A Fast Recovery
Snape ran from the apparition point outside the forbidden forest all the
way up to the hospital wing, all the while panic shooting through his mind.
Did he actually care for the boy? He laid Harry down on a bed and ran to
Madam Pomfrey's office, not bothering to knock as he barged in.
"Poppy...quickly...he's hurt...now" he managed to say in between breaths.
Poppy quickly bustled past him, and let out a gasp upon seeing the abused
child. She didn't let this waste time however, and was quickly checking the
child and repairing broken bones. Severus knew he should really tell Albus,
but couldn't bring himself to leave the poor boy in this state. Soon, Madam
Pomfrey had healed a lot of the damage, but he was still in very bad shape.
The cuts and bruises were gone, he could tell that.
"He had two broken ribs, I've fixed those, but they'll still be sore. I've gotten rid of all his cuts and bruises," Madam Pomfrey informed him "and I've fixed his arm and his collar bone, which were also broken. The only thing I haven't yet fixed is his right ankle. It seems to have been smashed so we'll have to let that heal naturally. He has also been underfed and will take some time to get back to the weight a child his age should be. Who did this to him, Severus?" "His aunt and Uncle. Damn muggles." He said solemnly. "Right. I'll go and get a chart that I'll have to fill in." Poppy bustled out of the room, leaving the professor watching his son. She came back quickly with a clipboard and pen.
"Name?" She asked Severus. Severus just stared at her incredulously. "What?" He asked sharply, startling the mediwitch. "What's the poor dear's name?" she repeated as if she were talking to a moron or a fool. Severus edged closer to Harry's bedside and looked at him closer. Has he really changed that much already? So much that she can't tell who he is? The famous Harry Potter is unrecognizable?
"Poppy, it's Harry Potter" He said impatiently. "Harry? Wha...he looks so...different! He reminds me of you when you were a boy, actually!" Damn woman with her photographic memory. "Well, I'll leave you to your job now, shall I?" And without waiting for a reply, he swept out of the room, robes billowing behind him.
**************************************************************************** ***************************************Harry slept quite soundlessly over the next two days. Severus came in often to check up on him, though he didn't know why. Dumbledore visited a bit, but none of the other teachers were there, they were out enjoying their holidays. Luckily, Poppy Pomfrey hadn't made the connection between Severus visiting so much and their quite similar - almost identical - features.
Severus was sitting by Harry's bed, watching him sleep, when Harry started to move. Severus froze. Should he stay and be there for when his son woke up? Should he flee as not to arouse suspicions? Should he just get out with it and tell the boy? Not yet. Coward's way out for me. He jumped out of his seat before the boy could open his eyes and left without a word.
**************************************************************************** *************************************** Harry's eyes suddenly flickered open, only to be shut tight again. White. Too bright. White... Hospital Wing? Hogwarts? He opened his eyes and slowly became accustomed to the brightness. He let out a low moan as he suddenly felt a headache coming on. Hearing this, Madame Pomfrey hurried over to see how her best patient was doing. Only patient, actually.
"How are you feeling, dear?" She asked kindly. "Headache..." "I'll get you something for that then. Do you know how long you've been in here for?" She asked as she retrieved the potion from the store cupboard. "How long?" "Two days. The wing has been quite busy for the summer. The headmaster visited you a bit, and I'm surprised to say Professor Snape came in here a lot." Two Days!!?? Professor Snape!!!!???? "Professor Snape!!??" "Yes, he was in here for at least a couple of hours a day. He was in just before you woke up, as a matter of fact." Professor Snape? Maybe it was just because he collected me so the headmaster made him come check up on me. Hmm. I don't know.
"You know, dear" Madam Pomfrey said conversationally as Harry drank his headache potion. "You look very different this year." She shrugged "Maybe it's just my memory!" "Different? Different how" Could I have a mirror please?" Harry asked. "Of course dear." She handed a small, round mirror to Harry, who was shocked at what he saw.
Harry's hair had grown shoulder length, and had become straight and silky. His jaw was more pointed and his cheekbones higher and more defined, his nose was slightly longer. He reminded him of someone...whom?
"When Professor Snape told me who you were, I thought you looked like he did when he was a child!" Madam Pomfrey laughed. Harry however, did not laugh. "Yes well, I think I'd like to get some rest now, thank you." He said, sounding all too much like Snape for his liking.
**************************************************************************** *************************************** Severus left the hospital wing quickly and walked all the way up to the headmaster's office, without realizing until he got there. He knocked on the door. "Come in" Severus went in and sat down. "We have to talk" "Talk away" "Have you noticed what Harry looks like?" "I think the question, Severus, is who Harry looks like." "Even after I tell him, when the transformation's complete, it'll be obvious to the whole school whose son he is! Madam Pomfrey didn't recognize him, then she said he looked like a younger me!" "When are you going to tell Harry?" "Soon" "Before the start of term?" "Of course" "Then I think, as long as Harry agrees, we will have to enroll him as a new student." "What? How?" We'll announce at the start of the year that Harry Potter had to leave for the ADTS, Advanced Defense Training School. Then, we will announce a new student joining us. Harry, of course, will be that new student. He'll have a new name, be sorted again, and no one will be any the wiser. We'll say your son came back from the Salem Institute of America, so he could be closer to you." "When shall I tell him?" "As soon as possible. As soon as he finds out, he'll need some time to get to grips with the situation, and then we need the paper work off at least a week before term begins. Maybe you should tell him now." "Now?" "Yes, he can't walk, so he'll have to listen to you through." "I'm going" Severus left to go to the hospital wing, to tell a boy something that would change his life.
