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Disclaimer- Don't own it.......enough said..
Chapter four- The Transition
Harry woke up with the sun streaming through the window. He groaned and sat up, slipping on his glasses and checking the time by means of wand.
Eleven o'clock!! He missed his first class! And he was about to miss lunch!
He only spared a brief thought as to why he had stayed up so late, before angrily pushing it out of his head as he got dressed and quickly ran down to the common room.
He was surprised to see Ron and Hermione on a couch, waiting for him.
"Come on! What are you waiting for? We're going to be late our second class!" he told them.
Ron looked at him, "Its Saturday, mate remember?"
Harry blinked in realization, "Oh..." was all he said.
"So are you going to tell us what Dumbledore wanted?" Hermione asked, "Why were you so upset Harry?"
"Ya..." Ron cut in. "Because you looked like you were being chased by a werewolf, mate."
Harry swallowed, he was going to have to tell them anyway. He quickly glanced around the common room, no one was in the room. "Where is everybody?" he asked.
"Quidditch match between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff remember?" Hermione asked in concern. "You're really out of it today, Harry, what's wrong?"
He sighed and began, "Alright, Dumbledore got a letter from my mom that told him that James Potter wasn't my dad..."
"What!" Ron yelped in surprise, "How could you not be his son? You look exactly like him from what I've been told..."
Harry nodded, "Yes, almost to much like him, right? It was a charm that my mom put on me when I was born..."
"Did James know?" Hermione asked quietly.
Harry nodded once again, "He married mom to cover up for her sudden pregnancy..."
"So, whose your father? Is he alive?" Ron asked hopefully.
Harry frowned and looked at the ground mumbling, "Ya, he's alive alright...."
"Oh, Harry that's wonderful!" Hermione exclaimed happily.
"Don't get to excited, 'Mione...." Harry mumbled. "Guess who my father is, I'll give you a hint: he works here and hates me..." he said bitterly.
Hermione was the first one to get it, of course, "Professor Snape is your father?!" she shrieked, her brown eyes going wide.
Ron blanched, "Snape's your old man! But...but your to nice to be his son! And not near as greasy...not to mention you have a straight nose..."
Hermione threw her arms around Harry, "Oh it must have been horrible, to find out that he was your father....especially after all this time of hating him....no wonder you didn't want to talk to us last night.."
Ron nodded in agreement, "Really....I mean if I found out that my father was Snape, then I'd probably kill myself..."
Harry stared at them, "You...you mean you're not going to hate me? Because I'm his son?" his voice sounded hopeful.
"Of course not, Harry!" Hermione looked alarmed by the thought of abandoning him. "We've told you before, we'll always stick with you no matter what and we mean it, Harry...just because Snape's your father doesn't mean you're any different..."
"Ya, mate we don't care if that git's your father, its really weird, strange, and disturbing but we'll get over it.." Ron agreed.
Harry sighed in relief, "I was afraid that you guys would......"
Hermione snorted, "Harry you worry to much..."
"Ya, you need to loosen up for a while..." Ron said.
Harry smiled, "I'm lucky to have friends like you two..."
Hermione beamed and Ron snorted, "Come on, mate don't get all sentimental on me....."
The portrait opened and in walked the dozens of chattering Gryffindors. Neville walked over to them, "Why weren't you guys at the Quidditch game? It was awesome!"
"Who won?" Ron and Harry asked at the same time.
"Ravenclaw did, it was really close, the Seekers I mean, it was only luck that Cho caught the snitch before Justin did...." Neville explained, "190 to 50.."
"Justin Finch-Fletchly is the Hufflepuff seeker?" Harry asked in amazement. He hadn't even thought that Justin watched Quidditch, let alone played it.
Neville nodded and the Gryffindors who had just walked in, started to file out once again for lunch.
"Awfully early in the year for Quidditch, isn't it?" Hermione asked and Ron shrugged, "We start as soon as two teams have all their players and the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw team didn't have anyone who left so...."
