Cursed

Chapter 4: Halucinations prt.2

Recap: He walked quickly through the empty halls, with his hands infront of him. Once he reached the bathroom, he quickly headed for the sink and turned the faucet...The water ran black.

Harry gasped as the substance he thought was blood, ran down the sink. It had been ink all along.

He rested his head on the edge of the sink, and sighed heavily. "What the hell is going on?" This couldn't be another prank. He was definately seeing things.

But he also knew he hadn't been getting enough sleep. And that probably wasn't helping him either. He just needed a good nights rest, that's all. Then he was sure that he'd feel better, and hopefully would stop seeing things.

However, the day was far from over...

While heading into his Potions class, Harry wasn't watching were he was going and bumped right into Cho Chang. They both fell to the ground and dropped their books.

"Oh Harry, I'm sorry", she apoligized, picking up the couple of books that Harry hadn't already picked up.

"Oh no, it was my fault, I .." He gazed up at her, feeling bold and actually ready to make eye contact. But was only met with empty hollow sockets.

"I didn't see you", she continued apoligizing.

Harry stared into the gaping holes, turning visibly pale.

Cho furrowed her brow. "Are you all right Harry?"

"...uh..., Harry struggled to compose himself. "... yeah.. great...um.. sorry..just wasn't...watching were I was going...Um... here", he shoved her books in her hand and quickly left.

His heart pounded in his chest. He was ready to just turn around and go back to his dorm.

"Harry", Hermione greeted.

'Too late.'

"Hey", he smiled as best he could.

"Harry", her voice suddenly turned dismal, "You look awful."

"Tss. Thanks."

Hermione gave him a stern look, that made him aware that she was clearly more serious than he was. "I'm serious", she retorted, as they began to walk to there class together. "Something's going on, and you're not telling me."

"You aaaalways think there something going on."

"And am I ever wrong?"

For once in his life, Harry was actually happy to arrive to 'Potions'.

"Occasionally." He answered and quickly sat down, knowing that Hermoine wouldn't talk in Snapes class.

For most of the class, things went pretty smoothly. Hermione kept quiet. There was no blood, and everyone still had there eyes.

Snape was being as dreary as usual, but Harry tried to only pay attention to the potion infront of him. Which paid off, as Snape noticed his attention to detail and acknowledged him for it.

"Well done Mr. Potter, there may be hope for you yet."

Harry smirked at the small taste of approval.

"Now", Snape continued with the potion lesson. "You may add your wormroot."

Everyone in the class carefully added the next ingredient to the potion.

"Do not continue stirring, until it is completely dissolved."

Harry watched the last bits of his wormroot break apart and dissolve into his potion, then stirred carefully.

"Now add two teaspoons of ground dragon scale."

Harry then measured carefully before adding the powder to his cauldron, and watched the mixture start to bubble.

"Now you may add your screaming babies."

Harrys eyes deviated from his cauldron to his Potions Professor, whos nonchalant demeanor remained steady.

"What did he-" Harry was interrupted, as Hermione lifted a wailing infant from its leg and let it hover dangerously over her cauldron.

Harrys mouth hung open in horror.

"Hermione...what-"

Hermione calmly turned to her friend, before dropping the small child into the bubbling mass below.

"NO!" Harry wailed, plunging his hands into the cauldron.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped.

Everyone in the class turned quickly at the commotion.

"It's still acidic!" Hermione yelled, trying to pry Harry's arms away from her cauldron.

"Potter!" Snape ran to the two Gryffindors.

Snape pushed Hermione away and attempted to pull Harrys' arms out of the cauldron. "Take them out you fool!"

"No!" Harry wailed, searching madly through the steaming cauldron.

Snape wrapped his arms around Harry's chest and pulled with all his might.

Both Harry and the cauldron came tumbling down.

"Ah!" Hermione screached, as she dodged the potion. Others students who were close by had to move as well.

Harry and Snape now lay on the floor, dripping with potion, that threatened to surely ruin there clothes.

Snape was just about to scream down the whole place, but Harry struggled to get out of his grip. "Let me go!" he wailed and once free, crawled around the floor, looking for the infant.

'Potter!" Snape yelled, scaring everyone in the class, if they weren't already scared enough. "Stop this now!" He reached his arms under Harry's shoulders and began to drag him away.

"NO!"

"Nobody move," Snape announced angrily, as he continued to drag Harry away.

Even when they were out in the hallway, Harry would not stop struggling or Ranting. "Professor...no...wait...let me go!"

Snape was getting more furious by the second, while dragging the troubled teenager. Finally he gave up and pushed Harry up against the wall. "Stop this madness now!", He growled, shaking Harry violently.

