A/N: The site seems to be back in its groove, and now I'm behind on responding to comments, but I'll catch up. Thank you for posting reviews! Here we go, mayhem is on the horizon! Good thing Harry did a little bit of practicing his new form of magic…
Chapter 7 - Shifting Powers - Part II
Severus knelt beside the thrashing teen, calling his name to no avail. Potter was gritting his teeth and going for long stretches of holding his breath to stifle his yells. Tears leaked down the sides of his face, and a groan would escape every few seconds. It went on and on.
"Breathe, Potter," Severus said, hearing his reluctant compassion in his own voice. He did not want to feel anything for Harry Potter beyond the realm of tolerance for his presence, but it was becoming quite difficult to be indifferent to this boy's plight.
The degree to which Potter suffered this pain in his scar was alarming. The Dark Lord's power was growing, and his interference with their attempts to maintain normalcy was also growing. And this boy is caught in the storm. Severus pressed an opened hand onto Potter's chest, wondering if there was some way that the touch would distract him, or at least let him know he is being attended to.
Something shifted and Harry was given a brief reprieve. He sucked in air and opened his eyes to find they were pooled with tears. He swiped angrily at them and heaved ragged breaths, struggling to contain the horror he was feeling from what he'd just witnessed. Nausea and scar pain were all he could really notice at first, but then when a warm palm rested on his forehead, he came back to his current surroundings to find he was on the floor in the ROR with Snape.
"He just-" Harry tried to stop his throat from closing on him, "-he just attacked Malfoy! He showed me what he was doing, said he knew Malfoy had betrayed his trust! He said he hoped the memory he'd seen of Malfoy fixing my shoulder had been a ploy on Lucius' part to fool me into thinking I could trust him! But I could tell he knows better already!"
"Where was this happening?" Snape asked. He slid an arm under Harry's shoulders and one under his legs and lifted him bodily. "I'm taking you to Pomfrey. Where did you see Lucius?"
Harry was shocked that Snape was carrying him, rather than dragging him to his feet. The gesture was not lost on him at all, and it only complicated things, because Harry worried he could be sending Snape off into the same kind of ambush he'd fallen for over Sirius. "Sir, what if it's a trap?"
"I don't think he's aware of Lucius and my partnership," Severus said. "In his ranks, Lucius and I are in different classes, so to speak. It would never occur to the Dark Lord that any of us are friends. He thinks we're only there to worship him." He swept along, stepping right into a fireplace that materialized at his request. "The Hospital Wing at Hogwarts!" When he'd stepped through to Pomfrey's office, he stopped to gather himself. The way he was currently holding Potter, he could only see the top of his head. He pressed his chin into the boy's hair. "Where did you see him?"
"The same place I saw you," Potter said reluctantly. "He left Malfoy in a heap and strode off. I saw him leave through a huge front door to a manner. The grounds were enormous. And then he shut me out."
"Were there pink roses lining the walk?" Severus asked. He'd lifted his chin from the boy's head, and was now turning with him to exit the office and enter the healer's main theatre.
"Yeah," Harry answered with deepening trepidation. "Sir," he tried again. Snape set him down on an empty bed near the back. He could see the medi-witch heading their way, and tried to form an argument to deter Snape from going. "Can you get any help, to go with you, just in case?"
"This is no longer your problem, Potter," he put his hand back onto Harry's chest and applied pressure, "lie back now. You've done your part. Let yourself recover."
"What's happened, Severus?" Madam Promfrey asked from behind Snape. Then she tsk-tsk'd and demanded, "Merlin, is that Potter? Already? We've only just come back for the term!"
0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0
Harry next became fully cognizant of his surroundings to find himself sleeping on his side. He'd not yet opened his eyes because he was overhearing a discussion between two familiar voices belonging to two pompous wizards. The strained tones they each employed suggested each was out of his comfort zone with the topic at hand…. hmmm. So of course, he listened carefully.
"Draco, you must change your behavior in this school immediately," Malfoy Sr. was saying in a harsh whisper. "I expect you to behave as the Prefect that you are. You must take your role very seriously, and you must be fair with your use of the power it affords you."
"What have I done wrong, Father?" Draco Malfoy responded in a very petulant tone, and his voice squeaked in a way that he should have outgrown in third year, at least in Harry's opinion.
"Son, we must conduct ourselves very differently, understand?" Lucius urged firmly. "I'm not condemning anything that you've done up until now, as it was in accordance with my guidance over your comportment."
"I don't understand, sir," Draco said, and it was clear to Harry that he actually did understand and was upset to hear that he couldn't torment and bully people and get away with it any longer.
