Home

Chapter Four

Sylvester entered the great hall and saw the teachers and Hagrid waiting for him. They looked over at the door and smiled seeing Sylvester walk in. Sylvester sat next to Snape and the man rubbed his back. Sylvester looked up at him reluctantly. They made eye contact and Sylvester slowly smiled before looking back down quickly. The food appeared on the table and everyone started eating.

"How are you feeling, Sylvester?" McGonagall asked the boy. "Oh, fine," Sylvester said softly. Snape furrowed his eyebrows as he saw Sylvester grab food and eat with just his right hand. "So, Sylly Finn, have you got plans for tomorrow?" Lupin asked the boy. Sylvester looked up at him. "Oh, uh, n-no I don't think so." He answered. As Sylvester was eating Snape grabbed his left hand gently. Sylvester's breathing hitched as Snape pulled his left arm up. Snape grabbed the cuff of his sleeve and started to pull it down. Sylvester immediately pulled his arm away. Snape frowned at the boy.

"Sylvester, you didn't!" Hagrid said. Sylvester looked at him. "What did you do?" Snape asked. Snape looked at Hagrid after the boy shook his head. "What did he do?" Snape asked. Sylvester looked at Hagrid and shook his head. "I'm sorry, Sylvester," Hagrid said. Sylvester let out a shaky breath. "He needs to know," Hagrid said. "No Hagrid you promised!" Sylvester pleaded. Hagrid sighed. "He cut himself, again," Hagrid said. The teachers looked at him with wide eyes. Sylvester let out another shaky breath and tried to run but Snape was quicker and grabbed his right arm before he could run off.

"No!" Sylvester said and tried to pull back. "Give me your arm Sylvester," Snape said. Sylvester shook his head no and held his left arm behind his back. "Sylvester, please," Hagrid said. Sylvester looked over at him. "It's for your own good." He added. Sylvester slowly looked at Snape before looking down. Sylvester slowly pulled his arm from behind his back. He looked at his sleeved arm before looking at Snape. The boy gulped as he looked at his arm again and slowly handed it to Snape. The man let go of Sylvester's right arm and gently grabbed his left hand. He grabbed the cuff of the boys' sleeve and slowly pulled it up. "Oh my goodness!" McGonagall gasped as the boys' arm was revealed. Snapes jaw dropped at seeing on Sylvester's arm were many, many, many cuts. Most of them are scars now but a few were fresh. "Sylvester, why?" Snape asked. The boy was silent.

Sylvester looked at Hagrid with tears in his eyes. "You promised," Sylvester muttered, a tear falling. "You promised!" Sylvester yelled at him as another fell. Hagrid looked down as Snape tried to calm to the boy. "Sylvester, calm down, okay? Deep breaths, you're okay." Snape said and rubbed his upper right arm gently. Sylvester looked at Snape before pulling his left sleeve down and sitting down, putting his arms crossed on the table and his head in his arms. "Sylvester, can you please eat, just a little?" Snape asked him. Sylvester turned his head a little to the right to look out. He saw Snape and he put his chin on his arms before grabbing a green apple and eating it with his chin on his arms.

Hagrid frowned. "It's okay," Sylvester said suddenly. They all looked at him. "I'm not mad," Sylvester said and looked at Hagrid. Hagrid smiled at him before ruffling his hair. Sylvester put his left cheek on his arms as he ate so he was facing right. Suddenly he felt someone run their fingers through his hair. "You need a hair cut kiddo!" Lupin said. Sylvester nodded softly sighed with a small yawn.

The teachers were talking when everyone finished eating. Snape looked over at Sylvester and saw the boy had fallen asleep. "Is he asleep?" Moody asked. Snape nodded and stood up. He gently lifted Sylvester and the boy put his head on Snapes' shoulder in his sleep. Sylvester being the size of a nine-year-old made the task easy. "Good night, everyone," Snape said before leaving. Snape carries Sylvester to the dormitory and into his room. Snape put the boy in his bed and took the boys shoes off. He tucked the boy in and left the room. He looked at the sleeping boy once more before closing the door. Snape was going to find anything sharp and take them away from Sylvester so he can't harm himself anymore.

And that's what Snape did for the rest of the night while the boy slept peacefully.