My Father's Shadow
Chapter Seven
Spoil the Child
"You!" Vernon raged. Harry scampered back. "I was abducted from my home in the middle of the day, and the first thing I see is you? I thought I was done with you!"
From outside where Severus had cast a seeing spell, the Potions Master was shocked. He was torn between rushing in there and seeing what his son would do. He decided to wait.
"Well boy," Dursley was saying. "It seems we have a second chance this year. Well? What have I taught you? Let's review. First lesson."
Severus watched as Harry hurried to kneel on the cold floor, eyes downcast in submission, hands folded behind his back.
Vernon clapped. "Oh very good. Second lesson."
Harry crawled over and began licking Vernon's shoes. Vernon watched for a while then kicked the boy away. Harry didn't make a sound but instead hurried back into a kneeling position.
"Exactly what you should be doing. You should thank your uncle for providing you with a proper education."
"Thank you Uncle," came Harry's small voice. It took all of Severus self-control not to rush into the room.
"Third lesson." Harry paled but didn't move as his uncle advanced upon him. Severus watched with trepidation as his son allowed his uncle to slam him upside down, pull his arms up over his head, tear his pants down.....
That was when Severus burst in, wand out. "Petrificus Totalis." Vernon landed frozen on Harry who continued to remain still. Severus hurried over.
"Harry," he whispered cautiously.
Harry calmly shrugged his uncle off him, collected his clothes, and, tearless, turned to face his father.
"Are you alright?"
Harry gazed at him with cool eyes. Then he turned and walked out. He was stunned before he reached the door.
Harry was bedridden for a week after the "incident", not because his health was in danger but because he refused to speak. Severus had informed Dumbledore and the two had taken the proper measures to ensure that Vernon Dursley would never, ever, abuse another child.
The two professors had been at their silent student's bedside for the extent of his hospital stay. Severus no longer restrained the boy. He didn't have the heart after seeing Harry's passive acceptance of his uncle's tyranny. His son had taken on a submissive personality in general since the even. He would eat when told, but never did he bring up the idea himself. Severus had threatened to restrain him again but Harry had simply shrugged and stared at him with dead eyes.
After a week Albus had finally convinced Severus that Harry should leave the hospital as there was nothing physically wrong with him. Severus had agreed on the terms that Harry wouldn't go back to classes until he was talking again.
They prepared a place in Severus' quarters for Harry. Severus' rooms were up in the East Tower. It was a bright place, spacious and filled with a homey air. Harry's room was a colorful place, french doors leading to a tower filled balcony. His room was colored in soft green, and he had a bathroom colored in soft pastels.
The result was a room that was pleasant and peaceful. Harry didn't even blink when he was brought there.
The day Harry was moved-exactly a week after the incident-Severus began to get desperate. So he committed his first fatherly deed.
His first day in his new rooms and his father had left him. He wasn't alone he knew. There was always a house elf popping up under the pretext of seeing if he wanted something. The fireplace in his room was lit and he had caught the outline of the headmaster peeking in on him quite a few times.
He hadn't moved from his position since his initial curling-up into a ball. He found that his normal amount of curiosity was almost nonexistent and he didn't know or care where his father had went. He was dead to the world.
That was why he was so startled when a voice started speaking to him. 'He told me you wouldn't speak to me but you will won't you?' The voice sounded strange, different from any he had ever heard. There was a movement on his bed, and Harry twisted around defensively. There was a black and gold cobra wound into a ball beside him. The snake raised emerald eyes to meet his.
'Will you speak to me Serpent-Child' it asked. 'The dark man told me you might.' Harry felt a pang of guilt. He wasn't angry with the snake after all. It wasn't really speaking, he argued with stubborn self. After all, he was the only one who could speak parseltongue.
'Hello, who's the dark man' Harry asked, the snake hissed in delight.
'The dark man is your father. He said you needed someone to talk to.'
Harry sneered for a second, not willing to admit that the deed had touched him. Then he realized there was no point in offending his new friend.
'He was right.'
"You're not telling me something Severus," the headmaster murmured. "What are you hiding?"
"Nothing," said Severus, sounding remarkably like Harry in his second year. "Nothing at all."
'You know Serpent-Child,' said Diablo (Harry had learned that was what his friend was named) 'You cannot remain like this forever. Humans require social interaction. This I know.'
'I have you.' Harry countered.
'Human interaction.'
'Humans are overrated.'
'You are human.'
'I wouldn't be so sure about that.'
Diablo tried to ask him about that, but Harry had tuned him out. He was human-the flesh that covered him attested to that. Yet the human race seemed alien to him. He was like no homo-sapient he knew. And what type of human was he to allow the things that had been done to him?
No, Harry was not human. He could never amount to that.
"Harry," questioned Severus to the silent room. "Are you in here?"
There was a movement on the bed. Severus walked over and stared at the balled up form of his son and the serpent coiled beside him. He had decided to fetch the cobra because he was concerned about Harry's well-being. The snake would be a loyal protector and friend.
"Can you please leave me alone?" Harry's small voice came at Severus' ears like church bells on the day of the reckoning.
Severus tried to contain his excitement–his son was finally speaking again–and answer with a neutral tone. "You've been alone quite a long time."
"I have Diablo."
"Satan?"
"No, Diablo, my snake."
"I see."
Severus sat at the edge of Harry's bed, the boy brought himself in even tighter. "Harry, you can't stay like this forever. You're young, you have a life to live."
"What if I don't want to live?"
"Then you will hate life."
"I already hate life."
"How do you know death will be any better?" Severus hissed. "You have people here who love you, who care for you. What have you in death?"
"Dumbledore told me once that 'death is just the next great adventure'," Harry's voice was full of sarcasm.
"Don't play the moron. Death is an uncertainty and you and I both know it."
"So is life."
"At least in life you have the opportunity to change things. Are you so certain you will have that opportunity in death?"
"Why do you care?" Harry snapped, changing topics. "You hate me."
"That may have been slightly accurate in the past. But I cannot hate my own son, especially when he has been through so much."
"I hate you."
"You have reason to."
"You're a greasy bastard who has no dignity. A man without honor who subjects his son to atrocity simply to quell his curiosity. You have no pride Severus Snape."
"Do those things really matter to you? Pride, honor, dignity?"
"No, but they look good on my resume as Golden Boy."
"Is that what you see yourself as? The Golden Boy?"
Harry didn't answer. Severus sighed. It was time to try something else.
"Did your uncle abuse you Harry?" he asked, needing to hear it from the boy's own lips.
"No."
"How did you come by your injuries?"
"I fell down the stairs."
Severus sighed. At least the boy was talking again.
Review Responses:
Thanks to:
Sword Wieder - Firebreath
Noone
SandiBebop: I know how you feel...I think! - -
AJ-Wolf-AJ
JE aka Yessina: Severus doesn't really understand. He has an idea, but he doesn't really believe it.
Dalamar Nightson
Adenara Yatman
LadyLily3
Opal: I like the Peter Pan thing too. Vernon recognizes Harry because Harry-while different- still has those eyes. Those eyes are recognizable to anyone who knows him and Vernon most definitely knows him.
Kateri1
Moni
Makalani Astral
Leggylover03
Lil Bell
Starangel 2106
Tia Evans
Chips Challenge
Volleypickle16
Jedina: I LOVE THE NEVER NEVER LAND PART. Thank you for saying you did too.
Spiral-Digger
HecateDeMort
Mayhem El-Diablo: It kind of makes me sad that your story is almost finished.
Nation El-Diablo
Wow! 23 reviews. I think that's a new record for me. THANK YOU!