Chapter 26: Rescue Me

Snape ruled his class with an iron hand. After that first day, the Muggle Marauders seemed to settle into the routine, albeit reluctantly. Snape noted that Julia no longer volunteered questions or answers, but willingly responded if called upon. Her answers were seldom wrong and Snape wondered what had happened to cause her to join such a group of misfits. He had more cause to keep a close eye on them when working on experiments. More than once, he had barely averted a student being injured when William made errors in his procedures. Snape suspected the errors were intentional, but as yet had no way to prove it. The boy was all innocence and remorse when something went wrong, but Snape had caught the hidden smirk he gave his friends when he thought Snape couldn't see him. He was like an intentional Neville Longbottom.

Snape frowned to himself. Now that he was seeing how teens behaved out here, he could acknowledge that at Hogwarts, he was rigid in his expectations to the point of possessiveness. He wanted to instill in the students a deep respect for the art of the Potion. While there was certainly a component of danger in this high school Muggle lab, there was much more danger in the laboratory at Hogwarts. Here, the types of ingredients were elemental. But at Hogwarts the ingredients used in Potion making included those never imagined in this world; they were much more complex. He also had a different persona to uphold there. One that he had to admit he liked very much. Teaching this summer school was like a vacation away from his compulsion to be a black bat from the pits of hell. He smirked. At first that overheard name had insulted him. Now he found it fitting. He liked it. Here it wasn't quite possible to pull off the black bat from hell while in Muggle attire. But he knew that he was still feared by most of the students in the class. William was an annoying exception. The boy would more than likely fail the subject of chemistry yet again.

Along with observing the Muggle behaviors of the teens, Snape was learning quite a bit from the adults. When he had questions about particular behaviors of students, he found that he could throw out a casual comment in the teacher's lounge and then listen to the multitude of return comments. Often, the results gave Snape the insight he needed to deal more effectively with a student.

He found that the students who were neither brilliant nor remedial got lost in the shuffle. He surprised himself by making a more determined effort to include them in discussions, and to give them positive praise when it was deserved. Their scores rose accordingly when the test results were calculated. He would catch himself wondering if the same things would be true at Hogwarts. He knew that he tended to favor those of his house. But seeing things from this viewpoint made him realize that he had been ignoring large sections of students. His premise had always been that if they belonged in Potions they would do well. If they did not, they would eventually be culled by their ineptitude for the subject or dissuaded from further attempts by his scathing remarks about their abilities. Perhaps he should rethink his methods at Potions instruction … but he did like having such a dark reputation. What would such changes do to that?

Not having a laboratory to brew potions in was a great disadvantage. He missed the hiss and bubble sounds in his own lab. He missed the smells of the ingredients, the herbal mixed with the sharp odors of dried animal parts, the organized glass containers filled with the usual to the rare. He missed hanging over the vapors of the cauldrons until his hair was greasy and lank with from the heat of them. He was used to filling his time outside the classroom in pursuit of improving current potions for the hospital, and researching potions for use by the Order. He would also work on the potions demanded by the Dark Lord. He had to be careful that they were of high quality, but not ever quite the way he ordered. In this current situation, he was hoping that the stock he had on hand would get him through the summer without having to return to his Hogwarts lab to brew any.

Because he had so much unaccustomed free time, he found himself walking through Muggle London. Having midnight suppers at sidewalk cafés allowed him to observe even more of Muggle life. He found an interest in the variety of Muggle architecture. He perused the technical books in the library. The people who frequented the library gave him another opportunity to observe Muggle culture. The diversity of everything astonished him every day. He would also call on Albus for a firechat. It seemed he had an insatiable appetite for hearing about the ways Muggles lived.

Snape sat at his desk, grading some papers while the students reviewed the material that would be covered in a comprehensive exam the next day. All was quiet until a voice shouted. "No!" He snapped his head up, looking around the room. There was no indication that anyone had said or heard anything. He immediately realized that it was Harry. He had almost forgotten about the link. He had supposed that the distance between them was too great for the link to reach across. Setting his pen down, he looked around the room again. He saw only the backs of the students as they bent over their notes and books. Closing his eyes, he stretched out his thoughts.

'Harry?' There was no response. He knew he had heard him though. What was he saying no to? What had happened? He tried again. 'Harry?'

'Yeah?' His mind voice sounded like it was trying to sound casual and it didn't quite succeed.

'I heard you yell. What's wrong?'

