Disclaimer: Harry Potter and his wondrous world belong to J.K. Rowling. This story is just for kicks and giggles.
Summary: Snape's position as a spy is compromised when Harry's life is threatened. The beginnings of a journey together
Spoilers: For all the books since I've read them all at least once by the way, this story takes place after book five
Warning: This story is rated R for previous and upcoming events, including child abuse, graphic violence and the like. If you are bothered by such themes, I suggest that you do NOT read this chapter.
.o.
.o.
Circumstance
By Libellule
Chapter Twelve
.o.
.o.
.o.
Harry felt a deep sense of dread as he saw the truck pull up to the curb. It was a dilapidated pick up truck, so rusty and dingy that Harry could barely make out the original green paint beneath the corrosion. The back was nearly empty except for a few cardboard boxes and a gray tarp. That was surely where they were meant to be, in the back, like smuggled cargo.
Great, Harry thought dismally.
He'd hardly traveled anywhere, let alone out of the country. He was uneasy, as if he'd never see England again, which he knew was ridiculous. Somehow he felt he wouldn't be returning the same. It's just that he had a bad feeling, a sense of foreboding spreading through him, like ink bleeding across wet parchment.
Snape moved slowly, not with pain, but with care as if he didn't trust his legs to get him from one side of the room to the window, where, once there, he pulled the curtains back from the glass. He didn't say anything- he didn't have to. Neither Harry nor Snape were thrilled about their situation, at least on that they could agree.
"And so it continues, " he whispered, before turning from the window.
.o.
.o.
.o.
"You have your books and your birthday cards and all your clothes?" Dumbledore asked kindly as he handed him his bag.
"Yes, " Harry said with a little smile. It reminded him of something Mrs. Weasley might say. He knew he had everything because he hadn't ever unpacked.
Snape glanced up from his task of checking through his sack for potion supplies. Though the action of shifting his gaze was subtle, Harry felt his perceptive and incisive eyes on him.
Harry forced himself not to look up, not to meet his black gaze. Was Snape staring at him because he thought it unlikely that Harry was all packed? Or was it because he had overlooked Harry's birthday? Snape was aware of the prophecy, born as the seventh month dies...
It didn't matter, not really. Only recently had anyone thought of Harry on his birthday, and this year it seemed that those who really mattered to Harry had remembered. He had their well wishes in his bag to prove it.
"The transport is waiting for you, " Dumbledore said, his blue eyes darting from Harry to Snape. He crossed the room to him, his hand extended, but then he hesitated just shy of touching Snape's arm, as if changing his mind about whether or not a touch would comfort or agitate him.
"Are you ready, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.
Snape nodded dropping his head ever so slightly. Though the gesture was small it exuded resignation. Harry felt uneasy watching him concede to Dumbledore uncharacteristically without question or comment.
"There's one final thing that must be discussed before you go, " he declared, standing a bit straighter. He waited to speak, however, until both Snape and Harry were looking at him.
"This is of the utmost importance. No magic," Dumbledore said sternly. "None. Not even a little bit. Once you have reached the ferry, all magic must stop. Under no circumstances are you to use even the slightest magic, or it will be akin to a beacon signaling your exact location. Only when you have reached the farm will you be able to safely use magic again, and even then you will have use every precaution. "
"No magic? " Harry asked. Again? Harry thought, although to be fair they hadn't exactly followed it the first time.
He supposed that for someone like Snape, a wizard who'd presumably been one since birth, it was very difficult to suddenly stop using magic altogether.
" This goes double for you, Severus," Dumbledore added.
Snape merely folded his arms indignantly. If he had any intention of following Dumbledore's edict, it could not be told from his demeanor.
"You know the risk has propagated, " Dumbledore said seriously. His peaked gaze carried significance that Harry did not understand.
"What's this then?" Harry asked, looking from Dumbledore to Snape.
"You might as well know, Potter," Snape began, "Bellatrix Lestrange escaped before the Aurors could get to her. "
" What? "
" She's presumably informed the Dark Lord's followers, who's eyes and ears are attentive for us at this very moment. "
A somber weight settled into his heart. Nothing was going right on his sixteenth birthday.
Let's see, he thought, I'm about to leave the country in a rickety truck with a man who hates me, so that we can escape the horde of dark wizards who want to kill us. Oh yes, this is a banner day.
" Don't dwell on it, Harry, "Dumbledore said, perhaps noticing his expression as Harry was sure his emotions passed as freely as water across his face.
" If you need assistance- ," Dumbledore began.
" I know the proper channels," Snape interrupted. " I'll make sure Potter knows, too, lest he send a wayward owl and alert the entire wizarding world to our location. "
" Good luck," Dumbledore remarked with a sprightly twinkle in his eyes. "The truck is waiting. " And with that he ushered them from the Leaky Cauldron, into the dark morning.
