Gold - Part 2

By: Mikee

This story is the product of my own mind (muddled though it may be). The characters are, sadly, not mine. They belong to J. K. Rowling. I just play with them, and bend them to my will occasionally. Occasionally they see fit to take over the story, and then I am at the mercy of their will.

Warning: Child abuse

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Harry woke up in the Hospital Wing, and had no idea how he had arrived there. Madam Pomphrey was only able to tell him he was brought in sometime long after midnight.

Madam Pomphrey did every test she could think of, yet found nothing amiss. She was truly puzzled. The boy had been found in near freezing weather, in the pre-dawn hours, unconscious, yet he appeared to be unharmed, just sleepy, well, exhausted actually. There were no injuries, no illnesses, nothing to account for the boy being unconscious.

Harry was bewildered as well. He still didn't know why he was in the Hospital Wing. He remembered going for a walk. He remembered being lonely as he was, for the first time in his life, alone at Christmas time. Granted his "family" wasn't inclined to include him in the holiday festivities, but at least at the Dursleys' he wasn't alone. Here at Hogwarts, his real home, except for too-busy professors, he was alone and lonely.

He remembered sitting down near the center of the Quidditch pitch, and becoming lost in his thoughts. He remembered scenes from his life playing and replaying before his eyes, scenes from both before Hogwarts, and while at Hogwarts. He remembered everything becoming hazy, as if the world had become engulfed in some sort of shimmering mist. The next thing he knew was he was waking up in the hospital wing.

****

Snape paced back and forth in his chambers examining what he had seen, trying to figure it out. He kept coming back to the same thing - nothing… He just didn't know what it was, why it was, how the boy did it, or why the boy did it. It was disturbing to him. He was beginning to worry that it was something that would ultimately hurt the boy. Eventually, he sat on his couch before the fire re-playing yet again the sight until finally sleep overtook him.

Snape kept a wary eye on Harry whenever he caught sight of him over the holidays. He really didn't see him much as Harry kept to himself in Gryffindor Tower most of the time, and Snape was busy researching ways to brew a more potent Wolfsbane potion for Professor Lupin. About the only times Snape really saw Harry were meal times, and even then he didn't very get a good look at the boy, but something seemed different. He couldn't put a name to it, but something was new… different.

The last day of the holiday break Snape ran into Harry in the Library. Curious as to what the boy would be doing there alone, he silently made his way behind Harry's chair.

Without looking up Harry said, "Hello, Professor Snape. How's your research coming?"

Taken aback and wondering how it was Potter had known he was there, it took Snape a second to respond, "Slowly, the research is coming slowly. And what, may I ask are you doing here?"

"I'm working ahead on a project, sir." Harry answered.

Snape thought the boy sounded tired but asked anyway, "How is it you knew I was here?"

"I felt your presence, and yes, I am tired." He responded.

Snapes eyebrows rose as he wondered about Potter responding to his unspoken thoughts. But putting that aside, he was still curious about this 'project' on which the boy was so diligently working and asked about it.

Before Harry could answer, Snape was startled by a gold glow beginning to form around the boy. It wasn't strong, and it lacked the mist he had seen the first time. The glow faded quickly this time, and seemed to have no ill effect on Harry. In fact it appeared as if Harry was unaware it had even happened.

Forgetting his original question about the project, Snape asked instead, "Potter, what was that?"

"What was what, sir?"

Putting a hand on the back of Harry's chair, Snape was assaulted by a vision. It came and went quick as a lightning flash, but left an impression. He saw Har… Potter as a very young boy, and he saw a very fat man hit the boy. As soon as the belt made contact with the boy Snape pulled his hand off the back of the chair. Upon his release of the chair-back the vision stopped.

Snape was shaken, and taking his leave told Harry, "Nothing. Well… good luck with your project, and do return the books to their proper places before you leave."

"I will, and good luck with the Wolfsbane, professor."

'Wolfsbane… how did he know. I didn't tell him what my research is,' Snape thought. He also thought the boy's voice sounded hollow, detached. Something was wrong, and what was that vision, it was almost like a hallucination. Snape thought about what he saw and felt when he touched the chair. He was so shocked by what he saw that it didn't register for several minutes, that there was heat radiating from the boy's body.

Thinking about the warmth, he began to wonder if the boy were ill. Maybe it was fever. Knowing the only one around to look after the boy right that moment was himself, Snape sighed and returned to the library to see if Potter was okay, but the boy was nowhere to be found. He noticed with a smirk, though, that all the books had been replaced. Assuring himself the boy was okay, for he must be to have so completely disappeared, Snape returned to his chambers.

*****

AN: There you have it… another 'chapter'. I know they are short, but I had trouble deciding where to break the story to put it in manageable pieces. I know it moves rather slowly, but hey… pobody's nerfect. Anyway, I like my story, so there. *smiles*.