The three of them left for the Great Hall in time to get some lunch. Harry patently avoided looking at the staff table, he didn't want to see Snape.......his father...
"Tonight's the full moon..." Hermione told them as she glanced up at the staff table, noting Professor Lupin's absence.
Harry grimaced in sympathy for Remus as the three sat down.
Harry, as usual, only served himself a minimum amount and ate about half of it.
Ron, who had been sitting beside him, elbowed him sharply and glanced briefly at the staff table. Harry followed his gaze to Snape, who looked horrible, his pale skin even paler and he had bags under his eyes. Harry looked away as Snape glanced in their direction.
"Don't think he got much sleep either..." Harry muttered quietly to his two friends.
A squawk caught Harry's attention and he looked to see Hedwig flying toward him from the staff table.
She dropped a letter by his roast beef and perched herself on his shoulder. Harry stroked her and gave her a little bit of potato before returning his attention to the letter.
It read:
'Harry,
After lunch you may go to Professor McGonagall's office to retrieve your firebolt.
Come to my office after dinner tonight. Severus and you need to discuss a few things.
Albus Dumbledore'
"Oh great..." Harry murmured as he showed Ron and Hermione the letter.
Ron chuckled, "I feel for you, mate..."
Harry stood up and walked from the Great Hall without Ron and Hermione. He walked to the Transfiguration room and knocked on the door, expecting Professor McGonagall to be there, since she hadn't been at lunch.
The door opened and she appeared, "I suppose you're here for your firebolt, Mr. Potter?" Harry nodded, wanting nothing more then to go flying outside.
She went back into the room and appeared again with the firebolt in her arms. Harry immediately broke out into a grin as she handed it to him.
"You are back on the Quidditch team, Mr. Potter and do try to keep your temper in check..." she flashed him a rare smile before shutting the door.
Harry all but ran to the Quidditch Pitch, intending to fly off the stress he was feeling.
&&&&&&&&&&&
"Are you sure you don't want us to walk with you?" Hermione asked him after dinner in the common room.
Harry nodded and looked away.
"Lots a luck.." Ron muttered. "If you die, can I have your firebolt?"
"Ron!" Hermione snapped, elbowing him in the ribs.
"It'll be okay, Harry..." she told him reassuringly and he smiled at her. Hermione and Ron always seemed to make him feel better.
"I'll see you, then" he said, walking out of the Gryffindor common room and heading to the headmaster's office.
"Acid Pop" he told the gargoyle, which immediately jumped away, and he walked up the staircase, knocking on the door.
"Come in, Harry." He heard Dumbledore's voice and he stepped inside to see the headmaster and Snape seated. Remus was, of course, not there.
"Have a seat, my boy," Dumbledore invited warmly, sensing Harry's unease.
Harry obeyed and sat down, not looking at Snape.
"Now..." the headmaster began, apparently the only one willing to speak. "You both know why you are here....it would be unsafe for everyone to know of your true parentage, Harry and the charm is going to wear off in about a month, so we have that long to figure out what to do..."
"I say we just recast the damn charm and forget about it.." Snape snapped coldly, glaring at the headmaster with his arms folded.
"Now Severus..."
"I am entitled to my own opinion and if I don't want to claim the boy then I won't!" Snape interrupted Dumbledore harshly.
Even though he still hated the man, Harry couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness at the fact that his father wanted nothing to do with him...
"Yes, you are entitled to your own opinion Severus, but you aren't the only person who gets a say in this..." Dumbledore said in a firm but gentle voice.
Harry sneered, "Oh don't worry about me Professor Dumbledore, I'm sure I won't miss him that much..."
Snape scowled at him, "As if you don't spend enough time making my life hell during the school year, you are not taking away the only break I get from you and your classmates' whining!"
"Severus, Harry!" Dumbledore said sharply. They both immediately fell silent.
