Disclaimer: HP and his fairytale realm do not belong to me, they belong to the empress known as JK Rowling, lol.
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A/N: Ok, I posted this chapter as soon as I could. Blame high school and work! ;). Reviews very welcome ;) Responses at the end of the chapter! If anyone sees anything that shouldn't be here or is similar to someone else's story, please email me so I can change it, it's the last thing I want (Unless it's completely unavoidable). This fic is based on original plot lines and if anything is remotely similar to someone else's story, tell me what story or what part so I can change it. Please note it is entirely unintentional. I want this as original a severitus' challenge as possible. So this is very likely going to have some things that are nothing you have never seen in a severitus' challenge before, for the most part anyway. As well as things that are boring, and well (hopefully not) have been done. If they are, eep!!!!
On with the story ;)
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----------Chapter Three ~ The Burrow.----------
Thursday morning found Harry Potter pacing the living room's green-carpeted floor restlessly. Leaning around the wooden doorframe, he caught sight of the clock. Noon. Four hours down, one and a half to go.
Yesterday on Wednesday, when Harry told the Dursleys he would be leaving, Uncle Vernon had made him clear the fireplace himself, a job in which had taken Harry all day.
The Dursleys were none-the-less happy to be rid of him one month earlier than usual, which is why Uncle Vernon had willingly taken all of Harry's belongings out of the cupboard and shoved them next to the fireplace, under the condition it remained locked while he was at No. 4 Privet Drive.
Dudley, taking his last opportunity for 'Harry Hunting' located him by the fireplace and had sneered snide remarks of his 'freakish' school and friends all day.
Collapsing onto the sofa and easing his stiff neck and back, Harry reflected on the irony that Dudley was now to be found shut up in his room in the corner, with his fat fingers clutching at his blubbery bottom and his jaw clenched painfully tight, his tongue trapped safely inside.
Chuckling inwardly, Harry once again readjusted his belongings. He had hidden his mother's letter in a secret compartment in his trunk that he had magically installed after getting the idea from 'impostor' Mad-Eye Moody.
Hedwig, nipping his finger that dangled down near the bars of her cage, Harry let his mind wander.
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That same day, Severus was walking up and down distressedly, running another hand through his raven locks, making them steadily more and more untidy.
Not having moved from his rooms for the past two days, Severus hovered about, his thoughts a whirlwind. He had a son. Not just any son. Potter.
The boy whom he had gone out of his way to make life miserable for, from day one. The boy he loathed and had hated all because he had seen him as some cruel result from his wife and friend's 'betrayal'.
How he angered at himself for it. Not seeing the boy on the inside and instead taunting him about his dead 'parents.' Snape hung his head in his arms.
He didn't know what he was feeling. Did he hate the boy? No, he didn't even know him. He didn't even try to get to know his own son.
That's because you didn't KNOW he was your son Severus! He berated himself.
What he needed was, a distraction. Any distraction.
*rattle rattle* … … *rattle rattle* … …
What on EARTH?… BANG!
Something black ricocheted off the cold stone wall and missed his face by an inch. The Bludger had escaped its prison. Oh why hadn't he locked the drawer?
Following its bouncing progress, with many smashed potion bottles in the meantime, Snape followed it all the way into his personal lab to meet it in the doorway and caught it painfully with his hands and stomach. Not feeling like being seen by one of the staff, he called for a house elf to take it away to Madam Hooch's office. Looking around at all the shattered glass and oozing potions strewn about the floor in his once organised lab, an idea occurred to him. Perfect! Potion brewing always seemed to ease his mind.
Getting out the ingredients for Lupin's Wolfsbane Potion, Snape began to feverishly stir the cauldron.
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1:30.
Harry put down the tea towel he was using to clean up the lunch plates and half-ran to the fireplace. Thirty seconds later, the fire blazed green and Ron Weasley, followed by his father appeared, stepping out onto the hearth.
"Alright Harry?" greeted Ron enthusiastically, his dancing blue eyes roamed over Harry. "Your taller! And, well… skinnier…"
Harry snorted, "Gee, thanks Ron!" he replied sarcastically.
"Nice to see you again Harry." Exclaimed Arthur, who looked like he was totally preoccupied with taking in every detail of the Muggles' home. "We better hurry, or Molly will throw a fit," he remarked fondly.
Scooping up Hedwig's cage, while Mr. Weasley cast a weightless charm over Harry's trunk, Harry let Ron go through the Floo Network first. Harry followed with Hedwig, clutching her cage in a death grip, the green flames licked up the hem of his robes.
"The Burrow!" he called, squinting his eyes shut. He felt himself breezing through the network and slowing down a minute later. He braced himself for the jolt. Coming to a sudden stop, he felt himself fall to his knees on the hearth, but managed to keep his upper body upright and Hedwig's cage balanced.
