Alia: Um...I'm trying. I know I'm taking too long but I'm working on it now aren't I?
Reviews: bookwyrm, Tazthedevilman (hi Audrey!), voland, and Jennie- Thanks for reviewing you guys. It's really appreciated. Jennie sorry about that but like I said, Unbetaed. This one is too but I haven't seen my beta in a whle.
TITLE: With Darkness Comes Anew
AUTHOR: Alia
STATUS/PART: 11
RATING: PG-13
PAIRING: Severus Snape / (What have the betting polls said?)
SPOILERS: not including OotP
WARNINGS: angst, language
DISCLAIMER: I do not in anyway or fashion own HP, etc. It belongs to JKR. curses
SUMMARY: Leaving the Wizarding World after a devastating betrayal, Severus starts a road in life that will eventually rock his world.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Sorry it took so long. But this is faster than my last update. I hope you enjoy it.
Julius gave a sigh of relief as he saw Severus leave the Forbidden Forest. "I was worried for a while there. What would I have told Brea? 'Sorry, love but I just lost him'! She'd have killed me."
"I'm quite certain that she would have." Severus came closer and Julius finally got a good look at his friend.
He raised an eyebrow. "What are you wearing?"
"Haven't you seen Breanna when she changes into that golden dress of hers?" It was actually more yellow than gold but the glow was beautiful.
"I think so but what is it?"
Severus gave a long sigh of frustration. "This is the formal attire of an Embodiment. This is mine. Everyone has one just slightly different."
"Oh. Why do you change into it?"
"You know that day you pissed me off?"
Julius grimaced. Both men turned to head back toward the castle. "Yes."
"The amount of power Brea used went beyond those of a mage even one of our power. She called for her element, Zephyr, to spare your life. When I lost control, I unknowingly siphoned power from my element. One of the reasons we are so damned dangerous on a rampage." The two entered the school.
"So is that what happened to you? And...is that why the alarms went off?"
"Too much dark magic nearby overwhelmed the wards."
Julius nodded. "Alright. I just thought I'd ask. Some of the staff are going over the grounds to check things out."
"Well they won't find much of anything."
"Come on Lex. You look exhausted." Julius started for his quarters. Lex started to follow when he paused in the hall and released a soft curse. Julius turned to see him. "What is it?"
"I said that I would check on Potter tonight." He looked at Julius. "Go on to bed. I'll be there later."
"I'll transfigure the couch for you. Night, Lex."
"Goodnight." Both men waved to each other before going their separate ways, Severus magically changing his attire to what he'd worn before.
Lex entered the infirmary silently. /Pomfrey should still be awake by now./ Going into Potter's room, he opened the door and peered inside. Poppy stood next to the bed arranging Potter's blankets on the bed.
"How is he?"
Poppy jumped, startled by Severus's voice. "Oh! Dear me." She placed one hand over her quickly beating heart. "Severus-,"
"Alex," he said softly, his eyes staying on Harry.
"...Alex, I didn't see you there." She dropped her eyes.
Severus ignored her. "Did you collect the blood I asked you for?"
Poppy nodded. "Yes. I have it here." She picked up five vials from the table next to Harry's bed and handed them to Lex. He nodded to her in appreciation then moved closer to Potter.
The boy was asleep at the moment. "Again. How has he been?"
"Well, as you said, he did wake up though he was extremely groggy. He ate a bit of broth and he did complain about soreness."
"You didn't give him anything, of course?"
She frowned at him. /As if I'm that stupid/ "No. I rubbed a bit of salve Mrs. Weasley brought. It's for muggles."
Lex nodded again. He reached down and brushed a strand of hair from Potter's forehead. He glanced at the amulet that still lay on the table beside Potter. He moved away and turning toward the door said, "I'll return tomorrow morning. If anything happens, come to me immediately."
Severus yawned as he rose from his transfigured bed the next morning. It was the first time in a while, he hadn't been waken by a wailing baby or someone riding him like a horse while screaming 'I'm hungry, Daddy!'. Too bad it hadn't been too peaceful. /A day here and I can't wait to leave./ Sighing he stood and headed toward his satchel.
Before he reached it there was a knock at the door. Pulling on a pair of boxers and turning the bed back into a couch he turned toward the door. "Enter."
Minerva stood in the doorway and was slowly turning a bright red. "My word, Severus! Is it so difficult to put on some clothes!" She turned quickly.
Lex raised an eyebrow. "First of all, don't call me Severus. Second of all, if I wanted, I'd go around the damn school naked," Minerva squawked at that.
"And third of all, it probably wouldn't bother you so much if you weren't such a fucking prude." He smiled sweetly at her stiff back. Throwing on an old gray shirt and pulling on a pair of black jeans and boots, Severus pronounced himself decent.
Minerva turned and frowned at him. "I thought you would like to go to breakfast. You were going to sleep right through so I thought..."
Seeing the sad look go over for a moment, Lex relented, a little. "Thank you Professor McGonagal. After you."
She didn't remark on how he didn't call her Minerva anymore. She merely turned and left the room. Severus followed.
Soon they entered the Great Hall. The entire school seemed to brighten with excitement and interest the moment Lex entered. The Slytherins all smiled and nodded at the man. A few gave him a sly look here and there. Lex sighed mentally at that. /Not that I can blame them. I'm actually quite proud that they thought of going to the media. They had better have gotten something out of it though./
He ignored the teaching staff and sat in an empty chair between Dumbledore and Fryer. Dumbledore smiled at him. "Good morning, Alex."
Lex thought about not acknowledging the old man but merely said, "Headmaster." He turned to Julius, ignoring Dumbledore's disappointed look.
