Chapter Five: The Stables

Snape sat in his study, thinking. He had questioned the boy, but the answers were vague and he was almost as wise as before. He knew now that the boy was abandoned which made the situation even more difficult. He couldn't send him back to his relatives, but what to do with him? He didn't even know whether he went to Hogwarts or not. Maybe I'll send him anyway.

'Actually, why can't he go back to his relatives? I'll have to ask him next time. He was already upset enough. I wonder whose parents, or relatives, would willingly send a small boy away. I'm sure that he merely misunderstood them and ran away afterwards.'

He stood up again and decided that it would be best if he asked him now, because his thoughts would only go in circles and he wouldn't find an answer.

'I really don't know why I'm doing this for the idiot child. He is certainly like all other young children at Hogwarts. Getting on my nerves and doing stupid things.'

But on midway his eyes fell on a window. Surprised that it was so late already, he made up his mind not to disturb Laures anymore. Snape went to his own bedroom and lay down. His body was exhausted, but his mind was working too much to sleep.

Eventually he fell asleep, too.

Harry was wide awake as soon as he opened his eyes. He sat up, but covered himself more with the comforter, because it was quite chilly. He didn't know what time it was, but he didn't care.

When he got used to the coolness, he got up.

He subconsciously reached out with his magic for a living being, but he found nothing. He knew – though he didn't know why - that the cat wasn't there anymore. Then, there were a lot of things he did that he had no clue about why or how he knew them. He took them for granted until he knew more about the whole thing.

His stomach growled. He was still so hungry. Harry thought that Snape might not turn up soon and contemplated going in search of the kitchens by himself. He guessed that he would manage it somehow. It was a dangerous venture, but he wouldn't wait for Snape to turn up sometime.

Opening the door he listened closely for any sound. Everything was quiet. The raven haired boy slipped out of the room and randomly chose to walk along the left corridor.

After a short time Harry reached stairs that led down. He descended slowly, firmly gripping the banister. Then he turned aimlessly to a direction, one hand always on the wall. He was very afraid of walking into something, because he didn't have his walking stick to feel around the floor in front of him anymore, though he hadn't so far.

Snape's house was big, really big and very neat. It seemed the corridors were completely empty except for a few paintings he could feel under his fingertips. He had tried to ask the way, but all he had gotten were cryptical answers that only confused him even more.

His foot started hurting after a while and he was limping again. He felt rather stupid, now that he went around in this unfamiliar house on his own.

Snape also would be furious if he caught him 'wandering' around in inappropriate places.

Suddenly the corridor ended in a door. He contemplated opening it as the kitchen would have a door. Harry decided for it and opened the door and walked through.

The sounds that greeted him were unexpected. He seemed to have arrived at some sort of stable or so. He could hear faint shouting of two or three people. They appeared to be outside the stable. Insecurely he stayed were he was and listened to the sounds to orientate himself.

It seemed that he was nearly in the middle, because he could hear animals to both sides of him. The animals had to be cows or horses from the sound of it.

'Right. I heard Snape riding when he found me!' So he reasoned the animals were horses.

Slowly he walked along the right aisle. The voices were coming from this side and he wondered whether they could help him. He felt utterly lost and hungry and wanted to find the kitchens.

The small boy felt intimidated by the big creatures and tried to avoid coming in contact with them. Fortunately, the aisle was broad enough to sidestep the big heads that were stuck out when he neared. He deemed it pure luck that he sidestepped in the right moment, because he couldn't see. He assumed that he could somehow sense their presence.

But then suddenly a horse to his right was moving and his head bumped into something. Harry screamed hoarsely in surprise and stumbled to the floor. Afraid he remained crouching and hid his head in his arms. His heart was beating fast in anticipation and his chest constricted in fear. He reached out with his for the animal so feel where it was. He hoped that he won't be detected by the ministry for doing underage magic, but he wasn't actually doing a spell, was he?

The horse's head was quite near. It was bent down and Harry could feel the warm breath on his skin. He was shaking by now and when the mouth touched his lower arm he whimpered quietly. Tears moistening his clothes. The small boy felt his mind drifting away, loosing contact to his surroundings, to reality. But he didn't mind. It was like a relief, not feeling anything anymore.

Snape awoke around ten o'clock. After having washed and dressed, he ate breakfast in a small dinner room. Then he thought that Laures most likely was hungry as well and ordered a bowl of broth from the house elves. He mused how he could introduce Laures to magic. There was no chance in hiding that from him. The house elves would be obvious enough, even if he didn't do magic. But maybe the boy knew he was a wizard already and he was fussing over nothing.

He was on the way to Laures' room when the bell rang that the grooms would ring when something had happened outside.

