Oh shit.
Of all the excellent things to happen right now, Dumbledore was not in the top part of Snape's list.
"Severus?"
Snape muttered the charm to open the door and the aged wizard entered.
"Ah, I see you are a little preoccupied right now, Severus, so I will not disturb you for too long."
Dumbledore's eyes looked sad and cold at the same time as he scanned over the emaciated boy half fallen off the chair.
"He's in a fairly bad way. Why didn't you tell me, Severus?"
Snape sighed.
"I uncast the charms on him in my office but he recast them. When you couldn't unbreak them I thought I must have imagined everything. And then Remus took him and I thought he wouldn't be my responsibility any more."
"Well, I think he should go to Sirius now. He is his legal guardian."
"He's also on the run from the Dementors. Hardly an ideal environment for Potter to recover in."
Dumbledore nodded.
"So what do we do with him?"
********************
"So what do we do with him?"
Harry felt tears start behind his eyes again. He was such a bloody nuisance!
He faked sleep, trying to block out the two men's voices. He lay staring at the wall for the whole day, pretending to sleep when Snape tried to wake him. Dumbledore had suggested that Snape let harry stayed with him for a while. Snape sounded wholly unimpressed.
Finally it was dinner time. After Snape had checked to see if Harry was still asleep, he left.
Harry heard the door click shut and slid up to a standing position, everything spinning around him.
"Massus" he whispered, pointing his wand at himself. Soft golden letters forming 5st6lbs floated briefly in the air, before disappearing.
Softly, he left the room, letting the portrait swing shut behind him. He didn't know the password to get back in, but then again he had no intention of returning.
Slowly, trying to fight the dizziness, he made his way upstairs.
***************************
Snape felt a small tug on his neck. Picking up the pendant that all teachers wore, he noticed someone had opened his portrait hole. Surely Potter wasn't going? The boy had no robes. With a sigh, he pushed back his chair and stood up to intercept his charge before he walked semi-naked into the hall.
****************************
As he walked back to the dungeons, there was no sign of Potter. Slightly worried, Snape went back to Draco's room. There was nobody there. Potter had gone.
*******************************
It's all a fucking waste of time.
I'm never going to defeat him.
All I'm doing is making people ashamed.
I deserve to die. Vanish.
6 feet under.
Harry looked over the edge of the astronomy tower. It was a big drop to the bottom. Big enough?
**************************
Snape virtually flew into the Hall.
He grabbed Draco.
"Where's Harry?"
"I don't know. He was in your office last!"
Snarling, Snape dropped the Slytherin and hurried to the staff table.
"Minerva, Albus, we have a problem. Harry has disappeared."
***************************
10 minutes later, McGonnagal had searched the grounds, Albus the top two floors of the castle, and Severus the Dungeons. Harry was nowhere to be found. And then Snape took off.
"Severus, where are you going?"
His reply echoed though the dank dungeon walls.
"Astronomy Tower."
************************
Harry looked down at the Hogwarts grounds. Hagrid was out with Fang. Who would find him first? Dumbledore was probably coming already. It was impossible to hide anywhere.
With a last long look at the one place that had almost been a home to him, Harry clenched his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut, and walked off the edge of the astronomy tower.
****************************
Snape reached the tower in record time, just in time to see Harry walk of the edge.
He looked in shocked amazement at the scene for a few seconds.
"No!"
***************************
He was practically floating. He wasn't scared. Just looking forward to dying once and for all. He could have gone to Voldemort but he wasn't sure if Avada Kedavra worked on him. He'd never know now. Because he was getting closer and closer, the ground rushing up to meet him.
And he had no regrets.
********************************
Dumbledore was there quicker than Snape would have realised possible, on the edge of the tower, staring down, grief etched on his features.
And then Snape had an idea.
**********************************
Still floating. Drifting, gently, like a leaf. And they will trample on me when I'm buried, never knowing, never caring. I will be alone. I will be safe. I will be. . . "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!"
With a jerk, Harry realised he was floating around two metres above the concrete path. "Oh shit."
****************************
When Snape had raced down the stairs, out of the building and to the base of the astronomy tower, Harry was sitting staring into space. He didn't give any sign of seeing Snape, just mumbled. "I'm still alive."
Without thinking, Snape grabbed Harry by his shoulders. With a gasp, Harry jerked away, seeing Snape for the first time. His eyes were hollow, there was no life in them.
His voice was so many things. Shocked, scared, angry, tired, accusing.
"You saved me."
