Cursed
Chapter 6: Insanity
Snape walked slowly as he headed towards the HeadMasters office. No matter how he paraphrased the books words, the situation seemed hopeless.
He held the book in his hands as he stood outside the door. The spiteful book that spoke of nothing but misery and torment. If he could curse the book to the pits of hell he would. However, his talents were lack in the curse department.
He stood outside the wooden doors, reluctant to enter. Why did he always have to be the barer of bad news?
Before he had the oppurtunity to knock, the doors opened on their own accord. He walked in, holding the grim book at his side.
"Severus", The old wizard greeted seriously. "What did you find?" He asked, seeing the book in the man's hands.
"I've found what's been ailing the boy", he explained, taking an offered seat.
"And?"
"It's known as the 'Devil's Plague' ", he said, handing over the book, opened to the exact page.
Dumbledore took the book, and adjusted his glasses seriously. His eyes squinted as if the words were painful to read.
Snape waited patiently for the man to read the information and let it sink through.
"Hmmph", the wizard sighed, removing his glasses, and rubbing his old tired eyes.
Snape watched the Headmaster think silently to himself, suprised of his lack of words.
"Headmaster?", Snape spoke, trying to wake the man from his sullen state.
"I'm an old man Severus."
'Indeed', The potions master thought to himself.
"In all my years I've never heard of this curse actually ever been performed."
Snape nodded silently.
"How would someone even aquire the knowledge to perform such a task?"
The room was quiet, as they both seemed to be thinking of their own solutions.
"Theodore."
Snape looked up, as the silence was interrupted.
"You remember Theodore Hoggis. Runs a used book shop just outside of Hogsmeade."
"Ofcourse", Snape indeed recalled meeting the eccentric man a few years back.
"I wonder if you wouldn't mind giving him a visit. Theodore does so often run into strange bits of information, from the books he aquires. He's also quite knowledgable in curses, if I remember correctly."
Snape nodded in agreement. "I'll see what he knows."
Dumbledore nodded in thanks, as the Potions professor got up to leave his office.
"But just incase", Snape added before he left. " Perhaps it's time the boy's friends' were informed."
The old man nodded his head, not liking the idea. But knowing it would be the right thing to tell them, before they found out on their own.
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Back in the infermary Harry had fallen asleep. While unconcious, Madame Pomfrey had had the oppurtunity to remove the boy from his make-shift retraints and move him into a more suitable bed, which had built-in arm and leg cuffs.
After seeing to a few students while he slept, she now sat beside him, listening to his hypnotic breathing.
She was just about to join him in slumber, when the door to the infermary opened.
She looked up, expecting to see Snape or Dumbledore, but to her misfortune, it was the boys friends. Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger.
"Harry!" The young girl cried, seeing her friend on the hospital bed.
"Shhhh!!" Poppy hushed, trying to keep them away from the sleeping boy. But it was no use. Once they saw the condition Harry was in, they pushed passed her and ran to his bedside.
"What happened!"
"Why is he tied up!" they cried.
"Shh tsssh shsh!" The Medi-witch seethed. Cringing as the boy began to stir in his sleep.
"I can't have you in here. For heaven's sake if he wakes up...",
"Nnnnn."
All eyes turned to Harry as his eyes flittered slightly before opening all the way.
He remembered where he was, but he did not recall having his hands bound to his sides. Furiously irritated at being restrained, he struggled to free himself.
Ron and Hermione leaned closer to him, eager to talk to him.
"Harry!"
"Are you all right?"
"How are you feeling?"
"What happened?", Hermione questioned franctically, leaning closer to him.
"Get away from me!!" He screamed.
Everyone in the room froze in shock at the strange outburst.
Hermione had almost jumped out of their skin, and now stood with her mouth open. "Harry...it's me. It's Hermione", she tried to calm him, assuming that he did not recognize her.
He began struggling to get out once again. Pulling dangerously hard on his wrists. "Let me out!"
"What's wrong with him?" Ron asked, desperately.
"Never you mind. Just get out!", The Medi-witch ordered, pulling them towards the door.
"No! Tell us what's going on!" Hermione yelled back.
"Speak with Dumbledore if you must, but you need to leave!" She all but threw them out into the hall, before shutting the door on them.
