Disclaimer: Not mine!

Author's Note: Wow, so many death threats... Anyway, I thought I shouldn't make you wait too long and so here is the next chapter. However, I just found out that I have history test tomorrow so I have no time to answer your reviews now... Sorry.


51. AND EVERYTHING COMES CRASHING DOWN

Severus could justifiably say that this had been one of the best days of his life. They had eaten at a small private restaurant after the visit to the museum, talking about this and that, about old times and times yet to come. He reminded himself to thank Harry for persuading Rudolphus to ask him out. He would like to say that neither of them had changed much, that their relationship was as it had been, but they had both changed. Rudolphus had become more serious and more dependent on his brother, though the two had always been close, he still had an aura that made people turn their heads, but somehow it was more dangerous now. He himself was more self-confident (at least he liked to think so) and possessed the bitterness of an old man. But still they fit together, they were complementary to each other, maybe even more than before.

"Don't tell me you have been sitting here all day long", he said as he stepped into his rooms and found Tom sitting in the same chair as when he had left, "And they call me a stay-at-home..."

"Funny", Tom growled, moodily staring at the dying fire, "It wasn't my first choice, either."

"And why, pray tell, didn't you do something else?"

"Because Harry doesn't want to see me and when he doesn't want to see me I don't want to see him, either", scowled Tom, flicking a strand of black hair out of his face.

"Oh, of course, I forgot that the world was taken over by Harry clones", Severus muttered sarcastically, "Your lack of action now makes perfect sense, Mylord."

"It's kind of contradictory when you insult me and call me Lord at the same time, Severus", Tom finally looked up, "Since Harry insisted that you all call me Tom you should keep to that."

"Do you expect me to say it again just with a Tom at the end?", sneered Severus, "I fear it would destroy the nub and I'd much rather have an answer."

"I didn't know what to do", shrugged the Dark Lord, "I did all my work because I had planned to take him out. It's not as if I have any free-time activities Harry would approve of."

"So you sat in my chair all day long, staring at the fire."

"Very astute."

"And you plan to continue with it?", Severus asked disbelievingly and rather annoyed, "Why can't you sulk in your own room?"

"Firstly, I'm not sulking and secondly, because they are also Harry's rooms", Tom gave back.

"This is unbearable", the Potion's Master declared and opened the door, "You have to get out of here. I won't have you sulking in my rooms, let's go for a walk."

"Will you leave me alone afterwards?", groaned Tom and very slowly stood up as Severus nodded, "Fine, half an hour not longer."

"Why don't you visit Lucius?", Severus inquired as they walked through the mostly deserted hallways, "Or visit Slytherin Castle?"

"Lucius is negotiating with Weasley about some new laws and I went to the castle two days ago", answered Tom, "Besides no-one asked you to be my baby-sitter."

"Babies only seldom ask for baby-sitters, but that doesn't mean that they don't need one, isn't that right Mr. Olsen and Miss Vivit? Ten points from Hufflepuff and now do something that at least doesn't require the exchange of body fluids, since I doubt you'll ever do anything useful", the two busted Hufflepuffs guiltily shuffled away, "Tom, you should really stop drowning in self-pity."

"It's not self-pity and I'm not drowning", the Dark Lord protested as they turned into another hallway, "I'm worried about Harry."

Severus kept silent after this declaration and they followed the dark hallway, each dwelling on their own thoughts. Suddenly something caught Tom's attention, a small flickering green light in the otherwise dark corner. He crouched down next to it, now recognising that the small thing was partly wrapped in a white handkerchief and cautiously took it in his hand, bringing it back up in order to examine it in the light. His blood ran cold as he realised what it was.

"It's Harry's", he called out to Severus, who had walked a bit further before he became aware that Tom had stopped, "Something is not right."

The Potion's Master took one look at the small necklace before scanning the hallway. It was one of the parts of the castle that no-one ever used and it looked accordingly, the walls were bare and the corners were cobwebbed and dusty, showing that not even the house-elves bothered to clean here. His eyes halted at the only door around.

"Maybe he only lost it", he offered, "I'll check if he's in that room and if he is we can always leave him alone again."

Tom nodded, stepping into a corner so that he wouldn't be seen, and Severus after, deciding that it would be totally pointless to knock, tried the handle. To his surprise the door was locked, but a simple Alohomora made it swing open.

"Shit, Salazar. Tom!", the smell of blood and sex wafted towards him like an eagre and he wanted nothing more than to run, but the sight paralysed his limps.

