Attack

Sev went that Tuesday during the break after lunch to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and looked for the faucet that Lauren had told him about. Here it is, the snake engraved on the side, the entrance to the lair of the basilisk.

The ghost was excited to see a boy there and struck up a conversation with him. She's trying to flirtwith me. So that day he sacrificed his piano studio and stayed to chat with her, using his manly charm to get her to tell him firsthand what he already knew from Lauren.

The ghost did not stop giving him compliments and he returned them, until he realized that he had given her too much confidence, because she began to hug him and kiss him and the sensation of being pierced by an ectoplasm is anything but pleasant. So he fled from there and Myrtle began to cry loudly, finally living up to her nickname.

In the first class that Tuesday afternoon, he told Lauren everything, and he could hear her stifling laughter on the bench behind him.

"How can you think about it?" she asked. "Don't you understand that the poor girl died a virgin and she's been frustrated by it for thirty years? And you are irresistible."

"You should have warned me."

"Now, when you go with Dumbledore, she is not going to leave you alone."

"Sure. It will be the last time I'll go in there," Sev said.

So that night, after dinner, he went to play the piano. By spending almost two hours two days in a row, he finally managed to play it with his two hands separately. Wow… I have to do like this.Not tomorrow, to study and keep up with homework.I'll be back on Thursday, I have to rest on Friday and I don't know how the following week will present itself.

Thursday he came back after dinner, but not directly from the Great Hall as he used to do, he went home for his notebook where he had the lyrics, so he arrived at the Room of Requirement later than usual. As he was demanding the music classroom, beginning the third pass, with his back to the direction of the Gryff house, he heard, "Levicorpus!" in Potter's voice. And he felt the spell reach him, hanging in the air by his feet.

No… look, Lauren warned me, and today is a full moon.What a bad time I invented that spell when I still didn't know how to cast non-verbal ones. His wand had fallen out of his pocket on the floor and his robes covered his head. He heard the laughter of two of them and fought back tears of rage. With another spell they were pulling down his pants.

"Snivellus, what are you doing in the seventh floor? Isn't that a bit far from your viper hole?" - he heard Potter's voice.

You're going to find out on Saturday, damned Prongs…

He heard Cecile's distant and angry voice. "Leave him alone! Very brave, three against one."

I hope Lily didn't come too, and she didn't cast the counterspell and give herself away.

"Put him down!" she yelled, furious and authoritarian.

Now Sev could no longer refrain from crying. My friend, my piano teacher, defending me…

The others had stopped laughing. "Harb," Potter said, "it's Snape, a future enemy."

"That is yet to be seen. Put him down now, and carefully," Cecile ordered.

Sev thought, They don't know how to do it carefully.She does, but she can't give herself away. He stretched out his arms to avoid receiving the blow to his head, they had raised him too high.

"Okay, Harb, because it's you," he heard Potter, "Liberacorpus!"

He fell. Crack, he bit back a cry. Right arm, broken, Lily already told me about my bones.

"Snape, have you been hurt?" Cecile asked him.

"Yes," he answered as coldly as he could. "Broken arm."

"You are soulless, now you can go home directly," she said to the others.

No, Cecile, don't fight anymore.

"Do you stay with him?" Black asked.

"I'm going to accompany him to the Infirmary," Cecile replied.

"No need, Harb, I can go alone," Sev said. Cecile, go with them.Although I don't know if I will be able to pull up my pants with one hand.

"Come on, get out of here," she ordered.

"Okay, okay. You will see what you do," said Potter.

He heard the footsteps of the others walking away. Cecile ran to him, crying. "Sev… does it hurt a lot?"

"Yeah. You shouldn't have stayed, Cecile, you've exposed yourself."

"Don't worry, they have escaped us, I'm going to dress you."

"Thank you."

"I hope they don't tell Lily," she said. "I don't think they will, they've gotten pretty scared. You came to play, did you?"

"I did."

