Harry Potter and the Joke that Killed: Chapter Nine
A/N: *gloating over success of readers* Y'all are great! Yay-rah, yippie skippie, and fabbity fab fab to you all! HAHAHAHAHA!! LOL, I love how everyone automatically freaked over what happened to George, and got down on hands and knees and begged with me, that's great.
Emma Malfoy: I feel special and *tingly* when I read your reviews! Flattery is grand, love it, thanks bundles! I'm glad I make you whip out the big reviews, I like 'em big. Erm, the reviews I mean. yah, moving on now.
NightDreamerl1010: Nice prediction, is that truly Snape, but hmm. IS IT!?!?! Mua-ah-ahh, you shall see. I dunno where I get those curses, they just come out. I think of something horrible, then write it, or something like that. Thanks for reviewing!
Totally_tubular_girl: How can George be your sex slave when he's my little HONEYBUN?! Huh?! Hehe, and it's great to know you're still a virgin, stay that way! That is, until you get married and live happily ever after with your Georgie-poo. ;)
P.S. to who this is, you know who you are: SO TOTALLY :(
To own Harry Potter, or not to own Harry Potter. That is the question. actually, I don't have a choice in the matter since I wasn't born with the name Joanna Kathlene Rowling. (if that is indeed what JK is). Poo in your shoe.
* * * * *
Harry Potter was walking behind Professor Snape when a loud screaming came from Gryffindor Tower that was well heard outside. "What was that? It came from my dormitory!" Harry said, forgetting his vow to keep silent throughout this detention.
The Potions Master's face paled even whiter than usual, and he stared at Harry intently, as if making a serious decision. "Come on, we better hurry." he whispered, grabbing Harry's hand and pulling him along faster. Harry was surprised, and appalled, by the fact that he was holding hands with the hated teacher, but swallowed his opinions and conceded to be treated as a four year old.
Into the darkness Snape pulled his student, and nothing was said for ten minutes. Finally, Harry dared to ask, "Where are we going?"
"Anywhere away from here, Potter." the man replied, and Harry was jolted into silence by the desperate tone in his voice. It was almost as if he was running away from something. but what?
Harry saw that they weren't headed to the Forbidden Forest, but the opposite direction. Past the row of shabby greenhouses and to a strip of woods that Harry had never seen before. Strange plants grew taller and taller up around him, some only to his knees, and others past his ears. Harry even thought he heard one snoring, but was walking past it in seconds and passed it off as an illusion. This must be Professor Sprout's Herbology garden, Harry thought, figuring that that could be the only explanation to the odd rows and assortment of magical plants.
After crossing a small creek, avoiding a patch of Tackling Thistlebrush, and consulting the Four-Point spell many times, they finally came upon a small, run-down cabin. Snape unlocked the intricate wizard's lock (it couldn't be opened by an Alohomora spell), and the two stepped inside.
Immediately Harry screamed in terror.
(^*^)
Victoria Callahan rushed to the window as soon as Hermione's information clicked in her mind. Harry Potter was off somewhere on a phony detention, alone, with no one to protect him. For all she knew, it could be.
"Professor, what's going on here?" the voice of Poppy Pomfrey said, and Profesor Callahan turned around to see the old nurse stooped over the body of George Weasley, assessing the damage with her wand.
"Acideratorr Curse, another cursed candy by what I gather. Pretty nasty, but not as bad as it could be. His brother Ron countered it before it got past his knees." Professor Callahan reported, running her fingers through her curly hair absentmindedly. On the outside she might have appeared all business, but on the inside she was bawling with rage and confusion. This wasn't fair, these poor students were being attacked and nearly killed, it was almost more than she could take.
"Oh Lord, another one. Poor dear." Madame Pomfrey remarked, performing a separating spell on George's legs to detach them from the floor. Conjuring up a floating stretcher, she magicked the boy onto it and hurried out of the room.
Left lying on the floor were George's shoes and what used to be his legs, liquefied and combined with the carpet. Professor Callahan performed a quick Cleansing Spell, which mopped up the goop but left a horrid lime stain on the floor. But she couldn't deal with that now, Harry Potter was on the loose and in danger somewhere, and she'd better find him before it was too late.
