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Degree of Fear
By OcelotKitten
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As he entered the infirmary, Snape saw that Madam Pomfrey and one of the nurses was still working on Harry. Pomfrey noticed Snape and came over. She smiled reassuringly, and said, "He should be okay, Professor. The cuts on his face looked much worse than they actually are, and they just needed to be cleaned. His eye will be black and blue for several days, but the sight wasn't impaired in any way, and the bruise will fade just like any other black eye. By far the worst injuries appear to be to his ribs and his arm."
"He was kicked," Snape murmured absently, glancing at her, then back to Harry.
"I thought so," she said, "At any rate, he has two cracked ribs and a fractured arm. I've already fixed them up, but he'll have to be careful not to do anything strenuous or lift anything more than a couple pounds with that arm for the next few weeks." Snape was about to speak, but Pomfrey held up a hand, "Wait, Severus. I am not finished. Those are just his immediate injuries. I found evidence of previous fractures and breaks. The breaks were professionally treated, but the fractures seem to have been left to heal on their own. Severus, he is severely dehydrated and malnourished. Who did this to him?" The look on the medi-witch's face was heart wrenching.
Snape felt bile rise in his throat at the thought of what Potter had had to endure. He spat, "His . . . family." Pomfrey was speechless, but the look on her face said it all. Snape hadn't been joking when he had told Dursley that there wasn't a witch or wizard who would not want to protect The Boy Who Lived, especially one whose job it was to care for the sick and injured. Snape didn't care to be Dursley if he ever happened to meet Pomfrey in a dark alley.
"Is that all?" he asked. Pomfrey shook her head. "I want to keep him here for a while, and get him healthy and rehydrated. Also, I don't know if I caught everything, so I need to keep him under observation to ascertain if anything else is wrong. Snape agreed, and when the other nurse had finished her ministrations, and Harry lay quietly on his bed, Snape came over and sat next to him. The boy watched him expectantly, and when Snape remained silent, Harry said quietly, "Why are you doing this, Professor?" The question took Snape by surprise. He looked at Harry sharply, "What do you mean?"
"Why would you do all this for me? I would have thought you would leave me there. Have a bit of a laugh seeing me like that," Harry's voice was flat and toneless. Snape said, a bit more harshly than he intended, "I am not so heartless as you and your classmates think me, Potter. I could no more leave you in that situation than I could one of my own Slytherins."
"I suppose not," Harry didn't sound entirely convinced, "So, what am I to do now that I am here?" Snape was grateful for the change of topic. While what he had told the boy was true: he could not in good conscience have left him in that place, Snape had left out the driving need he had felt to save Harry. The reason behind it was becoming increasingly clearer the more he danced around it, and it was disconcerting to say the least.
Pushing thoughts of the past firmly out of his mind, Snape said, "Well, you obviously can't go back to where you were. You will have to stay here at Hogwarts for the remainder of the summer, until your classmates return in the fall."
"But where? I can't stay in the infirmary the whole time, and I can't spend the whole time in Gryffindor tower by myself."
Snape hesitated. He knew that Potter would be averse to the idea of spending the summer with him. God knew he didn't like the idea. With a sigh, Snape forged ahead, "The Headmaster feels it . . . prudent that you stay with me until school starts." The look on Harry's face was amusingly incredulous. The boy sputtered, "What?! Surely you're joking!" Irritated, Snape snapped, "No, Potter. I'm not joking. I assure you, that the idea appeals to me as little as it does to you. But, what other choice do you have?"
Harry sighed, "You're right, of course." He yawned and Snape said, "It is late, Potter. You need to rest. There is time enough tomorrow for whatever else might be said." Harry nodded, and before Snape could stand up from his chair, the boy was fast asleep. Snape made his way from the infirmary down to the dungeons, his thoughts troubled.
Degree of Fear
By OcelotKitten
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As he entered the infirmary, Snape saw that Madam Pomfrey and one of the nurses was still working on Harry. Pomfrey noticed Snape and came over. She smiled reassuringly, and said, "He should be okay, Professor. The cuts on his face looked much worse than they actually are, and they just needed to be cleaned. His eye will be black and blue for several days, but the sight wasn't impaired in any way, and the bruise will fade just like any other black eye. By far the worst injuries appear to be to his ribs and his arm."
"He was kicked," Snape murmured absently, glancing at her, then back to Harry.
"I thought so," she said, "At any rate, he has two cracked ribs and a fractured arm. I've already fixed them up, but he'll have to be careful not to do anything strenuous or lift anything more than a couple pounds with that arm for the next few weeks." Snape was about to speak, but Pomfrey held up a hand, "Wait, Severus. I am not finished. Those are just his immediate injuries. I found evidence of previous fractures and breaks. The breaks were professionally treated, but the fractures seem to have been left to heal on their own. Severus, he is severely dehydrated and malnourished. Who did this to him?" The look on the medi-witch's face was heart wrenching.
Snape felt bile rise in his throat at the thought of what Potter had had to endure. He spat, "His . . . family." Pomfrey was speechless, but the look on her face said it all. Snape hadn't been joking when he had told Dursley that there wasn't a witch or wizard who would not want to protect The Boy Who Lived, especially one whose job it was to care for the sick and injured. Snape didn't care to be Dursley if he ever happened to meet Pomfrey in a dark alley.
"Is that all?" he asked. Pomfrey shook her head. "I want to keep him here for a while, and get him healthy and rehydrated. Also, I don't know if I caught everything, so I need to keep him under observation to ascertain if anything else is wrong. Snape agreed, and when the other nurse had finished her ministrations, and Harry lay quietly on his bed, Snape came over and sat next to him. The boy watched him expectantly, and when Snape remained silent, Harry said quietly, "Why are you doing this, Professor?" The question took Snape by surprise. He looked at Harry sharply, "What do you mean?"
"Why would you do all this for me? I would have thought you would leave me there. Have a bit of a laugh seeing me like that," Harry's voice was flat and toneless. Snape said, a bit more harshly than he intended, "I am not so heartless as you and your classmates think me, Potter. I could no more leave you in that situation than I could one of my own Slytherins."
"I suppose not," Harry didn't sound entirely convinced, "So, what am I to do now that I am here?" Snape was grateful for the change of topic. While what he had told the boy was true: he could not in good conscience have left him in that place, Snape had left out the driving need he had felt to save Harry. The reason behind it was becoming increasingly clearer the more he danced around it, and it was disconcerting to say the least.
Pushing thoughts of the past firmly out of his mind, Snape said, "Well, you obviously can't go back to where you were. You will have to stay here at Hogwarts for the remainder of the summer, until your classmates return in the fall."
"But where? I can't stay in the infirmary the whole time, and I can't spend the whole time in Gryffindor tower by myself."
Snape hesitated. He knew that Potter would be averse to the idea of spending the summer with him. God knew he didn't like the idea. With a sigh, Snape forged ahead, "The Headmaster feels it . . . prudent that you stay with me until school starts." The look on Harry's face was amusingly incredulous. The boy sputtered, "What?! Surely you're joking!" Irritated, Snape snapped, "No, Potter. I'm not joking. I assure you, that the idea appeals to me as little as it does to you. But, what other choice do you have?"
Harry sighed, "You're right, of course." He yawned and Snape said, "It is late, Potter. You need to rest. There is time enough tomorrow for whatever else might be said." Harry nodded, and before Snape could stand up from his chair, the boy was fast asleep. Snape made his way from the infirmary down to the dungeons, his thoughts troubled.