Suffering: Chapter 2:
Disclaimer: Ah, yes, always with the disclaimer. Ok, here we go: IT"S NOT MINE! The rights to the Harry Potter books/movies belong to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, and Warner Bros. Kindly note that my name is not in that list. Thank you much.
Review Replies: First off, thank you to those of you who reviewed, and I would like to say I am SO EXCITED to get any! I'd give you all a big hug and kiss if it weren't for that damn restraining order. ".May not come with in 400 feet of any living human being." Jeesh! Bring a crate of angry live badgers to a symphony and suddenly you're Hitler reincarnate. Please! Ummm. right, I've said too much.
Amber 16: Thanks for the wonderful words of encouragement! I'm glad I'm not the only obsessive-compulsive Harry abuse fan!
Saturnine the Possessive: Thanks! I'm not sure about slash yet- I have to see which way this story wants to go and I don't know if I'll be able to write good slash. Anyway, I am SO PSYCHED that you reviewed! I love your story "Firefly Darkness". You've got to update because that is most definitely one of the best abuse stories I've read!
SGM29: Awesome! Thanks!
Ckat44: I will try! I'm gonna delay any major changes (such as cutting or slash) until I get more feedback.
Saf Saf: Thanks! I'm using Microsoft Word and I can't figure out how to fix it when I upload it!
A/N: Okay, so here we are at chapter 2 with a very depressed- er- and rather dying Harry. Don't worry, I obviously couldn't kill him off. Anyhow, I have decided to hold of any changes like cutting or slash until I get more feedback. So, this should give you all inspiration to review! Okay, big thing: I am looking for a beta-reader! Anywho, I'm sure I've already said this, but my online access is rather limited, and updates may (sigh) be far apart. (Shields face with hands) I'm sorry! Okay, enough, on with the story!
***********
It was again 3 AM, and Remus Lupin was again sitting at the kitchen table of Number 12, Grimuald Place with his head in his hands, deep in thought. This time, however, members of the Order surrounded him for a late-night meeting. The meeting had been going on for hours, and they were still getting nowhere.
Remus looked around at the Order members. Dumbledore couldn't be there, but grouped around the table were Mundungus Fletcher, Alastor Moody, all the post-Hogwarts Weasleys with the exception of Percy, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Hagrid, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Elphias Dodge, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Hestia Jones, and, for the first time, Arabella Figg.
The Order had been arguing for the past several hours on 2 topics. The first was whether or not they should inform the Ministry of their actions and work with them. They were still divided on that issue, and had abandoned the argument for the night.
The other issue was one much harder to abandon. The issue of Harry had been brought up. Many of the Order thought that the age rule ought to be bent so Harry could join, but about half- Lupin, Molly Weasley, and Severus Snape included, though it was an awful idea.
"No," Mrs. Weasley had said immediately. "He's too young. Besides, he's going to be distressed since June. Can't you see how hard it would be for him to do this right now?"
"But you must see," Tonks had argued, "how much he's done- age isn't an issue for some things."
"Tonks," Lupin had cut in, "he's too young. He's done enough for our world already-it wouldn't be fair to ask him to do more." "Besides," Snape had spoken up silkily, "we are constantly bending the rules and making exceptions for Potter. These rules are for his safety, and if we bend the rules for him, we should allow anyone to join, regardless of age."
Minerva McGonagall had scowled at Snape and said, "Why don't we just ask Potter?" Though Lupin didn't agree with it, the Order had decided they would ask Harry and allow him a sort of junior membership until he graduated Hogwarts, considering he wanted to join. Sighing as the arguments were finally ended, he said, "OK, so that's wrapped up, but while we're on the subject of Harry, I believe Arabella has something to add." Mrs. Figg said, "Well, it's only just that I'm worried those muggles he lives with are treating him badly- I rarely see himoutside and when he is, he's always working and hardly looks healthy."
