Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of JKR's work.

Slytherins Secret

AN: The effect of the venom and tears on Harry's scar will be addressed I promise, but not for a few chapters at least. This chapter just decided to be longer...

Chapter Six: conversations

The next time Harry woke, it was to blinding sunlight and Madam Pomfrey humming to herself in the distillery, blinking as his eyes adjusted he put his glasses on, noticing that his sight was already clearer, as his eyes improved back towards his original prescription. I hope the tears fix them completely, but just being able to see if I'm without them would be nice, I hate the helpless feeling that groping on the bedside table gives me. Madam Pomfrey had evidently heard him fumbling for his glasses and had finished whatever she was doing, coming over to his bed, she greeted him "Good day Mr Potter, I hope that you slept well? How are you feeling today?"

From 'today' and 'good day' I'm going to assume it's quite late "I did, thank you Madam Pomfrey, how are you?" he replied.

"I am well thank you Mr Potter, the school is always so calm when you are stuck in here, and no Potions lessons rather reduces the number of accidents for me to deal with." She grinned at him, taking any sting out of her words.

"Good" Harry smiled at her, appreciating her carefully disguised warmth. "I feel better than yesterday actually, I'm still more tired than I think I should be, and I still ache, I'm very hungry again and I have no idea about my magic." He flexed his arm and hand carefully, "my arm is still a bit stiff, no improvement from yesterday, that's all I can think of. Am I ok to go to the bathroom and get dressed?"

"I am glad that you are improving steadily Mr Potter, you may get up, just be careful and call me if you need anything, I can't use my normal health monitoring spells at the moment so I'm afraid I will have to hover a bit. It's a bit after twelve by the way." She smiled at him and ruffled his hair, surprising him with the contact, which caused him to flinch slightly out of habit. Hoping the barely perceptible reaction had escaped her notice, he ducked his head and scooted towards the bathroom thinking, stupid, stupid, she'll probably think I'm afraid of her now, either that or she'll want to talk about the Dursleys and I really don't want to.

As she watched him leave hurriedly, Madam Pomfrey sighed, thinking I'm going to have to get him to talk about his home. I don't think I can get him out of there, not with the way my medical reports are being ignored, but he needs to talk about it, and perhaps we can brainstorm our way to an improvement. I just can't understand why nobody seems to see the signs, how could the mundane teachers ignore them, how could the neighbour, how are the Dursleys even getting around their guardian contract? Perhaps I should talk to the Goblins for Harry? No he won't want me going behind his back; I need to advise him on where he can get the facts. She sat there in silence only waking from her thoughts when Harry reappeared in the room fifteen minutes later towelling his hair.

"Ah Harry, feeling more awake now I daresay, I shall just call the kitchens for some food, is there anything in particular you would like dear?" she asked, her earlier preoccupation causing her mothering side to take charge.

Harry blinked in surprise, he had never been given a choice of food by an adult, "Uh, I dunno. Well, I would prefer milk to pumpkin juice; it's not exactly my favourite drink, and fruit? I could really go for an apple or pear; I'm not fussy though, thank you for asking me." Harry grimaced as he mentioned pumpkin juice, it was awfully thick sweet stuff and something about it had always seemed a little of to him.

Madam Pomfrey blinked in surprise, could he have detected the loyalty potions that the Pumpkin juice is always laced with, normally only the Slytherins catch that. Oh well, this is a good opportunity anyway, those potions are deactivated by lipids, and the headmaster has the elves convinced they are calcium supplements so they won't add them to his milk. "Alright Mr Potter, I shall record that preference permanently with the elves, in fact next year I shall ask them to lace it with a mild nutrition potion, you are entirely too thin." She clucked disapprovingly, such a 'shame' that the Healer's orders would override the Headmasters in this.

"May I speak with a kitchen elf please?" Madam Pomfrey called and was quickly rewarded with a Pop and the appearance of a female elf wearing the Hogwarts uniform.

"Thank you, who am I speaking to please?" Pomfrey asked.

"I is Pinny Miss Healer Pomy, what cans I being doing for yous?"

"Hello Pinny, I need to make some orders regarding Mr Potter's health, then ask for some breakfast for him and lunch for myself, will that be ok?."

"Is fine Miss Healer Pomy, Pinny cans be tellings other elves."

"Good Pinny, thank you. Now, Mr Potter is having problems with his magic, because of saving us all in the Chamber of Secrets, several days ago." At this explanation Harry blushed furiously and Pinny's eyes widened. "He cannot have foreign magic in contact with his, so I need you to ensure that his food does not have potions added, or charms cast on it, a simple prank could have very severe consequences. I have a list, with the foods that he needs to have more of, along with his likes and dislikes, so you can prepare his food separately to make sure it's safe, he will need more a nutritious, balanced, diet whilst he recovers anyway." She scribbled a few changes to the list and handed it over, "can you bring him a big breakfast that complies with that please, around one along with my usual lunch?"