Three of his students were in that room. Hermione Granger, Ginevra Weasley and Harry Potter. The shock wore off and was replaced by anger as he saw the two pathetic excuses for intelligent life beat the small black-haired boy. He tore out his wand and the two Gryffindors were tossed against the wall, sliding down to the floor in two crumpled heaps. He looked behind him, looking into the ghostly white face of the Dark Lord.

"Snap out of it", he ordered while he handcuffed Harry's tormentors, "He needs help, now!"

Tom felt a slap in his face, breaking him out of his stupor, and he dropped to his knees next to his unconscious husband. There was no word to describe the state he was in. He lay in a puddle of his own deep red blood, his hands were chained over his head, his chest, arms and legs were practically crushed, the limbs falling in bizarre ways, his once pale face was wet, bruises forming around his jaw, his nose and his eyes, pain written all over it. He carefully freed his wrists and then gathered the barely breathing boy in his arms and ran towards the infirmary not looking back. He didn't stop, when he ran past Rudolphus and Rabastan, he caused a first-year to lose all her books.

"Pomfrey, now", he shouted as he very gently put Harry in his bed, removing the remaining rope as Madam Pomfrey bustled into the room, scowling in preparation for her lecture that died on her lips as she saw that the bedclothes had already coloured red: "Good Merlin, I need help. Floo St. Mungo's, now!"

Tom scrambled to his feet, almost stumbling into the next bed, as he hastened into her office and threw the Floo Powder into the fireplace.

"I need a healer, now", he stopped the next best witch that crossed his way, "And don't tell me that I have to wait if you don't want this whole stupid hospital to be blown up."

"Where's the patient, Sir?", asked the witch remarkably calm.

"In Hogwarts."

"Madam Pomfrey sent you?", he nodded briskly and the nurse freed herself from his grip, "I'll sent Healer Deacon over- if Madam Pomfrey calls it must be urgent...", she called over her shoulder and disappeared down the corridor.

Tom rushed back to Hogwarts, where Madam Pomfrey was rapidly casting spells on Harry, from whom he could only see blood-coated black hair.

"Ask Severus if he has made more potions for Harry", she suddenly called out as he carefully dared to approach, "And then wait outside. I can't allow your magic to interfere with this here."

He didn't dare to protest and darted outside, where he found not only Severus, but also Rudolphus and Rabastan.

"How is he?", they asked simultaneously.

"Bad. Severus, do you have anymore of Harry's potions?", he almost pleaded.

"Yes, I'll fetch them", the Potion's Master swivelled around.

"Take Rudolphus with you and inform Lupin and Black", he sighed before he slumped to the floor in an uncharacteristic show of weakness, "And hurry."

The two wizards disappeared down the corridor.

"Harry's a fighter, he will pull through", Rabastan sat down next to him and tried to comfort him.

"You haven't seen him, Rabastan", Tom muttered, staring dumbly at the small silver snake, "He was practically dead."

Rabastan said nothing for a while: "We locked them in the room. Should I go and try to find out what they did to him?"

Tom nodded absent-mindedly and Rabastan, too, left. But he was not long alone, before Rudolphus returned with a bag of potions, which he handed through a half open door- they both noted that the nurse's hands were smeared in blood.

While they waited, Severus Floo-called to Marauders' Reserve.

"Lupin, Black!", he shouted through the seemingly empty house, "This is important, damnit."

"Snape?", Sirius was only clad in pyjama bottoms and his hair looked slightly ruffled, "What's the matter?"

"It's Harry, he was attacked", Severus said urgently, "You have to come here."

The werewolf had appeared behind Sirius, slightly more dressed, though he was also missing his robes. He pulled his head back as Sirius stormed towards him and he had barely time to move out of the landing area before the Animagus stumbled out of the fireplace.

"Where is he?"

"In the infirmary", he was cut short by the arrival of Remus and they all dashed up again to where everyone was still waiting for news.

"They are gone", exclaimed Rabastan, when he returned sometime later, "Someone must have let them out."

"Not to worry, my dear boy", a cheerful voice made them all turn around in the other direction to where Dumbledore stood seemingly totally relaxed and at peace with the world and himself, "I released them, there seemingly was a little misunderstanding."

"They raped my husband", Tom hissed, advancing on the older man, while his magic surfaced, surrounding him with a blood-red light, "What is there to misunderstand?"

"Oh, I think you misinterpreted the situation", Dumbledore chuckled, "It is really sad how far Harry was willing to go to get away from you, Tom. Miss Weasley and Miss Granger merely did what Harry had explicitly asked them to do", he had drawn his wand, "You wouldn't want to punish someone who only helped a friend, would you?"

