Blind Faith | By : Leowardelf Category: Harry Potter AU/AR > General Views: 12260 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 5 |
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story. |
Authors note: This is my first time publishing fan fiction. So I am just trying my fingers at a new genre and some new ideas. I am not sure yet where this story is going but I will just let my muse run though I cannot yet promise any kind of regular update… hope you enjoy it and if you do let me know?!
No Beta (yet?)
Warnings: severe child abuse and angst
Chapter 1
Tap, tap, tap. His cane made a rhythmic sound on the pavestones but the small boy could not see the pitying looks people send him as he slowly made his way through the busy train station toward platform 9. The skinny boy looked no older than 8, his shaggy black hair unruly on his head. Most of his face was hidden by extremely large very dark sunglasses hiding most of his face.
“Can I help you lad.” A voice growled near him making Harry jump and stumble and the large hands that caught him made him cower even more. The man looked at the frightened boy for a moment, angry whoever had hurt the boy that he would respond like this.
“Where do you need to be lad?” he asked a little more softly, using the soothing tone he also used for his dragons, worried about frightening the boy again. The boy silently held out the slip of paper clinched in his hand. Charlie carefully accepted it, shocked to realize that it was a Hogwarts express ticket. What was this child doing here alone, he could not be old enough to go to Hogwarts, could he?
“That’s a coincidence. I am going there too.” Charlie said trying to sound cheerfully through all his doubts. He had come to surprise Ron on his first trip to Hogwarts but instead found a waif in desperate need of help.
“Do you want to come along?”Charlie asked a little uncertain but the small boy nodded and slowly reached out till he tentatively touched Charlie’s elbow and after a moment hesitation Charlie started off with slow steps towards the barrier that guarded the access to platform 9 ¾. The older man knew there were always a few teachers around to make sure everyone got onto the train alright. The tapping started again as he carefully led the small boy towards the seemingly solid looking wall.
“You will feel a little pressure when we pass through the barrier. It’s noting to be afraid of.” Charlie said without halting, guiding the smaller boy through the barrier. The small boy flinched when he heard the sounds before him and panicky tried to retreat from the crowd of people before him but Charlie insistently led him forwards.
“Professor Snape.” Charlie called out, recognizing the dour professor standing near the barrier, glaring at the giggling crowd before him. The man looked around surprised when someone called his name and was even more surprised when he realized it was the recently graduated Weasly.
“Yes,” he drawled, frowning when he spotted a small black-haired child standing really close to Weasely holding a white with red cane.
“I found this boy wandering the station, he has a ticket for the express but I don’t think he is old enough. Perhaps he has an older sibling that the ticket belongs to.” Charlie said no longer daunted by the potions masters icy glare.
“Did you now.” Professor Snape drawled, frowning when he saw the child flinch away from him. “May I see the ticket.” He said a little more friendly.
Charlie handed over the ticket to the professor, still making sure the smaller child stayed close to him.
“Charlie!” The wizard was distracted by his younger brothers shout who barreled towards him. Responding quickly Charlie put himself between his brother and the frail looking child, making sure to catch him in time. Professor Snape watched the interaction for a moment before once again glaring at the ticket in his hand, annoyed that they did not have the students name on them.
“What is your name?” He asked the boy who stood a little lost without Charlie holding his hand. The boy turned his head a little but remained completely silent. “Answer!” Professor Snape snarled, hating how the boy jumped and cowered away from him.
“Just tell me your name lad, where are your parents?”Severus said more softly, uncharacteristically. The boy just shivered a little, turning his head nervously. Severus wondered, as far as he knew none of their students had a blind little brother. “Just tell me little one, no need to be afraid.” Severus pushed a little.
The small boy just lifted his chin, revealing a mass of scar tissue around his neck before quickly tucking is chin back under. Severus stared at the boy stunned. Moving slowly he pulled out his wand and muttered: “Parentious revelio,” praying he would recognize the name and be able to reunite the clearly damaged child with his parents. Stunned he watched two familiar names slowly rise from the boy to float above his head. James Potter & Lilly Potter nee Evans.
Standing before him was none other than the boy-who-lived and the one he had always secretly hated; Harry James Potter. Glancing up he saw Charlie watching the names equally stunned.
