Suffering Chapter 6
Disclaimer: Not mine! I mean.yes, it's mine- no, wait. oh, just read the story!
A/N: Umm.. Wow, as of now I really don't have an author's note to add except this plea for forgiveness: I'M SORRY! I know It's late- I've had horrible writer's block and I've been swamped with band and homework stuff and arrgh! But I've finally updated! Please forgive me? Now for some random amusing quotes. "Remember Alf? He's back! In pog form.." "In theory, communism works. in theory." Ah, the simple joys of illogicity . hmm . illogicity doesn't seem to be a real word. Oh well. It's my story. I am free to make up words as I wish.
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Angel74: You were officially the first reviewer for chapter 5! Thanks!
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Saf Saf: Thanks for the feedback on the Harry-Snape interaction and the Cedric-Sirius guilt. You voiced what I've been reasoning to myself. Like I said, chalk the Veritaserum part with Snape's evil temper up to lack of sleep. Besides, Snape hasn't forgotten who Harry's dad was.
Athenakitty:Yay! Questions! I get to say something other than 'thanks' in a review reply!!! Alrighty.Yes, someone is getting Harry's stuff from our favorite Muggles. They have an interesting punishment. Yes, Madame Pomfrey's gonna help Harry out-I just needed a reason for him to look like hell for awhile. Feel nauseous? I don't know what you mean..And yes, Harry's very angry.I mean, Snape force-fed him Veritaserum..
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Kitten: Thank you! I didn't think Harry would be all clingy either. Tra la la.I love angst! :::does little dance, runs into wall, falls down::: Ow..oh, well. Tra la la.
Lilyangel21: Intoxicating? Yay! That's super! There really is nothing quite as great as a "poor Harry" story, is there?
Jazzylady: Thanks! Dumbledore won't let Lupin see Harry yet because he's still injured and confused, and he wants to talk to him first. Besides, that's just the way Dumbledore is. Lupin sees Harry this chapter, though.
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A/N: I'm really, really sorry if I forgot anyone-there are so many of you and I was just jotting down review responses as I went and spare scraps of paper and I seem to have misplaced a few of those scraps.
GUESS WHAT? MY BIRTHDAY"S IN 5 DAYS!!!
CHAPTER 6
The instant Harry woke up, he knew something had happened. It had taken him a few moments to remember, but the memories suddenly came rushing back. Snape had drugged him! Snape knew!
Snapping his eyes open, Harry saw the very same man sitting quite close to him. He felt his rage take over him, as it had so many times the year before.
"Get away from me," he snarled, not giving the man a chance to speak. "Just get the hell away from me."
For a moment, Harry had the satisfaction of the shocked look on the man's sallow face, his mouth hanging slightly open. Then he snapped his jaw shut and said quietly, "If you don't tell the headmaster, I will." He didn't sound angry; in fact he was almost pleading. He quickly stood up and made to leave the hospital wing. Stopping at the door, he said, "I'll tell the headmaster you're ready to speak to him, and to bring down a Pensieve."
Harry glared angrily after him.
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Albus was sitting in his office when the door flew open and, for the second time that day, Severus Snape walked in.
Well?" he inquired, trying to read the man's unfathomable expression.
Severus stirred irritably. "Well," he said, "Potter is ready to speak to you. Bring the Pensieve."
"Did you find the cause of his injuries?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"Veritaserum. Perhaps he will tell you more willingly. If you'll excuse me, I have things to attend to." Severus swept from the room.
Albus sighed as the door snapped shut. He slowly began extricating his own thoughts from the Pensieve still sitting on his desk. Once the engraved bowl was empty of all his thoughts, he stood up, picked up the basin, and left from his office, heading for the hospital wing.
When he pushed open the infirmary door, Albus again saw Harry lying motionless at the end of the ward. He walked over and sat down in the chair next to the boy's bed.
"Hello, Harry," he said. "As you know, you will again be taking Occlumency lessons from Professor Snape. Also, we both believe it would be beneficial to your Occlumency if you would make use of a Pensieve. We will not, of course, force you to use it, but a Pensieve can be a wonderful thing. I will leave you alone for a bit if you wish to do this." He set the empty basin on the bed. "On a slightly more somber note, Professor Snape tells me you told him how you got your injuries."
Harry made a face, and for the first time since Albus had entered the hospital ward, he spoke. "Yes, and he told me that if I don't tell you, he will, and you may as well ask him, because I'm not telling you anything. I didn't even want to tell Snape."
"Well, if that's what you prefer, I will have a word with him. I do have a question for you, though. Early this morning, right after he brought you to the infirmary, Professor Snape came to inform me of the situation. He also shared with me his suspicions that your relatives were responsible for this. Was he right?"
Harry was silent, and even the calculating headmaster could not read his expression through his black eye and split lip.
"I take your lack of protest as a yes."
The teen's eyes flashed angrily. He took a deep breath and said slowly, voice shaking, "You left me there. You made me go back to that hell every summer. Now you want to help. It's too late."
Albus, for his part, had already realized that Harry would hate him, and knew he deserved it. "I made a serious mistake in bringing you there fifteen years ago, and I owe you an apology."
"Every year, I begged you to let me stay at Hogwarts for the summer. Every year, you made me go back. I was 'safe' there." Harry's voice slowly escalated.
Dumbledore sensed he was in for more yelling, so he cleared his throat and said, "Well, that Pensieve is yours to use. Remus might be by later to talk to you." He quietly stood and left the room.
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Harry sat in silence for several minutes after the headmaster left, staring at the bowl in his lap. He slowly picked up his wand and held it to his temple, concentrating hard. He pulled it away and saw a silver strand of thought clinging to it. He touched it to the basin and repeated the process. For over an hour, he pulled away the memories that had given him nightmares and kept him awake.
No one had ever told Harry how hard it was to make a Pensieve. And he was mentally exhausted. Setting the now curiously heavy Pensieve aside, he sank gratefully back onto the bed.
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Remus was sitting in the kitchen at Grimuald place with all the Weasleys (minus Percy), Hermione, and Tonks. They were in the midst of planning Harry a birthday party when Albus Dumbledore appeared with a loud crack.
"Hello, everyone," he said with unusual graveness. He looked at Remus and said, "Harry is doing better, and I think he really needs to talk to you right now. Severus and I can't get through to well."
Hermione and Ron looked up anxiously. "Professor, can we see him soon?" asked Hermione immediately.
"Not today, but perhaps tomorrow," said Dumbledore.
"Why not today?" demanded Ron, standing up.
Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "It is too soon. The person he really needs to talk to is-"
"Sirius," finished Remus. "But that isn't an option anymore." Overtaken by a sudden wave of grief, he quickly left the room.
He stood in the hallway, staring blankly at the wall. This had happened several times since the initial silence following the Department of Mysteries incident had been broken. Breathing deeply, the only remaining marauder fell to the floor, pounding his fist on the ground.
