Chapter 15: Burdens To Carry
Filius Flitwick spoke the incantation that would allow him to pass through Minerva's trap without having to catch the appropriate key. He was the first teacher the students had informed of the developing situation, and he hoped that he would be in time. Whenever the headmaster and his deputy were absent, Professor Flitwick assumed responsibility for the school. In fact, since Pomona had accompanied Minerva and Severus was injured, he'd been the only remaining Head of House. He'd instructed Mr. Longbottom to remain in his office (which he'd still occupied when the boy arrived, Atàca-dàio, as he'd wanted at least one head of house to be available if a student was injured). He didn't want the clumsy boy to roam around Hogwarts under such perilous circumstances.
Filius had known something about Quirinus had changed after he'd come back from his travels. He'd known the young wizard for twenty years, ever since Quirinus himself was a student at Hogwarts. Quirinus had always been a timid man with a slight stutter, but after he'd returned last summer, his anîera… his entire personalitywas different. He groaned when he thought what Miranda, the witch who taught Divination, would say when she heard about this; she would gloat as if her prediction that Quirinus would not last another year was significant. Anybody could predict that in the face of plain statistics! Sharply, he forced his mind to stop his useless rant. He would have preferred Sybil, but Albus had said that she had even less talent than Miranda, so they were stuck with that conceited làsa until… He had to focus on more important matters. It didn't even matter that he'd so severely misjudged a colleague.
The fact remained that the stone was in danger of being stolen by Quirinus, who was obviously in league with some very dark forces; otherwise he wouldn't have stood a chance against Severus. Albus was not in the castle and the castle's only other experts on dark magic were either unconscious or represented the very danger he would have wanted them to advise him on.
His heart had nearly stopped when Mr. Longbottom told him of Lacius' intention to stop the treacherous Defence teacher's plans. This would not end well.
When he came to understand that Mr. Potter had followed the Boy Who Lived down the trapdoor, his heart finally decided to take a short vacation. He remembered the way his throat constricted at the thought of Mr. Potter and Mr. Longbottom facing the man who'd struck down Severus. There was no way they would survive the encounter.
Ms. Granger, who'd received the task to find Pomona, had done so with a basic location spell. It had worked remarkably well and that spell was the only reason he had backup. According to Mr. Longbottom, Lily's son had told Mr. Weasley to help Severus into the Hospital Wing before going to fetch Taylok. If he wasn't in such a hurry, he would have taken time to sigh deeply. He could already see the sgrafur's facialexpression: lack of surprisemixed with insincere sympathy (not that anybody who was not an expert at reading a goblin's behaviour would see either). That look would be replaced by a sneer once they were alone and would be followed by a statement along the lines of 'Isn't it strange how everything seems to fall apart when you take charge, skorun?'.
Well, water under the bridge.
It happened. Now it was time to deal with the problem. Pomona and Minerva caught up to him as he entered the room with the giant chessboard. They quickly ran past it after Flitwick disabled his spells. He faltered a bit, wondering why the chessboard hadn't reassembled itself once the intruders moved onto the next level of security… It had been a bad idea to begin with.
He'd begged Albus to use more sophisticated protection, not… games. Now they were in this terrible mess and the headmaster wasn't around! He only hoped Quirinus was still as hopeless at applying logic as when he was younger. Thankfully, Severus had told him which flask was the correct one after he defeated the Potions Master rather cleverly in a game of chess. They passed the dead troll and he quickly picked up the right vial and poured it into the flames, which immediately extinguished.
Severus would have to come up with something new… They all would.
Oh, how he hoped that this additional work would be necessary.
Wands at the ready, they ran into the next room as they heard a child shout, "Wingardium Leviosa!"
It was a horrifying yet peculiar sight: on one hand, there was Mr. Potter on the ground, unconscious (Filius dearly wished for that to be true and rued the circumstances that would cause him to wish a child be unconscious). On the other hand, Lacius Longbottom stood upright, wand ready in his hands and… he used the Floating Charm to disable Quirrell? The Defence teacher looked strange without a turban, but that wasn't it… Was there a face on the back of his head? Filius' bafflement was cut off when the spell ended and the wizard whirled around to attack the Boy Who Lived. Instantly, Minerva interposed herself between the boy and Hogwarts' Defence teacher while charging toward Quirinus with a nonverbal Stupefy. Flitwick used his personal specialty, a complex variety of the Banishing Charm, to make sure Quirinus wouldn't be able to react in time.
It worked.
Already knocked out cold, the wizard flew past Mr. Potter's body (the Charms professor made sure the boy wasn't touched in the process by using an upper-level shield charm) and was slammed against a wall.