Quickly getting out of the way, Mr. Weasley sprung out after him, leaving the fire to burn a fiery orange. Glancing around, the house was just like he remembered it. The comfy couches with stuffing sprouting from worn in holes. The mirror over the cupboard that told you what you looked like and gave advice. The tall, handsome, mahogany clock that stood in the corner where all the Weasleys were currently resting on home and last but not least the windows that gave view of the humungous yard and the hill where they played Quidditch. He could just see Fred and George degnoming one of the paddocks behind the ancient oak tree.
"Harry, love!" called Mrs Weasley, swooping him up in a bone crushing, but warm hug.
"Hello Mrs. Weasley, thankyou for letting me stay." Thanked Harry smiling.
Mrs. Weasley waved a hand dismissively. "Nonsense dear! You're always welcome here," said Mrs. Weasley warmly. "My you've grown!"
Harry heard Ron snort softly in the background and Harry saw the hungry gleam in Mrs. Weasley's eye. He knew she was just itching to fatten him up a bit.
As if reading his thoughts, she said, "Why don't you come to the kitchen for an early afternoon tea?" she asked, fussing over his hair and tenderly brushing it out of his eyes. "Oh dear! Your eye! What happened?" asked Mrs Weasley concerned.
"Oh, it was just an accident, it'll clear up in a few days…"
Mrs. Weasley tutted but refrained from saying anything indecent of the Dursleys in front of Harry. It was evident, however, she wasn't about to give up.
"And those bags! Have you had any sleep at all?"
"Some," admitted Harry quietly.
Mrs. Weasley pursed up her lips disapprovingly. Although, she already knew the answer. "I'll send for some dreamless sleep potion from Poppy." She said to herself. "Go wait in the dining room dear, Fred and George will take your trunk up for you."
The twins, who had just meandered in perked up at the sight of Harry and now wore two, identical evil grins. Grabbing hold of the weightless trunk, they skipped out of the room a little too innocently.
At the table after talk of Quidditch and Ron's complaint of how the Chudley Cannons had lost… again, Harry broached the subject he had been thinking of.
"You told her, didn't you?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Told who what?" asked Ron, licking his fingers clean of jam and cream from the scones.
Harry raised his eyebrows.
Ron looked up from his fingers.
"Oh, Alright! Mum wanted to know how you were doing, I couldn't lie to her because I turn all red. So I told her about your nightmares. That's when she asked Dumbledore again if you could stay, he finally gave in although anyone would, the way she was pestering him. There. I told you. So you can stop giving me that look! You remind me of Snape!"
Harry shuddered. That was not funny!
Grabbing a handful of cream, he smudged it over Ron's nose.
"Hey!"
Harry laughed. They spent hours chasing each other in the backyard with bowls of whipped cream, which turned quickly turned more lively when they each brought out their broomsticks.
When it was dinner time, they trudged back up to the house, their faces red from laughing and running and they each were extremely creamy. It felt good to laugh. Ron was glad of the distraction for his friend. They showered before going to dinner and Harry noticed absently his hair was a bit longer. Mrs. Weasley had gone to the trouble of an amazingly fantastic feast, one enough to rival Hogwarts when Fred and George sidled in disappointedly.
Harry grinned manically, knowing exactly what the problem was.
"Couldn't unlock my trunk, hmmm?"
Fred and George narrowed their eyes at him at the exact same moment, which caused Ron and Harry to laugh about in their seats.
After the deliciously mouth-watering feast, Ron challenged Harry to a game of Wizard's Chess and after the fourth game (Harry had lost all four.) Mrs. Weasley had stepped in, demanding that Harry go to bed to be rid of those 'awful bags' as she had put it and promised the next day that Poppy would be sending over some Dreamless Sleep Potion.
Sighing, Harry gazed into the orange nothingness of Ron's ceiling before sleep claimed him its victim and Harry fell into blissful ignorance of the world around him.
Three in the morning, Harry woke with a start, drenched in cold sweat. His scar was throbbing painfully on his forehead. Had he screamed? He felt the Cruciatus curse hard that time. A soft snore from Ron assured him he hadn't. Panting softly, he dropped his head back onto the pillow with a muffled thump.
Voldemort had been torturing two men. Why? Harry had no idea. He couldn't remember what they looked like or what they had done, but he remembered Lucius Malfoy had been there. That was his last thought before he passed out from sheer pain and exhaustion.
The next morning dawned bright and cheery and Ron Weasley sat up with a dramatic yawn and stretched. Glancing over at Harry's bed, his eyes widened in shock and he let out a soft, startled cry.
He was ghostly pale and his scar was red raw. His bedding was completely saturated with cold sweat. Sensing better than to wake Harry up, he slipped out of bed and hurriedly padded out of the orange room and down the rickety staircase.
