Chapter 14 New Experiences

Sometimes it was an advantage that a person couldn't apparate straight into Hogwarts. As Severus reached the edge of the boundary, holding tightly to his ward, Harry's eyes grew wide taking in the scene around them.

"Wow."

"Indeed."

Severus took the boy by the hand and walked briskly up to the castle. He had to remind himself not to scold the boy for dawdling as the child's shorter legs stumbled several times. It was clear that he was still staring at the castle, the forest, Hagrid's hut, and just about everything around them.

"Come. We don't have all day," Severus said.

Harry said nothing, but he did seem to quicken his pace. Severus hadn't told him where they were going or why they were there, and Harry hadn't asked. He wasn't a talkative child. Generally, the boy's entire vocabulary seemed to be made up of "yes, Sir," "no, Sir" and variations of polite or servile responses. It occurred to Severus that the boy might be nervous about why they were here. Severus didn't want to admit to being nervous too.

When they reached the doors, they opened automatically. Severus inwardly groaned. This was not a good sign. He had purposely not informed the headmaster that they would be in the castle today, but he hadn't expected it to work, and it hadn't.

"Harry, my boy, how good to see you!" Dumbledore said. "And in such dashing robes!"

Having never seen Dumbledore before outside of a Chocolate Frog card, Harry just gaped at the tall wizard before him. He looked at Severus and inched closer to his guardian, clearly unsure what to do. Severus was annoyed that the headmaster would accost them the minute they entered the castle, but there was little he could do about it now.

"This is Headmaster Dumbledore, Harry," Severus told the boy in what he hoped was a gentle voice. "He does not usually have your fashion sense, Headmaster, but he wanted to wear your Christmas gift today." Severus had even given Harry a traditional wizard's hat to match the robes, though it was partly to hide his scar in case anyone might recognize him.

Dumbledore beamed. "Did you have a good Christmas, Harry?"

"Oh, yes, sir!"

Despite Harry's shyness, this response had some enthusiasm behind it and produced a large grin from the headmaster.

"Excellent. Excellent, my boy. Well, Severus, now that Harry is here, how about a tour of the castle?"

"I am afraid that Harry and I have an appointment now, Headmaster," Severus informed him, though he knew that Dumbledore had to be aware of it.

"After, then."

"If he feels up to it, Headmaster," Severus equivocated.

"Very well, my boys. I will see you then."

Dumbledore gave them a wave and walked off to the great hall. Harry looked up at Severus with an unasked question that Severus decided not to answer.

"Let's go," he told the boy.

When they arrived at the hospital wing, Poppy Pomfrey tutted at them about being late and did not accept Dumbledore's interference as an excuse. She was gentle with Harry, who seemed reluctant to submit to the exam but resigned to his fate. After it was over, Poppy gave him a sugar quill and a magical children's book and set him in a chair by the window.

"Well?" Severus demanded.

Poppy raised her eyebrows at his rudeness and then handed him a parchment. He frowned as he read it, but it did not really tell him anything he had not expected. Harry Potter was malnourished and underweight. He also had several magically healed injuries that had never received treatment and poor eyesight.

"What is your recommendation?" Severus was a potions master and already had some ideas, but it would be improper not to ask for her opinion as the school mediwitch.

"He will need potions to replenish his nutritional deficiencies. He is severely anemic, as you can see. He has deficiencies in every vitamin that we test for. I will test him again in three months to see what the potion supplements and proper nutrition have done for him. Has he told you anything else about his home life?" Poppy pursed her lips.

"He has told me very little," Severus said, "I have not pressed him. He is a reticent child, and I am hardly demonstrative. I do not want to threaten what little relationship I have developed with him by pushing him and possibly traumatizing him."

Poppy nodded. "That's just as well. We can tell the story mostly from here, anyway." She indicated the parchment, frowning. He will need a proper pair of magical spectacles. The muggle ones he has are not the correct prescription and have been broken several times."

"Yes, I noticed that. I was planning to take care of that today as well, as long as he is not overtired or otherwise … impaired by this experience." Severus told her.

"He seems to be handling everything remarkably well. He has had some emotional outbursts, but by and large he seems to be settling in and improving." They both looked over to Harry, who was still reading the book, holding it a bit too close to his face but otherwise engrossed in it. "His situation is significantly improved, and he has the sense to see that. I seem to have convinced him that I won't hurt him."

