Story [Harry Potter] Slave Child, Finally updated again! 10/16

Fandom: Harry Potter
Title: Slave Child
Author: Kriztin
Timeframe: Begins at end of OotP, continues into sixth year.
Characters: Harry, Snape, Ron, Hermione, various other canon characters.
Rating: PG
Genre: Alternate Universe, hurt/comfort.
Summary: A dual with Draco has drastic and permanent consequences for both Harry and Snape.
Warnings: This story does deal with sensitive topics, mainly a magical slavery contract and suicidal thoughts, but I have tried to handle these issues with respect.
Disclaimer: JK Rowling owns "Harry Potter", but she is kind enough to let us play in her universe. Thank you, Ms. Rowling!



Chapter One

The end of term feast was usually a happy event at Hogwarts. Students and staff alike celebrated the close of another school year and the beginning of summer. For the past two years, though, the feast had been a solemn affair.

The year before had been bleak as Hogwarts mourned the loss of top student Cedric Diggory and feared the rumors of the Dark Lord?s return. This year those rumors had been confirmed as truth, and though there was some lighthearted chatter and laughter, the overall mood was tense as people wondered what the upcoming months would bring.

Several students seemed especially somber; a small girl with long bushy brown hair, a lanky boy with freckles and flame-colored hair, another girl who bore a resemblance to him though her hair was a darker red and her few freckles were limited to a light sprinkling across her nose, and a nondescript boy with mousy hair and a mournful round face.

?We should have made him come,? the bushy-haired girl murmured to no one in particular as she absent-mindedly used her fork to push food around on her plate.

?He wanted to be alone for a little while,? the tall boy responded in a dull voice. ?He?ll come in a few minutes, Hermione.?

?No, he won?t,? Hermione sighed. ?We better take some food back for him, not that he?ll eat it. Harry hasn?t eaten enough to keep an owl alive ever since?well, you know.? She ignored the fact that she herself had only had a few bites of dinner.

?I wish there was something we could do to help,? Ginny said softly.

?If only Dumbledore would let Harry come to us over the summer,? Ron exclaimed, his normal friendly tone sounding almost bitter. ?I know we could help him. We?d sure be better than those awful Dursleys. Harry doesn?t need to go back to them now. They?re the last thing he needs.?

?Why can?t he stay with you?? Neville Longbottom asked. ?What does Dumbledore have to do with it??

?I?m not exactly sure,? Ron admitted. ?But Mum and Dad wanted Harry to stay with us last summer, after the Triwizard Tournament, you know. But they mentioned something about it in front of Dumbledore and he said Harry had to stay with his aunt and uncle. Mum got really upset with him, too, but then Dumbledore took them off alone and they talked for awhile, and when they came out, Mum and Dad said that Harry was going to come for the Quidditch World Cup, but that he couldn?t come for the whole summer.?

?There?s got to be something someone can do,? Hermione insisted after a minute. ?Ron?s right. Harry hates the Dursleys and having to go to them now, of all times?it?ll be horrible for him. He needs to be with us.?

?Well, Mum and Dad are going to have Harry come as soon as possible, Mum said by midnight on August 1st, so that?s better than nothing,? Ginny tried to sound encouraging, but only succeeded in sounding desperate.

The four friends stared at one another in hopeless sorrow before turning their attention back to their plates. No one spoke for the remainder of the feast.

Harry never joined them.

***

He almost did.

Harry didn?t know how long he lingered in the entrance hall, debating whether he should go to his friends at the feast, find Luna and help her search for her lost belongings, or go back up to Gryffindor Tower and crawl into bed.

Or maybe he could find some lonely spot in the castle, curl up, and wait to die.

That idea had its merit

 

Very interesting start! I'm excited to see where this goes

 

Oh, thank you, NYCitygurl! I'm happy you like it!

 

Chapter Two

Draco?s face was a mixture of surprise, trepidation, and sullen anger.

?I don?t exactly know,? he admitted.

?You don?t exactly know?? Severus? voice was sharp. He shot Draco an incredulous look, but there was no time for expounding on the stupidity of casting an unknown spell, not when it could be wreaking havoc on Potter?s mind or body.

Potter seemed peaceful enough, it was true, just lying in Severus? arms, his breathing deep and even, but they had to find out for sure.

Severus gave the blond boy his fiercest glare. ?If you value your life, Draco, you will fetch Pomfrey and Dumbledore from the feast, and you will tell them what you?ve done. I?m taking Potter to the infirmary.?