"Dammit, Sirius!" he whispered, tears pricking his eyes, "Why couldn't you have stayed here like you were supposed to? You were the one who was supposed to have the most life of any of us!" The quietly grieving man didn't hear the sound of another's footsteps in the hallway.
"Remus?" whispered Albus.
"I'm sorry, Albus," said the younger wizard. "I can't do this right now."
"Remus, Harry needs you, and you need him. If anyone understands him, you do. You can help each other through this. Besides, I think Harry needs to see someone other than Poppy, Severus or myself. He might talk to you."
Remus nodded. "Just give me a moment," he said, heading to the loo. He stared at himself in the cracked mirror that they hadn't gotten around to fixing in the last year. It didn't matter anymore. His hair was even grayer than it had been, and the bags under his eyes were predictably worse than ever. Lupin sighed and turned on the tap, splashing his face with cold water.
"Is this what I've been destined to?" he muttered to the mirror. "Watching my friends die one by one at Voldemort's hands?"
A few minutes later, Remus set down the steps with a heavy heart.
"We'll be Flooing," said Dumbledore conversationally as Lupin entered the kitchen once more.
Remus nodded. "I'll tell Harry everyone says hi," he said hoarsely as he took a pinch of glittering powder from the box Albus offered and threw it into the flames. Stepping into the fireplace, he shouted, "Albus Dumbledore's office, Hogwarts. Sugar Quill." In a warm rush of warm air and soot, Remus began to spin through the many Wizarding fireplaces of Great Britain. After several sickening minutes, he started slowing down and threw a hand out just in time to keep himself from falling face first onto the floor of the headmaster's office.
Standing up and brushing the dust off his shabby robes, he looked around. Albus' office was strangely bare: several of the headmaster's whimsical silver instruments were missing. Remus remembered Albus mentioning Harry's fit of rage. A second later, a whooshing sound announced Dumbledore's arrival in the fireplace.
"Well," he said as Albus emerged from the fireplace far more gracefully than Lupin himself had, "let's go, then." He turned to the door, eager to see Harry, but the older man put an arm on his shoulder gently.
"Remus," he said, "I should warn you that he has some serious injuries. His appearance will be slightly shocking."
"And.?" Lupin could tell there was more to the man's sentence than that.
"And.he has changed. He is a very different boy from the person you will remember. He is very depressed."
"That is to be expected, Albus," said the sandy-haired younger man cautiously.
"Of course," said the headmaster. "Let's go see him, then."
Several minutes later, the two arrived outside the Hospital Wing. Albus slowly pushed the door open. There, at the very end of the room, was Harry.
"Harry!" Remus rasped out.
"While, I'll just leave you two to it for now," said Dumbledore. He strode back the length of the infirmary, then turned and said, "Harry, I'll have Professor Snape pick up your things from Privet Drive."
The small, rather frail-looking figure gave no sign that he had heard. For a minute, Remus wondered if Harry was asleep.
Then, as Albus shut the door behind him, the teenager turned his face towards Remus. "Professor Lupin?" he asked quietly.
Remus had to fight to keep himself from gasping when he saw the swollen, bruised face of his best friend's son.
"Harry," he began quietly, taking in the black eye and patchwork of bruises, "what on earth happened to you?"
Harry just shook his head. "I'm fine. It's nothing." He lowered his head, intent on studying his fingers.
Remus decided not to press the matter for the time-being. "So, Harry, how've you been?"
The boy wrenched his gaze away from away from his fingers and turned his eyes-Lily's eyes-towards him.
But his eyes weren't the same as Remus remembered. They were hollow and dead, and it scared him.
~Those eyes have seen too much,~ thought Lupin sadly.
Harry just locked his dimmed eyes on the man for a minute, not saying anything.
"Harry," pleaded the werewolf, "talk to me!"
The terribly thin child spoke in a hollow, flat voice; one to suit his eyes. "There's nothing to talk about, Professor. He's dead. Dead because of me. There's nothing else to say."
"What makes you think it's your fault?"
Harry gave a humorless snort. "Who didn't learn Occlumency? Who was Voldemort after? Who had the 'love of playing hero'? Who was he trying to protect?" The raven-haired child was looking determinedly at his hands again.
"Harry." Remus said. The boy raised his head, eyes glazed. He put his face in his hands. The ex-defense professor gently put an arm on Harry's shoulders. He immediately recoiled at the contact. Puzzled and slightly wary, Lupin quickly drew his arm away, and Harry's taut shoulders instantly relaxed.
"Harry," he inquired softly, "did your relatives do this to you?"
Harry looked at him with blank, bloodshot eyes. For a moment, he didn't answer, and Remus feared he would ignore him. After several seconds of silence, he gave a frustrated sigh and said, "Well if I don't tell you, I'm sure Professor Snape will." He said 'professor' as if it were a swearword. He slowly unbuttoned his hospital-issued pajama shirt and pulled it off, allowing Remus to see his bandaged stomach and heavily scarred chest.
Lupin couldn't help himself. "Bloody hell."
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"Severus," Albus said, "I would like you to return to Privet Drive and retrieve Harry's things." With a sigh, he added, "For the record, I am telling you not to injure the Muggles too seriously."
Snape nodded curtly. Angry as he was with the headmaster, he was angrier with the people who had hurt a child placed in their care. Even if that child was Potter. "Floo Powder? Always makes for a nice surprise when a stranger drops into your sitting room via fireplace."
Albus shrugged. "Off the record, I only wish I could go myself. Just do me a favor, and scare them, would you please? Of course, the Ministry will want to make an investigation, especially considering it's Harry who is concerned. They won't be much better off having to face the public outrage of hoards of angry wizards then they would be facing me myself. Still better off, mind you."
Severus could detect the cold fury in Dumbledore's voice usually reserved for the Dark Lord. "Well," he said with a dry smirk, " I can hardly refuse a direct request from my superior. It might be harder to intimidate these people than it is a room full of eleven-year-olds, though."
Dumbledore gave a short and none too genuine chuckle. "Not from what Alastor Moody tells me." He held a box of Floo Powder out to Snape. "Before you go, I should warn you that Arthur Weasley told me a couple summers ago that they have an electric fireplace in front of their real one. Of course, I doubt they've put it up again, but you may have trouble getting through if they have."
"Brilliant," hissed the Potions Master, taking a pinch of glittering powder and throwing it into the fireplace. He stepped into the now verdant flames and said coolly, "Number 4 Privet Drive!"
Spinning very fast, Snape found himself in a thankfully unobstructed Muggle fireplace. Brushing himself off disdainfully, he stepped into the sitting room of Number Four, Privet Drive.
Two seconds later, a ridiculously obese man came thundering into the room, breathing heavily. "Who the bloody hell are you?" he demanded.
