The Wails of a Lion
Chapter 11: Snow!
Harry Potter does not belong to me.
Warning: there will be spelling errors until this has been seen by the beta
"Ah Severus" Dumbledore said as the latter entered his office.
"You have been spending the most time with young Harry out of all of the stuff, you appear to have taken an interest in him?"
Snape gave a nod with his head and sat down in the chair opposite.
"Tell me truthfully, what do you think of his home life"
"What may I ask has spurred this curiosity?"
"I had a meeting with him just last night, the boy was asking to return home for good"
Snape's eyes narrowed "I have been keeping an eye on him since I first came across him in the dungeons. I did a quick spell to cheek his condition while he was sleeping one night"
"You have never mentioned this before"
"You did not ask"
"Go on"
"No sign of bruising or any thing that would point towards any physical abuse, there were signs that he had been recently quite ill, he was however malnourished, and at first I put that down to his just recovering form being ill, it appeared he had had several good meals recently at least, but I am now starting to wonder."
Dumbledore leaned forward "nether Lily nor James were practically short"
Severus nodded "it is very possible that the boy's size is a sign of long term malnutrition"
"If that is the case then it explains some of the unusualness of the boy"
Snape sneered, "the burning of witches and wizards"
Dumbledore leaned back in his chair "so he is being neglected and apparently emotionally abused, what do we do? Keep him here?"
"The prophecy mentions betrayal, people are not betrayed by there enemy's but by those they trust, look up to or love, if he stay's here we will be encouraging …attachments" Snape replied
"Attachments he is forming any way"
"His brother"
"And his friends" said Dumbledore
"Keeping him here for the summer when he wishes to leave might be unwise, he is not being abused physically, and if the Muggle's are neglecting him I suspect that they will not dear continue, have you not contacted them before to take the boy?"
Dumbledore nodded
"They fear you"
"Sadly"
Snape sorted "useful, if they fear you and they know the boy is returning to you at the end of the summer"
"You think they will treat him better?"
"They are more likely to fed him properly, and if not he his here for most of the year"
"And the emotional abuse"
"Time"
Dumbledore sighed, "I thought Harry was the lucky one"
"You have been blinded Albus, Potter is the lucky one"
"You must learn to tell the difference…"
"Am I the one that needs to differentiate between two completely different boys? Or are you truly that blind"
"Severus…"
"Harry Potter and Tom Riddle are very different Albus, you are letting your emotions get in the way"
Dumbledore closed his eyes "I am trying to prevent making old mistakes"
Snape raised his eyebrows "By making new ones instead?"
Snow was falling out side, the first snow of the year.
Harry was particularly inattentive in his classes that day.
He was not often aloud out side during the winter; he had never played in the snow.
He enthusiastically rushed out of transfiguration at lunchtime and into the courtyard.
Ron and Hermione struggled to keep up "Harry what's wrong?" Hermione asked when she had caught up.
He was standing in the middle of the courtyard, just standing steering with an odd expression in his face.
"Nothing" he said smiling at her then leaped onto his hands and knees and ran his bear hands through the snow.
"Um what are you doing?" Ron asked his crouched friend.
"Playing in the snow" Harry replied seriously as he examined some snow closely in his hand.
Suddenly he laughed and rubbed it on his face.
Some near by 5th years had stopped and were looked at the crouched boy laughing and rubbing snow on himself as if he was odd, but Harry didn't notice.
Hermione and Ron glanced at each other.
"Snow!" Harry exclaimed and tossed some at Ron.
Ron stood still for a moment surprised, spiting snow form his mouth.
Harry watched him for a moment then began laughing; Hermione giggled her hand over her mouth.
A big grin covered Ron's mouth.
"Oh yeah Harry" he said and crouched down himself to roll up a ball of snow in his fist.
Harry didn't move instead he watched Ron intently.
Ron stood back up and walked so he was right above him, Harry just steered at him curiously.
"Snow fight!" Ron suddenly yelled and threw the snowball right in Harry's face then ran of to quickly make another.
Harry looked blankly for a moment but then another snowball hit him, this time from the other direction.
He turned to see Hermione smiling at him.
The three pummelled each other for minutes laughing and throwing and running.
"What is the meaning of this!"
They stopped and turned around.
Ron quickly dropped the snowball he was holding and Hermione started to brush the snow from her uniform.
Harry turned and steered at Snape not letting go of his own snowball.
He was like a big bat standing in the snow.
Several groups of students were watching now.
But Harry was having so much fun! More fun than ever!
His chest felt big and inflated and happy.
His mouth was sore from smiling and laughter.
And standing there in the middle of the white snow and cowering students stood Snape, he knew he should feel afraid but there was such high exhilaration inside of him.