There wasn't enough time to inform anyone else about where she was going, so Professor Callahan mentioned it to Hermione before bustling out the portrait hole. "I'm off to look for Harry; Hermione, you're in charge. Nobody leaves this common room, I mean it. Use the Body-Bind for all I care, just so long as not one single soul removes itself from this room. Understand?"
Hermione nodded vigorously, visibly shaken up about George but eager to prove herself to her teacher.
On her way downstairs, Professor Callahan ran into Mr. Filch, the Hogwarts groundskeeper. "Seen Snape lately, Professor?" he asked as she hurried by. "I haven't seen him all night, and I need some papers from him." The woman shook her head and continued onward, and Mr. Filch shrugged and continued mopping.
She burst out the castle door and ran towards the Forbidden Forest, knowing that it was the first place a Death Eater would take a captive. But, reaching its outskirts, a funny feeling told her to turn around. Call it teacher's intuition, but her feet marched her away from those dark trees and past the immense lake, in the direction of the greenhouses. A quick evaluation of the wet mud surrounding the small gardens told her that two people had been there, one with an average sized foot, which she assumed was Harry's, and another which was rather large and the toes pointed in a bit. She thought and thought, following the tracks at the same time, about anyone at all she'd seen before, when suddenly it dawned on her.
Severus Snape.
He was rather tall, thus the large shoeprints, and walked slightly pigeon-toed. Could it be him? Mr. Filch had said himself that Severus was missing that night. slowly, conflicting thoughts began to sneak into the sensible woman's head: Severus did have connections to the dark world, NO, she wouldn't use past stereotypes and mistakes to figure this out, it would only muddle everything together. She had been the one to defend him, for heaven's sake! But then again, it was common sense to use every piece of the puzzle in order to solve it.
Finally the dam broke, and the mean little thoughts flooded Professor Callahan's mind. He could be delivering Harry to the Dark Lord, torturing him with an Unforgivable Curse, or sacrificing him right now. A meek voice suggested that he might just be giving out detention, and the teacher allowed it to stay there, just so she could feel like she was being fair and levelheaded about this. But, truly, she didn't believe it in the least.
Professor Callahan quickened her pace.
After crossing a stream, winding around a patch of Tackling Thistlebrush, and rechecking the path of footprints many times, she spotted a wooden shed about a hundred yards away. Then a piercing scream shattered the night, and the woman broke into a dead run.
Throwing open the door, she saw Harry Potter standing amidst all sorts of cruel tormenting instruments; manacles, samurai swords, The Draining Cup (a wizarding tool that, when drunk out of, sucks the victim's blood out), and dozens of bloodstained books lined the shelves. Severus Snape stood there, clutching Harry's shoulders tightly, and trying to gain control of him.
"NOOOOO!!!" Professor Callahan screamed, and took out her wand menacingly. "Expelliarmus!" she shouted, and the Potions Master shot across the room, landing on a nastily sharp and rusty golden dagger.
Harry turned, eyes round with confusion, before Professor Callahan grabbed his hand and tore out of the cabin. Harry was protesting, tugging away and looking back at his abductor, but the teacher kept a firm grip and ran even faster. In no time at all they broke out of the woods and found Headmaster Dumbledore running towards them across the grounds.
"Oh, thank God Albus, you're here." Professor Callahan said with relief. "Snape kidnapped Harry Potter, he was going to torture him, give him over to The Dark Lord no doubt, had him in a shed back there in the woods filled with the most God awful things you've ever seen -"
"Victoria, do you have any idea what you're talking about?" Headmaster Dumbledore demanded, seething with more rage than Harry had ever seen him display before.
"Of course, I skewered the bastard with a Disarming Spell myself." the woman answered, looking proud of herself. However, Dumbledore looked horrified.
"Severus." the headmaster said, striking off into the night.
"What in the world?" Professor Callahan inquired, then started marching her charge up to the castle. But finally, Harry overcame his confusion enough to speak.
"What - can you - how did you know Snape was going to do that to me?" Harry asked, choosing one of the many questions in his head.
"Well, it was pretty obvious from the place he took you to, Harry. Just looking at those contraptions. ugh, it gives me the shivers." she answered, steering Harry around the marshy area of the lake.