"Since you asked, Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he sneered, using a tone he usually reserved for his thickest first-year students and, of course, Longbottom.
"You're another one of those freaks, eh? Well, the boy isn't here! We don't know where he is."
Severus's ebony eyes flashed. The fat fool Muggle had no idea who he was dealing with. "I would know that," he said dangerously, "being the one to remove him from your house at four this morning after finding him bleeding to death in a cupboard. I am here to collect his things, if you will kindly tell me where they are." It wasn't a request.
The man swelled, if possible, even larger, and puffed out, "You will not order me about in my own house!"
Snape swore. "Like hell I won't! I do not have time for this," he finished indifferently, quickly getting his lethal temper back under control. He whipped out his wand and whispered a few well chosen words. There was a bright flash of light and a dull cracking sound, and where Vernon Dursley had been there was now a large turkey.
"I am just a warm-up act to the Ministry wizards who will be arriving later. They will be quite angry. You see, in our world, attempted murder is rather frowned upon. Perhaps I'll leave you in this form until the Aurors arrive." Severus had a fairly good idea of where to find Potter's things and glided off silently.
He climbed the stairs quickly, this time immediately heading for the door with many locks. Once inside the room, he was able to look around more thoroughly than he had that morning. There was an owl cage in the corner. The trademark glasses lay broken on the bedside table , along with what appeared to be a photo album opened to a page featuring none other that the late Sirius Black. Snape closed the book and laid it on the bed with the glasses, continuing his search. The precariously wobbly three-legged desk was littered with parchment. Rifling through it, intending to vanish it, he noticed several papers with writing on them.
Examining the top paper, he realized it was not in Potter's hand. Reading it quickly, he saw that it was from Weasley and Granger. Snorting in disgust, he rifled through the other letters. Most of them seemed to be along the lines of, "Dear Harry, how are you, don't worry, someone will pick you up soon." Severus stopped when he recognized Potter's scrawl.
Curiosity took over and he began to further inspect the parchment. It was a crumpled-looking letter. The Potions Master stopped, puzzled. Why would Potter write a letter and never send it? Smoothing the paper out on the desk, he began to read.
~~ Dear everyone,
You'll never read this letter, because I'll never send it. Every day you send me letters asking how I am, and everyday I say "fine". You and I know this is a lie. Here's a sad shadow of truth for you: every morning, I wake up early after a nightmare-filled sleep to cook breakfast for my family. If I don't do it right, Vernon hits me. If I talk without being asked, Vernon hits me. If I dare even think of eating without permission, Vernon hits me. I receive a list of impossible chores to do every day. If I don't finish them, Vernon hits me. Notice a pattern? When the day is finally over, I collapse in my room, hoping not to wake up from the inevitable nightmare, because if I make noise, Vernon hits me.
Surely you are wondering why I don't tell you all of this. The simple truth is, I no longer care. What would I have given for somebody to threaten Vernon when I was younger? You have no idea how much I would've given for someone to come whisk me away when I was eight, shivering in my cupboard after my "uncle" came home drunk at hit me with a belt. But I was left here to rot, and now it's too late to save me.
Harry ~~
Severus set the parchment down in quiet shock. He turned away quickly, scanning the room for anything else. Something else near the nightstand caught his eye. It was a small jar. He picked it up and examined it.
"Madame Millie's Magical Concealing Crème?" he read aloud with disgust. Why on earth did Potter have concealing crème in his room? After a moment, he realized that Harry had been using it to hide his uncle's abuse. Severus felt something stirring within him at this. At first, he didn't recognize what it was, because he hadn't felt it in so long. Compassion. He was feeling sorry for Harry bloody Potter. 'Damn it, Potter,' he thought viciously, 'I didn't spend years teaching myself how not to feel to lose it all because of you!'
He looked around, wondering if there was anything else of Potter's in the room. Walking around the bed, he spotted a loose floorboard sticking up, just visible from under the bed. He pulled it up and hissed, "Accio!"
Only two things flew out of the hiding space: Potter's wand, and a bundle of letters tied together. Regarding them more closely, Severus realized that every one was addressed in Black's writing. He shook his head. The boy was never going to learn Occlumency, he didn't care what Albus said.
The Potions Master was quite perplexed, much as he hated to admit it. The boy's school trunk was nowhere in sight. Perhaps he would find it in that God-awful cupboard. He gathered the owl cage and other possessions and was on the second step from the top when he heard a shrill shriek.
Curious, he kept his calm pace as he descended the steps. He smirked when he saw the source of the wailing. A blonde, horse-faced woman, presumably Lily's sister, was chasing the Dursley turkey around the sitting room, a frying pan raised in her hand as though to strike.
Quite calmly, the dark-haired man went to the cupboard where he had found Potter the night before and opened it. Spotting Harry's trunk shoved into a corner, he pulled it out and opened it, shoving the wand, letters, and concealing crème into it. Once he had slammed the lid down, he transfigured the trunk into a silver Sickle, which he shoved into his robes. This task completed, he turned serenely back to the blonde woman, still chasing her husband, and, using his iciest tone, said, "Excuse me."
The woman was so startled that she stopped chasing the turkey, shrieked again, and very nearly dropped the frying pan.
"As much as I would love to see you beat your husband to death with a frying pan, it is not advisable, seeing as how you Muggles do generally frown upon murder." Severus calmly strode over to the fireplace, the transfigured trunk in his robes and the owl cage under his arm. Pulling a small bag of Floo Powder from his robes, he threw it into the fireplace. Placing one foot in the green flames, he turned back to the still speechless woman and the frantically flapping turkey and flicked his wand. An instant later, a red-faced and rather winded Vernon Dursley had replaced the turkey.
"This isn't the last you'll hear about this," he said softly, before stepping completely into the hearth and shouting, "Albus Dumbledore's office, Hogwarts, Sugar Quill."
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Remus could only stare in revolt as he allowed what he was saying to sink in. Harry's entire stomach was heavily bandaged , and what was visible of his upper body looked as though it had been used as a canvas by some sick, twisted lunatic. His chest was bruised. Scars and welts covered his ribs, which stuck out from his skin, and the way he moved suggested that he was in a great deal of pain.
"Harry," he whispered, "did your uncle do this?"
Harry looked deadpan, and said calmly, "No. I ran into a wall and fell down the stairs all on my own, and I asked my aunt to kick me in the ribs."
Lupin was slightly taken aback by Harry's biting sarcasm, and chided him gently, "Harry."
"Yes, my 'uncle' did this to me. I deserved it though."
Remus felt a wave of rage. "Why would you deserve this? No one deserves this."
"I didn't do what he wanted me to. I didn't do a good enough job on m chores. I was a burden to them." He laid back down and resumed staring lethargically at the ceiling.
He took one more chance to get Harry to talk. "Ron and Hermione would like to see you soon."
Harry sat up very quickly. "No."
