Chapter 6 Closures
By, Silver Lighting
Three weeks had gone by since the nightmare. Since then, Snape had asked no questions, nor had he been with Harry at meal times. Harry didn't slept at night, grabbing instead at dreamless catnaps during the day, sometimes sitting at his desk, sometimes downstairs in the library.
The hunted look that had been in his green eyes was gone, but the dull look remained. He'd put on a little weight; he couldn't see everyone of his ribs anymore. He no longer saw Cedric behind his eye lids when his eyes closed.
And he'd made a few friends --- the house elves. He knew each by name and visited with them often. But mostly, Harry would just sit on the wide window sill in his room; watching the sun rise above the hills that dotted the countryside. There were papers littering the floor under the window; drawing of various stages of a sun-up. Very good pictures they were too, but Harry couldn't see that; to him it was just a way to pass time.
It was one bright, early morning that something unusual happened. Harry was sitting at his desk, touching up an essay for Transfiguration when Snape walked into his room. Well, not really walk, more like felling through the ajar door and landing loudly on the dark blue rug in front of the desk. Jumping up from his chair, Harry stared down at his professor in surprise. "Professor?"
There was no answer. Not that he'd expected one. The older man's body shock to and fro from shudders. Harry leaned over him, grabbing Snape's left forearm.
White hot pain danced down his lighting blot scar. His fingers curled tighter into Snape's arm as a vision played out in front of his eyes.
******** "Serverus, you continue to disappoint me." Red eyes looked down at the withering figure of Snape, who was under the Cruciatus Curse. "You have the boy at your home, yet you can't even bring him to me. I could just walking in and take him, then kill you. Have you ever thought of that?"
Snape's only answer was a low pitched moan as the pain grew.
Voldemort's red eyes narrowed. "So this is what it comes to?" he asked, talking more himself than to Serverus. "Well, all good things most come to an end, don't you think." This time, it wasn't a question. "Good-bye." was the final hiss as the Dark Lord raised his wand to perform the Killing Curse.
There was a small puase. Then, "No," Voldemort stated, lowering his wand and walking to stand over the school professor. "Why kill someone I can still torture?"
Snape's coal black eyes opened and stared up at the madman he had at one time served. Upon hearing the news that he wasn't to be killed, disappointment had rolled over him in great crashing waves. Part of him was ready to let go, go give up. He would have killed himself years ago, but he was too much of a coward.
Of course, Voldermort's unnatural red eyes saw this, and glowed with power. "Wouldn't you like that? For me to end it all for you?" Leaning down till his foul breath washed over his captive, Voldermort asked in a deadly hiss, "But you'll fail once more if I kill you; you'll be the cause of yet another Potter's death. First James, then Lily. Wouldn't it be delightful that your last thought would be that you'd failed again? Can't you feel the hatred that would follow you into the after life? People would curse your name, spilt on your grave. Does that make you want to die? Does it?!" he shouted the last part with a shape kick into Snape's stomach.
Knowing that if he didn't answer, he would only be pounded mercilessly till he answered, Snape whispered, "No."
"I'm going to let you live," Voldermrot said, standing straight once more. He walked toward a heavy oak door, where two solemn faced Death Eaters stood. They pulled the doors open for their Master. Serverous opened his eyes to watch the Dark Lord walk away.
When he was almost out the door, Voldermort turned and said, "Oh, and give Potter my reguards." The door slammed with an empty, dull thud. ********
As the 'vision' faded from Harry's sight, he noticed that Snape had awoke and was staring at him questionably. "We have to leave," Harry said, pulling his professor into a sitting position and letting him go. "Now." he added when he saw that the professor was still watching him and haven't moved.
"What are you talking about, Potter?" Snape said in his usual sneer.
Harry was up and quickly packing away everything in his trunk. Turning to look at his teacher, he saw that he was still sitting on the floor. Then Harry realized that Snape was to weak to stand on his own. Walking back over to him, Harry grabbed his right arm and put it over his shoulder, straightening his bent knees, helped the older man to lean against the desk.
Just as Harry was turning away, Snape seized his wrist and asked again, "What are you talking about? Why would we have to leave?"
Harry pulled himself free of the professor's weak grip and said two simple yet unforgiving words.
