Potter swallowed convulsively and was silent for long enough that Severus could get his own temper under control, for which he was grateful. Just when he was about to prompt the boy again, Potter admitted in a soft voice, "Lots."
"Why?"
"I was hungry." The words came out as a whisper, and the knife trembled violently in his hand.
Severus dared only push a little further. He knew the real reason from reading between the lines of the essay, but he wanted to boy to admit it to himself. "Why did you simply not follow the rule? You would have been given food if you finished all your chores."
Potter shook his head. "Not always, not even if I did finish. And then . . ." His teeth snapped together. Red faced, with eyes bright with shame, he looked away.
"And then?" At the continued silence, Severus sharpened his tone. "If you finished your chores, what then?"
"And then he'd just make a longer list the next day!"
"Ah." Severus maintained his rigid self-control - which he had prided himself on ever since he was a child himself - with some difficulty. But he did keep his calm façade, and even managed to soften his tone again. "So the rule was not designed for your betterment, nor to keep you from harm, but merely to punish and humiliate you."
"Yes!" Potter said fiercely, and Severus was glad to see the fight in him.
"And that is the crux of the problem, isn't it? You see some rules or requirements here at Hogwarts as designed to humiliate or punish you, when they are in fact, for your safety and/or betterment."
Potter was breathing hard, the knife still gripped tight, but he closed his eyes for a moment and drew a slow breath. Severus watched him regain his temper, and was - almost - impressed.
Keeping a close eye on Potter's breathing pattern and the flush adorning his cheeks, Severus continued in a quiet voice, "For example, being sent to the Infirmary for a check up. I assure you, neither Madam Pomfrey nor myself has any desire to humiliate you for being in pain or in need of our assistance. We both are working to your betterment, but we can only do so with your cooperation. We discussed this on the weekend, did we not?"
"Yes, sir. I'm in your . . . purview?"
"Yes. As a professor, I have a duty and obligation to make sure every child is healthy in mind and body while he is at Hogwarts. Do you understand what that means?"
Potter nodded, and his words were hesitant, almost sullen. "You weren't mocking me when you sent me to see Madam Pomfrey."
"Correct." Severus glanced down at the scroll. "As well, I never considered you a 'cry baby' for seeing to your sore scar, nor a 'whinging malingerer' for needing to have a check up afterwards. I assume these are phrases used by others to describe you on an occasion or two?"
Potter was back to using a tight nod, his arms held rigidly by his sides.
With another glance at the scroll, Severus continued, "You also assumed you would get in 'even more trouble' by mere fact of visiting the Infirmary. Since I was the one who ordered you to go, with whom would this trouble be?
The boy shook his head this time, a spark of fear evident in his eyes.
Severus held his gaze. "I should let you know that, as Head of Slytherin House, I also keep tabs on the status of your home life during holidays. I will be asking some of these same questions of your relatives when I visit with them."
"No! You can't!"
Potter was visibly shaken now, but Severus pushed, "I can, Mr. Potter, and I will. Thus, you may as well answer them for me now."
"You can't visit them!" he repeated, sounding almost frantic. "They hate magic and Wizards, and . . . you just can't!"
"I assure you, I have nothing to fear from Muggles. And if they behave themselves, neither should they fear me."
Severus truly meant the reassurance, though he'd left himself a hell of an out concerning his treatment of them, if he needed it later. But he was far more interested to see if the boy would confirm his suspicions, which he did.
In the next second, Potter's face returned to the blank, careless mask he had used several times over the last few days, particularly when he realized he had no escape from a terrible circumstance. "Of course, sir. I meant no offense."
"I know," Severus said quietly. He had not moved from the doorway where he'd begun reading the Brat's scroll, and now he moved forward only one step. Bringing as much understanding to his mien as he could, he waited until Potter was relaxed enough to truly listen. He would make this point understood and unmistakable. "I do not mean to return you to their mercies afterwards without any preparation, on either your part or theirs. If you return to them at all, they will not be allowed to displace their anger towards me, or anything I say to them, upon you. Do you understand this? No child in my House will suffer abuse, even beyond the walls of this school."
Potter's mouth had dropped open, and he now stared at Severus as if he were the devil himself. Potter didn't believe him, fully, he knew, but was at least willing to hope that things could get better at home. "I . . . um, thank you, sir. . . ."
"But?"
Setting his jaw once more, Potter said, "But they'll deny it. Deny everything. I'm not s'posed to talk about it, you know, about what happens at home. What if . . . what if . . ?"
"What if I believe them instead?"
"Yes, sir."
Severus smiled tightly. "Magic is good for many things, Mr. Potter, not least in determining the truth of a situation. I assure you, I am very skilled in that arena. Two drops of Veritaserum, for instance . . ." He trailed off, sighed and looked away for a brief moment, then shook his head and decided the boy had suffered enough apathy on his part already. Enough equivocation. Time for him to admit some things, too. "Besides, I already believe you."