Don't own no nothing
Did not create the hit
J.K. Rowling does
Because she did
Andolyn
Erosion
Everybody, including the Headmaster, stared. Snape Put down his tea hastily, chewed and swallowed his chocolate and stood. He slowly walked round the couch, while the wild looking woman in the doorframe never let her eyes stray of him and the other wizards made room for whatever confrontation would follow. For a second the Headmaster's face allowed another grief stricken expression, yet he quickly composed himself. Black, Lupin and others gave the Headmaster questioning stares, but the man remained calm and therefore, so did they.
The woman in the doorframe shivered. Her voice came raw and strangled, filled with emotions she desperately tried to hold back.
"Is it true?" she barked hoarsely. "Is it true then? Is it -finally- over?"
Snape crossed his arms in front of him, squinted his eyes and answered in that slow, silken and measured voice that made Ari shiver in spite of the blazing hearth in front of her.
"I thought it was the general opinion, Madam Hooch, as unfortunate as this may be," Snape said, "that 'it', is just beginning."
The hawkeyed witch did not seem to hear. She shivered from the strain to control herself.
The door next to her was pushed from the wall. From behind it, the cat owner stumbled, holding one hand to his nose. His widened eyes watered from the pain.
"You broke my doze!" he said, quite upset and surprised, apparently not -believing- this was happening to him.
Hooch concentrated stare at Snape was broken for a moment and she noticed the other man. Distractedly she pushed her broom in his hands, mumbled a befuddled 'thank you' and stepped up to the waiting wizard.
"You found Hodr."
A statement. There was desperation in the words. Snape closed his eyes for a moment. In the silence, the only answer a screaming nod.
Hooch stepped even closer to Snape, they were virtually toe to toe. Still trembling, still barely controlled, she asked her question.
"And what, what did he say?"
Carefully measured the dark wizard answered, without any emotion in the voice.
"What he always has maintained. That he was seduced into playing a silly game. That the death of your other brother was a terrible accident. That the blame lay with Voldemort, not him."
"Did you believe him."
"No."
"Why."
"The story changed when there were only Death Eaters to hear. Then it became the tale of sacrifice and proof of loyalty -you- always told. Your father will be mightily surprised, I dare say, at the upcoming trial."
The trembling stopped. The witch took a deep breath, then another. Wetted her lips with a flick of the tongue. She stepped back, returning Snape his personal space. Ari had never seen such a cold stare at the mentioning of a father.
"Hodr never was a good liar, but he truly rose to the occasion."
A tiny, unpleasant smile curled the corners of Snape's mouth. Ari shivered. The unbidden comparison to a smiling asp came to mind.
"He was told what to tell by the first and best of liars."
The woman nodded. "Where was it Hodr's fault?"
Snape shook his head.
"There is always a choice." It was Snape's turn for tight control. His voice barely more than a whisper. "Of all people I should know, there is -always- a choice! He made the wrong ones."
Somebody Ari could not see snorted at that. Snape stiffened. Dumbledore turned towards the sound and his eyes shot daggers. Black smirked and McGonagall craned her neck to see who had made that slighting noise.
Ari's eyes went wide. Apart from the weird conversation between the wind-blown witch and Snape that went way over her head, a tension had crept into the room. An undercurrent of distrust and loathing, directed at her travel companion. Nervously she scanned the faces around her. Lupin, Dumbledore, the redheaded man, McGonagall and about eight or nine others seemed either angry or affronted, a band of invisible support. The peg-legged man, the man with the brown beard, the woman with the light hair and yellow robes and -many- others looked at Snape as if he was something that had crawled out from under a moist stone on too many legs. Distrust, anger- some -hatred- even. Black looked down, arms crossed over his chest, right in the middle of it al yet somehow not part of it. And seemingly amused. The Sikh look-alike caught Ari's eye and mirrored her befuddlement, like her having no idea what was going on.
On the side, the woman that had tried to examine Snape glided towards the man with the broken nose and whipped out a wand. Her soft muttered words, 'this won't hurt a bit' while she tried to make the hurt man let go of his nose, rang like a gunshot through the room.
The witch facing Snape balled her fists a moment, pale and tight lipped. Then, making sure -everybody- in the room saw the gesture -and- caught it's meaning, she offered Snape her hand. He looked her directly in the eye, hesitated, and took it. With a cold voice, but the chill clearly not directed at the man in front of her, she merely said two words.
