Harry had been at the castle for over a week before Madam Pomfrey and his guardian could schedule his health checkup. Between his lessons and the larger than average number of Slytherin first years to receive checkups, his dad had explained, it had taken far longer than Severus would have liked.

"It won't hurt," Severus reassured him, with a smile. "She just needs to see that you're fully healthy, or progressing in that manner."

"What about shots? Will I need one?" Harry asked.

Even Dudley had been unable to escape shots. He'd howled and kicked and screamed-once, he even bit the nurse. (Uncle Vernon had chuckled, but cautioned him not to do so again. "You can kick and scream all you want, but save biting for Harry," he'd said, sternly. And Dudley had obeyed, on both counts.) Harry hadn't thought they were too terrible-they didn't hurt as much as when Dudley and his gang got a hold on him, and besides, the pain went away in less than a minute.

Still. They did hurt, a little.

"A shot?" His dad frowned, as though he didn't know the word. "It that where they stick your arm with a needle?"

"Yeah, and give you some kind of medicine through the needle," Harry explained.

Severus looked pained, and forcefully shook his head. "The things muggles do...no, Harry, you won't have a shot. Not today, not ever."

Harry nodded, relief flooding him. He did wonder how the checkup with the matron at Hogwarts would be different from the ones at primary school. They had had them every year. The doctor would put him on a scale to check his height, and measure him to see how much he'd grown. He'd always been told he was too small for his age, but otherwise in good health. He expected to be told something similar. Then, they'd have him stick out his tongue-Harry liked being allowed to do this-and they'd stick a piece of wood on top, but it didn't hurt or taste bad. It didn't taste like much of anything, really. After that, the nurse would check to make sure he could hear and see. His least favorite part was then they'd hit his knees to test his reflexes. But even this didn't hurt very much.

When they stepped back into the hospital wing Harry remembered, he could tell that everything would be a lot different. Madam Pomfrey didn't even have a scale! She just tapped her wand against his arm, and this told her how tall he was, and how much he weighed!

"You're at least half a foot smaller than you should be, and at least ten pounds underweight. But I dare say you were far skinnier and smaller when I first saw you," she allowed. "For the time being, we'll monitor your progress."

"And if that is insufficient?" Severus asked, placing an arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Extra food of the healthy sort, and nutrition potions as a last resort." She glanced at Severus. "Be sure that Harry always has access to food, even between meals."

"Of course," he promised.

She peered into his ears and nose next, which wasn't so different from the checkups he was used to, and declared these body parts to be healthy. Then, she tested his reflexes with her wand, which she said were normal.

"Almost finished. Last thing is to test your eyesight." Madam Pomfrey charmed her wand, and had Harry stare at it as she moved it around. Then, she had him read from a piece of parchment at various distances.

"As I suspected. You inherited your father's nearsightedness, Harry. Severus, you'll need to purchase a good pair of glasses at the shop in Hogsmeade. It's fairly mild at this point, so you needn't worry. Had you waited a year, Harry's magic would have compensated," she explained. "He will need to wear them for the duration of his life, or until we discover a way to cure nearsightedness with magic," she said, dryly.

Severus nodded. "I thought he might, as nearsightedness can be hereditary. Is there a specific strength of glasses he will need?"

"Oh, they will sort that out at the shop," Madam Pomfrey assured him. "I will continue to examine his eyesight each year, if you wish, to ascertain that his condition doesn't deteriorate."

Harry grew frightened by this. "I-I could go blind?"

Severus turned around and placed an arm around his shoulders. "Not at all, child. But wizards, like Muggles, can experience gradually worsening vision over time. As you have these examinations every year, you have nothing to worry about."

"Your guardian is quite right," the matron added, with a kind smile. "Many children and adults require glasses. It's nothing to worry about, Harry, dear."

Harry nodded, reassured.

"We have the rest of the afternoon, so we ought to make the trip today. Otherwise, we'll need to wait until at least next Saturday," Severus reflected. "You can choose your glasses, too. Shops have a great many frames to choose from."