What happened next would forever be burned into his memory and he was grateful Pomona possessed the presence of mind to remove Lacius from the scene as quickly as possible.
There wasn't just a face on the back of Quirinus' head… Something lived there. The stink of decay offended the former duellist's sensitive nose and Filius watched with a strange feeling of revolted curiosity, while the extra face disappear as skin moved in places it shouldn't, the Defence teacher's body started to convulse, and his head snapped back into an unnatural position. For a moment, the tiny wizard thought he heard the man's cerebral vertebrae crack. The wizard's eyelids were half-way closed and as they fluttered Filius realized that all he could see was the white in the convulsing man's eyes. The Charms teacher only flinched a little when his former colleague started to scream: a high, unnatural sound that caused the half-goblin to reflexively draw a protective rune into the air.
It was one to fight off the dark spirits of the world.
Something, a dark presence Filius was unable to identify further, left the trembling body – which stilled instantly – and disappeared through the walls. Filius, wand at the ready, approached the motionless body and looked for any signs of life.
Quirinus was dead.
Simultaneously, Filius and Minerva then moved towards the still body of Mr. Potter, both dreading what they'd find.
"He's alive," Minerva sighed in relief a moment later, as she'd checked his pulse with trembling hands, all magic forgotten.
"What happened to him?" Filius asked, a bit puzzled, starting to check for curses that might have been used on the boy. Harry looked… There were bruises all over his face and more were starting to form… He had the sudden wish Quirinus was still alive, so he could have had the satisfaction of killing him.
"He distracted him, so I could finish him off," a quiet yet steady voice spoke from the entrance.
Lacius Longbottom, looking positively exhausted, stood there leaning against the wall as if he couldn't carry his own weight without help. Mr. Thomas was steadied by Mr. Finnegan ('Just how many first years have been out after curfew? And where exactly did we run past them?'), standing right behind the Boy Who Lived. Pomona looked deathly pale: as if tiniest breeze would floor her. However, she forced herself to appear strong and calm for the children's sake. Minerva was more collected and as deputy headmaster, she decided to take charge of the students.
"Come, children," she said, carefully levitating the small boy towards the exit.
Mr. Finnegan didn't move. He stared at the crumbled body of his former teacher. Filius immediately covered it by conjuring a blanket out of thin air.
He stepped forward, "Mr. Finnegan, Mr. Thomas, Mr. Longbottom… Please, let's go to the hospital wing."
"He's dead, isn't he?" the Irish boy whispered, his lips quivered.
Gently, Pomona laid a hand on his shoulder and said softly, "I'm afraid he is."
"Well, he… He wanted to harm us. He hurt Harry. He was evil, right? So I guess he…"
They were just children.
Realization hit the tiny wizard like cold water. How did you explain tonight's events to a child? Thankfully, none of the boys had actually seen Quirinus die, but they might have heard him scream.
Their parents had to be summoned immediately. Maybe even a Mind Healer from St. Mungo's. They had to…
First they had to go to the infirmary where their physical injuries would be taken care of. After that, they could attempt to take care of the damage that had been done to their young souls.
Minerva seemed to be thinking the same thing because she gently shushed them out of the room. Filius took a moment to observe the room and frowned when he saw two bricks from the wall lying on the ground.
As they walked back, Mr. Longbottom told his friends what had happened once they'd parted on the chessboard ('Where were they hidden? Why didn't they say anything?'). Apparently, he'd found Quirrell pacing across the room, looking for the stone – it stunned Filius just how much the Boy Who Lived knew – and confronted him.
Only to find out that You-Know-Who inhabited Quirinus' body.
It took all of Filius' willpower not to shudder violently at the thought that the presence they'd seen leave was You-Know-Who… A wizard and a dark spirit. If the goblin community found out about that, it would be a catastrophe.
Mr. Longbottom had faced his mortal enemy bravely, though he didn't say that in so many words. At some point and seemingly out of nowhere, Mr Potter arrived and the foolish boys started to exchange some sort of banter to enrage their far more powerful opponent. One of Mr. Potter's remarks seemed to have been particularly vicious, causing Quirinus to lose control.
The result was evident.
Filius could hardly look at the broken boy. The swelling only worsened as they moved and though he was never in critical condition, it looked bad enough that they began to move faster. Pomona flew ahead to incapacitate Fluffy, and soon they were out of the deepest chambers Hogwarts had to offer. They reached the Infirmary in no time but halted when they heard loud voices coming from the rooms.
"… It has no residual effects. I am fine, Madam. Believe me. The children …"
"Are taken care of. Filius, Minerva and Pomona…"
"Do not have the slightest notion what they are dealing with. Now, let me leave!"
"One more step, Severus Snape, and I will use a Bodybind on you."
