AN- OVER 100 REVIEWS WOOOOOOOT!
This chapter ended up being late! I was planning to update sooner because me and my roommates got all our needed stuff into the new apartment. BUT then our old Landlady decided to be a huge bitch and called one of my roommates and freaked out because we weren't completely out, even though we still had two days left. She also yelled at him because no one cleaned up the parts of the ceiling that fell. She is crazy if she thinks we are going to clean any of the damage caused by the house not being properly renovated by her… So I spent my night moving things I planned to move Friday, and filling the new apartment with stuff we have not made room for yet. I live in chaos…
We will be calling legal aid soon because we have the feeling she will try to keep our deposit even though we had to emergency move because the house was uninhabitable due to the damage. Damage we did not cause, damage we informed her about as soon as the leak started and she did nothing until the ceiling fell…
On the bright side, the cats seem to like the new place.
Sorry about the rant… ON WITH THE SHOW!
I am sorry it is taking so long to get to the ritual! I promise there are only a few more things that need to be done and then a time skip. Like maybe two more chapters.
*Thanks to my Beta Minijaxter, you are the best!
I have also Posted a side story One-Shot to this Universe called "Hermione Does Some Light Reading" Check it out!
The Links to the High Res Version of the 4 cover pictures is in my Profile, along with an ongoing update on how many pages I have written and how many I have posted.
Disclaimer- I own nothing in this story that is from the Harry Potter Universe. It is all owned by J.K. Rowling. Anything original in this story that may be similar to another work is coincidence and
not intentional.
Harry Potter and the Magic of Perspective
Or (A.K.A)
Verum Inhereditas
Chapter 11
A Severed Snape
Ooo
Harry groggily ate his eggs on Wednesday morning. He had DADA right before lunch, and Potions after lunch, but before dinner. He pulled out his schedule to make sure he had the time's right.
Monday was double Potions and DADA, Tuesday was Transfiguration and double Charms. Wednesday was Double DADA and Potions, Thursday was just Double Herbology, all other hands on Herbology practical was done on your own time. Leaving Friday with Double Transfiguration and Charms. He put his papers back and focused on his eggs again.
His head was spinning, his bones hurt, and he was tired. The 31st of October couldn't come fast enough in his opinion. The Great Hall was busy, and loud, so when a sudden quiet fell, Harry knew the mail was arriving. He was surprised when a long legged, brown, owl landed a few seats away from him, ran across the table and stopped right in front of his plate. It took a moment for Harry to recognize the Owl as the one he sent to Dudley. It held a letter in its beak, and it stared flatly while it waited for him to take the envelope.
Harry reached out and plucked the letter from the bird. He offered it some bacon, and the owl accepted. Then it ran back down the table, disturbing a few goblets before taking off.
"That's an odd owl." Seamus said, as he cleaned up his half glass of pumpkin juice that the bird knocked over.
"Yeah," Harry agreed, but didn't elaborate.
The envelope made Harry smile. It was a Muggle envelope, and on the front Dudley had written his approximation of the address.
Harry Potter
Hogwarts School of Witch Craft and Wizardry
Gryffindor House
There was even a postage stamp in the corner. Harry smile grew when he saw it. He ripped open the envelope and pulled out a folded sheet of lined notebook paper. Hermione picked up the envelope and laughed a bit. Not in a mean way, Harry thought it sounded like she understood what Dudley was thinking.
He unfolded the letter and began reading.
Dear Harry,
I hope things have been going well for you. I was so surprised when Archimedes showed up at my window. That's what I named my owl, just like from that Disney movie. Thanks so much! Sorry it took me a few days to respond, I was busy getting things together for school, and getting a box for Archie. He just loves his box, it's so cute. Dad wasn't even mad when he arrived, so the you-know-what must still be working. I wasn't sure if my owl was trained like yours so I wrote where I wanted the letter to go and used a stamp, just in case. Write back soon and let me know you got this letter.
Dudley
P.S. I made some new friends already at school. They like this game called D&D and said they would teach me. I will let you know how it goes.
Harry handed the letter to Ron and Hermione on his right and let them read it. He was glad his Uncle accepted the owl, it reassured him that he made the right choice and set something good into motion.
