Once again, thanks for the reviews. I hope you enjoy this next chapter.
"Nathan, wait up!" Harry called to his friend as the boy pedaled past the park fountain and into the woods behind it. Harry pedaled faster, trying to catch up to Nathan's bike, Sam running alongside him.
Nathan was another twelve-year-old boy who Harry met a few years back at the playground. He was a dark-skinned, slender kid and lived in the town near Snape Manor. They played together at the park and became friends quickly, inviting each other over to birthdays or fun family events. Nathan had been out of town during his birthday, so he couldn't invite Nathan over. Although more importantly, Nathan didn't know anything about the wizarding world, so it would have been hard explaining some things to him about his other friends (especially with the first soda thing). Severus had recommended that Harry not tell his muggle friends for the time being.
Harry caught up to Nathan and rode at his side, Sam trailing the two bikes.
According to Sam, he had illusioned himself to look like a Labrador dog for Nathan. When Harry looked at Sam, he still saw the three-tailed fox, just at a larger size. Sam told him that was because Harry knew what he was looking at and his brain broke through the illusion. Nathan had no idea and just saw a yellow lab.
"Watch out for the fallen trees, Harry!" Nathan yelled, charging forward and jumping his bike over a cluster of toppled over shrubs. Harry quickly followed his lead and managed to jump his bike over, Sam leaping at his side. They raced for a while longer before traveling downhill where Harry passed Nathan.
"Harry, slow down! Look out!"
A wide section of the river that looped around the town cut through this part of the woods – and Harry was rolling right for it! Harry thought about applying his brakes but he was speeding too fast down the hill and he was sure he'd flip into the water if you tried to stop now. He pedaled faster and hoped the bike would make the jump over the river. He angled it for a small rise in the ground and felt himself fly through the air.
He heard Sam barking and his friend's bike's brakes squealing to a halt. He hit the ground roughly and fell over, sliding across the ground a bit, his own bike's metal scratching up his bare legs. He heard a loud rip. His head bounced off the dirt. He grimaced, he had forgotten his helmet when he left that afternoon, but stood and lifted his hands in victory.
"Whoo!" Harry shouted.
"Have you lost your marbles?" Nathan shouted to him, a huge smile on his face. "Your dog has more sense than you."
Sam barked at Harry from the other side of the river. He sat down and tilted his head at Harry.
"That was brilliant!" Harry smiled. "You should try it."
"You ripped your shirt!" Nathan laughed. "I hope that wasn't expensive! Your dad's going to kill you."
Harry looked down at his red shirt. It was torn from under his arm to the front, but at least it didn't tear completely that it was falling off him. It wasn't an expensive shirt, but it would still reveal where exactly Harry had been biking. Severus had told him to stay in town and out of the woods.
"I don't think he'll mind," Harry lied easily. "It's an old shirt anyway."
"Brilliant! Look, I got to head back home before dinner. The sun's setting and my old man will go to spar if I'm not home before the street lamps come on."
"Same. I should head back home as well."
"Good luck crossing that river! Bye Harry, later Sam."
Sam watched Nathan bike back up the hill and disappear from sight before looking at Harry.
: One second, Harry. I'll illusion up a bridge.
Sam stared hard at the river and a large plank of wood appeared, forming a way across. Harry stared intently at the wood and it suddenly became transparent, revealing the rushing waters below. Harry blinked and the wood returned to opaque.
: Do not think of it as an illusion or you'll break it and fall through.
"I still don't understand how that even works!" Harry said to Sam, collecting his bike and stopping just before the plank.
: It's complicated. It really focuses on perception and fooling the brain and the world around you. Gravity is a bit tricky to fool but not impossible. Just cross quickly and think of walking the plank like a pirate.
Harry sighed and shakily stepped on the plank, trying to enforce his imagination to avoid seeing through the illusion. He stared down at the wood, thinking about how cool it would be if he were truly on a pirate's ship and being made to walk the plank. He was halfway across when he started thinking about why he would be the one walking the plank. He would be the captain!
