This man owned any clothes that weren't black.
After a supper of a glass of water, Harry accompanied Snape to Malfoy's quarters, where it seemed the entire Malfoy family was gathered, along with the Lestranges.
"Severus!" Lucius greeted and pointed Harry through a door to the kitchen.
Harry glumly walked through it and met Mary, who was cutting potatoes up in frenzy.
"I'm sorry! She cried – I can't do this on my own- James!" She said in relief when she looked up from her chopping.
"I'm here to help." Harry said with a smile "What's left to do?"
They decided that Mary would prepare ingredients and Harry would to the actual cooking part, and the washing.
"I'm sorry you had to clean up after me in the hall."
"I almost threw up myself...poor Dennis." Mary wiped some tears away crossly and continued chopping.
"Yeah...." Harry said wistfully feeling like crying himself. Then thought to himself – yet another family ripped apart by Voldemort.
"You think that Harry Potter will actually be able to stop him? I heard Malfoy talking about how desperate the Dark Lord is to get rid of him."
"I don't know anymore Mary. Does anyone know what happened to him?"
"No. we think he escaped in time. Pity, if he'd stayed here he might have been able to rescue us he did for other people before."
"You think so? He's just a teenage boy like me. He can't just get out of every situation. I think he has a better chance out there where Dumbledore could help him come up with a plan. Stuck here he'd just be in the same boat as the rest of us."
Mary nodded forlornly and together they finished the meal working side by side.
"Ready to serve?" Harry asked
Mary nodded
The two walked from the room with large bowls of soup and a large loaf of bread, and placed them on the table. Seeing that the food had arrived the party guests made their way to the tables.
Draco Malfoy kept shooting smug looks at the two Griffindors. Harry was sure Malfoy hadn't recognised him at all, but was still worried nonetheless.
"Who's that?" He asked gesturing to Harry.
"My slave" Snape said with a smug smile – "He was a Ravenclaw – did you know him?"
"No." Draco said then shrugging as though it was not worthy of his attention he continued eating.
The next few days were quieter, Harry being confined to Snape's quarters for the whole time, merely cleaning and cooking, the few guests that stopped by didn't stay long and Harry escaped any serious punishment from any of them, he was beginning to feel very ill though, this being his fifth day without any food. He often felt faint and light headed. Today, Snape and Nott had been sent out to gather more slaves and Harry had been left with Snapes chores.
Although Snape knew fully well that Harry couldn't eat he was still insisting that he did his assigned tasks, Harry felt that Snape seemed to be getting some sort of perverse pleasure out of watching Harry suffer in this way, but at other times he thought he may have received a sympathetic glance or two. That man was an enigma all right.
Harry wondered what secrets the man his in his past – he had no pictures of people in his rooms or anything sentimental at all really. He stayed up for hours and hours into the night playing music on a large piano that stood in the corner of the room. Harry was perfectly happy to let it lull him to sleep every night.
There was such emotion in those notes, and yet to other people he was cold and forbidding, emotionless and cruel. Harry was itching to know why Snape hid himself in this manner.
Reaching up to place something in a high cupboard Harry grabbed onto the shelf as the world seemed to lurch from side to side like the deck of a ship in a storm. And he fainted, falling to the floor with a crash of crockery as he pulled the cupboard with him.
"Enervate!" Came a bored sounding voice. Harry opened his eyes and sat suddenly, plated falling off him.
Snape was crouched over Harry. He pointed his wand at the broken things and repaired them, then secured the cupboard back to the wall as Harry sat dazed on the floor.
"Put them away then you may return to your bed for the remainder of the day."
Harry stood slowly and placed the things into the cupboard slowly. Sighing Snape helped then guided Harry over to the cot and secured him in his customary place.
"Are you alright?"
"I need to eat." Harry said, staring at his chained wrist numbly.
"Yes you do. You were underweight in the first place. When the curse ends I'll give you nutritional and strengthening potions to make up for the loss. That Weasley woman's frantic about you – especially when she found out about your punishment."
Severus sat down in an armchair and pulled out his newspaper.
"When did you learn piano?" Harry asked
Snape stiffened briefly "When I was 8"
"You're really good." Harry commented "I'm rubbish at music." He was starting to feel dizzy again and closed his eyes.
"You're father didn't think so." Snape muttered
"Yeah – well my dad wasn't that nice at 15 was he?" Harry said – finding it slightly hard to string his responses together.
"No he wasn't. Can I ask you a question? I've wondered..."
"mmm" Harry muttered
"What is your home life like? What I saw in occlumency classes contradicted what I expected slightly."
"Awful. My guardians hate magic and therefore – me. They're like reverse deatheaters. I was their slave for 11 years. They never hurt me but locked me up and starved me a lot."
"Surely it wasn't that bad!"
