Alia: (cringes) Now, don't ya'll give me that look! It was writer's block and I'll be damned if I put up a bunch of shit just to appease you and you know it wouldn't. However, I do believe that I'm back on track with this story. Talk about a breath of fresh air.
Thanks to everyone that reviewed this story. I am so sorry it took me so long to finish this up. I hate myself right now. I haven't updated this baby since September of 2005!
On with the story!
TITLE: Light and Dark Days
AUTHOR: Alia
STATUS/PART: 7
RATING: PG-13
PAIRING: Severus Snape / (who knows)
SPOILERS: not including OotP or HBP
WARNINGS: angst, language, minor character deaths
DISCLAIMER: I don't own HP. I'm still broke, so there!
SUMMARY: Severus leaves the wizarding world after a devastating betrayal. But what will cause him to return? AU to WDCA.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: That's right! SCREW YOU WRITER'S BLOCK!
Light and Dark Days 7
Relieved looks and bright smiles overcame the Minister of Magic and the aurors. Severus stayed next to the door.
Arthur spoke to him. "Would you like to go now?"
"I suppose that would be best." Shacklebolt exited the room quickly followed the Minister and the others. "Tell me everything that you know so far, including anything you left out of the papers."
"Well you know it happened a few days ago," Ron said.
"Harry had been called to Gringotts about an account that had been put in his name. He went to the bank around noon that day, right after we had lunch with Hermione. From what the goblins tell us, Harry had received the key and had gone down to look at the vault."
"Had any precautions been taken?" asked Severus as the group quickly swept down the corridors.
"Yes. Everything had been checked out by one of the goblins before Harry went down. There are still the occasional wackos around that want to take out the boy who lived so he learned to be cautious," said Ron as he continued to answer Snape's question.
"What happened next?" asked Severus as he watched people in the corridors continue to notice him and react. It wasn't quite as entertaining before as some had seen him earlier.
"We went our separate ways. Harry went into the vault while I went to visit mine. I was with him that day. Anyway, the next thing I know, there is a huge explosion coming from the direction I'd left Harry at. The goblins and some wizards that were around ran in that direction. It looked like Gringotts had had a hole ripped into it. The entire vault had been gutted."
Arthur led them into his office and motioned everyone to take a seat. "I'll call St. Mungo's from here."
"Continue," demanded Severus.
"I'd only gotten a glimpse into the vault. There hadn't been much. Plenty of coins and a few antiques but nothing else. It had all been destroyed or strewn about. Some of the vault also ended up blocked from us as a couple walls had collapsed."
"And Potter?"
"Harry was trapped inside. I tried calling to him but either he couldn't hear me, or he couldn't answer. It was probably the latter. Others that were there helped me make a whole big enough for one of the goblins to slip inside and check on Harry. It came back and told us that's he'd been injured and that it was pretty bad."
"Did he give you any specifics?"
"No," said Ron shaking his head.
"Did he tell you anything else about what he saw inside? Did he see anyone else in the vault?"
"No. He said he saw the same amount of damage on the inside as there was on the outside."
"Nothing was burnt or anything?" asked Severus as he remembered he'd seen on Pettigrew and were reportedly on Potter.
"No. Surprisingly the explosion wasn't anything flammable. Things were destroyed because they were forcibly tossed about and from what we found, pressure from inside of the vault may have caused the explosion to blow out of the vault," answered Tonks.
"Hmm." Severus watched as Arthur Weasley spoke with Potter's healer. "What happened afterwards?"
"We got the rubble out of the way and found Harry."
"Where was Mr. Potter and what was his condition when you found him?"
"He was in the far back of the vault, stretched out. It looked as if he'd been blown back. He had these," Ron waved his hands, "shimmering silver burns all over his face, hands and arms. It had even gotten into his hair and burned some of it away. Later we found they'd gone through his clothes as well."
"Silver burns…They weren't any other color afterward were they?"
Ron nodded. "They turned black later and looked like really bad third degree burns. St. Mungo's has tried to treat them and they're going away although slower than they usually would."
Severus nodded silently as Arthur turned to them.
"We're ready to go. We'll just floo through to Harry's floor. The healers are waiting for us." Arthur turned toward the fireplace and entered, leading the way.
Just before entering, Severus turned his head to Ron. "One last question Mr. Weasley. Did you find anything strange at the scene?"
