((A/N: This is in response to The Werewolf Challenge started by Tia Evans. Go check out her stories, they're very cool. The challenge is also posted in her bio incase you don't know what it entails.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, if I did, I'd be living in New Zealand with a nice laptop and writing in some of that beautiful scenery. Sue, you can have my college loan bills!))

His body was drifting slowly through the misty area from behind the veil that was still so keenly visible to both deceased and living. Bellatrix's spell hadn't killed him, but more or less, was a stronger version of the Stunning Spell that had temporarily placed him incapable of motion and thus landed him through the veil. All he could think about though was if Harry made it out of the battle alive along with his friends. Sirius sighed and resigned himself now to his fate; it'd been his choice to come along even if the others had strongly encouraged him to stay behind. It just wasn't his personality to remain when others were needed elsewhere, especially when it was one of his friends or family that was in trouble. It would've been the way he'd prefer to go, rather than being handed over to the Ministry after being caught, or worse, the Dementor's Kiss.

"My word, Sirius Black, what are you doing here?!" a woman's voice came from behind. "From what I've heard, you weren't supposed to end up in here for years yet! So what trouble did you manage to get yourself into that landed your sorry hide in here?"

The man whipped his head around and gazed at the woman who was speaking to him and practically jumped back in surprise. "L-lily?" He asked faintly, trying to gather himself after the shock of seeing one of his old friends, but remained at a loss for words.

"Still the same cocky bastard you were all those years ago I see, can't even greet a lady properly," she teased him, pulling him into a tight embrace. "So really, how did you end up here?"

Sirius felt his face heat up with embarrassment as he relayed the tale of the Department of Mysteries to his friend, and of course finishing with the spell from Bellatrix. He could see Lily's face lined with worry over her son in hopes that he was alright, but comforted her by mentioning that if he had died as well, most likely they would've already seen him appear from the veil.

"Sirius? I need you to come with me and see James. There is something of importance that needs to be discussed," she said quietly, grabbing his hand and whisking him away from where they stood.

Harry grimaced as he rolled over on his side. Sharp pains were shooting up his back from the recent car crash Vernon had gotten into while he too was in the vehicle. His aunt had been sick for the past week and was unable to go shopping for food, and with Vernon and Dudley's appetites, the ample amount of food remaining in the fridge had disappeared quickly. His uncle wasn't one to do the shopping himself so had dropped the boy off at the store with a strict list of items to get and a set amount of money that he expected proper change from and that he would check the receipt to make sure it was correct. There went Harry's chance at snatching a few items for himself. While the Dursleys hadn't been starving him, he certainly wasn't allowed to eat his fill when it came to the food on the table. But once the shopping was done and he'd loaded it into the car once Vernon had returned and had made it onto the road, a rather foolish person tried to pull out in front at an intersection which left the front of Vernon's car crushed.

So there he remain sprawled on the bed, back severely twisted out of alignment from the impact, dozens of cuts slicing his face from where the windshield had flown into the back seat where Harry had been sitting, and various bumps and bruises from flying groceries. While Vernon had been rushed off to the best hospital in the area, Harry had been shoved into his small room and left alone. While his back made it near impossible for him to walk, he was grateful for escaping without any broken bones.

Wincing in pain, he moved from the bed and over to the small desk to write the demanded letter from the Order, but this time, mentioned that he needed help, and desperately.

Dear Order,

As per your request, I am indeed writing once again. Normally I wouldn't ask you for this, but I would greatly appreciate it if you could send either a few healing potions or get me to St. Mungo's. This afternoon I was in a car crash, ask Ron or Hermione if needed, and while my uncle was taken to the hospital, I was left alone at the house with no care for my injuries. So I would deeply appreciate it if you could see fit to help me.

-Harry

As soon as he finished the brief note and tied it to Hedwig to deliver immediately, he leaned back on his bed and wished that they'd do something. He knew he needed medical attention and soon. Some of the cuts from the windshield still had imbedded pieces of glass in them and looked as if they could become infected if left untreated. He didn't know what had happened with his back, whether it was just whiplash or if something more serious had happened. But knowing that he'd at least sent for help, he placed his head on the pillow and within minutes, was in dreamless sleep.

Long, gnarled fingers rubbed his forehead while he read the letter from Harry in distress. While some would think perhaps the boy had been magnifying the situation, he could see faint stains of blood where hands had brushed paper and ever so lightly, dripped bits of the red fluid. The owl, Hedwig as he recalled, seemed a bit distressed as well from her agitated state of flying around the room. Dumbledore knew it was before Harry's birthday and could be risky to remove him from the Dursleys' care so soon, but to over look such injuries could clearly be seen as Child Neglect and punishable in a court of law.

Sighing despondently, he summoned Remus from his current room inside Hogwarts and asked him to come up to his office. The werewolf was concerned and made his way up hastily as normally one was not summoned on the spot by Dumbledore. The last time he had, it'd been when Harry and his friends had taken off to the Department of Mysteries, so his thoughts were leaning towards gloomy and frantic at the same time.