"Oh that? That was Argus Filch's old storage shed." Harry remarked matter-of-fact. His leader stopped dead in her tracks.
"What?" she asked, glaring meaningfully at him.
"That cabin-type thing, it was Mr. Filch's old storage place. Said so on the door." Harry declared, and Professor Callahan's stomach did a flip- flop.
"But still, you screamed because."
"Because I was being led through the forest at night, and a bug brushed against my face and I flipped out."
"So Severus hadn't tried to hurt you?"
"No, of course not. But from what you told Dumbledore, I would've been."
"What I told Dumbledore was a crock, oh God, I've made a terrible mistake. Severus, I could have killed him!" she shrieked in dismay, letting go of Harry's hand and taking off after the Headmaster. Harry shook his head, wondering what exactly was true or not. Was Professor Snape trying to kill him and take him to Voldemort? And that look on Dumbledore's face. something was terribly wrong, and everyone knew but Harry. Sighing dejectedly, Harry entered the castle and walked up the long set of stairs. Upon entering the common room, Harry's brain about exploded with bewilderment.
Everyone was crying. Everyone, especially Fred, Nancy, and Ron, who were huddled beside a disturbing emerald stain on the carpet. Harry saw Hermione sitting in a chair by the portrait hole, standing guard officially. When she laid eyes on him, Hermione jumped up and hugged him fiercely.
"Oh thank goodness Harry, I thought you were dead!" she yelped, crying into his robes.
"Evidently so does everyone else. What's going on here?" Harry asked.
"It's George, it got him. A curse, Harry, he melted." she explained, shrinking at her last words.
"Melted? You - you mean George Weasley's cursed, he was next?" said Harry, disbelieving. Hermione nodded solemnly. The bottom of Harry's stomach seemed to both swell to bursting and disappear altogether in the same instant, he'd never imagined the curse would hurt someone so close to him.
"So what happened with your sham of a detention?" she asked worriedly, and Harry ripped his gaze from the floor to look at her.
"You probably know more than I do." Harry said, shaking his head. "I met Professor Snape by the greenhouses, and we were walking away when I heard screaming coming from the tower room."
"That must have been when George was cursed. oh Harry, it was so horrible." Hermione whispered, biting her lip to keep from crying.
"Okay, so then Snape grabbed my hand and we ran off into the woods to Mr. Filch's old storage shed, and Hermione, he's got manacles in there, and all sorts of torturing devices. I know he's always been wanting 'the old way' of discipline resorted, but who'd have thought it was like that?" Harry relayed to Hermione.
Her bloodshot eyes grew even wider at the news. "So Snape was taking you there to - to use those things on you?"
"Can't be anything worse than what Neville, Nancy, or George had to go through." Harry remarked bitterly. After that, there were no words to say. Such a sympathy was in their hearts that they felt as if they were the ones that had suffocated; burning and melting under the pressure and foreboding of it all.
Suddenly Hermione burst into sobs more extreme than any yet, and leapt into Harry's arms. "It's not fair." She kept whispering into his shoulder, and Harry rested a comforting hand on his friend's back.
(^*^)
When the clock struck midnight Harry lay in his dormitory, wide awake and mind whirring. Everyone had gone to bed early that night, the evening being both emotionally and physically exhausting. Harry heard his roommates Seamus, Dean, and Neville breathing steadily in a deep slumber. and one with shuddering gasps and fearful whimpers, belonging to Ron.
No matter how many times he'd complained about being the youngest of four brothers, and the funny antics of Fred and George, Harry knew that Ron loved it too. Having all those people looking out for him, loving him. Harry couldn't be more envious.
Ron began tossing violently in his bunk below Harry, his breathing becoming more of a desperate gulp, and pleading mumbles drifted up to Harry's listening ears. With a final shuddering gasp, Ron awoke.
"Harry?" he called softly, his throat tight.
"Ron, are you all right?" Harry answered.
"It's just a dream." Ron said, his voice betraying the true severity.
"Nightmare?" Harry guessed.
Ron sighed and turned over. "Yeah."
"About the curse?" Harry pressed.
"Yeah." Ron said again.