"Thank you."
The handshake was firm, without warmth. For show. I held slightly longer then necessary. The woman they -all- had been worried about, showed her gratitude. Please, see this, I thank him, -I- trust him.
They let go.
Snape resumed his seat, Hooch turned to the china, but was stopped from taking tea by the Headmaster, who took her in a warm comforting hug. Voices murmured softly, about the weather. About Quidditch. About the things that mean nothing, merely used to fill awkward silences.
A few tears came to Hooch's eyes, quickly wiped away. The woman in the yellow robes stood and offered her place. Hooch sat down, smiling a red-eyed uncertain smile and took the tea the Headmaster offered.
Ari turned her attention to an even more pallid Snape. For a moment an unguarded, bitter look crossed his features. Ari leant over to him, touched his hand and when he turned, she smiled carefully and gave a little squeeze. She new her eyes were two large question marks. He shook his head subtly and she withdrew.
"Need more chocolate?" she quipped impishly and got the reaction she had hoped for. A snort and a chuckle, a more straight but relaxed posture. Attention no longer directed inward, but to the Headmaster who again took his position in front of the hearth. He and Snape exchanged glances. Ari was poked in the side by a shifting Harry, who was also coming to attention towards Dumbledore. The room seemed to quiet down again. But Ari could still feel the lingering tension.
Within this circle of most trusted friends, some were apparently more trusted then others.
This, was not good.
The Headmaster started over.
"Dear people, I -loathe- repeating myself but, my dearest friends. You have been called here in great haste to be informed about most terrible news."
The man took a deep breath, his eyes wandered over to Harry.
"Allow me to summarise the report Professor Snape related to me only a few minutes ago. Some of you might have overheard bits and pieces already- Last night, young Harry has, again, lived through a tremendous personal disaster."
With the weight of all eyes upon him, Harry suddenly found something very interesting in the pattern of the Persian rug under his feet.
"The spell placed over his family home has somehow been broken."
A collective gasp, some people muttering that it was impossible, that they had worked so hard to charm the Muggle family, it could not have happened.
"Death Eaters came for the boy. His family did not survive the confrontation. I had sent Severus to see how Harry was doing. He had been owling me some disturbing reports. But when halting the Knight Bus near Harry's home, the bus in it's turn was attacked, by Dementors no less. About five of them. The conductor and the driver are missing. The only reason Severus came away with only a few cuts and bruises is because of this young lady here."
Ari wished she was fifteen again and could pretend to study the carpet. She shifted uneasily in her seat, returning some of the smiles of the faces that were in her line of vision.
"Your name, my dear, is Ariadne Philpot, yes?"
Ari nodded.
"Miss Philpot's quick thinking and fast driving saved both Severus and Harry. We are indeed very fortunate to have all of them still in our midst ."
A neutral voice, Ari recognised the as the voice of the man with the scrubby brown beard, spoke up.
"Yes, Harry is -very- lucky, in that sort of thing."
Snape turned his head, his black eyes quickly shifting from blazing anger, to grief, to seemingly cold indifference,
The red headed man went to the speaker, put his hand on his shoulder and pleaded.
"Amos please, this is not helpful."
Harry however, had jumped to his feet and faced the man, tears in his eyes, voice nearly broken.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm such a survivor. I'm sorry that Voldemort is back. I'm sorry that my family is dead because they took care of me! I'm sorry my parents are dead because they defended me! I'm sorry Cedric died because he did nothing more than be near me! I'm sorry! But I can't change things. And I didn't make them happen and it isn't my fault! And if I could I'd make things different, but I can't. And if we all start blaming each other for things we can do nothing about, Voldemort has got us -exactly- where he wants us.
I don't know you people- most of you anyways and I realise that without me even knowing some of you have tried to keep me safe. I don't know why, I'm not that important, I'm just a boy! Just a boy. With a lot of luck. Yeah, that's right. And I am worried and scared for my friends and everyone close to me. Cause they ain't that lucky. I am sorry, Mr Diggory. What more do you need to hear!"
The man Harry had called Diggory came forward, palms open, grief etched in the lines around his eyes.
"Gods Harry, I'm sorry. I did not think- I did not mean to- Please- we've never blamed you!"
Over the couch, the man reached for the boy and they embraced, awkwardly. A tight hug, then they let go.
