Timely Undertaking
A Harry Potter Fan Fiction
Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter. If I did, I would be British and wealthier than the Queen. This accounts for the entire story.
Chapter One
Brilliant green eyes gazed off into the distance his eyes focusing on everything and nothing at all. His head rested against the window while his steady breathing turned the clear glass foggy. His aunt and uncle had dropped him off at King's Cross Station half an hour early. Harry went straight for the Wizarding Platform of 9 and ¾ to find himself a seat on the rather quiet train.
Harry had on top of his lap, and still untouched, a Dark Arts book he had charmed to look like the latest copy of Hermione's favorite book, 'Hogwarts: A History'.
Ever since the end of second year, and Tom Riddle had used Parseltongue to control the basilisk, Harry wanted to know more about the strange language, culture, and magic that it contained. When third year came around, Harry was able to sneak back to the chamber, and after demolishing the rocks that covered the entrance, found the secrets of the Chamber of Secrets. Books upon books were stacked upon the shelves, creating a safe haven from the bustle and chaos of the school above.
Harry practiced the hidden and long forgotten spells of the chamber, and was eventually able to cast them wandlessly. Even though he could cast wandlessly, Harry knew that Dumbledore would be expecting Harry to return to the Dursley's every summer and come back even more beaten and broken.
When the right time came, he would eventually be able to rid the world of people like Dumbledore and the Dursleys, but in the mean time, he would be able to hide his injuries from the world and continue the facade of the Golden Boy. It just so happened that conveniently, the only way to remove the spell is by undoing it in the same language. With only two people in the world known to know Parseltongue, Harry was rather on the right side of that bargain. So after Harry boarded the train and found a compartment, he cast a wandless glamour spoken in Parseltongue. This time the wound count was worse than ever and Harry hadn't even really seen himself in full yet. There was the blatantly broken left wrist he saw easily. That injury alone had made the action of moving his trunk and Hedwig, his owl, almost impossible. Harry could feel the effects from his side, at least a couple of ribs had fractured if not fully broken. Along with these were large bruises and deep gashes. What was he to say if anyone asked? Who would care really?
Although the day was September first, and was the start of Harry's sixth year, the young savior of the Wizarding World accepted that he was simply not ready to return to Hogwarts. While he saw the school to be a sanctuary from his so called loving family, gifts always come with a heavy price. Forced to wear a mask of a courageous Gryffindor, the world believed the young man truly was The-Boy-Who-Lived and would save the world from Voldemort; but for Harry, this mask felt like a prison in of itself.
Losing Sirius was the final chink in the gilded armor of the complacent warrior that Dumbledore wished Harry to be. The young wizard knew that now nothing in either world would be the same for him. It was for Harry, just the thought of Sirius coming and rescuing him from his personal Hell that kept his spirit alive. With his godfather's passing, both sides of the teen's double-tailed coin of a life became unbearable. After the loss of Sirius, Harry knew he would never be the same.
He couldn't rely on his friends to be his rock. He had discovered in his fourth year that they weren't exactly his friends. Friends, he concluded, wouldn't turn his back on him so quickly. Where Ron was a friend of opportunity particularly when the world of being the friend of the Boy-Who-Lived was glorious, Hermione's underhandedness was not quite as obvious. She on the other hand, was actually more of a true friend, but she continued to place her bets with the wrong man, Dumbledore. In this case, she lost the bet between two of the three most powerful wizards alive, and for that, Harry could never forgive her for. Ginny was only after the Boy-Who-Lived fame and even then, he had deduced that after the kiss with Cho fifth year he wasn't attracted to the female persuasion. Mrs. Weasley the only potential mother figure that Harry had ever had, was supporting Dumbledore's decision on sending Harry back to his relatives every year. Being a mother of seven, she immediately knew the signs of abuse, and from the rescue mission that three of her children went on, she knew something wasn't quite right in the Dursley household. The only Weasley's that had stayed true to him were Fred, George, Charlie, and Bill.
A sudden coughing fit interrupted Harry's thoughts. This time not dry wracks as usual rather his coughing was bringing up blood.
