Disclaimer: see Chapter One

Chapter Eight: Hurt and Comfort

Albus smiled at Severus. "How is he Poppy?"

Poppy didn't immediately answer. "Not good, Albus. We can talk more in a bit. I'm going to need some help holding him while I put in the antibiotic ear drops."

"Why don't you spell him still?" asked Remus matter-of-factly.

Poppy shot him an icy look. "Some patients have been cursed and hexed quite a bit in their lives, Remus. For these patients, I am loath to 'spell them still.' I try not to add to their feelings of helplessness."

Remus was taken aback by her vehemence but said nothing more.

"We need to get him on his side. Albus, you come here and hold his head. Remus you take his legs. Just keep him from hurting himself."

What about him hurting me? Remus slid off the Potions Master's heavy boots and helped roll him onto his side, facing Poppy. She again held the potion bottles in front of Severus' face, allowing him to read the labels.

"What are you doing?" asked Albus.

"He can't hear anything Albus. I'm trying to show him what we need to do." She held the dropper in front of him and pantomimed placing drops in her own ear, wincing as if in pain. Severus mutely nodded.

Albus' eyebrows came together in thought. "Is the hearing loss permanent?" Poppy nodded, biting her lip to hold back the tears.

Remus' jaw clenched, as he understood more fully Poppy's extreme reaction

Poppy drew up some of the potion into the dropper. "This will likely hurt him quite a bit, please try to keep his head steady." She held the dropper to his ear and the first drop plopped in. The instant it hit his ear a loud sizzling could be heard and Severus' body jerked wildly, a low moan escaping his lips. "Hold him! Hold him!" Arthur stepped in to help hold the Potion Master's torso still. Though obviously in great pain, Severus made no further sound as more drops were added. By the fifth drop, there was no longer a sizzling sound and his body stilled. Poppy's head rose and she spied tears streaming down Albus' cheeks. She quickly looked away, her own vision blurring. Swallowing thickly she pointed her wand to Severus' ear. A stream of white cotton flowed from the end. Filling his ear, she then motioned for him to be placed on his other side.

Ron came from the bathroom and crossed silently to the throng of people surrounding his teacher. Molly came up behind him and draped her arm about his shoulders.

Severus was slowly and gently rolled onto his other side. Albus stroked his raven hair and squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. The Potion Master's black eyes gazed back at him, clouded with pain and exhaustion.

"This ear is infected worse than the other." She filled the dropper and held it to his ear. As the drop fell, the sizzling was louder than before and a cloud of purple smoke puffed from his ear. A low groan escaped his lips, his body bucked and he kicked out wildly, catching Remus in the gut. Ron stepped in and helped Remus hold his legs.

Albus pulled the younger wizard's head to his chest, keeping his head still. Severus' arms encircled the headmaster's body tightly, as he buried his face in the folds of his robes. Severus took some of the material into his mouth to bite down on as Poppy continued to add drops. The sizzling did not stop until the ninth drop. By this time everyone in the room was emotionally and physically spent, Severus Snape most of all, who became limp in Albus' arms. Albus shot a worried glance to Poppy, who reassured him that Severus was just getting some rest. She filled his ear with cotton and they rolled him onto his back.

Albus sighed deeply; running his finger over Severus' flushed cheek. "The poor boy has been through so much in his young life."

Poppy nodded and told Ron that she would examine him in just a moment. She then led Albus to her office.

Ron got on the bunk beside his teacher while Remus called for a house-elf to bring some food. The outside door to the ward banged open and Hagrid stepped inside. "Sorry abou' that." Coloring slightly, he went over to Ron. "How're yeh doin', lad?" Ron stretched out on the bed and Hagrid saw the lump on his calf. "Wha's that then?"

Ron strained his neck and angled his left leg. "Bloody hell! A spider bit me but it didn't hurt anymore so I thought it was fine." He lifted the leg of his pants and was horrified to see that the lump was now the size of an orange and looked to be closing in on grapefruit-size. Hagrid poked his finger at the lump and it quivered in response.

"Remus!" called Hagrid. "Yeh better have a look a' this."

Remus came over, his eyes widening as Hagrid explained what happened. "What kind of spider was it, Ron?"

"I don't know. It was reddish-brown. Malfoy called it a vampire spider."

Remus quickly began to conjure things with his wand. He barked out orders to the others. "Molly, Arthur, hold him. Hagrid, get ready to assist me. Ron, we need to…uh…extract the…uh…"

"The egg sack, Remus." supplied Hagrid helpfully.

"Egg sack! What are you talking about!" Ron shot up from the bed. His parents took his arms and gently pulled him back onto the bed.

"You'll want to be keeping off that leg for now. It's going to be okay. Just try to relax." Remus tried to be as reassuring as possible.

"Relax! RELAX! You tell me that a spider laid eggs in my leg and I'm supposed to relax!"

"It's okay, Ron. We'll have them out in a jiffy."

"Them? How many are there!"

