IV: The Doe
Ron yawned next to him. Even Hermione was secretly reading the Quibbler. Was the Sorting Ceremony always this boring?
The Hat's song was nothing more than a plea to accept the Slytherins, not that Harry didn't agree, but he found it the least entertaining one so far. After the Hat finished its performance, McGonagall took the podium and was reading name after name, while scared children sat on a stool and took the Sorting Hat on their heads.
They were all incredibly tiny, having the same awestruck, excited yet fearful expression on their faces. Harry wondered what it must be like to enlist in a school where only few months ago a battle raged, where students these children would be dining with could tell stories of fighting Voldemort.
First time in his life, Harry wasn't the only hero in the Great Hall. He was still, obviously, a face everyone tried to have a glimpse of, but he noticed more often than not that the same strange and curious glances Ron, Hermione, Neville, or even Snape, McGonagall, or Hagrid also received.
Ron even commented on it, after a second year Ravenclaw sneaked up to him while they were waiting for the carriages and asked for a photo. He blushed and sent the boy away, then murmured, "Bloody hell, Harry. Is this how it's going to be from now on?"
This was the first time Harry was present when Albus Dumbledore did not welcome the children. He felt a strange pang in his heart, as he looked up at the middle of the table to find Professor Snape there. His fingers tented, he seemed impatient as if he wanted the Welcoming Feast to be over as soon as possible.
But the names just kept coming and now even Harry's belly was uncomfortably impatient. It gave a deep rumble that made Ginny rise her head from her arm. She giggled, rummaging in her pocket for a moment, then pulled out a candy bar she had bought on the Hogwarts train.
She broke off a piece then gave Harry a challenging glance. Harry grinned, opened his mouth and waited for the chocolate. She threw it, her aim perfect and Harry chomped on the toffee happily. The next piece was aimed a little over his head and he had to stretch to reach it, but he still succeeded. The one after that was too much on the left and it hit Ron straight on the face.
They managed to muffle their laughter, but they were still loud enough that a couple faces turned towards them. Harry bent his head slightly, and looked at the little blonde girl being sorted, pretending that he paid attention.
"Hufflepuff!" The Hat exclaimed and the whole table under the yellow and black flags started clapping.
Harry's eyes wandered away even before the next child took her place on the stool. He watched the teachers, mostly Wallace who was amiably discussing something with Hagrid. Next to them Sprout sat, still lightly clapping, and then Snape.
Snape was glaring at him. His dark gaze had such intensity, Harry wanted to duck under the table to hide from it. Clearly, Snape had seen what they did and disapproved of it. And the moment he made sure that Harry understood that, his dark eyes already turned back to watch the next boy being sorted (into Slytherin).
Harry didn't want to start the term with points taken from his House, so after that he stuck his eyes on the Hat and made sure to clap during the appropriate times.
"Where's Professor Snape going?" Hermione whispered a few minutes later.
Harry was so focused on Jeremy Thomson's sorting (Gryffindor) that he did not even notice as Snape stood up and slipped out of the room through the back-door Harry, too, had used after the Goblet of Fire spat out his name.
"Maybe he just needs to piss," Ron said with a shrug. "Or maybe he went to throw himself off the Astronomy tower. Honestly, I wouldn't blame him; sorting has never been this long. I'm starving."
Just as he finished the sentence, the last child took her seat as well, (Warren, Annabelle – Slytherin) and McGonagall said, "Let the feast begin."
"Oh, all right," Ron grinned, already ladling tons of chicken wings onto his plate.
"That was strangely quick, don't you think, Harry?" Hermione asked.
Harry had to admit, it had been a while since he attended the Feast, but Dumbledore used to say a couple more words before the food appeared. "Maybe they do it differently, now." He told Hermione, before some roasted duck had taken up all his attention.
"No," she said quietly. "Look!"