'God, what's wrong now!' He sighed and turned. 'I really hope they've got a good reason for this.'

He entered the stables, irritated. One of the grooms came running towards him.

"What is the matter?" he asked grouchingly.

"Sir, a girl. I don't know how she came in, but she's there." The groom said slightly out of breath.

"Where is what for a girl, Mr Tompson!" Snape asked, but he had a nagging suspicion that it was Laures, however unlikely that was, as he was supposed to be sleeping.

"A small girl is back there." Mr Tompson said, pointing somewhere behind himself. "Maggie had heard a scream and we looked for who it had been and found her then."

"Show me!" he instructed the middle aged man. Snape was led to a woman squatting in front of a small bundle. She was trying to touch the girl and talking in a low voice to her. When she saw him nearing she made space for him. He looked down at the bundle thoroughly and knew immediately that it was Laures.

'Great.' He sighed inwardly. 'What is he doing down here! He is supposed to be in his bed, not wandering around. I should have told him to stay in his room.'

He kneeled down and touched his shoulder to show him he was there. Then he gathered the small boy in his arms and lifted him up. He was worried about that the boy was shaking so badly. It was clear by now that Laures was scared of touches. But why was he?

'I want to know who did what to the child that he can be so afraid.' Snape thought furiously.

He brought Laures back to his bed and called for the house elve to bring him the broth. The haven haired boy was still crying silently and his eyes were puffy and red. He tried to hide his face in the pillow, but it didn't work. Snape sat down on the edge of the bed and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Laures!" he said quietly. The boy gave no indication that he had heard him. Snape said his name again, this time a bit louder. The small boy seemed to have heard him, because he curled even tighter now, but didn't respond. The potions master sighed in exasperation. How was he to help the boy when he didn't talk to him? He didn't know, but he did know that the boy would starve if he didn't eat something soon. He tried once again to gain the attention of Laures, but to no avail.

'You don't want it the normal way, then I have to do it the hard way. I won't let you die! My work patching you up will not be made in vain. Got that?' he swore silently. The professor cast a light calming spell on him and helt his face in a firm grip. Then he started feeding him with a spoon. He wouldn't eat at first by simply not swallowing, but Snape quickly got around that. He pinched Laures' nose and waited till he had to swallow in order to resume breathing. After he had fed him half of the bowl he stopped. The boy had stopped crying, too.

Snape thought Laures was awake even if he had no evidence as he was lying motinless. He knew he had to talk to Laures about magic, but he couldn't brace himself to do so now. The child looked so small and frail in the huge bed.

"Sleep for now, child!" he murmured, tucking him in properly. He stood up, vanished the dishes and went.

Early in the evening the wards he had cast on Laures room were going off.

'So, he is awake.' Snape thought and got up from where he had been reading. He made his way to Laures' room. When he was nearly there, about one corridor from it, he saw him walking towards him. He had one of his arms gliding over the wall, balancing with his other arm, as if he couldn't see. Then he seemed to have heard Snape's footsteps, because he halted, and his free arm fell to his side.

"Who is there?" he asked anxiously.

That was definitely odd. What was wrong with the boy! He went to him, but Laures stepped back.

"Who are you?" he asked again, fearfully.

"I am Mr Snape!" he aswered, trying to reassure the boy. Then he thought he had seen the boy sighing. Whether it was in relief or in dejection, he didn't know. Snape scrutinized him thoroughly. He was standing with slumped shoulders and his head was lowered slightly, but he could see his hollow eyes, nevertheless. They were expressionless and dull. He was beyond shocked, how could he have not noticed? He didn't know how he should treat him now. Like he had before? He remembered that Laures had said in the beginning that he couldn't read. Now he knew why. However, he was ripped from his musings when he heard the child calling him timidly.

"Er..Sir? What-?" He was interrupted by Snape.

"We have to talk. Now!" he said tersely and walked off to his office, though paying attention whether Laures was following.

In his office he grabbed the boy's arm and guided him to a squashy armchair. Then Snape sat down behind his desk.

"I won't ask you now why you are blind, Laures. But you should have told me. The house is full of secret mechanisms that can go off if you touch them." He said warningly.

"Yes, Sir!" He replied glumly.

'Great. Now he knows, though I wanted it to keep secret. I didn't want him to notice, since everthing could have been normal between us, at least for a while. I know that he would notice sooner or later, but I would really have prefered later. I can handle to be blind, I have the whole last month. So why does he have to show false consideration for me? I don't want to be pitied. I hate that. I am strong and won't break because of such a little thing.' He thought fiercely, though a few tears escaped his eyes and he wiped them away furiously.

"Laures?" Snape inquired.

"Yes, Sir?" he answered reluctantly.

