Chapter Five.
Disclaimer-all characters herein are the property of J K Rowling, as is Hogwarts.
I apologise to my loyal readers for such a long delay. I have been fighting winter blues and panic attacks for some time and suffered a flare up. Please keep the reviews coming in as they really bring a spark to my smile.
Severus flued directly to his chambers, his expression unreadable as he strode directly to a wooden, panelled door, paying no heed to the fine layer of soot that now adorned his usually spotless robes. Muttering a spell under his breath, he pulled the door open, revealing a small, closet like space, replete with row upon row of vials, all neatly labelled and lined up within easy reach. As he ran his finger over one of the rows, perusing the tidy script, his thoughts returned to the scenes of chaos within the Headmaster's office and the task ahead of him. The boy's screams were still ringing in his ears as he tried to erase from memory the furious fire that burnt in the green eyes.. Severus was not a man entirely incapable of caring, but somewhere along the way, he had learnt to detach himself emotionally from those around him. It did not pay to carry the burden of emotion in his current situation, particularly with the Dark Lord's propensity to judge honesty based on facial expressions. As such, assisting a severely grief stricken, angry and unpredictable Potter was going to prove a difficult task. The fact he was the son of James Potter and served as a reminder of times preferably forgotten did not help matters.
Pulling himself back to the present, the Potions Professor settled on a vial of burnt umbre liquid, resealed the supplies store door and strode back to the ornately decorated fireplace. Grabbing a handful of flue powder, he walked forwards into the glaring flames and disappeared from sight.
The sight that met him as he arrived back in the circular room was one of mayhem. Books littered the floor along with the shattered remains of various magical instruments and baubles, whilst the large desk lay upon it's side, it's contents scattered haphazardly around the floor. Harry was currently flailing about, struggling to break free from Remus, who stood in the middle of the mess, arms wrapped tightly around the boy from behind, worry etched in his features. Albus simply stood observing, his eyes betraying a helplessness he had not experienced in a good many years as he watched the boy he had come to care for deeply, fall apart.
Severus, having gauged the situation, approached the partially restrained boy, the vial clutched carefully in one hand, lest the boy attempt to knock it away. Harry glared at him furiously and kicked out with his legs, catching a bony shin, as Remus fought to maintain his grip on the wasted body. Stepping back slightly, the Potions Master glanced over to the headmaster, and receiving a slight nod of agreement, removed his wand, casting a partial body bind on Harry's legs, before cutting through the teenager's enraged shouting.
'Since, Mr Potter, you seem unwilling to cease this little drama of yours, the matter has been taken out of your hands. I would suggest, Lupin, that you bring Potter down to ground level, where he apparently belongs at present, since he is behaving no better than a rabid cur.'
Biting back a sharp response to the insult, Remus carefully sank to the ground, bringing Harry down with him, the boy held firmly to his chest, whilst Severus knelt down beside them, the small vial already uncorked and braced in one pale hand. Reaching forwards, he grasped Harry's jaw, forcing it open and poured the small amount of liquid down, clamping his hand over the boy's mouth until he swallowed. Sitting back on his heels, Severus watched carefully as Harry's eyes glazed over slightly, his arms falling slack beneath Lupin's grip as the mild sedative took effect.
Remus, looking paler and wearier than usual, removed his arms from the frighteningly emaciated body and slid backwards, pulling himself to his feet shakily. It was agonising to see the child he had come to consider almost as a Godson, so caught up in his grief as to be unreachable, yet, oddly, he felt that if anyone was able to break through the wall of rage, it would be Severus Snape. The silence that had filled the room was broken as the headmaster, who had managed to restore his desk and three chairs to an upright position, addressed the room's other occupants in a quiet, but commanding tone.
Remus, take a seat. Severus, if you could assist Harry, I believe we have a few further things to discuss before your departure.'
