Disclaimer: Come on people, it just isn't mine.
Author Notes: Well, it seems that perhaps I have been slow updating. I just did some quick calculations. If I am correct (which is improbable because I am horrible with math) I have been posting for 145 days. This means that I average one chapter every five and a half days. Of course this is skewed by the fact that the last two chapters took about a month each to post. Sigh.
I am sincerely grateful to everyone who reviewed. Hearing people say they stayed up all night reading my story is incredible. I love you people. Now, on with the show!
*****
Harry hurried off towards Gryffindor Tower. He became more and more uneasy as he went.
He tried to convince himself that it was simply quiet as on any Hogsmeade weekend.
It was not particularly comforting.
Harry scarcely realized that he broke into a run. If he had thought about it, he would have welcomed being stopped by an authority figure. He would have gladly embraced having points docked if only he could see another living person. Even a ghost would do.
Harry reached the portrait hole gasping and out of breath. For one, terrifying moment he could not recall the password.
"Tithonium Chasma." He finally wheezed.
The Fat Lady obligingly swung forward.
He entered the common room and was staggered to see a large crowd of his fellow Gryffindors staring at the doorframe he occupied.
"Harry!" cried dozens of voices in unison, followed quickly by a score of indecipherable questions.
"What happened?" He asked when there was a lull in the din. "Why aren't you all in Hogsmeade?"
There was another dense eruption of voices.
"Quiet, all of you!" One voice rang out over the general babble. The crowd parted as everyone stared in amazement at Neville Longbottom.
"We were in Hogsmeade, Harry." Neville explained. "A great horde of Death Eaters was there as well. They all seemed to be looking for you. Where were you?"
"I was with Sev – Professor Snape. We went to visit his aunt." Harry cringed inwardly as he gazed into the disconcerted faces of his housemates. "Is everyone all right? Where are Ron and Hermione?" He looked around for other missing faces. "And Dean and Colin, Stacia and Dylan and Ginny and…"
Neville broke in. "Most of them are still in Hospital. They sent all the uninjured up to the common rooms as soon as the carriages brought us back. There hasn't been any news."
Harry breathed deeply. "I think I need to sit down." He made for an overstuffed chair and a group of second years moved to let him pass.
"What were you doing visiting Snape's aunt?" Neville asked, slipping into an empty chair nearby.
Harry paused, considering and then decided to continue his policy of telling the truth while omitting the details. "She has asked me to visit her for Christmas, so I thought it might be nice to meet her."
"Right." Neville sat back, eyes narrowed. He looked around at the assembled Gryffindors, as if noticing them for the first time. "Clear off, you lot. He'll say more if he wants to, it doesn't help to hover."
"I don't want to." Harry said quietly. "I think I will just sit here and study." He drew his wand. "Accio Potions textbook." He said. When the book arrived, Harry opened it and began studying without another word.
*****
Severus started for the front doors, wincing inwardly at what he had offered to do. He had never learned the proper bone mending spell. His father – a muscle twitched near his eye - had been fond of curses.
And hexes, and jinxes, and charms he could use to insult, injure or annoy. It was a very good thing that the man seldom dabbled in potions. Otherwise Severus never would have gotten past his sixth birthday.
The curse Severus had modified to mend bones instead of breaking them had proven quite useful over the years. He had been his own most frequent patient. A trick rider was frequently injured when learning new stunts.
Remembering that, Severus winced again. He'd promised Harry that he would teach him some stunts. He vowed inwardly that there would always be a net.
Severus surveyed the ragged line of students sitting and standing along the wall near the front doors. He stopped suddenly and swallowed hard, his mouth was suddenly dry.
Closest to the doors was a boy wearing a burgundy jumper that clashed terribly with his red hair. A very familiar mop of red hair attached to the head of his son's best friend.
Severus blinked, keeping his customary dignity with difficulty.
He forced himself to take a deep breath. "Right." He said to himself. He continued towards the line of injured students.
"Weasely." He said tersely when he was close. "Where are you injured?"
"Left arm." The boy said, indicating his forearm with his other hand. "Are you here to bandage us?"
Severus bared his teeth in a grimace. "No. I have been sent to mend minor bone fractures." He drew his wand. "Can you lift the arm?"
