Chapter Twenty Three: Building Up the Defense:
Harry followed Snape into the school with Moody right behind with Crouch. Remus and Sirius ran up to see if Harry was alright. Sirius was deathly white and he grabbed Harry had hugged him holding him tight. He started to help Harry up the stairs fully intending to take him to the hospital wing. Remus was in full agreement on that, Harry was hurt and he needed to be taken care of, he could talk about what happened later.
"I need to see the headmaster." Harry said. "Have to tell him Voldemort is back."
"You need to be taken care of Harry." Remus said.
"Uncle Moony please, I can get care after, I have to tell him everything." Harry said.
"Only if we go with you." Sirius said, "no way will you go through this alone."
"Very well, I am going t' lock this thing up in my trunk first." Moody said. "I will catch up with you."
"You wish me to go with you sir?" Snape asked him.
"No ye kin go w' Harry, I got this thing." Moody replied.
Harry was helped up the stairs to the headmaster's office. Both Remus and Sirius would not let go of him even when they got him to a chair. Snape stood near the headmaster's desk looking grave, McGonagall stood by him looking at Harry worry on her face. Dumbledore got up and walked over to Harry concern on his face. Harry saw the minister of magic and really did not want to speak with Fudge there, he did not trust him at all. However he had to tell all he knew, here and now as everyone needed to know Voldemort was back.
"Headmaster I do not agree that Harry should talk about this now." Sirius said.
"He has been through too much tonight." Remus agreed.
"I have to, I have tell someone." Harry said. "Voldemort is back, I was there."
"I agree with Harry, he has to tell us what happened." Dumbledore said gently. "When you are ready Harry."
Harry told them everything, from how he was kidnapped from heading back to Hogwarts to being bound to the headstone of Voldemort's father. He told how Voldemort had come back and how he had seen Karkaroff murdered. He told how he had got free from the ropes and how he was forced to duel Voldemort. When he got to the part about his wand connecting with Voldemort McGonagall gasped. Finally after Harry felt like he had talked for hours he sat still waiting for what the adults had to say.
"That, that cannot be true!" Fudge stammered. "He cannot be back! He just cannot!"
"Harry would not lie." Dumbledore said calmly.
"I cannot believe this, I will not!" Fudge said angrily. "He is the only witness, how can we believe him?"
"We have Barty Crouch's son." Snape said. "Alastor Moody has him locked up in his trunk."
"There is one more in this room that was there." Dumbledore said. "It is time she reveal herself to us. Rita Skeeter show yourself, or I will do so for you."
The beetle that had landed on Harry's robes and had hid there through everything he had been through flew to the floor. In a few seconds a woman appeared who stood straight and tall and looked around nervously. Sirius knew how that felt to be found out as an illegal Animagmus, not knowing what your fate would be. Still she had tried to hurt Remus and he growled at her to show her how much this displeased him.
"Miss Skeeter you were with Harry tonight." Dumbledore said. "Is he truthful?"
"Yes." She said looking as if she wanted to cry. "I was wrong about the boy, he was so very brave, even with all he was put through. I was looking for a story on him, that is how I ended up at the graveyard and I saw everything! This poor boy has once more survived that, you-know-who."
"You see minister Harry is very truthful." Dumbledore said.
"If I publicly acknowledge this it will be the end of my career!" Fudge snapped.
"Then don't." Harry said surprising everyone there. "Let Voldemort believe you have choose to ignore the signs he is back. You can then work to undermine him and his followers."
"It is a dangerous thing Harry asks of you minister." Dumbledore said. "But you are just the wizard for the job."
"I agree, who would suspect you of anything such as this?" Snape replied.
"I, what will you do when this is all over take all the glory I suppose?" Fudge said.
"No, I promise to make sure that does not happen, Miss Skeeter here will write a book praising you fully."
"Yes headmaster." Rita said. "This is a brave and noble thing you do minister."
"You will help in the deception." Dumbledore said.
"Headmaster can I take Harry down to the hospital wing?" Remus asked. "He has been through so much."
"Of course, Harry you have been very brave but now you need to rest." Dumbledore said.
Harry was steered out of the headmaster's office by Remus and Sirius down the stairs to the hospital wing. Moody limped by and went up the stairs to the office. The meeting would take a long time and go far into the night. Fudge was completely on the side of anyone who wanted to get rid of Voldemort but he knew he did not have the strength to stand against him. He would work with Dumbledore with the promise of getting credit for it. After a time Snape left the office to go back to Voldemort. Fudge went with Dumbledore and Moody interrogate Crouch. Harry was lead into the hospital wing by Remus and Sirius and was greeted by Poppy and Molly.
"Harry we were so worried!" Molly said hugging him. "You poor boy!"
"I will be fine Aunt Molly." Harry said. "He could not kill me, not this time."
"Yes I am sure you are fine." Poppy said. "You will stay here, once you chance I am giving you a dreamless drought."
Harry was in too much shock to argue and got dressed in PJs and got into bed. Remus and Sirius tucked him in and he drank down the dreamless drought. He was fast asleep very quickly and Poppy fixed his arm. He looked so very young and helpless and he should not have to go though what he had. He was too young for such things to happen to him! Remus and Molly took a seat by Harry while Sirius turned to Padfoot and lay down by him on the bed. Harry snuggled with the big black dog and soon the sounds of Padfoot snoring could be heard through the hospital ward.