"Remus, it seems we have a bit of a situation on our hands," Albus started once the werewolf had entered the room, abandoning his normal offering of lemon drops even. Lupin's eyes locked with the Headmaster's immediately and wanted to know what was wrong. "Young Harry sent me a letter not that long ago that clearly states he is in need of help and possibly medical attention. While it is precarious to remove him so early from his relative's home, I fear that if we don't attend to his injuries, they may develop into something more life threatening."

With those words said, Remus discarded all common sense he had and rushed towards the door in haste, but was stopped by the door sealing itself to the point where it seemed as if it had actually disappeared.

"Remus, please sit down. While I know you are anxious to go collect young Harry, I believe it would be wise if you didn't go alone. I know you will not enjoy this, I'm asking for you to have Severus accompany you as he is excellent with those potions of his and if indeed Harry is as bad as the letter states, you may be in need of a few simple healing potions before you are even able to move him. So please wait a few moments as I summoned Severus as well just after yourself."

Indeed, not a moment later, Severus strode inside the room with the typical sneer placed firmly on his face as he glanced at the werewolf sitting disconcerted in one of the overstuffed purple chairs. "I believe you summoned me, Headmaster."

"Ahh, yes, indeed I did Severus. It would seem that your skills are needed, particularly in the shape of healing potions if you would be so kind." The Potions Master rolled his eyes in annoyance as he gathered several bottles of different colored fluids from inside the folds of his robe, to the surprise of the two inhabitants of the room.

"I always carry at least some basic ones with me, especially if the Dark Lord calls, I need to be able to heal myself enough to apparate myself back to Hogwarts," he explained with a scowl tugging at his lips.

"Yes, yes, of course. Anyhow, the reason I've requested your presence is because I received a letter from a Mister Harry Potter not too long ago which states that his wellbeing is not currently as best as it could be. I need both you and Remus to go check on him, and if need be, bring him back here so Poppy can treat him."

Severus raised an eyebrow in disbelief from what he was being asked to do. "Headmaster, with all due respect, I don't believe that Potter would in need of help with being at his relative's home. Somehow I don't see how the brat could get injured, and if he did, certainly they would have taken him somewhere to be treated."

"Perhaps, then, it's a good thing I'm sending you along. You need to get over this obsession of treating Harry just like James. While I am aware that they share an uncanny resemblance physically, their personalities couldn't be more than different. James was raised in a loving family environment where he thrived on fame and such, but Harry is indeed different. Let me just give you an overview of what I've seen from his childhood, Severus. The Dursleys referred to him as "The Boy," or "The Freak" until he was enrolled in a public institution where a name was required. Even then, his name was rarely used, and if it was, normally it was with such malice that it would make anyone cringe. For the first ten years of his life, until he received his Hogwarts letter, he was forced to sleep in a cupboard under the stairs that he shared in darkness with spiders. While they weren't physically abusive for the most part, he definitely was emotionally abused with growing up without love and attention while his cousin was doted upon by his aunt and uncle.

Imagine seeing someone your age being loved and then see the same people turn upon you and have them torture you with rather impossible chores for a boy his age and being fed whatever was left after a meal with two large men, and then sometimes being punished for accidental magic by not being allowed to eat for days. Severus, I'm not going to demand you change your attitude, all I'm asking is that you try and look beyond what you see and perhaps get to know him just a bit better before you make unjust accusations." Albus finished, his old age showing clearly in his face from what he'd just revealed.

"Let's go, Lupin," Severus countered coldly, sweeping out of the now unsealed room with his robes billowing behind as per the norm. Catching the hint, Remus dashed out as well, leaving Albus alone in the room with his thoughts.

A young man sprawled on his bed in pain from the blows he'd just received. While he, himself was an easy going lad, his father was another story. Ever since he'd been placed in Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin norm for the family, his father had taken it upon himself to teach his son a lesson. Wayne Hopkins could see that if he didn't get help soon, it'd be too late, if it already wasn't.

Numbly collecting a bit of parchment, he scribbled a couple of words for help and sent his owl off to whoever he could find first, and then fell back on the bed that was covered in his blood.

Once again that day Dumbledore was assaulted with another owl pleading for help, but this time from a one Wayne Hopkins from Hufflepuff. He sighed and massaged his sore forehead from all the stress of the day and resigned himself to collect the boy himself. Once past the Apparation wards, he found himself at the young lad's home where he gently rapped at the door until a middle aged woman presented herself.

"Good day, ma'am, I wish to speak to you about young Mister Hopkins."

"Certainly, Professor Dumbledore, please come in. My husband is not around so I don't fear letting you in."

That in itself was what Dumbledore had feared when he'd been delivered the message. He had recalled Wayne's father was a proud Slytherin and his son was in Hufflepuff, so that didn't bode well.

