Harry was still in the same position on the floor when Snape returned.
"Professor?" Harry said tiredly "Are you alright?"
"For now."
"what happened?"
"He suspects I'm a spy. He wants to interrogate you under veritaserum.. We will be sealed in this room until he comes to get us in the morning. Even the floo has been cut off."
Harry shuddered. They would both die tomorrow. This was it.
Snape helped Harry over to an armchair then disappeared into his room. He returned with some parchment. He wrote a long note onto it.
"What are you writing?" Harry asked
"Telling Dumbledore of our predicament. He has a piece of parchment similar to this, what I am writing will appear upon it."
Harry nodded. "I'm sorry." He said
"What for?"
"If I had behaved around Lucius then this wouldn't be happening."
Snape glared at Harry "Don't be so bloody arrogant. Every bad thing that happens is not directly related to you. This would have happened eventually. If not this week then next. It was just a matter of time."
Snape began pacing the room anxiously, robes billowing behind him. Harry leaned back into the armchair and stared into the fire. He was absolutely terrified, feeling like a prisoner on death row. But it wasn't all bad he consoled himself, tomorrow he'd see his parents and Sirius again. He'd be happy wherever he went if he was with them.
The parchment glowed bright white and more text appeared upon it. Snape read it aloud. "Hang on for as long as you can. I need some more people before we can move in."
"Is that his nice way of saying – Try and stay alive for as long as you can, I'm not sure we'll get there in time?" Harry asked
Snape nodded and stormed over to a cabernet on the wall. "Fire Whisky?" Snape offered.
Harry looked up in surprise "Do you want some fire whisky?" Snape asked again "Uh – dunno I've never tried it before."
"Well I'm out of ideas and therefore its unlikely you'll reach legal drinking age. It'll make you feel better. For a few hours anyway."
Harry nodded and took a glass from Snape. The strength of it made him cough, and he wasn't sure he liked it all that much, but he and Snape sat down and both got silently drunk.
Harry awoke the next morning with a headache, He had barely begun to groan when Snape thrust a goblet into his hand "Hangover remedy."
Harry downed the stuff at once. Snape started pacing again. Harry got up and limped over to the mirror. He checked that his fringe was covering his scar and sighed deeply.
Staring over harry's shoulder, he grunted "Don't bother. You have a goodbye letter to write."
Harry went to snapes desk, took some parchment, and feeling a lump building in his throat he began to write.
To all of my friends
I am writing this, as there is a good chance I'll never see any of you again. I just want to tell you all that you mean everything to me and that I will always watch over you. Thank you all for being there for me.
I want my money to go to the Weasleys, by broomstick to go to Ron and Hedwig to Hermione. I also want my photo album to go to Professor Lupin.
Love from Harry
The door to Snape's rooms swung open and Lucuis, Crabbe and Goyle entered. Crabbe and Goyle pinned Snapes arms to his sides and dragged him from the room. Lucius took a hold of Harry's collar and dragged him along by that.
They entered the great hall. There were around 30 deatheaters in a circle around the room. Harry was pushed into the centre of the circle, with Snape being held on the edge.
Lucius approached Harry with a vial of clear fluid. Harry stepped backwards – he had to stall this as long as possible. Lucius grabbed his arm. Harry struggled out of Lucius's grip.
Sighing, Voldemort waved his wand in Harry's direction. Harry's limbs went numb and he fell to the floor. the collar around his neck had turned icy cold.
"don't struggle." Voldemort said with a trace of a laugh in his voice.
Lucius poured the, potion into Harry's mouth and made him swallow. Voldemort waved his wand again and Harry was once again in control of his body.
"He has to be able to talk" said Voldemort to a confused looking Lucius. Voldemort stepped closer to Harry who was still on the floor.
"What's your name?"
Harry stiffened – NO! MUST LIE
"Harry." Harry's brain screamed as his body betrayed him.
"Full name" the evil creature hissed.
