard time falling asleep. When I can fall asleep, I'm typically woken up by nightmares or something," Harry whispered.
"Okay, I'm hoping in the next week your injuries will heal enough for you to be able to fall asleep, but if you're ever in so much pain you can't sleep you must tell Black immediately. Black, if Potter is in pain that's preventing him from sleeping you may administer a low dose pain reliever that I'll leave with you. Potter may not take more than 3 doses a day and there must be at least 4 hours between doses. Do you understand?" Severus asked.
"Yes," Sirius answered.
"How many times a day have you been eating, Potter?" Snape asked. When Harry just looked at him with confusion, Snape amended his question. "Potter, approximately how many times a week do you eat?"
"Maybe four times a week?" Harry replied.
"And what would you normally have to eat?" Severus asked.
"Whatever I could sneak. Normally toast, sometimes I could get some fruit, occasionally I would get whatever leftovers they hadn't eaten," Harry answered.
"Okay, so Black listen carefully. I will write this down for you also. Potter needs to start eating more slowly over time so that his stomach doesn't become so overwhelmed that it regurgitates the food. Start with yogurt and fruit for breakfast. Have him eat nuts and cheese for a midmorning snack. Potter's lunch should consist of chicken noodle soup and some crackers. Midafternoon snack will be a salad with Potter's choice of toppings. Dinner should be Potter's choice of meat I would recommend ham or chicken to start with a side of vegetables. Dessert of his choice whenever he's feeling ready for it. Potter's meals will be supplemented with a morning and evening dose of nutrition potion, and I'll also leave a stomach soother for before each meal. Is that understood?" Severus asked.
"Yes of course," Sirius answered taking notes on a piece of parchment he'd summoned.
"Okay, the last thing I want to address is Potter's depression, anxiety, agoraphobia, and nightmares. None of this can be magically remedied right away. I'll leave a few doses of dreamless sleep, but you must realize that it is an extremely addictive potion. Potter must not take more than 3 doses a week so I would recommend only using them when he has nightmares that he can't fall back asleep from. Is that understood?" When Sirius nodded, Severus continued, "The most promising way of improvement to Potter's mental health and nightmares would have him start working with a mind healer as soon as possible. I caution you that results will bot be immediate, but it will be worth the hard work. I have the contact information for a skilled mind healer that I will leave for you if you should so choose. He'll probably start with meetings twice a week. As for the specific course of treatment he will choose for your specific case, I cannot know. Any questions?"
"What is a mind healer?" Harry asked softly.
"It's kind of like a muggle therapist. Some of the tactics they employ are those of muggle therapy. However, they may also decide occlumency would be beneficial for you to learn. Does that make sense?" Severus answered. Harry nodded and Severus looked to Sirius to see if he had any questions. When it became apparent he did not, Severus continued. "I will be taking my leave now. You have doses of Skelegrow, nutrition potion, stomach soother, and dreamless sleep that should last you the next two days. Unfortunately I used the only dose of pain reliever I brought. I'll brew in a week's worth supply and deliver you the first order tomorrow with adoption papers I will secure from Headmaster Dumbledore. Potter will not be allowed to return to whoever had custody of him previously. I presume you will want custody, Black?" Severus asked.
"Yes," Sirius answered without hesitation.
"Obviously, I'll get the appropriate forms started," Severus stated as he moved to the floo.
"Thank you, Severus. Seriously, thank you for your help," Sirius said sincerely.
"Hmmph, well we can't exactly have the boy who lived dying," Severus answered as he flooed back to Hogwarts.
That night, Sirius awoke to heart breaking screams. Within seconds he was standing in his godson's room, wand drawn, panting nervously. Seeing no imminent threat after scanning the room, Sirius took a closer look at the scene before him. A tiny child was curled in a ball in the corner of the room tangled in his bed sheets. Harry's eyes were pinched shut, his skin pale, malnourished body trembling, and tears streaming down his face. Sirius knelt in front of the child.
