The Burdens of Childhood
by Melissa Jooty (email me at cosmic_quest@yahoo.com)


CHAPTER FOUR- True Colours

Steven gaped at the rat-come-man, terror chilling him despite the sweltering heat of the sun. This couldn't be happening! It was impossible; this was real life, animals did not change into people except in story books. Young as he was, even he had trouble accepting what had just occurred before his very eyes and he was immediately on guard, backing away as a buried part of his mind sensed this man's tricks were not benign.

The boy stiffened when the man spoke, his tone spiteful and menacing. He knew the words were directed to him and him alone although the threat he posed were not exclusive to Allie and Chance. Steven did pick up the man referring to him as 'Severus'- was that his real name? It didn't sound familiar to him but he had once said the first syllable in his name was 'sev'; perhaps the old man who found him as mistook the name 'Severus' for whatever gibberish he had uttered that night.

Chance had opened his mouth to scream for help when the man caught his intention. "Keep that mouth shut, you little whippersnapper, or I'll shut it for you...permanently." The boy whimpered softly, his eyes swimming with tears. The man ignored him, turning his attention once again to Steven. "Aren't we looking good these days, Severus?" rat-man commented, his stare boring into the child. "The Muggles treating you well?"

Steven forced himself not to squirm under the mocking gaze, he was damned if he would show his discomfort to this madman who obviously took delight in scaring children. And the man obviously was mad, he was talking nonsense. What the hell were 'Muggles'?

"The police could put you in jail for this," the boy managed to say.

The other just laughed at the meek statement. "Now, Severus, you just be a good boy and come along quietly and your friends here will not be harmed."

Curiousity outweighed his fear for a moment. "Do you know me?"

"Oh yes, my young friend, you could say that. We were at school together, those were not such good days for you and I but they did lead us both to our Master."

Steven needed no more convincing this man was unstable. Not only was he gibbering on about 'masters' and the like but there was no possible way they could have attended school together. He was six years old, he couldn't even have been born when their captor was a schoolboy. The guy evidently needed Professor Dumbledore's psychological services more urgently than Steven did.

"I wonder what *he* will say when he learns his new prince has been thoroughly brainwashed by Muggles of all creatures," the man prattled on. "and that Malfoy allowed this charade to continue." Surely, he did not mean Lucius Malfoy. Steven couldn't believe the man he saw as a honourary uncle associated with monsters like this. "Not to bother, I'm sure our Lord will find a way to beat the taint from you."

Suddenly, in his peripheral vision, he noticed a black shape bounding across the grass towards them. Snuffles! He had forgotten about the dog. But what could Snuffles honestly do? The dog was hardly Lassie, all he was capable of was catching a ball and rolling over for a tickle.

The rat-man noticed the dog too. "Sirius..." he murmured, retrieving a long wooden stick from his pockets and holding it like one would a weapon.

And just when he thought all the surprises for the day were over, that he was beginning to slip back in the security of a world where animals were animals and humans were humans and never the two shall mix, this most basic law was violated once more. He occasionally pretended the Centre's pets could talk and the like but when he was faced with his dog morphing into a full grown man even his young mind could see this was not a child's game and that frightened him to the core.

"This isn't happening," Allie uttered, her normally boisterous nature now shaky and weak.

Unlike the children, the rat-man had been prepared for the transformation. He swiftly grabbed Allie, who was standing closest to him, and held a tight arm under her head with his stick pointed to her neck. Steven recognised the object to be similar to his own, an object Lucius had referred to as a wand and seemed to help him focus his powers. Was this man an alien/mutated creature like him too?

The rat-man did not seem too confident now, his voice becoming uncertain and stuttering. "O-one more move, Black, and I'll...I'll suck the life from the girl's body then you'll truly be a party to murder. Just give me the boy and everything will be fine."

Watching Allie tearfully hang in the grasp on her attacker, Steven hated himself for being the apparent cause. What was so special about him? Steven was just some boy they found dumped in the desert; he didn't even have parents. Why was everyone so keen to have him? It couldn't be because of his powers since both the men seemed to possess such gifts too.

Snuffles, or at least the man who Snuffles had become, sneered at the balding man, his eyes burning with a pure hatred, "This is what you've been reduced to, Pettigrew, using children to make yourself feel like a big man." He pulled out a wand stick from his own robes. "I think it's time you experience a little of what I have for the past decade, I'm sure you'll feel right at home in Azkaban. Scum knows scum."

"Just toss your wand over here, Black, and I won't have to hurt any of these darling children...although I don't know if that promise includes our little Sev here considering he's no more a child than I am." When Snuffles made no move to relinquish his wand, rat-man squeezed Allie against him resulting a squirm of pain from his captive. "Come on, Sirius, I don't have all day. I need to get my Master's new son to him as soon as possible."

Steven had the sneaking suspicion this Master's new son involved impromptu adoption with him as the prize in an arrangement that would result in anything but 'Happy Families'.

When rat-man's hand darted up to Allie's delicate throat causing the girl to whimper in fear, Snuffles grudgingly threw his wand to the side. "There, now let the girl go. You won't get far, Dumbledore will never let you have the boy."

