Disclaimer: I still don't own the Harry Potter characters.
A/N: Thanks for all the nice reviews! Here's another chapter! And, Snape will lighten up later as the story continues, so he won't be mean forever.
Hidden Visions, Hidden Truth
Chapter 2
Harry tossed and turned in the bed. He was in the Hospital Room with Snape watching over him. Snape, reading a book The Most Useful Ways to Brew a Killing Potion, tried to block out the sound of Harry's groans. However, it didn't work.
Snape set the book down by his side and watched Harry closely. Tears were streaming down his face and the pillows were soaked. Snape got up and walked slowly to Harry. He stopped himself though, one foot away from Harry's bed. Harry started screaming, shouting, like someone was killing him, torturing him, in his dream.
"Please have mercy on me, Voldemort! Please, please, no, no, don't do it. Not the Crucio! No!" He was yelling so loudly that the dead were rolling over in their graves.
Snape, covering his ears with both hands, shouted through Harry's yells. "Harry! Harry! Potter!" Realizing what he had to do, he freed one ear, and with one hand, shook Harry's shoulder.
Harry sat up, feeling the touch of a hand on his shoulder, and shouted, which echoed through out the castle. Snape could tell that he was afraid of something.
"Potter, it's just me," Snape said impatiently.
Harry was drenched in sweat. He was shaking slightly. Harry's trembling green eyes looked up at Snape. "Professor Snape?" Harry sighed. "I thought you were Uncle Vernon."
Snape stood still, not knowing what to do. He shook his head and grinned slightly. "You thought I was your uncle?" He folded his arms across his chest. "Why?" he asked.
"I don't want to go into it. Let's just say he did some horrible things to me, besides pounding on me."
Snape knew where this was leading. He inhaled sharply, and made a motion with his hand for Harry to stop talking. "I think I understand the rest, Potter."
Harry was relieved. He didn't really feel like telling Snape anyway. "Thanks," he said in a small, quiet voice. And, for the first time since Harry ever came to Hogwarts, he saw Snape smile.
Snape, grinning broadly, walked out of the Hospital Room and down the corridor, only to be confronted by Dumbledore. "Severus, I trust that you are taking great care of Harry?"
Snape's grinning vanished slightly. "I never knew what went on with him during summer vacation." He sighed. "Now I know why you wanted me to check on him at his house."
"Yes. I heard from his friends that he wasn't responding to their letters."
"Dumbledore, they pounded on him," Snape put plainly.
Dumbledore gasped. "No!"
"Yes, and if it wasn't for me, then he'd be dead right about now. He was locked up, in this cramped cupboard under the stairs. They literally starved him—"
Dumbledore held up his hand to stop Snape from talking further. "I am afraid I have some bad news."
To Be Continued…
A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. The next one will be longer, I promise. And, another thing I'm sorry for: the extreme lack of updating the story. We've just gotten into testing this week at school, and lots of homework has been getting in my way. One more thing: sorry for the cliffhanger! I just couldn't resist adding it!