"It was." Harry said. He'd never spoken about the Dursleys like this before and never imagined doing it in front of Snape.
Snape put the paper down – looked like he was going to say something – sighed and moved over to the piano "Any requests?"
Harry smiled slightly and nearly fainted himself when he saw he had received a slight smile in return.
"Um....I like the fur Elise." Harry said cautiously.
Snape began to play.
"What was your childhood like?" Harry asked quietly after a few minutes
Snape paused in his playing "Your father's reaction to what he knew about me caused him and those little friends of his to turn bully, why should I tell you?"
"I'm hardly in a position to do anything am I? And besides – Dudley – my cousin regularly harmed me just because I exist, so I know what it feels like and would never do it to anyone else."
"Fine." Snape said briskly playing a rather angry sounding tune as he spoke out slowly in controlled tones.
"My mother and father were both purebloods. My father came from a family much like the Malfoy's and my mother cam from a family with similar ideals to Dumbledore. They were in love though I cannot for the life of me imagine why. There were never two people so different.
When I was a child my father took it upon himself to thoroughly educate me in the dark arts and the 'purity of blood' rubbish. My mother took it upon herself to show me the finer points of life – music and art for example. she decided to show me all the counter curses to the curses my father taught me.
However inevitably they began to clash – and the feelings that were once there dissipated. They fought regularly, my father was formidable. And he had my mother scared. Eventually she fled but was unable to take me with her. I was left at 14 with that mad man. In order to escape the treatment my mother received I immersed myself even deeper into the dark arts and eventually joined the deatheaters."
"And my Dad bullied you because he didn't like the dark arts?"
"Essentially I suppose. I never was very popular and was not encouraged to make friends as they might interrupt my ascent to my 'full potential'" Snape snorted disdainfully
"Well there you have it Potter. You have now unravelled the mystery. Tell anyone and I'll kill you myself prophecy or no."
Harry sat silent. No wonder the man was so screwed up.
"Got anything to say?"
"Not really – except what made you turn your life around as such?"
"I witnessed someone murdered. A woman, much like my mother to look at. I went to Dumbledore and placed my fate in his hands."
"Why are you telling me this? I didn't think you would have"
"You are extremely good at getting yourself into situations you know very little about. The information I gave you should make you see sense enough to trust me. Yes your father bullied me and I hate him for it. I hated you for a time too, but this is more important than that. Both of our lives are at stake and the only way either of us has a chance is if we can put the past behind us."
After a supper of a glass of water, Harry accompanied Snape to Malfoy's quarters, where it seemed the entire Malfoy family was gathered, along with the Lestranges.
"Severus!" Lucius greeted and pointed Harry through a door to the kitchen.
Harry glumly walked through it and met Mary, who was cutting potatoes up in frenzy.
"I'm sorry! She cried – I can't do this on my own- James!" She said in relief when she looked up from her chopping.
"I'm here to help." Harry said with a smile "What's left to do?"
They decided that Mary would prepare ingredients and Harry would to the actual cooking part, and the washing.
"I'm sorry you had to clean up after me in the hall."
"I almost threw up myself...poor Dennis." Mary wiped some tears away crossly and continued chopping.
"Yeah...." Harry said wistfully feeling like crying himself. Then thought to himself – yet another family ripped apart by Voldemort.
"You think that Harry Potter will actually be able to stop him? I heard Malfoy talking about how desperate the Dark Lord is to get rid of him."
"I don't know anymore Mary. Does anyone know what happened to him?"
"No. we think he escaped in time. Pity, if he'd stayed here he might have been able to rescue us he did for other people before."
"You think so? He's just a teenage boy like me. He can't just get out of every situation. I think he has a better chance out there where Dumbledore could help him come up with a plan. Stuck here he'd just be in the same boat as the rest of us."
Mary nodded forlornly and together they finished the meal working side by side.
"Ready to serve?" Harry asked
Mary nodded
The two walked from the room with large bowls of soup and a large loaf of bread, and placed them on the table. Seeing that the food had arrived the party guests made their way to the tables.
Draco Malfoy kept shooting smug looks at the two Griffindors. Harry was sure Malfoy hadn't recognised him at all, but was still worried nonetheless.
"Who's that?" He asked gesturing to Harry.
"My slave" Snape said with a smug smile – "He was a Ravenclaw – did you know him?"
"No." Draco said then shrugging as though it was not worthy of his attention he continued eating.
The next few days were quieter, Harry being confined to Snape's quarters for the whole time, merely cleaning and cooking, the few guests that stopped by didn't stay long and Harry escaped any serious punishment from any of them, he was beginning to feel very ill though, this being his fifth day without any food. He often felt faint and light headed. Today, Snape and Nott had been sent out to gather more slaves and Harry had been left with Snapes chores.