There was a long silence then, with Harry thinking over the words to say to his grieving friend. But nothing eloquent came. "I know. How many times I've seen Voldemort's killings . at least you were able to save him, Ron. He'll be fine." Harry comforted, having nothing else to say but the truth. But at these times, that's all that's needed.
"I guess so." Ron said, mulling it over in his mind. Harry dropped his hand over the side of his bunk, letting it hang above Ron's head. Ron swatted it lovingly before nestling further under the covers, heaving one last groan and then finally falling asleep.
(^*^)
Around the same time as Ron's nightmares and Harry's insomnia, Severus Snape was lying in the Hospital Wing with three very worried teachers standing over him.
"The Daltheius Dagger, dark and noxious to the core." Headmaster Dumbledore declared, fingering the beautiful gold knife on the table, inlaid with rubies and intricately carved with mysterious runes, their meanings long lost by ancient scholars.
"His situation's grave. A magical object like that, it's meant to kill. I'm a damn good nurse, and I've got a cure for nearly everything, but there's no way to reverse death, Albus. You know that." Madame Pomfrey declared solemnly, shaking her head.
In between the two stood Victoria Callahan, her hand cupped to her mouth and tears running down her nose. "I - I didn't mean to. I just jumped to conclusions, assuming the worst just because of some stupid label he's got."
"You should have come to me first, for all you know he was just administering detention!" the headmaster said angrily, tugging at his beard to keep from erupting.
Professor Callahan nodded with remorse. "Was he?"
Dumbledore sighed. "I don't exactly know what he was doing. Earlier this week, Severus came to me discussing some information he'd gathered on a recent Death Eater's meeting. It seems that Lord Voldemort is on the search for Harry again, but this time for pure satisfactory vengeance. Severus had found something out about a plan. something important."
"Do you know what it was?" the professor inquired, turning her body towards Dumbledore expectantly. Though small, there were still doubts in her mind about if the potions master had lied or not. It would be so easy for him pull a triple-crosser and work for The Dark Lord again.
"Sadly, no. He refused to tell me for fear he might endanger my life." Dumbledore replied. "He was the only one who knew about this plan to capture Harry. Him and Voldemort. He was our chance to avoid a murder, and now."
"Do you think he was going to tell Harry about it tonight?" she prompted.
"It's what I would do, the boy deserves to know. For the last five years, we've tried to keep knowledge from Harry and he's always found out. It's his right to be aware, and our right to make sure he is."
"I just can't believe I was that foolish. Severus may be. and it's all my. argh, I'm so stupid!" Professor Callahan burst out, behaving a bit childishly and out of character for her. Madame Pomfrey and Headmaster Dumbledore gave her wary looks and raised their eyebrows.
"Well, we can't tell anything until the morning. Best to get some sleep and be ready for any news to come... any news at all, whether good or bad." the old man recommended, placing his arm around Madame Pomfrey's neck. "You coming, Victoria?"
"Oh, I think I'll just stay here for a moment longer. Go on ahead." the young woman said, motioning her colleagues out. Dumbledore gave her a weak and forgiving smile before exiting with the nurse.
After watching the door close, Victoria turned to Severus on the hospital bed. He looked as if death itself were laying the shroud over his limp body. Gingerly, she sat down beside him and brushed the hair away from his eyes.
"Severus. How could I have ever doubted you?" she whispered, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. She leaned forward gently and pressed her lips against his forehead, a few rogue teardrops falling onto his face. Lovingly, Professor Callahan wiped them away and settled in for a grievous, sleepless night beside him.
* * * * *
A/N: Everybody say it with me now. "Awww." You like? Poor Victoria Callahan, I'm putting her through a lot. But that's one of my pet peeves, people who judge others by past mistakes or simple stereotypes that don't apply. Besides cheerleaders. All cheerleaders are evil. ;)
Just kidding, a SELECT FEW from my school are just anuses, that's all. Please forgive me!
So, yah, I've started writing yet ANOTHER Harry Potter Book five for FF.net. It's called Harry Potter and the Locket of Trinity, and I swear Joke that Killed has got dibs on my writing time, but if you want, please, please, PLEASE go read my other one! It's just as cool, you have my word on that.