Damn. He thought wiping the blood onto his large pant leg. He knew that if anyone came into the compartment right at that moment he would have quite a bit of explaining to do, but with any luck, he would be able to avoid any unnecessary confrontations in time for him to change into robes.
It was about twenty minutes later when his "friends" walked through the door talking animatedly.
"Harry!" Hermione shouted as she wrapped her arms around the teen.
Harry cringed from the force, but didn't voice his discomfort; too tired to explain when they obviously didn't care enough
"Hi Hermione," he said flatly as he patted her on the back.
She gave him a warm smile Harry could tell that the witch had practiced. The small twitch at the top of her mouth alone gave away her true emotions of boredom and annoyance. Reading the motives and feelings of others were skills Harry had honed since he was small. These skills kept a person alive and sometimes avoided painful injuries growing up as Harry had. Abusive homes foster these talents from youth onward. Too bad for his friends and for the Headmaster no one took the side effects of an abusive home into account.
"Oi mate," Ron said though not as cheerfully before grasping Harry's shoulder by way of greeting.
Harry had to force himself not to pull back from the contact, which he successfully accomplished. The few months on Privet Drive were always enough at the start of term to turn Harry off of any form of touch. Yet, he bravely coped with other manhandling him simply because he was some living saint in their eyes.
"How was your summer?" Ron asked.
Hermione kept her gaze upon Harry wanting to know the answer to the question as well. She began mentally taking note any potential differences between June and now.
Harry swallowed before shrugging. "Same old same old."
Ron and Hermione sat down across from Harry as the train started to pull out of the station. They knowingly glanced at one another, waiting for the other to start the conversation. Harry interpreted the situation, and started the conversation, for he knew that it wouldn't be long before he could have some peace and quiet once more.
"So how were both of your breaks?" Harry asked to stave off the uncomfortable silence he could feel waiting its turn.
Hermione started off on what she had done with her parents and then Ron picked up after she had finished. About half an hour later, Ron and Hermione headed to the prefect car. Once the compartment door shut behind them, Harry sighed with relief. Gently laying back down on the compartment bench, he began to dose trying to relieve some of the built up tention around his neck and shoulders.
Not five minutes later Draco Malfoy came strolling into the compartment on his way to the Prefect car.
"Potter."
"Draco," Harry replied softly lifting his head up a bit to make eye contact before becoming perfectly horizontal once more.
"You look like Hell even with those glamours on." Draco replied, while closing the compartment door behind him, and letting down the blinds for privacy.
"I know." he said sadly.
Harry and Draco had made up their fourth year when Draco found Harry unconscious on the floor of the boy's restroom. Draco noticed the many scars that littered the boy's body. Draco stayed with Harry until he came to, wanting an explanation on why the supposed savior was abused.
After some final coercing and cunning on Draco's part, Harry finally relented his best kept secret from the world; a snake lived in a lion's skin.
"How bad this time?" Draco asked concerned as he took a seat next to Harry.
"You remember last year's?"
Draco nodded slowly his eyes full of worry for he remembered last year's innocent, and when the boy-who-hates-anything-to-do-with-hospital-wings eventually forces himself to the Hospital wing because he literally cannot breathe from the broken ribs, Draco knew it was bad.
"Well, it's worse."
"Shirt and glamours off," Draco demanded, immediately getting to work before last year's incident became modern history.
Harry grimaced as he pulled off the large shirt the scabs coming with. He then hissed the counter to the glamour. The hidden bruises, gashes, broken wrist and fractured ribs contrasted against his tan skin. Harry's body was littered with bruises, almost no skin from the pelvis up was unblemished. Every bruise was a slightly different color, ranging from the darkest of black to the lightest of yellow, depending upon the age of said bruise. Deep gashes covered his back, from the many lashings Harry received from his uncle Vernon. Many gave the distinct impressions of belt buckles, while others were much more ridged from a knife. Harry's chest bowed out at the sides, showing exactly which of his ribs were fractured.
Draco gave an involuntary gasp; he wished Harry was simply exacerbating on his state of being, but when seeing this kind of damage, he knew that Harry wasn't letting on how much pain he was truly in
"It's not that bad." Harry coughed which turned into a fit, once again coughing up blood.
