Author:Walter O'Dim

Title:Sunstroke

Category: Romance/Humour
Rating: K+
Summary: An upsurge of solar activity leads to most unexpected consequences...Hagrid/Snape/Harry (alternative OotP).

Chapter Eight

All Is Well That Ends Well

Harry didn't tell Ron and Hermione what had really happened during his detention, describing it simply as "nasty". He would gladly have preferred it if Snape had just been abusive; now, he didn't know what to expect of Snape or how to behave towards him. His feelings for Snape were a mixture of shame, revulsion and pity; at the same time, he feared that Snape might resume his advances. If he did, Harry would have to go to Dumbledore, but he didn't want to go to Dumbledore if he could help it because the Headmaster seemed to have more important business than Harry that year.

When Harry came down to the Great Hall for breakfast next morning, he hoped that Snape wouldn't be there, but he was, and his eyes didn't leave Harry from the moment he had entered the Hall. Every time Harry glanced up at the staff table, he saw Snape staring at him. To make things even worse, the Potions master started simpering and batting his eyelashes at Harry every time he caught his eye. Harry shuddered to think what his next Potions lesson was going to be like. He fled from the Great Hall after five minutes (already he saw a life of half-starvation stretching out before him) and left the castle to wait for Ron and Hermione outside (their first class of that day was Care of Magical Creatures, but Harry didn't feel like going down to Hagrid's hut alone, even though they were formally reconciled).

Finally, people started filing out of the front doors; Harry waited for Ron and Hermione to come out, and they started toward Hagrid's hut together.

"Why'd you run away from breakfast?" asked Ron.

"I, uh, didn't feel hungry," lied Harry. Ron raised his eyebrows, but didn't press the subject.

Hagrid was waiting for the fifth years outside his cabin, half a dead cow slung over his shoulder.

"We're workin' in here today!" Hagrid called to the approaching students, jerking his head back at the dark trees behind him. "Bit more sheltered! Anyway, they prefer the dark."

"What prefers the dark?" Harry heard Malfoy say sharply; he smirked.

Hagrid seemed a bit uncomfortable when he saw Harry, but then he smiled and called, "All righ', Harry?"

Harry nodded with a smile.

"Everyone here?" said Hagrid. "Righ' then, I've bin savin' a trip inter the Forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the on'y person in Britain who's managed ter train 'em, so yer privileged, is what yeh are. Now, follow me, everyone."

He turned and strode into the forest. The students followed, if rather reluctantly. They walked for about ten minutes until they reached a place where the trees stood so closely together that it was as dark as twilight.

"Gather roun', gather roun'," Hagrid said loudly, depositing his half a cow on the ground. "Now, they'll be attracted by the smell o' the meat but I'm goin' ter give 'em a call anyway, 'cause they'll like ter know it's me."

Hagrid shook the hair out of his face and gave and odd, shrieking cry. For a few moments, there was silence. Then, suddenly, a monstrous creature emerged from the shadows, crushing branches in its way. Harry and Ron recognized it instantly.

"An Acromantula!" Hagrid yelled. "Run fer yer lives!"

The students didn't need to be told twice; as a matter of fact, they were already running in all directions, screaming in horror. To Harry and Ron's consternation, the Acromantula decided to pursue them; they ran like they'd never run in their lives, but the giant spider was gaining on them. Hagrid was running after it – or, rather, jogging after it – yelling, "NO! NO!" in a tone that clearly suggested, "YES! YES!" The Acromantula was now feet from Harry and Ron – it swung its huge hairy leg, and Harry was thrown into the air, landing at the foot of a tree trunk with a cry of pain. Brushing Ron aside with another leg, the giant spider bore down on Harry. Its jaws were already inches from his face when somebody cried, "Avada Kedavra!" There was a flash of green light, and the Acromantula swayed on the spot for a couple of seconds before collapsing on the ground in front of Harry. It was dead.

Before Harry could start making sense of what had just happened, someone was already kneeling beside him – Professor Snape.

"Harry! Harry, are you all right?" Snape asked in an alarmed voice, surveying Harry's face.

"Um…yeah…I think my arm's broken," panted Harry, wincing as he tried to shift.

Snape pointed his wand at Harry's left arm and muttered an incantation. The pain disappeared. Harry flexed the arm cautiously; it was as good as new.

"Thanks," he said.

"Goodness, Harry," Snape was caressing Harry's face, "you could've been killed! If I hadn't come – I came to look at you again, I couldn't help it – but are you sure you're all right - ?"

