Previously in To Have A Home: Knowing that Harry was settled for now, Severus now had another crucial matter to attend to. He nodded to Poppy, a silent thank you evident in his eyes. With a swish of his robes, he exited the hospital wing and started towards the headmaster's office, his anger building with each step.
Dumbledore had a lot of explaining to do.
"ALBUS PERCIVAL WULFRIC BRIAN DUMBLEDORE!"
The deep, booming voice of the Potions Master could clearly be heard, even before the man entered the office. Hearing Severus shout his full name, not unlike a parent reprimanding a small child, the Headmaster could only sit in stunned silence as his employee threw open the door with such strength, the many bookshelves that lined the walls trembled from the force.
"Severus, is there a problem, my boy?" Albus asked, the twinkle in his eye only serving as fuel to Severus' fiery temper.
"There most certainly is, Headmaster." Severus replied, purposely placing an emphasis on his last word in order to prove that they were no longer on personal terms. Not giving the man a chance to speak, Severus began to unleash his anger on the older wizard.
"The alarm that sounded earlier had been triggered by none other than Mr. Potter. Your Golden Gryffindor had been in the midst of his second attempt to end his life within twenty four hours!" The man bellowed. Albus's eyes widened ever so slightly, before narrowing in suspicion.
"As I am sure you are aware, after the tragic events of Halloween 1981," He paused, feeling his chest constrict with an unwelcome onslaught of emotion, "Mr. Potter had been placed under the care of one Petunia Dursley." He stated, a look of disgust crossing his features at the mention of the woman with whom he held mutual hatred.
"Yesterday evening, after receiving a rather troubling, lengthy letter from Mr. Potter, I felt it necessary to pay a visit to the residence. What I found upon arrival was an emaciated, abused child who was about to take his own life with a muggle firearm. I am sure that I was not the only one to receive a message from the boy, however, it seems that I was the only one who had enough sense to intervene!" Severus spat.
The multiple paintings of past headmasters that adorned the walls had all paused at the intrusion and turned their attention to the two occupants of the room, watching as the Slytherin took another step towards Dumbledore. Albus made a motion as if to begin speaking, but was unsurprisingly cut off by Severus.
"Don't you dare interrupt me, Albus Dumbledore! I am nowhere near finished, and you will sit and listen, for once in your life. Do you understand me?" Severus asked icily. Wide blue eyes stared into Onyx, before Albus conceded with a nod.
Severus took a breath as he stared down the man that he once trusted with his life. He had put a giant target on his back when he agreed to be a spy for the light, and was never shown any appreciation for putting himself at risk. Severus knew that the 'old grandfather image' that Albus put on was merely a front, and that beneath the surface was a man who only cared about the "greater good". He had a feeling that the wizard before him would not hesitate to sacrifice those he claimed to care about if it meant that it would benefit his own image in the eye of the Wizarding World.
There was a time when Severus Snape had constantly sought the approval of Albus Dumbledore, having thought that the man symbolized the epitome of a true Wizard. The Slytherin had fought to return to the side of the light, no longer wanting to associate himself with the dark and evil crowd that he had unfortunately fallen into during his days as a student. The Dark Lord had been surprisingly lenient on Severus when he dared to ask for Lily's life to be spared, only for the request to be made in vain as he remembered clutching the ginger's lifeless body while surrounded by the wreckage that had once been Harry's nursery.
Pulling himself back to the present, Severus steeled himself before continuing his tirade.
"Some very interesting information has been brought to my attention over the last few hours, such as the fact that even after being made aware of Mr. Potter's abysmal living conditions, you continued to force the boy to return to his relatives each summer. You and I both know that Petunia Dursley was grotesquely jealous of Lily throughout her childhood. How could you even think for a moment that she would not take out her anger on her nephew?" Snape yelled, his thundering voice reverberating throughout the office.
Albus stared at Severus for what seemed like an eternity before taking a breath in preparation for his response.
"Severus, my boy, I assure you, had Harry been in danger, I would have been notified by my dear friend who I have stationed across the street to keep watch over Harry. You remember Arabella Figg, don't you?" Albus attempted to placate the younger wizard. "Arabella has given me no reason to believe that Harry was anything but safe." He added, hoping that he could somehow convince Severus that he had done nothing wrong.
Snape eyed the older wizard with disgust. He had a squib watching over the savior of the wizarding world? He asked himself.