The next morning Remus woke to find himself on one of the beds covered with a blanket. He stretched and sat up and saw Harry was still fast asleep. He heard Snape in the next room muttering angrily and walked in to see Snape flat on his stomach clad only in his shorts with several deep gashes across his back. Remus knew he was in terrible pain but despite that he was not only refusing to show the pain he was snapping at Poppy who was working on the wounds.
"I could have taken care of these myself Poppy!" Snape snarled. "They are not that bad!"
"They look bad from here Severus." Remus said getting Snape to snarl at him. "I take it Voldemort let you back in?"
"Yes, I got off light." Snape said. "This is all he did to me."
"Oh, okay, Poppy let me take over." Remus said finding Snape's wand and handing it to Snape. "He can hex me if he wants to, Harry may need your help."
"Okay Remus, Severus you be nice to Remus or you will spend the rest of the school year as my cat!"
"Hnn." Snape said as comment, he held onto his wand as Remus sat down and started to clean the wounds. "You realize that is cold?"
"Well it is helping right? So how were you convinced to come down here?" Remus asked. "Was it by the headmaster's stupefy?"
"Yes it was."
"He has done that to me, all I wanted after a hard change was to rest but no he does that and I end up here. I heal very well, you well you really did need help with these."
"Why are you helping me wolf?" Snape said.
"I owe you Severus." Remus said. "You have made my life bearable and I think I should take care of you."
"I still hate you." Snape said.
"I know." Remus replied.
Remus continued to take care of Snape, he could tell the pain was decreasing in Snape. He noticed with relief that Snape was not skeletally thin, he was lean with good muscle structure which showed he did eat well. His robes made him look very lean and it was good to know he did not starve himself at least. Sirius staggered into the room yawning his head off and stopped short seeing the condition of Snape's back.
"Merlin's beard did Moldy shorts do that to you?" Sirius said.
"No the tooth fairy." Snape snapped at Sirius gripping his wand tighter.
"Sirius please don't annoy Severus this early in the day." Remus said.
"Why do you side with him all the time?" Sirius said.
"Well he is smart and no I am not gay, I was shagging your cousin last night." Remus shot at Sirius.
"Which one?" Sirius said.
"Narcissa, she is hot." Remus replied.
"In your dreams that would happen." Snape said. "One she would say no and two Lucius would kill you."
"Okay it was Tonks last week." Remus said smirking at the shocked look on Sirius's face.
"You better not, that is my baby cousin, if you dare Remus…"
"Fine I am a virgin, unlike you too, happy now?" Remus said.
"Severus is not a virgin?" Sirius said. "Severus how much do you have to pay for sex?"
"I don't have to, the women want me." Snape said.
"You pay Padfoot?" Remus said grinning.
"Not funny Moony, really not funny." Sirius said.
Snape wanted to laugh, these two were entertaining to say the least. Sirius would always annoy him but Remus tried so hard to be nice and a friend. Sirius had issues he had to work through and Snape was not a patient man with him. He dared not relax around Sirius as one of his problems was not knowing when a prank was right or safe to do. The Weasley twins did know that certain pranks were wrong as did Remus who did try to reign Sirius in. Even Harry knew better than to prank him at the least.
"How is Harry?" Snape asked as Remus finished up with him.
"You could ask him." Sirius said.
"No, it is best if I do not do that." Snape said.
"He should know you care." Remus said. "Severus it's not your fault what happened to James and Lily, you tried to save them, we all did, it was Peter who got them killed with his betrayal."
"You know nothing of how I feel wolf." Snape snarled as Remus closed the door and put up charms so no-one could hear what was said. "You could not."
"You feel for Harry, you care about him?" Sirius said.
"No I do not, I do not like that boy." Snape snarled.
"That is a lie, you do care." Remus said. "What ever you say here will not leave this room, I promise."
"Fine so do I." Sirius said. "My word is my bond."
"Fine I care, every time I see him I see his mother and father and realized I failed to keep them alive. Happy now? Now you can pity me go ahead and start!"
"Pity you?" Sirius said. "When hell freezes over."
"You are the bravest man I know." Remus said. "You don't need pity, you need to be treated with respect."
"Or worshiped." Sirius said sarcastically. "Oh wait don't Fred and George do that now?"
"Yes they do." Remus said then turning to Snape. "Look we were horrible to each other in school, but now we are on the same side. We need to work together, you up for that?"
"Only to get rid of Voldemort." Snape said.
"Good, we could call ourselves the three musketeers." Sirius said and at a glare from Snape, "right guess not then."
"It will be our secret, no-one else need know." Remus said. "Friends?"
"Very well." Snape said. "As long as I still get to beat up Sirius."
Publicly they would continue to snap and snarl at each other. Privately they were going to work as friends. Snape wanted friends, real friends who would stick with him and it seemed that Remus and even the annoying mutt that was Sirius wanted to be friends. Snape would allow it, prudently he would as he did not want to be alone anymore as he really had been for years. The wall he had built around himself was being broken down brick by brick and maybe he would learn to laugh and love again.
Yea it seems strange that Sirius would become friends with Snape. However he knows Snape is on the right side and he knows Snape could die because of what he has to do. Sirius is smart enough to know what is needed to get the job done and he respects Snape for what he has to do. It is a deadly hard time for all and Sirius I think really does deep down want to be friends with Snape.
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