BLOOD OF THE MOTHER By BertaS Jan. 2006
Disclaimer: Their not mine. I will put them back, maybe, when I'm done playing.
Chapter 37 –
Explanations
The next morning when Severus answered a knock on his office door, Blaise Zabini said, "You said if we had questions, or just wanted to talk?"
Severus nodded and stepped back allowing the boy entry. Once they were seated, Severus waited for the boy to start. When he just sat there staring at his hands in his lap, Severus suddenly realized that he was waiting for permission to speak.
"You have questions, Mr. Zabini." It was more a statement than a question.
"Yes Sir, I… what you said last night, why did you join HIM and how did you escape the punishment of the rest? I know you were in the inner circle." His eyes had moved from his lap to a spot on the desk between them.
Severus' lips twitched and he kept himself from smiling with difficulty, "That first question is rather complicated." He knew that what ever he told Zabini would be common knowledge before classes started the next day, "I believe I will answer them in reverse order if you don't mind."
Blaise nodded.
"I was in the inner circle as a spy for the light. I escaped the," He shrugged shaking his head, "punishment that the others bore because of the kindness of a muggle, and the strength and caring of some one that I thought hated me." He lifted his arm letting the boy look at the lazy snake circling the bright lily that now adorned the smooth skin.
"The Morsmordre was replaced before the Dark Lords death. Harry's reaction the first time he saw it was…" he tilted his head, and shrugged a little, "I don't know how to describe it, shock and horror don't quite cover it. He had been attempting, and I think he believed he had succeeded in removing it, along with quite a few spells that were attached to it." He smiled as he admired the mark, "He has since told me that should I wish it he will make another attempt to remove it." He looked up at his student smiling, "I rather like it though."
"So, he's your Master now?" the boy sneered.
Severus chuckled, "Harry is quite adamant in his refusal of such titles. He has accepted me as his Liegeman and his friend. However he prefers to be most informal."
Blaise nodded, "And my first question, why did you join the Dark Lord? Was it with the intention of spying on him?"
Severus shook his head; "Some of my friends introduced me to their friends, people who were older. I became close to Lucius Malfoy, he married one of my best friends after all. And the way it was introduced was not what it really was. I didn't sign on to be rapist, or to torture, or kill people. And I sure as hell didn't sign on to be cursed or tortured, which believe me, we all suffered when the man had one of his fits of temper. Once we were marked, there was no way out. When he sent me to spy on Dumbledore I thought it was my chance to get away," he snorted, "I soon found I had not just one insane master, I had two. And even when Voldemort was… away," he waved his hand indicating an unknown direction, "Dumbledore refused to let me go, although, he was right in his belief that Voldemort was not really gone."
"How did he know?" Blaise asked, fascinated despite himself. He had been prepared to seek revenge on Snape and Potter. But finding the anger was becoming harder and harder.
"I assumed at the time, that it was because the mark didn't completely dissolve, it was still there, a faint silver outline. I know now, that he was aware that it was booby-trapped, if truly killed Voldemort would take his slaves with him. I did not find this out until Harry and I were discussing all the spells that had been on me and we were testing to see if he had missed anything."
Zabini paled at the word 'slaves', "A… A soul bond? Wouldn't that would mean their souls…" he was breathing heavily.
Severus shrugged shaking his head, "I don't know. Judging by the way the others lost control of their magic, I think not. With a Soul Bond, the bonded would have wasted away, as though starving, their magic getting to week to sustain them. This was more like…" he searched for the proper words, "an explosion of excess magic."
Zabini sat thinking finally his head tilted to one side, "That sounds like… Do you think it's possible," he swallowed hard, "was he leaching power from…" he shuddered, "and when the drain stopped…" the look on his face was begging for his Head of House to deny the possibility, "they couldn't control it."
"As much as I hate to say it, Mr. Zabini," he shook his head. "That is actually the most plausible hypothesis I have heard to date."
Tears filled the boy's eyes as he took on a slightly greenish tinge. "I think I'm going to be sick." He moaned as he curled in on himself. He didn't even see his professor place a cauldron in front of him, although he was grateful for the strong hands supporting him.