She poked Harry in the ribs, who had to say goodbye to his duck as a fifth-years girl took the bowl and passed it along the table. He wretchedly looked after it, the scent of it haunting him for a few more seconds, then sighing, he turned towards where Hermione was still gazing at.
He managed to catch Professor McGonagall disappearing behind the same door Snape did.
"What's going on?" he murmured, but Hermione didn't have the answer to that.
They both watched the door for a couple more minutes, but nothing happened. No one else stood to leave, the other teachers stayed to enjoy the meal, yet Harry had a strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. Something was wrong. What if there was another attack? What if the blue glimmering light was back around Snape?
He looked at Ron and Hermione as he asked, "Should we…?" He didn't have to finish the question, they knew what he meant.
Ron shook his head. "Harry, I'm sure they can deal with this on their own."
Expectantly, Harry looked at Hermione, but she shook her head as well. "You can't just march in there, Harry."
Harry rolled his eyes at his friends, then turned back to his plate, taking some chicken and potatoes. He took a bite and chew, but he barely even felt any flavours, his mind was just too occupied. The what if scenarios just didn't let him eat in peace.
Determined, he stood, but then Ginny took his hand.
"Don't go, Harry," she said quietly. Her tone was oddly pleading, as if Harry would be off to war again and not just leaving the Great Hall.
"It will be fine, Gin," He smiled and pulled his hand away.
She gave him a strange look, it wasn't exactly cold, but it wasn't even the loving one he got used to seeing during the last couple of weeks.
"It will be fine," he repeated, now with a hint of laughter in his voice, too.
He turned his back on her, and just as he was about to head off towards the door, a familiar cat appeared in front of him. No one had noticed her, except their little group, and they even recognized her right away.
"Professor," Harry whispered, squatting down to her. "What's going on?"
The cat didn't speak, didn't even turn back to her human form, but she ran off, dashing unnoticed under tables. Harry knew exactly where to look to see her next.
Just as expected, she waited for him at the door. Harry was ready to run after her, but then Hermione grabbed his arm. Even before he could ask what she wanted, she quickly drew her wand and cast a Disillusionment Charm on him.
Harry flinched as he felt the spell, like cold mud trickle, down his whole body.
"Go, Harry," Hermione urged him. "And be careful."
No one saw him as he ran through the Great Hall and the moment he arrived to the door, McGonagall shed her cat form and turned back into a human. She also cancelled the spell on Harry.
"Professor, what happened?" He asked.
There was a small cut on McGonagall's forehead and blood was trickling from it. It scared Harry when he noticed it.
"Your wand, Mr. Potter," she said urgingly, her voice high-pitched as if she would be slightly panicking. "We have no time."
Harry pulled his wand from the holster, and McGonagall opened the door and pushed him right through before Harry could even say a word, or perhaps ask for a little more information.
The door shut behind him and a spell blasted into the wall only inches from his face.
"Prepare your most advanced protection charms!" Came a barked order from across the room.
Harry would recognise Snape's voice anywhere, but the cold, calculating edge was gone from his tone now. He was urging, and anxious and Harry didn't waste any moment. Immediately, he had a shield up, vibrating with a light blue force.
"Professor Snape, wha-" He couldn't even finish, Snape shot another spell at him. The fiery ball of magic blasted against his shield enveloping it in blazing flames for a moment. Harry ducked, rolled away on the ground and hid behind a scorched table. Knowing the strength of Snape's spells, he didn't just lay faith in his cover but pulled up another shield as well.
It seemed to have been a good idea, as a moment later another blast incinerated the table, but his shield remained still luckily intact.
"What the hell is going on?" He snapped, brushing ash and cinder off his robes.
Snape was standing in a whirl of blue magic, his wand, like a bottomless mouth from hell was spiting fire into a big hearth.
"Professor?" Harry asked, trying to move closer.
That had finally seemed to work and gain Snape's attention though Harry wasn't happy. Another spell flew his way and it busted his shield right through. Harry jumped away, sliding on broken glass and splintered wood, then took cover in a little nook between walls.
