"Harry?" Draco said incredulously.

"I'm sorry! Please don't hurt me!" Harry sobbed. Draco shook his head.

"I'm not going to hurt you. How old are you?"

"I'm 4," he squeaked. Draco really was confused now.

"How did you get here?" Draco decided to get as much information as possible. Harry Potter was in the hospital wing as a 17 year old. Not in his room as a 4 year old.

"I don't know. I was doing chores and then I was here," Harry sniffed. Draco looked at the bruise around the left eye.

"That doesn't look so good, how did you get it?"

"I fell," Harry said quickly. Draco was not fooled.

"I don't think you fell Harry. Who did this?" Draco asked carefully.

"Aunt 'Tunia," he whispered. Draco was shocked. He thought Harry lived like a king. Seems now, he's a servant.

"Why?"

"Because I didn't make breakfast fast enough. I really was my fault." Harry trembled and wrapped his arms around himself.

"Are you cold?" Draco asked. Harry nodded. Draco got up and took a blanket out of the closet.

"Come here." Draco said and Harry stumbled over to him. Draco noticed the limp the little boy was walking with. He wrapped the blanket around Harry and kneeled down again.

"Listen, I'm not going to hurt you. Why don't we go sit by the fire," he suggested. Harry looked frightened for a moment but nodded. Harry slowly limped over and sat on the couch. He curled up in a ball. Draco sat beside him.

"I saw you limping a bit. Does your leg hurt?" Draco asked.

"A bit," he whispered.

"Can I take a look? Maybe I can help," Draco said carefully. Harry looked apprehensive. Draco sighed. He took out his wand and saw Harry flinch violently.

"No…no, please!" Harry whimpered. Draco got off the couch and crouched down in front of Harry.

"Have you ever heard of magic?" Draco asked softly. He saw Harry's eyes grow wide and the little boy scrambled away from him.

"No, you… you can't say that! That's a swear word! It is not real…You said the Forbidden Word!" Harry leapt off the couch and ran/limped back to the bedroom again. Draco heard the opening and closing of his closet and sighed. He never expected Harry to react this way. He opened the door to his closet again.

"Why is it a Forbidden Word? It's real." Draco squeezed into the closet himself and closed the door. He wasn't particularly fond of the dark and it was beyond him why this little boy liked it so much.

"It's not real. Aunt 'Tunia said so!" Harry said stubbornly

"But if I would show you, would you believe me then?" Draco asked.

"Who are you?" Harry asked still terrified

"I'm Draco. Why do you sit in this closet by the way?"

"It's like my cupboard and I feel safe in it," Harry whispered sadly.

"You sleep in a cupboard!" Draco said outraged.

"Yes," Harry squeaked and pressed himself closer against the wall of the closet. Draco muttered a few obscenities under his breath before focussing on the shaking little boy again. He casted Lumos and he felt a lot better. He saw Harry gawking at him.

"I told you I can do magic. I bet you can do it too," Draco explained.

"Could be a flashlight." Harry was still sceptical. Draco put the light out and conjured up a flashlight. He switched it on and gave it to Harry.

"Watch." Draco conjured up a soft, stuffed lion and gave that to Harry as well. Harry had dropped the flashlight when he saw the little lion coming out of nowhere. Draco picked it up and Harry accepted the lion, looking it over carefully, as if proving it was real.

"I can do this too?" he asked wide-eyed. Draco nodded.

"This place you are now, it is a school to learn how to do magic. Everyone can do magic here. You want to try something?" Draco had the little boy's attention now as he nodded.

"We can't do it in here, so we need to go out of this thing." Draco opened the doors and they both got out. Harry went to stand beside Draco and watched closely. Draco decided to start with a first year spell.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he shouted and a book on the desk in his room slowly hovered in the air.

"Wow!" Harry breathed. Draco smirked and gave Harry his wand.

"Now you try." Draco went to stand behind Harry and took a hold of the little boy's wrist. He didn't flinch this time and Draco saw that as a good sign. He instructed the boy on how to do the 'swish and flick' It amazed Draco at how quickly Harry seemed to pick it up. He got a quill out of his bag and put it on the desk.

"Levitate that," Draco said. Harry aimed the wand at the quill.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Harry called and the quill trembled a bit.

"Again," Draco urged. Harry tried again and the quill hovered a few inches above the desk, stayed there for a few seconds and dropped back down. Draco smiled at him.

"Very good! You have a talent!" Harry beamed and Draco decided he looked adorable. He took the wand back and they sat down on the couch again.

"Now that you believe in magic, can I take a look at your leg? I promise I won't hurt you." Draco was curious as to why the boy was limping. Harry hesitated for a moment but rolled up his trousers to show Draco a couple of large bruises and a scraped knee. His ankle was swollen too. It was a miracle that he could even walk at all!

"Did your aunt do this too?" Draco gently looked closer at the bruises. He felt Harry tremble again and he knew it wasn't from being cold. Draco got some Healing salve and applied it to Harry's leg. He healed the ankle and in no time at all, the pain was gone. Harry's trembling didn't stop however and Draco carefully took Harry's little hands in his.

"You're safe here Harry. I'll make sure no one hurts you here," Draco promised solemnly. Suddenly he had an arm full of Harry. Draco gently wrapped his arms around the shaking boy and rocked him back and forth.

"Sshh, it's okay. I'll help you angel, don't worry," Draco soothed. Harry calmed down and detangled himself from Draco. He stood up and started to pull his shirt off. Draco was confused.

"Harry, what are you doing?" Draco asked but Harry had his shirt off now and he gasped. The ribs were poking through the thin skin and dozens of cuts and bruises marred his chest. When Harry turned around he saw what could be whip marks.

"Please make them go away," Harry whispered softly and stared at the floor, ashamed. Draco pulled the little boy on his lap and examined his back. The marks seemed a couple of days old. The bruises were definitely recent. Draco applied the salve again and Harry winched when he applied it to his back. Last he applied some on the black eye. Harry clung to him when he was done.

Draco stood up and carried Harry to the bedroom again. He got some pyjama's and transfigured them so they could fit Harry. He carefully helped Harry in them and tucked him in.

"Sweet dreams angel." Draco kissed Harry's head and went to leave.

"Thank you," was the whispered response as the little boy snuggled up under the covers. Draco smiled. When he went to turn off the lights, he saw a bit of parchment on the floor. He picked it up and saw something written on it.

Draco

This is me at 4 years old. I'll be staying for a week before I go back to where I came from. You can never tell anyone about what you are going to learn about me, not even Ron and Hermione. I'm sure you can think of an explanation to give them, because they will find out soon that I'm with you. In my other pocket is a small Pensieve. It contains one memory, one event that really had an impact on me. I'm doing this because you don't seem to know me as I want you to know me. Take care of me.

Harry

Draco was stunned and sat down on the couch.

"How is this possible?" he whispered to himself. He laid down and promptly fell asleep with the note still clutched in his hands.