Ooo
The stone gargoyle slowly slid back into place behind Harry. He stood for a moment in the empty hallway and thought about what he had just learned. The meeting with Dumbledore wasn't anything like Harry expected. He didn't learn advanced spells or magical secrets. He learned about Voldemort's Family. It was honestly disturbing, they were inbred, and Merope used a love potion on a muggle. It was just wrong… and Voldemort's real name was Tom? That also seemed wrong. It was so mundane. On the other hand, Harry wasn't the most exciting name, and he was meant to save the entire magical world.
'The hero of the wizarding world, the boy who lived!... Harry."
Harry chuckled, because his name really fell flat when compared to his titles. He looked at his watch, he only had ten minutes to make it to class. He couldn't be late or Snape would have his head. Harry ran the entire way to the DADA classroom. He was just in time and breathed a sigh of relief, Snape was setting up a wooden dummy and didn't notice Harry slip in. He got his notes out and readied himself. If this was going to be anywhere near as enlightening as the first class, he wanted to take notes on everything.
Hermione gave him a pointed look. She probably wanted to know what happened in the meeting. Before she could whisper a word, Snape turned around and began his lecture.
The dummy was set up in the same space the wood board was in the last class, and on his desk was a small chunk of rock. Snape's dark eyes scanned the class. He paused on Harry, but didn't sneer, he had an odd glint in his eyes, like he expected Harry to do a trick. Harry felt his stomach tingle in worry, what was that look for? It was similar to what happened in the hospital wing. He turned to Ron and Hermione to see if they noticed, but neither one was paying much attention.
Hermione was writing a description of the demonstration setup, while Ron was looking at the empty seat that Malfoy normally used.
Harry sighed and refocused on class. He was worried about Ron's growing obsession. Today in the hall they spotted Malfoy, he was only a flicker between students in the crowded hall. He looked paler than ever, and he had added another set of ropes to himself, they were red and faded. When Ron caught sight of Draco, he flinched away. He told Harry that looking at Malfoy for too long had made his eyes sting. Hermione had scoffed and told him that his eyes were dry from staring too long, but Harry thought it was something deeper than that.
"Today we will be learning about old spells, that have fallen out of favor, and how they can be used to the detriment of others..." Snape's smooth voice pulled Harry to the present.
Snape held up a rock the size of a golf ball. "This rock, will shortly become the most dangerous object in this room. The spell that will change it, is one that was used by wizards long before household heating charms were invented."
He put the rock back on the table. "The spell is pronounced Flagrante. It heats whatever object you use it on to an incredible temperature. It was used on coal, for heat and cooking hundreds of years ago, but is barely known today."
Harry perked up at the name of the spell, he remembered seeing it in a book in the Black Library. It was considered borderline dark by the Ministry, even though it used to be an everyday spell. He wrote the name down, and he could hear his classmates scratching the name down as well.
Snape pointed his wand at the stone and silently levitated it so that it floated just below his eyes. He twisted his wand like it was a screwdriver, and incanted, "Flagrante".
Some of the students let out small gasps as the stone super-heated until it was red hot liquid stone. It was bright yellow in the center and burning orange/red on the outside. The ball was floating and slightly swirling. The surface turned black, and cracked, as the air cooled it, but the swirling was pulling the solidifying stone into the center constantly keeping it liquid.
"This sphere of molten stone, is approximately 1100 Degrees Celsius..." He swirled his wand and the sphere twisted and morphed into different shapes. "Lava forms an insulating crust when it touches air. Because of the spell I am using, the rock is always hot on the inside. I only have to keep it moving, so that the crust get pulled into the center, in order keep the entire substance liquid." Snape explained while maintaining a healthy distance from the ball of hot rock.
"Because the spell keeps the crust from forming completely on the outside, this little ball can set your dry clothes aflame... by merely being too close to you. The spell doesn't allow the rock to cool even when it is touching ice, this causes it to burn through anything that has a melting point below its own." Snape flicked his wand and the ball became a disc. "To stop an enemy in their tracks, you only need to throw this on them. It would burn... until there was nothing left."
Snape made a motion, and the hot disc flew at the wood dummy. He waved his wand in beautiful patterns to control the disc, every spot of wood it touched was burned. The disc left deep, black, smoldering, gouges. When the dummy was covered in fatal burning wounds, he called the lava back and it formed a ball to float next to him.
"You see how dangerous this is. It is similar to Fiendfyre, but luckily different in two ways." Snape paced back and forth as he lectured, the lava following two feet behind him. "The first difference, is that it doesn't have a mind of its own. As long as you have your wand on it, you control it, and it does your will. Only when you let it go, will it burn anything, and everything. The second difference is the most important, there is a simple counter curse."