'Why does something have to be wrong?' He detected an edge of panic. He opened his eyes to check on his students, then bent his mind to draw closer to Harry. The panic was growing. 'I didn't call you.'

'Harry, I sense that you are in a panic. Tell me what's happened.'

'Nothing is wrong. I'm where I'm supposed to be aren't I? I'm not using magic, I swear!'

Snape frowned. Not using magic? Of course he wasn't using magic. He wasn't allowed outside Hogwarts until he was of age. Why would Harry say that? 'I didn't think that you were. I heard you and I wonder if there is something you need assistance with.'

'You know Dumbledore said I have to be here, so I don't think there's anything he'll let you do … even if you wanted to.'

Snape took a deep breath. 'What do you mean by that? What would you have me do?'

There was a long silence. Then, 'Nothing. You don't need to do anything.' Feelings of depression, hurt, loneliness, and fear came through before Harry snapped them off. 'I'm fine. I'm sorry I disturbed you, sir.' The mental door closed in Snape's mind.

'Harry, wait. Talk to me.' Snape felt only the void that signaled Harry had cut off the contact.

Snape was disturbed. Something was happening and Harry thought that Snape would not want to help him. While he knew that he was not Harry's favorite person, he thought that Harry had realized Snape was part of him now. The link had been forged, as the prophecy foretold. Of course, Harry didn't know about the prophecy. In his eyes, Snape was still a suspect person; someone who had verbally mistreated him for the last five years. Never mind that things had been different during the last part of the school year. It would obviously still take a lot for Harry to maintain a trust in him.

It was difficult to keep his focus for the rest of the day. He practically pushed the students out the door when it was time to dismiss. Wimberly had called a faculty meeting to assess the progress of the summer students. Snape was anxious to be out of the school and back at the flat so he could check with Dumbledore about Harry. When Wimberly passed around a questionnaire asking for a detailed report, Snape almost snarled in frustration. He placed the paper in his satchel and stood up.

Wimberly held up a hand. "I want that report today, Mr. Snape. Before you leave."

"I have a family emergency. I will get the report to you as soon as I can."

Wimberly frowned. "There haven't been any calls for you through the front office. When were you notified of this emergency?"

Snape back-tracked. "I was notified last night. I did not wish to inconvenience you with my absence, so I have been waiting until the end of the day to leave."

Wimberly gave him a considering stare. Then he nodded, "That was good of you. It is hard to get a fill-in during the summer. You may leave." When Snape moved to do so, he continued, "I do need that report as soon as you can manage." Then he frowned, "You are planning to be here tomorrow aren't you? We couldn't possible get a fill-in without more notice."

Snape nodded. "I intend to be here unless things are worse than I expect. If that happens, I may be able to engage my own replacement." He nodded his good-bye and left before Wimberly could think of anything else to say.

Once through the door of the flat, he lost no time in calling Dumbledore. Igniting a fire, he threw in the Floo Powder, knelt down and poked his head through to the Headmaster's office. Any other time, he would have been gratified to see the rare look of surprise on the old wizard's face when he heard Snape's voice.

"Albus!"

"Severus? This isn't our usual meeting time. Has something happened?"

"I believe something is happening with Harry. I heard him yell, and when I reached out to him he closed himself off."

"Perhaps just a bit of fun that he was having –"

"No," Snape insisted. "This was something else. The boy seemed to think I was contacting him to make sure he wasn't using magic. Have you had any word from the ministry about that?"

Dumbledore looked thoughtful. "No. Nothing about Harry. But they do not often tell me of every student caught with their wand in use during summer break. They just issue their warnings and admonish the parents to keep a closer watch."

"What about these Dursleys? During our detentions, I gathered there is no great affection between Harry and them. Harry's feelings seemed fearful and even hurt. Would they do him harm?"

"There is no love lost there. Harry is protected there because his aunt bears Lily's blood. The blood protection will extend until Harry is of age."

Snape sighed in frustration. "But would they harm him?"

"I had not thought so." Dumbledore stroked his beard. "I know Harry isn't happy there, but it is the best place for him in the summer."

"How do I get to him quickly?"

"Are you certain that you should?"

"I am certain that I will not sleep until I see him and make sure of his well-being."

Dumbledore gazed at Snape for a long moment. "Very well. Arabella Figg lets us Apparate or Floo to her house when the Order needs to check on him. He never knows we have been there. He doesn't know that a squib lives in his neighborhood."

"I'll go there then."