When he was done he became acutely conscious of the professor still holding him, "Thank you Professor." He pulled away embarrassed.
"He was going to Mark you before the term started, wasn't he?" Severus asked softly as he squatted by the boy's chair.
In reply he received a nod and a fresh burst of tears, eventually the boy gasp out, "I'm sorry, I feel like such a prat, crying all over you like a little kid."
Severus patted him on the back, "I was reminded just the other day that crying is not bad, just embarrassing."
Blaise still had his head leaned against Severus' chest, but Severus could hear the humor in his voice, "Yeah, I'm plenty embarrassed."
"As you should be, you are getting my shirt all wet." Severus said in a mock stern tone.
Blaise suddenly pulled back and blinked, "Was that a joke, Professor?" he sniffled.
Severus smiled, "A rather feeble one, I afraid." He searched for a handkerchief, and frowned on not finding one. Blaise hunted in his robe and came up with his own, "I don't think you retrieved yours from that little first year last night." He laughed, "Judging from the comments last night and this morning, she may not want to give to back."
Chuckling Severus answered, "I suppose I will need to procure some extras."
Meanwhile in the Hospital Wing:
Several students arrived just in time to witness an argument between Dobby and another elf. Each was trying to place an over loaded tray in front of Harry. Who dressed in loose pajamas and a light robe was setting at a small table. He waved at the new arrivals motioning them to join him.
"I is serving my Harry Potter." Dobby said indignantly.
"I always be serving Mr. Potter in Hospital wing." hissed the other.
Harry was chuckling as he took each tray and set them in the middle of the table. "Thank you both. This should be almost enough for me and my friends." He gestured to Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville. "Dizzy, maybe you could get each of them a chair. Dobby, how about you get some extra silverware and glasses of juice?"
Dobby gave the table a critical look nodded and said, "I is bringing a extra tray for your Wheezy, Harry Potter Sir." Causing Ron's ears to turn red and every one else to laugh.
Once they were all seated and each had a plate of food Hermione said, "Okay, Harry, spill. I want to know everything, how you got hurt, what the trial was about, why your things are not in your dorm, what's going on with Dumbledore, how did Remus get a black eye, everything."
Ginny, Ron and Neville were nodding to emphasize each point.
Harry laughed, "Remus got the black eye and Sev got a bloody nose at the same time as I got all this." He waved his hand at his own visible bruises. "It was during Dumbledore's trial, when he realized that he wasn't going to win. He cast a wandless bludgeoning hex at me." At their gasps he smiled, "It missed."
Hermione opened her mouth. And Harry quickly continued, "Sev and Remus both tried to jump in front of me. I wound up on the bottom of the pile. It was actually kind of funny. They kept calling each other names. Some of them were pretty inventive not to mention really crude. Of course, every time any of us moved some one yelled cause it would hurt. We where so tangled up that Professors McGonagall and Flitwick had to levitate them off of me.
Neville spoke up, asking quietly, "What happened to Dumbledore?"
Harry looked grim, "He apparently had a portkey hidden on him. Sev and Remus tell me that he was convicted in absentia of attempted murder, mind tampering, and use of grey compulsions, neglect of duty and several counts of child endangerment."
Ron started sputtering, "Absentia, what do you mean, absentia?"
A cultured voice from the door drawled, "It means that he was not there, as in the… uh-hum… old fool escaped." Draco Malfoy approached the table. "I thought you would want to look at this, Potter." He handed him a copy of the Daily Prophet folded to the story of the trial, "The way it reads he was trying to set you up as the next Dark Lord, evidently to hide his own dark tendencies." The look on Malfoy's face made it clear that he thought this was funny.
Ron jumped to his feet yelling, "You take that back Ferret. Harry would never go Dark."
Draco looked him up and down and snorted, "I'll be damned Weasel, we finally agree on something."
There were stunned looks all around, Harry shook his head, "If he hadn't done some thing stupid, it might have worked."
Draco snorted again, "You might do something a little grey, like Blood Magic, but not really dark things." He shivered slightly.
