Hey everyone!
Let's see what happens today, shall we?
Onwards! Chapter 14.
***
For the first time in his life, Rasmus wished for unconsciousness and did not get it. He writhed on the cold slabs of the courtyard, as his veins magically slashed open everywhere the skin was exposed to air. He kept his eyes shut, fearing they would leak from his sockets like tears if he didn't as the searing, scorching invisible knife of the spell slit open his veins on his forehead, cheeks, ears, jaw, neck- my carotids are opening up! I am going to die! It was the only coherent thought that managed to break through the pain the kept him unable to move with volition- even his screams had gurgled to silence as his mouth filled with viscous blood.
And it was enough.
Keeping his eyes tightly shut as the eyelids were being sealed with the blood trickling and flowing into them, and he did his best to breathe through tightly serrated teeth and lips that didn't let too much air in. If I am to die now, I must mark my killer or take him with me, his thoughts reeled in his head as he reached with slick, slippery fingers outwards for his wand. Don't focus on the pain. Don't focus on your body. Do what you have to do, his mind pushed him and Rasmus called his wand to his palm, and tightened his bloody fist around it.
"Exor…Reflexis… D-dolor… Doloris," he whispered, and there was a screech somewhere far away, something shattered, and buzzing that Rasmus didn't know if it was his idea or an actual success in his last stand before death.
His strength gave out, his heart fluttered unevenly and a horrible chill set in. He groaned as his body became too heavy to move and his wand slipped from his fingers as he careened into the pit of darkness he was certain was the end. Mum, Dad! I'm scared!
"Hermione! Hermione!"
***
"Shit! Snape! Rasmus!" Harry shouted as he threw away his broom and rushed over to the crumpled figure of the Slytherin boy. There was a small puddle of blood that was steadily and frighteningly widening with Rasmus as the center. His hair was covering his face somewhat, and only the hooked nose, lacerated and bloody, and a mess that matted the dark chestnut strand and glued them to his jawline was visible. It was too familiar, too haunting for the Boy Who Lived. Harry grit his teeth and tried not to see Snape in the Shrieking Shack, but Rasmus on the courtyard. This was different. This was not Severus. This was Rasmus. Rasmus did not have to bleed out, he would not be alone. Not if Harry could help it- and he would.
He could save Snape's son.
He would save Snape's son.
He pulled out his wand and approached with decision, his jaw set.
"Harry?" Ron was still wide eyed and shocked into inertia that Rasmus could not afford.
"Get Poppy or Hermione, raise the goddamn alarm!" Harry snarled at his best friend who bolted faster than Harry had seen him in some time, yelling Hermione's name.
Harry pushed Rasmus' scarf to the side a little to check his pulse, but he was horrified to see that whichever magical attack had done this to Snape's son, it was still in effect and as he uncovered the flesh, it burst along the veins. Harry didn't need more to understand what was at stake and put the scarf back in place, away from contact with the atmosphere. Then, he frantically tucked Rasmus' clothes around him, and peeled off his quidditch cloak and covered him up further, trying not to make any more lesions to develop. He growled as he watched the clothes bleed through, but at least at a considerably slower pace than before, buying them some time.
Harry shook with rage and disbelief. This looked so much like Antahiga that he could not overlook it, even if Bai was his friend, even if he knew how much Bai had fought on the side of the Light. There was no excuse for attacking someone just for the name he carried- much less a student, a minor. Harry knew that only too well. He poised his wand to stop the aggressive spell in the way he had learnt to do- some field first aid knowledge Hermione had insisted they all learn, and Harry was once more thankful to her for that.
"Immolato!"
Harry flinched and gasped as the other Slytherin boy- he hadn't even seen Hodd- pointed his own wand against himself and collapsed where he stood.
"What the hell is going on?" Harry muttered as he cast Finite on Rasmus, and a medical shield, but didn't dare do anything more.
"Stand back!"
The shout was crazed, coming from the corridor as someone rushed over. Harry stood up wand out, protectively over Rasmus. He didn't know this wizard, had not seen him before, and he'd be damned if he let anyone not trusted go near Snape's son in this condition.
"You stay back, whoever you are!" Harry shouted at the dark haired, almost yellow-eyed man who sprinted frantically towards the courtyard.
The man didn't speak further but simply swished his wand and Harry felt his body float off his feet and sail to the side.
"Oh, no you don't!" Harry growled, eyes flashing and instead of fighting the mobilcorpus he shot a stunner at the man. It smashed harmlessly on the man's protective spell, and he skidded on his knees next to Rasmus' body.
"Roc! Roc!" the man hovered his hand over the boy's face, and then pointed his wand at the still body. He moved his wand in movements that Harry had seen many healers employ, pausing for the spells to take effect, speaking in a foreign language in soothing, feverish tones and stroking the blood-matted hair of the fifth-year.
Harry realized in a mix of relief and embarrassment that this had to be Rasmus' Greek guardian that he had tried to keep at bay. Where had he come from? He looked like he knew what he was doing, and as Rasmus took in a shaky, raspy breath- without regaining consciousness- the man smiled and wiped at his eyes a little before resuming spell casting.
