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Chapter 2 by ckat44
Burn
Harry worked on his essay for Snape up in his room on his bed. It didn't take him too long to finish and he found himself falling asleep. Like almost every other time, he had a terrible dream of Sirius falling through the veil. In response to the vivid nightmare, he was thrashing about in his bed, lashing his arms and legs uncontrollably. "No! Sirius!" Harry screamed into the empty room.
Downstairs in the kitchen, Tonks, Remus and Snape were sitting around the table tending to different things. Tonks was writing in a notebook and Severus was reading a newspaper.
"We haven't heard from Harry in a while," Remus said looking up from his novel.
"Potter is doing an essay for me," Snape sneered without looking away from the Daily Prophet placed in front of him.
"What for? Why would he be doing an essay for you Severus?" Lupin asked.
"That is none of your damned business," Snape said coolly, walking out of the room with his newspaper in hand. Ignoring the usual childish quarreling between the two, Nymphadora didn't even notice that the potions master had left.
Severus thought he might as well check on Potter to make sure the blasted boy was doing the essay. He probably thought he was above doing essays that were asked of him….bloody Gryffindor.
Severus walked to Potter's room and without knocking opened the door. "Potter, are you finished yet?" Snape asked coldly, boldly entering the room. He stopped short when he saw the Boy Who Lived moving wildly in sleep in his bed. He was obviously have a nightmare.
"Sirius!" The screams of Harry Potter went through the room. Snape would not stand for it.
"Enervate," he said and watched as Potter shot straight up in the bed, narrowly missing hitting his head on the bed post.
Harry felt disoriented at first. He felt around for his glasses but couldn't find them. He realized that they must have fallen somewhere under the bed.
Snape noticed the glasses on the floor and handed them to the boy in a curt manner.
Harry's tired nightmare riddled brain finally realized that it was Snape in the room. Looking at the hateful expression on the man's face, he could tell that he had been screaming in his sleep. He felt his face and wiped dry tears off of it fiercely.
"Potter, falling asleep on the job I see. Have you finished you essay?"
Harry looked at the foot of his bed to see his essay crinkled and almost ripped. Standing up, he grabbed it and smoothed it out. He handed it to the professor and waited for some sort of approving or disapproving comment. Neither came.
"I see that you have learned your lesson about hexing yourself…. I want you to try the hex on a dummy," Snape said neutrally, as a wooden mannequin was transfigured from the nearest desk.
Was Snape really helping Harry and not spilling insult after insult at him? This was definitely a first.
Harry perfected the hex on the dummy after Snape left quickly. It was his turn to keep watch on Harry, as Tonk's shift was over, but Harry didn't know that.
Harry wanted to practice more hexes...but the mannequin was badly beaten, torn into pieces. Harry could transfigure lots of things but he didn't know how to transfigure something like that. He had no choice. He would have to practice on himself again but this time Snape nor could anyone else find out about it. He remembered finding rooms in the house that he was almost positive most people did not know about. They may have known about them but for whatever reasons they never went in the rooms. Harry didn't know why and didn't really care. He grabbed his wand and a couple of books on hexes and took off to find the deserted back rooms.
Five minutes later, Harry was sprawled out on the floor, a couple of books spread around him. He had picked this room because there had been a full length mirror in the corner. After moving it, It was now in the middle of the room across from where he was sitting. Harry skimmed through the pages of a book looking for a less painful hex when a certain one caught his eye.
The Haceret Hex
The Haceret Hex makes the cursed feel like burning metal
is being pressed upon the skin in the selected area of the body. Depending on
how long you keep your wand pointed at the victim affects how strong the curse
lasts. This will numb the victim for a long time. The burn will stay for hours.
This has been known to make people go crazy from being subjected to the curse
for too long. It is not well known but is not illegal.
To make this hex work you must point the wand where you want it to happen
and say 'Hacera Teray'
Why was this hex so dark? Were they all like this? Harry skimmed a couple more pages and realized yes, they were dark hexes. He felt compelled to try this hex. It could help him in the war right? Harry nodded to himself and stood opposite of the mirror. He reminded himself that he could not hold it for too long or there would be serious consequences. Also, Snape had said that the mirror makes it worse so this would make it even worse.
"Hacera Teray!" Harry shouted at the mirror at his right leg and immediately pulled his wand away. His ankle took the very painful brunt of it, it hurt so bad! His leg felt like it was being sliced off slowly with hot knives. He screamed in pain and collapsed. It was not supposed to hurt this much! He lay on the wood paneled floor not moving or thinking for several antagonizing minutes of pain. He was slowly able to sit up as he tried to keep his mind off of the sharp hurt. Harry looked at his leg.
"Damn," he whispered in disgust and frustration. His ankle looked terrible. The skin was singed off. Black and peeling...with blood all over. He hadn't even noticed how bad it was when he did it. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did he do it even after Snape explained to him what could happen! Harry would not be using the mirror again no matter what. He tried to stand up but failed miserably. Maybe he could heal it himself with his wand… No, that wasn't a good idea.
Two hours later Snape walked into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Remus and Tonks were sitting at the table, eating and reading.
"Severus, how is Harry? It is almost time for Remus to keep watch of him but it is getting late. What is he doing?"
Doing? What was Potter doing? Why would Snape care? Oh
Merlin...he was supposed to be keeping an eye on the boy. Snape cursed and
swept out of the room without his coffee or anything else for that matter. Ten
minutes later he still hadn't found him.
"I don't know where he is," he said simply to the other two occupants
of the kitchen.
Tonks jumped out of her seat. "What?" she bellowed giving Severus a deathly glare; Remus looked almost as sharp.
"Severus! You were supposed to be watching him! Where is he? Could he have run away?"
"He isn't that stupid," Tonks told the two.
"Then what?" Snape asked incredulously.
"We have to search the house," Tonks stated. There were only three of them in the manor, not including Harry, so it would probably take a long time. They best get started…
About a half an hour later Severus had checked most of the more secluded rooms. He came to a room with a chipped full length mirror and books all around. In the middle of it all was Potter, lying down with his right foot sticking out. Harry could do nothing but wait for someone to come in due to his current state so that was what he had been doing. He had been lying there ignoring the excruciating pain coming from his ankle.
"Potter, what the hell happened to your leg?" Snape asked in disgust.
"Professor, I can't move…." Harry said not looking up at the man.
"That is obvious. How did you burn your leg?"
"I didn't mean to! Well, I did...but not for it to get this bad..."
"Potter, I told you not to hex at the mirror!" he yelled.
"I know, I just… I wanted to practice."
Snape growled. "We will...discuss this later," he said as he bent down. "Should I even heal this? Maybe I should leave it like this so you will finally learn better."
"Please professor…," Harry pleaded.
Snape looked down at the book opened next to the boy and noticed what textbook it was.
"Potter, why the sudden obsession with dark arts?" he asked snidely.
"I am not obsessed with dark magic…," Harry said through gritted teeth.
"Oh really? Then why are you looking through Dark Magic books and picking the very worst hexes to use on YOURSELF stupid boy?"
"These will HELP me professor," Harry growled.
"Daft-"
"Professor, if no one is going to assist me then I have to prepare for the upcoming war myself. I am not an ignorant child! Everyone treats me like I am but I am the savior of the wizarding world for Merlin's sake!"
"Looking for more fame than you already have Potter?"
"NO!"
