Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of these characters. All of that belongs to the brilliant JK Rowling. Some parts of this fic may be taken directly from the book. I by no means intend to plagiarize. Some things are just too good to make any changes to.
A/N: Thank you all so much if you've favorite, followed, reviewed, or continued on this journey with me. It means so much! For all of those who have asked about my disability, it is a rare disease called AAG. I do not want pity, I just want to share my story with you all and hope you enjoy what I create. Without further ado, here is chapter 6.
Chapter 6:
The moon cast light onto the sterile bedspread. The dungeon had no actual windows, being underground, but the potions master charmed one in the lab to show the time of day just in case Harry were to wake up. The professor was being oddly kind, though he would make sure no one would ever live to see it.
Through the night so far, Snape had delivered all necessary potions into Harry's vein, brewed up some more, and stemmed any spontaneous bleeding from his injuries. I'm turning into the bloody school matron, Snape thought to himself as he put pressure onto the open wound of the boy's arm which would spontaneously bleed at its own will. If anyone ever witnessed his caregiving to the bloody Boy Who Lived, he would never live it down. He repeated over and over to himself that his only job is to keep the boy alive whether he despised him or not.
An ornate wrought iron clocked chimed across the room above the shelves where the potion vials were, showing it to be three o' clock in the morning. It felt like a century since it had all happened, but in reality it had only been around 10 hours. With Harry still comatose no one yet knew what exactly took place. The only information floating through the air was that Lord Voldemort had returned and Cedric Diggory is dead.
The dark mark still burned fiercely on Snape's own arm keeping him awake. Brewing the potions and essentially caring for Potter was enough to keep his mind off the pain, but now it all had been completed. Every possible healing spell and pain potion that Severus Snape knew how to brew, sat on the lab table ready for use, the place was spotless after scrubbing it down by hand, and Harry was not in any immediate danger. Professor Snape gave the room another once over before retiring to the parlor on the other side of the door.
The cozy living area looked no different than it had before as if no time had passed and no dark lord had returned. The lack of windows kept the room dark, illuminated only by the sizable fireplace in front of the velvet sofa and some candles here and there casting a hazy glow. He looked dazedly around the room as if looking for a clue as to if anything new had taken place. Has anyone been here? Are there any letters to be read? With everything being exactly where it was previously, the tired potions master strolled over to the couch and practically fell into it basking in the roaring embers. He did not realize until now, that he had not sat down in hours.
Snape felt as if his eyelids were being forcibly pulled closed in the most pleasant way possible, so he let the force carry out the job. He therefore did not notice the fireplace spitting small bursts of flames and the crackling embers evolving into the face of Albus Dumbledore.
"Severus," Albus called to the man whose head lolled back. Snape jumped up, startled at the sound of his name.
It took a minute to realize where he was when he realized there was a head in his fireplace, "Headmaster," he answered to the man in the flames. Snape was secretly happy to finally have someone else's conscious company, but would have enjoyed sleep all the same. Although most of the time he preferred to keep to himself, today he did not want to be kept in the dark about any news.
"Sirius Black is here and will not hear reason, he-," Dumbledore was interrupted as a massive black dog flooed into the hearth of the fireplace spewing ashes and debris all over the flagstone floor.
"You!" Snape hissed at the man who impressively transformed from the wolf- sized dog.
"Out of my way, Snivellus," Sirius pushed past Snape and began to circle the room in a panic obviously looking for his godson.
Bubbling anger welled up inside the potions master ready to boil over at the intrusion. How dare he. He had not seen Sirius Black since last year and hoped to never to see him again, yet here he is storming through his private quarters. Snape looked over to Dumbledore in the fire only to see that it was empty. Not a moment later did the headmaster floo through to stand there in the flesh.
"Severus, Sirius, calm down. Harry is right through this door," Dumbledore motioned if hand at the entrance to the lab and Sirius bolted. Snape made to follow but Albus laid a hand on his shoulder to stop him, "let us be mature about this," Albus gave a small smile, his eyes twinkling kindly.
Sirius ran to the only bed in the room. At the sight of Harry's physical mayhem, the horror and panic that encased Sirius's face bestowed the look that twelve years in Azkaban gave him all over again. Any new blood that had not yet been cleaned, sat crusted on his pale skin, and the darkness under his eyes a stark contrast. The hands that were paws only moments ago, gently stroked through Harry's messy mop of hair as he shook his head in disbelief. Oh Harry, what happened to you?
"Unless you wish to cause him more bodily harm, I suggest you refrain from touching him," Snape sneered with a little smirk that suggested he would not mind if Sirius continued.
Either because of Albus's talent of prediction, or the fact that he had witnessed Severus and Sirius in the same room too many times, he moved swiftly in front of the ex-con who turned from his place at Harry's bedside to get into Snape's face.