"You have forgotten that it was a full moon with all the mess you have, they are very excited by the night raid. Remus is already in the Shrieking Shack waiting for them."

"Of course, it was my fault," Sev admitted.

"Come on, that's it. What arm has it been?"

"The right one."

"To top. Can you get up by yourself?" she asked.

"I can." He did it.

Cecile took his left hand. "Fold your arm against your chest, so as not to swing it."

"Okay, let's go through the passage to the third floor and then go up to the Infirmary, I don't even want to go near the Gryff house. How I've screwed up, Cecile, thirty-six hours from the pivotal moment."

"Don't worry about that now, remember that we are witches. Poppy will heal you and in twenty-four hours you will be fine."

"I hope so."

"And this way you also rest and relax. Listen to everything she tells you. Also, this way we can go see you tomorrow," she encouraged him.

"No, don't even think about it."

"Sev, you forget that we always go to see Remus when he wakes up. We have a good excuse, and Poppy won't tell."

"But Lily is going to worry a lot," Sev said.

"I have to tell her anyway, she would still worry tomorrow when she didn't see you in the Great Hall."

He thought, And Lauren, when she doesn't see me show up at home tonight, she's going to suffer a lot, and she won't know anything until Lily tells her tomorrow.And Remus, they are going to tell him and he has to spend the crisis with them.And the Guard, when they don't see me tomorrow, they won't find out anything… He was crying.

"Come on, calm down," Cecile told him. "Are you crying because it hurts?"

"No, for all the people who are going to worry about me. I am thoughtless."

"Don't torture yourself, Sev. You just wanted to relax for a while, it's normal."

They had already reached the third floor and went up to the fourth. "Now we will have to hide a little with Poppy," she said. "She already knows full well that I'm with Remus. Let me explain to her what has happened."

Cecile released his hand and knocked on the Infirmary door. It's not the first time I've visited it because of the Gryffs, Sev thought.

Madam Pomfrey opened after a few seconds.

"Good night, Poppy," Cecile said in a neutral tone. "Those of my House have attacked Snape again, taking advantage of the fact that Lupin was not with them, and they have broken his right arm."

Pomfrey knows everything, that Remus is a werewolfe, what happened in the Shrieking Shack, and that he must have been defending me ever since, because every time they attack me the rumor spreads throughout the school and they haven't done it sincelast year, Sev thought.

The mediwitch's eyes misted over. She loves me too, since last year Lily and I served the punishment of making healing potions.Perhaps Dumbledore told her what had happened in my house.

"Come, darling, come on," she took him by his left hand. "Does it hurt a lot?"

"It does," Sev replied.

"Do you want to stay with him for a while, Harb?"

This one already guesses that we are friends because she sees her coming with Lily to see Remus, and she smells everything, Sev thought.

"If I have to place his bone, it's going to hurt more and I can't give him potion against pain until I do, to know if it hurts less," Madam Pomfrey added.

"Sure, I'll stay," Cecile replied.

Lily is worried. "No, Harb, go home," Sev said.

"It's okay, there's still a long time to go until curfew."

Well, if Lily has seen the threesome return alone, she will have gone into her bedroom, and it will be a little while.

The mediwitch made him go to her cubicle and sit on the stretcher, Cecile waited standing. She expertly undressed him from the waist up, hurting him no more than he already felt, while she gave him comforting words. "The forearm, just above the wrist. Does your hand or fingers hurt?"

"They doesn't," he replied.

"I'm going to examine you. Now it will hurt you more. Harb, take his hand."

Cecile took his hand hard. Madam Pomfrey examined the fracture with expert hands, causing him hardly any more pain than he already felt. Then she did it with his whole hand. "Okay. Both bones fractured, ulna and radius, but it's a clean break. On Saturday morning you will be ready."

No... on Saturday I have to go to breakfast. He looked at Cecile in alarm, she gave him a calm look.

"I'm going to reduce your fracture, now it's going to hurt," the mediwitch warned.