Lucius sighed. Harry cracked his eyes and had a blurry view Malfoy Sr., seeing that he was in quite a state of injury. He had bandages everywhere, only his left hand and arm seemed to have escaped unscathed and he reached weakly towards a blurry but quite recognizable Draco, who was standing beside his father's bed and facing Harry. He imagined Draco pressing his lips together to stop the way his mouth always trembled as he took his father's hand. Harry couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to have guidance like that. A father who spoke of how we must behave as a family unit. As if there was a connection among them that represented their unity. That was entirely foreign to Harry.
"You are quite aware of your mother's distress-"
"She's basically left you, Father!" Draco said brokenly. Harry heard a tinge of fear behind the protestation, and guessed ol' Lucius was inclined to bite his son's head off if he got too cheeky, but Draco was pretty worked up by the sound of it.
Lucius only continued carefully, "-because she's been ready to embrace the side of the Light for ages, and has assumed I am unwilling. But Draco, I've embraced it. I'm a part of the resistance network, and have been for some time now."
Harry shut his eyes again when he heard a sniff coming from Malfoy Jr. Is he happy, or ticked? he wondered.
And then came the pièce de résistance: "Harry Potter saved my life today, Draco," Lucius emphatically informed his weeping son. "We owe him a life debt. You must abstain from any further provocation or interference with that boy's plight, understand?" Lucius paused, and Harry also waited, wondering how the ferret was receiving this news. "I'll punish you soundly if you dishonor us, Draco. Whatever you did to any of your peers on the train today will be excused. But the moment you leave here tonight, the terms of what's acceptable behavior for you have changed. Come."
Harry couldn't stand it. He opened his eyes and watched while Draco hesitantly leaned down to press his forehead to his father's chest, while Lucius weakly stroked his son's hair. Harry shut his eyes again, emotions reeling. This is just -
"AAHHHH!" his scar raged in pain again. He was aware of voices calling his name, but behind his scrunched eyes, he was shown that Voldemort had returned to the place where he'd left Malfoy Sr. several hours ago, finding it empty of his most recent plaything. Harry was in Voldemort's head again and the dark wizard moved over to look in a mirror, his message for Harry very clear: "I'm coming for you, Harry Potter. I'll see you soon." Harry sucked in air and sat up, eyes bulging like saucers as his panicked senses registered that he'd returned to his own self in the hospital wing, and now had an audience.
Snape was beside his bed, one hand pressed to one of Harry's calves, as if to ground him, and his tense posture failing to disguise his alarm. Merlin, did I just say all of that out loud?
"Center yourself, Potter," Snape advised, and Harry did so. It took the edge off, but he was still worked up, and his scar still hurt quite badly.
Madam Pomfrey bustled over, wand out to summon two additional pillows. "Let's keep you sitting up, Mr. Potter," she advised. She stepped to the opposite side of the bed, now blocking Harry's view of the Malfoys, and waved her wand to cast the same assessment charm Snape had used. While she read that, she summoned the now regular pain relief potion, a Pepper-Up and the magic replenishing draught. Harry scooted himself back to lean properly against the pillows and slug back each of them. He still felt drained and shaky. "You've taxed your magic, young man. And I see you've recently healed from some injuries, but not quite all, hmmm?"
"It was a lovely holiday," Harry griped sarcastically, not able to do much but resent the world at the moment, while his scar continued to cause a horrible, pounding headache. The pain reliever hadn't done much. He cast a glance at Snape wishing he could see the older wizard's face clearly enough to read whether he'd only screamed in pain, or whether he'd indeed just yelled out in Voldemort's voice. He needed to know, but he didn't want to ask in front of the Malfoys or the medi-witch.
"I want you to sleep here tonight, Harry," Pomfrey said to him. "I'll keep a watch on this concussion you've been wandering around with. Are you hungry?"
Harry said, "Yes," so she'd go away. He looked around for his glasses and found Snape holding them out for him. "Thanks."
He put them on and looked into Snape's eyes and said quietly, "He just found out that Malfoy's gone. He said he's going to see me soon." He watched Snape digest this as if it was the first time hearing it, which confirmed, much Harry's relief, that he had not "channeled" Voldemort just now. "He can't access the school, right?" Harry asked the older wizard on impulse.
"No, and Professors Hagrid and Grubblyplank know the boundaries of the warding within the Forbidden Forest, so as long as you stay within the grounds or the boundaries they keep in the forest, you are safe." Snape narrowed his eyes. His breathing had increased and Harry could tell he was trying not to go off.
