**yeah ok, so it's short, but if you had as much work as I do you wouldn't
be updating at all, so please nobody whine at me for making a short
chapter, cos it's nearly midnight and I feel like hell anyway. But I hope
you all enjoy. . . **
Worry etched clearly on the potions master's face, he carried the malnourished boy swiftly into his private chamber and laid him on the bed. Muttering a small charm, Harry's robes vanished and Snape sucked in his breath. The boy was in a real mess. What had those sadistic bastards done to him?
Harry's bones jutted out from him even worse than last time Snape had seen him. Bruises were already forming over the top of the fading ones he had received earlier from, probably his muggle relatives. There were open cuts on his arm, which Snape assumed the Gryffindors had also done. With a thrill of horror he saw blood spreading on the sheets, and turned Harry onto his front. What he saw almost made him retch. The boys back had obviously been whipped, and the welts had come open. Snape didn't remember them being this bad before; though the boy was obviously adept with his concealing charms.
But why hadn't he tried to heal himself?
Snape shook his head and set about cleaning Harry, healing as many cuts and bruises as he could. The boy was in a deep sleep, and for his sake, Snape hoped it would stay that way.
************************************
He was grading potions essays when he heard an unsteady movement from the next room. There was the sound of shuffling feet heading towards the bathroom and then violent retching. Snape was torn between respecting the boy's privacy and stopping him from fainting and hitting himself on the hard floor. In the end he tapped on the door.
Silence
"Harry?"
Silence
"Harry, if you don't say something I'm coming in, ok?"
Silence
Snape pulled open the door and winced as he looked at Harry. The teenager had either fainted or fallen asleep on the floor, and looked very thin and broken sprawled over the floor.
He was now having nightmares, twitching and moaning.
For once in his life, Snape wondered if anything could be worse than being a Death Eater.
****************************
flashback in dream
Vernon advanced on Harry, brandishing a whip.
"No please sir, no. Have mercy, sir."
"You don't want the whip?"
"Anything sir. Anything but the whip!"
There was an ominous pause. Then. . .
"Anything?"
The sound of a zip. . .laughing. . .rancid breath. . .splitting pain. . .and blackness.
And then light.
"Harry. . .why did you sacrifice your mother? Why couldn't she have lived?"
Harry looked at the mop of hair that was so like his - the resemblance really was amazing.
"I'm sorry dad. I didn't know. I didn't see. I'm sorry!"
"Oh Harry, why are you such a disappointment. I wouldn't have begged for your life if I knew you'd just throw it away like this. You have made Albus and Sirius ad Remus so ashamed, Harry."
"No.mum.I didn't."
But they were fading. . .and now it was only Vernon, with Petunia and Dudley laughing in the background. And laughing. . .and laughing. . . and blackness.
end flashback/dream
A scream rent the dank dungeon air, and Snape swept through to where Harry was lying on the floor, half-dried tears on his face. Silently but gently he helped Harry to his feet and back onto the bed, and didn't leave the boy's side that night.
*********************
The second Harry heard Snape leave he got to his feet and headed woozily to the bathroom. His face was blackened and swollen. He looked like a complete mess.
And why the hell was Snape standing behind him, arms outstretched?
***********************
Snape had guessed Potter was asleep and had re-entered the rooms to find Harry staring into the mirror, swaying from side to side. He had managed to catch the boy, put him back to bed and cast a strong sleeping charm on him before breakfast.
Now he just had to talk to Minerva and Albus.
Worry etched clearly on the potions master's face, he carried the malnourished boy swiftly into his private chamber and laid him on the bed. Muttering a small charm, Harry's robes vanished and Snape sucked in his breath. The boy was in a real mess. What had those sadistic bastards done to him?
Harry's bones jutted out from him even worse than last time Snape had seen him. Bruises were already forming over the top of the fading ones he had received earlier from, probably his muggle relatives. There were open cuts on his arm, which Snape assumed the Gryffindors had also done. With a thrill of horror he saw blood spreading on the sheets, and turned Harry onto his front. What he saw almost made him retch. The boys back had obviously been whipped, and the welts had come open. Snape didn't remember them being this bad before; though the boy was obviously adept with his concealing charms.
But why hadn't he tried to heal himself?
Snape shook his head and set about cleaning Harry, healing as many cuts and bruises as he could. The boy was in a deep sleep, and for his sake, Snape hoped it would stay that way.
************************************
He was grading potions essays when he heard an unsteady movement from the next room. There was the sound of shuffling feet heading towards the bathroom and then violent retching. Snape was torn between respecting the boy's privacy and stopping him from fainting and hitting himself on the hard floor. In the end he tapped on the door.
Silence
"Harry?"
Silence
"Harry, if you don't say something I'm coming in, ok?"
Silence
Snape pulled open the door and winced as he looked at Harry. The teenager had either fainted or fallen asleep on the floor, and looked very thin and broken sprawled over the floor.
He was now having nightmares, twitching and moaning.
For once in his life, Snape wondered if anything could be worse than being a Death Eater.
****************************
flashback in dream
Vernon advanced on Harry, brandishing a whip.
"No please sir, no. Have mercy, sir."
"You don't want the whip?"
"Anything sir. Anything but the whip!"
There was an ominous pause. Then. . .
"Anything?"
The sound of a zip. . .laughing. . .rancid breath. . .splitting pain. . .and blackness.
And then light.
"Harry. . .why did you sacrifice your mother? Why couldn't she have lived?"
Harry looked at the mop of hair that was so like his - the resemblance really was amazing.
"I'm sorry dad. I didn't know. I didn't see. I'm sorry!"
"Oh Harry, why are you such a disappointment. I wouldn't have begged for your life if I knew you'd just throw it away like this. You have made Albus and Sirius ad Remus so ashamed, Harry."
"No.mum.I didn't."
But they were fading. . .and now it was only Vernon, with Petunia and Dudley laughing in the background. And laughing. . .and laughing. . . and blackness.
end flashback/dream
A scream rent the dank dungeon air, and Snape swept through to where Harry was lying on the floor, half-dried tears on his face. Silently but gently he helped Harry to his feet and back onto the bed, and didn't leave the boy's side that night.
*********************
The second Harry heard Snape leave he got to his feet and headed woozily to the bathroom. His face was blackened and swollen. He looked like a complete mess.
And why the hell was Snape standing behind him, arms outstretched?
***********************
Snape had guessed Potter was asleep and had re-entered the rooms to find Harry staring into the mirror, swaying from side to side. He had managed to catch the boy, put him back to bed and cast a strong sleeping charm on him before breakfast.
Now he just had to talk to Minerva and Albus.