He took a deep breath, Cecile took his hand with all her strength. Madam Pomfrey made a swift and expert move. Sev suppressed his cry and tears of pain.

"What a endurance you have, boy," Poppy said. "You are the first person who hasn't complained about pain like this in the fifteen years I've been here." She was looking at him with deep understanding and admiration.

This one knows everything.

"Does it hurt less now?" she asked.

"Yes, much less."

"Very good. I'm going to splint it, so you don't move it while you sleep."

"Harb, go now if you want. I am much better," Sev said.

"No, Harb, don't go yet," Madam Pomfrey said.

The mediwitch splinted his forearm, crossed it over his chest, and bandaged it to his back. "You will have to sleep without top pajamas, but you can wear pants."

"I don't usually wear, I'll do it in underwear," he replied.

"Okay, whatever you want. Harb, wait here. I'm going to take him to bed and undress him there." She led him to the back of the Infirmary, behind the screens.

Sev kicked off his shoes, let her pull down his pants, and sat on the bed for her to take them off completely, along with his socks. "I'll take everything to wash. Tomorrow you will have a change of clothes and on Saturday a clean uniform," she said.

I have to wake up before eight and go home to shower and get dressed, what a mess, Sev thought.

She placed the cushions so that he was sitting up and said, "Get into bed, I'll cover you. Today you will have to sleep on your back, but I will give you a sleep potion so that you can rest well."

Well, today yes, but tomorrow no.

"Wait a bit, I'll go for the pain and bone repair potions," the mediwitch continued. "The painkiller one is going to make you a little sleepy, but hold on a while longer."

Oops... this one is going to tell Dumbledore.

She left and returned two minutes later, with Cecile and two dispensers on a small tray. "I have calculated that you weigh about 130 pounds."

"Yes, more or less," Sev confirmed.

"All fiber," she smiled at him.

And he to her. She likes me too…

"Take them."

He did it. The nurse took out her wand and Summoned a chair for Cecile, to the left of the bed, and she sat down.

Within half a minute the pain was gone completely and he felt drowsy. "It's already had an effect on me," he said.

"Very good. Stay awake for a while," Poppy asked him.

She's going to call Dumbledore.

Madam Pomfrey left.

"Cecile, what did she tell you?" he asked.

"That I stay with you until she come back and not let you fall asleep."

"She's going to call Dumbledore."

"Yes I think so," she agreed.

"We have to plan a strategy."

"You and your strategies."

"You can't get involved, Cecile, you've already done too much."

"No one will find out. Dumbledore must already smell it all, when he saw Remus missing the Hall at the same time as the Guard."

"Yeah. But we mustn't give ourselves away until Saturday. Don't tell on the Gryffs, you were wrong to tell Pomfrey."

"But they already know everything, Sev. Does it matter?" she said.

"That if they are punished they won't be able to protect Lily. Don't tell Dumbledore that you saw them do it, just that you found me lying on the ground. The rest I'll tell him. Occlude it all."

"Okay, Sev," with boredom. "You rule."

"If he reads us, he will notice all the calico ahead of time, because he will detect that we occlude."

"Is that possible to do?"

"It is. But it takes a long time to learn," he replied.

"And he has had plenty."

"That is. Just tell him you saw me lying on the ground and you assumed it was them. I'll try to convince him not to punish them and for Pomfrey to let me out early on Saturday. He will understand that we have training. That will be enough for him for the time being."

"Okay, Sev. You are the Commander," she said with resignation.

"In the end we both ended up in the Infirmary, as you invented for Lily at Christmas."

"Well yes. And we call your secret place the infirmary of the fifth floor."

"What secrets you girls have," he said. "By the way, when you come tomorrow, can you bring me Stimulating Potion, to see if it counteracts the drowsiness of the pain one? Otherwise, I won't be able to take it on Saturday and I'm going to have a terrible time if I have to fight with my arm still half healed."

"Of course I'll bring it to you, Sev. Remus has them but I can go into his bedroom, it will be empty tonight."