Julius was drinking a rather large cup of coffee while trying to keep his eyes open. Lex chuckled as he sat down beside the werewolf. "Not a morning person Julius?"
The man glared at him. "Go to hell."
Severus laughed. "And I see you have Brea's sunny disposition too!"
Julius glanced at him. "What time did you get in? I woke up around two last night and went to check on you. You weren't there."
"About four."
Julius's eyes widened. "That's less than four hours ago."
"I have twins and an infant."
Julius started laughing loudly, drawing a bit of attention. "You are right on that account."
"Of course." Severus watched the Daily Prophet come flying into the Great Hall. He leaned over and whispered to Julius, "Brace yourself. The entertainment is about to arrive."
Julius took a deep breath and prayed that a certain article wouldn't be in the paper. His luck ran out.
With a smirk, Severus plucked the paper out of the hands of the muttering werewolf and straightened it dramatically. "My, my! What have we here? 'Hero Returns to Hogwarts! Severus Snape, who was falsely accused of murder and rape charges five years ago, returned yesterday to his former place of employment Hogwarts, School of Magic and Wizardry.' Why Julius, I'm famous!" he declared sarcastically.
Julius chuckled. He played along. "You seem to be correct, Lex! And the front page too. Quite an accomplishment, even though it is such a small article."
Lex grinned at him as Julius tried to stifle his laughter. "You should know what that means. Not enough information. Tell me, Julius, old friend. Should I change my attire for something a bit more elegant? After all, we can't have my da-," He was harshly cut off as the doors of the Great Hall were thrown open and a hysterical Hermione Weasley ran inside. She rushed toward the Head Table and leaned into Lex.
She tried to catch her breath as she spoke. "Madam Pomfrey told me to come for you! Harry is having a terrible nightmare, but it's out of control! He just attacked her and Ron!"
"Shit!" he cursed softly, jumping quickly from his chair and running from the Great Hall with Weasley and Julius at his heels.
Severus dodged students easily, while Julius and Hermione had a bit of trouble keeping up.
"Snape!"
Lex could hear Black calling for him but he just continued running. He gave mental shout of relief as he reached the infirmary. "FUCK!" He cursed again, as he could feel the great amounts of dark magic emitting from the room.
Barreling through the door, Lex, Julius, Hermione, Sirius and Remus, who'd been following Sirius, froze as they came upon the scene. For a moment, Severus was sickened.
Kneeling on the floor in his hospital gown sobbing while holding his arms out before him was a very conscious Harry Potter. The man had tears rolling continuously down his face as he stared at what was happening before him.
Madam Pomfrey was slumped against the door of her office and Ronald Weasley was lying on the floor before Potter, unmoving and it looked as if he was barely moving. Blood was pooling all around the young man's body from cuts all over his body and every few moments the man's body would convulse. Of course this had something to do with what had sickened Lex.
It was what Potter was saying and doing. "StopstopstopSTOP-CRUCIO-leavemealone-CRUCIO-NO!-CRUCIO!" Every time the curse was screamed from Harry's lips, Weasley's body moved as if the man was having a seizure.
Hermione screamed at the sight of her husband causing Harry to look their way. Lex felt something in his chest tighten at the look on Potter's face.
The Potter he knew would never look at them with his face holding such blood thirst and hatred but Severus watched the eyes. They flickered not with color...but almost with personality. Not something many would really understand but you could see it. In those few moments, Severus could see hatred, bloodthirsty insanity, and death, but in the next he could see fear, pain, and confusion. /Shit! It's not suppose to take hold this fast. I need to check on those blood results/
Potter raised his hands and screamed, "DIE!" The eerie green light that Severus had never wanted to see again appeared before them.
Although, because it was an Unforgivable, Severus could have commanded the dark magic to begone, he didn't want members of the Order to know he had that kind of power. So, he brought up a shield. The Unforgivable seemed to be absorbed into the shield.
Harry Potter's body screamed in rage. "NO! DIE!" Another strike of the killing curse but it was again absorbed.
"STOP IT HARRY!"
Lex ignored the screams of Potter's friends. "Sorry I have to do this Potter."
Sirius was shocked to see his godson go flying across the room to crash into a wall.
Severus slowly lowered his hand and dropped the shield. Potter's body was slumped for a long moment before the young man's head rose. He looked up at them with unfocused eyes and started sobbing.
Sirius and Remus moved toward the crying man as Hermione and Julius rushed to check on Ron and Madam Pomfrey. "Harry?" They both moved slowly. "Harry, it's going to be alright."
"Siri?"
"Yeah, Harry. It's me. Me and Remus."
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," cried Harry.
"Harry?" asked Sirius questioningly. He reached out to Harry.
"NO!"
Lex flinched at the scream and watched with an almost casual air as Potter managed to wandlessly throw his godparents across the room. /This is not good. Perhaps, I should try. After all, he can't kill me./
Severus moved closer to Potter. "Harry? Harry, you have to come back. Really come back." From what Lex could see, Severus knew that Harry was hallucinating.
The green eyes suddenly snapped into focus and looked closely at him. "Severus?"
Lex took a deep breath as he braced for a crash against the wall as he nodded. He was thankful he had braced himself or when Harry had thrown himself into Severus's arms, they would have fallen back.
Harry cried as he held onto Lex tightly. "Severus!" He buried his face in the Symbol's shoulder.
Severus ran a hand through the still unruly hair. "Hush. It's alright Harry. It's okay," whispered Lex as he began rocking the smaller body in his arms.
"So horrible. It was so horrible!" sobbed Harry.
Ignoring the people behind him, Lex gathered Harry into his arms and carried the man back into his room. "It's okay, Harry. I'm here."
TBC
Alia: Well! Do you like it so far! Questions, Comment? Come on guys review!
