CHAPTER 17: The Dark Lord's Revenge
Two tense minutes ticked by, and it became clear to Harry that Snape did not intend to make conversation. So he spoke up. "Madam Bones wasn't nearly so nice this time," he said, and then cringed. Really, he could have thought of something better to say.
At least it got Snape talking. "Madam Bones," Snape spat, "was nice last time because for once, you were not truly at fault. In this case, you were. Were it not for Scrimgeour's intense desire to make you mascot of the Ministry, you would be on your way to Azkaban right now—that is, unless your adoring fanbase still adored you enough to stop it." Harry tried to hold his teacher's dark gaze without flinching. "Dabbling in Dark Arts does something to you reputation."
Harry ignored the part about Dark Arts, knowing Snape was just trying to get under his skin. "Professor," he said, wishing Snape wouldn't clench his fists like that, "I'm sorry you had to go through all that because of me."
Snape ignored Harry in favour of staring at the wall. Back to the silent treatment, are we? Harry thought sulkily, but knew better than to say aloud. Snape's fists were still clenched, and this uncharacteristic display of lack of control was making Harry rather nervous.
He looked carefully at the man again, re-evaluating what he knew in light of his regained memories. Snape's intense hatred of him made some amount of sense—he'd always hated Harry— but it seemed to have increased after the holidays. Why? Was he still angry that Harry had cast that spell at him?
Harry rolled his eyes at the thought. If so, it was high time Snape got over it. From what he could remember of the summer, he had been punished quite enough.
Just when he had given up on Snape talking, the silky voice spoke. "I trust you remember that you are not to speak to anyone of what you have learned about me."
"Of—of course," Harry said. "Except my friends—"
"There will be no exceptions, Potter!" Snape shouted, making Harry jump. "At least attempt to show that you have learned something from this highly unsavoury experience! You will respect others' privacy, or you will answer ot me!"
"Fine!" Harry said angrily, not liking being shouted at. Snape would likely kill him if he found out about the little he had already told Ron and Hermione, even if Harry had left out all details from Snape's personal life.
Snape sneered down at him. "I see your attitude has not changed. Is it not enough that you have effectively lost the Order its only spy?"
Harry felt himself go cold. Why hadn't he thought of that? Of course now that one of the Slythrins knew they had been Bonded, Voldemort would know too!
"I—"
"Didn't know?" Snape's awful sneer was fixed on his face now. "Didn't mean to? To slightly rephrase Madam Bones from a few minutes ago, it is truly remarkable the number of horrendous blunders you make with absolutely pure intentions, Potter."
Sirius. Harry shut his eyes; a wave of grief hitting him like it hadn't in weeks. My mistake; my stupidest, biggest mistake.
"Potter," Snape said, and now his voice was less hard. "I—" He stopped, and then looked down the corridor. "Come, Potter, we must leave."
Harry followed blindly, not realising where they were going until they stepped out into the warm afternoon air. Order members were there to escort them out. They were holding back a flock of reporters with flashing cameras and loud questions.
"Mr Potter! Is it true that Snape used Dark Arts on you?"
"Harry, how do you feel about the fact that he has escaped unpunished?"
"How do you feel about the fact that you are slave to a Death Eater?"
Harry looked around at Snape. He was scowling fiercely at the reporters. Something about the way he was standing struck Harry as strange. Then Kingsley stepped into Harry's line of vision, cutting off his view of Snape, and Harry was forced to turn back to the reporters.
"He's not a Death Eater!" Harry shouted at the short man who had asked that question. He reminded Harry uncomfortably of Rita Skeeter. Harry sent up fervent thanks that she, at least, was far away from this mess. "And I was the one who cast that spell, all right? I did it, not Snape! And it wasn't a Dark spell!"
There was a short, stunned silence, and then the babble began again, twice as loud. "You wanted to be a slave to a former Death Eater?"—"How did you free yourself from the Bond?"—" Have you been using the Dark Arts, Mr Potter?"
