"Neville, no!" Harry shouted a moment too late. "Everyone get down!" he shouted next as he pushed Neville under the table. They'd been instructed to brew a very touchy potion that day and Harry thought he'd thoroughly reviewed all the steps with his partner. Apparently not, because the ingredient Neville had just added would make the potion volatile, explosive, and it would burn whatever it touched with a poisonous acid until neutralized. Harry new that's why they shouldn't have added it until after they added its polar opposite. If only they'd waited the poisonous acid affect would've been immediately neutralized serving only to increase the effect of the potion's healing effect.
"What is all the commotion about, Potter?" Professor Snape snapped spinning around and stalking towards the angry looking potion.
The world seemed to slow down. Every student except Draco Malfoy and himself were huddled under tables as far away as they could get. The potion was churning from green to brown to orange and was bubbling slowly to the top of the cauldron. Harry knew once the potion reached the top it would react with the air and explode. Moving faster than he ever had, Harry shoved Dravo to the ground and under the table, pulled Neville to a table further away, cast a spell to transfigure the tables into the poison proof domes they'd studied a while back. By that point the potion was exploding, and Professor Snape was far too close. Harry wasn't thinking as he tackled the potion professor willing himself to act as a shield for the man who despised him.
A roar filled the classroom as the potion erupted. Moments later, Harry was clenching his jaw to keep from screaming as an excruciating pain such that he'd never experienced before filled his body. But in the very next moment, the eruption was over, and Harry knew he had a job to finish. Spelling the tables turned shields into a kind of corral for the dangerous potion, Harry grabbed a bottle of the proper ingredient to neutralize the toxicity. Quickly adding it to the pile of goo, Harry stirred counterclockwise six times, waiting for the potion to turn peaceful baby blue before vanishing it.
"Mr. Potter! What in Merlin's name-" Severus exclaimed as he righted himself!
"I'm so-so-sorry, sir," Harry interrupted. "We accidently added the (potions ingredient) before the (potions ingredient). I knew it would become a poisonous acid in very little time. That's why I shouted. I'm sorry I shoved Draco; I just didn't want anyone to be hurt. That's why I didn't explain what was going on. By the time I had the students protected-you were too close-the potion was going to erupt. I'm sorry for tackling you, sir. There wasn't time to explain, I-I didn't want to see you be hurt. Since the potion is still dangerous after eruption, I gathered all the slush, stirred in the (potion ingredient) to neutralize it, waited for it to turn baby blue and smell of sea salt and then I vanished it. I-I really am sorry, sir. I should have been more careful!" Harry hurried to explain as he started to rock on his feet the pain threatening to become too much.
Severus stared at the boy for a moment before firmly instructing, "Potter, sit down before you fall down. The rest of you are dismissed. Mr. Longbottom and Mr. Malfoy I will see you in detention at seven this evening. Dismissed!"
Severus strode to his personal supply of potions. He grabbed the antidote for the poison seeping through his student's veins and he grabbed a pain-relieving potion. In addition, he brought out a burn balm, cleansing balm, and infection prevention paste. Turning back to the boy-who-lived, Severus was shocked to see him-white as a ghost, almost translucent, trembling so badly he was sweating- and yet, not a tear had fallen from the child's eyes.
"Harry, I need you to drink this, it will neutralize the poison running through your system," Severus instructed handing the boy the first potion which was downed without hesitation. "This is a pain-relieving potion, it should help a bit," Severus explained passing over the second potion which again was taken without hesitation. "Okay, Harry, I need to disinfect the burns, and heal them. I have a couple pastes that need to be applied for that. Would you like me to do it or Madam Pompfrey?" Severus asked gently.
"I-I don't suppose I could just do it myself could I?" Harry asked sullenly.
"Unfortunately, a healer needs to do it because if any wounds are not tended to appropriately it could result in significant health complications," Severus explained calmly.
"O-okay, I-I guess I'd rather you do it, sir, but there's something you should know first," Harry admitted quietly.
"Yes?" Severus prompted after a long silence.
"I wear glamours during school," Harry whispered.
"May I ask why?" Severus inquired although he had a feeling he already knew the answer.
"I just get hurt a lot, and I don't really want anyone to know," Harry admitted trying to be honest without admitting the whole truth.
Severus sighed slightly, "Alright, Harry, remove the glamours and take off your robes so we can begin." Despite all his training as a spy, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw.
The boy's thin features became sickly gaunt essentially just skin stretched over bone so tightly you could count the striations of each muscle. The child's face didn't only bear the lightning bolt scar, there was also a long, raised scar from his left temple to left jaw. The child's trembling hands were warped with miserable burnt flesh. And then the boy-who-lived removed his robes. Underneath the burns of the acid potion was not a square inch of unscarred flesh. Welts, burns, cuts, the boy was covered with evidence of severe abuse. Severus remained calm, however, and didn't say a word as he carefully cleaned, healed, and soothed every injury from the acid potion. Then, as he started to apply a scar salve to the boy's wounds, old and new, Severus began to speak.
"Mr. Potter, you will be receiving an exemplary for this class period. You displayed to me that you not only understood how the potion was to be brewed but also why it ought to be brewed that way. In addition, due to your quick reaction preventing serious injury, your house will be rewarded 100 points. However, due to your reckless disregard for your own safety, you will write me a five-foot essay on why your safety is important, how you could have protected yourself, and how you will endeavor to regard your safety in the future. Is that understood?"
"Y-yes, sir, thank you, sir-and I'm sorry for all the trouble," Harry stammered.
"Harry, you did not cause any trouble. I heard you review everything with Mr. Longbottom 3 times, and you arranged the ingredients in a way to avoid any errors. Mr. Longbottom made an error, and you did everything in your power to fix the damage-which you did incredibly skillfully might I add."
"T-thank you, sir," Harry mumbled sheepishly.
"You're welcome, but now, Mr. Potter, we must the current state of your health," Severus informed the child who suddenly was incredibly stiff and obviously nervous.