*walks in smugly with an incredulous Snape holding a cappuccino* heh. I did not expect Snape not knowing how to whip cream. *Snape seeths* hee hee.
Thank you all for your wonderful encouragement! As of now I am changing the rating to PG-13. I have never been good with ratings-- in Greece nobody pays attention to them really. I hope that all of you are okay with the rating now. *holds up a peace sign* Many thanks to those knights in shining armour wanting to shield me from flames-- much appreciated!!!
Right... let's see now, the next stage of Harry's training... heh. Time is almost up!
Chapter 10. *hits play*
___________________
"You finally deign to show, Potter." Snape sneered, though it was not venomous. Harry nodded, a bit perplexed.
"I am on time, Professor. Why have we switched classrooms?"
"Use whatever mind you have left Potter-- we are starting duelling today. The duelling club room is far better a place to do it, don't you think?" Snape said as he peeled off his cloak. Harry nodded to himself.
"Then just a second while I leave Sasha at some chair, out of the way."
Snape arched an eyebrow.
"You brought the snake with you?" he asked, then kicked himself mentally.
Harry paused.
"Yes. She's a very pleasant company." he said, but the question was underlying his voice. He let his cloak pool on a couch against the room's wall, and hissed to the colourful snake to stay on it while he was having his lesson. Snape gritted his teeth. For a Gryffindor, Potter had started to pick out far too many things from far too little evidence. Good skill, but Snape already hated it.
"Step up on the platform, it's a few steps to your left." Snape said, fingering his wand. He watched as Harry complied, his feet carefully stepping forward. He stepped onto the platform and faced the potions master.
"In new places, Hermione's cane helps." Harry said thoughtfully. Snape sighed.
"You may use it when we are not having sessions."
"Why not during?"
"Because I can't risk you freezing like an owl in daylight should you lose it!" Snape snapped and Harry backstepped without thinking. Snape's voice dropped to a more neutral tone as he ordered:
"Get your wand out and stand at the ready. You have leverage in a duel, because now you depend on your hearing. Can you imagine why or should I spell it out for you?"
Harry clenched his teeth momentarily to control his indignation, then answered in that guarded voice he always used with the Potions Master:
"Because you have to speak the charms or curses."
"Indeed. You will have some fractions of a second extra to react that a sighted adversary-- and these fractions can save your life, miserable thought it is."
Harry rolled his eyes. Much as he was not that affected by the potions master's chiding lately, it was getting rather tiring. He wondered if he thought that what was egging Harry on was some kind of stubborness to disprove Snape's wrong accusations. It might have been up to a point, but Harry wanted more than anything to get back a seblance of compatibility with his peers-- he would do anything the potions master asked anyway.
"But how shall I dodge, Professor? A curse does not ring like a ball." he asked.
Snape liked that Harry was not overconfident.
"You always move from where you are standing-- as dramatically as possible. And you always put up a shielding charm. Better yet, you attack before your adversary has the chance to complete the casting he is doing."
"But how do I get a good aim?"
Snape clicked his tongue irritably.
"You aimed pretty well when I was the target. You use your hearing. We will fine tune it with these practices. Now-- less talk, more work."
Snape had barely uttered his last words when Harry heard a suspicious mutter, only to be flung into the air and dropped on the floor again by the well-placed curse. He grunted.
"Never allow chit-chat to distract--" Snape had started saying when Harry, livid for the lack of warning, aimed his wand at the sound and shouted Expelliarmous rather loudly.
Snape ducked easily, as Harry's aim was off.
"You didn't even get the correct wall." he sneered at the boy that was picking himself up.
Harry's scalp prickled as he heard another subtle muttering that sounded suspiciously like 'locked legs', and he jumped to the side like a panicked frog.
"Good. That's the idea." Snape's voice cracked across the air like a whip, giving Harry the chance of throwing Impedimenta towards the sound.
Snape ducked again, but with more care this time-- the curse had not been far off. Of course there was no reason to tell Potter that.
"Pathetic!" he called across at the boy that had gotten to his feet quite quickly-- the reflexes from the ball dodging kicking in. This time he had no time to complete the incantation he had intended to throw at Harry-- Harry's was fired first:
"Lepidae!" Harry's voice was sharp and steely, and his curse swift. He was again off-aim, but to Snape's surprise, he did not need to aim; the curse actually followed Snape's dodging, and homed in, and hit the potions master squarely. Pain from a hundred razors flashing white hot through every nerve end Snape possessed. It was not Crucio, but is was so sudden that Snape actually reacted to it: he screamed.