“Well lad, I think it would be best for you to come with me so we can get you to the school as quickly as possible.” Severus said, still not sure what to do with the situation.
“Charlie, if you would be to kind as to inform Professor McGonagall that I have gone ahead I would be much obliged.” The dour professor told his ex-student, silently nodding at the young wizard in thanks for bringing the small boy to him.
“Shall we go?” He asked the frightened boy, carefully reaching out to touch Harry’s shoulder. The boy flinched a little under the touch but did not avoid the contact. “You will feel something strange, like a strong pull behind you navel.” Severus warned the smaller boy making sure he had a good grip in Harry’s upper arm as he spoke the password to his emergency portkey.
Severus easily absorbed the shock of landing in his quarters easily but despite the firm grip he had on Harry the young boy stumbled and fell to his knees. Despite quite a hard fall the child did not make a sound or even look like he had hurt himself, but when Severus touched his shoulder to try and help Harry the boy recoiled and curled into an even smaller ball to protect himself.
Severus sighed, he was not equipped to deal with children like these, though he saw enough abused children pass though his house he had little patient for them when they were at this state. Leaving Harry where he was for now to acclimate to the changed surrounding Severus went over to the floo to call Pomfrey to check him over. At least they should know how severe the abuse was before they went to Dumbledore with their suspicions.
Pomfrey was surprised to see Severus in her fire, the children had not yet arrived and Severus should be overseeing them board the train in London.
“Poppy, I came back early with what I fear is a severe abused first year. Can you step though and check him over?” Severus said, worried how Harry would respond. The nurse quickly gathered some of the potions and hurried though after me.
Harry was still in the same place and though he had moved little I could see him move his head around slightly to catch sounds a little better.
For a moment Severus and Poppy just watched him, see how he moved and how he responded but soon Harry started to fidget in the silence and they needed to act.
“Hello lad, welcome to Hogwarts.” Poppy said carefully, Harry started a little hearing an unfamiliar voice but remained where he was otherwise. Poppy conjured a thick pillow near him to sit on and just watched him for a moment. “I am going to do a checkup, it will feel a little tingly but won’t hurt you alright.” She said calmly, waiting for a moment to see the barest of nods and quickly waving her wand to cast a general diagnostic that would record any current injuries. She had to lengthen the parchment several times while it was recording, when the spell finally stopped she looked up at Severus pale faced, just the sheer amount of injuries signaled that there had to be something seriously wrong. Severus hoped that it would all prove some strange side effect, that Harry Potter was not abused. That the son of his nemesis was a happy child and spoiled and that something happened to make him look this way.
The adults withdrew a little to discuss the results and decide on treatment. The spell did not list the injuries in any order so they had to go though the list and check for severity and decide what to treat first. When they finally agreed on an order and what potions they needed the next step to decide how they would get the terrified 11 year old to cooperate. Harry still had not moved from his place though he had sat up a little when Poppy and Severus moved away from him and had started talking but they knew that when they approached again he would tense up again.
“Dreamless sleep?” Severus asked his colleague quietly, he knew it could interfere with a few of the potions he had planned but right now it seemed like the best option they had to get harry into a bed and start healing the most severe injuries. Poppy nodded sadly.
“Flower,” Severus said quietly and moments later his house elf appeared with a very small pop. “I need something that smells really good to conceal dreamless sleep in.” Severus ordered and Flower popped off immediately returning only moments later with a bowl of light lukewarm broth and the requested potion. Giving her a quiet thanks and a smile Severus accepted the bowl and potion and after making sure they were mixed well he placed it close to Harry and slowly backed away again.
They could see Harry sniff the air and search around.
“I put some soup for you to your right. Go ahead and drink it, it will make you feel nice and warm.” Severus said, ignoring his screaming instincts to go to the boy and pull him close.
Harry moved hesitantly, the scan had recorded long term starvation so the broth had to smell extra tempting. Shifting a little one bony skinny hand slowly searched the ground around him carefully till it found the bowl, waiting for a moment for them to respond harry finally drew the bowl towards him slowly and took a fist tentative sip. When no one shouted at him or hurt him he quickly finished the rest of the bowl, using his fingers to scoop out the last bits of soggy vegetables. Severus watched him with a pained expression.