Of all the excellent things to happen right now, Dumbledore was not in the top part of Snape's list.
"Severus?"
Snape muttered the charm to open the door and the aged wizard entered.
"Ah, I see you are a little preoccupied right now, Severus, so I will not disturb you for too long."
Dumbledore's eyes looked sad and cold at the same time as he scanned over the emaciated boy half fallen off the chair.
"He's in a fairly bad way. Why didn't you tell me, Severus?"
Snape sighed.
"I uncast the charms on him in my office but he recast them. When you couldn't unbreak them I thought I must have imagined everything. And then Remus took him and I thought he wouldn't be my responsibility any more."
"Well, I think he should go to Sirius now. He is his legal guardian."
"He's also on the run from the Dementors. Hardly an ideal environment for Potter to recover in."
Dumbledore nodded.
"So what do we do with him?"
********************
"So what do we do with him?"
Harry felt tears start behind his eyes again. He was such a bloody nuisance!
He faked sleep, trying to block out the two men's voices. He lay staring at the wall for the whole day, pretending to sleep when Snape tried to wake him. Dumbledore had suggested that Snape let harry stayed with him for a while. Snape sounded wholly unimpressed.
Finally it was dinner time. After Snape had checked to see if Harry was still asleep, he left.
Harry heard the door click shut and slid up to a standing position, everything spinning around him.
"Massus" he whispered, pointing his wand at himself. Soft golden letters forming 5st6lbs floated briefly in the air, before disappearing.
Softly, he left the room, letting the portrait swing shut behind him. He didn't know the password to get back in, but then again he had no intention of returning.
Slowly, trying to fight the dizziness, he made his way upstairs.
***************************
Snape felt a small tug on his neck. Picking up the pendant that all teachers wore, he noticed someone had opened his portrait hole. Surely Potter wasn't going? The boy had no robes. With a sigh, he pushed back his chair and stood up to intercept his charge before he walked semi-naked into the hall.
****************************
As he walked back to the dungeons, there was no sign of Potter. Slightly worried, Snape went back to Draco's room. There was nobody there. Potter had gone.
*******************************
It's all a fucking waste of time.
I'm never going to defeat him.
All I'm doing is making people ashamed.
I deserve to die. Vanish.
6 feet under.
Harry looked over the edge of the astronomy tower. It was a big drop to the bottom. Big enough?
**************************
Snape virtually flew into the Hall.
He grabbed Draco.
"Where's Harry?"
"I don't know. He was in your office last!"
Snarling, Snape dropped the Slytherin and hurried to the staff table.
"Minerva, Albus, we have a problem. Harry has disappeared."
***************************
10 minutes later, McGonnagal had searched the grounds, Albus the top two floors of the castle, and Severus the Dungeons. Harry was nowhere to be found. And then Snape took off.
"Severus, where are you going?"
His reply echoed though the dank dungeon walls.
"Astronomy Tower."
************************
Harry looked down at the Hogwarts grounds. Hagrid was out with Fang. Who would find him first? Dumbledore was probably coming already. It was impossible to hide anywhere.
With a last long look at the one place that had almost been a home to him, Harry clenched his teeth, squeezed his eyes shut, and walked off the edge of the astronomy tower.
****************************
Snape reached the tower in record time, just in time to see Harry walk of the edge.
He looked in shocked amazement at the scene for a few seconds.
"No!"
***************************
He was practically floating. He wasn't scared. Just looking forward to dying once and for all. He could have gone to Voldemort but he wasn't sure if Avada Kedavra worked on him. He'd never know now. Because he was getting closer and closer, the ground rushing up to meet him.
And he had no regrets.
********************************
Dumbledore was there quicker than Snape would have realised possible, on the edge of the tower, staring down, grief etched on his features.
And then Snape had an idea.
**********************************
Still floating. Drifting, gently, like a leaf. And they will trample on me when I'm buried, never knowing, never caring. I will be alone. I will be safe. I will be. . . "WINGARDIUM LEVIOSA!"
With a jerk, Harry realised he was floating around two metres above the concrete path. "Oh shit."
****************************
When Snape had raced down the stairs, out of the building and to the base of the astronomy tower, Harry was sitting staring into space. He didn't give any sign of seeing Snape, just mumbled. "I'm still alive."
Without thinking, Snape grabbed Harry by his shoulders. With a gasp, Harry jerked away, seeing Snape for the first time. His eyes were hollow, there was no life in them.
His voice was so many things. Shocked, scared, angry, tired, accusing.
"You saved me."