Ari took of her glasses and polished them, not trying to look at Harry and the man. When she put the glasses on again, the two had settled at their respective places in the room. McGonagall had laid her hand on Harry's small shoulder in support, and the attention turned to the headmaster again.
So much grief in this room. So much anger and tension. So much that made Ari itch for answers. And a death toll of at least six, perhaps seven people. Perhaps it was time to get real scared.
But the headmaster did not look scared. He looked around the room, meeting everyone's eyes. They all met him. No one looked away. Most gave a small nod of acknowledgement.
"Young Harry here is absolutely right." He said gravely. "We -cannot- blame each other," and with his next remark looked Harry in the eye, "or ourselves, for misdeeds done by others. It is cliché, but, we are only as strong as the bond of trust we hold, our resolve to stand together, no matter what! Some of us are very young, some of us seem virtually powerless and weak. Others have strayed from the path in the past. And we've -all- made mistakes. There was a certain young boy, I once met. If I had followed my instinct closer, had been more steadfast in my convictions, more clear in what I thought of what was right and wrong, Tom Riddle might never have changed into this creature! If I had listened and taken better care of others, I could have helped some of the best of us not to fall prey to evil. But I did not. We have all made mistakes. Yet now, my friends, it is time for us to stop looking over our shoulders and face what is to come, so we are prepared for what has to be done. We cannot afford any other stance."
Another voice. "How was the protective charm broken?"
Dumbledore put up his hands and shook his head.
"I do not know. We used every trick in the book. We did the only thing that would work, expand on Harry's mother's spell of love and the protection she had given him when protecting him from Voldemort. It worked so well for years."
Ari perked up. "Wait a minute-"
Snape at the same time went to sit as straight as she and said at the same time "Than that's where it went wrong!"
Harry let his head droop in his hands and said almost inaudibly, but not quite enough: "Oh shit!"
Dumbledore stared from Ari to Snape and back. "You two know something I do not?"
But it was Hagrid from the back of the room who answered.
"Headmaster, even -I- know tha' a spell tha' uses anythin' like love ter draw power from -needs- a twinge of it. But them did not have it. Not fer Harry. Perhaps there was a bit when 'e was young an' just a babe. But not when I came fer 'im. With his auntie still jealous o' her dead sister an' his Uncle ready te beat any magic outta 'im. I'm sorry kid, but that's just the way -I- sees it!"
Ari nodded. She put an arm around Harry, knowing that in some way the words were damning, but that they had to be said.
"I wanted to befriend Harry, but his Uncle and Aunt would not let me. They spoiled their son and allowed Harry to live of scraps and leftovers. He had to work for them, not mere chores, but really work and almost every night, Dursley shouted his head off. I never witnessed any kindness towards Harry."
Snape continued. "Harry owns his life to the fact that his family had the dreadful habit of locking him up in a downstairs cupboard if they felt fit to punish him. Not a punishment of great pedagogical value, I dare say."
The assemble gasped, looked at each other, got angry, was in denial. It was unbelievable their precious child had been suffering so much at the hands of the people they had considered safe. If any of them had found a child on their doorstep, they would have taken it in and simply loved it for one reason only, because it was there. What other reason does one need to love a child?
Dumbledore turned towards the boy. "I was under the assumption they had moved you to a room?"
"They got scared, Sir. That was all."
Dumbledore turned his back on them for a moment, hands on the chimney, leaning towards the fire.
"Then the spell eroded over the years- Hagrid is right- without any feeling to feed on, it became useless. Useless!" He turned. "O Harry, I am so sorry. I am so sorry I left you there. It seemed the right decision at the time, but-"
The boy smiled feebly. "But now it is time to look onward, Sir. To see what needs to be done!"
Black smiled at Harry's back and said proudly: "Spoken like a true Gryffindor, Harry!"
Snape cringed, but held his tongue.
With an almost hidden laugh, Diggory spoke up. "Nah, this is perseverance, the kid -should- have been a Hufflepuff.
"Really?" the sunflower yellow robed witch asked. "I would call this using ones intellect, like any good Ravenclaw would."
The dark man with the scimitar chuckled, looked at Snape who stayed remorse and silent. "O I do not know." he said in an unaccented voice. "One should think the boy would need tremendous guile to have done what he did. And that is the Slytherin quality! Would you not say, Severus?"
Harry, blushing slightly from the praise, threw a mischievous look at Snape. The man rolled his eyes and looked away.