Weasley complied awkwardly with a hiss of pain.
Severus whispered a spell that bared the boy's arm. A second word evaluated the injury. Severus nodded. "This will be easier if you sit on the floor."
Severus offered Weasely his hand to help him ease onto the floor. "That's right, sit against the wall. Draw your knees up. Yes, that's right. Place your left hand on your knee. Good."
Severus took a deep breath and placed his wand on the site of the break.
"Brace yourself, Weasley," Severus warned. "This will hurt a great deal."
The boy's eyes widened in shock. He clenched his teeth and nodded.
"Occurri exos adflixi." Severus said in a commanding tone. *
The boy did not scream. Severus was rather impressed. He had screamed the first time he had tried that on himself.
"Favor it for a few days. No heavy lifting for a week. Stretch out those muscles. There will be quite a bruise there come morning." Severus was about to turn to his next patient.
"Thank you, Professor." Weasely said in a strained voice.
Severus turned his attention back to his son's friend. He was looking up, jaw clenched tightly and eyes filled with tears.
"Your bedside manner could use some work." The boy ventured after a few moments of eye contact.
Severus smiled slightly. "I imagine it could." He looked at the frightened row of students he was about to treat. "Would you like to help?" He asked, looking back at the boy. "The fabric moving spell is simple enough to learn. Assuming you haven't snapped another wand."
Weasely smiled wanly and produced his intact wand. "Lead on, Professor." He got awkwardly to his feet.
"Good. The spells are simple enough, but, as you no doubt know, repetition of any spell is exhausting after a while." Severus turned to the next patient. "McFarland, where are you injured?"
*****
A/N – Right. Does that clarify anything?
The lights went out in Memphis. Our internet connection is still tenuous. If you want to read my eyewitness account of the horrible storm we had last week, e-mail me or tell me in your review. I haven't finished it yet, it is getting long. Grin.
*- I believe that this incantation roughly means "counteract bone shatter" in very very bad Latin. I got the Latin words from http://www.nd.edu/~archives/latin.htm I know nothing about Latin grammar. I believe that may be obvious to any student of the language.
Author Notes: Well, it seems that perhaps I have been slow updating. I just did some quick calculations. If I am correct (which is improbable because I am horrible with math) I have been posting for 145 days. This means that I average one chapter every five and a half days. Of course this is skewed by the fact that the last two chapters took about a month each to post. Sigh.
I am sincerely grateful to everyone who reviewed. Hearing people say they stayed up all night reading my story is incredible. I love you people. Now, on with the show!
*****
Harry hurried off towards Gryffindor Tower. He became more and more uneasy as he went.
He tried to convince himself that it was simply quiet as on any Hogsmeade weekend.
It was not particularly comforting.
Harry scarcely realized that he broke into a run. If he had thought about it, he would have welcomed being stopped by an authority figure. He would have gladly embraced having points docked if only he could see another living person. Even a ghost would do.
Harry reached the portrait hole gasping and out of breath. For one, terrifying moment he could not recall the password.
"Tithonium Chasma." He finally wheezed.
The Fat Lady obligingly swung forward.
He entered the common room and was staggered to see a large crowd of his fellow Gryffindors staring at the doorframe he occupied.
"Harry!" cried dozens of voices in unison, followed quickly by a score of indecipherable questions.
"What happened?" He asked when there was a lull in the din. "Why aren't you all in Hogsmeade?"
There was another dense eruption of voices.
"Quiet, all of you!" One voice rang out over the general babble. The crowd parted as everyone stared in amazement at Neville Longbottom.
"We were in Hogsmeade, Harry." Neville explained. "A great horde of Death Eaters was there as well. They all seemed to be looking for you. Where were you?"
"I was with Sev – Professor Snape. We went to visit his aunt." Harry cringed inwardly as he gazed into the disconcerted faces of his housemates. "Is everyone all right? Where are Ron and Hermione?" He looked around for other missing faces. "And Dean and Colin, Stacia and Dylan and Ginny and…"
Neville broke in. "Most of them are still in Hospital. They sent all the uninjured up to the common rooms as soon as the carriages brought us back. There hasn't been any news."
