Ok so before you begin reading note that it is not Friday and I am still posting this, a few people asked me to surprise them with my chapters so I will do so. There will still be only one chapter a week but since most of these chapters are rather long I don't think you should have anything to worry about, this chapter in particular is rather long and gives a bit of background information for later as well as setting the scene for additional changes to the original story line that JK Rowling created. Keep in mind that while I am sticking to the timeline as much as possible and keeping the events as congruent to the original plot line things will inevitably change. I hope you all enjoy this!
As a side note, unfortunately I haven't gotten very far in book 2 this week because I was a bit ill at the beginning of the week but I've still been plotting away in my mind so it shouldn't be too hard to catch up. Let me know what you think! I do dearly enjoy your comments even if I haven't the time to reply to all of them! Oh and if you have any questions feel free to ask however I won't give anything away just yet because I'm one of those horrible people that likes her readers to actually be surprised. Happy reading!
There will eventually be homosexual situations:
consider this your warning,
If homosexual situations are not your cup of tea
Than I suggest you turn back now.
I don't want to hear people's biased opinions because honestly, I don't give a crap
Now, for some additional warnings:
ABUSE
VIOLENCE
BAD LANGUAGE
HOMOSEXUAL MALE/MALE RELATIONSHIPS IN FURTHER BOOKS
Mistress Slytherin
Chapter 3
The Price of Peace
After the event on the quidditch field time seemed to move on, developing a routine.
After class Harry would return to the Slytherin dormitory and do his homework, since first years didn't get much homework and their schedule was rather lax Harry had plenty of time before dinner to study the books Snape had given him.
He learned that long ago, long before even Hogwarts had been created; Wizards and Muggles lived together peacefully. In fact Wizards were revered and held great political power, a power which they used to help muggles advance. Many times the books mentioned that wizards were responsible for stopping many plagues and lessening the damages of droughts and famines. While the exact beginning of magic users was unknown, their relationship with muggles was age old. Muggles and wizards had worked together for thousands of years.
Again the exact date or circumstance was not noted in the books, but it was noted that muggles became restless. They began to fear the powers wizards wielded or tried to use wizards for personal gain, when wizards realized this they began to distance themselves from muggles causing muggles to become even more fearful and suspicious. The growing mistrust between muggles and wizards was what lead the four founders of Hogwarts to beginning the construction of Hogwarts.
No one was certain when it started or who started it, but unrest turned to violence and quickly the once revered Wizards were turned against. They were hunted down like animals. Harry had barely been able to read some of the descriptions of what had been done to anyone claimed to be a witch or wizard. The pictures were enough to make his stomach turn and the few written accounts that had been salvaged were vivid and bothered Harry. By the time dinner had rolled around more often than not he had been left in a thoughtful and bitter mood.
Had Muggles always been this way?
So cruel?
After dinner, as he focused his mind on his task in the store room, he always managed to calm down though the thoughts still circled in his mind. His work in the storerooms however was progressing steadily. Without knowing it he was learning how to be able to tell different ingredients apart and how to tell what was fresh from what was not most often through unpleasant experiences. He kept busy though- cleaning out grime covered jars in the special solution that Snape had made to dissolve anything harmful. Tossing what was rotten or no longer usable in the large crate that he found out was lined with a powder that would keep the ingredients from reacting, learning various spells that would keep the jars dust free in the future, or would keep the labels from becoming yellowed and unreadable. The tasks were slow and arduous but Harry didn't mind, not when he was learning so much, not when it meant coming closer to achieving his dream.
For a time things were peaceful for Harry Potter.
He was getting three square meals a day, learning more and more about this strange new world where the impossible was possible, and…no one hit him here. No one hurt him if he did the wrong thing. Slowly he gained the courage not to shirk at every moving shadow.
Slowly, he began to heal.
Because you see, he was not a freak, he was special, he would be better than all of them and, because the Dursleys were in fact wrong about nearly everything. Right was the opposite of nearly everything they said. He deserved better than them. Much like the wizards and witches in ancient time he had done nothing wrong, and yet they had hurt him. Men like his uncle…women like his aunt…they were cruel. They deserved to die.