"Harry, open your eyes for me kiddo. Your safe. I'm here with you. It's Sirius. Please just open your eyes," Sirius pleaded gently wiping away the tears that wouldn't stop flowing.
Unfortunately, Harry screamed and flailed even more at the contact. Unsure of what to do, Sirius gathered the child into his lap and slowly rocked him back and forth. "Shh, hush, Harry," Sirius whispered continuously.
Slowly, Harry started to come around to the world of reality. Lily's green eyes starred back at him filled with water.
"Harry, are you with me?" Sirius asked gently.
"S-Sirius, wh-where am...where are we?" Harry whispered sadly.
"You're at my house, Harry. You're safe," Sirius answered.
"I-It wasn't all a dream?"
"You were just having a nightmare, pup."
"I really get to stay with you?"
"Forever, you're safe, pup, I'll never let anyone hurt you again."
"I-I was so scared, Siri."
"I know, Harry, I know. You're safe now, kiddo."
"Will you stay with me?"
"Forever," Sirius answered as he scooped the child up and plopped him back onto his bed flopping beside him.
When Sirius woke the next morning, Harry wasn't curled up in the bed where Sirius had last seen him before falling asleep. "Harry!" Sirius called as he started frantically running around the house.
Eventually, Sirius ended up in the kitchen where Harry was racing around the kitchen frantically. "I-I'm so sorry, sir! Breakfast will be ready in a few moments. I'm so sorry!" the boy exclaimed as he plated pancakes and bacon setting on the table before racing towards the coffee pot.
"Harry, Harry, Harry," Sirius said as he raced over to his hysterical godson and wrapped him in a gentle embrace. Harry instantly stiffened and flinched backwards, but Sirius kept him in the warm hug. "It's okay, Harry. You're okay. It's me, Sirius. You've done nothing wrong. Deep breaths, kiddo. Deep breaths," Sirius whispered as he rocked the tiny child slowly. After what felt like an eternity, Harry calmed down enough to pull back and wiped the tears from his face. "Harry, what's wrong, kiddo?" Sirius asked gently.
"I-I didn't have breakfast ready for you. Please...please don't send me back. I-I promise I'll do better," Harry pleaded.
"Hey, hey, hey, Harry, stop. It's okay. You're okay. Keep taking deep breaths for me, kiddo. I'm not sending you back. Never. I will never send you back. You do not have to make me breakfast. You're a child, Harry. You are not expected to make breakfast. I get to make you breakfast, come on now. Everything's okay now, cub, I've got you," Sirius soothed gently as he guided the boy to a seat at the table and pulled out a bowl and started putting together a yogurt bowl for his godson. Shortly after they finished breakfast and Sirius convinced Harry he didn't need to clean what could easily be done with magic, Severus popped through the floo.
"Black, here are the papers. Albus has highlighted where he needs you to sign in yellow and where Potter needs to sign in orange. This box contains a weeks worth of all the potions you will need neatly labeled with detailed instructions of Potter's treatment plan. I took the liberty of speaking with the mind healer I referred you to. His name is George Wiley. He is expecting Potter tomorrow afternoon at 1 pm if you are agreeable. If not I have his contact information for you to cancel the appointment," Severus explained as he laid out all the items on the table.
"Thank you, Severus. I'll bring Harry to the appointment tomorrow. I appreciate the extent you've gone through to help my godson," Sirius answered.
Severus just huffed and replied, "Sign the documents, Black. Once Potter signs I will bring the papers back to Headmaster Dumbledore and either myself or Albus will keep you apprised of the situation moving forward."
In just a few moments, everything was signed, and Severus was gone. It was a mere two days later, when news came back to Sirius that Harry was officially his charge. Over the next months, Harry grew physically stronger. He finally looked healthy. The hard work he'd been doing with Healer Wiley had lessened the child's nightmares considerably, and the frequency of their visits had been decreased to once a week. Even Harry's tendency to flinch at physical contact was decreasing. He was making eye contact more consistently and speaking up a bit more easily. He still tried to do much more work than any child his age would or should, but Sirius was pleased with his godson's improvement.