A/N: I am not in the medical profession in any way, shape, or form. If I got things incorrect, think of it as creative license. If it is impossible without death, think of it as magic. Yes, Harry's official size is mentioned in here. It is kind of ridiculous (as pointed out by my fantastic beta swimgirl07) but it, again, is due to magic that will be explained later.

Chapter 2

Not 30 minutes later, the boy had cried himself into a complete state of exhaustion, shutting down in a deep sleep. Severus picked up the too small boy and carried him into his own private quarters, laying him to sleep in the soft cream sheets of his bed. After watching him for a few minutes, he left the room after casting a spell on the boy to alert him when he began to stir, be it waking up or from a nightmare. Somehow, since the day had started, he had begun to think of the son of his best friend and his arch nemesis as his own son. In anger and disbelief, Severus walked into his living room and fire called Minerva McGonagall, Harry's Head of House.

"Severus, what can I do for you this evening?"

"Minerva, if you would be so kind, I would appreciate it if you could visit me in my quarters. I have an urgent matter to discuss with you."

"I will when all of my Gryffindor have returned to their dorms for the night. We are just waiting on Mr. Potter."

"In that case, Minerva, you don't have to worry, he will be staying down here tonight. He…wasn't feeling well," Snape ground out the understatement, "and passed out during Occlumency lessons. He is in no condition to be moved to the Hospital Wing, and, as it is nothing life threatening or out of my range of expertise, I believe it would do him well to stay in my quarters until he has recovered."

"We will discuss this when I get there. Give me 15 minutes."

"Very well," he let the connection close before opening one up to the Headmaster's office. "Albus?"

"Yes, Severus, my boy?"

"Would you come down tonight, say in about 15 minutes?"

"Whatever for, dear boy?"

"Just a pressing matter about Mr. Potter," he fought to keep his voice neutral, even with his years as a spy, the boy's condition made it difficult for him to do so, especially after finding out that Harry had told the Headmaster of his situation previously.

"Of course, I will be there."

"Thank you, Albus." He let that connection close and took a deep breath to calm himself before he called the Hospital Wing. "Poppy?"

"Severus!" she jumped. "What can I do for you today?"

"Are there any pressing matters that you must take care of in the Wing?"

"No, it is empty tonight, do you need any help?"

"No, I do not. However, I would appreciate it if you could come to my quarters in about 15 minutes. We have something that we need to discuss."

"Whatever could that be, Severus?"

"You shall see when you get here." He closed the connection before his temper could get the best of him. He took the remaining time until his co-workers began to arrive to check on the boy sleeping in his bed once more. He took off the boy's shoes, realizing he had neglected to do so before, before tucking him under the covers, as the dungeons got cool at night, particularly in the winter. His elegant, long fingers brushed the boy's hair off his forehead before he kissed it gently. "I'm going to help, I swear to you, if it's the last thing that I do," he whispered. He heard the Floo in the other room activate and he straightened, checking his spells before leaving the room.

"Severus, what is the matter with Mr. Potter," Minerva asked urgently as she stepped out of the fireplace.

"Have a seat, Minerva," he answered in his normal, emotionless voice as the Floo flared once again. Before the Headmaster could get a word in, he ordered him to do the same as the Deputy Headmistress. "I shall explain everything when Poppy gets here."

Poppy stepped out of the Floo moments later, confused at the sight of her childhood friend and the Headmaster sitting on the couch as Severus stood off to the side. "Severus, what is going on?"

He blocked the Floo from anyone else traveling in or overhearing. When the Healer had taken a seat, he began to speak. "First off, Harry Potter is currently in my bed asleep, he collapsed when we were in the middle of an Occlumency lesson, not one of the better, though definitely one of the more…informative." He held up a hand to stop the comments that seemed to be itching to come out of the Medi-witch's mouth. "He is uninjured from the incident, only passing out from exhaustion. I was informed that he has not slept in nearly a week."

"Why didn't he come talk to me about it?" she asked outraged.

Severus had to take a controlling breath, so as not to hex the trio, before he answered coldly, "Maybe because you hadn't helped in the past, and he is one to avoid seeking help if at all possible?"

"What are you insinuating Severus?"

"Let me continue and you shall find out." He carried on without caring that he hurt the woman's feelings. "Second, he has come to each of you within the last 6 years, seeking help, all of which has been refused or ignored."

"That is crazy, without the knowledge I gave him he wouldn't have been able to defeat Voldemort," Dumbledore protested.

"I have healed all of his injuries after his little adventures and Quidditch accidents," Poppy squeaked in disdain.

"I am his Head of House, I looked after him all those times that he was sick or struggling with classes," McGonagall stated.

Severus held up a hand that silenced all 3 of his colleagues that had spoken at once. "This is exactly my point. Albus, you never saw him as a person…a child. He was always a pawn in the war. He was always only the one who would have to defeat the Dark Lord. Minerva, he was just another student, but you gave him special treatment, assuming, as the rest of the world has, that he has had a perfect life, that he is this…Golden Boy. Poppy, you healed his injuries that he sustained while at school. Did you ever think to look past his own glamour charms and see what was truly ailing the boy? Did any of you ever notice that he rarely eats, and when he does it is maybe a quarter, at most, of what his classmates consume? Usually he just plays with his food. Did any of you notice that, despite the tall statures of his parents, the boy is tiny?"

"He is nearly of age," Minerva started.

