Chapter Eighteen
"We're getting a storm?" Harry cried, looking down at the snake in horror the next day. How was that possible? It was in the middle of summer—they should be getting anything but storms.
Well, it's not confirmed, Slyther admitted. But you can see it in the sky. It's getting dark—and not in the "it's nighttime" kind of way either.
"It's summer," Harry pointed out with a distressed look. "How can we get a storm in the summer? It's impossible."
Look for yourself, Slyther said. I'm not lying.
Harry got up from the edge of the bed, where he was sitting, and walked up to the one window in his room. Pulling back the silver colored curtains, Harry peered into the glass window. The sky was slowly fading from a light, cheery color blue to a sick grey, and the marshmallow-like clouds—which were now starting to become a grey color as well—were forming together.
"This isn't fair," Harry pouted, closing the curtains and reseating himself on the bed. "It's summer. Who has storms in summer? It's suppose to be…summer-y."
Why complaining so? Slyther questioned. Tomorrow will likely be as sunny as yesterday. Maybe the earth just needs to have this storm to get it out of its… system.
Harry tried to laugh, but found it impossible. The one, absolute thing that he was terrified of was storms. Especially with the thunder, that boomed like a giant coughing, and the lightning, that split across the sky like a knife, like the scar on his forehead…
Harry shook the thoughts off, finding that with him just thinking about storms gave him shivers and Goosebumps. "I'll be right back," Harry said to Slyther, getting up and walking over towards the white door.
Where are you going? Slyther inquired
"To the potions classroom," Harry informed the snake, opening the door and shutting it on his way out.
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"Another potion?" Harry asked, as he casually walked through the cold classroom to get to Snape, who was working on another potion in the same desk he had the day before.
"Yes," Snape said, looking up at Harry. "What are you doing here?" Harry shrugged with a grin.
"Did you know we were having a storm today?" Harry asked, sitting down in classroom seat, watching as Snape added ingredients to the bubbling cauldron.
"Yes, I did," Snape replied. "Are you looking desperately scared for a reason?" Harry quickly shook his head.
"I'm not looking scared. What potion are you working on?"
"Wit-sharpening Potion," Snape explained. "Can you get me an Armadillo bile, please?" Harry nodded, feeling pleased that he was going to help out with this potion. He picked up the Armadillo bile and passed it to Snape, who was holding out his hand.
"What does this potion do?" Harry asked.
"It'll sharpen the wit of the drinker," Snape replied.
"Oh," Harry replied. He tried to come up with lines in his head that would start off a conversation with Snape about the storm. "Do you think there'll be thunder? Or lightning?" He asked casually.
"I don't know," Snape replied briefly. "Perhaps."
"Were you ever…scared of thunder and lightning?" Harry asked uncertainly, glancing up at Snape. Snape, raising his eyebrows, looked down at Harry.
"No. Are you?"
"Yes," Harry admitted quickly. "Do you think it'll be loud?"
"Well, you don't know if there's going to be thunder or not," Snape pointed out as he filled the potion up into the usual vials.
"Or lightning," Harry added. "Hey, is there any kind of potion you can make for it to not happen?"
"Not that I know of," Snape replied.
Cover your ears, Slyther said from up in Snape's chambers, the rain is starting. It's starting to become more hard. There will be thunder starting soon, too.
"I'm going to go sit down," Harry said, getting up from the chair and pushing it in. "Up in my room. With the windows and door shut. If you want me, just knock three times, all right?"
"It's not as if the storm can get in by opening your door up," Snape pointed out. "So why do you have to shut your door?"
"You never know," Harry said, quickly walking towards the way out of the classroom and shutting it on his way out.
-
Just close your eyes, Slyther said as Harry crawled under the covers of his bed. It'll be over with before you know it, Harry.
"Is there lightning yet?" Harry asked, throwing the covers up over his head, crawling down to the middle of his bed and curling up there.
Yep, Slyther replied. And do hear that? A bit of thunder, too.
"No," Harry moaned.
Get up from the bed and look, Slyther said, an almost made a sound like a laugh. Go ahead.
"Why?" Harry asked warily, slowly crawling up to the top of his bed and pulling the covers off of his head. A dark figure stood over his bed, and Harry stifled a gasp. It was only Snape.
Hah, Slyther said as he watched Harry jump as his face was slowly revealed. Made you jump.
"What are you doing under there, Potter?" Snape asked.
"Hiding from the lightning, and thunder," Harry added. "Why didn't you knock three times? Then I would've known it was you, other than not knocking at all." He flinched as thunder echoed through the sky with all its might.
"Well, just don't scare yourself to death," Snape said as he turned around to leave the room. "I'll be out here. If you get too scared, just let me know."
"Wait!" Harry exclaimed, throwing the covers off of him, jumping up. "Don't leave." Snape frowned, unsure of how to react.
"Excuse me?" He said, looking at Harry questioningly.
"You heard me," Harry said with a gulp, closing his eyes as lightning lit the sky up like a flashlight. "Don't leave."
"And why not?" Snape asked with a frown. "You have Slyther there to 'protect' you from the deadly sounds of thunder and the impossible sight of lightning," he continued sarcastically.