Moody said, "I doubt they're mistreating him, Arabella, not after that warning we gave that Dursley bloke at King's Cross. Besides, he's been writing the Order every few days, at least. He'd let us know if something was wrong."
Arabella opened her mouth to say something, but Moody cut in, "I'm sure he'll let us know if something's happening. Besides, we'll be getting him out of there in no more than a week as it is."
Just then, there was a loud snuffling sound. All of the Order members looked around quickly to locate the source of the noise.
"Ah. Mundungus," said Arthur Weasley, sounding half-exasperated, half- amused.
Fred- or maybe George- Lupin couldn't tell which one- prodded the slumped form with his foot. "Hey, Dung," he whispered. Mundungus simply grunted and shifted around a little.
The other one leaned over and said rather loudly, "10 Galleons!" Dung suddenly jumped up quite quickly. "'Ere, now, what's goin' on?" He asked in a slurred voice. "'Oo said that?" "Said what?" inquired one of the twins with a voice of mock curiosity. "No one's said anything, Dung." "Oh, erm, right then," Mundungus said, shifting uncomfortably. "Sorry 'bout that, just got a little tired, y'know?" "Yes, well, it is getting rather late," said Molly in her motherly fashion. "Why don't we put an end to this meeting for now?" "Excellent idea, Molly," Lupin said, nodding in agreement while stifling a huge yawn. There was a general murmur of assent from everybody in the room and they began to rise and leave- everybody except Severus. He was still sitting at the table, staring at the wall. "Severus?" Molly asked gently, after about 5 minutes. Snape looked startled and blinked. "What? Sorry, I got lost in thought." "Yes, well, the meeting's over," Lupin said sharply. "You didn't, by any chance, happen to catch what was going on, did you?" Snape looked as if he would very much like to hex Lupin, and had just opened his mouth to argue, when he clutched his left forearm convulsively. "Shit," he whispered. "I've got to get back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore will want to know." He got up and strode quickly from the room, black robes billowing behind him and eyes clenched tight in pain.
***********
Severus Snape waited till he had left Grimuald Place and was on the dark sidewalk to slow his pace. He stood still and took several deep, calming breaths before allowing his tensed muscles to relax. His mind went from pain mode to frustration mode in 3 seconds flat. He could not believe the way that meeting had gone. Why did everyone think poor Potter was such an exception? First they were actually going to consider putting an immature brat like that in the Order, then they were fawning over him because he had to go back to his aunt and uncle, and heaven forbid if the boy actually work. Snape groaned in frustration, massaging his throbbing forearm. He couldn't believe they had overrun the meeting by four hours just to talk about poor, helpless Potter. As he sat there, stewing in his angry thoughts, Snape noticed what was unmistakably an owl winging its way to Number 12. He watched it draw nearer for a moment when it swooped down on him. "You're looking for them," he said to the snowy owl. She ignored him, just swooped down on him again, pecking at him impatiently with her beak. There was something awfully familiar about that owl. It was then that Severus noticed she had no letter and one of her wings was covered in something dark and shiny. "Aren't you Potter's owl?" Snape asked irritably. The owl hooted and kept pecking at him. "All right! What do you want?" The owl just hooted at him again and flapped her wing in his face. This time he caught a whiff of whatever it was on her wing.
"Blood?" Snape asked, looking at the owl quizzically. The owl nodded and flapped her wings again. "Potter's blood?" The owl gave him a look that quite plainly said, *Well, duh, what do you think, stupid?*
"This means I'm going to have to save Potter's arse again, doesn't it?"
***********
Severus Snape had never been a patient man, but he was extremely intolerant when he was in a rush to see Dumbledore, only to be interrupted to save Potter's sorry ass again. He only went because he was quite sure that Albus would curse him if he deliberately left Potter when he knew he was in trouble.
Sighing, Severus had decided to risk it and Apparate to Privet Drive, so Potter's owl didn't decide to maim him. He knew where Potter lived, having had the unpleasant duty of tailing the boy one day the previous summer.
