average human’s Reviews > Veritaserum > Status Update

Harry came flying out towards the tree line, under James’ cloak but leaving footprints in the snow as he ran. He pulled it off in front of a tree and started- WHAM. CRUNCH. SLAM. CRUNCH.

Stop! Harry! Stop!

Sirius started barking and howling and desperately trying to pull Harry away from the tree.

Quit it pup! You’re hurting yourself!

“QUIT IT!” Harry screamed. He turned around and pushed Sirius back as hard as he could with his one remaining good hand.

Pup? Sirius jumped back from the fire in Harry’s eyes and the cold anger he was letting off around him. This was the Harry that made Sirius’ canine instincts shy away. This hard, cold, icy side that Sirius hadn’t seen before, but knew it was there.

Sirius had a hard time controlling his animal instincts as Harry hit the ground on his knees, arms wide open, and begged him to forgive him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. C’mere, please?”

Sirius crept towards Harry slowly, relieved to feel that the cold feeling he was putting off earlier was gone now.

“I’m so sorry,” Harry cried as he stroked Sirius’ back. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,”

Sirius started licking Harry’s face trying to tell him it’s okay.

It’s fine pup. It’s okay. You didn’t do anything. I’m sorry too.

And then Harry just broke. He clung to Sirius’ neck and sobbed, and sobbed, and sobbed.

And Sirius felt his heart break. If he wasn’t 99% sure Harry would stab him immediately, he would transform back to his human self on the spot just to comfort his godson.

“I don’t want to do it anymore Grim,” Harry wailed. “I don’t want to be here anymore.”

No pup, no. C’mon. C’mon. Think of flying! Think of your friends! Fuck, think of Snape if you have to! Don’t think that way!

Harry kept talking out loud, discussing what all he would need to do before he died, as Sirius panicked.

This wasn’t Harry. It was the dementors. Harry might be sad but they were pushing him off the deep end of madness.

Sirius howled and barked and wished so badly that someone would come find his pup right now. Someone needed to protect him.

“I’ll miss you Grim,” Harry said with a tight hug to Sirius’ neck. As soon as Harry put James’ old cloak on, Sirius took off towards Hogsmeade as quickly as his four paws would take him.

Not following Harry inside the castle was the hardest thing he’d ever done. But it would do his godson no good if Sirius was kissed before he had an opportunity to find someone to help Harry.

And really, as much as he might not like it, after listening to Harry over the past few months, after seeing what he saw at the Quidditch match- there was only one person Harry had in his life that he trusted completely.

There was only one person Sirius could turn to for help right now.

***

Sirius had ran as quick as he could to the Shrieking Shack and had pulled out a scrap of parchment from the pile he’d been stockpiling just in case before transforming back temporarily. He scrawled a quick note- being sure to get as many key points in as he could- before transforming back and sending it off with the first available owl he found.

Now he had to wait.

Which was the hardest thing he’d ever done before in his life.

Hold on pup. Just hold on. Hold on.

***

Sirius sat in the forbidden forest all night and all morning. Just watching the castle.

He didn’t know what he was watching for. But at a minimum he hoped he’d see Harry today, see that he was alive and okay.

The sun was nearly all the way in the sky when the first change happened- the dementors left.

They all left.

They gathered by the gates then left the grounds.

Sirius felt the first bit of warmth in his fur since he’d first reached the mainland, before the dementors had been spread everywhere he went.

Snape actually did it. He got rid of the dementors.

Did he catch the rat??

Sirius paced the forest floor impatiently as he waited for some sort of sign of anything happening up in the castle.

He was so focused on the faraway castle that the presence of a silver fox right in front of him made him stumble backwards over his paws.

“I received your note. Your presence is required in the Defense Office. The dementors have cleared the school,” Snape’s drawling voice came from the fox.

That... that was the most unhelpful and vaguest message Sirius could imagine receiving in this moment.

He assumed Snape got his message. Owls rarely, if ever, lost posts.

