kbinnz - Harry's New Home

Snape stared at the bruised and welted backside and felt another wave of homicidal fury overtake him. That, and an even more unbelievable surge of protectiveness for the small boy standing so forlorn and alone before him. It was obvious that the boy was not only the recent recipient of a brutal thrashing, but also all-too-familiar with such treatment. He hadn't even hesitated when told to bare his bottom, and it was now clear why he had assumed that a cane was going to be employed during his detention. The only thing that surprised Snape was that the boy had been able to sit down at all. Suddenly he saw the incessant fidgeting in a new light.

A flick of the wand, and Potter was again clothed. He started, obviously surprised, but he didn't get up. "Stand up, Potter!" Snape snarled. What was he supposed to do now? This revelation would blow the lid off the wizarding world.

Harry slowly rose, wondering what was happening. The cut on his head was no longer bleeding, or at least no more than a slow ooze, and he bit his lip, worrying that the professor had decided to cuff him about the head a few more times before moving on to the cane.

He waited, shoulders bowed, as he could feel the tall man's angry gaze rake him.

"Sit down, Potter!" Snape ordered, then as the boy almost imperceptibly winced, he hastily countermanded his order. "No, wait. Just stand there. Look at me. In the eye!"

Harry wasn't sure he had heard right. Make eye contact? During a punishment? But Snape had sounded mad enough already. Harry slowly let his eyes rise to meet the angry obsidian glare.

Snape thought briefly about reading the boy's mind, but Dumbledore would really have a stroke at that idea. Besides, it wasn't as if the child had lied yet. Maybe it wasn't even necessary. "I see your uncle and aunt areтАж strictтАж with you, Potter."

Harry wasn't sure how to answer. He knew that normally he wasn't supposed to talk about being punished, but on the other hand, Snape was behaving an awful lot like Uncle Vernon, so maybe it was okay? "Yes, sir," he finally said cautiously. "They want to be sure that I don't take things for granted."

"Like what?"

"Like тАУ like their taking me in after my parents were killed. Like their giving me a home so I didn't have to go to an orphanage. That kind of stuff. So when I don't behave тАУ " or when freaky things happen " тАУ they make sure I know I've done wrong."

"What did you do to earn the marks you currently bear?" Snape asked coldly.

Harry shuffled uncomfortably. "I talked about looking forward to coming to Hogwarts. It was pretty ungrateful of me. Uncle Vernon said this way I'd be sure to remember them and not get all caught up in new school stuff."

Bastards! Snape nearly apparated straight to Privet Drive to kill the sadistic Muggles then and there. Only the knowledge of Hogwarts' wards and the need to see to the child before him held him back.

"And your egregious scrawl? Is your wrist fractured as well?" Almost before the sarcastic question was out, he wished he could bite it back. He should have done a diagnostic spell тАУ what if the boy really did have an injury?

"I don't think so, sir," Harry responded seriously. He wondered when the interrogation would end and the punishment resume, but he figured that in the meantime, he'd better answer as honestly as he could. He was completely confused now and had no idea what the right answers were, so he decided just to be truthful and see what happened. "I just don't really know how to write with a quill. I never have before coming here."

"And your House has not been tutoring you?" Snape frowned. He would have verbally eviscerated his Slytherin prefects if they hadn't provided basic tutoring of this sort to the new first years. Not that Slytherin attracted many Muggleborns or Muggle-raiseds these days, but there were always a fewтАж

Harry just looked confused. Snape rolled his eyes тАУ ah yes, typical Gryffindor. All courage and nobility but the brains of a trout. Not even ensuring that the new students had the study skills and habits they needed to succeed. "And your lines? Explain if you will what happened there?"

"Um, did I do something wrong?" Harry asked uncertainly then bit his lip. Stupid! Of course he had done something wrong тАУ that's why Professor Snape was asking the question. "Um, I'm sorryтАж I can't really see the board from back there and soтАж"

"What is wrong with your glasses?" Snape flushed as he realized the absurdity of that question and with a muttered Reparo he retrieved the now mended spectacles and handed them back to the boy.

Potter shoved them back on his nose and squinted at the board, then paled. "Oh! I тАУ I didn't know, sir. I'm sorry. I'll do them all over. I'll тАУ" Snape waved an impatient hand, cutting off the rest of the apologies.

"Why are you still making those ridiculous faces? Are you telling me that even with your glasses you have difficulty seeing the blackboard from this distance?"

Harry nodded, shamefaced. "My eyes are really bad."

Good grief. At this rate they'd have to hope that Voldemort walked up to Potter and tapped him on the shoulder. If he stood even ten feet away, Potter would never be able to see him, let alone fight him. "When was the last time your prescription was updated?"

"Prescription? I'm not sick, sir."

"Idiot. Your eyeglasses. When was the last time you had your prescription checked."

Harry shrugged. Was this some kind of wizard thing? "I don't think that's ever happened, sir. Maybe Muggles don't."

Snape scowled. If he hadn't known better, he would have assumed the boy was deliberately mocking him. "Don't be ridiculous. When did you get this pair?"

"About two years ago. My old pair didn't really fit anymore, and the school complained, so Aunt Petunia came home with these."

Snape's glower worsened, and Harry's dread deepened. Everything he did just seemed to make the man angrier. Maybe he would send Harry back to his family and not have to deal with him any longer? But no, surely only the Headmaster could expel students.

As if he could read Harry's mind, Snape abruptly turned around. "Come with me, Potter. We're going to see the Headmaster."

Harry gasped. "But sir тАУ please, I'll be good. Please don't тАУ " Snape only muttered something furious and reached back, grabbing Harry's arm and yanking him along.

"Please, sir, don't make me go back to the Dursleys. I want to stay here. Please, please, let me stay. Don't expel me," Harry begged the entire way up to the Headmaster's office, but Snape didn't so much as look at him. He merely marched on, dragging Harry with him and pausing only long enough to give the gargoyle the correct password. Harry fell silent as they neared Dumbledore's door; obviously his pleading had been in vain.

Snape fought down his own fear. The upcoming interview would likely prove exceedingly unpleasant, but тАУ as usual тАУ he had to ignore his own welfare and focus on the greater good. Or in this case, Harry.

He spared a glance for the young boy at his side. Now that he saw Harry, and not a mini-James, he wondered how he could have mistaken the hesitancy for arrogance and overlooked the signs of pain and fatigue. "Albus," he said, storming into the office and not giving the old man the chance to offer anyone a lemon drop, "I must insist that you contact Poppy and Minerva immediately."

Dumbledore's eyebrows rose, but he obligingly went to his floo and summoned both women. It was only then that he properly caught sight of Harry тАУ and the large scarlet hand imprinted on his cheek тАУ and the twinkle was abruptly gone from his eye. "Harry," he said very, very gently, "what happened to you?"

Oops. It might have been a good idea to clean the boy up a bit before dragging him here. Snape had been so outraged at Dursley's treatment of Potter that he had nearly forgotten about his own misdemeanors in that regard. He knew Albus would eventually get the whole story out of him, but it would have been smarter тАУ a lot smarter тАУ to have washed the blood off the boy first.