Appearing at the end of the Muggle street with a small pop, Severus looked around. He couldn't see what had Arabella Figg so worried. By the looks of it, Potter lived on the most boring street in all of England. Shrugging as the owl, still on his shoulder, hooted indignantly at him, he set off down the drive.
"So, which house is it?" He inquired to the owl, sensing that she- Severus had decided the owl was a she- would understand. Apparently, she did, for she set off towards one of the houses.
Snape watched after her for a moment. He scowled. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he grumbled to himself as he set down the street after her.
The owl had landed on the garden wall of one of the houses. Snape looked at the house number.* Number 4, Privet Drive,* he thought to himself. *Looks to me like your run-of-the-mill-house, perfect place for a spoiled brat like Potter to grow up.* With a sigh, he looked at his watch. It was 4 AM. Severus realized that the Muggles Potter lived with it might not appreciate him barging into their house at ungodly hours. Then again, if it was for precious Potter's safety, they would probably be just as nearsighted as everyone in the Wizarding world. Just in case, Snape decided to check out the house quietly first.
Gently testing the doorknob, he confirmed that the door was locked. Pulling out his wand and hoping any neighborhood busybodies were already fast asleep, Severus tapped the lock and whispered, "Alohomora." The door swung open with a quiet click. He strode quietly in, fully appreciating the stealthiness that so many Hogwarts students feared him for. Seeing a flight of stairs immediately in front of him, he crept up those, assuming that Potter would be in bed, as any sane person would.
Snape silently checked each room. The first room he looked in appeared to be a guest room. The second room was devoid of people as well, though there was a computer, TV, VCR, and what looked like several Muggle game stations as well as an unmade bed. Scattered around the room were pictures of a large blonde boy being hugged and fawned over by a thin, blonde, horsey-faced woman and a very large man with a bushy mustache. Snape smirked.
In the third bedroom, the bushy-mustached man was sleeping alone in a bed, thought there was clear evidence that another person lived in the room. Perhaps Potter's aunt and cousin were on a trip?
It was the last room that Severus found curious. There were many locks on the door, it had a bare wooden floor, and the only pieces of furniture were a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe, all very battered. There was a large dent in the wall that looked as if something heavy had been thrown at it, and though the bed was empty, it had clearly been slept in sometime in the last few days. A trunk and an owl cage were the only personal items in the room, aside from scraps of parchment littering the desk. Surely, surely this wasn't Potter's room.
With no sign of Potter upstairs, Snape wondered if he was with his aunt and cousin. He was down the stairs and about to go out the front door, when the owl, who he had just noticed was flitting about behind him, gave him a sharp peck. "Alright, alright, what is it?" The owl flitted over towards where the kitchen must be, but stopped in the middle of the hallway. "What are you doing?" the Potions Master asked the owl quizzically. She just hooted softly as if she was beckoning him. Sighing, Snape walked down the hallway. He realized that the owl was perched near a small cupboard, which was locked from the outside.
*A locked broom cupboard?* Severus wondered. The owl hooted at him again. He looked disdainfully down at her when something dark and shining caught his eye. As he crouched down to examine what he recognized as blood- lots of blood-, he heard a snuffled, labored breathing through the door. Feeling slightly panicked, Snape slid the lock back hastily and opened the door.
Squinting against the heavy darkness of the tiny cupboard, he pulled out his wand and whispered, "Lumos!". A beam of golden light suddenly penetrated the closet, and he caught sight of a small figure huddled in the corner in a shining pool of blood.
Snape almost shouted, "What the hell?" but caught himself just in time so that all that came out was a choked, strangled noise. Gently picking up the blood soaked figure, he noted that Ha- Potter was pale and clammy. His eyes were, miraculously open and glazed, but he didn't seem aware of what was going on around him.
