Once again…I own nothing. Thanks a lot J.K Rowling. Writer sits in a corner sulking

Okey-dokie… Chapter three. Yeah. Sorry it's been a bit, I had writers block, then I had to deal with HBP…I am still crying over it. But now I'm back, and just going to pretend it never happened. Yeah, that's it…. It never happened

Before anyone freaks out no this is NOT a HPMM fic. It's not like THAT

A quick note of thanks to my marvoo reviewers. I am soooo geeked. 15 reviews already! Woot. I will do reviewer Q's at the end.

Another Year Another Problem

3. A Truthful Trip

"So, umm…chicken professor?" He asked grabbing a piece from the basket behind him.

She looked at him with a look that clearly said "Did he just call me chicken?" Then, quickly realized he meant the food. At east she thought he meant the food. "No, thank you Harry, I am not hungry right now." She watched as he devoured the drumstick, but apparently, you are," she said sounding bemused. "Didn't they feed you in that home?" She asked lightly. Harry simply turned to face the window, choosing to not answer. "Maybe She'll think I didn't hear her," he wished silently.

No such luck. She turned to look at him, and in the window's reflection saw a sad look upon him. Minerva always knew he was thin, a bit small for his age, but she simply chalked it up to bone structure, or his mother's petite frame. She never thought that there might be another reason. "Harry," she repeated soflty, almost motherly, "I asked if they fed you at home."

Shit. Harry knew he couldn't avoid her now. The last thing he needed though, was for her to feel sorry for him. But he had to tell her now, "Um, not, not really professor." He said rather quickly, "get it over with quick as possible," he thought.

Professor McGonagall brought the car to a screeching halt on the side of the road. She turned quickly to face him. "They WHAT, You have got to be kidding me Potter, what do mean, I mean You got three meals right, were they just small, Oh god, what do you mean Harry?"

Her voice went from one filled with anger to disbelief, to panic and fear.

"It, it was okay Professor," he said trying to calm her down, "Really, I didn't starve." Apparently this had not been the thing to say. "Didn't starve?" She screeched. "Oh Merlin's beard Harry, Please, tell me, I…how…what happened there?" He turned to face her, still sitting in the car, Harry took a deep breath, and began. "Well, it's better now than when I was younger. I, are you sure you want to hear this? I mean you don't have to, I'm okay now." He said quickly trying to wriggle out of this one last time. "Everything, Harry." Came the stern reply.

"Okay, well IgrewupinacupboardandwasonlyfedalittlebituntilmylettercameandImovedupstairsintoDudley'ssecondroomwhickhistoyswerein—" He said as quickly as he could until she cut him off. "Slower Harry, so I can understand." He gave her a slightly disbelieving look. "I can understand, Harry."

Harry was sure she couldn't understand everything that went on, but she was trying to help. He'd tell her. "I grew up living in a cupboard under the stairs until I was almost eleven. I was allowed out of my cupboard for only such things as cooking breakfast, lunch, and dinner, school when I was old enough, and doing the cleaning around the house."

He looked at McGonagall, she hadn't said anything, yet her left hand was gripping the armrest between them with such force Harry was sure it was about to snap at any moment. Her right hand was gripping her knee with almost equal strength. The look on her face was a mixture of rage and sympathy. Harry knew it best to finish the story now rather than wait.

"I was given the leftover scraps the Dudley, my oaf of a cousin, hadn't eaten, never much, or some toast bits, and water if I was being punished."

"Punished?" came McGonagall's words at last "what in heavens were they punishing you for under eleven years of age that would result in such a…a…"

Harry cut her off to go on with his story, now he knew that if he didn't tell it all now, he may never.

"Being freakish." He spat out the word. "That was what my uncle told me every time something odd would happen. I know now that it was my accidental magic coming through. But he preferred just call me Freak or Boy. I'm not sure if ever even knew my name. But I dealt with his jibes, Aunt Petunia's chores, and being Dudley's punching bag for 11 years. Then I got my letter. My Aunt and Uncle refused to let me go, they burned my letters before I had ever read them. They were afraid though, afraid someone would find out how I'd been treated, so they moved me upstairs into one of Dudley's two rooms, the one he used for all of his toys, mainly the broken one's. My letter kept trying to get to me though, eventually Hagrid got…er…through. I was going to Hogwarts. I had never heard of it till then, I had grown up thinking my parents were bums who got in a car accident. I never knew anything about them until I learned from Hagrid. I never knew that magic existed. But then I came to Hogwarts, everything seemed okay, well except that whole Sorcerer's Stone thing." He gave a small grin at this, but then continued, "But then I had to go back. I was told I had to go back every year. The Dursley's weren't pleased, neither was I. Over the past few summers I have had bars put on my windows, been locked in my room with food once a day, cold chicken broth and bread. Yum. And done all of the chores when not in my room. This summer I was fed once every other day, if that. Dursleys were not happy with me when I got home. After what happened with Dudley and the Dementors last summer. "

With this he looked over at her. She seemed to be reeling form what she had just been told. "Harry, oh Harry, why didn't you tell me, or Albus, or any of the other staff, well perhaps not Severus or Argus, but oh Harry, why didn't you tell someone?" She finished. "I didn't think anyone would listen," he said quietly. "Besides I knew that I had to go back, Dumbledore told me I had to go back there."

Minerva turned to look at Harry. She had tears brimming in her emerald eyes. "I wish I could have changed this," She said, "I wish I could have stopped this in the beginning. Maybe If I had asked Albus I could have…" She trailed off, not finishing her sentence.

Harry looked at her for a moment, he didn't know what to, it wasn't her fault. It wasn't anyone's fault. Not knowing why or how she would take it, he tuned and threw his arms around her neck. He hugged her like he would hug….like he would hug a mother. He was surprised when she hugged him back, hard. He felt all of the anger, all of the resentment toward the Dursley's fading away, all of his hurt over the past year with Sirius leaving him. "He was supposed to be comforting her," he thought to himself, and here she was hugging him back like someone who really did care, and could possibly understand what he had gone through. He pulled back, so did she. They both had tears running down their cheeks.

"Thank you, Professor." Was all Harry could croak out of his tightened throat.

Minerva had just been hugged. Hugged by a student. No one hugged her. She was the impenetrable wall. She was the cranky old professor. But he had confided in her. Had told her what it was like, explained all of the hurt, now she knew, now she understood why it hurt so badly when Sirius died. Sirius was his only family.

Minerva always knew that Lily's sister was a brat, Lily used to come back from Holidays upset at the way her sister had behaved. For being twins the Evan's girls could not have been more different, of this Minerva McGonagall was quite sure. Minerva could not even bring herself to have looked at Petunia when she got Harry, she remembered all the hurt that she had put Lily through, and could not begin to forgive that. But now, now after hearing Harry talk about his life there, she knew that she could not allow him ever to go back to those people. He would go somewhere next summer, anywhere but back to that house if she could stop it.

Okay, well sorry it was so short, maybe the next will be longer, however I make no promises.

Time for my reviewer shout-outs….

TabbyMin…Proud to have hooked you!

SmellyCat190…I'm not discouraged by few, I'm encouraged I have any!

Bigkihap…You keep up the good work to, I still love your story!

Annette-Rose…I heart my ADMM, but I didn't want it to take over the story, so I;m glad it worked! Thank you!

MarioMarie…Little Buddy…you rock!

Mmcgonagall…I'm pleased that you are enjoying it!

Minerva's Phantom…I am an addict to, maybe we should start a support group.

And all of my other readers and reviewers too, a great big whopping Thank You!

Hey that rhymed!

Later

Tabby Kat