The Other Side Of The Dark: Chapter 19
Harry stared dazedly at the ceiling. He felt as if he were floating, and every now and then he would sink a little towards a darkness punctuated by stars and the whisper of a breeze on the sea… and then he would suddenly be jerked back to this dim room, a place he did not want to be.
Odd feelings tugged at him from different corners of his mind. Somewhere on the bed at his side was a book he wanted to read; but he didn't have the strength to sit up and reach for it. Somewhere in a place he could not quite remember there was a Pensieve. It was important, but he couldn't remember why. He felt so tired! If only he could sleep properly, then he would remember. The Pensieve… maybe Dobby knew where it was. Something in the back of his mind seemed to grasp at this idea; it was a good idea. Where was Dobby?
'Harry? Who's Dobby?'
Harry let his head loll sideways towards the voice. A small, gentle hand dabbed a cool cloth over his forehead, and the weariness seemed to ease. He focused on the girl with pink hair, her name just out of reach in the wandering recesses of his mind.
'Dobby,' he whispered. 'Dobby was helping Snape. He might know where the Pensieve is…'
'So,' Moody growled softly, 'time for us to be honest with each other, Albus.'
Dumbledore gazed impassively at the old Auror, his face unreadable. 'Indeed, Alastor,' he replied. 'Both of us.
There was a long silence in the shadowy room; then Dumbledore spoke. 'Severus has cast a spell intended to share his power and abilities with Harry, to keep Voldemort from penetrating his mind. However, he appears to have removed such a large number of his own memories before going to fight the Dementors that he is unable to maintain the spell or return to consciousness. I am unable to undo the spell. As things currently stand, both Severus and Harry will die in a day or two.'
Moody said nothing, but his eyes became cold.
Dumbledore held his gaze without flinching. 'There is only one way to break the spell, Alastor. Even if we could find Severus' Pensieve, the only way of returning his memories to him could create a shock that would push him further away. I know you completed your Healer training. I know this procedure has been successfully carried out on other similar cases.'
There was a short silence in which the cold look in Moody's eyes became calculating. 'I was having an interesting conversation with young Remus, just before Tonks arrived,' he said quietly.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at the apparent non sequitur, but waited for Moody to continue.
'He pointed something out to me, which I confess I hadn't really thought about until then. But I can't deny it's very valid point.
'He asked me why I was fighting so hard to save the life of a man I intended to hand over to a death sentence. It just occurs to me now that I never addressed that question – and now here you are, almost asking me the same thing, from a different angle. And I must confess: I am wondering.'
Dumbledore frowned slightly. Moody went on.
'The fact is, I've spent fourteen years desperate to know exactly what happened to Alice and Frank. I'd also quite like to know what happened to Octavian Malfoy; although if I had to choose, I'd rather know about Alice. And the chance to finally find out… well that's something I'd fight hard for. Have fought hard for: Snape almost died, you know. He'd lost more than four pints of blood by the time I got him back here. Oh Albus… you don't know how badly I want him to live.
'But now we have this curious situation. Snape has cast a spell to protect Harry Potter. How very good of him. But alas! Something has gone wrong, and the charm is killing them both.
'How is it, Albus, that a wizard who is so powerful that even you cannot undo his spell, has made such a profound and fatal mistake?'
Moody let the question hang in the air, his eyes glittering with baleful triumph. Dumbledore's countenance was one of steely calm. He said nothing. Moody continued.
'Let's try this for an explanation, shall we? Snape finds out the Ministry are coming after him to kill him. He knows he doesn't stand a chance – his Dark Mark will betray him. What is he going to do? Run away? What's the point? Then he hits upon a wonderful idea: what about a heroic death? So he casts this infernal charm on Harry, and carries out a very calculated suicide which will kill them both – is killing them both. He dies trying and failing to save Harry, earning himself the posthumous honour of fighting for the good guys – and he simultaneously earns himself equal glory from the Death Eaters for killing Harry Potter. If you've got to die, you've got die – but what a way to go.'
Moody sat back, triumphant.
Tonks looked around the bedroom cautiously. There was certainly no sign of any house-elves … but if, as Harry said, this little creature was desperate to save Snape, he surely couldn't be far away?
