Chapter 24: Sectumsempra and Tea
AN: as always, nothing is mine. everything between the * is JKs and in this chapter- taken from the Half Blood Prince. I'm not making any money off of this.
*"Malfoy wheeled around, drawing his wand. Instinctively, Harry pulled out his own. Malfoy's hex missed Harry by inches, shattering the lamp on the wall beside him; Harry threw himself sideways, thought Levicorpus! and flicked his wand, but Malfoy blocked the jinx and raised his wand for another -
"No! No! Stop it!" squealed Moaning Myrtle, her voice echoing loudly around the tiled room. "Stop! STOP!"
There was a loud bang and the bin behind Harry exploded; Harry attempted a Leg-Locker Curse that backfired off the wall behind Malfoy's ear and smashed the cistern beneath Moaning Myrtle, who screamed loudly; water poured everywhere and Harry slipped as Malfoy, his face contorted, cried, "Cruci -"
"SECTUMSEMPRA!" bellowed Harry from the floor, waving his wand wildly.
Blood spurted from Malfoy's face and chest as though he had been slashed with an invisible sword. He staggered backward and collapsed onto the waterlogged floor with a great splash, his wand falling from his limp right hand."*
Severus had just stepped out of his quarters to head to dinner when he felt it. Something was… tingling. It started his heart racing and a curious tugging feeling deep down. Somehow his vow was being tested. He gasped at the feeling and wondered where to go- where was Draco right now? He thought momentarily of the Room of Requirement, recalling what Hermione had told him… He had already started up the stairs and was nearing the sixth floor when he heard the shrieking.
He ran towards it and saw immediately why his vow would have tugged at him. It felt as if his heart had stopped when he took in the tableau before him; Draco, lying in a pool of blood, water gushing from the sinks and Harry Potter kneeling besides him looking pale and scared. Truly it looked as if Draco were already dead, given the amount of blood and the general feeling of chaos that came from gushing water and a wailing ghost. What had Potter done?
He swallowed his panic and pushed Potter aside to take a closer look at Draco. Sectumsempra! His luck was still with him; Draco was still breathing and it was a curse he could heal. He ignored Potters whining and started the sing -song chant. The curse had gone deep and it took him multiple passes to get the wounds to start knitting. Draco had lost a great deal of blood and his vow was still creating that tugging feeling.
*'You need the hospital wing.' He said, half lifting the boy to his feet.
'There may be a certain amount of scarring, but if you take dittany immediately we might avoid even that… come…'*
He braced Draco's arm around his shoulders and helped walk him out of there. Remembering at the last minute to order Potter to wait for him. It was only when he was returning to the bathroom and Potter that he started to wonder about where Potter would have learned that particular curse.
In the end he settled on giving Potter as many detentions as he could reasonably fit in, given the end of the year. Indeed, even knowing how missing the quidditch match would affect the boy, wasn't enough to sufficiently curb his anger. Potter had his book! He had clearly been using it all year, which would explain Slughorn's effusive compliments of the boy.
It infuriated him even more to know that Potter had blatantly lied to him about the book. He could have taken it further, brought it up with the headmaster even, but it really wouldn't signify. Not given what he could expect in the coming weeks. He did make a point of telling the entire staff about the incident in the bathroom… it was gratifying to see the anger and horror on Minerva's face .
Hermione pressed her hand to her stomach as Harry wrapped up his story, she felt nauseous when she thought of what had happened. He had nearly killed Draco Malfoy and he was complaining about missing a quidditch game? She couldn't even come up with the right words or emotions to express how she felt, how could anyone handle what had just happened with any sort of equanimity? It was clear that none of her peers saw how serious it was. She tried to calm herself down, telling herself that she knew Harry wouldn't have deliberately tried to harm Malfoy to the extent he did. Harry hadn't meant to almost kill the other boy… that spell must have been some seriously dark magic and he had just blindly used it. Blindly trusted something written in a questionable book.
In the end she had given up and gone up to her room, leaving behind the collective silence from Harry, Ron and Ginny. They clearly weren't willing to see her side of it. She decided to do some research on this half-blood prince when she could get some free time. Perhaps there were some clues in some of the old school records in the library. What kind of student would come up with dark spells like the one Harry had used on Draco?
The next evening, Hermione hesitantly approached Snape's office, wondering how this recent altercation between Harry and Draco would effect his mood. She was pleasantly surprised to find him rather calm when she entered his office. He was busily stacking several vials of potion on his desk as she took her seat and barely spared her a glance. She decided she may as well address the problem head on rather than skirt around it.
'Good evening sir… er… I wanted to apologize. For Harry.'
He whipped his head up at that, meeting her eyes directly before his face folded into his customary scowl.
'It would be wise if we don't spend too much talking about your friend tonight, Granger.' He said in a curt voice, practically spitting at the word friend.
'I know sir, I just… he didn't know what that spell would do…Harry wouldn't purposely –'
He cut her off before she could finish.
'Potter used a spell without knowing what it would do? You are defending this?'
'No… I mean, I was angry with him too. It was irresponsible … I just wanted you to know he wouldn't have deliberately done that to Draco if he had known.'
He narrowed his eyes.
'Your Mr. Potter acted recklessly and could have killed Draco Malfoy. It also shows an incredible lack of forethought to use a spell without knowing what the results will be. I don't think I've encountered another student who has shown that level of arrogance and stupidity.'
Hermione fought to keep her face blank and now show him how nervous he was making her. He was practically yelling, and had moved closer to her almost looming over her, and she instinctively wanted to shrink back and away from him. She must have given some of her feelings away despite her efforts for he stopped and took a deep breath, and seemingly managed to reign his anger in. If she hadn't been so nervous she would have been fascinated to see someone exert such self control. He took a step back and pinched the bridge of his nose for a second before looking at her.
