Help From An Unlikely Source

Chapter 3

Severus managed to get him and Harry into an alley without being seen. Harry still had not wken up yet and he was getting really worried. He knew he had to get the boy back to Hogwarts before it is too late.

The fastest way to get to the school was the Night Bus, so as soon as it was nightfall he signaled for the bus. Not five minutes later the bus pulled up at the end of the alley. Severus got them on the bus, and told the driver to get them to Hogwarts fast.

Severus took Harry and put him on one of the beds in the back to make him more comfortable. He sat next to the bed just watching over the boy. He then decided to try and clean Harry up a little on the way back to school. He went to grab a bowl and fill it with water then he grabbed a couple clothes from the bathroom.

He went back over to back over to Harry and started getting all the blood off of his face. Once his face was clean it still looked dirty because there was not one spot not covered in bruises. He then started removing Harry's shirt, so he could clean his back and front. What he saw under the shirt almost made him sick. The boy's chest, stomach, and back was black, blue, and covered in small cuts.

When he ran the cloth over one really bad spot Harry moaned then opened his eyes.

"W-where a-are we?" Harry asked in a really shakey voice that you could hear the pain in.

"We are on the Night Bus Harry. On the way back to Hogwarts to get you checked out by Madam Pomfrey." who whole time he was talking Severus was lightly rubbing Harry's forehead.

Severus then said, "Harry maybe you should get some sleep. You are going to need all the strength you have to get better."

Harry just nodded and closed his eyes. Severus thought Harry was asleep so he went back to cleaning, but after a few minutes Harry grabbed one of his hands and whispered, " thank you."

Harry then fell into a restless sleep, but he had not let go of Severus' hand. Everytime he would try to pull his hand away Harry would start to wimper and cling to his hand tighter. The whole way back to Hogwarts he sat there holding Harry's hand afraid to let go.

When the bus pulled up in front of the school Harry was still asleep, so he pulled his hand away and levitated Harry back onto the stretcher. He hurried off the bus and up to the school. When he got inside he practically ran to the hospital wing.

He rushed into the wing and yelled for Madam Pomfrey to get in here now.

She came running into the room and stopped dead when she saw Harry. She got herself back together and ran over to Harry.

"Severus, what happened to him?"

Severus did not answer till Harry was on the bed then he practically growled, "those sorry excuse for muggles he lives with almost beat him to death."

While Madam Pomfrey was checking over Harry, Severus was just pacing around the room. Albus came flying into the room looking extremely worried. The first thing he did was ask what had happened. Severus answered as best he could.

Albus looked at Madam Pomfrey and asked, "Poppy, how is he?"

"Well from what I can tell his arm, ankle, nose and several ribs are broken. It looks like he has not eaten in days, and he has some damage to his kidneys. I can repair the damage done to him, but after a beating like this I do not know how he is going to be mentally."

"Mentally Harry is going to be fine. He is strong, and he has his friends who will help him get better. This is not the first time Harry has been beatin like this. Yet, he has survived this long. This will not brake him. I will make sure of that."

Albus and Poppy both looked a little shocked about how much caring Severus was showing toward Harry. Then it hit Albus that Severus had said that this was not the first time. Albus was very angry and this is one man you do not want angry with you. He looked at Harry one last time then says, "Severus, will you look after Harry till I get back? I am going to pay those muggles a visit"

"I am coming with you. I want those muggles to pay for what they did to Harry."

"No, Severus I need you to watch out for Harry. He is going to need you when he wakes up. I will see that they pay dearly."

"Fine, I will stay. I want to be here when he wakes up anyway, but do you think he is going to be okay?"

Albus put his hand on Severus' shoulder andin a really softvoice said, "I am sure he will be Severus. Just be there for him all you can. You got him out of there in time."

Severus just sat down next to Harry's bed and watched while Poppy went to work.

"Bye, Albus."

"Take care my boy."
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As soon as Albus left the hospital wing he went straight to the to the outer bounds of Hogwarts and apparated to the end of Privet Drive. He walked the rest of the way till he was on the doorstep of number 4. He nocked on the door, and a few minutes later the door was opened by who he asumed was Petunia.

When she saw who was standing there she got really pale, and yelled for Vernon to come to door right away. When Vernon got there the first words out of his mouth were, "oh no, you took that other le fle freek off of our hands, so you have no right to be in my home. Get out of my home now!"

"Mr. Dursley, I have every right to be here after what you did to Harry. You just better be glad that I did not let Severus come with me, because if I had you and your whole family would probably be hexed so bad no one could put you back together again."

"We did not do anything that lazy no good freak did not deserve."

"Harry is a very good young man. He is smart, caring, brave, loyal, and just. He did not deserve anything that you did to him. He has had a hard life that you did not help him with.So I am not going to hex you I am just going to let you feel all the pain that he has felt in his life."

With that Albus said a few choice latin words, and the dursleys slipped into what could almost be called a trance. He was satisfied that they would soon know what they had put Harr through all these years.

He quietly left the house and headed back to Hogwarts to keep and eye on the boy thought of as a grandson.