Snape turned to Draco, anger blazing in his eyes. Draco took an uneasy step
back, and the wizard's face softened.
"I'm not going to hurt you. Or anyone. Except whoever did this to Potter."
Draco visibly relaxed.
"Can you go through the fire and get me some bottles from my office? The password is Salazar. I need Crithia Potion, Monkshood salve and some Asphodel and Belladonna ointment."
Draco nodded, and stepped into the fire.
*************************
As soon as he was gone, Snape allowed some of the anger and fear he was feeling steep though the his expression. The boy was in a bad way, and it was unlikely anyone except himself could heal Harry. But what really bothered him was the fact that nobody knew of this - that Harry had managed to keep it a secret, and that he had, even in this weakened state, managed to cast a concealing charm so powerful that Dumbledore himself could not break it.
Snape was torn. On one hand, Draco had told him not to tell the Headmaster or Black - but surely his legal guardian and headmaster should be told? Of course, it had to be those dreadful relatives of Lily's who had done this, and so someone would have to be told before the next holidays - though, now Snape thought about it, Potter always stayed at Hogwarts in the holidays anyway. It was just a question of who told Dumbledore. The old man could tell Black - the flea-bitten canine would probably just begin hexing anyone and anything in sight anyway.
Normally Snape would have just sent Malfoy up to the Hospital Wing with Potter and let the two boys and Pomfrey sort it out. But there was nothing Poppy could do for Harry. He was in a serious condition. Snape sighed. He really ought to tell Dumbledore now, in case the boy didn't survive the night: but if their positions had been reversed, Snape knew he wouldn't have wanted anyone to tell the Headmaster.
His thoughts were distracted by Draco stumbling out of the fireplace carrying and armful of potions. Thankfully the right ones. At the same time the answer came to him.
"Draco. I need you to do me another favour. Go to the staff room and bring Professor Lupin down here, please."
Snape finished healing Harry's various cuts and bruises (or at least the most serious ones) about ten minutes later. Now all he could do was let the boy sleep.
Malfoy came back alone.
"The werewolf was out, sir."
"Professor Lupin to you" reprimanded Snape.
Malfoy sulked, but Snape ignored him, turning back to Harry.
"What happened, Draco?"
The blond boy sighed.
"First of all, I heard him being sick on the train on the way here. I went into the bathroom when he had gone and there were tissues with makeup on them in the bin. I guess he used those because he couldn't do any magic until he got on the train.
Then I saw everyone ignoring him at the table at dinner that evening. They wouldn't let him sit down. He left without eating. I think he was too scared to eat because he didn't want to be with his House any more than he had to.
Then I heard his so called friends putting the Extratus curse on him. I, um, sort of charmed one of the mirrors so we could spy on the Gryffindors. He screamed like he was under the Cruciatus, passed out, then threw up. I guess it added to the effects of the pain he was already under. But I didn't really fit things together until the night when we fought."
He trailed off into silence. Eventually Snape cleared his throat and Draco continued.
"It was that night when you found us. I was walking along the corridor, just thinking. I tripped over him, and suddenly got really angry, I don't know why. I guess I was blaming my lack of family on him. I started yelling at him, insulting his parents. . ."
Snape winced.
"That wasn't very smart, Draco."
Draco nodded.
"He slapped me around the face and I kicked him in the ribs. I never saw anyone in so much pain. . ."
"Perhaps because several of them were already broken."
"Yeah. . . then you came. . .then tonight, I felt like something was wrong. Well, actually, I'd seen the Gryffindors reaction to you taking those points off him, and it wasn't pleasant. All of them were insulting him. Calling him a freak, saying his parents would be ashamed, that he wasn't a true Gryffindor.
That evening I found him in the shadows outside the Gryffindor portrait hole. He had been crying, I think. Nobody would let him in; they'd changed the password. I brought him down here, and asked him what was going on. He acted all innocent, until I mentioned the Cruciatus. I asked him what could be worse and he just looked at me. He looked so hollow and dead. He finally told me that he'd had the Cruciatus last year, when Voldemort was reborn.