"Oh please, be serious, will you?"
Ari could feel the tension flee from the room, even the hostility towards Snape seemed to subside. She sighed, squeezed Harry's shoulders and relaxed a bit. Perhaps it would not be so bad a thing, to live among these people. But only the future could tell.
*************************************************************************************************
OMYGOSH! More than a hundred reviews!
No, it was no holiday that kept me from writing. It were my boss, my study and a lot of happy family occasions (nothing more than a birthday, visiting friends I had not seen for a while).
Thanks everybody for the wonderful reviews.
Ozma, (are you the author of The Cold Year and Deep Emotion?) thank you for your tremendous compliment. It touched me, it really did. I'm writing the story the way it comes to me, without an age group in mind. I hope it will remain (mostly) suitable material to read to your son. Thank you.
An Owl, translate my story in Russian? Gosh! Yes, sure- err, I don't really know what to say. Except that I am honoured for you taking the time and trouble to do so! Say hello to your group for me. Just please make sure the proper credits go to Mrs Rowling!
Don't you all love the way the world is coming together through tremendous writers like J.K. and fandom! I know I'm getting on my soapbox here, but as long as people like us communicate in the way we do, there's hope for the lot of us! (huge affectionate grin, little bow, step down from soapbox).
Slytherin girl (hi slytherin girl, here, have some Berty Bots, Droobles Best Blowing Gum and Cauldron Cakes- sugar high rule!) Jett Girl, Strega Brava (thanks for the updates on your marvellous stories), Sophie W. (hi Sophie W.! have a chocolate frog) say hello to the Invisibles for me, updates will not be as far and few as they have been, promise!, asprosdracos (which Twig?) Rynye (sorry for taking so long wit this update) Juniper Holly, ladyeclectic, Camorite, Starlight (thanks for liking my story!) Cissy (yes, you did the Snape, thanks for doing the Snape, I adore Snape and I love people doing the Snape, grin. And of course, truly sarcastic people -are- revolting sometimes. But if I hug them and love them and pet them, they simply do not know how to react, mostly. It's so funny ;-), iejasu, thanks for your support, Lyansidde (yes, there -is- a great deal more, this story will take a while in telling), and Blackthorne.
Did not create the hit
J.K. Rowling does
Because she did
Andolyn
Erosion
Everybody, including the Headmaster, stared. Snape Put down his tea hastily, chewed and swallowed his chocolate and stood. He slowly walked round the couch, while the wild looking woman in the doorframe never let her eyes stray of him and the other wizards made room for whatever confrontation would follow. For a second the Headmaster's face allowed another grief stricken expression, yet he quickly composed himself. Black, Lupin and others gave the Headmaster questioning stares, but the man remained calm and therefore, so did they.
The woman in the doorframe shivered. Her voice came raw and strangled, filled with emotions she desperately tried to hold back.
"Is it true?" she barked hoarsely. "Is it true then? Is it -finally- over?"
Snape crossed his arms in front of him, squinted his eyes and answered in that slow, silken and measured voice that made Ari shiver in spite of the blazing hearth in front of her.
"I thought it was the general opinion, Madam Hooch, as unfortunate as this may be," Snape said, "that 'it', is just beginning."
The hawkeyed witch did not seem to hear. She shivered from the strain to control herself.
The door next to her was pushed from the wall. From behind it, the cat owner stumbled, holding one hand to his nose. His widened eyes watered from the pain.
"You broke my doze!" he said, quite upset and surprised, apparently not -believing- this was happening to him.
Hooch concentrated stare at Snape was broken for a moment and she noticed the other man. Distractedly she pushed her broom in his hands, mumbled a befuddled 'thank you' and stepped up to the waiting wizard.
"You found Hodr."
A statement. There was desperation in the words. Snape closed his eyes for a moment. In the silence, the only answer a screaming nod.
Hooch stepped even closer to Snape, they were virtually toe to toe. Still trembling, still barely controlled, she asked her question.
"And what, what did he say?"
Carefully measured the dark wizard answered, without any emotion in the voice.
"What he always has maintained. That he was seduced into playing a silly game. That the death of your other brother was a terrible accident. That the blame lay with Voldemort, not him."
"Did you believe him."
"No."
"Why."
"The story changed when there were only Death Eaters to hear. Then it became the tale of sacrifice and proof of loyalty -you- always told. Your father will be mightily surprised, I dare say, at the upcoming trial."