Quickly, Pomona pushed open the doors, unwilling to allow this argument to continue.
One look at the unconscious boy was enough to end all discussion. It was impossible to tell who was moving faster, in fact that Severus and Poppy arrived at Mr. Potter's side simultaneously.
The mediwitch lifted her wand, but was stopped by Severus whose face didn't show the slightest sign of emotion. He carried the frail body to the bed farthest away from the door, next to one of the large windows, motioned the matron to follow them and closed the curtains behind her. The rest waited in anxious silence, wishing the curtains didn't have privacy charms on them.
As they waited for Madame Pomfrey to finish her examination, the remaining three Heads found beds for their students to remain.
"Has Albus already been notified?" Minerva whispered.
Filius simply nodded.
"Severus… What?" Poppy Pomfrey was completely flabbergasted, once the privacy wards were set. The last time Severus had been as adamant concerning a student's privacy, it turned out to be a case of…
"No," she whispered, her voice broke. "No, he's been coming here for the past two months. I'd have… He was too thin." It couldn't be. Harry simply didn't behave like a victim of abuse.
Katie Bell standing in the Hospital Wing with a scalp wound and a black eye due to a bludger, which had hit her. Harry didn't as much as blink.
"Oh Merlin…" Her hands started to shake. She didn't deserve to call herself mediwitch. Not if she neglected the children in her care this badly.
"Poppy," the serene wizard's voice was soft and the mediwitch was snapped out of the bubble of regret and guilt that started to build. Severus never called her by her first name unless he was trying to calm her down; or to gently remind her of her task.
She straightened up and cast a diagnostic spell to see what had been done to the small body over the past twenty-four hours. Once she'd sussed out the current damage, she could take care of past injuries.
It was enough.
There were several bruises all over his body, caused by what must have been a very painful fall. A severe concussion caused by several blows to the head of both magical and physical origin (someone give her two minutes with Quirinus and she would make sure this would never happen again!). His face was also severely bruised and there were a few fractures to the facial bones. Meanwhile, Severus left for a short moment and came back with several topical potions for the pain, for the bruises, and…
"I don't think he needs a Calming draft," she stated, feeling a bit confused.
"For you," was his plain answer.
Then she noticed that her hands were still shaking. What he gave her wasn't a sedative in the strictest sense: it would calm an agitated mind while it had no effect whatsoever on an already level-headed mind.
Once she took it, she had the necessary peace to think about tonight's events ... and her colleague's behaviour.
He was too calm. He was always composed, but he was only this serene when he was emotionally involved. It was almost as if…
"You knew," she said reproachfully. "You knew long before this!"
For the first time in eleven years, Severus had decided not to bring an abused child to her right away.
"Yes, I did," he admitted, his voice even.
"What happened? Why didn't you tell me?" Each syllable was accusing. Word by word she sounded more agitated.
"Calm down." He used a tone that was usually reserved for rebellious students and its effect was always immediate and it was just as effective tonight. "We will speak about this later. Right now, we have a few injured children who need immediate medical attention. Mr. Potter's past can wait a couple of hours."
This brought her back on track. She cast a few spells to take care of the concussion. Unfortunately, they caused fatigue and would prolong Harry's unconsciousness. She'd have to be on alert the entire night. She didn't want him to wake up in the Hospital Wing all alone.
Then she left Harry's side and took care of Mr. Thomas, who was suffering from a concussion as well, though a mild one. She insisted on him staying overnight, and he was too tired to protest in the slightest. Mr. Finnegan was wholly unharmed, while Mr. Longbottom seemed to have hit his head pretty hard, though he has escaped a concussion. Nevertheless, he would stay overnight as well.
Apparently, Pomona had gone to fetch his brother as well as Mr. Weasley and , while Minerva had left to notify the parents of the injured children (or in Harry's case, his legal guardian). Filius was about to inform the rest of the staff.
No matter how well the teachers were capable of taking matters into their own hands, the mediwitch dearly hoped for the headmaster to return soon.
Once all the children who were to remain were settled and Mr. Finnegan, Neville Longbottom, Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley were escorted to bed by Professors Taylok and Clearwater, she went back to Harry's bed. Severus was still there, sitting on a chair at a considerable distance from the bed.
He looked just about ready to sleep, obviously exhausted by the vicious assault he'd suffered. At the same time, he was caught up in deep thought. That much she could tell as she was one of the few people capable of reading him.
"You do know that it is my duty to examine him, to protocol the damage that was done to him. As it would have been your duty to report it." She couldn't just let this slide. Severus usually didn't fail in his judgment.
Silence.
The Potions Master was quiet for so long, she started to believe he wouldn't answer at all.
