Snape gawked at Harry, looking very un-terrifying potions master-ish.
"Harr. . .wha. . .uhh. . .wha. . ."
Then with a piercing enough shriek to wake the entire school, Minerva
McGonagall flew to Harry's side, gathering him into an iron embrace. With a
startled (and pained sounding) yelp, Harry flinched back away from his head
of house.
"Leave me alone!" He exclaimed, backing away, his voice high and shrill. "Don't touch me! Don't even come near me! Leave me alone!"
McGonagall looked at Snape, her eyes full of horror.
Dumbledore had levitated himself down and was looking at Harry. He suddenly looked much older.
"What has brought this on, Harry?" he asked gently.
Harry looked at him, his eyes lost and hopeless.
He turned around, and walked back to the school, his robes billowing behind him in a fashion not unlike Snape's.
Dumbledore rubbed his nose.
"I don't understand," said McGonagall softly. "He's always seemed so happy, with his friends. Why would he upset them by doing something like this?"
Snape looked at her in amazement, and she bristled.
"What, Severus?"
"Minerva, none of bloody Gryffindors are speaking to him! They're hurting him! They have been hexing him!"
"And how would you, head of the SLYTHERIN house, know this?"
"Mr Malfoy has been watching them."
"Oh, and I should take the word of two SLYTHERINS over my own house?"
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "This is not the best way forward, Minerva, Severus. We need someone to talk to Harry. Maybe Remus?"
"He ran away from Remus , Albus, for a reason."
"Hmm. Sirius?"
"Bloody flea-bitten mutt" muttered Snape darkly.
McGonagall glared at him, and turned to Dumbledore.
"I think Black would be the best option. I'll owl him tonight. And we had better find Mr Potter before he does anything else stupid."
The two wizards departed, leaving Snape to rub his temples. He didn't think this was a good idea, but as head of Slytherin there wasn't a lot he could do.
But Harry had tried to kill himself! Didn't he owe it to the boy to apologise, to make up to him? Though few saw it, Snape did have a human side. He just hated people getting credited with something they hadn't done. Like Harry. He hadn't defeated Voldemort once, Lily had.
But that wasn't Harry's fault. He hadn't asked for the fame.
With another sigh, Snape headed back to the castle.
*********************
Draco was doing his transfiguration homework when there was a tap on his door. He opened it and Harry stumbled through the portrait. His hair was sticking up even more than usual and his eyes looked hollow, like they had after the Third Task last year. Draco gaped at him, and stood up, helping Harry onto the chair.
"What happened to you?"
"I don't want to talk about it. Just. . .can I stay here tonight?"
Draco nodded mutely.
"I'll tell Professor Snape. My bed's in the next room."
"Ok. Thanks."
Draco was concerned at how flat Harry's voice was. Something had happened, but he didn't know what.
He tossed a handful of powder into the flames and Snape's head appeared.
"Sir, I have Harry here. He looked exhausted and went straight to bed. I thought you should know."
"Thank you Draco. I'll go and inform Minerva directly."
"What happened?"
Snape sighed and pushed some hair out of his eyes.
"I am telling you this on condition you will never tell anyone else, because I trust you and I think you can help Harry. He jumped off the Astronomy Tower."
Draco blanched and sat down quickly. Snape looked at him and sighed.
"What a bloody mess", he muttered, and then disappeared.
*************************
I can't do that again. I failed. I can't let everyone be killed by Voldemort. I have to save the world.
With a small sigh, Harry fell asleep. It had been a long day.
He woke after about 10 minutes, pain shooting through his scar from Voldemort's latest conquest.
He wanted to die.
*************************
Draco heard Harry's hoarse gasp, and the sound of the boy retching in the bathroom.
Why was there nothing he could do?
****************************
Snape sat chopping roots for his potion. Normally it would calm his nerves. But today he couldn't concentrate.
*******************************
Dumbledore sat in his office, waiting for Sirius. It had been 10 minutes since he had sent the fastest owl in Hogwarts with a Portkey for the Animagus. He should be here, any second now. . .any second. . .
