Less than a week update. Hope you enjoy this Snapey chapter, there's a lot of him in this one. Me and Dem are currently writing the next chapter. He have chapters plotted and everything and this story will be amazing! Xoxo
Thank you to Nimsul for being the beta for this new story! I know your going to be amazing!
Disclaimer: We don't own Harry Potter, that all belongs to Rowling and her brain.
Chapter Two: Power of Love
Severus was on his third glass of scotch. He was not an alcoholic, nor did he display any other signs of problematic drinking. Those traits solely belonged to his father, Tobias Snape.
Tonight however was proving to be an exception. He rarely touched the stuff, but tonight he blamed Potter.
When he had been teaching the boy Occlumency, occasionally he would talk. The boy seemed to revel in baiting him and insulting him. Under normal circumstances, Snape wouldn't have let it get to him but there was a problem.
Over the last weeks before he had tossed the boy out of his classroom, he had actually found himself very slowly warming up to the boy because of Potter's home life.
How Dumbledore has always told him that they are alike and yes, he knew the signs of abuse.
He wasn't a fool.
During their lessons, Snape had practically seen everything there was to see in Potter's head. He had seen the Dursley's treatment, wanting to bring it up and rub it in his face, yet he didn't.
Of all the times why did he have to go and acquire compassion for the spawn of James Potter now? He could actually relate to the boy to some extent. The Dursley's neglect was very similar to the neglect he had experienced from his own parents. His mother had suffered from major depression and had become incapacitated after 'he' had taken a turn for the worse.
With his mother out, he was left with only his drunken father to take care of him. Was that the reason why he didn't bother telling anyone? Because he knew what it was like to be pitied and to be betrayed by those you thought you trusted? Snape scoffed. What kind of fool was he, wearing his emotions on his sleeve? He was no emotional Hufflepuff.
This brought up the lingering memory of seeing the boy in Umbridge's office. Oh he knew what the boy was saying in the office... He was no dunderhead.
He sighed, slouching in his chesterfield chair, glass in hand as he took a sip of the amber liquid. His hand twitched around the glass as his mark twitched. This had been happening for an hour. He knew something wasn't right and that he had to stay here, on both Dumbledore's and the Dark Lord's orders.
"Severus?" A familiar voice called to him, concerned. He turned his head slightly to see Albus standing just slightly out of his fireplace. He didn't even here the floo go.
"Headmaster…" He stood up, knowing something wasn't right, not with the worrying look in Dumbledore's eyes that had lost their twinkle. It took all of Severus' effort to keep questions coming out. He watched as the headmaster sat on his sofa, summoning a cup of tea.
"Sirius Black is dead," Dumbledore said quietly into his cup, Severus's eyes widening at the old man's words. What in hell had happened tonight? The thought of the mutt dead made him feel... He gritted his teeth, knowing he wanted to know more of what had happened to Black, but Dumbledore's face held hints of emotion far beyond Black's death.
"Pity." Snape replied with no sympathy present in his voice. While Snape had recently acquired a weird kind of affection for the boy, there was no way he was going to express remorse that he didn't have for the mutt.
Another marauder dead.
Another thing he couldn't help noticing was the lack of twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes. With a blatant sign like that, it was clear things were taking a turn for the worse. It was bound to happen.
Inevitable.
"I take it Potter's vision..." Severus let his voice linger with a hint of question, sitting back in his chair, both hands wrapped tightly around his scotch.
"False, Tom wanted to lure Harry into the Ministry so the boy would get the Prophecy," Dumbledore sighed deeply, putting his cup down. He took off his glasses and rubbed them clean with his robe.
"Tom had all this well planned, all of his inner and second rank death eaters were there, some were caught and are currently on the way to Azkaban. Lucius is one of them. I cannot rescue him until I can have his case cleared of course." Dumbledore nodded, knowing his other spy was not in complete danger at the present moment.
"I take it he knows the Prophecy fully?" Severus asked, suddenly a scorching pain started to shoot from his mark. He grasped his left arm tightly, eyes closing tightly. This wasn't the summoning pain. Dumbledore was suddenly before him, rolling up his sleeve quickly. Severus's eyes shot open to look at his forearm, gritting his teeth.