"Now I don't expect the two of you to get along right from the start..." Severus snorted. "...but you will need to at least act civil to each other if you want this to remain a secret!" Dumbledore told them.
Harry sighed and looked at the ground but Severus still sneered, "Why take him from his relative's headmaster? I'm sure he's so worshipped there that he doesn't even think about his parents and their sacrifice for him!"
Harry felt a stab of pain in his heart as he remembered his mother's screams whenever the dementors got close...
"Severus, you know nothing of the Dursley's and how they treat Harry..." Dumbledore began but Harry cut him off before the old man could reveal anything.
"Don't worry headmaster, I'm sure he'll treat me the same as the Dursley's do so there's really no point..." Harry replied crisply.
Both of the two men stared at Harry, Snape because he thought Harry was saying that he'd treat him as a king if Harry were to live with him, and Dumbledore because he knew that Harry was saying that Severus would abuse him if Harry were to live with him.
"Harry....Severus would never..."
Snape cut off Dumbledore's appalled response.
"Think I would treat you as a king do you?" he looked furious.
"Severus, Harry didn't mean it like that.."
"I, unlike others, know that you are NOTHING special, Potter. You only survived because Lily died saving you and you don't even care! You go off and risk your life and try to be a bloody hero, not even stopping to think of what she sacrificed for your ungrateful, worthless life!" Severus bellowed.
"Severus!"
"You hear me, Potter? You are WORTHLESS and that will NEVER change! You're an ungrateful, little whiny brat, with a big head who complains just because he has to face the realities of life, you hear me! You are NOTHING to me! I'm ashamed that I sired such a child!" Severus yelled, glaring in utmost loathing at Harry as if he'd like nothing better then to strangle him.
"Severus Snape! What is wrong with you! Harry didn't mean anything by that and you know it!" Dumbledore shouted, his eyes blazing in fury at Snape.
Harry had by that point, paled and was now looking at his hands.
Worthless, ungrateful, nothing.....
Those words sounded way to much like Vernon's words. Harry blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the tears that were threatening to fall.
I am worthless... he told himself. I am nothing....a waste of space...a waste of life...I don't deserve to live....
Usually he would have just grown angry at Snape's yelled words but Snape had never said anything like this....yes he said something remotely similar but never something this harshly...and everything that the man said seemed to hit him a million times harder....
Harry squeezed his eyes shut. Distantly, he could here Dumbledore and Snape shouting at each other about him..... They were arguing because of him....it was all his fault...everything was always his fault...
Harry stood up and turned around, heading for the door.
"Harry wait!" Dumbledore called after him as he started down the staircase.
"Harry!"
"Potter get back here! No one dismissed you!"
The hate and loathing in Snape's voice washed over Harry and he suddenly broke into a run as he ran down the corridors blindly, not knowing where he was going or not really caring.
Cool air filled his lungs as he burst through the large doors that led out of Hogwarts and he ran blindly, as fast as he could, away from the headmaster, away from his friends, away from Snape and the absolute loathing in his voice whenever he spoke to him.
He ran over to the Whomping Willow and pressed the knot before heading down the tunnel and into the Shrieking Shack.
He stumbled into one of the bedrooms and sat on the bed, taking in deep breaths.
Harry sat there for a minute, calming himself down before he got his bearings back and looked around.
This place reminded him strongly of Sirius and it brought tears to his eyes. His vision blurred as he got up and leaned on the table for support.
It was wet.
Harry blinked and quickly wiped his eyes as he stared at the table. There was an overturned goblet, only droplets of liquid still in there and the rest of whatever had been in the goblet was now on the table, dripping onto the floor.
Harry brought his wet hand to his face and cautiously tasted it.
Ugh! It tasted horrible! He smelled it, trying to figure out what it was.... It smelled strange, like a potion.....and the liquid was steaming slightly. The answer hit him like a ton of bricks.