"Thank you, madam; I just received an owl from your son not moments ago stating that he was in need of help. Perhaps you could explain to me why if he was hurt, medical attention was not given to him?" Albus asked, trying to sound confused as possible.

The woman looked ashamed at being asked so directly. "My husband, as you most likely recall, was in Slytherin like much of the family. So when our son had been placed in Hufflepuff, he began beating him for doing such a 'monstrosity' to the family. When he hadn't been hitting Wayne, it was myself for raising him to be such a person and that it was partly my fault. I covered all the injuries from the abuse that I received, but Wayne is a different story. The more I tried to help him, the more my husband continued to hit. Please, take him out of here before he is left in a state where he would be beaten to the point of death," she pleaded, eyes glazed with tears.

Albus concurred and went to find the boy immediately, but was horrified by the state the young man was in. Gently, he poured a couple of healing potions down Wayne's throat before attempting to move him back to Hogwarts.

"Thank you, mum," Wayne wheezed out as he was carried through the room and out the door. Once back at Hogwarts grounds, Dumbledore hurried to get him towards the hospital wing before the recent blood loss could claim the young man's life.

"Lupin, please kindly hurry up. I am in no mood to draw this out any longer than necessary," Snape sneered, glaring once more at the man who was having a hard time keeping up with the Potion Master's brisk gate.

"You know Snape, I don't like this anymore than you do, but I care about Harry even if you don't. So fine, let's get moving so you won't be tainted by my presence any longer than necessary," Lupin finished sarcastically as they neared the door to No. 4, Privet Drive. The car wasn't in the driveway, but Remus contributed that to the fact that the Dursleys had already taken off to the hospital and left Harry alone. That would make everything much easier.

"Come on, Harry's upstairs in the small bedroom and hopefully this time they didn't padlock him in," he spat, feeling disgusted with the Dursleys treatment of one of his favorite ex-students, but not that they would know that. Thankfully he saw the door unbarred and knocked gently before opening the door. Inside the two saw Harry asleep on his bed and looking as if he was indeed as bad as he stated in his letter.

"Harry, Harry," Remus said softly, trying to wake the boy without having to resort to touching him, "You need to wake up. Professor Snape has a few potions that he would like to give you."

Snape couldn't hold back rolling his eyes any longer and tried his way, "Potter! Get your lazy arse out of that bed immediately unless you wish to start the year off with negative house points!" He barked loudly and getting the young man on the bed to stir.

"Professors?" He asked sleepily, reaching over to the small nightstand to collect his glasses and winced in pain.

"Yes Potter, now if you'd be so kind as to collect your belongings, I believe you requested medical attention?" Severus snapped, looking distastefully around the room. Harry looked embarrassed as he mumbled something. "What was that Potter?"

"I said, I can't move. Something happened to my back and I can't walk." At this, Snape scowled darkly and began waving his wand around to pack the meager belongings of the boy into the trunk that surprisingly, the Dursleys let him keep in his room that year. Once that was done, he shrunk it enough so that it would fit into one of the many folds that his robes contained and fished out a few vials of potions as well.

Harry downed them quickly as most potions tasted vile and wanted them out of the way. "Moody would just have killed me for accepting those without even asking what they were."

Severus was on the verge of letting out some of those bitterly sarcastic remarks at the boy, but directed them towards the stated man. "Moody also runs through more kettles than anyone else since he believes that they are all in a conspiracy against him. But those potions were just a couple of mild healing potions and one to numb all pain so that we can move you from here to the hospital at Hogwarts."

Harry nodded and thanked him for the temporary relief it brought and was gently picked up by Remus, who with his werewolf strength, had no problems picking up the still undersized boy. At one point during the walk away from the house and to where they could apparate, Harry fell back asleep which pleased Snape to no end so that he didn't have to deal with inane ramblings.

"Oh Poppy! We are in need of your medical expertise!" Lupin called as they entered the hospital wing.

"Really Remus, please quiet down. I unfortunately have a student in here as well who is severely hurt to the point where I don't know if he'll wake up again. As for Harry here, Albus already informed me that you would most likely be collecting him from his relative's home due to a car crash he'd been in. Now, just set him gently on the bed next to Wayne there and I'll work on fixing him up. This shouldn't be nearly exhausting as the other poor dear, but out! I'll talk to you later!" She said while shooing them out of the now enclosed bed.

Harry definitely wasn't so beat up as Wayne had been, but there were still some serious injuries that covered his body. Luckily she was able to fix his back straight away as it did just seem to be a case of whiplash that has occurred. His bruises and cuts needed to heal on their own as the glass had done some nasty damage to his back and parts of his face.

Late that night, a soft rustle came from the bed next to Harry's and he looked over to see that Wayne had drawn the sheet around the bed back so that he could look around. Even though Harry had never known the boy well, he did certainly care about how he was feeling.

"Hey Wayne, how are you feeling?" Harry asked, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Wayne? What are you talking about? I'm Sirius."