AN: Thanks to the two people who made the effort to write a review! Two more than I expected that's awesome. This chapter was a bit rough two write cause it contained a lot of fact talk and no real interaction between Harry and Severus. I do plan to have more interaction between them in the next chapter of course!
- It would be highly appreciated IF, no WHEN you come across any obvious/annoying grammar mistakes to write them in a review. I can only do the best that I as a native Dutch speaker am capable of and will remove the mistakes :) -
Snape saw the child fall. What happened now? A child never collapse? He quickly picked the boy up and rushed to the hospital wing. At moments like these he hated those blasted anti-apparition wards. What if the child was dying in his arms? In all the years he had been a potion teacher no one in his classroom had had anything worse than a burn, but now this child might possible die from side along appiration with him? Snape swore another time under his breath, but kept on running. He only hoped that Poppy was back from here holiday in France.
Soon enough when he ran into the hospital wing he saw Poppy making one of the beds.
"Poppy, please give me a hand" he shouted from the door of the hospital wing.
Poppy spined around and looked shocked at the child that Snape had in his hands. While Poppy was obviously trying to figure out what had happened Snape put Harry on the nearest bed. He started a quick diagnostic spell, but stopped when Poppy cast a more advanced diagnostic spell on Harry.
"Who is this and what happend Severus" Poppy asked, while looking at the list of results that was appearing in front of her.
"This here is Mr. Potter, I just took him from his abusice relatives to Hogwarts through side-along apparation. When we landed at Hogwarts Mr. Potter started vomiting and soon after that collapsed."
The list with results finally finished and Snape saw Poppy's face get more white while reading it.
"What is it Poppy?"
"The list of results shows nothing immediately life threatening, but Mr. Potter has several health problems that have to be treated, some of them immediately or he might not make it. It's even a wonder that the child made it to the hospital wing. Besides a long list of never proper healed bones, he also is severe malnourished. As a result of years of lack of proper feeding he is really small in both height and weight. The child has only a height of 1.28m and weights no more than 23 kg. "
These results shocked Snape quite a bit. Sure he had seen that the child was small, but this?
"Will he be able to get back to full health ,Poppy?"
"With the right treatment? Probably, however the recovery will be rather long, and require quite some effort of him. He also might never reach his full height that he would have had when proper fed."
"We should probably floo call Albus and let him know Mr. Potter is here. If you start healing him in the mean time?" Snape asked, knowing that Albus wouldn't be happy if he didn't let him know that Harry was here.
" Sure no problem, just ask Albus to floo to my office, so we can discuss the results and treatment"
Snape walked to Poppy her office so and floo called Albus, asking him to come over.
Not even 2 minutes later the three of them were sitting around Poppy's desk.
"So Severus, tell me from the beginning what happened when you visited young Mr. Potter?"
" Well as agreed I would do the big check-up for Mr. Potter this time. When I was in the house I was met by the uncle of Mr. Potter, who didn't seem all that happy that I was there, but called Mr. Potter for me eventually." I wasn't happy to be there either, but okay. "When I asked Mr. Potter where his room was he showed me the cupboard where he was living in. Can you believe that Albus? A cupboard! Of course I had already seen how small the child was, but I only realised how bad it was when I saw the bruises on his arm and he flinched when I wanted to have a look at them. "
" And you were sure this all wasn't, because he had been a bit clumsy at the playground? And James Potter wasn't that big when he first came to Hogwarts as well, remember?"
At hearing the name of his youth enemy Snape felt himself becoming angry, but before he had the change to say anything Poppy already spoke up
"Albus have you even seen the child? It's clear the boy is abused!" She took the list of results and showed them to Albus. While Albus read over the list the sparkle left his eyes.
"Okay it is obviously that Harry can't remain with his relatives, even though it's very dangerous for him to leave the blood, but from the results it's clear that he isn't much safer the house of his relatives. Now Severus where would you suggest we place the boy?"
He saw the sparkle coming back in Albus his eyes. Well the Weasleys already had enough children and didn't need another child with special needs, the Malfoy's had played too big of a roll in the last war and weren't and option either. " Maybe Minerva?"
"Ah Severus you say something there, but you can't forget that as a Deputy Headmistres,Head of House and teacher she doesn't have much time left to care for Harry. I was actually thinking that you would be the right person Severus"
He must have gone mad after all " Surely Albus you can see that I am not the right person to raise the spawn of James Potter? "
"You and he are more alike than you might think my dear boy, and you must not forget that he is the son of Lily as well."
" Surely there are other professors who can take him in and can offer the child more than me"
This time it was Poppy who spoke up " I agree with Albus, Severus. You would indeed be a good fit for Mr. Potter. He will need someone who is strict, but can show love. And after all I know what kind of friend you were for Lilly. I often saw you together walking around the lake in the early days."
In that aspect she was right, he and Lilly had been really good friends. And he had promised to protect the boy.
"Do it for me my boy. Give Harry the change I could never offer you"
At that Severus agreed, he knew himself how it was to have a not horrible childhood and wanted to save the child of making the mistakes he had made himself as a result of his experience.
"Okay, I will do it, however if I raise Mr. Potter I will be the one who makes the rules for the boy and sets punishment without interference of you guys. I will try to think of the boy as a child of Lily and not only as a child of James and offer him the support he needs. I would however ask your assistance Poppy, with getting him back to optimal health. I would also ask you to help me think of an idea what I can do with the boy during the day when I have go back to teaching Albus, but we can do that in a week or so."
"Of course we will help you Severus" was the quick answer of Albus. " However if you wouldn't mind I will leave you and Poppy alone to discuss the health of Mr. Potter, because I have an appointment at the Ministry. I will speak of the arrangements made with you later Poppy." And with that Albus walked to the floo and disappeared.
"Okay Severus, I will make a copy of the results and give it to you. You should go to bed now and get some sleep. The boy will have no use of you if you are half asleep. Besides that Mr. Potter will sleep through the night anyway given the amount of sleeping draught I gave to him. I would however ask you to brew some nourishment potions and take them with you and then meet me at 7.30 AM in my office. I will make sure to have a draft of a treatment plan for the obvious health issues, but we will figure more out tomorrow"
"Sure Poppy, I could indeed use some sleep. I will meet you here tomorrow at 7.30 sharp"
Of course he wouldn't go to bed right now since it was only 10 PM and he had way too much to think about. Like why again had he accepted the Potter boy?
Next up: How will Harry react when Severus tells him he is his new guardian? And what support/treatment will Harry need to regain full health?
Reviews would be very much appreciated and make my day!