Although Snape knew fully well that Harry couldn't eat he was still insisting that he did his assigned tasks, Harry felt that Snape seemed to be getting some sort of perverse pleasure out of watching Harry suffer in this way, but at other times he thought he may have received a sympathetic glance or two. That man was an enigma all right.
Harry wondered what secrets the man his in his past – he had no pictures of people in his rooms or anything sentimental at all really. He stayed up for hours and hours into the night playing music on a large piano that stood in the corner of the room. Harry was perfectly happy to let it lull him to sleep every night.
There was such emotion in those notes, and yet to other people he was cold and forbidding, emotionless and cruel. Harry was itching to know why Snape hid himself in this manner.
Reaching up to place something in a high cupboard Harry grabbed onto the shelf as the world seemed to lurch from side to side like the deck of a ship in a storm. And he fainted, falling to the floor with a crash of crockery as he pulled the cupboard with him.
"Enervate!" Came a bored sounding voice. Harry opened his eyes and sat suddenly, plated falling off him.
Snape was crouched over Harry. He pointed his wand at the broken things and repaired them, then secured the cupboard back to the wall as Harry sat dazed on the floor.
"Put them away then you may return to your bed for the remainder of the day."
Harry stood slowly and placed the things into the cupboard slowly. Sighing Snape helped then guided Harry over to the cot and secured him in his customary place.
"Are you alright?"
"I need to eat." Harry said, staring at his chained wrist numbly.
"Yes you do. You were underweight in the first place. When the curse ends I'll give you nutritional and strengthening potions to make up for the loss. That Weasley woman's frantic about you – especially when she found out about your punishment."
Severus sat down in an armchair and pulled out his newspaper.
"When did you learn piano?" Harry asked
Snape stiffened briefly "When I was 8"
"You're really good." Harry commented "I'm rubbish at music." He was starting to feel dizzy again and closed his eyes.
"You're father didn't think so." Snape muttered
"Yeah – well my dad wasn't that nice at 15 was he?" Harry said – finding it slightly hard to string his responses together.
"No he wasn't. Can I ask you a question? I've wondered..."
"mmm" Harry muttered
"What is your home life like? What I saw in occlumency classes contradicted what I expected slightly."
"Awful. My guardians hate magic and therefore – me. They're like reverse deatheaters. I was their slave for 11 years. They never hurt me but locked me up and starved me a lot."
"Surely it wasn't that bad!"
"It was." Harry said. He'd never spoken about the Dursleys like this before and never imagined doing it in front of Snape.
Snape put the paper down – looked like he was going to say something – sighed and moved over to the piano "Any requests?"
Harry smiled slightly and nearly fainted himself when he saw he had received a slight smile in return.
"Um....I like the fur Elise." Harry said cautiously.
Snape began to play.
"What was your childhood like?" Harry asked quietly after a few minutes
Snape paused in his playing "Your father's reaction to what he knew about me caused him and those little friends of his to turn bully, why should I tell you?"
"I'm hardly in a position to do anything am I? And besides – Dudley – my cousin regularly harmed me just because I exist, so I know what it feels like and would never do it to anyone else."
"Fine." Snape said briskly playing a rather angry sounding tune as he spoke out slowly in controlled tones.
"My mother and father were both purebloods. My father came from a family much like the Malfoy's and my mother cam from a family with similar ideals to Dumbledore. They were in love though I cannot for the life of me imagine why. There were never two people so different.
When I was a child my father took it upon himself to thoroughly educate me in the dark arts and the 'purity of blood' rubbish. My mother took it upon herself to show me the finer points of life – music and art for example. she decided to show me all the counter curses to the curses my father taught me.
However inevitably they began to clash – and the feelings that were once there dissipated. They fought regularly, my father was formidable. And he had my mother scared. Eventually she fled but was unable to take me with her. I was left at 14 with that mad man. In order to escape the treatment my mother received I immersed myself even deeper into the dark arts and eventually joined the deatheaters."
"And my Dad bullied you because he didn't like the dark arts?"
"Essentially I suppose. I never was very popular and was not encouraged to make friends as they might interrupt my ascent to my 'full potential'" Snape snorted disdainfully
"Well there you have it Potter. You have now unravelled the mystery. Tell anyone and I'll kill you myself prophecy or no."
Harry sat silent. No wonder the man was so screwed up.
"Got anything to say?"
"Not really – except what made you turn your life around as such?"
"I witnessed someone murdered. A woman, much like my mother to look at. I went to Dumbledore and placed my fate in his hands."
"Why are you telling me this? I didn't think you would have"
"You are extremely good at getting yourself into situations you know very little about. The information I gave you should make you see sense enough to trust me. Yes your father bullied me and I hate him for it. I hated you for a time too, but this is more important than that. Both of our lives are at stake and the only way either of us has a chance is if we can put the past behind us."