Shooting the headmaster a sharp glare, Snape latched onto Harry's upper arm and rose to his feet, pulling the now unresisting teenager with him. Harry, for his part, gazed towards Dumbledore, a look of muted resentment in his eyes, as he found himself unable to respond physically to the emotions still raging within him. Whatever had been contained within that vial, it had only slightly numbed his thought processes, whilst rendering him incapable of acting on them. It was as though the strength had been sapped from his limbs, leaving him not far from being limp as a rag doll and he loathed the loss of control. His bitterness towards Dumbledore was only exceeded by the loathing he felt towards the greasy man who was now steering him into a seat beside Lupin. He still couldn't quite grasp the fact he was being forced to spend the remaining months of summer with one who had striven to make his time at Hogwarts as miserable as possible. Breaking from his thoughts, he stared down at his hands as Snape spoke up from beside him, his tone as icy and crisp as frost covered grass in winter.
'Headmaster, with all due respect, you cannot possibly expect me to play nursemaid to a manic teenager who clearly needs care I cannot provide. I will not allow this...', at this point, Snape pointed a bony finger towards Harry, '.boy to destroy what little I have left of my own life beyond this school'.
Albus Dumbledore gazed calmly between the three familiar faces seated opposite him, before bringing his eyes to rest on his potions professor, a hard glint apparent in their misted blue depths, his voice firm as he spoke.
'Severus, I would trust you with my life, and as such, I am entrusting you with the life of Harry here. I would not place this burden upon you were there any other option, but as such, you are the only one capable of such a task at present. Please, for once, do not question my motives. Take Harry to your home and do what you can. Remus and myself will pop in weekly to check on your progress, and should you be called, one of us will take over the task.'
It was all too much for Harry, listening to the older wizards discussing him as though he weren't there, as though he were but a heavy weight they could do without. Knuckles white, he gripped the edge of the desk and rose unsteadily to his feet, his eyes burning with ill concealed hatred.
'Well, if I'm such a burden, why don't you do all of us a favour and send me back to the Dursleys. I was doing fine until you turned up and decided once more to control my life. I'm not a puppet and if you think I'll spend the rest of summer with that greasy pig, you've got another thing coming. This is MY life. Not yours', he spat the words out, shaking off Lupin's hand, which had come to rest on his forearm.
Albus rubbed his eyes tiredly beneath his half moon spectacles, before bringing his gaze to rest on the the green eyes currently blazing in his direction. He was seriously beginning to wonder if even Severus would be able to get through to the boy, given the extreme hostility and rage evident in his behaviour. Noticing the increasing pallor on Harry's face, he finally responded to the outburst, maintaining his usual calm demeanour.
'Harry, you are not a burden, but even you must be able to see that all is not well with you at present. I cannot sit by and allow you to simply waste away before my eyes without making some attempt to help you. I know the death of your Godfather is weighing very heavily upon you at present, but would Sirius wish to see you suffering in such a manner? It is time to stop blaming yourself, Harry, for something that was not your fault.', he paused, a heaviness settling in his heart as he watched Harry sag back into his chair, the young face becoming a blank mask, as all emotion was once more concealed from view. Turning slightly to the right, he once more continued, addressing Severus this time.
'Severus, I trust you know what to do. Please, for all of our sakes, try to exercise patience and some level of understanding, as I once did for another young man suffering similarly. I suggest you take Harry and flue to Hawksley Manor directly. Time is moving swiftly and it has been a long and tiring day.for all of us. Remus, you have young Harry's trunk, I believe?'
Remus retrieved the resized trunk from deep within his robes and handed it over to the boy beside him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder as he did so. His words were, as usual, softly spoken with an undertone of strength.
'Please try and take care of yourself, Harry. I know how hard it is, but don't let Sirius' death have been in vain. If you at any time need someone to talk to besides Severus, just owl me at Headquarters and I will do my best to reach you'. His amber eyes glinted with suppressed sorrow as he removed his hand and turned his head away slightly.