Love from,
Saranimal
HaloGal5@aol.com
A/N: *gloating over success of readers* Y'all are great! Yay-rah, yippie skippie, and fabbity fab fab to you all! HAHAHAHAHA!! LOL, I love how everyone automatically freaked over what happened to George, and got down on hands and knees and begged with me, that's great.
Emma Malfoy: I feel special and *tingly* when I read your reviews! Flattery is grand, love it, thanks bundles! I'm glad I make you whip out the big reviews, I like 'em big. Erm, the reviews I mean. yah, moving on now.
NightDreamerl1010: Nice prediction, is that truly Snape, but hmm. IS IT!?!?! Mua-ah-ahh, you shall see. I dunno where I get those curses, they just come out. I think of something horrible, then write it, or something like that. Thanks for reviewing!
Totally_tubular_girl: How can George be your sex slave when he's my little HONEYBUN?! Huh?! Hehe, and it's great to know you're still a virgin, stay that way! That is, until you get married and live happily ever after with your Georgie-poo. ;)
P.S. to who this is, you know who you are: SO TOTALLY :(
To own Harry Potter, or not to own Harry Potter. That is the question. actually, I don't have a choice in the matter since I wasn't born with the name Joanna Kathlene Rowling. (if that is indeed what JK is). Poo in your shoe.
* * * * *
Harry Potter was walking behind Professor Snape when a loud screaming came from Gryffindor Tower that was well heard outside. "What was that? It came from my dormitory!" Harry said, forgetting his vow to keep silent throughout this detention.
The Potions Master's face paled even whiter than usual, and he stared at Harry intently, as if making a serious decision. "Come on, we better hurry." he whispered, grabbing Harry's hand and pulling him along faster. Harry was surprised, and appalled, by the fact that he was holding hands with the hated teacher, but swallowed his opinions and conceded to be treated as a four year old.
Into the darkness Snape pulled his student, and nothing was said for ten minutes. Finally, Harry dared to ask, "Where are we going?"
"Anywhere away from here, Potter." the man replied, and Harry was jolted into silence by the desperate tone in his voice. It was almost as if he was running away from something. but what?
Harry saw that they weren't headed to the Forbidden Forest, but the opposite direction. Past the row of shabby greenhouses and to a strip of woods that Harry had never seen before. Strange plants grew taller and taller up around him, some only to his knees, and others past his ears. Harry even thought he heard one snoring, but was walking past it in seconds and passed it off as an illusion. This must be Professor Sprout's Herbology garden, Harry thought, figuring that that could be the only explanation to the odd rows and assortment of magical plants.
After crossing a small creek, avoiding a patch of Tackling Thistlebrush, and consulting the Four-Point spell many times, they finally came upon a small, run-down cabin. Snape unlocked the intricate wizard's lock (it couldn't be opened by an Alohomora spell), and the two stepped inside.
Immediately Harry screamed in terror.
(^*^)
Victoria Callahan rushed to the window as soon as Hermione's information clicked in her mind. Harry Potter was off somewhere on a phony detention, alone, with no one to protect him. For all she knew, it could be.
"Professor, what's going on here?" the voice of Poppy Pomfrey said, and Profesor Callahan turned around to see the old nurse stooped over the body of George Weasley, assessing the damage with her wand.
"Acideratorr Curse, another cursed candy by what I gather. Pretty nasty, but not as bad as it could be. His brother Ron countered it before it got past his knees." Professor Callahan reported, running her fingers through her curly hair absentmindedly. On the outside she might have appeared all business, but on the inside she was bawling with rage and confusion. This wasn't fair, these poor students were being attacked and nearly killed, it was almost more than she could take.
"Oh Lord, another one. Poor dear." Madame Pomfrey remarked, performing a separating spell on George's legs to detach them from the floor. Conjuring up a floating stretcher, she magicked the boy onto it and hurried out of the room.
Left lying on the floor were George's shoes and what used to be his legs, liquefied and combined with the carpet. Professor Callahan performed a quick Cleansing Spell, which mopped up the goop but left a horrid lime stain on the floor. But she couldn't deal with that now, Harry Potter was on the loose and in danger somewhere, and she'd better find him before it was too late.