Molly Weasley was humming in the kitchen breaking eggs into the frying pan.
"Really Ronald, I've only just got up myself! Breakfast will be ready when I call it!" she huffed, bustling around the kitchen pulling open drawers of cutlery and cupboards of glasses and wonky mugs.
"No mum, you don't understand. It's Harry, he…" began Ron.
"Oh I know about Harry alright, saw it as soon as he got here! That horrid family has been starving the poor thing! Don't you worry Ron, I'm making this big breakfast specially for Harry." She said, that determined glint in her eye.
"No, mum…" Ron started again.
"Oh, for goodness sake!" Molly turned and put her hands on her hips, the worn apron she was wearing flapping about her thighs. "What is it you want Ron?" she asked, tapping her foot impatiently.
"Harry, I think he's had another nightmare."
Molly's foot immediately ceased to tap, her face fell into a look of pure worry and her legs were already moving out the kitchen.
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Moving up the revolving staircase, Severus lifted the golden knocker and dropped it on the ancient oak, letting it clatter to a stop.
"Come in," came the tired voice of the headmaster.
Slowly pushing open the door and he shut it firmly before taking a good look at the room and it's occupants.
The great many silver, whirring contraptions reflected off the walls and in the glasses of Albus Dumbledore, his legendary twinkle in his pale blue eyes and his typical lemon drops on a dish in front of him.
"Lemon drop, Severus?" asked Dumbledore, looking down his crooked nose and selecting one of the yellow sweets.
Severus fought the urge to roll his eyes. How many times had the man offered him one? He wasn't about to take the risk of being poisoned by muggles, who knew what they what they'd done to the things?
"No thankyou, Albus," he politely refused.
He spied Remus Lupin grinning amusedly. Scowling, he thrust the smoking goblet full of Wolfsbane into his hands.
"There Lupin, I've made an entire cauldronful, if you need anymore, it's in my chambers in my private lab. Password's Salazar."
Remus eyed him with humour.
"Why how… original, Sev"
"Shut it Lupin and don't call me that!" he snapped.
Remus held up his hands defensively.
"Call you what? Ok, ok.." he added seeing his glare.
"I might go down and get some more now, save me the trouble later." And with that he swept out of the office but not quick enough for Severus to hear him mutter 'rude!' under his breath.
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A soothing coolness seemed to ease his scar and Harry relished in it for a few moments before blearily opening his eyes. He was in his bed with two great brown eyes staring into his emerald ones.
"Mrs. Weasley?" he tried.
"Yes dear, Shhh. It's alright here, drink this." She held a goblet to his lips which smelt faintly of peaches. After the first few swallows, he felt the pain begin to ebb away and his strength returning.
His vision cleared as someone slid his glasses on his nose. He quickly slammed them shut again after being blinded by a violent shade of orange. Slowly assuming a sitting position, he pushed the damp cloth away.
"Really, Mrs. Weasley, I feel fine. I just might go take a quick shower." Mrs. Weasley frowned disapprovingly and was about to protest when…
"I'm actually feeling rather hungry, when is breakfast?"
Mrs. Weasley's face immediately brightened. "It'll be on the table when you come down love."
"Ok, thankyou" replied Harry smiling gratefully.
After a good rinse he dressed quickly and brushed his longer hair. His reflection was changing again. Must be lack of sleep, he wasn't seeing things properly or maybe it's just puberty? He thought, trying to convince himself.
Making his way back to Ron's room, the pair made their way down stairs to the kitchen.
"So, what was it?" You-know-who vision or nightmare?"
"Ron!" exclaimed Ginny.
"What?" retorted Ron.
"Vision," murmured Harry.
"Oh," answered Ron thoughtfully. "Did it hurt?"
"Ron!!" hissed Ginny again.
"What? Just wondering, he is my bestfriend you know! He needs to talk about it anyway, he can't keep it bottled up like always!"
After a few minutes of silence and no reply from Harry, he spoke up.
"Cruciatus" muttered Harry, giving an involuntary shudder and shovelling in a forkful of bacon.
"Wha' wassat 'Arry?" asked Ron through a mouthful of scrambled eggs.
"Cruciatus Curse" repeated Harry.
Ron gaped in horror whispering something like 'unforgivable curses' in terror.
"Oh Harry! That's awful!" exclaimed Ginny. "I'll go tell mum, she's going to call Madam Pomfrey anyway, she could get you another potion…"
"No, I'm fine Gin!" Harry smiled weakly. "Really"
Ginny looked totally unconvinced but continued to eat her breakfast. "Hermione'll be here in a few days, won't she Ron?" asked Harry, successively changing the subject.
"Uh huh," nodded Ron, spraying the table with bits of food.