Snape stopped walking, "Repeat after me, Frigore."
The class responded.
"Again," Snape demanded, and the class complied.
Snape nodded. "Good. Now, I want each of you to come up and put out this lava." He opened his mouth to call the first name, and Harry was sure it was going to be him, but before he got a syllable out, his mouth snapped shut, and his face tightened. The red hot ball wavered in the air, and Snape hissed the counter spell from between his teeth. The ball became cold stone, it steamed and fell to the desk with a resounding clunk.
Everything happened so fast. Before anyone could react to the halting of the lesson, Harry's head ripped and exploded with pain. He covered his scar with his hands, and a scream ripped from his throat. Hermione was the first to move, she jumped from her seat to Harry's side.
Harry couldn't even see. Everything was white pain. All he knew for sure was that Voldemort was mad… really mad.
"HE'S ANGRY," Harry yelled.
Snape loudly commanded the class to dismiss as he approached Harry. The sound of chairs scraping the stone floor as students ran from the room, hurt Harry's head like a hammer to his temple. When the room was quiet, Harry lifted his head as far as he could and cracked his eyes open.
Snape was standing over him.
"You two, take Potter to the infirmary." The pain was clear in Snape's hissed command. He turned to leave, but Harry reached out and grabbed his robe as he passed.
Harry had a foreboding feeling, he was worried that if Snape went to this Death Eater meeting, he would die. All he could think about was the realization he had this summer. Snape had tried to save Sirius, even though he hated him, he had checked headquarters when he didn't have to. No matter what Snape had done to Harry, He couldn't let the man walk to his death. He was finally certain that Snape was on the side of the light, and was important to the war.
"You can't go… sir" Harry panted as he spoke. "He's too angry. More angry than ever." His hand slipped from Snape's robe as he began to pass out from the pain.
Snape ignored the warning, and left.
oOoOo
Harry woke late that night, he was in the hospital wing. His head was pounding, and felt like it was full of cotton. Ron and Hermione were gone, but there was a folded parchment next to his glasses on the bedside table. It was in Hermione's hand writing. According to the note they were shooed out by Pomfrey to go to Potions, but when they came back he was still asleep. Hermione also jotted a P.S. letting him know that there was no news about Snape's return. Harry sighed and folded the note. He reached for the pain potion left by the matron. Harry gratefully took the potion, the pain went away, but the cotton feeling was just something he had to deal with until the curse removal.
Harry had to know if Snape was still missing. He found his bag next to the bed and pulled it onto his lap. After fishing around, he pulled out the Marauder's Map and activated it. He scanned it left to right, he looked in the DADA office and classroom, but it was empty. He looked everywhere he could think of, even the potions lab, but Snape was nowhere to be found. Harry was about to give up and accept that Snape was still off the grounds when he caught movement by the forbidden forest.
There he was, a small black dot labeled Severus Snape was very slowly moving out of the forest. What concerned Harry more than the speed of the dot, was that it was shifting between black and red. That was something he had never seen the map do. Fear spiked through Harry's chest, when things flashed red it was a bad sign. right?. Something must be wrong. He rolled out of bed and snatched his wand off the table. He was only wearing the striped pajamas issued by the hospital wing, but he didn't stop to find a cloak.
Harry ran barefoot, he fled from the wing and rushed down the hall. He kept an eye on the map to make sure he didn't lose Snape's location. No one was patrolling this late at night, or early in the morning was more accurate. Harry ran as fast as his sore body would go. His lungs burned and he almost fell down two separate flights of stairs. After what felt like hours of running he got to the main entrance, flung one of the double doors open, and didn't bother closing it. He looked at the map again to make sure Snape was still outside. The dot was flashing red a lot longer than it was black and it had stopped moving altogether.
Harry sprinted the last length of the grounds. His bare feet slipped on the wet, cold grass, and his lungs burned. He had to find Snape, even if he hated the man, Harry couldn't let him die. Not like this. Finally after a minute of flat out running, he saw Snape.
He looked like nothing more than a pile of black robes.