"Dammit," Severus said softly. He immediately began weighing his choices for a quick departure to Hogwarts. He'd have to Apparate to Hogsmeade, there wasn't a Wizarding fireplace for miles. "Potter, can you hear me?" The boy's response was to cough up blood soaking both of them even more. Not a good sign. Snape decided that someone would have to come back for Potter's things. Clutching Potter with one arm and his wand with the other, Snape concentrated hard and Apparated to Hogsmeade.
***********
Harry was very surprised when he opened his eyes blearily to find himself still alive, but the next second, all emotion but pain was cut off from him as he felt the full effects of his uncle's actions. He tried to roll over, but found that he was quite incapable of moving more that a few inches. Breathing heavily from the simple effort of trying to move, Harry felt quite close to passing out and was more than willing to slip away when he heard a sound that made his heart stand still. He had just heard the hoot of an owl, and a muffled voice that was definitely not his uncle's.
Concentrating hard, Harry heard it again. He knew that voice. He lay still for several moments when he heard a sound that was really a blessing, but a curse in his eyes- or, rather, ears. The door to his cupboard slowly swung open, and for a minute all he heard was the quiet breathing of other man in the vicinity. Then that same horribly familiar voice whispered, "Lumos." He felt the light hit him and wished he had the strength to curl up into a ball. The person took two steps toward him and picked him up, and Harry found himself staring at the blurry outline of a wizard. Through his haze of pain, Harry couldn't tell who the man was, but there was something familiar in the voice that asked, "Can you hear me, Potter?" When he opened his mouth to reply, all that came out was blood as he started coughing again. Then the world began to spin and he knew no more.
***********
A/N: Okay, I know this is a short chapter, but this just seemed like a good place to end it, so what can I say? Anyway, same story as before- the sooner you review, the sooner I update! I apologize for the editing problems with the first chapter, too- I'm using Microsoft word and it ends up funny on Fanfiction.Net. Ah, well, I did my best to fix it this time. Click on the purple/ blue/ whatever color it is button! PLEASE!
Disclaimer: Ah, yes, always with the disclaimer. Ok, here we go: IT"S NOT MINE! The rights to the Harry Potter books/movies belong to J.K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, and Warner Bros. Kindly note that my name is not in that list. Thank you much.
Review Replies: First off, thank you to those of you who reviewed, and I would like to say I am SO EXCITED to get any! I'd give you all a big hug and kiss if it weren't for that damn restraining order. ".May not come with in 400 feet of any living human being." Jeesh! Bring a crate of angry live badgers to a symphony and suddenly you're Hitler reincarnate. Please! Ummm. right, I've said too much.
Amber 16: Thanks for the wonderful words of encouragement! I'm glad I'm not the only obsessive-compulsive Harry abuse fan!
Saturnine the Possessive: Thanks! I'm not sure about slash yet- I have to see which way this story wants to go and I don't know if I'll be able to write good slash. Anyway, I am SO PSYCHED that you reviewed! I love your story "Firefly Darkness". You've got to update because that is most definitely one of the best abuse stories I've read!
SGM29: Awesome! Thanks!
Ckat44: I will try! I'm gonna delay any major changes (such as cutting or slash) until I get more feedback.
Saf Saf: Thanks! I'm using Microsoft Word and I can't figure out how to fix it when I upload it!
A/N: Okay, so here we are at chapter 2 with a very depressed- er- and rather dying Harry. Don't worry, I obviously couldn't kill him off. Anyhow, I have decided to hold of any changes like cutting or slash until I get more feedback. So, this should give you all inspiration to review! Okay, big thing: I am looking for a beta-reader! Anywho, I'm sure I've already said this, but my online access is rather limited, and updates may (sigh) be far apart. (Shields face with hands) I'm sorry! Okay, enough, on with the story!
***********
It was again 3 AM, and Remus Lupin was again sitting at the kitchen table of Number 12, Grimuald Place with his head in his hands, deep in thought. This time, however, members of the Order surrounded him for a late-night meeting. The meeting had been going on for hours, and they were still getting nowhere.