"Severus, Harry needs to be with his aunt to get the full benefits of the protection. If he is merely unhappy about his living arrangements, you cannot change that."

Snape gave the Headmaster an impatient look, "I do understand about blood protection, Albus. I intend to check up on him to satisfy my own uncertainties. That's all."

He withdrew his head from the flames of his fireplace and grabbed another handful of Floo Powder.

"Arabella Figg's house." He thrust his head into the flames once more. He was immediately assailed by the odor of cats. A short plump woman jumped at his appearance. "Pardon me, Madame. I am here to check on Harry."

He had expected a smile and an invitation to Floo through for tea, but the little woman instantly wrung her hands and began to cry. "Thank goodness! I didn't know who I should call and I didn't want any Muggle authorities getting involved-"

Snape had heard enough with just the distraught tone of the woman. "Stand aside. I'm coming through." In a second he was standing in the feline-smelling living room.

Arabella Figg gaped up at the tall man in black as she wiped her eyes with a tissue. "I do hope you're in time."

"In time for what exactly?" Snape asked with narrowed eyes.

"That man Dursley has been on a bender for days. I hear yelling all the time. Petunia and Dudley have gone away, but they left poor Harry –"

"His aunt is not in residence?" Snape thought that the blood protection might not work if the aunt had willingly abandoned the home.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you if you'll listen," she said reproachfully. "Harry is there alone with that dreadful man. He's always resented the boy. There's no telling what he's done. I hear him yelling at all hours –"

"Harry's yelling?"

"No, the oaf is yelling. I haven't seen Harry at all today. Usually he stays out in the back yard until Dursley is sleeping. But today –" she halted as tears welled up in her eyes again. "I hope he's holed up somewhere in the house. The man has been on a rampage since Petunia decided to skip out."

Snape knew he had to see Harry himself. "Point out the house."

As she drew back the curtains, Arabella said again, "Thank goodness you came. Bring him here and you can use the Floo to get him back."

Snape looked at her briefly. The woman obviously believed Harry needed rescuing. He hoped that it was just a womanly over-protectiveness on her part. Surely the situation could not be that bad. Dumbledore would never allow such a thing to happen to the Boy Who Lived.

Snape walked rapidly towards the house on Number Four Privet Drive, scanning the surrounding area as he went. He opened the link, knowing that in this closer range, Harry would hear him easily.

'Harry?'

As soon as the link was established, Snape felt an excruciating pain in his left eye, the back of his head, and his right arm. He staggered for a moment before realizing that the pain was Harry's and not his own. There was no answer to his search for a connection. All he could get was the pain. With snarl, he hurried faster to the house.

He strode up to the front door, wanting to simply blow it off its hinges, but deciding that discretion was a better choice for the moment. Raising a hand, he knocked and waited. A shuffling noise came from inside and then the sound of locks being undone. The man Snape had seen at the train station stood there, swaying on his feet. He reeked of alcohol and body odor. His eyes were bloodshot and swollen with sleep. Snape wanted to get the full picture of the situation. He knew he would not be leaving without Harry, but he also knew he would have to answer to Dumbledore for removing Harry from the house where he was supposedly protected.

He managed to keep his voice level. "Mr. Dursley?" Dursley nodded. "Might I have a word with your nephew, Harry?"

The eyes grew suspicious and a bit fearful. He looked Snape up and down, taking in the normal appearance of his Muggle clothing. "If you're from the welfare people, you can just be on your way. The boy is my responsibility to keep in line and I'll not have you interfering with my duty."

To any Muggle, the menacing Dursley might have put them off and they would have backed down. The man obviously thought Snape was a Muggle. Snape used it to his advantage.

"Be that as it may, I need to ascertain the boy's well-being." Snape knew by the sway of the man that he was still drunk and not thinking clearly.

He couldn't have been when he answered, "He's well enough to get his work done, but does he lift a finger to help out around here? I tell you, he never should have been foisted off on us. He's a strange one, prone to outbursts. I have to keep him under control."

"Tell me, Mr. Dursley, which methods of control do you favor?" Snape asked smoothly.

Bristling with drunken pride, "The only methods freaks like him understand, of course. I had to make sure he couldn't get any of his own kind of licks in, didn't I? Well I certainly put a stop to him even thinking about it."

Snape knew then that the man had beaten Harry to prevent him from using magic. It explained the pain Snape was experiencing. He calmly pushed his way into the house, shoving the stumbling fat man out of the way. After closing the front door, he drew his wand, leveling it at Dursley's throat.

