It had been a few hours, and Harry still had not stirred. Dumbledore was
getting worried.
"Surely the blood loss isn't what's keeping him under." The medi-witch standing nearest him checked his chart.
"No, but he did use a lot of energy in whatever he did. He's basically dormant until he replenished it."
"So he is asleep," Snape put in.
"Yes, sir, basically. It is a deeper than regular sleep in that he must wake up on his own, and only after he regains what energy he lost." As she left to tend to another patient, Fudge strode in.
"How is the lad?"
"Resting, Cornelius. He's had a great ordeal."
"I was going to ask you..what did he do?"
The old wizard sighed. "Voldemort uses a power known as Ancient Dark Magic. This is why he is so powerful. In order to counter the concealment charm he placed on his Death Eaters, a revealing spell must be cast; but it must also be Ancient Magic in order to work."
"This Ancient Magic is the same as what removed the Mark from Snape's arm. Merlin's Blessing, wasn't it?"
Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, it is the same book, but the spell he used today was not as powerful as the Blessing."
Fudge looked down at the sleeping figure. "Why did he slice his arm open?" Snape winced slightly, but covered it.
"No one knows why, but Ancient Magic requires that some sort of sacrifice must be made by either the caster or the bearer of the spell. The more powerful the spell, the greater the sacrifice." Dumbledore added the last part with sadness in his voice.
Fudge nodded again and left, mumbling something like, "I don't know why the lad would sacrifice anything for that traitor." Snape was inclined to agree. He was extremely curious as to why Potter had felt the sudden need to save him. His mentor's chuckling brought him out of his thoughts, and he realized he'd been staring at Potter's unconscious form the whole time. The older man stood up.
"I must speak with the Council and return to Hogwarts. They will be delighted to hear the good news. Stay with him, Severus. That's an order." He smiled at the younger man's stuttering protests and left. Dumbledore kept smiling, extremely pleased with himself. Just maybe he could get two birds with one stone.
Snape sat back in his chair in disgust, not believing his luck. Ancient Magic had saved him twice now, and just as before, he didn't know why.
"Surely the blood loss isn't what's keeping him under." The medi-witch standing nearest him checked his chart.
"No, but he did use a lot of energy in whatever he did. He's basically dormant until he replenished it."
"So he is asleep," Snape put in.
"Yes, sir, basically. It is a deeper than regular sleep in that he must wake up on his own, and only after he regains what energy he lost." As she left to tend to another patient, Fudge strode in.
"How is the lad?"
"Resting, Cornelius. He's had a great ordeal."
"I was going to ask you..what did he do?"
The old wizard sighed. "Voldemort uses a power known as Ancient Dark Magic. This is why he is so powerful. In order to counter the concealment charm he placed on his Death Eaters, a revealing spell must be cast; but it must also be Ancient Magic in order to work."
"This Ancient Magic is the same as what removed the Mark from Snape's arm. Merlin's Blessing, wasn't it?"
Dumbledore nodded, "Yes, it is the same book, but the spell he used today was not as powerful as the Blessing."
Fudge looked down at the sleeping figure. "Why did he slice his arm open?" Snape winced slightly, but covered it.
"No one knows why, but Ancient Magic requires that some sort of sacrifice must be made by either the caster or the bearer of the spell. The more powerful the spell, the greater the sacrifice." Dumbledore added the last part with sadness in his voice.
Fudge nodded again and left, mumbling something like, "I don't know why the lad would sacrifice anything for that traitor." Snape was inclined to agree. He was extremely curious as to why Potter had felt the sudden need to save him. His mentor's chuckling brought him out of his thoughts, and he realized he'd been staring at Potter's unconscious form the whole time. The older man stood up.
"I must speak with the Council and return to Hogwarts. They will be delighted to hear the good news. Stay with him, Severus. That's an order." He smiled at the younger man's stuttering protests and left. Dumbledore kept smiling, extremely pleased with himself. Just maybe he could get two birds with one stone.
Snape sat back in his chair in disgust, not believing his luck. Ancient Magic had saved him twice now, and just as before, he didn't know why.