"Urgh! Ron! Don't talk with your mouth full!" scolded Fred showing slobbery, mushy toast in his gaping mouth.
"Urgh! Fred!" squealed Ginny.
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"Severus, is there something you would like help with?" asked Albus.
"Erm, yes." Muttered Severus, silently debating with himself whether or not to tell the headmaster about Harry's true parentage.
"It's about Harry Potter," he began.
"Severus, he has not received any ministry warnings, he has not performed any magic whilst on holiday and so there is no reason to expel him as of yet," sighed Dumbledore wearily, rubbing his eyes beneath his glasses.
Severus flinched inwardly. Had he really been that bad?
"No, actually I was wondering if he is currently staying with his relatives?"
"Yes, well, he was. He's now at the Weasleys for the rest of the summer. Molly Weasley kept requesting he'd come and stay for the summer ever since the end of the third task and…"
"Why?" asked Severus.
"Because Harry's been having nightmares ever since. A lot of them visions too." Replied Dumbledore sorrowfully.
"No, I mean why did you…" Snape broke off. "Visions?" he repeated.
"Yes," replied Dumbledore, his moustache quivering. "He has visions of Voldemort as they are connected through Harry's scar. It pains him whenever Voldemort is near or feeling particularly murderous. He sees Voldemort during these visions doing whatever it is he does. To my knowledge, he sometimes feels the curses too."
"Has he had any potions?!"
"Poppy is sending some Dreamless Sleep potion and pain relieving potions today."
Severus fell silent.
"Well, I must go Albus, need to see if that damned werewolf has forgotten the password along the way." With a nod of his head, he left the headmaster to his own thoughts.
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Reaching the dungeons, he saw his portrait of the three horned elf had been left open.
'Good One Lupin' he thought to himself. Walking down the hall, he went into his office, he stopped short inhaling a deep gasp of air.
There, behind the desk, sat Lupin.
Next to him were a couple of vials of Wolfsbane and he was reading what suspiciously looked like Lily's letter.
----------end of chapter----------
A/N: Sorry it took a while to update, blame the evil teachers setting evil exams etc. (As it is near the end of the school year.) Next chapter should be up quite soon, I'm not yet happy with it.
Review Responses:
Zarra Rous: Thanks for the review! Glad to know I don't suck… yet, lol.
Lei Dumbledore: I agree with you on the pairings, I'm that type of shipper too. Which is why I've decided for a change. Thanks for such a fantastic review! I really love your stories, it's great to receive a review from a talented writer such as yourself.
Izean: This definitely won't be slash and seeing as you prayed so hard, I won't make it H/G. for you. I like those two together, but seeing as my other ffs are H/G, I'll go for a change. Thankyou for the wonderful review, it means a lot to me!
Candledot: Wow! I'm speechless!! I hope this chapter is just as good, I'm not really sure. Thankyou so much! You have no idea how flattered I am!
Animegirl-kia AND Reannia:
Thanks so much you two. I think I really did go back into shock back there, but Nate hasn't sent me any emails yet so, I have no idea what is similar. It really is unavoidable when you're talking about thousands of these challenges being answered. I'd just like to thankyou so much, it was ur reviews in particular that really got me motivated to continue this story. I really hope this chapter meets your expectations!
Fizzysoda: Here ya go! Your review, too got me back in gear! Thanks for the review!
Linda: Wow! I loved your review and I totally agree. Like I said, my main priorities are Harry's 5th and 6th year and those fics are extremely detailed and thought out. This one isn't as much because it is just something to help pass the time. I usually don't have a lot of time to go over this fic, so I'll try and hopefully my natural ability comes through. I looove long reviews, it puts the readers perspective out there, so thankyou! I have absolutely NO intention of having anyone OOC, too many people do and I HATE it!! And, well… if I do, oops!! *blushes*
s0ccerstar 3000: Thanx for the review, I hope you like this chapter too.
ManicGrace: Thankyou so much! I really appreciate your review, I just couldn't believe someone was accusing me, I think I did take it personally, which is why I was in shock, but mostly because I was being wrongly accused. Your review really helped me to get over it and continue my story, so thanx! You're a real friend.
Aniwda: Hopefully the middle and the end are good too! *crosses fingers* Thanks for your review!
Perry: Thanx! I hope you're not disappointed!
Saavik: Thankyou, it means a lot to me. A pensieve hmmm? Sorta, but that's not all! ;) I kinda made up my own theory for that one. Should be up either in the next two chapters!
A/N: Mwahahahaha! A cliffie! Well… sorta. I think this chapter is a bit.. weak (hehe, Viscountess Babbles-on an urs is sooo not!) Anyway, if you could be so nice as to click that little blue button down there, I would be extremely grateful :;)
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