"And I'm the son of Lockhart!" Draco retorted sarcastically before he rubbed his temples in frustration. "Not that bad? It's amazing that you are still living."
"Which side is worse?"
"My back, I think."
Harry attempted to flip over onto his stomach, but he found it was easier said than done. Though they hurt as much, Harry used his forearms to make sure that he didn't put too much pressure on his ribs. His whole back was one big bruise littered with a plaid pattern of whip marks and infections.
Draco barely kept it together as he started reciting strings of Latin, healing the wounds on his back. The dark black and blue bruises started turning a light yellow while the red welts started to a lighter healthier pink color. Harry slowly fell into a state of ease as he listened to Draco take care of him. He could feel the tingling of Draco's magic as it connected with his depleted core to help heal Harry's body. Not long after Draco began, Harry noticed that the new foreign magic started to shrink away and eventually stopped all together.
Heavily breathing once he finished, Draco slumped down, his back resting up against the opposite bench. Harry turned his head after blinking away drowsiness. He noticed the state of exhaustion that Draco exhibited; sweat pooled into his eyes as his hair that once was slicked back with gell in his younger years was now done with sweat.
"How are you feeling?" Draco questioned taking deep breaths to slow his heart rate down.
"A lot better thanks."
"I won't be able to do much more." Draco said softly his voice filled with regret as he flicked his wrist to set Harry's ribs and wrist.
"You healed me where my body can do the rest for the next month. Thanks Draco." Harry gave a strained smile.
Draco nodded his head and released the locking and silencing charm. He left the compartment sliding the door shut behind him heading towards the once forgotten Prefect meeting.
Harry reached over to his shirt that was lying on the ground and slipped it back on, trying not to notice the stench that came off the scrap of used and soiled clothing. The pain was more of a dull ache instead of the stabbing pain it once was.
After finishing the book he had neglected when he first entered the train, Harry slipped on his outer robe right when Hermione and Ron entered the cab smiling. Both of their lips now appeared bruised from only one likely constant abuse. Harry raised his eyebrow in question, especially when Hermione's cheeks flushed Weasley red.
"Harry, something happened over the summer that we didn't mention." Ron said as he slowly reached for Hermione's hand.
"Oh?"
"We're together." Hermione said while Ron pulled her to his hip.
Harry nodded his understanding before he returned to looking out the window. Do they expect a warm smile and a congratulations? It's just a bloody relationship. Why does it concern me anyway? I could fucking care less. Harry glanced over at the two. The two lovebirds sat down on the opposite bench with their thighs and hands touching.
"Are you going to say anything, mate?"
Conceited asshole. Harry thought to himself before saying, "Congratulations, you two were meant for each other."
"Harry, was it just me or did Malfoy come out of this cab earlier?" Hermione asked.
"That's a good one, Hermione! What would Ferret-Face want with Harry?"
I can't even imagine the kind of shit that they would dish out if I replied positively. For whatever reason they can't look passed the black and whiteness of the world. Really? Just because Draco is a conceited git doesn't mean he doesn't have a semblance of intelligence.
"Next thing you know is that Harry and Malfoy are that kind of 'friends' and that Harry is queer." Ron began laughing despite the lack of denial or confirmation from his in name only best friend. "Right mate?"
"Right." Harry inwardly squirmed as he bit the inside of his cheek.
He wanted to tell the pair off and let the world at large along with the two in front of him know that not only was their Savior gay but he was true friends with one Draco Malfoy rather than the 'friends' Weasley had insinuated. Yet, Harry knew to do such was not only a very Gryffindor action, but the truth in this case would be of no use. The world, much less his former friends, would never accept what or who he was. Nor would Harry find acceptance in his choice of friend. All Harry had to do to justify his silence was to look at what happened with his mother and Professor Snape for Merlin's sake!
The train came to a stop. Harry, Hermione, and Ron made their way off the train and to the carriages. At the carriages, Harry managed to make friendly eye contact with Draco and received the blonde's joking smirk. Ron pulled Harry inside the carriage.
