Summary: Can one person and fate make the difference in Severus' life?
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot, sue me and become poor.
A/N: This fic is AU, not canon. and thanks! to my beta Karri
Now to my reviewers! and do not kill me for it is short, but I will update quick again.
kears: Welcome to the fic!
deb: yes they would deserve nothing less, Severus will be pissed
athenakitty: yes
Lady-Willowish: Thanks! and welcome to the fic!
Spiorad: yes Severus hated doing that
serena23: hehehehehe
rosiegirl: Payback is emminent!
mb: he shall pay!
Purple Raveness: Thanks!
Pure Black: very soon
ChildofDarkness1988: hehehehe yes I know
Ceyxa: no help from them
Arica, Princess of Rivendell: Okies!
sparkling silver angel wings: LOL you are funny
Thank you all for your wonderful reviews they make me smile!
Chapter 22
As dawn's first light came in through the window, Harry fell into a troubled sleep. All night Severus had stayed up with the boy. He had given him every known potion he could think of. What he did not know was what the cause of this illness was. Severus removed himself to use the bathroom, and shower before Harry woke again. While the water washed away some of the sweat and bile, thoughts ran through his head. As Severus got out of the tub and dried off, it struck him. There was one thing he had not tried. It was not likely to help, but as he was running out of options he was willing to try anything. Going into the potions cabinet he pulled out the cure for the curse reserved for your worst enemies, causing severe illness.
Walking back into the room in fresh robes he sat down on the bed and pulled Harry into his lap. "Harry, can you take this medicine for me?" Harry only whimpered as the tears streamed from his eyes. Opening his mouth, he took the potion from his father and then nestled himself against the nice warm robes. Severus gathered him up in his arms and prayed something would break this fever before the boy died from dehydration. He waited for Harry to fall back to sleep and then called for Lotty. "Can you watch Harry while I have a cup of coffee?" Lotty nodded her head yes, and took a chair and sat by the bed. "Do not leave his side for any reason and come and get me if he wakens, do you understand?" Again the house elf nodded, but Severus knew Lotty would not leave the child who had taught her hide and seek, and had kissed her knee when she had broken the chair and fell. They had a bond, and God help who tried to near the boy and harm him while she was watching over him.
Severus filled his cup and sat down at the table. After taking a sip, he placed his head in his hands. He was at a loss, and he was not thinking rationally. How could Harry get into a potion designed to harm him? Severus kept all of his potions that were lethal locked up at school. No one could get to them for they were in his classroom, within a locked cabinet. The more Severus thought about it, the more he knew Harry had to have been given the potion, but by whom? Severus stood up with his cup of coffee and started to pace the floor. The only place Harry had been was in his classroom, and then he was within sight at all times. The only other place was during lunch, with his Slytherins. The reality that one of his own House had tried to harm his son dawned on Severus, and his cup fell from his hand with a clatter to the floor. Severus barked out to Lotty, "I shall return momentarily!" before stepping into the floo and calling out for Hogwarts. Lotty came into the kitchen to see a shattered cup on the floor the contents and mess forgotten. This was not a good sign, and she quickly went back to her chair and waited.
Severus Snape stepped out of the floo in the headmaster's office and came face to face with Albus Dumbledore. "Severus, how nice to see you. How is Harry?"
"I have no time for talk right now Albus, I have business to attend to," and with a swirl of robes Severus opened the door and was gone. Albus took a cake off the plate on his desk and awaited Severus' return to ask what had him in such a hurry.
Severus was furious, and his thoughts deadly. As he walked down the hall he almost knocked over a very frightened second year, and as Filch called out to him, he waved the man off. He was hell bent to get somewhere, and when the Slytherin common room came into view his lip curled in an evil way. Slinging the door open, Severus found many wands drawn, and as they noticed their professor they were put away. Severus turned to one of his prefects. "I want everyone down in the common room in two minutes, and I mean now!" Soon there was a scrambling as students flooded into the common room and as the last first year straggled in, Severus turned to face them.
"Which one of you thought it was wise to try to poison my son at lunch yesterday?" he glared at them all. Many gasps were heard, and Severus went around the room staring at each child. Slowly he invoked his powers as a Legilimens, and at once his head was filled with many memories. Soon, Severus sneered as he dismissed everyone but three. Turning around he saw one girl and two very scared boys. "Miss Tuttle, you thought it would be wise to go along with the plan?"
Lydia did not know what he was referring to. "I only knocked his spoon down I didn' t know what they were going to do."
"Ignorance does not excuse your actions. You will be serving detention with Filch for the next two months. Leave now," he told her, gesturing her off as though she was a pesky gnat. Lydia ran from the common room. Severus then turned to Dominic and Charles. "Which one of you did it? Which one poured poison into my son's drink?" Severus roared, bearing down on them.
Both boys were cowering beneath his stare, but neither one cracked. "Perhaps, your thoughts will betray you. I think we will tell of your allegiance to your parents, and then inform the rest of your classmates of how you tried to kill one of your own."
Charles gulped, " I distracted Harry sir."
"This only means one thing Mr. Nofton, and that is you tried to kill my son, the son of your Head of House. I must tell you, I take that as a personal threat and must take action," Severus said drawing his wand. "You, Mr. Nofton, shall discover I will do things to you that your mind cannot even dream up yet." Just as Severus picked Dominic up by his throat, and pointed his wand, the door open and in stepped Minerva.
"Severus, put that child down immediately!" she yelled. Severus sneered, and watched as Dominic fell to the floor with a thud and backed away. "What has gotten into you these days, you cannot hex a student without just cause!"
Severus smiled evilly. "Did I not tell you that these two gave Harry a potion to poison him, and that right now Harry is asleep after hours of fighting for his life?" The look on Minerva McGonagall's face was intense. She had come to think of Harry as her grandson. "I will take them to the headmaster."
"That will not be necessary. They are both expelled, and I will be writing to their parents to tell them to pick them up when the train arrives. Get out of my sight, or I will not be held responsible for my actions." Both boys acted as though they were going to protest, but the thought of what their Head of House would do to them had them both trembling.
Soon both boys were being escorted to Dumbledore's office, Severus walking behind them. He walked over to the floo and was about to step in when Dumbledore asked what the two boys were doing in his office. "Minerva, can you explain the situation, I have to get back to Harry now."
McGonagall nodded, and with a muttered thank you, Severus stepped into the floo, and back to Harry. When he stepped out on the other side, he walked straight to Harry's bedroom and lay down beside Harry, laying Harry's head on his chest so he would waken should the boy need him. Severus then fell asleep, hoping the worst of the bout of the poisoning was over.