Looking for a beta reader, if interested please PM me. As you can tell I'm not too knowledgeable about the Potter-verse, so a preference to someone that is very knowledgeable to help me catch my goofs.

"Isss he here?" a serpentine voice hissed out softly, yet loudly enough to rouse Harry from his sleep. The stabbing pain of his scar might have helped that little fact.

"Y...yes master..." A nervous voice answered, which Harry could swear was familiar, but couldn't place it. His mind felt foggy with having just been woken up, and the pain wasn't helping matters. In fact, he couldn't even think of where he was currently. The last thing he remembered was going into a private room with Fred to talk with him, George and Hermione about his home life. But then it became blank.

Harry didn't hear anything more out of them, save for a rustling in one of the cabinets with a lot of clinking of glass wear, possibly potion bottles if he was in the infirmary like the smell suggested. "Thisss potion shhhhould work..." the first voice hissed again, before a cupboard door was shut. "Ressstrain him... we shhhhall end hissss my nemessssiss now..."

Again the quavering voice spoke up quietly while Harry heard footsteps approaching. "Y...yes m...master..." Instead of trying to figure out why that voice sounded familiar, Harry grab the first thing he could to serve as a weapon. He wasn't sure how much good the chamber pot would do, but it might just save his life.

Gathering his legs under him, he blinked when the footsteps stopped and he heard the master's voice again. "Ssssomeone comessss... let ussss depart..."

As the footsteps left, Harry decided it was alright if he dared to breath, and let out the air his lungs had been holding. He relaxed slightly, letting the 'weapon' settle down on the mattress, while looking around the area. He was exposed, and Vernon could get him easily. Wait... that's right... Vernon wasn't around, since he wouldn't be caught dead anywhere near Hogwarts. He was safe from him... but someone else was trying to kill him.

Maybe he should rethink his education path...

A moment later, the door opened, and a pair of footsteps approached. "Mr. Potter?" Harry heard the voice of Albus Dumbledore ask cautiously, while Harry stiffened. "Could you put the chamber pot down? I mean you no harm..."

"Professor? I... I had a nightmare I think... must have been the medicine..." Harry admitted while settling back into the bed, the chamberpot going back to his bedside table. "I mean my scar hurt, but that could have triggered it, because there was a hissing voice that sounded like a half-dead snake being squeezed of air, and some stuttering voice that I couldn't make out quite well..."

"What medicine are you talking about Mr. Potter?" another voice spoke up, causing Harry to notice Madam Pomfrey for the first time. "I haven't given you any, since your bruises were already mostly mended, and the other damage is too old for me, maybe a cosmetic medi-witch or medi-wizard could, but I wanted to talk to you about your time before Hogwarts before I tried Nutrient supplements for your malnourishment, or even attempted to do anything about your panic attack..."

Harry's breath seized up in his chest again, as he realized just what had happened. "B... But... that... that... means... and I..." Harry started, before he found himself gasping for air, his head getting dizzy. He'd really was being attacked by someone who had only left because someone was coming. His attack began weakening as he realized that he was able to respond to the threat. He was ready to defend himself. Focusing on that, he worked himself past the current panic attack, getting his breathing under control he was able to see the worried look on the older teacher's faces. "I was going to fight back..."

"Very good Mr. Potter..." Albus stated with a twinkle in his eye, finding something inside the boy. "It would seem the sorting hat was right... you do have a Gryffindor's courage, and the wisdom of Ravenclaw." At Harry's started look, he patted the boy on the knee. "The sorting hat and your teachers discuss students at the beginning of the year. Now... about those voices hmm? What were they going to do?"

"Uh... they said something about tying me down and forcing me to drink a potion..." Harry explained while shaking his head. After a moment he pointed off to his left, where he'd heard the voices. "I think they were over there... and left shortly before you came..."

"Did they return the potion to the cupboard?" Albus asked curiously, while Madam Pomfrey went over to take inventory.

"I don't think so sir... W...why were they after me sir? I... I just want to live my life..." Harry admitted, while hugging the knee on his good side to his chest, revealing just how small he truly was.

Albus took a moment looking at the boy to think his words through before reaching over and rubbing his shoulder. "I'm sad to say Harry, that when evil is defeated, it is often only weakened... but with enough training, I'm certain you and your friends can overcome it..."

"Albus... it's the Shrinking Solution..." Madam Pomfrey stated when she arrived at Dumbledore's side. "With as much as he took..."

The grave looks on the adults' faces told Harry just how close he'd come to being shrunk to death. Going to a school far, far, faaaaaar away from Great Britain was looking all the more promising every second. Maybe it would have been better if he never left the cupboard under the stairs, at least there he didn't have psychos out to kill him. But he'd have never met Hermione... or the Twins, he reminded himself. And it was pretty awesome being at school so far, save for the panic attacks, the psychos out to kill him for something he had no control over, and professors that glared at him for no apparent reasons.

What was the number of that school in Australia again? Maybe he could even pay for Hermione... and the twins... to go with him.

"Professor? Would it be alright if I get something to eat? I think I missed dinner..." Harry asked, trying to lighten the oppressive mood. "Just some plain oatmeal or something..."

"Poppy?" Albus asked, deferring to the medi-witch. He agreed that the boy should eat something if he was hungry, he was already far too thin, but she would know better what he needed.