The werewolf was startled. "Don't you want to see them?"
Harry looked at him as if he were stupid. "Of course I want to see them. But I don't want them to see me like this. They don't need to see me weak."
"Harry," he said quietly, "Ron and Hermione won't think you're weak. They're your friends. They've seen you through everything else, and they've never thought you had a perfect home life." Harry did not respond.
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Severus arrived back in Dumbledore's office, still holding the birdcage under his arm. Doing his best to keep his dignity, he staggered sideways out of the stone hearth. He never had like Flooing too much. He did his best to brush the soot off of his long black robes and regain his composure.
"How did things go at the Dursley's?" asked the headmaster, eyes only slightly twinkling.
"I was able to collect Ha-Potter's things, though I also had the unfortunate luck to meet that uncle of his. Fat, nasty, unpleasant man, he was."
"I daresay he was much less happy with the situation then you."
"Well, most people, especially Muggles, do not appreciate being Tansfigured into turkeys."
"Minerva will be jealous. Human-animal transformations have always been her area of expertise."
"Yes, well, all the Potions I could think of giving him, tempted as I was, have some very illegal side effects. Besides, it would be far to easy to track me had I used a potion. I would be the first suspect."
"You did turn him back, though," the headmaster did not even try to sound concerned.
"Much as I hate to admit it, yes."
"Well, that is probably for the best. The proper authorities will have to deal with him."
Severus shook his head. "Turns out the Muggles kept famous Harry Potter locked up. You know, when they weren't beating him. No one, not even James Potter's son, should have to live the way Harry was forced to."
Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling so much that they appeared to glitter. "Why, Severus, I do believe you just called him Harry. Perhaps you actually care?"
Severus shot the headmaster a glare, though it was of little effect. He turned to leave with a swish of his robes, hoping to salvage at least some of his imitating demeanor.
"Severus, there is one more thing I would like to discuss with you."
Snape stopped with one foot out the door and turned around. He had a feeling he wasn't going to enjoy this discussion. "Yes?"
"After Harry is released from the Hospital Wing, he will need to stay at the school for a short while so Madame Pomfrey can monitor his progress."
"So the boy stays in the Gryffindor tower. What does this have to do with me?" Snape had a nasty suspicion.
"No, I do not want him to stay by himself. I was wondering if perhaps you would like to take him in. It would be good for both of you." Seeing Severus's face, he quickly continued, "Not for very long, just for a week, maybe a few days more. You could both learn some empathy from this."
Seeing the headmaster's face, the Slytherin found his mind had been made up for him.
"Isn't there anyone else who could take him, Albus?" Severus began feebly, but knowing it was no use the moment he opened his mouth.
"Is there a reason why you two can't get to know each other a little better ? You will both be surprised."
"I really don't have a choice here, do I?" The damn twinkle in the old man's eyes said it all.
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Minerva McGonagall wandered the castle in her cat form. It was one of her favorite ways to think, and with no students around, she was much safer from being stepped.
She certainly had much to think about now, as she pondered the halls near the dungeons. The war with Voldemort was becoming more and more violent everyday, now that the Ministry had publicly admitted the Dark Lord's return. The mere thought of the blundering idiots made Minerva boil with rage, and to relieve some of her anger, she hissed at a nearby mouse menacingly. She felt strangely satisfied as she watched the mouse scamper away. Perhaps that was why Severus always enjoyed intimidating the students so much. Speaking of Severus.Minerva had seen him hurrying through the halls early that morning holding a limp Harry Potter. She had always been an early riser, and had been on her way down to the Great Hall for a cup of tea when he had gone lumbering past, holding the pale, bleeding, unconscious Potter. He here shock and horror must have shown on her face, for Snape had given her the patented sneer even as he struggled with the boy's weight.
Minerva sighed and headed back to her quarters. Once there, she transformed and summoned a house-elf. The house-elf who came turned out to be Dobby, a very eager little thing that Dumbledore had actually hired. The elf simply adored Harry Potter and his golf-ball sized orbs widened every time his name was mentioned.
"How can Dobby help miss?" asked the elf in his squeaking voice.
"Could you please bring me a cup of tea? It doesn't matter what kind, whatever's fastest."
The elf nodded eagerly and had disappeared and reappeared within thirty seconds. He held out a cup of tea, which the professor took gratefully as she sank into her favorite squashy chair. "Thank you, Dobby. That's all."
The elf nodded enthusiastically and disappeared again. Minerva sipped her tea contentedly. She couldn't get rid of the nagging worry that plagued her. What had happenned to Potter? Why hadn't Dumbledore told the staff? Maybe he would tell them at the next staff meeting.
And then, of course, there was the anticipation for what You- Know-Who's next move was going to be. Furious that the prophecy had been destroyed and several of his best Death Eaters had been jailed in one night, Voldemort had gone on a killing spree, terrorizing several Muggle families, as well as Muggle-born witches and wizards. Now, the Order knew he was going to be doing everything to get them out of jail. They also knew he was going to try to recruit creatures such as werewolves, dementors, giants, and goblins. The problem was that so far, they had seen no evidence of said attempts, which made them all anxious and more than a little nervous.
A sudden sound from some distant part if the castle jerked Minerva out of her reverie. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there. Absentmindedly, she took another sip of tea, and suddenly choked, spitting it back out.
It was stone cold.
******************************************************************
A/N: Okay, I'm done. I know this chapter is short, but I deleted a long scene that I decided I would put somewhere else. The Minerva scene is all thanks to Cyci, who reminded me that she saw Harry. I hope I didn't do her too terribly OOC. That scene was quite spur of the moment. McGonagall doesn't get her POV shown all too often, so this is a nice switch from the constant Harry/Snape POVs I've been doing.
Please R/R! Give me suggestions, please-major writer's block here. Anyone got an idea for what dear old Voldie could be up to??? Again, sorry for the short chapter and the long wait.I feel just horrible.
Disclaimer: Not mine! I mean.yes, it's mine- no, wait. oh, just read the story!
A/N: Umm.. Wow, as of now I really don't have an author's note to add except this plea for forgiveness: I'M SORRY! I know It's late- I've had horrible writer's block and I've been swamped with band and homework stuff and arrgh! But I've finally updated! Please forgive me? Now for some random amusing quotes. "Remember Alf? He's back! In pog form.." "In theory, communism works. in theory." Ah, the simple joys of illogicity . hmm . illogicity doesn't seem to be a real word. Oh well. It's my story. I am free to make up words as I wish.
Review Responses:
Angel74: You were officially the first reviewer for chapter 5! Thanks!
Emily: You're in luck-look at me, I'm continuing!
Helen: Thanks!
Kethhry: Thanks!
Mr Padfoot: Thanks!
Skysong: Thanks! Wow.my responses are getting rather generic.
