5. The feud commences
Severus would sneak up on the death eaters. Impulsively taking them on is just going to put Severus at risk. The death eaters would probably use somewhere secluded, as they had sent notes that revealed they were fighting in the Department of Mysteries. Severus didn't trust that, as this seemed like a trap where they would ambush him. Before that, however, Severus felt something hit him in the back and he was being pulled up, traveling by Portkey...he scrabbled at the ground to get off, but he was already being carried away...
In an old flat in London:
"Well Snape, what do you have to say for yourself? You double crossing cripple. It's a bad thing the Dark Lord didn't finish you off, so we're going to do it-NO!" A yell sounded and a green-eyed blur sped across the room, knocking the Carrows into the wall mid sentence- the wall exuded a cloud of dust which made them cough profusely, giving Severus a chance to cast the Sectumsenpra curse on them-but it missed because of the dust and only grazed their shoulders instead of cutting off their hands. "You think you can fight us? STUPEFY!" Before Severus and Harry could react the Carrows stunned them-Severus was falling into oblivion...
Severus awoke with a groan, but saw that his hands were tied up and the same was done with Harry. Little did the Carrows know that Severus knew Wandless magic...with a silent 'Relashio!' Severus tried to wriggle free of the ropes, but he was frozen in place. "And now, for the torture! HEE HEE! CRUCIO!" Alecto cackled, and pain stabbed through Severus-more than normal pain-it was like Severus is slowly filling up with lava- but with no way to move or scream, the pain is two times worse...it was so great that Severus couldn't even think, let alone use Legilimency - Harry was in equal pain- but at least he could still scream. The look in Harry was more than pain-it was pity, regret, at the expressionless Severus but he, too, could feel the unrelieved pain filling Severus, intoxicating him. Then the Carrows raised their wands to say the Killing Curse:
"Ava-" 'LEGILIMENS!" Severus thought, for the Carrows had made the grave mistake of lifting the torture curse when they went to deliver the final blow. Severus whispered the words in their minds. "Do not kill Harry Potter. Lift the curses upon us. Lift them, and I'll let you go. I'll let you capture me, torture me, play with me as a toy. After all, I'm just a double-crossing cripple, right Alecto? Amycus?" Severus hissed in his most eloquent tone. He had always had a knack of seeming meek and being eloquent-an essential spy skill. And now it's coming in useful. Surprisingly it worked. The Carrows never cast the Killing Curses. "You're up to the task, skint Snape, very well. CONFRINGO!" Amycus suddenly yelled, sending an explosion of wood, stone and splinters on top of Severus. He pulled Potter out of the way, tumbling down the attic stairs to land on the second floor. Severus thought they'd been saved when he heard footsteps, and a curse he'd never heard before:
"Wile Echsedrak!" A voice barked. The curse was meant for Severus, who dodged in the nick of time, pulling Harry with it-but he wasn't so lucky. The spell hit him full in the face and he started shifting-skin replaced by scale, his face elongating, hands turning into talons, tail sprouting. Within seconds he had turned into a cross between a dragon and a crocodile, a wingless dragon with brown mottled scales and green eyes. Potter turned on him, growling, ready to tear Severus to pieces. There was no way to fight him with magic since the curse had no counter; Severus blurred into raven form, turning on Alecto, blinding her with two swift pecks, he snatched Amycus' wand and threw it out the window; he bellowed in rage and used Alecto's wand, who was blundering in a panic, to try and anger the transformed dragon to attack Severus; who suddenly had an idea. He transformed back to a human, and whispered, 'Legilimens.' Severus broke into Potter's mind, deleted the memory that he was a dragon, so that Potter still kept a bit of his humanity, and would not maul him to pieces while he was battling the Carrows.
"Now, I kill you. SECTU-" Amycus snarled, using Severus own spell against him, but Severus countered it with an almost silent 'Silencio!' . Severus was just getting ready to immobilise Amycus, when a stubby-fingered hand grabbed him in the neck. Umbridge. he thought silently. Why am I suddenly so reckless? of COURSE Amycus would bring backup! Severus has had enough. Drawing his wand he shouted, "SECTUMSENPRA!" and smirked in satisfaction as Alecto was killed by a swift and clean slash through the neck; now it was he against Amycus and Umbridge.
" Well well. If it isn't Snape. I could hardly bear to call you 'professor' in your current state.' Severus looked down; his robes were tattered and he hadn't even noticed the multiple slashes on his body, created by Alectos' concentrated Cruciatus. Severus had tied his greasy hair into a low ponytail to keep it out of the way when duelling; and his skin looked an inhuman greyish tint. "Who knew prissy little Dolores Umbridge could be a big bad death eater? Severus sneered, with the air of talking to a rather thick-headed Hogwarts first-year. Umbridge's face flushed an ugly red- first things first, Severus had to provoke the opponent enough to fight. A thought suddenly struck Severus. He could use Potter, who is still trapped as a giant reptile, growling in the corner of the room. "Attack!" Severus barked, and surprisingly, the drake listened on command, snarling and mauling Umbridge to pieces. Another enemy gone. Now there is only Amycus, who Disapparated, just as Severus was going to finish him off. Coward. Severus was jerked from his vengeful joy by a gagging noise behind him. Potter is transforming back to a human, but he was...unconscious. And patches of scales still remained on his limbs. Severus needed to take him to St. Mungo's, but he was in no shape to Apparate and muggles are bound to be suspicious. Slinging Potter, no, HARRY over his shoulder, Severus cast a disillusionment charm on himself and limped out the ruined flat.
Severus is completely, lost. He hadn't the foggiest idea where he was, and he was still too weak to Apparate. The Disillusionment charm had worn off on him; he earned many curious stares from Muggles because of his bedraggled look. The only option is to stop moving and settle down for the night, and continue his search tomorrow.