"I cannot control it," Snape cried finally. The electric blue light around him waved and pulsed as if wanting to burst. It seemed to Harry that Snape had a shield around him too, almost like a bubble, but its function differed from Harry's.
While Harry wanted to repel spells, Snape seemed to want to contain whatever magic was spilling out of him.
"What is this?" Harry shouted back. It must have been a spell, he thought. Wallace must have cursed Snape. The man didn't care that the professor might get hurt, or even anyone else it appeared. "Should I get Wallace to cancel it?" He offered.
"Don't move!" Snape shouted back. "Attack me!"
"What?" Harry asked back and, in his surprise, even his shield gave in and collapsed. It was the worst time for Harry to lose concentration, because another spell came from Snape's direction, and it blasted into the wall near Harry's shoulder. The explosion sent him flying half way across the room. He felt an incredible pain in his arm.
"Shield!" Snape ordered, and Harry felt a frightened edge to his voice.
Harry could barely see Snape's face through all the dust, smoke and the bubble of electric, pulsing magic.
"I'm all right, thanks for asking," He murmured as he ducked behind another half-broken table. He cast a quick spell on his bleeding arm, then conjured yet another shield.
"Attack!" Snape demanded urgingly, snarling at Harry from across the room.
Harry frowned, taking a couple of deep breathes. It was one thing that he was tossed into the room and could have literally died the first second. He could forgive that, desperate measures and all.
But to have Snape shouting at him for not attacking a professor, and moreover not giving even a single bloody reason why Harry had to be in this room fighting, what seemed like for his life, instead of being outside eating roasted duck was something Harry found infuriating.
"I can't just attack you, sir!" He shouted.
"Potter!" Snape yelled back, furious. "Of course, you can. You have done it before," came the mocking reply. "This time at least I'm asking for it!"
Harry sighed, then stood up, facing Snape. There was a grimace on his face, one he knew would only make Snape even more manic, but then again, he doubted this could get any worse.
"You're always asking for it, sir, usually you're just a bit more subtle." He said then attacked Snape.
It was intense. Snape didn't even have to duck; the electric magic took care of most of the onslaught. It burst out from the shield-like sphere and seemed to have swallowed up Harry's charms one by one. Snape's wand was still spitting fire and it took Harry a couple of moment to realize, the previous spells that had turned this room into a wreck did not came directly from Snape, or at least not intentionally. If he moved, his magic seemed to recoil, and send a wave of those fiery balls all across the room.
He sent spell after spell, he sent everything in his arsenal at Snape, but the man did not even flinch. Yet it seemed they were achieving something, because after a couple of minutes, Harry noticed a crack on the blue bubble.
"You're trying to overload it!" He shouted between ducking away from two discharged balls of pure magic.
"Brilliant observation, Mr. Potter, now please do shut up and keep attacking!" Snape answered.
He had to hold his wand with two hands now, and Harry assumed that was the only way out for his overloaded magic.
"You make it way too easy, Professor." Harry said sending two disarming charms at Snape, but both were swallowed by the bubble. "A couple of more nice words like that and I'll even start enjoying this."
Snape's expression darkened and a larger crack appeared on the bubble-like force surrounding him. It was either because of the Expelliarmus spells or more likely, Harry was just making Snape angrier with every minute. How that was even possible, Harry didn't know, but it seemed Snape's hatred for him was about as intense as his raging magic.
"You better not take points for this, sir." Harry murmured and made the broken tables, chairs and all the leftover debris lift in the air and sent it all flying at Snape at the top speed of a Seeker doing a perfect Wronski Feint. Then he ducked behind his shield awaiting the recoil of such a harsh attack.
He didn't have to wait long. The bubble of restraint magic burst, and it rushed through the room like an electric wave. It knocked Harry over and made the hairs on his arm, at least those that weren't stuck in blood, all stand up. The whole air felt as if it was charged with electricity.