"Tell me, headmaster, how many times did you check on Harry in the time between the Dark Lord's demise and when he started Hogwarts?"
The Headmaster was silent, making sure to plan his words carefully. "I had Arabella send me a report at the end of every year, updating me on Harry's development. There was no evidence of injury or neglect." He informed Severus. The Slytherin's eyes narrowed, and it took all of Severus's willpower to not reach over the Headmaster's desk and strangle the man. Being a highly skilled Occlumens, Severus Snape knew that the man in front of him was lying through his teeth. However, he knew that he had to bide his time and feign ignorance in order to keep Harry safe and achieve the justice that the boy deserved.
"This conversation is not over, Headmaster." Snape sneered, before making his exit with a billowing of his robes.
It was now around lunch time, though Severus knew that Harry would still be unconscious, courtesy of the sleeping potion. Making his way back to the Hospital Wing, the Professor quietly opened the door before reclaiming his chair next to the Gryffindor. His eyes never left the sleeping teen, as he was afraid that said teen would disappear should he avert his gaze. In a matter of days, the "Savior of the Wizarding World" had managed to dismiss all preconceived notions that the entirety of the Wizarding population had of him.
Had anyone ever genuinely taken the time to get to know the real Harry James Potter, and not the persona written about in history books, this entire situation could have easily been avoided… The man thought, wondering how everyone had managed to fail this boy so extensively. He knew that he had been part of the problem that ultimately led to his current predicament, and wanted nothing more than to make things right.
"I promise you, Harry," Severus started, speaking softly despite the sleeping potion keeping the boy unconscious. "I promise I will not stop until you receive the justice you so desperately deserve. I will protect you with my life, like I should have done all along." He vowed with conviction. Snape stared at his student, seeing himself at the age of fifteen. In the past 2 days, Severus had come to realize that he had found a kindred spirit in the most unlikely of places.
It had taken a suicide attempt for Severus's eyes to be forcibly opened to the reality of the Headmaster's lies, and the Slytherin knew that this was only the beginning of what was sure to be a long and hard battle. Suddenly, Harry began tossing and turning in his sleep, worry lines appearing on his forehead. Immediately identifying the tell-tale signs of a nightmare, Severus placed a calming hand on the boy's boney shoulder. The response was instantaneous, as the young Potter settled against the pillow once more.
The Professor kept his hand in contact with his student, even when Poppy entered the room to check on her patient and bring Severus something to eat. She and Severus shared a look before she left to attend to her business in preparation for the school year.
Snape felt a wave of dread wash over him at the prospect of the students arriving tomorrow. From Harry's letter, the Slytherin recalled how Weasley and Granger had abandoned him, yet the boy still thanked them for their short-lived friendship. It had shocked Severus to think that the two people who had stood by Harry's side, seemingly attached at the hip, had deserted him at the drop of a hat, all due to a rumor that had spread like wildfire throughout the student body.
There was no way that the Gryffindor had murdered Cedric Diggory, yet the rumors had been fueled by that slimy reporter, Rita Skeeter. Severus wished he could hex Rita into oblivion, but he restrained himself, as it would do no good to Harry if he were to be locked up in Azkaban. Nobody had seemed to care about the teen's trauma that he had suffered throughout the Triwizard Tournament. The boy never should have been entered in the first place. However, the infamous Potter luck had struck again, forcing the Gryffindor to compete in a competition that could have very well ended his life.
There had been a silver lining at the conclusion of the school year, as Barty Crouch Jr had been sentenced to life in Azkaban and was contained in a maximum security cell. For that, Severus was glad. The extra security surrounding the cell was placed not only for the safety of the general public, but for the safety of Barty Crouch Jr, for if he had been placed in a standard cell, there would be the threat of injury and death, courtesy of the other inmates.
Severus closed his eyes and took a breath. He prayed to any god or deity in existence that this year would go smoothly for Harry, but his subconscious knew better. The boy had had no reprieve from life threatening events during his time at Hogwarts so far. However, this year would be different. The Gryffindor now had the support of his Potions Professor, and Severus hoped that his promise of protection would not be in vain.
In the silence of the Hospital Wing, the sound of Harry's breathing was all Snape could focus on. Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale… Emotion filled his chest at the realization that had he not intervened the previous night, the reassuring sound of life coursing through the boy would have ceased, and with it, Severus's will to live. All he could do now was wait for the students to arrive.