"I can't wait till the feast! I'm starved." Ron commented trying to engage Harry in conversation.
Harry continued to look out the small back window.
"Harry mate, are you sure you're okay?"
Waving off Ron absentmindedly, Harry focused on stilling himself as the brunette was suddenly not feeling right for some reason.
By the time the carriage arrived at the large castle doors, Harry felt physically ill. His entire body felt flushed and his hands cold and clammy. Harry slowly entered the Great Hall, making sure that he didn't make a sudden move or else he would hurl what little was left in his stomach. Harry paused right before they went through the large doors and decided that he simply couldn't deal with fighting the losing battle with his body. At that moment, his stomach rolled dangerously .
"Harry," Hermione worriedly attempted to comfort him.
"You guys go ahead. I'll be up in the dormitories. I don't feel so well. If McGonagall or Dumbledore asks were I am, tell them I didn't feel well."
"Professor and Headmaster, Harry. Why don't you just go to Madam Pomfrey?" Hermione asked.
"I will if I don't feel well in the morning."
Hermione was about to protest but she bit her lip as Ron took her hand in his. Instead she sighed before muttering, "I hope you feel better."
"Yeah mate." Ron added as Harry briskly walked off.
Onyx eyes followed the departing teen scrutinizing every detail while fiery mercury ones watched him like a mother hen.
Severus Snape had a niggling feeling in the back of his mind that he did not like. Potter never skipped the welcoming feast, and the boy's Head of House was busy with her duties as Deputy Headmistress to attend to her odd charge. Then Severus saw the concern in the body language of the Malfoy heir.
Though Draco knew he had done all he could, the young man worried for his Lion friend. McGonagall was too busy dealing with the latest firsties. Draco knew Harry needed help if he was skipping the feast. Looking at his own Head of House, Draco used his hands to mime the shape of a bowl. For the first time, Draco told Harry's secret of abuse. Severus Snape rushing out the side door behind the Head table filled Draco with relief. At least someone would take care of Harry tonight.
Harry sprinted up the moving staircases as fast as he could manage in an attempt to reach the seventh floor before he lost what little he had in his stomach. When the teen finally reached about the fifth floor, the race was over. Harry slumped to the ground as he began puking on the stairs.
"Damn it." Harry moaned as his stomach rolled once more.
After the second time retching, blood began to come up with the normal bile Harry was accustomed to bringing up at times. Wiping both discharges from his mouth, the tired and aching teen leaned up against the railing.
"Isn't it rather interesting that the boy-wonder is left to pieces on the staircases while the rest of the ignorant school is enjoying a feast a mere five floors down?" A silky voice asked him. "Scourgify."
Harry groaned once more. He didn't meet the silky voice's eyes as Professor Snape sighed.
"Oh, please Potter. I figured something wasn't right with your home life after Occlumency last year. Do you think I'm ignorant when it comes to the signs of abuse as the Head of Slytherin?"
Harry slowly met his Potions Professor's eyes. Harry slowly shook his head agreeing with the professor's words
"Up Potter." Snape hoisted Harry up to his feet. "Can you make it back to Gryffindor on your own or are you in need of assistance?"
"If you don't mind, sir. This time I need the help." Harry hating himself for being so weak, but he had to admit it would be the next day before he'd get to his dorm on his own.
"Lean on me, Potter. That's it." Snape wrapped an arm around brunette's waist supporting him up the last two flights of stairs easily.
Snape noticed that the boy seemed much skinnier than what the school robes let on. As Severus continued to support Harry, he started to pick up on the minuscule winces of pain. Noticing that his breath quickened with each step, Severus swept Harry into his arms to make the trip faster. He concluded that looks could be deceiving when it came to The-Boy-Who-Lived.
They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady and Snape said the teacher override password. The door opened admitting the two men. The Fat Lady followed their entrance, but kept quiet for the boy in the teacher's arms. She had been sworn to secrecy early on by the boy, and she knew that he was in capable hands.
Severus sneered at the maroon and gold coloring of the common room, but didn't verbally voice his opinion further. As Severus carried Harry up the boy's staircase, he slowed down taking care not to bump Harry's head against the stone wall. They made it to the dorm room when Severus carefully placed Harry down steadily.