Ron frowned and thought for a moment. "I don't think so. I'll have to check Ministry sources to see what they found."
Severus nodded and followed Tonks into the floo. Shacklebolt and Ron went after them.
Again amusement was prominent on Severus's face as he watched the reactions to his presence. It did take away somewhat that the aurors and Minister of Magic accompanying him found it just as amusing. Just as before, healers, mediwizards, mediwitches, and patients were falling, tripping, double taking or running into things as he walked down the hall with the rest of the group.
Severus rolled his eyes once more as they reached a door. Two healers were standing before it. One was an older man with a pleasant demeanor that was obviously suffering from severe hair loss. The other was a woman who appeared to be around Severus's age. She had a kind air about her although her hair was pulled into a harsh style.
The older gentleman stepped forward. "Minister Weasley! It's a pleasure to see you again."
"Hello Mathias. And how is he today?" asked Arthur, concerned about the boy he thought of as one of his own.
The healer sighed. "He's still unconscious although he is responding to some of the medication. His burns are still healing slowly but cleanly and they aren't infected. We're still researching to see why Mr. Potter has yet to wake up."
"Have you found any abnormalities on Mr. Potter's person? Anything strange?" asked Severus as he eyed the door.
The healer looked at him and jumped in surprise. Severus smirked as the older wizard spoke, "Nothing at this point. The burns that were on Mr. Potter are now the color they are suppose to be rather than the silver color they were when he was brought in."
Everyone nodded as the healer motioned toward the door. Severus looked at the door then back at Shacklebolt. The auror leaned over toward him. "A private wing. We don't want just anyone running around, especially since it looks like Harry was purposely attacked. There are aurors guarding the hall upstairs at all times."
The female healer smiled and opened the door revealing a long narrow staircase. A couple minutes later, everyone was at the top and standing in a long corridor. The older healer took charge. "If you will all follow me this way," he said, throwing a wary glance at Severus. The wizard caught it but ignored it. He was here to see if he could help Potter. There was no other reason.
They reached the fourth door on the left of the long hallway. Two aurors stood outside the door. Both men nodded at the Minister and the other aurors. One jumped slightly in surprise at Snape. The other didn't seem to recognize the potions master. "Although Mr. Potter is unconscious, we ask that you try to keep things quiet. We don't want a profound reaction."
Severus just managed not to roll his eyes. /Please. You should be trying to get a strange reaction so you can find out what the hell is wrong with the boy! Idiots./
Everyone entered the sterile hospital room. Severus looked around at the plain room. It wasn't like usual. It had been decorated by well wishes such as cards, candies, and balloons. /It brings color but it just looks tacky./
Lying in the bed under the blankets was an unconscious Harry Potter. The young man's head was turned to the side while his palms were face up over the covers. He was covered liberally with bandages. They were on his face, hands, arms, neck and chest. Severus also believed that more of the younger man's body was bandaged beneath the covers. He observed Potter's face. /He looks as if he's sleeping peacefully./
Moving away from the group, Severus moved closer to the bed, his eyes still fixed on Harry's face. The potions master frowned. /Wait…There is something wrong./ The rapid eye movement was bothering Severus. It seemed to be much too erratic for someone in a coma like Potter was.
"Might I suggest that you check Mr. Potter's eyes."
The healers looked at each other and frowned. The older man looked at the Minister to see if he should follow the suggestion. Arthur nodded, hopeful that Severus had found something no matter how quickly.
Severus stepped away seeing that he made the healers somewhat nervous. The aurors and the Minister shifted to his side. "What did you see?" asked Tonks excitedly.
"I'm not quite sure yet. I'll need to look at his burns in a moment," Severus muttered softly.
The woman gasped. "Look at his eyes! Is he waking up?" she asked the older healer.
The older man shook his head. "No. No this is something else." Both began using diagnostic spells over the younger wizard. It was a few minutes later when they stopped. Both quickly leaned over the man's body on the bed to compare notes.
A moment later, the man shook his head. "I don't understand. Mr. Potter shouldn't have such rapid eye movement. He's not even in REM sleep!" cried the older man as he threw his arms out to his sides.
Severus frowned. "This started recently?"
"According to the spells," answered the woman, "it seems to be sporadic. We don't have the slightest clue why it's happening. I'm surprised that we haven't caught it before now."
