Child of Darkness
Chapter 3
As soon as Hedwig had left a nauseating feeling began to boil in Harry's stomach. Of course he was glad to be back but he had been gone for four years. What exactly was he supposed to do now?
"Bugger. I really should have planned this out first." Harry said softly, pulling up his hood to keep the sun off of his pale skin before it began peeling, as well as to keep the harsh light from burning his eye's out of there sockets. Four years in darkness will do that to you. "Aw hell," he said determinedly ,"I can do this. I'm a Dark Master." But still, there was a nasty little voice in his head that kept telling him to turn back even as he walked steadily onward.
*********
After four years everyone had more or less accepted the fact that Harry Potter was dead. Ron and Hermione had gotten on with their lives after mourning the loss of their friend and were now dating, everyone was expecting them to get married soon seeing as how their 7th year was coming to an end in a few short months. As for the people who had never liked Harry, like the Slytherins, they were quite shocked especially Draco. None of them liked Harry in the least but he had just seemed kind of…..immortal, like nothing could ever touch him.
(a/n: This is a HP/SS fic. Sorry Draco fans)
But like the rest of the world they got over it. And as for Severus Snape, well, he couldn't be happier. That little brat was out of his hair (which was still greasy) and he was free to continue hating James Potter without his mini clone running around and making his life a living hell. Who cared if the troublemaker was laying in a ditch somewhere?
Well, no one ever accused Snape of being nice.
To him this was just a better form of expulsion. Now you can just imagine his surprise as he was sitting in the staff room alone (the way he liked it) curled up on the soft sofa reading a book when suddenly a big white bird bursts through the open window and dive bombs his stomach knocking the air out of him and causing him to fall off the couch, sprawled ungracefully on the hard floor. A long moment passed as he gathered his scrambled thoughts and slowly came to his senses.
"……I am going to kill the bastard that sent that bird." He vowed to himself in a voice that seemed capable off freezing over hell. Slowly he got up and turned to glare at the owl, and as he got a good look at it two things happened: his face got a whole lot paler and he slumped to the floor in a dead faint, and the rest of the teachers filed into the room, done for the day and eager to kick off there shoes.
"Oh my god," gasped McGonagall as she caught sight of the owl. That familiar owl who hadn't been seen for four long years. "It can't be…..Hedwig" In answer Hedwig gave an affectionate hoot and blinked her large eyes.
After a moment of utter silence Dumbledore said in a breathless voice, "Everyone search the grounds immediately." They didn't need to be told twice as each one of them raced out of the staff room, equally shocked, but with a small glimmer of hope that there former student was alive.
***********
Slowly, Harry made his way to the staff room, carefully avoiding the teachers and students that were roaming around. He needed to speak with Dumbledore before a anyone else. Carefully he opened the door and peeked inside to where Dumbledore was trying to calm a ranting Snape. The boy mentally groaned as he heard what was being said.
"Honestly Severus, I'm sure Hedwig didn't mean to hurt you."
"Oh, of course not Headmaster." He said in that oh-so-familiar silky voice. "It's not the birds fault. It's POTTERS FAULT! It's always Potters fault! Him and his henchmen, Granger and Weasly!"
Harry gulped. He really didn't want to face Snape first, and especially not in that mood. Of course against his better judgement he pushed the hood of the cloak down and loudly cleared his throat. "Uh….hello. I-I'm back."
Dumbledore's jaw dropped and he raced across the room and embraced the startled boy in a grip he wouldn't have thought possible for someone that old. "Harry my boy! I'm so glad your alive!"
Harry smiled, about to reply….. Until he saw the look of pure rage on Snape's face. It looked like somebody didn't share Dumbledore's feelings because Snape looked like he wanted to drag Harry down a dark alley and beat him to death. He really didn't know how it was possible for someone to hate him so much.
"I'm happy to see you as well. It's been a long time."