It was the Wolfsbane Potion.....
Which meant that Remus was in the here, with him, and he didn't have his potion....he didn't have any control of his mind!
Harry's heart thudded against his chest so hard that he could hear it, and suddenly he wished that he could make it stop pounding so loud....surely Remus would hear it.
His breathing was shallow as he had a brief flashback of his third year, and how Remus had had absolutely no control of his mind...
Carefully, Harry slowly opened the door of the bedroom and glanced around the hall of the Shrieking Shack. He had to get out of here! He cautiously edged through the door and started down the hall to the stairs.
Glancing around, Harry started up the steps, still looking backwards so he didn't see the shoe in his way as he climbed the stairs.
Harry turned just as he slipped on the shoe and let out a yell as he tumbled back down the stairs. Frantically he tried to get back up when he heard a growl.
He turned to see a very familiar werewolf staring at him through hungry eyes. Harry was petrified, he couldn't move....his legs turned to lead as his professor approached him, saliva dripped from the yellow dagger-like teeth. He was already matted with blood from where he had bitten himself.
Harry trembled and slowly backed away as he felt himself almost greet death.
Remus seemed to smell his fear as he advanced on the shaking boy.
"Professor Lupin....?" Harry whispered in a vain attempt to reach the man he considered a second Godfather. "...Remus?" he asked in a tiny voice that he only used when he was being beaten.
The wolf roared, snapping his long jaws hungrily as he leapt at Harry.
Harry gave a scream and dodged it, running as fast as he could up the stairs. He heard Remus give a howl and dash up after him.
Harry made it to the top of the stairs and scurried to the tunnel, Remus leapt in front of the only exit, licking his chops hungrily as he loomed over Harry.
"Potter? Where are you?"
Harry had never been so relieved to hear Snape's voice, but it sounded distant, very far away.
"PROFESSOR!" he yelled desperately, slowly backing away from the wolf. "HELP ME!!! PLEASE HELP ME, PROFESSOR! I'M IN HERE QUICK!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs, praying that Snape had heard him.
Harry hurried back down the stairs in an attempt to put more space between Remus and himself.
Remus leapt at him once again and caught Harry off guard. Harry's breath was knocked out of him as the wolf leapt on his chest, shoving him forcefully to the ground, baring his yellow teeth hungrily.
Harry felt like his heart was going to pop out of his chest as he thought over and over, 'I'm going to die...I'm going to die...' he could almost see his life flashing before his eyes.
"Potter! Damn it boy where are yo-" Snape froze as he saw the wolf, on top of Harry.
"Help me!! Please help me, Professor I don't want to die!!" Harry whimpered, not caring what Snape thought of him.
"Stupify!" Snape roared and Lupin leapt off Harry to avoid the spell.
"RUN POTTER!!" Snape bellowed as Lupin advanced at him but Harry felt as if his ribs were broken, which they probably were, so when he tried to get up, he fell back down in pain.
The wolf leapt at Snape, who froze, and knocked the man down, growling threateningly at him before knocked him into a wall.
Harry stared in horror at Snape's crumpled form. No! he thought to himself. He can't die! He can't be dead!
He was snapped out of his thoughts as the wolf advanced again on him and Harry ran as fast as he could toward the stairs, all in vain though as Remus once again blocked his way and Harry tumbled down the stairs again in an attempt to get away from the wolf.
His head connected with the last stone step and it exploded with pain as stars clouded Harry's vision.
He felt the suffocating weight on his chest again and shook his head to clear his vision.
The last thing Harry saw was Remus sinking his teeth into his shoulder.
Harry felt an exploding pain, not only in his shoulder, but in his entire body as he felt something akin to venom passing through his body like liquid fire.
He screamed so loud that he feared his lungs would explode, even when his throat went raw, he continued to scream.
Everything went black.
() Well there ya go! Also it may take a bit longer for the next update because these last four chapters I already had written out so......ya...
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