Benign

Chapter 7: The Hospital Wing

Harry wrung his hands together in nervousness as they walked through the doors of the hospital wing. All he could think about the entire way there was about what they were going to find. His aunt and uncle were going to murder him when they sent him back for his freakishness.

He watched in anticipation as Professor Snape talked to a stern looking woman with slightly greying hair pulled back into a bun that he could only assume was Madam Pomfrey. He was at an angle where he could easily read both of their lips, so he watched them carefully.

“Poppy, do you have the time to give Harry here a quick check up?” Snape asked.

Pomfrey furrowed her brows together in concern. For Severus Snape to come to her on the first day of classes with his old best friend and rivals son, asking for a checkup for the boy, things couldn't be good. “Of course.” She agreed automatically, turning to look at said boy.

It immediately became apparent to her why Severus had brought him to her. He was far, far to skinny and short for his age and his cheeks that should still be slightly pudgy with youth, were hollow and sunken in. He was slightly paler than he should have been, his skin an almost sickly color and with dark circles under his eyes. All of the signs pointed very strongly towards severe Malnutrition, and she had a strong, horrible feeling that it wasn't the only terrible thing the poor child suffered from.

Harry shifted nervously under Poppy’s asessive gaze. “Hello Ma’am.” He greeted respectively, hoping that it would stop her prying eyes.

Poppy mentally shook herself, her heart clenching at the little Indian boy’s politeness. “Hello Harry, Professor Snape said that you came here for a checkup?”

“Yes ma’am.” Harry agreed timidly, his voice going even softer than normal.

“Okay, follow me over to one of the beds and I'll start do my examination.” Madame Pomfrey said with a smile, before turning around and heading over to a bed in the very far corner of the wing. It was right up against a wall.

Harry followed her as per her instruction, and sat down on the bed when she motioned for him to do so.

She got out her wand and pointed it at him, making Harry even more nervous. She must have sensed this, because she explained. “I'm just going to run a few diagnostic charms, don't worry Harry.”

He nodded and so she began doing intricate motions with her wand and muttering various spells.

As she got further and further into spell casting, she frowned more and more. It made Harry increasingly nervous and he was fidgeting in his seat while she examined him.

“Severus, come here for a moment, would you?” Harry read from Pomfrey’s lips, genuine fear seeping into him at the look on her face. She looked a mixture of disgust, fear, and fury. He was certain she was going to send him back to the Dursleys’.

Severus came right over to her and she started to show him the report she got from her exam. They turned slightly away and appeared to be murmuring to each other, so he couldn't understand what they were saying.

Harry got more and more nervous as the minutes past and they were still discussing his report.

Finally, they came back over to him, solemn looks on their faces. He tensed and braced himself for the words he was sure would come next.

Pomphrey was the first to speak. “Harry, have your Aunt and Uncle ever harmed you?”

Some of his resolve to not tell anyone went away slightly at the question. “N-no ma'am.” he lied anyway.

She pursed her lips and gave him a kind, coaxing look.

He decided to elaborate a little further, since she didn't seem angry or like she would throw him out just yet. He figured he could tell a few half truths. “My uncle will beat me when I am bad, and my aunt will yell at me when I don't cook dinner right. But it is always deserved--they say I am a very bad boy and bad boys have to be punished.”  Harry bit his bottom lip after that to stop himself from saying anything more.

Poppy knew that he wasn't telling the whole truth, and she didn't want to not did she have the strength to push him further at the moment. The way he said the last sentence he said-- like it was ingrained into him… It hurt her to her soul.

Inside, Severus was angrier than words could detail, but he didn’t let any of that show on the surface. He didn't want to scare the clearly fragile and jumpy boy. So, he decided to ask one of the questions that had been nagging at him. “What are your aunt and uncle's names?”

This was the first time Professor Snape had spoken in a while, and Harry was very slightly surprised by it. He was also grateful that he had asked a seemingly innocent and simple question. “Vernon and Petunia Dursley.” his voice was even softer than usual.

“Petunia?” Severus was shocked. How in the world could Dumbledore leave him with Petunia and her husband? He knew Lily would roll in her grave if he had even thought about putting him there, let alone actually doing it. As these thoughts crossed his mind, he steadily grew less and less shocked, and instead more and more angry. He knew Dumbledore was manipulative, but he didn't think he would go that far. He should have known better.

Harry was beginning to think that that was not as innocent a question as it seemed to be, judging by the professor's face. He didn't think he could really form words to answer his almost question, so he just slowly nodded. He knew, that by the end of this, he was going to get into so much trouble at the Dursleys.

Poppy had heard bits and pieces of the conversation, and she did not like one bit of it. Even she didn't know that Harry was living with the Dursley's and for her that is a necessary thing to know. She had been told that he was living with a living magical guardian, not people like them who clearly abused him. She was finally fully coherent, so she was able to form the words that she wanted to. She made sure she had the boy's attention before speaking. “Listen Harry, I have a few questions for you. I need you to be completely honest with me when you answer them, I promise that neither of us will be angry with you for your answers. Is that okay?”

Harry honestly didn't believe what he was reading from her lips. They weren't going to throw him out immediately? He couldn't believe it. But, rare hope krept inside of him, hope that he hardly ever saw. So, he decided to throw caution to the wind and and answer the nice ladies questions unfiltered.

Having made his decision, he slowly nodded.