The trembling stopped. The witch took a deep breath, then another. Wetted her lips with a flick of the tongue. She stepped back, returning Snape his personal space. Ari had never seen such a cold stare at the mentioning of a father.
"Hodr never was a good liar, but he truly rose to the occasion."
A tiny, unpleasant smile curled the corners of Snape's mouth. Ari shivered. The unbidden comparison to a smiling asp came to mind.
"He was told what to tell by the first and best of liars."
The woman nodded. "Where was it Hodr's fault?"
Snape shook his head.
"There is always a choice." It was Snape's turn for tight control. His voice barely more than a whisper. "Of all people I should know, there is -always- a choice! He made the wrong ones."
Somebody Ari could not see snorted at that. Snape stiffened. Dumbledore turned towards the sound and his eyes shot daggers. Black smirked and McGonagall craned her neck to see who had made that slighting noise.
Ari's eyes went wide. Apart from the weird conversation between the wind-blown witch and Snape that went way over her head, a tension had crept into the room. An undercurrent of distrust and loathing, directed at her travel companion. Nervously she scanned the faces around her. Lupin, Dumbledore, the redheaded man, McGonagall and about eight or nine others seemed either angry or affronted, a band of invisible support. The peg-legged man, the man with the brown beard, the woman with the light hair and yellow robes and -many- others looked at Snape as if he was something that had crawled out from under a moist stone on too many legs. Distrust, anger- some -hatred- even. Black looked down, arms crossed over his chest, right in the middle of it al yet somehow not part of it. And seemingly amused. The Sikh look-alike caught Ari's eye and mirrored her befuddlement, like her having no idea what was going on.
On the side, the woman that had tried to examine Snape glided towards the man with the broken nose and whipped out a wand. Her soft muttered words, 'this won't hurt a bit' while she tried to make the hurt man let go of his nose, rang like a gunshot through the room.
The witch facing Snape balled her fists a moment, pale and tight lipped. Then, making sure -everybody- in the room saw the gesture -and- caught it's meaning, she offered Snape her hand. He looked her directly in the eye, hesitated, and took it. With a cold voice, but the chill clearly not directed at the man in front of her, she merely said two words.
"Thank you."
The handshake was firm, without warmth. For show. I held slightly longer then necessary. The woman they -all- had been worried about, showed her gratitude. Please, see this, I thank him, -I- trust him.
They let go.
Snape resumed his seat, Hooch turned to the china, but was stopped from taking tea by the Headmaster, who took her in a warm comforting hug. Voices murmured softly, about the weather. About Quidditch. About the things that mean nothing, merely used to fill awkward silences.
A few tears came to Hooch's eyes, quickly wiped away. The woman in the yellow robes stood and offered her place. Hooch sat down, smiling a red-eyed uncertain smile and took the tea the Headmaster offered.
Ari turned her attention to an even more pallid Snape. For a moment an unguarded, bitter look crossed his features. Ari leant over to him, touched his hand and when he turned, she smiled carefully and gave a little squeeze. She new her eyes were two large question marks. He shook his head subtly and she withdrew.
"Need more chocolate?" she quipped impishly and got the reaction she had hoped for. A snort and a chuckle, a more straight but relaxed posture. Attention no longer directed inward, but to the Headmaster who again took his position in front of the hearth. He and Snape exchanged glances. Ari was poked in the side by a shifting Harry, who was also coming to attention towards Dumbledore. The room seemed to quiet down again. But Ari could still feel the lingering tension.
Within this circle of most trusted friends, some were apparently more trusted then others.
This, was not good.
The Headmaster started over.
"Dear people, I -loathe- repeating myself but, my dearest friends. You have been called here in great haste to be informed about most terrible news."
The man took a deep breath, his eyes wandered over to Harry.
"Allow me to summarise the report Professor Snape related to me only a few minutes ago. Some of you might have overheard bits and pieces already- Last night, young Harry has, again, lived through a tremendous personal disaster."
With the weight of all eyes upon him, Harry suddenly found something very interesting in the pattern of the Persian rug under his feet.
"The spell placed over his family home has somehow been broken."
A collective gasp, some people muttering that it was impossible, that they had worked so hard to charm the Muggle family, it could not have happened.