Without sparing Draco another glance, he swept off to a small barren room nearby where there was a fireplace connected to Hogwarts? internal Floo system. A moment later he and Potter were in the infirmary, a sterile white place: white walls, white sheets on the narrow beds, and white curtains at the windows.

Severus laid the boy on the nearest cot and then pulled his wand from his sleeve and began running through some diagnostic spells. He hadn?t gotten very far when there was a whooshing sound behind him as the Floo roared to life again. Severus didn?t bother turning around, but kept on with his work as Poppy Pomfrey and Albus Dumbledore rushed to join him.

?How is he?? Albus asked in an uncharacteristically tense voice.

Severus shook his head. ?Nothing seems seriously wrong. He?s underweight and suffering a bit from sleep deprivation, but there?s nothing that accounts for this deep unconsciousness.?

Poppy was bustling about, running through her own diagnostic spells, and Albus moved closer to Potter?s bedside and joined in. For a while the three of them worked over Potter, checking everything from his heart rate to his brain waves. Finally they stepped aside and looked at one another.

Poppy spoke up, ?So far as I can tell, Harry seems to be in fairly good health. As Severus noted, he needs to eat and sleep more. But whatever spell Draco cast, it doesn?t seem to have caused any injury.? She looked slightly bewildered. ?I don?t know why he?s unconscious. I?m going to spell a nutritive potion directly into his system, but I don?t know what else to do.?

Albus ran a gentle hand through Potter?s dark hair before turning away.

?I think it?s time I spoke with Mr. Malfoy.? His voice was grim. ?Severus, you?re his Head of House. Would you like to be present as well??

?Yes, I suppose so.? Severus nodded.

Albus turned to the medi-witch. ?Poppy, will you let Minerva know what has happened? And ask her to keep quiet about it as well.? He hesitated; then said, ?On second thought, she may tell Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger. Otherwise, they?re liable to break through my gargoyles to tell me Harry?s missing. But she must stress to them to keep this information to themselves. I think the fewer people know about this, the better.?

?Of course, Albus,? Poppy agreed. She Summoned the nutritive potion and Albus and Severus went over to the fireplace while she was tending to Potter.

Severus took some Floo powder from a jar on the mantle and Albus called, ?My office,? as he stepped into the grate. Severus followed and after a rush of green flames, he was in the headmaster?s office. It was a spacious circular room with a great mahogany desk, a couple of stuffed armchairs, several spindle-legged tables with silver contraptions atop them, and a bronze stand upon which a magnificent red and gold feathered bird was perched.

Severus had half expected Draco to be waiting for them, but the room was empty. Albus sank into one of the armchairs and motioned for Severus to take the other one.

?Severus, Draco has told me his version of events, but I?d like to hear it from you, please,? Albus requested.

So Severus told him how he had been keeping an eye on Potter, how the boy had vacillated about going into the Hall for the feast, but had finally started for the stairs, but not

 

Here's the next chapter. I hope you'll enjoy it!

Chapter 3

Severus Apparated to a point just outside Hogwarts? gates and made his way slowly up to the castle. The noon sun beat down heavily on his head, and he had to squint against the brightness. It was an unusually warm day, even for this time of year, and Severus thought wryly that his long-sleeved dark shirt and dark trousers, which would be perfectly comfortable in the cool dungeons, were not the best choice of clothing to wear outside.

He had left off the black robes he normally wore over his shirts and trousers. Though he himself was a half-blood, he had spent most of his childhood and youth trying to impress pure-blooded wizards; first his overbearing, tyrannical grandfather with his almost fanatical pride, and then his Slytherin housemates at school.

Pretentious snobs, most of them, who looked down their aristocratic noses at Muggle attire. Oh, they wore Muggle-style clothing, but always with proper wizarding robes on top. Most of the purebloods he had known in his youth would have been just as scandalized at the idea of going without robes as they would have been if someone had suggested they venture out in their underwear.

That notion seemed to be changing with the younger generation, Severus had noticed. Even some of the most supercilious pureblooded students often went about in Muggle fashions on the weekends at school. He doubted that they did at home, though.

Or perhaps they did. Certainly not all purebloods, or all Slytherins for that matter, were prejudiced against Muggle ways. Severus had just been unfortunate enough to know many who were.

On the other hand, if most Muggles were like the ones he?d had to deal with that morning, he wasn?t sure he could blame the purebloods who despised them. Potter?s relatives had most definitely not been what he?d expected.