"You give yourself too much credit", Tom sneered, taking a step backwards, "They always say that you are the only one I was ever afraid of, but guess what? I never feared you, I never even respected you. You were only a nuisance, but now you are not even that, you're an old man who refuses to believe that he has lost", he jerked one hand towards the headmaster, little black and green snakes emerging from the palm of it and tightly wrapping around the old wizard, constraining him, "I wouldn't move, Dumbledore, or Nagini's bite will seem like paradise to you? This is just a preview of what will happen, should Harry die"/Get him out of my sight and don't let him escape, he will pay for this later/, the snakes transported the frozen body down the corridor.

The corridor once again lapsed into silence.

"Rudolphus, Rabastan search the room", ordered Tom over an hour later, "And contact Lucius."

They nodded and left, glad to have something to do. Remus had taken Sirius in his arms, who was crying silently, but not even Severus could muster up enough hate to mock him for it. He himself wasn't coping much better and Tom just continued staring at the necklace, running it through his finger, as if in silent prayer.

"Mr. Riddle", Madam Pomfrey stepped out of the infirmary, cleaning her hands on her already bloody apron, "I don't have the time to beat around the bush, so here it goes: Harry's injuries were so bad that only some obscure shields stopped the baby from dying. However, Harry is redirecting all his magic to protect the baby, which means that his own body will give out soon. I can save only one of them and I need your decision in the next two minutes. Should you chose the child, I'll keep Harry's body on life support until it is time to give birth. I could also both put them in a coma, neither can really live while the other survives", Sirius made a choked noise in the back of his throat and Remus shushed him, "You have to chose one of them."

The Dark Lord closed his eyes, futily trying to find another solution, but the only picture his mind was providing was Harry's tear-filled eyes when he would have to tell him that he lost his child and a picture of a child that looked identical to Harry, looking incredulously at him when he would have to tell him (in his imagination he had a son) that he allowed his daddy to die.

"Mr. Riddle, I need a decision now."

"Save Harry", he croaked out before stumbling to the floor and burying his face in his hands.

"Thank you", Sirius shifted out of Remus' embrace and sat down next to the Dark Lord.

"Harry will never forgive me."

"I think he needed someone who for once put his life before anyone else's", said Sirius quietly, "And Harry wouldn't want his child to live with the knowledge that their life was bought with the life of another. I think you made the right decision."

"Thanks."

Both black-haired men leaned back against the cold wall, staring fixedly at the once again closed infirmary doors. They had to wait another half an hour, before a man in his late fifties, with salt-and-pepper hair opened the door.

"I'm Healer John Deacon. Mr. Potter is awake now, but we will charm him into a healing coma soon. You can see him, but he's still in shock and his reaction might be very violent. I would suggest that not more than two visit him at a time."

"You two go", Remus motioned to Sirius and Tom, "Severus and I will wait."

They didn't need to be told twice. The hospital wing still smelled of blood and sex and Madam Pomfrey hadn't changed the bedclothes yet, though she had cleaned Harry's hands and face. It was a grotesque picture: one small pale boy in a bed of blood. Tom gently took the unbandaged left hand in his and Harry slowly turned his eyes on him. They radiated an eerie calm, but as he focused on him and saw the tears running down his cheeks, his eyes softened and the fingers in his hand almost imperceptibly tightened around his thumb. He slowly put his hand on the blanket over Harry's stomach, where two hours ago a healthy little child had been growing, unable to say the words.

"I lost my child", whispered Harry and he nodded, watching helplessly as Harry's beautiful eyes filled with tears: "I'm sorry."

Sirius had watched the exchange and, wanting to offer some sort of support, lightly put his hand on Harry's shoulder, hoping that he wasn't hurting his godson. Harry twisted around, ignoring the pain he must undoubtedly have felt, and his eyes were suddenly clouded with terror.

"No!", he cried and curled into himself muttering a litany of pleas neither of the two men understood, but served the purpose of alerting the nurse, who shooed them out: "I expected something like this, he is undoubtedly traumatised. I will call you once he's sleeping."

"What have I done wrong?", Sirius whimpered as the door closed behind them.

"It was just the shock wearing off or maybe your touch caused him to have a flashback", offered Tom, "It had nothing to do with you."

"Of course it did", Sirius all but shouted, "He was absolutely calm in your presence and it wasn't my touch. He was frightened, yes, but when he recognised me... it was worse, much worse."

"You're exaggerating", Tom scowled.

"Maybe he's not", Severus interjected, holding out a small potion's bottle, "Polyjuice Potion."

"What exactly are you saying, Snape?", Sirius stared at him.