'It is not your fault, Granger. You know how I feel about Potter. I think it best if we just avoid that subject for the evening.' Hermione nodded and tried to give him an encouraging smile.
'Yes, sir.'
He gestured to the potion vials lined up on his desk.
'I'd like you to tell me what each of these potions is and what their purpose is.'He said.
Hermione approached the desk and looked through the vials, she was able to select and describe the effects of pepperup, dreamless sleep potion and murtlap essence immediately. Over the last 6 years, she and the boys had spent several hours in the infirmary and encountered each of these potions often enough. She set them to the side and considered the others. She was fairly certain the red potion was blood-replenishing and the vial containing a muddy brown liquid held essence of dittany, she had read about both of those. She considered what was left. A small vial of acid green potion and a larger vial of something that resembled milk.
'I don't know these.'
Snape pointed to the white milky potion first.
'That is invigoration draught. It will give the user a burst of energy for approximately 30 minutes, however, be warned that afterwards you would be extremely tired.' He pushed it to the side with the other potions Hermione had picked out.
'The last, Ms. Granger, contains an antivenin to a specific snake's venom.' He stepped closer to her and handed her the small vial.
Hermione gasped. 'Nagini?' She said in a low voice.
'I was able to extract some venom when Arthur Weasley was bitten. I was only able to create two doses.'
Hermione up the vial, examining it in the light from the nearest torch.
'Do you have your bag- the one with the extension charm on it?' Snape asked her.
Hermione nodded, placing the antivenin back on his desk and picking up her school satchel. She pulled out her bag, recently transfigured to look like a small and rather feminine handbag.
Snape raised one eyebrow. When he had seen it before, it had been a basic leather drawstring bag, Hermione had transfigured it to add some color and beading. She smiled sheepishly at him and shrugged.
'The drawstring bag looked a bit conspicuous… nobody questions a girl carrying a pretty handbag.'
'Indeed.' He responded. His expression didn't change, but Hermione thought she saw a slight glimmer in his eyes. She fancied that maybe he approved her thought process.
'These potions are for your use. Keep them in your bag and keep your bag with you from now on. You may need to leave in a hurry.'
Hermione nodded and started picking up each vial. She had a pocket in her bag that she had cast a cushioning charm on - it would be a perfect location for the potions.
Severus watched as Hermione slowly added each potion vial to her bag. It was a ridiculous bag, purple , adorned with glittery beads and a shiny ribbon where the simple black drawstring had once been. He couldn't deny that her thinking was sound, it would be easy to underestimate a bag such as hers. He had seen several of her female peers carrying around items very similar to her bag.
After she had tucked all of her potions away she tilted her head up to look at him. Her mouth was curved into a slight smile and her eyes, meeting his, were wide open, soft and filled with warmth. He always thought of this as her 'open expression'. It made him feel trusted and liked. It made him feel ten feet tall, and before he knew it, he was inviting her for tea in his quarters.
She told him about her recent arithmantic calculations and about what Vector was starting to see in the matrix. The fall of the ministry would happen very soon after the term ended. Hogwarts would follow.
'I will most likely be headmaster.' He admitted.
'That is not surprising.' She said. 'I assume Dumbledore is aware of this as well… for after…' She didn't finish, they both knew what she was alluding too.
'… I suppose it's part of his plan.' She said.
'Some of the... some people are already planning to hide away.' She said.
'I think that is a good idea.' He said. 'Vector is correct, the ministry will fall. Muggleborns will not be safe... and I... can't protect anyone. I have to appear completely loyal.' He said, knowing his voice sounded strangled. He tried not to imagine what he may need to witness in the near future.
'It will be hard on you.' She said. 'I imagine you will see some terrible things and will want to intervene.'
He nodded. In truth he already had experienced several horrors, it would only get worse.
'Dumbledore asks for far too much.'
Her voice was bitter. He found it refreshing to hear her disapproval of the headmaster and he relished the fact that he had an ally.
He felt some of his tension dispel as they sat there, sharing tea and biscuits. Severus didn't even notice when their conversation flowed from the business at hand to other topics. She told him about her apparitions license exam, and he told her of his own. Though they were few, he told her the stories he had that contained good memories at Hogwarts during his time as a student. The topics easily flowed and ranged from the personal to academic.
Perhaps it was due to the unacknowledged fact that this would most likely be their last evening together, but something seemed different about the way they interacted and conversed. It felt more comfortable and more personal than before. She sat comfortably with her legs pulled up underneath her, they had long since stopped drinking tea and he found himself simply enjoying the conversation.
Before calling a halt to their discussion and sending her back to her dormitory, Severus made a conscious effort to memorize the moment. Months, perhaps even weeks from now he would be a pariah. He would be wanted and reviled by the Wizarding world and there would be no more cozy evenings with tea and a warm fire. This young witch would be the only person in the world to know the truth of who he was. He tried to memorize the way she looked on his couch, her eyes open and trusting, her smile warm as she pontificated on a random academic subject. She would be the only person who believed he was anything other than evil. He wished he could tell her how he felt. He wished he could express how much he wanted things to stay exactly as they were in that moment.
AN: So here i am again, after a long time. This chapter is short and some of it is filler, i'm sorry if you feel it is short on content and that it doesn't move the plot forward much. I want to thank you all for your continued attention to this story and your reviews- they really encourage me to keep going on this story even when RL gets insane. For you, my readers, I am dedicated to not abandoning it, despite how long it gets in between updates.
I wish i could respond to your review but fanfiction dot net doesnt really allow for that. Just know i read every one with a great deal of pleasure and motivation to keep writing! although it was short, the Sectumsempra scene is a biggie- let me know what you think. We are coming to the end of HBP very soon!