There wasn't enough time to inform anyone else about where she was going, so Professor Callahan mentioned it to Hermione before bustling out the portrait hole. "I'm off to look for Harry; Hermione, you're in charge. Nobody leaves this common room, I mean it. Use the Body-Bind for all I care, just so long as not one single soul removes itself from this room. Understand?"
Hermione nodded vigorously, visibly shaken up about George but eager to prove herself to her teacher.
On her way downstairs, Professor Callahan ran into Mr. Filch, the Hogwarts groundskeeper. "Seen Snape lately, Professor?" he asked as she hurried by. "I haven't seen him all night, and I need some papers from him." The woman shook her head and continued onward, and Mr. Filch shrugged and continued mopping.
She burst out the castle door and ran towards the Forbidden Forest, knowing that it was the first place a Death Eater would take a captive. But, reaching its outskirts, a funny feeling told her to turn around. Call it teacher's intuition, but her feet marched her away from those dark trees and past the immense lake, in the direction of the greenhouses. A quick evaluation of the wet mud surrounding the small gardens told her that two people had been there, one with an average sized foot, which she assumed was Harry's, and another which was rather large and the toes pointed in a bit. She thought and thought, following the tracks at the same time, about anyone at all she'd seen before, when suddenly it dawned on her.
Severus Snape.
He was rather tall, thus the large shoeprints, and walked slightly pigeon-toed. Could it be him? Mr. Filch had said himself that Severus was missing that night. slowly, conflicting thoughts began to sneak into the sensible woman's head: Severus did have connections to the dark world, NO, she wouldn't use past stereotypes and mistakes to figure this out, it would only muddle everything together. She had been the one to defend him, for heaven's sake! But then again, it was common sense to use every piece of the puzzle in order to solve it.
Finally the dam broke, and the mean little thoughts flooded Professor Callahan's mind. He could be delivering Harry to the Dark Lord, torturing him with an Unforgivable Curse, or sacrificing him right now. A meek voice suggested that he might just be giving out detention, and the teacher allowed it to stay there, just so she could feel like she was being fair and levelheaded about this. But, truly, she didn't believe it in the least.
Professor Callahan quickened her pace.
After crossing a stream, winding around a patch of Tackling Thistlebrush, and rechecking the path of footprints many times, she spotted a wooden shed about a hundred yards away. Then a piercing scream shattered the night, and the woman broke into a dead run.
Throwing open the door, she saw Harry Potter standing amidst all sorts of cruel tormenting instruments; manacles, samurai swords, The Draining Cup (a wizarding tool that, when drunk out of, sucks the victim's blood out), and dozens of bloodstained books lined the shelves. Severus Snape stood there, clutching Harry's shoulders tightly, and trying to gain control of him.
"NOOOOO!!!" Professor Callahan screamed, and took out her wand menacingly. "Expelliarmus!" she shouted, and the Potions Master shot across the room, landing on a nastily sharp and rusty golden dagger.
Harry turned, eyes round with confusion, before Professor Callahan grabbed his hand and tore out of the cabin. Harry was protesting, tugging away and looking back at his abductor, but the teacher kept a firm grip and ran even faster. In no time at all they broke out of the woods and found Headmaster Dumbledore running towards them across the grounds.
"Oh, thank God Albus, you're here." Professor Callahan said with relief. "Snape kidnapped Harry Potter, he was going to torture him, give him over to The Dark Lord no doubt, had him in a shed back there in the woods filled with the most God awful things you've ever seen -"
"Victoria, do you have any idea what you're talking about?" Headmaster Dumbledore demanded, seething with more rage than Harry had ever seen him display before.
"Of course, I skewered the bastard with a Disarming Spell myself." the woman answered, looking proud of herself. However, Dumbledore looked horrified.
"Severus." the headmaster said, striking off into the night.
"What in the world?" Professor Callahan inquired, then started marching her charge up to the castle. But finally, Harry overcame his confusion enough to speak.
"What - can you - how did you know Snape was going to do that to me?" Harry asked, choosing one of the many questions in his head.
"Well, it was pretty obvious from the place he took you to, Harry. Just looking at those contraptions. ugh, it gives me the shivers." she answered, steering Harry around the marshy area of the lake.