"Thank you very much, Cecile. Lily must be having a terrible time, you should have left when I told you."

"In that moment you needed me more. Lily is much stronger than she appears, Sev."

"She is. I already know it."

They heard two sets of footsteps along the corridor between the Infirmary beds.

"Here they come, ready?" he asked.

"Yes, Sev."

Madam Pomfrey was ahead. She Summoned a chair for the Headmaster to the right of the bed.

"Good evening, Mr. Snape, Miss Harb," said Dumbledore.

"Good evening, Headmaster Dumbledore," Cecile replied.

"Professor, Miss Harb."

"Good evening, Professor Dumbledore," Sev said. (He doesn't look us square in the eye like he usually does, and he's very appalled.)

The Headmaster sat down next to him. "How do you do, Mr. Snape?"

"Well, it doesn't hurt anymore, a little sleepy," Sev replied.

"I'm very glad to hear it. If you're not in the mood to talk, we can do it tomorrow."

(No, better get this over with as soon as possible. That way he talks to both of us at the same time and not separately,) Sev thought. "No need, I can do it now."

"Very well, let me first ask Miss Harb what has happened so that she can return home as soon as possible."

(He knows Lily is worried.)

"What can you tell me, Miss Harb?" asked the Headmaster.

(He hasn't asked, 'What happened?' but, 'What can you tell me?' He's not reading us,) Sev thought.

"I found him lying on the floor in a corridor on the seventh floor, Professor," Cecile answered.

"And you has assumed that it was your housemates who had attacked him, as usual, has you?" Dumbledore asked.

"I has, Professor."

"And you have been kind enough to help him and accompany him here."

"That's right, Professor," she replied.

"Your attitude is commendable."

(He is misty-eyed, and he has made it so easy for her,) Sev thought.

"You can go if you want to, Miss Harb," the Headmaster said.

"Okay, Professor. Rest well, Snape."

"Thank you very much for helping me, Harb, see you in class," Sev said. Both of their eyes misted over as well.

As Cecile's footsteps echoed down the corridor, Albus Dumbledore hung his head in defeat. (Oh… he feels very guilty and he's not going to hide it from me.) He saw the tears slide down the Headmaster's face and looked away from him. (Poor man, he's going to have a terrible time when we talk on Saturday. I'm going to have to be gentle with him.)

Sev waited without looking at him until he recovered and spoke. "Forgive me, Severus…"

(Wow, my first name…) Sev looked at him, who was still looking down.

"I was so wrong about you," Dumbledore continued. "I shouldn't have let go of what they did to you last year. I had to protect Lupin's secret, but I should have expel the other three, or at least give them an exemplary punishment."

(Well yes.)

"I didn't know how to protect you," the Headmaster went on. "It must have been Lupin himself who did it for me."

(He knows everything.)

"What can you tell me about what happened today?" the old man finally looked at him. "Don't worry, I'm not reading you nor do I intend to. I'll settle for what you tell me."

"They attacked me from behind," Sev replied.

"I imagine. Otherwise they would not have been able to beat you only between two. They shouldn't be in Gryffindor, they tarnish the name of the House."

Sev nodded.

"Should I punish them now?" asked the Headmaster.

(He is consulting me. Wow…) "Don't Professor. It's not convenient."

"Call me Albus, please."

(Wow… and he doesn't know a quarter of the secrets. What Lauren would give to be witnessing this.) "Alright," Sev replied.

"I imagine that the reason is that they must protect Lily Evans."

(Ugh… he knows everything.)

"That is."

"Skinny protection," Dumbledore opined.

(Indeed.)

"You should be the one to offer it to her, but with the House system it's impossible," continued the Headmaster. "Don't worry about it. When the moment arrives, which I suppose will be near, I myself will teach her what she must do in case she finds herself attacked."

