Chapter 5- Helping Hands

Madame Bones refused to let Severus stay at his father's old cabin for more than a minute so he quickly returned home after making a quick stop to Diagon Alley. As he apparated into his yard he half expected to find the house burned to the ground but he was relieved to find the same tiny house in desperate need of a new paint job.

The house was quiet when he entered, but not eerily so. He could hear the sound of hushed voices conversing in his sitting room. His footsteps were nearly silent as he walked towards the room, peering through the entrance to see Minerva sitting on the couch across from a puffy chair that practically swallowed Harry. The small boy was curled up in a ball watching the object in Minerva's hand with delight.

It was her wand and ever so often she would make multicolored sparks fly out of it or levitate various objects lying around the living room. Harry let out a surprised laugh as the lamp next to him suddenly turned into a purple bunny that hopped lazily across the floor.

"I see that you two have been properly aquatinted," Severus said, talking their brief lapse in chatter to stroll into their room.

"Severus," said Minerva with a genuine smile, "I trust everything went well with your matters."

Severus nodded, ignoring the piercing look Minerva shot him. He would have plenty of time to fill her in later.

With a flick of his wand Severus transfigured the rabbit back into his lamp, too exhausted to notice that he had failed to change the color and his lamp was now a vibrant shade of violet. Minerva snorted when she saw it but didn't comment. "It's time for lunch now," Severus told the room, glancing at Harry and taking in his disheveled appearance.

Despite a hasty cleaning spell Severus had cast on him the night before, his entire body was still stained with patches of dried blood and mud. His hair stood up even more wildly (which Severus hadn't thought was possible). His clothes were a dull gray as if they were years old and dwarfed his tiny body. He would need to get the boy cleaned up after they ate.

Minerva and Severus did most of the talking during lunch, Severus holding in any harsh retorts for the boy's sake. Harry just watched them curiously, giggling every time Minerva teased Severus, but stayed silent unless questions were directed right at him. Severus supposed that was just another sign of the abuse he had endured.

When Severus noticed Harry picking at his plate with a frown, a slightly sick look on his face, he summoned in one of the potions he had made the night before. Harry watched in never- fading awe as the potion whizzed in and landed right next to his plate. He drank it without question and a few moments later Severus noticed him shoveling food into his mouth with satisfaction.

Once Harry's plate was scraped clean Severus disappeared to the bathroom, letting Minerva watch over Harry again, who she had become very fond of already. He filled up the bath with warm water, frowning when he considered whether or not the Dursleys had used that as a form of abuse as well. His own father had never held him under the water, but he'd had first year Slytherins who were terrified by the mere mention of a bath.

Severus guessed he would find out soon enough. He returned to the kitchen to find Minerva transfiguring half his furniture into various objects of different colors, shapes and sizes. A few animals had been added to the mix as well and were now running around freely. It took all Severus's control and the joyous look on Harry's face to not throw McGonagall out of his house right there.

Minerva just smiled mischievously when she saw Severus's murderous look and continued to destroy his kitchen. Not that it had been in particularly good shape before.

Severus turned away from her with an offended scowl. "It's time to get you cleaned up," he addressed Harry in a much kinder tone, analyzing his every expression to see if his suspicions were correct. The boy didn't look afraid per say, but he didn't look happy either. The smile disappeared off his face and didn't return even when a rainbow butterfly that had once been a fork landed on his hand. He nodded glumly, the movement startling the butterfly away.

He knew Minerva noticed the odd behavior too, but she put on a cheery face and said in a forced voice, "Go get nice and clean I'll be right out here when you're done."

The boy dragged his feet as Severus led him towards the bathroom, his face akin to someone being led to the gallows. The sight twisted Severus's gut and he wondered if Harry didn't show fear because he was so used to it and had learned to just accept the abuse, or even more disturbing expect it.

They stopped in front of the large marble tub, Harry's eyes fixed on the clear water. He gave a weary sigh and then stripped down, letting Severus see the full extent of his injuries.

His diagnostic spell the night before had told him about all of the injuries but knowing about them and seeing them were two different things entirely. Harry's skin was almost completely mottled with bruises, some a fresh deep purple, some having faded to a light green after being there for a few days. His ribs stuck out so much that Severus could clearly see each one defined sharply against his tiny form. He was all skin and bones; not at all what a child his age should be.

Severus noticed something that he hadn't picked up on from the diagnostic spell- Harry's neck had nearly black bruises stretching from ear to ear across his neck, the dark outline of fingerprints seared into the skin from the hands that had tried to squeeze the life out of him. The bruises couldn't be more than a day old.

Severus felt a nearly uncontrollable rush of rage sweep through him. The mirror in his bathroom started to vibrate violently and he forcefully pushed away the anger when Lily's eyes met him. There was nothing he could do to avenge Harry's astonishing treatment because his abusers were already gone. Now the most he could hope for was to try to reverse the damage before it was too late.

He smiled encouragingly to the boy and Harry let out another heavy sigh as he turned back to face the tub. He dipped his fingers tentatively into the water and his head snapped instantly back to stare up at Severus.

"It's warm!" he exclaimed in genuine surprise.

"Well of course it's warm silly child why wouldn't it…." Severus trailed off with the sickening realization.

Harry didn't seem to mind Severus's insensitive question and slipped into the tub, smiling as the pleasant water enveloped him. He decided that baths were actually quite nice.

Severus silently handed him the few bottles of soap he could scrounge up, laid down the clothes he had picked up at Diagon Alley, and quietly excused himself. It was time to have to have the long delayed talk with Minerva.

Minerva had thankfully returned his kitchen to order by the time he returned (in fact, she had made a few much needed improvements from its previous condition). There was nothing Severus wanted to do more at this moment than to sleep, but instead he sat heavily in the chair across from Minerva, running a hand down his face.

She waited patiently for him to start, so after thinking for a moment Severus started from the beginning, with the auror visit to the Dursleys house. He explained how he thought the signs of choking on Harry's neck had an awful lot to do with the incident. Once Severus started, he couldn't stop, spewing the whole story to Minerva who didn't interrupt him once, her sharp mind taking in every word.

When he finished she inhaled sharply, a weight appearing in her eyes as she considered the seriousness of what Severus had done. She looked at the drained man across from her who looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. She thought of the boy and quickly made her decision.

"I don't know what I would have done in your case," she cut off the start of Severus's protests with a sharp look, "however it seems that my course of action no longer matters. What's done has already been done, and I fully intend to back you up with this entirely and perform whatever actions you require from me. Starting with watching Harry as you get some much needed rest."

Severus just nodded tiredly, giving her a grateful smile (that came out as more of a grimace.) "Go, now," she ordered him, "it is well within my abilities to watch over a ten year old boy for a few hours. We will continue this discussion later."

Her tone left no room for arguments, not that any part of Severus was complaining. He stumbled into his room and passed out without even bothering to remove his shoes.