And he saw the dementors leave the grounds.

But why was he needed in the defense office? Did Snape get the rat? Was Sirius going to be arrested? Was this a trap?

He whined as he paced some more and tried to come to a decision.

Snape was a greasy git. Sirius heard students complain about him and knew that he hadn’t really changed much since school, even if he was fond of Lily’s son. But why would the dementors leave unless they caught the rat? Did Snape give him Veritaserum? Did Wormtail confess?

The defense office would be Moony’s. Which made it seem like Snape did go to him for proof. Did Moony understand? Would Moony help him or hurt him if he showed up?

And Snape didn’t say a damn thing about Harry.

It was that thought that finally made him charge inside the castle. He wouldn’t find out how Harry was from the forest.

He ran inside and sniffed his way to Moony’s office. He took a few deep breaths before scratching on the door.

Don’t let Harry’s trust be in the wrong person, he desperately hoped as Dumbledore himself opened the door.

Sirius slunk in the room slowly, eyeing the occupants.

Dumbledore. Amelia Bones. Minister Fudge. Snape. Lucius Malfoy. And... Moony.

Sirius let out a soft whine at Moony’s face. He looked shocked, but his eyes were lit up with a desperate kind of hope. Sirius thought that was probably a good sign.

“It will be easier to clear your name if you were in your human form,” Dumbledore told him.

I don’t trust you, Sirius whined even as he transformed back to himself. He backed away from the six Wixen all staring at him with big shocked eyes.

“Did you catch the rat?” he asked hoarsely. Cursing his voice for sounding so weak in a moment like this.

“We did,” Dumbledore said. “Well, Severus did.”

Sirius looked at Snape, “Harry- he’s... he’s okay?”

“Potter is fine,” Snape sneered.

What the hell?

Did Snape even care about Harry? Did he even check on him like Sirius told him to? Harry was not fine last night. He’d been planning out a suicide note with instructions for Merlin’s sake! How could Snape say he was fine?

Sirius was gearing up to argue with the man when Amelia cut in, “Will you consent to an interview under the use of Veritaserum? We have interviewed Pettigrew and will require your cooperation as well.”

“I- I can tell you what really happened?” Sirius said hopefully. “No more Azkaban?”

“We will discuss it post-interview,” Amelia said. “Do you consent or not?”

Sirius looked towards Moony. His friend, his lover, the man he had trusted more than anyone.

Except for the one thing that had counted.

Moony was staring at him with his eyes reflecting Sirius’ own hope back at him. He nodded slightly.

Do it, his amber eyes said.

“Yeah, I consent,” Sirius said. “How soon can we do it?”

58%

Harry grabbed his knife in his pocket with his good hand and held it ready as the three men in Snape’s office turned to look at him. He ignored Lupin and the black haired man and focused on Snape. Snape who had the black-haired man at wand point and looked ready to kill him any moment.

“What’s going on?” Harry asked Snape. He tried thinking as hard as he could, ‘If you get to kill this guy then I get to kill Lupin’. He couldn’t tell if Snape was picking up on his thought or not, but judging from the smirk on his face he thought he might have.

“Harry!” The black haired man turned away from Snape and smiled at Harry. It took Harry a moment to figure out why the man looked so familiar and once he did he felt blazing hot anger rising up through his whole body.

“You!”

Sirius Black. Just standing right in front of him. Like a Boxing Day nightmare for Harry.

Or... or like a gift. Practically wrapped and presented right in his face.

Harry waved his hand and threw Black as hard as possible in to Snape’s bookshelf.

Don’t let him move, he ordered his magic with a sharp tug on it.

“Harry, wait, please listen, it’s not what you think,” Black was babbling as he pointlessly tried to move off the floor where Harry threw him. Harry ignored him and stepped closer, pulling Black’s own knife out of his robe pocket.

It would be more karmic, as Snape often said, if he used Black’s own knife to kill him. Since the man had planned on killing Harry with it after all.

