The next morning was the first Quidditch match of the season for Gryffindor. Harry and Ron joined the twins for breakfast before they had to head down to the pitch to get ready.
"We'll be with you guys next year," Ron said. It was the first time Harry had seen him so excited. Although he probably should have expected it after the way Ron talked about Quidditch in the first place.
"We know you will, little brother," the twin sitting across from Ron said. Harry was still having trouble telling them apart. It seemed like they actively tried to blend their mannerisms to make it harder. Soon enough, Oliver appeared and told them to head down to the pitch.
"We'll see you after the match. Good luck," Harry said, a little excited himself. The twins nodded and left the great hall. Just as they were exiting, Hermione came in and made her way over to the boys.
"You guys aren't going to do any homework today, are you?"
"I don't think I could hold a pen still enough to write anything so probably not," Ron replied. He'd gotten better about doing his work but was still easily distracted.
"I figured as much," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "We might as well go down now and get a good seat."
Ron looked at her flabbergasted.
"You're going to the match?"
"It's either that or I sit up here all alone today. I'd rather hang out with my friends."
Harry smiled and stood.
"I agree. Now, let's get down there. I want to see the warmups Ravenclaw does before the match."
The match was much more intense than Harry had anticipated. The teams were fairly even in terms of skill and were putting on a great show for the crowd.
Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet were working well together but Katie Bell, the newest member of the team, was struggling with consistency. She'd have flashes of incredible awareness of her teammates and opponents, only to be completely out of position for the next possession. Harry could tell it was mostly nerves and a lack of experience keeping her from clicking with the others.
This in contrast to a less talented but more cohesive trio on the Ravenclaw side. Timothy Kinzer, Jonathan Keeley, and Chelsea Hamilton worked well together but couldn't pull off anything more than fundamental passes and shots on goal. They also capitalized on Bell's mistakes any chance they could. All of that was keeping them three goals ahead of Gryffindor.
Wood, however, was clearly the better keeper. He'd made some excellent saves and the game was only close due to Bell not being able to keep up with the action, allowing the Ravenclaw chasers to wreak havoc.
The Ravenclaw keeper, Stephen Bailey, couldn't keep up with the raw talent of the Gryffindor chasers.
"Spinnet is able to escape that tackle by Keeley only barely. She passes to Bell who LET'S IT THROUGH TO JOHNSON WHO SHOOTS, SCORE GRYFFINDOR!" Lee Jordan looked like he was going to jump out of the announcer's booth. "Another flash of brilliance by Bell who seems to be settling in now as we pass the 15 minute mark. It looks like Keeper Bailey has his work cut out for him!"
Harry cheered along with the others in his section. Ron and Neville were more animated than he'd ever seen them. Even Hermione seemed to be having a good time. Harry couldn't help but get swept up in the excitement. He couldn't wait to be out there in the thick of it.
"The score is now 60-80 with Ravenclaw holding on to the lead. Hamilton takes the Quaffle from behind the hoops, it looks like they are setting up a play here. Hamilton to Kinzer, to Keeley, to OOF! Keeley takes a bludger to the stomach and drops the Quaffel. Excellent timing by George Weasley. Johnson is able to recover the Quaffel and is making a mad dash towards the hoops! It looks like she's going for the right hoop! She pump fakes and keeper Bailey dives for nothing! The middle hoop is open! GRYFFINDOR SCORES! 70-80 Ravenclaw! We have a match here folks!"
Just then Harry saw it. The Golden Snitch was hovering at the base of the announcers tower. He looked to the seekers for both teams as they circled the pitch in their search. Neither of them had noticed the snitch yet.
Harry shifted his attention back to the snitch while alerting Ron and Hermione to its location. Just as they were able to pick it out, Jordan's voice rang out again.
"CARROWAY DIVES! DOES HE SEE THE SNITCH? WHERE IS IT?"
The crowd quieted suddenly, all their attention focused on the Ravenclaw Seeker as he plummeted towards the Snitch. The Gryffindor Seeker was trying to catch up but had a bad angle.
The Ravenclaw stands erupted in cheers as their Seeker reached out and grabbed the Snitch only a few inches off the ground. The team swarmed him as he touched down in the center of the pitch.
"RAVENCLAW WINS WITH A GREAT SNITCH CAPTURE BY CALLOWAY! The final score is Ravenclaw 230, Gryffindor 70. What a match to start the year. The next match is Hufflepuff vs Slytherin on the last weekend before the Christmas break. Bundle up as I'm sure it will be cold on the pitch and in the stands. Also, don't forget the weekly pick up games which are open to any who want to play. Those games are used to scout players for next year as well as just plain old fun. See you next month!"
Harry and his friends clapped for the winning team, disappointed that their friends on the Gryffindor team weren't able to claim a victory. It was a good match regardless and Harry and Ron spoke excitedly about it as they waited for the stands to clear before making their way down.
