Going Through
Ratings: Generally Mature but PG-13 for the majority
Summary: A bit of a time-travel fic (aka another way for Harry to have gone back to the marauder's time).
Warnings (or advertisements as the case may be): in the distant future chapters it might get bit slashy.
GoingThrough, 10
Safe, AtLast!
by
Rita Skeeter
"Your safe, Little Brother. I'm here. You're safe." promised a distraught, fifteen year-old Severus Tobias Snape, tears glimmering in his eyes as he desperately clutched his twin brother's hand.
"You always protect me. You're here. I'm safe," answered Servas Prince Snape, the broken child, whom Severus, a child of abuse and neglect, himself, has fought all of his life to nurture, teach, and protect.
In a heartbreaking tragedy that unfolded just hours ago, it was revealed that these two children have been starved, neglected, and abused throughout their lives by their cruel and abusive Muggle father. Servas, himself, whose very existence was denied and never recorded in the annals of the ministry and other public records is currently recovering from the severe abuse suffered at their father's hands, under the care of Healer Harrison Potter, St. Mungo's Master Healer and Co-chair of the Healing Center's Board of Governors. His father's reasons for denying him not only the benefits of wizarding society as but his very education in his gifts can only be speculated upon; however, one thing can be certain, while it is not unheard of for unfortunate squibs to be protected from the tragedy of their condition by a home-based education, this had no bearing on Servas's state as inside sources have revealed that not only are both brothers fully magical, but powerfully so.
Held hostage to ensure his brother's silence, not only was Servas denied the right of every magical child - to be educated in their gifts - their barbaric, fear-ridden muggle father starved, emotionally and physically abused, and reviled this precious child as an "abomination"! Due to this muggle's betrayal of his simple parental duties, Servas is visibly shorter, suffering from malnutrition, and less magically developed - despite the efforts of his twin, Severus, who has been attempting to teach his brother about the wonders and skills of our world, whenever hazards of their tragic circumstances permitted. As a result of their father's attack, both twins were critically injured, only surviving due to the expertise of Healer Potter, and their muggle abuser paid for his crimes at the hands of his brave wife, Eileen Snape nee Prince, who nobly sacrificed her life, performing the viva maternalia incantation, one of the few legal variations of killing curse still permitted due to the fact that the spell requires the caster to exchange her life in the protection of her children under an immediate and life-threatening circumstance.
Reeling after her sacrifice, Servas and Severus Snape are expected to return to Hogwarts after their recovery until more permanent arrangements can be made. We, here at the Prophet, wish both young men a speedy recovery and a prosperous new life now that they have been freed from the cruelty of their oppressive muggle father.
ブレンキン
"Bloody Hell!" James Potter cursed as he stared at the prophet column, reading it over again quickly as he tried to get a grasp on what he said. This couldn't be right. It couldn't be the same Snivillus Snape that he knew. Snape was … well, he was bloody well tougher than this. There was no way that the greasy git was a half-blood; he was a Slytherin for Merlin's sake. He'd never let his old man thrash him. The Snape that he knew was well versed in dark curses and black magic; there was absolutely no way that he'd ever let a muggle beat on him. No way.
How many Severus Snapes could there be though? And fifteen, too? But, certainly not. Snape didn't have a brother... did he?
No, no he didn't, at least not one that claimed him, but then... The Prophet said that they'd hidden the other brother's existence. Why in Merlin's name would anyone do that, if the guy wasn't a squib? Maybe he was deformed, or something.
Yeah. that had to be it. Snivillus was an ugly git, and he was the one that they let go to school, so the other one had to be much, much worse. If it was the same Snape at least. It probably wasn't.
But the article said they were going back to Hogwarts, and there was only one Snape that he knew of at Hogwarts.
Grabbing up his quill again and cursing as it splattered ink over the holiday work that his mum had insisted on James doing if he wanted to go with Remus and Sirius to the concert, James tore off a piece of parchment the now ruined assignment and scribbled a note to Remus. Sticking it with a charm to the prophet article, he rolled the parchment back up, called his owl, and tossed it in the air for him to catch. Owlfred caught his messages a good fifty percent of the time, and this was one of his good days.
"Take it to Moony, old chum, and there'll be a nice juicy mouse in it for you when you get back."
ブレンキン
Setting down his tea, Remus wearily raised from his chair to open the window, before he sat back down holding his arm out for Owlfred to perch on. He had anticipated seeing James's owl from the moment that he had set down the prophet and began staring out the window.
A feeling of guilt and self loathing had settled over him as he stared out the window considering his own actions over the past five years that they had gone to school with Severus. He understood in a way that he didn't think either James or Sirius could, what a blessing and haven Hogwarts could be for someone whose homelife was less than ideal. Although he had never spoken to either of his friends of his own homelife, Remus was under no illusion that it was any where near the normality of the homelife that his friends shared.