Remus looked around at the Order members. Dumbledore couldn't be there, but grouped around the table were Mundungus Fletcher, Alastor Moody, all the post-Hogwarts Weasleys with the exception of Percy, Minerva McGonagall, Severus Snape, Hagrid, Tonks, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Elphias Dodge, Dedalus Diggle, Emmeline Vance, Hestia Jones, and, for the first time, Arabella Figg.
The Order had been arguing for the past several hours on 2 topics. The first was whether or not they should inform the Ministry of their actions and work with them. They were still divided on that issue, and had abandoned the argument for the night.
The other issue was one much harder to abandon. The issue of Harry had been brought up. Many of the Order thought that the age rule ought to be bent so Harry could join, but about half- Lupin, Molly Weasley, and Severus Snape included, though it was an awful idea.
"No," Mrs. Weasley had said immediately. "He's too young. Besides, he's going to be distressed since June. Can't you see how hard it would be for him to do this right now?"
"But you must see," Tonks had argued, "how much he's done- age isn't an issue for some things."
"Tonks," Lupin had cut in, "he's too young. He's done enough for our world already-it wouldn't be fair to ask him to do more." "Besides," Snape had spoken up silkily, "we are constantly bending the rules and making exceptions for Potter. These rules are for his safety, and if we bend the rules for him, we should allow anyone to join, regardless of age."
Minerva McGonagall had scowled at Snape and said, "Why don't we just ask Potter?" Though Lupin didn't agree with it, the Order had decided they would ask Harry and allow him a sort of junior membership until he graduated Hogwarts, considering he wanted to join. Sighing as the arguments were finally ended, he said, "OK, so that's wrapped up, but while we're on the subject of Harry, I believe Arabella has something to add." Mrs. Figg said, "Well, it's only just that I'm worried those muggles he lives with are treating him badly- I rarely see himoutside and when he is, he's always working and hardly looks healthy."
Moody said, "I doubt they're mistreating him, Arabella, not after that warning we gave that Dursley bloke at King's Cross. Besides, he's been writing the Order every few days, at least. He'd let us know if something was wrong."
Arabella opened her mouth to say something, but Moody cut in, "I'm sure he'll let us know if something's happening. Besides, we'll be getting him out of there in no more than a week as it is."
Just then, there was a loud snuffling sound. All of the Order members looked around quickly to locate the source of the noise.
"Ah. Mundungus," said Arthur Weasley, sounding half-exasperated, half- amused.
Fred- or maybe George- Lupin couldn't tell which one- prodded the slumped form with his foot. "Hey, Dung," he whispered. Mundungus simply grunted and shifted around a little.
The other one leaned over and said rather loudly, "10 Galleons!" Dung suddenly jumped up quite quickly. "'Ere, now, what's goin' on?" He asked in a slurred voice. "'Oo said that?" "Said what?" inquired one of the twins with a voice of mock curiosity. "No one's said anything, Dung." "Oh, erm, right then," Mundungus said, shifting uncomfortably. "Sorry 'bout that, just got a little tired, y'know?" "Yes, well, it is getting rather late," said Molly in her motherly fashion. "Why don't we put an end to this meeting for now?" "Excellent idea, Molly," Lupin said, nodding in agreement while stifling a huge yawn. There was a general murmur of assent from everybody in the room and they began to rise and leave- everybody except Severus. He was still sitting at the table, staring at the wall. "Severus?" Molly asked gently, after about 5 minutes. Snape looked startled and blinked. "What? Sorry, I got lost in thought." "Yes, well, the meeting's over," Lupin said sharply. "You didn't, by any chance, happen to catch what was going on, did you?" Snape looked as if he would very much like to hex Lupin, and had just opened his mouth to argue, when he clutched his left forearm convulsively. "Shit," he whispered. "I've got to get back to Hogwarts. Dumbledore will want to know." He got up and strode quickly from the room, black robes billowing behind him and eyes clenched tight in pain.