Harry remained seated, his eyes devoid of any sign of emotion, his body by now slumped in the chair. The lack of nutrition was taking its toll in more than one way and coupled with his earlier exertion, had left him almost entirely drained. He gazed at the headmaster blankly as the elderly wizard came round the desk and pulled Snape slightly to one side for a few private words.
'Severus, please try to exercise some restraint with the boy or we are going to lose him to this. I know you and he are not on the best of terms, but I also know you have a heart there somewhere, jaded though it may be. You will need to watch him very closely, so I would suggest a simple linking spell as soon as possible, lest he attempt something irreversible'. Usually twinkling eyes dulled at the last words, the gravity in his voice betraying his very real concerns.
The Potions Master nodded curtly, before spinning on his heel and returning to his charge, who had returned to studying his hands. Severus Snape was not usually a man who doubted his own abilities, but in this case, doubt was rife. As far as he was concerned, Potter was an attention seeking, over glorified miniature of his father, and it was safer to retain this view. Glaring coldly at the flaccid boy, he bit out his next words, irritated at the loss of time he would have otherwise devoted to his Potions research.
'Get up, Potter, I have no intention of waiting here all night while you decide whether to throw another tantrum.'
His irritation increased as he watched the boy stand, sway unsteadily on his feet and slump forwards against the desk. Rolling his eyes, he strode forwards and snatched a bony elbow, dragging Harry ungracefully behind him to the fireplace. It wasn't entirely unexpected by the other occupants of the room when aforementioned boy's knees gave out, forcing Snape to support his full weight.
Remus watched in concern as his former colleague roughly hauled Harry into his arms, but restrained himself from making comment. Severus Snape might have been many things, but he would never harm a child intentionally. Arms full, Severus turned to the Headmaster, who took a handful of flue powder from an intricately decorated pot on the mantel and glanced once more at his fallen student
'Good luck, Severus', he whispered, before throwing the dusty substance and watching as the tall figure disappeared into the green flames with the words 'Hawksley Manor'
Disclaimer-all characters herein are the property of J K Rowling, as is Hogwarts.
I apologise to my loyal readers for such a long delay. I have been fighting winter blues and panic attacks for some time and suffered a flare up. Please keep the reviews coming in as they really bring a spark to my smile.
Severus flued directly to his chambers, his expression unreadable as he strode directly to a wooden, panelled door, paying no heed to the fine layer of soot that now adorned his usually spotless robes. Muttering a spell under his breath, he pulled the door open, revealing a small, closet like space, replete with row upon row of vials, all neatly labelled and lined up within easy reach. As he ran his finger over one of the rows, perusing the tidy script, his thoughts returned to the scenes of chaos within the Headmaster's office and the task ahead of him. The boy's screams were still ringing in his ears as he tried to erase from memory the furious fire that burnt in the green eyes.. Severus was not a man entirely incapable of caring, but somewhere along the way, he had learnt to detach himself emotionally from those around him. It did not pay to carry the burden of emotion in his current situation, particularly with the Dark Lord's propensity to judge honesty based on facial expressions. As such, assisting a severely grief stricken, angry and unpredictable Potter was going to prove a difficult task. The fact he was the son of James Potter and served as a reminder of times preferably forgotten did not help matters.
Pulling himself back to the present, the Potions Professor settled on a vial of burnt umbre liquid, resealed the supplies store door and strode back to the ornately decorated fireplace. Grabbing a handful of flue powder, he walked forwards into the glaring flames and disappeared from sight.
The sight that met him as he arrived back in the circular room was one of mayhem. Books littered the floor along with the shattered remains of various magical instruments and baubles, whilst the large desk lay upon it's side, it's contents scattered haphazardly around the floor. Harry was currently flailing about, struggling to break free from Remus, who stood in the middle of the mess, arms wrapped tightly around the boy from behind, worry etched in his features. Albus simply stood observing, his eyes betraying a helplessness he had not experienced in a good many years as he watched the boy he had come to care for deeply, fall apart.