"He bloody knows Albus, doesn't he? The Dark Lord knows I'm a spy!" Severus shouted as the mark started to spread out black lines that were going slowly upwards.
Dumbledore quickly had his wand out and slightly pushing the tip of his wand into his potion masters skin. He grasped hold of the arm, mentally summoning the darkness that was spreading up Severus's arm. He lifted his wand, the darkness coming out of the skulls mouth in a ribbon.
"Poison," Severus hissed in pain, watching as the headmaster vanished it and poked his wand back into his arm. Red light shot into his mark like fire, making Severus grunt.
"I'm so sorry my boy, I can only temporally block the signals." Dumbledore summoned a potion vile and bandage, pouring the contents on his slightly moving mark, the purple liquid sinking into the dark mark, a hissing noise Albus quickly wrapped the bandage tightly around his arm, casting another spell at his arm.
Severus knew he was in extreme danger now, the potion that was sinking into his dark mark was a backup plan, now he would be a very wanted man by Voldemort and his death eaters. Severus looked into the old man's eyes, grinding his teeth together.
"How?" Severus asked, Dumbledore putting his hand on Severus's shoulder.
"Tom possessed Harry tonight, he mentioned you betraying him Severus. If my sources are correct, Dolores has a lot of eyes around the school."
"You mean she ratted me out? But I've always been careful!" Severus shouted, throwing his glass against the wall.
"Albus I thought this day would never come, I was obviously not careful enough." Severus leaned forward, putting his face into his hands and shook his head. He was going to kill that toad faced bitch.
Minutes ticked by, the silence in the room irritating Severus until Dumbledore Finally spoke."Severus, I heard Tom talking about a special potion called Black Dawn. I believe it's actually called Diluculum Nigrum to be precise. Do you have a clue to what he might have been talking about?" Dumbledore asked, Severus snaped his head out of his hands.
He looked at the headmaster, eyes wide at the mention of the potion. He needed another drink. Dumbledore watched as his potions master poured another glass of amber liquid, and the man downed a hearty glass full of it.
"Diluculum Nigrum, known as black dawn is a potion that I created when I was studying for my mastery." Severus muttered, leaning against the wall beside his drinking cabinet. he knew this conversation was leading to something bad. He had created a batch of thus potion last month. "The Dark Lord requested it for something that damages the eyes and hearing, he gave me banned and expensive potions ingredients to experiment with. I succeeded in creating an eye damaging potion only. Why do you ask?"
"Tom has seen it fit to use this potion to blind Harry, hoping to weaken his spirit as well as his mind." Dumbledore said sadly, taking another sip of his drink. Severus gulped down the bile that wanted to rise at the man's words.
"You mean I am partly to blame that now the boy is blind?" Severus said angrily, his head started to pound with the beat of his heart rate. He was partly to blame for the boy's parents deaths, now Potter's sight?
"I know what you're going to ask Albus. There is no antidote to this potion. The dark lord seemed fit to inform me when creating this potion that there was not to be an antidote. I obeyed the order like the good little half-blood death eater I was." Severus spat out, memories going past his eyes showing him his most sickening moments. "The Dark Lord used to joke about the potion. Coming up with the name black dawn as he watched his prisoners eyes rise with the potion." Severus laughed darkly, running a hand through his hair.
"Harry is strong and will have support throughout this. Perhaps his emotions have served him well." Severus snorted, rolling down his sleeve.
"Indeed, he's always had a defiant streak. From what you've said, it seems it might have backfired and he's back-talked the Dark Lord. I always knew that arrogance of his would come back to bite him in the arse."
"Now, now Severus. If by bite him in the arse you mean backfired horribly. He tried to possess Harry with results that turned out to be less than satisfactory. I have underestimated Harry's powers. The boy pushed Tom out forcefully, a green light surrounding them both. Tom quickly vanished when Fudge walked in out of one of the floo systems. The boy's magic was... How do the muggles say it? Aha, electrifying!" Severus rolled his eyes at the old man's wording, sitting down again.
"How did Potter successfully push an extremely powerful Legilimens out of his mind? Did he call upon his powers of love and whisk the dark lord out of his brain?" Severus mocked, eyebrow raising in question.