.o.
.o.
.o.
For a summer night, it was awfully cold. There was a faint chill in the air and Harry pulled his jumper closer. He lay in the back of a pick up truck bed, staring into the dark sky. Fatigue pulled at his eyelids, but he was too riled up to find sleep.
The knowledge that Bellatrix Lestrange was still out on the loose reverberated through Harry's mind. That murderous old hag of a witch wouldn't rest until she found them, of that Voldemort would make sure.
"Do you see that?" Snape whispered suddenly.
Expecting the ride to go in silence (as Snape was not the talkative type), Harry turned his head to look at Snape, who laid next to him.
Black wizarding robes gone, he wore a blue button down shirt, the cuffs left open, and simple black trousers. Though the absence of his robes considerably diminished his physical intimidation, his presence was no less commanding.
Snape's eyes were fixed upward, at the twinkling sky and Harry was compelled to look.
" I can't make out anything, " Harry said squinting at the tiny stars scattered throughout the sky.
"Look there, " Snape said pointing above them. "See that star there?" Snape questioned.
Harry frowned. He saw lots of stars, like salt spilled across a stretch of pavement. "I don't know which... "
" Polaris, the North Star, " he clarified, his tone of voice suggesting that it should have been obvious which star he meant.
Scowling to himself, Harry still couldn't make out which it was without the aid of a telescope. He expected Snape to belittle him for his negligence in astronomy, but that's not what happened.
Instead, Snape wordlessly leaned close. With arm outstretched, he rubbed his thumb and forefinger together, then raising his arm to the sky, he touched the star. It shone brighter for a moment, then Snape moved his hand sideways drawing a line with his finger, connecting the stars with a line of light to form constellations.
"Now, you try it," Snape said, as the light drifted softly in the air like fairy dust.
Dumbledore's warning of strictly no magic replayed through Harry's mind, but then technically they hadn't reached the ferry yet, so technically they were all right, still close enough to the wizarding world not to draw too much attention.
Harry frowned, though, nonetheless, " I don't know how."
Snape gave a short sigh and Harry expected a derisive comment. Perhaps it was because he was too tired to argue (it surely couldn't be because it was his birthday), but Snape was uncommonly patient with him.
" You're familiar with flagrate? " Snape asked.
"Yes," Harry said twisting to retrieve his wand from his bag.
Snape held up his hand and shook his head. " You don't need your wand, " Snape said. "Just-just concentrate, " he said, " think about the light extending from within you through to your fingertips. Softly like a celestial psalm, like... " But he couldn't explain it.
Harry nodded, but his face betrayed his confusion.
"You may say the word if it assists you," Snape replied with a small sigh.
With determination, Harry raised his hand and shouted, "FLAGRATE! "
" Sotto voce, if you please, Mr. Potter, " Snape replied. "Shouting will not help you. "
Harry grinned sheepishly, "sorry. " It had come out louder than he expected.
"Try again," Snape insisted.
Harry had a hard time of it, trying unsuccessfully to produce even a flicker.
"Let the light flow through you. Don't force it," Snape said. "You try too hard. "
And then, and then- a faint trace of light! Harry slowly moved his hand from left to right, creating a soft line of light.
"I did it," Harry whispered with satisfaction.
"Good, " Snape said. "Now, do it again."
They spent the better part of an hour drawing with light, until Harry could produce a soft glow with hardly any effort.
.o.
.o.
.o.
They were to take the first ferry out, from Swansea to Cork, which left the harbor at seven o'clock sharp. It was a little after six when the rusty, old truck rolled to a stop. Harry startled awake as the movement of the vehicle ceased.
" We're here," Harry said.
Snape's eyes opened slowly and he sat up gingerly, as if to ease his aching joints from the cramped hours of sleep.
" How very astute, " Snape returned unpleasantly.
So we're back to scorn, Harry thought as he leaped to the ground from the truck's back. That impromptu lesson must have been a fluke... or maybe it was for my birthday.
Either way, it was no longer important. They had arrived at the port...
The air smelled of salt, felt grimy on his skin, thick like a wet towel. Harry wrinkled his nose stiffly. The water under the pier was an ominous gray brown from the kelp growing depths below the surface.
There she was, The Island Queen, the ferry sent to take them from England. It was only making a routine voyage, one it repeated probably three times a day, there and back again.
That this voyage was routine did nothing to lessen Harry's dread. Great white gulls circled overhead, squawking and snapping their beaks greedily.
It should be too early for gulls, Harry thought.
Snape stood moodily, his hair blowing gently in the wind, his gaze somber. Harry did not envy him his thoughts, whatever apprehensions were forming such a bleak scowl across his sharp features.