The other man laughed cruelly, never letting his grip on Allie slip. "I don't know why you're so keen to protect him all of a sudden, you always hated Snape in school You should be pleased I'm taking him off your hands."

"Fuck you, Wormtail," Snuffles shot back, "it should have been you I fed to Remus. I never imagined there would come a day when I'd realize Snape was worth ten of you, you traitorous bastard."

Who was Snape? Could that possibly be his surname? Severus Snape- it didn't sound particularly familiar to the boy any more than Steven Cordell did. And what was this about Snuffles not liking him in school? He couldn't understand why rat-man was referring to him as if he were his contemporary when in reality there was a good three decades in age between them.

"Wouldn't it be a hoot," rat-man pondered manically, "if Dumbledore found his prodigal son standing over the bodies of two murdered children? Whatever would he say? Who would be the traitor then? Why, not even he could save you from the Dementor's Kiss for such an act."

"What the hell are y-"

Before the dark-haired man could screech out the rest of his horrified demand, rat-man shouted, "Stupefy!"

With a flick of their tormentor's wand, Snuffles fell to the ground in a heap. A quick glance downwards assured Steven and Chance that the man was still alive and breathing, in fact he even seemed awake but in a stunned state of consciousness. Now their protector was incapacitated, Steven felt his stomach churn at the realization that the chances of escaping this unharmed plummeted. Two young boys were no match against a full grown, unbalanced man.

Tears of self-pity pooled Steven's dark eyes and he wanted nothing more than to be safe back in the confines of the Centre but he forcefully swiped his tears away. No matter what happened, he couldn't just run off and leave Allie to fend for herself against this lunatic. Especially since this whole predicament seemed to be focused on him.

But for now, rat-man had forgotten about the boy and his entire attention rested on Snuffles as he spoke. "And I think this little sweetheart will be your first tragic victim." He held the little girl in his grasp away from him and began tightening the hold on her throat. Allie struggled in vain to free herself, only resulting in the grip to her trachea constricting further.

"No! Allie!!!"

The air surrounding them began to crackle by unseen force, standing hairs on end and tingling the skin. Their tormentor was so focused on Allie that he did not noticed the raw, untainted power brewing encircling them. Steven's heart was pounding, his mind churning with violent rage as he saw nothing beyond Allie's fear and pain.

It was as if the boy had no control over himself, his body overtaken by the force of his fury, a pure and primal emotion completely alien to anything he had ever felt before. Suddenly, Steven had access to a honed instinct that should have frightened his childish senses had he not been so riveted to his friend's plight.

"Expelliarmus!" The rat-man's stick shot out of his hand towards Steven at command of a word he hadn't even realized he had called forth. The boy gasped as he realized he was ready for the reaction, his hand instinctively moving up to catch the object. "Pertrificus Totalus!"

Rat-man didn't even had time to react when his entire body stiffened to an unnaturally rigid position. For a brief moment, he looked much alike a zombie soldier standing to attention before he fell backwards with a thud. Wide-eyed, Steven waited for rat-man to pounce back up, move, or do anything to show he was alive. There was nothing except the blank, slack face of the dead.

Oh God...He had killed a man; he was a murderer!

His chest tightening in panic, Steven was barely aware of the tears pooling in his eyes and spilling over and the faint whimpers escaping his lips. He hadn't meant to commit murder, he just wanted the man to leave Allie alone. He was just a boy; he didn't want to kill people no matter what their sins! But that was the problem, he wasn't a boy, not in the truest sense of the word. He was a freak with powers he didn't understand...and now he was a monster who had the death staining his hands.

He wanted to hide, to runaway from the evidence of his crime. Away from the body, away from his friends who shouldn't be near a monster like him, away from himself and the powers he was starting to loathe.

"Bloody hell..." Snuffles the man murmured, reminding the children of his presence and his transformation. He was blinking, obviously rapidly recovering from whatever assault he had been inflicted with.

Chins practically dragging the ground, Allie and Chance re-directed their stares from the stunned and pallid Steven then all three children turned as one to the dark-haired man who just minutes earlier had four legs and a tail...

*************************


Sipping iced tea, Minerva sat on the large patio with Albus and Miss Roscoe watching the children happily playing around them. For the first time in a long time, she felt truly relaxed and at ease. It was ironic since Voldemort was more of a threat than ever and two boys she held close to her heart were his intended targets. Still, as much as she loved her home country, there was something to be said of the beautiful Californian summer and being surrounded by Muggles blissfully unaware of the impending war the wizarding world faced.

"Jessica! Jessica, help!"

The hysterical screams cut straight through the happy-go-lucky chattering and noises drawing the inquisitive attention of every child and adult. Passing curiousity swiftly twisted into shock as Severus' young friends Allie and Chance came sprinting across the lawn, their faces sickly white in mirrored fright. What was a more horrifying sight was that closely behind the boy and girl was Sirius Black in his human form and cradling Severus' limp body to his chest.

"Jessica! Jessica, come quick," Chance cried, his face contorted in terror as he and Allie dived into Miss Roscoe's arms. "Steven's sick, I think the bad man did it. Make him better."