'Dobby?' she said aloud. No answer. 'My name's Tonks. I'm a friend of Professor Snape.'
She moved slowly towards the wardrobe, her wand tucked into the pocket of her jeans, her hands held out, open and empty. 'I don't know if you heard anything that's been happening, but the fact is, Professor Snape – and Harry – are in terrible trouble, and we think you might be able to help.'
Was it her imagination, or was the shadow in that corner darker than it should be?
'There's no need to be afraid; I won't hurt you. I just want Professor Snape and Harry to get well, and Professor Dumbledore says we need Professor Snape's Pensieve to make them better. Can you help us? Please?'
There was a soft sound behind her. Very slowly, Tonks turned around.
On the bed next to Harry, crouched next to the pillow, was a small house-elf with big green eyes, wearing an outfit that would have made her laugh were she not so worried. She faced it with a gentle smile, keeping her moves slow and trying to project a comforting vibe.
Dumbledore closed his eyes and drew a deep slow breath, holding it for a long moment before letting it go in one long sigh. He opened his eyes and fixed Moody with a piercing gaze.
'Alastor,' he said, and his voice held a clarity Moody had not heard for some time. 'That is the most preposterous theory I have ever heard.'
The little elf shuffled next to the pillow as if trying to back away. Tonks slid onto the end of the bed, her gaze never leaving the huge green eyes with their uncertain look. Harry let his head loll back towards Dobby, his eyes half-closed. 'Dobby,' he whispered, 'please tell us… I think he wants you to…'
Dobby stroked a tiny hand through Harry's hair and crouched closer, so the boy's head was almost in his lap. His little face was a picture of misery. 'Oh Harry Potter sir,' he whispered, 'Dobby is so sorry, Dobby didn't know this would happen.'
'Dobby,' Tonks said as softly as she could, 'you can make it right again. Professor Dumbledore is downstairs, all he needs is the Pensieve to make them both better.' She inched closer. 'If you tell me where it is, I could go and get it and you could stay here with Harry, if you like.'
Dobby raised fearful eyes. 'Oh no miss, nobody but Dobby and Severus Snape can go there miss.' He looked away, at Harry's pale clammy face, and Tonks watched the elf struggle with himself. He turned back to her, ears dropping, eyes sad and defeated. 'Dobby has no choice if he wants his friends to live, does he miss?'
Tonks felt a sudden rush of tears. She shook her head, unable to speak.
Moody glared. 'Is it, by God! Then you give me what Remus couldn't: a damn good reason not to just let the bastard die and save Harry before it's too late?'
'I can give you an excellent reason, Alastor. But it is not a short story, and I fear we do not have time. Will you attempt the procedure on the promise of an explanation afterwards?'
Moody glowered. 'No I won't,' he snapped petulantly. 'Tell me what you can before Minerva arrives. I can't do the procedure without help, and I can think of no better way of passing the intervening time than in having you part with a few of your damn secrets.'
Dumbledore smiled grimly. 'Very well then.'
Hail to thee, fine and lovely folk! Thank you very much for all your lovely reviews.. although maybe I should say sorry that this chapter doesn't bring us much further on than the last one did - if I had a brain, chapters 18 & 19 would be all one chapter. But... anyway, it all gets going again in chapter 20; but that might be a couple of weeks away. Thank you all so much for the ego-fodder! Big boxes of choccies all round!
Harry stared dazedly at the ceiling. He felt as if he were floating, and every now and then he would sink a little towards a darkness punctuated by stars and the whisper of a breeze on the sea… and then he would suddenly be jerked back to this dim room, a place he did not want to be.
Odd feelings tugged at him from different corners of his mind. Somewhere on the bed at his side was a book he wanted to read; but he didn't have the strength to sit up and reach for it. Somewhere in a place he could not quite remember there was a Pensieve. It was important, but he couldn't remember why. He felt so tired! If only he could sleep properly, then he would remember. The Pensieve… maybe Dobby knew where it was. Something in the back of his mind seemed to grasp at this idea; it was a good idea. Where was Dobby?
'Harry? Who's Dobby?'