He tried searching for St. Mungo's again the next morning, but to no avail. Even a Point Me spell yielded nothing. He was simply too far away. Now the only bit of respite left was Hogwarts. Mustering all his strength, Severus Apparated to Hogsmeade.
Severus had misjudged his distance. His strength is draining by the second and there is still a long walk to Hogwarts, and carrying Harry made it all the harder. He'd never be able to get Harry, so he needed to send a message first...
Madam Pomfrey was sorting potions when she was interrupted by a scrawny raven flying into the Hospital wing. it kept bumping into walls like a headless fly and its body was covered with what looked like claw marks. But she recognized that silver crest..."Professor Snape!" She asked anxiously. Severus blurred back into human form, hands on knees. "It's H-harry Potter...he's been hit by a curse...I had to l-leave him in Hogsmeade..." Severus choked out. He transformed back into the raven, flapping haphazardly in the Hogwarts corridors and earning many bewildered stares. The awkward procession continued to a dingy alley in Hogsmeade, where a skinny figure was lying, and Madam Pomfrey could see what appeared to be patches of scales on his limbs and face. "W-what's happened to him?" Madam Pomfrey asked, conjuring a stretcher and carrying Harry back to Hogwarts.
"It was an unknown curse. Probably something that Amycus Carrow created himself. Didn't think he would be able to create any spell, the dunderhead." Severus spat, back at the hospital wing, a human again and returning to his usual sneer in seconds. "Why didn't you send him to St. Mungo's? I'm going to need some help there." Madam Pomfrey wondered. "I couldn't Apparate. Was too far from any wizarding location anyways." Severus muttered. He hastily repaired the slashes on himself, but he still looked like he had tumbled down a flight of stairs. "And for the record, I DID tumble down stairs to dodge a blasting curse." Severus said suddenly. "H-how did you know what I was thinking?" Madam Pomfrey blustered. "Come on. Me being a Legilimens isn't news." Severus teased playfully. That made her all the more confused. Did Severus learn how to...joke? Professor Snape, who always wore a scowl? Looks like even the most gloomy people can change. Madam Pomfrey thought.
Good. According to Madam Pomfrey, half of Severus' ribs and his right hip were broken from tumbling down stairs, but nothing that can't be healed with Skele-Gro or with a charm. What worried Severus most was Harry. Transforming into an animal 3 or even 4 times his size has sapped his body of most of its energy, and there was a possibility that he could stay in this comatose state forever. It was a grim version of immortality, but Severus would prefer it if he saw the smart-mouthing brat awake, for some reason. He is also tired of being treated like an invalid; sure he IS one, but Severus could do withOUT being fed Skele-Gro every hour. He had also felt extremely stubborn; he had tried and failed to fly out of bed by turning into a raven; most of these attempts ended up on him falling back down with much screeches of pain. Something even more embarrassing was that students had wanted to visit him. VISIT HIM! Severus already has had enough of sappy fangirls ever since he became 'famous' after Voldemort's downfall. McGonagal was the only thing that kept him from hexing the students into oblivion. Minerva also came to visit him too, bringing his students' homework to check, which made him feel a bit better since almost every piece had insulting criticism scrawled in it(by Severus) or for some reason, inappropriate pictures, sometimes about him(by the students, obviouslyyyyy) which caused Severus' nails to dig in the parchment so hard they ripped. Severus had also been racking his brains for a solution to try and wake Harry up, but as he was bedridden he couldn't try and invent a potion for this curse, since counter-curses were harder and less often invented. This is going to take a looooooong time...
Severus' eyes blinked open, suddenly. He had just been struck with an idea. What if the real reason that Harry is comatose is in his mind? Perhaps Severus could try and break into the more often than not, chaotic mind of the Boy who Lived.
No no no, NEVER doing that again ANYTIME soon. Severus had been forcefully thrown out of Harry's mind whenever he tried to use Legilimency, catching a glimpse of what seemed like a misty haze in his mind, along with some extremely loud roaring that made Severus suspect that his eardrums were broken. What a strange mind. Is that what the curse also did, automatically block others from trying to counter it? Severus is helpless, literally. WHY does helplessness always have to be the problem! Severus suddenly raged. First him, then Lily, now Harry! Of course, Severus isn't one to brood over memories, but this is just one time too many.
"NO, no I can't go, I WON'T!" Severus was woken up by what seemed like an angry male voice. Whiny Gryffindors! What was Dunley Winge griping about now! Minerva was trying to force Winge into the Hospital wing. "This is the THIRD time you've forgotten your Defence Against the Dark Arts homework and it is CRUCIAL that Professor Snape see to it!" She barked irately. She finally succeeded in pushing him in, and barred the way behind him. "First things first, why? Why the procrastination?" Severus sneered as soon as the boy entered. He still managed to look intimidating despite being bedridden, and he saw the boy gulp. Satisfying. "Uhhh...I don't know, Professor...I just think that Defence is a bit creepy. I don't like the feeling that we're being attacked every second, so I don't like the subject." Winge rambled. Severus heaved a sigh. The boy was lying, Severus knew it. It wasn't his fault he could read people like an open book, a skill he had learned working under a volatile Dark Lord. "Is that any reason to be hiding your homework? Do you NEED Defence spells to simply write down answers on parchment?" Severus queried, raising a skeptical eyebrow. The boy looked straight up embarrassed. "Don't let a bit of 'creepiness' get in the way of your academics! Defence is a must-learned skill that will prove useful time and time again." Severus half-lectured, not wanting to waste his time on a doofus. "Due to my...current condition you are lucky to not receive detention. However...had this happened just a few days later..." Severus warned, and the boy bolted from the room. There. Severus'll see if that does the job.