Innocence Lost
Prologue
Darkness surrounded him. He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't; the light was too bright, it hurt.
Voices. He could hear someone talking in the background. It still hurt to open his eyes though, so he didn't try.
"Albus! Come quickly! Bring that medi-witch of yours!"
The voice was familiar somehow. But who did it belong to...? He didn't know. And suddenly, he didn't care. The darkness claimed him, and he fell into blissful unconsciousness.
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Arabella Figg was frantic as she walked into her living room only to see Harry Potter's breathing slow and his body go limp. She rushed to his side and saw that he was only unconscious. She breathed a sigh of relief as she held on to his hand. She held on as if she could keep his life force into his body all on her own.
Before not too many more minutes passed, Albus Dumbledore entered the living room, Poppy Pomfrey behind him. Poppy gasped upon seeing the small form on the couch and she rushed to Harry's side. As she came, Arabella stood up and away in order to give the other witch more room to work. She stepped over to Albus' side.
Albus Dumbledore, possibly the greatest living wizard, looked grave as Arabella turned to him. "What happened?" he asked her softly.
Arabella explained quickly but thoroughly, it was a habit she had picked up during the last war against Voldemort. "I haven't seen him outside in about a month. I was worried so I went over. I tried to tell Petunia that I needed his help for some chores, but she wouldn't let him out. I pulled out my wand and forced my way in. I found him, Albus, in a cupboard under their staircase!"
"Thank you, Arabella," Albus sighed, "I fear Minerva was correct, I should not have left him with that family."
Before Arabella could respond to that, Poppy hurried over. "Albus," she said softly and sadly, "there is nothing I can do. In addition to the serious injuries,, he is severely malnourished. It is simply too much for his body to handle. He won't live through the night."
Albus nodded, "Thank you, Poppy. I know you did your best, but we are not through, yet." He walked to Arabella's kitchen, to the lit fire. After a brief conversation with whoever was on the other end, he returned with a wizard in tow.
The wizard following Albus had black hair, black clothes, and black eyes. His skin was pale, and his hair was lank. He wore a scowl like Albus wore a smile. He looked upset about something, though neither Poppy nor Arabella knew about what.
"Severus?" Poppy questioned then turned to Albus, "What can he do?"
Albus spoke decidedly, "He can save Harry's life."
At those words, Severus Snape turned to Albus and his scowl deepened. "It is not a wise idea, Albus. He is too young!"
"He will die if you do not, Severus! I will deal with the repercussions. Just do it!" Albus in a tone that harbored no further argument.
Severus sighed sadly, but he nodded and said, "Very well then. Everyone leave the room, this is not something to be done with all manner of people watching. Yes, Albus, you too. He will be fine, eventually."
Albus nodded and shooed the two witches out of the room. Then Severus turned to the young boy on the bed. Again he sighed sadly as he moved Harry's head so that his neck was bared. Gently he lowered his own head and, breathing an apology to the young boy whose life would never be the same again, he bit down and drank the boy's blood until almost none was left. Then he took out a small dagger and made a slit in the vein by his wrist. He held it up to the boy's lips and instinctively, the boy began to drink once the first few drops of blood had fallen into his mouth. After a few minutes, Severus lifted his wrist from the boy's mouth. He sighed tiredly and laid his head next to the boy's and fell asleep.
That was how Albus found them when he stuck his head into the room after some thirty minutes had passed and no sounds came from the living room. He smiled sadly as he saw the two on the couch. Then he walked over to Severus and positioned him so that he was more comfortable, then he left the room.
He came face to face with two very worried witches once he walked back into the kitchen. "What happened, Albus? Why could Severus save Harry's life?" demanded Arabella.
Poppy had a thoughtful look on her face. Then it cleared and she looked shocked at Albus. "You really had him do it? But Harry, he's so young..." her voice trailed off.
Albus nodded, "I did Poppy. Harry now has a chance to survive."
"But with his injuries, and the fact that he's so young and so severely malnourished... his body may not take well to the transformation," the medi- witch cautioned.
"He'll survive," said Albus firmly.
"Will someone tell me what just happened?" cut in a frustrated Arabella, "What did he do to young Harry?"
Albus nodded at Poppy and she replied, "Arabella, Severus is a vampire."