Saf Saf: Thanks for the feedback on the Harry-Snape interaction and the Cedric-Sirius guilt. You voiced what I've been reasoning to myself. Like I said, chalk the Veritaserum part with Snape's evil temper up to lack of sleep. Besides, Snape hasn't forgotten who Harry's dad was.
Athenakitty:Yay! Questions! I get to say something other than 'thanks' in a review reply!!! Alrighty.Yes, someone is getting Harry's stuff from our favorite Muggles. They have an interesting punishment. Yes, Madame Pomfrey's gonna help Harry out-I just needed a reason for him to look like hell for awhile. Feel nauseous? I don't know what you mean..And yes, Harry's very angry.I mean, Snape force-fed him Veritaserum..
A bit Insane: I thank you (
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SnapeLover: Yay! Ha! You can't command me to do anything! Look! I have your.uh...magic stick thingy.oh right, right, wand..
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Simple Confusion: Thanks! People like you keep this story going!
Sally-Jo: Yes, I really want Harry to start cutting, I mean, he's got so much guilt. We will have to see. I have to write several more chapters before we get there. You're right, sexual abuse really wouldn't fit.
Brightest Star: Thanks! I love reviewers who say nice things about me!
Nora Lena Potter: Thanks! I'm doing my best to update, but what with homework and music and semester tests, I haven't had much time! Plus I've got a major case of writer's block!
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Serpent of Light: Hmm.I get enjoyment from your shameless begging.perhaps I will postpone updates for my own amusement.nah, I'm not that cruel.or am I? Muahaha.
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DoctorRuth126: Thanks! Wow. I was slightly startled by that review.but thanks for the enthusiasm!
Cyci: Thanks! I'm learning French.of course I know very little.I could order food at a restaurant and have an incredibly simple conversation with the waiter.and buy a blue pen and a red tee-shirt. Anyway, thanks for pointing the Prof. McGonagall thing out. I put a scene with her in this chapter!
Kitten: Thank you! I didn't think Harry would be all clingy either. Tra la la.I love angst! :::does little dance, runs into wall, falls down::: Ow..oh, well. Tra la la.
Lilyangel21: Intoxicating? Yay! That's super! There really is nothing quite as great as a "poor Harry" story, is there?
Jazzylady: Thanks! Dumbledore won't let Lupin see Harry yet because he's still injured and confused, and he wants to talk to him first. Besides, that's just the way Dumbledore is. Lupin sees Harry this chapter, though.
HaliJadeSnape: Yay! A new reader? Thank you! I love all my reviewers.
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Mr. Padfoot 1: That is so inspiring to see in a review! Thank you!
Sash4: Don't worry, no slash.
Crystalheart81: Thanks! I have no intention of quitting, I'm just overly swamped with stuff to do and-aaah! Finals week is NOW! Like, right now, I should really be working on my portfolio for my English final, but I'm not because I love my loyal reviewers so very much.
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A/N: I'm really, really sorry if I forgot anyone-there are so many of you and I was just jotting down review responses as I went and spare scraps of paper and I seem to have misplaced a few of those scraps.
GUESS WHAT? MY BIRTHDAY"S IN 5 DAYS!!!
CHAPTER 6
The instant Harry woke up, he knew something had happened. It had taken him a few moments to remember, but the memories suddenly came rushing back. Snape had drugged him! Snape knew!
Snapping his eyes open, Harry saw the very same man sitting quite close to him. He felt his rage take over him, as it had so many times the year before.
"Get away from me," he snarled, not giving the man a chance to speak. "Just get the hell away from me."
For a moment, Harry had the satisfaction of the shocked look on the man's sallow face, his mouth hanging slightly open. Then he snapped his jaw shut and said quietly, "If you don't tell the headmaster, I will." He didn't sound angry; in fact he was almost pleading. He quickly stood up and made to leave the hospital wing. Stopping at the door, he said, "I'll tell the headmaster you're ready to speak to him, and to bring down a Pensieve."
Harry glared angrily after him.
******************************
Albus was sitting in his office when the door flew open and, for the second time that day, Severus Snape walked in.
Well?" he inquired, trying to read the man's unfathomable expression.
Severus stirred irritably. "Well," he said, "Potter is ready to speak to you. Bring the Pensieve."
"Did you find the cause of his injuries?"
"Yes."
"How?"
"Veritaserum. Perhaps he will tell you more willingly. If you'll excuse me, I have things to attend to." Severus swept from the room.
Albus sighed as the door snapped shut. He slowly began extricating his own thoughts from the Pensieve still sitting on his desk. Once the engraved bowl was empty of all his thoughts, he stood up, picked up the basin, and left from his office, heading for the hospital wing.
When he pushed open the infirmary door, Albus again saw Harry lying motionless at the end of the ward. He walked over and sat down in the chair next to the boy's bed.
"Hello, Harry," he said. "As you know, you will again be taking Occlumency lessons from Professor Snape. Also, we both believe it would be beneficial to your Occlumency if you would make use of a Pensieve. We will not, of course, force you to use it, but a Pensieve can be a wonderful thing. I will leave you alone for a bit if you wish to do this." He set the empty basin on the bed. "On a slightly more somber note, Professor Snape tells me you told him how you got your injuries."
Harry made a face, and for the first time since Albus had entered the hospital ward, he spoke. "Yes, and he told me that if I don't tell you, he will, and you may as well ask him, because I'm not telling you anything. I didn't even want to tell Snape."
"Well, if that's what you prefer, I will have a word with him. I do have a question for you, though. Early this morning, right after he brought you to the infirmary, Professor Snape came to inform me of the situation. He also shared with me his suspicions that your relatives were responsible for this. Was he right?"
Harry was silent, and even the calculating headmaster could not read his expression through his black eye and split lip.
"I take your lack of protest as a yes."
The teen's eyes flashed angrily. He took a deep breath and said slowly, voice shaking, "You left me there. You made me go back to that hell every summer. Now you want to help. It's too late."
Albus, for his part, had already realized that Harry would hate him, and knew he deserved it. "I made a serious mistake in bringing you there fifteen years ago, and I owe you an apology."
"Every year, I begged you to let me stay at Hogwarts for the summer. Every year, you made me go back. I was 'safe' there." Harry's voice slowly escalated.
Dumbledore sensed he was in for more yelling, so he cleared his throat and said, "Well, that Pensieve is yours to use. Remus might be by later to talk to you." He quietly stood and left the room.
************************************
Harry sat in silence for several minutes after the headmaster left, staring at the bowl in his lap. He slowly picked up his wand and held it to his temple, concentrating hard. He pulled it away and saw a silver strand of thought clinging to it. He touched it to the basin and repeated the process. For over an hour, he pulled away the memories that had given him nightmares and kept him awake.
No one had ever told Harry how hard it was to make a Pensieve. And he was mentally exhausted. Setting the now curiously heavy Pensieve aside, he sank gratefully back onto the bed.