"Alright," Harry said quickly. It was easier to just appease his professor. He'd been given a lot more information from Snape today than he'd ever been given before. He was having trouble keeping track of all of these quickly turning events and the newfound knowledge. He also realized he wasn't having to figure it all out for himself. That was a huge relief, but even though it was a good thing, it was also adding to Harry being overwhelmed at all that he had to manage.
"You've had quite a day, haven't you?" Snape asked, while in the background, Madam Pomfrey told Draco to go down and have his supper so that his father could sleep.
Harry huffed sarcastically, "Haven't we all?" as he watched Draco leave without casting a glance at them, probably because he was trying to hold himself together. He jumped when Snape's fingers gently took his chin and turned it toward him. Harry jerked away and glared at the Bat of the Dungeons. Snape held up his hands as if to indicate that Harry's outburst was duly noted, and of course he managed to make Harry feel like he'd overreacted to being touched by his least favorite professor.
"I just had a thought, Mr. Potter," Snape said, undeterred by that brief interaction. "You could perhaps make some corrections to your eyesight with this newfound ability of yours." He'd been directing this to Harry but had turned to look over at Malfoy Sr. as he'd finished.
Harry's mouth dropped open. "Are there spells for that? I've only ever been offered glasses!"
"Forgive me, Harry, I cannot yet turn my neck your way," Malfoy said in a weak but louder voice than before, "but indeed, there are corrective spells for eyesight, for most visual afflictions. It's a specialty that is very rare, and typically only the very wealthy are able to afford such a luxury."
"I'd give the contents of my vault to see without glasses," Harry declared recklessly.
"Slow down, Mr. Potter," Snape advised harshly. "It's also quite possible to cause permanent damage if not done properly." When Harry shot him a resentful glance, he sighed and continued as if Harry was the most exasperating person on the planet, "I've brought it to your attention because Lucius studied to be an Occulist, and he may be able to guide you in some way. But you must be very careful."
"Right," Harry said, and he used the correct tone to let Snape know he understood the warning. But this gave him an excellent new goal. Another seed planted.
0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0
It took about an hour, but Harry's scar pain dissipated to a dull throb. He was able to mostly ignore it and tried to doze, although that was proving difficult while sitting up. He was just contemplating lying back down when he caught sight of the bushy dark hair of his best friend heading over.
Hermione had sneaked away from her Prefect duties of all things. "Ron told me about how everything has gone pearshaped for you," she whispered, squeezing Harry's hand. "What can I do?"
Harry grinned at her. "What you do best, of course. Could you please proofread my Transfiguration essay? I left it in the common room. It's the only one I managed."
Hermione rolled her eyes, but she was pleased. "I've written a few of the other assignments out for you, if you need them," she said quickly. "Save time to recopy them, alright? I've got a History of Magic, Herbology, and Care of Magical Creatures-"
Harry slapped his head. "How could I have forgotten that one? Do you reckon Hagrid's back yet? I got the feeling earlier that we're still going to have Grubblyplank teaching this term."
"I was wondering too, but McGonagall didn't say anything at dinner." She stayed quiet for a little while. "What's been happening to you, Harry?"
Harry sighed. "I had a row with the Dursleys and got beaten up." When Hermione's eyes popped out of her head, he dropped down to a whisper and jerked his head towards the now curtained off bed of Lucius Malfoy. "Draco's dad, of all people, was there when I made my escape. It's a long story, but the highlights are-" he stopped himself. He really didn't feel like recapping any of it just now. "Let's just say, things are changing very quickly." He gave Hermione a pained look and she got it, and let him off the hook.
"Double potions first thing, don't forget." She said, reverting back to her favorite subject of homework. "Since Professor Snape knows you had a rough holiday, do you think he'll allow you time to do it this week?"
"Honestly, Hermione, I don't care if I get a zero," Harry said in exasperation. She was openly shocked, but Harry doubled down. "He knows now, as well as you and Ron, how bad it is for me. If he's going to demand I write a stupid essay on top of all of it, I'll take a zero. I just don't care."
Hermione clearly disapproved but saved her reprimand for another time. She squeezed his hand again. "I've got to get back. I'll see you at breakfast."
"Right."
0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0
Harry woke early the following morning, found his clothes, and dressed behind the privacy curtain Madam Pomfrey had erected for him the previous night. The medi-witch had left him additional doses of all of the potions, and told him he could leave in the morning without checking in with her if he felt rested. I do, actually. He downed the magic replenishing potion, but pocketed the other two for now. Might as well save them until I really need them.
He hustled back to Gryffindor and into the shower. He dressed in his uniform, donned his school robes, grabbed his book bag, and headed off to the Great Hall, saying hello to all of his mates and fellow Gryffindors as he went, but bustling by quickly enough to indicate he was rushing so no one would detain him. He made a tight turn into the Great Hall entrance and collided with none other than Hagrid.