"Death Eaters came for the boy. His family did not survive the confrontation. I had sent Severus to see how Harry was doing. He had been owling me some disturbing reports. But when halting the Knight Bus near Harry's home, the bus in it's turn was attacked, by Dementors no less. About five of them. The conductor and the driver are missing. The only reason Severus came away with only a few cuts and bruises is because of this young lady here."
Ari wished she was fifteen again and could pretend to study the carpet. She shifted uneasily in her seat, returning some of the smiles of the faces that were in her line of vision.
"Your name, my dear, is Ariadne Philpot, yes?"
Ari nodded.
"Miss Philpot's quick thinking and fast driving saved both Severus and Harry. We are indeed very fortunate to have all of them still in our midst ."
A neutral voice, Ari recognised the as the voice of the man with the scrubby brown beard, spoke up.
"Yes, Harry is -very- lucky, in that sort of thing."
Snape turned his head, his black eyes quickly shifting from blazing anger, to grief, to seemingly cold indifference,
The red headed man went to the speaker, put his hand on his shoulder and pleaded.
"Amos please, this is not helpful."
Harry however, had jumped to his feet and faced the man, tears in his eyes, voice nearly broken.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry I'm such a survivor. I'm sorry that Voldemort is back. I'm sorry that my family is dead because they took care of me! I'm sorry my parents are dead because they defended me! I'm sorry Cedric died because he did nothing more than be near me! I'm sorry! But I can't change things. And I didn't make them happen and it isn't my fault! And if I could I'd make things different, but I can't. And if we all start blaming each other for things we can do nothing about, Voldemort has got us -exactly- where he wants us.
I don't know you people- most of you anyways and I realise that without me even knowing some of you have tried to keep me safe. I don't know why, I'm not that important, I'm just a boy! Just a boy. With a lot of luck. Yeah, that's right. And I am worried and scared for my friends and everyone close to me. Cause they ain't that lucky. I am sorry, Mr Diggory. What more do you need to hear!"
The man Harry had called Diggory came forward, palms open, grief etched in the lines around his eyes.
"Gods Harry, I'm sorry. I did not think- I did not mean to- Please- we've never blamed you!"
Over the couch, the man reached for the boy and they embraced, awkwardly. A tight hug, then they let go.
Ari took of her glasses and polished them, not trying to look at Harry and the man. When she put the glasses on again, the two had settled at their respective places in the room. McGonagall had laid her hand on Harry's small shoulder in support, and the attention turned to the headmaster again.
So much grief in this room. So much anger and tension. So much that made Ari itch for answers. And a death toll of at least six, perhaps seven people. Perhaps it was time to get real scared.
But the headmaster did not look scared. He looked around the room, meeting everyone's eyes. They all met him. No one looked away. Most gave a small nod of acknowledgement.
"Young Harry here is absolutely right." He said gravely. "We -cannot- blame each other," and with his next remark looked Harry in the eye, "or ourselves, for misdeeds done by others. It is cliché, but, we are only as strong as the bond of trust we hold, our resolve to stand together, no matter what! Some of us are very young, some of us seem virtually powerless and weak. Others have strayed from the path in the past. And we've -all- made mistakes. There was a certain young boy, I once met. If I had followed my instinct closer, had been more steadfast in my convictions, more clear in what I thought of what was right and wrong, Tom Riddle might never have changed into this creature! If I had listened and taken better care of others, I could have helped some of the best of us not to fall prey to evil. But I did not. We have all made mistakes. Yet now, my friends, it is time for us to stop looking over our shoulders and face what is to come, so we are prepared for what has to be done. We cannot afford any other stance."
Another voice. "How was the protective charm broken?"
Dumbledore put up his hands and shook his head.
"I do not know. We used every trick in the book. We did the only thing that would work, expand on Harry's mother's spell of love and the protection she had given him when protecting him from Voldemort. It worked so well for years."
Ari perked up. "Wait a minute-"
Snape at the same time went to sit as straight as she and said at the same time "Than that's where it went wrong!"
Harry let his head droop in his hands and said almost inaudibly, but not quite enough: "Oh shit!"
Dumbledore stared from Ari to Snape and back. "You two know something I do not?"
But it was Hagrid from the back of the room who answered.
"Headmaster, even -I- know tha' a spell tha' uses anythin' like love ter draw power from -needs- a twinge of it. But them did not have it. Not fer Harry. Perhaps there was a bit when 'e was young an' just a babe. But not when I came fer 'im. With his auntie still jealous o' her dead sister an' his Uncle ready te beat any magic outta 'im. I'm sorry kid, but that's just the way -I- sees it!"