On October thirty-first while students could be seen gallivanting about the castle excitedly Harry Potter went unnoticed. Many of the Slytherins of course understood his somber mood and knowing his rather volatile temper avoided talking to him. On this day Harry didn't study about ancient wizards and witches, he didn't think about feathers or potions ingredients or really much of anything else. As if to reflect his terrible mood, Snape was also in a particularly dour mood managing to send six students running out of his classroom in tears by the time lunch rolled around. All in all the two were summarily avoided by their peers come time for classes to end. Harry, in spite of his wanting to do nothing at all realized after causing a floating Jack o' Lantern to explode all over a couple of Ravenclaws who insisted on singing Halloween music that it would be better for him to find a quiet place- quickly. It surprised him though when he found himself standing in front of his head of houses office his hand hesitating in front of the door.
"Are you going to stand there all night Potter?" Came the wry voice. Harry smiled slightly at that and opened the door catching sight of dark unreadable eyes.
"I can't-" His voice broke and he looked away. "I can't be out there with them. I don't want to hurt any one but-" he didn't notice the angry tears collecting in the corners of his eyes.
"I can't watch them celebrate." He spat his magic crackling around him as he struggled to restrain himself. Snape nodded shortly and leaned back in his chair.
"You know…" He said quietly. "The house elves finished putting the last of the ingredients into the crates last night…I already ordered new cases, so we'll need to get rid of the old ones." Harry frowned and wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "Has anyone told you about the joys of the Reducto curse?" He said raising his eyebrows.
Harry shook his head feeling slightly disturbed by the glint in the man's eyes. "Then I suppose it's time I teach you." He said standing abruptly.
%&%&%&%&%&%&%
Harry let out a gasping laugh as the wood splintered and exploded into the air noisily.
Snape nodded his head before sending another at the pile. "There are twelve floors to this storeroom Potter; each floor has a grand total of one hundred and twenty two cases. There are seventy-two spells that are similar to the Reducto curse all of which have different characteristics and levels of power ranging from an explosion the size of a pin point to an explosion large enough to turn everything within this room into ash. By the time we leave here tonight I will expect you to have learned thirty-two of these curses." He said his eyes glittering. Harry stared at the man wide-eyed before squaring his jaw and readying his wand.
"I'm listening." He said his magic thrumming beneath his skin. Snape smirked.
"Good, now put your wand down Potter." He said slipping his own wand up his sleeve and holding out his hand.
"Vegrandis Ruina" he said softly. Harry gasped as a small spark cracked above the man's hand.
"Wandless magic? I thought you said it's rare!" Harry said with wide eyes. Snape smirked.
"It is, now you try, just remember that the spell doesn't need much power because the explosion is small. It needs focus, and self control. The spell requires that you have a deep connection with your magic. Never assume that you have power over your magic
Potter, it is more than willing to work with you if you respect it." Harry closed his eyes and focused reaching out to his magic and trying to tell it what he wanted to do. It was the first time he'd ever treated his magic like it was separate from him.
"Vegrandis Ruina" He whispered opening his eyes slowly and watching the air above his hand burst into tiny crackling sparks of light. Snape rose his eyebrows.
"Excellent…I didn't expect you to have this level of control. Most children don't." He said with a slight frown. "But then again, most children can't do wandless magic." He said with a small smirk. "Aright now…"
Several hours later Harry panted as another loud explosion rocked the room his fingers tingling from the magic he'd just held in them. It felt good; this destruction…letting loose his anger, his sorrow, and his fears. On this night ten years ago his parents had been killed and his life had taken a turn for the worst. He grit his teeth and let his magic react to his anger exploding from him again and again in quick succession until it was merely a spark in his hand. He'd been a child, helpless in the hands of people who hated him, who would have destroyed him had he given them the chance. He panted as he thought of the other students enjoying their Halloween feast above them not knowing that their every laugh had come at a high cost. Not knowing that bloodshed was the reason they were able to laugh so freely, his blood, his tears, his sorrow.
"Hey Professor Snape?" He asked his voice rough from use.
"Hmmm?" The man hummed from where he was leaning against the table surveying the
wreckage.
"Do you think that they ever think about it?" He said looking up. Snape frowned behind
him.
"About what Potter?" Harry slowly lowered his head and faced the man.
"The price of their laughter." He said allowing a single tear to slip down his cheek. Snape flinched visibly and Harry dropped his head lifting his fingers to the ragged scar embedded into his flesh. "I can hear it sometimes you know." He whispered tracing the scar with a sharp nail. "Her screams." He dropped his hand to his side and held out his palm again gritting his teeth as his magic rushed out in an explosion of sparking glittering green magic obliterating the pile of wood until there was nothing more than ashes floating in the air. "Sometimes." He said softly as the cooling ashes brushed his cheeks and tickled his nose. "Sometimes I wish that they couldn't laugh any more- that they would scream instead- like she did. The price of laughter, of peace- is blood." He whispered watching the bleeding skin on his palm heal itself. When he lifted his head he caught sight of something he never thought he would see in his life, Snape was crying.