"Pinny cans be doing that."

"Thank you Pinny you may go." Madam Pomfrey turned away as the elf vanished with another Pop and smiling brightly at Harry asked "so Mr Potter, how is your magic?"

Harry remembered last night's plan and noticed that the elf had been between the second bed from his and the next bed over before replying. "Well it doesn't feel at all disturbed, I didn't react to Pinny, but that may be because she's an elf, do you want to do the bed test again starting 3 beds from me?"

"Sound logic Harry, I shall." Madam Pomfrey replied, surprising Harry with yet another spontaneous mention of adult approval. Approval never came when he thought about things, or asked questions. Usually they ignored him, like McGonagall, disapproved of him, like his Primary teachers, or shouted at him and locked him in his cupboard, like the Dursleys. After a while he had realised that everyone wanted him to keep his head down and be as quiet and unnoticeable as possible, they were uncomfortable if they had to actually pay attention to him. He didn't think they consciously realised this, but the subconscious got annoyed with the thing that made them think uncomfortable thoughts like 'why is Dudley fat and Harry scrawny' or 'can't they buy him some new glasses', that un-comfortableness tended to translate to hostility, or wilful ignorance, depending on the person. From the way Madam Pomfrey has been acting, she and Ancestor Salazar are both HAPPY when I think and question, they want me to stand out, I'm going to have to think about this.

Madam Pomfrey had guessed some of his thoughts by the puzzled look on his face and waited until he just looked mildly confused, before attempting to regain his attention. "Harry I shall try casting here, can you feel that?" she said before running a diagnostic on the bed's spells, and, seeing no response from Harry, re-casting the ward to prevent bugs on the third bed from him.

As he concentrated on the sensation of his magic, Harry could feel the magic, it appeared that he was more sensitive than the previous day, but since it did not feel bad, he catalogued the way the spells felt as she explained her actions, before he carried through with his plan. "Nope, so I haven't gotten any worse then." He said smiling at her.

She chuckled "good, good, I shall try the same distance as yesterday then" she continued before checking the spells on that bed. When Harry shook his head and responded that he hadn't felt that either, she re-cast the spell to prevent the sheets staining and moved forwards.

As she began to cast the diagnostic spell on the bed nearest to Harry he grimaced and said "I felt that one" so she halted the spell.

"Alright then, a steady rate of improvement, that's good, I was worried about what would happen if I needed to treat another patient, but you only need a small area clear now, and by tomorrow I hope I will be able to cast on this bed to." She glanced around rather furtively before going through with her thoughts from earlier "Harry, I think we need to talk about your home life, and the people you live with, do you think you can do that for me?"

She was saddened when he froze like a deer caught in headlights before responding "what's to talk about, they don't like me, I don't like them and nobody ever believes me."

"Well my efforts to get you removed from there last year were entirely unsuccessful, as were my efforts to have a full healers check-up of you approved, but I believe talking about it helps." She leaned forward, her worry in her eyes and touched his hand where it rested on the bed he was perching on. "Harry if things are as bad as I believe them to be, I need time to get you some things that can help, or to make plans in case I have to kidnap you to keep you safe."

She was quite serious, Harry Potter was a lovely, polite, little boy, whom everyone overlooked and failed in some way or another. She was hardly oblivious to the fact that the Phoenix tears had found more than basilisk venom to counter in his body and hoped that the few he had in his blood could heal the worst of it.

Harry giggled and replied "thanks Madam Pomfrey, for trying to help and for the kidnap thing, I certainly needed the laugh, but why can't you just do whatever scans you think are needed?"

"I am bound by my Healer's Oath not to do so without formal consent, which as a minor you cannot provide. As for the kidnap, I was entirely serious, if things are worse than I believe, or the situation deteriorates this summer, to the point where you are in danger, I fully intend to remove you and damn the consequences. Hopefully it would kick up enough fuss that your situation would be investigated properly, rather than being hidden again; I could find work as a muggle nurse in the States if it came to it."

"Th-thank you! Nobody has ever…"at this point Harry's self-control failed and he burst into tears.

Madam Pomfrey pulled him into a hug, murmuring her plans to him as she let him cry. "Hush now, I can certainly find a way of protecting your things and your owl, I can get hold of a safe place to sleep with food even. What I can't be sure about, is protecting you outside of that safe place, from the verbal ,or any physical, abuse. That's why I want to know the details Harry, I know it will be difficult, but I can't plan until I know what I'm up against."

