Harry tried to keep his face blank, as his whole body tensed upon Severus Snape’s entrance. Even though he had somehow already expected this “ it was the most logical choice after all, especially after Albus had promised Snape that he would be informed, if an open spot met his requirements - it still came as a shock. Harry tried to catch Dumbledore’s eye, but the older wizard didn’t seem to notice it, as his twinkling eyes were focused on the new professor. Giving up, Harry glanced to his left, where Ron was sitting, also incredible tense and with a deep scowl on his face, and then to his right to Hermione, who had a slight frown creasing her forehead, before his gaze rested again on Snape.
Severus Snape had changed from the last time Harry had seen him here at school. Instead of being tied back, his black hair was now greasy and hanging limply past his shoulders. This wouldn’t have worried Harry much - after all, Draco had complained more than once that he had to wash his hair usually twice a day, because the fumes from potion brewing tended to do this to the hair “ if it hadn’t been for the look in Snape’s eyes. All signs of warmth had disappeared, replaced by the cold and bitter look he was used to from his own time.
“I’m sure most of you still know him from his days as student, but for those of you, who don’t know him, this is Severus Snape. He has graduated from Hogwarts about seven years ago and has since then achieved his Mastery in the field of Potions and spent most of his time afterwards developing potions and working on research for several wizarding companies all over the world,” Albus Dumbledore told them, after everyone had gotten the chance to take a good look at their new colleague. “However, in addition to his new position as professor for Potions, Severus will also take the position as Head of Slytherin House, at least until Eirian is well enough to start working again.”
Quiet murmur broke out among the teachers; apparently none of them had known that the situation with Draco was really that serious that they might need a temporary replacement. Harry’s gaze was still lingering on Snape, who, even though his face and posture betrayed nothing, still emanated some insecurities. It was the way he was just standing there, slightly behind Dumbledore, with his arms crossed over his chest, and trying not to sneer at them. Everyone who didn’t know him as well as Harry did, wouldn’t notice this, but Harry had spent enough time in this man’s presence to know, when he wasn’t feeling comfortable.
Harry let out an almost inaudible sigh, as he suddenly got up from his chair and walked up to Snape. He could feel his friends’ surprised looks burning into his back and skilfully evaded Dumbledore’s twinkling eyes, as he stopped in front of the other wizard and extended his hand. “We have met before, I believe,” Harry said to him, “but we haven’t been properly introduced yet. I’m Harry Potter and I’m teaching Defence.”
Snape was regarding Harry’s hand suspiciously, while Harry was introducing himself, before he eventually shook it. “Severus Snape.”
They gripped their hands tightly, staring directly into the other’s eyes, and immediately Harry felt the slight probing of his mind. It was subtle, yet strong, and Harry had to resist flinching, as he strengthened his Occlumency shields. They fought a quiet battle for a few seconds, until Snape suddenly retreated and sneered at him. Harry, however, simply held his gaze, though he was aware of the curious stares from his colleagues.
Harry and Snape let go of each others hands and immediately after, the other teachers jumped up to greet their new colleague. Harry fell back, standing between his friends, who were looking at him with worried expressions on their faces. Shaking his head, he tried to tell them that he wouldn’t talk about it now. Instead he motioned at them to go forwards, urging them to greet Snape, because it would be too suspicious, if they didn’t. Fortunately Hermione caught on to his signs and tugged at Ron’s sleeve, so that he would follow her.
The rest of this staff meeting passed relatively quickly. After Snape had been welcomed by everyone, the teachers returned to their seats in the staffroom. Seeing as the only empty chair was the one next to Hermione, Draco’s, Snape had to sit there. Harry would have rather liked to have him sit somewhere across from him, so that he could keep an eye on him. Sequences from the vision he had had the previous night shot through his head. It was obvious that Snape was here on Voldemort’s orders; the only question was “ what exactly did Voldemort want?