Harry finally calmed down a bit, though his breathing did not slow down. He looked at Snape. The man seemed so mad. He'd never seen him so upset...with anyone. Tears started to build in Harry's eyes. The realization of what really happened started to finally dawn on the boy. There was no baby. Now starting to feel the pain in his arms, he brought them up to his face and gasped as he saw his raw flesh-eaten hands.

"Well what'd you expect?" Snape commented, cruelly. "Go to the infirmary now."

Feeling very uneasy, Harry slid away from the wall, where he'd been practically pinned, and began walking away.

"Potter."

Harry's tired heart skipped a beat, and he reluctantly turned around.

"I don't want to see your face in my class for a week."

Harry nodded in understanding, hanging his head in shame.

"However, you will be attending detention in the dungeons instead."

"Yes sir", he mummbled quietly.

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Poppy sighed, wrapping Harry's gruesome arms. "I don't know how many more children have to be sent to me, until he realizes some of the potions he teaches are just too dangerous."

Harry had not even had to think of an excuse, and Snape didn't care to even tell her of the events that transpired. 'Though why would he?', Harry thought. 'He's not exactly ever deamed me worthy of his time.'

Harry let out a loud sigh, unconciously.

"Are you ok, Harry?" Poppy asked, worriedly.

"Yeah", Harry answered, rubbing his tired eyes.

She smiled sadly at the young wizard, he was so innocent, it pained her to see him in any amount of pain. Especially with that confused look in his eyes, when his glasses were off, as if he didn't quite know where to look.

"I worry about you, you know", she replied seriously.

"I know", he answered, just as serious.

"Well then...do me a favor...and stay in this bed. Not like you'll be able to do much in class anyways."

" 'Kay", Harry answered, his voice just above a whisper.

Poppy was slightly surprised that he agreed to stay in bed, But smiled, as for once he had listened to her. "Good boy, now get some rest."

After that she left to attend to other things, as Harry fell asleep almost instantly. When she returned, she was surprised to see him fall asleep so quickly. She wished she knew what was troubling him. He seemed to always deal with things on his own. Things that no one should bare alone. But he never complained. Not once.

By the time Harry left the hospital wing it was passed dinner. His stomache growled as he walked through the halls, heading towards the Gryffindor dorms.

"Potter."

Harry didn't need to turn around to know who it was. No one but Snape addressed him in such a scornful tone. Harry turned to meet the eye of his Potions Professor.

"Where do you think you are going?"

Harry thought quietly for a moment, as he usually did before answering the man. "To bed...sir?"

"Oh really?" Snape answered with a bit of sarcasm. "Did your ignorant mind already forget today's events?"

Harry remained quiet.

"Dentention. Dungeons. Now", he ordered, pointing down the hall."

Harry sluggishly turned back around and headed towards the dungeons. He had hoped he wouldn't have to start his week of detentions until tomorrow. 'Atleast', he thought, 'the sooner it begins, the sooner it ends.'

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Usually detention with Snape included, doing homework or stupid assignments the Potions teacher would make up, or washing cauldrons while Snape would hover over your shoulder complaining, 'More elbow grease. If any hint of the previous potion mixes with the next, the results could be desastrous!' But since Harry's arms were wrapped up at the momment, quite literally. He sat at a desk doing nothing. Which you would think would be great. However, doing nothing, with Snape 10ft. from you, was far from it.

Harry couldn't keep his eyes open anymore, he was tired, the pain in his arms and hands was draining him of his energy, plus the darkness of the dungeons served to only make it seem more like bedtime.

Harry had been sleeping for a few moments before Snape peered out from the book he was reading and caught him. Walking over quietly and casually, as to not disturb the boy, he took the large book he was reading and slammed it right beside the boys head.

Harry shot up, with his eyes as wide as saucers.

"No dozing."

Still slightly traumitised, Harry quickly stuttered a "S..sorry."

"Sorry?" Perhaps instead of apoligizing to me, you should have apoligized to your classmates. Your constant carelessness will no longer be tolerated. Thankfully the only one who got injured was you."

Harry sank back in his chair. The Professors words were harsh and penetrating.

"What if the potion got on somebody else hmmm? Say...Hermione? What if the potion had gotten on her face? " Snape was talking louder with every word, as he realized he'd never really yelled at the boy properly yet.

"Would you want her face to look like your arms! Would you want them to look like this!" Snape lifted up a pant leg, exposing a gruesome, raw leg.

Harry's mouth opened, but nothing came out. He didn't realize Snape had gotten hurt to.

