Greetings all! I know it has been quite a while, please forgive my neglect of this story, but please know that I will not abandon this story. Thanks to all who reviewed.
"Pain is temporary. It may last a minute, or an hour, or a day, or a year, but eventually it will subside and something else will take its place. If I quit, however, it lasts forever." – Lance Armstrong
Chapter 3 Recovery
The night was cold for one in early July, but yet all was quiet considering the time of day. Then all of a sudden the quiet was broken when a tall dark figure appeared from thin air with a loud crack. As soon as he had arrived he started moving swiftly down the lane toward Privet Drive.
It was past nightfall and every inhabitant of the street seemed to be neatly tucked into their suburban homes. Finally reaching Number Four he came to the front door and whispered the unlocking charm and swept through the threshold. He looked to his right and spotted the staircase and he started to take the stairs two at a time. As he ascended the stairs his Potions Master's nose picked up the smell of blood. Reaching the top of the stairs he needn't do a point me spell for the pungent smell of blood and bodily fluids assaulted his nose. Coming to the door that reeked of powerful smells he charmed it open with a wave of his wand.The door open with a creak and the sight that met his eyes almost made bile rise in the reserved man's throat.
Although the room lay in darkness, enough light emitted from the barred window so that the room could be made out. He snapped out of the shock that faced him and he rushed to the wounded boy. When Severus reached Harry he cast a charm so he could assess the boy's wounds more clearly. What he found astonished him; Harry had two broken ribs, a broken right leg, and bruises along with lacerations around his body. The subtle rise and fall of the boy's chest proved that the boy would not last long if nothing was done. So his condition would not change Severus cast a stasis charm on Harry But not before muttering as many healing and bruise reducing spells that he knew along with a gentle cleansing charm to boot. The charms had a reaction yes, but only just, not enough to cause a substantial effect on the boy's condition.
With much tenderness many thought in cable of Severus Snape he lifted Harry into his arms with a firm but gentle grip. He saw the once snowy white bird of Harry's and gave instructions to meet them at Hogwarts; seeing that her master was in no danger from this man she spread her wings and flew out the window that Snape had just opened with a charm. With Harry in his arms he turned to the door and as he was turning he heard a sound from the direction of the doorway. Turning to face the door he was met with the purple face of Vernon Dursley.
" What are you doing in my house!" the Muggle screeched.
" To take Harry from the likes of you," Severus replied as if unaffected by the other man's words. Then he continued in a voice with anger, " now if you don't mind I have to take him to Hogwarts before he is dead. And if he died, Muggle or not you would be sentenced to the Dementor's Kiss which is far worst then death."
" I will not be told what to do in my own house, and the boy deserved what was coming to him!" The man said with a cruel laugh.
"You don't deserve to be able to still live after what you have done, now move out of my way!" shouted a usually reserved Snape.
"Make me." Dursley said getting in a wrestling stance.
" Stupefy!" and with that he stepped over the fat lard ran down the stairs and was down the street in a flash vowing to come back to punish the Muggle for such a unjustifiable acts.
As soon as he reached the end of the wards he apparated to Hogwarts gate, repositioning Harry so that he had a free hand to push the Hogwarts crest. With a whisper of ' Hospital Wing' he was gone as quickly as he had come. Rematerializing within seconds inside the stark white hospital wing he shouted
"Poppy,"
"What is it Severus, why must you…" the words died on her lips as she saw what he carried.
He moved to a bed and placed Harry on it, returning from her momentary shock Poppy quickly pulled out her wand and preformed a examination charm. The results were immediate. When Poppy saw them she inhaled a sharp breath. Beginning at his head there was a white light, which turned to light blue at Harry's face, two shades of red light emitted from the chest of the boy, his right leg was a light of a dark blue. The rest of Harry's seemed not to be damage quite enough for the spell to pick up.
" White represents mild swelling, light blue a broken jaw, the lighter red meant broken ribs and the darker internal bleeding, and dark blue represents a broken leg. This is not good, it will take more then medicinal magic to heal him. " Poppy announced sadly as if the Potions Master did not know already. It would take the magic of one self's ability to fight their inner demons.
Poppy then began to work her medicinal magic, before beginning she removed the stasis charm. With time not on their side she worked as fast and efficiently as she could saying many spells and administering many potions with the help of Snape. When she had done all she could she asked:
"Who has done this Severus?"
" His relative." was his only reply.
The Headmaster then arrived and looked upon Harry with a sad expression on his face. Poppy reported the injuries to the Headmaster and then returned to her office. Albus then looked to the Potions Master with blue eyes full of regret and with no trace of their customary twinkle.
" I have sent a house elf to collect Harry's things and bring them to the castle," the Headmaster stated. "It seems that I have made a grievous error in judgment and for that I cannot apologize enough." He added his voice brimming with sorrow.
"But the only thing we can do for the time being is wait and pray that we are not to late." Snape spoke then sending a glance in the direction of the patient in the bed before he swept back to the dungeons. If one had been scrutinizing the Potions Master's face they would have found tears rolling down his porcelain skin.
A/N: Read & Review Please!
