Second Chances for the Soul

Chapter 3

Poppy's POV

I worked disconnected from the patient. If I didn't, I couldn't help this monster. His heart was black and his soul dead. I had believed in the best of him just months ago, to think that little insecure boy of eleven had vanished and replaced by a murderous heathen. It breaks a womans heart to know the man you've mended for twenty-seven years, and practically adopted as your own is a murderer.

I hated how his protectiveness of the students vanished and he allowed Death Eaters into these halls. The castle no longer breathed with laughter, but an ominous shadow clung to the walls. Even now, my hospital wing looked bleak - like it wasn't a place of healing, but a place of death. I was sure, soon it probably would be.

I have had more students since Severus became Headmaster inhabiting these beds then all other years at Hogwarts. The scuffles between Slytherin and the rest of the houses have gone beyond inter school rivalries. They became wars. Wars children shouldn't be fighting. Teachers cursing students, students cursing students - this wasn't an institute of learning anymore.

With a flick of my wand, the ribbons of cloth that clung to his body disappeared and the damage was before me. Large jagged scars across his shoulder, torso, and hip, a bite radius the size of a quaffle on his neck that steadily bleed, but was slowly stopping possibly due to Fawkes tears - my eyes flickered upward towards the red, gold, bronze, and orange bird that rested on the headboard, his head tilted towards Severus in a quiet sadness - and the rest of his body was covered in lacerations, bruises, broke bones, and finally I saw the quivering muscles. Cruciatus. I had spent the better part of a year diagnosing students and healing them to recognize the symptoms.

This man had been beaten, chewed and spat out. By all pretenses he should be dead. Only he wasn't and I couldn't help but wonder what God was on his side. How did he keep coming close to death only to escape from its skeletal claws? With pursed lips, I summoned an antiseptic potion. With a small flick and whispered Evenesco the blood cleared leaving me with a clear view of all the injuries; I uncorked the purple potion and tipped it pouring the liquid on the larges of wounds. It hissed and smoked as it sterilized the wound.

Anybody would have cried out or flinched, but this man was so far out the pain didn't even register.

"Valunera Sanentur," I whispered running my wand along the lacerations and gouges, I watched what blood leaked flow back into the body, I whispered it again and watched the lacerations nit back together, but the claw marks barely closed. I whispered it again and watched the pink scarred lacerations almost disappear leaving thin white lines, but still the claw marks nitted slowly, leaving puckered red irritated skin.

"Fawkes, could you -" I gestered towards puckered scars. With a trill, he hopped up beside Severus, tilted his head and cried upon the wounds. They eased into a soothing pink, they truly weren't healed and they would hurt for days to come. Nothing could heal the wounds of a werewolf, except for time. And I can't help but feel like he deserved the curse.

Perhaps that made me a terrible Healer, but I couldn't give myself to care about it. Not for this man.

"Thank you Fawkes." With a quick trill, the Phoenix lopped up beside Severus head and settled down tucking his head against the mans cheek. This bird was a baffle, how could such a light creature stand to be near such darkness? I could feel it rolling off of the wizard.

"Accio Bruise Removal Paste." I smoothed the foul smelling yellow paste over the bruises that I could see, avoiding the broken bones. Flicking my wand I banished the paste, using my wand I removed the broken bones. "Accio Skelgrow." I poured the potion down his throat, smoothing my hand cross his throat. "Accio Muscle Relaxant." That one was next. "Accio Nerve Damage Potion." "Accio Pain Releaver,""Accio Dreamless Sleep."

"Poppy, my dear, how is Severus?" came a familiar voice. I turned eyes towards the Portrait across from Severus bed. Albus was awake. His blue eyes twinkled - if that was even possible for a portrait - and smiled at me. I was frozen in my place, I didn't even react when the Hospital wing doors were opened and a huffing and puffing red faced Minerva swept in like a dragon. I stared. All coherent thought left and I couldn't help but wonder.

What in Merlin's name was going on!

A/N: Okay its a bit short, but thats okay, they're all short. Please leave a review. Bye.

~Ms Llewellyn