Chapter 3
Severus made it to the front of the Number 4 Privet Drive before his anger got the best of him. He was so irate he had to wait another hour before he could even approach the blasted door.
When he did finally knock, it was a large boy, one who seemed in need of both a bath and some healthier food choices, who opened the door to the home.
"Who are you?" the boy spat rudely.
"I'm here to speak with your parents, are they here?" He had to clench his mouth to keep himself from ranting at the boy in front of him.
"Duddykins, who's at the- What in merlin's name are you doing here!" Petunia Dursley opened the door wider and by now Severus couldn't help but raise his voice.
"ME? Do you have any idea what you and your husband have done to those children? The boy is fairly injured and the girl is fighting for her life! I ought to hex you into next month you, you-" He was cut off by her walrus of a husband.
"And who do you bloody think you are!? The is our home and you have no right to be trespassing and screaming at my wife!"
"It was my right the minute those children showed up at the school barely breathing! You will let me in to gather their things or I assure I will have no restraint on the amount of pain I will gladly inflict upon both of you."
The rounded man made no attempt to move out of the way and Severus had too much delight in his face when he did not use magic but simply pushed his massive body away from the door and stepped inside the home.
"I am getting their things. I assure you both the muggle authorities as well as the Ministry will be hearing of your pleasure in hurting children, and they will be especially happy to hear it was the Chosen One and his sister. I guarantee I will be there to watch as they take you to prison, or maybe even Azkaban."
` This made Vernon Dursley high tail it upstairs and frantically call to his family to start packing. They wouldn't get far.
Severus noticed something glimmering in the corner of his eye. On the stairs, to the right where he stood in the foyer, he saw red. It was blood. There was a fair amount and it suddenly made sense as to why the girl's injuries were so severe.
He almost blew up the home. However had he done this he would have been the one sent to Azkaban and that was not a chance he was willing to take at the moment.
He went forward and caught sight of a cupboard. It was very quaint and he couldn't imagine a child even fitting in such a small space, confined for hours at a time. However when he opened the door he knew this is what occurred.
There was blood in here too, it still stank of the putrid liquid and smelt somewhat of cleaning supplies. There was no bed but a lone blanket discarded in a corner seeming to hide something. The light inside did not function and he whispered a quiet Lumos before continuing.
Under the blanket were 3 toys, aged and broken beyond repair, and distracting from the real treasure, the simple wooden box.
It was plain and dusty, however, the minute he saw Lily's name engraved in the front left corner he knew this is the piece the children had told him they needed. When he opened it, it was almost too much for him the handle. Lily and James Potter laughing and posing for a picture, Lily's smile shone brightly to Severus. Their wands, though broken, were placed neatly and covered by a cloth with James's initials. Both their school letters were also in the box, worn by age and the amount of times the children must have opened and read them.
He could not take it any longer, he closed the box and took the blanket before heading upstairs into what was Harry's room.
He was appalled at the sight of a plain mattress in the corner and some discarded clothes with the lack of any other possession laying about that could possibly be the boy's. He did find a small figure, that of a solider and took only this from the room.
He took one more glance around and noticed that the house was spotless despite the blood on the floor of the cupboard and stairs. He decided that was not necessary, for such horrible people to have such a nice home, and with one flick of his wand, the entire place was in shambles.
He heard Petunia shriek before he left and dispirited back to the children.
It was too quiet.
Harry was beside himself as Leah had not answered in the last two hours of his constant pleas for her small frame to wake up.
He was scared, not because they were in a strange place with strange people and he had no idea if they were going to hurt them too, but because Leah had still not responded and the nice woman who was helping her looked a little scared too.
He didn't understand what most of the people outside the door were saying either, he knew Leah would though and he really just needed her to wake up.
He sat up in bed when the door opened again, he thought it would be the other nice lady who had carried him, but this was an entirely new person and he wasn't sure if he was good or bad. So he hid under the bed.
"Harry? Harry, it's me, your godfather, Sirius. It's alright, I promise I won't harm you, I just must see you though, I want to know you're alright." The man's voice was deep but not as deep as Uncle Vernon's and he realized Leah couldn't hide from this man so he must come out or she may be hurt.
He hesitantly moved from under the bed and walked nervously backwards toward Leah's bed and her unconscious form.
"I'm not going to hurt you Harry, I would like to talk to you if that's ok. I was your father's best friend."
Harry remembered Leah mentioning this man before, that he was their godfather but couldn't care for them. He had seen him in the big group picture that was in the box.
