Title: The Art of Necromancy
Author: Artemis Luna Diana
E-Mail: artemislunadiana@yahoo.com
Rating: PG-13
Pairing: Harry/Severus
Time: begins right after GoF
Summary: Harry returns to Hogwarts to spend the summer. Out of sheer boredom, he scours the library for books to read and stumbles across a book that will change his life…
Disclaimer: I own not a thing
WARNING!!!! THIS IS A SLASH STORY!!!! IF YOU DON'T LIKE SLASH OR THIS PARTICULAR PAIRING… LEAVE NOW!!!!
Chapter Six: Death Eaters
"I do not want to spend my spare time with you."
"Of course you do. I'm sure you're dying to ask me what's in Fredrick's book."
Snape glared at the Necromancer before resuming his potion watching. It didn't surprise anyone that the first thing Snape did after the meeting in the Headmaster's office was to retreat to the dungeons to evaluate his potion-making capabilities.
Harry glanced at the cauldron and sniffed. "Wolfsbane?"
"Yes."
Harry began going through the stuff on Snape's desk: picking up items and studying them, just being a regular busy-body.
"For Merlin's sake Potter!" Snape yelled after a few minutes, unable to stand the fidgetiness of his former student.
Harry stifled a laugh.
Snape growled and resumed stirring his cauldron, mumbling threats under his breath. After awhile, he glanced over at Harry, who was reading his translations. "Why are you down here?"
"Because there hasn't been a Death Eater attack in two days. Voldemort will either send out his minions or go somewhere himself today. I don't need to run all over the castle to find you before it happens. It'll waste time."
"Are you going to follow me around all the time?" Snape asked horrified.
Harry glanced up, smiling. "Don't worry, Snape. You'll get use to me."
"I loathe the day!"
Harry grinned and returned to his reading.
***
Snape scowled. The potion had reached a point in which it needed to set for twelve hours before he could resume. He turned and studied his companion. In some of the journal entries, Potter had expressed a fear of the changes being a Necromancer was going to cause. Snape could understand why.
Harry Potter was 6'3" tall, an inch taller than Snape himself! His robes didn't hide the lankiness of his form. As Snape was to find out later, it did, however, hide the sleek muscles of his long body. His eyes were still that brilliant green, if somewhat tempered by a wisdom beyond his young years. His hair was still a messy cap upon his head, bangs falling forward to hide the well-known scar. His fingers were long and thin but strong. His posture, even relaxed, spoke of confidence and power. He seemed completely at ease with himself and his surroundings. Snape acknowledged to himself that he found the young Necromancer desirable.
Harry glanced up. "Finished?"
"Hardly."
Snape was turning to clean up his workstation when Potter straightened up and stood. "We need to go," he said. He picked up a quill from the desk and held it out to Snape. Snape was confused. "Portkey," he explained. Snape drew his wand and touched the quill.
***
Snape felt the familiar pull of a portkey and quickly glanced around. They were at a small two-story cottage. He saw Harry rush to the door and bang on it. When it opened, it revealed Neville Longbottom. Snape was startled. Why would the Death Eaters attack the Longbottoms?
Harry reached out before Neville could speak and pressed the quill into his hand. Neville disappeared with the faint pop of portkey travel. Harry entered the house, Snape close behind. Neville's grandmother looked much the same as she had the last time Harry had seen her at Platform 9¾. She drew her wand on them.
"What did you do to my grandson?" she demanded.
Harry grabbed a tea-cozy from the table and held it out to her. "The Death Eaters are coming here. I've already given Neville a portkey and he's gone to Hogwarts. This will do the same."
She stared at him in shock. "You're Harry Potter."
"Yes. Now please take the portkey."
She reached out and took the portkey from him.
Harry turned to Snape. "That's everyone in the house."
"Are we leaving too?" Snape demanded.
"Nope. We are going to give the Death Eaters a little surprise." Harry walked to the front door. "Come on."
Snape followed. "How many Death Eaters are coming?"
"Six: Draco Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe, Gregory Goyle, McNair, Flint, and Crabbe Sr." Harry glanced at Snape. "This is an initiation."
Snape nodded. It made sense now. "That's why they chose the Longbottoms."
"Exactly. A pure-blood family but weak in case the three newest Death Eaters couldn't handle their assignment," Harry confirmed.
They stood in silence, waiting. Two minutes later, there were six distinct pops.
***
"I see they're recruiting babies now," Snape said in the shocked silence.
"Crucio!" Malfoy yelled, his wand pointing at Snape.
A quick flick of Harry's wrist and a shield appeared in front of Snape. The curse bounced off and struck Marcus Flint. Malfoy quickly disengaged the curse. The Death Eaters stared at the two guarding the house.
"How did you do that?" McNair demanded. "You can't block the Unforgivables!"
Harry smiled wickedly. "It is one of my many talents."
"Who are you?" Flint demanded, having recovered marginally from his encounter with the Cruciatus Curse.
Harry reached up and lifted his bangs.
"Avada Kadavra!" McNair yelled, his wand pointing at Harry.
The bolt of green lightning rushed to Harry. It hit him and passed through him. Harry giggled. "That tickled! Can you do it again?"
The Death Eaters and Snape stared at him, horrified. The Death Eaters apparated in six successive pops. Harry's smile disappeared as suddenly as the Death Eaters. "I need to get to Madam Pomfrey."
"What the hell just happened?" Snape demanded.
Harry pulled out the quill from one of his pockets and held it out. Snape grabbed it and they both disappeared.
***
Snape felt the familiar pull of the portkey. He glanced around. They were in the infirmary at Hogwarts. He helped Potter over to one of the beds, calling for Poppy as he did so.
"What happened?" she asked briskly as she entered. She stopped in surprise. "Severus!"
He shot her a confused glance, before looking back down at Potter. "Are you going to tell me what in the bloody hell just happened?"
"I dropped my defenses and let it pass through me," Harry said calmly. "Doing so, unfortunately, has some side affects."
"What side affects?" Snape demanded.
"Harry!" Pomfrey yelped.
The two men ignored her. "I've ripped my insides apart. There is internal hemorrhaging."
"So heal it!" Snape yelled.
"I can't heal my own injuries!" Harry shouted back.
"Then why the hell did you do that in the first place!"
"Because they are going to tell Voldemort what happened!"
"Poppy!" Snape yelled.
"Don't yell at me, Severus Snape!" she shouted at him.
"Then do your damn job!"
Harry closed his eyes and drifted into a trance.
***
TBC…
btw – I'm going to up the rating to R when the next chapter goes up.
~Artemis Luna Diana~