Severus held back a sharp barb on their incompetence and said, "I'll need to get a look at some of Potter's burns." He turned to ask a few question of the aurors and Minister Weasley
The older healer nodded and turned toward a cabinet in the corner for more bandages as the other laid a hand on Harry's forehead, preparing to remove a bandage from the side of his face.
A gasp then a strangled scream caused everyone to jump in surprise. The healer now knelt beside the bed, her face displaying the amount of pain she was in. Her wrist was the cause of it. It was being twisted painfully by her patient's left hand.
"Harry, stop!" cried Ron in alarm as his friend, eyes still closed tightly, sat up in the hospital bed. Shacklebolt and Tonks removed their wands, instantly realizing that something was not right.
Ron rushed forward to rescue the woman only for Harry's right hand to rise and make a dismissing gesture in his direction. Ron found himself flying back through the air and into the door.
"Ron!" cried Arthur. He ran to his son's side, checking to see if Ron was injured. The two aurors that had stood guard outside opened the door to just in time to see the screaming healer tossed over the bed and into her shocked colleague.
Severus watched all of this in disbelief. /What in Merlin's name is going on? Potter's…/ Severus's thought trailed off instantly as shock overcame his senses. Fear, however, was close on its heels. /No. Oh my God./
Sitting up in the bed, with a smirk crossing his face, Harry Potter stared at them with burning red eyes.
Shacklebolt gasped then raised his wand, "Stupefy!" The spell shot towards Harry, only for the younger wizard to mysteriously block it.
Severus took a step back as Tonks and Shacklebolt began trying to subdue Potter who was standing to the left side of the room where the witch had been earlier. Severus glanced at the healers who were digging through a drawer for a sedative. Looking closer at the large cabinet, Severus began moving in that direction, keeping his eyes on Potter's fight with the aurors.
Ronald Weasley had been dragged outside by his father, and the other two aurors were struggling to keep other hospital staff out of the room. Severus kept his eyes on the cabinet, moving quickly when he saw that Potter had his back to him.
The healers were arguing frantically. "How will we even be able to give him a damn sedative? We can't get near him!" cried the witch.
The old man shook his head. "I don't know, but we don't have a choice!"
Severus ignored them as he started searching the top of the cabinet. The wizard at his feet looked up at him. "What are you doing?" he yelled as Severus pulled out a scalpel of all things.
The former professor stared at him coldly. "I'm about to stop the raving mad man over there." Ripping the potion from the healer's hands, Severus turned back to the fight.
Potter was winning with little trouble, although Severus had to wonder how the wizard got his wand. Tonks, Shacklebolt, and one of the aurors that had been outside were struggling to stop Potter, but none of them could get close enough and all were trying to avoid the dark curses, including Unforgiveables, being thrown their way.
He shook his head not believing what he was about to do. /I'm insane. I have to be insane./
Seeing that they were keeping Potter distracted, Severus took a deep breath before charging at Potter's back. The minute he was close enough, the potions master wrapped his left arm around Potter's chest, pinning the younger man's upper arms to his sides.
Potter screamed at the top of his lungs, cursing and thrashing as he tried to free himself. Gritting his teeth, Severus shook Potter furiously before raising his right hand and pressing the scalpel to his throat.
The minute Potter felt the prick of the scalpel at his neck, he froze. Severus growled under his breath. "Now listen to me, very carefully, Potter. You have one choice. Calm Down."
Potter laughed cruelly. Severus shot a look at the three aurors who flinched and looked away from Harry's face. "One choice, eh Snape?" He laughed again but remained still. "And if I don't?"
Severus pressed harder on Harry's neck where there was no bandage. A bead of blood fell from the smooth, shallow cut that was made. "I slit your throat and we see how good the healers here really are." It was said coldly, in a matter of fact manner. Potter had stopped laughing.
"You'd kill me?" whispered the hoarse voice incredibly.
"In a heartbeat." Everyone believed him.
In the next moment, Tonks gasped. "Harry!" The young man instantly began sagging in Severus's arms. The older wizard quickly laid the Boy Who Lived on his back and tossed the now useless sedative aside. Severus forced one eyelid open.
Both opened afterward, once again a brilliant green. Harry frowned. "Severus?"With that the man passed out.
TBC
Alia: Yes! REVIEWS make me happy and make me want to write more. Remember that. REVIEW.