"Harry James Potter" Voldemort bent down and brushed Harry's hair from his forehead revealing the scar.
"revealo!" he cried. Harry's appearance reverted to its natural state
Voldemort smirked evilly. "Just one more question I think. Is Snape spying for Dumbledore?"
"Yes." Harry replied.
Snape began screaming as the Cruciatus curse was cast on him. After several minutes the screams stopped as Snape lost consciousness.
"So. Time to kill the boy who lived."
Harry felt the Cruciatus being cast on himself and began screaming. His back arched and his limbs jerked. While he was under he felt some other curses being cast on him but due to the pain he had no ability or motivation to guess what they were.
When Voldemort ended the Cruciatus, Harry felt worse than he had when Lucius was finished with him. All of he healing spells that Poppy had cast had been undone, with a few more injuries added to the mix. Harry lay there gasping. The world out of focus above him. Voldemort's next comment sounded to Harry's ears as though it came from far away, rather than a metre or two.
"Goodbye Harry."
There was a splintering of wood. Voldemort became silent and motionless as a spell hit him. Around Harry there were flashes of light, shouts, people moving around. Harry was terrified and confused, his shaking limbs began to tremble harder.
Arms touched him, lifted him from the ground. Harry screamed and struggled. A bright light hit him in the chest and he lost consciousness.
Harry opened his eyes, but slammed them shut instantly as sharp pain shot through his head. Remembering what had happened to him he stiffened. He was warm and laying on something soft, but there was something pinning him down.
Harry opened his eyes again, more slowly this time. The pain in his head was notso severe this time. He looked around. The room was blurry. A window in the corner. Harry's body felt numb, no pain or any thing, just a strange numbness.
He groaned as his headache worsened again. Suddenly the thing pinning him down moved abruptly and spoke "Harry! You're awake. Thank goodness. How are you feeling?"
It was Arthur Weasley. Clearly he had fallen asleep and slumped over Harry in the process. "I've got a headache. Everything feels weird. Where am I?"
"You've been bought back to headquarters. I'll go and get Molly, just relax for a minute."
Arthur gave his hand a squeeze and left the room. Harry looked around the blurry room and sighed.
"Oh Harry!" it was Molly. She put a goblet to Harry's lips and told him to drink. He pain immediately abated.
"What's wrong with me?" Harry asked
When we found you, you were gravely injured. Poppy spent hours healing you. Your bones are mended and most of your internal injuries are healed. She'll be in again tomorrow to finish healing the remaining injuries. You were hit by the Cruciatus curse for several minutes."
Harry shuddered briefly. "I remember."
"While you were under they cast a number of curses on you. One of which ensured that the nerve damage caused by the Cruciatus curse would be long – lasting. Poppy has some potion for you to take to repair the damage caused by that, but until you're healed she has cast numbing spells on the most badly effected areas."
Harry tried to move his arm. He was successful but only after a lot of effort.
"How long is this going to last?"
"A few days." Molly's lip trembled "Then you should be nearly back to your old self."
She wrapped her arms around Harry in a hug, helping him into a sitting position as she did so.
Harry often found this type of interaction with molly uncomfortable, even tiresome, but now it was just what he needed. He buried his face in her robes as she rocked back and forth with his upper half in her arms. "It'll be okay Harry" She was muttering "You've been so brave, just rest and you'll get better." Harry felt tears escape his eyes almost against his will. He soon found himself sobbing into her arms. She kept whispering comforting words in his ear and rocking slowly, rubbing his back.
After a few minutes Harry realised that she was crying too. She really did think of him as one of her own. He could pretend for this hug that she was HIS mum. He continued crying quietly, absorbing the comfort and love.
When they had both stopped crying she laid him back down and adjusted his pillows so that he was more comfortable and placed his glasses on his face.
Harry felt more relaxed and safe than he had for weeks. "Hows Snape? He asked.