Then I remembered you talking about concealing charms, so I tried to uncover them. Nothing happened. He saw, or felt, the spells and said that he was going now that I was quite sure he wasn't a Death Eater in disguise. He got up and nearly fainted. I caught him and he gasped and started crying. I dragged him to the bed and asked what was wrong. He uncast the charms himself, and asked me to help him without telling Dumbledore or Sirius."
Draco paused.
"That's Sirius Black, right? The second Pettigrew came to my father's mansion I knew it was true that Black was innocent."
Snape ignored him for a long minute, staring at Harry. Then he closed his eyes, looking worried. Putting a hand on Harry's chest, he took a long deep breath and let it out again, then closed his eyes. He couldn't feel the life in Harry. Normally there should be some connection between people; a spark of light. But there was none.
"Oh shit. Trust me to have the Boy-Who-Lived die on my hands" muttered Snape inaudibly.
Draco looked bemused.
"What is going on?"
Then. . .there it was! A slight pulse that showed Harry was coming back.
Snape turned to Draco.
"I think. . .a little revenge is in order for the Gryffindors" he said, smirking evilly.
To his amazement, Draco didn't look keen.
"Won't that make them hate him even more, though?" he asked.
Snape looked curiously at the younger, and very different to the elder, Malfoy.
"Who would of thought it. . .Draco sticking up for Harry. After all these years of Albus saying it would happen."
He chuckled to himself, but the mirth died on his lips when he looked at Harry. The boy was battered and bruised in more places than Snape thought possible. Healing would take a long time. And it wouldn't happen anywhere his enemies could get to him.
As though reading Snape's mind, Draco said softly,
"He can stay here as long as he likes. He'll be safe here."
Snape looked at Draco for a long moment, and then, for the first time in eleven years, five months and six days, cracked a real, genuine smile.
"I'm not going to hurt you. Or anyone. Except whoever did this to Potter."
Draco visibly relaxed.
"Can you go through the fire and get me some bottles from my office? The password is Salazar. I need Crithia Potion, Monkshood salve and some Asphodel and Belladonna ointment."
Draco nodded, and stepped into the fire.
*************************
As soon as he was gone, Snape allowed some of the anger and fear he was feeling steep though the his expression. The boy was in a bad way, and it was unlikely anyone except himself could heal Harry. But what really bothered him was the fact that nobody knew of this - that Harry had managed to keep it a secret, and that he had, even in this weakened state, managed to cast a concealing charm so powerful that Dumbledore himself could not break it.
Snape was torn. On one hand, Draco had told him not to tell the Headmaster or Black - but surely his legal guardian and headmaster should be told? Of course, it had to be those dreadful relatives of Lily's who had done this, and so someone would have to be told before the next holidays - though, now Snape thought about it, Potter always stayed at Hogwarts in the holidays anyway. It was just a question of who told Dumbledore. The old man could tell Black - the flea-bitten canine would probably just begin hexing anyone and anything in sight anyway.
Normally Snape would have just sent Malfoy up to the Hospital Wing with Potter and let the two boys and Pomfrey sort it out. But there was nothing Poppy could do for Harry. He was in a serious condition. Snape sighed. He really ought to tell Dumbledore now, in case the boy didn't survive the night: but if their positions had been reversed, Snape knew he wouldn't have wanted anyone to tell the Headmaster.
His thoughts were distracted by Draco stumbling out of the fireplace carrying and armful of potions. Thankfully the right ones. At the same time the answer came to him.
"Draco. I need you to do me another favour. Go to the staff room and bring Professor Lupin down here, please."
Snape finished healing Harry's various cuts and bruises (or at least the most serious ones) about ten minutes later. Now all he could do was let the boy sleep.
