Forgotten Yesterday
Chapter 30: Nightmares
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any characters borrowed for use in this story.
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Harry was silent in the weeks after the funeral. He seemed thoroughly exhausted. He had the same type of nightmares night after night. He watched through the dark lord's eyes murder and torture and rape. Soon the bodies began to surface and Harry's visions were vindicated. Snape and Draco also began to take on a haggard look. Everyday that passes Snape looked more and more like the man Hermione remembered from her school days. Thin, pale and sickly. The change was even more pronounced in Draco.
Hermione took to spending more of her free time with Snape. She poured over old record of the war, tracing Deatheaters that escaped. Snape had not said it in front of the aurors but those he had mentioned in the meeting Harry had already dealt with. There were some however…
One afternoon she slipped quietly into the headmaster's office. He looked up at her over the paperwork he was reading. "Please, by all means, come in." his voice was flat, belling his own exhaustion.
"I should have knocked." she took a seat across from him.
"Yes, you should have. But then, Harry doesn't either so why should you. Was there something in particular you wanted?"
"Actually, there are two things. First, the easy one. I've been reading through old record and one thing sticks in my head. Peter Pettigrew has never been captured, has he?"
His eyes were dark. "No, the rat-bastard has never been caught. He simply disappeared even before the final battle began. We don't know how long he'd been gone. It could have been as much as a year. We have never been able to get as much as a crumb as to his whereabouts."
"Could he have been planning this all along? Returning?"
"I've been thinking that myself. He had to have known he would loose. Even if he didn't think he would it would be like Voldemort to plan just in case. The last time it took him twelve years to return to anything even resembling a person. By planning ahead, he may have done it in nine."
"Hmmm…"
He could see the wheels in Hermione's head turning over his words. "What was the other thing you wanted to ask?"
"Oh… Um… Have you ever tried to come up with a way to remove the dark mark?"
"No the thought never crossed my mind. I find I quite enjoy having a vile tattoo that feels like millions of knives digging into my flesh. Don't you think it's just a wonderful fashion statement?"
"Your sarcasm is not appreciated. I was simply asking. You seem to be having a better time of it than Draco though."
"Yes," he stopped a moment considering his words, "but I have had much more practice than Draco dealing with the pain. It is a way of punishing those who are disloyal. As far as I can tell, it is a very light version of the crucatius curse. It is constant and unyielding."
"Weren't some medicines created during the war that lessened the residual pain of that curse?"
"Yes, but they are highly addictive and only work once the curse has ended."
"Thank you." she rose from the chair. "I'll let you know if I think of anything else."
"Hermione," he stopped her, "how is Harry?"
She stopped a moment and turned back to him. "He's quiet. He took his families death harder than ever he thought he would. Caity's worried about him. So am I. All the stuff with the funeral and the nightmares on top of it all. He has them every night. I've tried to get him to take a dreamless sleep potion but…"
"He's always been afraid he will become addicted to it if he begins. Could you ask him to join me for tea tomorrow?"
She nodded and slipped from the room.
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Harry took his time walking down to the dungeons. Snape had beckoned him to tea. He knew better than to refuse the headmaster but he could take his time answering the summons. He ignored the reprimands of the dungeon master in the painting over the door and entered the office. Snape was nowhere to be seen so Harry, heavily, took a seat before the fire. It crackled and popped in a way far to merry for the hearth that enclosed it. Harry soon began to doze in his chair. He was fully asleep when Snape re-entered from his laboratory. He watched the younger man a moment before sighing and beginning to prepare a fresh pot of tea.
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The chamber was dark as usual. Burning torches lined the room. They were there, the followers. There were more last time but their numbers grew every night. They threw themselves at his feet begging, pledging allegiance. Some he dismissed outright. A wave of the hand and they crawled back to the ranks. Others were punished. They writhed on the floor in agony and he laughed. Harry hated this part of the night more than anything. The air was heavy with the smell of the purifications a body in pain released. The prisoners were dragged before his throne. It was obvious the deatheaters had already had their fun. All, even the children, had been beaten and tortured. Many could barely stand. He killed the children first, he always did. Some could think he was sparing their further suffering. Harry knew better. He saw into the monsters mind. It was to punish their parents further. Hw tried to block out the screaming of the victims but only heard his laughter louder. He killed the all one by one.
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He watched Harry sleep for almost an hour before he began to thrash. Only a few more moments passed before Harry let out a yell and sat straight up in the chair. His face was drenched with sweat and his wide eyes scanned the room. Severus sprang up and knelt before the man grabbing his shoulders. His eyes settled on Snape and he began to calm.
"What did you dream Harry?"
He couldn't respond he only shook his head as the tears rolled down his cheeks.
"It was never this bad before was it?"
"No." he managed to whisper. "Never this bad. Every night he kills so many people. And we can't find the bodies. I… I just wish I could see their face or recognize their voices. Then we could know… something."
"You're exhausted." He studied the younger man. He was paler than he had ever seen him be. His hair hung limply about his face and his eyes seemed to have sunk into his face. "I know you don't want to Harry but I think its time you took it."
"NO!" he stood and began to pace around the office. "I can't I… Just no!"
"Harry this is killing you. You are of no use to anyone in this state. You couldn't duel a first year let alone the dark lord."
His shoulders slumped in defeat. "I know."
Snape placed the vial of dreamless sleep potion in his hand. "Call Hermione, go to your room and take this."
Harry nodded and slipped out of the room.
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Comments, Criticisms, etc??
A/N: I'm sorry this chapter was so long in coming. RL has been a bitch. Right now it doesn't look like it's going to get any easier till the end of semester. I swear I'm not abandoning the story. I will finish this. But for the next 8 weeks I cant promise anything even resembling regular updates. On a better note my story Those Who Do Not Learn is now up at FA.
