Behind the veil
By Maria Mihaylov
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Sirius Black, or the rest. Harry Potter and the other characters belong to J.K.Rowling.
A/N: In memory of Sirius Black, also known as Padfoot who will be greatly missed.
Behind the Veil :
Chapter Two: Occlemuncy with Snape
Harry sat on his bed. His brain was empty, he had no feeling, he had no dreams anymore, and he had nothing. There was nothing left. His parents were dead, his godfather was dead, his hopes and his future were dead. He knew what was waiting for him: be murdered or be a murderer.
Even the Dursleys had noticed his behaviour. He was no more arrogant and he didn't even reply to Dudley's insults. His aunt's words broke the endless silent.
«Dinner, Potter! And I'm calling you twice! »
Slowly he went downstairs, washed his hands, went in the dining room, and sat on his chair. Dudley Dursley, his cousin and his uncle Vernon were watching him very closely, as if it was the first time they saw him.
«Potatoes or mushrooms, Vernon, dear? » asked Petunia Dursley as she served diner.
«Potatoes, dear...hmm Petunia? Petunia? What on earth is he doing? What....How... Now what exactly do you think you are doing boy? »
Petunia, whose eyes have been on the plate of potatoes just seconds ago were now on Harry. She crossed the dining room and went near to Harry's chair.
Harry felt tears falling down on his face. But no, he shouldn't cry, he wasn't a baby. Dumbledore hadn't told him about the Prophecy because he taught and was probably still thinking he was a child. Oh no, he shouldn't ruin all his efforts, now crying. People should know him as Harry Potter, the adult and not as the little baby Potter who cried all night long after his godfather had died.
And now, he was again crying. He could only say only one word, one name, the name of someone very close who had disappeared recently, Sirius Black.
«Sirius...Black» he said.
The eyes of the three members of the Dursley family were on him. Of course they knew who Sirius Black was. He was the murderer of a lot of people, who escaped from prison, Harry's godfather and yes, the man who had died not so long ago.
Suddenly Harry's arms became too heavy to carry; he closed his eyes and looked back on that night in the Department of Mysteries. He saw Sirius falling, and he couldn't help him; as Remus Lupin said he was gone.
He opened his eyes and they met Dudley's and Vernon's.
He didn't know that Petunia was just behind him and he probably didn't know that in a while he would faint.
When he woke up, he didn't know the place where he was lying. He was neither at Dursleys nor at the Burrow and he was unlikely to be in Hogwart's hospital wing. He was surrounded by white wallpaper, and in an armchair next to his bed was a woman wearing a flower printed dress.
«Aunt...Petunia...where...where am I? » Harry managed to ask in a weak voice.
Petunia Dursley jumped from the armchair and went near to his bed.
«Hospital, I...I didn't know what...what happened. You...you just fainted...after beginning crying, we didn't know what to do...» Petunia was apparently much shaken.
«We were...well actually I was afraid that you, that you, well you know...nearly died. » she continued.
Was Petunia really worried if he had died or was she too much scared of what the neighbours would think wondered Harry.
«I need to talk...to you...to tell you something, but there is a man who came here looking for you, after I sent Dumbledore, well the headmaster of that school of yours, a letter about what happened to you. I suppose that the man outside was sent by him and is here to check if you were maltreated. » she continued.
Before Harry had the chance to ask what she meant by "telling something" and why did the simple fact of crying made him nearly die, his aunt left his room and someone else entered.
Dressed in black from head to toes, the hair black and greasy, Harry was facing Severus Snape, his Potions teacher and one of the few people he hated after Draco Malfoy, Lord Voldemort, Dudley Dursley, Crabbe and Goyle.
«YOU!!! » Harry yelled open-mouthed.
«Well, Potter, as I see you don't seem to be very happy of my presence. But we will discuss this later. Now, I am to take you out of here and to teach you Occlemuncy whether you like it or not. I am here on Dumbledore's orders and you can be sure that I would rather prefer to spend the summer holidays resting from students who like you make every year more atrocious. »
«How can I trust you, and be sure that you're not going to lead me to Voldemort? » asked Harry not carrying of being rude.
«Watch out your language, Potter. I am not going to lead to the Dark Lord but to Hogwarts. You are forbidden to tell anyone else that even to those rubber-necked friends of yours. » replied in a cold voice Severus Snape
The idea of spending the rest of the summer holidays at Hogwarts with only Snape wasn't putting Harry's mind at rest.
That meant he would see Snape for 10 hours a day and that probably meant too detention every night.
«Not being rude or anything, but Sir, do you think you could just leave because you see I don't want to change into my muggles clothes in front of you? »