Ashes caught the mans' tears and left long trails of pale skin behind and Harry couldn't help but watch them in wonder.
"Potter-" Harry jerked as a loud bang echoed through the room. The storerooms were soundproof to anyone outside of the door, but inside they could still hear what was going on in the surrounding hallways. Snape frowned suddenly pale and rushed out the door leaving Harry alone amidst the ashes. For a moment he stood in the silence. Eventually he called the house elves and watched them clean up the ashes until he was alone in the dim room. He felt numb as he signed out and slipped out the room wondering what had made Snape run out like that. As he climbed up the stairs though he figured it out, he knew that smell- Troll…but what was a troll doing in Hogwarts. A scream filled the air causing him to shiver and rush towards the sound. Snape had gone before him, surely the man would have caught the beast by now- as the smell grew stronger the sobbing sound grew louder.
When Harry turned the corner he realized that Snape was no where around and the crashes were growing louder. Should he leave? Could he take on a troll? He reached into his pocket and gripped his wand only to hiss as his magic snapped at it in annoyance. It didn't want to be focused through the wand he realized…it was still eager from earlier…
"HELP! PLEASE SOMEBODY!" Harry shivered at the shrill sound as another crash filled the air. Pressing his lips together he rushed forward wanting nothing more than to make the screams stop.
Please! NO! HARRY!
He shuddered as he rounded the corner and realized that he was too late- the Troll brought down his club with all of its brutish strength and Harry could do nothing more then flinch as a sickening crunching squelching sound filled the air and blood spattered the white tiles. Harry stood in shock as he watched the troll pull his club from the bloody mangled spot that had once been a girl and then bring it down again…and again.
HARRY! MY BABY!
As if it belonged to someone else his hand rose in the air unhindered by the forced focus of a wand- he had to stop them…the screams…the laughter…his ears rang loudly as tears coursed down his cheeks and light gathered in the palm of his hand exploding outwards in a silent pulse of magic as the troll turned towards him.
%&%&%&%&%&%
Dumbledore let out a gasp as he rounded the corner catching sight of the blood pooling out from the door to the girls bathroom. The putrid smell of troll hung pungent in the air making him feel vaguely sick.
"Oh Merlin!" Minerva gasped coming up behind him. Dumbledore straitened himself and strode towards the door fearing what he would see and rightly so too he realized as he turned and stopped in the doorway. Blood…it was everywhere…it painted the walls and splattered across the ceiling congealing around the toilets and sinks. Behind him he could hear Minerva turn to the side to vomit, her normally stoic expression broken by the sight. Albus stared at the large exposed rib cage or rather what was left of it and moved his gaze across the destroyed room to where an arm hung on the end of the only stall remaining standing.
"Potter!" Snapes exclamation shocked him out of his stupor and he watched in shock as a blood soaked figure that was sitting curled into a ball against the wall lifted a matted head of hair wide green eyes staring up at them emptily.
"Th-The Troll- k-killed a girl." He stuttered lifting a shaking hand and curling his hand into a fist. "He k-kept hitting her with a club, s-she wouldn't stop screaming." He whimpered covering his ears with trembling hands. Snape was the first to react moving towards his student who flinched back at his approach. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" he cried out burying his head in his knees. Snape halted his breath catching in his throat. Slowly he pulled off his robe and slung it over the trembling form.
"Its over Potter, you did well." He muttered helping the trembling boy to stand.
"Oh Albus…" Minerva whispered tears slipping down her cheeks as Snape coaxed the boy out of the room.
"Come Potter, the screams are gone now; lets' get you washed up." Snape said in low soothing tones. Potter nodded dumbly and leaned into the man for support.
Severus grit his teeth as he led the boy to his personal quarters which were closest at that point and guided the boy through his bedroom and bathroom carefully leading him into the shower. "Dips." He called softly once the boy was standing under the steaming spray the blood on his clothes washing slowly down the drain. His personal elf appeared with a pop startling Potter who reached out of the shower and grasped his arm staring at him wildly. "You're fine Potter, it's just the house elf." Severus muttered soothingly. Slowly green eyes shifted landing on the timid creature.