"He has been betrayed by every adult that ever walked into his life with the exception of his current guardian who is completely overtaxed by the sheer amount of children under her care, not to mention incapable of raising a wizard child. She gained his respect and loyalty by letting go of the past. If I had the slightest impression that he was currently suffering from abuse of any nature, I would have reported it immediately. However, that is not the case, and it would have done by far more harm than good if I had told you about it."
"Scars are not only of the body, Severus…"
Dark eyes caught hers, reminding her that he was well aware of this fact, and that she was not helping the discussion at all. "I know. Yet… What do you want to do? Send him to Mind Healer Naima? Let me tell you that Muggle authorities have already given him psychiatric evaluations and before you dismiss this, let me also remind you that a mind healer's non-magical tactics are very closely related to what their Muggle equivalents do. Every magical alternative would be an intrusion and he won't consent to it because he doesn't want an adult inside of his head. Friends of his have been brought to what you – a former trainee of St Mungo's – refer to as the Fourth Circle. He is ready to do anything to keep his other friends as well as himself from that place…"
"If he needs it…" she hated situations like this. This one was particularly dire. She could feel it. Severus' jaw wouldn't be as tense otherwise. As she started to speak, Severus stood up revealing his full height.
"If you force him, he's gone. He won't stay at a place where people are set to cage him. He has to be evaluated, yes, physically shortly after he regains consciousness. When he's awake. Anything else would discomfort him."
"You lost me, Severus."
"He isn't a simpleton. He will know that he must have been unconscious; he knows that would lead to a physical examination performed by you. Besides, he has been helping you, Madam, be assured he will know of your awareness the very second he looks into your eyes. Do not underestimate him." Severus was very solemn by nature. Tonight, he seemed to have reached an entirely new level.
At the same time…
Poppy smiled, "You are fond of him."
"Please excuse me, Madam Pomfrey," he said, not even bothering to respond. "I will try to get some rest before the headmaster arrives."
His limbs felt heavy, his head heavier.
It took Harry several minutes to realize where he was and remember what happened. He was confused. He couldn't connect prior occurrences to the complete lack of discomfort. He'd expected to be in pain… and he wasn't.
Very slowly, he opened his eyes and became aware that he wasn't the only one in the room. The curtains around his bed were only half-way closed and he could see Dean, fast asleep. He heard nearly silent footsteps near his bed and was up a second later.
"Quiet," Lacius hissed. "Don't move. Pomfrey will know you are awake otherwise."
"What happened to Quirrell?" That was the only important question.
"He's been taken care of," was Lacius' blunt answer.
"Dead?" If Lacius thought he was callous, his questions might as well be.
The Boy Who Lived flinched, but it didn't amuse the other kid. Harry wouldn't shed a tear over Quirrell either, however.
"He survived, though," Harry concluded. "Goblins say that what's in between cannot be killed. He called himself a shadow; in between darkness and light."
"He survived, yes," the other boy whispered.
"You saved my life… again. I owe you this time," Harry said, though he couldn't keep his vexation out of his voice.
"We're even. You don't owe me anything." The Boy Who Lived gritted his teeth. He seemed to be unable to openly admit that Harry had saved him as well.
"I told them you helped by distracting him, so I could stop him." Lacius continued. The lie explained his reluctance to admit Harry's involvement. The lie apparently didn't bother the famous underage wizard. Yet, he seemed to feel the need to explain himself, "Let's face it, Potter. The Wizarding community generally wouldn't care much about someone who did something to keep You-Know-Who from coming back…"
"But if that someone was the Boy Who Lived it's another story entirely," Harry shrugged indifferently.
"Exactly. The world needs a hero, and that's not you." He didn't smirk when he said that, he didn't look superior. He seemed to be stating simple facts.
Harry nodded slowly. He knew what he had done and he didn't need other people's acknowledgment. There were more important matters to discuss.
"He'll be back, you know," he said.
"Not for a while, he won't," Lacius replied coolly.
Harry still felt exhausted and that was the reason he didn't feel the vibes until it was almost too late.
"Go to bed, I think I heard something," he hissed. For once, the other boy obeyed at once. Harry closed the curtains and pretended to sleep.
Not ten seconds later, he finally heard quiet steps entering the Hospital Wing, coming from the direction of Madam Pomfrey's office. She came straight to his bed, and Harry felt his heart pounding uncomfortably fast. He was sure that she would hear it as soon as she opened the curtains.
He'd been examined.
When he was unconscious.
