Chapter 4: Do Not Pass Go

The beep of the EKG machine slowly faded into Harry's consciousness, along with the muted sounds of worried voices. When Harry's eyes finally flitted open, his vision slowly cleared and the sight of Ginny's tear stained face came into view. Turning his head -- and wincing at the pain the simple action created -- Harry saw the others clustered nearby.

"Harry!" Ginny started, quickly calling the attention of the others. Ron and Hermione were the first to reach the other bedside.

Snape, who had been standing at the far end of the bed looking with disgust at the whirring muggle medical equipment, suddenly snapped a steely gaze onto Harry.

"Well, Mr Potter," Snape began in an emotionless, even tone. "You truly are the Boy-Who-Lived-To-Be-A-Pain-In-My-Ass."

On unsteady arms, Harry pushed himself up into a sitting position. "What happened?"

Hermione took one of Harry's limp hands into her own. "You tell us."

"Yeah mate," Ron chimed in. "When you didn't show in class, Coach Alexander sent Neville to look for you."

Neville nodded in the affirmative. "Yeah. When I walked into the locker room you were lying on the floor all beat up and bruised."

"So, the question is back to you, Mr Potter," Snape interjected. "What exactly befell you?"

Harry's brow furrowed as he tried to think. As best he could recollect, he relayed the story of the baseball bat with a mind of it's own. When he finished, Harry looked around at his companions faces. A long silence settled over the hospital room before being broken by a hard, frustrated sigh.

Snape pinched the bridge of his nose, a sure sign that a tension headache was not far off. "Mr Potter, if you are going to lie, be creative or I'll get bored."

Harry huffed. "I'm not lying, sir!" Harry looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "The bat must've been hexed." He turned a suspicious eye onto Malfoy.

"Hey!" Draco snapped. "You can just get that though outta your head right now." He turned a pleading tone onto Snape. "I assure you, sir, I didn't have anything to do with this. There is a class full of people that can attest to that." He shot a dark look back at Harry. "Despite being trapped in the muggle world with you and your lot, I am not looking to get myself discharged from the program."

Cho wrinkled her nose in confusion. "Well, if it wasn't you...?"

"There must be other witches or wizards in the school," Luna finished for the Asian witch.

Hermione shook her bushy mane. "But why would anyone want to hurt Harry?"

"I don't know, maybe because they met him," Malfoy snorted. The only response he received was a multi-directional glare, and he quickly clammed up.

Snape turned his attention back onto Harry. "Only you, Mr Potter, could manage to make an enemy on the very first day of classes," he sneered. "I will go speak to medical staff now to arrange your release. Remain here." Snape then pivoted sharply on his heals and glided out the door. Even without his trademark black robes billowing behind him, Snape always seemed to make a grande exit.

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It wasn't long before Harry was released and soon found himself back at the house. The doctor had instructed at least a day or so of rest and staying off his feet, which meant that Harry was forced to spend the whole of the next day alone with Snape while the others were at school.

Both of them lounged in the livingroom, Snape sitting rather stoically with that day's newspaper and a cup of tea, and Harry with his pocket computer monopoly game. The silence was intermittedly interrupted by the games soft beeps and Harry's occasional quips to his game turns.

"Go to jail," Harry said with a slight smile. "Go directly to jail. Do not pass go, do not collect $200 and do not, I repeat, do not drop the soap."

Snape sighed heavily in frustration. "Must you do that, you insufferable child?"

"Oh come on, sir!" Harry replied. "I'm bored. I have to do something to keep myself occupied."

"You must have some homework from yesterday," Snape returned, almost pleadingly.

Harry returned his attention to his game. "Surprisingly, not all teachers are slave driver's on the first day of school." Harry glance up at Snape over his game. "Unlike SOME who shall remain nameless."

Snape opened his mouth to throw back and angry retort when he was quickly silenced by a knock. The man took a brief moment to glower at Harry before going to answer the door.

Snape flung to door open only to see a young 20-something woman standing on the doorstep. The woman was dressed in a rather well cut green dress suit, her hair pulled back into a bun, and a pair of glass perched gently on the bridge of her nose.

Snape looked at her evenly. "Can I help you?"

The woman smiled at him warmly. Snape suppressed and grimace to keep his composure."

"Hello, my name is Sarah Dredge. I'm the guidance councillor at Glendale High School. I just wanted to stop by and see how Harry is doing." Sarah looked down at a notebook in her hands. "Are you Severus Snape?"

Snape growled in annoyance. "This is Severus Snape's house. This is Severus Snape's table! This is Severus Snape's wind chime! Which part of this progression escapes you?!"

Sarah barely flinched at Severus' outburst, continuing to regard him in the same friendly manner she had begun with. "Mr Snape, it sounds like you may have a tad bit of an anger problem. Perhaps you should speak to someone about it."

"I don't have an anger problem," he sneered. "I have an idiot problem!"

Well," Sarah continued. "In any case, I just wanted to see how Harry was doing. Also, I wanted to drop of some information on this year's extra-curricular activities since Harry won't be able to attend the fair this evening." Sarah pulled a duotang out of her briefcase and handed it to Snape. "Please, do tell Harry I hope he gets better soon, and the principal is looking into the attack."

Snape nodded curtly, and for the briefest of moments, Snape seemed to lose control over his functions because his gaze began to drift down over Sarah's lithe form before snapping back up to her face.

"Goodbye, Mr Snape," Sarah smiled again and moved away towards what was obviously her car in the driveway.

Severus waited a beat before closing the door and returning to the livingroom.

"Who was at the door?" Harry piped up as Snape came into sight.

Snape looked down at the booklet in his hands. "Your guidance councillor." He tossed it had Harry, to which he caught quickly. "She left this for you. Now perhaps you can give that infernal muggle contraption a rest."

Snape returned to his seat and picked the newspaper back up. As he tried to re-focus on the words before him one thought pressed itself into his mind.

How did I ever allow Minerva to talk me into participating in this infernal experiment?!?

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