"It's over?" Harry asked softly looking up at Severus again. Severus nodded.
"It's over Potter, you did well." Harry nodded slowly and blinked at the water running down the side of his face.
"I'm in the shower?" He said lifting his hand and watching the water flow over it.
"Yes Harry, we have to wash the trolls blood off." Severus said patiently. Harry nodded slowly.
"I shouldn't wear clothes in the shower Vernon will get mad again." He said paling.
Severus sighed heavily.
"You're at Hogwarts Harry, your uncle isn't here." He said slowly. Potter was as lost and confused as a child it seemed. A grin spread across the boy's face.
"That's right…Vernon's dead…" He said softly. Severus frowned but turned to the house elf.
"Dibs, mister Potter may need help taking his shower, will you help him?" He asked cautiously. The elf nodded rapidly. "Very good, he will also need a fresh set of clothes would you mind getting some from his dorm?" He asked turning his gaze back to Potter who was tugging as his wet shirt with a frown.
"Yes master Snape sir!" The elf said eagerly before popping out. Severus turned back to Potter.
"Potter?" He waited until glazed green eyes landed on him. "My house elf is going to help you take a shower ok?" He said as if he was speaking to a small child. Harry nodded his head.
"Ok." He said flinching slightly when the elf popped back in with a clean set of clothes.
"Alright Potter, I'll be in the next room over alright?" he said carefully. Potter frowned but nodded.
"Ok I'm better off alone anyway." He said looking away. Snape frowned but slipped out of the room only to be startled by a knock on his portrait. Rubbing his forehead he went and opened it unsurprised to find Dumbledore's grave expression darkening his doorway.
Severus gestured for the man to enter and said nothing as he slumped tiredly into his favored chair. The headmaster summoned some tea and poured them both a glass while
Severus sneered at the bat shaped cookies.
"You should get rid of those before Potter gets out of the shower." He said gesturing towards the many Halloween treats. Dumbledore frowned.
"Whatever for? I think sweets are exactly what he needs right now." He said taking a bit out of one of the frosted cookies. Severus shook his head and sipped his tea.
"Halloween isn't exactly his favorite holiday Albus." He said quietly unsurprised to see the man's face fall in understanding.
"Ah yes of course…" he said waving his hand at the tray replacing the Halloween motif treats with normal biscuits and treats. "Will he be alright do you think Severus?" He asked after a moment. Severus gazed into the fireplace.
"If any one would be- it would be that boy, though I don't doubt that there will be lingering trauma." He said sipping on his tea.
"He's surprisingly resilient for someone so young." The headmaster said with sad eyes.
Severus nodded slowly.
"He's too young to be so resilient." He said gritting his teeth. Sometimes I wish that they couldn't laugh any more- that they would scream instead- like she did. The price of laughter, of peace- is blood. "He more than anyone deserves to laugh." He murmured tohimself.
"I agree, though I must say I never thought that you would become so fond of the boy."
The headmaster said causing Severus to frown. The old man was constantly manipulating people.
"Don't gloat headmaster, it's unbecoming especially considering the circumstances." He sneered. The headmaster opened his mouth to chide him only to stop as the door to
Severus' room clicked open. Green eyes stared suspiciously at the headmaster before darting towards Severus. Slowly Harry slipped across the room and sat in the seat next to
Severus'
"Ah Harry." The headmaster said pouring him a glass of tea which Harry accepted but made no move to drink.
"Better Potter?" Severus asked feeling uncharacteristically concerned. Potter glanced up at him and nodded slowly.
"What happened?" Harry said slowly. "I killed the troll…but then after that…I don't know- I was just in the shower. How did I get there?" He said a bit of fear in his eyes.
Severus frowned but before he could speak the headmaster cut in.
"You were knocked unconscious my boy, Severus here carried you to his quarters because they were the closest-" Harry held up a hand and leveled the headmaster with a glare.
"Professor Snape?" he said his eyes landing on Severus who leaned back and nodded.
"You went into shock, your mind was unable to process what had just happened so it reverted to a state of childlike confusion, your responses were slow and you made connections with people and places that aren't here. For instance you seemed to think that you had returned to your muggle residence and that your uncle would be angry with you."
Harry paled and his hands shook enough that he had to set his tea cup down.
"Will it happen again?" Harry said looking frightened. In fact he was terrified. He had no memories of what had happened in the time it took for him to get from the girls bathroom to the shower. Snape shook his head.
