-14 Time Out
Suddenly Snape heard the barrier alarms go off. He quickly ran up the stairs and out the back door. He went to grab for his wand and suddenly realized it was gone. He had given it to the boy!
"Kinsey! Come immediately!"
Kinsey stood before Snape with a 'pop'.
"Go find Mr. Potter and retrieve my wand. Make haste!"
Kinsey nodded and disappeared with another pop.
Snape was anxious as he waited for his wand. Someone or something had tried to break the barrier and that meant that someone knew they were there. He would need to make sure Potter was hidden away and had some sort of escape plan in place for him.
Pop! Kinsey could hardly catch her breath, "Master, please, Mr. Harry Potter he be hurt sir."
"Where Kinsey, where is he! Take me to him!"
Snape held onto Kinsey's small bony shoulder as she apparated both of them to the edge of the property. Harry was in a heap on the ground with his broken firebolt clutched in his hands. Snape swooped down and grabbed his wand lying by the unconscious boy. He looked around and saw no intruder as he held his wand up and checked the protection barrier.
Snape felt greatly responsible for the condition the boy was in. He was supposed to take care of Potter and once again he was hurt. Investigating the barrier once more he came to realize that it had not been compromised. This didn't add up, why was the boy hurt and exactly who set the alarm off and attacked him?
Snape quickly knelt down next to Harry and rolled him on to his back.He carefully touched the angry purple bruise on the boy's forehead then felt around his head for any other contusions. Not finding any he ran his hands down Harry's arms and legs, feeling for broken bones. Other than the deep scratches, the boy's limbs looked to be fine. He checked for any internal damage by running his wand over the unconscious teen. Finding no damage he decided to bring him into the house.
"Kinsey, I'm going to apparate us back to Mr. Potter's rooms. I will require you to tend to him while I retrieve some healing potions."
Severus carefully placed his arm under Harry's shoulders and pulled him closer, intending to stand while holding the injured boy. Just then Harry's eyes flew open and seeing who was holding him he unsteadily scrambled away still clutching his Firebolt to him.
Snape bent forward and placed his hand on the boy's shoulder, "Harry are you hurt? "
Harry shook his head and pulled away from Snape's touch. Severus looked him over and was vexed at the boy's sudden reaction to his touch. Obviously, Potter was still angry at him and had deeper resentment at being sent away then Severus had thought.
"How did this happen? Were you attacked?" Severus asked, watching the boy look down once more.
"No," Harry answered as he sat up and quickly looked around as if planning to flee.
No … no intruder? Then how did Potter get hurt?
"Potter give me your broom."
Harry held it tighter and shook his head again.
Snape looked at the broken Firebolt Harry was still clutching and knew the broom was not supposed to break due to a spell that was cast on the broom. Then he remembered Dumbledore had wisely cast a powerful spell on the barrier surrounding the estate that would render any magical object trying to break the barrier useless. The only way for the Firebolt to break would have been for it to make powerful contact with the barrier. Snape peeled Harry's fingers off the Firebolt and looked at the broom carefully. It took a moment but it all came together in the end; Potter was trying to leave and crashed headlong into the barrier. Of all the asinine things for even him to do! What had made him so desperate to leave?
"Potter did you try to leave!" Snape demanded harshly. He was trying to push the anger down, careful to stopper up his emotions but failing miserably.
Harry didn't feel he needed to justify his actions to Snape, "What the hell do you care? You wanted to get rid of me anyway so I thought I might help you with that."
The nerve of the boy addressing him in that fashion. This boy really did have problems with adhering to the rules, not giving a thought to the consequences of his actions. Insolent, stubborn boy! He had no right to speak with that defiant attitude and no right to put himself in danger!
"Kinsey take the boy and lock yourselves in his room before I harm him again. Do not open the door," Snape felt the angry surge getting stronger.
"No!" Harry shouted. He was going to say more but looked up at Snape's eyes and quickly clamped his mouth closed.
Kinsey began to wring her hands and stepped closer to Harry.
"Now Kinsey!" Snape was barely holding on to reality.
Kinsey quickly grabbed Harry's arm and they were gone with a loud 'POP".
That obtuse boy was pushing him to his limits. Of all the mindless things to do in this state of emergency. Even if he hadn't had this curse running through him Severus thought he might have cuffed the boy for this latest exploit. He was used to Potter's escapades but this was beyond his realm of futility.
Snape checked the barrier one more time and headed back to his lab. His mood became calmer now that Potter was not with him. He hoped that the antidote had not been ruined since he had to pull it off the fire sooner than it called for. That would be regretful as he knew he did not have enough of the ingredients to make another batch.