Dursley gasped in surprise. "You're one of them! Get out of my house! I'll not be having you freaks in here! It's bad enough to be forced to tolerate the boy –"

"Where is Harry?" Snape's voice was soft. When Dursley didn't answer, Snape shoved him up against the wall, wand sinking into the flesh of his neck. "Where?" he snarled, baring his teeth.

Dursley's mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. He looked at Snape fearfully and then his eyes rolled back as he was lost in a drunken stupor. Snape let him slide to the floor.

Snape glared down at him for a few moments. Then, closing his eyes, he reached out for Harry. There was still no response, so he began to focus on the pain. Where was it originating from? He walked through the house slowly. He was here somewhere. The house was a shambles. Furniture was overturned. There was trash littering the floors. Broken pieces of what were once decorative knick-knacks lay everywhere. Snape scanned every room. He knew Harry's bedroom from the Hogwarts pennant on the wall and the trunk by the bed. The door hung off one hinge. There was blood staining the wall by the door and a dried pool of it on the floor, but Harry wasn't there. Snape felt rage building up in him along with a fear for Harry. Where was he? He tried to focus harder, narrowing his probe and shouting to Harry.

'Harry!'

There was a brief opening of the link, the response weak. 'Help me?' as if the help might be in question and not a given.

'Where are you? Tell me so I can get to you.'

'Stairs –' and then it was gone again.

Snape ran back to the stairway and looked down. What did he mean? He wasn't on the stairs. Walking slowly down, he bent his thoughts towards the pain. At the bottom of the stairs, his eyes fell on the small door to a storage closet underneath. There was a slide bolt on the outside and it was firmly locked. Pointing his wand, Snape did blow this door off its hinges. Stepping forward, he peered into the dark cupboard. Curled up on the floor was Harry.

He went down on his knees, muttering Lumos to light up the dark interior. Harry was facing away from him, and in the wand light, Snape could see that he was trembling.

"Harry? Can you hear me?" He didn't expect to get a verbal response since Harry had not even been able to sustain a mental response. The cupboard was dark, and he needed to use his wand for light. But he couldn't do that and use the wand to assess any injuries. He was sitting thinking when he heard a noise behind him.

"Don't move, sir. Hold your hands up."

Snape went rigid. He knew that it must be the Muggle police. Neighbors must have called. He hoped that Arabella Figg saw what was happening, and would alert Dumbledore. He slowly raised his hands, whispering a Nox.

The policeman saw the wand, "What's that in your hand? A knife?"

"No. Just a stick I found on the floor here beside the boy. He's injured and needs attention." Snape kept his voice calm.

"Stand up with your hands where I can see them." Snape followed the instructions. "Now back out of the cupboard."

Snape kept his eyes on Harry as he backed out into the open. He had not moved at all. He turned to face the policeman and saw that he had a partner who was bending over Dursley. The man held a handgun and it was pointed at Snape's chest. He called over his shoulder, "How is that one doing?"

The partner stood up. "I don't believe he's injured. Smells like the brewery. Probably just passed out." He looked at Snape. "Tell us who you are."

Snape knew he had to be cautious with his answers. "I am a friend of the boy. I came to check on him when I had not heard from him."

The partner scanned their surroundings and then looked back at Snape. "Did you do all this?"

Snape gave him a derisive sneer. "I arrived just before you did. There was hardly time for me to accomplish this much damage."

"Neighbors who called it in said you forced your way inside." He was looking at Snape in a measuring sort of way, determining whether he was likely to be telling him the truth.

Snape held himself relaxed, his face devoid of emotion. "Dursley let me in. Do you see any sign that I damaged the front door?"

"No, but that one looks pretty much done in," he said as he nodded to the cupboard door on the floor. He noticed Harry for the first time, back in the dimness of the cupboard. "Is that the boy? Neighbors said they've been hearing lots of shouting."

"I had only just found him. He appears unconscious. Do you plan to leave him there or will you call for help?" Snape asked darkly.

Both men had the grace to redden and the one standing by Dursley took out his radio. The one holding the gun asked, "Do you have identification?" At Snape's nod, he added, "Keep one hand up and pull out the identification slowly. Oh, and drop that stick while you're at it."

Snape let his wand fall to the floor and then withdrew his wallet. He flipped it open and held it out. The policeman was still examining it when a commotion could be heard out on the front lawn through the open door. Snape could hear Arabella Figg's indignant voice.