************************************
Remus was sitting in the kitchen at Grimuald place with all the Weasleys (minus Percy), Hermione, and Tonks. They were in the midst of planning Harry a birthday party when Albus Dumbledore appeared with a loud crack.
"Hello, everyone," he said with unusual graveness. He looked at Remus and said, "Harry is doing better, and I think he really needs to talk to you right now. Severus and I can't get through to well."
Hermione and Ron looked up anxiously. "Professor, can we see him soon?" asked Hermione immediately.
"Not today, but perhaps tomorrow," said Dumbledore.
"Why not today?" demanded Ron, standing up.
Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "It is too soon. The person he really needs to talk to is-"
"Sirius," finished Remus. "But that isn't an option anymore." Overtaken by a sudden wave of grief, he quickly left the room.
He stood in the hallway, staring blankly at the wall. This had happened several times since the initial silence following the Department of Mysteries incident had been broken. Breathing deeply, the only remaining marauder fell to the floor, pounding his fist on the ground.
"Dammit, Sirius!" he whispered, tears pricking his eyes, "Why couldn't you have stayed here like you were supposed to? You were the one who was supposed to have the most life of any of us!" The quietly grieving man didn't hear the sound of another's footsteps in the hallway.
"Remus?" whispered Albus.
"I'm sorry, Albus," said the younger wizard. "I can't do this right now."
"Remus, Harry needs you, and you need him. If anyone understands him, you do. You can help each other through this. Besides, I think Harry needs to see someone other than Poppy, Severus or myself. He might talk to you."
Remus nodded. "Just give me a moment," he said, heading to the loo. He stared at himself in the cracked mirror that they hadn't gotten around to fixing in the last year. It didn't matter anymore. His hair was even grayer than it had been, and the bags under his eyes were predictably worse than ever. Lupin sighed and turned on the tap, splashing his face with cold water.
"Is this what I've been destined to?" he muttered to the mirror. "Watching my friends die one by one at Voldemort's hands?"
A few minutes later, Remus set down the steps with a heavy heart.
"We'll be Flooing," said Dumbledore conversationally as Lupin entered the kitchen once more.
Remus nodded. "I'll tell Harry everyone says hi," he said hoarsely as he took a pinch of glittering powder from the box Albus offered and threw it into the flames. Stepping into the fireplace, he shouted, "Albus Dumbledore's office, Hogwarts. Sugar Quill." In a warm rush of warm air and soot, Remus began to spin through the many Wizarding fireplaces of Great Britain. After several sickening minutes, he started slowing down and threw a hand out just in time to keep himself from falling face first onto the floor of the headmaster's office.
Standing up and brushing the dust off his shabby robes, he looked around. Albus' office was strangely bare: several of the headmaster's whimsical silver instruments were missing. Remus remembered Albus mentioning Harry's fit of rage. A second later, a whooshing sound announced Dumbledore's arrival in the fireplace.
"Well," he said as Albus emerged from the fireplace far more gracefully than Lupin himself had, "let's go, then." He turned to the door, eager to see Harry, but the older man put an arm on his shoulder gently.
"Remus," he said, "I should warn you that he has some serious injuries. His appearance will be slightly shocking."
"And.?" Lupin could tell there was more to the man's sentence than that.
"And.he has changed. He is a very different boy from the person you will remember. He is very depressed."
"That is to be expected, Albus," said the sandy-haired younger man cautiously.
"Of course," said the headmaster. "Let's go see him, then."
Several minutes later, the two arrived outside the Hospital Wing. Albus slowly pushed the door open. There, at the very end of the room, was Harry.
"Harry!" Remus rasped out.
"While, I'll just leave you two to it for now," said Dumbledore. He strode back the length of the infirmary, then turned and said, "Harry, I'll have Professor Snape pick up your things from Privet Drive."
The small, rather frail-looking figure gave no sign that he had heard. For a minute, Remus wondered if Harry was asleep.
Then, as Albus shut the door behind him, the teenager turned his face towards Remus. "Professor Lupin?" he asked quietly.
Remus had to fight to keep himself from gasping when he saw the swollen, bruised face of his best friend's son.
"Harry," he began quietly, taking in the black eye and patchwork of bruises, "what on earth happened to you?"
Harry just shook his head. "I'm fine. It's nothing." He lowered his head, intent on studying his fingers.
Remus decided not to press the matter for the time-being. "So, Harry, how've you been?"
The boy wrenched his gaze away from away from his fingers and turned his eyes-Lily's eyes-towards him.
But his eyes weren't the same as Remus remembered. They were hollow and dead, and it scared him.
~Those eyes have seen too much,~ thought Lupin sadly.
Harry just locked his dimmed eyes on the man for a minute, not saying anything.
"Harry," pleaded the werewolf, "talk to me!"
The terribly thin child spoke in a hollow, flat voice; one to suit his eyes. "There's nothing to talk about, Professor. He's dead. Dead because of me. There's nothing else to say."
"What makes you think it's your fault?"
Harry gave a humorless snort. "Who didn't learn Occlumency? Who was Voldemort after? Who had the 'love of playing hero'? Who was he trying to protect?" The raven-haired child was looking determinedly at his hands again.
"Harry." Remus said. The boy raised his head, eyes glazed. He put his face in his hands. The ex-defense professor gently put an arm on Harry's shoulders. He immediately recoiled at the contact. Puzzled and slightly wary, Lupin quickly drew his arm away, and Harry's taut shoulders instantly relaxed.
"Harry," he inquired softly, "did your relatives do this to you?"
Harry looked at him with blank, bloodshot eyes. For a moment, he didn't answer, and Remus feared he would ignore him. After several seconds of silence, he gave a frustrated sigh and said, "Well if I don't tell you, I'm sure Professor Snape will." He said 'professor' as if it were a swearword. He slowly unbuttoned his hospital-issued pajama shirt and pulled it off, allowing Remus to see his bandaged stomach and heavily scarred chest.
Lupin couldn't help himself. "Bloody hell."
*********************************
"Severus," Albus said, "I would like you to return to Privet Drive and retrieve Harry's things." With a sigh, he added, "For the record, I am telling you not to injure the Muggles too seriously."
Snape nodded curtly. Angry as he was with the headmaster, he was angrier with the people who had hurt a child placed in their care. Even if that child was Potter. "Floo Powder? Always makes for a nice surprise when a stranger drops into your sitting room via fireplace."
Albus shrugged. "Off the record, I only wish I could go myself. Just do me a favor, and scare them, would you please? Of course, the Ministry will want to make an investigation, especially considering it's Harry who is concerned. They won't be much better off having to face the public outrage of hoards of angry wizards then they would be facing me myself. Still better off, mind you."
Severus could detect the cold fury in Dumbledore's voice usually reserved for the Dark Lord. "Well," he said with a dry smirk, " I can hardly refuse a direct request from my superior. It might be harder to intimidate these people than it is a room full of eleven-year-olds, though."
