jharad17 - Whelp

"I spoke with Enid before hand, and we discussed what would be best. She doesn't know the truth," Albus added quickly. "Just that not everything was as it seemed."

Severus couldn't help it; he chuckled low in his throat, an almost desperate laugh. "I can see through her charms, can't I? That's why he looked right to me from the start, even though he went through all that pain?"

Albus took his own seat again, and surveyed Severus over the top of his folded hands. "Lily's charms came off, yes, as a result of the ritual. But you could already see him as he truly was because he was of your blood."

"Why the subterfuge, Albus? Why not just tell me he was my son when you asked me to go take a look at him?"

"I had to make sure you truly wanted him, and not out of obligation. It was the only way the ward could be transferred."

Severus sighed, feeling tired, and sick to death of being manipulated. But none of that was Harry's fault. And f he truly was the only one -- besides the Dursleys -- who could keep Harry, then he would do it. He only hoped that he would not hurt the boy further in his ignorance and carelessness. "I may need to take him to a Muggle hospital, because of the damage to his hand."

"Whatever you need, my dear boy. I know this is a lot to take in. Perhaps you ought to spend the rest of the day with Harry. Don't worry about the staff meeting this afternoon. It will be mostly going over dormitory cleaning schedules, anyway."

Knowing a dismissal when he heard one, Severus rose. "Thank you, Albus," he said with a slight incline of his head.

"Not at all," the Headmaster replied, but Severus was already on the stairs, in search of Harry.

---

In Hagrid's hut, Harry took a seat when Hagrid waved him into one, having to climb up on to it like it was a jungle gym set at school. While the giant man filled the kettle with water from a big barrel, Harry motioned for Nelli to join him from where she was hanging back, by the doorway. Nelli shook her head, but Harry gestured again. "C'mon, Nelli. Father says Hagrid's kind."

"Oh, no, Master Harry. Nelli is not supposed to be in others's houses," she said with a worried frown. "Not unless she is invited."

"Well, Hagrid can invite you, right?" Harry raised his voice. "Hagrid, sir? Can you invite Nelli in for tea, too?"

The man turned from the fireplace, where he'd just hung the kettle and gave them a wide grin. "O' course, 'Arry. Step in, there you go, little Nelli. Always room fer one more."

"See?" Harry grinned at Nelli as she sidled closer to him and hopped onto the chair beside him -- there was plenty of room for them both. "Thanks, Hagrid, sir."

"Ach, 'Arry, it's jus' Hagrid."

Harry smiled at him. "And this is Nelli. She's a house elf, like me."

Nelli turned her head so fast Harry thought he heard a Pop! Her eyes were very wide. "Youse is not being a house elf, Master Harry."

"I was . At the Dursleys. Father says I don't have to be one anymore, though."

Hagrid put a plate of round cakes on the table. They were crusted with sugar and slivers of nuts. "Oh, now, Harry. People can't be house elves. They're a diff'rent kind o' creature alt'gether."

"But I was one." Tears of frustration formed in his eyes, and he dashed them away with his good hand. "I did cleaning and cooking and gardening, and all of it. If I wasn't a house elf, why'd they keep me at all?"

"'Ere, now, Harry. I don' know 'bout that. But have a cake. Made 'em meself!"

After a moment, he took one of the cakes and nibbled on the edge. It was very hard, and very sweet, but he didn't put it down. Food, after all, was not to be wasted. "Thanks."

Laying big mugs and a sugar bowl on the table, Hagrid settled in another chair, which creaked under his weight. "Now, tell me 'ow you're getting along with your new Da, eh? 'E treating you a'right?"

"Oh, he's great!" Harry said, perking back up. "He's got me all new clothes, and my own broom, and toys, and I have my own room and everything."

"Well, tha's great, Harry. Now, what happ'd to yer hand there?"

Harry looked at the bandage, which had a bit of dog drool on it, and some dirt from when he'd brushed off his pants, but was otherwise intact. "I . . . Father said I bit it. In my sleep." He shrugged and nibbled another edge off his cake. "It's fine."

Hagrid grunted something under his breath, and got up a moment later to get the boiling kettle. He poured tea into each of the mugs and pushed the sugar bowl towards Harry. "Careful now, tha's hot."

"Yes, sir." Harry added a bit of sugar -- he'd never been allowed sugar at the Dursleys! -- and stirred it in before blowing on his tea. Nelli, beside him, was staring at her mug as if it were poisoned. "Aren't you gonna have any tea?" he asked her.

Her big blue eyes swiveled to meet his gaze. "Oh, n-no th-th-thank you, M-master Harry. Nelli is fine, sirs."

Well, something was weird, 'cause she was stuttering like that Dobby had been, when he was nervous. But he wasn't gonna make her drink tea, if she didn't want it. "Do you still have any Streelers?" he asked Hagrid.

"No, no o' course not. Had to give 'em all up, didn't I?" Hagrid rubbed a hand over his beard and came out with a piece of what looked like old biscuit, which he promptly tucked into his mouth. "Nope, sorry. No Streelers at all. Did come across a proper Porlock, though. Gave him a good spot in the fores', so 'e's not too bothered by students, ye know."

"What's a Porlock?" Harry asked.

Just then, Nelli gave a small squeak, and disappeared with a Pop! Harry stared at the space she was in and then at Hagrid. "Do you think she's afraid of Porlocks?"

"Nah. Probably got called by someone up t'castle. House elves're always bein' called, aren't they?"

Harry nodded. Though he couldn't vanish like that, he'd always been called when there was a job to do, too. He tried to lift his mug and found he needed both hands, but the left one was so sore, he couldn't really manage to close his fingers around it. Instead, he just used that hand for balance, and put all the weight on his good hand, easing it up to his mouth. The tea was much better than the cake, nicely sweet.

"Doesn' look fine," Hagrid said. "That hand needs lookin' at."

"My Father took care of it," Harry told him. "And it is fine."

"Uh huh," Hagrid muttered, just as Nelli reappeared.

"Master Snapes is looking for you, Master Harry. He is wanting youse back in his quarters. Nelli is to be bringing you back now, Master Harry."

With a little sigh -- he still didn't know what Porlocks were -- Harry said, "Yes, Nelli. Thanks, Hagrid, for the tea!"

"Come down anytime, Harry. I'll make up more cakes tomorrow, a'right?"

"Great, thanks!" Harry petted Fang's head as he went by the dog, still drooling on the front stoop, and followed Nelli back up the hill to the castle. He didn't think it was lunch time already, and wondered why his father was calling him back early. Maybe he was mad about Harry's hand and wanted to scold him. Maybe he was tired of Harry's nightmares waking him up, and wanted to send him away!

That must be it, that's why he'd been talking to the Headmaster! He'd have to go away, go back to the Dursleys, and no one would hold him anymore when he screamed at night. He was hurrying so fast to get back that he stumbled over a rabbit hole and sprawled headlong, catching himself, unfortunately, on his hands. A shock of pain shot up his arm from the injured hand, and he let out a gasp, rolled onto his side and curled into a ball, protecting his arm, his belly, his head.

Nelli was beside him in an instant, saying something, but he could hardly hear her through the pounding of blood in his ears. "Sorry," he whispered. "Sorry."

Nelli hopped from leg to leg, and he felt sick watching her. Shutting his eyes tight, he breathed through his mouth, even as the tea threatened to come back up and choke him. He wasn't sure how long he laid there, but when the nausea finally passed, he uncurled and struggled to his feet.