Harry let his head loll sideways towards the voice. A small, gentle hand dabbed a cool cloth over his forehead, and the weariness seemed to ease. He focused on the girl with pink hair, her name just out of reach in the wandering recesses of his mind.
'Dobby,' he whispered. 'Dobby was helping Snape. He might know where the Pensieve is…'
'So,' Moody growled softly, 'time for us to be honest with each other, Albus.'
Dumbledore gazed impassively at the old Auror, his face unreadable. 'Indeed, Alastor,' he replied. 'Both of us.
There was a long silence in the shadowy room; then Dumbledore spoke. 'Severus has cast a spell intended to share his power and abilities with Harry, to keep Voldemort from penetrating his mind. However, he appears to have removed such a large number of his own memories before going to fight the Dementors that he is unable to maintain the spell or return to consciousness. I am unable to undo the spell. As things currently stand, both Severus and Harry will die in a day or two.'
Moody said nothing, but his eyes became cold.
Dumbledore held his gaze without flinching. 'There is only one way to break the spell, Alastor. Even if we could find Severus' Pensieve, the only way of returning his memories to him could create a shock that would push him further away. I know you completed your Healer training. I know this procedure has been successfully carried out on other similar cases.'
There was a short silence in which the cold look in Moody's eyes became calculating. 'I was having an interesting conversation with young Remus, just before Tonks arrived,' he said quietly.
Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at the apparent non sequitur, but waited for Moody to continue.
'He pointed something out to me, which I confess I hadn't really thought about until then. But I can't deny it's very valid point.
'He asked me why I was fighting so hard to save the life of a man I intended to hand over to a death sentence. It just occurs to me now that I never addressed that question – and now here you are, almost asking me the same thing, from a different angle. And I must confess: I am wondering.'
Dumbledore frowned slightly. Moody went on.
'The fact is, I've spent fourteen years desperate to know exactly what happened to Alice and Frank. I'd also quite like to know what happened to Octavian Malfoy; although if I had to choose, I'd rather know about Alice. And the chance to finally find out… well that's something I'd fight hard for. Have fought hard for: Snape almost died, you know. He'd lost more than four pints of blood by the time I got him back here. Oh Albus… you don't know how badly I want him to live.
'But now we have this curious situation. Snape has cast a spell to protect Harry Potter. How very good of him. But alas! Something has gone wrong, and the charm is killing them both.
'How is it, Albus, that a wizard who is so powerful that even you cannot undo his spell, has made such a profound and fatal mistake?'
Moody let the question hang in the air, his eyes glittering with baleful triumph. Dumbledore's countenance was one of steely calm. He said nothing. Moody continued.
'Let's try this for an explanation, shall we? Snape finds out the Ministry are coming after him to kill him. He knows he doesn't stand a chance – his Dark Mark will betray him. What is he going to do? Run away? What's the point? Then he hits upon a wonderful idea: what about a heroic death? So he casts this infernal charm on Harry, and carries out a very calculated suicide which will kill them both – is killing them both. He dies trying and failing to save Harry, earning himself the posthumous honour of fighting for the good guys – and he simultaneously earns himself equal glory from the Death Eaters for killing Harry Potter. If you've got to die, you've got die – but what a way to go.'
Moody sat back, triumphant.
Tonks looked around the bedroom cautiously. There was certainly no sign of any house-elves … but if, as Harry said, this little creature was desperate to save Snape, he surely couldn't be far away?
'Dobby?' she said aloud. No answer. 'My name's Tonks. I'm a friend of Professor Snape.'
She moved slowly towards the wardrobe, her wand tucked into the pocket of her jeans, her hands held out, open and empty. 'I don't know if you heard anything that's been happening, but the fact is, Professor Snape – and Harry – are in terrible trouble, and we think you might be able to help.'
Was it her imagination, or was the shadow in that corner darker than it should be?
'There's no need to be afraid; I won't hurt you. I just want Professor Snape and Harry to get well, and Professor Dumbledore says we need Professor Snape's Pensieve to make them better. Can you help us? Please?'
There was a soft sound behind her. Very slowly, Tonks turned around.
