Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all these other great characters belong to J.K. Rowling. I just play with them!
5. Hogwarts.
Harry was sure it'd been less than thirty minutes when, with another large BANG, they appeared on the rocky road leading to Hogwarts. The bus stopped right in front of the large doors, and Stan jumped off, helping Harry down the steps and then going back for his trunk. He carried it all the way into the entrance hall without being asked.
"Is there anythin' else you'll be needin' then?" he asked, before leaving.
"No, thanks Stan, I'll be all right here. Thank you, and thank Ernie for me, too," Harry said.
"Any time you need us, you know how to call us," Stan said, wove goodbye and left.
Harry watched the doors close, then suddenly he felt his knees wobble as the room started to spin. He'd kept going as long as he was on the road, but now he was finally here, in a safe place, his injuries caught up with him. He sat down on his trunk –Stan had managed to rearrange his stuff and more or less close the lid during the trip- and rested his head on his left hand. He'd just take a moment to catch his breath, then he would go to Dumbledore's office. At least he could leave his trunk and Hedwig here for the time being.
"Whhheeeeeeeeeeee, look who we got there, don't you know school doesn't start for another three weeks?" Peeves zoomed into the entrance hall.
Oh, no, Harry thought, looking up.
If Peeves was shocked at his appearance, he didn't show it. "What happened to you, tripped over your own feet coming here?" he asked, laughing gleefully.
"Oh, shut up!" Harry yelled, then grimaced as another wave of pain shot through his head. "I don't suppose you want to go get the Headmaster for me, at least leave me alone!"
Peeves looked at him thoughtfully for just a second, then broke into a large grin. "Oh, I can do that, I will get the Headmaster for you," he cackled. "Just wait here, I'll be right back!" He zoomed off.
Harry frowned, sure Peeves was up to something. Or would the pesky poltergeist really go to Dumbledore? Not likely, but he needed a few moments anyhow to rest before he was up to walking halfway through the school. Harry regretted not asking Stan to get Dumbledore, the man would've been happy to help him. He hadn't thought of how empty the school was during the holidays, and there were at least six stairways between the entrance hall and the Headmaster's office. Harry could feel his knee protest at the very thought. Just another minute, then.
Professor Snape sat in his office in the dungeons, reading a book. Suddenly he heard a great racket outside the door. It sounded as if two suits of armor were fighting it out in the hallway. He jumped up, cursing.
"Peeves! Stop that right now," he yelled at the poltergeist, who hung in mid-air, holding about half the pots and pans from the kitchen. The other half was strewn along the hall.
"Had to do something to get your attention," Peeves said, looking hurt. "Since you don't seem to want me entering your dungeons."
Of course he didn't want the bloody ghost in his office or classroom, did the miserable spirit have any idea what kind of damage a poltergeist could do among his potion ingredients? Of course, Peeves didn't care, he lived to do damage. Existed to. Whatever. "You know damn well why you're not allowed in there. Now get lost or I'll put the same wards on this entire part of the school," Snape snapped.
"You can't do that, if you could you would have done so already," Peeves pointed out, as he dropped the rest of the pots on the ground with a clatter.
Snape glared at the poltergeist.
"But I'm not just here to throw some pots around, however much fun it is," Peeves continued. "I came to tell you there's someone here to see you. Or well, he's probably looking for Dumbledore, he asked for the Headmaster."
"Since when are you running errands for people?" Snape asked suspiciously.
"Now, Professor, don't you want to know who it is?" Peeves returned innocently.
Snape gave up. "Okay, who is it?" he asked.
"Harry Potter!" Peeves laughed loudly, tumbling in the air out of glee.
"What? What's he doing here?" Snape asked sharply.
Peeves shrugged, which looked really strange because he was upside down in mid-tumble. "Didn't ask, perhaps he thinks summer is over already."
"And where is he now?" Snape asked.
"Entrance hall," Peeves replied, and looked affronted when Snape swept past him without another word. He bobbed after Snape. "Aren't you going to thank me for playing messenger?" he called.
Snape ignored the poltergeist, who drifted after him, cackling softly. He swept into the entrance hall, his robes billowing around him. From across the large room, he saw the boy sitting on his trunk, with his back towards him.
"Potter, what are you doing here, don't you know..," Snape started, then stopped as Harry got up and turned towards him, slightly bend over, leaning with his left arm on his trunk. The boy was a mess. His right eye was shut, a thick, purple bruise covering it. He held his right arm awkwardly in an improvised sling, and he seemed to be favoring one of his legs, due to another nasty bruise on his knee.
No matter what Snape thought of Potter, he was shocked at what he saw. In a few large strides he crossed the intervening space and stopped in front of the boy, looking him over.
"Not Voldemort," Snape stated. It wasn't a question, really –those weren't the types of injuries a magical fight would leave- but it had to be said.
"My uncle," Potter replied, just as shortly.
It wasn't difficult for Snape to read the boy's face, Potter was not happy to see him. Well, he wasn't happy to see Potter, either. Regardless, he would take care of him. "You must tell me what happened, but first we'll get you to the hospital wing."
"Ooooooooooooooh, how touching, Snape the nurse!" Peeves cut in from right behind him.
Snape whirled around. Potter flinched, but for once it wasn't the boy who was the target of his anger.
"Peeves, you have one second to disappear from my sight or I swear I will see you out of this castle for ever," he spat. And Merlin help him, he would.
The poltergeist hung in the air for a fraction of a second, then disappeared with a loud POP. Snape turned back to Potter.
"Can you walk?" he asked briskly, ignoring the boy's wide-eyed expression.
Potter grimaced, but straightened and nodded. "Yes," he replied.
He didn't look it, but if the boy wanted to be stubborn, so be it.
"Then come along," Snape said.
Potter hung back, then pointed to the cage that stood on top of his trunk. "Hedwig's injured, too."
Snape glanced at the cage. He had never looked closely at Potter's owl before, but he knew she was a strong, good-looking bird. Now, however, one wing hung down at her side. Damn. Secretly, he approved of Potter's concern, a good owl was not something you treated carelessly. But he wasn't about to admit that out loud.
"I'll see to her after we take care of you," he told the boy. "Now, hospital wing, I said."
"Yes, sir," the boy gave in, and started to limp after him.
Snape led the way. With an effort, he set a slow pace as he strode out of the hall.
They hadn't gone far when Potter caught up with him. "Uhm, Professor?" the boy cleared his throat.
"What is it, Potter?" Snape asked, trying, and failing, to keep the irritation out of his voice.
"Hm, eh, where is the Headmaster?" Potter asked in a small voice.
Snape glared at the boy "He's not here," he replied. "He's meeting with the giants. Professor McGonagall is on the continent as well, contacting wizards in France and Germany. They'll be back just before school starts, I'm filling in until then."
"You?" Potter squeaked, dismay in his voice. "Eh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound rude," he stuttered.
"Look, Potter, stop pretending," Snape cut him off. "I don't like you and you don't like me, but you're here and we will fix you up. Now Madam Pomfrey isn't staying at Hogwarts either, but she is on call. I will contact her through the fire when we get to the hospital wing. We'll discuss what to do with you for the rest of the summer once she's taken care of your injuries."
As Potter glanced sideways, he almost missed a trick step. Snape reached out and caught the boy's good arm as he stumbled.
Potter's eyes flicked towards him. "Thanks," he muttered, so softly Snape could barely make it out. The rest of the way they walked in silence.