Harry stopped, and stood with numb feet. The reality of the situation was dawning on him, he scrambled to the professor's side. He felt panic surge up stronger. Snape hadn't removed his mask before crawling out of the forest. Harry pushed the panic down, and told himself it was just Snape and not a real Death Eater that wanted to kill him. He reached out and slowly pulled the mask off, he idly noted that this was the first time he touched a Death Eater mask. Snape's face was white as a sheet, and his eyes were half closed with a glassy sheen. He was shaking, and could only move his eyes to look up at Harry. He had no expression, but his slow breaths spoke of resignation. Harry refused to let him die here, on the cold ground. He looked over Snape's body and felt around with his hands. The dark stains on the grass where Snape had dragged himself, made it clear that the Professor was bleeding, heavily, but the dark robe hid the wound.
After a few seconds of feeling around Snape's chest and abdomen, he felt a warm sticky wetness on the left side of the man's stomach. This was one of those deciding moments in Harry's new way of life. He had trained in Dark spells that included healing spells. He had acted, and trained so that he could handle these situations. He wouldn't have to risk someone's life to run for Pomfrey, and by the look of Snape he would die within minutes.
"I can do this, I can do this." Harry was telling himself, sounding more confident than he really was.
He used his wand to cut Snape's robe open and reveal a deep ugly gash that looked like claws, or teeth marks. Something from the forest had attacked the man, while he was weak from facing Voldemort. The Professor was shaking the same way Harry did after the Cruciatus curse, even with so much blood loss, and so close to death, he was shaking almost violently. Harry glanced up at the moon, it wasn't full… thank Merlin.
Harry pressed his wand to the wound, and began singing a spell that sounded like a Gaelic song, he repeated it over and over. This was the spell that could kill the caster if done too many times in a row, or on too large a wound. He and Hermione had only done it on small cuts. This was the first real test. He ignored the odd feeling that came along with using spells of this magnitude, like the magic was being pulled from someplace deeper. He knew it was the feeling of the magic coming from his core, that's the reason the spells were dangerous. When a person's gift pulled the magic from the core, it was a natural process, and would stop before killing someone unless they forced it. These Dark spells were forcing the magic out of the core from the start and the curse made it harder.
Harry felt his chest relax as the spell began to work. The blood spread around on the grass began to glow, as the spell cleaned it. Harry sang while looking at the wound, from the corner of his eyes he could see Snape watching him. The blood began to slide back to the hole it came from, and the professor's eyes started to clear, and filled with something akin to hope.
Harry's head was spinning, faster and faster, as his joints began to burn. Apparently the curse didn't like this much core magic being used, but Harry kept singing. Once all the blood was back where it belonged, the wound slowly knit back together and left behind a pink scar. Harry felt himself swaying, and he began to slide sideways, until a shaky, but strong hand caught him.
Snape was sitting up. His face was still very pale, but his eyes were sharp. He climbed to his feet and pulled Harry up with him.
"Come, we have to get inside." His voice rasped as if he had been screaming for a prolonged period of time.
Harry nodded vaguely, and Snape slid his mask into his robe. Both of them slowly limped their way to the main entrance. Harry began to turn to go to the Hospital wing but the hand on his shoulder stopped him.
"You're coming with me." Snape didn't wait for a reply and began to shakily drag Harry with him to the dungeon.
The walk to Snape's quarters felt like an eternity, and all Harry wanted to do was lay down in the hall and sleep. They stopped in front of a painting of a raven and a snake, that Harry had never seen, and Snape mumbled something that caused the portrait to open up. The room they entered was cozy. It had a fireplace that lit up when they entered. A dark brown leather couch faced the fire, with two matching chairs on either side angled to face the hearth. Between the couch and the fireplace, was a forest green throw rug covering dark hardwood floors, and a dark wood coffee table on top. The rest of the main room was too dark to see with Harry's tired eyes, the fireplace was the only source of light.
Snape moved both of them to the sitting area, and Harry was pushed into the leather chair closest to the door. Then Snape stalked, as best he could in his condition, into the darkest part of the room. Harry squinted but couldn't see him, he could hear cabinets opening and closing along with bottles clinking. Snape melted out of the shadows, and back into the light carrying two vials. He handed one filled with a milky white liquid to Harry, and kept a red one as he sat in the other arm chair.
Harry didn't drink the potion, he just held it. He wasn't sure what it was for, and his spinning head couldn't grasp that it might be important. His fuzzy mind was filled with intrusive thoughts of an over stuffed arm chair, spewing human remains. He was tired, and couldn't control where his mind wandered, so it strayed into the dark.
Snape drank his potion and his shaking calmed to a controllable level.
"Drink your potion. I don't want to have to explain to that irritating matron, why your magical levels are so low." Snape's voice was flat, and tired. It cracked a couple times because of his raw throat.