"They used Polyjuice Potion, that explains why there was so much sperm covering him. Now who would they have transformed into to hit Harry the hardest? You, Black, I think one of them changed into you", the Animagus collapsed soundlessly to the floor, trembling like a leaf.

"Is there any proof for that?", asked Remus defeatedly, "Did you find something else in that room?"

"Someone wove a Anti-Magic Charm around the room that activated as soon as the door was closed", answered Rudolphus, "There where whips and bats and other toys. It was all planned very carefully."

"Where are they?", growled Tom, his magic surfacing once again and crackling around him.

"I had them arrested", a voice from behind them spoke up, "Alongside with Dumbledore after my sister confessed that they had done it on his orders", the new Minister declared, walking towards them with Lucius at his side, "How is Harry?"

"He's still alive."

"That doesn't sound very positive", Percy said, absent-mindedly fumbling with his glasses, "The Aurors are searching Dumbledore's office, maybe they'll find something that will help us. We found this brush in Granger's robes, can anyone make sense of it?"

"It's mine", Sirius sobbed and Remus gently rocked him: "It's not your fault. Harry knows that, he loves you. Shh, he needs you, don't give up like that."

The others watched on in sympathy as the Animagus cried into the werewolf's shirt, who could do nothing but soothingly rub his back.

"Minister", one of the Aurors had come up to them and Percy stepped over to him, waiting for the news, then he nodded and the Auror left.

"Mr. Riddle", Tom's head snapped around, "I have a message for you from Dumbledore: If I can't have him, no-one will. Have fun with your broken toy."

The Dark Lord gritted his teeth.

A nearby window shattered, the walls shook, the floor vibrated, just as Madam Pomfrey opened the door to the infirmary: "Control your temper, Professor Riddle, or I can't take the responsibility for letting you in to see him."

"I'm perfectly calm", Tom declared and brushed past her into the now clean hospital wing and sat down in the same chair as earlier, studying the small figure on the bed.

Harry's chest and his arms were covered in mint green bandages, the same tissue that was also wrapped around his head. The most part of his face was covered with healing salve. His one hand had been put in splints and lightly lay on his stomach, while the other lay lifelessly on the white blankets.

"We'll keep him in the healing coma for about five to ten days, depending on how good his body handles the medication", Madam Pomfrey explained when everyone had filled into the room, "At the moment we are working on stopping the internal bleeding. The green bandages and splints are at only there to stabilise the broken bones until we can fix them."

"Will there be any permanent damage?", asked Tom, struggling to retain his composure.

"That's hard to tell", Deacon said, "It all depends on how much Mr. Potter is willing to fight. A wizard's magic, especially of one as powerful as Mr. Potter, can right almost everything, but at the moment it's the potions we gave him that are healing him. We hope that it's only temporary, that his body hasn't realised yet that the baby doesn't need his magic anymore, but if it's not the consequences will be dire", Sirius sobbed and threw himself in Remus' arms, confusing the healer briefly, "As far as we can tell now there is no brain damage and his body should heal in time But you should definitely find a specialist to help him emotionally, there's nothing anyone can do if he doesn't want to live."

"Is there someone you could recommend?", asked Lucius.

"There are a few, but the most important thing is that Mr. Potter trusts them."

"Sarah Turner, isn't she a psychologist?", Remus asked and Rudolphus nodded: "I will apparate there and ask her, okay, Tom?"

Tom waved him away, not looking up from Harry's face: "Madam Pomfrey, do you think we should move him?"

"I would suggest so, yes", answered the nurse, "I think it will be best if he wakes at home..."

"Hogwarts was his home", Tom replied very quietly and the room lapsed into an uncomfortable silence.

"You can bring him to Malfoy Manor", offered Lucius, "He likes his rooms there."

"Mr. Malfoy, I don't think that's commendable", intervened the healer, "Most rape victims panic in too large surroundings. I would suggest something small, preferably with happy memories connected to it."

"Our house", whispered Sirius, "He can come to our house. I'll stay somewhere else."

"Black, come with me, now!", Severus ordered suddenly, pulling the Animagus to his feet, "And use your own feet, I'm not your donkey!"

Sirius spinelessly and stumblingly followed him, not even noticing the sneer on the Potion's Master's face that wouldn't match the slightly concerned look in his eyes as he led him down to his office. He was a Potion's Master and he would not allow a potion to ruin the life of one of his friends, because Severus knew without a doubt that without Black Harry wouldn't find the will to live. He tore one lanky black hair from his head and put it in the potion before handing it to the Animagus.

"Drink", Sirius didn't protest or really take in the liquid before gulping it down, coughing as the potion ran down his throat and then staring once again on the floor.

