Chapter 4- Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire
Harry woke the next morning to the smell of breakfast. Nose twitching, he turned towards the source of the smell. Someone giggled.
"I think we got his attention," Kit whispered, giggling again.
"Harry? Are you up dear?" Seri asked kindly. Harry groaned and sat up, groping for his glasses. He found them and put them on.
"I am now and I'm hungry," he said earnestly, staring at the array of food. Seri sat the tray in his lap.
"You eat and let me give you a quick check up, okay?" Harry nodded and began to plough his way through the food. Seri placed her hand on the top of his head, scanning his body. Harry felt her energy flow through him, soothing his few aches and pains. Abruptly, she took her hand away.
"Everything's healing nicely," she announced happily. Harry took a long drink of his milk.
"Does that mean I can walk around today?" he asked hopefully. Seri looked thoughtful.
"I don't see why not but you're going to need this," she pointed her wand at an object leaning against the wall and summoned it to her, "Take it," she held out the cane to him. He accepted it, studying it closely. The wood was dark and strong, cool under his touch. The top was a phoenix head done intricately in silver. He had to admit it was one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen. Both of the healers smiled at his awed expression.
"I take it you like it?" Kit smirked at him. He nodded dumbly and tested his weight on it. The area where he placed his hand was smooth.
"Now go get yourself some air, I'm sure you're tired of being around us old people." Kit looked horrified.
"Old? You may be old but, I'm not," she huffed.
"Oh really? We're twins dear sister, that means we're the same age," Seri pointed out.
"So? You were still implying that I'm old," Kit argued. Seri rolled her eyes and turned back to Harry who was wearing an amused expression.
"I'm glad you find this so funny, now here's your wand," she handed it to him, "and take this as well," She took her necklace from around her neck and placed it around his.
"To activate it, just tap your wand on the tiger," she pointed to the silver tiger pendant, "we'll be able to find you where ever you are." Kit suddenly popped up behind her and preceded to drag her out the door.
"Come on, we'd said we'd report to Albus remember?" she said.
"I'm coming, I'm coming...." Harry waited until their voices had faded completely before heading outside. He passed the Gryffindor tower, the Great Hall, the Trophy Room and finally found himself heading towards the dungeons. As he got closer, the feeling that something was wrong, the feeling he had the day before, had come back in full force. Rounding the corner that would lead to the Potions classroom, he spotted a crumpled figure in black robes on the floor.
"Professor Snape!" Hobbling over as quickly as he could, he turned the teacher on his back.
"Severus?" The Potions Master's face was cut and bruised; both eyes were swollen shut. Harry didn't want to think what was under Snape's robes if his face was in this condition. Harry took out his wand and pointed it at him.
"Mobilicorpus," Snape's body rose into the air and trailed behind him. He met Madam Pomfrey half way back to the hospital wing.
"Mr. Potter what are you doing out of bed?" she asked, her hands on her hips.
"Not now, Professor Snape needs help," he waved the floating body in front of him. Pomfrey's eyes flashed at the sight of the Potions Master but it faded instantly as she went into nurse mode.
"Follow me, quickly," she commanded. A few seconds later she was scanning him even as Harry lowered him on one of the beds.
"This man gets himself in just as much trouble as you Mr. Potter," she murmured terminated one of the curses on Snape.
Dumbledore entered the room just as Pomfrey finished running the healing orb over Snape.
"Severus!" he rushed over and grabbed the man's hand, his eyes sparked with worry.
"Poppy?" he looked at the nurse.
"He should be up and about in a few days, though he will be sore," she answered, then turned to Harry.
"Mr. Potter, now that Snape has been taken care of, tell me what you are doing out of bed," Pomfrey crossed her arms over her chest.
"Seri and Kit gave me permission when I asked," he answered truthfully.
"You've had a broken leg, you shouldn't go traipsing around the castle unsupported," she huffed.
"I wasn't unsupported," he said indignantly, "Seri gave me this," he held out the cane. Pomfrey stared at it disdainfully but Dumbledore tapped him on the shoulder.
"May I see that?" he asked. Harry handed it over. Pomfrey continued her angry rant.
"Those two," her fists clenched at her sides, "They come her and take over MY PATIENTS. They're too young to be professional healers."
"Poppy!" Dumbledore seemed surprised at the woman's words.
"Well Albus it's true! They should have spent more time in training. They don't have enough experience," she paced, seemingly agitated.
"Poppy, what's the matter with you?" She stopped pacing and turned towards the door. "Nothing Headmaster. I think I'll go to bed now, if you don't mind. Oh, and Mr. Potter, you better take that sleeping potion I've placed beside your bed, you're going to need it tonight." With that she left. Dumbledore watched her leave with a confused expression before returning his attention to the cane in his hand. Upon closer examination, nose to nose with the phoenix head, he recognized the object.
"Harry, do you have your wand with you?" Dumbledore handed the cane back to the student. Harry accepted it and held up his wand.
"Good, now I'd like you to place it along side the cane, where they touch." Harry did and watched in astonishment as his wand was sucked into the cane.
"What the....." he turned the cane over and over, shook it, but nothing rattled.
"What happened?" he asked Dumbledore. The Headmaster looked thoughtful.
"You said Seri and Kit gave it to you?" he asked, ignoring the other's question. Harry nodded.
"They would have it, I wonder about the other. Oh! You want to know what happened to your wand? My apologies. Your "cane" is more than just a support. I believe it is the Staff of the Golden Phoenix."
"The what?" Harry was completely perplexed. Dumbledore smiled, the old twinkle that had disappeared upon seeing Snape's condition, returning to his eyes.