As his thoughts strayed, the wood beneath him grew unsteady and suddenly transparent. Harry let go of the bike as he felt himself fall. Sam lunged forward and bit down on Harry's tattered shirt and yanked him to safety, though Harry's shorts did end up soaked. Sam dragged Harry all the way on to dry land and released him.
"Thanks, Sam," Harry said, sitting up and looking back at the river. "Bloody hell, my bike."
He watched dismayed as his bike was carried downstream, sinking deeper and deeper in the water.
: I'm not fetching it, Sam decided. Catching you was work enough.
"Dad's going to kill me!" Harry slapped his hands over his face. "It's going to take longer to walk back now and it's already getting dark. And my shirt is ruined, I'm muddy and wet – I obviously did not stay in town for bike riding, I've lost my bike . . ."
: You're bleeding.
Harry looked down to where Sam was looking. His inner left thigh and calf was scratched up by the metal and bleeding slightly. A large bruise was forming in his inner thigh, along with several smaller ones here and there. Sam's eyes trailed up and he tilted his head. Harry felt something tickle his forehead and he touched the side of his head where he had hit the ground. His hand pulled away with blood. It wasn't much, thankfully.
"Great," muttered Harry as he stood. "Do you know the quickest way home? Can you fly me there?"
: My mist can't really pick things up, especially people. Sorry, Harry.
"That's fine. Let's go before it gets any darker."
The walk back home was nerve wracking. Harry kept trying to think of excuses to say that his father might buy. He and his friend were jumped and roughed up by some older kids who then took off with their bikes. But what if Severus called Nathan's parents? That would blow his whole story. Maybe he didn't mean to go into the woods but he didn't turn the bike soon enough and tumbled down the hill, falling into the river which Sam had to rescue him from. That could work.
: I advise against it, Sam suddenly spoke.
"It's not like you'll get in trouble," Harry said. "He never yells at you."
: And how do you know? What if he prefers to speak to me in private?
"Why would he do that?"
: Because I am still an adult. And adults like to talk without children present.
"Oh," Harry had never thought about conversations between Severus and Sam when he wasn't around.
But Harry wasn't sure if he wanted to tell Severus the truth – that he had agreed to race Nathan through the woods before running into the river and having to jump over it. Then Sam having to help him cross it and then losing his bike. Some story. At least Sam was still at his side. He liked the comfort the kitsune offered. The sky was dark by the time his house was in sight.
He slowly opened the door and quietly shut it behind him. He listened for noise in the house. He didn't hear anything, but he could smell food on the stove. Chicken.
Harry decided his best bet was to make a dash for his room and change before his father got a good look at him. Sam was still standing next to him, fox-sized now, and staring up at him.
Harry quickly rushed for the stairs, Sam trotting at his heels. He had climbed three steps when an ominous voice called:
"Harry Severus."
Harry grimaced and Sam whined and looked up at him, his ears falling back. Retreating down the steps, Harry walked slowly to the kitchen, his stomach suddenly fluttering with butterflies. He was a sight, alright. And his father wouldn't miss a scratch. Harry entered the kitchen, momentarily glad his father's back was turned, facing the stove and tending to the chicken strips. Sam sat at Harry's heels.
"Do you," Severus began, not turning yet, "have any idea what time it is? I would also like for you to explain why you left your helmet here when I told you to remember to wear it."
"I forgot the helmet," Harry said. "I didn't mean to forget it, I just –"
"You didn't mean to forget it?" Severus snapped as he forcefully set the tongs down. "How do you . . ."
Severus turned and his eyes widened and his jaw dropped.
"What in Merlin's name happened to you?"
Severus rushed forward and checked Harry over, brushing a hand over the cut on Harry's head and looking at the boy's leg where the metal had cut him up.
"I . . . fell off my bike."
"All of this by falling off your bike?" Severus frowned at the tattered shirt, squatting to study Harry's leg injury. "No, I don't think so. Try again. What really happened?"
"But I did fall off my bike, really! Nathan and I were riding a little close to the woods and I got too close and fell over and tumbled down the hill a bit. That's how my shirt got ripped. I think some metal caught it or something. And I hit my head and the bike scratched my legs."