Ari nodded. She put an arm around Harry, knowing that in some way the words were damning, but that they had to be said.
"I wanted to befriend Harry, but his Uncle and Aunt would not let me. They spoiled their son and allowed Harry to live of scraps and leftovers. He had to work for them, not mere chores, but really work and almost every night, Dursley shouted his head off. I never witnessed any kindness towards Harry."
Snape continued. "Harry owns his life to the fact that his family had the dreadful habit of locking him up in a downstairs cupboard if they felt fit to punish him. Not a punishment of great pedagogical value, I dare say."
The assemble gasped, looked at each other, got angry, was in denial. It was unbelievable their precious child had been suffering so much at the hands of the people they had considered safe. If any of them had found a child on their doorstep, they would have taken it in and simply loved it for one reason only, because it was there. What other reason does one need to love a child?
Dumbledore turned towards the boy. "I was under the assumption they had moved you to a room?"
"They got scared, Sir. That was all."
Dumbledore turned his back on them for a moment, hands on the chimney, leaning towards the fire.
"Then the spell eroded over the years- Hagrid is right- without any feeling to feed on, it became useless. Useless!" He turned. "O Harry, I am so sorry. I am so sorry I left you there. It seemed the right decision at the time, but-"
The boy smiled feebly. "But now it is time to look onward, Sir. To see what needs to be done!"
Black smiled at Harry's back and said proudly: "Spoken like a true Gryffindor, Harry!"
Snape cringed, but held his tongue.
With an almost hidden laugh, Diggory spoke up. "Nah, this is perseverance, the kid -should- have been a Hufflepuff.
"Really?" the sunflower yellow robed witch asked. "I would call this using ones intellect, like any good Ravenclaw would."
The dark man with the scimitar chuckled, looked at Snape who stayed remorse and silent. "O I do not know." he said in an unaccented voice. "One should think the boy would need tremendous guile to have done what he did. And that is the Slytherin quality! Would you not say, Severus?"
Harry, blushing slightly from the praise, threw a mischievous look at Snape. The man rolled his eyes and looked away.
"Oh please, be serious, will you?"
Ari could feel the tension flee from the room, even the hostility towards Snape seemed to subside. She sighed, squeezed Harry's shoulders and relaxed a bit. Perhaps it would not be so bad a thing, to live among these people. But only the future could tell.
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OMYGOSH! More than a hundred reviews!
No, it was no holiday that kept me from writing. It were my boss, my study and a lot of happy family occasions (nothing more than a birthday, visiting friends I had not seen for a while).
Thanks everybody for the wonderful reviews.
Ozma, (are you the author of The Cold Year and Deep Emotion?) thank you for your tremendous compliment. It touched me, it really did. I'm writing the story the way it comes to me, without an age group in mind. I hope it will remain (mostly) suitable material to read to your son. Thank you.
An Owl, translate my story in Russian? Gosh! Yes, sure- err, I don't really know what to say. Except that I am honoured for you taking the time and trouble to do so! Say hello to your group for me. Just please make sure the proper credits go to Mrs Rowling!
Don't you all love the way the world is coming together through tremendous writers like J.K. and fandom! I know I'm getting on my soapbox here, but as long as people like us communicate in the way we do, there's hope for the lot of us! (huge affectionate grin, little bow, step down from soapbox).
Slytherin girl (hi slytherin girl, here, have some Berty Bots, Droobles Best Blowing Gum and Cauldron Cakes- sugar high rule!) Jett Girl, Strega Brava (thanks for the updates on your marvellous stories), Sophie W. (hi Sophie W.! have a chocolate frog) say hello to the Invisibles for me, updates will not be as far and few as they have been, promise!, asprosdracos (which Twig?) Rynye (sorry for taking so long wit this update) Juniper Holly, ladyeclectic, Camorite, Starlight (thanks for liking my story!) Cissy (yes, you did the Snape, thanks for doing the Snape, I adore Snape and I love people doing the Snape, grin. And of course, truly sarcastic people -are- revolting sometimes. But if I hug them and love them and pet them, they simply do not know how to react, mostly. It's so funny ;-), iejasu, thanks for your support, Lyansidde (yes, there -is- a great deal more, this story will take a while in telling), and Blackthorne.