Some of the Muggle families were uncomfortable around wizards?the reason he?d left his robes behind and had worn only the shirt and trousers?but Severus had never seen any other student?s relatives act the way the Dursleys had when he?d paid them a visit, with that odd combination of fear and utter disdain. They hadn?t seemed the slightest bit concerned about Potter either. The big beefy man had even stated that they would be better off without him, while the horse-faced Petunia (it was impossible to think of her as Lily?s sister) had wanted to know why ?that school? didn?t offer summer courses.

Because we professors need a break from teaching the dunderheads, that?s why, Severus thought crossly. But he couldn?t help but see that the Dursleys were not the adoring Potter fans he?d always believed them to be. They doted on that whale of a son, though. Severus remembered the cousin from Potter?s memories during Occlumency lessons. He?d only glimpsed him today. The boy had taken one look at Severus and fled upstairs with a speed that was surprising in one so large.

Severus smirked at the memory. It was good to get in a last opportunity to intimidate one of the spoiled brats before settling down to enjoy the summer. All the students should have left Hogwarts an hour ago, and Severus looked forward to a quiet afternoon. He?d probably indulge himself with reading the rare book he?d purchased in Flourish and Blotts after his visit to the Dursleys. It was a copy of Clemente Romano?s journal; Clemente Romano, who had been a legendary Healer and Potions Master in the Middle Ages and had created many of the medicinal potions still in use today, though later Potions Masters had improved upon some of them, Severus himself among them.

But before he settled down to read, perhaps he should check to see if Albus needed him. After all, not all of the students had left the castle that morning. Potter still lay unconscious in the infirmary, unless he?d woken up within the past couple hours. So far as Severus knew, Albus was still holed up in his office poring over the translations texts, trying to decipher the meaning of Draco?s spell.

Severus paused in the

 

Oh this should be interesting...

Great start! I'm eager to see where you take it!

And I love Snape so much. Totally just a big teddy bear hidden beneath layers of coldness.

Great job!

 

Thank you so much, MK! I'm happy you like it, and I love showing that Severus really is a good man underneath the layers of cold cynicism! Though he would probably hex you like crazy if he ever heard you compare him to a teddy bear, lol!

Chapter 4

Severus stared at him in speechless horror for a long moment. It was one of the rare times in his life that words eluded him. Visions rose in his mind; himself and Potter bound by some archaic spell for the rest of their lives, having to bring the boy to his home, never having a respite from the brat's irritating presence...

Then another thought occurred to him and he glared at his old friend. "Oh, very good, Albus. You got me. I'll admit that was one of your better pranks. Now, what's this really about?"

But Albus was already shaking his head, still looking very troubled. "Severus, I wish it were a joke. But I'm afraid it isn't. The spell is actually quite straightforward and easy to understand once it's been translated. It's an enslavement spell that binds its victim to the first person who touches him, or her, after being cast. You were the first person to touch Harry after the spell hit him, so Harry is now your slave."

Severus leaped from his chair, scattering pieces of parchment and the Malfoy book in his wake. "Well, you just find a way to undo this, Albus! Because if anyone thinks for one moment that I'm going to..."

"Severus, I have spent the past three days desperately searching for a way to undo the spell," Albus' voice was quiet, but it commanded attention. "And I will continue to search. But I have to tell you, that at this point, I doubt I'll find anything. The book," he indicated the text lying open on the floor. "is ancient. We have precious few materials left from that era, and I've never seen anything that mentions any type of slavery curse or a counter to one. Not for a slavery spell that applies to wizards."

Severus stalked around the room, trying not to succumb to the raging panic that threatened to overwhelm him. There had to be some way out of this. He just had to remain calm and think logically, and a solution would present itself. It had to.

He stopped and turned back to the headmaster. "Wake Potter up, Albus, and I'll simply give him a pair of socks or a tie, and then we'll be done with this ridiculous..."

"I don't think that will work, Severus," Albus interrupted. "This spell is different from the magic that binds house elves, and I doubt that giving Harry clothes would free him. In fact, I do believe that there is something in the book that mentions the master being responsible for providing for all basic needs, including clothing."

He Summoned the book and his notes, and read through them for a minute before nodding. "Yes, here it is."

"Well, why don't we..." Severus began.