(He knows everything. That we are together, that the malefics blackmailed us, that's why we hid and that there is very little left before we uncover ourselves, May, last trip to Hogsmeade. Dear Albus, you don't know how close, the day after tomorrow. Buthe's going to guess when I tell him I have to leave the Infirmary early Saturday.) "Thank you very much, Albus. But I prefer that you still not punish the Gryffindors, at least for the moment."

"If I don't do it immediately, they won't be aware of it. They will mess with you again, it could be much more serious, and now you cannot fail."

(True. He must know by now that all the books removed from the R.S. from the storeroom in the Room of Requirement are missing, and he doesn't know if onlyI know it or someone else.) "I think that even if you punish them, if you don't expel them, they will continue in the same way. They'll know I ratted on them and they'll take it out on me again sooner or later."

Albus looked away. "To think that I could have freed you from the problem last year and I didn't… I can't expel them because of a broken arm."

(Well no, obviously, but because they are unregistered animagi. But it would annoy Remus, we have to wait until at least Cecile gets it.) "Don't worry, Albus, they're not murderers. They have been scared when they have found out that they had broken my arm. What happened last year was a stupid joke that they will not repeat. They just want to laugh at me and make a fool of me."

"Envy and jealousy."

"That is." (And the one that they are going to feelsince next Saturday. I must be much more careful. What they need is to take their own medicine, a good lesson that the Guard can give them. The time will come, revenge is a dish that isserved cold.) Sev thought.

"Well, let's leave the subject, there's no more to talk about it, I think you're right," the Headmaster agreed. "But as soon as you see fit, I'll at least have a serious talk with them. They're old enough to be behaving like schoolyard bullies."

(Exactly right.)

Albus looked at him again. (Oh… how appalled he is.)

"Is there anything I can do for you?" the old man asked.

"Yeah. Ask Madame Pomfrey to allow me to leave first thing Saturday morning," Sev replied.

"I understand. How responsible you are and what a weight you have carried on your shoulders. You are worth your weight in gold, Severus, far more than I am."

(Take that! He thinks it's to go train, and just for that, I have him in my hands. Wow…) "No, Albus, it's not that bad. We are on the brink of a war and we must prepare."

"But you are doing it on your own, adolescents, many minors, without any help from adults, it is shameful."

(Well yes, absolutely right. But don't worry, Albus, you can help on Saturday itself,) Sev thought. "Yes, we have had help. You have allowed us to move freely in the Forest and use the Room of Requirement."

"Yes, but late and wrong. Know that I am at your disposal when you require it and for whatever you need. You have shown much more cunning and initiative than I have."

(I'm going to let it go.) "Gryffindor, lots of brawn and little brains."

Albus laughed, and so did Sev.

(Wow, we're going to get along great.)

"Slytherin, cunning and combative," Albus replied. "Anything else for now?"

"No, Albus. I'm just glad to finally meet you."

"And I you, Severus."

"We will make a great team."

"I am wishing it. I let you rest, I'll tell Poppy to get you the sleep potion," getting up from his chair.

"Thank you, Albus."

"See you soon."

"See you very soon."

Albus smiled at him. (He got the point, what Lauren was saying, this one could have been a snake, too.)

Albus left and a few minutes later Madam Pomfrey arrived with another dispenser on her little tray. How cute.

"How are you? Has it hurt you again?" she asked him.

"It hasn't," Sev replied.

"I estimate that on Saturday morning you will be recovered. You will be able to have breakfast in the Great Hall."

Great.

"I'm going to arrange the pillows for you to lie down on." She did it. "Are you comfortable?"

"I am."

"Get up a little to drink it, don't choke. You will fall asleep in a couple of minutes."

"Excellent. Madam Pomfrey, thank you very much for taking such good care of me," Sev said.

The mediwitch smiled at him. "It's a pleasure doing it with someone like you."

Sev took the dose, Madam Pomfrey wanded out the chairs and blew out the candle. "Rest well, handsome."

"You too."

Madam Pomfrey left. Sev closed his eyes and within a minute he fell asleep.