"Oh that? That was Argus Filch's old storage shed." Harry remarked matter-of-fact. His leader stopped dead in her tracks.
"What?" she asked, glaring meaningfully at him.
"That cabin-type thing, it was Mr. Filch's old storage place. Said so on the door." Harry declared, and Professor Callahan's stomach did a flip- flop.
"But still, you screamed because."
"Because I was being led through the forest at night, and a bug brushed against my face and I flipped out."
"So Severus hadn't tried to hurt you?"
"No, of course not. But from what you told Dumbledore, I would've been."
"What I told Dumbledore was a crock, oh God, I've made a terrible mistake. Severus, I could have killed him!" she shrieked in dismay, letting go of Harry's hand and taking off after the Headmaster. Harry shook his head, wondering what exactly was true or not. Was Professor Snape trying to kill him and take him to Voldemort? And that look on Dumbledore's face. something was terribly wrong, and everyone knew but Harry. Sighing dejectedly, Harry entered the castle and walked up the long set of stairs. Upon entering the common room, Harry's brain about exploded with bewilderment.
Everyone was crying. Everyone, especially Fred, Nancy, and Ron, who were huddled beside a disturbing emerald stain on the carpet. Harry saw Hermione sitting in a chair by the portrait hole, standing guard officially. When she laid eyes on him, Hermione jumped up and hugged him fiercely.
"Oh thank goodness Harry, I thought you were dead!" she yelped, crying into his robes.
"Evidently so does everyone else. What's going on here?" Harry asked.
"It's George, it got him. A curse, Harry, he melted." she explained, shrinking at her last words.
"Melted? You - you mean George Weasley's cursed, he was next?" said Harry, disbelieving. Hermione nodded solemnly. The bottom of Harry's stomach seemed to both swell to bursting and disappear altogether in the same instant, he'd never imagined the curse would hurt someone so close to him.
"So what happened with your sham of a detention?" she asked worriedly, and Harry ripped his gaze from the floor to look at her.
"You probably know more than I do." Harry said, shaking his head. "I met Professor Snape by the greenhouses, and we were walking away when I heard screaming coming from the tower room."
"That must have been when George was cursed. oh Harry, it was so horrible." Hermione whispered, biting her lip to keep from crying.
"Okay, so then Snape grabbed my hand and we ran off into the woods to Mr. Filch's old storage shed, and Hermione, he's got manacles in there, and all sorts of torturing devices. I know he's always been wanting 'the old way' of discipline resorted, but who'd have thought it was like that?" Harry relayed to Hermione.
Her bloodshot eyes grew even wider at the news. "So Snape was taking you there to - to use those things on you?"
"Can't be anything worse than what Neville, Nancy, or George had to go through." Harry remarked bitterly. After that, there were no words to say. Such a sympathy was in their hearts that they felt as if they were the ones that had suffocated; burning and melting under the pressure and foreboding of it all.
Suddenly Hermione burst into sobs more extreme than any yet, and leapt into Harry's arms. "It's not fair." She kept whispering into his shoulder, and Harry rested a comforting hand on his friend's back.
(^*^)
When the clock struck midnight Harry lay in his dormitory, wide awake and mind whirring. Everyone had gone to bed early that night, the evening being both emotionally and physically exhausting. Harry heard his roommates Seamus, Dean, and Neville breathing steadily in a deep slumber. and one with shuddering gasps and fearful whimpers, belonging to Ron.
No matter how many times he'd complained about being the youngest of four brothers, and the funny antics of Fred and George, Harry knew that Ron loved it too. Having all those people looking out for him, loving him. Harry couldn't be more envious.
Ron began tossing violently in his bunk below Harry, his breathing becoming more of a desperate gulp, and pleading mumbles drifted up to Harry's listening ears. With a final shuddering gasp, Ron awoke.
"Harry?" he called softly, his throat tight.
"Ron, are you all right?" Harry answered.
"It's just a dream." Ron said, his voice betraying the true severity.
"Nightmare?" Harry guessed.
Ron sighed and turned over. "Yeah."
"About the curse?" Harry pressed.
"Yeah." Ron said again.
