Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter. *pouts*

Chapter 99

Albus immediately ran to Harry while Poppy went to Severus.

He quickly put the boy on a cot and after making sure he was breathing alright, spelled two doses of an energy replenisher into the boy's system. As he turned to help Poppy, he saw the ghost nod in approval and fade out of view.

Severus was an utter mess. It was clear he had been tortured for hours. He had broken bones, cuts, puncture wounds, and blood everywhere. And all of that was seen without a diagnostic scan. Judging by the medi-witches frown, her scans revealed even worse.

Severus was alive, but he was barely hanging on. His breathing was shallow, ragged, and irregular plus his heart rate would go from 30 to 120 and back to 30 within a time span of seconds.

Between the two of them, even though it took over an hour, they managed to get Severus stabilized but what kind of condition he would be in if he even woke up was uncertain.

They then focused on Harry. Despite being unconscious, he seemed to be locked in a painful nightmare. Madam Pomphrey spelled a dreamless sleep draught into his stomach before thoroughly checking him over.

"He's utterly exhausted, Albus. Whatever spell he just cast drained him so severely that my scans show he has no more power than the bed he's laying on." She then frowned and summoned a vial that contained a dark blue liquid - the one to help heal the nerve endings after being subjected to the cruciatus curse.

"He was hit with a cruciatus again?" asked Albus, clearly alarmed.

"I don't believe he was hit directly. My scans show that it's a result of whatever he just did. This is the closest thing that I have on hand that will help heal his frayed nerve endings."

"Will he be alright?"

"He should but it's going to be a waiting game. He cannot do whatever he just did again or it might kill him. He definitely needs a lot of rest."

Albus sighed as he looked between Harry and Severus. The private room was expanded and there would be a curtain in place to separate the two, but for now it was a straight view from one bed to the other. "We'll have to trust that Harry knew what he was doing. I'm going to go alert Remus and his friends that he's been found. I'll be back down before breakfast. If you need me before I can get back, send your patronus."

"Headmaster, I'm sure these two will sleep for a while. Rest. You've not ate anything since they went missing. If you don't take care of yourself, you'll end up in here with them."

"Very well."

Harry sat up in bed and automatically reached for his glasses - only to remember he didn't need them anymore.

He frowned when he realized he was in the hospital wing. He couldn't remember why he was there. He saw that he was in the private room as he glanced around. For some strange reason, there was also a curtain to his right. It was like the private room was bigger and now housed two people.

And then he remembered everything.

Snape was behind that curtain!

He darted out of bed, almost falling in the process, and headed to the other side of the room.

He carefully pulled back the curtain wall and saw Dumbledore asleep in a chair next to Snape's bed. It was dark out now according to the window behind the Headmaster.

How long had he been asleep for?

"Back into bed," Madam Pomphrey said in a whisper as she appeared out of nowhere.

"I'm fine. How is he?" His voice was strangely hoarse.

"It's going to be touch and go for the next several days. Back into bed. I need for you to tell me what happened the past couple of days and what you did earlier."

Harry shook his head. He really did not want to relive what he had seen and heard just yet. "I'm staying put. If Voldemort tries again, I need to be able to stop it."

"You most certainly will not be doing that spell again. Your magical stores were exhausted. I doubt you could even cast a cleaning charm right now."

Which explained why he was so tired.

"I waited too long last time because I couldn't remember the spell. I don't think I'll pass out again, especially if I catch it early." Harry then leaned back in his chair, and despite the fact that he had just woken up, he fell back asleep - as if he had been spelled that way.

When he woke up again, the sun was just starting to rise. He stretched and went to the loo. He then went back to Snape's bedside.

He eyed the man, as if he didn't know what to think of him anymore.

Harry heard Snape endure so much torture for so long. He didn't think anyone could last as long as he had.

Evidently whatever Voldemort found in Snape's mind, he hadn't been pleased. He just shook his head absent mindedly and ate the soup Madam Pomphrey put in front of him.

As he was falling asleep again, he realized the soup had been drugged.

"Quickly Albus. Hand me the green one."

Harry sat straight up in bed and looked around.