“Severus, are you going to stop him?” Lupin cried.

“Black wished to speak with Potter, this is his chance.”

“What?” Harry paused and looked at Black then Snape. “Why’s he in your office? Why’d he wanna talk to me?”

Snape held his hands up and gestured towards Black.

“Feel free to kill him if you’d like, I certainly won’t stop you,” Snape sneered a look of pure loathing towards Black. “But you may want to hear him out first, at least you will end his life for the correct reasons.”

“What reasons?” Harry demanded. “What more reasons are there?” He turned back to Black, “What other reasons could you have? It’s your fault my parents are dead. Your fault I lived in Surrey. All of the dementors- YOUR FAULT!”

“I know, God Harry, I know,” Black said, his voice hoarse but genuine. “I’m sorry- I’m so sorry. But it’s not what you think!”

“Shut up,” Harry ordered with another pull of his magic. He turned to Snape who was leaning against the wall next to Lupin. Lupin looked like he was going to have a panic attack or something any moment, his eyes were bulging and he was wringing his hands together.

Snape looked bored.

“What’s he talking about?” Harry asked Snape. “What’s going on?”

“Maybe you should let Sirius-“

“I wasn’t fuckin’ talking to you,” Harry snarled at Lupin.

“Language,” Snape murmured with a pleased smirk in the corner of his mouth.

“Snape what’s going on?” Harry asked again.

“Your godfather,” Snape grimaced as he said that, “has been cleared of all charges this morning.”

“What?!” Harry yelped. “But- how? Why?” Harry glanced behind himself to Black, who was still frozen in place and mouthing something silently over and over. He looked back to Snape. “Why would they do that?!”

He thought the damn Minister was his friend.

“Harry, why don’t you-“

“Can you get rid of him?!” Harry yelled to Snape, gesturing at Lupin. “Because I’m going to hurt him if not.”

He could feel that desperate feeling rising in him and his magic was swirling around, ready to do what he wanted with the slightest notice. If Lupin didn’t leave, as in right now, Harry was going to hurt him.

He wasn’t against it, he still owed Lupin for the boggart, but he did need to get some answers. It wouldn’t do him any good if Lupin killed him before he killed Black.

He had magic on his side, but Lupin had crazy wolf strength. Harry wasn’t a fan of even odds.

“Gladly,” Snape said. He flicked his wand and Harry watched with satisfaction as Lupin was shoved outside the classroom with the door slammed firmly in his face.

“Why did they let Black go?” Harry immediately asked Snape.

Snape wouldn’t lie to him. Snape didn’t even like Black, hated him as much as Harry did in fact. Surely he’d be upset about it too.

“Your parents switched Secret-Keepers,” Snape said calmly, politely ignoring the crazy wind that Harry’s magic was causing to fill the room. “They used Pettigrew instead of Black. Pettigrew was the one who betrayed them and turned them in to the Dark Lord. Then he was the one who killed the Muggles and faked his death when Black confronted him.”

Harry stared at Snape as the magic around him settled at his feet.

“And you believe that?” he said incredulously. It sounded less believable than the lies Harry used to tell at Primary to cover his bruises.

‘I fell’ caused a black eye.
‘They switched secret keepers’ cleared Blacks name.

Ridiculous.

“I would not, had I not heard it with my own ears while Pettigrew was under the influence of Veritaserum.”

“You- Pettigrew was here? Where is he now?” Harry asked quickly.

If it was true then Pettigrew was the reason Harry didn’t get to live with his parents, and Black was the one who left him to the Dursley’s.

Twenty minutes ago the only person he’d been planning on killing today was himself, but it seemed like he could turn this whole day around really. Take one name off his list and take someone off the list he didn’t know needed to even be there.

A miracle really.

“I believe he is on his way to Azkaban,” Snape said.

Harry stared hard at him, his brows furrowed.

“You let them take him? Why would you do that?”