There was a long silence then, with Harry thinking over the words to say to his grieving friend. But nothing eloquent came. "I know. How many times I've seen Voldemort's killings . at least you were able to save him, Ron. He'll be fine." Harry comforted, having nothing else to say but the truth. But at these times, that's all that's needed.
"I guess so." Ron said, mulling it over in his mind. Harry dropped his hand over the side of his bunk, letting it hang above Ron's head. Ron swatted it lovingly before nestling further under the covers, heaving one last groan and then finally falling asleep.
(^*^)
Around the same time as Ron's nightmares and Harry's insomnia, Severus Snape was lying in the Hospital Wing with three very worried teachers standing over him.
"The Daltheius Dagger, dark and noxious to the core." Headmaster Dumbledore declared, fingering the beautiful gold knife on the table, inlaid with rubies and intricately carved with mysterious runes, their meanings long lost by ancient scholars.
"His situation's grave. A magical object like that, it's meant to kill. I'm a damn good nurse, and I've got a cure for nearly everything, but there's no way to reverse death, Albus. You know that." Madame Pomfrey declared solemnly, shaking her head.
In between the two stood Victoria Callahan, her hand cupped to her mouth and tears running down her nose. "I - I didn't mean to. I just jumped to conclusions, assuming the worst just because of some stupid label he's got."
"You should have come to me first, for all you know he was just administering detention!" the headmaster said angrily, tugging at his beard to keep from erupting.
Professor Callahan nodded with remorse. "Was he?"
Dumbledore sighed. "I don't exactly know what he was doing. Earlier this week, Severus came to me discussing some information he'd gathered on a recent Death Eater's meeting. It seems that Lord Voldemort is on the search for Harry again, but this time for pure satisfactory vengeance. Severus had found something out about a plan. something important."
"Do you know what it was?" the professor inquired, turning her body towards Dumbledore expectantly. Though small, there were still doubts in her mind about if the potions master had lied or not. It would be so easy for him pull a triple-crosser and work for The Dark Lord again.
"Sadly, no. He refused to tell me for fear he might endanger my life." Dumbledore replied. "He was the only one who knew about this plan to capture Harry. Him and Voldemort. He was our chance to avoid a murder, and now."
"Do you think he was going to tell Harry about it tonight?" she prompted.
"It's what I would do, the boy deserves to know. For the last five years, we've tried to keep knowledge from Harry and he's always found out. It's his right to be aware, and our right to make sure he is."
"I just can't believe I was that foolish. Severus may be. and it's all my. argh, I'm so stupid!" Professor Callahan burst out, behaving a bit childishly and out of character for her. Madame Pomfrey and Headmaster Dumbledore gave her wary looks and raised their eyebrows.
"Well, we can't tell anything until the morning. Best to get some sleep and be ready for any news to come... any news at all, whether good or bad." the old man recommended, placing his arm around Madame Pomfrey's neck. "You coming, Victoria?"
"Oh, I think I'll just stay here for a moment longer. Go on ahead." the young woman said, motioning her colleagues out. Dumbledore gave her a weak and forgiving smile before exiting with the nurse.
After watching the door close, Victoria turned to Severus on the hospital bed. He looked as if death itself were laying the shroud over his limp body. Gingerly, she sat down beside him and brushed the hair away from his eyes.
"Severus. How could I have ever doubted you?" she whispered, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. She leaned forward gently and pressed her lips against his forehead, a few rogue teardrops falling onto his face. Lovingly, Professor Callahan wiped them away and settled in for a grievous, sleepless night beside him.
* * * * *
A/N: Everybody say it with me now. "Awww." You like? Poor Victoria Callahan, I'm putting her through a lot. But that's one of my pet peeves, people who judge others by past mistakes or simple stereotypes that don't apply. Besides cheerleaders. All cheerleaders are evil. ;)
Just kidding, a SELECT FEW from my school are just anuses, that's all. Please forgive me!
So, yah, I've started writing yet ANOTHER Harry Potter Book five for FF.net. It's called Harry Potter and the Locket of Trinity, and I swear Joke that Killed has got dibs on my writing time, but if you want, please, please, PLEASE go read my other one! It's just as cool, you have my word on that.
Love from,
Saranimal
HaloGal5@aol.com