Pretty Boy

Chapter 5

Back At Hogwarts

Severus Snape made his way into Hogwarts, his mind still back at Harry's flat. He could barely comprehend what Dumbledore had done. Ninety percent of Harry's magic, it was…unbelievable. The halls were silent, as they always were during the summer as he stalked through them. Before long he was in front of the Great Hall doors, it was breakfast time, and he had to make an appearance. Not just for Dumbledore, but Minerva would be genuinely worried. A twinge of pain shot through him, his ribs were beginning to hurt. Removing a potion he downed it and banished the vial. He was hoping he wouldn't have to continue taking them much longer. Although anything was better than Blood Replenishing Potions, they tasted worse than anything else in the world. He no longer needed to take anything other than the pain relievers when the pain started up. Placing his head against the doors, he gathered himself together, shielding his thoughts, feelings and murderous tendencies at Dumbledore behind his impenetrable Occlumency shields. That done he opened the doors and entered the Great Hall, making his way down to Head table.

"Severus how are you feeling?" asked Minerva, searching each available inch of him to make sure. Looking for any hints of bleeding, aching bones or limps. She of course found none, but it didn't stop her concern for him.

"I'm fine," said Severus as he sat down next to her. A plate of full English breakfast appeared before him. It didn't come in containers so they could help themselves during summer. There were just not enough of them to bother, so the elves just sent a rather large plate full of food for them to eat instead. He rolled his eyes inwardly at her worrying, honestly she had the wrong Animagus, she should have been a bear, the amount of worrying she did. She was a mama bear to everyone, even if she didn't show it behind her stern demeanour.

"If you are sure," said Minerva, knowing 'fine' wasn't good enough, but she could do nothing. Severus wouldn't go to the Hospital wing unless he was dying and unconscious.

"I am," said Severus firmly, "Where is Albus?" he asked barely able to keep his tone normal when enquiring about the Headmaster. Especially when all he wanted to do was detach the old fool's head from his body.

"He's been gone for an hour or so," said Minerva staring at her watch, which was like most of her personal things, tartan, at least the straps were anyway. "He will be gone for another two hours."

"Did he say where he was going?" asked Severus casually.

"No, as far as I know he doesn't have any appointments with the Ministry." said Minerva.

"When are the others coming back?" asked Severus, as he continued to eat his breakfast hurriedly, with Dumbledore gone it would be the perfect time to get into his office. He had work to do, and he had to do it fast, he only had a small time to remove the bonds on Harry's magic or he'd die.

"Not until a fortnight before school starts back up, Filius is in a duelling tournament, he might be back before the rest depending on how it goes." said Minerva her lips twitching. Filius' small size made his opponents underestimate him; he was very fast and powerful. They also forgot he was half goblin which made him particular vicious when he needed to be.

"Indeed," said Severus, not truly listening to her, pushing his plate aside he drank the rest of the contents in his goblet. "I bid you good day Minerva." he said as he got up, and made his way out of the Great Hall. Up the stairs, saying the password to the gargoyle, he stepped on and opened the door to the Headmaster's office.

The Headmaster's library wasn't big all things considered; Severus certainly had more books than this. The portraits couldn't see what he was doing thankfully, as he continued to give the spines a cursory glance. Copying the ones that seemed to indicate expertise in the area he wanted to research. He had to find out the counter curses to the binding spells used on Harry. Without them he couldn't remove the spells, and Harry would die. He shuddered at the very thought, as he at long last read the words on the very last book. Nodding in satisfaction, he used the Floo Network to get back to his rooms.

He sat down, placing the books on the table, as he thought on the past, he un-shrunk the books.

Albus Dumbledore had fought Quirrell, or rather the Dark Lord, who happened to possess the Defence Against the Dark Art's teacher. Thinking back, he realized Dumbledore had been angry and reluctant. Knowing what he did now, he realized it was because Dumbledore expected Harry to do it. Testing him, to see if he could do what needed done with his magic bound. So much magic, he wasn't sure if Dumbledore had expected Harry to die trying or deluded enough to think he'd come out unscathed.