“Letting them arrest Pettigrew was the only way to get Black’s name cleared so I could get rid of the dementors.” Snape gave him a sympathetic sort of look. “If it were not for the dementors, I gladly would have assisted you in dispatching of the rat.”

“The dementors are gone? You got rid of them? Really?” Harry breathed, excitement filling him for the first time in months.

He hated the dementors. Hated them more than he hated Black. More than he hated Dumbledore even. Getting rid of the dementors was worth delaying Pettigrew’s death.

The dementors made him weak and worthless and pathetic.

And Snape got rid of them.

Snape gave him a small smile and a nod.

“They are gone.”

Harry felt relief crashing over him so hard that if it weren’t for Black still being in the room he probably would have cheered.

“Brill,” he grinned at Snape. “You’re a genius.”

“I am aware,” Snape said it in a bored voice but Harry could tell he was pleased with himself. He grimaced as he looked again towards Black. “I believe at some point you will have to do something with that, he does not add much to my decor.”

Harry glanced behind him to Black and saw that he was still in the same spot on the floor, though he clearly gave up on trying to talk and was now just glaring at Snape.

“Don’t fuckin’ look at him like that,” Harry snapped. He turned back to Snape and saw that he was practically smirking now towards Black. “How’d you find him anyway?” he asked.

Snape gestured towards Harry’s usual chair in front of his desk.

“If you would like, we could have coffee while I tell you the incredibly anticlimactic story,” Snape offered casually, as if there wasn’t a man awaiting an execution stuck to the floorboards of his classroom.

Harry hesitated as he turned and looked at Black again.

Find out what happened first, then kill Black, he decided.

“‘Kay.”

Harry turned his chair just enough where he could see both Snape and Black. He gave a careful pull on his magic and felt like it was in place enough to hold Black for a while longer.

Snape called for Mavis and ordered them both a cup of coffee with milk and sugar. Harry’s right hand shook a little as he grabbed his mug, but if Snape noticed he didn’t comment.

“I received an annoying letter this morning,” Snape said after they both drank their coffee for a moment. “It said: ‘find Weasley’s rat.’”

Harry listened carefully as Snape explained how he got a letter from Black. How he went and got Scabbers from their dorm. Demanded answers from Lupin. How he called for Madame Bones and Mister Malfoy and they talked to Pettigrew. Then Snape saw a chance to get rid of the dementors and took it.

“And I believe aside from a few finer points, which I will gladly let Black explain himself on, that brings us up to when you entered and interrupted Black demanding he see you.”

“That-“ Harry didn’t even know what to say. “That sounds like bullshit.”

Scabbers the annoying little rat was an animagus. Smart enough to fake his death and pin the Muggle murders on Black but too stupid to use magic to change his appearance and hide out in another country?

If anyone aside from Snape had told him this story, he never would have believed them. Ever.

“I agree,” Snape said. “Yet, it is apparently the truth.”

Harry glanced over to Black who was nodding emphatically.

“So if he didn’t betray my parents... Then how come he let Hagrid take me that night? If he was innocent, and my godfather, why didn’t he take me with him?”

“An excellent question,” Snape said. “One I suggest you ask him.”

Harry tried to look at Black as hatefully as Snape had.

“If you even twitch in my direction I’m going to kill you,” he said flatly as he pointed Black’s own knife in his direction. “Got it?”

He was going to kill him anyway. But he wanted answers first. Like Snape said, better to kill him for the right reasons.

Black mouthed something indecipherable that seemed like an agreement as Harry pulled his magic back in.

“You’re strong,” Black chuckled weakly once he was freed.

“I know,” Harry cut him off. He didn’t need Black to praise his magic. He needed him to answer some questions. “Why’d you let Hagrid take me?”

Black got to his feet slowly and kept a wary look on the knife Harry had clutched in his left hand. Apparently he wasn’t as stupid as Harry thought he was.

Which didn’t say much, because Harry thought he was an absolute idiot.

