Slytherin Adoption

What Have I Done?

          The corridors were completely silent except for the sounds of two boys, one dark-haired and one light-haired, as everyone else was either in class or their common rooms, if they had a free period. The two boys stopped in front of the door to the Hospital Wing and hesitated a moment. 

          "D...do we h...have to do t...this?" Draco sighed. Harry's stuttering was back, which meant he had to be scared. Over the past day or so, Harry had stopped stuttering altogether around Draco and it had lessened around the other Slytherins. He gave Harry's shoulder a light, reassuring squeeze, and pushed opened the doors. 

          "Hello," a woman greeted them kindly. "My name is Madame Pomfrey and I'm the nurse here at Hogwarts." She looked between the two of them. "So, who's first?" Draco took one look at the smaller boy, who had gone pale, and stepped forward.

          "I will," he said, his voice clear and strong. He gave Harry one last reassuring squeeze and let go, hopping up on the closest bed. The exam was fairly quick. Just a quick diagnostic spell and it was over.

          "All done," Madame Pomfrey said with a smile. Draco got down and turned to look at Harry.

          "It's okay, Harry. It doesn't even hurt." Harry walked closer, his legs shaking. Madame Pomfrey helped the boy up on the bed, stepping back once he was settled. She took out her wand, causing Harry to flinch and cover his head with his hands. The nurse frowned, but said nothing as she began the diagnostics scan. It took several minutes to complete. Afterwards, she read the results, her frown deepening. Without a word, she hurried to her office to floo the Head of Slytherin House. 

          Severus Snape was grading papers, as his third years worked on their assigned potions, when he heard the floo in his office activate. 

          "Continue working," he said as he stood. "If any of you dunderheads destroy my classroom, the whole class will have detention for a month." He hurried to his office, where Madame Pomfrey's head was visible in his fireplace. 

          "I need you, Severus," she said anxiously. "Bring your Healer's bag." Her head disappeared from the flames. He stood still for a moment, trying to process her words, before turning on his heel and stalking back in the classroom.

          "Class dismissed!" he barked. He placed a stasis spell on each cauldron, summoned his bag, and hurried to the infirmary. When he got to the doorway, he froze at the sight before him.

          Harry Potter was laying in the bed, clutching the blanket that he was holding up to his chin, his whole body shaking. Draco was sitting in a chair next to the bed, talking quietly as he tried to calm Potter down. Madame Pomfrey was trying to get the boy to release the blanket.

          "Poppy." All movements stopped at the sound of his voice. The nurse sighed, obviously relieved, and walked over, handing him a sheet of parchment. 

           "It's the worst case of abuse I have seen in years," she whispered, her voice a little choked up. Severus raised an eyebrow. Potter was abused? That wasn't possible. But as he read through the parchment, his face drained of what little color he had as he realized the boy had indeed been abused. Quite horribly from the looks of it. He read the parchment a second time. The injuries dated back to the boy's third birthday. Burns, bruises, broken bones, 3 cases of untreated pneumonia, other untreated illness, malnourishment, beaten with a belt, and... No! Severus felt physically sick when he read the last thing listed. Sexual abuse, starting when he was eight.

          Severus slowly looked up and noticed Pot...Harry staring right at him, eyes wide and fearful. He still refuses to relinquish the blanket. Severus lowered his eyes, feeling ashamed.

          What have I done?