His arm moved.
The snowball flew through the air.
And smashed all over Snape's robes.
By the look on his face the great bat had not been expecting it Harry realised.
He suddenly laughed so hard he thought he would burst.
It took him moments to realise tears were streaming down his red cheeks.
He was only vaguely aware of the courtyard of people all steering at him.
"Enough" Snape hissed and marched up to the hysterical boy.
He sized the boy by the arm "silence!"
The boy stopped for a moment and looked up at the enraged man.
Snape glared back at the green eyes of a currently immature and hyperactive child, and felt something in himself, like a distant ache, but quickly pushed it away.
It was then that Harry did notice all of the other students looking at him, but it just seemed so absurd, so ridiculous, and so funny…
An almightily snort erupted from his noise and he started to laugh again.
A sprinkle of barely suppressed giggles started around the courtyard and Snape sent them all a death glare before dragging the boy away by his arm.
A generation ago…
Lilly laughed at the look on Severus's face.
He wiped the snow form his face with his sleeve and looked at her like she was insane.
"What are you doing?" he asked
"It's called a snow fight," she said
"I know what it's called!" he barked at her.
She grinned in response and started to gather another.
"Don't you dare" he said putting his book away in his bag to protect it from his currently hyperactive friend.
"Dare? Isn't that the wrong thing to say to a Gryffindor?" she said and threw another one at him.
"Evens" he hissed and glared at her
She chuckled "yes professor?" her red hair messy, her green eyes laughing at him.
His lips suddenly turned into a lop-sided grin.
"You'll pay for that!" he said and graved some snow into both hands and flung it at her.
Harry found him self once again in Snape's office.
While he had been being dragged down into the dungeons by the clearly very angry Professor Harry's hummer, excitement and pure stupidity had warn off.
Regret did not quite explain how he was feeling.
He had felt so wild and excited and free and happy, when his arm had been graved it had sobered him for a moment but then everything had seemed so ridiculous!
He didn't know he was capable of feeling such a high followed so quickly by such a low.
He felt like the life had been sucked from his stomach.
The sick feeling he had been so used to returned.
Snape was facing away from him.
It was minutes before Snape said anything; Harry stood awkwardly feeling more and more anxious as time went by.
"You had a meeting with Dumbledore" Snape said suddenly although he did not move to turn around.
Harry took a step back.
"I thought I made it clear that the consequences would be severe should you attempt to leave again" his voice was low and filled with anger.
Suddenly Snape turned around and swiftly moved towards Harry.
Harry was frozen, he stopped breathing, he was not aware of his limbs, only Snape's movements.
"Evil vial boy" His uncle yelled and whacked Harry around the face so that Harry was sent backwards to the ground.
He watched Snape's hand as if in slow motion, as it flung out towards him, instinctively he flinched back.
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Snape marched up to the boy and shot out his arm to grasp his chin.
The boy was steering at him with wide eyes and noticeably flinched back just before he graved hold of his chin.
With his hand now firmly holding the boy he could feel the child shaking.
His old suspicions once again resurfaced.
"Look at me" he said
The boy's eyes shifted momentarily to his but then averted back to the ground.
"Are you deaf? I said look at me!" he hissed.
Harry's green eyes finally settled uncomfortably on his.
"Legilimens" he whispered.
A generation ago…
"Keep closed your eyes
Away from the scaring sun
Keep still my child
Feel my heart beet
My blood pumps with love
For my child so sweet"
Lilly finished the song and looked over at Severus who had his eyes closed.
He didn't move for a while after she had finished, but she felt so calm and still herself she was content.
Besides it was nice to see her friends face with out worry.
The way he was just then his head resting against her favourite tree by the lake was perfect.
"Hello Lilly"
She looked up to see James and his friends.
"Hello" she replied wearily
James was steering at her intently "why do you spend so much time with a slytherin?" he asked
"Severus is my friend"
"He's a dark wizard"
"Why, because his uniform is green or are you just jealous?" she snapped at him
James glared angrily at her.
She could see Severus out of the corner of her eye, his face had taken on a blank look and Lilly knew it was masking what ever he was truly feeling.
A snort of laughter came from the boy right beside James, Sirius Black "jealous of Snivellus? How ridiculous, James jealous of a greasy little slytherin!"
"He may be a slytherin but he's a lot nicer than any of you, would you listen to yourselves!" she stood up and began marching towards James.
She did not notice Severus standing awkwardly just behind her.
"Now leave us alone or I'm going to talk to Professor McGonagall about your harassment"
"What ever Evens" James said
He and his friends gave one last laugh and walked away.
