As if he could read Harry's mind, Snape abruptly turned around. "Come with me, Potter. We're going to see the Headmaster."
Harry gasped. "But sir тАУ please, I'll be good. Please don't тАУ " Snape only muttered something furious and reached back, grabbing Harry's arm and yanking him along.
"Please, sir, don't make me go back to the Dursleys. I want to stay here. Please, please, let me stay. Don't expel me," Harry begged the entire way up to the Headmaster's office, but Snape didn't so much as look at him. He merely marched on, dragging Harry with him and pausing only long enough to give the gargoyle the correct password. Harry fell silent as they neared Dumbledore's door; obviously his pleading had been in vain.
Snape fought down his own fear. The upcoming interview would likely prove exceedingly unpleasant, but тАУ as usual тАУ he had to ignore his own welfare and focus on the greater good. Or in this case, Harry.
He spared a glance for the young boy at his side. Now that he saw Harry, and not a mini-James, he wondered how he could have mistaken the hesitancy for arrogance and overlooked the signs of pain and fatigue. "Albus," he said, storming into the office and not giving the old man the chance to offer anyone a lemon drop, "I must insist that you contact Poppy and Minerva immediately."
Dumbledore's eyebrows rose, but he obligingly went to his floo and summoned both women. It was only then that he properly caught sight of Harry тАУ and the large scarlet hand imprinted on his cheek тАУ and the twinkle was abruptly gone from his eye. "Harry," he said very, very gently, "what happened to you?"
Oops. It might have been a good idea to clean the boy up a bit before dragging him here. Snape had been so outraged at Dursley's treatment of Potter that he had nearly forgotten about his own misdemeanors in that regard. He knew Albus would eventually get the whole story out of him, but it would have been smarter тАУ a lot smarter тАУ to have washed the blood off the boy first.
Harry flicked an uncertain gaze at Snape, and Dumbledore's eyebrows drew together. Snape caught his breath in panic at the old wizard's expression. It was easy to forget about the man's true nature in the face of his "doddering grandpa" act, but abruptly that mask was dropped and a furious and immensely powerful wizard was glaring at him.
Before the Headmaster could say anything, Pomfrey and McGonagall arrived through the floo. "What is it, Albus?" Minerva asked, then glimpsed Harry. "Mr Potter, it is nearly curfew, what тАУ WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU?"
Poppy was already pulling out her wand when Snape stepped between them and the boy. "Just a minute," he ordered, knowing he was only going to get one chance at this. If he didn't tell it right, he'd be lucky to end up in Azkaban, the way the three of them were glaring at him.
"Go ahead, Severus," Dumbledore said quietly, but for once there was no hint of geniality in his eyes. Harry had nearly stopped breathing in his attempts to be inconspicuous.
"Mr Potter had detention with me tonight. During the course of the evening, I discovered certain тАУ things тАУ that I need to bring to your attention."
"Including how he received those injuries?" Albus asked in a purr that would have done Snape proud. Minerva and Poppy had their wands clenched in their fists as they glared at him.
Snape swallowed hard. "I am responsible for the visible injuries," he acknowledged, and hastily stepped back a pace as Minerva started for him. "I make no excuses for myself," he blurted as Albus gestured the animagus back. "However, they are the least of his problems."
"You will need to explain that," Dumbledore stated flatly.
Snape turned to the boy and abruptly realized that what he was about to do was unlikely to be well received. He might not be the most sensitive man, but he had had enough abused children in his House over the years to know how deep the scars went. Well, he wasn't a Slytherin for nothing. "Potter," he said quietly, forcing the frightened boy to look at him, "you know what you were asking me as we came up here?" Harry nodded, not daring to hope. "If you do as I say, and answer everyone's questions honestly and fully, then I promise I will grant your wish." The boy's eyes тАУ Lily's eyes, dammit тАУ grew huge. "And I will waive the rest of your detention."
Harry couldn't help it when a grin broke out across his face. Even though he knew it might be a trick, he couldn't stop beaming. Suddenly, for all his snarkiness and yelling, Snape was his favorite professor. "You promise?" he whispered back.
"I give you my Wizard's Oath," Snape said gravely. Even the other adults were silent, recognizing the solemn nature of Snape's offer.
"Then okay," Harry said, nodding. He still wasn't sure what was going on, but if it meant he'd avoid expulsion and a caning, not to mention the rest of the lines, then he was willing.
"Done." Snape waved his wand and abruptly Harry found himself clothed in a hospital gown. "Turn around." With the professor's strong hand on his shoulder, Harry had little choice in the matter, and he found himself turning his back on the adults in the room.
It wasn't until he heard the gasps behind him that he realized that he was clothed in nothing but the hospital gown and it, like most of its species, didn't close in the back. He squawked and tried to grab at the edges of the gown, but Snape swatted his hands away, forcing him to continue to moon the Headmaster, his Head of House, and the school's medi-witch. For once fury overwhelmed fear, and he glared up at Professor Snape. "Stop it! Give me my clothes back!"
Snape looked down at him, a hint of amusement in his eye, but after a moment he relented and a second gown appeared, tied front to back and covering Harry's exposed backside. "I am about to speak of you quite bluntly," Snape informed him. "Would you rather wait outside?"
Harry frowned back at him. If he was going to be talked about, then why should he leave? He was tired of people talking about him behind his back. He was getting pretty damn tired of a lot of things actually. "I'll stay," he replied pugnaciously.
Snape raised an eyebrow. "As you wish." He turned to the others. "The boy is obviously the victim of repeated abuse and neglect. He was whipped by his uncle for expressing enthusiasm about attending Hogwarts. I am quite certain from his behavior in my classroom after my own тАУ " he stumbled slightly over the words "- inappropriate actions, that Potter has been frequently and undeservedly beaten by his relatives. His eyesight is appalling, in part because he has never had an eye examination. His aunt apparently obtains whatever cheap spectacles can be had and brings them back for him. The boy cannot see the blackboard from the third row. Given his scrawniness, I would not be surprised if he was also denied food and other basic comforts by the deranged Muggles with whom you saw fit to place him, Albus. I assure you that, blood wards or no, he will not be returning there again."
The other adults simply gaped at him for long moments. Then: "Harry, is this true?" Dumbledore asked quietly.
Harry didn't reply at once, his head whirling. How did Snape know? Why had he said these things? Didn't he know how much trouble Harry would be in when Uncle Vernon found out? But then Snape had said that he wouldn't let Harry go back to his relatives, so was that okay then? But wasn't Snape just as likely to thrash him as Uncle Vernon was? Was he any better off here, if Snape was just going to take up where his uncle left off? But then there was a lot of food here, and he had friends for the first time ever, and his bed in Gryffindor Tower was a lot better than the cupboard under the stairs, andтАж
"Potter!" Snape snarled, making Harry jump. "Answer the Headmaster!"