"Please boys. Let us speak as the full grown adults that we are," Dumbledore was suppressing a small laugh at men still acting like school children.
"What happened to him?" Sirius looked into the headmasters eyes with such turmoil.
Dumbledore's amused expression instantly changed to one of concern, "We do not know the details of everything that has taken place last night. I can tell you what I know so far and Severus can tell you what you need to know about Harry's physical condition."
"He's been healing Harry?" Sirius nearly screamed in bewilderment while pointing a finger at the bat-like potions professor who was now leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, very Sirius-like. Snape pushed off of the wall with his back and glided gracefully nearer to the men standing by the bed.
"Yes I have, Black, and if you would like me to continue to do so I would not insult my abilities if I were you," they were once again moving closer and closer to each other when Dumbledore cast a shield between them.
"Let us do this calmly please. Severus, please tell us the damage you have found on young Harry," Dumbledore conjured up three downy armchairs and cocoa near the foot of Harry's bed and invited them to sit.
Snape began first, telling both men of his findings. By the end of the long list of casualties, Sirius had his head in his hands and was left speechless. Dumbledore continued with everything he knew, which was news to both Sirius and Snape. He rehashed everything about the imposter Moody and Barty Crouch Junior and how Minister Fudge idiotically let the dementors kiss him.
"Before they kissed him, we got a full confession with the help of veritaserum and multiple witnesses present. Unfortunately, Cornelius was not there and will not believe that Voldemort has returned. Sirius, I must ask you to begin collecting Order of the Phoenix members yet again," he turned his head toward the distraught animagus whose head was still in his hands, eyes watering.
Sirius's watery eyes dried up at once only to be replaced by ones of heated rage, "I'm not leaving him, Dumbledore," he thrust his finger toward the bed.
Up until this moment, no one had looked towards Harry's direction for quite a while so they did not realize that he lay there with his eyes open. The normally striking green eyes showed dull and grey, staring straight ahead without seeing. Although he seemed to be conscious, he did not make any motions to prove it.
It took a moment of shock for Sirius to realize that his godson had awoken. The red blotches of rage receded back from whence they came, and replaced with an expression of apprehension, "Harry, oh Merlin!" Sirius nearly jumped on top of the boy. Harry's dull stare moved slightly to meet his godfather's causing Sirius to nearly break into tears, "How ya doing kiddo?" Ignoring Snape's previous orders about touching him, he stroked the messy raven hair again.
Snape strolled over to the sappy reunion to check over the Gryffindor. Harry moved his mouth slightly as if to talk until Snape held a hand up to stop him, "you would be an imbecile if you were to try and talk now, Potter," he smirked to himself. Reprimanding the boy right in front in front of Black. He followed up with a few diagnostic spells which showed no changes to his condition.
Harry did not even look at his professor or headmaster. His gaze was fixated directly into Sirius's eyes, as if he did not believe that the man actually stood before him. His brain felt as if it were stuffed with cotton, everything was so fuzzy and confusing. It took a few solid minutes to grasp the fact that Sirius Black, his godfather and father's best friend, stood right in reach.
Harry tried and failed to say Sirius's name, the only sound he was able to produce was a raspy groan followed by a wince of pain and a gasp. At the sight of Harry's apparent discomfort, Sirius jumped, "Snape, get him something! He's in pain."
"Obviously he's in pain, he looks as if he was stomped on by a drunken troll. Idiot boy, I told you not to speak," Snape walked over to his lab table and grabbed a bottle with a rich purple liquid in it. He filled the syringe from the nightstand with the potion and rolled up Harry's sleeve.
"What are you doing with that? Don't you dare stick that into his skin, that's what muggles do," Sirius looked mortified as Snape injected the potion. The instant relief that showed on Harry's face from the pain potion was enough to shut Sirius up. Within moments he was back to sleep again.
Dumbledore's voice broke the momentary silence after they all watched Harry drift off, "He must be moved to a safer place. Normally, Hogwarts would be the best option but obviously the events of last night have proven that this is not the case. When will he be stable enough to be moved, Severus?"
"Only time will tell, but I would estimate about a fortnight," Although, Snape would try his damndest to make it sooner. He did not want Potter living in his private quarters for two weeks, comatose or not.
"When that time comes, how does number 12 Grimmauld Place sound as a safe headquarters, Sirius?"
Hearing the name alone of his childhood home address sent shivers down his spine. Looking at Harry, small and broken in the bed, erased all selfish feelings about the house from his mind, "That would be fine."
A/N: I promise there will be more Harry in the next chapter, maybe even some Ron and Hermione! I'll try to update soon. Please review, follow, and favorite!