Chapter 3: When You Gotta Go, You Gotta Go (Batman Makes a House Call)

As Arabella Figg stood over Harry, praying he would wake up soon, there was a pounding on the door. Vernon Dursley started yelling about calling the authorities if Harry didn't come out right this instant and come home. He also threatened to turn Arabella in for harboring a runaway. All Arabella could do was stand there, wringing her hands and wishing she could do magic.

Arabella carefully knelt down as best she could with a cast on her lower leg, and took a good look at Harry. The gash on Harry's head had reopened blood had run down his face and into his eyes. He also had a cut just barely under his right eye and his bottom lip was split and puffy. He had fresh bruising on his left cheek as well as on his lower jawbone. She carefully checked, and found that at least there were no breaks in his nose or jaw. There were also days-old bruises all over him.

Next, Arabella looked at Harry's arms. He had a combination of old and new bruises all over them, as if he had tried protecting his head and face from repeated blows. When she lifted his shirt a little, Arabella gave a little hiss, because his ribs were badly bruised. As she gently prodded his ribs, she heard a hiss and a growl from behind her. Arabella looked over her shoulder, and saw Snuggles all fluffed up and looking like he wanted to take a piece out of Vernon Dursley, who was still pounding on the door, threatening Harry and using obscene language.

She went back to inspecting Harry's ribs, and thought that at least one or two were at least cracked, if not broken. That would have to wait until magical help arrived, though. Carefully, Arabella stood back up. After one last bang on the door and a shouted threat, Cernon finally left and Snuggles calmed down a bit, walked over to Harry and started sniffing at him.

Arabella Figg then looked at Snuggles and remembered. There was help there, after all. "Leo, " Arabella said, "I need your help. I'm a squib and he's too big for me to pick up." Snuggles looked up at her worried face, sniffed at Harry one last time, then nodded. Slowly, Snuggles started to grow and change. A moment later, a young teenaged boy was standing there.

Leo was a 12 year old boy who would have stood about a half-head taller than Harry. He had long, straight, silvery-blonde hair with blood-red tips. His eyes were red, and he had a black crescent-shaped celtic tattoo on the left side of his face that started just below his hairline, and ended just above his upper jawbone. He was vampire pale, but had rosy cheeks. He was wearing a black Ozzy Osbourne t-shirt with cut off sleeves, black denim pants and black motorcycle boots.

Leo pulled a wand out of his pocket smoothly, giving it a bit of a flick, then Harry slowly levitated up and floated until he was hovering just over the couch. Harry was then slowly lowered down until he was laid gently on the couch.

Leo then put his wand back in his back pocket and turned to speak to Mrs. Figg. "He's gonna be out just a bit longer. His head needs cleanin' and some ice. Severus should be here any second, so get ready to leave. Doona fash, though. Me mum 'as taken care of yer room at the Leaky Cauldron. It be time for me to turn back into Snuggles. Ye'll be lettin' me out so I can meet me mum at the corner, aye?" At Mrs. Figg's nod, he turned back into a cat and went to the door, just as there was a tap on it.

Arabella Figg walked to the door and checked. It was Severus Snape. She opened the door to let him in. As Severus walked in, he looked down, and stepped to the side a bit to let the cat run out before closing the door once again. Severus gave a bit of a smile and thought, "So that's how Minerva knew. Her cat was here," then quietly asked Arabella where Harry was.

About that time, Harry gave a bit of a moan and started moving, holding his ribs with one hand, his head with the other. Severus heard the moan and walked over to the couch quickly, looking a bit like a bat as his black robe billowed out around him, his face turning pale. "What the blazes happened to him?" Severus asked. He looks like he had the bloody hell beaten out of him!" "That's because the fat boy and, I suspect, the father did beat him up at least twice since Tuesday, last." Arabella replied as she was wetting a soft cloth to clean Harry up a bit.

"Water," Harry requested in a whisper, as if he was afraid to talk any louder. Arabella sat softly on the edge of the couch and started carefully cleaning the wounds on Harry's face and head. "I'm sorry, honey, but you might get sick if we give you water right now," said Arabella. "Won't matter," said Harry. "I'm gonna be sick anyway. I haven't eaten yet, so it'll be worse if I throw up nothing at all." "He's right," Severus quietly broke in, startling Harry and causing him to flinch. "Harry, you need to sit up, though. I wouldn't want you to choke on the water or vomit. Arabella, can you get Harry a glass of water, please?"

Harry, turning a little green, swallowed and said, "Okay," then attempted to sit up, keeping his eyes closed and his arms around his sore ribs." When Severus attempted to help Harry sit up, Harry flinched away from him and put his hands out in front of him in a defensive posture. "Sorry, sir," Harry said. "I can do it myself." Severus' eyes flashed as he moved quickly toward the front door, once again looking bat-like.