"Actually since it was brought to my attention, I've done some research and from what I can tell, the way Harry used it, it wasn't even grey. The reason Blood Magic is frowned on, is the forcible taking of the blood, frequently resulting in the death of the, um victim or maybe donor would be a better word. For most Blood Rituals and Spells though, only a few drops are required. It's really quite fascinating." Hermione smiled happily.
Ginny said, "O-K, that's probably more about Blood Magic than Mum would ever want us to know. Um, Harry you said that," she glanced at Draco and smiled, "The Old Fool made a mistake? What was it?"
Harry grinned, "Actually he made more than one. The first was not checking the wards. He must have not realized how strong they had become. Of course before this summer, old Tommy Boy and his band of not so merry men could probably have waltzed in any time they wanted."
Draco coughed in an attempt to hide a laugh, "Have you no respect for the dead, Potter?"
Harry shrugged, "I didn't respect Voldemort when he was alive," he ignored Draco's sharp inhalation, "why should I now? And you certainly can't call Death-eaters 'merry men'."
The whole group laughed.
"Second," Harry continued sobering again, "he, and the people he had watching me, didn't notice the significance of the fact that Dudley and I had become close, which strengthened the wards and allowed Dudley to offer the blood when we realized that was what was needed."
"Third, he sent Severus to collect me from the Dursley's, and apparently ignored what ever alarms he had on the house. He also went all righteous indignation when he realized I took his spells off Severus."
"Harry, what was it that made you think of using Blood Magic?" ask Hermione.
Harry grinned, "You are not going to like this Hermione. I found second prophecy.
They all stared at him. "A new one or a copy of the one I smashed at the Ministry?" Neville ask.
"A new one, from a different source." Harry saw the belligerent look on Hermione's face. "Hermione, I learned the one from the ministry that night. It's already come true."
"Harry," Ron said, "How did you find out and why didn't you tell us?
"Hold it." Malfoy broke in, "Are you talking about that prophecy Father kept obsessing about. Something about, 'The seventh month dying and defying the Dark Lord'?"
Harry nodded and recited as the others stared at him.
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches
Born to those who have thrice defied him
Born as the seventh month dies
Harry looked at Neville who was quite pale. "Tom didn't know the rest."
The Dark Lord will mark him as his equal
But he will have a power the Dark Lord knows not
Either must die by the hand of the other
As neither can live while the other survives
The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord
Will be born as the seventh month dies
Neville slumped in his chair. "Don't take this wrong, Harry, but I'm glad it was you."
Malfoy scoffed, "Oh yeah Longbottom, like it could have been you."
"Actually, Malfoy, based on just the information that Tom had, it easily could have been." Harry said.
Whatever Malfoy was going to say was interrupted by Ginny saying, "You said there was another? What does it say?"
Harry sighed and recited again.
With the blood of the Mother
And the love of the Marked
Shall
The Dark that is Light
Be Protected
The Power Not Known
Be Reveled
And
The Riddle
Be Vanquished
Hermione had a peculiar look before saying, "It references the first one, 'the marked', 'the power not known', and the word 'vanquished'. That ones come true as well?"
Harry nodded.
"That's all great and all but why didn't you tell us? Don't you trust us?" Ron ask, "And why aren't any of your things in the dorm."
Before Harry could answer Madam Pomfrey bustled back into the room shooing the uninjured students out assuring them that Mr. Potter would be released in time for lunch, provided he behaved himself.
His friends left reluctantly and Madam Pomfrey bullied him into bed, smeared a smelly concoction over all his bruises and cuts, poured a potion down his throat and ordered him to rest.
As he lay there he thought about Ron's last question. He hadn't even thought to pack and have his things moved to the tower.
"How would Severus feel about me leaving the dungeon? Would he feel relieved to be rid of me or would he feel abandoned?"
"What if he has one of his nightmares? I would want to be there for him. What if I have one of mine? Of course Ron knows what to do, but…"
His mind wandered a bit then another thought occurred to him.
"How would the other students react if they knew that I'm living with Sev?" He sniggered to himself, "That sounded just, wrong."
This last thought made him realize that maybe he should move at least some of his things to the tower and sleep there at least part of the time. With that resolved he drifted off to sleep.
Next chapter: Should be lunch and some interaction with some of the other students and faculty.
Thanks for your wonderful reviews.