Dumbledore released Harry and held him at arms length, staring at him as if all the answers would just magically appear. Harry held his breath as his former Headmaster examined his changed appearance.
"Well Harry, it looks as if you have some explaining to do," he said gently. Would you like to sit down, you look rather pale.
"No, I'm fine, but I'd prefer if the other teachers were here. It's kind of a long story and I'm not sure if I can tell it twice."
Dumbledore nodded and while he was calling the teachers with his magically enhanced voice Harry vaguely wondered if maybe he should have prepared for this as well. He silently cursed his Gryffindor habit of rushing into things without thinking.
'Well,' he thought grimly , 'at least Snape hasn't changed.'
Said Professor was glaring at him with such utter loathing that if looks could kill Harry would have been 6 feet under the moment he entered the room. No matter how strong or brave he was, Snapes death glare always managed to send a chill down his spine. Frankly it was beginning to freak him out.
"Do you have something to say to me Professor?" He asked calmly.
For a moment it looked as though Snape was about to say exactly what he was thinking (which was something along the lines of: you'd better get out of this school before I come after you with a rusty blade), but a look from Dumbledore silenced him just as the teachers rushed into the room.
"HARRY!" roared Hagrid, rushing ahead of all the other teachers and scooping the much smaller boy off the floor into a bear hug. "Harry, where have yeh been. We thought You-know-who had gotten to yeh." said the half-giant with so much feeling Harry couldn't help but be moved. Despite the fact that he was suffocating , the young wizard smiled and patted Hagrid reassuringly on one of his broad shoulders.
"I'm fine, b-but I can't breath."
"Oh!" gasped the gamekeeper, letting Harry drop to the floor where he began coughing furiously. "Sorry 'bout that."
No sooner had he caught his breath than the rest of the teachers ran forward. Harry could see tremendous relief in all of there faces, McGonagall and Hagrid were openly crying and the rest had tears in there eyes. It really shocked him, he never imagined his disappearance would affect anyone like this, but then again, maybe he shouldn't be so surprised, everyone except Snape and the Slytherins seemed to really care about him. If he could have cried then he would have, but Snakes, Vampires and Dementors don't cry.
"I'm sorry I worried you all," the young Dark Master said. "I guess I owe you all an explanation."
Snape sneered, "Well I should think so, Potter. I'm sure were all curious to find out where you disappeared to for four years. And what you've been doing that whole time." His dark eye's widened slightly when he finally actually looked at Harry. "Well well well Potter, what have you been up to. Red eye's? Fangs? …..And a black scar." he smirked as all the other teachers gasped once they to saw the changes. With a malicious smile he turned to Dumbledore. "I sincerely hope you not actually considering allowing Potter in this school another minute. He has been clearly working with dark magic, he's looking more like Voldemort every day." All the teachers gasped.
Harry's eye's widened in shock at the pure cruelty in those words, and although he prided himself on being a strong person, Snapes words cut deep and he could feel the tears forming in his eyes, though he refused to let them fall.
"That's pretty rich coming from you, Death Eater!" he snarled, watching in satisfaction as an angry red flush spread across the Potion Masters cheeks. "If anyone's like Voldemort it's you, at least I don't go around killing people!"
"I think Diggory would disagree with that," he hissed, knowing somewhere in the back of his mind that was a low blow, but then again, so was the Death Eater comment.
It didn't take long for fist's to become involved in there little argument as they tackled each other to the ground and they began trading blows.
"Albus," said Professor McGonagall, "shouldn't we stop them?"
"No," he replied with that irritating twinkle in his eye, "they need to do this. It'll be good for them to release all that hatred."
The 'battle' was about the least graceful or dignified thing any of them had ever seen. A full grown man and a teenager rolling around on the floor, doing there best to kill each other.
The rest of the professors watched with disbelieving looks on there face at the pile of black robes and pale skin before them. Snape was yanking Harry's hair and Harry was trying to claw Snapes face off before it finally got full blown and they both began landing punches as fast and hard as they could, not caring what they hit.
