Disclaimer: No, I do not own Harry Potter... or its characters... I give all the credit to the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 4–The Babysitter
THE BELGUM POTION
Chapter Four: The Babysitter
"Do you think he'll let us tryout for the House Team?" Sirius asked Remus as they made their way down to Snape's classroom. Today was the first day that they would try out the potion, because they needed to get their school supplies from Diagon Alley, and it was important that they were not discovered. Sirius highly doubted that he could shop without getting chucked back to Azkaban."That's a tough one, Sirius," Remus answered his previous question. "We'll have to ask Albus about that one. I don't see why we wouldn't be able to, as our skills hadn't change since we were young. I haven't touched a broom since our 7th year of Hogwarts. And you... Well…"
Sirius nodded, a sick feeling rising in his stomach. He didn't even want to think about Azkaban.
Reaching the Potions classroom, they took a seat at two of the desks in front of Snape's, who didn't seem to be there yet. "The slimy git... he told us 8 o'clock, so where is he?"
Remus shrugged lazily. "I'm sure he has his reasons." His eyes studied the classroom as a smile appeared on his aging face. "To think... we'll be sitting here in this classroom in a couple of days among our fellow students. It'll be like old times."
"Yeah," Sirius said. "Except... Lily and James won't be here, will they? It could never be the same without them..."
"Oh, but you're wrong, Sirius," Lupin said. "They'll be here... just not in the way that you think."
Sirius looked up at his old friend, and smiled widely.
Harry.
And at that moment, the classroom doors were flung open by an irritable looking Snape. Well… more irritable looking than usual, that is.
"What took you so long, Snivellus?" Sirius barked. "You're ten minutes late!"
Snape stopped in his tracks and glared at Black. "Watch your step with me, Black," Snape spat. "Unless you want your dear little godson to get into the wrong hands."
Black stared at him. "What are you talking about?"
"I am late," he began, continuing to look at Black and Lupin with hatred, "because the headmaster has assigned me a little... mission."
"I am to go collect Potter from his relatives and bring him safely to school in order to acquire his things for the new year," Snape said, smiling with the look that formed on Black's face. "If you want me to bring your little godson back here safe and sound, I suggest you show me more respect, Black. If not, the results will be against you. Am I understood?"
Black was raging in anger. If it weren't for Lupin's grasp on him, forget the wand--he was sure that he would have flung himself on him instantly.
"I don't believe it!" Sirius shouted. "Why in the hell would Dumbledore assign such a thing to… to you?"
"He must have thought I was the best man for the job," he replied.
This was just taking it a step to far by Sirius's standards. He always knew that Dumbledore's words were always best, but really? Severus Snape go and collect Harry Potter? How could Dumbledore allow this to happen!?
"You--YOU'RE NOT TOUCHING A HAIR ON HIS HEAD--"
"Sirius, just calm down--"
"No, I won't calm down, Remus," Sirius yelled at his best friend, watching Snape's smile from across the room. "LET GO OF ME."
"Both of you--stop this at once!" Remus yelled. "You heard Dumbledore. No more fighting. Harry's life depends on it!"
"Oh, believe me, I am not doing this for Potter!" Snape said almost too quickly.
"Then who are you doing it for?" Sirius growled at him, finally resisting the temptation to wring his arms around Snape.
"That, Black, is none of your business," he said, before turning away from them. He walked toward his desk without another word and grabbed a metal box from one of his many drawers.
Sirius and Remus just exchanged glasses as Snape slowly took out a glass container from the inside of the box slowly and carefully, as if any sudden movement could cause catastrophe.
"Now, listen carefully, both of you." He picked up one of the containers. "The Belgum Potion isn't to be taken lightly. It is a very powerful substance, and can go wrong--terribly wrong--if used incorrectly."
"You will both meet me back here, in this very classroom, in exactly three days to retake the potion. Is that clear? Three days."
"Why every three days?" Remus asked. "Is that when it wears off?"
Snape glared at him, upset that he was interrupted. "Obviously," he growled. "And if you fail to retake the potion, you will die a very quick, slow death." Snape made sure to look toward Black when he said this.
"What--what do you mean?" Remus interrupted again. "How do we stop taking the Belgum Potion after we're done with this mission, then?"
"It's an addiction," Snape went on, ignoring him, "and after you take it today, your body will not be able to live on without it. As I said before, we must meet here every week to retake it. When we are done with protecting Potter, I will come up with an antidote that will cure our bodies of this little disease." He looked at them. "Did I make myself clear?"
"Quite," Lupin said, nodding.
Snape looked to Sirius, who was still shaking slightly. "If I found out from Harry that you harmed even one hair on his head, you'll have to answer to me, Snape."
Snape's lip curled. "Oh? And I assume I should be worried?" Snape said, thrusting the potion into Sirius's hands. "You can't even make yourself useful for the Order, Black. You are no threat to myself, Voldemort, or anyone for that matter."
"STOP!" Lupin intervened, grabbing Sirius again from lunging onto Snape. "End this now, there's no time and no need for it! If we're going to do this, we have to--"
"Quiet, Lupin," Snape snapped. "You both have a potion to drink. After you transformed--which will prove to be quite painful the first time, may I add--go on to Diagon Alley and acquire your school things. I," he looked disgusted with the very thought, "have some babysitting to do."
And with that, Snape left the classroom.
"I mean it, Snape," called Sirius after him. "If you let ANYTHING happen to Harry--"
"Sirius, calm down," Lupin said, pushing his shoulders down into the chair as Snape left the scene. "Nothing bad will happen to Harry. Dumbledore wouldn't have sent Snape if he didn't trust him. You know as well as I do that Dumbledore knows what he's doing."