Lilly knew she was red in the face. She was angry.
"Sorry about them" she said and turned and jumped a bit when she saw that Severus was right beside her, he was looking at her almost as intently as James had been just moment's before.
His dark coloured eyes steering at hers in a way she always found frustrating.
He gave nothing away about what he was thinking or feeling.
"How was I?" she asked
He did not answer for a few moments "you let them upset you far to easily"
"That's not what I meant and you know it"
"Your singing was satisfactory, but you still need more practice"
Lilly suddenly flashed him a smile of white teeth "your singing was satisfactory"
He did a small frown and sat back down pulled his backpack towards himself and graved the latest potions text he had borrowed from the library.
Lilly flopped down and lay on her back looking up through the trees great brunches she breathed in deeply.
"I love the spring," she said.
"I noticed" Severus smiled at her over the top of his book.
There was a terrible pressure behind his eyes… then…
The small boy was curled up crying on the floor of the cupboard under the stairs.
His little body was shaking.
There were welts on the boys back.
He was humming the tune to the lullaby his mum used to sing to him while the tears still slid silently down his cheeks
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The room was decorated for Christmas; there was a big tree and tinsel placed over the fireplace.
A boy stood cleaning the window steering longingly out at some other children having a snow fight.
The sounds of their laughter could be herd clearly from where Harry stood.
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"Foul evil little brat" the women said and slapped the boy around the face.
A tear escaped and slid down his cheek.
Suddenly she slapped him again, this time harder.
"Stop it!" she growled.
Harry quickly wiped his face on his sleeve and concentrated on preventing any other tears appearing.
"Do it all again" she said and threw the rag at him "and this time scrub harder" she turned away leaving Harry to scrub the garage floor of its oil stains.
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Harry ran outside into the back yard, rain pouring down on his face.
He was turning around and around his arms outstretched humming the tune he could only just remember.
The wind was turning around him.
His eyes were closed.
He could not see the leaves being thrown around him.
There was a sudden scream from inside the house.
But Harry was caught up in his world of wind.
A big fat man came running out.
He paused for a moment with his mouth open before lunging forward and graving the boy by his arm.
He threw the child to the ground; the wind gave one last powerful blow before coming to a standstill.
There was now just still rain, and a man glaring down at a cowering boy.
"Thought you would sneak out side while we were out boy?" he bent down and whispered in Harry's ear.
The boy began to push him self-away but the man got a hold of his arm again and yanked him to his feet before dragging him back towards the house.
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Harry felt his world come back into focus.
He was shivering.
He could feel his blood through his body pounding.
Snape had not let go of him.
He was steering hard at him.
What had the man done to him? Had he seen what he had seen also?
"That tune you were humming, what was it?" he finally asked
"I… I'm not really sure; I can sort of remember it… I'm not sure where from and…sometimes when its windy" He fell silent.
"Sometimes when its windy what!" Snape asked tightening his grasp.
"Its like the wind is humming it," he said meekly.
Snape let go of his face suddenly as if he was touching something foul or frightening.
He took several steps back his eyes never leaving Harry.
Harry shifted his weight from foot to foot his eyes fixed on the floor.
"Come" Snape said suddenly and swept from the room.
Harry ran to try and keep up.
When Snape came to a sudden halt Harry nearly ran right into him.
The professor turned and glared at him "wait here" he said
Snape went into his classroom where his 7th year class had just arrived.
Harry peered around and watched as Snape wrote some instructions on the board.
"I will be back at the end of class to cheek that you have all completed the set work to a satisfactory standard" he said and marched back to were Harry stood waiting.
He pushed the boy forward.
The walked quickly up and out of the castle.
Harry thought of asking what was happening but kept quiet.
They marched through the courtyard out into the hill side then down towards the lake.
They stopped by a tree.
Snape turned and looked at him.
"Close your eyes" he said
Harry frowned "why?"
"10 points from gryffindor… at this rate Gryffindor will be in the negative, the single lowest point score in the schools history achieved single headedly by a selfish little first year" he sneered.
Harry closed his eyes his hands clenched angrily into fists.
"That memory in your guardians garden. Do what you did then"
He remembered how it felt.
How the wind was all around him.
How he could feel it… and here it.
How calm he had felt until his uncle had arrived.
He didn't feel calm though.
He felt angry and upset and afraid.
But then a gust of wind flew by his ear.
He latched onto it.
It swirled around him again.
It was humming.
There was a women's voice.
He reached out his hands.
She was everywhere.
She was singing but he couldn't tell what the words were, it was too unclear.
The wind was turning into beautiful colours, emerald green and red.
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Snape watched as the wind was starting to pick up.
The boy's fists were slowly releasing.
