Chapter 5

"Harry was standing in front of Quirrel, staring at the reflection of Voldemort's face on the back of Quirrel's head in the mirror.

He turn to run but the flames suddenly flared up. He turned around.

"Kill the boy"

Quirrel charged towards him.

Harry fell to the floor and found something wet beneath him"

Harry woke up with a start. His face was wet with tears. After a few moments, he started sobbing, too shaken up by the nigtmare.

Then he realized somthing. Something wet. He looked down and was horrified. He had wet the bed. What does he do now ? What would Snape say ? He decided to call Toppy

"Toppy ?" - He called with a small voice

The house elf appeared with a pop

"Young Master Harry Potter calls Toppy ?" - The elf's high-pitched voice said

Harry wasn't calm enough to talk. He kept sobbing for a few moments until he was able to compose himself

"Is young Master Harry Potter ok ?"

"Y...yeah. I... I wet the bed. Can you help me ?"

"Of course, young Master Harry Potter, sir. Young Master should go take a shower. Toppy will clean the sheets, sir"

After saying a quick 'thank you', Harry got out a set of pajamas and quickly went into the bathroom, hoping he wouldn't run into Snape. He didn't. When he came back, his sheets had all been cleaned up. He came back to sleep.

Next morning, as usual, Severus woke at 7am and came down to the kitchen. He asked Toppy to get him his morning coffee

When Toppy came back with his coffee, the elf decided to inform Severus about what happened last night.

"Master Severus Snape, something happened last night, sir"

"What happened ? Did Potter do something ?" - Severus said looking at the elf surprised that something had already happened in the first night.

"Young Master Harry Potter called Toppy last night, sir. Young Master wet his bed and was crying really, really hard, sir. Toppy thought he was going to make himself sick."

"He wet his bed ?"

"Yes, sir"

Severus thought, bedwetting wasn't that rare in children but he needed to know if this had always been a problem for the boy.

"Thank you for informing me, Toppy. Please let me know if it continues"

With that, Toppy popped away

Harry came down for breakfast that morning looking pretty normal, although he did seem a bit off. Severus knew not to mention the bedwetting though.

A week later, the bedwetting kept happening. Toppy kept informing Severus in the morning about that problems with a few other issues: Potter had mentioned nightmares to Toppy about two or three times. Toppy also told him that the boy had been throwing up about half of the meals he ate, or at least that was what Toppy thought Potter was doing in the bathroom about an hour after meals.

Severus spent the evening of his Sunday thinking. He had grown quite worried about the boy. What ?!! Did he really think he was worried for the brat ? Well, if it was true, it would be quite a new feeling to him. Suddenly, Toppy popped in, holding something that looked like a rag.

"Master Severus Snape ? You have to look at this "

"What is it ?" - Severus asked eyeing the cloth

"It's Young Master Harry Potter's clothes, sir"

"What ?"

"You have to look at this, sir" - Toppy said holding out the cloth

The elf pointed at a small red and black stain on the back of the shirt

"It's an old blood stain, sir. Toppy has found them on other clothes of Young Master as well, sir"

"Thank you, Toppy. I understand. I'll think about it"

After Toppy had popped away, Severus decided to list all the strange things about Potter down on a piece of parchment. Now that he thought about it, Potter's clothes weren't nice at all. The boy wore very worn clothes and they were also too big for him.

He wrote down:

Bedwetting

Flinching

Throwing up after meals

Worn & oversized clothes

Quiet

Nightmares

Protecting his plates while eating

Asking about chores to earn his keep

Scared to ask for the bathroom

'Not allowed to ask for things I know I wouldn't get'

Doesn't eat much

Old blood stain on clothes

He read them over and over again. He froze as a horrifying thought struck him. Abuse ?! It looked like abuse. But it couldn't be ! He was a Potter. He would be pampered and spoiled. Then he thought about the boy's guardian. Petunia !! Oh no, then it could be true. That the boy he had always thought was spoiled was actually abused.

He sat there not knowing what to do. After a few minutes, he glanced at the clock, 9.45pm. The boy must have gone to bed. He decided to call Healer Mark Williams. The healer was 10 years older than Severus. He had been Albus' and Severus' personal healer since Albus had adopted Severus when he was 15. Severus took out the pendant on the chain that he wore around his neck and called the healer.

A few minutes later, the Healer stepped through the floo

"Hi, Severus. Are you ok ?" - Mark asked smiling, eyeing Severus from head to toe

"I'm fine. I need to ask you some questions and advice"

"Ok. Go on" - Mark said after he had sat down on the sofa while Severus sat in his armchair.

"You know Harry Potter, right ?"

"Of course. Why ?"

"Well, Albus asked me to house him his summer since he asked not to come back to his relatives' house. Albus wanted me to find out why because Potter didn't say. At first, I thought he was just seeking attention. But then, after the first week with him here, I've found some signs that look like abuse"

"What are those signs ?" - Mark asked stiffly.

Severus handed him the piece of parchment. Mark read for a few seconds with an unreadable expression. Then he looked up and seemed to be deep in thought for a minute.

"Where is the boy ?" - He asked Severus.

"Asleep, what do you think about the signs ?"

"This is likely to be abuse. Unless he is a really good actor "

"Well, I'd like to think he's only acting but I don't think so. He cried in front of my house-elf everytime he wet the bed. He wouldn't do so intentionally with his pride"

"Then it is as I said. It's likely that he is abused."

"What do I do now ?"

"Well, we don't want to jump to conclusion. First, you need to check if there are any scars of bruises. Then you can coax him to confide in you. But don't do it too obviously. It will just be like you're jumping to conclusion. And then he'll get scared and be more closed off. Has he known you know he wet the bed ?"

"No, I know through Toppy"

"Ok, try to be there for him when he wets the bed or has a nightmare. Show him you care for him and he will trust to tell you"

At Severus' frown, he chuckled

"Come on Severus, I know you care for him. It shows through how you spend time doing this."

"Alright, I care for him" - Severus said bitterly. "It's just a new experience and a new feeling for me."

"I know. If your observation is true then you have a connection with him. Both of you have had a tough childhood. Although I think his is worse than yours. An then there's this fact that he's Lily's child. It's understandable that you feel that way"

"But I've always viewed him as my boyhood enemy's child. If he really has been abused then I'm probably part of it with the way I've been treating him."

"Then make it up for him ! Save him."

After a few minutes of silence, Mark stood up.

"If there's nothing else, I should be going then. You should get some rest. Call me when you get more information"

He walked towards the floo. As he was about to step in, he turned around.

"Oh, one more thing. Do not blame or scold the boy for bedwetting. He has no control"

"Well, I know about that" - Severus said offensively.

"Ok, goodnight then" - Mark said and flooed away.

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