Chapter 5 - Taking Care Of Harry
Dumbledore immediately began putting warding spells on the manor to keep away the Ministry and Death Eaters. The spells shrouded the manor like a giant bubble, keeping everyone inside safe. The manor could not be found by anyone unless Dumbledore or Snape gave them the secret password to floo in or Severus let them in from his side.
When the job was done Dumbledore apparated back to Hogwarts to try and clean up this mess with the ministry.
Snape raced Harry into the house and carefully placed him in his new bedroom. He had just finished changing all the colors to red before he had went back to the hospital. Now the room had a bedspread with a big Gryffindor on it. The drapes were a red silk and the furniture was a deep walnut.
Harry began to convulse again, sending tremors throughout his body. The fever was racing out of control. He thrashed around banging his head on the headboard with a loud thwack! As much as he didn't want to, Snape knew he had to place the restraints on Potter once more. No sooner did he pull his wand out than the restraints appeared and snaked around Harry's arms and legs. The poor boy began to moan and cry out.
"No, no more please!" Harry moaned repeatedly.
It bothered Snape to know that Potter was probably having flash backs again of his abominable uncle. Damn, he needed to get that fever down and quick. Just then the fireplace in Harry's room glowed green and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came tumbling out.
"Oh Merlin, what in heaven's name has happened?" cried Mrs. Weasley. She saw the horrible bruises on Harry's face and chest. "It must have been horrible for the poor boy."
"I just saw the Prophet Newspaper and tomorrows headlines will read "Boy Who Lived Is Dying At The Hands Of His Muggle Family!" The entire wizarding community will be screaming for blood!" emphatically stated Arthur.
Molly walked over to the bed and was moping Harry's head with a cold towel.
"He's too hot Severus," she stated.
" I know he's too hot! Nothing is helping. I'm afraid we're going to have to resort to an old Muggle trick and pack the poor boy on ice," Severus snapped at her.
Snape pulled his wand out and made Harry's bed into a large water proof tub filled with ice. Harry was bundled in his blankets yet shivered in the new frozen bed.
"Why is he tied down Severus? He's not going anywhere you know," Molly admonished as she gently loosened the tight straps on the boy's arm.
"He was hurting himself Molly," Snape said with irritation, "Far be it for me to know about a child's fever but I do know when a child is pounding his head into a bloody mess."
Just then Harry began thrashing about again, bucking against the straps and arching his back. He pulled so hard against the strap that Molly had loosened that his arm slipped out and he crashed it against the metal tub. They all heard the sickening sound of the bone snapping. Next, came a tremendous howl from the poor boy and cries that would of woken the dead.
Molly felt awful! She quickly stepped aside to let the Potion Master attend to the boy.
Severus was at Harry's side and holding the boy's broken arm cautiously. He pushed Harry's wet hair back and laid a hand on his face. The fever was too high, Severus needed help. He gently placed Harry's broken arm against the boy's chest and wished he had the ability to mend it. He wasn't going to risk this boy's use of his arm for silly pride. He threw floo powder into the fireplace and called for Poppy.
She immediately came through the fireplace and began working on Harry. She fixed his broken arm … for the second time in days. Then poured fever reducing potion into Harry's open mouth but it did nothing for the boy. She tried again to get rid of those nasty bruises on his face and chest.
"Severus let's try the potion you made him before for the fever. It just might work, now that his body isn't filled with so many other potions." said Poppy with worry lacing her words.
"We can not take that chance Poppy. It can only be given once in a seven day period or Potter could slip into a coma. The only way I could give it to him again is if we keep him awake until it brings his fever down to normal. We just don't know how long that will take," said Severus as he studied the fevered boy.
"We have no choice. If his brain continues to fry like that, there is no telling what sort of damage it will cause. We can just work in shifts keeping him from sleeping," said Poppy with authority.
Severus uncorked the vial of potion and held it up to the boy's mouth. Harry wasn't cognizant of what was happening to him. He felt the pain and fever and couldn't stomach the thought of more potions. He pressed his lips together and turned his head to the side.
"Potter, what did I say about following my directions!'" Severus growled, "I will not tolerate your disobedience!" He hated using that voice with the sick boy but could tell Potter was still quite out of it.
Harry's brain was foggy but he still understood that he was a disappointment to Snape … again, and opened his mouth and swallowed obediently.
Hours later, his head hurt so bad that he couldn't see clearly. Severus kept asking him questions and he had to really try hard to stay awake and answer. He didn't want to disobey the Potion's Professor again but he needed to sleep. Why couldn't Snape understand that?
"Potter, how does your arm feel?" asked Snape impatiently for the second time.
"Erm, hurts…I'm tired, okay?" Harry whispered. I just need a few minutes of sleep.
"Potter, Harry, look at me when I'm talking to you!" Severus was having a hell of a time keeping him awake.
"Sorry … I'm sorry," Harry croaked, his throat was so sore from screaming earlier. "M'tired."
Severus grabbed Harry by the shoulders and shook him awake.
Harry's eyes flew open in extreme fear. Just for a flash of a second he thought he was back with Uncle Vernon.
"You must stay awake Harry. This potion could be dangerous. Stop looking at me like that! I'm not going to hurt you!" Snape growled.
Molly stepped over to them and placed a hand on Severus' shoulder.
"Let me sit with him a while? You have been up for hours. Take a break." It was more of a command then a question. Snape rose from the chair and gave Harry a small smile and slowly reached out and placed his hand on his cheek. Harry shrunk back and looked away. The fear still evident in his eyes.
What is wrong with me? thought Snape. I need to get a hold of myself. That boy doesn't deserve that! His lack of control and emotions was unacceptable to him. Snape walked out of the room shaking his head, heading for his own chambers.
Two long hours later ... Harry's fever broke. He would be okay. Molly started crying and Snape heard her from his room and came running.
"What, what happened!" he screamed as he ran to Harry's side.
Harry looked up at him, smiling at Snape's messed up hair and wrinkled clothes.
Severus was so relieved to see the boy smiling he didn't even care that he was being laughed at. He took hold of the boy's good hand and held it. Harry was tense at first but slowly relaxed and wrapped his own hand around his guardian's.
Molly finally stopped crying and came over to rest her hand on Harry's back. Harry had never felt so much caring in all his life. It felt good, really safe. Maybe those dreams his mum sent him were real.
Harry was finally allowed his much needed sleep. Within mere moments he was nodding off into a peaceful sleep.
Molly took this time to fill Severus in on the meeting the ministry had with Harry earlier. Snape was angry at Dumbledore for not hearing about this sooner. He didn't really know what to make of Harry's false accounts. He thought maybe the boy was just too scared to tell the truth. The Professor knew the boy had a lot of healing to do and he planned on being there to help.
When the Weasley's were finally heading home Molly stopped and turned back to look at Severus, "You are the best person for Harry to be with. You know that don't you? Don't let them take him anywhere. I'm counting on you." With that said she stepped into the fireplace and flooed home to give an anxious Ron and Hermione an update.
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