"Is he alive?" asked Ron, limping toward them.

"Yeah, what about you?" called Harry, pushing Snape's hands away from his face.

"I'm okay," said Ron. "A few bruises, that's all."

Harry got to his feet, stepping away from Snape, and his eyes fell on Hagrid, who for some reason seemed very angry. Meeting Harry's eye, he forced his face into a smile.

"Well," he said in a hearty voice, "as they say, all's well that ends -"

"YOU!" screeched Snape, advancing at Hagrid and pointing his wand at him. "WHAT DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING, TAKING STUDENTS INTO THE FOREST? HARRY COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!"

"Uh, Professor Snape -" Hagrid was backing away, eyeing Snape's wand with apprehension.

"You're going to pay for this, Hagrid," hissed Snape. "Cruc -" But before he could finish saying the curse, his wand flew out of his hand and landed, drawing a high arc in the air, in the open palm of –

"Dumbledore?" Snape said incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

"A question I might ask you, Severus," Dumbledore said calmly, pocketing Snape's wand.

"What – I – I came here to look for some herbs, which was very lucky, wasn't it, because otherwise Harry would've been killed because of this moron's incompetence!" snarled Snape, pointing at Hagrid, who was looking very hurt.

"You didn't come here to look for herbs, Severus," Dumbledore said in the same calm voice. "You came here to look at Harry, because you are in love with him. And Hagrid wasn't being incompetent; he deliberately set that Acromantula at Harry, hoping that once Harry was dead, he might have a chance to win Severus's heart, right, Hagrid?"

"WHAT?" Snape, Harry and Ron exclaimed together. Snape turned to Hagrid again, apparently set on strangling him, but Dumbledore waved his wand, and an invisible force pulled Snape back.

"Don't – let me get at him – I'll kill him -" gasped Snape.

"You will do no such thing, Severus," said Dumbledore. "What has happened is not Hagrid's fault, because Hagrid is not in his right mind at the moment – and neither are you, Severus."

"What are you talking about?" asked Snape, frowning at Dumbledore.

"I'm talking about the magnetic storm that has been raging these past few days," said Dumbledore. "I read about it in a Muggle newspaper (unlike some, I read the Muggle press); the article said that this anomalous upsurge of solar activity might cause the subconscious desires of some people to manifest. In the light of that article, Hagrid's attack on you, Severus, and the way you looked at Harry at the start-of-term feast and all subsequent meals," – Snape blushed, and Harry covered his face with his hands, Ron staring from one to the other, - "made perfect sense. I knew it would culminate into something like this, but I decided not to intervene prematurely, in case things should resolve themselves."

"You mean you knew Hagrid was going to kill me – and did nothing?" asked Harry, staring at Dumbledore in disbelief.

"Yes," Dumbledore said simply. "Does that still surprise you, Harry?"

"Uhhh…no, I guess not," mumbled Harry.

"Anyway," Dumbledore said cheerfully, "according to my watch – and if the Muggle scientists are correct in their calculations – the storm is about to end. So all we have to do is wait."

And they waited – Hagrid, red as a rhubarb, staring at his feet; Snape looking longingly at Harry; Harry, like Hagrid, examining his feet; Dumbledore humming a tune and surveing the surroundings benignly; and Ron staring at everyone with a stunned expression on his face.

"Well, it's been fifteen minutes, should be enough!" Dumbledore said finally, glancing at his watch. "So, tell me, Severus – how do you feel about Harry now?"

Snape looked at Harry, frowning.

"I feel sorry about not letting this Acromantula finish him off," he declared.

"Good!" said Dumbledore as Snape turned and strode away, black cloak billowing. "And you, Hagrid, how do you feel about Professor Snape?"

"I – I don' feel like nuthin' about him," Hagrid said uncertainly.

"Excellent!" exclaimed Dumbledore. "The subconscious desires have been successfully repressed again and will hopefully remain that way until the next anomalous magnetic storm. Well, Harry, Ron – if you are all right, I suggest you return to the castle – your friends will no doubt be worried about you, and your enemies hopeful, so go bring the former relief, and the latter disappointment. Hagrid – you might as well return to your cabin and have a pick-me-up – now that the storm has passed, there is no danger in that. Have a nice day, everyone."

Whistling, Dumbledore turned and walked away, Harry, Ron and Hagrid gaping after him.

THE END