Harry Potter and the secret Past

Hogwarts spy

Harry continued the next few weeks, unknowingly under the watchful eye of Snape. 

Harry was looking more and more ill and less well-kept. Snape watched him carefully at meal times which confirmed that something was definitely wrong. Some days harry didn't even show up and when he was there, he hardly ate. Snape watched as he played around with the food, knocking it about the plate, hardly ever raising it to his mouth. He also noticed that Harry was becoming a recluse. He barely ever talked to the other students  and when they tried to engage him, it seemed as the though the boy was going through some inner struggle. In lessons, harry did his upmost to avoid Snapes eye. He came and went without a single word, trying desperately hard to stay focussed. Snape noticed that he never sat still. The boy seemed to be always tapping anxiously or fiddling with his sleeve and chewing on his bottom lip. The only people who he seemed to have anything to do with were Ron Hermione and Neville, but Snape continuously saw them together in school grounds without Harry.

Snape grew more and more curious as to where the child was going, all on his own. Finally he came to the conclusion that he would have to follow him. 

  In truth, Harry was growing more and more restless. He was finding it increasingly difficult to hide all his injuries and to pretend his whole body wasn't in pain. He began spending less and less time with his friends, he started to prefer being alone, it was tiring pretending to be happy when he couldn't remember the last time he actually was happy. He kept getting episodes like he did in his last detention with Snape. Luckily he was on his own when these happened so nobody knew. It was putting him on edge, anything could trigger one and it was becoming harder and harder to bring himself out of it. He couldn't tell anyone, he didn't want anyone to know how weak he was. 

School work was getting  worse and worse. His self writing quill was saving his life, but he still got in trouble for losing concentration. He couldn't help it. Even though he tried to stay focused, his mind would wander onto something else. It didn't help that his scar had started throbbing badly most of the time.  All the Professors just thought he was stupid, he desperately wanted them to know he wasn't, that he could do the work but then he'd get questioned as to why he doesn't write it down if he knows it. The only teacher who surprisingly wasn't giving Harry a hard time was Snape. He didn't bat an eyelid when he didn't hand in his homework or when he didn't pay attention in class. It was confusing. Harry felt uneasy he had expected snape to say something, yell at him, hit him, after what happened in the detention. But snape never said a word.

One day, he got tripped by a Slytherin named Marcus flint , on his way to herbology and he came down hard landing at an awkward angle on his left shoulder. Ron helped him up and tried to make him go to the hospital wing but he refused. He said he was fine. He hid the bruising, he hid the pain. He carried on. 

Luckily Harry had found a safe place. An escape. 

He spent most of his free time in the kitchens. The house elves were becoming his best friends. Ironically Harry had more in common with these creatures than he did with the other students. After all he practically had been one for ten years of his life. 

The house elves helped him with everything. One called Rolly was helping with his homework, he wouldn't do it for him but he was telling him how to write and recognise words. Others helped him sow his clothes up. Rolly also gave Harry bandages and ice for his broken bones. He tried to force Harry to eat while he was there. They were the only beings harry felt comfortable with. The only ones that wouldn't judge him, when he suddenly couldn't breathe, wouldn't mock him for not being able to do things. They also helped find him things that he needed greatly. They found him toothpaste, soap and a hairbrush. They also repaired his ratty trainers so they were no longer in holes. 

                                                              ***

On Friday the 6th, snape spotted Harry leaving the great hall , alone, before the end of dinner. Snape excused himself and followed the boy. Casting a disillusionment charm over himself  so he would not be seen. He followed harry through a door in the entrance hall and down some stairs into a broad stone basement corridor, brightly lit and decorated with food-themed paintings. He watched as Harry tickled,the pair on a painting and make his way into the kitchens. Snape decided to wait till he came out. 

Half an hour later, Harry appeared in the corridor once more, looking around in a guilty manner. He was clutching a handful of items of which Severus could not make out. So the boy was stealing from the house elves?  Anger briefly flared within him, the boy genuinely thought he was above the rules. 'The boy who lived' abusing house elves. Oh how the spoilt brat must love having slaves working for him, snape thought savagely. 

But something in the back of his mind knew that this wasn't right.  Why would Harry not just eat the food in the great hall? It was the same food anyway. 

Curiosity getting the better if him, Snape made his way into the kitchens. 

A small house elf with large blue eyes greeted him. "How can Rolly help master Severus today?" He said bowing so low his nose grazed the floor. 

"I believe a student has just been in here and left with a handfull of things?"

"Yes master" Rolly stated simply, receiving raised eyebrows from Snape. 

"What was Harry Potter doing in here?" 

"Harry Potter was coming to talk to Rolly, Master. Harry Potter and Rolly are friends" he said proudly puffing out his chest. Snape almost laughed but stopped himself.

"So Potter comes often?"

"Yes sir, nearly everyday sir!" 

"And what exactly does he do when he is here? Tell me everything"

"Well sir, Rolly helps Mr Potter with Mr potters school work, Rolly has help from the other house elves to get mr Potter items that Rolly knows Mr Potter so desperately needs, such as toothpaste and hairbrush and Rolly also gave Mr Potter a towel. Rolly looks after Mr Potter. Rolly tried very hard to get Mr Potter to go to the Hospital Wing but Mr Potter ignores Rolly so Rolly helps him by Rollys self. Rolly helps put ice on and bandage Mr Potters soreness. Rolly also puts cleaning charms on Mr Potter because Rolly knows mr Potter is afraid of showers and baths . Sometimes Mr Potter forgets to breathe and Rolly must calm him down.  Rolly is being a good elf, making sure Mr Potter always eats something before he leaves because Mr Potter is much too thin. All house elves here like Mr Potter and Mr Potter likes the house elves." Rolly finished.

Snape stared. That was too much information to take in all at once. Potter didn't have toothpaste? What soreness was rolly talking about? afraid of showers? This was all too much. Severus had always assumed Potter was spoilt but now, now he was questioning everything. He looked down at the little elf who was eyeing him expectantly. 

"Don't tell Harry you have told me this, let me talk to him" 

The elf nodded enthusiastically and snape left. Running over the conversation in his mind. This was disturbing. The boy had clearly been deprived of basics so what else had petunia deprived him of? And the injuries... what injuries could the child possibly have this many weeks into term.. he thought of how Harry had reacted to being hit, like it was normal. He felt sick. How had he not seen this before, the child was obviously abused. And from what Rolly had said about him forgetting to breathe, Harry's attack in detention wasn't the only one harry has had.