Chapter Three: Injuries and Death:

Severus was in the staffroom sipping his afternoon tea pretty much alone, Remus had come in for a moment then went out again. He was in the middle of teaching the werewolves around Hogwarts a crash course in how to behave in human society. In addition, with Hagrid he was teaching them all the places they would need to guard. Severus was deep in thought when McGonagall came in and sat quietly across from him with her own cup of tea. She watched him, he was not drinking his tea like normal but stirring it constantly and she knew he was worried about something. She had a very good idea as to what was worrying him.

"Something on your mind Severus?" She asked.

"Hnn?" Severus said looking up.

"You look preoccupied, you have all week." McGonagall said.

"Just settling in after last year and all." Severus said then, not looking up from his tea, "I wish I was not so ugly."

"Ugly Severus?" McGonagall said looking at the man over her glasses, where did the man get that idea? She thought him cute in his own way, good build, soulful eyes and when he smiled a nice smile.

"Yes, no woman would want me, I mean look at me." Severus said.

"Hmm, let's see." McGonagall said looking at him, Merlin why did he have to beat himself up? He was such a good man and if she were younger she would love to date him, but she was too old now, yes much too old. "You are tall, lean and I think you are not ugly at all. Besides your son's mother she saw something in you."

"Yet she did not stay, she left me." Severus said.

"Not because of looks, she had her reasons and you know those now, it was mostly her not you, you know. I think you are a good looking man."

"You mean that?" Severus said looking up at her.

"I mean it, you are attractive, you just need to smile more, go out date, there are lots of girls who would want to be with you Severus, actually I have had to have several talks with the older girls about their um behavior at times."

"Over me?" Severus said and he laughed, "surely not me, even Hagrid is better looking than me, hell Remus Lupin is a far better looking man than me and Sirius Black…"

"Oh no-one can be in his league, he is a very handsome man and has the ego to go with it." McGonagall said.

"Yes that ego gets him in trouble, it's rubbed off on Harry…"

"Now you know Harry would prefer to not deal with the fame which reminds me you promised to brew him some anti-fame he really needs it, the poor boy has already started to use his invisibility cloak to go to classes, I cannot have that."

"I know, I will get on it." Severus said but sat there still stirring his tea, he really was in a state.

"You are a great man and Wizard Severus, don't let anyone tell you different." McGonagall said.

Severus was about to reply when there was a flash of green light from the fireplace and a figure staggered out, at once Severus and McGonagall were on their feet wands out pointed at the figure now kneeling on the floor. Severus cast wards quickly on the fireplace so whoever had been after the man on the hearth could not come through. He stared down at Sirius Black trembling in pain and covered in blood. In his hands was a small limp bundle and Severus looked closer and saw it was Sirius's house elf Kreacher and he too was covered in blood. Sirius looked up a haunted look on his face and Severus saw Sirius was crying, stunned he wondered what had happened to bring Sirius to this state.

"Black what happened?" Severus asked.

"Bellatrix, tried to kill me, Kreacher saved me." Sirius replied.

"She got into your house?" McGonagall said and looked over at Severus who looked pale.

"N-no, Wormtail captured me, turned me over to Bella, Kreacher came, saved me."

"Kreacher sorry he is hurt." Kreacher said. "Kreacher sorry he is dying."

"No, no you cannot die, you have done so much good, please you cannot die." Sirius said sobbing.

"Get Poppy." McGonagall said as she knelt by Sirius.

"Right." Severus said heading out.

In the room Sirius was trying his best to stop the bleeding out of his elf, despite the fact he was so badly hurt. McGonagall ran her wand over man and elf and set her mouth in a grim line, Sirius would live but the elf, well there was no hope, he was dying and in fact as Sirius held him Kreacher gave one last shuttering breath and died in his master's arms. Sirius moaned and held the dead elf closer and began to cry even harder, he cared about this little elf who had done so much to stop an evil wizard and had saved his master too. Severus came back with Poppy and she went over to Sirius and saw the dead elf in his injured arms.

"Sirius you have to put him down, he is gone." Poppy said.

"No, he cannot be dead, no, Kreacher, Kreacher I am so sorry." Sirius sobbed.

"Okay, let him go, we will see to him." McGonagall said.

"No, must not, not dead." Sirius stammered.