“I went there that night,” Black said hesitantly. “I tried to get you, but-“

“But Hagrid said Dumbledore wanted me to go to my Aunt,” Harry cut in again. “Yeah, I heard the story. Why’d you let him?”

Black looked between Harry and Snape, frowning as if he didn’t understand the simple question.

“Thirty seconds,” Harry drawled. “Then I’m going to kill you.”

Black glanced towards the door quickly, but not quick enough for Harry to not notice.

“Nope,” he said. “Lock.” He smiled sharply at Black who now looked nervous, “Sorry about that, but I need answers.”

“Harry, I- I’m sorry,” Black stammered while Snape chuckled under his breath. “I should have fought for you.”

“Why didn’t you?” Harry asked again. “Twenty seconds Black,” he added when Black just hesitated.

“I couldn’t go against Dumbledore!” Black cried, his grey eyes wide. “What was I supposed to do? Hide you away from him for the rest of your life?”

Harry got to his feet and took a couple steps closer to Black. He was happy to see the man stepped away from him.

“Yes,” he said sharply. “You were my godfather. That’s exactly what you should have done.”

“I couldn’t fight against Dumbledore’s orders!” Black said. “Nobody would have! You don’t under-“

“Snape would have,” Harry said confidently. “Snape wouldn’t have let Dumbledore take me to my Aunt’s if he‘d been my godfather, would he?”

“Snape was a fucking Death Eater,” Black spat. “Your parents wouldn’t have made him godfather if he had been the last choice on Earth.”

“Don’t talk about him like that,” Harry said lightly as he sent a neat spell Blaise showed him towards Black’s wrist. The sharp howl of pain accompanied by the audible snapping of the bone made Harry smile.

He’d have to thank Blaise again for showing him that one.

61%

Family Session One: 27th of December 1993

“Severus! Come in, have a seat. And this must be Harry?”

Michael smiled at the brooding teenager skulking in the doorway as his guardian, Severus Snape, took a seat on the sofa in his office.

He had met Severus before when the man came to him seeking answers for his wards moods. Michael had been fairly confident in his tentative diagnosis of Manic-Depressive Illness for the teen and he would be lying if he said he wasn’t eager to explore that more. He had never had a patient as young as Harry who, from what Severus had said, displayed such obvious signs.

“Harry, come sit,” Severus said. Michael could hear the irritation in the man’s voice and assumed, based on Harry’s narrow eyed glare, that coming to therapy had not been Harry’s idea.

Harry stalked over to the couch and sat on the edge. He crossed his legs and adopted a terrific look of boredom. Harry wouldn’t be his first reluctant teen patient, and he wouldn’t be his last.

“So!” Michael clapped his hands together and smiled at the pair. “Tell me- what made you guys decide to follow up in therapy?”

Over the summer Severus had made it sound like Harry would never consent to therapy. Michael had worried at the time that Severus needed to push more as the guardian as Harry went untreated for his ailments. So he was surprised, and pleased of course, when his assistant informed him that Severus had booked multiple appointments over the next week and a half for Harry.

Severus looked at the tight lipped boy next to him and sighed.

“Harry’s depression has gotten worse recently,” he said. “I would prefer it if he told you about his difficulties himself though I will inform you if he chooses not to.”

Michael ignored the threatening hiss that Severus gave to Harry and gave the young man a reassuring smile.

“Alrighty then Harry. I know therapy seems like a crock. Who wants to talk about their feelings, eh?” He chuckled lightly as his own overused joke before getting serious. “But it can sometimes help to have a sounding board for your thoughts and feelings.”

Unlike most teenage boys, Harry did not roll his eyes and huff out an argument. He just stared at Michael as if he were a slug beneath his trainers. Michael politely watched him for a few minutes, quite used to the uncomfortable silence of reluctant clients, before turning back to Severus.

“Alright, well, Severus, why don’t you go ahead and tell me how Harry’s depression has impacted you?”