As he was walking back towards the manor he saw the boy standing at his bedroom window on the second floor, with his head in his hands. There was a slight pull at Snape's once hardened heart as he continued watching the boy in the window. Harry had been though so much, it's no wonder the boy couldn't trust anyone. This is definitely not the self assured Gryffindor that used to strut around the hallways as if he owned them. The abuse he had suffered must have been horrific for such a drastic change to have happened so quickly.
Snape thought back to the rather shell shocked youth who had left on the train for his summer holiday. Even before the boy's uncle abused him the child needed to recover from the loss of that mangy mutt, Black. Then having to go home and endure being tortured by the people who were supposed to be caring for you had pushed the boy past endurance. He had no idea the youth would be returning a completely different boy, a boy suffering from the symptoms of severe abuse.Just the way that Harry flinched and stepped back whenever he moved too quickly had been a change from the once challenging, confrontational boy.
What exactly did they do to you?
Severus really didn't want to know but knew he had to know in order to help the child recover. He had a slight glimpse of the horror when he had to help Harry out of his fever induced unconscious state but had a feeling that was just the tip of the iceberg.
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Harry was utterly mortified. Not only had his plan failed miserably but Snape had found out about it too. Why didn't anything work out the way it's supposed to? Now he was a virtual prisoner and had no chance of saving Hedwig. Once again he felt that he would be failing a friend.
I should have sent Hedwig away. I'm so stupid, I knew the Dursley's hated me and I kept Hedwig with me for my own reassurance. I've done it again, I deserve this.
Harry thought about Severus and the way he had changed his mind about keeping him. It actually made sense to the Gryffindor that the professor should change his mind. The guilt overrode any commonsense left in Harry making him sink deeper in despair. The worse part was that he had thought that he was going to become a part of a family and now Snape didn't even want him. As unlikely as it seemed Snape had been Harry's last hope of a family. Harry felt that hope quickly slipping away.
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Snape entered his dungeon and knew without looking … the antidote was spoiled. He could smell the sulfur in the air instead of the metallic that the potion was supposed to smell like. With a flick of his wand the potion disappeared and the smell dissipated quickly. Merlin! He didn't have any root of hespian left! The antidote required that particular ingredient and the only place he knew he could find was in the forbidden forest at Hogwarts. Now what?
He walked over to the fireplace and threw floo powder in. He would just have to have Dumbledore get it for him.
"Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore's office," Snape said. He stuck his head in the green flames and then quickly pulled his head back out. The room was crowded with Ministry officials! Did they see him? Snape stood up and thought about a new plan of action. He knew he had to have that ingredient to make this potion work. I don't have a choice. I have to apparate back to Hogwarts. What to do with Potter though? Aunt Vespa…
The relationship between the professor and his Aunt had been a strained one to say the least. As a child Severus specifically remembered his aunt encouraging his father to punish him and in a very harsh way. Vespa had always told Severus that she did it because she wanted to make Severus better and stronger. As a young child he didn't want to believe her but in his naive mind he did believe her. She represented a person who his father adored and therefore a person a young Severus wished to please. Now he saw her for who she was, a self indulged, spoiled woman without any patience for inconvenience.
So, it was with great trepidation that Severus decided he had no other choice but to leave Harry in her care. If all went well it would be no longer than an hour. With Kinsey in attendance, he was slightly more reassured that Harry would be taken care of. He felt there just wasn't any other choice.
Snape quickly walked up the stairs to search for his Aunt. He found her lounging in her suite of rooms with Charlet in attendance. Vespa was sitting on a green silk sofa with her feet propped up on a velvet stool; sipping a hot tea and watching Charlet chastise her house elf mercilessly.
"Excuse me Aunt Vespa; may I have a word with you?" This was a last resort for Severus.
Charlet and the house elf quickly looked over at Severus while Vespa took her time looking up from her tea.
Vespa glared over her china cup at her nephew and replied haughtily, "How dare you come beg for forgiveness at the rude behavior you displayed at supper. You and that orphan boy should feel honored that we came to stay at Snape Manor. Instead you treat me with disdain and walk out of a dinner that was important to Charlet." Vespa reached over and grabbed Charlet's hand.
Charlet looked up at Snape with big sad eyes, fully acting the part of a wounded child.
Oh, for Merlin's sake! "Aunt Vespa, I must apologize for my untoward behavior. I can only plead inanity for forgetting that important potion left on the fire. You know we are in desperate times right now and that potion was very important."
"Fine, what is it that you need Severus?" Vespa thought the man looked impatient as she watched him wring his hands. So unlike my nephew … had the curse begun already? Very good, very good indeed!
