Taken

Body



Disclaimer: Really, I mean it...I don\'t own this. Even the plot is borrowed from LunarMistDarknessEclipse, so nah. I\'m just borrowing and tweaking to the way I like.

Chapter 2:

Severus stood over the hospital bed that housed the battered and abused Harry Potter. Besides Albus and Poppy, he was the only one allowed in the room. He could still remember their irate reactions when they saw the way the boy had come back from his relatives.

*Flashback*

"What is it, Severus? We were trying to eat, but you...OH MY DEAR GOD!!! What happened to him? Is that who I think it is?" Poppy was asking shrilly.

Trying to surpress his rage, he looked at her with bridled fury. "Why don\'t we cut the mundane questions and actually heal the boy first!" came Severus\' snarled reply. Looking rather sheepishly at the pissed Potion\'s Master, the mediwitch set to work, muttering under her breath the entire time.

"Broken ribs...severe malnutrition...etc.," could be heard from her. Tuning out what she was saying, Severus looked over to Albus, wondering how he was taking the news. Noticing the tears in his eyes, he assumed that this wasn\'t going over to well on the wizened old man. Guiding him to a chair, Severus made him sit, before he had the chance to fall down.

"Oh God, this list is extensive. I\'ve compiled a list of all the grievances the boy has, and I can honestly say that I have never treated someone who had this many injuries." Getting an extremely cross look on her face, she gripped her wand tightly, causing red sparks to shoot out the end from uncontrolled magic. "I hope the Goddamned bastards who did this rot in Hell!"

Walking to the overly distressed woman, Severus tried to calm her. "Don\'t worry, they will be dealt with accordingly. If you have the list, may I have it to make duplicates?" Wordlessly Madame Pomfrey handed the list to Severus, and he immediately copied it. "Thank you, Poppy. I\'m on my way now to deal with this. First, I\'ll go the Ministry to get Aurors, then we\'ll handle the people responsible."

"I expect a complete report back on this, Severus. I want to know who the bastards are that could hurt a child so badly," Dumbledore said. Deciding that now would not be the best time to inform them that it whe bhe boy\'s own family, Severus left the infirmary to do just what he promised he would, make the Dursley\'s pay.

*End flashback*

That had been a week ago, and Severus didn\'t even want to think upon how Albus reacted to the report back. It was hard enough trying to deal with the students without adding the fact that Albus Dumbledore was feeling inept and unable to properly do his job. These were things Severus did not want to dwell on. Looking to the bed, he noticed that Harry was starting to stir, the boy would immediately seek him out when he awoke. It seemed that the only one the boy would respond to was \'Sev\' as the snarky Potion\'s Master had been deemed by the boy.

"Sev?" Hearing the tentative question from the boy, searching for his savior, Severus made his way to his side.

"It\'s all right child, you\'re safe. I\'m here," with that said, the man assisted Harry, pulling him up in to a sitting position in the bed. "Madame Pomfrey says you maybe able to leave the infirmary soon. Would you like that?"

Shaking his head in an affirmative answer, Harry coughed slightly. "May I have something to drink, Sev?"

Chastising his idiocy for not thinking of that, Severus summoned a glass of pre prepared water that was laced with strengthening agents. Helping Harry hold the cup, they brought it to his lips for him to drink. "Here you go, Harry, some nice, cool water for you." Drinking slowly, Harry was careful not to swallow too quickly, due to permanent throat damage inflicted from Harry\'s near constant screaming. Despite everything that magic could do, his throat could only be fixed to a certain extent, leaving Harry to rely on others to interpret him without speech. He would also never regain eyesight, leaving his eyes their murky, green color.

"Sev?" came the child like voice.

"Yes, Harry?" the man asked.

Tugging gentle on the man\'s sleeve, Severus got the idea and sat down. Drawing the teen into his strong, caring embrace, Severus held him. "Will I ever be better?" he asked in curiosity, breaking the supposedly cold man\'s heart.

