The letters from no one (Snape Pov)
Severus had made a mistake. He had believed Albus Dumbledore, despite knowing that the man was particularly manipulative, and the boy, Potter, has suffered due to it. What was worse, was the fact that he had only found out due to this slight barrier, the readings, as it seemed everyone had started to call it.
The boy had been abused, that much was obvious, even if the book had not explicitly stated it, and his thoughts weren't the lightest due to it. Even if the boy claimed that he wasn't having harmful thoughts, the short statement that he had made earlier had been concerning, to say the least.
Was it just one of the many alike thoughts running through the boy's head? Now, Severus wasn't claiming to be an expert on the Potter boy, no, of course not, but before, he had liked to think that the boy was an exact replica of hi father, loud, arrogant and spoiled, from just the two chapters that they had read so far, however, he was now seeing that it wasn't true. The boy didn't thrive from attention, that much was clear he seemed to shrink away from it, and he scowled at the thought of the reason why.
His muggle relatives had kept him in a cupboard of all things, and he hadn't said anything about it? It seemed as though it were a shock to Granger and Weasley as well, if their aghast expressions were anything to go by.
And the boy's behaviour to the yelling?
It seemed as though he was more traumatised than any of them had expected.
And so, Severus Snape was going to throw some certain choice words at one Albus Dumbledore at the very first opportunity he got, and one glance over at Minerva showed that she would join him, she was oh so protective of her lions, it seemed.
Minerva flipped open the book to the correct page and began to read, her glasses sitting at the top of her nose as she did so.
“Chapter Three- The Letters From No One.”
The longbottom boy spoke up then, stuttering slightly s he scanned the room, and laid eyes on the potions professor, seeing his cold smirk that he had purposely directed a the boy for this reason and this reason only, “I'm guessing that this is your hogwarts letter Harry?”
The boy in question only nodded, seeming lost in thought, or just really focused on the book, most likely trying to ignore the concerned looks his friends were sending him, including the one he was leaning against, playing with the sleeves of his jumper instead.
“The escape of…her crutches.”
“How long did the punishment last?” Asked the lovegood girl, her voice airy, as if she wasn't all there in the head, as if the impending answer of Potter's punishment wasn't that serious, and that they shouldn't be concerned about it, despite the fact that it was likely the boy had spent many days and nights in his cupboard even before this punishment, that was longer than the others.
The boy in question just seemed to shrink in on himself, sending wary glances at the mutt and werewolf, as if they would blow up once more, specifically the mutt, and, judging by the boy's reaction to the question, it was likely to get one.
“Around Two weeks.”
And Severus had to strain to hear that answer, as mumbled as it was, and when he did hear it, he had to check to see if he had heard it correctly.
The boy was kept in a cupboard for two weeks. He hadn't been let out, not unless for bathroom breaks, is what Snape thought, and even then it might not have been that he was allowed out to use the lavatory.
Oh how he was going to murder one Petunia Dursley.
If the roles were reversed, he knew that Petunia knew full well that Lily would raise the Dudley boy as her own, and Petunia locked away Potter knowing that information fully.
He wondered how the wretched woman slept at night, knowing that her sister would be disappointed of her reactions, if she knew of how she was raising her son.
The Weasley boy only pulled him closer, and while Severus himself had never been a fan of the boy, he could tell that Potter did.
The boy wore his heart on his sleeve, it was going to be a miracle if the boy could actually defeat The Dark Lord, what, with his caring nature, would just give him more power over the boy.
“Harry was glad…Harry-hunting.”
That must explain why the boy was so agile, and managed to walk around the castle unnoticed, it was quite depressing, and a reflection of Severus’ own childhood life, but it was a useful skill, and one found in most Slytherin students of his, and he smirked at just the thought of Potter's reaction to being compared to a Slytherin pupil, and the look of indescribable horror that would wash over him, it would certainly be humours for him, if anything.
While Weasley had been doing most of the comforting up until that point in time, Granger reached out, past Weasley, to rest a comforting hand on Potter's shoulders, and wordlessly, the ginger haired boy switched seats with the raven haired one, so that the raven haired boy in question was squished in between his two friends, almost laying on top of them, his legs near Weasley, and upper body near Granger.
It seemed as though it were a regular occurrence for the trio, to have someone or the other practically sprawled out across the other two lap's, because Potter didn't even blink, just let out a long-suffering, quiet sigh, as Weasley placed one of his hands on Potter's thigh, and Granger held one of the emerald eyed boys in hers, though it didn't seem at all in a romantical form, which wasn't all that surprising, it was obvious that Weasley and Granger fancied each other.
“This was why….what he'd said.”
And, if that didn't send he room into laughter, Severus didn't know what would, MInerva looked amused, the mutt and wolf had a proud glint in their eyes, which made Severus snarl towards them, and the weasley twins were howling with laughter, obviously finding pleasure in the stupidness from Potter's cousin.
Meanwhile, Potter was flushed a crimson red, and his head was tilted as if he were to bury it in granger's lap, though that would seem highly difficult given the fact that the bushy haired girl in question was doubled over, shaking from laughter at his statement, a joyous smile on her face.
The only three people that did not seem amused were himself, Alastor, or Mad-eye-moody, and one of the Weasley children, the prefect, Percy he believed his name was.
“Pup, you have got to say your thoughts out loud, they're hilarious.”
And, of course it was the mutt speaking, proud to be the idiotic child's godfather, and sure, even though he may not have been the murderer they had all thought that he was, that didn't mean that he was innocent, either. Just because everybody else had forgotten what Lupin's misfit group had put him through does not mean that he would.
He had been so convinced that Potter's sawn would be just as obnoxious and annoying as his father, but, just after two chapters, Severus could plainly see that it was just another abuse victim lashing out at the place where they feel safest, for knowing that they would not be able to at their supposed ‘home’.
He felt something stir in the gut for the boy. It wasn't pity, no certainly not, but yet, it wasn't also hatred. It was more of a concern for the boy's wellbeing, yes, that was it, he was still worried over the boy's concerning thoughts displayed earlier.
As much as he would loathe to admit, there seemed to be something off with the boy's statement from earlier, claiming that he had not indulged in such vices. He was a trained leggimens, a skilled one at that, and he was sure that the boy was lying, and just didn't want anybody to find out.
That wouldn't explain his willingness to bare his arms in front of the room, however, and he was certain that the boy wouldn't harm himself elsewhere.
So, maybe, Severus was just getting paranoid with old age, if you would call thirty one old, that is, or maybe there was something deeper in his suspicions.
He had always known that his instincts were particularly good, even for a wixen, they had to be, if he were to be a spy for The Dark Lord, but he could easily pass off this situation as him trying to sympathise with the boy,to pity him, not care, no, but hate him less, for Lily's sake. Besides, it wasn't his problem. And, he wasn't going to allow it to be, either. He would let Minerva, or Albus, or even, God forbid, Molly, deal with him, anybody save from him, hell, he'd even shove Bloody Alastor towards Potter, if someone were to just talk with the boy.
“One day in….it had to be so wet.”
And, despite the blatant unfairness of how the boy was being treated, this set the room into laughter once more, and Potter flushed bright red, once again, obviously embarrassed by his naive selves words, and Severus had to resist the urge to scoff, as he had been doing for the entirety of the book, which, granted was not for that long, but the idiocy of the Gryffindor students always seemed to surprise him.