On the bed next to Harry, crouched next to the pillow, was a small house-elf with big green eyes, wearing an outfit that would have made her laugh were she not so worried. She faced it with a gentle smile, keeping her moves slow and trying to project a comforting vibe.
Dumbledore closed his eyes and drew a deep slow breath, holding it for a long moment before letting it go in one long sigh. He opened his eyes and fixed Moody with a piercing gaze.
'Alastor,' he said, and his voice held a clarity Moody had not heard for some time. 'That is the most preposterous theory I have ever heard.'
The little elf shuffled next to the pillow as if trying to back away. Tonks slid onto the end of the bed, her gaze never leaving the huge green eyes with their uncertain look. Harry let his head loll back towards Dobby, his eyes half-closed. 'Dobby,' he whispered, 'please tell us… I think he wants you to…'
Dobby stroked a tiny hand through Harry's hair and crouched closer, so the boy's head was almost in his lap. His little face was a picture of misery. 'Oh Harry Potter sir,' he whispered, 'Dobby is so sorry, Dobby didn't know this would happen.'
'Dobby,' Tonks said as softly as she could, 'you can make it right again. Professor Dumbledore is downstairs, all he needs is the Pensieve to make them both better.' She inched closer. 'If you tell me where it is, I could go and get it and you could stay here with Harry, if you like.'
Dobby raised fearful eyes. 'Oh no miss, nobody but Dobby and Severus Snape can go there miss.' He looked away, at Harry's pale clammy face, and Tonks watched the elf struggle with himself. He turned back to her, ears dropping, eyes sad and defeated. 'Dobby has no choice if he wants his friends to live, does he miss?'
Tonks felt a sudden rush of tears. She shook her head, unable to speak.
Moody glared. 'Is it, by God! Then you give me what Remus couldn't: a damn good reason not to just let the bastard die and save Harry before it's too late?'
'I can give you an excellent reason, Alastor. But it is not a short story, and I fear we do not have time. Will you attempt the procedure on the promise of an explanation afterwards?'
Moody glowered. 'No I won't,' he snapped petulantly. 'Tell me what you can before Minerva arrives. I can't do the procedure without help, and I can think of no better way of passing the intervening time than in having you part with a few of your damn secrets.'
Dumbledore smiled grimly. 'Very well then.'
Hail to thee, fine and lovely folk! Thank you very much for all your lovely reviews.. although maybe I should say sorry that this chapter doesn't bring us much further on than the last one did - if I had a brain, chapters 18 & 19 would be all one chapter. But... anyway, it all gets going again in chapter 20; but that might be a couple of weeks away. Thank you all so much for the ego-fodder! Big boxes of choccies all round!
Thanks also for the interesting feedback on the idea that Snape might be a Gryffindor. Duj - I had actually considered those items, apart from the bit about Snape being confident of beating Sirius and James. Good points those. I think really, that there is evidence for Snape being either a Slyth or a Gryf, really. I'll be happy however it turns out - in the meantime it's a nice little twist for my fanfic! As long as it makes sense in the context of the story - does it? As for why he was picked on by the Marauders if he was a Gryffindor; here I'm going with an interpretation based on what Lily says in the "Snape's Worst Memory" chapter, accusing James of hexing people just because he can. I suspect that Snape was not his only victim but that maybe Snape was more sensitive, and had no friends to help or comfort him after like the other kids did. It's clear he's not a popular kid in that scene. And if he used to hang out with a gang of Slytherins, where are they when all this is going on? The only other people we see appear to be Gryffindors. what's a lone Slyth doing among them?
BTW - we've actually been discussing this (almost to exhaustion!) on the Severus Snape Slytherin Society list at Yahoogroups. Please come and join us - our page is by Syrena Done, currently moderated by me. I ought to put something about it in my profile, didn't I? If only I had a brain... ;)
Anyway, love, thanks and best wishes to cat, potionsfailre, syrinx, Charlie's Mum, Lea-serpent, Tsunami, mg08, crockywock, Kateri1, duj, dalamis, lavondyss21, bookofdays, clio, fanfictionfanatic, Ezmerelda and Barbara Kennedy! Thank you all very much! I'm off to write chapter 20 now! wave