Then of course the delights that happened in 1992-93 the chamber of secrets had indeed been opened again. Many students, a total of ten, had been petrified, resulting in many parents removing their children. To top it off the Ministry had been determined to close the school deeming it unsafe. Ironically enough it was that same day Dumbledore conveniently found the entrance. The girl's bathroom had been all but destroyed in the bid to find it. The fact the flooded bathroom, kept getting un-flooded led them to actually finding it. Two Auror's had died in the bid to kill the Basilisk within the chamber. Both men had been posthumously awarded the Order of Merlin first class, for bravery and dedication. The families had been given the money made from the remains, as compensation. Hagrid was also given some, and cleared of all charges that had been applied twice in his lifetime, for a crime he did not do.

Then of course the worst year in his opinion 1993-94, Remus Lupin had become the Defence Against the Dark Art's teacher. He would rather gouge his own eyes out though, than admit he had been a decent teacher, at least compared to the others. Which wasn't saying much, a possessed stuttering Death Eater wannabe and a complete and utter fraud, who, could not cast the simplest of spells never mind teach them. All this paled in significance when Sirius Black had somehow done the impossible; he'd broken out of Azkaban prison. Of course soon after he'd been glad, he'd finally get his shot of revenge. Black had been the reason Lily died, the only person who'd ever been kind to him and stuck up for him. His revenge had been so close he could taste it, before he could make it a reality Black forced the true traitor to transform back into his natural form in front of Dumbledore. Black was subsequently freed of all charges, and rewarded a generous amount of money as compensation for his wrongful imprisonment.

That was the year he should have realized something was wrong, alarm bells should have been blaring in his mind. Yet nothing had, he'd been there that day…when Dumbledore told the last two Marauders that Harry didn't want to see them. Admittedly the excuses Dumbledore had given could have rung true.

-0 Flash Back 0-

"I want to see my Godson, I won't move from this spot until I do Albus." said Sirius, staring at Dumbledore in determination. He couldn't loose Harry; he'd lost everyone else already apart from Remus. He'd broken out of Azkaban to keep him safe, lived off rats waiting for the opportune moment to reveal himself.

"Harry doesn't want to see you, I tried to convince him but he's having none of it. He said because you were not there when he was younger, he wants nothing to do with you now. In a few years he will be off of age and then he can wipe you clean of being his godfather…he hates you for never going to see him Remus…he blames you Sirius for running after Peter Pettigrew and leaving him." said Dumbledore his twinkle no where to be seen. "I tried to explain to him, but he's very adamant."

"No it can't be true! Please let me see him," said Sirius pleadingly.

"I'm sorry Remus, Sirius I don't want to give away Harry's location; he doesn't want you there. I won't destroy my relationship with the young man just so you can hear what he has already told me again." said Dumbledore sadly.

"Fine," said Sirius his shoulders slumping in defeat. There was nothing he could do, Dumbledore was his magical guardian. He had been since Sirius was put in prison; he had control of Harry and his vaults.

-0 End Flash Back 0-

He should have realized there and then, Dumbledore didn't usually speak to people that way. He must have been desperate to get them off his back to say those things. Now he would have to tell Harry about his godfather and Lupin, before he found out himself. With a bit of luck he would feel similar to how Dumbledore had described. He hated Black and Lupin, he didn't think it would change; they were after all still his childhood tormentors.

1993-94 was a special year; the Tri-Wizard tournament was hosted at Hogwarts. Special to most, not Severus, it had been one hell of a year. The students were all hyped up about the tournament and newcomers that they weren't brewing properly. They were happy, heaven forbid, even in his class, causing explosions. Cedric Diggory had emerged the winner, which surprised everyone; most people had voted Krum most likely to win. But no, they'd had a Hogwarts victory, along with the worst academic results in a century. The students had been rushing their homework, not doing their exams properly and that's what it had resulted in. Alastor Moody had taught that year, since nobody at all had applied for the job.