A small smile had appeared on his face.
His arms rose as if he was reaching for something or someone.
The wind blew stronger.
Then Harry began to hum, just like he had in the garden.
The wind was wailing around them both now, small pieces of snow were being picked up by the wind and spun around.
Snape took a small step towards the boy, and closed his own eyes.
The child's voice was high as he had yet to reach the age where his voice had broken.
For a moment with his eyes closed it was like he was back there, with her, in that time and place where the world had seemed perfect.
But reality was harsh.
He opened his eyes, and Lilly was not there, instead it was her son, a small replica of James.
He felt anger surge though him and took a deep breath to push the feelings away.
Suddenly the boys face screwed up in concentration.
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Harry could here a boy crying.
He couldn't make out whom.
Couldn't tell where he was.
Something was wrong.
The wind was there with him, in his ears.
He needed to ask what was happening, and why, but he didn't know how.
"Help me" he heard the boy's words as if echoed in a big building.
"Save him" the singing voice of a woman fluttered past him.
"How? What's happening?" he asked but there was no reply.
Then he could here it in the wind, footsteps.
They were heavy and horrible sounding.
They were dark.
They were coming towards him.
Suddenly he felt a horrible fear.
The red and green had disappeared; instead the winds colours were all turning to darkness.
He tried to get away.
He forced his eyes open.
There was a strong gust of wind all around him, snow was being thrown around, and it was as if he was suddenly in the middle of a blizzard.
He could see the dark robes of Snape through the snow.
But still the footsteps kept coming.
"HELP! " he screamed to Snape "HELP ME!"
He ran towards the man.
Snape was moving towards him he could see his shape just beyond the fastest torrent of wind.
He could here the man was screaming something at him.
But his voice was being carried away unlike the footsteps.
There was a horrible stinging pain in his forehead.
A horrible voice calling his name.
Then he felt himself falling.
The snow was cold on his face.
Then all was black.
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The wind was no longer in a single gust instead it seemed to be lashing out.
The boys frown and deepened.
"How? What's happening?" he suddenly asked.
Then all the colour left Harry's face.
Something wasn't right.
Snape made to move forward and grave the boy but the wind lashed out at him blowing him over.
He righted him self and tried again but he could only get so far before the wind became too strong.
The boy had started to scream.
He felt his own panic.
This had never happened before to either his mother or Lilly, he had never been unable to reach them.
He had to reach the boy.
"HEEEELP, HEP MEEEE" he could here the wind blown words of the boy's screams for help.
"LOOK AT ME" he screamed back "FOCUS ON ME" he needed to get the boys concentration away from the wind.
The boy was trying to reach him; he reached out for him also.
The boy fell.
The wind stopped.
He rushed forward and knelt by the boy.
There was blood running down his face.
Picking him up he turned and ran back to the castle.
There was fear and sadness and a flash of green light then Michel's eyes flew open.
He couldn't remember falling asleep.
He pushed himself up of the couch where he had been reading a book Albus had assigned to him.
Slowly he made his way over to the window and opened it for some fresh air.
He felt it enter and he felt refreshed almost immediately.
He smiled as the cold air swam by him humming in his ears comforting him.
He looked down and saw something black moving thought the snow.
Then as it got closer he could make out Snape running, carrying something… some one he realised.
"Harry!" he said and turned and ran for the door.
His brother was hurt.
Authors Note:
This chapter is a bit shorter than my more resent one's for this story. Sorry.
Any way…
CatWriter: I really enjoyed reading your review! I agree totally with nearly everything you said! I laughed at the part about kicking Dumbledore's 150-year-old arse. I almost feel like I should review your review since it was so long! So here goes: brilliant piece of writing, I really enjoyed it! Can't wait for more!
Alex: thank you for your review. Not looking at some one can look like you are choosing to ignore them I think. The reason why Dumbledore went to that reason is because he was convinced that Harry would be like Tom. He saw what he wanted to see.
Snape's not a practically nice person with Harry… But better some one than no one…
Michel can be arrogant and selfish and a bit of a brat, but he is capable of kindness…
Bsum1: thank you very much for the offer, I currently do have a Beta but she is very busy. I am going to try and get hold of her soon and if she is to busy I will send you an e-mail or something! Thank you again!
Also thank you to the following wonderful people: Olaf74, Ali-chan et Vani-chan, Obsessive Child, dragongirljun, ARROWED (interesting review! I had not thought of it like that before), windlg, Lord of the Trees, flower123, rellenh, scardi, vincent1875, RRW, Wolven Spirits, Tara-Yo, Bezzie, FrostyAKF, Nymoue, Serpent91, dexterZ, SiriusRulez.