Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters. J.K. Rowling owns them all.

A/N: Here you are. I estimate less than ten chapters left, but then again I'm not very good at estimating at all, so who knows how long it really could turn out to be. Also, I know this is really short, but I want the next chapter to detail the rest, so review anyways please.

Chapter 18

Severus stared down at the Boy Who Lived, shock making a rushing white noise in his ears. He blinked rapidly, wondering, for the briefest of moments, if this was a joke, if he had someone found about Severus' own identical scars and was taunting him about them, but the thought was gone as soon as it had come. He knew there was no way that anyone knew about the scars on his back and, as much as he hated to admit it, Harry Potter really was a good person and would not make fun of something like that.

So that led to one conclusion.

The Boy Who Lived, the Golden Boy, Leader of the Golden Trio, the Chosen One, who they had all been watching for years now and passing judgment on, had been abused.

Finally Severus got control of his shock and realized that Potter was having a panic attack. He scooted closer hesitantly and placed a hand on the boy's bony and bare shoulder.

"Potter, calm down," He bid gently, trying to remember back to when Draco had first dealt with his father's abuse. It had been a while back, because the abuse had lessened a great deal by the time Draco had gotten into his third year, but Severus could remember that keeping his voice gentle and calling him by name had helped. He placed his other hand on Potter's shoulder and stilled him gently. "Harry, calm down. Take deep breaths."

Potter's, no Harry's, breath was still coming in harsh pants and Severus feared that if he continued he would no longer have consciousness.

"Harry," He repeated. He grabbed his chin gently and forced their eyes to meet. "You are at Hogwarts and are safe." He repeated this mantra and it finally seemed to sink into Harry's mind. His breath slowly evened out and his green eyes, identical to his mother's, cleared the foggy look of panic and filled with something akin to shame.

"Sorry," Harry cleared his throat, his face lightening up into a blush and his eyes darting away from contact.

"It's okay," Severus said, removing one of his hands. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Harry said. Then he continued on, his voice embarrassed and rushed, as if he thought that Severus would judge him for what he said next. "I just couldn't get the sound of him threatening me if I ever told out of my head until yours replaced his."

"By him I assume you mean your Uncle?" Severus asked. Fury boiled up underneath his skin abruptly. It did not matter how much he liked the child in question, there was no excuse for anybody to abuse any child. "Was he the one who did the abusing?"

"It was mostly him," Harry admitted. "Although sometimes my aunt or cousin would join in,"

Severus' fury did something he did not expect could actually happen, and it burned brighter. Lily had loved her sister. She had trusted her. And although they had had their differences, Severus had always thought that Petunia had gotten over it in the face of Lily's child. He couldn't believe she had still held such a grudge after all of these years.

"Couldn't get over your jealousy, could you Petunia?" He growled. Harry looked up at him in surprise.

"You know my aunt?" He asked. Severus opened his mouth to answer and then realized that he did not want tell his life's story to a half-naked and still very bruised Boy Who Lived.

"You come back to my dungeons and tell me everything and I will tell you the whole tale," He wagered. Harry looked around and then blushed once again. Severus could not believe that Harry Potter was a blusher, just like his mother. Whenever he had seen him he had always been too filled with pride for any color to fill his cheeks. Or at least what Severus had assumed was pride. In light of new discoveries, it was possible it had been something very different.

"How do you think I got here?" Harry asked. "Hermione says that apparition is impossible inside Hogwarts."

"Unless Hogwarts is the one doing the apparition," Severus said. "I suspect the castle helped you out a little."

"The castle helped me?" Harry repeated. Severus shrugged.

"The castle had been known to take care of its own." He explained. He noticed that Harry had not moved from his position on the floor and held out a hand for him to take. He knew that unless he pushed him Harry would not gladly tell him the whole story.

Harry hesitated, and then, symbolically, reached out a hand to allow Severus to pull him to his feet.