"He had two broken ribs, I've fixed those, but they'll still be sore. I've gotten rid of all his cuts and bruises," Madam Pomfrey informed him "and I've fixed his arm and his collar bone, which were also broken. The only thing I haven't yet fixed is his right ankle. It seems to have been smashed so we'll have to let that heal naturally. He has also been underfed and will take some time to get back to the weight a child his age should be. Who did this to him, Severus?" "His aunt and Uncle. Damn muggles." He said solemnly. "Right. I'll go and get a chart that I'll have to fill in." Poppy bustled out of the room, leaving the professor watching his son. She came back quickly with a clipboard and pen.
"Name?" She asked Severus. Severus just stared at her incredulously. "What?" He asked sharply, startling the mediwitch. "What's the poor dear's name?" she repeated as if she were talking to a moron or a fool. Severus edged closer to Harry's bedside and looked at him closer. Has he really changed that much already? So much that she can't tell who he is? The famous Harry Potter is unrecognizable?
"Poppy, it's Harry Potter" He said impatiently. "Harry? Wha...he looks so...different! He reminds me of you when you were a boy, actually!" Damn woman with her photographic memory. "Well, I'll leave you to your job now, shall I?" And without waiting for a reply, he swept out of the room, robes billowing behind him.
**************************************************************************** ***************************************Harry slept quite soundlessly over the next two days. Severus came in often to check up on him, though he didn't know why. Dumbledore visited a bit, but none of the other teachers were there, they were out enjoying their holidays. Luckily, Poppy Pomfrey hadn't made the connection between Severus visiting so much and their quite similar - almost identical - features.
Severus was sitting by Harry's bed, watching him sleep, when Harry started to move. Severus froze. Should he stay and be there for when his son woke up? Should he flee as not to arouse suspicions? Should he just get out with it and tell the boy? Not yet. Coward's way out for me. He jumped out of his seat before the boy could open his eyes and left without a word.
**************************************************************************** *************************************** Harry's eyes suddenly flickered open, only to be shut tight again. White. Too bright. White... Hospital Wing? Hogwarts? He opened his eyes and slowly became accustomed to the brightness. He let out a low moan as he suddenly felt a headache coming on. Hearing this, Madame Pomfrey hurried over to see how her best patient was doing. Only patient, actually.
"How are you feeling, dear?" She asked kindly. "Headache..." "I'll get you something for that then. Do you know how long you've been in here for?" She asked as she retrieved the potion from the store cupboard. "How long?" "Two days. The wing has been quite busy for the summer. The headmaster visited you a bit, and I'm surprised to say Professor Snape came in here a lot." Two Days!!?? Professor Snape!!!!???? "Professor Snape!!??" "Yes, he was in here for at least a couple of hours a day. He was in just before you woke up, as a matter of fact." Professor Snape? Maybe it was just because he collected me so the headmaster made him come check up on me. Hmm. I don't know.
"You know, dear" Madam Pomfrey said conversationally as Harry drank his headache potion. "You look very different this year." She shrugged "Maybe it's just my memory!" "Different? Different how" Could I have a mirror please?" Harry asked. "Of course dear." She handed a small, round mirror to Harry, who was shocked at what he saw.
Harry's hair had grown shoulder length, and had become straight and silky. His jaw was more pointed and his cheekbones higher and more defined, his nose was slightly longer. He reminded him of someone...whom?
"When Professor Snape told me who you were, I thought you looked like he did when he was a child!" Madam Pomfrey laughed. Harry however, did not laugh. "Yes well, I think I'd like to get some rest now, thank you." He said, sounding all too much like Snape for his liking.
**************************************************************************** *************************************** Severus left the hospital wing quickly and walked all the way up to the headmaster's office, without realizing until he got there. He knocked on the door. "Come in" Severus went in and sat down. "We have to talk" "Talk away" "Have you noticed what Harry looks like?" "I think the question, Severus, is who Harry looks like." "Even after I tell him, when the transformation's complete, it'll be obvious to the whole school whose son he is! Madam Pomfrey didn't recognize him, then she said he looked like a younger me!" "When are you going to tell Harry?" "Soon" "Before the start of term?" "Of course" "Then I think, as long as Harry agrees, we will have to enroll him as a new student." "What? How?" We'll announce at the start of the year that Harry Potter had to leave for the ADTS, Advanced Defense Training School. Then, we will announce a new student joining us. Harry, of course, will be that new student. He'll have a new name, be sorted again, and no one will be any the wiser. We'll say your son came back from the Salem Institute of America, so he could be closer to you." "When shall I tell him?" "As soon as possible. As soon as he finds out, he'll need some time to get to grips with the situation, and then we need the paper work off at least a week before term begins. Maybe you should tell him now." "Now?" "Yes, he can't walk, so he'll have to listen to you through." "I'm going" Severus left to go to the hospital wing, to tell a boy something that would change his life.