***************************
Harry stared at the stone ceiling. Something slimy was dripping from it.
He wanted to die.
"Leave me alone!" He exclaimed, backing away, his voice high and shrill. "Don't touch me! Don't even come near me! Leave me alone!"
McGonagall looked at Snape, her eyes full of horror.
Dumbledore had levitated himself down and was looking at Harry. He suddenly looked much older.
"What has brought this on, Harry?" he asked gently.
Harry looked at him, his eyes lost and hopeless.
He turned around, and walked back to the school, his robes billowing behind him in a fashion not unlike Snape's.
Dumbledore rubbed his nose.
"I don't understand," said McGonagall softly. "He's always seemed so happy, with his friends. Why would he upset them by doing something like this?"
Snape looked at her in amazement, and she bristled.
"What, Severus?"
"Minerva, none of bloody Gryffindors are speaking to him! They're hurting him! They have been hexing him!"
"And how would you, head of the SLYTHERIN house, know this?"
"Mr Malfoy has been watching them."
"Oh, and I should take the word of two SLYTHERINS over my own house?"
Dumbledore cleared his throat. "This is not the best way forward, Minerva, Severus. We need someone to talk to Harry. Maybe Remus?"
"He ran away from Remus , Albus, for a reason."
"Hmm. Sirius?"
"Bloody flea-bitten mutt" muttered Snape darkly.
McGonagall glared at him, and turned to Dumbledore.
"I think Black would be the best option. I'll owl him tonight. And we had better find Mr Potter before he does anything else stupid."
The two wizards departed, leaving Snape to rub his temples. He didn't think this was a good idea, but as head of Slytherin there wasn't a lot he could do.
But Harry had tried to kill himself! Didn't he owe it to the boy to apologise, to make up to him? Though few saw it, Snape did have a human side. He just hated people getting credited with something they hadn't done. Like Harry. He hadn't defeated Voldemort once, Lily had.
But that wasn't Harry's fault. He hadn't asked for the fame.
With another sigh, Snape headed back to the castle.
*********************
Draco was doing his transfiguration homework when there was a tap on his door. He opened it and Harry stumbled through the portrait. His hair was sticking up even more than usual and his eyes looked hollow, like they had after the Third Task last year. Draco gaped at him, and stood up, helping Harry onto the chair.
"What happened to you?"
"I don't want to talk about it. Just. . .can I stay here tonight?"
Draco nodded mutely.
"I'll tell Professor Snape. My bed's in the next room."
"Ok. Thanks."
Draco was concerned at how flat Harry's voice was. Something had happened, but he didn't know what.
He tossed a handful of powder into the flames and Snape's head appeared.
"Sir, I have Harry here. He looked exhausted and went straight to bed. I thought you should know."
"Thank you Draco. I'll go and inform Minerva directly."
"What happened?"
Snape sighed and pushed some hair out of his eyes.
"I am telling you this on condition you will never tell anyone else, because I trust you and I think you can help Harry. He jumped off the Astronomy Tower."
Draco blanched and sat down quickly. Snape looked at him and sighed.
"What a bloody mess", he muttered, and then disappeared.
*************************
I can't do that again. I failed. I can't let everyone be killed by Voldemort. I have to save the world.
With a small sigh, Harry fell asleep. It had been a long day.
He woke after about 10 minutes, pain shooting through his scar from Voldemort's latest conquest.
He wanted to die.
*************************
Draco heard Harry's hoarse gasp, and the sound of the boy retching in the bathroom.
Why was there nothing he could do?
****************************
Snape sat chopping roots for his potion. Normally it would calm his nerves. But today he couldn't concentrate.
*******************************
Dumbledore sat in his office, waiting for Sirius. It had been 10 minutes since he had sent the fastest owl in Hogwarts with a Portkey for the Animagus. He should be here, any second now. . .any second. . .
***************************
Harry stared at the stone ceiling. Something slimy was dripping from it.
He wanted to die.