Albus shook his head. "We can't just randomly experiment, Severus. It could kill Harry. You see, when you caught him, the spell accepted you as his master. There is a magical contract binding you and Harry, and if we're unsuccessful in trying to free him, then the magic might interpret it as Harry attempting to escape. The book is very clear on the conditions of slavery. If the slave tries to escape or to physically harm the master, the magic will kill him instantly."

Severus stared at him in silence. His tumultuous feelings gelled into a kind of horrified weariness. He walked back to his chair and sank down into it.

"Tell me everything you know about this spell, Albus."

***

Harry Potter lay sleeping peacefully in his bed in the infirmary while Albus, Severus, and Poppy stood gathered in a huddle nearby. It was late afternoon. Albus and Severus had spent most of the day discussing the specific conditions of the slavery spell and making preparations. Now it was time to wake Potter and destroy his life.

"But if he's going to wake up, Albus, I'll need to be here, to make sure he's all right," the medi-witch argued.

"Harry should be fine when he wakes, Poppy," the headmaster told her.

A few minutes later is when we'll ne

 

Another great section! Poor everyone, really. Dumbledore always gets to be the bearer of bad news.

Though Snape and Harry's trip home should be quite interesting...

 

This is seriously one of the best HP stories I've ever read!! Poor Harry and poor Snape.

This is going to be interesting.

~Nat

 

Thank you both so much! I'm so happy that you like it!

Harry started to shake his head. Was Dumbledore crazy? Of course he didn't feel up to going home with Snape. But then, he didn't have any choice in the matter, did he? He would never have any choice about anything again. He was a slave now. He would have to do whatever he was told, or Snape could do anything he wanted to him.

Queasiness threatened to overwhelm him again, but Harry choked it back. He couldn't keep on getting sick, no matter how much he felt like it. He was pretty sure Snape wouldn't take it well if Harry sicked up on him.

He realised that Dumbledore was still talking and forced himself to pay attention. It was better to concentrate on the headmaster's words than to dwell on his own thoughts.

"Of course you'll want to dress first. You don't want to show up at Prince Hall in pyjamas. Prince Hall is Professor Snape's home, and your home now, too, Harry," Dumbledore said.

Harry didn't speak aloud, but he thought to himself that even though he might have to live there with Snape, Prince Hall would never be his home. Never!

"We had Dobby pack your things and send your trunk on ahead..."

"Not my things anymore," Harry muttered. His eyes filled with tears and he looked away, blinking furiously.

Dumbledore sighed and reached over to pat Harry's shoulder. It was all Harry could do not to jerk away. He didn't mean to be rude to Dumbledore, but his feelings were such a jumble, and it was already hard to keep from breaking down.

"We sent the trunk on to Prince Hall," Dumbledore continued. "But we asked Dobby to set aside some clothing for you to wear once you were awake." He gave his wand a flick and suddenly neatly folded clothes appeared on Harry's cot.

Dumbledore stood up. "Here they are. I'll step into Madame Pomfrey's office and you can dress, Harry. Call me when you're ready."

He walked across the infirmary and disappeared into the office. Harry gazed dully at the clothes for a while before slowly getting out of bed and automatically going through the motions of getting dressed. He put on the dark green shirt with a collar, khaki trousers, tan socks and brown loafers, and then looked around to see if there was anything else he could do to avoid calling Dumbledore for a few more minutes.

Finally deciding that there wasn't, he went over to the office. The door was almost closed, only open a crack, and Harry knocked on it hesitantly.

Dumbledore opened it and smiled down at him. "Well then, Harry, we'll be off." He led the way over the infirmary's fireplace and took some Floo powder from a vase on the mantel. But before they stepped into the grate, Dumbledore spoke.

"Harry, it will be all right. Be brave and try not to worry. I have a crucial task that needs to be done in the next few days, but then I'll pay a visit to Prince Hall and see how you and Professor Snape are doing."

Harry didn't say anything; he couldn't, and Dumbledore laid a hand on his shoulder and guided him into the fireplace. Then there was the whoosh of the Floo and they were stepping out into the headmaster's office.

Snape and Madame Pomfrey were standing by Dumbledore's desk. They looked the same as always; Madame Pomfrey in her brown dress and with her dark hair pulled back in a bun, and Snape in his black robes. They were talking in quiet voices, but when Harry and the headmaster entered the room, they stopped and turned around. Madame Pomfrey looked a little shaken and she hurried over to Harry.

"I'm so sorry, dear. How do you feel? Are you...?"

