7.
Previously:
"Okay then, Harry, I've been informed that all of this started after Hogwarts' official lunchtime, so could you tell me what you were doing from around two o'clock this afternoon?"
Harry looked at man and then down to his hands, clasped on the covers of his bed.
"I was, uhm, when I left the Great Hall I went down to the dungeons to talk to Severus-"
"Professor Severus Snape, the potions professor here at Hogwarts?"
"Yes, uhm, my, he's…"
He looked at Severus, who nodded encouragingly.
"I went down to the dungeons to talk to my boyfriend, Severus."
"Alone?"
"Yes."
"Why were you alone? Would your friends not normally have come with you?
"They wanted to go to the library and they appreciated that I wanted to be alone to talk with Severus."
Davies nodded.
"So I went to the dungeons. We spoke for a little while. I told him I was going to go to Hagrid's hut to feed his dog – Fang. I'd promised him I would, you see, and I was just letting Severus know I'd be by to see him later and that I couldn't stay just then, things like that."
He didn't think he had to mention that they'd been snogging like crazy as well, so he didn't.
"Okay, Harry, so you stopped by to speak to your, uhm, boyfriend. How long, approximately, would you say you were there?"
"About…maybe five minutes?"
"Alright, and then what did you do?"
"I went out to Hagrid's hut, like I said I would."
"This Hagrid, he's Professor Rubeus Hagrid, the keeper of keys and grounds, and Care of Magical Creatures professor here?"
"Yes, uhm, he's one of my oldest friends – I've known him since my eleventh birthday. He always asks me to feed and walk his dog, Fang, when he's away anywhere."
"So you were going out to the hut. Did anything happen between your leaving the dungeons and arriving at the hut?"
"Not that I remember."
"You didn't see anyone?"
"Uhm, just a few Ravenclaw first years, but they were just at the doors to the school, just sitting and they didn't acknowledge me, nor me them."
"Okay, and when do you think you arrived at the hut – about what time?"
"About, uhm, quarter or twenty past two? I don't really know – I didn't have my watch on."
"Okay, that's fine, Harry. Now, when you got to the hut, what happened?"
Harry tensed a little and Severus rubbed his shoulder.
"I went in by the front door – I was going to get Fang fed before we went out to walk. I, uhm… Sirius Black is an animagus. He just registered this year after the war was over, but he's been one since he was about fifteen or so, so he's very experienced at using his form. He, uhm, he's a big black dog. He kinda looks like a grim."
The two officers looked shocked.
"Yeah, uhm, anyway, I didn't know that he'd been behind me until he pounced on me in his dog form. At first I thought it was just cause he was excited to see me; he does…did, that a lot, but when I shut the door behind us, he did it again, harder."
Harry gulped a little and Arthur poured him a glass of water. Harry took it in shaking hands.
"I'm sorry."
"Nonsense, Harry, just take your time – we understand that this is hard for you."
A few moments and a succession of gulps of cool water later, Harry recommenced.
"He pounced again, and this time I was pushed back against the door. I hit my head and I think it started bleeding. Maybe I split it open?"
"You don't need to try to diagnose your medical condition – just tell us what you remember happening for sure, okay?"
"Yeah, sure, uhm…well, I fell on the ground and he sort of sat on top of me. I started to get scared, because he'd never done anything like that before."
Harry's eyes got glazed and he started to see it all in his head like a movie.
"I told him to stop; to get off me because he was hurting me, but he wouldn't listen or he didn't care. I was really scared. He moved a little and then changed back to Sirius. He held my arms above my head and sat on my legs. He told me that he had seen and heard me with Severus - that's how he knew I was going to Hagrid's. He said that he knew we were together and that it hurt him. I was about to explain, and trying to get out from under him when he ripped my shirt. A strip came off and he scrunched it up and put it in my mouth. I couldn't breathe properly, and I felt like I was going to throw up."
Severus clutched Harry tighter, but Harry didn't notice – he was hours behind, still in Hagrid's hut.
"He ripped it again and twisted my arms together and tied them at the wrist. It really hurt, and I was trying to get free, but he was too strong. He said I wasn't allowed to be with anyone else because I was his – he said my father gave me to him incase something happened and…"
He shivered and the others knew he was thinking about what had happened to James Potter.
"He pulled my jeans off and turned me over and he, he…"
Harry chocked on a sob, and Severus started to rock him again. Harry broke out of his trance and clutched at his lover, resting his head on the broad shoulder.
"I couldn't stop him – he just, I couldn't stop him."
"Harry, what couldn't you stop him from doing?"
"From, from touching me down there and from…from…he kept telling me I was his every time he…"
"Harry, can you tell me what he did maybe in official terms – would that make it easier?"
Harry nodded slightly; glad he didn't have to go into great detail.
"He raped me," he chocked out, trying not to sob. Saying it made it a little easier to accept – just a little.
"Harry, you don't need to elaborate on that particular any further than this – did he sexually penetrate you in a situation where you were unable to stop him and unwilling to participate?"
Harry felt the tears dribble down his face.
"Yes," he whispered, "And I couldn't stop him. And after he hit me and kicked me and spat on me and kept telling me that I was a slut and that nobody wanted me and…he just kept hurting me and I don't know why! I thought he loved me! I thought he cared for me like a godfather, but he hurt me and he wouldn't stop!"
Harry broke down into whole-body jerking sobs and was cradled by Severus, who was muttering everything that had calmed Harry previously.
"Shh, now, baby – it's all over and we're going to help you now. It's okay, now, shh, you're safe now and I love you, and so do lots of people and we're all going to help you. I love you, baby, and I'm here forever and I trust you and want you and it's all over now. Black will get captured and he will never be able to hurt you or anyone ever again, baby. You'll be okay. Shh."
Arthur was sitting with his head in his hands, trying to will all he had heard from Harry out of existence and failing miserably. Inspector Davies was looking between his notes and Harry with a sad look on his face and Geraldine was wondering how someone could have been so mentally unstable that they would do this to Harry Potter – do it to anyone.
Finally Harry sobbed sobbing. He was hiccoughing a little, but the water seemed to help a little. Inspector Davies began questions again.
"Now, Harry, we've established that Mister Black both assaulted and raped you. The last thing I need to know is if you have any idea of where he would be going now?"
Harry thought.
"Maybe…you could try the Shrieking Shack and maybe Professor Remus Lupin's home. Mundungus Fletcher's or Arabella Figg's too – they don't know what he's done yet, so they'd let him in. He might just be in the forest, though."
"Thank you for talking with me, Harry. I'm sorry about what happened to you and I want you to know the department is going to do everything it can to get this done as quickly and as quietly as possible."
Harry half-smiled at the man as he stood.
"Thank you, sir. I don't think he would do it to anyone else, but I don't want to take that chance."
Arthur stood.
"Harry, we're gong to leave you with Geraldine now. I'll be back to visit later tonight with Molly and maybe some of the others, and I'm sure Percy will want to see you before he goes. Is that all right?
Harry nodded.
"I'm really very sorry, Harry."
"Thank you, Mister Weasley."
With a weak wave from one and a nod from the other, the two men left. Harry turned to the counsellor.
"Sev has to leave now?"
"Yes, but we won't be long and if you need a break you can stop and we can call him back in, okay?"
Harry nodded slowly and Severus gave him one last cuddle before leaving, saying only, "you'll do fine, baby. I love you," and slipping out of the cubicle.
*