Snape was kneeling on the floor, his whole skin still glowing with blue light. It made him look paler than usual, even though he had a pink tint on his cheek as he was panting from the effort.
Harry pushed himself up from the ground, the motion painstakingly hard as every inch of his body hurt, and tried to walk towards the professor, but then Snape looked up, dark eyes piercing Harry through long black hair and he hissed, "Attack."
Harry's steps halted. "I think you had enough, Professor," he said quietly.
Snape watched him, lips pulling into a sneer. The blue light pulsed around his body, stronger with every second. Harry could taste the electricity in the air.
"Did I fucking stutter?" Snape spat and pushed himself away from the ground, fast like lighting, hurling spells at Harry's head.
Harry's only luck was that he saw it coming the moment Snape's long fingers tightened on his black wand. His shield took most of the damage, then he rolled away from the rest of the onslaught. He was back on his feet the next second, sending Disarming Charms Snape's way nonverbally. He had learnt a long time ago that he had no chance against Snape if he kept shouting the spells he was about to use.
It felt almost like fighting Voldemort, though Harry knew (hoped) that Snape wasn't after his life. They ducked, and danced away from the other's spell, pulled up magical shields or had pieces of table float in front of them to take the damage. Sometimes they had to take cover from even their own spells as some had bounced back from Hogwarts walls that were soaked through with magic.
That gave Harry an idea.
"Stupor!" He shouted, knowing Snape would counter the spell right away, but it gave him a second to sneak a Disarming Charm past his defences. The angle was perfect as the charm ricocheted off the wall it slammed right against Snape's back, sending his wand flying.
Harry caught it in the air, then ran to Snape, who was knocked over by the force of Harry's Expelliarmus.
"Are you all right, sir?" He asked kneeling next to the man.
"I'm fine now, Mr. Potter, thank you." Snape answered, breathing heavily.
The blue glow disappeared completely and with it, his fierce attitude too, it seemed. Snape looked exhausted as he sat up.
Harry gave him back his wand, while he reorganized the room to its original form. As chairs and tables mended themselves and broken glass reformed itself, Harry pulled Snape up from the ground and made him sit in a chair. He conjured a glass, filled it with water and pressed it in Snape's hand.
"I would greatly appreciate it, if this stayed between us," the man commented quietly. His gaze avoided Harry who found it rather disturbing. He wasn't used to seeing Snape defeated and he sure as hell didn't feel like that was what just happened here.
"Of course, sir." He promised. "I'll go get Madam Pomfrey now, shall I?"
"There's no need, Mr. Potter." Snape shook his head, but Harry would have none of that.
"It's all right, you just sit and rest here." He said then turned to leave.
"No need," Snape refused again, then tried to stand up. "I'll manage now."
Harry pushed him back onto the chair with surprising gentleness given how angry he just became. He had just spent whoever knew how much time to beat the crap out of Snape, he wouldn't let the man just walk it off.
"I said sit and rest, Professor. It was not a request." He said firmly then turned to get the mediwitch.
"Mr. Potter," Snape said quietly, and sighing frustrated Harry turned back.
Snape was holding his hand out, and for a moment Harry thought he forgot to give the man his wand back, but then Snape said. "Your arm."
Harry looked at his bleeding arm, then, hesitantly, as he couldn't know if it was a good idea to have Snape perform magic already, he just said, "I can take care of that."
"I know. Give me your arm, Potter." He sounded tame, very un-Snape-like. It was probably just because of the fatigue.
When Harry wavered again, Snape said a little more authoritatively, "It was not a request either."
With a huff, Harry let Snape take his arm. The moment their skin touched there was an electric zap between them, probably just some left over residue from the fight.
Snape healed Harry's injury perfectly and it seemed it didn't even overcharge him. The blueness stayed away, and Harry was very grateful for that.
"Any other injury I should be aware of?" He asked and when Harry shook his head, he was finally released.
"I'll… uhm… I'll go get Madam Pomfrey then." Harry said backing towards the door.