He had been unable to hide anything, to distract her in any way. She had to know. He felt his lips quiver slightly and tears prickled right beneath his closed eyelids. He forced himself to relax, so she would just…
"I know you are awake, Harry," she whispered almost inaudibly. "You don't want to talk and I understand. Be assured that I only checked for physical injuries inflicted on you for the past twenty-four hours. Professor Snape interfered when I was about to perform one of the routine diagnostic spells in front of everybody. So, be assured he kept your secrets and did everything in order to protect your privacy. I'm not a fool, Harry, but I have failed you by neglecting to examine you when you first entered this Infirmary and I saw that you were far too thin. I am sorry."
For the first time in his life he'd received an apology from an adult. Harry had no idea what to do, so he just continued pretending to sleep.
"It will be your choice, Harry. You will decide when, where and with whom you will have this examination. Please, try to get some more sleep. The healing balms I used should make all your bruises disappear at sunrise." Having said that, she left his side again and Harry had the urge to call her back.
'How about never, nowhere with nobody?'
Retrospectively, he'd known it had been an illusion to think he'd be able to keep his secrets for seven years, but a little longer than two and a half months would have been desirable.
Besides, it wasn't public knowledge. Thanks to Snape's quick reasoning. Snape who seemed to have recovered from the attack he'd suffered. Snape who'd served Voldemort… A shudder ran down his spine as realization hit him again.
'And it seems you have forgotten whom you serve.'
Quirrell's words, followed by the terror in Snape's eyes.
Conflicting feelings battled each other. He was more than a little grateful for the professor's silence concerning his past. Snape had stared death in the face without flinching when he opposed the one he'd served. Yet, on the other hand…
Why?
For the love of… Why would anyone, not to mention an intelligent man like Snape follow someone like Voldemort? Serve a racist murderer, a megalomaniac determined to rule the world?
He'd never betray to anyone what he'd witnessed. Snape had kept his secrets, he'd keep his return. That was the way his world worked. Besides, Snape no longer followed Voldemort; that much he knew. Ultimately, this was all that mattered.
Harry had no idea how long he stayed awake after that, haunted by past events.
Seeing what was hidden under the turban.
Voldemort.
Quirrell's violent attack.
Madam Pomfrey knowing what happened.
Voldemort knowing what happened. Knowing him.
At some point, he fell asleep.
When Harry woke up, he heard the headmaster's voice.
"You've done extraordinarily well, dear boy. I'm proud of you."
"Sure," was Lacius' distanced answer. "You can't tell me anything really… Why I defeated him that night when it was Lily Potter who died to save us and Father told me that altruistic sacrifices never hold as much power as the ones out of love, which would indicate that Potter would have to be the one protected. You can't tell me why You-Know-Who – and I won't say his name, no matter how much you want me to – wanted to kill us in the first place. But at least, you are proud of me. Excuse me, sir," Harry hadn't known that a single syllable could say something along the lines of, 'Suck it up and deal!' "I'd like to see how my friends and brother are. My parents will arrive in a couple of hours and take me home for a few days until the first wave of hysterical madness is over, however I'd like to talk to my friends first."
At that, Harry heard light steps walk towards the exit and leave the Infirmary. He closed his eyes, and unless his senses fooled him, only Dumbledore was present. Carefully, he stood up because he didn't quite trust the effects of medical potions, unjustly as he noticed a second later and pushed the curtains away.
The headmaster looked completely lost and sad. Harry wasn't the person to rub salt in a wound, but…
"It was your idea, wasn't it?" Dumbledore spun around, obviously startled. And judging by his expression, he wasn't startled a lot. "To protect the stone like that. I honestly don't know what to make of you. The protection looked awfully like a bunch of tests to me."
"Mr. Potter…" Harry frowned. From the day they'd met, Dumbledore had called him by his first name. Something wasn't right. Trying to sound unaffected, he continued his speech, "Whatever you want to prepare him for, sir… He's smart and he doesn't trust you. You better stop playing games, or you will be very lonely very soon. Don't ever betray those you care for."
He felt his heart beating faster, desperately hoping he hadn't read the man wrong. He was almost relieved when he saw Dumbledore looking even more miserable. The silence became uncomfortable in a matter of seconds, and Harry took a deep, thankful breath when it was interrupted by Madam Pomfrey, who told the headmaster that they needed privacy.
Harry couldn't look her in the eyes. If he had, he'd have seen that she too had troubles with that.
"Can I… Can we wait a couple of days? When things go back to normal around here?" He'd heard Lacius' comment and he could only imagine what the Hogwarts' grapevine came up with. He couldn't go through all that and face his past at the same time.
"Of course. Take your time," she answered kindly.
"Are you the only one who can do those tests?" Once he realized how that sounded, he looked remorsefully into her eyes. "It's not that I… I don't want you to see me like that. I'd like to learn from you for the next seven years, how to heal, how to…"
"Conceal?" she finished, her nostrils flared indignantly.