"Potter's fine, Poppy. There's no reason to fret," Snape snapped. "I believe I've wasted quite enough time here today so if that's all, Albus, we'll be leaving now."

Harry was almost glad for Snape's brusque interruption. Madame Pomfrey's anxious expression just made him feel more nervous and brought a lump to his throat. But Snape's annoyed tone strengthened his resolve. He would not cry or show any weakness in front of the professor. Automatically, he straightened his shoulders and sto

 

Poor Harry!! I'm glad that Zan and Norrie are being nice to him. I think Snape'll get used to him too, and they'll form a bond

Will Harry have to live at Prince Hall or Snape's quarters at Hogwarts during the school year?

 

Nice job! Harry's taking it a bit better than I thought he would, but I'm sure Capslock Harry will emerge at some point.

I love Norie so much. Oh man.

Can't wait to read more!

 

Awwwwesome. This is so cool. I can't wait to read more! Can I be on the PM list?

And lol, "capslock Harry". That is hilarious.


Keep up the great work!

 

Thank you all!

NYCitygurl: Harry will have to live with Severus in his dungeon rooms at Hogwarts once the school year begins...which won't be for some time. I've written up to chapter 37 and it's only the first day of classes then.

Miana Kenobi: Harry may be taking it better than expected. My betas and I really discussed Harry's personality here. I realize some people may think he's a little OOC, but I think that for one thing, Harry's still kind of in shock over it all. For another thing, he's very shaken by the fact that he's completely at Severus' mercy now.

snowspeeder_gunner: It's been a long time since I wrote anything for these boards, and I've forgotten how to set up a PM list. I'll see if I can read and figure it out. Or could someone tell me, please? (I'm computer-challenged, you see).

Thank you again, and I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 6

Not many people would have considered Severus Snape the type of person to keep a journal, but they would have been wrong. Each evening before retiring to bed, Severus sat at a great mahogany desk in the library and faithfully recorded the daily events of his life in a black leather-bound journal. Not all of the daily events of his life, of course...some things were either too personal or too dangerous to be written down, even in a private journal. But he did mention some of his thoughts and feelings, as well as more mundane topics such as lists of potions ingredients he needed to buy.

Eileen Prince had been the one who'd encouraged...required, actually...him to begin keeping a journal, as soon as he'd been old enough to scratch letters with a quill. She'd always written in a diary, as had her parents, and in her mind it was just one of the things a well-brought up young wizard did.

Severus himself wasn't sure why he'd kept it up after her death. Habit, he supposed. It surely wasn't that a journal could be any kind of substitute for a friend who would listen to his trials and problems. No, believing such a thing was the height of maudlin silliness, and Severus never entertained such thoughts. Still, there was a certain comfort in confiding, even to a journal.

Now, he frowned slightly as he stared down at the page he'd just finished. He'd written that one of his least favorite students was now required to live with him and had gone on at length about his displeasure at having his home invaded, how the surly brat had barely spoken and had wasted a perfectly good dinner. He had been careful not to mention Potter's name or any identifying characteristics, and he had not given any details about why the student had to live with him. But now he was wondering if even what he'd written was too much information, should the journal ever happen to fall into the wrong hands.

But how could he continue to write without any mention of the brat who was now in his charge? For that matter, while they could keep the slavery spell secret for the summer, it was going to be trickier in the fall when school started again and Potter would have to live with him in the dungeons instead of in Gryffindor Tower. Perhaps the slavery spell could be kept quiet, but he and Albus would have to think up some other explanation.

Yes, whether any of them liked it or not, within a couple of months people were going to find out that Harry Potter was living with Severus Snape. And what would that mean for his spying?

Severus sat up with a start. How could he possibly continue spying on Voldemort now? It would only be a matter of time before the Dark Lord discovered that Severus had become Potter's guardian, of sorts. He would demand that Severus bring Potter to him, and when Severus refused, it could only end in a messy, unpleasant death.

He would have to quit spying. It was the only way that he and Potter could both hope to survive. Severus bit his lip, as he pondered a future without the terrible tension of walking the line as a double agent. It would, of course, be a great relief. He would never have to attend one of those abominable Death Eater meetings a

 

Ah sweet, the return of furious!Snape.

Nice job, hun!

 

For a PM list, you just send PMs to people who ask for them when you update

Love it!! I hope Snape'll let Harry explain.

 

Thanks for the PM!

And wow, great update! The house elves are so nice to Harry- I like them.