Harry gasped as he heard the cry of the Potions Master. It had never happened before in all the years he knew the controlled, proud man. He never expected that he would be the one to tear such a painful, dramatic reaction from the very definition of Icyness. Though he had many times fantasized about this moment, when Snape would wriggle on the ground before him, screaming his heart out, he did not relish in it as he thought he would. He was, instead, appalled. He felt horrified and grieved and could not tolerate to inflict this on the man further.
"Finite Incantatem!" he screamed and listened hard.
The scream had stopped, and in its place there was only heavy breathing. Harry walked towards the sound quickly.
"Professor?"
No reply. Harry felt creeping fear. Surely the curse could not have been this harsh on the man? Surely he was not... hurt? Seriously?
As he approached the man further, a slight acrid smell reached Harry's nostrils-- blood. Aw heck, he wasn't bleeding too, was he? It was only one off-the-top curse!
Harry reached out, touching the fallen form of his professor. He was so frantic that when cold, long fingers grabbed his wrist abruptly, he gasped audibly.
"The fact that your adversary doesn't reply does NOT mean he is down and out-- remember that Potter, and next time when you do get lucky like you just did, finish the job." Severus Snape's low, pained yet silky voice filled Harry's ears as his heart slowly returned to normal rates. Harry swallowed and smiled in relief, although what he had heard sounded like a reprimand.
"I thought I had seriously hurt you, sir." he said, his wrist still imprisoned in one of the potions master's hands.
"Your dream has not come true yet-- I was only surprised. The Lepidae curse is not 4th year material." Snape's voice was considerably softer. Harry wondered what the man's expression might be. Did he truly believe that Harry wanted to exert pain? Then again, why wouldn't he? Harry himself thought he wanted to exert pain only a few seconds earlier.
"Hermione and I have been practicing a lot of curses-- for the Triwizard Tournament, professor...," Harry shivered at the memory of the hated event, then added, "...and my dream is not to hurt you."
There was a lengthy pause, and gently the long, cool fingers released his wrist. The voice was painfully neutral now.
"I see. And what might your dream be?"
Harry frowned, wringing his fingers, as he thought for a proper answer.
"I want this to end-- so I can have a semblance of normality in my life." he finally said in a low, whispered voice, as if afraid that voicing it would mean that he would never be granted it.
Snape had been afraid that the boy would not answer, that long was his mulling over before he answered to his last question. It had not been what the Potions Master expected the young Gryffindor to answer-- and in a way it shocked him.
He had not expected Harry Potter to have the same dream as himself.
"I see." Snape repeated, but this time he let his real voice surface. The shift in Harry's expression implied that the boy noticed. "Then let's start working for that dream of yours, shall we?"
His true voice was almost pleasant.
***
"Why were you fighting with Ssseverus?" Sasha asked when she was safely around Harry's wrist again. Harry smiled thinly.
"It was not a fight. It was a duel. I have to learn to fight without my vision."
Sasha's tongue shot out irritatedly.
"I thought I wass to help you with your ssight."
"And you will. That is where we are going." Harry said, already feeling bound to the over-conscientious young snake.
Minerva McGonagall was ready for Harry when he entered her office, guided by his wand. She smiled as he entered although she knew her smile would go unnoticed. But over the last few days, weeks, she had grown more proud of him than she had the last four years.
"Hello Harry. Have you brought your familiar with you?"
Harry smiled softly again.
"One of them." he said and lifted his left arm where Sasha was coiled like a multi-coloured bracelet. She tasted the air around the old witch, and found it comfortable enough to rest her head back on Harry's palm.
Minerva nodded.
"Very well. You understand that you should not use the bond we are about to establish between you and the snake--"
"Sasha," Harry corrected politely.
"-- yes, the bond between you and Sasha cannot be active for long periods of time, especially in the beginning. If you upkeep it for too long, you might exhause Sasha to the point of severe illness or death." she instructed, and Harry swallowed and nodded gravely.
"I understand. I won't. It's only for Potions and Divination that I absolutely need sight, anyway."
"Very well." Minerva said. "Lift your wand and repeat after me, then when I tell you to, touch the tip of your wand to Sasha's head."
***
"Ah Severus, my loyal Deatheater." Voldemort called after he was done initiating a new recruit. Snape had already lost his appetite. He stepped forward and kneeled.
"My lord."
"What have you to report to me from Hogwarts and Harry Potter?"
Snape launched his well-rehearsed report.
"Potter is alive and healed from all injuries, my lord, but he cannot be healed of his blindness. Dumbledore called on the werewolf Lupin to try and cheer the boy up, but he is sinking deeper and deeper into depression. He is growing weak with pity and guilt, my lord. Dumbledore wants to teach him to live with blindness, but the progress is very slow."
Voldemort was pleased. Snape was spared the Cruciatus, and the meeting ended in relative peace. But when all the Deatheaters were gone, Voldemort summoned someone.
"Wormtail. You shall serve me once more."
