Harry bit his lip and shook his head. "Not yet anyway. I mean . . . I think they still think they're being watched." He pressed his lips together and his face came over all mulish.
"What is it, Harry?" Severus asked gently, though he had a pretty good idea, one which was borne out by Harry's answer.
"Well . . ." A sigh. "Well, sir, if they were watching, the Headmaster or whoever, I mean, if they did see where I was and how they . . . how the Dursleys treated me and such . . ." He trailed off with another sigh.
"Yes?" Severus wanted Harry to ask the question. The boy needed to ask, needed to validate his own perception that what happened to him was wrong.
"Well, why didn't they ever do anything?! Why'd they leave me to get starved and shoved in that filthy cupboard, and for Dudley to beat me up all the time? If they were watching, why didn't anyone care?"
"You want to know why no one cared that you were being treated poorly," Severus repeated. "Why no one from Hogwarts, or the Ministry, came to take you away from such unfit caretakers."
"I . . ." Harry gulped, and for the first time in two weeks, met his gaze. Severus was startled by the depths of pain in those green eyes, the hurt the boy hid so well and so often, but also by the righteous anger that glittered fiercely within. "Yes, sir."
Severus held that hurting, angry boy's gaze and told him as much as he knew. He hoped it was the truth. "I don't believe anyone was watching, truly. I don't know exactly how the yearly letters are addressed, but I think it's an automatic process. I honestly don't think anyone looks at the addresses of the prospective students, so no one would have known that way that you were living in the cupboard. But that's neither here nor there. You're asking about the last ten years, not just about the letter. I believe, I have to believe that, if Professor Dumbledore knew your circumstances, he would have intervened."
Harry's eyes narrowed. "Really?"
Even this child of eleven was not fooled by the Headmaster's grandfatherly manner. Harry knew that Gaius Avery had merely been expelled, instead of incarcerated. He knew Albus wanted him to learn Occlumency, which in a child so young, could fracture his mind. He knew Albus had not intervened when it came to keeping Quirrell away from him, either, even when it meant he was not safe at school. Given all this, why should he believe this latest claim?
Once again, he told the boy the truth. Any less would be insulting, to both of them. "I hope so, Harry. I honestly do."
He knew Harry understood, by the calm nod of his head, and his pensive air, and he wished the boy didn't have to weigh his own worth against that of a Dark Lord's destruction. He wished there was an easy way to ask Albus this question . . . or rather, an easy way to get an honest answer out of him.
But if wishes were horses, then beggars would ride.
He needed to get Harry away from those Muggles for good. And now that Harry had started telling him about their treatment, he had a much better shot at it. He gave Harry a half smile. "Thank you, Harry. I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to tell me this," he said. "Now, would you like to see another picture?"
Harry nodded eagerly and reached for the pile of photos. "One of you and Mum," he said, and Severus' heart soared.
TBC . . .
*Chapter 39*: Chapter 39
Better Be Slytherin! – Chapter 39
By jharad17
Disclaimer: None of this is mine! Eh, I'll get over it.
Warnings: language, reference to abuse.
Previously on Better Be Slytherin:
He needed to get Harry away from those Muggles for good. And now that Harry had started telling him about their treatment, he had a much better shot at it. He gave Harry a half smile. "Thank you, Harry. I'm glad you felt comfortable enough to tell me this," he said. "Now, would you like to see another picture?"
Harry nodded eagerly and reached for the pile of photos. "One of you and Mum," he said, and Severus' heart soared.
A couple days later, once Harry admitted to Snape about knowing about the third-floor cerberus, and also about how he had lived in a cupboard, when he'd also mentioned his first birthday cake, from Hagrid, Harry decided he really needed to see Hagrid again. It just wasn't right that he hadn't visited the gigantic man at Hogwarts, not once since he'd been sorted. He had to admit, though, Hagrid's reaction to his sorting had made him nervous. Hagrid wouldn't really hold that against him, could he, that he was in Slytherin? But maybe he did. Maybe he thought, like some students from the other houses, that Slytherin housed all the evil people at school.
Really, though, he knew there was only one way to find out for sure what Hagrid thought.
Thus, Harry went to visit his first-ever friend on Friday after classes let out for the day. He asked Millicent to go with him, figuring correctly that she might appreciate meeting the man who had rescued Harry from the Dursleys. And, since Teddy had heard him ask Millie along, he asked Teddy, too, though he hadn't actually expected the fastidious boy to want to meet the school's rather untidy groundskeeper. Teddy surprised him, though, by quickly agreeing to take the trip down to Hagrid's cottage, which was near the edge of the Forbidden Forest.
Having advised Snape that he was going to go see Hagrid, instead of meet with him to look at pictures as he usually did these last few weeks, Harry led his two friends across the lawn and over a small hill to Hagrid's cottage once Herbology let out. Harry was a bit nervous about just showing up at Hagrid's door, worried that Hagrid would turn him away, maybe call him a Dark Wizard in Training, an epithet Harry had been taunted with a few times -- mostly by Gryffindors -- over the last couple of months. Maybe Hagrid was disappointed in Harry. Maybe he was sorry that he'd given Hedwig to Harry, and demand he give her back. Maybe he'd say as much in front of Harry's Slytherin friends, or refuse to be his friend at all unless Harry gave up Millie and Teddy. . . .
The door opened on his third knock, and Hagrid stood framed by the space. About two seconds later, the man's surprised look vanished, and he said, "'Arry! Wotcher doin' down 'ere?"
"Hi, Hagrid," Harry said, and drew up a deep breath along with his courage. "I, er, hoped I could talk to you? I mean, that we could?" he amended, feeling tongue tied and stupid, as he gestured to his friends. "I mean, I haven't seen you in a long time, and I just wanted to visit."
Hagrid's face immediately broke out in a huge grin. "O' course, 'Arry! C'mon in, all of ye, tha's right; I've some treacle fudge, new made, an' we can 'ave it wit' a nice cuppa."
Relief flooded Harry like water in an overflowing bathtub, pouring over the edges and making him feel warm inside. He grinned up into the face of his friend. "Sounds great."
As Hagrid ushered the three of them into his cottage, Harry took a look around. Hagrid lived simply, with a large table and chairs and a low, but wide bed in one corner the only real furnishings. But the cottage had a homely feel to it, with various knick-knacks, such as whittled wooden figures -- animals mostly: dragons, wyverns, centaurs and unicorns, especially -- colorful, woven bags stuffed with pungent herbs from his outdoor garden and carved, filigreed boxes of varying sizes (and holding who knew what) on shelves or lined up on the mantle, giving the place a more personal, though uncluttered, touch. The one room cottage smelled odd, though, like dog, -- and the reason why was obvious a moment later, when Fang made his presence known by coming out from under the bed to bark at the trio, then drooling everywhere with his tail thumping madly -- smoked fish and burnt sugar.