Magic Simply Is Chapter 3: Nightmares, a harry potter fanfic

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter references belong to JK Rowling and company. I simply write to fill the gaps between the books and movies for all! If you sue me you get nothing because that is what I now have in abundance.

Bold areas mean someone remembering the past.

Italic is handwriting (i.e. letters).

Magic Simply Is:

By: Bonnie S.

Chapter Three:

Nightmares

Hermione paced vehemently as both time and control seemingly ran from her grasp. If they didn't move soon, Harry was going to die! To hell with the stupid prophesy, the fame, or even that she owed Harry her life ... this happened to be one of her two best friends! Every step she took cost them time and ate away at her patience. Hermione quickly developed tunnel vision, blocking out everything that had no direct impact on the matter at hand. What was taking so damn long?

It took slamming into a tall and warm body to snap her back into reality. "When are we going to move already? Harry is mortal danger and we are only standing around! Those filthy Muggles are hurting him now!"

Once her eyes looked up, Hermione suddenly realized that she had not been shouting at the Headmaster by any means. Of all the people she could have let out her frustration on, why Professor Snape? Swallowing, Hermione stuttered out, "For-give m-me, sir. I-I didn't know it was you."

"Obviously," Severus drawled. "You should be grateful that you are interrupting my summer holiday, Miss. Granger. After all, otherwise the week of detentions you are to begin first day of school would have added on the loss of every house point belonging to Gryffindor house! So how are those 'filthy Muggles' hurting your little friend? Refusing to dole out his allowance or is poor Mr. Potter barred from going to Mr. Weasley's house?"

"Firstly, you have never given a second thought towards Harry. Therefore, you would not give a crap. Secondly, we do not have enough time to go over my nightmare again!" By the time she was through, Hermione's voice had risen again and she seemingly did not care.

Severus smirked. Honestly, this was how he liked the girl best—full of passion and that damned Gryffindor spunk ... so much like Lily. "So, I am held back from my travel plans because the Gryffindor Know-It-All has had a bad dream? Headmaster, Potter most likely is tucked in lovingly by his family and asleep right now."

That got at Ron, making him forget how scared this man could make him. "You have no idea what Harry has lived through or about what his life is like at home!"

"Then pray enlighten me, Mr. Weasley," Severus sneered.

As the two traded turns telling all that Harry had entrusted to them, Severus' sneer worked into a frown. How could he have missed so much? The images during their Occlumency lessons he had thought was the boy's attempt to gain mercy from him. All of the reports from that old woman he wanted to be nothing more than wanting to baby the boy. Severus' heart dropped further than he ever imagined. Was this what his doubts and fears left the last remnant of her with for so many years? How could he, of all people, have missed the signs?

Without bothering to ask or demand, Severus held out his hand and was grateful to feel that small plastic bracelet settle into his palm. He glanced down and saw the name he had hated and loved all the same time–Potter. He dearly hoped that he would be able to return and set both brats in detention for the entire school year. Yet, there was a nagging dread that stated clearly he would not be granted such. Fighting the gnawing fear in his heart, Severus whispered the word that would answer his questions, "Lily."

That left Hermione and Ron in shock as the Professor vanished before their eyes. Hermione, as always was the first to respond, "Sir, what was that obvious Portkey, and why did Professor Snape say the name of Harry's mother?"

"Ah, that was the word to activate the Portkey. Now, as to the object in question, that was the hospital bracelet from the day Harry was born. It was too dangerous to allow him to be born at St. Mungo's due to the prophesy that Voldemort only knows the barest of currently. So, Harry was born at a Muggle hospital under the care of the Muggle Born and Wizarding staff that was set there for that momentous day." Dumbledore kindly explained as he escorted the pair from his office.

For a time they traveled the halls without talking. The teens worried for their friend followed while worrying about what waited to come to the place Harry always called his home. Then the Headmaster broke the silence.