"Yes, about that, Severus, I was pleased to see that there seems to have been fewer signs of physical abuse than I was expecting. There are injuries here, more than a child his age should have had, but they are not as bad as I had feared. The worst part is that they were untreated."

"So, we are pleased to note that the child was neglected, but not abused as badly as we'd thought."

"Take the win where you can get it, Severus."

"I am the Head of Slytherin House, Poppy. I know abuse when I see it. He did not have any excessive signs of physical injury when he came to me. There was bruising though, that indicates that he was shoved or grabbed. I would imagine the uncle."

Madame Pomfrey sighed. "I am assuming you will want to brew the supplements yourself?"

"Of course. I want to ensure their quality and potency."

"I am just asking, Severus." Poppy's expression was close to a smirk. "You are, for all intents and purposes, a father now. You have less time on your hands."

"I am Harry's guardian. It is my responsibility to ensure to his well-being, Poppy. I am brewing the potions."

"Right. Well, do let me know if you need anything."

"Of course, Poppy." Severus looked over to the window. Harry had finished the book and was looking out the window on his tiptoes. "Harry, it's time to go."

"Yes, Sir." Harry walked over to Poppy and handed her the book. "Thank you, Ma'am. I enjoyed it."

Severus raised his eyebrows at her. It seemed that she had developed a rapport with Harry.

"I am glad to hear that, young man. You must be a good reader," Poppy smiled at the boy.

"I like to read," he answered shyly.

Severus guided Harry towards the door. "We will have to find you some more books then, won't we?"

"Really, sir?"

"We are going to Hogsmead now. It is a wizarding village just near here. We will have lunch and then take you to get some new glasses. After that, you can pick out some books at the bookstore there."

Harry nodded. He had gone quiet again, for reasons Severus couldn't immediately determine. Severus handed him his hat, and they left. There would be time later to determine what was bothering the boy, if anything was.

They walked to the village. Harry seemed to be trying to look everywhere at once, but Severus hurried him along because he could see that the boy was tiring. He was starting to wish he had taken the boy by the hand when he turned around and realized the child was not behind him.

"Blasted boy. Where are you?"

The village was crowded. It was just after Christmas. Many people were having time with family, spending their gifts, or preparing for the next holiday. Severus whirled around, looking to see if the child had somehow gotten ahead of him. He wasn't there. He wasn't anywhere.

Tentacles of fear grasped at his heart. Harry Potter was the bloody Boy Who Lived. Every wizard in the magical world knew his name. He should have put a glamour on the boy, or at least on the scar. How could he think that just covering it with a hat would be enough?

Then again, he hadn't expected to lose the boy.

Severus stood under the eaves of Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop and decided to pause and take stock of the situation. He had no evidence that the boy had been kidnapped. There had been no screaming or sign of a struggle. However, Harry was a docile child. Someone might have been able to grab him without much of a fuss.

With a growl, Severus made a mental note to begin teaching Harry self-defense as soon as possible. Even if he was too young for a wand, there were other tricks. The thought made Severus relieved. Harry had a history of accidental magic. One of the few things he had told Severus about his relatives was that they did not like "freaky things." If someone had tried to kidnap him, Harry's magic should have kicked in.

You hope his accidental magic would protect him.

That still left the problem of where the boy was. One thing in Severus favor was that Harry did not look like he was nine years old. No one who looked at the waif-like child would ever think he was the famous Harry Potter. Severus himself had always assumed he was being raised in pampered luxury, not being kept as a house elf by his mother's wretched sister. He would just look like any other lost little boy.

How did he get lost? He wandered off is what he did! When I get my hands on him!

It was a small village, but Harry didn't know the area. It still seemed strange to Severus that the child would wander off. He had never done anything even remotely disobedient before. With a sigh, Severus started retracing his steps. He was confident he would find Harry somewhere along the route he had been walking.

As he walked, he kept his eyes on the shops. He had seen Harry's eyes go wide when they had passed Honeyduke's Sweetshop. The colorful displays in the windows would have drawn in any child. Harry was most likely there. Severus made his way for the candy shop, trying to decide what he would say to his ward when he got there. He did not want to think that there was any other scenario.