Hopefully the misunderstanding gets sorted out soon.

Keep up the great work!

 

Thank you all so much! I'm very happy that you're enjoying the story!

Chapter 7

Harry was so shocked that for a second he could hardly comprehend what was happening. And even then, he didn't know what to say. He'd thought that Snape might be annoyed at finding him in the library, but nervous as he was around the professor now, he hadn't expected such sheer rage. Surely Snape couldn't be that angry that he was reading in the library. The only other time Harry had seen the man lose control like this was when he'd caught Harry in his Pensieve.

Snape was still shaking him so hard it hurt. "You ungrateful, insolent brat! I try to be good to you, and this is how you re-pay me? Once again, you can't keep out of my private affairs, can you? Well, you'd better start watching your step, Potter! You're my slave now! You can't go running to Dumbledore for help anymore. I can do anything I want to you. I can beat you. I can starve you. I can do anything, and no one can lift a finger to help you. So you'd damn well better start showing some respect or I'll make you sorry you were ever born!"

"But, sir, what..." Harry tried to say.

"Don't lie to me!" Snape almost screamed. He jabbed a finger at the black book on the table. "The proof is right there. I know you've been reading my journal."

"What?" Harry gasped. He shook his head. "I didn't..."

But Snape wasn't even listening to him anymore. He dragged Harry over to the high carved stone fireplace and grabbed some Floo powder. A moment later the Floo spit them out into another room, one Harry had not seen before.

Three walls were lined with shelves and cupboards. Hundreds of glass jars filled with potions ingredients or various potions themselves lined the shelves. A long wooden counter and a sink ran along the fourth wall. Several shiny cauldrons sat on the counter, and several more, containing bubbling liquids, rested on a work table in the center of the room.

But Harry didn't have a chance to register more than a passing glance at the laboratory. Snape pulled him over to the sink and flung open a pair of drawers underneath. There were some large bottles of cleaning solutions below the sink, and Snape gave his wand a furious flick and a bucket and sponge appeared, too.

"Start scrubbing, Potter," he said between gritted teeth. "This room had better be spotless by the time I return, or you can forget having dinner tonight."

"But, sir...," Harry began, wanting desperately to explain.

"Shut up!" Snape almost threw Harry from him and swept back to the fireplace. Then he was gone.

Harry took a deep breath, and tried to calm his racing heart. It wasn't so bad, really, he told himself. Just cleaning, and he'd certainly had lots of experience with that before. The room already looked spotless, anyway, so it shouldn't be hard work. As angry as he was, Snape hadn't beaten him, or done anything truly horrible.

But he'd threatened to, and the worst part was that he could carry out those threats if he wanted. Harry was his slave, and Snape could do anything to him, and no one could stop him.

Mingled fear and rage swept over him. It wasn't fair. Out of all the spells Malfoy could have cast against him, why had it been a slavery spell? And why, out of all the people at Hogwarts, had Snape had to be the one to catch him?

Because he'd been there. Snape was a fine one to talk about respecting privacy, Harry thought bitterly. At Hogwarts, Snape was always prowling around him, trying to find ways to get Harry and his friends into trouble.

He hadn't even done anything! Madame Pomfrey was the one who'd moved Snape's journal. But of course, Snape wouldn't even give him a chance to explain. Oh, no, the professor just assumed the worst of Harry, like always.

But he had sneaked into Snape's Pensieve that time last year, a small voice in the back of Harry's mind reminded him. He sighed. Going into the professor's Pensieve had been wrong, and Harry knew it. He honestly was sorry about it, too, and not just because he'd seen an unpleasant side of his father.

 

Oh no! Poor Harry, he always seems to get "caught" by Snape at the wrong moment.

I hope Snape figures out a way to get him out of the current situation.

Keep up the great work!

 

Wonderful! I'm glad someone is taking the time to show Snape's good side. I hope Harry is all right! If there's blood "streaming" from is nose and mouth though, that would have to mean he's at least alive and his heart is still pumping his blood, right? If you can figure out the PM list, could you please add me to it, too? Thank you.

 

Capslock Snape! Poor Severus, always thinking the worst. I'm still waiting for Harry to finally snap, but I guess he needs to be conscious first.

Great job!