"Seeing as it will be some time before any news reaches us about Harry's condition, might I ask a favor of the two of you? I have such difficulties with the house-elves this time of the year, as there are no students for them to take care of. Would the two of you help me by letting them serve you a bit? It would be one less of a quandary on my mind."

Since the three of them were nearly to the school kitchens, the pair knew that the Headmaster was not about to take no for an answer. Besides, neither of them was in the mood for sitting around without anything to do. Moreover, the pair was under orders to remain at the school until the adults returned.

Albus stood and watched the pair take care of one of the many problems he dealt with every summer holidays. At least two of the Golden Trio was safe. Now it was time for him to slip off and check on the third.

Every portrait and ghost knew to avoid the Headmaster's glare as the man stormed through the halls on his way back to his office. Yes, he could have flooed from any fireplace in the school, but Albus knew that he needed the time to calm down. He sent that boy there every summer to give Harry protection. He had begged the couple to take care of that innocent little boy as if he was their own. If only he had forced Severus to take the damned paternity test! Albus had always known the world and both boys would be better off with the truth out either way.

At least this time, Severus would be taking the test—Albus was determined to make that happen. That determination hardened when a message spell arrived with the worse of news. Thankfully, he had occupied the two-thirds of the Golden trio he had in the castle before the doe arrive carrying the deep voice of his Potions Master.

Severus hated the sensation of Portkeys. Apparating would have taken too long, and would have raised all sorts of red flags in the Ministry. Besides, in using the Portkey under Lily's name as a trigger told the members of the Order that Harry was in mortal danger. That alerted all that moving Harry to a safe house was top priority.

In moments, the stomach churning affects were over. Before Severus opened his eyes, he heard a thick grunting and panting that a deep chuckle and grunting covered. Then he heard a growl. "That's it son. Give this freak the what for!"

Though he was terrified of what he would soon see, Severus forced his eyes to open and instantly regretted that. There was a swollen whale kneeling on something pale and still. There was a smaller yet overly engorged whale kicking at the pale thing on the floor. Severus couldn't believe their tastes in rugs. The thick and large tattered scrap reminded him of blood even in smell. His eyes widened at that ... smell. NO! ... these scum would not do that to another human being!

That damned horse faced woman he knew was Lily's sister, came out as if nothing was happening. Severus' nerves grated as her whine told him that not even Tunie's voice had changed over the years, "oh, just look at this place! There is no way that all of this blood will come out without professionals coming in to clean it. I am going to need you both to help me with this."

The larger whale looked up with a maniacal grin on his face. "Of course my pet, I'll even buy all new carpet for the hall to celebrate. Keep going Dudders!"

Only then did Severus clearly see what Vernon Dursley was resting his full weight onto when the whale moved slightly. Merlin no! It was HARRY!

Petunia smirked as she handed over a large kitchen knife over her arm as if it were a damned sword. "Do it, Vernon dearest. Free our family of his lot forever."

"Time for this runt to learn that I am the man of this family and I say what goes on in this house—not his freaky little friends!" Vernon roared as he took the knife and raised it over his head to strike. This was what Granger saw in her nightmare, but Severus refused to allow her horrendous dream to come true ... not when he still had a say in the boy's life and the power to intercede.

"Expelliarmus!" He roared and sent the knife flying until it impaled itself deep into the far doorframe.

Petunia shrieked in horror and scrambled away until Severus had his fill of her—in seconds at most—then he knocked her out. "Stupefy!"

While the smaller whale squealed like a pig and fled up the stairs to a point where it felt safe but could continue to watch, Vernon took pleasure in grinding his oversized knee into Harry's chest. "Too late freak."

Severus felt a rage unlike any other he had felt in his life burn in his chest. That could be his only child ... his son ... and even if Harry wasn't such, he was still the only living part of her left! None would treat this boy in such a manner. Severus glared in a rage and pointed his wand at the behemoth's ample chest as it turned towards him. "BOMBARDA!"