"Of course the bloke in black didn't do anything! It was that oaf Dursley that's hurt Harry, if he is! Mr. Snape just came to see about him."

More police stepped through the door, crowding the entry way. Behind them, Snape caught sight of Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks. They were dressed in professional appearing Muggle clothing. Snape silently thanked Mrs. Figg for alerting whomever she had called.

Shacklebolt and Tonks took in the scene rapidly, from the gun being held on Snape, to Dursley's unconscious form, and then to Harry, still on the cupboard floor. Shacklebolt snapped his eyes to Snape's in surprise. "Is he …"

Snape calmly interrupted him, "He is unconscious and injured, quite severely, I believe. These gentlemen seem more interested in how the house became so damaged."

The policemen reddened again, "Look here, it's our job to look out for the homeowner. When we came in, we saw you standing over the boy, the man out like a light and the premises trashed. What are we to believe?"

Tonks had moved to the doorway, blocking out anymore gawking from the outside. Shacklebolt turned to the policemen and gave a slight wave of his hand, murmuring a quiet but firm Obliviate!

The one holding the gun lowered it, a slightly confused look on his face. "So you two are taking over, then? Okay."

Tonks stepped towards him. "Take the homeowner into custody. We may have questions later."

The police hauled up Dursley and between all of them managed to drag him out the door.

Snape turned immediately to Harry and picked up his wand. "Light up the area while I see how badly he's hurt." Tonks held up her lighted wand while Shacklebolt stood at the front door. Once more, Snape bent over Harry. Using his wand he touched Harry's head and body gently. He cursed under his breath as he gathered the information he required.

Tonks asked, "How bad is it?"

"His skull is fractured, as is the area around his eye. His right arm is broken in three places. He is bleeding internally." He felt the rage building in him again and wished to have his hands around Dursley's throat. Very carefully, he turned Harry over. Although Harry made no sound aloud, Snape felt the agony of his injuries as he was moved. He looked at Tonks. "Do you carry any field potions for pain?"

She immediately dug into her pockets and withdrew several small vials. Snape examined each of them before choosing two. "Help me raise his head."

With Tonks's help, he was able to get the potions into Harry's mouth. He knew they were working when he felt the pain begin to subside in his own head and arm. Shacklebolt called over his shoulder, "We need to use the Floo at Arabella's. Can he be moved?"

"I don't see that we have any choice. He needs to be at St. Mungo's. We cannot let them take him to a Muggle hospital." Snape was staring down at the boy on the floor. The potions had stopped the trembling.

Tonks asked, "Can we risk an Enervate? If he walks on his own to Arabella's we can convince the Muggles he was not as badly hurt as we first thought. We can avoid a lot of memory charms if they don't see him Mobiliocorpused."

Snape really didn't like to think about how it would hurt Harry to walk the distance between the houses, but he didn't see any alternatives either. He took a deep breath to steel himself to the pain he would feel when Harry was brought to consciousness. He nodded to Tonks and she pointed her own wand at Harry as Snape held him steady.

As soon as the words left her mouth, Harry cried out. Snape bent closer to Harry.

"Harry – we're here to help you. It will be alright now. I know you're hurting, but you must walk to Mrs. Figg's house." He looked into the fearful green eyes, willing him to understand what he was saying.

Harry finally nodded his understanding, a grimace on his face as the motion caused throbbing in his head to increase. Snape stood up and then slowly drew Harry to his feet. He held himself like a weakened old man, each movement tentative and careful. With Snape on one side and Tonks on the other, they made their way out the front door. Shacklebolt shut the door behind them. Neighbors were still gathered on the lawn and they watched the procession curiously. Arabella rushed along in front of them when she realized they were headed to her house. A few neighbors voiced a question about where they were going, but Shacklebolt fielded them neatly by telling them Harry was not badly hurt and the neighbor had agreed to watch him for now.

They made it inside the door of the house before Harry passed out, Snape catching him. Without stopping, Snape scooped him up as Shacklebolt threw Floo powder into the fireplace, calling for emergency assistance from St. Mungo's. He stood back and Snape stepped through, carrying Harry. Shacklebolt followed. Tonks gave Arabella a reassuring pat on the shoulder before she too followed them to the hospital.

A/N: Please review! My muse is hungry! This story will have 43 chapters and I have started the sequel. Let me know what you think (unless it's a flame and then I will just use my own Asbestios Protego counter curse!

Special thanks to my new beta logicalquirk!