***********
Severus Snape waited till he had left Grimuald Place and was on the dark sidewalk to slow his pace. He stood still and took several deep, calming breaths before allowing his tensed muscles to relax. His mind went from pain mode to frustration mode in 3 seconds flat. He could not believe the way that meeting had gone. Why did everyone think poor Potter was such an exception? First they were actually going to consider putting an immature brat like that in the Order, then they were fawning over him because he had to go back to his aunt and uncle, and heaven forbid if the boy actually work. Snape groaned in frustration, massaging his throbbing forearm. He couldn't believe they had overrun the meeting by four hours just to talk about poor, helpless Potter. As he sat there, stewing in his angry thoughts, Snape noticed what was unmistakably an owl winging its way to Number 12. He watched it draw nearer for a moment when it swooped down on him. "You're looking for them," he said to the snowy owl. She ignored him, just swooped down on him again, pecking at him impatiently with her beak. There was something awfully familiar about that owl. It was then that Severus noticed she had no letter and one of her wings was covered in something dark and shiny. "Aren't you Potter's owl?" Snape asked irritably. The owl hooted and kept pecking at him. "All right! What do you want?" The owl just hooted at him again and flapped her wing in his face. This time he caught a whiff of whatever it was on her wing.
"Blood?" Snape asked, looking at the owl quizzically. The owl nodded and flapped her wings again. "Potter's blood?" The owl gave him a look that quite plainly said, *Well, duh, what do you think, stupid?*
"This means I'm going to have to save Potter's arse again, doesn't it?"
***********
Severus Snape had never been a patient man, but he was extremely intolerant when he was in a rush to see Dumbledore, only to be interrupted to save Potter's sorry ass again. He only went because he was quite sure that Albus would curse him if he deliberately left Potter when he knew he was in trouble.
Sighing, Severus had decided to risk it and Apparate to Privet Drive, so Potter's owl didn't decide to maim him. He knew where Potter lived, having had the unpleasant duty of tailing the boy one day the previous summer.
Appearing at the end of the Muggle street with a small pop, Severus looked around. He couldn't see what had Arabella Figg so worried. By the looks of it, Potter lived on the most boring street in all of England. Shrugging as the owl, still on his shoulder, hooted indignantly at him, he set off down the drive.
"So, which house is it?" He inquired to the owl, sensing that she- Severus had decided the owl was a she- would understand. Apparently, she did, for she set off towards one of the houses.
Snape watched after her for a moment. He scowled. "I can't believe I'm doing this," he grumbled to himself as he set down the street after her.
The owl had landed on the garden wall of one of the houses. Snape looked at the house number.* Number 4, Privet Drive,* he thought to himself. *Looks to me like your run-of-the-mill-house, perfect place for a spoiled brat like Potter to grow up.* With a sigh, he looked at his watch. It was 4 AM. Severus realized that the Muggles Potter lived with it might not appreciate him barging into their house at ungodly hours. Then again, if it was for precious Potter's safety, they would probably be just as nearsighted as everyone in the Wizarding world. Just in case, Snape decided to check out the house quietly first.
Gently testing the doorknob, he confirmed that the door was locked. Pulling out his wand and hoping any neighborhood busybodies were already fast asleep, Severus tapped the lock and whispered, "Alohomora." The door swung open with a quiet click. He strode quietly in, fully appreciating the stealthiness that so many Hogwarts students feared him for. Seeing a flight of stairs immediately in front of him, he crept up those, assuming that Potter would be in bed, as any sane person would.
Snape silently checked each room. The first room he looked in appeared to be a guest room. The second room was devoid of people as well, though there was a computer, TV, VCR, and what looked like several Muggle game stations as well as an unmade bed. Scattered around the room were pictures of a large blonde boy being hugged and fawned over by a thin, blonde, horsey-faced woman and a very large man with a bushy mustache. Snape smirked.