Who cared if the spell left this cretin damaged, such was nowhere near equal to the damage he and his offspring had done to Harry. Into the bargain, the damage done his wife was nothing given she should have doted and guarded this boy like her own rather than incite attempted murder.

Then the baby whale, who had so gleefully kicked an unconscious and defenseless boy, whimpered. Severus was not about to have his attentions divided by any of these scums. Again, his wand rose with his temper, "STUPEFY!"

The brat collapsed onto the stairs. After which, Severus sent three messenger spells. One to Minerva who would never forgive him in failing to inform her of Harry's situation, the fact that she was attending her youngest granddaughter's wedding celebrations did not alter that. The next to Poppy, who would not want her long overdue visit to her great-grandchildren to be the reason that she was not called in on a moment of such dire need. Finally, to the Headmaster to leave no mistake the situation was worse than originally feared. Each one all said the same, "Harry Potter is dying."

Severus then focused all of his attentions onto Harry. What Severus first misconstrued as a rug was indeed nearly all of Harry's blood. The pool was so large and thick that there was little doubt that all that was keeping the boy alive was his magical core, which was beginning to fail. Untrained in healing magic and terrified to touch Harry in case there were unseen damages to the boy's spine, Severus flooded the boy's core with his own magic to give it more power to feed on until Poppy could arrive.

It took a few moments, but Harry eventually opened his eyes and looked at peace. It was as if his last concern was taken away. The boy's voice was rough and scratchy obviously from crying out in pain during some of his torture, "please ... Hedwig ... cupboard ... under the stairs ... save her."

Slowly the boy's eyes slid shut and Severus could feel the core he was feeding grow steadily limp. That could only mean that the boy's heart had stopped beating. Harry was dead. All he had left of his beautiful Lily was dead.

Poppy arrived a second afterwards to Severus' relief. "His heart has stopped! Hurry!"

Immediately, she set her bag down and began life saving procedures as she spoke, "I'll need your help, Severus. You are the only one who can find a potion I call out for without risk of mistakes."

Knowing that the woman no longer needed his feeding Harry's core, Severus ended his spell and grabbed Poppy's bag. As expected, it was full of every possible potion that Severus himself had made. At least in this he could help the boy.

Before Poppy so much as asked for the first potion, Minerva and Hagrid arrived. Remembering Harry's last words, Severus did all he could for the boy. Looking at Hagrid, Severus indicated the locked cupboard door. "His owl is in there. It was all he was worried about before his heart stopped."

Tears filled the half-giant's eyes as he nodded and ripped the pathetic Muggle lock off. Then a string of swear word reverberated from his mouth, "look wha' they did ta poor Hedwig!"

The owl looked emaciated and parched. Since it was eight weeks into the summer, Severus doubted that the bird had been cared for a single day since the day Harry left school. Undoubtedly, Harry had been cared for worse in that entire time. Potion after potion she magically sent into the boy's stomach as Poppy worked to heal the boy. The only break Severus would get was when Harry's heart would repeatedly stop beating.

As member after member of the Order converged on Privet Drive, Severus never lost focus on the task before him. Moody, Tonks, and Shacklebolt gathered the Dursleys and tied them to chairs in the sitting room. Lupin helped Minerva to clean and gather all of Harry's few possessions. Ministry Obliviators who were Order members went about the neighborhood modifying the memories of every Muggle so that the Dursleys were a forgotten memory by the end of the night. Soon the full Order gathered in the Sitting room glaring at the wide-awake Muggles hatefully, but Severus and Poppy were still working hard to save Harry's life.

Repeatedly they lost him, yet he continued to return. "So much like his stubborn mother and father."

The only way that they could save Harry was for the boy to want to live again.

For the first time in weeks, even months, Harry was able to take in a deep breath without any feelings of pain. This had to be his strangest dream to date. He wondered how long it would be before uncle Vernon's fist woke him. Never would be nice. The place was warm and Harry didn't hurt anywhere—not even in his heart.