They stood there with their mouths open, dumbfounded.
"Hermione, come on", Ron pulled on her arm. "Dumbledore", he reminded her. He pulled her away from the door, trying to wake her out of her shock.
"Come on", he held her close, as they headed for the HeadMaster's office.
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"AaaaH!" Harry screeched, as his wrist finally broke.
"Dammit Harry", Pompfrey cursed. She had absolutely no idea what to do with him.
She quickly mixed a potion to help heal his broken bone. God knows if it would do any good. But she wasn't just going to stand there and watch him suffer.
"Come on Potter, drink this", she instructed, holding the vial to his lips. But he shook his head francticly.
"Swallow it!" She ordered, getting frustrated.
He growled furiously at her, refusing to swallow.
As she pushed the small bottle painfully against his lips, he opened his mouth to curse and spit. But the instant his lips were open, the bottle fell in his mouth, making him gag. Poppy gasped in shock, fearing that he was choking and put her hand in his mouth to pull the vial out. But what really shocked her was the teeth that embedded themselves into her skin.
"Aah!" She screamed, pulling her bloody hand away. She looked at her attacker in shock, wondering why he'd do such a thing.
But he just stared right back. There was no pity, fear or remorse in his eyes. Just an empty dark expression that radiated hostility.
As she backed away uncomfortably, she felt her time with him had come to an end.
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Severus Snape approached the rundown bookstore with disdain. He suddenly wondered why it was he that was there and not Dumbledore. The withered old wizard always managed to get someone to do his errands for him.
Biting down his resentment, he opened the door.
The small dusty building, was crammed with bookshelf after bookshelf. Though the shoppe resembled a rundown cabin, Snape was indeed impressed with the quantity of books this one man was able to acquire. Aside from the shelfs, there were books lining the windowsills, some piled up on desks, and even some stacked chest- high on the floor.
Hearing movement from the back, Snape entered futher, finding the front desk.
Just about to ring the bell, a stout middle-aged man with thick curly brown hair, and thick brown glasses entered from a back room.
"Ughh", the man grumbled, tripping over a book, before hiccupping loudly.
'Great', Severus thought, taking in the man's drunken appearance. "Bit early for that, isn't it?" Snape interrogated.
The man looked up in surprise, not knowing there was someone in his store. But smiled politely, and chuckled. "Get's rather tedious around here."
"So it does", Snape acknowledged smoothly.
"So", The man approached the counter. "What can I do you for?"
"I've been told you have a wide knowledge of curses", Snape explained, getting straight to the point.
The man stumbled for a moment, looking the Potions Master up an down. "I don't know what you've been told", he spoke, now sounding suspicious, "But I only sell books...not curses."
"I understand", Snape continued, ignoring the mans leery gaze. "But all I seek is knowledge."
"What sort of knowledge", He asked, still sounding suspicious.
"What can you tell me about the Devil's Plague?"
"The Devil's Plague?" The man chuckled. "Why do you concern yourself with myths?"
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Myth, is it?"
"Ofcourse."
"I have reason to believe otherwise."
"Oh really?" The man sounded disbelieving.
"Someone I know is suffering through the stages as I speak."
The man shook is head, " Well, I insist you re-evaluate your friend."
Snape furrowed his brow, getting irritated with the man. "And I insist you re-evalutate your belief on the matter. I have seen the effects of the curse, first hand. And I demand you tell me everything you know on the subject", he ordered, starting to take on a crueler tone.
The bookkeeper looked threatened, and indeed intimidated by Snapes demeanor, but still resufed to talk. "I'm sorry. I simply, can't help you."
Those were not the words he wanted to hear. And as the bookkeeper went to walk away, Snape quickly stepped around the counter and blocked his path.
The Bookkeeper looked up, frightfully at the tall dark man. "What do you want from me?"
"I am in desperate need of how to remove this curse. A very important child's life is at risk. And I was instructed by my Headmaster to see you on the matter, so if you wouldn't mind taking a moment of your time..."
"You one of his followers?"
Snape cocked his eyebrow, taking a moment, before realizing the man feared that he was a deatheater.
"I'm a teacher at Hogwarts. I was sent by Albus Dumbledore."