Sirius had made his way the the other side of the cot and Harry panicked, even if he was a good guy.
"Don't touch her! Leave her alone!" Harry yelled at him and kept yelling even if it hurt his chest to holler so much.
"I won't hurt her either Harry, I promise. Let's just talk, okay?"
Harry timidly listened to Sirius tell his tale of how he and his father had met and when Harry was born and named him the godfather. He was intrigued about hearing of his father and Sirius even talked about his mother, someone who'd rarely been regarded in a good tone at the Dursley's.
Before he knew it he was sitting beside Sirius on his cot and falling asleep. He was relaxed after the third story of his father and his group of friends raising a bit of trouble at Hogwarts. Harry fell asleep and this time he didn't fight it.
When Severus arrived back at the infirmary, he was met with a peculiar sight. Harry was asleep in his cot with the dog- Sirius sitting quietly next to him staring at the still unconscious girl.
"Did you kill them?" Sirius whispered.
"Hardly. Gave them quite a scare though. I didn't think it was a good idea to murder the two gits in front of their child before a trial was held, do you?"
"They deserve a fate worse than death anyway." Sirius mumbled before his eyes fell on Leah once more.
"Poppy's worried about her. The fever won't break and she's not healing. She said-" Sirius's voice broke before he continued, "She may not make it."
Severus sighed deeply, however for some odd reason, he didn't believe it. Something in the back of his mind tugged at the idea that she was strong enough to fight the fever, injuries and pull through.
"Harry and I talked about James. I'm sure that isn't what you want to hear, but he ate it up. When I came in he was so afraid that I felt the need to join you and kill them myself, but then I saw Leah and it was obvious they need us more than we need to murder the Dursley's. For now."
Snape stared at Sirius for moment before nodding slightly and walking toward Leah.
She was silent and unmoving and if he couldn't see her chest rise and fall he'd believe she were dead.
Her entire body was a giant wreck. Bruises decorated her broken body and only a few areas were uncovered. Scars also littered her skin and when he saw the burn marks he had to turn away.
He knew if this were a normal witch, most of the scar could be hidden by potions but he doubted it would work for her as she had such a hard time healing from fresh injuries.
They all sat for some time and then suddenly Leah's hand twitched. Snape immediately leapt up started to call her name. Although her fever remained, she was awakening.
"Leah? Can you hear me?" Harry was now up as well, his slumber forgotten in the commotion.
Harry?
"Yeah, it's me. Leah thank goodness you answered, I was worried there for a while."
The two man stood back and let Harry sit next to her.
"Harry keep her talking alright, I'm going to get Madam Pompfrey." Sirius told him. Harry nodded and waited for her response.
Are you ok?
"Leah, you were dying a minute ago and you're asking me if I'm ok?"
Yes.
"Yes, I'm fine, actually I'm brilliant now that you're awake."
Good. The box, we have to get it.
"Don't worry Professor Snape already got it for us, here." Harry gave the box to Leah, who still hadn't opened her eyes.
They sat their until Poppy came in and checked her over.
"Leah, can you open your eyes." Madam Pompfrey asked soon after the check over.
There was silence before Severus heard her voice in his head.
I can't. Tired.
"I know you're hurting and exhausted but we really need you to open your eyes." Her body shook slightly but they could all see she was trying her best.
Soon her aqua eyes were looking up at Severus but quickly averted to the corner.
"Great Leah!" Harry had a smile about a mile wide at the sight of his sister being fully awake.
Unfortunately it was short lived when the door to the infirmary was thrust open. Harry and Leah were mortified and put their hands in front of their faces and Severus was about to strangle the entrant. Sadly it was the one person he couldn't strangle.
Albus Dumbledore.
Minerva and some other Order members followed Dumbledore into the room before they acknowledged the inhabitants, started to rave at the Headmaster.
"You knew?! The entire time you knew those children were in trouble, hurting and you did nothing to stop it?!" Remus was not one to anger quickly but he was ready to curse Dumbledore.
"I have told you Remus, I was aware they were not the best of guardians but I had no idea it was his bad." the old man answered calmly.
"If it was bad at all, you should have taken them the moment you received the first letter from Arabella Figg!" Molly Weasley yelled.
Severus glanced at the two children, slightly confused at what he saw.
Harry was intrigued, watching the argument unfold, he sister however, was in complete despair. He had seen her afraid but this wasn't exactly what he was looking at. She looked angry, it was the first time he had seen an emotion other than fear and he was still puzzled.
Dumbledore approached the bed and this is when all hell broke lose.