"Just like your father", Snape continued, not really yelling, but in a dangerously loud thundering tone, which only this man seemed to posess.

Harry was mentally unprepared for such an arguement, and had to fight to keep his eyes dry.

Snapes eyes were just like they were after the incident in class, full of anger and fire. For a second it seemed that he'd actually seen a flicker of fire in Snapes eyes.

Harry gaped at the man who continued to chastise him, Snapes eyes were burning with rage, burning with fire, fire that was visible. Harry could see it. He closed his eyes, knowing it was just another hallucination.

"Don't you dare close your eyes Potter!"

Harry opened his eyes, fearfully. What he saw frightened him to the core. The man before him blazing with anger and fire, walking towards him. Harry could hardly see the mans face anymore. More like red hot cinders in the form of a face. Harry lept from his chair and ran to the back of the room.

"What do think you are doing? Get back here!"

Harry crouched in the corner, as the man of flames walked closer. Harry could no longer hear what he said. All he heard was the roar of the fire.

Snape slowed his pace as he noticed that the boy was extremely frightened. Realizing he'd perhaps gone too far. And also reminding himself that this was Harry Potter, not James Potter. He stopped his arguing. He'd known he had the abilty to make even the strongest minds cower in his presence, but he did not expect this reaction at all.

"Potter?" He spoke more softly, and curiously, wondering what could be going through the boys head.

Harry looked up, realizing how close Snape was to him now. How close he was to the flames. Snape reached out an arm to the boy.

Harry stared in absolute terror, watching as the blazing hand reached to him, and finally made contact with his skin.

Harry screamed, before he could even realize there was no pain.

Snape pulled his hand back quickly.

"Go away, go away, go away", harry begged, covering his eyes, afraid to look any longer.

"Harry. Harry look at me."

Harry, now able to hear Snapes voice, shook his head 'no' frantically.

"Harry", Severus Snape was now very curious. "Harry, what do you see?"

"...your on fire ", Harry whimpered.

Snape was now worried, this wasn't an act of disobedience, this was an act of fear, and although a hallucination, he knew it was real to Harry.

"Harry. Harry look at me. I'm fine. Nothing has changed", he tried to comfort the boy, though still using his usual strict voice. "You're in no danger. It's just you and me down here, and no one is on fire. Do you understand? Harry look at me."

Harry slowly peeked his eyes open.

"What do you see?"

Harry sighed in relief. "it's gone."

Snape stood up, and offered Harry a hand to help him up. Harry just closed his watery eyes, shaking his head.

Severus sighed. The boy was a mess, an absolute mess. "How often do you see these things?" He asked, knowing this was something that had to be resolved. After all, Dumbledore couldn't have his golden boy going crazy now could he? "When did this start?"

Harry, shakily, let out a painful breath. "Just today."

"Just Today?"

Harry nodded.

"And did this happen to have anything to do with the incident in class?"

Another nod.

Severus thought this extremely odd, and disturbing. That one day he was dragging to the boy to the infirmary, then the next day was right as rain, yet dillusional.

Without Harry's consent, Snape lifted him to his feet. "Harry, for now I don't want you to tell anyone about this all right", he spoke seriously, " I'll inform Poppy in the morning."

Tiredly, Harry just nodded, not caring at the moment why he should keep it secret.

"Return to your dorm now. And don't worry about serving your other detentions."

"Thankyou", Harry smiled gratefully, and went to leave.

"And until this is ressolved, do not attend my class."

Harry nodded his head in understanding, and left quietly.

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By the time he reached his dorm, everyone was already asleep. Which he was glad, because all he wanted to do was collapse on his bed, which he did.

Though not plagued by nightmares, Harry's sleep was far from comfortable. Unconciously, he tossed and turned for hours, then finally woke up, in a great deal of pain. He didn't know why, but his whole body hurt. It was a sharp, yet also throbbing pain.

Being in far too much pain to go back to sleep, he quietly slipped out of his room, which was still inhabited with his sleeping friends.

He reached the closest bathroom and looked in the mirror. His mouth hung open in horror.

Scratches, bloody deep scratches. a few on his face. Some on his exposed chest. And his clothes had been matted down with what he thought had been sweat, but now saw that it was blood. He fearfully lifted his sleeves, to reveal, most of the bandages had been torn off, and deep gouges were engraved in his already raw skin. Panic-stricken he ripped off his pants. Deep red gouges allover.

'How did this happen!' He mentally screamed.

Then he caught sight of something more disturbing. The blood and flesh that was caked under his fingernails.

An: Next chapter: Self-mutilation