Severus staggered, almost falling to his knees as they appeared.
The house looked peaceful in the dark. The Morrigan stood next to him, her arms folded across her chest, staring up at the one window that had thick iron bars across it.
"What did you…"
"They make him work, did you know?" Her voice was soft, silky as snakeskin and as cold as ice. It made him shiver. "All day, from the time the dawn touches the sky until far past the time sick little boys should be in bed."
"He is not a little boy."
She turned dark eyes onto him. "He has never been." She looked away and he could breathe. "Do you like his work? He does know how to make a garden bloom."
Severus snapped his mouth shut, giving the woman a withering glare, but turned his eye to the garden. The moon appeared from behind the veil of clouds that it was hiding behind. The silvery light spilling in past the hedges, illuminating the sleeping flowers.
He blinked at the long rows of blooms. "I thought Potter was merely average in Herbology."
"He hides too much."
He ducked his head. "Perhaps."
The Morrigan moved forward, her eyes staying on the dark window with the bars across it. "That is his room."
Severus followed her gaze and frowned. "Do they think him a criminal?"
"That and more."
He could feel his teeth begin to grind together. "Then we had best free him."
"Indeed."
The locked latch turned under the goddess' hand. Severus followed her inside the house, his lip curling at the pedestrian kitchen. His long nose twitched at the sharp scent of disinfectant that filled the room. Passing through to the hall, he took a moment to stare at the wall of photographs that did not move. Their eerie silence made his skin crawl.
"Muggles," he muttered with a toss of his head. He ran his gaze from picture to picture, his frown growing deeper. "Where is Potter?"
"He is upstairs."
"No, in these."
The Morrigan turned and blinked at the images. "I do not know these things." She shrugged and turned away. "We must hurry."
"Can the muggles hear us?"
"No. They sleep."
"Good."
Together they moved up the stairs. Severus could hear the heavy snores of the sleepers in their rooms. She led him to a door that was peppered with silver locks. He could feel his blood pressure begin to soar.
"Can you…"
The thick click-click-click of the locks seemed loud in the hallway. He listened for the sleepers, but they did not stir. She swung the door open and strode into the dark room. He followed.
The sight of the boy arching off the bed, mouth open in a silent scream made Severus' blood run cold. Potter was clawing at the sheets, digging his heels into the mattress and thrashing his head from side to side. Blood dripped from his eyes, coating a thick trail into the hair over his ears.
Severus didn't flinch as his knees thudded onto the floor next to the bed. He pushed one arm under Potter's shoulders, drawing him close.
"There now, Potter. Stop it. Wake up. It's a dream, that's all. Just a dream. Wake up now. Potter, you idiot child, I swear if you do not wake up this instant…"
The boy gave a small squeak on an indrawn breath that made the Potions Master flinch. Then Potter let out a shallow, sobbing breath, his body going limp.
Severus twisted around to look at the Morrigan. "What is going on?"
The Morrigan's attention was not on him. Her eyes had turned to the wall and a thin line had appeared between her brows. "I must go," she said.
"But how will I…"
She shook her head, a shower of feathers falling around her. "It is…there is…" Her eyes grew dark, then flashed gold. "I can almost smell it."
"Smell what?" But she was gone, the shivering rush of her power gone from the room.
Severus snarled at the place where she had been standing. He turned back to the boy in his arms. He hoisted him up, cradling the limp body close to his chest. He could feel the Ministry's magic begin to push at his skin.
"Potter. Harry. Wake up." He jiggled the boy.
Harry moaned and turned his head. His eyes crept open and stared up at him. "Professor?"
"Where are your things?"
"What?"
He resisted the temptation to shake the boy. "Your books? Your trunk? Your wand?"
Harry turned his face into Severus' chest. The Potion's Master pushed the odd flare of emotion from his mind. I do not feel parental. I do not. "Now, Potter. Before the Ministry's protections force me out."
"They're in the shed. Uncle Vernon didn't want me to read my books any…more…" The breathy voice faded out and the boy went limp once more. Severus ground his teeth together, but gathered the boy close and headed out of the house.
He had to put the boy on the ground to get the shed open. A few short spells later he had the child's things stored in his pocket. As he picked Harry up, he heard an alarm begin to sound. From the lack of lights appearing in the houses around the Dursley's, he assumed it was for the wizarding world's ears only.
"How you get yourself into this positions, Potter," he sighed and closed his eyes. They disappeared with a soft pop before the Aurors could arrive.
qpqpqpqp
The screams of the children filled the air. Crom Cruach hovered above their bodies, soaking in their despair and pain. The power of their deaths filled him, gave him form, gave him more of his name, his memories, his mind.
