Survival - Chapter 11
Waking up, Harry sighed blissfully at the feeling of a nice, comfortable, warm bed. People just didn't know how to appreciate such things. Not unless they had been though what he had. He was not bitter that it had happened to him; it was an eye opener and it made him realize nothing in life should be taken for granted. He hated people who did take everything for granted - it seemed a stupid and foolish thing to do.
He got out of bed and walked to the bathroom, deciding to have a bath today. The bath was huge – a more appropriate description would be mini-pool. One very nice thing, for certain, was that it didn't take very long to make a bath with it – it was filled within four minutes with bubbles about five inches deep.
Sliding in, he smelled the fragrance of vanilla essence. It smelt wonderful. He scrubbed himself until he was completely clean then lay in the bath, just enjoying it and relaxing. He was hunting for a manor just like this, he decided. He wanted this kind of luxury and felt like he deserved it. He would get it if it was the last thing he did. He also needed to get Severus' basilisk skin. He would not let the man down, especially not after how he had treated him and welcomed him into the house.
In his own way, Severus had welcomed Harry into his home. Harry knew this because he also hid behind sarcasm. Smiling softly, he remembered the times he had snarled back at the man, surprising him each time. It seemed that no matter how many times Harry snarled back, Severus was still surprised by his daring. Or maybe it was his sarcasm. He didn't know.
The books Severus had in his manor were brilliant, in Harry's option; he had read almost all of them. He had not gone out for five days after getting his trunk; he had just sat and read all day and most of the night. He hadn't slept long each night as he would have much rather just stayed up all night reading. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to fight his body's demands and needs.
The best books were the ones on the dark arts, although the ones that Salazar had written were better. What did he expect, though? Of course they were going to be better if they were actually written by Salazar Slytherin! The books had obviously been lost through the ages, most of them, anyway. There were not just books that Salazar had written, but many other books by some really interesting aurors.
He had no idea that about fifty of the books were banned and that the Ministry would arrest anyone with a copy. The ministry was that paranoid these days but, of course, Harry didn't know.
Harry had finally found the best home he could purchase. He had been staying in Snape Manor for nearly two months now and, as his time was almost up, he had been ecstatic to actually find something. Even better, the previous owner had actually agreed for him to take ownership immediately because he had had the money on hand and they wouldn't have to wait for the money to change vaults.
Shaking hands with a nondescript man, Harry was now the proud new owner of what was now Aberro Manor – he would need to get a sign for it – and the old owner quickly moved out. The manor had been too much work to keep up for the man – not to mention it had cost a fortune – and he was glad to be moving out and getting a nice, normal house somewhere. Harry got ready to move into his new house.
These past nearly two months had been utter bliss, waking up to find himself warm, getting warm water, eating when he liked, reading all the books he could get his hands on. He felt, however, that he had abandoned Slytherin's chamber. He would need to go down soon. Now that he knew more magic, he could shrink the remaining items down there and put them all in his trunk before moving them to his very own manor.
Harry sighed softly. There was no denying that he would miss Snape Manor. He had hardly seen anything of Severus Snape, but when he did the man's sarcasm was really funny and Harry enjoyed having someone to snarl at and with. Harry shook himself from his thoughts and decided he was going now to the Chamber of Secrets.
Apparating to the area, he plunged down the huge pipe once more after a quickly hissed, "Open."
"Lights," hissed Harry, then turned to the giant snake. "Hello," hissed Harry to the basilisk.
"Master Harry, how are you? It's been a while… I have missed having someone to talk to! I have some of my skin as you asked for, Master, all saved in that corner. However, my father died just last week. Would he be of any use to you?" hissed the basilisk, its eyes closed.
"Really? And you would not mind me giving him to someone?" asked Harry wide-eyed.
"Of course not, Master. He lived his life. He is gone now and it's just a shell that remains. If someone can do something good with his remains then I will like this," said the basilisk, bobbing its head up and down.
"Thanks… I guess I will let my snake visit you so you have someone to talk to," hissed Harry softly.
"Thank you, Master. I should like that very much," hissed the basilisk.
"Good. Now, where is he?" asked Harry softly.
"Through there," hissed the basilisk, quickly sliding away and showing Harry where the dead basilisk was.
"Thanks," said Harry, his eyes wide. Well, what better way to repay the man for being so kind as to actually let him live in his manor than this huge present?
"It's just going to rot sitting there," hissed the basilisk. Harry's companion slid down off Harry's body before starting to talk with the basilisk.
"I'm going to be going now but you can stay if you like and I will come and get you when you want me. Just lick this if you need me," said Harry, tossing a coin to the snake that would make a duplicate coin he carried heat up and he would know to come.
"Yes, Master Abeo," hissed the snake, bobbing its head.
"Good. Oh, crap, I've got books to collect," said Harry, shaking his head before quickly going into Slytherin's area.
The fire came to life and Harry began gathering every single remaining book that was there. He didn't move the remaining potion ingredients as he had decided to just leave them there. He did want to come back, after all. He would miss this place if he didn't return.