"'Ello, 'Arry," the half giant said with enthusiasm. He looked much better than he had when Harry had last seen him. There was no blood, or bruises, or signs of injuries.
"Hagrid!" Harry greeted. "Are you back to teach COMC again?"
"Yeah," Hagrid said sheepishly, "got my 'ol job back, I did." He winked at Harry. "I've got your lot later in the day, don' I? Would you like to stop by before class? have a quick catch up? Better yet, have some lunch?"
Harry nodded. "That would be great! See you then. I've got to finish some homework while I have breakfast!" He gave a wave and hustled over to the Gryffindor table. At one point while he rushed to recopy the History of Magic essay, he glanced up to see which teachers were in the room and caught Snape watching him with narrowed eyes. Lovely. Remus was talking to McGonagall so Harry didn't try to catch his eye. He checked his watch when he finished the essay. Ten more minutes and then he should head down to the dungeons. He grabbed another scoop of eggs and sausage, thinking he may end up with a light lunch. He never knew what Hagrid would serve on these social visits.
0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0
"No holiday assignment for me, Potter?" Snape asked as he strolled by Harry's table where he was working with Neville. "How disappointing."
Harry glared at the back of his professors obnoxious head. What's he playing at? He knows bloody well that I didn't have time… oh yeah. He remembered Snape in the Great Hall just now. Harry huffed in frustration that the bat would expect him to prioritize Potions over another class. Of course he would.
The lesson was a practical, so they worked on a potion for regulating hair growth in people with overactive hair follicles. Very funny, Harry groused inwardly. He kept his mind on his work and lo and behold, without constantly dodging Draco Malfoy's efforts to sabotage him, Harry actually finished the potion on time, and it was nearly the consistency it was supposed to be. Snape glanced at his vial when he turned it in and made sure to look less than impressed, but awarded Harry full points as if they were being dragged out of him. Next, Harry copied the homework directions and cleaned up his things, planning a hasty retreat to go meet Hagrid. Ron and Hermione had the first shift for Prefect duties during the lunch hour, so Harry would catch up with them in History of Magic after lunch.
"Mr. Potter, remain after class, if you please," Snape said coldly.
Harry sighed. Ron and Hermione have him sympathetic looks, but had to go. When the room had cleared, Harry waited with dread for the potions master to address him.
"Why, may I ask, Mr. Potter, did you forego your holiday assignment for my class, but not another?" Snape asked in his slow enunciation that Harry considered to be a prelude to some sort of unfair consequence.
"Really? You saw first hand what I was up against, and you're asking about my holiday assignment?" Harry protested in disgust. "Sir." he remembered to add.
"It was a simple enough question, Potter," Snape said, unmoved by Harry's defensiveness.
Harry had no idea what Snape wanted him to say, so he said nothing. But he was fuming.
"I've a lunch break, followed by a free period, with nothing to do, so take your time with your answer," Snape pushed.
Harry tried to imagine how a seventh year who had already reached his majority might handle this situation. Would Fred or George be starting to shake like he was? He knitted his brow and studied the floor for a few moments while he reconnected to his sense of calm. Finally, he looked at Snape and replied, "I gave up on trying to figure out what you want from me a long time ago." Snape's raised eyebrow suggested he wasn't satisfied with this answer. At all. Fine. "It's low on my priority list."
"Lower. than. History. of. Magic, Potter?" Snape asked in a tone of condescending disbelief.
He's playing with me, Harry realized in exasperation. "Was this really why you kept me after, sir?" he asked incredulously.
"Obviously," Snape said, but he'd been studying Harry all along. "You seem better today. Have you had relief from that harsh pain in your scar since last evening?"
Harry struggled to understand what was happening here. Snape was being different, but he was also forcing Harry to relate to him differently as well. "Yes, sir," Harry finally said. "Look, are you going to hold the holiday essay over my head?"
"I will find another way for you to make up the lost points," Snape said. "I'll let you know after I've given it some thought."
"Alright…" Harry said, uncertain whether to read a threat into that. "Er, may I please leave? I'm meeting someone."
0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0
Harry hustled along the hard hillside pathway towards Hagrid's hut, annoyed that Snape had cost him some precious quality time with his friend. I wonder what that's all about… he thought as he jogged along. It was quite cold out. He'd used his wand to cast a warming charm on his robes, but the biting air was still getting at his face and hands. He saw a rabbit darting off to the side and was reminded of Luna's hare Patronus, which reminded him that he wanted to learn about sending a message with his, like Remus had done the other night. That could come in handy! This turned his thoughts to those lessons with Remus in third year. Harry remembered how impressed his father's best friend had been with his abilities. Remus had seemed to suggest that Harry was capable of more than most with his magic. Harry wondered if that were the actual case, or whether he'd simply been exposed to more opportunity to learn than the average bloke.