He was Crom Cruach. He was the god of death, of life, of all the world. Adulation was his to name, the lust of the women and the men, and the pain…
The darkness shivered and formed the outline of a man, tall against the night sky. Dark hair, dark eyes and swarthy skin…he spread his arms and tried to shout. The dark magic pulsed and skittered away from his grasp and his form shattered back into shadow.
No! A furious wind whipped the tress to madness. No! I will not be denied! He reached for more, for another body, for another soul to claim. But there was none. The tiny row of houses had been destroyed and all that lived there were dead.
This will not do. The trees bent, their limbs tearing away in the face of his wrath. Chaos take you, Tigernmas! You should not have died to leave me in such a state! He pulled what was left of his magical reserves close and lashed out, calling into the Dark. Masraige, I call you to service! Come my dark priests! I bid thee wake!
The call went out, shrieking across the sky. Spent, his amorphous form hung limp in the shadows. It swirled, pulling into a small knot of hate and pain. Wake for me, my dark priests. My dark idols need to live again. And then…The ball shuddered, rising into the air as the blood and gore cooled on the ground. Then I will take form and live again. And this world shall be mine as it once was.
qpqpqpqp
Across the narrow sea separating two islands, the call went. It flew over the green land, leaving nightmares in its wake. In the dark, in the damp cold earth of a place that had been forgotten for decades except in scholarly journals, a body woke.
The stiff, dead skin jerked. Leathery eyes opened, seeing loam and worms. The decayed robes shuddered off the bone and patches of dried skin. The last of the Crom priests woke from his long slumber. He turned his hands up, clawing at the dirt that covered him.
I hear you, my master. I wake and serve.
qpqpqpqp
Sirius scowled at the Daily Prophet's headlines. Voldemort Lives? Was the headline, the waving letters taking up three inches across the top. The picture underneath showed a wizarding village that had been destroyed. There were blurred lumps decorating the scene, bodies, Sirius could guess.
"How bad is it?"
He looked over the top of the paper at Remus and scowled. "Bad enough. That damn paper is at it again. It claims that Harry never killed the Dark Lord, then goes on to say maybe it was Harry actually killing them all, to maybe it was werewolves, to…" He let out an angry sigh. "You get the picture."
Remus' lips were set in an angry line. "Yes, I do."
Sirius folded the paper and threw it on the table. "I can't believe this nonsense. I mean…"
There was a flare and a thump in the fireplace. Both men frowned and turned, looking at the small floo opening that was for the paper. Sirius rose and took the second paper from the rack and flicked it open. Then he turned white.
Potter Gone! Another Dark Lord Rises in England!
Sirius threw it down as though the touch of the print burned him. Remus turned it so he could read the headline. He stood up, knocking his chair over in the process. Their eyes met.
"Sirius…"
The animagus whirled, anger making his body shake. He grabbed a fistful of floo powder and threw it into the fireplace.
"Albus Dumbledore's Office, Hogwarts!"
The fire flared, turning a violent shade of green. He stepped in and disappeared.
qpqp
He arrived to chaos. The Headmaster's office was full of people, both from the Ministry and from the Order. They did not see him arrive.
He tilted his head back and howled. Silence descended. The crowded room turned to look at him.
Sirius stared at the Headmaster. "Where is my godson, you bastard?"
Albus' eyes were hard as they stared back at him. "I do not have him, Sirius Black. And I will not be talked to that way in my own office."
"You miserable son of a…"
The fire flared again and arms wrapped themselves around him. He recognized Moony in the dim part of his brain that was still working.
Dumbledore turned to the people staring at the animagus. "I will address your concerns one at a time. I will thank you to take yourselves from my office and wait in the hall." The Headmaster's tone booked no arguments. The magic of his station forced their feet from the room, down the stairs and out the hidden entrance to his office.
Then he looked at Sirius. "Sirius Black. You of all people should know…"
"I don't care!" Sirius lunged at the man, but Remus held him back. "Where is Harry? Where is he? Damn it old man. I told you he needed to be with me! He…"
Albus' hand coming down onto his desk silenced the animagus. Sirius rocked back onto his heels. The look of wrath on the Headmaster's face was something he had never seen before.
Albus leveled a finger at him. "Do not ever doubt my regard for your godson, Mr. Black." The blue eyes were glacial. "Your godson is safe, know that. He was taken from his relatives for his own safety."
"What do you mean?" Sirius pulled at Remus' arm, but the werewolf did not let him go.