"He's better, helping Dumbledore re-take Hogwarts for our side. He's written you a letter. Do you want me to hold it so you can read it?"
Harry nodded and Molly held the paper out for Harry.
Potter,
I am glad that we both survived our ordeal. I wish to apologise for any abusive treatment to you that I caused when you were in my 'care'. I would like to speak to you tomorrow morning if that suits you. Tell Mrs Weasley and she can pass it on to me. I will understand if you do not wish to see me.
Professor Snape.
"Tell Snape he can come and see me." Harry said. Molly nodded.
"Are you hungry?" She asked
"No. I'm just a bit tired."
"Do you want me to sit with you while you go to sleep?" Molly asked.
Feeling slightly foolish, Harry nodded. "If that's ok."
"I just know that if I had gone through something half as bad as what you'd experienced, I'd find it hard to feel safe enough to sleep."
"Have you ever been through anything like this?" Harry asked, curiously.
"I daresay when Moody showed you that photograph before your fifth year, he pointed out the two Prewetts?"
"yeah."
"They were my brothers. When they were mudered, I couldn't feel safe enough to sleep. Arthur kept me sane I think."
Harry felt a sudden surge of affection for the woman. All those years he thought she was fussing, it was probably because she had a good reason to. She knew what it was to be torn from your family. Maybe she felt a strange affinity with Harry. Using all of his willpower, harry moved a weak arm in her direction. She held his hand.
"I'll stay with you till you are asleep." Molly said. "If you need anything, and I mean ANYTHING, just shout and someone will hear and come to you. Ron and Hermione are desparate to see you. I think they feel guilty that they couldn't find you when the castle was being evacuated. They think it was their fault that this happened." Molly shot Harry a hopeful look.
"I was unconscious, and half buried under dust and rubble. They probably wouldn't have seen me if they had walked right past. It was only when the deatheaters were clearing a path to the great hall that they found me. I was so bloody and dusty that they had no idea who I was!"
Molly smiled in relief, and nodded. "Get some rest now."
Harry closed his eyes and immediately drifted off to sleep.
"For now."
"what happened?"
"He suspects I'm a spy. He wants to interrogate you under veritaserum.. We will be sealed in this room until he comes to get us in the morning. Even the floo has been cut off."
Harry shuddered. They would both die tomorrow. This was it.
Snape helped Harry over to an armchair then disappeared into his room. He returned with some parchment. He wrote a long note onto it.
"What are you writing?" Harry asked
"Telling Dumbledore of our predicament. He has a piece of parchment similar to this, what I am writing will appear upon it."
Harry nodded. "I'm sorry." He said
"What for?"
"If I had behaved around Lucius then this wouldn't be happening."
Snape glared at Harry "Don't be so bloody arrogant. Every bad thing that happens is not directly related to you. This would have happened eventually. If not this week then next. It was just a matter of time."
Snape began pacing the room anxiously, robes billowing behind him. Harry leaned back into the armchair and stared into the fire. He was absolutely terrified, feeling like a prisoner on death row. But it wasn't all bad he consoled himself, tomorrow he'd see his parents and Sirius again. He'd be happy wherever he went if he was with them.
The parchment glowed bright white and more text appeared upon it. Snape read it aloud. "Hang on for as long as you can. I need some more people before we can move in."
"Is that his nice way of saying – Try and stay alive for as long as you can, I'm not sure we'll get there in time?" Harry asked
Snape nodded and stormed over to a cabernet on the wall. "Fire Whisky?" Snape offered.
Harry looked up in surprise "Do you want some fire whisky?" Snape asked again "Uh – dunno I've never tried it before."
"Well I'm out of ideas and therefore its unlikely you'll reach legal drinking age. It'll make you feel better. For a few hours anyway."
Harry nodded and took a glass from Snape. The strength of it made him cough, and he wasn't sure he liked it all that much, but he and Snape sat down and both got silently drunk.