Dumbledore gave a short and none too genuine chuckle. "Not from what Alastor Moody tells me." He held a box of Floo Powder out to Snape. "Before you go, I should warn you that Arthur Weasley told me a couple summers ago that they have an electric fireplace in front of their real one. Of course, I doubt they've put it up again, but you may have trouble getting through if they have."
"Brilliant," hissed the Potions Master, taking a pinch of glittering powder and throwing it into the fireplace. He stepped into the now verdant flames and said coolly, "Number 4 Privet Drive!"
Spinning very fast, Snape found himself in a thankfully unobstructed Muggle fireplace. Brushing himself off disdainfully, he stepped into the sitting room of Number Four, Privet Drive.
Two seconds later, a ridiculously obese man came thundering into the room, breathing heavily. "Who the bloody hell are you?" he demanded.
"Since you asked, Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," he sneered, using a tone he usually reserved for his thickest first-year students and, of course, Longbottom.
"You're another one of those freaks, eh? Well, the boy isn't here! We don't know where he is."
Severus's ebony eyes flashed. The fat fool Muggle had no idea who he was dealing with. "I would know that," he said dangerously, "being the one to remove him from your house at four this morning after finding him bleeding to death in a cupboard. I am here to collect his things, if you will kindly tell me where they are." It wasn't a request.
The man swelled, if possible, even larger, and puffed out, "You will not order me about in my own house!"
Snape swore. "Like hell I won't! I do not have time for this," he finished indifferently, quickly getting his lethal temper back under control. He whipped out his wand and whispered a few well chosen words. There was a bright flash of light and a dull cracking sound, and where Vernon Dursley had been there was now a large turkey.
"I am just a warm-up act to the Ministry wizards who will be arriving later. They will be quite angry. You see, in our world, attempted murder is rather frowned upon. Perhaps I'll leave you in this form until the Aurors arrive." Severus had a fairly good idea of where to find Potter's things and glided off silently.
He climbed the stairs quickly, this time immediately heading for the door with many locks. Once inside the room, he was able to look around more thoroughly than he had that morning. There was an owl cage in the corner. The trademark glasses lay broken on the bedside table , along with what appeared to be a photo album opened to a page featuring none other that the late Sirius Black. Snape closed the book and laid it on the bed with the glasses, continuing his search. The precariously wobbly three-legged desk was littered with parchment. Rifling through it, intending to vanish it, he noticed several papers with writing on them.
Examining the top paper, he realized it was not in Potter's hand. Reading it quickly, he saw that it was from Weasley and Granger. Snorting in disgust, he rifled through the other letters. Most of them seemed to be along the lines of, "Dear Harry, how are you, don't worry, someone will pick you up soon." Severus stopped when he recognized Potter's scrawl.
Curiosity took over and he began to further inspect the parchment. It was a crumpled-looking letter. The Potions Master stopped, puzzled. Why would Potter write a letter and never send it? Smoothing the paper out on the desk, he began to read.
~~ Dear everyone,
You'll never read this letter, because I'll never send it. Every day you send me letters asking how I am, and everyday I say "fine". You and I know this is a lie. Here's a sad shadow of truth for you: every morning, I wake up early after a nightmare-filled sleep to cook breakfast for my family. If I don't do it right, Vernon hits me. If I talk without being asked, Vernon hits me. If I dare even think of eating without permission, Vernon hits me. I receive a list of impossible chores to do every day. If I don't finish them, Vernon hits me. Notice a pattern? When the day is finally over, I collapse in my room, hoping not to wake up from the inevitable nightmare, because if I make noise, Vernon hits me.
Surely you are wondering why I don't tell you all of this. The simple truth is, I no longer care. What would I have given for somebody to threaten Vernon when I was younger? You have no idea how much I would've given for someone to come whisk me away when I was eight, shivering in my cupboard after my "uncle" came home drunk at hit me with a belt. But I was left here to rot, and now it's too late to save me.
Harry ~~
Severus set the parchment down in quiet shock. He turned away quickly, scanning the room for anything else. Something else near the nightstand caught his eye. It was a small jar. He picked it up and examined it.
"Madame Millie's Magical Concealing Crème?" he read aloud with disgust. Why on earth did Potter have concealing crème in his room? After a moment, he realized that Harry had been using it to hide his uncle's abuse. Severus felt something stirring within him at this. At first, he didn't recognize what it was, because he hadn't felt it in so long. Compassion. He was feeling sorry for Harry bloody Potter. 'Damn it, Potter,' he thought viciously, 'I didn't spend years teaching myself how not to feel to lose it all because of you!'
He looked around, wondering if there was anything else of Potter's in the room. Walking around the bed, he spotted a loose floorboard sticking up, just visible from under the bed. He pulled it up and hissed, "Accio!"
Only two things flew out of the hiding space: Potter's wand, and a bundle of letters tied together. Regarding them more closely, Severus realized that every one was addressed in Black's writing. He shook his head. The boy was never going to learn Occlumency, he didn't care what Albus said.
The Potions Master was quite perplexed, much as he hated to admit it. The boy's school trunk was nowhere in sight. Perhaps he would find it in that God-awful cupboard. He gathered the owl cage and other possessions and was on the second step from the top when he heard a shrill shriek.
Curious, he kept his calm pace as he descended the steps. He smirked when he saw the source of the wailing. A blonde, horse-faced woman, presumably Lily's sister, was chasing the Dursley turkey around the sitting room, a frying pan raised in her hand as though to strike.
Quite calmly, the dark-haired man went to the cupboard where he had found Potter the night before and opened it. Spotting Harry's trunk shoved into a corner, he pulled it out and opened it, shoving the wand, letters, and concealing crème into it. Once he had slammed the lid down, he transfigured the trunk into a silver Sickle, which he shoved into his robes. This task completed, he turned serenely back to the blonde woman, still chasing her husband, and, using his iciest tone, said, "Excuse me."
The woman was so startled that she stopped chasing the turkey, shrieked again, and very nearly dropped the frying pan.
"As much as I would love to see you beat your husband to death with a frying pan, it is not advisable, seeing as how you Muggles do generally frown upon murder." Severus calmly strode over to the fireplace, the transfigured trunk in his robes and the owl cage under his arm. Pulling a small bag of Floo Powder from his robes, he threw it into the fireplace. Placing one foot in the green flames, he turned back to the still speechless woman and the frantically flapping turkey and flicked his wand. An instant later, a red-faced and rather winded Vernon Dursley had replaced the turkey.
"This isn't the last you'll hear about this," he said softly, before stepping completely into the hearth and shouting, "Albus Dumbledore's office, Hogwarts, Sugar Quill."
