Cared For

Chapter 3: Comfort

Updated: 24th February 2019
_______________________________

The young boy was frightened. That was evident by his facial expression. Minerva had seen thousands of frightened faces, but none on a 3 year old. She felt pity, she didn't care that he was the Boy-Who-Lived or the saviour of the Wizarding World, this was a boy who needed love and affection.

"Hello, young Harry." she said to him, and held out her hand into the door. The door was bit small for her to fit into, so she sat outside. " 'M not Harry, 'm not Harry" he mumbled, barely audible. " I'm fweak."

This sentence broke her heart. She didn't care about Albus, she was going to take him away from here. " I am Minerva, but you can call me Minnie," she said. " I've come for you, to take you away from here." At this, Harry started to panic. "No, no, no. I'm sorry, don't hurt me please." His eyes started to tear up. She tried to reason with him but he kept on pleading for forgiveness.

"I won't hurt you, Harry, I promise." she said in a low, comforting voice and held out her hand again. Their eyes met, and Harry had a good look in Minerva's green eyes. They were full of love and comfort, two things Uncle Vernon told him he didn't deserve. A small part of him was telling him to stay, but the rest was telling to go with her. Besides, she probably doesn't know about his freakishness, and will care for him for a while, even if not for long. He grasped her hand, and she pulled him out.

His entire leg was cold and wet from sitting in his own waste for so long. She got him to the main bedroom to get him out of those pants. When she got him on the bed, he struggled out of her grasp and got on the floor.

"No, not allowed. No' allowed. Gonna get beating." he cried. No matter how hard she tried, he refused to stay on the bed and in the end, she had to ready him on the floor. She got the very few belongings he had and left the room.

As she was leaving the house, she saw young Dudley Dursley playing in a circle of his own toys. Feeling bad for him, she unfroze the couple and left the house, holding Harry's frail hand. She reached the outskirts of town and apparated away.

**Page Break**

Harry fell asleep in Minerva's warm arms, so she had no problem taking him to the hospital wing. She put him on the bed and called for Madam Pomfrey.

"He needs urgent care. He should take multiple potions a day, which I will provide, bedrest, and a good meal, he is far too skinny." Madam Pomfrey said, after examining him. "I can easily heal the physical damage, but the mental damage will take a long time."

Minerva barely heard what she was saying. Her mind was focused towards the sleeping Harry, and she was also angry at Dumbledore. Look at what happened to him. Heaven knows what could have happened if she didn't interfere. But she decided that meeting Dumbledore could be done later. Harry needed her.

She looked at Harry again, to find him slightly awake. "Good evening, Harry." Minerva said. He didn't respond. He was observing the room with his wide, green eyes. She sat down on the bed next to him.

Immediately, Harry flinched violently and dug under the covers. The bed was shaking violently, and underneath the covers came muffled sobs. "Harry, I won't hurt you, I promise." she soothed. But he still didn't come out and in the end, Minerva had to sit next to him for almost half an hour before he dared to come out. After Madam Pomfrey gave her the required potions, the two left the hospital wing.

It was a long walk to her quarters so Minerva took Harry in her arms and made her way. He wasn't used to so much attention and such comforts and tried to fight her grip and run away. But despite her age, McGonagall had a strong grip and held him firm. She didn't have time to run after him as she didn't want to be seen by anyone. Unfortunately, Snape was walking out of his classroom and saw the pair.

He was shocked. He didn't know that she was going to take him, only that she was going to check up on him. Snape strode up to them. "What did you do? I thought you were only going to check on him." he hissed. "Dumbledore will be furious."

" I couldn't just leave him there, he would have died!" she snapped back. They stood in the hallway, bickering, until Harry's almost silent cry came from her shoulder. " 'M sorry. Don' be mad." he sobbed. Minerva knew that this would take a bad turn if they continued, so she hurried past Snape towards her quarters.

She took the boy to her room and set him down. He didn't move, waiting for an order to come. She went down to his level and looked him in his bright green eyes.

" This is your home now, no one will hurt you here, not when I am around." she said, holding out her arms for a hug. Harry was scared. On one hand, her arms were so warm and comfortable, and Harry wanted to run in them. But he had seen this tactic before. Uncle Vernon used to beckon him to come with this gesture and hit him harder than ever when he came. But she was nice to him, she never hit him or shouted. He slowly edged towards her and went into her warm embrace. She smelled of vanilla and shea butter. His body relaxed for the first time during the entire day. She carried him to her rocking chair and rocked him in front of the fire for the rest of the evening until they fell asleep.