"Your shorts are wet," Severus noticed, looking up at his son's face. "Care to explain that?"
"I . . . fell into a puddle."
Severus glared at his son and Sam used a paw to cover his eyes, whining in exasperation.
"Bring your bike in. I want to have a look at it."
Harry paled. Severus stood, cast a drying charm on Harry, and summoned a couple different potions. Sam looked up at Harry, wondering what his next move would be. Harry gulped and tried to think of an explanation for what happened to his bike while Severus flipped the chicken on the stove. The man turned back around and frowned at Harry.
"Well? Go get your bike."
"I . . . uhh, well, I kind of . . ."
"You what? Harry if your bike is wrecked . . ."
"No, not wrecked. It's kind of . . . gone."
"It's kind of gone? Explain."
"When I fell, it kind of fell into . . . the river."
"It fell into the river. The one about a half mile into the woods?"
Harry nodded, his face flushing and burning.
"I thought you said you were a little close to the woods."
Harry shrugged. Snarling, Severus grabbed Harry and turned him, swatting him twice. Harry ground his teeth but didn't try and pull away. Severus kept a grip on his arm as he questioned him.
"If you weren't already injured, I'd put you over my knees and beat some sense into you! I want the truth from you now! Did you go into the woods against my orders?"
"Yes, but I didn't mean to!"
"You didn't mean to bike into the woods?"
"Well, I mean . . ."
"So, you left your helmet here, went into the woods, stayed out later than you were supposed to, and you fell off your bike and injured yourself. Where is your bike?"
"In the river," Harry whispered.
"In the what?"
"The river."
"Did you fall into the river?"
"No. I jumped over the river on my bike. I was going down the hill too fast. Sam made a plank thing for me to cross to get back over but it was an illusion and it broke and I fell and dropped the bike. Sam caught me but the bike fell in and sank."
Severus looked down at Sam. "He jumped over the river?"
: Astonishing, it was, Sam tilted his head, his ears flopping slightly, but his body remained tense, prepared for a tongue lashing.
"And you used some illusion trick to get him across?"
: What was I supposed to do, leave him stuck on the other side? Sam snarled.
"You could have gotten me! Called me through your telepathy or something. Or walked him to a thinner section of the river where he could have waded through."
: I can't think of everything! I just react. I did the first thing that came to mind!
Severus glared at Sam for a silent few seconds before glaring back at Harry.
"You know better than to lie to me, Harry. You're lucky you let that bike go, it could have dragged you into the water with it! You would have drowned! You have made several bad decisions today, young man. From this point forward, you are on restriction! Go to your room this instant!"
Harry sulked past Severus back to the stairs, Sam not at his heels this time. He sauntered up the stairs, though he still felt upset and a bit angry with his father. For what, he wasn't sure. He had made several bad choices. But why couldn't his father just make him write lines or spank him and be done with it. Why did he have to ground him and drag out his punishment? He hated being grounded.
Harry plopped down on his bed, burying his face in his pillow. He groaned into it then hissed as the pain in his leg began throbbing. Severus hadn't even used the potions he had summoned on his injuries. Harry rolled on his back and stared at his ceiling. Why did he always make things worse? How could he lie to his father? The man always got the truth out of him.
Harry felt tears trail down his cheeks and he angrily wiped at them. He had no reason to cry. Those smacks hadn't even hurt. Besides, he was getting too old to smack. Severus had no right to smack him anymore.
But who was he kidding? It wasn't like he could tell his father no or to stop doing something. He was his father after all. His leg was starting to really ache. At least the bleeding had stopped. Maybe he should clean his leg and face.
Standing up, Harry walked to the bathroom and looked in the mirror. The sight that met him made him do a double take. He barely recognized himself. He was covered in dirt and his shirt was destroyed. A large cut was on his head, but it had stopped bleeding. Harry took a wash cloth and scrubbed his face with warm water and soap and then his leg. Once he looked half way decent, he changed into nightclothes since he figured he'd be in his room for the rest of the evening.
A knock on his door sounded.