"There's just one other thing I want to talk to you about, Severus, before you leave," Madam Pomfrey added. "Harry, dear, can you wait outside for a moment?"

"Yes, ma'am," he answered. "Am I all finished with the checkup, then?"

"You are. I'll want to see you and your guardian in six months, to check on your height and weight, mind," she added.

Harry nodded, thanked her, and then waited outside. He was glad that his dad had suggested he bring a book with him, because it ended up feeling like a long wait. Too bad he couldn't go back to their quarters, or wander around the corridors, but he didn't know the way, and didn't fancy getting lost. Besides, with all of the ghosts around, the castle still felt rather frightening. Especially some of the ghosts that floated around...

There were no benches or chairs outside, and Harry didn't think his guardian would be too pleased to find him sitting on the floor and getting dirt on his robes, so he just leaned against the wall as he read. He'd just gotten to a good part when he felt a hand on his shoulders, and nearly jumped out of his skin.

Then, seeing it was his dad, he felt very sheepish.

His dad was trying hard not to laugh. "I'm sorry!" he said, but couldn't hold back a grin. "Truly, I am. But, Harry, you should have seen the look on your face!"

Harry pouted, just a little. "It was very scary, to feel a hand on my shoulders all of a sudden."

Severus hugged him. "Next time, I'll clear my throat or something."

That felt better. "Did you and Madam Pomfrey...is everything all right?"

"Oh, yes, everything's fine. She just wanted a word," he answered, rather evasively.

"Oh," Harry echoed.

Severus said nothing more until they entered their quarters. "Harry," he began, tentatively. "After your checkup, Madam Pomfrey wished to speak with me about the way the Dursleys treated you."

Harry nodded, glanced briefly at the couch in the sitting room, and then at his guardian. Severus smiled, and they both sat on the couch together. He placed an arm around Harry's shoulders, holding him close to him, and then went on.

"Madam Pomfrey suggested you might benefit from seeing a Mind Healer." At Harry's blank look, Severus continued, "Healers are essentially doctors in our world, and Mind Healers act in much the same way as muggle psychologists. If a child or a teenager or adult has been through a harrowing experience, or has lived at least part of their life under a neglectful or abusive adult, it can help to see one for a spell. As the head of Slytherin house, I have seen more abuse and neglect than the heads of other houses. More often than not, even after the child in my care has been placed in a safe environment, I recommend that the child in question sees a Mind Healer."

Harry considered this. He thought it would feel rather strange to speak to a complete stranger about the Dursleys, but then, his dad had been a stranger once, too. Things had turned out all right, then. More than all right, in fact. Not that this Mind Healer would become another parent to him, only that it might feel really strange at first, and then less so.

Then, he had a scary thought. What if the Mind Healer told someone, and it got written up as an article in the Daily Prophet? Severus had shown Harry the article they had written about him taking over guardianship, and it had sounded all right. He was glad, really, that witches and wizards hadn't been told that he'd had to sleep in a cupboard, or hadn't been fed enough, or used as a target when Dudley and his gang grew bored. But if he spilled his secrets to a stranger, what was to prevent them from telling others?

Besides, did it really matter? He was safe, now.

"Harry?" Severus prompted, watching him closely.

"I-I don't know, Dad. What if the Mind Healer told others about me? And they ran an article about it in the Daily Prophet?" he asked, in a small voice.

His dad squeezed his shoulders in a nice, calming way. "If the Mind Healer were so daft as to do that, they would not only lose their job, but the ability to find any decent work. Besides, it wouldn't surprise me if they were made to make an Unbreakable Vow not to tell secrets unless someone's life is at risk."

"What's an Unbreakable Vow?"

"It's a promise that's bound by magic. One person casts the spell, one makes the promises, and the other serves as witness. If the person who makes the promises later breaks them, he or she will die on the spot," Severus explained. "Not something to go into lightly, I can assure you."

"Oh." Harry felt a little reassured. "Do I need to decide right away?"