"I'll be here," Snape sighed, leaning back on the chair, folding his arms across his chest. "Sitting and resting."
He didn't have to go far, Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall were waiting outside the door. They both heaved a sigh when they saw him step out, then the professor even pulled him in a surprising half hug, before she held Harry in arm's length, hawkish hands grasping his shoulders and her worried gaze urgingly assessing every inch on Harry's body for wounds.
"Are you all right, Potter?" She asked, when she didn't see any injury.
"Yes, Professor." He assured her. "But Professor Snape might need a hand."
McGonagall looked over his head. Snape must have been watching them, because she nodded her head to him as if agreeing to something, before she turned back to Harry.
"Go back to your friends now, Harry." She said, letting him finally go. "And talk to no one about what happened here."
As Harry scampered through the empty Great Hall, darting towards the Gryffindor tower, all he could think about was that hopefully by now both McGonagall and Snape knew that there was no way he would keep this a secret from Ron and Hermione.
Just as he hoped, his friends were waiting for him in the Tower. Before he could, however, even climb in, Hermione appeared at the portrait hole with a plate of fried chicken, roasted duck, and mashed potatoes. Ron was right behind her carrying a bottle of pumpkin juice and platter of pudding, though the pile of cakes, biscuits and desserts was getting smaller and smaller.
Far away, in the very back of the Common Room, Ginny was sitting at the fire with Neville. She looked at their way, watched as Hermione and Ron climbed out, but did not move to join them. A part of Harry felt hurt, wondering whether she did not care at all that he was all right or not. Another part, however, was grateful, because would she join, he couldn't say a word. It wasn't that Harry didn't trust her, simply that he felt that disclosing something to Ron and Hermione wasn't breaking his promise but telling it to Ginny would.
He nodded towards her, then followed Hermione.
"This way," Hermione said, leading the trio to an empty classroom, where they couldn't be overheard.
Once they were sitting and Harry took a bite from the duck to settle his rumbling stomach, he told them everything from the moment he stepped into the room and saw Snape.
By the time he finished his story, all the plates were empty. Ron assisted with that task a bit.
"I don't know what's wrong with him," Harry said, probably for the millionth time. "But it was scary."
"I bet it was," Ron shuddered. "Being in the same room as Snape is scary enough, but you were at his wandpoint."
"I never heard of anything like this…" Hermione commented, thinking.
Harry was certain she was already planning a trip to the Library.
"I'm curious what excuse Snape will give." Ron said, standing up and stretching. He yawned and so did Harry. This was a long day. "If this Wallace really did curse him, I don't know what the hell he's still doing here."
"Snape never should have let him teach here." Harry grunted.
"I guess, we'll figure out tomorrow what happened," Hermione said, waving her wand and sending the dirty plates and empty glasses back to the kitchen.
"Yeah… Let's go to bed," Harry agreed, swallowing back another yawn. "Oh, did they say anything important after the Feast?" He asked.
"Oh yeah," Ron grinned. "The Forbidden Forest is out of bounds for everyone who do not wish to die a horrible death. Would you have guessed?"
Laughing, they returned to the empty Common Room. Harry wanted to say goodnight to Ginny, but she wasn't there. Hermione offered to go call her down, but Harry shook his head. He was too tired, his muscles were aching from all the strenuous jumping and rolling.
Yet, when he finally went to bed and was lying in their dorm listening to his classmates' snores, sleep eluded him for hours. The only thing that calmed him was that, for sure, tomorrow he would have his answers.
o.O.o
The next morning, Harry woke full of energy. He was anxious but excited to find out what was going on, and if Snape was doing all right. He thought to check on the professor in the Infirmary and almost smiled to himself, remembering the beginning of the summer when that was how all his mornings started. Then he realized, Snape seemed fine after the fight, even if exhausted, so he probably was allowed to sleep in his own room.