"He is." Severus said softly. "I will have him taken care of I promise you, come Sirius."

"Kreacher, I am so sorry." Sirius sobbed, it was sad to see, he had started to care about the elf this last year and now, now he had lost him so cruelly. "My poor Kreacher!"

"Come Sirius you are wounded." Severus said firmly.

Severus was shorter than Sirius but thanks to his regular exercise and good diet he had no trouble getting the taller and stocker man up and gently but firmly taking the dead elf from his arms. He removed his own outer robes and wrapped the dead elf in them, then he led Sirius to the hospital wing. Sirius was going into shock and Severus was glad that it was so late, most students were in their common rooms and he did not have to worry about them out. He put the badly injured man on a bed and stripped off the man's clothing. Damn him for preferring muggle attire, robes were easier when one was dealing with the wounded. He stripped him to his shorts and winced at the wounds on the man.

"Black you really angered her this time did you not?" Severus asked.

"Can't see how." Sirius replied trying to smile but failing, that Severus knew was not good. "We thought about marriage you know love, babies…"

"Yea, somehow she never seemed like the children type, too much the tart." Severus said using his wand to scan the wizard before him. "Besides you do know that would be incest correct?"

"Merlin's beard what did she do to you?" Poppy said walking over to him.

In the light of a lamp she put on the table by the bed Sirius looked terrible. True he had filled out and was a strong well built man but his body was now covered in bruises and cuts and his right arm was swollen and hung awkwardly from his side. His left hand was cut up badly and he had cuts up his left arm. His neck was starting to bruise badly and he had several cuts to his head and face. Severus turned to leave but Sirius grabbed his arm and Severus turned to him a look of annoyance on his face.

"Take care of my elf." Sirius said.

"He is dead." Severus said sharply.

"I know, but please take care of his body." Sirius said.

"Alright Sirius, I will, I promise." Severus said. "I will see to it he has proper burial."

He was surprised that Sirius was humbled enough to take care of what his family would have thought as just a servant who could have their heads chopped off and added to the wall. Sirius was not acting like that, no he was showing true humanity and Severus was glad that Sirius was changing for the better.

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Charity Burbage had a tiring evening, her position was not so secure anymore at the school. In a way this was good, it meant that Wizarding children were by law to learn about muggle ways either at home or by their parents sending them to muggle schools. This was in hopes to stop the pureblood mania that had been going on for too long and to help wizards and witches to realize that the muggles were not all bad. This then probably was the last year she would work here but it was alright, she had the money from her books and such to fall back on. She left the staffroom and nearly ran into Severus Snape who was carrying a small bundle in his arms. She looked closer and saw it was the body of an elf and she noticed Severus had wrapped the body in his own robes.

"What happened?" She asked him.

"He saved his master's life and died doing it." Severus replied quietly.

"Poor thing, who did he serve?" Charity asked.

"Sirius Black, Kreacher was a great elf, that is his name, people need to know how good elves are."

"That is Kreacher?" Came the voice of Hermione and both teachers turned to face the prefect. "It is, oh Kreacher!"

"He saved Sirius life, he was a great elf." Severus said, "I have to bury him."

"Let us help." Came the voice of Harry Potter.

Behind Harry stood several students, Neville Longbottom, Ron Weasley Luna Lovegood and Dean Seamus. They had been in the library studying with Hermione when they had heard their teachers. They looked at the little elf in Severus's arms and Harry walked up and gently took him from Severus who seemed so reluctant now he had got the elf back to let him go. Yet Harry was persistent and Severus knew he had a right as this elf somewhat belonged to him.

"Is there a place where the elves bury their dead here at Hogwarts?" Harry asked Severus.

"I, I don't know." Severus said. "I am sorry Mr. Potter I do not know that about them."

"It's okay, I will ask Dobby, Dobby!" Harry said and at once Dobby was there.

"Harry Potter called?" He said.

"Yes, Kreacher was killed." Harry said to him.

"Bellatrix Lestrange killed him, nearly killed Kreacher's master too." Severus said getting on the little elf's level. "I, I don't know much about your customs Dobby but if there are traditions, or a place you bury your dead?"

"By law we are allowed to bury our dead. Hogwarts has place for house elf dead."

"Would it be alright if we put him to rest?" Hermione asked him.