Dumbledore simply watched this embarrassing moment with a smile on his face before finally giving a wave of his wand and stunning the two. "Severus, Harry, I hope you got whatever hatred you held for each other got at least a little solved in that fight. But let me warn you, that is the last time I will allow this." he gave them both a glance. "Now do you think you can manage to be in each others presence long enough for Harry to explain himself."
Both gave an vague 'mmmm' sound, unable to actually talk.
"Good." he smiled, releasing them from the spell. "I sincerely hope you solved your differences."
That was sure doubtful. The rest of the professors slowly sat down, not knowing which was more shocking, Harry's return, or Harry and Snape fist fighting. Right now the two were glaring daggers at each other as they sat as far away from each other as possible. Both were sporting black eyes and various bruises and cuts.
"Well, Harry. Can you tell us where you've been all this time?" asked Dumbledore asked gently.
"Yes. But before I do, you all have to swear to secrecy." Harry said, giving Snape a very obvious, warning glare. "It's very important that no one knows what I'm going to tell you. And it's not anything that can hurt someone."
Dumbledore nodded, as did all of the teachers, including Snape after a while.
Harry smiled, giving them all a grateful look. "Well, I suppose it all began 4 years ago when I was at the Dursley's….."
30 minutes later all the Professors were staring at him with varying degrees of shock and horror.
Professor Flitwick was the first to speak.
"An entire city for the dark arts." he gasped, still not quite believing what he had just heard. "How is it possible that we never knew of it? Such a place would have to be enormous."
"Oh, it is. It's huge!" Harry exclaimed. "But it's all underground, that's why I'm so pale. I've been living underground for 4 years. But it's not as bad as it sounds, it's the best place in the world and right beside it is the City of Light. And that place is devoted to studying light magic."
"Harry," Dumbledore said softly. "Exactly who lives in the Dark City?"
"A whole lot of people. Mostly people the wizarding world shuns, like muggles, and vampires and werewolves. And there's also giants, and banshees and half-Dementors and people who are half-snake or half-bat-" he paused quite suddenly as he realized that everyone was giving him a look of horror. "What?"
"H-half-Dementors," McGonagall croaked in disgust. "Who on earth would……..urg" she trailed off, unable to go on.
Harry took one look at the expressions on there faces. Even Dumbledore looked rather shaken at that news. All at once Harry burst out laughing.It was some time before he stopped.
"I forgot to explain one thing." he chuckled "None of those people are born like that. The Dark Magic quantity in the blood of muggles and wizards is sometimes to much and it transforms them into creatures, or sometimes combinations of creatures, that are suited to there particular strong gifts. Now you can't exactly turn someone into a soul sucking zombie so you have to improvise and turn them into a half-dead human with the ability to suck the happiness out of people. And most of them can even perform the Kiss. But that's all they are. So you don't have to imagine someone banging a Dementor." he smiled "You see our body's are unable to handle the high magic concentration so were forced to change. But the change, depending on whether or not you're a light or dark person will reduce the amount of the opposing element you can control. For example me, I can barely perform the simplest light magic spell, I can perform spells like Expelliarmus just fine, but with spells like Lumos, I can only produce a tiny little light." He shrugged indifferently. "Any more questions?"
"Yes," Said Snape, speaking up for the first time. "Exactly what are you?"
Harry inwardly rolled his eye's. Count on Snape to ask the question that will have everyone looking at you like you're a hideous freak of nature. "Well…..apparently my dark magic concentration was really high so I'm part snake and vampire with a just enough Dementor thrown in for me to perform the Kiss, but only if I really really put my mind to it."
The silence was thick enough to cut with a butter knife.
"So why aren't you rotting, Potter?" Snape sneered, turning the talk rapidly into an interrogation.
Harry rolled his eye's, Snape's comment reminding him irresistibly of his second year when Peeves started that song: 'Oh Potter, you rotter oh, what have you done, your killing off students, you think it's good fun-' . He did not need to be reminded of that right now.
