What if

Absolutely not

"Potter, kindly detach yourself from my leg and let Madam Pomfrey run a checkup on you!" Snape prompted the child with a firm tone, patting his shoulder lightly. Harry was frightened by all the attention he was suddenly getting from the strangely dressed unknown adults. As soon as they entered the Hospital Wing, Harry was jumped by Albus, Minerva, and Poppy, all at the same time, with loud exclamations. Harry immediately hid behind Severus's leg, clutching his robe for protection.

"Let the kid breathe, for god's sake!" he snapped at Albus and Minerva. He would never dare to address Minerva in such fashion before. Even though Snape's relationship with Albus could not exactly be called equal, the Headmaster was a frequent visitor to Spinner's End while Snape was waiting for his trial. Dumbledore gave him plenty of potions work both for the Hospital Wing and for his own side projects, so Severus was kept quite busy, which helped to take his mind off the impending trial and of Lily's death.

Snape felt more comfortable around Dumbledore than he felt around any other of his new colleagues. Minerva, in particular, because she was his Transfiguration teacher - the one that never cut him any slack and assigned him detentions on par with Black and Potter. Severus always found it to be extremely unfair since he was the victim in all of those situations. Maybe not all, but most. Well, perhaps not even most, but he was certainly outnumbered, so that should have counted for something! And yet McGonagall was always as strict with him as she was with the other two.

Naturally, when Snape joined the teacher's board, he felt very awkward to work alongside her. Often he had to bite his tongue to keep himself from addressing her as Ma'am or Professor. But now he had no such reservations anymore. Minerva, same as Albus, placed the child with the horrible muggles, never even ONCE checking on the boy!

Harry finally unglued himself from Severus's leg and stepped next to him uncertainly, giving everyone an eyeful of his bruised cheek. Albus sported a deep frown and Minerva gasped covering her mouth with her hand while Poppy only shook her head disapprovingly.

"Take a good look at the marvelous care provided by the muggles you entrusted with the Hero of the Wizarding World," Snape didn't try to keep the sarcasm out of his voice. They both deserved it. He immediately felt the intrusion to his mind.

Not even asking permission! But, that's OK, I want you to fucking see this! Snape then lowered his Occlumency shields and showed Dumbledore the horrible scene, as well as let him feel the rage that was still running through his veins. He redacted his own reaction since hexing and threatening muggles while on parole could land him in trouble. Not that he believed Dumbledore would turn him in, but still it was safer to omit that part.

If Albus noticed the slight alternation of events, he didn't let it show. Severus was quite capable of obscuring his mind from the Dark Lord, after all, so keeping things from Headmaster was not an impossible task, either.

"How is he?" Severus turned to Poppy, who after sitting the child on the bed, ran several diagnostical spells on him.

"Thankfully nothing serious, just a couple of potions and he will be as good as new," she answered, giving Harry a warm smile. She handed him a vial and Harry glanced at Severus uncertainly.

"Drink, Potter, it will help," he told the boy. Harry smelled the vial and grimaced casting Severus a pleading look. But Snape only raised an eyebrow fully expecting to be obeyed without argument. The child sighed softly and quickly drank the potion, wrinkling his nose with a dramatic "Yuck", eliciting a chuckle from all the adults present.

"He is severely malnourished, though. He will have to be on supplement potions for some time to catch up."

"What shall we do now?" Minerva asked addressing Dumbledore.