"Because," Harry tried to explain, "it's just not the same. You don't have to stay close to me, you can stand or sit anywhere in the room you want, as long as it's in the same room." Harry never took his eyes off Snape, looking at the Potions Master with such force it was like he was trying to make the Potions Master agree to stay in the room with Harry with just using his emerald green eyes.
"Very well," Snape said with a sigh. He tore his eyes away from Harry's, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Are you going to write back to Lupin by any chance?"
"No," Harry said with a small shake of the head, holding the blankets up close to his chest. "I don't think I'm going to write to Remus that much. At all really. Not until... I don't know when," he admitted. "Professor, did they... did they do it yet? To Sirius?"
"Did they do what? Give him the Dementor's Kiss?" Snape was quiet for a moment. "I'm not quite sure. Not yet, I don't think."
Harry closed his eyes, resting his head against his pillow.
You don't seem very torn up about it, Slyther said casually.
I'm sorry, came the snake's soft reply. We'll stop talking about it now. Can I ask you one more question, though?
"You can," Harry answered.
Why aren't you as angry at the greasy human as you are with the other one? He was the one who told the human that left about you secretly meeting with... you-know.
Harry shook his head. "I don't know," he answered honestly, and then jumped as a burst of thunder startled him.
"Just let it stop," Harry said, bringing his knees up to his chest and burying his head into them. "I hate it."
Snape looked as if he was going to say something, but thought against it. Instead, he tried to give Harry some advice. "Why don't you… put the pillow over your head?"
"It won't work," Harry said, "I've already tried that."
"Well, there must've been storms when you were at the Dursleys," Snape said, "what did they do?"
"Left me in my cupboard," Harry replied, holding the blankets tighter to him. He looked up at Snape in alarm. "You're not going to put me in a cupboard, are you?"
"No," Snape said with a frown. "I don't think so." Harry looked visibly relieved.
"Good."
Why doesn't the greasy human try to at least comfort you? Slyther suggested helpfully. Snape frowned.
"Don't forget that I can understand you, snake."
Forget? Me? I'm not forgetful, Slyther responded. I'm well aware that you can hear me.
"Stop fighting," Harry discountenanced. "Let's just sit here until it's all over."
"I have things to get done," Snape pointed out with a scowl. "I won't spend all my time here 'protecting' you, Potter."
"I'm not scared if you're here, though," Harry said. "That's why I want you to stay. Until the storm's over."
"Potter, I have more important things to do," Snape repeated forcefully. Harry, trying to fight off the sudden feeling of hurt, frowned.
"You do know that I only have two days left here until I go back to the… Dursleys," Harry pointed out. "Why not at least try to be nice to me? Then, after I go back to the Dursleys, you won't have to put up with me until I get my letter to Hogwarts."
Snape looked surprised. He had forgotten that, in two more days, Harry would be gone. And somehow, the more he thought about it, it just wouldn't seem… normal without Harry to annoy him.
"Fine," Snape said. "I'll stay with you until the storm's over." A huge grin slowly started to accumulate on Harry's face.
"Thank you, Professor," Harry said. The smile stay glued onto Harry's face for a period of time, before it quickly vanished and a look of pain replaced it. Harry hissed in pain as his hand flew up to his lightning bolt shaped scar.
"Potter?" Snape said in concern. "What's wrong?"
"I don't know," Harry said, tears of pain starting to fill his eyes. "My scar hurts so much. It's never happened before."
Snape suddenly frowned. "You're scar wouldn't hurt unless Voldemort's around, is that correct?"
"How am I suppose to know?" Harry exclaimed, his body writhing from the pain from his scar. "Like I said: it's never happened before! Can you make it stop?"
"I can't do anything," Snape said, now starting to feel uncomfortable as he saw a look of sheer pain across Harry's face. Slowly, he lifted up his sleeve and looked at the Dark Mark, which he was branded with when he became a Death Eater, on his left forearm. If Voldemort was back in power, wouldn't the mark start to burn? Like Harry's scar?
As soon as it started, the pain from Harry's scar soon ceased, and he was left breathless. "That's never happened before," Harry said. "Did the person who killed my parents do that? But… didn't I kill him when I was a baby?"
"I see you've had a little history lesson with Albus," Snape noted. "Yes, you did. Though, not kill him. You merely destroyed his body." Harry, after a moment, quizzically glanced down at Snape's arm, which Snape had forgot to cover back up with the sleeve of his robe.
"What's that on your arm, Professor?" Harry questioned. Snape glanced down at his arm, and considered lying to Harry. But the boy had a right to know.
"It's a Dark Mark," Snape replied quietly.
"A Dark Mark?" Harry repeated with a frown. "That doesn't sound good. Why do you have it?"
"Voldemort brands all of his Death Eaters with this," Snape explained without any hesitation. "It's his way of summoning us." Harry's eyes grew wide as he looked up at Snape.
"You're one of Voldemort's helpers?" He said in shock. "How's that possible? I—"
"I'm a double agent," Snape told Harry. "Which means that I spy on Voldemort, and report to Albus all of his moves."
I don't want to intrude on your lovely little conversation, Slyther interrupted. But look outside.
Harry turned his head to the left, and was surprised to find that the rain, thunder and lightening had stopped, and that the clouds were moving away to reveal a bright, blue sky.
"It's over," Harry said, dumbstruck. "That was the weirdest storm I've ever had." Subconsciously, he started to rub the scar.
And Snape, for once, couldn't agree more.
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