With a sigh he rolled up his sleeve to where a big patch of scabby, gray flesh was growing on his right forearm. "That good enough for you?" he asked morbidly, scratching the flesh so there was 3 lines of bloody pus seeping out. "Or maybe you want a closer examination?" Harry gave a sick smile, holding out his arm.
"I'd rather not be anywhere near you and your decaying flesh." He said, not looking the least bit sickened…..the other teachers however looked like they were going to be sick. Even the usually calm and collected Dumbledore looked green. Harry quickly pulled his sleeve down, he had forgotten that here people were disgusted by that sort of stuff. In the Dark City he had slept right beside a boy who was half-rotted and always smelled like a dead body that's been in the sun to long, so he was used to that sort of thing. The slip was rather embarrassing and it would give them less reason to trust him.
"Sorry. I forgot you aren't used to that."
Dumbledore nodded in understanding, though he still looked a little pale. "I understand. But I was just curious, are you planning to stay here long?"
"No, I have an apartment in the Dark City. I just came back here to say hi, and see if I could help with Voldemort if you need it."
"Yes, that would be appreciated. We can use all the help we can get, and your knowledge of the Dark Arts would be a great asset."
Harry beamed. "Thank you so much!" he smiled happily. "I want my being here to remain a secret as long as possible,though…..but, if it's possible, could I see Ron and Hermione again?"
Dumbledore nodded, "Of course, I'm sure they would be happy to see you again? Now there's just the matter of where your going to stay."
"Oh…well see, I need some place cold and dark to stay, otherwise I can't sleep."
Snape froze. 'No, Albus couldn't do this to him'
Dumbledore smiled in 'that' way. The smile that just screams 'PLOTTING AGAINST YOU!' "Well, there is an empty room in the Dungeons……right next to Severus."
a/n: so how did you like the 3rd chap? I have a few ideas on how to get harry and sev together , but review and tell me what you think should happen. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW !!!
Chapter 3
As soon as Hedwig had left a nauseating feeling began to boil in Harry's stomach. Of course he was glad to be back but he had been gone for four years. What exactly was he supposed to do now?
"Bugger. I really should have planned this out first." Harry said softly, pulling up his hood to keep the sun off of his pale skin before it began peeling, as well as to keep the harsh light from burning his eye's out of there sockets. Four years in darkness will do that to you. "Aw hell," he said determinedly ,"I can do this. I'm a Dark Master." But still, there was a nasty little voice in his head that kept telling him to turn back even as he walked steadily onward.
*********
After four years everyone had more or less accepted the fact that Harry Potter was dead. Ron and Hermione had gotten on with their lives after mourning the loss of their friend and were now dating, everyone was expecting them to get married soon seeing as how their 7th year was coming to an end in a few short months. As for the people who had never liked Harry, like the Slytherins, they were quite shocked especially Draco. None of them liked Harry in the least but he had just seemed kind of…..immortal, like nothing could ever touch him.
(a/n: This is a HP/SS fic. Sorry Draco fans)
But like the rest of the world they got over it. And as for Severus Snape, well, he couldn't be happier. That little brat was out of his hair (which was still greasy) and he was free to continue hating James Potter without his mini clone running around and making his life a living hell. Who cared if the troublemaker was laying in a ditch somewhere?
Well, no one ever accused Snape of being nice.
To him this was just a better form of expulsion. Now you can just imagine his surprise as he was sitting in the staff room alone (the way he liked it) curled up on the soft sofa reading a book when suddenly a big white bird bursts through the open window and dive bombs his stomach knocking the air out of him and causing him to fall off the couch, sprawled ungracefully on the hard floor. A long moment passed as he gathered his scrambled thoughts and slowly came to his senses.