 

Thank you all!

snowspeeder_gunner: Yes, Harry and Snape always do seem to have bad timing around each other, don't they?

jedimasterjsa: I'm happy you're enjoying SC. Yes, Severus Snape is certainly a complex character. He can be harsh, but he does have his good side, too, and I've enjoyed trying to bring that out more in this story. I think in canon he was so hostile towards Harry partly because the boy reminded of James Potter and how he had suffered at the Marauders' hands, but even more because Harry was a reminder of Lily, her death, and Severus' own worst mistakes in becoming a DE. If only Severus could have ever gotten past that and realized that in some ways he and Harry had a lot in common, I'd like to think they might have reconciled. I really thought JKR was setting a reconciliation up when she had Severus teach Harry Occlumency and see some of his memories of being abused by the Dursleys. I'll always regret that that didn't happen.

Miana Kenobi: Capslock Snape indeed! But Severus is very sensitive about his private thoughts being invaded (understandably), perhaps because at this point he believes that Harry would laugh and mock him behind his back. And thinking that Harry Potter, James Potter's son, would be violating his privacy and ridiculing him is one of the things that pushes Severus right to the brink of his control.

Thanks again! I really appreciate your comments.

Chapter 8

Severus raced over to kneel beside the prone form, his heart in his throat. It gave him cold chills to think of how long the boy must have been breathing in those fumes. Was he even still alive?

He had to be. Severus could not bring himself to imagine otherwise. With icy fingers he fumbled with Potter's wrist, swallowing hard in relief when he found a faint pulse. But it was much too weak for comfort and the boy was obviously badly hurt. With uncharacteristic tenderness, he gathered Potter in his arms and rushed over to the fireplace.

A few seconds later they were in the Hogwarts' infirmary.

"Poppy!" Severus shouted.

She was lying down, still wearing her brown Healing robes, on a cot near Albus' unconscious form. But at the sound of Severus' voice, she sprang up and hurried forward, taking in everything at a glance.

"Set him down here, Severus." She motioned to the closest cot and as Severus carefully laid the boy down, she pulled her wand from her sleeve and began a diagnostic spell.

Severus stepped back and watched as she worked in silence for a little while. He hated feeling so helpless, but his knowledge of healing was limited, mostly related either to injuries caused by Dark magic or to the brewing of medicinal potions. In this case, he thought Poppy could manage better without his assistance.

But it was hard to just have to stand by uselessly as she performed complex healing spells, moving her wand in quick, graceful movements over Potter's chest. Severus clenched his fists in frustration and waited in tense impatience. He wanted to rush over to the boy's side and join in, or at the very least, ask Poppy about his condition. He wanted to do something, anything, to help. But there was nothing he could do, and he didn't want to distract Poppy from her work.

So he waited.

Until finally Poppy straightened. She gave a final flick of her wand, and the blood on Potter's face disappeared, leaving him looking pale and wan and much younger than fifteen.

Poppy went over to Severus. "I've done what I can for now. He'll survive, but his lungs are badly damaged and it'll take some time for them to heal. Can you tell me what happened, Severus?"

Severus looked down, noted his fists, and made himself relax his hands. He dreaded having to tell Poppy. Yes, Potter had deserved some punishment for sneaking into his journal, but it had been very negligent of him to forget the boy and make him stay working in the laboratory all night. Severus was quite ashamed of himself for that. It really was inexcusable.

Finally he said, "He was cleaning and apparently mixed the wrong solutions to

 

Oh boy. Before Harry got hurt, I was hoping that Snape would learn the truth about what happened with his diary. But after Harry got hurt, Snape was feeling guilty enough as it was. I hope this doesn't totally destroy Snape. I'm glad Harry's at least going to survive, but I really hope he doesn't have any serious long-term effects. This was a really great update! BTW, I'm glad you've been posting pretty much every day, it helps to alleviate the anticipation. I know that it's not really feasible for every author to do this, and I don't know if you're planning on doing this all the time (and please don't feel obligated now that I've said something ), but I thank you for it. I also must apologize in advanced because with so many chapters being posted, I may just wait for a couple chapters before replying. (That's kind of ironic, here I am thanking you for all of you're hard work, and then I turn around and say I'm going to be lazy and not review every post. Call me a hipocrite. )

 

Oh wow, that was intense!

I feel bad for Harry, but I think I feel almost as bad for Snape- he must feel awful!

Keep up the great work, this is really awesome!

 

Aw poor Harry. Here's hoping Poppy's super awesome and makes sure there's no damage.


And now that Snape knows, poor Severus! Oh man, he's in for a whole world of regret.

Great job, hun!