When he was passing Quality Quidditch Supplies, he stopped. He had caught a flash of garish purple out of the corner of his eye. There he was, staring at a broomstick in the window. Severus was sure that was the moment his heart started beating again. The boy was safe. Harry was safe.

Until I wring his scrawny neck!

That thought made Severus start. He was standing a few feet away from and behind Harry, who still had not seen him yet. He had to go over there, and he still had no idea what to do. He was certain that if he went over there now, it would be with the manner and tone of voice that made even seventh year students at Hogwarts cry. That would not do with his own ward. Somehow, he had to get his temper in check. He had to be less—himself.

A minute or two more of watching Harry accomplished that feat. The boy stopped looking in the window and it was obvious he realized he was alone. His eyes grew large as they took in the shoppers milling about the street. Severus stepped up to him just as he was beginning to panic.

"Sir!" Harry ran up to Severus and threw his arms around him, shocking them both. Harry did not seem to care. He buried his head in Severus's robes and bawled. "I'm sorry, Sir. I just stopped to look, and I didn't realize how long I was looking. I turned around, and you were gone. I didn't see you anywhere. I was so scared."

Despite his every desire to do otherwise, Severus allowed the boy to cry into him for a few more minutes. Then, with a sigh, he pushed the boy back and thrust a handkerchief into his hand. "Please use that," he ordered gruffly.

The boy tried to use the handkerchief, which was pointless while he was still crying just as hard.

"I am sorry you were frightened, Harry, but you realize you should not have left my side," Severus scolded. This was less than he wanted to say, but for now it seemed enough.

Nodding, Harry kept crying.

"Why did you stop?"

This made the boy cry more. Severus had felt it necessary to ask, even though he knew full well why the boy had stopped. He had never seen a broomstick before. Severus should have held his hand while they were in town. Perhaps this was as much his fault as Harry's.

"Harry," the boy was still crying despite Severus's gentle attempt to say his name. "Harry, I'm sorry. I should have been watching you. I am not used to children. … I am not used to having a child. You, I imagine, are not used to going shopping?"

Harry looked up at Severus incredulously, and then finally shook his head. Severus's question had finally stopped the crying. Severus gently patted the boy on the shoulder and tried to keep his voice firm but kind.

"We shall both have to try harder, isn't that right?"

The boy nodded and gave Severus a shy but teary smile.

"Okay, then. Let's go on to the Three Broomsticks. Have you ever eaten at a pub before?" Severus asked the question knowing the answer.

"No, Sir." The boy shook his head to emphasize his answer.

"Now, then. You gave me quite a fright earlier. You know that right?"

"Yes, Sir." Harry looked down in contrition.

"So, I am going to ask you to hold my hand until we get there, and every time we go somewhere, until I tell you otherwise. Do you understand?"

"Really, Sir?"

"I just said so, didn't I?" Severus tried not to sound cross. He thought he was being fair and tolerant about the whole thing. He hadn't even done any yelling.

"I'm sorry, Sir. I'm just surprised you would want to."

Taken aback by the sad longing in Harry's voice, Severus just nodded. "Well, I do. You must hold my hand unless I tell you otherwise, until you are bigger and learn some self-defense."

"Yes, Sir. You will teach me?"

"I will.

The two continued to the pub. Harry seemed overwhelmed by the choices on the menu, but Severus let him take as long as he wanted until he finally settled on fish and chips. It was something he was sure to have never eaten before, and the boy asked for it with some temerity.

"I told you, anything on the menu as long as it's appropriate for children. Would you like pumpkin juice or butterbeer?"

Harry ordered butterbeer because he had never had it before. Severus had served him pumpkin juice once before. When the food arrived, the boy's eyes grew large.

"You do not have to eat it all. Just eat what you want. If you like, we can take the rest to go with a warming charm."

"Wow!"

Eat he did, and Severus enjoyed watching the boy savor the greasy pub food. It wasn't the type of meal that Severus himself liked, but that was the advantage of eating out. This way, the boy would get exposure to wizard culture and different foods. It was clear that he had little of either in his former life.

Harry did not question holding Severus's hand. Most nine-year-old boys probably would have fought it, but Harry seemed to enjoy it. They walked to the optometrist and repeated a process similar to the one with Poppy. The difference was that this optometrist did not know Harry's history.

