Chapter 7 – Professor Dumbledore-Snape

I'm not a native speaker of English!

Chapter 7 – Professor Dumbledore-Snape

When Harry woke up, he needed a short time to realize where he was and why he was there.

"Ah, you've finally woken up, Harry." Harry could hear a friendly female voice and knew before Professor Dumbledore-Snape came into his sight that it was her.

"Professor, why are you here? Is Professor Snape okay?" Harry remembered Madam Pomfrey's stern face when she had examined the Professor's throat and lung.

"Of course he is fine," she said, but seeing Harry's disbelieving face, she added, "Well, maybe he isn't really fine, but you don't have to worry. Right now he is sulking in his bed because James and Poppy – Madam Pomfrey – gave him a day of total bed rest. When I left, he was still arguing with James." She smiled, and Harry lost himself in it as happened so often when he heard her speak or saw her smile. Harry always imagined his mum, when she was still alive, to be like Professor Dumbledore-Snape.

"He'll be angry with me, because they found out about his illness because of me," Harry said sadly while he propped himself on his elbows to speak with his Professor easier.

"Don't worry, Harry. He isn't angry with you," she said while tilting the headboard of Harry's bed up so Harry could sit in the bed and still rest his back. "Right now, he is angry with the Headmaster because he didn't allow him to join the meeting with your relatives."

Harry's face fell at hearing her talk about his relatives. They'll send me back now. Uncle Vernon will kill me for letting them see my wounds.

Seeing Harry's scared expression, the Professor added quickly, "Don't worry, Harry! You never have to go back there. We will take care of you." She wanted to distract him and said, "Look, your friends have already sent you some letters. You are really popular, aren't you?"

Her smile is really intoxicating. I immediately feel better when she smiles at me, Harry thought and then looked in the direction his professor had pointed in. He grabbed the two letters from the bedside table and looked at the envelopes. 'To Harry Potter' was neatly written on the back of one. Harry knew this handwriting well; it was Hermione's. The other envelope was dirty, and 'Harry' was scribbled on it in big letters. Harry looked questioningly at his Professor.

"I don't know who sent it. Open it! I swear I won't sneak a peek." At the last sentence she theatrically laid a hand on her heart.

Harry grinned and quickly opened the dirty envelope. It was just a small letter, only a few lines, and under it was the sender's signature. "It's from Hagrid," he said and beamed at his Professor.

She only smiled in reply and sat down on the bed.

Harry read the lines quickly.

Hi Harry,

P.S. Professor McGonagall helped me writing this letter.

Harry looked up at his professor. "Do you want to read it?"

"It's your letter, Harry. But if you want, you can tell me what it says. You don't have to."

"He knows what happened, and he said I should have told someone earlier. And that I should visit him as soon as possible. Do you know when I'm allowed to leave the hospital wing, Professor?"

"No, Harry, I cannot tell you. You'll have to ask Madam Pomfrey or James about it. I think it depends on how you feel and how willing you are to work with them."

"Work with them?" Harry asked with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"You will still need medical treatment, Harry. We had to inform the Youth Welfare Department of the Ministry about the abuse you had to go through, of course. While you were asleep a Ministry Healer read James's report and checked with a spell who it was that caused your injuries. Your relatives already have to answer in front of the officials from the Ministry and the Headmaster. They will never be allowed to hurt you again, Harry."

Harry was shocked. "But now I'll have nowhere to go. They were the only relatives I had."

"Harry, you really don't have to worry. Maybe I shouldn't have told you about it. Poppy will have my head when she finds out that I've disturbed you. There are a lot of people who would love to take you in."

"Maybe they would want the hero Harry to live with them, but not the freak Harry," Harry mumbled sadly while looking at the letter in his hands.

"Harry!" Professor Dumbledore-Snape said, so shocked that Harry looked up, confused. "How can you say something like that? You are not a freak! Your relatives are freaks to have done this to you." She moved nearer to him on the bed and cupped his cheeks with her hands. "Look at me, Harry!"

Her hands felt so good on his face. He looked into her sad eyes. No smile was on her face. She was concerned and sad about what he had said, and Harry could see it. "Harry, you are a wonderful person. You have gone through so much and still kept your kindly nature. You have wonderful friends. Do you think they would be your friends if they didn't really love you? Do you think that they would call you a freak?"

Harry shook his head and wished his professor would never stop talking to him and never let go of his face.

"No, I didn't think so, Harry. And you shouldn't call yourself a freak, either. Because you aren't."

"But I didn't do anything to act like a hero. I let them beat me. What family would take in someone like me?"

"Harry, you are a hero. If you hadn't killed that snake, Voldemort could not have been destroyed. But that isn't important right now. Any family that just wanted to take you in because you are a hero wouldn't be the right one. But there are enough families that would love to show you how to live the life of a normal thirteen-year-old boy. That's what you are, Harry. Just a boy who should grow up with people who love him."

"But who would take me in?" Harry asked her, still not convinced that someone would take him in as just 'Harry, the boy' and not as 'Harry, the hero'.

"Severus and I, for example, would love to take you in. And I also know that Poppy and Alastor would love to take care of you. There are more families, but this isn't the right time to discuss it, Harry. I shouldn't have brought it up. You just have to know that we will be here for you, and you will have a choice in all this, okay?" She was still holding his face and tenderly stroked her thumbs over his cheekbones.

Harry was speechless. They would take me in? The professors would take me in! His mind was racing. He couldn't say anything and just stared at her.

"Harry, please, I will be in a lot of trouble when the Headmaster and Poppy find out that I spoke with you about all this. My father, your Headmaster, will speak with you when the meeting with your relatives is over, okay? Please calm down." She loosened her grip on his face, letting one hand rest a little longer on his cheek, and stroked the other over his head.

Harry leaned into the hand that was still on his cheek and almost whimpered when both hands left his head.

The Professor pointed at the other envelope in his hands. "You haven't opened the other one. Maybe it will distract you a little." She had found her warm smile again and managed to get one on Harry's face with it as well.

"It's from Hermione. For sure she sent me instructions about what I have to read to catch up with the stuff I missed in classes while I was stuck here," he said, happy that the Professor still was there with him. He wasn't alone.

Harry,

Hermione & Ron

He looked up at the professor and said, "They're worried because nobody will tell them what's wrong with me. Can't I send them a message or let them visit me?"

"Of course they can visit you. We thought that it should be your decision if you wanted them to know about what happened or how much you want to let them know. Madam Pomfrey wanted you to rest, but she gave her okay for a short visit as long as you don't agitate yourself. I have to shoo them out if they make you feel unwell, and I can't let you speak with them alone, so if you don't feel comfortable with this, you should wait until Madam Pomfrey allows you to see them alone."

"I don't mind if you stay." Harry smiled shyly and added, "It is nice to have you around." He looked at the letter again and asked, "But how can I tell them to come here? I would also like them to bring something for me."

"Just write them a small letter, and we'll ask a house-elf to deliver it to them. Classes are over already, so it won't get them into trouble."

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Do you have a quill?"

"Here on the bedside table, Harry." She stood up, took the quill and ink from the table and gave them to Harry.

"Thank you, Professor. I'll just write my message under Hermione's lines."

He was already writing his message when he felt the mattress shift as the Professor sat down again.

Dear Hermione and Ron,

Bye, Harry

He gave the quill and the ink back to the professor, and while she brought it back to the bedside table, he folded the letter and put it back in its envelope. When he looked up, he saw the professor standing expectantly beside his bed.

"Finished?" she asked, smiling.

He nodded and handed her the letter.