Prologue
Darkness surrounded him. He tried to open his eyes, but he couldn't; the light was too bright, it hurt.
Voices. He could hear someone talking in the background. It still hurt to open his eyes though, so he didn't try.
"Albus! Come quickly! Bring that medi-witch of yours!"
The voice was familiar somehow. But who did it belong to...? He didn't know. And suddenly, he didn't care. The darkness claimed him, and he fell into blissful unconsciousness.
~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_
Arabella Figg was frantic as she walked into her living room only to see Harry Potter's breathing slow and his body go limp. She rushed to his side and saw that he was only unconscious. She breathed a sigh of relief as she held on to his hand. She held on as if she could keep his life force into his body all on her own.
Before not too many more minutes passed, Albus Dumbledore entered the living room, Poppy Pomfrey behind him. Poppy gasped upon seeing the small form on the couch and she rushed to Harry's side. As she came, Arabella stood up and away in order to give the other witch more room to work. She stepped over to Albus' side.
Albus Dumbledore, possibly the greatest living wizard, looked grave as Arabella turned to him. "What happened?" he asked her softly.
Arabella explained quickly but thoroughly, it was a habit she had picked up during the last war against Voldemort. "I haven't seen him outside in about a month. I was worried so I went over. I tried to tell Petunia that I needed his help for some chores, but she wouldn't let him out. I pulled out my wand and forced my way in. I found him, Albus, in a cupboard under their staircase!"
"Thank you, Arabella," Albus sighed, "I fear Minerva was correct, I should not have left him with that family."
Before Arabella could respond to that, Poppy hurried over. "Albus," she said softly and sadly, "there is nothing I can do. In addition to the serious injuries,, he is severely malnourished. It is simply too much for his body to handle. He won't live through the night."
Albus nodded, "Thank you, Poppy. I know you did your best, but we are not through, yet." He walked to Arabella's kitchen, to the lit fire. After a brief conversation with whoever was on the other end, he returned with a wizard in tow.
The wizard following Albus had black hair, black clothes, and black eyes. His skin was pale, and his hair was lank. He wore a scowl like Albus wore a smile. He looked upset about something, though neither Poppy nor Arabella knew about what.
"Severus?" Poppy questioned then turned to Albus, "What can he do?"
Albus spoke decidedly, "He can save Harry's life."
At those words, Severus Snape turned to Albus and his scowl deepened. "It is not a wise idea, Albus. He is too young!"
"He will die if you do not, Severus! I will deal with the repercussions. Just do it!" Albus in a tone that harbored no further argument.
Severus sighed sadly, but he nodded and said, "Very well then. Everyone leave the room, this is not something to be done with all manner of people watching. Yes, Albus, you too. He will be fine, eventually."
Albus nodded and shooed the two witches out of the room. Then Severus turned to the young boy on the bed. Again he sighed sadly as he moved Harry's head so that his neck was bared. Gently he lowered his own head and, breathing an apology to the young boy whose life would never be the same again, he bit down and drank the boy's blood until almost none was left. Then he took out a small dagger and made a slit in the vein by his wrist. He held it up to the boy's lips and instinctively, the boy began to drink once the first few drops of blood had fallen into his mouth. After a few minutes, Severus lifted his wrist from the boy's mouth. He sighed tiredly and laid his head next to the boy's and fell asleep.
That was how Albus found them when he stuck his head into the room after some thirty minutes had passed and no sounds came from the living room. He smiled sadly as he saw the two on the couch. Then he walked over to Severus and positioned him so that he was more comfortable, then he left the room.
He came face to face with two very worried witches once he walked back into the kitchen. "What happened, Albus? Why could Severus save Harry's life?" demanded Arabella.
Poppy had a thoughtful look on her face. Then it cleared and she looked shocked at Albus. "You really had him do it? But Harry, he's so young..." her voice trailed off.
Albus nodded, "I did Poppy. Harry now has a chance to survive."
"But with his injuries, and the fact that he's so young and so severely malnourished... his body may not take well to the transformation," the medi- witch cautioned.
"He'll survive," said Albus firmly.
"Will someone tell me what just happened?" cut in a frustrated Arabella, "What did he do to young Harry?"
Albus nodded at Poppy and she replied, "Arabella, Severus is a vampire."