"When was the last time he had an eye exam?" The optometrist asked Severus this question with no small hint of his displeasure.

"I do not know. He has only been my ward for a week," Severus answered honestly. "Madame Pomfrey does not believe that he has ever had one, based on his prescription."

The man seemed to be evaluating Severus and his answer, then nodded. "I would concur with that. His prescription is inappropriate, at any rate, even for a muggle doctor to have prescribed. His glasses are also wholly inadequate. They have been broken many times and repaired with muggle tape."

"Is there any way to correct his vision without glasses?"

"At this point, no," the optometrist sighed. "It is possible that when he is older, he might be a candidate for magical surgery. I see evidence of severe malnutrition that is affecting his eyesight. If that does not improve …"

"He is beginning a potion regimen for that. In addition, he will obviously be eating nutritional meals from now on. His father also wore corrective lenses. However, he did not live long into adulthood, so I do not know if he was a candidate for surgery. He may not have opted for it even if he was. The war …" Severus was not sure what to say. This was a difficult topic for him. He did not like to think about James Potter, but medical history was pertinent here.

"Yes." The optometrist walked them over to a wall of samples. He pointed to a few rows with colorful headings on the left side. "These are appropriate for ages five to ten. Given his size and age, he should choose from these. The more inexpensive ones are on the bottom row, and the more expensive ones are on the top. Children's glasses are charmed scratch and crack-resistant."

Harry had received quite a few presents for Christmas, yet he looked more excited about the new glasses than anything else. Severus was mostly interested in Harry being able to see well. After that, he did not care what Harry chose. He pointed the boy to the wall of glasses and instructed him to try them on. He was not surprised when the boy chose the bottom row.

"No, Harry, not those."

"Why not, Sir?"

"Why did you choose them?"

"The doctor said these are the cheapest, Sir." The boy explained.

"I don't want you to choose based on that. Glasses are not expensive. Choose whatever you like. If you can't reach a pair, let me know and I will get them down for you." Severus said.

"Oh. Yes, sir. I thought …"

"You thought what?"

"Never mind, Sir."

The boy ended up choosing a lightweight pair of gold frames that Severus thought looked fine on him. He handed them to the optometrist, who spelled them with Harry's prescription temporarily. When Harry tried them on, he actually jumped up and down. It wasn't the first time he reminded Severus of a much younger child, and Severus had to avoid smiling.

"Sir, these are brilliant!"

"You like those, then?"

"Yes, please!"

Severus ordered the glasses and was told they would be ready in about two hours. He then took Harry to the bookstore as promised, holding the boy's hand until they got to the children's section. Severus then handed him a basket and told him to fill it. He sent the gawking boy on his way and sat down on a bench to watch him, wishing they had done these things in the reverse order. Harry would have benefitted from his glasses for picking out books. At least he would have them for reading them.

After convincing Harry that the books were not too much because Severus did not want to be raising a dunderhead, Severus paid and then shrunk their purchases. Since there was still a half an hour, he took Harry to Quality Quidditch Supplies—with permission this time. Harry looked surprised but thrilled.

"What's quidditch, Sir?"

"It's a wizard sport you play on broomsticks."

That answer had just produced so many more questions that Severus ended up buying Harry a book on quidditch. As they were getting ready to go, Harry stopped at a small baby's broomstick that was hovering near the door. He had a faraway look on his face.

"Harry? What's wrong?"

"Huh? I mean, nothing, Sir."

"Harry."

"I just… I feel like I remember this." Harry lightly reached for the broomstick, as if he was afraid to touch it.

"You had one? You remember back that far?" Severus was trying to keep the obvious emotion from his voice as he thought of baby Harry playing with his mother.

"I couldn't though, right?" Harry looked up at Severus. He had been just about to take his hand to leave the store.

"I don't know, Harry. Do you remember anything of … back then? Of your parents?"

"Sometimes I think I do. I remember the green light, and screaming, and a big man on a flying motorcycle. I told you that. None of it can be real though, right?" Harry seemed to be begging him to confirm what he was saying, even though he didn't really believe it.

Severus didn't really have the heart to tell him that those were real memories. As soon as he mentioned Hagrid and Black's accursed bicycle, Severus knew. It wasn't just a fluke. Harry remembered his parents being killed.