"Believe me I don't plan on getting beaten up any time soon." The look she gave him spoke volumes. Harry snorted, "I prefer getting smacked around over being killed. I'm not in love with pain, but I'm not suicidal either." She flinched, obviously not used to a young boy being quite this blunt.
"Sometimes you are so much like him, it scares me," she said, but she smiled fondly. Harry looked up in surprise.
"Who?"
"Oh, just a boy I knew when I went to school," she answered lightly, but her eyes looked sad. "He was a little older and came from a Muggle orphanage, like you. He died many years ago. His mind and tongue worked as fast as yours when he felt comfortable, but your views differ nine times out of ten. In this you agree fully though, it's almost as if you're quoting him."
"What was his name?" Harry asked instead of telling her that pride could only go so far. His pride nearly got him killed, but he never would have died for it.
"Tom. He went to Wool's orphanage. Merlin, he hated the place."
Harry gasped, "That one burned in the seventies and is still talked of. I'd be worried if he didn't hate the place." Also, it wasn't too far away from Hell. He'd actually walked past the building on his way to King's Cross. It had been restored in the mid-eighties, after several fruitless efforts in the seventies. Why anybody would want to restore a place like that puzzled him. Either they really didn't care about history and rumours, or their taste was disgusting.
Madam Pomfrey's voice brought him back to reality, "Who do you want to perform the examination?"
"Does it include, you know…" he gestured taking off his shirt. If that was the case, screw his education with the matron… He wouldn't let anybody actually see it. Magic had to be good for something.
"No, it's a series of spells that will tell the caster what happened to your body over the years. You won't have to undress."
"I would like Professor Snape then. If he's willing and able."
"Be assured I am both," a deep voice spoke from the Infirmary's entrance and Harry jumped, angry at himself for being so absent minded. If he didn't get a grip soon, he'd land himself serious trouble… More trouble than he was already in.
"How do you feel, sir?" Harry asked, determined not to show just how unsettled he felt by the tall wizard's presence.
Meanwhile, Madam Pomfrey seemed to sense that she was somehow unwelcome and walked past her colleague, hissing something about 'no more than five minutes'.
Once the doors to her office closed, the Potions Master sighed, "I'm not sure whether to scold or thank you." Harry laughed. He hadn't realized how tense he was until it vanished.
"That's alright, sir, you aren't the first one at that."
"Wanting to scold you?" Snape asked, sounding puzzled, but Harry was quite sure he was joking.
"It's usually 'Harry, I will bloody well strangle you if you do that again... Thanks anyway.'" Harry answered, not really feeling like keeping that to himself. In foreseeable future, this man would know more than any other adult in his life, with the terrible exception of Voldemort, who'd seen it first-hand in Harry's mind. But his parents' murderer wasn't an adult, he wasn't even human.
Snape seemed to observe the change in Harry's mood as he unconsciously grasped the arm that revealed Voldemort's mark.
"Mr. Potter, I…"
"Remember what I told you? I won't ask, you won't tell. Clean slate, sir. I can't pretend to understand, but you've made your current position quite clear to me last night, twice actually. Neither of us wanted the other to know our darkest secret, but we do. We're even, sir. I won't tell anyone."
Slowly, the adult wizard nodded.
"We all have marks, professor," Harry added, fingering his ever-present watch. He noticed Snape's gaze witnessing the gesture. "As long as you don't let them rule your life, it's fine."
"It wasn't your choice to wind up there. It was out of your control," Snape protested without displaying too much emotion.
Harry felt like crying and bit his lips, "Actually, it was." The thought of a life without knowing Char as well as everybody else burned him, but looking back, he couldn't say for sure if he'd be able to make this very same choice twice. Nobody would blame him for those thoughts, but he was still ashamed.
The tall wizard looked as if he wanted to say something more, but Madam Pomfrey entered and their conversation was cut short. Not two minutes later, the Potions professor left after they agreed that the ominous examination would be performed after Harry's stay at the Infirmary and before Christmas break.
A few hours later, a fully awake and almost entirely recovered Harry was starting to feel stir crazy.
He was a lot of things, but a good patient wasn't one of them.
When the matron finally let his friends visit, he wasn't sure if it was out of exasperation or pity.
Theo was the first to enter, followed by Hermione, Ron and his closer mates from Hufflepuff, Hannah, Susan and Eloise who brought several 'get well' cards from the rest of his class. He was surprised to see Blaise and Millicent stand at the entrance as well. When the latter saw him in the bed, she ran past everybody and hugged him tightly enough to squeeze the air out of his lungs. Gently, Blaise held her back when he saw Harry starting to look panicked.
"Ever thought about getting backup or did you just think you had to go playing hero all by yourself?" Theo asked, sounding frustrated yet warm at the same time.