"His coming."
By, Silver Lighting
Three weeks had gone by since the nightmare. Since then, Snape had asked no questions, nor had he been with Harry at meal times. Harry didn't slept at night, grabbing instead at dreamless catnaps during the day, sometimes sitting at his desk, sometimes downstairs in the library.
The hunted look that had been in his green eyes was gone, but the dull look remained. He'd put on a little weight; he couldn't see everyone of his ribs anymore. He no longer saw Cedric behind his eye lids when his eyes closed.
And he'd made a few friends --- the house elves. He knew each by name and visited with them often. But mostly, Harry would just sit on the wide window sill in his room; watching the sun rise above the hills that dotted the countryside. There were papers littering the floor under the window; drawing of various stages of a sun-up. Very good pictures they were too, but Harry couldn't see that; to him it was just a way to pass time.
It was one bright, early morning that something unusual happened. Harry was sitting at his desk, touching up an essay for Transfiguration when Snape walked into his room. Well, not really walk, more like felling through the ajar door and landing loudly on the dark blue rug in front of the desk. Jumping up from his chair, Harry stared down at his professor in surprise. "Professor?"
There was no answer. Not that he'd expected one. The older man's body shock to and fro from shudders. Harry leaned over him, grabbing Snape's left forearm.
White hot pain danced down his lighting blot scar. His fingers curled tighter into Snape's arm as a vision played out in front of his eyes.
******** "Serverus, you continue to disappoint me." Red eyes looked down at the withering figure of Snape, who was under the Cruciatus Curse. "You have the boy at your home, yet you can't even bring him to me. I could just walking in and take him, then kill you. Have you ever thought of that?"
Snape's only answer was a low pitched moan as the pain grew.
Voldemort's red eyes narrowed. "So this is what it comes to?" he asked, talking more himself than to Serverus. "Well, all good things most come to an end, don't you think." This time, it wasn't a question. "Good-bye." was the final hiss as the Dark Lord raised his wand to perform the Killing Curse.
There was a small puase. Then, "No," Voldemort stated, lowering his wand and walking to stand over the school professor. "Why kill someone I can still torture?"
Snape's coal black eyes opened and stared up at the madman he had at one time served. Upon hearing the news that he wasn't to be killed, disappointment had rolled over him in great crashing waves. Part of him was ready to let go, go give up. He would have killed himself years ago, but he was too much of a coward.
Of course, Voldermort's unnatural red eyes saw this, and glowed with power. "Wouldn't you like that? For me to end it all for you?" Leaning down till his foul breath washed over his captive, Voldermort asked in a deadly hiss, "But you'll fail once more if I kill you; you'll be the cause of yet another Potter's death. First James, then Lily. Wouldn't it be delightful that your last thought would be that you'd failed again? Can't you feel the hatred that would follow you into the after life? People would curse your name, spilt on your grave. Does that make you want to die? Does it?!" he shouted the last part with a shape kick into Snape's stomach.
Knowing that if he didn't answer, he would only be pounded mercilessly till he answered, Snape whispered, "No."
"I'm going to let you live," Voldermrot said, standing straight once more. He walked toward a heavy oak door, where two solemn faced Death Eaters stood. They pulled the doors open for their Master. Serverous opened his eyes to watch the Dark Lord walk away.
When he was almost out the door, Voldermort turned and said, "Oh, and give Potter my reguards." The door slammed with an empty, dull thud. ********
As the 'vision' faded from Harry's sight, he noticed that Snape had awoke and was staring at him questionably. "We have to leave," Harry said, pulling his professor into a sitting position and letting him go. "Now." he added when he saw that the professor was still watching him and haven't moved.
"What are you talking about, Potter?" Snape said in his usual sneer.
Harry was up and quickly packing away everything in his trunk. Turning to look at his teacher, he saw that he was still sitting on the floor. Then Harry realized that Snape was to weak to stand on his own. Walking back over to him, Harry grabbed his right arm and put it over his shoulder, straightening his bent knees, helped the older man to lean against the desk.
Just as Harry was turning away, Snape seized his wrist and asked again, "What are you talking about? Why would we have to leave?"
Harry pulled himself free of the professor's weak grip and said two simple yet unforgiving words.
"His coming."