"Come in," Harry said, jumping up on his bed.
Severus walked in with a bowl of chicken caesar salad. He set the bowl down on Harry's bedside stand and looked over the cut on Harry's head, brushing aside the boy's hair. Harry could sense that Severus was a lot calmer now.
"I'm surprised you didn't take a shower," Severus remarked, reaching into his robe and pulling out a simple cut solution. He rubbed a generous amount on his son's head. "You are still filthy. There you go. Let me see your leg. I have a bruise balm as well."
Harry stretched out his leg, sliding over so Severus could sit next to him. Severus rubbed the potions over the wounds.
"You will not be getting a new bike for quite some time," Severus said. "If ever. And you are grounded to your room for the remainder of the week. You will not be allowed to go out with any friends, you will not be allowed outside, or be allowed to watch TV or read for leisure. You may work on any school work you haven't finished yet. You will have extra chores around the house and you will be in bed early each night. Do you understand me?"
"Yes, sir," Harry said.
"Very well," Severus closed up his containers and pushed the bowl a bit closer to the edge of the bedside stand. "You will eat your dinner in here, tonight. I will be back in an hour to make sure you're under the covers."
"Okay," Harry picked up the bowl and began eating the salad.
Severus ruffled Harry's hair before standing to leave.
"Where's Sam?" Harry asked.
"He just left to go out on a hunt. He'll be back soon, I'm sure."
Harry nodded and took a bite of a tomato, watching Severus leave his room. Some way to end the day. It wasn't even seven o'clock yet. He would be tucked in by eight that night. What twelve-year-old went to bed at eight? This was ridiculous!
He was halfway through his salad when a noise outside his door caught his attention. It sounded like something was crashing into the walls.
Harry set his bowl aside and cautiously approached the door.
"Sam?"
The noise grew louder as it drew near.
"Dad?"
Harry opened the door and peered out. Something small crashed into his door, opening it all the way and falling on top of Harry.
"Harry Snape sir!"
It was a house elf! Harry knew Snape Manor didn't have house elves, but this one seemed so familiar . . .
"Dobby?" Harry asked, pushing the elf off him and standing. The elf looked just like the old Dobby after the elf had been freed from the Malfoys. Harry knew Dobby wasn't a house elf at Malfoy manor in this reality as he had visited Draco several times growing up. He wondered who the elf may belong to this time.
Dobby gasped. "Harry Snape knows Dobby's name! Harry Snape is a great wizard. Such an honor it is to meet you!"
"Umm, thanks. What are you doing here? How do you even know me?"
"Dobby has come to protect Harry Snape, to warn him! Harry Snape must not go back to Hogwarts."
"Not this again," mumbled Harry. "Protect me from what? How do you even know me?"
"Great James Potter freed Dobby many years ago! Saved Dobby from Malfoy family and Dobby promised to protect friends of James Potter and friends' children but Dobby is failing."
Dobby began running around the room and banging his head against the wall.
"Dobby, stop! You don't have to do that! What's wrong? What do you want to protect me from?"
"Bad things will happen at Hogwarts, but Dobby doesn't know what. I is a bad Dobby for not knowing! Dobby works at Hogwarts but Dobby doesn't know the danger Dobby senses!"
Harry remembered that Albus said fate would try to play out as close as possible to the previous reality as it could. Dobby sensed a danger that would happen at Hogwarts in the coming year because of (Harry was guessing) fate. He just didn't know what exactly.
"Dobby knows Hogwarts dangerous! Something bad will happen! Harry Snape must not return to Hogwarts!"
"Don't worry. I have Sam," Harry reassured. "Sam will keep me safe."
"The fox!" Dobby exclaimed, his eyes widening. "Fox dangerous! Dobby senses danger around fox. Harry Snape must get rid of fox."
"Sam? He's not a danger. Well, not to me anyway. He's fine, Dobby."
"No, Harry Snape is in grave danger! Dobby must protect Harry Snape from fox! And Hogwarts!"
"You don't need to do that, Dobby."
"Dobby made promise! Dobby must! If Harry Snape does not go to Hogwarts, fox will not follow! And Hogwarts dangerous! Something is going to happen! Something big!"