Harry obeyed without thinking. The bitter liquid worked fast and Harry was able to think more clearly now that he wasn't so magically depleted. He suddenly became aware of how uncomfortable the situation was. He was alone with a man who hated him, in said man's living room. Harry wasn't particularly fond of Snape either, so that just compounded on top of all the discomfort.
"I should go back to the hospital wing before anyone notices I'm gone." Harry spoke quietly and looked at Snape's forehead then down at his knees. He hoped he didn't make eye contact with the professor while he was out of it.
Snape didn't respond immediately. He sat, reclined in his chair, with his finger steepled under his chin. Harry could feel the man's dark eyes boring into the top of his head.
Snape dismissed Harry's previous comment. "It seem that someone, or something... has finally instilled a sense of caution into that thick head of yours."
Irritated, Harry clenched his fists in his lap, and didn't rise to the bait. He wasn't sure what the Professor meant by that statement.
"Unfortunately, not making eye contact with known Legilimens, is not going to be an option in every situation," Snape concluded.
Harry's anger drained away in surprise. He expected more insults, maybe even a rage from the potions master. He just saved the man's life, which was a life debt. Just like what happened with Snape and his father. Harry looked up at Snape's chin to get a reading of his mood from his expression. He was met with a thoughtful look.
Snape leaned forward, and put his hands on the arm rest. His face melted into a calculating, and maybe even scheming, expression. Harry felt his stomach drop. He should have the upper hand, but he felt like prey being circled by a snake.
"I assume... that by now, you have concluded that I owe you a life debt." Snape kept his voice level.
Harry nodded, small and slow.
.
"There are many ways I can fulfil this debt, and there are many questions I have for you. Including, where you learned such a dangerous healing spell. Although... I can't fault you for knowing it, when its application tonight is the reason I am able to inquire at all."
Snape's voice dropped an octave, and he was unable to keep all the dismay from his voice. Harry thought he must be trying very hard not to show how much this life debt upset him. He also seemed to be straining to not insult Harry. Now that he thought about it, the two times he had class with Snape this year, he was not as laser focused on making Harry's life miserable, like he normally was. Well... slightly less focused.
This dark man, was one of the few remaining people who truly intimidated Harry. It was something he needed to overcome. Harry sat up straighter and tried not to look sheepish.
"What... ways to fulfil the debt are you talking about?" Keeping his voice steady was harder than anticipated.
Snape raised a brow. He seemed intrigued by the sudden change in manner. "I am getting the feeling, there are many things you are hiding. From the way you have avoided eye contact with myself, and the Headmaster. Oh yes, I noticed... even back at your relative's house. I also noticed your Aunt avoiding everyone's eyes." He took a deep breath, as if steeling himself, unable to believe what he was about to say. "What I am offering…" He paused, and rubbed the bridge of his nose, "What I am offering, is to teach you Occlumency."
Harry, was blown away. After what had happened with the pensive, he thought Snape would cut off his own arm before going back to those lessons. This was so unexpected that Harry decided to throw caution to the wind.
"What makes you think I would want to learn from you? It didn't exactly work out last time, and I ended up mentally weaker. I would almost say you were trying not to teach me." Harry let himself become a bit angry as he finished.
Snape was gripping the arms of his chair in an effort not to yell. His words were obviously strained. "I think you will accept this offer. I have come to understand the reasons that compounded, creating the disaster from last year. After you failed so miserably, I had to reassess how I went about teaching you, to figure out why. This time, I believe I have a solution."
Snape took a calming breath and continued. "I am also your last choice. You could go to the Headmaster, but... he is one of the reasons you need to learn this skill, is he not? You know, you need this, it will be vital to your survival."
Harry couldn't argue with his reasoning. He needed a way to protect his secrets, to protect Phoenix Method. Apparently he wasn't doing a good job, if Snape was already suspicious. "OK, you have me there, but how am I supposed to trust you?"
Snape nodded, he seemed almost pleased that Harry thought to ask, and didn't just blindly agree. "I excel at keeping information away, from those who might seek it. I am also willing to submit myself... to an Oath." He sneered.
"Oath?" Harry questioned.
"Yes. A wizard's Oath will make it so I am unable to repeat anything I learn from the lessons. Either from your mind, actions or verbally. It will also restrict you from speaking my secrets." Snape looked very tired as he explained, as if he were exasperated at the thought of an Oath.