Hagrid poked Ron's leg again. He began to answer but decided against it, seeing Molly's venomous look.

Ron began to tremble violently. His mother grabbed him tightly, sinking onto the bed and asking Arthur to get him a calming potion.

Remus put up his hand. "Sorry, Molly, no magic of any kind. It may…uh..." There was an awkward silence.

Hagrid blurted it out without thinking. "It'll cause the eggs to 'atch and they'll start to feed."

Remus winced and Hagrid blushed furiously. "Of course we won't let that happen, Ron. It'll be fine."

Molly felt very dizzy suddenly and was thankful that she was sitting on the bed.

Remus tried to calm the waters. "They're still in the egg sack. We need to get them out before they hatch."

"You guys are all wrong. My leg, it doesn't hurt at all." Ron laughed nervously, trying to get up off the bed. He stopped when he saw all of the adults closing in on him. "Really, it's fine."

Remus leaned in, very close to Ron's face. "Listen to me, Ron. It doesn't hurt because the egg sack secretes an enzyme that numbs the area, so…the host will hopefully leave it alone. We need to get them out before the sack bursts, otherwise they will attack… the host."

"Attack?" Arthur moved closer to his son in some unconscious effort to protect him.

"The vampire spider is very deadly. There was once an infestation in a home near mine. The poor family didn't know what hit them." Remus then went back to making preparations.

"What did the spiders do to them?" asked Ron, staring at his leg with a look of pure revulsion.

"Quit yapping and take are of my son!" Molly snapped, hugging Ron's head to her ample bosom.

"Let's do this quickly." Remus became very businesslike in his approach. "Molly, Arthur, you keep him still." He grabbed a pillow and enlarged it, placing it beneath Ron's leg. "Hagrid, hold his leg very still." Remus picked up some cotton that he had conjured, as well as a small bowl of rubbing alcohol. He wet the cotton and cleaned Ron's leg. He stole a glance at Ron's face and could tell that he felt nothing. Good. As he picked up the scalpel, Molly covered Ron's eyes. The young Gryffindor gulped but did not protest. The scalpel cut easily through the layers of skin, almost too easily. Sweat broke out on Remus' forehead as he made the incision over the sack. He made a second perpendicular to the first, creating an 'X'.

Remus again glanced at Ron's face. His mother still held him, she nodded to Remus to continue.

How he wished he had more experience doing things the "Muggle way". He lifted back the flaps covering the lump. The sack looked very fragile. It was pale yellow and almost transparent. His stomach gave a lurch when he saw the tiny dark blobs moving around inside.

As if reading his mind Hagrid said, "It won' break."

Ron made a small whimpering sound and his father clutched his shoulder in a reassuring grasp. "It's okay, son."

Remus swallowed the lump in his throat and reached in. The sensation of the squirming arachnids in the sack caused Remus to break out into a sweat, as his fingers slid beneath. A sickening sucking sound accompanied its release from the sheltering body. Remus lifted it until he could see the cord, which attached it to Ron's leg. "Hagrid, grab the jar and hold it very still."

Hagrid picked up the jar, his eyes clearly showing his excitement at seeing the rare sight. "Ready."

Remus slid the sack slowly into the jar as far as the cord would allow it to go. It hung precariously several centimeters from the bottom. Remus bit his lower lip, blinking painfully as a drop of sweat trickled into his eye. Arthur picked up some spare cotton and swabbed the rest of the sweat from his face. "Thanks." The lycanthrope's hands shook as he picked up the scalpel. "Hagrid, be ready with the lid. I've a feeling it will break on impact." Hagrid nodded, grabbing the lid. Remus quickly cut the cord.

The sack plopped onto the bottom of the jar, Hagrid quickly capping it. The impact, and sudden cessation of nourishment caused the sack to burst, sending a hundred or so tiny spiders scrambling around seeking food. Hagrid held up the jar, staring in awe at the tiny creatures.

"Take that jar away!" Molly shrieked. Seeing Hagrid hide it, she stroked her son' hair. "It's okay now, Ron. Everything is fine, just like we said it would be."

Ron sat up seeming a little dazed. Remus hoped he was able to breathe properly while his mother held him so tight.

Ron stared at his leg. "I didn't feel anything at all. Are they…are they all gone?"

Remus clapped him on the shoulder. "Everything's okay. They're gone."

Poppy and Albus came from the back office and Remus explained the situation. Poppy immediately went to dress Ron's wound, while Albus went to Hagrid.

"What did you do with the jar?" asked Albus.

Hagrid flushed guiltily and held the jar out in front of him. "I wasn' gonna keep 'em."

"I should say not, Hagrid. I will not have creatures of this ilk anywhere on the property. That means they will not be released into the woods, either." Albus rose one eyebrow meaningfully. "You must not allow them to live, Hagrid."

" Surely 'eadmaster. I'll be takin' care 'o tha' righ' away."

"Set the jar outside, sealed. Then come and get a bite to eat. You can take care of them after." Albus reached up to pat the half-giant's huge shoulder.

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