"Not at all. I simply wanted to let you know that it was an option, in case you ever decide you wish to see one. It could be in a month, a year, when you're of age, or anytime in between." Severus smiled at Harry. "You're under no obligation to do so, or not do so."

Relief filled Harry. "I think I'll wait. For now, anyway."

"That's fine," Severus reassured him. "Now, are you ready to make a trip to Hogsmeade? We can select your glasses today, and perhaps, stop at Honeydukes."

"Really?" Harry asked, grinning.

Between the two of them-well, more Harry than Severus-they had finished off the box of chocolates Professor McGonagall had given him for his birthday. They had all been delicious, and he'd been rather disappointed when they were gone. Not that muggle chocolate wasn't very good, but there had been a lot of delicious flavors in the box from Professor McGonagall. Harry had especially enjoyed the chocolate that had been called "treacle."

"Yes, really." Severus ruffled Harry's hair. "I'll give you a bit of pocket money to spend, and I'll make some selections for us to share." He patted his robes pocket, then chuckled. "Have to get my coin pouch. Wait here-I'll be back in a moment."

A quarter hour later, they were outside of the grounds of Hogwarts. Severus had performed a charm on Harry to disguise his features, because they didn't want to attract attention. Harry couldn't see face, of course, but he knew he had red hair, rather bushy eyebrows, and a nose that rather resembled his dad's. The walk wasn't terribly long, but it was rather a hot day, so Severus preferred that they Apparate. Or, to be more precise, he would Apparate, and bring Harry along for the ride.

It was still dizzying, but seemed to be getting easier. Once Harry was back to his normal self, he nodded at his dad, and they began their walk.

Harry had had his sight checked every year, along with his (now former) classmates at primary school. Either magical tests were more accurate, or his vision had changed since the doctor had last looked at his eyes. Harry didn't think that he couldn't see well, but since his magic was beginning to make up for the difference, he supposed he wouldn't notice anything.

Severus opened the shop door, and the first thing he saw were rows and rows and rows of glasses. Then, he and his dad were approached by the shopkeeper, or perhaps someone who just worked there, and his dad did the talking for them, handing the man a scroll of parchment.

"Ah, very good. Yes, we can certainly have your son set up with a new pair of glasses today. Just take your time, try on as many pairs as you like, and we'll make any modifications to ensure fit. Then, I'll perform the spells to see that the glasses are as strong as need be, as well as a few extra to ensure durability. The latter at no extra charge to you, of course," he added, with a bow. "Spectacles that don't hold up aren't worth the price, now are they?"

Severus gave a slight nod. "No, indeed not." He squeezed Harry's shoulders in a comforting manner. "Well, let's get started, shall we? We have quite the task in front of us."

Harry wasn't entirely sure what he was looking for in a pair of glasses, aside from the obvious of being able to see without his magic being drained. But, upon closer examination, he saw that some pairs were likely better suited for girls (he didn't fancy pink or purple or, far worse, rainbow colored frames!) than boys. The more he looked, the more he felt drawn to glasses with black frames, a choice his dad seemed to agree with.

"With your green eyes, green frames would look rather ridiculous. I don't imagine that brown frames would be too bad in and of themselves, but I don't see a pair that really suits you," he said, as Harry carefully tried on pair after pair, and examined his reflection.

Of course, given that his reflection was charmed at the moment, it wasn't a fair indicator. But he reckoned he had a pretty good memory of what he looked like, and besides, his dad had done a good job choosing his robes and night clothes, so why not trust him with glasses?

In the end, they went with a pair of glasses with black frames, an extra secure bridge, and lenses (for that was what the circles of glass turned out to be called) in near perfect circles.

Severus smiled fondly at him. "You look very nice. Rather like a little owl. Perhaps, I should call you 'owlet' instead of 'child' as a type of nickname."

"Owlet," Harry repeated, trying it out, studying his reflection.

He liked the way it sounded almost as much as how he looked.