"I doubt it; these things are rare and now that you're no longer in shock the probability of you going back in are slim." Snape said clinically. Harry sighed in relief.
"And the girl?" he said sipping his tea feeling calmer now.
"Her parents will be notified and a full investigation will be made. The Aurors will need to ask you questions." The headmaster said leaning back in his seat. Harry frowned and looked up at Snape.
"What are Aurors?" he asked tilting his head to the side.
"The wizarding worlds' version of the police." Snape said setting down his tea. "They will want to see your notebook as proof that you had been in the storage room with me, and they may ask you questions that make you feel uncomfortable. We could call a guardian to support you if you would like." Severus said as calmly as he could. Harry winced visibly.
"No, its fine." He said shaking his head. Ok I'm better off alone anyway… Snape clenched his jaw.
"What about your aunt I'm sure she wouldn't mind." Dumbledore said frowning. Harry shook his head slowly.
"She doesn't like…um magic sir…she wouldn't come?" He said frowning into his tea.
Dumbledore frowned but nodded.
"Well if you're sure my boy, though you will have to have an adult there with you I'm afraid that the law requires it." Dumbledore said setting down his cup. Harry frowned and curled into himself slightly.
"We'll figure something out headmaster, for now I think it would be best for Mister Potter to go to bed he's had a long day." Snape said his words silk over steel causing the headmaster to raise his eyebrows but nod easily.
"Yes, yes of course." He said flicking his wand at the tea set. "And I must be off as well, I can't put off the ministry for long, it would be a good idea for Harry to have some rest before facing them." He said standing. "See you tomorrow Harry, Severus." He said with a nod before slipping out of the room. For a moment Harry and Severus sat in silence.
"Thank you." Harry said after a while. "For everything, I don't really know why you're doing it but…I don't think you want to hurt me- so, thank you." He said looking away.
Severus shook his head.
"No, I should have been there killing that troll not you, if anything I must apologize for not protecting you better." He said frowning deeply. Harry's head shot up in confusion.
"Protect me?" He said quietly not truly understanding. Snape frowned.
"You seem shocked. It's my privilege as your head of house to protect you Potter, I think almost any professor here would have the same view." He said his dark eyes watching the young man beside him. Harry shook his head.
"I guess, its just one of those wizarding things that I don't understand yet." He said smiling grimly causing Severus' heart to drop.
"Potter…"he said hesitantly. Green eyes focused on him nearly taking his breath away. Lily's eyes. But they were so old…eyes like these didn't belong in the face of an eleven year old. He looked away losing his train of thought. "I can have Lucius' Malfoy- Draco's father stand in for you tomorrow, unfortunately I will be investigated too or I would do it.
Lucius will keep you safe for me." He said looking away. Green eyes blinked at the sudden change of topic before nodding.
"He won't mind?" Harry asked. Somewhere in their time spent together these last few weeks Harry had stopped asking him to price for everything but he still didn't believe that others didn't have a price.
"I'll let him know that he owes you for saving his son from a great deal of trouble at the beginning of the year." Severus said with a smirk, Harry smiled wryly and nodded.
"Thank you." He said struggling to hide a yawn. Severus smirked and stood slipping into his room for a moment and returning a moment later with a small blue vial.
"Dreamless sleep." He said handing Harry the potion. "This is my personal brew so you can rest assured that you won't be plagued by nightmares." Harry carefully accepted the potion. "You can sleep here it you'd like or in the hospital wing, I don't suggest going back to your dorm right now, the snakes are likely to pounce." Harry nodded.
"Can I sleep here then?" He asked looking around sheepishly. Severus nodded and flicked his wand at the plush couch transfiguring it into a bed.
"Dibs?" He called causing Harry to jerk as the elf appeared. "Some pillows and blankets for mister Potter here?" He asked rubbing his own tired eyes. The elf bobbed its head and snapped her fingers causing several warm blankets and two pillows to appear. It snapped its fingers again and the bed was made.
"Is master needing anything else?" the elf asked tilting her head to the side. Severus shook his head.
"No thank you Dibs." The elf bowed deeply and popped out. Harry was so tired he hardly flinched this time causing Severus to smile slightly. "Go on to sleep Potter, I need to reassure the snakes and call Lucius." Harry nodded sleepily and pulled the stopper from the vial drinking it down without complaint before slipping under the covers his eyes already closed before his head could hit the pillow.