He liked where he was now, as he rolled onto his back and slowly opened his eyes. There was mists through which was a warm glow that didn't hurt Harry's eyes. A sense of love and strength unlike any Harry had ever felt before surrounded and filled his body and heart. Then he heard a voice that had been silenced for a year, "hey Harry! Over here!"

No … that couldn't be ... Peter said the words and Harry looked vainly for a pulse to find nothing. Didn't his spirit beg Harry to take the corpse back to the school? However, once Harry stood, his eyes clearly saw Cedric Diggory. If this was Heaven, Harry instantly wanted to know why he was there.

It was his fault that Cedric died, that Sirius died, and that even his own parents died. Harry was as much a murderer as Voldemort. Why would he be in Heaven? If he died from the beating that Professor Snape interrupted, why was he not in Hell where he belonged?

Cedric gave him a look as he walked up to his friend. "Harry, what are you going on about Hell and your being a murderer?"

"Cedric?" That was all Harry was able to let go. His heart and mind filled with questions, fears, and doubts.

"Thanks for taking my body back like I asked you to. My parents really needed that closure." Cedric hugged his friend and allowed all of his honor, respect, and adoration of Harry to fill his friend. "But, you did not kill me Harry. You did not know that the cup was a Portkey anymore than I did. I was grateful to have one adventure at your side like Ron and Hermione always shared with you before."

Harry was struggling against the flood of positive emotions ... no, this couldn't be real! "If I had only listened to you then you would still be alive!"

Cedric shook his head and smiled, "Harry, it was my time to go. Either I would have died that way, or Death Eaters would have attacked and many others who had the chance to live on would have died with me. That is how life works. I had the chance for the world to herald me as the only person other than Harry Potter to walk away from the Death Curse. But, I chose to die. Like you, I set the well being and lives of others above my own."

Tears welled up in Harry's eye yet never fell. It didn't seem odd, because Harry was attempting to make his mind wrap around that singular fact—Cedric didn't blame him. Still ... the nightmare he had suffered with nightly for a year.

As if he read Harry's mind, Cedric chuckled. "Harry that is Voldemort trying to break you down. He is in your mind because of his connection to you through your scar. The next time you have that nightmare tell the snake off for the both of us. Looks like someone refuses to wait for time with you."

"Who?" Harry couldn't imagine anyone wanting to be with him.

"Think I would give up the chance to spend time with my favorite Pup?" Barked out a bright and lively voice that sounded so much like Sirius that Harry was ready to swear it was his dead Godfather. Then the voice softened, "guess you don't want to see me, though."

Harry turned and tried to weep, despite the fact that his eyes would let none of his tears fall and he could only feel his joy at seeing his Godfather once more. Though the man looked somewhat disappointed, Sirius Black bore none of the remnants that his years in Azkaban had driven into the mortal body the man once existed within before his death. No, before Harry was the man he had only seen in Wizarding photographs—the happy and healthy young man who was indeed handsome and proud. Crying out in joy Harry leapt into his Godfather's arms, bringing out all the joy and pride in that Gryffindor Harry adored.

It couldn't be happening, but there it was. The man that Harry had missed for weeks was holding him tight. Harry just had to know. "Am I dead?"

"Yeah Cub, but it isn't your time. We came together and asked for some time to have with you. To get you to stop blaming yourself for everything," Sirius whispered as he rubbed his Godson's back.

Harry felt calmer, "who?"

In the mists, he heard a soft humming. Harry knew it was a song, and the voice humming it was so familiar. For a moment, his eyes closed and he felt, Padfoot pass him to someone who continued to rub his back and hum in his ear just over a heartbeat his body missed for so long. Harry just wanted to be small again so that he could climb into a lap and feel safe and loved again. Then the humming turned into a sweet song sung by an even sweeter voice.

Well I love my baby, sweet and fair.

Got the sky in your eyes, the sun in your hair.

I rock you to sleep most every night.

And sing you this song while I hold you tight.