"Let me finish examining him first, and he'll probably need a nutrient supplement with his meal, but oatmeal should be fine... a slightly smaller bowl than normal if you don't mind..." Madam Pomfrey answered while weaving her wand over Harry's body. "Now let's see... hmm... your magical reserves have done a good job to keep you alive this far Mr. Potter. It seems that if you stick to the nutrient supplement potions I'll provide you for supper, you should recover enough to eat properly at the Christmas Feast. Try to avoid fatty or greasy foods, and don't overeat."

"Yes ma'am..." Harry answered nervously under her glare. "Uh... wh...what's going to happen to me?"

"Well the nutrient potions will help jump start your body's re-adaptation of absorbing nutrients from food," Madam Pomfrey started, while summoning a chart from her office. "Let me explain..."

"Sorry ma'am, I meant more... What happens now that... you know..." Harry explained while indicating his still bruised side. "I... I don't want to go to an orphanage..."

Dumbledore frowned and stroked his beard in thought, he'd feared Harry would ask about this. But had hoped he'd have waited a little longer before asking. "Your care takers will be prosecuted, however, we will do our best to keep your name out of the public media releases. But I fear that it will not do much good..."

"I see... then..." Harry started looking down at his hands nervously. "If I can't go back to Privet Drive... then... what..."

"Oh, you have a year to plan that my boy," Albus spoke up, trying to get Harry to not focus on the dark thoughts building inside of him. "I... I do have to apologize, I had someone watching you, but they never reported your mistreatment... I will have to investigate the matter with Mrs. Figg as soon as possible..."

"Mrs. Figg? The crazy lady with her cats?" Harry asked in shock, before the pieces fell into place. "But if she was a witch, why didn't she help me out? If she was watching me, she should have known how the Dursley's treated me and... well she did feed me, and I was safe there... if bored..."

"And I fear that the reason is easy enough for you to figure out Mr. Potter..." Albus answered, while stroking his beard.

Harry paused to think on the matter for a moment, putting it into proper context. After only a moment of thought, he had his answer. "If they'd thought I was having fun while there, they'd never have let me come back..."

A nod from the headmaster, confirmed Harry's logic, just in time for him to get a potion that reminded him faintly of baby vomit after it had eaten strained peas, experience had taught him nothing good came with that color, and he had a feeling from the smell, that particular truth would hold true once again. "Go on now Mr. Potter, drink it all gone."

Deciding that the best course of action would be to drink it as fast as possible, he let out a breath and began gulping down the vile concoction. After the initial gag reflex had passed, he noticed that there was just the faintest hint of rancid milk to the flavor. Oh yeah, the next few months were going to be a real treat, weren't they?

The sudden stop of fluids from the bottle came as a surprise to him, as did the smell that greeted him when the vile mix had vanished. He'd never known that plain oatmeal could smell so wonderfully, nor that the taste could possibly be so magical as to make him want to weep and cry out to the heavens in praise and thanksgiving. Or maybe it was just that potion was that nasty.

Either way he savored the miraculous sensation of eating oatmeal, until after a mere ten minutes of nearly heavenly bliss, he passed out into his bowl of oatmeal. "Oh, I should have warned him about how tired that potion makes one..." Poppy offered with a sigh as she plucked the sickly Ravenclaw out of his oatmeal and used a simple spell to clean him off.

"I'm sure he's aware of this Poppy..." Albus stated calmly while tucking the boy in. "Please make sure to wake him early enough that you can check him out in time to get to class if he wants. I won't force him... but it may be best he does not dwell on matters..."

The matron of the healing arts nodded her head calmly while she finished cleaning up the area. "Of course Albus..." After a moment she stood up and began escorting the headmaster out the door. "I don't mean to pry Albus... but what will be happening now?"

"I will contact Mrs. Figg's contact to me about the matter with Mr. Potter's treatment at the hands of his relatives, and talk to Mrs. Figg herself about the matter. Mr. Potter will remain in Hogwarts' protective care until this summer, where I am uncertain of what will happen..." Age seemed to be crushing every fiber of his being as he looked wearily at the glass pane of the door into Hogwarts proper. "His aunt and cousin will most likely be brought up on charges in a muggle court, while Vernon Dursley will be dealt with in Wizarding Court, unless the Goblins wish to take the case, being as they witnessed the good faith agreement..."

Letting out a heavy, bone tired sigh, the old man continued. "I should have known when we had so much difficulties in regards to his letter, but I did nothing Poppy. Oh, and as for his visitors... I am sorry, but I will have to seal the medical wing for the night... would you prefer inside or out?"

"Inside Albus, he should not be alone..." Poppy answered as they parted at the door. "Never in my life have I ever wished to cause harm to someone Albus... but..."

"I understand Poppy..." Albus assured her as he patted a shoulder lightly. His eyes grew distant and sad, as though remembering something from the distant past. "I apologize for the being the cause of all this..."

"Albus... you couldn't have possibly known..." Poppy answered rubbing the side of his cheek. "You should take a vacation sometime... maybe find a nice guy and..."

"Not while he still hurts others I can't Poppy, you know that, but I will consider it," Albus assured her gently. Once the medical ward was sealed, he went to his office, and began sorting through the files regarding Harry over the years. All the reports were signed by one Miss Prewitt, and for the life of him, he couldn't remember the woman's face. So instead he made a note to floo-call Mrs. Figg tomorrow.