"The Morrigan came to us last night. The boy is worse off than you know. Severus took him…"
"That slimy git has him!"
"Enough!" The roar made both men flinch. "Harry is in poor condition. Severus could not take him to St. Mungo's for fear of the Minister's retaliation. It seems as though Severus chose well." Albus leaned his hands onto his desk and sighed.
"He's my godson, Albus."
"And one you did not fight for!" The retort caught the animagus flat footed.
"I did too!"
"You fought only when my avenues were closed to me. Merlin take you, Sirius. Did you not think that with both my petition and yours together things would have gone better to get Mr. Potter out of that house?"
"But…" Sirius blinked at the man. "But…"
Albus sagged and sat, running a hand over his face. He was older than Sirius had ever seen him look. "My influence in the Ministry is almost gone, Sirius. I am an old man. No one listens to old men anymore."
The unwelcome bite of fear touched the back of Sirius' neck. "What's going to happen now?"
Albus closed his eyes. "I will try to control the matter. Harry's whereabouts will remain a secret for now. Even from you." A cold look in his direction made Sirius snap his mouth shut. "As for the accusations in the Daily Prophet…" For the first time, Sirius saw a nasty smile ghost over the Headmaster's face. "I will leave Mr. Malfoy to deal with that."
"But Harry is…"
"Go home, Sirius." Albus pointed a finger at the fireplace. "Go now. I have too many restless members of the press and the Ministry roaming about the castle's halls. I will send for you later when I know more."
Sirius stood his ground.
An odd look entered the older wizard's eyes. "Do not make me force you from this place, Sirius. It would break an old man's heart."
The animagus shivered at the threat. "I will be back," he snapped, trying to shake off his fear. He had felt awe for the old man before, respect, love and even hatred. But he had never feared Albus, until that moment.
"I know you will." The blue eyes were hidden behind the half-moon spectacles. "I know you will." The green flames of the floo were reflected in the glasses. They were the last thing Sirius saw before he stepped into the fireplace and disappeared.
qpqpqpqp
The doors to the Daily Prophet shattered from the force of Lucius' rage.
Reporters scuttled out of his way. The blond had a death grip on his cane and there was no power in the world that was going to keep him from his editor's office.
"Rousse!" His roar filled the building.
The door opened and Nicole Rousse stepped forward. She was pale and faint smudges decorated the skin under her eyes. She looked at him and her shoulders sagged. "Mr. Malfoy."
The blond drew in a deep breath, his rage making him want to rend and maim. He threw the Prophet's second print run at her feet. "Care to explain this…drivel?"
Her eyes went wide. She dove at the paper, ripping it open. The sound of paper crumpling filled the terrified silence.
She dropped the paper and looked at him. "I'll kill him," she said.
Lucius blinked. "I beg your pardon?"
She folded the paper and then ripped it in half, letting the remains fall to the ground. Her mouth had thinned down into a firm line. "This…this thing is not from the Prophet's press. I would never…"
Lucius held up a hand, going still. "Explain. Now."
She raked a hand through her disheveled hair. "There's this man named Dangle. He had a job here as an assistant editor." She reached out and snagged the first day's paper from a shelf. "This was his work. When I woke up and saw the headline I fired him. I thought," she closed her eyes and sighed. "I thought I could control the first headline when I came into the office. But when I got here, I saw that he'd ordered a whole new headline and another print run." She balled the paper in her hands and looked up at him, the shine of tears in her eyes making them look glassy. "Please, Mr. Malfoy. I would never…"
Lucius knew he was grinding his teeth, but he could not seem to stop. "Where. Is. He?"
"I don't know." She dashed a hand across her face and drew in a breath. "But when you're done with him, I'd like to stomp his remains into mud. If I may, sir."
Lucius' smile held anything but humor. "You may."
Her smile sliced back at him. "Thank you, sir."
qpqpqpqp
Healer Fabing stroked back the dark hair off his patient's forehead and sighed.
"How is he?"
He turned to look at the young blond sitting at his patient's bedside. "I will not lie to you, Mr. Malfoy. Mr. Potter's condition is not good."
Draco Malfoy's eyes were impossible to read in the low light of the room. "I'd like the truth, Healer."
Aaron turned away from the boy. He stared down at Harry. The boy had been weak with blood loss when he first came in. The unconscious state made it easy to pump a transfusion into his body. But the damage he'd seen on the scans…
"His nerves are not regenerating." He did not coat the truth. "His body, his magic is burning through the nutrients in his system. If we do not learn how to control it…" He spread his hands and shrugged. "He will die. His magic will eat him from inside out."