Harry had just let Ron and Hermione go in front of him when he heard a snapping noise and suddenly he was falling. He heard Hermione scream as he fell into the open air. He tried to reach for the stands but had fallen too far away and couldn't reach that far. He felt adrenaline pump throughout his body as he anticipated a very painful death, knowing he was too high for there to be any chance of survival.
Just as he was about to hit the ground he felt something latch on to him, slowing him down. It wasn't enough, however, and he blacked out as he hit the ground.
Harry woke up a few hours later in the medical wing. Madame Pompfrey was setting out a few potions at his bedside. He groaned as he tried to sit up.
"You need to stay in bed Mr. Potter," she said, gently pressing back into the mattress. "I've got a few pain relief potions here that you'll need to take."
Harry nodded in appreciation as settled back in. Pain relief sounded pretty good.
"What happened?" he asked, taking a sip of the first potion.
"You need to drink all of it, not just a sip," the healer chided. "And as for what happened, it seems one of the support beams on the tower had begun to rot on the inside. After years of students stepping on said beam, it decided to finally give out."
Just my luck, Harry thought before taking a bigger drink of the potion.
"If it hadn't been for the quick thinking of Professor Flitwick we might have lost you."
Harry nodded and made a mental note to thank the professor at their next meeting.
"How long have I been out?"
Madam Pomfrey looked at her watch before responding.
"About 22 hours. It's about time for dinner in the great hall. Unfortunately, you'll need to stay one more night before I'm comfortable releasing you. Regardless of magic, the human body doesn't do so well when dropped from several stories."
After forcing Harry to drink the other potions, she collected the empty bottles and made her way to her office with the promise of a meal being delivered shortly.
Throughout the interaction he could tell there was something on the hearler's mind. She seemed angry for some reason. Harry laid back into his pillows hoping he hadn't upset her.
Eventually, a meal appeared. Having spent the last few minutes with nothing but pain relief potions in his stomach he immediately dove into the meal. Once he was done, the tray vanished and he laid back again.
Before he could get too comfortable, he heard the door to the infirmary open. He looked up to see Hermione, Neville, and Ron enter the room. He waved them over with a smile, glad to have someone to talk to.
Hermione almost ran to him in her worry but seeing him in good spirits made her feel much better. The three made it to his bedside and Hermione couldn't help herself and gave Harry a gentle hug.
"We were so worried about you," she said, hoping he wasn't in any pain.
Harry froze for a moment at the contact but quickly returned the hug.
"I'm totally fine. Madam Pomfrey was able to patch me up no problem."
"That's brilliant, Harry," Ron said, his relief evident. "We tried to visit yesterday after the match but they wouldn't let us in."
"I appreciate that," Harry said, truly touched by their concern. "It would have been pretty boring for you as I didn't even wake up till about an hour ago."
"Be that as it may," Neville said, "almost all the first years and a few of the older students were hoping to see you yesterday. Even the Ravenclaw and Gryffindor quidditch teams stopped by to check on you."
Harry was surprised at the amount of people wanting to check on him. Not used to the attention, he tried to change the subject.
"I guess I'm going to have to get an extension on the homework due tomorrow. Madam Pomfrey is keeping me overnight."
"I'll make sure you get all the assignments and notes for your classes," Hermione said. "I know the teachers should be understanding as they all saw you fall."
"I hope so. Otherwise it just wasn't worth it."
Hermione swatted at his arm before chuckling with the others. For the next few minutes the three chatted about nothing in particular. They were interrupted when the infirmary door opened again and Professor McGonagall entered.
She approached the group just as Madam Pomfrey stepped out of her office.
"I'm glad to see you with some company Mr. Potter, however, I will have to ask you three to head back to your dormitory. Madam Pomfrey and I have some things we need to discuss with him."
The three students nodded and wished Harry a good night. The two older witches and Harry watched them leave before Professor McGonagall conjured two chairs for them and sat down.
Harry didn't know what was happening but he could see in their hesitation that something was bothering both of them.
"Is something wrong, Professor?"
The Professor sighed and looked towards the healer before speaking.
"Before we begin, Mr. Potter, we want you to know that everything said during this discussion will be between the three of us only, unless otherwise directed by you. Do you understand?"
"I'm sorry, I don't understand."
The Professor seemed to gather herself before deflating and gesturing to Madam Pomfrey.
"When you came to the infirmary after your fall, I cast several diagnostic spells on you to see the extent of the damage." The healer paused for a moment. "While the spells worked and showed me what to do, I noticed some... irregularities…"
Harry still didn't know what was going on but he was becoming increasingly concerned.
"After stabilizing you and beginning the healing process I was able to return to those diagnostics. After casting a few more in depth spells and checking my findings we were able to get a better idea of your situation."
At this point Harry was starting to freak out a bit. He couldn't figure out what was going on and the witches in front of him weren't actually explaining anything to him.
The healer turned back to Professor McGonagall who put on a determined face and looked Harry in the eye before continuing.