"Dumbledore", the man thought the name over, while looking at Snape. As realization hit him, he smiled. "Severus. Severus Snape", he laughed. "I thought you looked familiar. I havn't seen you in years."
Snape humored the man with a small pitiful smile. "Yes it's been a while."
"I'm sorry I was so...It's Just that...people come in here, some with not the best intentions, you see. They try to get me to sell them curses."
"I understand. But I wasn't lying when I said I was desperate. What can you tell me about the curse?"
The man rubbed his chin, taking on a more serious expression. "Well...The curse is old, ancient really. Whoever found the means to perform it, went to great lengths to get it done.
"I need to know how to remove it."
The bookkeeper was quiet, as he looked at the man with pity. "I'm sorry Severus. The curse is fatal...There's no getting around it."
Snape was silent as he took in the information.
"I'm sorry", the man repeated.
Snape nodded silently. "Thank you", he barely whispered, deciding to leave.
"Send my regards to Dumbledore."
"...I shall."
The bookkeeper watched the sullen man leave, before remembering another bit of information. "Severus."
The Professor turned around.
"There's a belief, that if the victim knows that he's been cursed, and believes he's doomed, that the curse is all the more potent, for the victim helps to cause his own demise."
Snape nodded in acknowledgment, and left.
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In the infermary, Harry was being hidden behind a curtain, while other children were being looked after.
Poppy had been so busy, she hadn't had the opportunity to call the Headmaster. And while she was busy mending sprains and, brewing antidotes for fevers, she was fearing that Harry would have another outburst any second.
She worked quickly, trying to get the children out of there as soon as possible. But eventually Harry could not contain himself any longer, and a horrifying scream rang through the hospital wing, startling everyone in the vacinity.
"What was that?"
Instead of answering, The Medi-witch ran behind the curtain, to check on her secret patient. Harry was struggling to release himself from the restraints, all the while pulling on his already broken wrist.
"Shh", she hushed brushing his forehead, trying to calm him down. He was sweating, and had gotten so worked up that he'd broken a blood vessel in his eye.
"Gasp."
Poppy turned around to see that one of the curious children had peeked behind the curtain.
"Is that.."
"No. Out!", The Medi-witch ordered. "Out", she ushered him away. "All of you now", she instructed the others, who were very confused.
"What's going on?"
"Come on Sweetie", She ushered one girl out of a bed. "Your ankle will be just fine. Don't forget to take this", She shoved a vial into her hand.
"But.."
"No butts." She pulled the two other boys out of bed, telling them they would be fine after getting some rest.
As she shut the door on them, she ran back over to Harry to see if he was all right.
The boy just lay there, sqeezing his eyes shut and grumbling something under his breath.
She let out a deep breath, half in relief, half in annoyance. There was no way she could tend to other patients while he remained there. He was too loud and too disturbed.
As he continued grumbling to himself, she snuck away to the hospitals fire-place.
"Albus Dumbledore", she called, throwing in the powder.
Before he even greeted her, she began yelling.
"Where have you been?! I've had to take care of other students while having this crazed boy in my infermary. I had to discharge my patients just because he decided to start screaming for no reason!..."
"Madame, Madame, Please!" Dumbledore calmed. "I'm waiting the return of Professor Snape who is currently doing an errand for me", he explained. "Now", he steadied his voice. "I take it Harry is becoming a problem?"
She sighed heavily, shaking her head. "Albus, the boy is a nightmare. He can not stay."
Dumbledore nodded, knowing full well that it would only be a matter of time, before they had to move the boy. "I know."
"Please move him as soon as possible, so I can get back to work", she explained in a very business-like tone, before ending the connection abruptly.
Dumbledore sank in his seat. There was nowhere else the boy could reside. Students were occupying practically every room in the castle. He hated the idea, but there was no other alternative... Harry would have to be moved to the dungeons.
AN: I know. I'm terrible. I havn't updated in months. I've been writing Teen Titans. And it's really hard to go from one storyline to the other. So I just kept writing TT. But I'm amost done with both stories, then I'll just be doing one story at a time. I guess I'm just not a multi-tasker. : ( Next chapter: Insanity prt.2 (will probably be last chapter)