So instead, he waited for Ginny, feeling a little guilty for leaving her out last night, and they went down to have breakfast together. She never asked about the incident, for which Harry was very grateful, and she didn't even seem angry with him. It was as if she understood that Harry couldn't talk about it.
When they entered the Great Hall, Harry's eyes immediately went to look for Snape but the man wasn't present. His high-backed chair between Professor McGonagall and Professor Sprout was empty and Harry's stomach made an upset little twitch. Could it be that Snape did end up in the Infirmary?
Harry could barely eat, but, mostly to calm Ginny, he did chew on a buttered toast. Hermione and Ron joined them not much later, Ron ladling his plate with pancakes, while Hermione and Ginny started talking about lessons already.
Harry watched McGonagall expectantly. Surely, soon she would stand up and come talk to him, right? She finished her breakfast, chatted some with Vector and then Hagrid. As they talked, Hagrid looked at Harry, who had the distinct feeling that he was the morning topic.
When Hagrid noticed Harry was watching them, he waved brightly, his smile covered by his beard, but his beetle black eyes were glinting. Harry smiled back, then McGonagall looked his way, too. She collected some papers from the table and finally started walking towards Harry.
Harry jumped from his seat and walked up to her.
"Good morning, Professor."
"Good morning, Mr. Potter." She smiled with tight lips. She handed him a couple of cards and Harry looked down hopeful, but it was only the timetables. His was on top, then Ginny's and Hermione's then Ron's then a couple more people's in their dormitory.
"Kingsley tried to get you exempt from Defence Against the Dark Arts, but we specifically want you to attend the lesson. Your practical knowledge might be way ahead, but your theoretical is behind." She told him.
"Yes, I told Kingsley as much." Harry nodded.
"I talked to Professor Wallace and he is willing to excused you from lessons involving spells you already know, however, he says, he wouldn't mind giving you some extra credit, if you were willing to help him out instead. As I hear, it would not be the first time you teach."
"Wait, Professor Wallace wants me to assist during his lessons?"
"It would be beneficial for the classes to have more than one lecturer helping them perform a spell. You wouldn't need to assist during the academic parts, unless you would be interested in doing so. But you would have to take that up with him, I'm afraid." She looked down on the cards still in her hand, then added, "You can talk to him tomorrow after your first lesson, or if you can't wait, visit him in his classroom after lunch today. He will have some free time then."
"Oh…" was all Harry could say.
"Help me with those, if you will," she said nodding at the timetables in Harry's hand, then headed towards a group of first-year Gryffindors.
"Professor?" Harry called after her, confused.
"Yes, Mr. Potter?" She looked back.
Harry moved closer and lowered his voice. "Aren't we going to talk about Professor Snape?"
She sniffed, his lips tightening. "There is nothing to talk about, Harry."
"Where is he? Is he ill?" Harry asked.
"Ill? Certainly not."
"Why isn't he…" Harry looked towards to head table, desperate and wondering if he had just missed Snape during the first half an hour, he was staring that way.
The professor followed his gaze, then said, "The headmaster is very busy, Mr. Potter. He already had breakfast." Then she walked away, as if they had discussed everything of importance.
Harry didn't get any explanations that day, or even that week. In fact, he didn't receive any explanation regarding the incident for a month and by that time, with all the lessons and homework, he almost forgot there had been an incident with Snape at all.
He watched Snape during breakfast and lunch and dinner, watched him when they happened to meet on the corridors, but there was no blue light around Snape, no heavy electricity in the air when he appeared. Snape was his usual, morose and strict self, scaring first- and second-years to cower against the wall whenever he would sweep through a corridor, always in a hurry.
Then during a quiet evening, in the first week of October, when Harry was sitting on the soft carpet of the common room, his head resting against Ginny's knee, a Patronus appeared. There were only a handful of people around, most of them half asleep over their books and none of them noticing the doe Patronus.
Ginny looked up, but not even she knew whom it came from. Harry did of course. He would recognize it anywhere, as he would his own stag.
The doe opened her mouth and a deep voice said, "Come with me."