Malfoy came back alone.
"The werewolf was out, sir."
"Professor Lupin to you" reprimanded Snape.
Malfoy sulked, but Snape ignored him, turning back to Harry.
"What happened, Draco?"
The blond boy sighed.
"First of all, I heard him being sick on the train on the way here. I went into the bathroom when he had gone and there were tissues with makeup on them in the bin. I guess he used those because he couldn't do any magic until he got on the train.
Then I saw everyone ignoring him at the table at dinner that evening. They wouldn't let him sit down. He left without eating. I think he was too scared to eat because he didn't want to be with his House any more than he had to.
Then I heard his so called friends putting the Extratus curse on him. I, um, sort of charmed one of the mirrors so we could spy on the Gryffindors. He screamed like he was under the Cruciatus, passed out, then threw up. I guess it added to the effects of the pain he was already under. But I didn't really fit things together until the night when we fought."
He trailed off into silence. Eventually Snape cleared his throat and Draco continued.
"It was that night when you found us. I was walking along the corridor, just thinking. I tripped over him, and suddenly got really angry, I don't know why. I guess I was blaming my lack of family on him. I started yelling at him, insulting his parents. . ."
Snape winced.
"That wasn't very smart, Draco."
Draco nodded.
"He slapped me around the face and I kicked him in the ribs. I never saw anyone in so much pain. . ."
"Perhaps because several of them were already broken."
"Yeah. . . then you came. . .then tonight, I felt like something was wrong. Well, actually, I'd seen the Gryffindors reaction to you taking those points off him, and it wasn't pleasant. All of them were insulting him. Calling him a freak, saying his parents would be ashamed, that he wasn't a true Gryffindor.
That evening I found him in the shadows outside the Gryffindor portrait hole. He had been crying, I think. Nobody would let him in; they'd changed the password. I brought him down here, and asked him what was going on. He acted all innocent, until I mentioned the Cruciatus. I asked him what could be worse and he just looked at me. He looked so hollow and dead. He finally told me that he'd had the Cruciatus last year, when Voldemort was reborn.
Then I remembered you talking about concealing charms, so I tried to uncover them. Nothing happened. He saw, or felt, the spells and said that he was going now that I was quite sure he wasn't a Death Eater in disguise. He got up and nearly fainted. I caught him and he gasped and started crying. I dragged him to the bed and asked what was wrong. He uncast the charms himself, and asked me to help him without telling Dumbledore or Sirius."
Draco paused.
"That's Sirius Black, right? The second Pettigrew came to my father's mansion I knew it was true that Black was innocent."
Snape ignored him for a long minute, staring at Harry. Then he closed his eyes, looking worried. Putting a hand on Harry's chest, he took a long deep breath and let it out again, then closed his eyes. He couldn't feel the life in Harry. Normally there should be some connection between people; a spark of light. But there was none.
"Oh shit. Trust me to have the Boy-Who-Lived die on my hands" muttered Snape inaudibly.
Draco looked bemused.
"What is going on?"
Then. . .there it was! A slight pulse that showed Harry was coming back.
Snape turned to Draco.
"I think. . .a little revenge is in order for the Gryffindors" he said, smirking evilly.
To his amazement, Draco didn't look keen.
"Won't that make them hate him even more, though?" he asked.
Snape looked curiously at the younger, and very different to the elder, Malfoy.
"Who would of thought it. . .Draco sticking up for Harry. After all these years of Albus saying it would happen."
He chuckled to himself, but the mirth died on his lips when he looked at Harry. The boy was battered and bruised in more places than Snape thought possible. Healing would take a long time. And it wouldn't happen anywhere his enemies could get to him.
As though reading Snape's mind, Draco said softly,
"He can stay here as long as he likes. He'll be safe here."
Snape looked at Draco for a long moment, and then, for the first time in eleven years, five months and six days, cracked a real, genuine smile.