A few more formalities were talked about, about what exactly Snape had to do as Head of House and about the curriculum and lessons plans of the different years in Potions. Harry was surprised to see, how organized Draco had been with his plans “ everything was completely mapped out, every single lesson until the end of the second term. Somehow Harry couldn’t quite believe that it was possible to stick to this plan, but apparently it somehow worked. Finally, about one and a half hour after it had begun, Dumbledore closed the meeting.
Slowly, one after another, the professors filed out of the staffroom, with Harry and Snape being the last ones to leave. Once again, Harry felt a slight prickle in the back of his head, but this time, he allowed one short message to seep through his shields. Tonight, 10pm, Potions classroom. Snape faltered slightly in his steps, the only sign for Harry that he had gotten the message, while Harry himself went on without hesitating once. Now he could only hope that Snape would be there.
Ron and Hermione were waiting for him around the next corner and looking at him curiously. However, he still just shook his head. “Let’s go to our common room,” he told them, not wanting to be overheard here in the corridor with what he wanted to tell them. His two friends exchanged a questioning look, but didn’t say anything, as they returned to their room.
“So, what is it, Harry?” Ron asked immediately after the portrait had closed behind them. “What was this about?”
Harry was still standing with his back to them, as Ron asked the question, but he turned around to answer. “I suspect that Snape has got something to do with whatever has happened to Draco and that he’s here at Hogwarts on Voldemort’s orders.” To be completely honest, he was a bit taken aback that neither Ron nor Hermione seemed to be surprised by his suspicion.
“I thought as much,” Hermione admitted quietly with a grim look on her face. Harry hadn’t seen her smile since Christmas Eve. However, since the first day, she hadn’t cried either. “It would be too much of a coincidence that at the same time that Draco was attacked and Dumbledore needed a temporary replacement, Snape would be ready, almost waiting for this chance.”
“Now we only need to find out, what he did to Draco,” Ron added.
“And that’s what I’m going to do tonight,” Harry said, stepping up to them. “When he tried to get into my head, when we left the staffroom, I let him see a message. I’m going to meet him at 10 o’clock tonight in his classroom. Alone.”
Ron’s brows furrowed, as he looked at Harry worriedly. “Are you sure that is wise?”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful.” He reassuringly clasped his best friend’s shoulder, before he turned to Hermione. “’Mione, I promise, one way or another, I’m going to find out, what he did to Draco. And then we can help him.”
Hermione’s eyes glistened with unshed tears, but she nodded resolutely. “I know you will, Harry. Thank you.”
The rest of the day couldn’t pass quickly enough for Harry and yet he was surprised, when the alarm clock he had set himself for tonight went off at quarter to ten that night. Lily and James had stayed at home that day, because Sirius and Remus had wanted to come over, but they had promised that they would still keep researching, once the two other Marauders were gone. So Harry, Ron and Hermione had spent most of the day cooped up in their common room, again discarding one book after another without finding anything useful.
Harry only hoped that his meeting with Snape would help them.
Having borrowed the Marauders Map from Draco’s office a few days prior, Harry was pleased to see that Snape was already waiting in his classroom, when he arrived at that door. He quickly stored the map in one of the pockets of his cloak and rapped at the door once before opening it and stepping inside.
Snape whirled around with an angry glare on his face. “What’s the meaning of this, Potter?” he hissed.
After having made sure that the door was closed behind him, Harry descended the stairs until he was only standing a few feet away from the new Potions Master. Deciding that it would be better to not beat around the bush, Harry simply said, “I know that you’re involved in my friend’s illness.”
“I see,” Snape sneered. “Tell me, Mr. Potter, what makes you think that I might have anything to do with whatever has happened to my predecessor?”
Harry didn’t answer. Instead he took a step forward and before Snape could even react, grabbed his left forearm with one hand and pulled the sleeve of the black shirt up with his other hand. There, clearly visible on the pale skin was the Dark Mark. He was met with little resistance, as Snape was too shocked by this sudden move to react at once. However, when he eventually did, Harry let the arm go without a fight, satisfied with what he had seen.