Harry cursed his luck as he collapsed onto his knees when Snape tried to set the teen down.
"Potter when was the last time you ate a full meal?" Snape asked as he bent down to again support the teen into bed.
Harry mumbled something incoherently.
"What was that? I don't speak Gryffindor." Severus sneered distastefully.
Harry scowled at the jab but repeated what he said. "Not since the leaving feast last term."
Snape sucked in a deep breath before nodding. Using the provided pillow and another he transfigured from one of his handkerchiefs, Severus had Potter sitting up.
"Bendy!"
A house-elf appeared out of thin air. "What can Bendy do for Master Snape?"
"Can you get a small bowl of broth and a glass of room temperature water for Mr. Potter here? I also need you to go into my storage room in my private lab and grab me a bottle of 130 Nutrient Potion please."
Bendy nodded before popping out.
Snape reached down and took off Harry's shoes, placing these at the side of the teen's bed. He waved his wand and transfigured Harry's robes into pajamas before tucking the boy in like one of his hurt snakes. Snape then reached into his pocket to pull out a vile of potion that was the combination of a pain and a numbing brew.
"Do you recognize this potion Potter?"
Harry stared at the turquoise colored potion thinking.
"I'm assuming that it's a mix of pain and numbing potion. I can't think of its individual name off hand."
Snape nodded while mildly impressed by the young wizard's assessment even without the proper name. "Tell me, how did you reach that conclusion? There is a strong poison that is also the same color."
"Well sir, I could tell from the color that the potion was the Pulmo Igneus potion, which is the lung burning potion we studied last term, or the mix of pain and numbing potion. Seeing as you are standing at my bed side and we both know what side you truly are on," Harry coughed repeatedly a little blood appeared on his hand.
"I figured that you wouldn't poison me but you never know now-a-days. Lady Fate really enjoys screwing with my life. Maybe she decided to put in a Polyjuiced Snape in your place for her personal enjoyment." Harry cracked a grin at his dark humor.
Snape attempted not to smile as well.
"At this point sir, I just don't care anymore."
"Indeed. Well Mr. Potter, you're in luck. This so happens to be the Torpens Dolor potion but it can't be ingested until you have something in your stomach for it would tear up the lining if you took it without." Severus ordered but Harry still nodded.
"It's rather interesting that you knew about this potion, Potter. Curious, since you never expressed any knowledge on my wonderful subject."
Before Harry could retort, Bendy popped in with Harry's broth, water and the nutrient potion.
"You need to eat as much as you can of that broth but I expect you to finish the potion and glass of water." Snape pulled out a pocket watch. "The feast should be about over and I have first year Slytherins to attend to."
He handed the turquoise potion over to Harry. "Once you are done with the broth, just call Bendy and she will take it away. Drink only half the potion tonight and the rest in the morning. If you need more, you can ask for some tomorrow morning after class. However, I expect a full report about what has occurred after classes before dinner tomorrow. You will also be in my office for lunch. Say you managed to get me to help with your studies and we are discussing such."
While surprised, Harry nodded with a whispered, "thank you."
Snape nodded before he left. After all, some Heads of House do have first years to welcome and settle in this night.
Harry slowly sipped at the warm broth. He was mildly surprised that Snape was rather pleasant to him.
"Maybe it was out of pity?" Harry asked himself as he continued to sip his broth. Knowing that Snape would check he had taken his Nutrient potion and finish his glass of water, he finished both of those before placing the empty bottle, cup and half empty bowl onto his nightstand.
"Bendy," He called softly. A small pop announced her entrance.
"What can Bendy do for Dobby's Young Master Harry Potter Sir?"
"Sn– Professor Snape told me to call you when I was finished."
She nodded and took away the used ware.
Alone again, Harry uncorked the pain and numbing potion and swallowed half of it. He grimaced at the taste but he noticed it was fast acting. He placed the rest of the bottle on his nightstand, closed his hangings, put up a silencing charm and succumbed to sleep just as his dorm mates entered the room.