Sirius said nothing. He was holding up the potion and eyeing it closely. "Think it's poisoned?"
"Let's get this over with," Remus said. Taking off the lids to their potions, they both quickly drank down the small amount of liquid. It felt very hot, yet strangely as cold as ice when going down.
Snape was right, the git. This was painful.
This day had turned out to be worse than Harry could have imagined. The list of chores his Aunt had given him was taking a toll on his body. In his current state, he felt as if he would pass out at any given moment. As he trimmed the last hedge out in the yard, he flew his back onto the hot ground. He was covered in dirt and soot from head to toe, and his head was so dizzy he felt the world turn as he lay there. His head was burning even worse than before. It felt so heavy... so painful...
"BOY!" He groaned; it was his Uncle Vernon, yelling from the upstairs window. "COME IN RIGHT THIS INSTANT."
Harry had difficulty getting to his feet, but successfully made it to the door without falling over. He turned the doorknob and stumbled in wearily. This was turning out to be a lot like his 2nd year when the Mason's had arrived, he decided.
"You remember what we talked about!" Vernon snarled, inches away from Harry's face. He was dressed in his best suit… in fact, it was the same one he wore with the Mason's. Harry thought he looked like an oversized penguin. Looking at Aunt Petunia and Dudley, he saw that they, too, were overdressed. "Not one word boy… not one sound!"
"Yes... sir." He was looking at his sandwich, completely ignoring his Uncle's shouts. His mouth watered as he turned to go up the stairs.
"YOU'LL NEVER GO TO THAT SCHOOL AGAIN, AND I MEAN IT THIS TIME!" He shouted up at him as he reached the top and was making his way down the hallway. "IF I--"
Ding Dong.
Vernon's face went white. He was evidently very nervous. Harry heard Vernon assemble Aunt Petunia and Dudley in their places, preparing to put up their little 'charade' for the business man, as they always did with an important visitor. He took a bite of his stale sandwich. It wasn't Hogwarts food, but it wasn't bad all the same.
He opened the door to his room and went in, inhaling his dinner with a few bites. For some reason, he felt hungrier than he was even before the sandwhich… and that was saying something. Licking the crumbs off his fingers didn't help, either.
He threw himself down on his bed, unable to stand up anymore. He must have had a fever… he felt even sicker than he did this morning. Harry never, in all his years, got sick. He was always quite healthy, even with the life he lived with the Dursley's.
His stomach rumbled. "Quite down, won't you?" he hissed at it. "I know already." He looked around his room, half expecting Dobby the House-elf to make an appearance any moment. That was just his luck.
Looking over at Hedwig, he immediately felt bad. She hadn't eaten yet today. He stumbled over to where she was perched and scribbled some words down on some old parchment: Feed her, I have nothing here.
Harry knew that no owl post was allowed, but he had to get Hedwig out of her cage. Somehow. He was sure
"Don't worry, Hedwig," he said soothingly as he tied the note onto her leg. "Go on to Ron's house... he'll have something for you. Go on." His owl looked at him almost sympathetically before giving him a soft 'hoot' and flying off to the evening sky.
Harry had to grab on to the windowsill as a dizzy spell came over him. His muscles ached terribly, his stomach was still trying to make conversation, and his eyes were as heavy as weights. But he couldn't sleep… no. He wouldn't be able to handle it if he had to see Cedric die one more time…
Plus, if Voldemort would try another stunt like he did last night, Harry wouldn't be surprised if he would never wake up again.
Not that Dumbledore or anyone would care for that matter…. They obviously weren't trying very hard to get him out of there, were they? He was still stuck at the Dursley's, with only a little more than a week before term started. The longest he had to stay there for ever…
He looked toward the clock. It was 7:34. He had approximately 11 hours to stay awake before his Aunt would be knocking on his door, waking him up…
Harry jolted up from his bed. His scar gave him a sudden twinge of pain as he heard the front door open. He touched his scar with his hand, wondering why it had reacting in such a way, but somehow, he already knew…
The person that walked through that door wasn't your average, everyday muggle.
Could it be a death eater? Could Voldemort have found out his location? Why else would his scar react in such a way?
Suddenly he was wide awake as he grasped his wand out of his jean pocket. He knew he would be dead if he went to do some investigating and was caught by his Uncle, but he knew if it was a death eater, he would be dead anyway.
He heard the intruder's voice greet his Uncle Vernon. It was a cold, deep voice that Harry knew he had heard once before... but where? Was it one of the voices he heard behind the masks at the graveyard last June…?
He moved closer to the door and made up his mind instantly. He was going to invisigate. If it was a death eater, he was going to be prepared, that was for sure.
Ever so slowly he made his way across the hall with his wand out, his feet cat-like on the rug's surface.
Why would Voldemort send someone to the Dursley's after him, he thought? Dumbledore says that at his home is where Harry is safest, but how could that be, if a death eater just waltzed right through his front door?
Harry stopped cold in his tracks as he heard the voice speak once again. No, Harry thought in alarm It couldn't be!He peeked his head over the top of the stairs as he looked down with caution . He felt his heart skip a beat and felt himself take in air as the Dursley's guest suddenly turned his head around and looked up at him, their eyes meeting for a quick instant.
Harry threw himself to the other side of the hall way.
He couldn't believe what he had just seen. Was this an allusion? Was it all a dream? A mistake?
But no. He was sure… those eyes, that venomous voice…
It was Professor Snape, here, inside his house.
-------
Sorry for the cliffy. But c'mon, as a writer, you gotta love them.
Of course, I'll be expecting the "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?" reviews, but the cliffy remains.
The next chapter is already done. Just making some alterations… it'll be up in a short time. Review, if you please.