Chapter 2
Harry walked back up to the main levels deep in thought. He would have to see the Headmaster tomorrow. Surprisingly, he was ....concerned for Snape. He analysed his feelings and concluded that he was the type of person who could not ignore an injustice. Snape had been instrumental in their defeat of Voldemort. The suffering that he had endured to prove his allegiance to the Dark Lord and then gain crucial information for the Order had been hinted at by Tonks and Shacklebolt.
Ron was talking to Professor McGonagall in the main hall. Perhaps she knew something about it. Harry smiled at her and Ron said goodbye and started walking to the door.
"Go on without me, Ron. I want to talk to Professor McGonagall," Harry called.
"Okay mate, see you later."
Minerva looked at him curiously.
"Can you please let me into the Potions classroom, Professor?" Harry asked.
"Whatever for, Harry?"
"I need to get something for Professor Snape."
"Did he *ask* you for something?"
"Not exactly, but he needs a potion or he'll feel like hell when he wakes up."
McGonagall frowned. Harry was a kindhearted lad, but he would get no thanks from Snape for his sympathy. He did not look like he would be talked out of it though. She led him to the classroom and breached the wards.
"There you are, Harry. It reflects well on you that you want to help him, but don't expect him to be grateful."
Harry smiled. "Yeah, I know what he's like. Thanks." McGonagall made to go upstairs.
"Oh, Professor," he called, "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course." She turned back to him expectantly.
"Why does Professor Snape sleep in a cell? It's like he's in prison." He couldn't keep the indignation from his voice.
Miinerva sighed and flushed. "Essentially, that is because he *is* a prisoner."
"What do you mean?"
"To be a Death Eater was - and still is - a crime, Harry."
"Yeah, but he -"
"Joined Voldemort for a lifetime of service. That fact can never be forgotten. He will never be a free man."
"But he's on our side!" Harry said hotly.
Minerva sighed again. "Yes, of course he is, but until the laws are changed he is held as a prisoner, with Albus as his 'gaoler', if you like. That was the Ministry's condition for releasing him from Azkaban."
Harry was surprised, to say the least. He could not express the depth of his frustration at the Wizarding world. They only ever gave him the bare minimum of information. Nothing was ever volunteered. If you did not ask questions, you did not find out anything of importance.
Why did no one ever explain things until afterwards?
He had repeatedly, throughout his magical life, endured events beyond his control, only getting explanations after he had almost gone mad trying to figure out things for himself. During his school years this had been particularly frustrating. Without the help of the well-read Hermione, he would never have been able to work out what was going on. He was tired of having to piece together the bits of the puzzle and draw his own, sometimes erroneous conclusions, only to have someone patiently and condescendingly explain it all to him afterwards - like he was some kind of idiot. Why didn't they just *tell* him?
He was incredulous. Snape had been a virtual prisoner in the castle for twenty years! No wonder he was so sour. Dumbledore trusted him, but the Ministry did not. No wonder he resents me, he thought.
"Does he still have to sleep in that horrible cell?"
Minerva coloured slightly. In her cosy and comfortable rooms she had never spared a thought for how Severus lived. Of course she had never seen his sleeping arrangements. That would have been indelicate. In all the years he had never complained, and she had just not thought about it. Harry made her feel guilty.
"Thank you for your concern, Harry. I'll talk to Albus and see if something can be done."
Harry entered the Potions classroom and headed for the storage cupboard. There was no ready made potion in there for a hangover, hardly the sort of thing you would expect to find in a school room, after all. Students were not supposed to get hangovers. Harry knew how to make a very effective one, however, and had had lots of practice brewing it.
The ingredients were readily available, and he set to work. In half an hour he had it cooling in the bottle. Then he hesitated.
He would have to take it down to Snape's cell. He thought of giving it to someone else to deliver, but he could not think of anyone that Snape would not resent seeing his humble cell. Me most of all, he thought ruefully, but it did not seem fair to ask anyone else to do what he would not do himself.
Hoping the man was still asleep, he crept down to the dungeons and unlocked the door. He cast a faint lumos spell just to make it bright enough that he could see where he was going.
Luckily for both of them Snape was flat on his back, snoring softly. With great trepidation Harry crept to the small chest of drawers and left the bottle of potion. He hoped Snape would have to sense to recognise it for what it was when he woke up.
Before he left the room, Harry looked around again. It really was an awful place to have to sleep. How would Snape know when it was morning? There was no clock and no natural light. Harry decided to stay the night at the castle and see Dumbledore in the morning. What McGonagall had told him at least explained why the Headmaster had been so worried about Snape disappearing.
Harry slept in one of the comfortable and very accommodating guest rooms in the Gryffindor tower. As he settled into the comfortable four poster he couldn't help but think of Snape in the dungeons.