Arabella Figg walked out of the kitchen and stopped long enough to hand a now sitting Harry a glass of water, then walking as quickly as her cast allowed, tried to stop Severus. "No, Severus," she said. "Don't do anything right now. We have to think about Harry. The muggle authorities may be here in about a half-hour, or less." Severus closed his eyes a second and seemed to calm down just a bit. "All right. It can wait a bit, but before we leave, I am having a talk with them," Severus finally answered her. Severus then walked back over to the couch, grabbing a small rubbish bin just in time for Harry to vomit up the water he had just been drinking. After Harry finished emptying his stomach, he tried to apologise to the adults for the mess. Severus looked at him and said, "There's no apology expected. Harry, I suspect you have a concussion from the blows to the head. Now, lay down and get some rest. We will be leaving here soon." "Where're we going?" Harry said with a slight slur. "You're coming to stay with me, where you will be safe." was Severus' reply. As Harry lay back down, Severus mumbled a couple words. A few seconds later, Harry's body went slack, and his breathing became regular as he fell into a magic sleep. "He should be asleep for the trip to my place now. I'll heal the worst of his injuries before he awakes," Severus told Arabella. "Now, are you ready to go?"

Arabella nodded "yes," then asked Severus, "Will you send these two cages and my valise to the Leaky Cauldron for me?" Severus took out his wand and pointed it at her luggage, which disappeared. Arabella took a pinch of powder from a bowl on her mantle, then threw it on the fire, turning it green. She grabbed her purse, stepped into the fireplace, said "The Leaky Cauldron," then with a whoosh, disappeared.

Severus Snape stood there, looking at the sleeping Harry. He noted that not all the bruises were from that day. It appeared that Harry had been beaten at least one other time in the last week. He saw the yellowing bruise from Vernon's hand on Harry's arm. He suspected that Harry had been feeling very poorly indeed for at least a few days already, based on how he had sounded when he had tried to talk. Severus spun around and leaving Harry on the couch for the moment, walked back out the front door, pulling his wand out of it's holster and headed for the Dursley's house next door.

Severus unlocked and opened the door using his wand, then headed for the sounds of voices talking. As he walked into the sitting room, he found the Dursleys, arguing about whether or not the authorities should be called. He spotted the Smelting stick in Dudley's hand and about lost it. Before any of the Dursleys could spot him in their house, he had cast incarcerous and langelock on all three of them where they sat, and grabbed the stick out of Dudley's hand and snapped it over his knee.

"Now that I have your undivided attention, there is something that I think that you should hear. First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Severus Snape, and I am Harry's godfather. Now, for the reason why I am here. You do realize of course that Harry is next door right now, but do you realize or even care about the extent of his injuries, which were caused in part by this man's hand, (looking at Vernon Dursley) and in part by this boy's stick? (looking at Dudley)"

"Just for your information, I am going to be getting a hold of the ministry for magic, and giving them a catalog of all his injuries, both new and old. He has a serious concussion, bruises and lacerations on his face. He has old bruising as well as fresh welts all over his arms. On his left arm is also the very distinct hand print of Mr. Dursley, here. His ribs are severely bruised, and he has at least one or more broken ribs. I didn't get a chance to check his legs. He is in too much pain for me to remove his pants right now to look."

"Now for you, Petunia. Yes, I still recognise that horsey face of yours from when we were young kids. Harry is your only sister's son, yet you allow your husband and son to abuse him in this way. From what I've been hearing, you've also been making Harry do all the yard work and housework, while letting your son do what the bloody hell he wants. When you don't feel like dealing with Harry, you then lock him up and damn near starve him. This neglect is just as bad, if not worse than what your husband and son have been doing to him. At least he will heal from the physical abuse."

"Shame on both you adults, if anyone can even consider you that. You are supposed to protect all children! Not just your son, but all children! I am going to be taking my leave of you all in a second. If Harry comes back here next summer, I better not hear of you three mistreating him in any way! Harry is coming with me, now and will be staying with me for the duration of the summer. Since I happen to have the wills of both his parents, naming me his godfather, there is not anything you can do about it. Now, Good Day!"

Severus then spun around and stalked out of the house, shutting and locking the door as he went. He sent a quick patronus to the Office of Obliviators, letting them know that they were going to have to change a few memories, then walked back into Arabella Figg's house.

Severus walked over to the couch and looked down at the sleeping boy for a couple minutes. For the first time in almost 10 years, he wanted to cry. Not for himself, though, but for what Harry had been through for all this time. Then, squatting down, he carefully and gently picked Harry up, his arms under the shoulders and legs. He stood up, gave a half-turn, then disappeared, leaving the house empty.