By that time, the courtyard had filled with teachers and staff, and there were students at a wider distance, some in nightclothes, some half-dressed, others trying to fulfill their duties as prefects and Heads while trying to gawk in the same time. The words 'Dark Arts' and 'Dark Lord' in various versions were already making students look fearfully at the blood pool that Nikos had managed to stop and the two prone bodies of the students as the sun rose and shed even more light upon the garish scene- the type of which had not taken place in the past two years and everyone had believed they were past forever.
"Make way!" Hermione's voice rang strongly with the force it had not employed since the battle, somewhat strident and burdened. Nobody dared stand in her path and so they hurried through the crowd, she and Pomfrey. Poppy's heart constricted as she took in the scene. Poppy saw that the bloody mess that was Rasmus was already being taken care of with the efficiency of the emergency healers in St. Mungo's, so she hurried over to Hodd.
The boy was still and cold, his lips bluish and his eyes sealed shut. Poppy quickly cast diagnosing spells and gasped at what she found.
"Oh- oh my God, Hodd has attempted to kill himself!" she exclaimed, forgetting that she was being heard by everyone. Her words immediately caused an even more dramatic wave of chatter and upheaval as students began to shout:
"You Know Who is back! You Know Who is back!"
"That is quite enough!"
The Headmistress' voice covered all others, and silence reigned as she also approached, erect and jaw clenched, wand in hand.
"Prefects, lead the students to your dorm rooms. Only the teachers remain for assistance. Classes are cancelled until noon today, where further instructions will be given. Now!"
The students scurried off, but the terror that Minerva had thought she would never again witness in her lifetime only took further hold.
"Poppy, is Hodd dead?" she asked.
"No- he didn't mean the spell enough. But he is in a dangerous enough coma, Headmistress," the nurse said. Minerva nodded and then turned to Nikos.
"Mr. Galanos?"
"I was wrong," Nikos' voice was cracked as he kept working on Rasmus. "I was wrong… and my boy's hurt…"
It was eerie, how the man's hands and voice was firm while casting spells to save his nephew and godson, but while waiting for them to kick in, he shook and cried with self reproach.
"Mr. Galanos!" Minerva felt at a loss. The man flinched and straightened up, breathing in.
"Rasmus needs the infirmary, but he is out of danger," he said in a faint voice. He was very pale. "He has lost a lot of blood, but with good care he will even be awake tonight. Mr. Potter covered him up and he wasn't allowed to completely bleed out before I reached them."
"I will provide what is necessary for speedy blood replenishing," Professor Frideswide said quickly. "As well as everything necessary to keep shock away."
Harry breathed in relief- and with the relief came the anger as he glared at Professor Bai- the man had the gall to stand around with Flitwick and Frideswide and Trelawney and everyone else to inspect his handiwork. Because Harry could not think of anyone else that would want to curse Rasmus Snape more, nor anyone else who liked toying with a victim's veins and was not already Kissed or in Azkaban.
"Headmistress, remember what I told you yesterday," he said as he walked up, glaring at Bai in challenge.
McGonagall glanced at the DADA professor.
"Yes, I do, Mr. Potter, but right now Mr. Snape's and Mr. Hodd's health take precedence. However, Professor Bai, I should like to see you in my office as soon as this is settled."
Guiren looked confused for a moment, but then, glancing from Rasmus to Harry to McGonagall he seemed to put two and two together. However, he kept his silence until Poppy and Nikos with Frideswide conjured stretchers to take the two students to the infirmary.
He then approached McGonagall as she was giving further orders to Filch.
"Headmistress, you can't imagine that I would curse a student, and with something equivalent to Unforgivables!" he said incredulously.
"You seemed quite eager to do so yesterday in the Practical," Harry said sternly. "If Rasmus hadn't stopped you."
"Don't be ridiculous!" Bai growled. "There was no way I would cast the Antahiga on anyone, even if it was Snape's spawn! I said as much to scare the boy, true, and see him beg- but-"
"We all saw you," Ron muttered.
"This is not a talk for the courtyard," Minerva said sternly, silencing Bai's retort.
Bai stormed off in a fury, just as Professor Sprout ran to the Headmistress saying:
"Minerva! Minerva! The tombs of Albus and Severus have been dug out!"
***
And that's that because I have run out of time. More coming tomorrow!
Zoe Bright: Yay, welcome aboard! I hope you enjoy your handiwork, because this entire story is your fault, for unleashing the plot bunny on me!
Duj: Harry did go to Minerva with it, but he thought that Bai wouldn't actually do it- exactly what Bai is saying right now, and because they are friends Harry took him on his word and didn't take it further. You will see more on that when he and Ron and Hermione talk about it.
RebeccaRoy: Hope you like this, too.
Sindie: yay! I am happy you like it. I haven't drawn in ages.
And that's that! Till tomorrow!