Scars
By: Csi-panther
Summary: summer of Order of the Phoenix setting at least, not really much of a plot just sort of making it up as I go.
a/n: I don't own Harry Potter or its characters
Crack!
Slap!
Thud!
These sounds resounded in the home of Harry Potter. The neighbors heard the sounds but paid them no mind as they thought the Dursley's were giving a deserved punishment to their delinquent nephew. They did not however hear the harsh words being said to the soon to be fifteen-year-old boy, who looked more like a preteen than an actual teenager.
Though to Harry the words were loud.
" You. Worthless. Piece. Of. Filth! " Vernon said as he kicked, whipped, and even punched the boy on the ground.
The boy's aunt was in the kitchen looking around for something to have the young teen cook for dinner, finding nothing she walked out of the kitchen, around Vernon, who stopped his beating long enough for her to pass him then continued his beating, the boy's skin had broken long ago and the blood from his back had begun to splatter the walls from the whipping as Vernon used an actual bull whip that he had altered to be used in the house before going back to kicking and punching.
Petunia ignored what was being done to her sister's son and went on up the stairs, it would seem that the family would be eating out tonight as there wasn't anything that appealed to her in the kitchen, so they would have to go out and shop before going to dinner.
Dudley was in the lounge, watching the telly and eating his fill of junk food, also ignoring what was happening to his cousin.
Though Harry was being beaten, he didn't cry out once from the pain. He learned a long time ago that if he let out a cry or a whimper it would only make Vernon hit him harder just to make him cry again.
Finally after what seemed like an eternity, Vernon stopped and had picked Harry up by his hair and was about to slam him into the wall when there was the sound of a window breaking and a loud in-human roar sounded in the hall.
Both Harry and Vernon looked to the sound and were shocked and surprised to see a large, black-maned, pale furred, lion running towards them.
Vernon; the coward, pushed Harry in front of the beast so that he could get away, but the lion leaped over Harry and right at Vernon, clawing him in the back with it's massive claws. Vernon called out in pain as he tried to get way, Dudley came in and saw the massive lion attacking his dad, screamed out and called for his mum.
Petunia came down the stairs, saw what was happening, couldn't believe what was happening before she ran back up the stairs, went into the closet, got Vernon's rifle, which he kept loaded, came back down the stairs, aimed the rifle at the lion and fired, the shot hit the lion in the shoulder, the lion grunted in pain, stopped his attack on Vernon and set it's eyes on Petunia,
She froze in fear at the look in the lion's eyes, it was determined to shed blood and it was coming after her. She dropped the gun in fright and ran back up the stairs to lock herself in her room, forgetting about the fact that her son was still down stairs with an injured, blood thirsty lion. When she did remember, she hoped that her son got out of the house and that the lion would kill her nephew instead of her husband.
Harry tried to crawl out of the hallway as the lion took off after his aunt. And somehow Vernon had gotten up from the floor and went to his rifle. He tired to reload the gun, but he was in too much pain.
Petunia stood next to the door, listening for any sounds when the long claws of the lion struck through the door, catching her face, causing her to scream in pain, pulling away from the door just as the lion busted the door down, it struck her across the face, sending her into the wall, knocking her out with four deep claw marks in her cheek, neck, and collarbone.
Seeing that the one threat was out, the lion left the room, pausing at the bolted door with a cat flap. The door opened, and the lion walked in, seeing the owl locked up, the lion struck the lock, breaking it, the door to the cage opened, Hedwig came out of the cage and followed the lion out of the room.
Vernon looked up at seeing the owl free, his face became red with rage, forgetting that there was a lion at the top of the stairs.
" Potter! " he screamed as he tried to get up and after the still struggling boy.
But the roar of the lion stopped him as he looked up and saw the lion leap at him again, he held up his arms to defend himself, but it didn't help as the lion crushed him under it's weight before the lion swiped at his head, it's claws digging into his face. The lion struck his head a second time before swiping at his large gut and chest before taking another swipe at his head, knocking Vernon out cold.
Now that that threat was taken care of, the lion calmly walked back into the hallway. He saw that Harry was now in the kitchen, slowly dragging himself out of the house to the back door that was open, the glass from the kitchen window was near where Harry was going, the lion trotted quickly to the boy, standing over him.
The lion turned his head as the boy just stopped his attempt to get out. The lion snorted loudly, causing Harry to flinch, knowing that he was going to die,
" Here I come Mum and Dad. " he muttered, closing his eyes as he felt more than see the lion move and pick him up, he was somewhat surprised that the lion didn't sink it's large teeth into him, but figured that the lion just wanted to save that for when it had him in a safe place to eat him. Harry fell unconscious, thinking that when he opened his eyes again, he'd see his parents smiling faces.
The lion flicked it's ears at the sound of a siren and took off out the door, leaping over the fence and into the alleyway. It sat Harry down and picked him up again from the side, making it look like it was carrying a cub instead of a small teen boy. Hedwig landed on the back of the lion, being mindful of the gunshot wound on the lion's shoulder when the lion felt the owl was secure, it sprouted it's own wings, wings that matched it's black mane, and took off into the air and away from the area. Leaving no muggle the wiser.
Time skip, scene change
The lion landed at a large black Victorian home with stone walls surrounding the property with an iron gate at the front leading to a pathway that led up to the large home. The gate opened as the lion approached, closing after it once it was clear. Hedwig took to the air and up to an old owlery on the backside of the house. The lion came to the front door, which like the gate, opened for it as it approached.
The lion went into the large sitting room, gently placing the wounded boy on the sofa, belly first, so that the sofa wouldn't aggravate the cuts. When the boy was settled, the lion moved away and shifted into that of a man.