Severus, having gauged the situation, approached the partially restrained boy, the vial clutched carefully in one hand, lest the boy attempt to knock it away. Harry glared at him furiously and kicked out with his legs, catching a bony shin, as Remus fought to maintain his grip on the wasted body. Stepping back slightly, the Potions Master glanced over to the headmaster, and receiving a slight nod of agreement, removed his wand, casting a partial body bind on Harry's legs, before cutting through the teenager's enraged shouting.
'Since, Mr Potter, you seem unwilling to cease this little drama of yours, the matter has been taken out of your hands. I would suggest, Lupin, that you bring Potter down to ground level, where he apparently belongs at present, since he is behaving no better than a rabid cur.'
Biting back a sharp response to the insult, Remus carefully sank to the ground, bringing Harry down with him, the boy held firmly to his chest, whilst Severus knelt down beside them, the small vial already uncorked and braced in one pale hand. Reaching forwards, he grasped Harry's jaw, forcing it open and poured the small amount of liquid down, clamping his hand over the boy's mouth until he swallowed. Sitting back on his heels, Severus watched carefully as Harry's eyes glazed over slightly, his arms falling slack beneath Lupin's grip as the mild sedative took effect.
Remus, looking paler and wearier than usual, removed his arms from the frighteningly emaciated body and slid backwards, pulling himself to his feet shakily. It was agonising to see the child he had come to consider almost as a Godson, so caught up in his grief as to be unreachable, yet, oddly, he felt that if anyone was able to break through the wall of rage, it would be Severus Snape. The silence that had filled the room was broken as the headmaster, who had managed to restore his desk and three chairs to an upright position, addressed the room's other occupants in a quiet, but commanding tone.
Remus, take a seat. Severus, if you could assist Harry, I believe we have a few further things to discuss before your departure.'
Shooting the headmaster a sharp glare, Snape latched onto Harry's upper arm and rose to his feet, pulling the now unresisting teenager with him. Harry, for his part, gazed towards Dumbledore, a look of muted resentment in his eyes, as he found himself unable to respond physically to the emotions still raging within him. Whatever had been contained within that vial, it had only slightly numbed his thought processes, whilst rendering him incapable of acting on them. It was as though the strength had been sapped from his limbs, leaving him not far from being limp as a rag doll and he loathed the loss of control. His bitterness towards Dumbledore was only exceeded by the loathing he felt towards the greasy man who was now steering him into a seat beside Lupin. He still couldn't quite grasp the fact he was being forced to spend the remaining months of summer with one who had striven to make his time at Hogwarts as miserable as possible. Breaking from his thoughts, he stared down at his hands as Snape spoke up from beside him, his tone as icy and crisp as frost covered grass in winter.
'Headmaster, with all due respect, you cannot possibly expect me to play nursemaid to a manic teenager who clearly needs care I cannot provide. I will not allow this...', at this point, Snape pointed a bony finger towards Harry, '.boy to destroy what little I have left of my own life beyond this school'.
Albus Dumbledore gazed calmly between the three familiar faces seated opposite him, before bringing his eyes to rest on his potions professor, a hard glint apparent in their misted blue depths, his voice firm as he spoke.
'Severus, I would trust you with my life, and as such, I am entrusting you with the life of Harry here. I would not place this burden upon you were there any other option, but as such, you are the only one capable of such a task at present. Please, for once, do not question my motives. Take Harry to your home and do what you can. Remus and myself will pop in weekly to check on your progress, and should you be called, one of us will take over the task.'
It was all too much for Harry, listening to the older wizards discussing him as though he weren't there, as though he were but a heavy weight they could do without. Knuckles white, he gripped the edge of the desk and rose unsteadily to his feet, his eyes burning with ill concealed hatred.