Harry was feeling more, and more intrigued. "And what happens if you break the Oath?"
"You lose your magic, and become a squib." Snape stated plainly.
Harry felt himself gasp against his will. Why was Snape offering this? Debt or no debt, this was serious and dangerous.
"Once you have mastered the skill to your fullest potential, the debt will be cleared. I assure you this arrangement is to my benefit, in many ways, as well as to yours." He explained.
Harry wanted to know how else it was to Snape's benefit besides fulfilling the debt, but knew he was unlikely to find out. This was another moment of reckoning. He was going to enter a deal with a spy Death Eater. Harry felt that this really was his only option to learn Occlumency, and since there was a life debt involved, he could count on actually learning this time.
"I only have one question. Does Dumbledore know anything about this offer? I mean anything at all, even if it was only mentioned in passing, that you might try and teach me again?" Harry wanted to fill all the loopholes.
Snape actually smiled. Well kind of, it was a crooked half smile. "I am almost surprised, that you would want to keep this from the Headmaster, so desperately. I can assure you that he knows nothing. He seemed adamant that I not try again."
Harry nodded, "Make it part of the Oath, and we have a deal."
He was feeling much less nervous, and Snape was making an effort to be civil. He did throw in some insults, but he wouldn't be Snape if he didn't. It was almost too surreal to accept. Snape surveyed Harry carefully, his expression clearly said he was still surprised Harry was using so much forethought.
"Acceptable terms." Snape agreed, after a moment of thought.
Harry nodded, "OK, so how do we do this?"
Snape moved forward on his seat stiffly, and Harry followed suit.
"Since you have obviously, used Dark magic before…" He looked Harry over, as if he still didn't believe it, even though he witnessed it himself. "I have a special Oath Spell, that is not approved of by the Ministry that should suit our purposes. It is called the Tacet Arx Oath."
This didn't particularly bother Harry after everything he got up to this summer, so he remained quiet for an explanation.
Snape took the silence as his cue. "This spell will bind us from speaking in front anyone but each other, about anything that is said between us while the Oath is being used. After we swear the Oath, one of us only needs to say a keyword, Tacet, and when the other responds with the second word, Arx, the Oath is activated. Then, anything we say after that is considered under the Oaths protection, until the words are repeated." He spoke slowly so Harry could absorb all the words, or possibly because he enjoyed implying that Harry was stupid.
Harry felt like he had encountered something like this before. Something Hermione had said when she interrupted Ravenclaw's they while arguing. Then it came to him.
"It's like a Point of Order? Everything said in the Point of Order is outside of the normal flow of conversation. As if it's off the record in a way?" Harry hoped he didn't sound dumb.
Snape nodded, and looked a little surprised. "it is... like that. With the added benefit of protection. While the spell is actively…" He paused, looking for a word. "Recording, for a lack of a better term, it also automatically raises privacy wards, so strong, that we could stand in a room with someone and they won't be able to understand what we are saying. The protection is so powerful, it protects the information even inside your mind. If someone tries to rip it out of your thoughts, your magic will try to fight them, to keep the secrets hidden. The Oath will fight until your magic runs out, effectively killing you, but ultimately protecting the secrets. This fate can be avoided, by learning Occlumency." Snape looked almost excited, while explaining the theory behind the spell. The man obviously loved Dark magic.
Harry was impressed. This was one hell of a spell, "OK, I'm satisfied."
Snape held out his hand with his palm facing Harry. "Put your hand against my own," he instructed.
Harry complied. He felt uncomfortable with the physical contact, but he knew it was necessary.
"Repeat after me, if you find my wording appropriate. I, Severus Tobias Snape, swear Tacet Arx to Harry James Potter. I swear under this Oath, that Albus Dumbledore knows nothing, and will learn nothing, about this arrangement. I swear to uphold this Oath on the pain of my magic." Snape raised his wand, and pointed it to the back of his hand. A gold light bloomed on his skin.
Harry took a deep breath.
"I, Harry James Potter, swear Tacet Arx to Severus Tobias Snape. I swear under this Oath, that Albus Dumbledore knows nothing, and will learn nothing, about this arrangement. I swear to uphold this Oath on the pain of my magic." Harry raised his wand, and positioned it the same as Snape. The golden light appeared, and it felt like someone had stabbed him in the hand with a dull knife. Harry hissed, and gritted his teeth. How did Snape keep a straight face through the pain?
