Title: Harry Potter and the Summer From Hell
Author: Ladye Black
Rating: Still around PG-13, I suppose
Warnings: Slash comes later
Feedback: Of course
Archive: Ask and ye shall receive
Notes: Again, all feedback is very much appreciated. Thank you all for your reviews. Um, first is Severus, then we go to Harry and Dumbledore for a bit.
Chapter 4
Furiously, Snape shoved most of his belongings into an over-sized knapsack, not bothering to take the time to shrink things so that they would fit easier. Besides, it wasn't like he needed the extra room in the sack anyway.
Sad, really, the way most of his life fit into one overly large backpack. Well, except for the potions, but they were a special case.
Quickly, he packed his belongings. Two teachers robes he had bought when he started teaching, a few dress shirts, and a couple pairs of trousers. Underclothes were shoved in on top of the trousers and he already wore his shoes. After spending only ten minutes packing everything from important potions to some pleasant reading material (and a couple Chocolate Frogs), he was ready to go.
Sometimes it really was amazing to discover how little he had collected over the years. Mainly because he hadn't expected to see the end of these last few.
Harry Potter knocked on Dumbledore's office door for permission to enter. No one would presume to enter without first announcing themselves and then waiting for an answer. Well, he thought amusedly as he was called to enter, perhaps Snape would. Recalling how Professor Snape had burst into Dumbledore's office earlier that day, he entered.
"Sir? I'm ready to leave," Harry announced when he'd entered the office.
Dumbledore looked up from his desk at him. "Ah, very good, Harry. Now all we must do is wait for Professor Snape and then I will be able to send you to your new location."
"Wait for Professor Snape, sir?" Harry asked, confused.
"Yes, Professor Snape will be joining you so that I may keep him safe also." Dumbledore stood up and came around to the front of his desk. "Harry there is one more thing I'd like to ask of you."
"What is it, sir?" Harry asked carefully.
"I'd like you to help me take care of your Professor Snape," Dumbledore announced.
"Take care of him?" Harry was confused.
Dumbledore nodded. "Yes, there is a spell that allows one to keep track of another person's thoughts without that other person knowing it. I'd like you to cast it on Severus."
Harry wasn't sure he liked that idea. "You mean you want me to keep track of Professor Snape's thoughts?"
"Exactly, Harry. Very good."
"All of them?" That thought alone was dizzying. Who knew what went on in that man's head.
"Oh, dear me, no! I would just like you to seek out the dangerous ones. The ones that might mean he will cause harm to himself," the Headmaster explained.
"You mean like suicide thoughts? Why?" Harry was aware of a bad feeling building up inside him.
Dumbledore's face became troubled. "Severus has a history of not taking care of himself. When he first came here after receiving the Dark Mark he was withdrawn and silent. A couple days after he arrived back, he tried to kill himself. He was just a week shy of turning sixteen."
Harry's lips formed a surprised 'oh', though he released no sound.
"Since then," Dumbledore continued, "he has thrown himself into every possible conceivably dangerous situation. I fear what he may try to do if I'm not there."
"Like?" Harry asked faintly.
"He may try to gain more information from Voldemort, which would put his life in the way of danger." Dumbledore leant closer to Harry. "I wish you to try to keep Severus from needlessly throwing his life away. He is like a son to me, Harry, and I wish for him to live a long, good life. Unfortunately, Severus seems to think that he does not deserve any sort of happiness."
Harry thought about what Dumbledore had said for a moment. Sure, the Potions Master was mean and snide, sometimes cruel with his words. Other times, though, the man's words had saved his life or stopped him from making an utter fool of himself. There was also the new piece of information that was revealed. Professor Snape had taken the Dark Mark at fifteen? And then had nearly succeeded in ending his own life? Perhaps there was more to the man than cruel, biting sarcasm. Suddenly, Harry was very interested in finding out what might lay beneath the thick mask his Potions Professor had put over himself.
"All right. I'll do it," Harry said firmly.
Dumbledore's face lit up. "Wonderful! I'll give you the incantation. All you have to do is fill in the blank spot with Severus' name when you say it aloud."
Harry read over the incantation. "Um, do I say his whole name?"
"Yes, his whole name is Severus Celaerius Snape." Hmm, nice name, Harry thought distantly.
"And it only alerts me to thoughts of when he is thinking about self-inflicting pain or when he wants to go into a situation he knows is dangerous?"
Dumbledore nodded. "That is correct."
"Okay, I think I'm ready." And with that, he read the incantation, adding in Snape's name where the blank was. Almost immediately after he finished, he felt another subtle presence in his mind. "I think I feel him in my head."
"That is good. It means the spell worked."
"Oh," Harry said distantly as he subtlety explored the connection. "He can't feel it, right?"
"As long as nothing alarms him to its presence, he shouldn't." Harry immediately stopped exploring the connection and focused on Dumbledore.
"Thank you, Harry. This is a great thing you have done." Harry only nodded, feeling slightly guilty because of his true reason for agreeing to the spell. He wanted to find out what really went through that man's head.
Just then there was a knock on the door, and then it was opened. Professor Snape-- looking much better than he had an hour earlier-- stood in the doorway, sneering. "Well? Is everything ready?"
TBC…
Well, that's the end for this chapter, hope you enjoyed it. Snape's middle name was made up off the top of my head, but I'm sure it'll probably mean something somewhere. I pronounce it: cuh-LAHR-ee-us. I thought it sounded very sibilant. Well, whatever you think. Bye for now.