But Snape was livid. He pulled his wand out of its hiding place, but Harry was quicker. With a wandless and non-verbal Expelliarmus, he was holding the wand in his hands just a second before Snape could throw the first spell. “What’s the meaning of this, Potter?” he repeated with a snarl, taking a step back, as he found himself defenceless.
“Voldemort sent you here,” Harry told him. “It was on his order that you, one way or another, poisoned Eirian, or should I rather say, tried to poison me? I know you originally applied for the Defence post, so why should you suddenly be satisfied with Potions? But Voldemort doesn’t care, which post you command, as long as you’re at Hogwarts to spy for him. How am I doing so far?”
“The Headmaster will know about this,” Snape threatened.
Motioning with his hand to the door, Harry said, “Tell him, if he doesn’t know already. I wouldn’t be surprised, if he did. I won’t tell him about your alliance, however. But I warn you, Snape “ Eirian is one of my friends, and if he dies, you’ll pay.” Harry took a step forward, noticing that even though he flinched, Snape didn’t move one more step, and handed Snape his wand, while giving him a piercing look. “Think about it, Snape. If you help us to save Eirian, I will also help you and those you care for.”
Without saying another word, Harry turned on his heels and left the Potions classroom.
But once he had left the dungeons, Harry didn’t go straight back to their common room. Instead he veered off his regular path and walked through the frosty hallways to the Entrance Hall and outside to the grounds. He didn’t feel like going back already. He needed to think.
The doors weren’t even fully closed again behind him, when Harry had already his packet of cigarettes and lighter in his hand. He inhaled deeply and grey smoke rose up in the air, when he exhaled again. His nerves, previously strung up and ready to burst, finally relaxed.
It hadn’t been much, what he had just done, but he hoped it would be enough to get Snape to think about his current position. Harry had never found out, why Snape had changed sides, but something must have triggered it. Because no matter what some people still said about him, Harry knew that Snape was on their side.
At least now, Harry knew due to the lack of denial on Snape’s side that the new professor indeed had something to do with Draco’s condition. At least now, Harry and his friends could exclude curses during their research. It really was most likely a poison, and, he thought with a thinking stomach, it was even more likely that it was a poison that Snape had developed on his own, meaning that no one but the Potions Master self knew what the antidote was.
Apparently they had only one hope for Draco’s survival and this hope was called Severus Snape.
Harry returned to their common room four cigarettes and half an hour later. Naturally, Ron and Hermione were still awake, bent over heavy tomes. Upon hearing the portrait open, both of their questioning gazes landed on him. Harry sat down on his chair with a sigh and told them everything about his meeting with Snape and his conclusion.
“Even if Snape is the only one who knows the antidote, I still won’t give up,” Hermione eventually told them with grim determination once Harry was finished. “I simply can’t accept that there should be nothing we could do, other than waiting for Snape to decide if he wants to change sides.”
“You’re right, ‘Mione,” Ron said, putting an arm around her shoulder. “If there’s someone who could figure out what kind of poison Snape used, it’s you. And then you will also find the antidote.”
Gazing into the fire, Harry wanted to share Ron’s enthusiasm, but somehow found that he couldn’t. Severus Snape was one of the most brilliant Potion Masters in this century and not even Hermione would be able to hold a candle to him.
The following day the students returned from their Christmas vacation and as they entered the Great Hall, many curious gazes immediately wandered to the staff table. They had obviously also read the article in the Prophet and were now either checking if their professor was still ill or if there was a substitute. Whispers broke out, when the students spotted Snape and Harry had to suppress a sigh, as Snape kept glaring at everyone who dared to look at him for more than two seconds. He already felt sorry for the students who had Potions early the next morning.