The blond head bowed. "How do we control it?"
Healer Fabing blinked and looked away. "I do not know, Mr. Malfoy." He pushed his hands into his sleeves and wrapped his fingers around his forearms. "Though I wish that I did."
The blond did not answer.
qpqpqpqp
Harry hit the Dream Road with a muffled grunt.
He pushed himself up with shaky arms. He was on a Path that pulsed under his touch. The magic spread through his hands, ran up his arms and curled through his chest.
"Well, now. This is new."
He looked up. He was in a cavern. The rock walls were dark with soot and shadows. He couldn't see the ceiling. In front of him was a chair carved from a glowing white rock. A woman sat in it, her white robes pooling around her. Raging fires burned in large golden pots on either side of her.
"Draco's going to kill me." It was the first thought that came to him.
She was fair skinned. Her hair was the color of rose gold. Her upturned nose wrinkled as she laughed.
Harry pushed himself into a seated position. The fires gave off no heat that he could feel, but inside…his chest was starting to burn. He could feel the magic inside him, pulsing, pushing, tearing, screaming…
He swayed, catching himself with his hands on the ground before he could face plant once more. His vision was full of black and white dots. He heard a rustle that echoed in the cavern. A flash of white appeared at the corner of his eye, but he could not turn his head to look at her. The world had started to spin.
"Child," a cool hand touched his back, making him shudder. "Oh Zeus save us," he heard her breathe.
qpqp
Healer Fabing tried to keep the boy on the bed. Harry screamed, blood pouring from his eyes, from his mouth, from his ears…Aaron's hands were covered in it, the dark streaks reaching up to his elbows.
"He's having a seizure!" The young Malfoy was trying to help him hold him down.
"I know that, boy," Aaron spared the breath to snap back. "Get that leather into his mouth before he bites off his own tongue."
"But he won't be able to breathe!"
"Better small breaths through his nose than bleeding out through a severed artery in his tongue!" He shoved the leather-covered stick at the boy. "Do it!"
Draco looked at him, his gray eyes shattered. "He'll snap his teeth."
"We can fix them too! Now do it."
qpqp
Harry shuddered. "What's happening to me?"
She was crouched at his side. Her hands hovered in the air around him. "You're fighting it. Stop."
"I can't stop if I don't know how I'm doing it in the first place!"
She shuffled closer to him. Tendrils of hair had fallen around her neck. "You don't want it, but the magic is coming anyhow. You have to accept it. It's the only way."
He looked up. Her face swam in and out of focus. "But I'm scared."
Her hazel eyes were shocked, then sad. She reached out and touched his chin, holding his head up. "I'm sorry, boy."
He closed his eyes. "Me too." He bowed his head, his fingers digging into the fine sand beneath him. The magic roared up through his palms, knocking the breath from him. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't see. Everything was white. Everything was black. There was nothing. Nothing…
Dream Child. The whisper was so faint he thought he was imagining it. It was the Morrigan's voice. Dream Child, another voice whispered. A man's voice. Lugh, his mind supplied. Dream Child, Dream Child, Dream Child…The chant spiraled around him. The magic pulsed. Pushed. He felt full to bursting, as though his skin was about to split. He clawed at the dirt, but no air would come. The voices grew in intensity. Other voices, fainter, in languages he didn't recognize picked up the chant.
Dream Child. He shook his head. He was tired. He just wanted a home. Dream Child. The eyes of the gods haunted his memory. Dream Child. The magic wanted him. The magic would take him. And then…and then…
Hot, scalding magic poured down his spine. His back bowed, but still the air would not come. He lost the woman kneeling next to him, his vision going black. He thought he saw a woman in a black robe standing behind her. He saw a shadow of a stag on the wall.
Child. It was a singular voice, pushing out all others. His mother's voice, but not hers. He opened his eyes, seeing the cloaked woman standing behind kneeling woman in white. The stag stepped out of the shadows on the wall. The woman in black pushed back her hood.
It is not your time, her mouth did not move though her words ran in his head. She stepped through the frozen woman in white as though she was not there. Danu's eyes were black, speckled with stars. She touched his forehead with the tip of one tapered finger.
Do not despair, child. It is not time. She withdrew her hand and knelt, pressing a cold kiss to the skin she had just touched. Accept it child. Gifts from Wild Magic are not to be refused. His mother's face was soft with sadness and love.
Harry closed his eyes, the blood hot tears spilling over despite his best efforts to keep them back. He opened his eyes and met her gaze. Her smile was kind.
He let go.
End Chapter Four
A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed! You make my day!