Waking Up
The sun shining in his eyes woke him. Harry squinted against the bright light. The room he was in was unfamiliar. The bed was too soft and comfortable to be his room at the Dursleys', the ceiling didn't have the same cracked pattern either and the smell wasn't that of stale bread and water as well. Harry tried to move his head but found he was unable to. A rush of panic went through him. Had Vernon beat him enough to be paralyzed? Was that the reason he couldn't even move a finger?
No.
A memory was pushing behind his eyes. He let it come into the front and with a relieved sigh he remembered everything. Vernon had beat him, yes. But Professor Snape had only put him into a medically induced sleep to prevent him from further damaging his injuries. With nothing else to do than wait, he thought about yesterday evening. (If Harry had only slept until the next morning, that is.) It had been four days before his birthday when Ron had sent that message. Harry just wondered why his best friend had been so careless. Ron and Hermione knew that the Dursleys were awful and that included not being open minded about anything other than a normal Christian lifestyle. He had to ask his friends what happened to Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys. What kind of retribution was demanded? How had Tom found out about the love potion?
A movement at the door caught his attention. Snape had entered. Harry could feel the light probing in his mind before the man cast a spell. The teenager could feel his limbs again and was about to move when Snape growled: "Stop! Before you injure yourself, boy."
Harry flinched at the name. Snape watched him closely but didn't say anything else. The potions master walked over to his bedside and took out his wand.
"Mr. Potter, I will be casting some spells to look after your injuries. Please hold still.", the man murmured.
Harry obeyed. The potions master started casting and watched the parchment that came with the diagnostic spell. A pleased nod later the man spoke.
"You can move and talk again. But please don't strain your body. The injuries are healed nicely but there is still a possibility of them worsening again when you move too much. I will get the Dark Lord so he can see you are fine. I imagine he wants you to talk about the abuse you sustained at the hand of those despicable muggles. I can either stay or leave for that conversation. It is your decision.", Snape explained before leaving the room in quick strides.
Harry didn't even have a chance to say which option he wanted before the door closed behind the potions master.
It didn't take long for the men to come back into the bedroom. Tom Riddle was almost running to his bedside and was kneeling next to Harry's bed in less than a second after entering.
"Harry! I'm glad you're alright, darling. How do you feel? Do you need anything?", the man was bombarding him with questions and took Harry's hands into his own.
His bright red eyes were staring intently at him and Harry found himself quite flustered.
"I... uhm...", the teenager stammered, blushing brightly until he could even feel the warmth of his blush in his ears and down his neck.
"My Lord, perhaps we shall give Mr. Potter something to eat and drink. We can leave the talk until afterwards.", Snape interrupted their interaction.
Harry gave the man a grateful look and watched as a house elf was called. Not too much later there was a light breaktfast spread in front of him and some herbal tea.
"Thank you.", Harry said.
He slowly started eating, careful not to eat too much and upset his stomach. He had done something like that before and the aftermath of overeating wasn't pretty.
"I have a question if that is alright.", Harry said slowly, putting immediately some food into his mouth and looking at his lap.
"Ask away, darling."
Tom's term of endearment brought back the blush on his cheeks.
"What day is it?"
Snape snorted slightly and a look of understanding crossed Tom's face.
"Of course, how ignorant of us. It is the 30th of July, Harry. You've been asleep for two days.", Tom said.
Harry gasped and immediately choked on the food in his mouth. After some coughing and a gulp of water - that Tom handed him in a conjured glass - he could breathe normally again.
"Holy...", Harry broke off. So his injuries had been that bad.
"Ah, I'm sorry Mr. Potter. Maybe we should have told you before giving you food to avoid further injuries.", Snape drawled, amusement glinting in his eyes.
Harry glared at the man and continued eating without responding. It didn't take long for him to feel full enough to stop eating. With a twist of guilt in his stomach Harry noticed how much food was still left. The tray popped away quickly, making him jump.
"It seems we need to get you started on a certain potions regime to counter your malnutrition. Severus, please draw one up for Harry.", Tom ordered.
The potions master bowed slightly and started muttering. Again, a parchment appeared.
"I will prepare these potions at the next opportunity, My Lord.", Snape promised and put the parchment into a robe pocket.
"But first, the situation needs to be talked about. Mr. Potter, do you wish for me to leave? My Lord will ask you some questions regarding your treatment at your relatives' house. I can leave or stay. As I indicated before either is fine."
Harry mustered the man. His expression was impassive but there was a niggling thought in the back of his mind that Snape was anything but. If the man had been impassive, there would've been more sarcastic remarks or other colourful insults.
"Please stay.", Harry said quietly.
Both Tom and Snape threw him a curious glance but complied. Snape conjured an armchair for himself and Tom and both sat down in front of the bed.
"Shall I draft a protocol, My Lord?"
Tom just waved a hand and a self-writing quill and parchment appeared. Harry supposed Tom wanted Snape to listen as intently as he himself seemed.
"Harry, can you tell me about your life with your relatives?", Tom asked carefully.
