Chapter 42: When Pranks Go Wrong

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The Grounds,Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...

By the time both Hermione and Regulus arrived at Harry's place, the green eyed wizard had been in a uproar. When questioned rather briefly he muttered about something being wrong with Albus Severus before taking off with a crackle of thunder. Regulus had been concerned about the boy as well and took off after Harry in a bid to understand what was wrong with the kid. Hermione had gone after them unsure either on of them were in the right frame of mind to handle the situation.

Once the three of them arrived, Headmistress McGonagall had greeted both her former Gryffindors warmly but her green eyes narrowed once she caught sight of Regulus. The American wizard had the feeling she was sizing him up because of his father more so than because he was a stranger.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger I'm glad you're here." said the elder witch as she shifted her focus to Regulus.

He noticed that she seemed to cringe when noting his obsidian eyes. There had only been one wizard with such eyes and he was supposedly dead for nineteen years.

"Whom might this young man be?" asked Minerva McGonagall still noting the all too familiar features of this strange young wizard in her presence.

She had personally driven Severus Snape out of Hogwarts in the wake of the war's climax and had done so in retaliation for his murdering of Albus Dumbledore, he oldest and dearest friend. and the sight of this strange younger wizard had her itching to draw her wand.

Harry sighed.

"Professor McGonagall this is Regulus." he replied. "He's a friend of the family."

Resisting the urge to insist that he had been no friend of Harry Potter's, Regulus turned his attention back to the formidable elder witch before him. She had been an impressive sight and her expression as stern as his father's had been.

Severus Snape had spoken once of the most formidable woman he had ever known and his admiration for her. He had even admitted that she had been his former Professor when he attended Hogwarts.

"Has there been any change?" asked Harry Potter changing the subject back to the conversation about his youngest son.

"No." replied the elder Headmistress with sadness. "I'm afraid he's remained mute and terrified ever since we found him in the shrieking shack."

Hermione's eyes widened.

Regulus had not understood what was happening.

"Who would do such a thing?" she asked in horror. "It's a well known fact that ever since Snape was murdered in that place no one has dared venture there."

This was the first time Regulus had heard about the place where his father had been killed.

"M-My father was murdered there?" he asked with his expression turning harsh and his eyes of obsidian flickering with a mix of rage and curiosity.

Hermione had almost forgotten that Regulus knew very little about Hogwarts and the final battle for that matter.

"You're father?" said the shocked voice of Headmistress McGonagall.

Regulus met her green eyed gaze as it turned cold.

"Yes." he replied not at all ashamed. "I am the son of Severus Snape."

The look of utter disgust filed across the elder witch's face as the air of mistrust grew thick around them.

"Why have you brought him here?" asked the Headmistress.

"He's a friend of the family." replied Harry as if pleading with his former Professor to forgo her anger for a man that had long since been dead.

"So was Albus." she said narrowing her gaze at Regulus once more.

"Regulus grew up in America Professor McGonagall." said Hermione. "He knew next to nothing about the wizarding war nor his own father...you can't judge him based on the actions perceived at the time...even Professor Snape was innocent."

"He still killed Albus." replied Minerva stubbornly. "No matter how it came to be Albus is dead because of Severus Snape."

"And Severus Snape is dead because of Voldemort." said Harry not budging on this one. "Regulus is a good bloke...he's only concerned about Albus Severus...otherwise he wouldn't be here."

Finally convinced that the younger Snape had not been there to get vengeance for his deceased father, Headmistress McGonagall allowed them into the Hogwarts and escorted them to the infirmary where Albus Severus was being looked after following the incident in the shrieking shack.

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The Infirmary, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...

Albus Severus Potter had been staring at the ceiling in the Hogwarts Infirmary for hours since he was taken out of the shrieking shack and placed into the care of Med-Witch Madam Poppy Pomfrey.

He seemed to trust her as she moved her wand along examining his person in pursuit of something physically wrong with him. She could find no such evidence and remained puzzled as to what had been ailing the poor boy.

While it was true that he had been born a Potter, Albus Severus reminded her so much of her former constant ward that she had to reexamine his files to recall him being the child of Harry Potter.

As she concluded her final test, said wizard walked in with a look of worry filed across his face that seemed to make him age seven years. His emerald green eyes remained fixated on his youngest son.