"Indeed Severus. Just like when Lily protected him." Severus shut his eyes in pain of her name, Dumbledore always had to bring her up. By no means did Snape feel that the solution was so simple that Harry Potter could have thwarted the Dark Lord with the power of love. It would be too simple to acknowledge it as something purely attributed to his emotions.
Especially considering that the boy was capable of defending against the imperius curse, but lacking in the skill of mind reading.
"I'm at a loss here Albus. The Dark Lords use the potion, like I said before was not meant to have an antidote solution. I do not know if an antidote will be effective." Severus muttered in regret.
Another thing the boy will blame him for.
From his bed, Harry Heard the familiar footsteps of his two best friends. The two seemed to radiate a profound heat that was almost scorching, his eyes heating up with an itchy sensation.
"Harry, we came as soon as we could." Hermione's comforting voice said, soothing Harry's ears. Hermione took ahold of his hand, squeezing it gently.
"Gee mate, you look to be in a rough shape." Ron grunted out, earning an elbow in the ribs.
"RON!" Hermione shouted, giving him a harsh glare.
"I'm just saying he's looking a little peakish like he's under the weather." Ron admitted truthfully, rubbing his side as it hurt.
"What happened, Harry?" She asked as Harry let go of her hand, knowing her comfort was only out of pity and sadness.
"What do you think Hermione? Voldemort happened." Harry muttered miserably, snapping his eyes open in their direction.
Hermione gasped, her eyes searching his white glazed ones. Still able to see Harry's pupils, but She had to look closely, noticing red specks visible in his green irises. "Your eyes Harry! I heard about the order and Professor Dumbledore talking about it when you were levitated away from the Ministry..."
"What? Didn't think I was blind!" Harry asked, snapping his head away from them. He now sensed something outside the entrance to the hospital wing. He could feel a cold presence behind the door hidden in the shadows. He just had a feeling it was Snape.
"Don't say it like that? You act like it's a-" Hermione tried to get her words out, but Harry cut her off. "
It is! Don't you understand...without my eyes there's no point in learning magic. Wand waving is only useful when you can actually see your target. I'm a dead man walking." Harry laughed darkly, such a walking target he was now.
"Calm down, mate. We'll get through this," Ron said, running a hand through his red hair. "Me and Hermione will support you all the way." Harry snorted at his best friends bigheadedness, he wasn't the one who was blind so how the hell should he know how to cope with this?
He started to get angry, both of them started to annoy him, and the presence behind the doors spying on him just started to piss him off too.
"You may think you're being clever hiding in the shadows but I know you're there, professor Snape!" Harry shouted loudly, sitting up a bit.
"What?" Ron spluttered out, wide eyes going to the doors.
"Harry, are you alright? There's no one there. I can understand-" Hermione was once cut off again as the hospital doors opened, revealing a tall bat like Professor Snape.
"I beg to differ. As you can see I'm right here and I'm not going to be leaving any time soon. How you knew that I was behind those doors, Potter, is beyond me and that's something I would like to know. Granger, Weasley I need to have a chat with Mr Potter." Snape harshly said, pointing to the doors. "Now!" He barked, watching them mutter their good byes and running out of the hospital wing.
Harry didn't know what was happening. The cold aura was becoming more pronounced as Snape's voice seemed to be getting closer. It seemed to have a distinct colour as well...a dark midnight blue that seemed to grow darker as it drew close to the middle. It was surrounded by a white halo.
"You are the last person I want to see. You better leave Professor before I lose my temper and my magic." Harry warned the man, his anger started to rise with this man in the room.
"You dare threaten me Potter?" Snape snarled, getting closer to the bed Harry was on.
"If it wasn't for you I wouldn't have even had this problem. You had to make a bloody dark potion for Riddle didn't you?" Harry hissed, sitting up more as he felt the man come closer to him.
Harry felt his eyes heat up as The man came closer, stopping in front of him. Harry could start to taste the heat, the colour around Snape burning in purple and red flames that shot through his hearing in tiny crackles.
This was going to end badly and Harry knew it.
So what you think of this chapter? Me and Dem appreciate the reviews, so many! Thank you everyone!
Next chapter is full of drama, especially with Snape's mark and Harry has to technically save him :D
Thanks again everyone for the alerts, favs and reviews!
From Puzzle Me This and dem bones.
xoxo