The light sank into Harry's hand, and Snape's did the same. For a moment the pain became hot, and Harry almost yelped, but then the light reemerged, and it was red. It stretched out, and compressed into a string, it wrapped around their hands, and then sank back into their skin.
Both pulled their hands away as soon as it was over.
"Did that... use our blood?" Harry asked, only slight panic in his voice.
Snape gave a tired nod.
"You didn't warn me it would do that," Harry accused. He had read about how dangerous blood could be.
"Tacet," Snape barked.
Harry glared at him, but responded, "Arx."
Magic burst from them as a gust of wind, it mixed together, filled the room, and then settled.
"At least, it seems to have worked." Snape sounded even more tired. Having a protection of privacy, made him more willing to let his guard down. "I didn't tell you, because it was not free flowing blood. I could not have taken any to use against you, so there was little danger."
Harry let out a relieved breath, "Why did it use blood?"
Snape fell easily into lecture mode. "It is how the spell keeps track of us, and what we are doing. It is also where it draws the power to seal our magic. Other vows use some of a third parties magic to bind. The bit of magic from the third person is also how it executes its consequences for breaking the vow. With the Tacet Arx Oath, it is a bit of our own magic in each other that will execute the consequences."
"Makes sense," Harry agreed. Although, the thought of having Snape's magic in him was unsettling, but it was too late.
Snape sat forward, and weaved his fingers together. The entire feeling of the conversation suddenly shifted. Harry felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
"Now, that I have you bound..." Snape's words were deep, and smooth. Harry felt, for a moment, that he might have made a mistake.
"Ummmm… yeah?" Harry almost squawked.
"There is the matter of why, the Dark Lord called me tonight. I feel that this is information you need to know. The Headmaster would not allow me to tell you under normal circumstances, but now... he need not know I told you at all," Snape explained, with a sly smile.
Harry relaxed, when he realized the predatory air was not direct at him, but at Dumbledore. That was somewhat of a surprise, but he accepted things as they came tonight. This was all very strange, but it seemed to be working out in his favor. It also became apparent, that Snape was using this Oath to protect himself from the Headmaster as well.
Something occurred to Harry, "Wait, if you tell me now, won't you be stopped by the Oath when you try to tell Dumbledore?"
Snape shook his head. "No, this is my information to tell. You won't be able to repeat it, and I cannot tell anyone that I told you, specifically, but I can tell anyone else about the information itself. It will work the same for your secrets, they are yours to tell. Unless, you consciously decided to protect them under the Oath, but having mental control of that caliber, may not be possible until you are more versed in Occlumency."
"OK, so why was Voldemort so angry?" Harry asked.
"You were correct in class, he was enraged. I have rarely seen him this upset. So angry, that he took it out on his followers. That is how I ended up where you found me. I was not prepared for a creature in the forest, and it got the best of me." Snape unconsciously put his hand where his wound had been. "The Dark Lord was angry, because some information came to him that he did not expect." Snape relaxed into his chair again. "In the first war, there were pure blood families that Voldemort did not try to turn to his cause. He just... exterminated them."
Harry shuttered.
Snape looked far away in memory. "To an outsider it would seem as if he were just killing as usual. But the inner circle knew better, we knew he was hunting some, and trying to collect others. We do not know what he based his choices on. There was one family, he was very determined to exterminate. The Prewitt family."
Harry's eyes widened. He knew that name.
Snape noticed his surprise. "I see, so you already know what this is about?"
Harry felt the blood drain from his face, and he broke out into a cold sweat. "The Weasley's."
"Yes," Snape confirmed, his voice firm, and his eyes hard. The Dark Lord had handed him the answer to the riddle he had been working on. The words Sybill spoke made sense when the name Prewitt was brought up. The only Prewitt to survive the first war, was Molly Weasley nee Prewett. Then she married Arthur, who is a direct Black descendant through his mother, who was blown off the tapestry for being a blood traitor. The white sheep among the Black.
Harry wasn't sure what this all meant. "I don't understand. It's not a secret that they are related to the Prewitt's."
"No, it's not." Snape agreed, and then added. "But remember, the Dark Lord was nothing but a wraith for fourteen years. Before his first fall he may have thought they were all dead. From the way he was speaking, it seemed that something important concerning their bloodline occurred, something he was trying to prevent. I don't know how he found out."
Harry's eyes narrowed, and anger flared in his chest. "I know how. Malfoy. He cornered Ron, and asked him if he was related to the Prewitt's."