In the third bedroom, the bushy-mustached man was sleeping alone in a bed, thought there was clear evidence that another person lived in the room. Perhaps Potter's aunt and cousin were on a trip?
It was the last room that Severus found curious. There were many locks on the door, it had a bare wooden floor, and the only pieces of furniture were a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe, all very battered. There was a large dent in the wall that looked as if something heavy had been thrown at it, and though the bed was empty, it had clearly been slept in sometime in the last few days. A trunk and an owl cage were the only personal items in the room, aside from scraps of parchment littering the desk. Surely, surely this wasn't Potter's room.
With no sign of Potter upstairs, Snape wondered if he was with his aunt and cousin. He was down the stairs and about to go out the front door, when the owl, who he had just noticed was flitting about behind him, gave him a sharp peck. "Alright, alright, what is it?" The owl flitted over towards where the kitchen must be, but stopped in the middle of the hallway. "What are you doing?" the Potions Master asked the owl quizzically. She just hooted softly as if she was beckoning him. Sighing, Snape walked down the hallway. He realized that the owl was perched near a small cupboard, which was locked from the outside.
*A locked broom cupboard?* Severus wondered. The owl hooted at him again. He looked disdainfully down at her when something dark and shining caught his eye. As he crouched down to examine what he recognized as blood- lots of blood-, he heard a snuffled, labored breathing through the door. Feeling slightly panicked, Snape slid the lock back hastily and opened the door.
Squinting against the heavy darkness of the tiny cupboard, he pulled out his wand and whispered, "Lumos!". A beam of golden light suddenly penetrated the closet, and he caught sight of a small figure huddled in the corner in a shining pool of blood.
Snape almost shouted, "What the hell?" but caught himself just in time so that all that came out was a choked, strangled noise. Gently picking up the blood soaked figure, he noted that Ha- Potter was pale and clammy. His eyes were, miraculously open and glazed, but he didn't seem aware of what was going on around him.
"Dammit," Severus said softly. He immediately began weighing his choices for a quick departure to Hogwarts. He'd have to Apparate to Hogsmeade, there wasn't a Wizarding fireplace for miles. "Potter, can you hear me?" The boy's response was to cough up blood soaking both of them even more. Not a good sign. Snape decided that someone would have to come back for Potter's things. Clutching Potter with one arm and his wand with the other, Snape concentrated hard and Apparated to Hogsmeade.
***********
Harry was very surprised when he opened his eyes blearily to find himself still alive, but the next second, all emotion but pain was cut off from him as he felt the full effects of his uncle's actions. He tried to roll over, but found that he was quite incapable of moving more that a few inches. Breathing heavily from the simple effort of trying to move, Harry felt quite close to passing out and was more than willing to slip away when he heard a sound that made his heart stand still. He had just heard the hoot of an owl, and a muffled voice that was definitely not his uncle's.
Concentrating hard, Harry heard it again. He knew that voice. He lay still for several moments when he heard a sound that was really a blessing, but a curse in his eyes- or, rather, ears. The door to his cupboard slowly swung open, and for a minute all he heard was the quiet breathing of other man in the vicinity. Then that same horribly familiar voice whispered, "Lumos." He felt the light hit him and wished he had the strength to curl up into a ball. The person took two steps toward him and picked him up, and Harry found himself staring at the blurry outline of a wizard. Through his haze of pain, Harry couldn't tell who the man was, but there was something familiar in the voice that asked, "Can you hear me, Potter?" When he opened his mouth to reply, all that came out was blood as he started coughing again. Then the world began to spin and he knew no more.
***********
A/N: Okay, I know this is a short chapter, but this just seemed like a good place to end it, so what can I say? Anyway, same story as before- the sooner you review, the sooner I update! I apologize for the editing problems with the first chapter, too- I'm using Microsoft word and it ends up funny on Fanfiction.Net. Ah, well, I did my best to fix it this time. Click on the purple/ blue/ whatever color it is button! PLEASE!