************************************************************
Remus could only stare in revolt as he allowed what he was saying to sink in. Harry's entire stomach was heavily bandaged , and what was visible of his upper body looked as though it had been used as a canvas by some sick, twisted lunatic. His chest was bruised. Scars and welts covered his ribs, which stuck out from his skin, and the way he moved suggested that he was in a great deal of pain.
"Harry," he whispered, "did your uncle do this?"
Harry looked deadpan, and said calmly, "No. I ran into a wall and fell down the stairs all on my own, and I asked my aunt to kick me in the ribs."
Lupin was slightly taken aback by Harry's biting sarcasm, and chided him gently, "Harry."
"Yes, my 'uncle' did this to me. I deserved it though."
Remus felt a wave of rage. "Why would you deserve this? No one deserves this."
"I didn't do what he wanted me to. I didn't do a good enough job on m chores. I was a burden to them." He laid back down and resumed staring lethargically at the ceiling.
He took one more chance to get Harry to talk. "Ron and Hermione would like to see you soon."
Harry sat up very quickly. "No."
The werewolf was startled. "Don't you want to see them?"
Harry looked at him as if he were stupid. "Of course I want to see them. But I don't want them to see me like this. They don't need to see me weak."
"Harry," he said quietly, "Ron and Hermione won't think you're weak. They're your friends. They've seen you through everything else, and they've never thought you had a perfect home life." Harry did not respond.
*********************************************************
Severus arrived back in Dumbledore's office, still holding the birdcage under his arm. Doing his best to keep his dignity, he staggered sideways out of the stone hearth. He never had like Flooing too much. He did his best to brush the soot off of his long black robes and regain his composure.
"How did things go at the Dursley's?" asked the headmaster, eyes only slightly twinkling.
"I was able to collect Ha-Potter's things, though I also had the unfortunate luck to meet that uncle of his. Fat, nasty, unpleasant man, he was."
"I daresay he was much less happy with the situation then you."
"Well, most people, especially Muggles, do not appreciate being Tansfigured into turkeys."
"Minerva will be jealous. Human-animal transformations have always been her area of expertise."
"Yes, well, all the Potions I could think of giving him, tempted as I was, have some very illegal side effects. Besides, it would be far to easy to track me had I used a potion. I would be the first suspect."
"You did turn him back, though," the headmaster did not even try to sound concerned.
"Much as I hate to admit it, yes."
"Well, that is probably for the best. The proper authorities will have to deal with him."
Severus shook his head. "Turns out the Muggles kept famous Harry Potter locked up. You know, when they weren't beating him. No one, not even James Potter's son, should have to live the way Harry was forced to."
Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling so much that they appeared to glitter. "Why, Severus, I do believe you just called him Harry. Perhaps you actually care?"
Severus shot the headmaster a glare, though it was of little effect. He turned to leave with a swish of his robes, hoping to salvage at least some of his imitating demeanor.
"Severus, there is one more thing I would like to discuss with you."
Snape stopped with one foot out the door and turned around. He had a feeling he wasn't going to enjoy this discussion. "Yes?"
"After Harry is released from the Hospital Wing, he will need to stay at the school for a short while so Madame Pomfrey can monitor his progress."
"So the boy stays in the Gryffindor tower. What does this have to do with me?" Snape had a nasty suspicion.
"No, I do not want him to stay by himself. I was wondering if perhaps you would like to take him in. It would be good for both of you." Seeing Severus's face, he quickly continued, "Not for very long, just for a week, maybe a few days more. You could both learn some empathy from this."
Seeing the headmaster's face, the Slytherin found his mind had been made up for him.
"Isn't there anyone else who could take him, Albus?" Severus began feebly, but knowing it was no use the moment he opened his mouth.
"Is there a reason why you two can't get to know each other a little better ? You will both be surprised."
"I really don't have a choice here, do I?" The damn twinkle in the old man's eyes said it all.
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Minerva McGonagall wandered the castle in her cat form. It was one of her favorite ways to think, and with no students around, she was much safer from being stepped.
She certainly had much to think about now, as she pondered the halls near the dungeons. The war with Voldemort was becoming more and more violent everyday, now that the Ministry had publicly admitted the Dark Lord's return. The mere thought of the blundering idiots made Minerva boil with rage, and to relieve some of her anger, she hissed at a nearby mouse menacingly. She felt strangely satisfied as she watched the mouse scamper away. Perhaps that was why Severus always enjoyed intimidating the students so much. Speaking of Severus.Minerva had seen him hurrying through the halls early that morning holding a limp Harry Potter. She had always been an early riser, and had been on her way down to the Great Hall for a cup of tea when he had gone lumbering past, holding the pale, bleeding, unconscious Potter. He here shock and horror must have shown on her face, for Snape had given her the patented sneer even as he struggled with the boy's weight.
Minerva sighed and headed back to her quarters. Once there, she transformed and summoned a house-elf. The house-elf who came turned out to be Dobby, a very eager little thing that Dumbledore had actually hired. The elf simply adored Harry Potter and his golf-ball sized orbs widened every time his name was mentioned.
"How can Dobby help miss?" asked the elf in his squeaking voice.
"Could you please bring me a cup of tea? It doesn't matter what kind, whatever's fastest."
The elf nodded eagerly and had disappeared and reappeared within thirty seconds. He held out a cup of tea, which the professor took gratefully as she sank into her favorite squashy chair. "Thank you, Dobby. That's all."
The elf nodded enthusiastically and disappeared again. Minerva sipped her tea contentedly. She couldn't get rid of the nagging worry that plagued her. What had happenned to Potter? Why hadn't Dumbledore told the staff? Maybe he would tell them at the next staff meeting.
And then, of course, there was the anticipation for what You- Know-Who's next move was going to be. Furious that the prophecy had been destroyed and several of his best Death Eaters had been jailed in one night, Voldemort had gone on a killing spree, terrorizing several Muggle families, as well as Muggle-born witches and wizards. Now, the Order knew he was going to be doing everything to get them out of jail. They also knew he was going to try to recruit creatures such as werewolves, dementors, giants, and goblins. The problem was that so far, they had seen no evidence of said attempts, which made them all anxious and more than a little nervous.
A sudden sound from some distant part if the castle jerked Minerva out of her reverie. She didn't know how long she had been sitting there. Absentmindedly, she took another sip of tea, and suddenly choked, spitting it back out.
It was stone cold.
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A/N: Okay, I'm done. I know this chapter is short, but I deleted a long scene that I decided I would put somewhere else. The Minerva scene is all thanks to Cyci, who reminded me that she saw Harry. I hope I didn't do her too terribly OOC. That scene was quite spur of the moment. McGonagall doesn't get her POV shown all too often, so this is a nice switch from the constant Harry/Snape POVs I've been doing.
Please R/R! Give me suggestions, please-major writer's block here. Anyone got an idea for what dear old Voldie could be up to??? Again, sorry for the short chapter and the long wait.I feel just horrible.