'Well, if I'm such a burden, why don't you do all of us a favour and send me back to the Dursleys. I was doing fine until you turned up and decided once more to control my life. I'm not a puppet and if you think I'll spend the rest of summer with that greasy pig, you've got another thing coming. This is MY life. Not yours', he spat the words out, shaking off Lupin's hand, which had come to rest on his forearm.
Albus rubbed his eyes tiredly beneath his half moon spectacles, before bringing his gaze to rest on the the green eyes currently blazing in his direction. He was seriously beginning to wonder if even Severus would be able to get through to the boy, given the extreme hostility and rage evident in his behaviour. Noticing the increasing pallor on Harry's face, he finally responded to the outburst, maintaining his usual calm demeanour.
'Harry, you are not a burden, but even you must be able to see that all is not well with you at present. I cannot sit by and allow you to simply waste away before my eyes without making some attempt to help you. I know the death of your Godfather is weighing very heavily upon you at present, but would Sirius wish to see you suffering in such a manner? It is time to stop blaming yourself, Harry, for something that was not your fault.', he paused, a heaviness settling in his heart as he watched Harry sag back into his chair, the young face becoming a blank mask, as all emotion was once more concealed from view. Turning slightly to the right, he once more continued, addressing Severus this time.
'Severus, I trust you know what to do. Please, for all of our sakes, try to exercise patience and some level of understanding, as I once did for another young man suffering similarly. I suggest you take Harry and flue to Hawksley Manor directly. Time is moving swiftly and it has been a long and tiring day.for all of us. Remus, you have young Harry's trunk, I believe?'
Remus retrieved the resized trunk from deep within his robes and handed it over to the boy beside him, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder as he did so. His words were, as usual, softly spoken with an undertone of strength.
'Please try and take care of yourself, Harry. I know how hard it is, but don't let Sirius' death have been in vain. If you at any time need someone to talk to besides Severus, just owl me at Headquarters and I will do my best to reach you'. His amber eyes glinted with suppressed sorrow as he removed his hand and turned his head away slightly.
Harry remained seated, his eyes devoid of any sign of emotion, his body by now slumped in the chair. The lack of nutrition was taking its toll in more than one way and coupled with his earlier exertion, had left him almost entirely drained. He gazed at the headmaster blankly as the elderly wizard came round the desk and pulled Snape slightly to one side for a few private words.
'Severus, please try to exercise some restraint with the boy or we are going to lose him to this. I know you and he are not on the best of terms, but I also know you have a heart there somewhere, jaded though it may be. You will need to watch him very closely, so I would suggest a simple linking spell as soon as possible, lest he attempt something irreversible'. Usually twinkling eyes dulled at the last words, the gravity in his voice betraying his very real concerns.
The Potions Master nodded curtly, before spinning on his heel and returning to his charge, who had returned to studying his hands. Severus Snape was not usually a man who doubted his own abilities, but in this case, doubt was rife. As far as he was concerned, Potter was an attention seeking, over glorified miniature of his father, and it was safer to retain this view. Glaring coldly at the flaccid boy, he bit out his next words, irritated at the loss of time he would have otherwise devoted to his Potions research.
'Get up, Potter, I have no intention of waiting here all night while you decide whether to throw another tantrum.'
His irritation increased as he watched the boy stand, sway unsteadily on his feet and slump forwards against the desk. Rolling his eyes, he strode forwards and snatched a bony elbow, dragging Harry ungracefully behind him to the fireplace. It wasn't entirely unexpected by the other occupants of the room when aforementioned boy's knees gave out, forcing Snape to support his full weight.
Remus watched in concern as his former colleague roughly hauled Harry into his arms, but restrained himself from making comment. Severus Snape might have been many things, but he would never harm a child intentionally. Arms full, Severus turned to the Headmaster, who took a handful of flue powder from an intricately decorated pot on the mantel and glanced once more at his fallen student
'Good luck, Severus', he whispered, before throwing the dusty substance and watching as the tall figure disappeared into the green flames with the words 'Hawksley Manor'