After dinner, Dumbledore rose from his seat and clapped once into his hands to get the attention of the students. The reaction was almost instantaneous, as suddenly every single boy and girl was looking up at them. But Harry didn’t listen to whatever Dumbledore said. He already knew what he was going to say anyway, as they had talked about it this morning. Albus would confirm the rumour that their previous Potions professor was treated in the Hospital Wing and that his condition was stable but serious. And then he would present Snape as substitute until Professor Draconis could take up his post as teacher again.
There were mixed reactions among the students, when Snape was introduced “ some clapped politely, others with more enthusiasm, others not at all. But excited and nervous talk broke out, when they were sent off to their common rooms and soon after, Harry, Ron and Hermione rose from their chairs to return to their common room as well.
Dumbledore, however, had other ideas. “Harry,” he said. “Do you mind, if we have a word in my office?”
After having quickly exchanged a look with his friends, Harry simply shrugged. “I don’t mind.” He was a bit disconcerted that the twinkle in Dumbledore’s eyes was a bit subdued and that he didn’t talk, as they were walking to Dumbledore’s office. But he guessed he already knew what the Headmaster wanted to talk to him about “ his clandestine meeting with Snape the previous night.
Once they had reached the office, both of them sat down, Dumbledore behind his desk and Harry on a comfortable chair across from him. The seriousness of the situation was even more strengthened by the absence of Dumbledore’s offer of a sherbet lemon. “I believe you know why I asked you to talk to me?”
“I guess it’s about my meeting Snape last night, isn’t it?” Harry answered to Dumbledore’s question.
Dumbledore nodded, gazing at him over his half-moon spectacles. “I hope you are aware of the consequences your actions of the previous night might have.”
“Albus,” Harry sighed, “I know we haven’t seen directly eye to eye during the last few days, but I ask you to trust me on this. I’m nearly one hundred percent sure that Snape has poisoned Draco on Voldemort’s orders. How he did it is not important right now, but I know that to save Draco, we need Snape. Hermione doesn’t want to believe it, but I think that this poison is one of Snape’s own concoctions and that only he knows how to brew the antidote. We need him to cooperate.”
“And how do you think your actions from last night would help you achieve this?”
“He knows now that I know what he is, a Death Eater. And that I know that he’s behind this. Still, I don’t force him to do anything. Instead I simply offered my help, in case he decided to help us.”
“If I may ask, how do you want to help him? Or rather, what do you want to help him with?” Dumbledore asked with just a little bit of curiosity in his voice.
Harry looked at him, straight into his eyes. He had already expected this question and knew what to answer. “Don’t ask me how I know this, because I won’t tell you, but Voldemort threatens Snape’s family. If Snape decides to help us, I’m going to do everything in my power to make sure that his family is safe.”
“I see,” Dumbledore simply replied and took a deep breath. “All right. I’ll let you have free reign over this situation, as long as it doesn’t get out of control. Severus Snape is a highly intelligent man and a powerful wizard. I don’t think I have to ask you not to underestimate him.”
“Of course not,” Harry answered sincerely. “But to be completely honest, Snape has changed sides in our time. No one but you and Snape know the reason for this, but if I may guess, I’d say his wife and children might have played an important role in his decision to become a spy for the Order.”
The next few days passed nearly in a blur. With the start of classes, Harry and his friends didn’t have much time anymore to do research on Draco’s condition. However, while Harry had lost almost all hope to find something since deducing Snape’s role in the whole affair, and even Ron admitted that it was even harder than looking for a needle in a haystack, Hermione was still spending every free minute hovering over one of the books. Harry had even discovered her sleeping at the table in their common room more than once.
Harry and Ron still helped her of course, but every day at mealtimes or during staff meetings, Harry glanced at Snape in the hope to find that something had changed. In vain. The only thing Snape ever did was something Harry was more than used to, so the glares didn’t affect him as Snape would like them to. Still, Harry knew that they were slowly running out of time. Only Snape knew how long Draco would stay like this until it got worse, if it got worse.