Harry walked back up to the main levels deep in thought. He would have to see the Headmaster tomorrow. Surprisingly, he was ....concerned for Snape. He analysed his feelings and concluded that he was the type of person who could not ignore an injustice. Snape had been instrumental in their defeat of Voldemort. The suffering that he had endured to prove his allegiance to the Dark Lord and then gain crucial information for the Order had been hinted at by Tonks and Shacklebolt.
Ron was talking to Professor McGonagall in the main hall. Perhaps she knew something about it. Harry smiled at her and Ron said goodbye and started walking to the door.
"Go on without me, Ron. I want to talk to Professor McGonagall," Harry called.
"Okay mate, see you later."
Minerva looked at him curiously.
"Can you please let me into the Potions classroom, Professor?" Harry asked.
"Whatever for, Harry?"
"I need to get something for Professor Snape."
"Did he *ask* you for something?"
"Not exactly, but he needs a potion or he'll feel like hell when he wakes up."
McGonagall frowned. Harry was a kindhearted lad, but he would get no thanks from Snape for his sympathy. He did not look like he would be talked out of it though. She led him to the classroom and breached the wards.
"There you are, Harry. It reflects well on you that you want to help him, but don't expect him to be grateful."
Harry smiled. "Yeah, I know what he's like. Thanks." McGonagall made to go upstairs.
"Oh, Professor," he called, "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course." She turned back to him expectantly.
"Why does Professor Snape sleep in a cell? It's like he's in prison." He couldn't keep the indignation from his voice.
Miinerva sighed and flushed. "Essentially, that is because he *is* a prisoner."
"What do you mean?"
"To be a Death Eater was - and still is - a crime, Harry."
"Yeah, but he -"
"Joined Voldemort for a lifetime of service. That fact can never be forgotten. He will never be a free man."
"But he's on our side!" Harry said hotly.
Minerva sighed again. "Yes, of course he is, but until the laws are changed he is held as a prisoner, with Albus as his 'gaoler', if you like. That was the Ministry's condition for releasing him from Azkaban."
Harry was surprised, to say the least. He could not express the depth of his frustration at the Wizarding world. They only ever gave him the bare minimum of information. Nothing was ever volunteered. If you did not ask questions, you did not find out anything of importance.
Why did no one ever explain things until afterwards?
He had repeatedly, throughout his magical life, endured events beyond his control, only getting explanations after he had almost gone mad trying to figure out things for himself. During his school years this had been particularly frustrating. Without the help of the well-read Hermione, he would never have been able to work out what was going on. He was tired of having to piece together the bits of the puzzle and draw his own, sometimes erroneous conclusions, only to have someone patiently and condescendingly explain it all to him afterwards - like he was some kind of idiot. Why didn't they just *tell* him?
He was incredulous. Snape had been a virtual prisoner in the castle for twenty years! No wonder he was so sour. Dumbledore trusted him, but the Ministry did not. No wonder he resents me, he thought.
"Does he still have to sleep in that horrible cell?"
Minerva coloured slightly. In her cosy and comfortable rooms she had never spared a thought for how Severus lived. Of course she had never seen his sleeping arrangements. That would have been indelicate. In all the years he had never complained, and she had just not thought about it. Harry made her feel guilty.
"Thank you for your concern, Harry. I'll talk to Albus and see if something can be done."
Harry entered the Potions classroom and headed for the storage cupboard. There was no ready made potion in there for a hangover, hardly the sort of thing you would expect to find in a school room, after all. Students were not supposed to get hangovers. Harry knew how to make a very effective one, however, and had had lots of practice brewing it.
The ingredients were readily available, and he set to work. In half an hour he had it cooling in the bottle. Then he hesitated.
He would have to take it down to Snape's cell. He thought of giving it to someone else to deliver, but he could not think of anyone that Snape would not resent seeing his humble cell. Me most of all, he thought ruefully, but it did not seem fair to ask anyone else to do what he would not do himself.
Hoping the man was still asleep, he crept down to the dungeons and unlocked the door. He cast a faint lumos spell just to make it bright enough that he could see where he was going.
Luckily for both of them Snape was flat on his back, snoring softly. With great trepidation Harry crept to the small chest of drawers and left the bottle of potion. He hoped Snape would have to sense to recognise it for what it was when he woke up.
Before he left the room, Harry looked around again. It really was an awful place to have to sleep. How would Snape know when it was morning? There was no clock and no natural light. Harry decided to stay the night at the castle and see Dumbledore in the morning. What McGonagall had told him at least explained why the Headmaster had been so worried about Snape disappearing.
Harry slept in one of the comfortable and very accommodating guest rooms in the Gryffindor tower. As he settled into the comfortable four poster he couldn't help but think of Snape in the dungeons.