A man that the boy knew. A man that teaches at a school that Harry has attended for the last four years now. A man that goes by the name, Severus Snape.
Severus, looked at the boy for a long moment, ignoring the pain that he felt in his shoulder from the gunshot wound, he summoned a potion and salve. He spelled the potion into Harry's stomach, spelled the cuts clean and applied the salve to his back before spelling bandages around the boy's torso before gently rolling him over on his back and putting a blanket over him.
Seeing that Harry was stable and no longer in any pain, Severus tended to his own injury. He left to go upstairs to the bathroom, extracting the bullet from his shoulder with the use of his wand and his bathroom mirror, he cleaned the wound and spelled the salve and a large square bandage to the wound. As he made to leave his bathroom, he paused and looked at the mirror one last time, seeing marks on his bare back similar to what the young boy on his sofa has, only his were older and long healed from what had caused them.
The marks littered his back from shoulders to hips, a few were even on the back of his arms. There was two that made a narrow X at his neck, the ends hidden by his shoulder length hair. There was a set of four that went across one shoulder and down midway that he had gotten early in his fifth year at Hogwarts. A result of him nearly getting killed by a werewolf. Another set of the same claw marks were on his side, just a shy touch of reaching his toned stomach.
Sighing at the marks and the memories of how he had gotten them, Snape turned the light off and went to change his clothes that were splattered in blood.
Time skip
Harry groggily opened his eyes. He could make out that he was in a sitting room or lounge. He could feel that he was on a very comfortable sofa or couch and that a warm blanket was wrapped around him and that he wasn't hurting.
He heard the sizzling of a frying pan somewhere in front of where he was laying and could smell bacon and eggs as well as oatmeal and fresh cut banana's.
He made to get up, seeing the wrapped bandages around his upper torso, he remembered the night before and wondered how a massive lion that easily weighed a good 36 stone(504 pounds) or more healed him and live in a house.
He quietly got up and silently made his way to the sounds and smells. He peeked around the open doorway and could make out a familiar dark figure in front of the stove.
" Finally decided to rejoin the living have we Potter? " the baritone voice of his potions master had Harry pulling back behind the wall.
" You can come in here. " he heard Snape say. So he turned back and into the kitchen.
" There is a table and chair to your right. The chair is already pulled out for you. " Snape informed as he kept his back to Harry.
Harry followed what he had said and warily sat down. " Your glasses are on the table. " Snape said again as he turned to the table and Harry saw that he had two plates in his hands. Harry quickly snatched his glasses up and placed them on his head, surprise appeared on his face and in his eyes as he saw that he could see so clearly and how beautiful the kitchen was with its white Victorian style cabinets with the black handles and hinges to match, the fridge too looked vintage as did the stove. The sink, he noticed was a farm sink with vintage style faucet and handles with a large window above it that showed that they were in some part of the country as there was no other homes that he could see, at least from that window.
The table and chairs, he saw were old but in very good condition the plate, that Snape set in front of him was old as well, but like the table and chairs, was in very good condition. The glass of milk that he now noticed was the only modern item there, well except for the microwave, toaster, and coffee pot on the counter.
Snape, he noticed was wearing a black tank top and his hair was pulled back in a low bun. And from what he could make out from before he placed his glasses on, he was also wearing black pants and black shoes.
' does this man wear nothing but black? ' Harry thought. ' if he starts wearing black lipstick, eyeliner, and paints his nails…'
" I did that when I was younger. Except for the lipstick. " he heard Snape say, startling him and making him wonder if he had said all that out loud.
" You didn't say it, but you were thinking it. I've seen that look before as well as heard others voice their opinions of my choice of wear. "
" I didn't mean to offend you sir. "
" You didn't. Now eat. You are far too thin and small for a boy your age. After you have finished eating, I'll check your back. "
" Sir, how did I get here? "
" I brought you and your owl here. Dumbledore asked that I check on you. "
" But what about the lion? "
" Lion? What lion? "
" There was a lion there, sir. I saw him. My aunt shot him. He's not dead, is he? "
" Potter, I believe you were hallucinating from blood loss. There was no lion there it was only I. "
" What happened to my relatives? "
" I believe that your aunt and uncle were knocked out and your coward of a cousin ran away before I could deal with him. "
" Then my aunt shot you? Are you alright sir? "
" Do you not see me sitting across from you and breathing? "
" That's not what I'm asking sir. "
" Despite being shot by your crazed aunt, I will survive. "
" Thank goodness. "
" Don't go getting sentimental on me just because I rescued you from being beaten to death. " Snape griped, not comfortable with being thanked for saving the boy, though he had sworn to protect him for the boy's mother.
" Yes sir. Is Hedwig alright? "
" She is fine. Now will you eat. "
Harry nodded in reply and began to eat his breakfast, which was still warm surprisingly, though Snape had probably put a warming spell on it to keep it that way without Harry noticing.
" And drink your milk. " Snape added as he watched Harry eat like he hadn't eaten in days, which he probably hadn't given his state of malnourishment.
After they were both done, Snape led Harry back into the sitting room and back to the sofa where Harry had been sleeping.
Snape then spelled the bandages off of Harry's torso. He saw with satisfaction that the wounds had healed up nicely and with another dose of cleaning and applying the salve to the cuts, a fresh set bandages on, he summoned an old t-shirt, shrunk it to fit Harry and handed it to him.
" Thank you. " Harry muttered quietly as he slipped the shirt on. The shirt was a grey color and very soft from years of being worn and taken care of.
" Your welcome. Now tell me how long this has been going on. "
I'll leave it here for now. Let me know what you think. Like it. Love it. hate it.