Minerva's eyes widened at the child's wails. Surely Sirius had not paid heed to his silly adolescent grudges and harmed Severus in some way. Once she would never have entertained such a thought but she recalled all too well the night two decades ago when the boy nearly sent Severus to his death at the hands of Remus Lupin's feral alter-ego.

"Sirius, what happened?" Albus demanded, taking in the scene as he, Minerva and Miss Roscoe raced to meet him.

Severus' face was positively bleached of all colour, the boy's eyes were glazed and barely aware of his surroundings, and his tiny frame was wracked with shivers as if he were in an Arctic blizzard rather than under the baking hot sun. Minerva reached to brush away the sweaty hair from his forehead then stroke his baby soft cheek only to find his skin was cold and clammy. The semi-conscious child was in deep shock.

"Wormtail- he came looking for Snape," Black gasped out. "The kid petrified him then just collapsed."

"He's in shock, Albus," Minerva reported. "He must not have been prepared for the mental ramifications of casting the charm."

Simpler charms such as 'accio' or transfiguring an item from one colour to another where easy on the body, however, to petrify a person took significantly more energy, especially if the wizard or witch was under stress at the time. Severus was so small that it was no surprise it would drain him. Yet what puzzled Minerva was that he should not have been so poorly, just tired.

Something else must have happened to terrify the child into such a state.

Albus moved to take the boy from Black when Miss Roscoe pushed forward and hauled him into her own arms, holding him protectively against her chest while the other two children huddled behind her.

"What have you done to him, you son-of-a-bitch?" the young woman spat out, her eyes cold and narrowed at she glared at the three wizards. She turned the full force of her anger to Sirius. "Who the hell are you? Are you one of those assholes who like to have a little fun with children? Can't handle a normal woman!"

"W-what...?" Black stuttered, outraged at what was being intimated. "I'm not a bloody paedo if that's what you think."

"He's the dog," Allie piped up, her voice hoarse. "He's Snuffles."

"Don't take nonsense, honey," the Co-ordinator said, distracted by the heavy bruising marring the little girl's throat. With one arm clasping the lolling form of Severus to her, she used the other hand to take Allie's chin and lift her head higher. "Oh Lord, you're hurt, babe. Who the hell did that? God, we need to get you kids to a hospital..." The woman looked back to the Hogwarts three. "What's going on here? What have you done to Steven?" There was now a touch of shrill hysteria to her voice.

Albus chose to ignore the questions for now to instead focus on Severus' needs. "Please let me see the boy." The young woman just clung tighter to her charge. "*Please*, I can help him. I promise I will not hurt him, I just want to help the child..." The last time Minerva had heard her friend and superior sound so anguished was eight months ago when they first received news that based on their most trusted intelligence reports Severus was presumed dead.

Miss Roscoe must have sense his honest distress for thought she hesitated for a moment, she nodded slightly then turned to her colleagues. "David, Sarah, Luke, take the other children inside."

When the other three adults began herding the on-looking children into the building, the woman reluctantly handed Severus to the Headmaster. Allie and Chance remained close to their guardian, glowering suspiciously at Albus and ready to pounce should he pose any harm to their friend.

"You do anything I don't like to him and I *will* kill you."

Suitably threatened, Albus adjusted his hold on the boy to a more comfortable position. The Muggles frowned in bewilderment as they all watched the Headmaster run his hand on Severus scanning him. He wasn't a Healer or medi-wizard but Minerva knew his medical skills were more than competent to be entrusted with a sick child. After some of the skirmishes during the Dark Lord's first rising, he would often offer his service if Poppy and her team were struggling to keep up with the injury count.

"W-what's he doing?" Chance whispered in awe.

"He's helping your friend," Minerva answered, allowing herself to grace the boy with a reassuring smile.

The elderly man then placed a gentle hand on Severus' forehead and murmured two quiet charms, one to calm the boy and the other to send him into a deep, healing sleep. With a soft sigh, the boy's dark eyes fluttered closed and he was beginning to gain a healthier glow to his face. Albus tenderly watched over the boy in his arms, his blue eyes twinkling in with paternal affection. Together, the tableau of man and child was so bittersweet; to anyone who didn't know the truth, they seemed no more extraordinary than a grandfather with a favourite grandson when they were anything but...

"Albus...?" Minerva queried, almost loath to break the scene. "How is he?"

"He's should sleep for a few hours," Albus said, not taking his eyes from Severus.

Black glanced around, assessing if there was safe to be there in the open. "What happens now, sir? Pettigrew's nearly grabbed him," he scowled venomously at the mention of his former childhood friend, "it's only a matter of time before someone else makes an attempt."

"The time has come to take him home," Albus conceded, "we can wait no longer. It is not safe for him to be here without the protection Hogwarts can offer."

Miss Roscoe snorted. "Like hell you're taking that child anywhere! Who *are* you people?! I want some answers before I decide to phone in the cops and have you nuts all charged with child abuse and endangerment."

End of CHAPTER FOUR- True Colours


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++