The teenager glanced to the potions master but the man was just watching him quietly, without any indication what Harry should be doing.
"I... what do you want to know?"
Harry was confused. What would it matter now? He would be turning seventeen tomorrow and then he would be married off to Tom Riddle - aka Lord Voldemort, most evil Dark Lord ever. There was no point in punishing the Durselys nor in relinquishing their care of him.
"Can you tell me about your bedroom, for instance?"
Harry looked into Tom's eyes. The red was captivating even if Harry knew it came from the Dark Arts the man had practiced. The eyes, while glowing faintly, didn't betray any emotion and Harry was unsure about telling him anything. Another look to the potions master told him that it would be better for Harry to tell the truth.
"I got Dudley's second bedroom after my Hogwarts Letter had arrived. It wasn't much, but bigger than the cupboard I had been staying in before. I had enough space to live after I cleaned out the broken toys Dudley had discarded there."
Tom frowned. A spark of magic rolled through the room but it was reigned back with an annoyed look of Tom's face.
"What do you mean with the cupboard?", the man asked in a growl.
Harry hesitated, as he had done in the same situation with Snape. A quick glance to the potions master told him that the man had kept this information to himself as well. The man gave a short nod. Harry was still unsure about telling Tom about it but decided to trust the man that had saved him numerous times before. But he had a question to ask first.
"Tom, what will happen to my relatives if I tell you?", he asked slowly.
Tom grimaced. Harry couldn't tell what Tom was feeling and the teenager saw before his inner eye the Dursleys screaming under the influence of the Cruciatus.
"I promise they will not be harmed illegally after you answer the question.", the man said stiffly.
Harry nodded once even though the wording was way too careful for his liking.
Both Snape and Tom had thrown each other a peculiar look. Harry narrowed his eyes. They had done something. He just knew it.
Harry decided to ignore this for now to answer Tom's question.
"Until I received my Hogwarts Letter the cupboard under the stairs was my bedroom. My aunt and uncle told me that a 'freak' didn't deserve a normal room.", Harry whispered. He chose to watch his hands knotting together on top of the blanket. He was sure the man would be disappointed in him for not fighting back.
The scratching of the quill was the only sound in the quiet room. Tom had stopped breathing. And then the teenager could feel a wave of magic roll through the room until it ebbed away again. A guarded look through his fringe showed the Dark Lord clenching his hands to keep his magic in check.
"Excuse my outburst. I believe it would be better for Severus to continue the questioning. I will be listening.", Tom said with an awkward expression and he and Snape changed the chairs.
Harry watched the potions master carefully. Would he be disappointed for not fighting back?
"Mr. Potter, what was unusual about the treatment you received at the hands of your relatives? Other than the cupboard."
Snape spoke in a low, calm voice that made Harry relax his shoulders unconsciously. The teenager thought about the question. What was unusual? For Harry, his relatives' treatment was normal. There was nothing extraordinary about his life with them. And still, he had always wondered why no one other than him was treated the same way.
Maybe he should tell them the things other kids had never experienced? Maybe this time someone was going to take him seriously for once and do something? With his decision made, Harry opened his mouth.
"I only got to eat the scrabs when they had finished eating. If they thought I did something wrong they would punish me with taking away my food privileges. I had to cook for them. Almost all the meals, from breakfast to dinner. If I was at school during the day I had to complete chores afterwards. If I didn't finish them in time there would be punishments."
Tom clenched his jaw hard enough to almost crack his teeth from the look of it. Snape's face remained impassive.
"What kind of punishments were usual?"
Harry took a deep breath.
"Why do you want to know, sir?", Harry murmured.
"Mr. Potter, Harry-", the teenager startled at the use of his first name and looked into the dark eyes of the potions master. "We need to document the extent of the abuse. We can have Lucius Malfoy file it as soon as we have it ready. If we can file this protocol before tomorrow, your relatives will be charged severely for any misdeeds they did while raising you."
Snape's eyes bore into his own, willing him to understand.
Harry took a deep breath.
"Normal things, like not finishing my chores or burning the food would get me locked either into the cupboard or the second bedroom, usually without food for a day or up to a week. They would let me out to use the bathroom twice a day and give me some water. Accidental magic with minor repercussions would get me a beating. Mostly with uncle Vernon's fists. Accidental magic with major repercussions - like me blowing up Aunt Marge before third year - would get me a beating with Uncle Vernon's belt or anything else that is within reach. Being gay and a wizard seemed to warrant beating me to death.", Harry whispered.
The quill was scratching furiously now.
"Is there anything else your relatives did?", Snape asked.
Harry looked up. The potions master was balling his hands into fists but kept an impassive face.
"No, sir.", Harry replied evenly.
"Very well. I will leave to get the parchment and your listed injuries from my healing spree to Lucius Malfoy. My Lord, will you stay?"
Harry threw a look at the Dark Lord in question and was suprised to not only find anger but also sadness portrayed in his eyes.
"Yes, Severus. I will watch over Harry.", the man said quietly.
With a simple nod, Snape left the room and Harry was alone with Tom Riddle.