The minute Leah saw the man approach the bed Harry and herself occupied, she was out of the bed faster than the injured girl should have been able to move. Her legs had obviously at least healed enough for her to get out of bed. Her fists were clenched at her sides and despite the vast amount of people in the room, she was able to dart between Moody and Arthur Weasley and through the door to the rest of the castle.
Everyone was surprised, especially Harry, who still sat on the bed. It was Severus who ran first after her. He hadn't run in a long time and immediately regretted it.
Some other members joined him, while others stayed with Harry. Dumbledore was perhaps the most unmoved as he bore the same expression he had when he entered the room and was content at the child fleeing.
The members who stayed continued to scold the man while the other searched the castle for Leah.
Severus knew that the child would be ailing by now, the burst of energy leaving as soon as it came and her injuries should be slowing her down now.
It had been almost an hour and no locator spell was working, and no pictures could say they had seen her run by.
They were beginning to worry as her situation was becoming more clear and the one thing on their minds were her reaction to the Headmaster.
Two more hours passed and everyone was on the brink of panic, including Harry who had tried but failed to communicate with her.
Leah had heard her brother, but did not answer him. As much as she had wanted to not let her brother worry, she just could not bring herself to talk to anyone, she was just so mad.
She knew why, but the amount of anger still surprised her and she was afraid.
She left because she knew what that man, the Headmaster of the school and the great Albus Dumbledore had done and she was too afraid she blurt it out in her anger that she left.
She couldn't tell them, something gave her the feeling that it wasn't the right time, that if she told it would mess everything up. Still, she could almost scream at how much she wanted to tell Harry that this man was not one to trust, no matter how nice he may seem.
She made it to the Astronomy Tower with the direction of a ghost, Peeves was his name. He seemed like he was mean at first and began calling things at her before he saw how upset she really was and told her about the Astronomy Tower.
There is where she sat, staring at the gloomy sky and hoping they wouldn't find her for bit more time. She was hurting, but for some reason her heart hurt more than her body.
She began to think of the Dursley's and what they had said about her being a freak. And she really was. She shouldn't be able the talk in other's heads, or know things by touching an object or person and most importantly, get visions of the future. That one scared her, even if it had only happened twice.
She curled into a ball and began to let the tears fall.
This is how Severus found her.
After an intense interrogation of Peeves, he had extracted where she had ran off to almost three hours ago.
She was in a corner, her head tightly pushed against her knees and tears falling to the floor.
He was a bit unsure of how to approach her without scaring her or saying the wrong thing as he wasn't really the one with the most experience with children, surely Molly Weasley would be better at this.
Despite his hesitation, he did walk toward her as he knew she couldn't wait for someone else to show up.
"Leah. Are you alright."
Her body stiffened at his voice but relaxed slightly after a moment. She nodded her head but kept it in the same position.
"You don't seem alright to me. I know I may not be the most…warm person, but you may tell me anything you wish, I will not tell anyone." Severus spoke.
Without saying anything, Leah held out her hand and a flower quickly began to grow. Severus was taken aback by the gesture as her mother had done the same thing when they were children.
He took it and held it close, as the child still had not looked up.
"I'm fine." It was so quiet he could hardly hear what she said but was thrilled she had spoke. She flinched when she did so however.
"Leah, no one is going to hurt you here. Everyone in Hogwarts right now cares for both of you."
Lies. Leah knew at least one for sure was already hurting them indirectly, but she did not indulge him with that information.
"Please come back to the infirmary with me, you are in no condition to be out of bed."
She looked up then, at him then the floor, but began to stand despite her obvious distain.
She faltered and Severus caught her before she went plummeting back down.
"Sorry." She whispered and attempted to stand on her own again. He let her walk even though he was sure it wasn't the best option because he had seen how jumpy she was when he caught her and the only goal was to get her back to bed safely.
They were walking through the castle when she began to slow down and stop at a trophy case. Her father's name was plastered on several of them.
He did not bother her and soon they were walking again.
They arrived back to the room to the great relief of all in the infirmary. Dumbledore no longer occupied the room and this seemed to relax her more than anything else.
Poppy examined her and concluded that she was somehow on the mend after her adventure. The fever was gone and she was healing at a more normal rate now.
Relieved and tired, Severus told them he would be going to bed now and that they should all do the same as they had no idea what tomorrow would bring.
Before he left, he heard one last voice.
Goodnight, Severus.
He could swear that it was Lily's but logic told him it was Leah, though she had never called him by his first name and when he looked back at her, she was already half-asleep.