Even after the charms were performed, he saw no difference in his vision. But he wouldn't, not for at least a week, and only when he wasn't wearing them. In the meantime, Harry had to get used to the feel of glasses on his face, which wasn't unpleasant, exactly, but still felt rather...odd. He knew that, in the muggle world at least, some adults opted for contacts. The idea made him want to squirm. How could someone get used to having something stuck in your eyes? It had to sting even worse than when Aunt Petunia accidentally (although Harry was quite certain that it never was) gotten soap in his eyes.

Soon, Harry found himself standing inside of a shop filled with sweets. The candy isle at the muggle grocery shop was nothing compared to this! He just stared at the myriad of sweets available-and then, he realized that even the smell was wonderful. He took a few deep breaths before Severus took two baskets, and urged Harry to step forward.

Then, his dad pressed four coins into his hand. At first, Harry thought they were fifty pence pieces, but no, they were larger than the muggle coin, and much prettier. He stared at them, then saw a line of writing. He didn't know what the first word meant, but the second was "sickle."

"Dad? What's a Sick-ell?" he asked, sounding it out in his head.

His dad, smiling gently at him, covered Harry's hand with his, no doubt to keep the money from falling. Then, he led Harry into a corner that was unoccupied.

"Wizarding money is quite different from muggle money," he began. "You can exchange between the two, and I do so, as you've been with me when I purchased food and the muggle books you love."

"Thank you for those," Harry murmured. "I still have a few to read."

"No rush," Severus assured him, with a laugh. "At any rate, we have three coins-we don't ever use bills-which are galleons, sickles, and knuts. Galleons are the most valuable. They trade for about five pounds as muggle currency, but in our world, they're worth a good deal more than that. When we purchase your textbooks for school, the cost for each will likely be at least one galleon, perhaps as much as ten. That's when they're new, and I'd only purchase used textbooks if there were no new copies, and it wouldn't be worth the wait to order a new one. Sickles are considerably less valuable. There are seventeen sickles in a galleon, so these five coins? They're sickles. The last one are knuts. Twenty-nine knuts make up one sickle. Following me, Harry?"

"I think so." Harry struggled to remember. "Galleons are the most valuable, and there's sixteen-no, seventeen-sickles in one of them. Sickles are the second most valuable, which is what I have here. And knuts are the smallest of value, and there's twenty-nine of them in one sickle."

Severus smiled. "Very, very good. And for your good listening, here's an extra sickle."

He handed a fifth one to Harry, who beamed.

"Thank you, Dad!"

"You're welcome. Now, galleons are made of gold, and knuts are made of bronze, so there's no confusing them. Soon, I'll provide you with weekly pocket money. I ought to have done so already," he added, looking rather sheepish, "so you can expect extra when I determine how much you should receive on a weekly basis."

"Dad," Harry protested, "you-you already became my guardian. And you bought me glasses, and clothes, and now, sweets."

"And I shall provide you with pocket money as well, for every child with parents or guardians who can afford to do so ought to receive a small amount of regular spending money for their whims," Severus said, kindly, but determinedly. "On your end, I simply ask that you continue to make your bed each morning, and take good care of your clothes and belongings."

"Oh, that's easy," Harry answered, and it was.

The Dursleys had made him do a lot more than that, and Aunt Petunia had said that more chores would be expected once he became older. It was, she'd claimed, the least Harry could do for all the good they'd shown him.

But Harry wasn't about to tell Severus this. Not because he thought his dad would heap on more chores, but because he'd be furious at what the Dursleys had thought of him.

Although he was pretty sure his dad had already known.

Severus and the headmaster had found him locked in his cupboard, after all.

"Very good. Now, Harry, I could let you run wild and spend the sickles however you please, but you ought to know that there are many magical creatures who come into this shop, and not all of the sweets sold here are fit for human consumption. I would hate for you to waste your money on something that would not only taste dreadful, but cause your tongue to come to harm. Yes," he added, seeing Harry's look of horror, "there is a type of sweet called an acid pop that will literally burn a hole in your tongue."

Harry covered his mouth. "I want to stay away from those!"

"Very wise. Not to worry, though. Once you know what's safe and what isn't, you shouldn't have any trouble deciding what to purchase. And I shall be by your side if you have any questions," Severus added.