"I think you should find that out on your own."
Later that night, after everyone else had gone to bed, Harry lay wide awake. The events at the Dursleys as well as the dream kept running through his mind. Lifting his head slightly, he watched Snape sleep. The man was an enigma. He normally treated Harry as if he were lower than dirt. Yet, he protected him fiercely, never looking for so much as a thank you. Harry intended to thank him when he woke. Getting up, he took the cup with the sleeping potion and poured it down the drain. He didn't need it to fall asleep. He'd worry about Snape in the morning, he thought as he laid down again.
The soft click of a shutting door roused Harry from the depths of sleep. He blinked the sleep from his eyes and reached for his glasses, quickly sliding them on. He watched as a figure emerged from the shadows and into the moonlight. He was startled and somewhat relieved that the figure turned out to be Pomfrey.
'Now what's she doing here?' he wondered, watching her closely. She glided over to Snape, glancing briefly in Harry's direction, who immediately shut his eyes. He counted to five before he opened them again. Pomfrey was now leaning over Snape with a rather nasty grin on her face. Alarm bells went off in Harry's head. He didn't like that grin.
"Poor little Death Eater got himself hurt again, did he?" she chuckled to herself, drawing away.
"The Death Eater shouldn't be warm, he should suffer like he has made others suffer," she snatched the blanket off of him, watching in obvious delight as he began to shiver.
"That's right, suffer. But this is only the beginning. Just a few extra curses here and hexes there to make your life a little more miserable." Then, to Harry's utter horror, she drew out her wand and did just that. Snape jerked and whimpered as each spell hit, curling into a fetal position. Finally she stopped, satisfied with her work.
"I can't believe Albus thinks you've changed. In my opinion, once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater. Sleep well." With a last evil chuckle she slipped out of the room. Harry waited, counting to twenty, before hopping out of bed and rushing over to the helpless man.
"Severus! Wake up!" he gripped the man's shoulders. Snape only whimpered and turned away, curling tighter.
"What am I supposed to do?" Harry wondered aloud. Unconsciously, his hand reached for the pendent. The Healers! They could help! He grabbed his cane, then remembered his wand was still sealed inside. How was he supposed to get it out?
'This isn't getting me anywhere!' he thought angrily as Snape's whimpering increased.
'Maybe if I just...' Holding the pendent out, he tapped the head of the cane against it. Immediately the pendent began to glow.
"Yes!" he grinned triumphantly. The grin faded as he looked at Snape's shivering form again.
'They better hurry,' was his only thought as he sat down on the bed and tried to calm his teacher.
"Something's up," Seri's voice jolted Kit awake.
"What?" she mumbled sleepily. Seri threw a robe at her.
"Come on, grab your bag, we're going to Hogwarts." Kit grumbled, but pulled the robe on any way.
"Better grab your harness too, we're going in our animagi forms," Seri commented. Kit did, and soon two large white cats were bounding toward Hogwarts. (Their harnesses are for their bags, they put them on their backs, like backpacks)
"Thank goodness you're here," Harry moved off the bed to make way for the healers. Seri's eyes widened as she got her first look at Snape.
"Severus!" she leapt towards him but Kit held her back.
"Calm down first, you can't help him if you don't," Kit whispered softly to her sister. Seri closed her eyes and took a shuddering breath.
"Okay." Kit released her and both hurried to the bed.
"What happened, who did this?" Seri demanded, attempting to pull Snape out of his ball.
"Pomfrey," Harry answered grimly. Kit whipped around to stare at him.
"Poppy? But, why?"
"Kit, questions later, potions now," Seri snapped as she slid Snape's shirt off.
"Right." Kit dug through her bag and began lining potential potions on the table. Harry watched with interest as Seri ran her hand along Snape's chest, eyes distinctly vacant. Suddenly they snapped back in to focus.
"Harry, when I pull out these curses I need you to dispell them." Harry nodded his understanding and gripped his cane tightly. Well it had worked before, hadn't it? Seri's hand hovered over his chest.
"Ready?" A curt nod. Seri took a deep breath, then plunged her hand into Snape's chest. Harry's eyes widened as her hand simply passed through Snape's chest, emerging a second later with a dark cloud clutched in it. She flung it into the air above them.
"Now!"
"Finite Incantatem!" Harry shouted, raising the cane high. In a flash of gold and a faint shower of sparks, the curse was gone. This action went on for a good ten minutes till finally, what must have been a dozen curses were dispelled. Harry leaned against the bed, exhausted. Seri drew back, wiping a hand across her sweaty face.
"It's over, we got them all. I'm surprised she didn't kill him with the number of curses she put on him. He might have died if you hadn't called us as soon as you did, Harry," she slid off the bed and pulled Harry into a hug, "Thank you," she whispered softly.
"Thank you for saving him," he answered back. She pulled away and grinned.
"All in a day's work. Now, back to bed with you. Kit will stay in your bed and I'm staying with Severus." He eyed her nervously. Kit was staying in his bed? Kit tipped the rest of the potion she had been feeding Snape into his mouth and threw the bottle in the trash can. Turning away from the Potions Master, she saw Harry's nervous look and grinned, winking at him. He watched as she transformed into a snow leopard. He smiled in understanding and climbed under the white sheets as Kit curled around his feet.
"Goodnight," he called.
"Sleep well Harry," Seri stretched out beside Snape, arm wrapped possessively around him.
A/N: And another one bites the dust. *does a little dance* I hope you like this chapter, isn't Pomfrey evil! Thanks for your reviews, I always enjoy reading them.