Harry awoke the next morning with a headache, He had barely begun to groan when Snape thrust a goblet into his hand "Hangover remedy."
Harry downed the stuff at once. Snape started pacing again. Harry got up and limped over to the mirror. He checked that his fringe was covering his scar and sighed deeply.
Staring over harry's shoulder, he grunted "Don't bother. You have a goodbye letter to write."
Harry went to snapes desk, took some parchment, and feeling a lump building in his throat he began to write.
To all of my friends
I am writing this, as there is a good chance I'll never see any of you again. I just want to tell you all that you mean everything to me and that I will always watch over you. Thank you all for being there for me.
I want my money to go to the Weasleys, by broomstick to go to Ron and Hedwig to Hermione. I also want my photo album to go to Professor Lupin.
Love from Harry
The door to Snape's rooms swung open and Lucuis, Crabbe and Goyle entered. Crabbe and Goyle pinned Snapes arms to his sides and dragged him from the room. Lucius took a hold of Harry's collar and dragged him along by that.
They entered the great hall. There were around 30 deatheaters in a circle around the room. Harry was pushed into the centre of the circle, with Snape being held on the edge.
Lucius approached Harry with a vial of clear fluid. Harry stepped backwards – he had to stall this as long as possible. Lucius grabbed his arm. Harry struggled out of Lucius's grip.
Sighing, Voldemort waved his wand in Harry's direction. Harry's limbs went numb and he fell to the floor. the collar around his neck had turned icy cold.
"don't struggle." Voldemort said with a trace of a laugh in his voice.
Lucius poured the, potion into Harry's mouth and made him swallow. Voldemort waved his wand again and Harry was once again in control of his body.
"He has to be able to talk" said Voldemort to a confused looking Lucius. Voldemort stepped closer to Harry who was still on the floor.
"What's your name?"
Harry stiffened – NO! MUST LIE
"Harry." Harry's brain screamed as his body betrayed him.
"Full name" the evil creature hissed.
"Harry James Potter" Voldemort bent down and brushed Harry's hair from his forehead revealing the scar.
"revealo!" he cried. Harry's appearance reverted to its natural state
Voldemort smirked evilly. "Just one more question I think. Is Snape spying for Dumbledore?"
"Yes." Harry replied.
Snape began screaming as the Cruciatus curse was cast on him. After several minutes the screams stopped as Snape lost consciousness.
"So. Time to kill the boy who lived."
Harry felt the Cruciatus being cast on himself and began screaming. His back arched and his limbs jerked. While he was under he felt some other curses being cast on him but due to the pain he had no ability or motivation to guess what they were.
When Voldemort ended the Cruciatus, Harry felt worse than he had when Lucius was finished with him. All of he healing spells that Poppy had cast had been undone, with a few more injuries added to the mix. Harry lay there gasping. The world out of focus above him. Voldemort's next comment sounded to Harry's ears as though it came from far away, rather than a metre or two.
"Goodbye Harry."
There was a splintering of wood. Voldemort became silent and motionless as a spell hit him. Around Harry there were flashes of light, shouts, people moving around. Harry was terrified and confused, his shaking limbs began to tremble harder.
Arms touched him, lifted him from the ground. Harry screamed and struggled. A bright light hit him in the chest and he lost consciousness.
Harry opened his eyes, but slammed them shut instantly as sharp pain shot through his head. Remembering what had happened to him he stiffened. He was warm and laying on something soft, but there was something pinning him down.
Harry opened his eyes again, more slowly this time. The pain in his head was notso severe this time. He looked around. The room was blurry. A window in the corner. Harry's body felt numb, no pain or any thing, just a strange numbness.
He groaned as his headache worsened again. Suddenly the thing pinning him down moved abruptly and spoke "Harry! You're awake. Thank goodness. How are you feeling?"
It was Arthur Weasley. Clearly he had fallen asleep and slumped over Harry in the process. "I've got a headache. Everything feels weird. Where am I?"