Harry frowned at the house elf's logic.
"Dobby, I don't need protection from anything. My dad and Sam will keep me safe."
"If Harry Snape does not listen to Dobby, then Dobby must do what Dobby must do!"
Dobby ran out of Harry's room in a hurry. Harry quickly followed him down the stairs as a memory returned, hoping that Dobby didn't decide to drop pudding on his father's head. He was sure Severus wouldn't appreciate that. The man had just calmed down, too.
Technically, he wasn't supposed to be out of his room. He paused halfway down the stairs and glanced around the living room to make sure his father wasn't in sight. The man must have either gone in his study, lab, or in his room. Dobby continued running towards his father's lab door, opening it and running down the stairs. Harry gasped.
"No, Dobby – stop!" Harry rushed down the rest of the stairs and down into his father's lab. He tried to grab the elf before he could enter the lab.
Dobby slipped away from him and hopped on to one of the tables in the room, where several potions were boiling. His father wasn't in his lab thankfully.
"Dobby," Harry said cautiously, slowly approaching the table. "What are you doing?"
"Harry Snape must get rid of fox and not go to Hogwarts!"
"I can't do that, Dobby."
"Then Dobby must do this!"
Dobby kicked one of the cauldrons, sending it to the floor where it spilt all over.
"Dobby, no!" Harry ran forward and tried to catch the other cauldrons Dobby was kicking. Dobby jumped to the next table and kicked the cauldrons there.
"Dobby, stop! What are you doing!"
"Harry Snape will be grounded and not go to Hogwarts! Then Dobby will get rid of the fox."
"How long do you think my Dad will ground me for? Stop it! Be still!"
Dobby moved to the next table, knocking down the remaining cauldrons. Some potions stained the floor, while others just continued to spread due to its thin consistency.
"Dobby, please. My dad's going to kill me!"
Luckily no other tables had any projects on them. Harry sighed, thinking Dobby was finished, but the elf moved to the shelf where freshly polished cauldrons sat waiting for use. The elf picked one up and threw it with incredible force. The cauldron clanged against the ground, bounced once and rolled way. There was a large dent in the side now.
"Dobby, no!" Harry ran to the elf as another cauldron was thrown. The elf was preparing to throw another one but Harry grabbed his arm and tried to snatch the cauldron. Dobby allowed the cauldron to fall to the ground with a dent in its side. Dobby disapparated out of Harry's grip and reappeared in the supply closet.
"Harry Snape will not go to Hogwarts and get rid of the fox."
Harry gave Dobby a pleading look, hoping that he would have some pity and not ruin his father's supplies.
"Dobby, I can't. I have to go. Even my dad isn't going to keep me from going back. And Sam isn't dangerous. Don't destroy anything in there, please, Dad worked really hard on stocking that."
Dobby returned a sad look before he started throwing containers, vials, and various plants and animal parts out of the closet. Harry's eyes widened and he did his best to catch the flying glass vials and containers. He managed to catch the majority of what could break if it hit the ground, though there was a mess around him. He looked up at Dobby and saw that the elf had two vials of different potions in his hands. He gave Harry one last sad look, his ears dropping, and he mixed the potions together.
The loud explosion rang through the entire house, knocking Harry off his feet, the objects he had shattered on the floor around him. A light gray smoke filled the basement and a ringing deafened Harry's ears. Harry clamped his hands over them and waited it out.
When the ringing stopped, Harry could hear himself coughing and he cleared his throat of the dust. He looked around his father's lab and at the supply closet. Everything was destroyed. He felt tears in his eyes as he stared at the disaster the elf had caused and how disappointed his father would be. The tables had been blown across the room, the legs broken off. One table had been split clean in half. The cauldrons that Dobby hadn't thrown were now all over the room, some dented in may areas while a few were melting slightly.
Dobby was gone.
Harry wiped his eyes and waited for the smoke to clear up. When it did, he realized he wasn't alone in the room.
His father stood in the doorway, his eyes scanning the damage, his body tense and breathing heavy.
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