Slowly he began to calm down; she suspected he had never been allowed to cry openly before. She glanced at the clock seeing that his friends would probably be along in the next twenty minutes or so. She rubbed his back gently and asked "Harry dear, do you think you could tell me a little more now? I will tell you about my ideas after your friends have visited, but I expect them to be here sometime after the next twenty minutes, you can eat lunch, then read, until they arrive.

Harry gave a little hiccough, then nodded wearily, he really didn't want to talk about it, but if she was willing to even think about throwing away her life here, to keep him safe, then he would tell her what he could. Hesitantly he began in a flat monotone,

(AN: you already know this, so skip if you want)

"I guess it started the day I was dumped on their doorstep, in the middle of the night, of November 1st 1981; with just a blanket and a note pinned to my chest, according to Aunt Petunia. She didn't want another baby, so I think she did her best to ignore the fact that I existed. I don't really remember much; just that if I cried I was in trouble, nobody ever hugged me, or patched me up if I fell over, and nothing I did ever seemed to please. I honestly thought my name was Boy Freak until I started school; Uncle Vernon was really annoyed about that. Once I had started school, they decided I was old enough to 'make up for being an ungrateful waste of space' and a 'financial burden' so they began working me like a house-elf. I've been cooking since I turned seven; if I got anything wrong then they would lock me in my cupboard. They completely hid the existence of magic and the truth about my parents, I never did understand why they punished me for things that I couldn't have done, especially since it was usually Dudley. The closer it got to my eleventh birthday, the more the indifference tuned cruel, Aunt Petunia had always slapped me with little cause, but now she didn't even bother justifying it and Uncle Vernon started too. Mostly they were just unnecessarily rough whenever they dragged me somewhere rather than intentionally bruising, but Dudley has broken bones in the past when his gang attacked me. They tried to keep my Hogwarts letter from me, even gave me Dudley's second bedroom, when the letters were addressed to my bedroom in the cupboard under the stairs. Hagrid had to come and get me, from a rock in the ocean we had fled to in order to avoid the Owls, he took me to Diagon, then they locked my stuff up when I returned. They haven't tried to put me back in my cupboard, but they lock away my school stuff, when Mr Malfoy's house-elf performed a hover charm in my living room to try and keep me from coming back this year, they found out that I couldn't do magic and locked me in my bedroom. They put bars on the window and fed me through a cat flap, they hit me less now though, afraid of what might happen I guess." Harry finished finally looking up, he had been staring at his hands, as they twisted in his lap, throughout his monologue.

When Harry looked up he saw the tears streaming silently down Madam Pomfrey's face, as she tried to keep quiet through his story, she sobbed once and pulled him towards her for another hug. This time he was able to relax into it a bit more, it was less crushing than Mrs Weasley's hugs, he felt like he could escape if he wanted, but that she didn't want him to, it was …nice. "Never, ever, think any of what they did was justified Harry, nobody deserves that, especially not a wonderful, brave, caring, little boy like you. How that man can condone this I will never understand." She said releasing him.

"I think he's like most people, he doesn't want to see, so he tries very hard to ignore it, he won't even let me finish a sentence about them." Harry replied sniffing.

"I don't care, he should listen to you, to me, it's important. Well that's beside the point I suppose, I will go and have a think whilst you wait for your friends, are you going to tell them about your electives?"

"Yes" Harry grimaced slightly, "that will be a fun conversation I'm sure, can't be helped though."

Madam Pomfrey nodded and ruffled his hair again as he sat back on the bed to read, deciding to go for some lighter reading, he picked up Care of Magical creatures and began chapter two.

When Ron and Hermione arrived nearly forty minutes later, Harry had eaten his breakfast and was nibbling on the requested apple whilst reading his book. The introductory chapter had covered the basic areas of the subject and discussed what information was most vital and how to use the index features. It had also explained the monster rating system, which whilst quite subjective, he found handy. The later chapters were split alphabetically within the danger ratings, but could be searched using the keywords in the fact-file page. He really liked those pages, they always had a wizarding photograph, or portrait, of the animal and the facts were all laid out in an easy to understand manner; the further detail on each species was usually quite dry, but still interesting, especially the spells and potions that related to them. Because of this, he was actually so engrossed in reading, about Kneazles, that he didn't notice his friends enter until Hermione hrumphed in an irritated way.

Harry thought he must have jumped about a foot in surprise, which drew an appeased grin from Hermione and a snigger from Ron that he quickly attempted to smother. "Hey guys, how are you today? I was so tired; I've only been awake for about an hour and a half!"

"We're good mate, right Hermione?" Ron replied and Hermione nodded.

"How are you Harry?" Asked Hermione, concern evident in her voice.

"I'm ok Hermione, still more tired than normal, and I'm eating like Ron, but my magic problem is getting smaller. I think it might not be fixed, even for external magic, for a couple of days, but I can hold objects with passive magic now, which is useful, though I AM wearing gloves." Harry replied, as he held up his gloved hands and put the book back on the pile.