"Vespa, I must leave for a short period of time. I just found out that we are in more danger then I had anticipated and I must make a certain potion to solve this. At the present time the estate is surrounded by 'those' wishing us harm. The estate is under a protective barrier and you should be safe inside."
"Well, I should hope so. I would hate to think that Charlet is in any danger." Vespa patted Charlet's hand comforting the girl.
"This brings me to a favor I must ask of you. Harry is confined to his rooms at this time and I would be most grateful if you would watch over him if anything should happen while I am gone? I would need you to apparate Harry out of here should there be a compromise in the barrier. The alarms will go off to give you enough time to apparate to Hogsmeade."
"Why is the boy confined to his rooms?" The mudblood probably tried to steal the silver.
"That is not important at this time." The last thing Snape needed was a lecture on Harry Potter.
"There you go again! You are being ill-mannered Severus and I will not stand for it!" Vespa slammed down the delicate tea cup then ignored the mess it made on the silk table cloth.
Snape didn't have time for Aunt Vespa's temper tantrums, "Very well, I will tell you. The boy tried to leave the estate without permission."
"Where on earth was he trying to go?"
"Well, apparently he feels his owl is still alive and that his Uncle has possession of her. But do not worry yourself about Mr. Potter. He will be fine contemplating his erroneous behavior in his room. Now I must ask if you would be so kind as to watch over him for a short time?" Snape made sure to keep his voice respectful.
Vespa was overjoyed. It was as if her stupid nephew was handing the boy over to her on a silver platter. This is just too good!
"Well, I suppose I could assist the boy if need be," Vespa had a difficult time refraining from smiling.
"He is not allowed out of his room and no one should go visit him," Snape looked at Charlet to make sure she understood, "unless of course there is an emergency. If I fail to return by night fall please floo call Professor Dumbledore in his office at Hogwarts. The only working floo is the one down in my laboratory. The password is 'gillyweed'. Do not use it unless you are in mortal peril. The floo is being watched by the ministry and … others."
"Yes, yes Severus. You have turned into quite a mother hen haven't you," She couldn't help taunting her pathetic nephew as he worried over the stupid boy.
"Very well, I should be back within the hour." Snape gave the woman another glance, noticing her bemused look, then gave a slight bow and turned on his heel, heading down the hall.
Snape decided not to tell Potter he was leaving as he thought the boy might try to flee again, once Snape left the estate. It would be just like the Gryffindor. When this curse is gone I will give that boy a thorough lecture on responsibility that he will not soon forget!
Snape walked out to the edge of the estate carrying his broom and lifted his wand in front of him. He made a hole in the barrier and stepped through it. He quickly turned around and sealed it shut again. He straddled the broom and kicked off flying over the trees. The professor quickly cast an invisibility charm on himself. Snape looked around at the surrounding lands and could see no one in the vicinity. Maybe they gave up looking? But he knew that was not the case. He was sure they were out there just watching and waiting.
Once Snape was far enough away from the safety zone he apparated to Hogsmead and flew the remaining way to Hogwarts. He thought once again about the smell of the potion but couldn't put his finger on where he had smelled that before. He just couldn't get that smell out of his memory and knew it was important that he remember.
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Harry was pacing in his bedroom trying to come up with another plan to save Hedwig. At this point he felt he didn't have anything left to lose. He glanced over at Kinsey wringing her hands in the corner and began to wonder if she might not help him? Just as he was about to broach the subject there was a soft knock on the door. Definitely not Snape with a knock like that.
Kinsey sprung into action and ran to the door, "Who is out there?" She whispered in a panic while looking over at Harry with fear in her eyes.
"It's just me … Charlet. I've come to check on Harry. Could you please open the door?"
"No, no, Master would not be wanting you in here," Kinsey said with uncertainty.
"I am a guest in my cousin's home," Charlet spat in an irate tone, "As such, I demand to be treated with respect!" Suddenly Charlet changed the pitch of her voice as if rethinking her attitude towards the elf, "I have to tell Harry something important little elf. Please let me in," she continued in a syrupy sweet voice.
The house elf looked uncertain.
"Just let her in Kinsey. Snape didn't say to keep everyone out," Harry would listen to what she had to say and then ask her to leave,
Slowly Kinsey unlocked the door and pulled it open, revealing a teen with a very condescending look on her face. She swept into the room purposely bumping into Kinsey on her way in.
"Get me some tea elf," The last thing Charlet wanted was Snape's house elf hearing what she planned on telling Harry.
The elf stood nervously looking from one teen to the next, not sure what to do.
"He's gone elf. Severus left so you need not worry about disobeying him. Now go get my tea and bake some crumpets as well, before I kick you out of here." It was so hard to stay sweet when your servants were so defiant. If she had been in her own home this elf would have been kicked down the stairs by now.
