A/N: So I'm back! Hi everyone, hope you all have been well :-D
This is not only a new story but it's a series of firsts for me… never before have I written about Harrys' era in Hogwarts while Voldemort was still active and never before have I written about a character with a disability… I'm pretty sure there are other firsts in here but these two are major for me so please bear with me as I find my feet with this fic…
Most importantly, I hope you all enjoy it! It seems like a really wonderful idea in my head and so I would really like to get feedback from you all on this one!
In terms of updates, I can't promise anything as postgrad keeps me busy so please don't hate me…
And without further delays, here's my brand new story- I hope you all love it!
Gimme your thoughts xoxo
Severus stalked up the stairs to the headmasters' office.
He couldn't believe that his holiday was being cut short- a holiday which he treasured each and every year as his reward for having to put up with the incompetent fools who he had the displeasure of teaching.
As if it wasn't bad enough, this year, James Potters' son was arriving and Severus was sure that Dumbledore was going to task him with something outrageous like looking out for the boy- he could just feel it…
Severus reached the large wooden door and was immediately asked to enter.
He stepped into the office and saw that along with the headmaster, Hagrid was also present.
Severus nodded in greeting to Hagrid, for he found that he could never muster enough ill feelings towards the half-giant- he had after all always been one of Severus' truest friends ever since Severus had been a student.
"Take a seat my boy," said Dumbledore, "Hagrid, here, has brought news."
Loathe as he was to follow yet another order of the headmasters' after being summoned from vacation, he sat down anyway.
"Tell me Headmaster, what is so urgent?" asked Severus with all the respect that he could muster.
"Hagrid paid a visit to Privet Drive this evening…"
Severus looked at the headmaster, expecting him to continue and impatience rising before realizing that unlike his usual conversations with the man where Albus deliberately spoke in a riddles, this time the man had something of significance on his mind- at least that was what his expression told him.
He glanced at Hagrid and for the first time noticed that the half-giant was holding onto an oversized handkerchief and wringing it in his hands almost as if in worry.
Severus turned back to the headmaster, "Albus," Severus leaned forward slightly, "What is in Privet Drive? What has happened?"
Albus shook his head slightly, "It is where Harry Potter has resided for 10 years of his life…"
Severus' eyes widened, "You don't mean to tell me that the boy- that he…"
Albus held up a hand, "No no, Severus… but it may be just as bad…"
Just then, there was a loud crash from behind the doors to Albus' private quarters and Severus was on his feet in an instant only to be asked to sit back down by Albus.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Albus gave Hagrid a small smile and gestured to the door, "If you'll please check on our guest Hagrid," before turning back to Severus, "Harry Potter was found to be, as I am most aggrieved to say, blind."
This time when Severus stood up, his chair went crashing down behind him, "How is that possible Albus?"
Albus stood as well and righted the chair with a wave of his hand, "His relatives claim that it is a muggle disease."
Severus narrowed his eyes, "They claim? You think there may be another reason- that they may have done this?"
"When we left Harry with the Dursleys' on that fateful night," said Albus, "Minerva had previously been watching them all day and according to her, they seemed like the 'worst type of muggles possible'-"
"Yet you left a baby with them," interrupted Severus in outrage.
Albus raised an eyebrow that immediately silenced Severus, "You know as well as I do why I had to leave him there… To answer your initial question, I am expecting Poppy to arrive in a few minutes so that she can have a look at Harry but the boy claims that no harm has come to him by his familys' hand- at least not to his eyes."
Severus wasn't sure whether Albus would hex him for pointing it out but he tried his luck anyway, "So they harmed him in other ways…"
"That much he was not ready to share with us…"
Severus silently fumed before remembering, "Why did Hagrid even go to him in the first place?"
Albus sat back down, "There were problems with getting Harrys' letter to him and so Hagrid took up the task."
"And then he found Potter to be without his sight so he brought him here?" prompted Severus.
"Severus, I'm afraid that we have diverted from the real reason as to why I have called you here," Severus knew that the man wasn't telling him everything but now wasn't the time to argue, "We both know that Voldemort is not truly gone and we know about Harrys' involvement in ridding the Wizarding world of this evil once and for all but how can Harry perform this task if he cannot see?"
"If you are asking me for a potion-"
"As I understand, there are none…"
Severus frowned, "If you already knew that…" he left his statement hanging between them.
Albus spared him a small smile, "There is always a way around situations my boy, if one only stops to appreciate the resources available to him…"
Severus snorted, "I have a feeling that you are about to label me as a resource…"
"I didn't think that you would be this casual about it," when Severus opened his mouth to protest, Albus spoke again in a more serious tone, "Severus, I need you to train the boy, to get him comfortable with being void of his sight- comfortable enough to one day take on Voldemort."
Severus hated it when Albus used the Dark Lords' name but one transgression at a time.
"How am I supposed to train the boy, Albus? I have never worked with a blind person before besides, shouldn't your defence teacher be doing this- who is it this year anyway?"
Albus stood up and rounded his desk, "I'm entrusting this to you Severus because I believe that you may be the only person who can do it-"
"Spare me…"
"I am not trying to feed your ego Severus, I am telling you that no one else could possibly understand the importance of Harry regaining enough control and confidence and he is after all Lilys'-"
"It was simply a matter of time before you went there!"
"I couldn't protect Lily but you can protect her son- you can train him to protect himself, to save our world…"
Severus closed his eyes and shook his head, "No."
"I'm not asking you."
"I don't care," said Severus in a quiet voice, "I am not going to be manipulated into rehabilitating a Potter… who knows how long the process will take. I have classes to teach and when the Dark Lord decides to resurface, I'm going to have to be your spy… find someone else… hell, get the boy surgery; don't muggles do that sort of thing?"
"We don't even know what his condition is and besides surgery comes with risks… if it cannot be fixed with magic then we simply have to work around it. I'll need you to start on an experimental potion as well- you never know, you may find a cure after all, Severus."
"I said no," said Severus firmly.
"Our agreement-"
"is something that you'll hold over me forever," said Severus.
"I hate to have to remind you…"
Severus shook his head, "It's my fault for putting myself in a position all those years ago… we both know what the price is that I have to pay for your protection… where is the boy?"
Albus looked at Severus sadly, "He is in the living area with Hagrid. Would you like to meet him?"
Severus shook his head, "I'd rather not."
The fireplace flared and out stepped Poppy, "Oh Albus, is it true?"
Albus patted Poppy on the shoulder, "I'm afraid so, Poppy but Severus has agreed to assist in helping Harry find his feet in Hogwarts."
Poppy looked at Severus with watery eyes just as Severus declared that he would take his leave.
Albus turned to him, "I don't have to tell you that you'll need to remain in the castle for the rest of the summer."
Severus nodded before making his way out and then inwardly cursing himself for turning around one last time.
It was a memory from his first year- the first time he laid eyes on James Potter, except this time, it was Lilys' eyes that moved frantically, unseeingly as if unsure of his surroundings… dull green eyes though, as if the happiness and life had been sucked out of them and all that existed was a shell.
This wasn't his best friend and strangely, neither did this boy seem like his worst enemy.
He looked away quickly and walked out, he had a lot of thinking to do.
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