Chapter 6
September 25th, 1991
In the Hospital Wing

The last 3 weeks at Hogwarts had been a mixed bag for Harry. One hand, his expectation that his life at Hogwarts would different than before was not complete wrong.

He had his first friend in Neville. He never got have friends before because Dudley used to scare them off. He was always alone and lonely. Having a friend was new feeling to him. Knowing that there was someone who would spend time with you doing fun things, who would tell you things, who wouldn't make fun of you and would even do something as mundane as do homework, this was something he had never experienced before. He liked this. He liked having Neville as his friend.

He was also enjoying his classes. The way you could transform a match into a needle, the way you could make anything fly using charms, learning what various stars in the night sky meant, learning about various kinds of dark creatures and spells against them and seeing the different magical plants, Harry was enjoying all of it. History of Magic however was boring. Throughout the three weeks, Professor Binns had only taught them about Goblins wars, which made the entire class fall asleep. But his favourite was without a doubt Potions. Even when he was just reading the various books when he was at the Dursley's. it was Potions which caught his interest the most. Actually, making them just increased his interest and liking for the subject. He liked the other subjects as well, especially DADA and Charms, but Potions was his favourite. Learning about the various ingredients used, how they interacted with each other, how specific cauldron and phials were used to make and store specific potions, all of these interested him a lot. But the thing that fascinated him the most was how even the smallest amount of any ingredient could change the potion. All of these made Potions the most interesting to him.

While he saw the Potions professor, Severus Snape, looking at him a lot, weirdly the professor never said anything to him. It was the same in the other classes. He knew that every professor viewed him differently from other students. There was look of questioning in their eyes, as if what Harry would do next. At first he didn't know why this was the case. But after Neville told him his story, he understood why this was the case. But since the professors were not doing anything to him and treating him like other students, he was fine with them looking at him.

But all was not good. The students didn't trust him one bit. Other than Neville, no one talked with him. Most of them ignored his existence. But there were some in the Gryffindor house who talked loudly about him. Not one of it was good. If the Gryffindor's weren't doing anything, Malfoy and his gang were always there to bully him, taunt him or ridicule him.

Right now, Harry was going to the Hospital Wing. The matron, Madam Pomfrey had called him to come to her office. He had no idea why she had called him. Neville had told him that Madam Pomfrey was a very kind hearted but strict woman. But even he had no idea why she was calling him. He saw the door to the hospital wing in front of him. Bracing himself, he pushed the door and went inside.

Madam Pomfrey was sitting on a table at the end of the room. She saw Harry enter the room and saw him coming towards her. She stood up and waited for Harry to come. She saw that he was bracing himself for something bad. She could also see the curiosity in his eyes. She said, "Don't worry yourself Mr. Potter. I have called you for a regular check-up. If you stand still, I will cast few painless spells on you. If that is ok to you." Harry just nodded, not knowing what these spells would do. In his experiences, whenever an adult told him it something would be painless, it was always painful.

Pomfrey casted a spell on Harry. His body started glowing. Each part of his body was illuminated in different shades of the color red. The color was brightest near his arms and then his chest while his legs were the dullest. To his horror, he realized that color was brightest where he knew his bones had been broken by Vernon and Dudley. Madam Pomfrey looked carefully and made some notes. She then casted another spell on him. Unlike the last time, this time blue color came out of his body. Madam Pomfrey didn't like this, if her expressions were an indicator, for she had a worried look on her face. And she then casted one last spell. The color this time was green. Again, the shades were different. This time it was brightest near his stomach. Madam Pomfrey looked carefully and then asked Harry to sit down.

She sat on her chair and said, "Mr. Potter. The three spells I used on you tell me very alarming things. The first one tells me how many bones have been broken and then been mended by magic. Your arms and your chest were the brightest. Which means many of your bones there have been broken. The brightness is something no kid your age should ever have. The second one tells me how malnourished you are. I knew you were too short for someone your age. You also are too lean. I knew that this spell would give a bright shade. But I didn't expect the level of brightness the spell showed me. The last spell tells me about the scars on your body which have again been healed by magic. Combining the three spells, what I have learned is not good Mr. Potter. You need to take lots of potions to recover from them."

Harry didn't know what to say. Part of him was very angry on what Madam Pomfrey had found out. He didn't want anyone to know that part of him. But now she knew about it. But part of him was surprised that she wanted to help him. She wanted him to be normal. He didn't know what to do now. He had never been in a situation where an adult wanted to help him. He didn't know how to deal with this situation.

Before he could say anything, Madam Pomfrey asked, "Why did you not come to me Mr. Potter? You should have come to me. I would have helped you." Before he could even think, words tumbled out of him, "And what use will that be Madam Pomfrey? After days and months of care, I would be healthy. All my bones mended; all scars gone. And after that, what happens when the year is over and I go home for summer? I don't think I need to tell you what will happen. I will come back in the same, if not worse, state. Bones broken, scars all over my body. This is what I am. There is no use Madam Pomfrey. Being like this is what I am used to all my life."

Harry had turned away from Madam Pomfrey, not wanting her to see he tears in his eyes. It was as if years of anger had come out of him. All the anger at the world, the resentment with his life, the shame at being different from others, being called a freak and then bullied, everything came out of him. He hadn't wanted to lay it all on Madam Pomfrey. After furiously wiping his tears, he turned back to apologize to Madam Pomfrey.

Pomfrey was distraught from what she heard Harry say. At an age when he should have been a young, happy, carefree boy, he was instead a scared, recluse boy who was most likely abused by his relatives. Where he should have been healthy and full of life, he was starved and had given up on life. Just what had this child gone through.

Regardless of that, Pomfrey decided that she would be there for Harry. That unlike those adults who had failed him, she would help him and stand beside him. She would help Harry overcome all the trauma of his past. That was the promise she made to herself. Which is why when Harry turned to most probably apologize, she said, "No kid should ever go through what you went through Harry. No one deserves that. You don't deserve that. If you will let me, I will help you. I want to help you. You deserve that Harry."

For the second time in his life, here was someone who wanted to help him. Who believed that he was something. That he wasn't a freak. A small hope started settling into his heart. Maybe, just maybe, he could be something other than a freak. Other than being distrusted and distanced by everyone, he could have somehow who cared for him and wanted him. Neville had showed that to him in these past two weeks. Maybe Pomfrey would become another person who would show that to him. But there was a small part of his mind was not believing this. It was screaming that never before had any adult ever helped him. Whenever they said they would help him, it had ended up with more pain for him. But he wanted to believe Madam Pomfrey. She sounded earnest. He felt that this would be different. And even if she too was like other adults he had faced before, who promised to help him but didn't, then there was nothing Harry was going to lose. Harry's voice was low when he said he wanted madam Pomfrey to help him. But she heard it nonetheless and a huge smile came on her face. She said, "Then let's get started, shall we. How about introducing ourselves? I am Poppy Pomfrey." She held her hand out for harry. A small smile came on his face as he shook her hand and said, "I am Harry Potter."