Albus Severus Potter had been ghastly pale and his emerald green eyes seemed hollowed and empty as he stared at nothing ignoring the presence of those around him. His unkempt hair had been down to his shoulders suggesting he had not bothered with personal grooming since he arrived at Hogwarts. And he seemed to have gotten a lit thinner since Harry and Hermione saw him last. Regulus had not been paying much attention to the boy's physical appearance when he first came to Hogwarts in search of his father's portrait and even he was startled by his appearance.

"Albus." he said in calm and father-like tone despite being terrified for his boy. "Albie it's going to be alright...daddy's here."

Harry Potter's heartfelt words seemed to have fallen on deaf ears as Albus Severus Potter ignored his sorrowful father and stared out into space.

"Albus Severus." said Hermione concerned for her nephew. "D-Do you know where you are?"

Again the boy did not reply.

"You alright kid?" asked Regulus with an arched brow.

Albus Severus turned to see the young raven haired wizard he had been most familiar with. He pulled back the covers despite his weakened state and hugged the unsuspecting younger Snape.

Both Harry and Hermione were at a loss for words as Albus Severus seemed to only be able to respond to Regulus Snape in his rather vulnerable state.

"I want to go home." said the boy almost frantically. "Please take me home...I have to see her."

Regulus looked at Harry whom had been just as confused as he was.

"I-I don't know what you're asking me to do." said the confused American wizard.

"I have to see her." repeated Albus Severus as if he had been in some sort of trance. "She's waiting for me."

"Wait...calm down who is she?" asked Regulus.

"Please." begged Albus Severus on the verge of tears. "I promised her I'd be there..."

Harry seemed to have heard enough as he got to his feet. Madam Pomfrey had fished a sleeping potion from the potions stores and had it ready.

The green eyed wizard pulled Albus Severus off Regulus whom had been watching the scene unfold in absolute shock.

"Regulus please...she needs me." said the boy fighting with Harry Potter to avoid the sleeping potion. "I promised her..."

Once the sleeping potion had been administered, Albus Severus glared rather murderously at Harry before turning his emerald green gaze on Regulus.

"Please tell her I love her..." he said before falling into a coma like sleep.

"Well, he was a lot calmer this time." said Harry Potter whom had not been surprised about his son's antics.

Regulus looked at him in confusion.

"Why are you so calm about all of this?" he asked unsure if he would be in the same situation.

"Albus Severus has been having these episodes since he was born." replied Harry looking over his sleeping son. "We tried everything to treat them even gone to advanced potions masters on for nothing to work."

Hermione sighed looking over her sleeping nephew.

"He gets like this in moments of severe stress." said she said sadly. "I think when he was locked in the shrieking shack he panicked and it set him off again."

Regulus looked over at the sleeping boy.

This wasn't the first time Albus Severus had acted strangely in his presence, his thoughts had gone back to his father's house and how he refused to enter the kitchen muttering about someone being murdered there.

"You think he see's spirits?" asked the confused American wizard.

"No." replied Harry with a weighted sigh. "But I try hard to keep an close eye on him."

"So that's why you coddle him more than the other boy." said Regulus noting Harry's shift in stance.

"I do not coddle my son." said the green eyed wizard sternly. "He doesn't even like to be touched for Merlin's sake...Ginny and I never get him to engage much in anything aside from Potions...Ginny was proficient but I was rather terrible at it so he more or less spends time on his own."

Hermione patted her friend on the shoulder.

"He'll be alright Harry." she said in a bid to comfort her best friend.

"I hope so." replied the green eyed father.

"What was he talking about?" asked Regulus more to himself than to the others. "He kept saying her...who is HER?"

"I don't know." replied Harry. "We never knew...she could be a child he met and or a friend..."

"You think she's here at Hogwarts?" asked Hermione with an arched brow. "Perhaps he's gotten himself a girlfriend."

Regulus took another look at the sleeping boy in the infirmary bed.

He doubted very much that this had been the case but something about the words the boy spoke seemed to unnerve him.

"She's waiting for me?"

"I Promised Her..."

With a sigh the younger Snape thought it best to take his leave knowing all too well that this situation was much too heavy for his liking and he was in need of a strong drink and a willing whore.

He left Hogwarts with a resounding crack of thunder unable to get the questions pertaining to Albus Severus Potter's strange condition out of his mind.

Just who was the HER he spoke of and why did he sound so urgent in needing to see her. There was a possibility he did have a girlfriend, he was the son of infamous wizarding Hero Harry Potter after all but it didn't seem to fit right with the boy's lackluster personality. Unable to make sense of it, Regulus focused his attention on securing his vices for the evening. This was shaping up to be a rather difficult day to say the least.