"It's okay, Kinsey," Harry said reassuringly.
Kinsey left with a backward glance.
Charlet shut the bedroom door and slowly turned back to face Harry, changing her sneer to that of a melodious expression. She had a job to do and failure would not be tolerated by her Aunt.
"Harry, do you know that Severus left the estate?"
Harry didn't say anything, he watched her with caution clearly written on his face.
Charlet sidled up next to Harry, using all of her teenage allure to get him to trust her.
"Cousin Severus can be so severe at times. He truly scares me. Does he scare you?"
"Scare me? Hardly." Well, maybe a little.
"Oh Harry, he told me that you were trying to leave and how he wasn't going to help you. I just think he's so mean." Charlet said in a concerned voice."He also said that he was going to keep you locked up for days, just to teach you a lesson."
"Locked up?" Harry glanced at the door.
"Yes, he left to get some special magical locks that you won't be able to break out of."
Harry was furious! How could Snape even think he was better at being a father then Uncle Vernon? I'm not sticking around here any longer. Harry grabbed his cloak and headed for the door.
"Wait! Maybe I can help. Where were you trying to go?"
"Charlet you wouldn't understand." Harry turned his back on the girl and was going to head down to the dungeon and try to find something to blast open the barrier.
"Wait Harry, maybe I will understand. Maybe I can even help you. I know the password to get you out of here."
Harry stopped. It would be a lot easier then blowing up the barrier. He slowly turned and faced Charlet, watching her expression go from anxious to a bright smile.
"I need to get back to Little Whinging and find my owl at my Uncle's. I know it sounds stupid but she's all I have left."
"That doesn't sound stupid at all," Charlet couldn't believe he confided in her so quickly. He must be truly desperate. "I can help you get there!" She bounced up and down on her toes in excitement.
"Does the password break the barrier?"
"No, actually my Aunt knows the password to the floo. I know Aunt Vespa will help you."
No way was he going to trust that troll. Now he felt stupid for telling Charlet.
"Charlet please don't tell her I'm trying to leave, please," He'd beg if he had to.
"Harry you must trust me on this. Aunt Vespa just loves pets and if there is any way of saving yours, I know she would help. I promise you Harry that she will get you to Little Whinging. Why don't you let us help you?"
Harry couldn't believe he was having this conversation with the spoiled little princess but he really didn't have any other plan and he didn't have anything to lose at this point.
"Charlet if this is a trick …"
"It's not Harry, I give you my wizard's promise that you shall get to Little Whinging."
Harry knew better then to trust her but what's the worse that could happen? Snape hated him anyway and he didn't really care what Vespa thought of him. He slowly nodded his ascent.
Charlet practically skipped out of the room to her Aunt. Harry would be out of her life and away from her inheritance forever!
While she was gone Harry began to rethink his decision to let Vespa help. Within minutes the toad like woman had swept into his room with long purple robes flowing behind.
"So, you need my help, do you boy?" It was going to be effortless to get rid of the mudblood.
"Erm, I need to get back to my Uncle's without him finding out. He has my owl." This was a long shot but worth a try.
"Yes, I used to have an owl that I would risk anything for. How noble of you," manipulating the boy was easier than she thought it would be.
"Well, she means a lot to me." Maybe Vespa's wasn't so bad. Harry felt guilty for having such evil thoughts about her now.
"Then let's not waste any time boy. Severus will be back soon and I know you don't wish to get caught." And I don't want to get caught either.
Harry looked at her in astonishment.
Vespa turned around and headed down the hallway towards the dungeon. "Severus informed me the only floo working is the one down in his laboratory." She opened the dungeon door and began making her way downstairs. The cold air hitting them as they descended.
"But how am I going to get there undetected?" Harry asked as his mind raced with the excitement of finding his owl.
"Oh, Severus gave me the secret password before he left. Just in case we had visitors. I'll have you pop in to your relations and grab the owl and then I will open the floo from here so you can come back," She turned around and gave Harry a little wink.
It made sense to Harry but this was just too easy. Why hadn't Snape done this for him?
It all was happening so fast that Harry didn't even have time to think this through properly. Before he knew what was happening Vespa had grabbed him by the back of his cloak and tossed floo powder into the fire.
She yelled "Number four Privet Dr.!" and quickly pushed Harry into the green flames.
It suddenly occurred to Harry as he was spinning through thousands of fireplaces, that he hadn't given Vespa the address. How did she know? He didn't have time to contemplate that thought. Harry suddenly tumbled out of the fire and landed on the floor … of number four Privet Dr!