Soon Harry listed to one side and Severus was secretly glad the boy was already on the ground when he collapsed sideways, landing softly on the pillow Severus had quickly spelled under him.
Scooping up the much too light boy Severus doubted for a moment before resolutely walking to his guestroom and putting Harry on the large four poster bed. Poppy send him a questioning look for a moment seeing the tenderness in her distant colleague.
“The hospital wing does not offer enough privacy or security for him.” Severus said defensively, carefully removing the much too large glasses. Pomfrey grasped when she saw the masses of scar tissue surrounding two beautiful emerald eyes but even though the eyes seemed unharmed she could see that the pupils were fully contracted almost so small they disappeared which only made Harry’s eyes more striking, like two gems caught between the scars. Moving slowly Severus looked over his face, gently moving his head and prying open harries mouth to look at his teeth to find several teeth missing and scaring at the back of Harries throat. Together they slowly undressed harry completely, searching out the injuries and soon they started him on his potions. Skelegrow, pain relievers, blood-replenishing, scar reducers… Severus and poppy sat down besides the bed almost an hour later and looked stunned at the amount of empty bottled that had accumulated on the bedside table.
“What are you thinking.”Poppy asked softly.
“Just thinking about his future. What will his life look like. With any luck we can restore his voice but I fear that we will never be able to restore his vision.” Severus said thoughtfully.
“I think you are right but muggles have developed all sorts of techniques for dealing with blindness. And I am sure there have been wizards before who lost their sight.” Poppy said, trying to sound optimistic. “But before we can even start allowing him to go to school we will have to deal with his trust issues. What was your impression of him on the train station?”
“He seemed practically shut down, frozen and gave only the barest responses. When Charlie Weasely brought him to me he seemed a little better.” Poppy looked up surprised when Severus mentioned Charlie.
“That boy does have a talent for dealing with frightened animals.” Poppy sighed.
An alarm went off that someone was requesting permission to floo in and Severus headed off to see who it was.
Mc Gonagall had returned from King’s cross worried. She could not imagine what could have made it necessary for Severus to leave so suddenly.
“Minerva.” The potions master drawled when the Gryffindor head of house stepped though.
“Severus, I heard you had to leave on an urgent matter half way through the boarding process.” The schottische witch said sharply.
“I did indeed, Charlie Weasely brought a severely abused first year to my attention and I considered it more prudent to make sure he received the appropriate care rather than watch a pack of dunderheads stumble onto a train.” Severus Snape said sharply.
“The student, who is it? Is he alright?” Minerva said, immediately forgetting her anger.
“Harry James Potter.” Severus said quietly, expecting angry screams but instead found only silence. Minerva was staring at him, incredibly pale.
“Harry?!” She finally managed to say.
“Yes, Harry Potter. He will never completely recover.” Severus said dourly. Minerva and Dumbledore had sworn to him that Lilly’s son was well taken care of and even spoiled beyond belief. Severus had mentally prepared himself for a second James Potter but now he doubted their words on more than just Harry Potters safety.
Poppy’s alarmed calls made him rush to his guestroom. Harry was trapped in some kind of seizure, his muscles tensing sporadically tearing his already abused body.
Rattling off orders at Flower for potions he needed he tried to restrain the slight form as ragged fingernails tore at the lightning bolt scar that proclaimed this to be the Boy-who-lived.
Mc Gonagall stared at the scene shocked, seeing the two adults strain to keep a very scarred child from harming himself and soon after how a desperate elf tried to pour potions down the same child’s throat. But soon after Harry stilled again and the Poppy and Severus sat back breathing heavily. It had seemed almost like the boy had been possessed, his strength above human and definitely more than the emaciated damaged boy should be able to muster.
Severus looked sadly at the young child on the bed. Could nothing ever go right.
“Should we tell Dumbledore?” Mc Gonagall asked softly.
The other two send her searching looks, whose side was she really on?
“I guess we should,” Severus said slowly. “Could you call him here?” The potions master said, reluctant to leave his young patient. Together with Poppy he carefully extracted the duvet from underneath Harry and covered their young patient so he would least be decent and warm.
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