"It would be an honor I am sure, I will ask the other elves." Dobby said.

With a crack he was gone and Harry looked up at Severus and was surprised at how shook up he was about this. He had never thought Severus would even care about such creatures but he did. In a few moments Dobby was back with the news that there were catacombs the house elves were buried in. They would bury Kreacher there with full honors. A small crowd of elves gathered and lead the students down to the kitchens and to a small tunnel behind a hidden door. They lead the humans to the catacombs and laid the elf in a small niche.

"Good bye Kreacher, you were an honorable elf." Harry said.

"Thank you for all you did for all of us." Hermione said.

"If you have any ceremonies you need to do we will leave you to them." Severus said to the elves gathered.

"Thank you master Snape." The elves said.

Severus left and followed Harry to the hospital wing. Sirius had been patched up as best as Poppy could do and he was now clad in night shirt and covered with blankets. He saw Harry and made for a winning smile. Harry sat by him looking concerned, Sirius looked terrible even in the lamplight. His face was bruised and swollen, he had bandages at his throat and hands and he looked very pale.

"Look that bad do I Harry?" He asked at the concerned look on Harry's face.

"Yea, I heard it was Bellatrix." Harry replied.

"She wants to kill you too." Sirius said. "She told me a bit more than she should have, doesn't know it though."

"What do you mean?" Harry said.

"Well I have been studying Legitimacy and my dear cousin was not aware of that." Sirius said. "Normally she can keep her mind closed very well."

"However you know her very well and can push buttons on her that get her so very mad." Harry said. "She know you know it then?"

"No, if she did she would have killed me outright." Sirius replied. "I learned quite a bit before Kreacher came and rescued me."

"Such as what mutt?" Severus asked him.

"She is working with some muggles I think." Sirius said. "Yaxley is with her too."

"She what?" Severus said looking far more worried than Harry had ever seen him.

"Sir what does that mean?" Harry asked him.

"It means she is far more powerful than Voldemort ever was, however she does not know we know what she knows." Sirius said. "She wants to kill Max too."

"I will bring him here, he will be safe." Severus said.

"You read my mind." Sirius said.

"Not hard, I only have to scan the two brain cells you have." Severus countered.

"You know Vampire that is not funny." Sirius said.

"Stop calling me Vampire."

"Stop saying I am brainless."

"You are I speak the truth."

"You are ugly and look like a Vampire."

"I have brains you do not."

"I am going to kill you Severus."

"You will have to wait until you can hold a wand again."

"I hate you."

"Same here mutt."

Harry was grinning, this was funny to him to watch these two go off on each other like this. Both men looked at the teen who was really having a great time. Severus glared at him and Sirius sulked a bit but Harry just laughed. Severus remembered something and took a vial out of his robes, he had been carrying this around but he had wanted McGonagall to ask him for it. He knew she was behind him at the moment and she would be annoyed he had made this then had her ask him for it.

"Here Potter." He said shoving the vial to him.

"What is it sir?" Harry asked him.

"Draught of the living death." Severus said silkily then at a glare from Poppy. "I was not joking when I said I could bottle fame."

"That what this is then, for me to keep people from talking about me here?" Harry said.

"Yes it will, take it or I really will feed you the draught of living death."

"You do Severus and I will turn you into a ferret and feed you to Buckbeak." McGonagall snapped at him from where she stood at the door.

"Thank you sir." Harry said and he downed the potion at once.

"You are welcome Harry." Severus replied.

Harry smiled, he liked it when Severus called him by his first name, in school he normally did not. He did when they were not in class now and again and it was becoming more and more common for him to do so and Harry liked it. Severus had even started to tell him of his mother and father in school and Harry was not surprised his mother was so well liked and so gentle and kind. Severus had even told him he was more like his mother in most things. Severus was a great man Harry mused, too bad so many people vilified him, he really was a great wizard and did indeed care very much about everyone…

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Yea poor Kreacher just as Sirius really started to like him this had to happen. At least he was able to show the little elf he did love and care for him at the end. I could not have Kreacher die and not ever have been loved by someone now could I?

Why send Max to Hogwarts? It is perfectly safe now, no-one with a dark mark or reeking of dark magic can enter Hogwarts. The students will protect him and no-where is safer in all of the UK than Hogwarts at this time.

So please review!