“Me?” Severus looked surprised that he was being brought in to the conversation. Michael found that it usually sparked conversation from most clients when their parents or guardians set a good example. “This session is for Harry,” Severus said with a roll of his eyes.

“It might help him if he could hear how you’ve been impacted,” Michael pointed out logically, undeterred by the cool tone Severus used. “So- what makes you believe Harry is depressed?”

Severus sighed again and looked incredibly put upon by the question.

“Harry has had a noticeable lack of interest in life recently. He has not been sleeping, he picks at his food, he does not do the activities he used to enjoy, and he has developed other concerning behaviors since about mid-November.”

Michael nodded along as Severus listed the behaviors he has seen. He agreed that it seemed like a classic description of depression. The length of time surprised him though. His other Manic-Depressive patients experienced bouts of mild to severe depression that typically lasted two to four weeks. Michael wondered if there were any outside causes that would be lengthening the time Harry has spent in his stage.

“Have there been any recent changes in either of your lives?” he asked. “Any thing that may have been an influence in these behaviors?”

Harry glared at Severus, who, interestingly, glared back at him. He made a note of a possible need for an increase in affection in the household.

“Harry’s godfather was recently released from prison,” Severus said. “It could be a factor.”

“Or it could be the dementors,” Harry muttered sullenly.

“Dementors?” Michael asked, interested in the term. “What is dementors?”

Severus gave Harry an even darker glare and Michael marked out his previous note. Their household had a definite need for an increase in affection.

“It is a slang term that the students use for prison guards,” Severus said slowly. “We had quite a few of them at our school and they... they did not create a positive environment.”

Harry snorted derisively at this, amused by Severus’ description.

“Why were there prison guards at your school?” Michael asked curiously. “You both reside at a boarding school during the school term, right?”

“Correct,” Severus said. “Over the summer Harry’s godfather had escaped from prison. And they sent the prison guards to the school to safeguard it before his name was recently cleared.”

Michael made a small note of Severus’ slight sneer as he discussed Harry’s godfather.

S. appears to feel threatened by the godfathers claim to Harry.

“And you believe the prison guards made you feel worse Harry?”

Michael couldn’t actually imagine a peaceful environment that would be conductive to learning with prison guards roaming around.

“Yep,” Harry said blinking his face back to his previously bored mask.

“It must have been stressful, the situation with your godfather. Would you like to talk about that?”

Harry curled his lip at him and sat back silently.

“Okay then,” Michael turned back to Severus with a smile. “If Harry doesn’t feel up to talking just yet, why don’t you tell me about those other concerning behaviors?”

Severus gave Harry an apologetic look before turning a solemn face to Michael.

“Harry has been self-harming,” he said bluntly. “And he wrote a suicide note.”

Michael’s eyebrows flew up to his hairline. Why would this not be the first thing Severus brought up?

Despite S caring for H mental health- he prioritizes his bond with H over his safety.

Harry began hissing at the man, his cheeks were red and his gaze was furious.

H feels betrayed by S bringing up self-harm & SI, he scrawled quickly on his notepad.

“Harry,” he says gently. “Is this true?”

Harry ends his sibilant hissing and turns his angry glare on Michael.

“No,” he spits out. “He’s a liar.”

Severus snorts, “I thought my honesty was my one redeeming quality?”

“You don’t have any redeeming qualities,” Harry says hatefully.

Michael takes careful notes as the two begin arguing heatedly.

“Oh?” Severus drawls. “I suppose you’re free to reach out to your godfather if you would care for a change of custody.”

S. should not bring up H’s guardianship status during disagreements, Michael writes quickly.

“Maybe you should fuck off,” Harry says. “You and him both.”

“Maybe you should watch your language,” Severus growls.

H does not like his godfather any more than S does.

“Since he keeps coming up-“ Michael interrupts the two, keeping his composure despite the identical glares being aimed his direction. “Would either of you like to discuss the obvious animosity towards Harry’s godfather?”