"I would keep close to Weasley, and away from Draco Malfoy. I thought your friend might be involved, which is part of why I told you about this. I do not enjoy letting you in on this information, but it is better you know the danger in this school. When you are ignorant of the dangerous situations, you somehow stumble into them anyway." Snape's face reflected just how much he hated telling Harry about anything to do with his spying.
Harry suddenly realized a flaw in this plan. "I can't warn him. The Oath will stop me."
Snape sighed. "I think it is best he doesn't know. Can you trust him not to lose his temper? Not to do something reckless? I am already risking much by telling you. I can only worry about one child, full of Gryffindor stupidity, at a time."
Harry actually saw the sense in what the Professor was saying, outside of the insult. Ron might try and get more information from Malfoy, and get hurt or worse. Harry was having a very hard time accepting this new Snape, that is mostly civil and willing to help. He had a feeling that there was something deeper, forcing Snape's hand. He might not hate Harry as much anymore, and he was probably grateful for the healing spell, but he definitely wouldn't be offering this much information, and help, from the goodness of his heart. Harry needed to keep his eyes open for the true motive behind Snape's actions.
"Fine," Harry agreed.
"Good. Now as for our lessons. Come to my office at 8PM this Saturday," Snape ordered.
Harry let his shoulder slump in acceptance.
"Tacet" said Snape.
"Arx," Harry replied.
The magic in the room came back to them, in a reverse gust of wind that ruffled their hair. Harry stood up, he felt very tired now that this was over. He walked to the door, and stopped. He looked back at Snape. "Goodnight, Professor."
Snape nodded shallowly, "Goodnight, Potter." He managed to sound almost pleasant.
Harry left. The Portrait swung closed behind him, and he stood for a moment in the dark hall, with the map clutched in his hand. This was all too unreal for him…
"He didn't even say thank you…" Harry muttered indignantly.
oOoOo
Severus practically deflated the moment the portal was soundly closed. He pressed his fingers into the space between his eyes, and let out a long suffering sigh. His side still hurt, even after the powerful healing spell, and his entire body was sore from all the curses he took. He scolded himself for getting caught off guard by a creature in the forest. He had withstood to many pain curses, and was not aware of his surroundings. He didn't even know what attacked him, he fired off a stunner and ran until he was on the school grounds.
Now, because of his carelessness, he was walking a knife's edge. Snape rose to his feet carefully, and went to the dark side of the room. He opened an oak cabinet and pulled out a bottle of amber liquid. He looked at the hole in his robes and the pink scar. It was too late for dittany, he would have to live with this scar. He hated to admit that he was grateful that the Potter brat had found him. He couldn't afford to die at this important juncture of the war, it didn't matter who saved him, it only matters that he was alive to finish his work. There was plenty of time later, to die.
Snape poured himself a glass of liquor, while he pondered the parts of the night that didn't fit properly. He wanted to know how Potter had found him, and also how he knew that old spell. Was that part of the Headmaster's training? If so, then Potter learned the spell quickly in only one meeting. That was impossible. Severus knocked back all three fingers of his drink, and hissed out a breath as it burned on the way down.
This incident, was both making his task harder, and giving him an opportunity to get more information about Sybil's latest prophecies. In many ways he had no choice but to take that damn Oath. With the Unbreakable Vow to help Draco, he can't risk having Potter running amuck with his mind unprotected.
If Draco or, Merlin forbid, the Dark Load, caught a glimpse of that, he would be finished. He also couldn't risk Potter having a life debt over him. He couldn't survive with his life bound to two people on the opposite sides of the war. He was honestly lucky the boy agreed to the deal. Until the debt was cleared Potter could compel him to do something that goes against the Unbreakable Vow, which would kill him…So now he must walk the edge between helping Draco, if the boy would actually cooperate, and teaching Potter, so he could erase the debt.
One wrong move, and one of the two Vows would activate, and he would either die or become a squib.
Severus poured himself another drink.
oOoOo
"When life seems dangerous and unmanageable. Just remember that it is, and that you can't survive forever."
-Night Vale
AN- When life is chaos. Loud, messy, homeless. I am so very glad I can always come here, where even the words spoken to me, are silent, stark, black on white. It is in these moments that the written word, the symbols for our random sounds that fall together into coherent understanding, are so appreciated.
So very, appreciated.
Recombobulated 5/11/2017
Beta'd 6/5/2017 -minijaxter