A shiver ran through his slender body as the potion took effect. His skin went pale almost shallow, his hair lengthened, his nose grew, his body stretched, becoming thinner and taller, his hands narrowed, the fingers thinned.

"What...?"

"Polyjuice Potion, Black", Severus sneered at his pyjama-clad doppelganger, "Harry is not afraid of you, he will never be, he's afraid of your looks. So I gave you an opportunity to be there for him without bringing back bad memories."

"Why?"

"Because I care for Harry, Black, and because to my sorrow you are the most important person in his life, if you hadn't noticed. You are his reason to live", retorted the Potion's Master, "Dumbledore knew exactly how to break him and you are the only one who can find all the pieces and put them back together."

"Thank you", to Severus' horror his long-time enemy was so overcome by emotions that he deemed it necessary to hug him, "I'll never forget this."

"Yes, this memory will haunt me for live", the real Severus pushed him back, "We are no friends, Black. And don't even think for one nanosecond that I did this for you or because I have a good heart. If you really want to thank me, put on some clothes. And should I ever find a picture of me in any kind of embarrassing position, you can find someone else to make the potion for you."

Sirius chuckled a little, smiling at Severus: "Thank you, Snape. Could I borrow some clothes?"

Severus grumbled something unintelligible, but fetched something from his bedroom, embarrassedly turning away as Sirius got changed.

"Never seen yourself naked before?", Sirius laughed as he tied his shoes.

"And I always had a brain in my head", Severus retorted, scowling at him, "You do remember your godson, don't you? Injured, unconscious,... ring a bell?"

"Yes, Snape", Sirius sighed and followed him out of the room, nervously running his fingers through his hair as they neared the hospital wing.

The door was once again closed and the two identical-looking men could hear soft voices talking.

"Normally I would suggest isolation for a period of time", Sarah explained to Tom, who still sat next to Harry, "But Harry never liked to be alone and it most likely wouldn't bode well with him to be locked in with only one person. Today they accomplished what the Dursleys tried for years, they broke him, shattered him and now he needs people to put him back together."

"So what is it we should do?"

"Take him somewhere, give him a room, where he can be alone, where no-one will disturb him and respect that", explained the empath, "He needs to come to you. Make sure he knows exactly who else is in the house and where exactly- no surprises. Those who want to be there have to be there constantly. Try to talk to him, but let him be before you upset him. Don't touch him, let him initiate all contact. Don't lose your temper, don't get angry, in the state he's in all negative emotions will be taken as a threat. There are some exercises to built up his trust, I will write them down for you."

She reached for the piece of paper Madam Pomfrey held to her and after a bit of hesitation started to write with the quill. When she had finished she handed the parchment back to the Dark Lord and stood slowly.

"You have to give Harry everything without expecting anything in return", she said seriously, "If you're not willing to do that you don't even have to start."

Tom nodded and folded the piece of paper, putting it in his pocket: "Thank you."

She smiled at him: "Harry knows what is best for him, your task is it to make him tell you. You can call me anytime you want, but this is something where he needs friends and not empaths. Once Harry is doing better Simon will come visit him, but right now his presence would only make Harry try to hold in his feelings for fear of hurting Simon", she walked towards the door, "I think I'll try this fireplace-thing now, it sounded rather interesting", the plump woman smiled at all of them and opened the door revealing two Snapes, "Oh, the last time I saw you, there was only one of you", she stepped around them, "In any case it was nice to see you again."

"Polyjuice", Severus offered to the questioning gazes, "Have you decided yet where to bring Harry?"

"If the offer still stands...", Tom asked the second Severus, who had sat down opposite of him.

"Yes, of course", answered Sirius emphatically, "Who else should come?"

"We want to come", Rudolphus and Rabastan declared immediately, "We've spent the better part of the last two month with Harry and Rudolphus has a degree in Muggle psychology."

"Really?", asked Tom surprised, "I never knew that."

"Well, it was kind of boring in Azkaban", Rudolphus stated wryly, "So can we?"

"How many rooms are in your house?", the Dark Lord asked, calculating.

"We have two guest rooms", informed him Remus, "But they're pretty large so if you shared, it would work out."

"Okay", Tom turned back to Madam Pomfrey, "When can we move him and how?"

"I would prefer to keep him at least over night until the internal bleeding stops", she answered, "After that you can Floo there."

Tom nodded: "Severus, can you make the necessary potions and send them over?"

"I intend to come with you", Severus replied grumpily, "Let's see if they can find another Potion's teacher as good as me."

"Very well, then I will go with you through the different potions Harry needs to take once he's awake", the nurse said and motioned for Severus to follow her into her office.


Review?