"Lacius Longbottom is the hero, I just happened to stumble onto everything."
Theo smirked a little before he looked past Harry's bed towards one of the windows and squeezed his eyes together, obviously seeing something interesting.
"You need glasses, Theo," Harry suggested, but he was ignored as the other boy quickly walked to the window and stared outside. Everybody followed him.
"What is it?" Hannah asked, trying to see whatever Theo was seeing.
"Nothing. Just looking for the Kneazles," he answered casually.
Blaise chuckled.
"Sorry, what?" Harry asked, not getting the joke. Ron started laughing too, as well as Susan who shook her head in disbelief.
She explained, "I guess what he's trying to say that before you 'stumble onto' anything and let someone else play the hero, Kneazles will fly."
The rest of the group started laughing, and Harry said, "Somehow, I think pig sounds better than Kneazle."
"Is that what Muggles say?"
Harry nodded, but he grinned too. It disappeared once he saw Theo's serious expression.
"Next time, we'll back you up." It wasn't a question. It was a promise. "You're no longer the only magically gifted person around. We can take care of ourselves."
"Oh, there was a really special form of magic involved, Theo. The kind we can't summon," Harry said softly. They all looked at him, puzzled. "Sheer, dumb, incredible luck. We'd both be dead otherwise."
Everybody flinched a little at Harry's words, but Theo looked furious. Harry cast him an apologetic glance. The young Slytherin's jaw was tense.
"Next time, you let us back you up," Theo repeated.
"I'll try."
"Now that's better."
A question formed in Harry's mind and for once he wanted everybody to hear it, "Why do you think I never accepted backup?"
"Come on, Harry," Theo was clearly irritated.
"No, I don't understand. What makes you think that?"
"You knew how to do conscious magic when you came here, you've got the Influence… You couldn't rely on your Muggle friends without risk, so you got used to doing things on your own."
To a point, that was true. Then he thought of some of the stunts Matt and Sharon pulled around Sullivan, so Jean and Harry could sneak Rose out of the 'Hole'. Or that time they'd taken on an East End Mob that was trying to branch out.
"I did rely on them, Theo, and I would do it again without hesitation. Magic doesn't give you that much of an advantage if you can't fight," he said, feeling protective of his friends.
Theo sighed, "Just… promise not to jump into the next adventure without some people watching your back."
"Adventures have the tendency to jump me, not the other way around," Harry answered, a bit defensive, but he carefully gave his word to look for help if the situation warranted it.
They talked for a long time – among other things, Hermione and Ron told him what happened after he'd lost consciousness and the others told him of the rumours floating around the castle – until Madam Pomfrey shushed them out of the room, leaving Harry all to himself again. He dreaded the night. Last night he'd been drugged out of his mind. Tonight, for the first time in Harry's life, he would be sleeping all alone in a really large room.
An hour and no sleep whatsoever later, he heard the door to the Infirmary open.
It was Theo, Blaise, Millicent, Susan, Hannah and Eloise.
Harry didn't say anything. He mutely watched them approaching his bed. Eloise seemed to be carrying a sleeping bag. The others moved a couple of beds near his own as quietly as possible. Some noise was made, but Madam Pomfrey would likely be sleeping soundly tonight after staying up all of the previous night.
"What…?" he whispered.
"You looked unhappy when we left, so we figured we'd keep you company," Susan explained as she went to fetch a couple of cushions from the other beds.
"If anybody finds out about this…"
"Nobody will know, Harry," Blaise pacified him. "Believe me: We left after Gabriela's last control. She went to sleep, so nobody will notice until tomorrow morning."
"You are crazy," the only male Hufflepuff in the room hissed. "And I'm really grateful for that," he added in defeat, once Theo shot him a glance with raised eyebrows.
Hannah opened her sleeping bag ('Mum's idea. She wasn't quite convinced that the list was all we needed for school was all I needed.') and decided to sleep right next to Harry. Blaise and Millicent shared a bed as well as Eloise and Susan. Theo was perfectly happy sleeping by himself.
Harry, finally feeling relaxed, was touched and happy, and fell asleep before he was even able to wish them all 'Good night!'
The next morning, he was awoken by the by now familiar walls of Hogwarts and he shot up instantly.
"Peeves," he hissed, hoping that the poltergeist was nearby. Indeed, the chaos spirit was behind him a second later blowing cold air into his right ear.
"Please, whoever's coming, can you distract them for like… five minutes?" he whispered.
"It's the billowing bat of the dungeons, it is. Won't aggravate him in the mornings I won't." It looked like nobody truly wanted to mess with Slytherin's Head of House.
Snape. Oh no!
"I'm not asking to annoy him, just distract him. Please?" The others would be in real trouble if Snape found them here. "Or, can you get my friends out of here without letting him know?"