"……I am going to kill the bastard that sent that bird." He vowed to himself in a voice that seemed capable off freezing over hell. Slowly he got up and turned to glare at the owl, and as he got a good look at it two things happened: his face got a whole lot paler and he slumped to the floor in a dead faint, and the rest of the teachers filed into the room, done for the day and eager to kick off there shoes.
"Oh my god," gasped McGonagall as she caught sight of the owl. That familiar owl who hadn't been seen for four long years. "It can't be…..Hedwig" In answer Hedwig gave an affectionate hoot and blinked her large eyes.
After a moment of utter silence Dumbledore said in a breathless voice, "Everyone search the grounds immediately." They didn't need to be told twice as each one of them raced out of the staff room, equally shocked, but with a small glimmer of hope that there former student was alive.
***********
Slowly, Harry made his way to the staff room, carefully avoiding the teachers and students that were roaming around. He needed to speak with Dumbledore before a anyone else. Carefully he opened the door and peeked inside to where Dumbledore was trying to calm a ranting Snape. The boy mentally groaned as he heard what was being said.
"Honestly Severus, I'm sure Hedwig didn't mean to hurt you."
"Oh, of course not Headmaster." He said in that oh-so-familiar silky voice. "It's not the birds fault. It's POTTERS FAULT! It's always Potters fault! Him and his henchmen, Granger and Weasly!"
Harry gulped. He really didn't want to face Snape first, and especially not in that mood. Of course against his better judgement he pushed the hood of the cloak down and loudly cleared his throat. "Uh….hello. I-I'm back."
Dumbledore's jaw dropped and he raced across the room and embraced the startled boy in a grip he wouldn't have thought possible for someone that old. "Harry my boy! I'm so glad your alive!"
Harry smiled, about to reply….. Until he saw the look of pure rage on Snape's face. It looked like somebody didn't share Dumbledore's feelings because Snape looked like he wanted to drag Harry down a dark alley and beat him to death. He really didn't know how it was possible for someone to hate him so much.
"I'm happy to see you as well. It's been a long time."
Dumbledore released Harry and held him at arms length, staring at him as if all the answers would just magically appear. Harry held his breath as his former Headmaster examined his changed appearance.
"Well Harry, it looks as if you have some explaining to do," he said gently. Would you like to sit down, you look rather pale.
"No, I'm fine, but I'd prefer if the other teachers were here. It's kind of a long story and I'm not sure if I can tell it twice."
Dumbledore nodded and while he was calling the teachers with his magically enhanced voice Harry vaguely wondered if maybe he should have prepared for this as well. He silently cursed his Gryffindor habit of rushing into things without thinking.
'Well,' he thought grimly , 'at least Snape hasn't changed.'
Said Professor was glaring at him with such utter loathing that if looks could kill Harry would have been 6 feet under the moment he entered the room. No matter how strong or brave he was, Snapes death glare always managed to send a chill down his spine. Frankly it was beginning to freak him out.
"Do you have something to say to me Professor?" He asked calmly.
For a moment it looked as though Snape was about to say exactly what he was thinking (which was something along the lines of: you'd better get out of this school before I come after you with a rusty blade), but a look from Dumbledore silenced him just as the teachers rushed into the room.
"HARRY!" roared Hagrid, rushing ahead of all the other teachers and scooping the much smaller boy off the floor into a bear hug. "Harry, where have yeh been. We thought You-know-who had gotten to yeh." said the half-giant with so much feeling Harry couldn't help but be moved. Despite the fact that he was suffocating , the young wizard smiled and patted Hagrid reassuringly on one of his broad shoulders.
"I'm fine, b-but I can't breath."
"Oh!" gasped the gamekeeper, letting Harry drop to the floor where he began coughing furiously. "Sorry 'bout that."
No sooner had he caught his breath than the rest of the teachers ran forward. Harry could see tremendous relief in all of there faces, McGonagall and Hagrid were openly crying and the rest had tears in there eyes. It really shocked him, he never imagined his disappearance would affect anyone like this, but then again, maybe he shouldn't be so surprised, everyone except Snape and the Slytherins seemed to really care about him. If he could have cried then he would have, but Snakes, Vampires and Dementors don't cry.