Chapter Three
Early the next morning Harry woke up screaming from a nightmare. Sweat plastered his bangs to his forehead, while his body tingled from adrenaline. Harry ran his fingers through his hair attempting to calm his racing heart down.
"Tempus," the normal eerie red light of the spell glowed brightly in the dark informing Harry his broken sleep lasted only until the early time of half past four. Harry sighed at this news. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to go back to sleep once more, Harry decided to get ready for the day.
Once he was out of the shower, Harry again applied the necessary glamour's to get himself through the day. Though still not feeling well, Harry was glad that he wasn't still puking his guts up right now. Not only would Ron notice and likely tell Hermione, Harry was certain that one more vomit and his stomach would make an actual appearance.
Figuring that he could finish about half of the volume before any of the dead to the world Gryffindors made a return to the land of the living, Harry grabbed one of the extra books that he had bought in Diagon Alley and curled up in one of the chairs in the common room.
It wasn't until closer to seven-thirty before the first wave started to come down and Harry indeed just finished the first half of his book. Most had sleepy looks to them as if they had just gotten out of bed while there were a few, like Hermione, that were obviously and excessively excited to start school once more. Harry closed his book, inserting a bookmark so he could continue later on. Returning upstairs to his dorm, everyone was still asleep except for Neville. Deciding to be nice, Harry helped Neville wake the rest of the boys so they could get ready for their first lesson.
Dean, Seamus, and Ron wouldn't get up. Frustrated from lack of sleep, Harry decided that they could all wake up wet. Three sputtering teenagers woke up drenched and two the other two dorm mates laughing.
After the Department of Mysteries fiasco, Neville had gained some confidence.
After waking the three stubborn sixth year boys, Harry grabbed the half full vile none of them noticed the previous night and headed down to breakfast. Hermione remained to wait on Ron, though Harry didn't know how she felt about being on her own to wait as he left with barely a good morning to her.
About ten minutes later, both Hermione and an annoyed Ron joined him at the Gryffindor table. Harry consumed a small amount of porridge and a bit of pumpkin juice before he downed the rest of the pain and numbing potion. Hermione eyed the vile but didn't respond to it while Snape observed approvingly.
Towards the end of breakfast, the four heads went around and gave out class schedules for the year. Harry noted that he had Potions as a double block first, which was followed by Charms, and Defense Against the Dark Arts as another double block at the end of the day. Nodding approvingly, he got up from his seat and headed back to his dorm to retrieve his books. Throughout the duration of breakfast, he hadn't spoken a word to either Hermione or Ron.
Once he collected the necessary books, Harry headed back down to the dungeons for class. One of the first ones there, he noticed the room was set up differently and took a seat towards the back as far away as he could from what had always seemingly sat in the obvious Slytherin side of the room. After forth year he knew that was where he truly belonged, but to keep up the persona of the Boy-Who-Lived, Albus Dumbledore and Gryffindor's Golden Boy, he had to act as if he loathed them.
After the rest of the class filed into the room, Harry saw that the period hosted just him, Hermione and Seamus from Gryffindor. There went Ron's bid to become an Auror it seemed. Professor Snape came in with his flowing robes as usual and flicked his wand up at the board.
"This is my N.E.W.T's class and not everyone here," he looked straight at Harry, "should be here." Snape's eyes softened telling Harry that the man didn't mean a word of what was said, not after the previous night's conversation. "If you blow up a cauldron, you can expect to be taken out. If you botch up a potion in class, expect a detention to redo it along with the usual punishment. I expect perfection. Is that clear?" His gaze swept the classroom. He nodded his head. "Begin."
The class had started out well, and Harry's potion was in the works. Not surprisingly, the first practical of the year was the Torpens Dolor potion. Each of the two component potions were separate lessons that they had learned the previous year. Yet, this year the class was learning how and why the two could combine to complement and aid one another in a body. About an hour and a half into the class, someone threw something into Harry's potion.
Harry noticed the potion changing color and began destabilizing violently. Acting as the hero as always, Harry attempted to put a shield around his cauldron. Unfortunately, his action came too late and Harry's potion exploded. The shock wave sent him across the room where Harry vanished the moment his body made impact with the wall.