A/N: Love y'all! Happy reading. . . Also, it's like, 12:12 AM where I am, so I hope you guys are sleeping and read this later in the morning.
Word Count (including this chapter)-115,024
Harry Potter**
"Come with me, Potter," Severus said sternly, though it lacked the cruel edge of before.
The Potion's Master left the room with Harry trailing him, hands nearly to elbows red from the painful lye. He'd scrubbed the dung from his hands though, so at least they weren't filthy. A mournful thought for the rest of his garments came and went as Severus led him up staircases.
Harry was panting and puffing by the time they'd gone up three, needing literally to run to keep up. Halfway through the fourth flight of stairs, he twisted his ankle and fell.
"Potter!" Severus said before turning around, "Come on."
When he turned around and saw Harry pale-faced and sweating at least a dozen stairs beneath him, he let loose a stream of profanity so quietly Harry couldn't make out the words.
"-nothing else to do for it I suppose," he was muttering when at last he was in range of Harry's ears.
With a quick feather-light charm, he picked Harry's dreadfully undersized body up and frowned down, black eyes meeting pale green.
"You said you did some reading, right?* head nod * Did that include information on weight and nutrient potions? *another nod* And have you been taking them? *nod* How long?"
"A few months, actually, professor."
"Well, they're not doing nearly enough. I'll brew some up for you myself. You'll take three with breakfast, one for nutrients, one for weight restoration, one for overall growth acceleration. The growth accelerant isn't precisely what the name implies, but for your situation that's its job.
"It will help you to reach the optimal level of growth that you could have reached by this age if you'd been properly nourished. You'll have one weight restorative potion at every meal though, and large snacks if you can manage. That one will be especially important.
"I'll have them sent to your head of house. You must take them according to the schedule, exactly according to the schedule, or I'll have words with you about it," Severus said grimly, seeming determined to get Harry to a state of perfect health.
"Professor sir," Harry tentatively inquired, "Where are you taking me?"
He'd really want to ask why the black haired man was carrying him like some precious doll, afraid he would break, but refrained. And anyways, he did want to know the answer to that question, and vocal questions were better for practicing human interaction than mind wandering.
"To Professor McGonagall."
"But why? She's not even my head of house. And- and, well, she's Gryffindor head of house," Harry said, sounding a bit repulsed by the mention of Gryffindor.
He couldn't help it! Evan was in that house, and the liar had been too. Even though he knew McGonagall was a good person, and an even better teacher, he couldn't help but think that house either produced or was a magnet for truly foul people.
"She's the Deputy Headmistress," Severus said brusquely, though not unkindly, "Since you don't want the matter brought to Professor Dumbledore, she is the person best qualified to help with your situation."
"Oh, alright," Harry said, though his nose wrinkled without him wanting it to.
Two flights of steps later, and Severus announced, "And here we are."
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No Longer
FanfictionHarry wasn't what anybody expected. Well, that's not exactly true, in fact he acted exactly as expected in front of them. He'd been left with the Dursleys, and had spent nine long years basically as their slave, not even knowing his name. See, Evan...