"He is a child!" Severus exclaimed passionately. He took a moment to calm himself knowing that it wouldn't help his cause. "I admit, I was never too fond of the boy. I chose to ignore what I figured was a random occurrence, as I avoided eating in the Great Hall when the majority of the students did."

"Severus, where are you going with this?" Albus asked finally after a few moments of an uncomfortable silence.

He pulled his Pensive out of the cupboard and removed his memory of the lesson, starting with the third time he broke into the boy's mind to where he collapsed, before Severus pulled him into an embrace. "Have a look for yourselves."

The three adults entered the memory. He knew it would be a good 20 minutes before they exited, so he returned to his bedroom. Harry hadn't stirred. He checked his pulse and breathing to make sure the boy was alive. He was. Carefully, he spelled a nutrition potion into the boy's stomach to make up for missing the dinner that he knew the boy wouldn't have eaten anyway. He stroked the boy's hair lovingly a few more times before placing another kiss on the boy's head, hoping to keep him relaxed at least for another little while. He noticed that the boy leaned ever so slightly into the show of affection, despite his past. At the tell-tale sound of people landing hard on the couch, he left the room once more. Albus appeared upset and guilty. Poppy was crying. Minerva looked ready to go kill the Dursleys right then. He knew he had at least 2 people on his side, but that was still no excuse.

"Well?" he growled harshly. He wanted an explanation and he wanted it now.

"I will go to the Wizengamot and place the charges. I didn't think it was anything this bad."

"What did you think, Albus?" Snape hissed.

"I knew there was some minor neglect, I never imagined Petunia could allow this to happen to her sister's son."

He looked pointedly at Minerva. "He was always so happy. I didn't even think to check for any issues at home."

Severus stood up quickly. A soft bell was tingling rapidly, though only he could hear it. "Excuse me." He strode to his bedroom, where Harry was thrashing on the bed. "Shh…it's okay, Harry. You're safe. No one is going to hurt you," he said firmly, yet softly as he brushed a hand through the unruly mop. The boy flinched at his touch. "Harry, it's Professor Snape, it's Severus, you don't have to worry about me hurting you."

The boy's eyes shot open, wildly looking around. He didn't know where he was and that was never a good thing. His eyes finally fell on the potion's master and his promise from hours earlier made its way into Harry's sleep muddled brain. "Sev'rus?" he muttered. At the man's nod, he threw himself into his professor's arms, curing up against his chest.

Severus's arms snaked around him. "I've got you, Harry. I won't let anything happen." The boy was out cold almost instantly as the Slytherin Head of House rubbed his back. When he was asleep once more, Severus scooped up the frail frame, easily less than 90 pounds, and, after wrapping a fleece blanket over his nearly translucent, marred skin, carried the boy into the living room. Severus's 6'3" frame, though thin, had no problems carrying the small boy, with the majority of his weight against the older man's chest, legs dangling down beside his hips, arms curled around his own body, and head buried in the long neck, face hiding from the world.

"Severus?"

"Yes, this is Mr. Potter," he felt the boy flinch unconsciously at the sound of his last name. "Harry is asleep at the moment. He had a nightmare," was all he was willing to explain.

"Poppy, will you please cast a thorough diagnostic spell on the boy, showing all injuries and anything seemingly out of place," Minerva asked. She hated seeing her students hurt, though she had a special spot in her heart for Harry, having been present at his birth and watching him occasionally when Lily and James were still alive. She wanted to know exactly what those monsters had done to him.

Poppy muttered the spell, the tip of her wand spouting a piece of parchment, taller than the boy itself, indicating every injury he ever had and the date it was received. They ignored everything before his lightning bolt shaped scar, while there were many, they were simply the injuries of an overly curious, active toddler. Poppy skimmed through the list crossing out any of the injuries she had healed from his extracurricular activities while at school. The list of the injuries and illnesses was still staggering. His lungs were severely scarred from four untreated cases of pneumonia and that seemed to be the least important of everything on the sheet. "He should have died years ago. Only his magic, thankfully because of his level of power, kept him alive."

"Severus, please remove the blanket," Minerva ordered her youngest colleague.

He lowered the blanket to the boy's hips, clad only in a pair of black silk pajama pants that had been transfigured from his school pants. There were no knife wounds on his back, only whip marks crisscrossing every inch. Even with the back just exposed, they could see every one of the bones in his ribs and spine jutting out.

Poppy cast another spell. "5' ½" tall, 73 pounds, anemic, severe malnutrition, very rapid pulse, low blood pressure." She looked up. "Severus, he should be taken to the hospital, and I don't mean here at school."

"He won't go. Let him stay here. I can tutor him as well as watch his health. I may not have as much training, but I am a certified Medi-wizard."

"Severus, what-"

He cut off the Head of Gryffindor. "I know we had our differences in the past, but he clearly trusts me." He recovered the boy in the blanket. "I will cancel my classes for the next week, and then we can see where to go from there. I am presuming, Headmaster, you will excuse the child from his classes until further notice?"

"I will do that. Minerva, ask the house elves to bring Harry's things down, I shall ask the castle to add another room to Severus's private quarters. Poppy, you are free to go."

"I shall speak with Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley so as to alleviate their worries," Minerva left as well, leaving the two men alone.

"I will not have him sent back to those…creatures, Albus. I want guardianship."

"Severus," he started, though he didn't get any farther.

"No, Albus, I do demand that I be given guardianship, damn whatever the Ministry or society says."

"I will see what I can do."

"I know you have the strings, pull them." He carried the boy back to bed, clearly dismissing the Headmaster.