"Come, Harry," Mr Weasley said, looking worriedly at the small crowd around them.
"Will you protest against the appointment of Death Eaters as teachers in Hogwarts?"
Death Eaters. Harry looked around for Snape, who seemed to have disappeared. It had suddenly become clear to him why he'd thought Snape looked strange—it had looked like the man next to him had been gripping him by the arm. There was no need for any Ministry official to do that anymore; Snape was no longer under suspicion—he'd been cleared of all charges a few minutes ago.
Which means—
Harry tore his arm out of Mr Weasley's grasp and ran towards the place he'd last seen Snape, bowling over more than one reporter in his hurry. Snape was nowhere to be seen. He ran a little further ahead, his heart in his throat, heedless of the Order members' shouts behind him.
There!
Snape was there, a little further apart from the crowd, and Harry thought he must be using a notice-me-not charm if the crowd of reporters wasn't paying him any attention. A brown-haired man stood by him, and Harry's eyes narrowed when he saw the cruel manner in which he was gripping Snape's arm.
"Severus!" tore out of his mouth before he could help it. Both men turned around; both looked furious, though he noticed Snape's fury seemed mingled with something not as fierce.
"Harry!" came Lupin's concerned shout from behind him. Harry hadn't even spotted him before now. He knew he had to act fast, that Snape was in danger—where was the rest of the Order, and why hadn't they noticed anything wrong? He ran towards to the two men, and just had enough time to hear Snape's shouted, "Potter, no!" as he threw himself at the man in a flying tackle. Then the world twisted around them. It was a feeling Harry had felt before, with Dobby—he knew this was Apparation.
Even through the discomfort of the process, Harry sensed Snape pulling him closer. Both men were panting from the added effort of Apparating an extra person. Finally, the sensation of being sucked through a tube ended. Harry landed on the grassy ground with a thump, sensing the two men with him do the same. He staggered to his feet immediately, wand out, but Snape had already got his wand back from his kidnapper. He bound him with ropes, like he had done to Lupin in Harry's third year.
"He's a Death Eater, right?" Harry asked Snape.
Snape strode up to him when he had finished tying up the other man, tucked his wand away and took Harry by the shoulders.
"Are you alright?" he growled, scanning Harry so carefully it made him blush.
"Um, yeah—"
"What were you thinking?" Snape roared right next to Harry's ear, nearly deafening him. He took Harry's arm again, gripping it tight enough to bruise, and got out his wand again. "Hold on," he ordered, and Harry waited for the sucking sensation of Apparation.
Nothing happened.
Then Harry saw it. "Er, Professor, that's not your wand—"
"I know that, you little idiot!" Snape spat. "I was Disarmed back at the Ministry; this is Wormtail's wand."
Harry spun around to look at the bound Death Eater. "That's Wormtail?"
"Polyjuice Potion, Potter," Snape said, rolling his eyes and then glaring at Pettigrew's wand. "Potter! What are you doing?"
"I'm going to kill him," Harry said hoarsely, trying to pull his arm away from Snape. "What do you think? Lemme go, Snape!"
Snape made an exasperated noise and let go of Harry's arm, only to throw an arm around his torso and restrain him. "Calm down," he said in Harry's ear, in that quiet tone that Harry knew made Neville very nervous, "or I'll put you in a body-bind."
Harry let loose a string of expletives, but stopped struggling. "He almost took you back to V-to him!" he said at last, looking straight into Snape's eyes—which were so close their noses were almost touching. "I made the mistake of sparing him last time… Why are you protecting him?" he demanded, knowing he wasn't being very coherent.
"I'm not protecting him." Snape's voice was still quiet, but it ahd lost its menace. "I'm protecting you, foolish child."
Harry paused. "Have you ever killed anyone?" he asked cautiously, lamost curiously.
It took Snape a while to answer. "Only Lily and your father."