Harry breathed deeply. "I think I need to sit down." He made for an overstuffed chair and a group of second years moved to let him pass.
"What were you doing visiting Snape's aunt?" Neville asked, slipping into an empty chair nearby.
Harry paused, considering and then decided to continue his policy of telling the truth while omitting the details. "She has asked me to visit her for Christmas, so I thought it might be nice to meet her."
"Right." Neville sat back, eyes narrowed. He looked around at the assembled Gryffindors, as if noticing them for the first time. "Clear off, you lot. He'll say more if he wants to, it doesn't help to hover."
"I don't want to." Harry said quietly. "I think I will just sit here and study." He drew his wand. "Accio Potions textbook." He said. When the book arrived, Harry opened it and began studying without another word.
*****
Severus started for the front doors, wincing inwardly at what he had offered to do. He had never learned the proper bone mending spell. His father – a muscle twitched near his eye - had been fond of curses.
And hexes, and jinxes, and charms he could use to insult, injure or annoy. It was a very good thing that the man seldom dabbled in potions. Otherwise Severus never would have gotten past his sixth birthday.
The curse Severus had modified to mend bones instead of breaking them had proven quite useful over the years. He had been his own most frequent patient. A trick rider was frequently injured when learning new stunts.
Remembering that, Severus winced again. He'd promised Harry that he would teach him some stunts. He vowed inwardly that there would always be a net.
Severus surveyed the ragged line of students sitting and standing along the wall near the front doors. He stopped suddenly and swallowed hard, his mouth was suddenly dry.
Closest to the doors was a boy wearing a burgundy jumper that clashed terribly with his red hair. A very familiar mop of red hair attached to the head of his son's best friend.
Severus blinked, keeping his customary dignity with difficulty.
He forced himself to take a deep breath. "Right." He said to himself. He continued towards the line of injured students.
"Weasely." He said tersely when he was close. "Where are you injured?"
"Left arm." The boy said, indicating his forearm with his other hand. "Are you here to bandage us?"
Severus bared his teeth in a grimace. "No. I have been sent to mend minor bone fractures." He drew his wand. "Can you lift the arm?"
Weasley complied awkwardly with a hiss of pain.
Severus whispered a spell that bared the boy's arm. A second word evaluated the injury. Severus nodded. "This will be easier if you sit on the floor."
Severus offered Weasely his hand to help him ease onto the floor. "That's right, sit against the wall. Draw your knees up. Yes, that's right. Place your left hand on your knee. Good."
Severus took a deep breath and placed his wand on the site of the break.
"Brace yourself, Weasley," Severus warned. "This will hurt a great deal."
The boy's eyes widened in shock. He clenched his teeth and nodded.
"Occurri exos adflixi." Severus said in a commanding tone. *
The boy did not scream. Severus was rather impressed. He had screamed the first time he had tried that on himself.
"Favor it for a few days. No heavy lifting for a week. Stretch out those muscles. There will be quite a bruise there come morning." Severus was about to turn to his next patient.
"Thank you, Professor." Weasely said in a strained voice.
Severus turned his attention back to his son's friend. He was looking up, jaw clenched tightly and eyes filled with tears.
"Your bedside manner could use some work." The boy ventured after a few moments of eye contact.
Severus smiled slightly. "I imagine it could." He looked at the frightened row of students he was about to treat. "Would you like to help?" He asked, looking back at the boy. "The fabric moving spell is simple enough to learn. Assuming you haven't snapped another wand."
Weasely smiled wanly and produced his intact wand. "Lead on, Professor." He got awkwardly to his feet.
"Good. The spells are simple enough, but, as you no doubt know, repetition of any spell is exhausting after a while." Severus turned to the next patient. "McFarland, where are you injured?"
*****
A/N – Right. Does that clarify anything?
The lights went out in Memphis. Our internet connection is still tenuous. If you want to read my eyewitness account of the horrible storm we had last week, e-mail me or tell me in your review. I haven't finished it yet, it is getting long. Grin.
*- I believe that this incantation roughly means "counteract bone shatter" in very very bad Latin. I got the Latin words from http://www.nd.edu/~archives/latin.htm I know nothing about Latin grammar. I believe that may be obvious to any student of the language.