It was strange to see those mischievous eyes looking thoughtful. Then he grinned. He snapped his fingers and a couple of elf-like creatures Harry had never seen before appeared out of nowhere. Without exchanging words with the elves, Peeves, his friends, and the elf-like creatures vanished. The beds rearranged themselves instantly and the second Snape entered the Infirmary, everything looked normal.
"Good morning, Professor," Harry said cheerfully, trying to cover up his confusion.
"Good morning, Mr. Potter. I assume you've slept soundly," he noted.
"Yes, sir, thank you. How have you been recovering?"
"Very well," he answered politely. "Mr. Potter, have you seen Ms. Bulstrode, Mr. Zabini and Mr. Nott?"
"Yesterday, when they visited me," he responded without blinking. He was still a bit tense whenever Snape was closer than five feet from him, but he had to admit that he wasn't as much on edge anymore.
"Hmm," was the pensive response, "I see." They both were aware that Snape knew where they'd been and Harry couldn't help but be curious how Snape would handle the whole thing. "My prefects were quite distraught this morning when they noticed their absence."
"Sir, I'm sure Mill, Blaise and Theo wouldn't want to upset your prefects," Harry defended them. "Not without good reason, at least."
"I agree," was the carefully chosen reply. Harry briefly wondered just how much Snape knew and how much of it was guess-work.
"Sir, hypothetically, if they decided to come here in order to keep me company, what would be the consequences?"
"Hypothetically speaking, I would have them serve detention until the end of the year for ignoring school as well as house rules," the Potions Master answered seriously, but Harry could swear that for the shortest of moments there was a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
"However, if there wasn't a trace of them, hypothetically, what would you do?"
"I generally do not punish the members of my house without proof, Mr. Potter, hypothetically speaking or not," Snape replied.
"That's good to know, sir," Harry smiled.
Neither of them spoke until Snape continued their little game.
"Hypothetically speaking, Mr. Potter, how would you explain the disappearance of three or rather, given Professor Sprout's report, six first-year students from a room that disables almost any kind of magical transportation past a member of the staff?"
"If I had a hypothetical clue, sir, I would hypothetically share my hypothesis," Harry laughed light-heartedly.
"I'm afraid your first use of the word isn't entirely correct, Mr Potter." It was impressive just how tightly the tall man was in control of his emotions.
"Sir, I'm sure that, when you return you will find that Blaise, Mill and Theo will be either in the Great Hall or their Common Room, and they will be wondering what this mayhem is about."
"I'm inclined to agree, though I still can't figure out what happened."
"Me neither," Harry answered truthfully. Peeves was full of surprises, and as chaos spirit he lived to cause mayhem. And causing mayhem in this school's most collected mind was definitely worth the favour he'd done for Harry.
Snape left shortly thereafter, but a stream of visitors came by, starting with Professor Flitwick and ending with sgrafur Taylok who inquired after his health. Harry was surprised to note just how concerned the Charms professor was, and Harry thanked him wholeheartedly for saving their lives. Professor McGonagall joined them and Harry had to repeat his speech on just how grateful he was. She too seemed to be a bit shaken up over the beating Harry had taken, and judging by the murderous expression she assumed when talking of Quirrell, the eleven-year-old considered his former Defence teacher lucky for being dead already. Professor Sprout was behaving a bit strangely: she kept glancing at him as if waiting for him to do something unexpected. That was understandable; she probably wasn't used to students who kept getting themselves into trouble. On the other hand, it made him feel uneasy.
A/N: Before anybody says "Flitwick was the one who created the flying keys and McGonagall was the one who created the chessboard!" I am fully aware that Harry, Ron and Hermione interpreted it that way in canon. But if you look at it, the keys looked as if they were transformed and the chessboard looked "Engorgio"ed... Besides, who seems to be more into Quidditch: Professor Flitwick or Professor McGonagall :) ?
As always: Thank you so much for the reviews and I apologize for not replying... or rather for replying so rarely. Between writing and real life, I didn't have much time. I hope to do better in the future.
I intend to write on this story until the children's first christmas break starts, then I'd like to spend some time taking care of my story notes (which are kind of a mess right now; on scraps of paper and my original notes, at the bottom of the file, which entails the whole story), so I don't start to forget or mix up anything... Also, I'll probably go back to Finding Parental Care for a while. That story has been waiting long enough to be continued...
Remember, lots of reviews lead to lots of motivation to continue both stories ;)
Last, but not least: 0TruestBlue0 and DaiVath, thank you so much for beta-ing this chapter, although the both of you were occupied with more important things. I truly appreciate it *cyber hug*.
Next Chapter: Unexpected Visitors