"Help me hold him down."

He bolted out of bed, nearly tripping over his shoes that were in the floor. When he rounded the corner, he saw Snape twisting in agony on the bed. His Dark Mark was so inflamed that his left arm looked three times it's normal size.

Harry shoved Madam Pomphrey out of the way and latched both hands on Snape's Dark Mark before either could protest.

"Harry, no!" said Dumbledore - obviously too late.

"I need the rope and puppet thing again, sir," he said through gritted teeth.

The Headmaster sighed and quickly reassembled one the way he had done previously.

Ten minutes later saw Harry seated in a chair, drinking a replenishing potion along side of a pain relieving draught.

"Is he any better?"

"It's too soon to tell Harry," replied the Headmaster.

"Tell me, sir, since I'm sure you know, why was I never informed that he is my father?"

Albus sighed. "Severus tried to tell you -"

"I'm not talking about him. I'm talking about you - or Remus for that matter. I have my own questions for Snape when he wakes up. This is something that should have never been kept from me. Why didn't you tell me?"

If he hadn't been so tired, he imagined the things in the room would be rattling.

"Ever since I learned the truth, I've been encouraging Severus to tell you. This is news that should have came from him - not anyone else."

Harry winced. So Snape didn't want him? Well, who would? All he could do properly was attract trouble.

"Harry."

Harry was so lost in his thoughts he didn't hear the Headmaster.

"My entire life has been a lie. I don't even know who I am anymore," he muttered.

"Harry."

Harry looked down at Snape and shook his head. Snape had better live through this. He had questions that demanded answers.

"Harry."

Harry looked up.

"What's going through your mind?"

He just shook his head. He was not ready to share his thoughts.

"Where are my friends and Remus?"

"The school is currently under the impression you have Dragon Pox, so you are not able to return to class for a couple of weeks. That, of course, rules out visitors. However, Remus has been at your bedside while you were sleeping. He figured you wouldn't want to see him just yet.

"Your friends have been informed that you have been found, and after seeing you for themselves, they have been told to keep away until your mood stabilized. Plus, that allows us to keep the Dragon Pox story up."

Harry unconsciously rubbed his hands through his hair, making it stand up even more.

"What happened while you were away?" asked the Headmaster gently.

Harry sighed and after taking a drink of water, began his tale.

"Voldemort retrieved the fake prophecy we switched out. When he realized it was a fake, he was sure Snape knew, so he sent Peter to the castle to spy."

Harry frowned suddenly.

"Somehow Peter got into Snape's room and found a letter telling Snape that I was his son, along with a photo album.

"So I found out through Voldemort, that not only was James Potter not my dad but that Snape was," said Harry disgustedly.

Dumbledore opened his mouth to speak, but Harry shook his head - telling him not to bother.

"Voldemort was so angry, he broke through my shields for the first time in months. He was reading a copy of my mother's letter. I ... well ... once I realized Snape was heading into a trap, I tried to catch him. I missed.

"Moody taught me how to follow apparition trails, but Snape didn't have one. I thought back to Voldemort's throne room and tried to apparate directly in there."

"That was very foolish, Harry. Tom could have found out about your connection and have been sending you a vision to lure you into a trap."

"I considered that before I apparated away, but I couldn't take the chance. If it wasn't a planted vision, I couldn't let Voldemort kill Snape without him answering to me first." Harry glared at the unconscious man on the bed.

"When I landed at where ever it was I went, I bounced. Sirius ... he had me try it in Grimmauld Place so I would know what it felt like."

"How did you get on the property?"

"What do you mean?"

"Harry, Tom uses warding around his base that rivals Hogwarts and most pure bloods combined. No one without a Dark Mark can cross the wards if they can even find the base."

Harry's eyes widened. Paranoia set in. He automatically raised his left sleeve.

"Trust me, if you would have been Marked, you'd know."

Harry sighed. Despite all the sleep he'd been getting, he still felt tired.

"I just walked across the barrier. I could tell there were wards, but not that they were strict. More proof of how much of a freak I am," he muttered.

"Harry," scolded Albus.