After all, who else's parents had been so afraid of him or her that they both magically locked and dead bolted the doors every night out of fear that something might cause him to change outside of his normal cycle. It was an irrational fear; he knew it, and he was almost certain that they knew it as well, but irrational or not, every night at 7:30, since he had first turned, they would escort him down to his room that had been relocated to the basement and lock him inside. When he had been really young, about a month after he was first changed, their fear-fueled exhaustion had finally overwhelmed them and they had both slept close to three hours later than normal. As it happened he'd woken earlier than usual, and as he had waited and waited for them, he had begun to worry that they might leave him there and forget him. Of course, they hadn't, but the fear had never really left him either.
His parents had never really been truly cruel to them either; although, their ever-present fear had warped into a general distance that turned into subtle dislike and eventually uncaring neglect, and their decision to lock him up like a wild animal every night had felt to him like a taint on his soul that he had never been able to speak of because, after all, who else would understand what it would be like to be hated, feared, and locked away? Glancing back at the parchment in shame, he realized that he should have recognized what had been in front of his eyes all along.
Instead, he had been complicit in destroying for someone else the very haven that Hogwarts had been to him.
Wearily, he pulled off the sticked on note and - without looking- scribbled his answer, before handing it back to the Owlfred.
ブレンキン
"Yes, James. It is him. Considering everything, perhaps we should reconsider
our attitudes and actions against him in a different light."
James read Moony's note, muttered "Oh Shite" and crumpled the parchment up. To tell the truth. He really didn't want to think about things in a different light. He had been comfortable with the status quo (hating and being hated by the greasy, pure-blood, snivelling git had been just fine with him, thank you very much) and he had been feeling increasingly uncomfortable since reading the article.
He did not want to think about what it might say about him that he had actually made said git cry on their first year train to Hogwarts.
Nor did he want to think about the 'good natured' pranks that he and the other marauders had played on Snivellus in the years since.
In fact, there were quite a number of thoughts that he didn't want to think about at the moment.
Thankfully, he knew just whom he could rely on to take his thoughts off unpleasant matters.
ブレンキン
"The only travesty that I can discern is the fact that a mudblood was even permitted to attend Hogwarts." growled Orion Black as he threw down the prophet.
"Really, Orion such matters are hardly fit conversation for the dinner table."
"On the contrary, Walburga, I find the adequate and appropriate education of our children quite a fitting topic for discussion. I have no intention of allowing my sons to believe that I would approve, in any manner, shape or form, of their associating with the dregs of society. This is simply one more example of why such … individuals should be excised from our society." As he spoke, Orion's eyes fell primarily on his older son, Sirius, as if attempting to drill the full weight of his disapproval into his son's rebellious soul. Before Sirius could respond to his father's provocation; however, Regulus lowered the paper with a smirk.
"Father, you should be pleased to note, that in - at least this instance - Sirius has shown at least a trace of proper wizarding pride."
Dumbfounded by his brother's smug defense, Sirius let his jaw snap glared to at his brother - waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Orion's brow quirked up in surprise. It was rather difficult to believe that his wayward son might have - finally - behaved in a manner that merited his approval.
"Oh? How so? Given his … common associations, my first inclination would be to presume the reverse to be true."
Ignoring both his brother's irritated hiss and their mother's derisive exhale, Regulus remarked enthusiastically, "No, in this, he's been different about it, right from the start: harassing and haranguing the mudblood, right from the start. Sirius let him know just exactly what we think of his kind and that he's neither fit nor wanted in the company of purebloods. Sirius's has even gotten Potter and Pettigrew into it."
"Is that true, Sirius?" Orion question sharing a calculating glance with his wife. "Have you truly ensured that the whelp understands how unwelcome his lot are?"
"What does this have to do with Snape?" Sirius huffed. The slimy git was the only one that Sirius could think of that he, James, and Peter had ever teamed up on, but Snape was a Slytherin, and surely, even if he was from one of the poorer families, he'd have to be a pureblood. Everyone knew that only purebloods go into Slytherin.
Taking his son's quick identification of Snape as a certain confirmation, Orion did something that he rarely ever did: smile at his older son.
"Perhaps blood will show, after all." He murmured speculatively, studying his son's agitated state as Sirius read the prophet. "In light of Harrison Potter's foolish stand on the permitting the dilution of our society by allowing the integration of such trash not only into our society, which might have been forgiveable, if they had any idea of their proper station, but into our schools... I would have expected his son to be an equally lost cause; however, perhaps he has a backbone after all. Our Lor-"
"Orion." Walburga interrupted him, chastising him for his incaution. As far as she was concerned, Sirius might not have been as completely hopeless as she had once presumed, but that did not necessarily imply that he could be trusted.
Nodding abruptly, Orion agreed with her unspoken statement. "Perhaps, you are right, there are better subjects of discussion available. Regulus, have you selected your courses for the coming year?"
While Orion's attention was superficially directed toward his younger son, he did not fail to notice the charmed parchment crumple in Sirius's grip.
ブレンキン
A/N: I realize that I promised Lily would make an appearance in this chap, but when I actually began writing her section, it became too ingrained with planned segments for Sev and Servas, so I've relocated it into one of the two upcoming chapters. I can't be certain which one yet as Cornelius is being a bit difficult to work around.