He stopped in his tracks for a moment and brought his focus inward. The tingling was right there, just like a new best friend. "Expecto patronum!" Harry called out as he cast his stag from his right palm. The whispery blue-white light burst out of his hand quite strongly - the sensation was fascinating - and his stag emerged, large as a real life version would be, and turned to look at Harry as if waiting for instruction. Now what? Harry was incredibly excited and wished he could tell someone, or ask… "Aww, bugger," he muttered, looking at the great ethereal beast before him. "Keep me company?" he asked it. When he turned to walk, the stag stayed put for a moment, but then began to follow him from several paces back. That made Harry grin. He began to jog again, at once remembering he needed to leave time for a decent chat with Hagrid.
0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0ooo0
At Hagrid's hut, Harry glanced back at the stag to see that it was still there, but had wandered off toward the wood. Wonder how long it will hold its form? He rubbed at his scar absently. It had twinged just slightly right then.
He knocked on the door, noting that the place still looked uninhabited. Odd. Why hadn't Hagrid opened things up yet? And that would mean no lunch for Harry. Wait, ….something was off.
Just then, a strange owl flew right up to perch on the rail of the short stairwell, and stuck its leg out to offer Harry a scrolled parchment. Harry quickly took the letter, unwound it and saw a message in Hagrid's handwriting, but it looked off as well. It was shaky and rushed looking. "What's going on?" he asked aloud with trepidation. Then he read aloud, "Harry, I heard something in the forest and came out to check on Grawpy. Can you meet me here to save time?"
It's Hagrid, Harry, he reminded himself. Things had been off more often than not with the half giant all term. But he had to go make sure his friend was okay. He palmed his wand, deciding on the spot, without really reasoning it out, to keep his wandless abilities under wraps from everyone but those who already knew of them for now. He jogged along the path Hagrid had led him, Ron and Hermione along last term, when he'd taken them to meet Grawp. It was also the same one he and Hermione had followed to get ol' Dolores her comeuppance with the centaurs.
Once Harry had left the grounds of the school and officially had entered the forest, he slowed down and proceeded with caution, just in case. He recalled Snape's explanation of the perimeters of his safe zone and hoped that by going this way to Hagrid, he was keeping within them.
He saw an odd site after another thirty paces. It was a pile of… clothes? Very large clothes, at that-
"Petrificus totalus!" A voice Harry did not recognize called out. Harry immediately turned into one solid block and toppled over, landing on his side with his back to whomever was attacking him. The only thing Harry could do was breathe and blink his eyes. His glasses had been knocked askew, so he could only see when he looked through them at the odd angle they were resting precariously at. Oh, and my scar now hurts, and the pain was increasing rapidly. Bugger all!
Footfalls hit right behind Harry's head as the attacking wizard circled around to stand in front of him. Harry could only see his boots. They were high quality dragonskin, as opposed to the more commonly worn and more rugged dragonhide version like Snape favored. Harry had seen similar boots on the Malfoy's and some of the other Slytherins from wealthy households. So, he's a wealthy Slytherin, Harry surmised, as the hem of a very dark robe swished against those boots with the wizard's movements. Now Harry's stomach plunged. He knew those robes. Death Eater. A hand reached down and snatched Harry's wand. "Levicorpus!" the wizard incanted next, and Harry was suddenly lifting off of the ground and being twirled until he he was upside down before the laughing Augustus Rookwood began to guide his levitated body deeper into the wood.
Harry's mind was scrambling to comprehend what had just happened. You've been duped again, you idiot. But… Rookwood had been at the recent battle at the Ministy. Hadn't he been arrested? and why had Hagrid's clothes been in a pile there, just now? Where was the half giant? He tried to pay attention to where he was being taken but the upside down view of the forest was difficult to mark, especially with compromised vision. Wait, what was that? He saw a flash of blue-white light. His stag was still following him! It was mostly keeping out of site. How do I tell him to go get help? As if it had heard him, the ethereal beast stopped its pretense of grazing and looked up in Harry's direction, then it turned and ran off, disappearing from view.
Now the pain in Harry's scar exploded. All he could do to compensate was clench his eyes against it, but that did absolutely nothing. His breathing accelerated, tears drained in steady drips down his inverted forehead and into his scalp.
And then he heard the laughing.
"Hello, Harry," Voldemort greeted.
A/N: Sorry-not-sorry about the cliffy! More soon!