The balding man slithered towards him, grovelling and sniffling.
"Any...anything, my lord, all for you." he stuttered, and Voldemort made a grimace of disgust.
"Silence. You shall go back to Hogwarts-- and see how Harry Potter is faring. You shall report all to me. You have two days."
And the fat rat with the glowing paw scuttered off quickly, fearing Hogwarts but dreading Tom Riddle.
***
Remus walked in Harry's room slightly nervous. Harry smiled up at him from where he was sitting with several potions ingredients before him. Sasha was coiled on the desk, glancing at the items and hissing occasionally. Harry looked the happiest he had ever been in all this summer.
"I can see it all through Sasha, Remus! I... I can see through her!" he said with such happiness that did not leave any room for other emotions even in Remus. He grinned from ear to ear as he hugged Harry and petted the snake, which seemed to enjoy the stroking of the top of her head.
Harry quickly bent over the snake and muttered a charm. The colourful snake hissed and coiled itself around Harry's left wrist as usual. The different tilt in his head told Remus that Harry's link with the Sasha was inactivated.
"Why did you inactivate the charm?"
"She needs her rest. If I don't let up the charm after an hour or two, she gets very drousy. I don't want to make her uncomofrtable. I mean, she's so nice about it." Harry smiled softly as his hands felt around for the fold-in cane and took it firmly in their grasp.
"Oh. Well, there's an owl for you. It came in my office, but the letter is for you." Remus said, and the way he said it, Harry's face paled.
"It's from Snuffles, isn't it?"
Remus nodded, then remembered that that was not an answer Harry could perceive anymore so he said:
"I'm afraid so. Here, open it."
Harry did, and then waved his wand over the letter so that it would be read in his conscious when he touched the surface, just like one's eyes read it to one's mind. He had found that the Read-Me feather was slightly too loud for his tastes...
Dear Harry,
why haven't you written me in so long? I heard you are not in Privet Drive anymore-- no in fact, I -saw- that you weren't there. The Dursleys are some pretty scared muggles and what they were talking of reminded me far too much of Deatheaters. Are you alright? I hope my owl reaches you well and sound. I am so worried. Please answer me, even with just a note to let me know what is happening. Not knowing is torture.
your Gfather,
Snuffles
Harry drew in a big breath.
"He will not like what I have to tell him. Maybe I shouldn't."
Remus was thoughtful.
"It will be worse if he reads it off a newspaper when Hogwarts is alive with students." he said.
Harry made his decision.
He took a new roll of parchment, spread it, charmed the ink, took a deep breath, and started dictating.
_______________
Hee hee. How is THIS for a cliffhanger? *chuckles*
As for my reviewers:
shitsumon: Glad you like Sasha! heh. About that Skeeter cow... *Hermione grins ferociously* we don't know yet. heh. As for Sirius... *points up* he is about to find out. *hands you cookie* You noticed about Snape's aversion to child abuse. Kudos. I thought that was way too subtle for anyone to notice after all. I was giving up hope! *L* As for Fudge and the ministry, this will wait until September.
NightSpear: Quidditch will be in the list of 'to dos'. I have some ideas, but they are still hatching. I am glad you liked the chapter. :)
Darkhorse8100: *chuckles* we'll see bout Braille... as for Sasha;s uses... there's a good idea.
Huntress Angel: that he did, and that he is. *chuckles*
Lirael: I don't want to give him much more than JK has already given him. I am afraid that then he won't be Harry, really. Besides it's cooler to be powerful with what he already has. :)
Barbara: he will get one-- I doubt he will have a choice in the matter. *laughs* but I don't know for how long. Sasha is his main helper tho.
Lei Dumbledore: I am glad! I was so nervous.
kateydidn't: right you are! As for his eyes, no. They stay as they are in animagus form.
MegOfAllTrades: eh, I don't think he can avoid it. *chuckles* Thank you so much.
Karen: a familiar is an animal a wizard has a bond with, basically. Snape gave Harry Sasha the snake. :)
Jordan: questions answered today!
Kaat Shadow Lover: *hands you coffee* neither wrote, cos neither knew what exactly to write, you see.
Angel Baby: though I am not too keen on the Twins, I will give them a shot, just for you. *L*
emma: *is flattered* thank you bunchies :) As for your question, no I am not blind and I haven't had close contact with a blind person. I am only a psychology major, and I have read a lot of case studies... then I try to put myself in their shoes, and see what I would do if I were blind... and go from there. I try to update as fast as possible. I am glad you find this somewhat realistic ;D
Zeynel: all shall be shown. As for initial reactions, I'm afraid that's a bit hard to fit into this as it's mainly Harry/Severus POVs. He is not turning Daredevil-- I have not seen that yet. And I wouldn't want him to have infra-red vision. *L*