"Why is there evidence of several broken bones, deep tissue bruising, scarring, and severe childhood malnourishment to your body?"
Harry immediately withdrew. This was not a conversation he wanted to have.
"Mr. Potter-"
"I'd rather not talk about it."
"Be that as it may, while you are here at the school you are our responsibility. The lasting damage that has been done to you is clearly the result of abuse."
"I-," Harry cut himself off, not trusting himself to speak.
The professor sighed.
"We are required, by law, to report abuse, Mr. Potter."
Harry looked up, terrified that the world would soon know.
Professor McGonagall softened her tone at the sight of his fear.
"We won't air this to the world but the more you tell us about your injuries the more we can help you heal. Our purpose as teachers and caregivers of this school is to protect our students as much as teach them."
She leaned forward, placing a hand on his arm.
"Help us help you."
Harry just stared at her. His emotions continued to run wild, anger and defiance wrapped in shame. For several moments he said nothing before giving her a single, stiff nod.
She smiled at him and gave his arm a comforting pat before sitting back. She brought out a notepad and scribbled a few things at the top before turning to Madam Pomfrey.
The healer, who had already produced her own notepad, turned to Harry with an understanding look.
"I know this will be difficult Mr. Potter but you can trust us. We would never do or say anything to hurt or embarrass you."
Harry nodded again, his emotions were slowly seeping away and he just felt tired.
"Why don't we start from the beginning. We know that you went to live with your Aunt and Uncle after the death of your parents."
Harry sighed. He really didn't want to tell them the story but he didn't really feel like he had a choice.
"The first thing I can remember is my Aunt calling me a freak. I remember trying to open a puzzle toy my cousin had received for christmas. I was able to open it after a few seconds and when I went to show it to my aunt she slapped the toy from my hands and said that I must be a freak to be able to open that box."
I remember crying as I ran to the cupboard under the stairs where my bed was. I didn't have much in there, just a blanket and an old mattress. I remember the door being slammed shut and could hear the lock clicking. My Uncle's voice screamed that I wasn't to touch Dudley's toys and as punishment I wouldn't be eating for the next two days."
Harry never noticed the horror on the older witches' faces as he told them of his childhood. He told him about the chores he was forced to do. How he was made to prepare meals for the whole family and how the pots and pans were too heavy for him. He'd accidentally spill them and burn himself, leading to more beatings. He told them about his first experiences at primary school where if he made better marks than Dudley he would go without food until the scores came down. He told them of being chased and beaten by Dudley's friends only to get into trouble for dirtying his cousin's clothes with his blood.
For two hours he told them.
"When I turned eleven my uncle told me to rearrange the furniture in the dining room. One of the chairs had lost the felt pad on the bottom of one of its feet and when I moved it, it left a scratch on the wood floor. My Uncle knocked me out. I woke up the next day and he took me to St. Brutus'. I've lived there the past 6 years."
When he finally looked up, Professor McGonagall was a stone. He could see a burning anger in her eyes but yet, she didn't move. Madam Pomfrey was doing her best not to burst into tears.
Eventually Professor McGonagall was able to speak.
"You said you were moved to St. Brutus'? What is that?"
"St. Brutus' Secure Center for Incurably Criminal Boys. It's where the government sends the kids who are too violent for regular juvenile centers. My time there was better than at the Dursley's by miles. I had regular meals and after a year or two of being the weird kid I was able to make friends and eventually coached the football team. It wasn't bad but I still didn't deserve to be there."
The professor sat back, stunned at the story she'd just heard. She pulled her wand and with a wave a cat identical to her animagus sprang forth. She whispered something into it before it took off for the door, passing through like a ghost.
"Mr. Potter," she said, doing her best to keep her voice level. "I have known you for a very short while. In that time I've observed you to be a kind, gracious, and humble young man. The sort of man your parents would be proud of, and I should know, I taught them."
Harry sat with his eyes wide, soaking up the witch's words, questions about his parents burning within him.
"I can say, without a doubt, that for you to keep the attitude and compassion you have demonstrated thus far even after enduring such an awful upbringing is nothing less than awe inspiring. Be assured that I will personally see to your living situation."
She put away her notepad and stood.
"Please answer any more questions Madam Pompfrey may have. Your answers will impact your healing and we want you to be in the best health possible. Do you understand, Mr. Potter?"
Harry nodded, still somewhat raw from all the talking he'd done.
The headmistress nodded and made her way out of the infirmary with an angry click to her steps.
For the next hour or so, Madam Pompfrey ran several more tests on him and asked a myriad of questions about his health and growth. Eventually she left him alone to sleep. The next day, she handed him a sheet of paper with a potions regimen for the next few weeks.
"Your potions will be delivered to your room every morning. Stick to this plan and you'll be at full health in no time."
Harry nodded gratefully before finally leaving the infirmary. He'd been hesitant to reveal so much about his life but in the end, he felt much better.