"I have one." At his guardian's nod, Harry asked, "How do I know how much everything is?"

He didn't want to risk overspending and having to place something back. Or, he suspected, Severus would simply transfer the surplus into his basket, which would be almost worse. On the other hand, he didn't want to seem ungrateful and miserly by only spending a few knuts' worth of money because he didn't know any better.

"The prices are directly below the items," Severus said, reassuringly. "Generally, they're in the range of knuts for each item, so just remember that twenty-nine knuts are in a sickle."

"Twenty-nine knuts in a sickle," Harry repeated.

As it turned out, most of the sweets that were "fit for human consumption" were together. Harry wondered if it had been awhile since his dad had been to Honeydukes, and perhaps, they had lumped everything together back then. He didn't want to ask then, though. He stared, instead, at the seemingly endless variety of items available. There were, of course, the Every Flavored Beans his dad had told him about before in his story, and Harry expected that those rather toed the line between acceptable sweets for kids and not acceptable. He and Severus steered clear of the massive barrel, which at any rate looked about three quarters full.

"What's Fizzing Whizbees?" he asked, peering at the vividly colored balls marked at one Knut apiece.

"They're quite tasty, but the real appeal is that they make you float a few feet off the floor," Severus answered.

That sounded promising, and Harry carefully selected five of them.

He passed on Droobles Best Blowing Gum, as did Severus. He'd tasted gum before, and it was all right, but the thing about gum was that while the flavor went away over time, you couldn't swallow it afterwards. Besides, it just sounded too ordinary. Even the fact that the bubbles wouldn't pop for days, once you spit your gum out, seemed like something his dad definitely wouldn't want to have to deal with in their quarters. Toothflossing Stringmints sounded like something a wizarding dentist (or whatever they had that was like that-perhaps they didn't have dentists, and if you had a toothache, a Healer certainly pointed her wand at it and it got fixed) would hand out, so he skipped over those. Ice Mice sounded pretty cool, even if they were twice as much as the Whizbees, and Harry selected three. That was six knuts, plus five knuts on the Whizbees, so he was up to eleven. He liked peppermint a good deal, so at one Knut each, he put ten peppermint creams that were shaped like toads in his basket. All right, he was at twenty-one knuts, nearly a sickle so far. The sugar quills were five knuts each, but as large as the quills he'd used so far. He set two in the basket. He was past a sickle, now.

"What are chocolate frogs?" Harry asked, seeing the packaged items.

"Just what they say. The real appeal is that there's a card with a famous wizarding figure on each. Many witches and wizards keep a collection and trade with each other. It's an excellent way to learn about famous figures," Severus said, approvingly.

Harry wondered if he or the Dark Lord had one, but decided not to ask here. Each chocolate frog was three knuts, but based on his guardian's endorsement, he chose five.

Most of the other sweets seemed more or less like the muggle kind. Harry had only eaten toffee once, but had enjoyed it, so at one knut each, he chose ten. Coconut ice also received Severus's approval, and he picked a few of them.

Then, they went over to the section marked "Unusual Tastes."

"As I said, many of the items here aren't safe for humans, but there are some that are quite tasty. I can point you in that direction, if you like." At Harry's abrupt nod, Severus chuckled. "Very well, then."

In the end, Harry's basket was not quite half full, but he was reasonably certain he hadn't spent the entire five sickles-nor had he spent less than four. The treacle flavored chocolates he had loved ended up being housed in the "Unusual Tastes" section, so he was quite glad they hadn't bypassed it entirely. His guardian's basket was about as full as his, and included some different sweets. Either he had different taste in sweets, or wanted Harry to get the option to choose from sweets he hadn't initially picked. Harry chose to assume the former until he knew differently.