"Do you know what this is?" he asked. Harry thought he had felt the professor hesitating, before he had asked. But that was of course nonsense. Though a small voice in his mind said otherwise, but he ignored it.

"What? Give it to me, so I can feel it, please!" he replied, not sure what Snape wanted from him. He would never admit it, but he was scared that he couldn't see his least favourite professor. Harry liked to see his opponents to watch them closely for a possible attack and he cetainly didn't trust Snape not to do so.

After he had reached out his hand, he had to wait quite a while before a wooden stick was placed in it. He knew immediately what it was and was aware that it had to be Snape's.

'No wonder, he hesitated so long before he gave it to me. He couldn't be sure that I wouldn't attack him with it, if I knew what it is, which I obviously do. Is that going to be a proof of his sincerity and trust in me?' Harry really didn't know and wasn't sure he wanted to know. So he replied honestly.

"A wand." He could mentally see the alarm bells going off in Snape's head and suddenly had to fight the urge to grin.

"Yes, you are right. I assume you are a wizard, then?" Snape ascertained warily.

"Yes, I am." Harry confirmed quietly.

"So you know how to cast spells. Do you have a wand?" he said factually.

Harry deliberated what he should tell him and decided for now that Snape didn't have to know that Harry was a sixth year Hogwarts student.

"Yes and no!" Harry answered to the two questions.

"What do you mean by that?" Obviously not understanding how Harry had meant what he said.

"That can do magic, but I have no wand. I trained myself after I found out." He provided voluntarily.

"So you are able to do wandless magic?" Snape asked incredulously.

"If that is what it is called like then yes." Harry chose to play innocent further on and he held the wand out so that Snape could take it back.

"Do you care to show me? And do you know of Hogwarts?" the professor asked, light curiosity swinging in his voice.

"Why do you want to know all that?" Harry asked, suddenly suspicious.

"I'm interested in wandless magic, because it's very rare and difficult to perform. And Hogwarts is where I teach, so I will have to go back there in a week and a half. If you know Hogwarts, I could take you with me, if not, maybe, too, but you can't stay here. That's for sure and as you have nowhere to go, maybe..." he trailed off uncertainly.

'What's that! Snape does not know how to say something... wonders never cease.' Harry thought amused, but he was appreciating that Snape was so.. nice to him.

"I can do only a little bit and I've heard of Hogwarts vaguely. What is it exactly?"

'Okay, I hope I didn't play too ignorant.'

"Hogwarts is a wizarding school. Did you get a letter during this holidays or the last?" he explained.

'No, I didn't. I got it five years ago.' He thought sarcastically, but answered plaintively.

"How am I supposed to know whether I got a letter when I can't see? Besides, I lived in wilderness the last three weeks, because I ran away." He answered indignantly, wrapping his arms around his knees and setting his chin upon them.

"The letter would have been delivered by owl. So you don't need an address. Did you hear no owl?"

"How do I know now! I didn't pay attention to such trivialities then." He grumbled angry.

"Doesn't matter anyway, really. We can see to that later. You will go to Hogwarts one way or the other. Your magic has to be trained professionally, because you can't run around like this. Now, show me what you can do." Snape requested.

Harry thought a while, about what he should do, but came up with nothing. He hadn't done wandless magic since the start of the holidays and didn't know whether he could still do what he had been able to do at the end of term. Finally, he decided to do a simple hovering charm and 'accio'.

He lifted one arm and pointed roughly to where Snape's voice came from and where he assumed was the desk. He simply imagined what he wanted to be done and let his magic flow there. His magic searched for the item and engulfed it with magic when it was found. Then it was brought to Harry's hand. He caught the item which was a quill. He uncurled his hand, palm up, and let the quill hover above it. He lowered it again and let the magic retreat. He had subconsciously closed his eyes and opened them now.

It made no difference in view, but in feeling.

"I'm surprised. Not many children at your age are able to do that. You seem to have great magical potential." Snapes said approvingly.

"Thank you, Sir!" Harry said quietly, hiding his amazement that the professor said something friendly to him.

"Come on, Laures! We'll have dinner now." Snape said and Harry heard him standing up. He stood up, too, and walked cautiously to him. His body had started hurting again. The salve or potion that Snape had certainly applied was loosing its effect. He reached out and grabbed by chance the soft material of what he guessed was a robe.

"Why...?" the potions master asked confused.

"It is easier to follow you, Sir!" Harry mumbled and blushed lightly. He lowered his head mortified. He didn't want to rely on anybody, but in this unknown house he didn't want to get lost again. On the way to his office Harry nearly had walked along wrong passages a few times, and only in the last minute realized he was wrong.

"If you think so." he replied and the two walked to the dinner room which had already been dished by the house elves.

TBC