"I'm sorry I worried you all," the young Dark Master said. "I guess I owe you all an explanation."
Snape sneered, "Well I should think so, Potter. I'm sure were all curious to find out where you disappeared to for four years. And what you've been doing that whole time." His dark eye's widened slightly when he finally actually looked at Harry. "Well well well Potter, what have you been up to. Red eye's? Fangs? …..And a black scar." he smirked as all the other teachers gasped once they to saw the changes. With a malicious smile he turned to Dumbledore. "I sincerely hope you not actually considering allowing Potter in this school another minute. He has been clearly working with dark magic, he's looking more like Voldemort every day." All the teachers gasped.
Harry's eye's widened in shock at the pure cruelty in those words, and although he prided himself on being a strong person, Snapes words cut deep and he could feel the tears forming in his eyes, though he refused to let them fall.
"That's pretty rich coming from you, Death Eater!" he snarled, watching in satisfaction as an angry red flush spread across the Potion Masters cheeks. "If anyone's like Voldemort it's you, at least I don't go around killing people!"
"I think Diggory would disagree with that," he hissed, knowing somewhere in the back of his mind that was a low blow, but then again, so was the Death Eater comment.
It didn't take long for fist's to become involved in there little argument as they tackled each other to the ground and they began trading blows.
"Albus," said Professor McGonagall, "shouldn't we stop them?"
"No," he replied with that irritating twinkle in his eye, "they need to do this. It'll be good for them to release all that hatred."
The 'battle' was about the least graceful or dignified thing any of them had ever seen. A full grown man and a teenager rolling around on the floor, doing there best to kill each other.
The rest of the professors watched with disbelieving looks on there face at the pile of black robes and pale skin before them. Snape was yanking Harry's hair and Harry was trying to claw Snapes face off before it finally got full blown and they both began landing punches as fast and hard as they could, not caring what they hit.
Dumbledore simply watched this embarrassing moment with a smile on his face before finally giving a wave of his wand and stunning the two. "Severus, Harry, I hope you got whatever hatred you held for each other got at least a little solved in that fight. But let me warn you, that is the last time I will allow this." he gave them both a glance. "Now do you think you can manage to be in each others presence long enough for Harry to explain himself."
Both gave an vague 'mmmm' sound, unable to actually talk.
"Good." he smiled, releasing them from the spell. "I sincerely hope you solved your differences."
That was sure doubtful. The rest of the professors slowly sat down, not knowing which was more shocking, Harry's return, or Harry and Snape fist fighting. Right now the two were glaring daggers at each other as they sat as far away from each other as possible. Both were sporting black eyes and various bruises and cuts.
"Well, Harry. Can you tell us where you've been all this time?" asked Dumbledore asked gently.
"Yes. But before I do, you all have to swear to secrecy." Harry said, giving Snape a very obvious, warning glare. "It's very important that no one knows what I'm going to tell you. And it's not anything that can hurt someone."
Dumbledore nodded, as did all of the teachers, including Snape after a while.
Harry smiled, giving them all a grateful look. "Well, I suppose it all began 4 years ago when I was at the Dursley's….."
30 minutes later all the Professors were staring at him with varying degrees of shock and horror.
Professor Flitwick was the first to speak.
"An entire city for the dark arts." he gasped, still not quite believing what he had just heard. "How is it possible that we never knew of it? Such a place would have to be enormous."
"Oh, it is. It's huge!" Harry exclaimed. "But it's all underground, that's why I'm so pale. I've been living underground for 4 years. But it's not as bad as it sounds, it's the best place in the world and right beside it is the City of Light. And that place is devoted to studying light magic."
"Harry," Dumbledore said softly. "Exactly who lives in the Dark City?"