Harry thought of Dudley. As much as his aunt and uncle had hated anything to do with magic, they'd made concessions for either the sake of "normalcy" or the sake of Dudley. Every Halloween, for instance, Uncle Vernon took Dudley and Piers out to go trick-or-treating. Aunt Petunia would stay home to hand out sweets to the neighborhood children. (Harry, of course, was either stuck doing chores, or in his cupboard. It was one of the times of the year he'd been especially envious of Dudley. Not just because of the mountain of sweets he came home with, but the idea of dressing up and going door to door sounded like great fun.) Dudley's Aunt Marge would probably take him trick-or-treating this year, in a bit over two months' time, but he wouldn't get sweets anything like what Harry was getting. Harry felt a little happy about this, and then a bit guilty. Dudley had been a wretched bully, but he'd also just lost his parents.

"Are you all right?" Severus asked, watching Harry closely as they waited in line.

"I was thinking about Dudley," Harry admitted. "He'd probably agree to leave me alone for a week, just to spend his weekly pocket money in this shop."

Severus snorted. "Perhaps, owlet, but he'd forget his promise as soon as he was in here."

"Probably. He'd have to leave me alone for a week, first, and then be allowed in if we agreed he'd been on good behavior," Harry said, nonchalantly.

Severus put an arm around Harry's shoulder, drawing him to him. Tightly, protectively. "I'd never allow such a deal. Not for a mere week of doing what he ought never have been allowed to do," After a minute, during which they gazed around the shop, he added, more gently, "I suppose the fault mostly lies with his parents. An eight year old boy encouraged by his parents to torment his cousin would do so."

"Yeah, I reckon," Harry agreed. After a pause, he added, "I wonder if he..."

But then, it was their turn to go, and Harry immediately went silent.

"You first, child," Severus instructed, kindly.

Harry placed his basket on the counter. The total came to four sickles and twenty knuts, so he received nine in change. He exhaled a bit. He'd spent close to the amount Severus gave him, but not over. That was good. He turned over the knuts in his hand, studying them. They didn't look like pence, of course, but they also weren't so different from Muggle currency, he supposed. It wasn't as though, like the paintings in school, there were faces on the coins that moved around.

Immediately, he offered the change to Severus, but he shook his head.

"Keep it for next time. You can add it to what I give you to spend," he answered, covering Harry's hand over the coins.

"Thank you, Dad," Harry answered, feeling much warmer and happier inside than he had a moment earlier.

Author's note:

I borrowed the headcanon Clairedeloon established for her fic, "To Trust" for glasses. Essentially, in her AU where Harry wasn't provided with glasses, his magic compensated, but this wouldn't work long-term, because it would drain his reserves.

We don't know when Harry got glasses in the books. Only that he had them when he was ten. In short, we're free to speculate, which I did. :)

I, personally, got my first pair in either first or second grade, so it was either the very end of the 1980's, or very early 1990's. A girly girl even then, I went with pink frames for awhile. :) And yes, one of my first pair had a rainbow design. They've disappeared over the years as I've needed stronger prescriptions, hopefully donated (at least the frames), but who knows.

Harry will be seeing a Mind Healer at a future point, not too far off.

I view the prices of sweets as VERY open to interpretation. Harry purchased at least some of every item on the trolley cart, and it was eleven sickles and seven knuts in total. That's a little more than half a galleon. Converted into British currency, about three pounds. Even taking into account the book was written nearly thirty years ago, that's cheap!

For this reason, I expect that most sweets cost less than ten knuts each. At least, that was the cost in the late 1980's. In the early 90's, I remember being able to buy candy bars for under 60 cents each.

Finally, I've read fics wherein Severus is one of those parents/guardians who forbids sweets with any regularity. On a personal level, I consider this to be terrible parenting-moderation is the key, and kids denied treats when young will often develop weight problems as they become adults and can eat whatever they like-and, as far as THIS series goes, Severus actively wants to provide Harry with what both his and Harry's childhood was lacking. No, Severus isn't going to spoil Harry rotten, nor does it mean Harry's going to be eating his weight in candy every day. It DOES mean that he'll have access to sweets as well as healthy food, and he certainly won't be putting on excess weight as a result.

As always, I greatly appreciate your constructive feedback, as well as ideas for future chapters.

Next up: A new addition to their home.