I would like to thank Chaser1, plur, and Lady Raebef for reviewing.
HoshiHikari4ever: The Lost are a power made up of psychics, powerful magicians, and other magical creatures that fall under one of the aforementioned categories. Dumbledore isn't going to discard them exactly, but rather do something they wouldn't expect...he's going to throw them for a loop. And Dumbledore is heading straight into a dead end...
Tigris T Draconis: Don't worry, as far as I know the game isn't really going on...be cool if was, though...it'd be matrix-y. And of course Sin's awesome—I made him up...
Bluumberry: I take it you're volunteering to help me write the slashy scenes, hmm?
Naereth: the slash will kind of begin after Harry gets back to school, which should happen soon...it's like mid-august this chapter, I suppose...so maybe Harry will leave chapter after next...? We'll just have to wait and see, won't we?
Chapter Eleven
Harry walked into the library and then turned around and walked right back out.
"Oh, Harry," Alexander hissed, "why don't you come back and stay awhile?"
Harry shook his head, trying to appear calm on the outside while he was panicking, "I really can't," Harry replied. "I just remembered something really important that I had to do that was back that way." Harry pointed behind him and nodded.
Alexander reached out, faster than Harry could see, and grabbed Harry's throat, pulling the boy to him. "I've had enough of you," Alexander whispered venomously, "and I hope you don't think you're going to get away unscathed this time."
"And that's my fault?" Harry asked, tensing as he felt the fingers around his neck tighten. Harry gasped vainly for air, wondering when he wouldn't have to breathe anymore, but then he decided that now wasn't the best time to wonder about that. As blackness started to invade his vision leaving only speckles of color left, Alexander let go of Harry.
Harry gasped for air as he sat on the floor his fingers digging into the thick carpet. Two gentle, cold hands reached under his chin and examined his neck; a far-away sounding voice asked him what he did this time.
Harry whimpered and looked up from the gray carpet; Sin smiled softly at him and gently pulled Harry into his lap. Harry dimly head Sin talking to him about not being so hateful, and watching out for himself because Sin wouldn't always be there to do it for him.
Harry cuddled into Sin's chest and continued trying to clear his mind and breathe all the air he could. Harry smiled softly as Sin ran his hand through his hair, whispering all sorts of nonsense to him like 'vous enfant idiot' and 'eu te amo, criança' (excuse my French and Portuguese...I had to use an internet translator if it'swring...but if it's right I did it).
After what seemed like hours to Harry he looked up at Sin and realized he was there.
"Are you all right, Harry?" Sin asked him as he pressed a kiss to Harry's forehead.
"I've been better," Harry murmured, "what happened to Alexander?"
Sin's eyes darkened and he replied, "You don't have to worry about him anymore. He's not coming back."
"Oh," Harry mumbled, not thinking what this could mean, except that Alexander wouldn't be trying to kill him anymore.
"I'm going to put you bed now," Sin whispered to Harry, "Do you feel all right, no dizziness, is there more than one of me?"
Harry placed his head against Sin chest and shook his head, 'no'. Then he was being carried down the hallways, Harry closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
Sin smiled as he watched Harry as he danced and sang around the den. Harry was really quite graceful, when he wasn't thinking about it. Sin knocked on the doorframe as Harry sang, "Love don't come easy, it's a game of give and take." Sin watched amused as Harry flushed and turned the radio off.
"You can go in the library now, Harry," Sin told him. He'd kept Harry out of the library hoping to protect his innocent deposition from the sight of Alexander's dead, bloody body.
"What were you doing in there anyway?" Harry asked.
"I'd discovered some creature living in the dust above a bookshelf, and felt it'd be best to keep you out of danger," Sin replied.
Harry pouted and murmured, "I'm not a baby."
"You're my baby," Sin replied teasingly, "and if I recall I am the adult here."
"That's abuse of power," Harry exclaimed outraged, "I hereby revoke your privileges as an adult."
Sin smiled and added, "I suppose that if that's all, you may go and read, I'll expect you in the dining room for lessons in a couple of hours."
Harry nodded and headed off to the library.
Sin waited until he was around the corner before turning around and saying, "Hello Severus."
Sin walked into the dining room and sat a wooden puppet on the table in front of Harry. Sin stood there for a few moments and sorted out its strings, which there were quite a few of and then carefully, placed the strings on the table, taking care not to tangle them up again.
"What is this?" Sin asked Harry.
Harry gave Sin a funny look before replying, "A puppet."
"Very good," Sin replied, "Now how do puppets work?"
"You pull their strings..." Harry replied.
"Excellent," Sin exclaimed, standing the puppet up, "what do puppets do?"
"Anything you want them to, I suppose," Harry replied.
"You supposed correctly," Sin said. "Now what would you like the puppet to do?"
"I...don't know..." Harry replied.
"You must want the puppet to do something," Sin goaded making the puppet tilt its head.
"Fine," Harry murmured, "make it walk."
Sin had the puppet walk in front of Harry before settling it back on the table.
"Anything else you'd like it to do?" Sin inquired. "This puppet is quite talented...it can walk, talk, do magic, get itself into the most ridiculous life threatening situations, eat, drink...go up against Dark Lords and not get killed." Sin gave Harry a pointed look.
Harry hardened with anger and declared, "I'm not a—"
Sin had mimicked Harry's every movement with the puppet and said, distractedly, "Oh, you're a lovely puppet...such fine black hair, pretty green eyes—"
"I'm not a puppet," Harry persisted, glaring at the puppet mimicking his every move.
"Just because there aren't any strings, Harry," Sin said, "doesn't mean one isn't a puppet."
Harry pouted and crossed his arms, the puppet did the same. "You can stop that Sin."
"I don't think I've quite gotten the point across, Harry," Sin replied.
"What is the point," Harry asked, looking rather upset.
Sin smiled and sat the puppet down again, "The point, Harry dearest," Sin explained, "is that you are a puppet without realizing it, you are doing another's will and believing it to be your own."
"Aren't you doing the same thing?" Harry demanded.
Sin frowned and leaned toward Harry asking, "Why do you think I would that, Harry?"
Harry began chewing on his bottom lip, "I..." He began, "I just...don't know you."
"How well," Sin countered, "do you know Dumbledore?"
"I..." Harry whispered, "...don't...do I?"
Sin shook his head replied, "I don't believe anyone does."
"But I know less about you than I know about him," Harry persisted.
"I somehow doubt that," Sin muttered, slightly rolling his eyes.
"Why?" Harry asked.
"Because, when there's nothing to know about a person how can you know them?" Sin asked Harry, "and when you need to know about a person with something to know wouldn't you know about them?"
"You know that made no sense."
"What I think it is, Harry, is that it made more sense than you're willing to accept," Sin told him, "and now we should finish your lesson." Sin picked up the puppet.
Sin flipped through the papers once again and frowned at their contents. This was exactly the sort of thing he'd expect from Dumbledore, and exactly what he'd hoped Severus would do. After all, not many people would go through Dumbledore's personal belongings and then copy entries out of his diary...but Severus Snape would.
As for Dumbledore, Sin had not much to say, except that the man was brilliant in his thoughts and no where else, Sin believed this mostly...no, entirely, because the man kept a diary about all of his plans when he was the leader of a power.
Not that Dumbledore just came out and said it; no...it was what he didn't say that let Sin know his plans.
Which led to Sin's biggest problem...how to keep it from Harry?
All right, that's that...now to work on Rockabye.../heads off/