"Why are you taking all the books, Master?" hissed the snake curiously, sighing at the heat coursing from the fire.
"Because I want to read them. Now, just come in here if you want heat. This fire always comes on when you need it. Don't let yourself get cold. Goodbye for now," hissed Harry.
"Goodbye, Master Harry," said the snake. The snake had missed it down here; he could roam freely here without anyone, even Harry, annoying him. He loved his Master Harry, and he got lots of food, but he would love some time down here. Hissing in content, the snake lay by the fire with a basilisk as a companion.
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Once Harry had gathered every book in the chamber he went back to the dead snake. He was going to put it in Snape's potions lab; he wanted it to surprise the man. Shaking his head, he quickly made a portkey and activated it. Soon, he and the sixty-foot dead basilisk were gone.
He was thankful they arrived near the dungeons. He quickly levitated the beast, which was quite hard, into the potions lab and it lying there with a preservation charm on it. He already had a letter written out and, after he added a good two paragraphs, left it beside the dead snake.
He went and got everything else from the room which Severus had kindly given him. Sighing, he said a sad farewell to the beautiful manor he was going to miss and apparated to his new home. The grounds were in need of some serious work and he wanted to plant regular plants and herbs as well as potion ingredients.
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Severus was teaching a class when he felt the boy once again apparate from his manor. He shrugged it off; the boy had been constantly apparating out and coming back. He didn't yet know that Harry would not be apparating back into his manor that day, or ever again, for that matter.
However, when the boy had not come back by nighttime, Severus started getting worried - the boy had always been back by that time. Severus bit his lip. He never wanted, not in a million years, to admit that he cared. He decided to floo back to his manor and check. He went up to the boy's room to find it empty, his things gone.
Severus' eyes went cold. So, the brat had left. He must have been a fool to think the boy would actually be able to get him those ingredients. He growled low in his throat. How dare the brat actually leave and not keep his end of the bargain!
Just then he found a note on the boy's bed. It simply read, "It's in your potions lab." That's it. Just, "It's in your potions lab." He scowled, hating the fact that he had been wrong. Perhaps the brat had gotten him some basilisk skin, after all. Severus shrugged and turned to go to his lab. He would find out in a few minutes. He had no idea what lay waiting for him.
Making his way down to his potions lab, he could not help but get a little exited. He didn't want to, just in case the boy had actually not left him anything and was just playing him for a fool. He didn't like to think that was the case, though, as he had grown rather fond of the boy.
Opening the door, he looked at the bench that he kept his potions supplies on and found nothing. Frowning, he nearly growled, but that got stuck in his throat as he finally saw what the boy had brought for him: a huge sixty-foot basilisk, in all its glory. Severus could not help it but money signs immediately lit up his eyes.
"Fucking hell," swore Severus, the normally composed man actually gaping at the sight before him.
He started thinking a mile a minute, his thoughts actually overlapping each other as he tried to think of different things all at once. Eventually he managed to slow his beating heart, calm down, and actually start thinking straight.
If he ground the huge snake to a fine powder, not using magic, he could get millions of galleons for it. It was truly amazing. He would need to sell it anonymously, though; if Voldemort got wind of this he would be dead before he could protest. Not that the Dark Lord was actually living right now. He was a spirit lost somewhere, according to Dumbledore.
Severus didn't actually believe Dumbledore, but what could he do? It did seem the most likely thing that Voldemort was doing. He knew that Voldemort was not dead, thanks to the tattoo on his forearm - a tattoo of a skull with a snake sprouting from it. It was magical a magical tattoo and if Voldemort ever called...it would burn as if a hot poker had been pressed against it.
He shuddered at that thought, but took his mind off it and began thinking what he could do with the basilisk.
He knew it would take forever to actually process the entire snake, so he shouted for his house-elves. He took them off their normal chores and asked them to work on the snake, not using magic. They agreed, happy to serve him as always. Severus reminded them to stop if they got sore hands.
"I'm going back to Hogwarts as I have work to do. Come to Hogwarts when you are finished, no matter the time," said Severus.
"Yes, sir," said the house elf, bowing low.
Severus smirked, satisfied. He would have to send the boy some of the money; he had, after all, found the beast. He knew he was the most unworthy bastard imaginable to have gotten such a priceless gift from someone. He felt like he didn't deserve it, but that didn't mean he was not going to accept it, of course.
He was back in Hogwarts before he knew it. He had sealed off his manor once more so no one could get into it. It wasn't that he didn't trust the boy; he just didn't want the lad coming and going as he pleased into his manor. If he was found there by Death Eaters, he would be killed on the spot. Not that the Death Eaters were re-grouping or anything, but even if they were not, it didn't make them any less dangerous.
Severus walked back to his quarters, still dazed about the amount of money he could have in a few months. He needed to send a letter to Abeo and tell him, and also give him some of the money. The boy was homeless and if this helped him get a house, then all the bloody better.
