Dumbledore's Light

Albus Dumbledore led the search party, consisting of himself, McGonagall, Rubeus Hagrid, young Nurse Pomfrey, and a couple of Hagrid's friends who knew the Forest even better than he.

They brought food, water, and medicine in the hope that they would find the boy alive. "Slight chance o' that, Headmaster," Hagrid had opined when they had started out. "Not in these 'ere woods."

"Have you owled his parents, Albus?" Minerva inquired, bunching her cloak collar more snugly around her neck. It was cold, and warm breath instantly steamed visible in front of every mouth.

"I didn't, Minerva."

"Why not?"

"Because Severus has a mother who never wanted him and a father who is a disciple of Tom Riddle himself. As you already know, Tom grew into a truly evil individual, and I partially blame myself because I failed to help mold his character into something better during his seven years with us."

"It's not entirely up to us, Albus," the witch returned almost sharply. "You know that. Evil is as evil does. We can look into our students' eyes but we know next to nothing about what they hold in their hearts."

"You're right. All quite true."

"Evil people like that shouldn't be allowed to bring children into the world," Minerva snapped. "And that's really the reason you didn't contact the Snapes tonight, isn't it?"

Albus nodded to her as they continued to crash through the underbrush. "It's my belief that Severus' father has turned as rotten as his mentor. I suspect that the man had that predisposition long before Riddle came on the scene. You might as well know why I feel this way, Minerva, so that we as his teachers might be able to undo some of the damage already done to our little Slytherin friend."

"If he isn't dead already, Albus," Professor McGonagall replied. "We must be practical and face the possibility. A child alone in the Forbidden Forest? Why, I – "

"Keep your voices lower, if you please!" Hagrid whispered, coming up from behind them and making them both jump. "You never know what you're gonna whistle up in these woods!"

"Of course. Sorry, Rubeus," Dumbledore responded to the shaggy-headed man. He spoke to Minerva more softly. "When Severus was a first-year, he came back from Christmas break on the train, sleeping the whole way. However, his compartment mates had been unable to wake him once they'd arrived in Hogsmeade. Severus had looked all right to them, but there was no doubt that he was unconscious."

Minerva nodded.

"When he had been carried up to the Hospital Wing and as Poppy and I had taken a good look at him, I became suspicious and cast a spell- dissolving charm over him. Severus' father had tried to cover up what he had done to the boy -- both eyes blackened, his lip split, his poor body covered with bruises. It was heartbreaking."

Professor McGonagall gasped. "The monster! What did you do?"

"I contacted his father via floo and asked him to come to the school immediately to speak with me -- and, of course, to visit his son in the Hospital Wing."

"Did you confront him, Albus?" Minerva asked.

"Not just then. I wasn't absolutely sure his father was the culprit. Remember that neither Poppy nor I had spoken with Severus yet."

"Well, did he come to the school as you requested?"

Dumbledore gave her a wry smile. "No. He said he was too busy for such foolishness, and that since he had just seen Severus off at the train station that very morning there was no need for further inconvenience. And then to top it off, he actually suggested that other students on the train were responsible for his condition!"

Professor McGonagall snorted at this.

"It was obvious to Poppy and me that those bruises weren't fresh. It was equally obvious to both of us that Severus' father was as big a liar as he was an abuser."

"And the very fact that he refused to come to Hogwarts told you the rest, I suppose," Minerva surmised.

"Quite right. I then informed Snape the Senior that I would be reporting his son's injuries to the proper authorities."

"I suspect he didn't react too kindly to that!"

"He didn't, Minerva. Not at all. He turned nearly purple with rage, if I remember correctly. I also informed him that if Severus was sent to school with so much as a scratch in the future, I'd see him in Azkaban Prison."

"Oh, you didn't, Albus!"

"Oh, I did, Minerva! Unfortunately, Poppy and I have filed many such reports at the Ministry of Magic, and they have reacted to none of them. It's a good thing that you can't hex someone through a Floo portal – wait! – stop!" said Headmaster Dumbledore, halting suddenly and holding up both hands. "I hear something."

Everyone in the rescue party became silent and listened for a good two or three minutes.

"I'm sorry, Albus, but I hear nothing," Minerva whispered.

"Neither do I, Headmaster," Hagrid added.

"But I do," the wizard said, straightening his shoulders. "I hear Severus, quite clearly. I hear him singing."

Albus Dumbledore then pointed his brilliantly lighted wand due north.