"What are you reading mate, you look like bloody Hermione with that pile?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Ron language!" Hermione admonished absently, before the words registered "Hey" she said thumping his arm. "But yes Harry, what are you reading?"

Harry laughed amused at their antics "I've been reading up on the electives. I read the introductions and first chapters of all of the normal course books; I wanted to get an idea of what the subjects were like, rather than randomly picking one. Nobody has ever had a talk with me about what they are, or what you need for careers you see, so I asked Madam Pomfrey to get me the books from the Library."

Hermione smiled pleased and pleasantly surprise at his reasoning, "Good idea Harry, so what did you decide?"

"Thanks Hermione, well I figured Muggle studies might be the stuff we would have been doing at Secondary School, so I looked at that first, but it isn't. It might be good for a laugh from our perspective, but not much else Hermione, it's hopelessly outdated and from what I remember of our science lessons, frequently wrong. I mean according to the book Muggles still use gas lights, and cars wind up with a man to walk in front, most people still travel by horse!"

Hermione looked outraged and like she was going to jump in, in defence of the course "I'm not saying wizards understanding Muggles is bad idea Hermione, but judging by the book you and I would learn nothing, mind you we could probably take the exam to get a free OWL. It might be worth a wizard raised person taking, but only if they supplemented it with some muggle encyclopaedias or something."

Ron looked thoughtful, "so I might learn something, but some of it would be wrong? I'll have to think about it."

Hermione looked outraged "how can they allow things to be taught that are wrong!"

"I don't know, but if I had to guess, I'd say that people like Malfoy don't want word getting out about all of the things muggles can do that wizards can't." Harry reasoned hoping to calm her, after a few more dark mutterings she subsided.

"Ok so Divination next, I checked with Madam Pomfrey, but the impression I got, was that you need one of the specific inborn talents to be any good at it, and that they only apply to a limited area, which might not even be covered by the curriculum. I can't see a job where theoretical knowledge, but the inability to use it in any way, would be beneficial and it looks like the results are pretty damn ambiguous even if you do have talent."

"Language Harry, so you're saying Divination is useless?" Hermione asked.

"Unless you have a talent, in which case, one on one tutoring in your skill would be better, yes." Harry replied firmly.

"So why do they teach it?"

"I'm not sure, perhaps some believe it, or the talents used to be more common, I did see some reference to skills anyone could use, but the book also said that they were now banned magic, so perhaps the course used to cover those."

"Alright so what are you taking?" Ron asked "you've ruled out all the easy subjects."

"Care, Runes and Arithmancy, if I find I lack the aptitude for one, or I can't cope with the homework load, I will drop my worst." Harry replied promptly and then decided to give Ron some advice "Ron a lot of careers don't require more than a couple of specific NEWTs, if you've got nothing in mind just worry about getting the highest grades possible since a lot of the jobs required a certain number of OWLs and NEWTs at a certain level."

"So I could still take Divination and Care?" Ron asked.

"Yeah" Harry replied, "you should be able to learn the theory and fake it for Divination, but there is no way you could get an O in it without a gift, you might have one though, the Weasleys are an old family after all."

"Alright, I'm going home early like a lot of people, so I can talk to my parents before the choices have to be made at the end of the summer. Are you sure about your courses Harry, Arithmancy is supposed to be really hard?"

"From what I can see, the first year course covers stuff I did at school and the magical properties of numbers, spell deconstruction isn't for a while, the book says that if you liked muggle math you are likely to be good at Arithmancy at least to OWL level and, math was my favourite subject. Runes looked really interesting; I can do loads of memorisation this summer, if I can find a way to keep my school trunk from being locked up. I'm wondering if some part of Runes relates to a Potter family talent, it just seemed right when I opened the book."

"Oh yeah mate, that's a talent awakening, you've got to take Runes then and if you take Runes you might as well take Arithmancy since they work together, most jobs that want one need the other to." Ron was smiling now that he understood where this change was coming from; family magic did funny things to a person.

"Uh hello," Hermione said "family magics?"

"I guess it's like speciation Hermione, people who were good with Runes married people who were good with Runes or Herbology to Herbology, whatever. Eventually they became an established ancient family and began to exhibit skills that nobody else had, because their cores were more in tune with a certain area of magic." Harry explained.

"I think I told Harry about it when I explained about the twins having some abilities blocked as small children, we were talking about the difference between family magic and a family's magics yeah?" Ron continued.

"That's right," Harry replied, "thanks for telling me by the way, I might not have paid attention to feeling otherwise."

"No worries mate" Ron responded and the three of them spent the next hour or so chatting about the coming year and the summer holidays, before Harry's friends left for the day and Madam Pomfrey came back to talk to him.