1994-95 was a disaster; Fudge kept demanding to see Harry Potter for himself. Dumbledore once again made excuses, and Fudge left in a huff. He put someone in Hogwarts to try and find out where Harry Potter was, Delores Umbridge. Severus of course realized it was more, Fudge was terrified Dumbledore was trying to get his job. So he'd wanted to use Harry Potter as a front for himself, to make himself look more popular. Added bonus of making it look like he'd had a part in training Harry as well. Dumbledore hadn't budged as so Umbridge had ended up there the entire year. She had created more havoc than any Potter or Weasley ever could, using Blood Quills on the students. She was made Headmistress of the school…it was not long before she was arrested for using said Blood Quill and sentenced to nine years in Azkaban. She had made the mistake of giving one of his snakes a detention with the poisonous pen. His students came to him for everything, and his little Snake had come right to him. She'd been arrested five minutes later, which had made his Slytherin's trust in him notch up further.

1995-96 was when his mark had begun to ominously darken upon his pale was however, thankful that the mark did not burn. That's when Albus Dumbledore had begun to panic, another reason warning bells should have been blaring in his mind. Yet it hadn't the fool he had been, not all the jigsaw pieces were being placed together. He was getting more or less the full picture now.

1996-97, what should have been Harry's seventh year, the Dark Mark had activated, burning as if someone had applied a hot poker against it. That was when he had returned to his duties as spy, serving not only one master but two. Both of them getting sick of him not able to provide them with adequate information. Dumbledore didn't do anything…Voldemort on the other hand just tortured him and dumped him in the gutter at the Muggle world. Admittedly something good had come out of it, he'd found Harry Potter, who he hadn't known had been missing.

Shaking off his thoughts, he had to concentrate; he needed to find answers in these books. Without the bonds removed, Harry would die, and it wasn't something he wanted. What he did want was a partner, a life partner, someone to pass on his knowledge to…someone to look after and love. He'd never been so physically attracted to anyone like he was with Harry. He didn't know if it was a magical pull or just how stunning he was…either way he wanted Harry for himself.

He had seen the darkness lurking in those eyes; he wanted to prevent Harry from letting it consume him. He could almost taste Harry's need for revenge, and he didn't want to stop him. What Dumbledore had done was illegal, he deserved to die, and he'd help Harry every step of the way. So long as he destroyed Voldemort of course, he couldn't let his world be destroyed by the maniac. No Harry wanted magic, he wanted to learn, and he could see it, to do so would require living in the magical world. He'd come to love it, just as everyone else had without Dumbledore in his way.

Flipping through the pages, his black eyes going from line to line, searching for five types of magical restraining binds. Did Moody know what Dumbledore had done? Of course he did they had been discussing it. Moody and Dumbledore had always been as light as they come…yet they'd done something not even Voldemort had. To deny someone their magic…was worse than murder in the magical world. Screw Harry's revenge he wanted to murder them for it himself. Closing his eyes, he truly was in it too deep. When he loved he loved possessively and deeply, it had always been that way. Not many people could get through his shields and into his heart. Even less since Lily died, yet Harry had managed it without even trying.

He cursed silently when he realized this, but there was nothing to be done. Clearing his mind yet again, wondering why his mind kept wandering. His eyes gleamed in satisfaction when he got the first spell used on Harry. It had been when he was fifteen months old, after the attack. Merlin Dumbledore was sick, binding someone's magic after they'd just seen their parents killed. He shuddered violently the poor sod hadn't been able to tell anyone either too young to understand anything. That little poor sod had grown up into a gorgeous young man. Ripping a piece of parchment he placed it in the book as a make shift bookmark. Then continued on, determined not to stop until he had his answers.

There we go there's the past all wrapped up in a nice bow ;) R&R