“No,” Severus growled.

Harry perked up and smiled innocently, a look Michael may have believed if his eyes weren’t suddenly twinkling mischievously.

“Sure,” he offered. “Snape hates him because he made his life hell in school, they were classmates you know. But then Snape went out of his way to clear his name, wasn’t that awfully kind of him?”

Michael holds down his amusement at Harry’s careful manipulations. He found a topic Severus was uncomfortable discussing and threw the other man under the bus in an attempt to avoid discussing the suicide note and self-harm.

H displays possible signs of sociopathy- to be explored in individual session.

“So why do you dislike him?” Michael asks Harry.

Harry blinked at him, momentarily disarmed by the question.

“Left me alone, didn’t he? Went and landed himself in prison when I was a baby and didn’t give a damn about me.”

H obvious signs of attachment/abandonment issues.

“That must be incredibly frustrating,” Michael empathized. “Did you tell him how much it hurt to be abandoned by him?”

“Told him I was going to kill him,” Harry shrugged. “Figured it’s the same difference, innit?”

Does H display signs of murderous thoughts or trying to get a shock reaction? Michael wrote quickly while maintaining a calm demeanor.

“Shut up,” Severus hissed.

S believes H has intent to harm others. Covering for him?

“Thought you wanted me to talk?” Harry smiled again.

The boy was incredibly manipulative. Michael checked the time and felt a small amount of relief that there was only twenty minutes remaining in the session.

“I’m glad you’re talking Harry,” Michael said honestly. “But I’d like to talk more about the note you wrote.”

“I don’t see a note,” Harry said flatly. “Suppose it doesn’t exist then, yeah?”

“Dear Luna, I hope you aren’t mad at me. I think you will be and I’m sorry-“

“SHUT UP!” Harry screamed at Severus, his face now a dark red color. “That was private!”

Severus just quirked an eyebrow at him, “I thought it never existed?”

H does not handle self-perceived betrayal well.

“Harry,” Michael said gently, interrupting the oncoming explosion. “Why are you so upset right now?”

“Why am I upset?” Harry looked at Michael incredulously. His green eyes were hazy with what Michael thought was probably anger and some other unprocessed emotion, shame maybe?

“Because he invaded my privacy! Read a letter to my friend, and was going to quote the bloody thing to you!”

Michael nodded as Harry vented. Teens were incredibly private people. Yet they had no understanding of why privacy must sometimes be broken.

“So you feel betrayed by Severus right now?” he prodded gently.

“Pft,” Harry scoffed. “I don’t feel anything.”

Michael withheld a sigh.

H denies any feelings aside from anger.

He turned his attention to Severus. They were down to ten minutes and he couldn’t end the session without an assurance of Harry’s safety.

“What measures are in place to prevent any possible attempts of Harry hurting himself?”

“We have returned home where I am able to monitor his activities more closely,” Severus said, both men ignoring the teens scoff. “I have also taken his knives from him-“

“Knives?” Michael interrupted, surprised. “Does Harry routinely carry knives?”

Severus had said before that Harry had been homeless for quite some time. It wasn’t an unusual behavior in homeless youth, protection was needed badly in the streets. If Harry was still carrying them, it displayed a huge red flag that he was still feeling continuously threatened.

Safety issues- school or home?

“He does,” Severus said evenly. “Until now I have been unwilling to fight with him over their use.”

“Now that you’re worried about his safety because you care about his health,” Michael said, hoping to enlighten Harry to Severus’ concerns. “Go ahead, what other measures have you put in place?”

Severus looked carefully down at Harry before turning a blank face back towards Michael.

“I believe removing his weapons, monitoring his behavior, and dragging him here is the most I can do.”

S likely has cameras or other monitoring equipment unwilling to discuss in front of H.

Michael gave him an understanding nod.

“Harry, do you see why Severus is concerned?”

“Nope.”