"A whole lot of people. Mostly people the wizarding world shuns, like muggles, and vampires and werewolves. And there's also giants, and banshees and half-Dementors and people who are half-snake or half-bat-" he paused quite suddenly as he realized that everyone was giving him a look of horror. "What?"
"H-half-Dementors," McGonagall croaked in disgust. "Who on earth would……..urg" she trailed off, unable to go on.
Harry took one look at the expressions on there faces. Even Dumbledore looked rather shaken at that news. All at once Harry burst out laughing.It was some time before he stopped.
"I forgot to explain one thing." he chuckled "None of those people are born like that. The Dark Magic quantity in the blood of muggles and wizards is sometimes to much and it transforms them into creatures, or sometimes combinations of creatures, that are suited to there particular strong gifts. Now you can't exactly turn someone into a soul sucking zombie so you have to improvise and turn them into a half-dead human with the ability to suck the happiness out of people. And most of them can even perform the Kiss. But that's all they are. So you don't have to imagine someone banging a Dementor." he smiled "You see our body's are unable to handle the high magic concentration so were forced to change. But the change, depending on whether or not you're a light or dark person will reduce the amount of the opposing element you can control. For example me, I can barely perform the simplest light magic spell, I can perform spells like Expelliarmus just fine, but with spells like Lumos, I can only produce a tiny little light." He shrugged indifferently. "Any more questions?"
"Yes," Said Snape, speaking up for the first time. "Exactly what are you?"
Harry inwardly rolled his eye's. Count on Snape to ask the question that will have everyone looking at you like you're a hideous freak of nature. "Well…..apparently my dark magic concentration was really high so I'm part snake and vampire with a just enough Dementor thrown in for me to perform the Kiss, but only if I really really put my mind to it."
The silence was thick enough to cut with a butter knife.
"So why aren't you rotting, Potter?" Snape sneered, turning the talk rapidly into an interrogation.
Harry rolled his eye's, Snape's comment reminding him irresistibly of his second year when Peeves started that song: 'Oh Potter, you rotter oh, what have you done, your killing off students, you think it's good fun-' . He did not need to be reminded of that right now.
With a sigh he rolled up his sleeve to where a big patch of scabby, gray flesh was growing on his right forearm. "That good enough for you?" he asked morbidly, scratching the flesh so there was 3 lines of bloody pus seeping out. "Or maybe you want a closer examination?" Harry gave a sick smile, holding out his arm.
"I'd rather not be anywhere near you and your decaying flesh." He said, not looking the least bit sickened…..the other teachers however looked like they were going to be sick. Even the usually calm and collected Dumbledore looked green. Harry quickly pulled his sleeve down, he had forgotten that here people were disgusted by that sort of stuff. In the Dark City he had slept right beside a boy who was half-rotted and always smelled like a dead body that's been in the sun to long, so he was used to that sort of thing. The slip was rather embarrassing and it would give them less reason to trust him.
"Sorry. I forgot you aren't used to that."
Dumbledore nodded in understanding, though he still looked a little pale. "I understand. But I was just curious, are you planning to stay here long?"
"No, I have an apartment in the Dark City. I just came back here to say hi, and see if I could help with Voldemort if you need it."
"Yes, that would be appreciated. We can use all the help we can get, and your knowledge of the Dark Arts would be a great asset."
Harry beamed. "Thank you so much!" he smiled happily. "I want my being here to remain a secret as long as possible,though…..but, if it's possible, could I see Ron and Hermione again?"
Dumbledore nodded, "Of course, I'm sure they would be happy to see you again? Now there's just the matter of where your going to stay."
"Oh…well see, I need some place cold and dark to stay, otherwise I can't sleep."
Snape froze. 'No, Albus couldn't do this to him'
Dumbledore smiled in 'that' way. The smile that just screams 'PLOTTING AGAINST YOU!' "Well, there is an empty room in the Dungeons……right next to Severus."
a/n: so how did you like the 3rd chap? I have a few ideas on how to get harry and sev together , but review and tell me what you think should happen. REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW !!!