A shock went through Harry. Snape looked down at him, and the misery in his black eyes hit Harry like the Hogwarts Express at full throttle. This was the first time Snape had acknowledged anything that had happened in the summer; the first attempt he had made to cross the distance between them. Harry was suddenly very aware of Snape's arms around him. "But you didn't kill them," Harry said earnestly. "Voldemort did, and Wormtail."
"Potter, enough," Snape said, looking away. He didn't sound angry or determined or sad; just empty. "You are not allowed to kill Pettigrew."
Harry struggled against Snape's hold bit more, but soon gave up. Snape was stronger than him. And probably right too, he thought resentfully.
Snape was glaring at the wand again. "His wand does not work well enough for me to Apparate both of us."
"You try alone, then," Harry said gamely, trying to pull out of Snape's almost-embrace. Snape let him get away, but Harry winced when Snape's closed on his arm again like a pincer, his expression darkening like a thundercloud. Gone was the vulnerable man who had almost held Harry a minute ago.
"Have you lost what little wits you had left? No more heroics today, Potter, or I'll throw you to the Dark Lord myself!"
Harry stared at the man; and he couldn't help it— he laughed. And laughed some more, ignoring Snape's incredulous and angry look. He knew he was probably half-hysterical from fear, but it felt good to laugh. It brought back memories of many laughs with Snape. The man had a surprisingly good sense of humour when he wasn't busy insulting people. When Harry finally got himself under control, he asked, "Why don't you use my wand, then?"
Something dark flickered in Snape's eyes. "It won't work."
"How do you know?"
"Because I've tried it."
It must have been during the summer, Harry thought, observing the tenseness in the man's posture. Snape looked like it hadn't been a pleasant experience, though what could possibly have been unpleasant about trying someone else's wand was anyone's guess. "What about a message to the Order?"
"Already done—" Snape suddenly flinched and gripped his arm. "We must move," he said through gritted teeth.
Harry had just caught sight of something in the far distance. "Wait, is that—"
"Malfoy Manor, yes! Move, now!" It was the fear in Snape's voice, rather than the shout, that got Harry moving.
"Why did Wormtail bring us here?" Harry panted as he ran.
Snape cast a Disillusionment Charm on them both. His voice was much steadier than Harry's as he replied. "He probably wanted to take us to the gates, but you grabbed hold of us—a moronically dangerous thing to do, by the way—and upset his calculations. And completely drained him."
Harry thought how unfair it was that Snape could look and sound dignified while running for his life. "I did it to help you."
"And an impressive sacrifice it was, too," said a third voice that chilled the blood in Harry's veins.
Snape cursed.
Pop after pop signalled the arrival of several masked figures. Voldemort stood in the midst of them, his wand pointed at something other than Harry for a change. Not that that made him any happier. "Severus, my most loyal servant," said Voldemort, "what have you brought me this time?"
A/N:
Cliffhanger! Sorry… er, no, I'm not. Climax comin' up!
I need to mention here that this story won't have the Severitus-adoption-happy-ending, not in this part. There'll be a sequel, and that's where it's finally settled. I hope I haven't disappointed anyone too much, but really, I didn't think it was realistic for them to get over everything that easily, especially considering the Bond was influencing their emotions and judgement before... it would've been too convenient. And Snape has a long way to go before he's ready to be anyone's father, let alone Harry Potter's. I simply can't digest all those stories that have him suddenly disciplining Harry and acting like a responsible authority figure…I mean, come on! I love Severus Snape, but the man is stuck at the emotional maturity of a vindictive sixteen year old, especially where Harry is concerned! And while change is certainly possible, I don't think it comes that easy. And anyway, the changing is the fun part. I want Harry to be the one who teaches Snape how to deal, not the other way round. Granted, Snape has plenty to teach and must be pretty wise himself, but this feels a lot more natural to me… Snape could learn a lot from Harry.
Also, for Sirius-lovers, he'll be making a grand entrance in Part 2! So... stick around for the sequel to The Master's Touch?
Thanks for the reviews, etc, etc. This story could not have been written without your support.