Harry glared at the Headmaster. He was beginning to suspect his food had been laced with a calming draught. He was going to tell Madam Pomphrey to quit drugging him. He wanted to feel angry.

"It took me a while but I managed to get in the house. I found a dark corner to hide in and listened. I tried not to cast many spells, certainly none that had a colored stream of light.

"I heard Voldemort torturing Snape. He denied over and over that he was a traitor, that he was my father. Evidently Voldemort had tested the copy of the letter Wormtail had taken thoroughly, so Voldemort knew the truth.

"The other Death Eater's were summoned and each took turns torturing him. It was horrible to listen too."

"Did they break through his occlumency shields?"

Harry nodded. "About two hours before you found us at the gate. The only reason he wasn't killed right away is because Voldemort wanted to learn everything Snape had been hiding. He became upset that he had been betrayed for my mother.

"At that point, Snape was no longer denying the truth. Voldemort was going to let Bellatrix ... let her send me his head - like she had done with Sirius."

"How did you get away?"

"I caused enough of a commotion in a distant part of the house that I knew would draw Voldemort away from Snape."

"Commotion?"

Harry gave a slight chuckle as he fought back a yawn. "Some of the Death Eater's found themselves temporarily the opposite sex. The others - well - they found themselves stuck to the floor. And whenever they tried to cancel it out, they found themselves naked."

"You ... pranked the Death Eater's?" The Headmaster looked utterly shocked.

Harry nodded. "I had to do something and all it would take was one unconscious guard left in view to raise the alarm."

He then explained how he got past the remaining guards.

"I was very tempted to bring Bellatrix but I'd never apparated someone else before, so I could only bring Snape. I then focused all my power into the apparition and broke through the wards."

"You broke through the wards?" asked Albus in disbelief.

"I knew I could because I done so at Sirius' accidently. From what I could tell, it wasn't any different."

Albus' lips twitched. "Harry, if I bring my pensieve down here, would you be willing to put a copy of the memory while you were gone in it so that I can view it? If you heard what all Severus had been cursed with, it's possible that we may be able to heal him faster."

Harry nodded.

The Headmaster left and quickly returned carrying the pensieve. He then explained to Harry how to use it. "We'll view it together, tomorrow, that way you will be able to answer any questions I might have."

Harry yawned. "That's fine. Can you tell Madam Pomphrey to stop drugging me though? It's kind of annoying." Having said that, he laid his head back against the chair and fell asleep.

"You know, when he realizes I'm not the one drugging him, he's going to be very upset with you," said Poppy.

"He needs to get his strength back before he can be allowed to vent his anger," said Albus.

"So he can fully blow up the castle?"

"He won't."

"Don't be so sure about that. Have you figured out a way to block the pain in Severus' Dark Mark yet?"

"No. Harry might be able to help me - since clearly he has access to more books than I do."

"Albus, do you get a headache whenever you try to speak about who we saw the other night?"

"Yeah. Yet again, something else we are going to have to ask Harry about."

"How can he know more about the castle than you?" she asked.

Albus chuckled. "Clearly I've not asked the right questions. He's far more clever than any of us have given him credit for."

A/N: I'm sorry it's taken so long. My dad is back in the hospital. Actually he's having a procedure done right now, which is what gave me the time to get this edited and posted. Hopefully this makes sense. I have an annoying TV on behind me that I can't control to turn it down or even change channels. So, I apologize beforehand for all of the mistakes that might crop up.

As you can see, some of the questions were answered. More will appear in the next chapter. Speaking of the next chapter, Remus explains things to Harry and Ron and Hermione is told the truth. So ... who wants to takes bets on how the duo handle this news? *grins mischievously*

I'm trying to get a chapter out a week, but with me taking care of my grandfather and my dad, I'm being stretched very thin right now.

I need a vacation ... and I still need that tranquilizer.

*puts out lots of sweets in order to bribe reviews* I do wanna thank those that have left reviews so far. You guys/gals are the bestestest! :D

And when I get home tonight, if I need to proofread even further, then I probably will. *shakes fist at evil TV of d00m behind me*