"I don\'t know, Harry. Unfortunately, you\'ll never regain use of your eyes, or full use of your throat. Your other physical wounds will heal, but the emotional and mental damage is another matter. You may never regain your full memory, or you could gain it all back tomorrow." Thinking on it, Severus was amazed that they boy remembered all the magic he had been taught, he simply didn\'t remember anyone, or anything that had occurred over the summer. "I hope, for everyone\'s sake, that you do get better. I really do..." Pulling the child into his lap, Severus started to rock back and forth, softly humming a calming tune he had once heard from his mother as a child.

Clutching at the warm robes even tighter, Harry felt a few tears escape from his eyes. "Are you going to get rid of me if I don\'t get better?"

Hearing the frightened tone in the boys voice, Severus tightened his embrace, trying to show his emotions through the embrace. "Never!" he hissed vehemently. Using calmer tones, Severus tried to reassure and assuage the child\'s fears, "I will never let you go, little one." Tucking Harry\'s head under his chin he said, "I\'ll protect you, come what may." Holding the c, he, he again started to rock him, but instead of humming the song, he sang. Once Harry was asleep, he gently laid him down in the bed, tucking the covers up to his chin.

"Ah, Severus, I thought I might find you here," came the jovially voice of the Headmaster. Looking to the man, Severus was shocked to see that Albus seemed better. "I have important things to discuss with you. Now, as I know yon\'on\'t leave Harry\'s side, I\'ll just go and round up everyone else I need for this discussion. It shouldn\'t take long, but it will be very important." On that note, Albus left the infirmary with a skip in his step and a twinkle in his eye.

What the Hell was that about? Did he just get a new batch of lemon drops or something? Maybe I should start testing those damn things for drugs. I mean, come on. Severus was startled out of his thoughts when he heard a keening whine coming from the vicinity of the floor. Looking down, Severus looked into the eyes of his enemy, in dog form, Sirius Black. Holding back a sneer and a snarl, Severus stiffly bowed his head at the dog before resuming his watch over the boy, rambling off his injuries for the mutt to hear. Looking up, Severus noticed that the Headmaster was back, along with the other Heads of House.

"Ah, excellent! I am so glad that you informed Snuffles of our dear Harry\'s condition! He is to be Harry\'s guide dog." Seeing the confused looks on their faces, Dumbledore went on to explain exactly why Harry needed a guide dog. "Now, that is not the only reason I have brought you here. It came to my attention, in dear Harry\'s second year, that he gently nudged the hat into putting him in Gryffindor. Seeing everything the poor boy has gone through, I do not think that this House placement will do well for him any longer. It is with great pleasure that I tell you, Harry Potter will be resorted when he leaves the hospital wing."

Gas in in shocked outrage, the other three Heads tried to argue with Dumbledore, who calmly refused everything they were saying. Once that man was set on an idea, come hell or high water, it would get done. Smirking, Severus wondered what House the hat had originally wanted to place the boy in.

"Sir, if I may, what House was Potter to be in?" Severus inquired.

"Hm. Well, that is quite the interesting little tidbit. You see, one would think that since he managed to pull Gryffindor\'s sword form the sorting hat, that he was a Gryffindor at heart. That most definitely is not the case with our young boy here. He is a Slytherin at heart, and how he managed to survive in Gryffindor for so long is beyond me. Everything he has every done has been in the Slytherin way. He has always been rather sly and cunning, tends to think things through, not blindingly rushing in head first. If Harry hadn\'t known it would benefit him, he would never have done anything that he has done." Taking on a more somber note, Albus said, "that is why I was so shocked to find out he did not report the abuse."

Dawning entered the eyes of the other professors, along with abject horror, to realize that they truly did not know this enigma of a boy as well as they thought. Nodding mutely, they all agreed that a resorting was what was needed for the boy. They would not deny the child the chance to be himself. Leaving the infirmary, the teachers left Harry and Severus alone.

Settling into a chair next to Harry\'s bed, Severus picked up the boy\'s hand, running his thumb over the top of it. He would make sure that Harry never woke up without someone there, either him, the boy\'s godfather, or another student would always be with him, he\'d see to it.

TBC

Not as long as I want it, but I\'m trying to go with the chapters that the original authoress already had. She only had four chapters, so after I tweak them all to the way I want them, the chapters will probably be longer. Hope you enjoyed. Please review.