"You've been bought back to headquarters. I'll go and get Molly, just relax for a minute."
Arthur gave his hand a squeeze and left the room. Harry looked around the blurry room and sighed.
"Oh Harry!" it was Molly. She put a goblet to Harry's lips and told him to drink. He pain immediately abated.
"What's wrong with me?" Harry asked
When we found you, you were gravely injured. Poppy spent hours healing you. Your bones are mended and most of your internal injuries are healed. She'll be in again tomorrow to finish healing the remaining injuries. You were hit by the Cruciatus curse for several minutes."
Harry shuddered briefly. "I remember."
"While you were under they cast a number of curses on you. One of which ensured that the nerve damage caused by the Cruciatus curse would be long – lasting. Poppy has some potion for you to take to repair the damage caused by that, but until you're healed she has cast numbing spells on the most badly effected areas."
Harry tried to move his arm. He was successful but only after a lot of effort.
"How long is this going to last?"
"A few days." Molly's lip trembled "Then you should be nearly back to your old self."
She wrapped her arms around Harry in a hug, helping him into a sitting position as she did so.
Harry often found this type of interaction with molly uncomfortable, even tiresome, but now it was just what he needed. He buried his face in her robes as she rocked back and forth with his upper half in her arms. "It'll be okay Harry" She was muttering "You've been so brave, just rest and you'll get better." Harry felt tears escape his eyes almost against his will. He soon found himself sobbing into her arms. She kept whispering comforting words in his ear and rocking slowly, rubbing his back.
After a few minutes Harry realised that she was crying too. She really did think of him as one of her own. He could pretend for this hug that she was HIS mum. He continued crying quietly, absorbing the comfort and love.
When they had both stopped crying she laid him back down and adjusted his pillows so that he was more comfortable and placed his glasses on his face.
Harry felt more relaxed and safe than he had for weeks. "Hows Snape? He asked.
"He's better, helping Dumbledore re-take Hogwarts for our side. He's written you a letter. Do you want me to hold it so you can read it?"
Harry nodded and Molly held the paper out for Harry.
Potter,
I am glad that we both survived our ordeal. I wish to apologise for any abusive treatment to you that I caused when you were in my 'care'. I would like to speak to you tomorrow morning if that suits you. Tell Mrs Weasley and she can pass it on to me. I will understand if you do not wish to see me.
Professor Snape.
"Tell Snape he can come and see me." Harry said. Molly nodded.
"Are you hungry?" She asked
"No. I'm just a bit tired."
"Do you want me to sit with you while you go to sleep?" Molly asked.
Feeling slightly foolish, Harry nodded. "If that's ok."
"I just know that if I had gone through something half as bad as what you'd experienced, I'd find it hard to feel safe enough to sleep."
"Have you ever been through anything like this?" Harry asked, curiously.
"I daresay when Moody showed you that photograph before your fifth year, he pointed out the two Prewetts?"
"yeah."
"They were my brothers. When they were mudered, I couldn't feel safe enough to sleep. Arthur kept me sane I think."
Harry felt a sudden surge of affection for the woman. All those years he thought she was fussing, it was probably because she had a good reason to. She knew what it was to be torn from your family. Maybe she felt a strange affinity with Harry. Using all of his willpower, harry moved a weak arm in her direction. She held his hand.
"I'll stay with you till you are asleep." Molly said. "If you need anything, and I mean ANYTHING, just shout and someone will hear and come to you. Ron and Hermione are desparate to see you. I think they feel guilty that they couldn't find you when the castle was being evacuated. They think it was their fault that this happened." Molly shot Harry a hopeful look.
"I was unconscious, and half buried under dust and rubble. They probably wouldn't have seen me if they had walked right past. It was only when the deatheaters were clearing a path to the great hall that they found me. I was so bloody and dusty that they had no idea who I was!"
Molly smiled in relief, and nodded. "Get some rest now."
Harry closed his eyes and immediately drifted off to sleep.