"Take a last look, Potter, " he said. "It might be a good while before you gaze upon England again. "
Don't be so dramatic, Harry wanted to say. Instead he said, "We'll be back in a month. "
" We'll see, " Snape replied. " Let us board. "
So they did. They found seats below deck, where many muggles had herded in, getting morning cups of tea and coffee and perusing the daily newspaper.
The ship was large and utilitarian, with painted metal railings and timeworn wooden planks, not luxurious in any way, though accommodating enough for commuters and tourists alike.
Harry sat across from Snape at a narrow, rectangular table. Any conversational proficiency Snape had had in the truck was now gone. Harry decided it best to avoid starting conversation with him, as anything he said would most likely agitate.
Snape reached into his bag, rummaging through it, then extracted an enormous sum of muggle currency, and piled it on the table.
"Professor! " Harry said in a hushed shout. "That's a lot of money! "
" Is it?" he asked in a mocking tone. " I might not use it, but I am familiar with muggle currency. "
Then he handed it over to Harry. " You count it, " he said.
Harry sighed, doubting very much that Snape knew the value of the paper bills he held in his hands.
Whistling when he'd finished, as it was over 700 pounds, Harry whispered, "This is more money than I've ever held in my hands. "
Snape just looked at him as if to say so what?
Taking the money back, Snape shoved it deep in his bag. Then he held out a twenty pound bill. " Get something to eat if you like, " he said.
"Well, perhaps some tea, " Harry said, looking toward the food counter. "Thanks. I'll pay you back. "
Snape snorted, " It's not my money either. It is difficult to make a withdrawal and convert it to muggle currency when you're held hostage by a meddling old wizard. "
.o.
.o.
.o.
The ride turned out to be long and boring. He'd lost interest in the spell book Dumbledore had given him at the very start of their journey. Harry almost wished they'd get there already just to waylay his boredom.
"I'm going above, " Harry announced, his chair scraping against the floor as he stood. Snape dismissed him with an absent wave as he leafed through a muggle newspaper.
Ascending above deck, the cold air a shock to Harry's face, he breathed in the salty scent of the sea.
The sky was overcast, one large indiscernible sheet of gray stretching as far as the eye could see.
The sea- there was something implicitly creepy about this sea. It was not blue or even green, but a murky black in the cloudy dusk. These waters were dark, keeping their secrets locked beneath the inky depths.
Harry shivered as a cold feeling spread through his limbs. Glancing around he wondered if anyone else felt this cold, but nobody on deck seemed to be shivering.
Frowning, Harry thought how preternatural the air felt, like death breathing cold on the back of his neck. Harry shrugged it off, listening to the waves lashing against the side of the ship, which sounded almost like a somber lullaby.
In the distance he caught his first sight of Ireland, a brown mass on the horizon, elusive as the fog rolling in around it.
He leaned against the railing, determined to catch a better glimpse at the island that was to be his home for the duration of the summer. The sound of rushing water was hypnotic. A woman was singing with it, soft and low, an eerie melody...
"Careful, Potter. If you fall in I will not jump in after you. "
Harry spun around, clearly startled. Snape merely raised his eyebrows. "We're nearly there. "
It was amazing how he'd lost time listening to the sea. Nearly an hour had passed since he'd gone above deck.
" I heard a woman... she was singing, so yearnfully. "
Snape waited a beat, before stating, "I think the sea air has affected your brain."
" No, really, I heard someone," Harry insisted.
"An insanity plea should have been attempted before we got on the ship. "
.o.
.o.
.o.
The ship docked without trouble into a misty port. Harry's knees buckled slightly as he stepped down the gang plank onto solid land. He didn't feel too embarrassed however, as the muggle couple in front of him also stumbled upon the dry land.
His green eyes roamed the sea port taking in his first close up look of Ireland. It was disappointing, really. It wasn't so different from the English port. He hadn't expected it to be so gray, though, green, but not overcast.
Harry followed the mass of people exiting the ferry over the wooden planks of the pier and onto the sand and seashell parking lot where some went to cars, others toward the city center where they could catch buses and trains.
" We'd best find our way, Potter," Snape said, " looks like rain. "
And they started off down the road less traveled as dark clouds slowly moved in overhead.
To be continued...
.o.
.o.
.o.
Author's Notes:
Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! This is going on one full year with this story, I can't believe it.
Thanks everyone for reviewing my story. I really look foward to hearing from you, so please keep the reviews coming (makes me grin like an idiot).
We've had some exciting news lately, haven't we? What, with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince coming out on July 16... I've got a deadline now folks... try to get most of this story down before then. We'll see.
I'm really excited about chapter 13... I have some ideas shaping up. Stay tuned for updates at my webjournal.
As always, I hope to get the next chapter out sooner than later, but no promises.
Feedback is appreciated (oh please let me know how I'm doing!). Want to discuss? e-mail me please or visit my webjournal!
They're both in my ff . net profile, see above.
Thanks everyone!
-Li