Naturally, the three of them also had to endure questions from the student body. Apparently, all of them were worried about their Potions professor, but the only thing Harry and his friends could answer them was what Dumbledore had already told them on their first day back “ that Professor Draconis’ condition was serious but stable.
Before they knew it, the first week of the second term was over, and then the second and the third. Soon more than a month had passed since Christmas. By now, Hermione had taken to bring the books she wanted to read and reread with her into the Hospital Wing, so that she could spend more time at Draco’s side, while still doing research. When she had noticed how much time had already passed since Christmas and how often she had visited him for longer than just a few minutes, she had immediately felt guilty. It was since then that she went directly to the Hospital Wing after classes to prepare her lessons and look for something, anything that might help Draco.
Harry, also feeling remorse about his lack of visits, had decided to check on Draco and Hermione at least once a day. Still, after each time, he felt the frustration build up in him. Every time nothing had changed since his last visit. Draco was still lying on his bed in the back of the Hospital Wing, his skin almost as pale as the sheets, unmoving, still unconscious. And Hermione was also beginning to look worse for wear. Harry and Ron had to make sure that she ate something, but she still lost weight. There were dark rings under her eyes and the eyes were bloodshot. All in all, she didn’t look much better than Draco.
Every day the trio had the same unchanged routine. Getting up, going to their classes, returning to their common room “ or in Hermione’s case to the Hospital Wing “ preparing lessons and researching. It was tedious and wearing work, especially seeing as it all seemed to be for nothing.
However, this all should change, as Harry noticed, when one morning in the beginning of March the door to his Defence classroom was suddenly opened and a first year Gryffindor stumbled inside, completely out of breath. “Professor Potter, Sir!”
“What is it?” Harry asked, as his heart began to beat faster. “Is something wrong?”
“Madam… Madam Pomfrey sent me… I was just there, because I had missed a trick step and stumbled… and she told me that… that you should come to the Hospital Wing… right now…”
No! Harry thought, already imagining the worst. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he eventually said, “Class dismissed. Mr. Haines, please accompany Mr. Vaughan back to your common room. He will be excused from his other classes today.”
As soon as the last student had filed out of the classroom, Harry left it as well. With a quick wave of his wand the door was locked and a note was pinned to it, telling the students that classes on that day were cancelled, and then he was already hurrying through the empty hallways until he finally reached the Hospital Wing. Harry didn’t even pause to catch his breath and just threw the door open, ready to deal with whatever he might see there.
But as soon as his gaze landed on Draco’s bed, he stopped dead in his tracks, not believing his eyes. He could only stare in shock at Draco, who was sitting up in the bed and, though still looking pale, engaged in a discussion with Hermione. They both looked up, as they heard him, however, and Draco had a quite amused smirk on his face.
“Cat got your tongue, Potter?”
“You’re awake…” Harry mumbled stupidly, as he blinked. “How…?”
“We don’t know,” Hermione told him with a happy smile on her face. “I’ve just arrived here a few minutes before you and Draco was just explaining…”
Exactly at this moment, the door to the Hospital Wing burst open again. All three of them turned to the door, only to hear Ron exclaim, “Bloody hell!”
“My thoughts exactly, mate,” Harry chuckled, as Ron came up to them. “Don’t get us wrong, Draco… But we didn’t expect you to wake up like this.”
“So Hermione told me,” Draco replied. “I just woke up about an hour ago and asked myself just what the bloody hell I was doing in the Hospital Wing. I couldn’t believe it, when Hermione told me that it’s March already.”
“So… you’re feeling okay?” Harry asked him.
“Still a bit peaky and tired, but otherwise fine, yeah,” Draco answered.
“But still not well enough to have so many visitors at once,” Madam Pomfrey, who just came out of her office, interjected. “In a few minutes the only person I want to see here is Miss Granger.”
A pensive frown creased Harry’s forehead. Could it be that Snape had somehow slipped Draco the antidote last night? “Madam Pomfrey, if Eirian is feeling up to it, I’d like me and Ron to stay a bit longer. There’s much we have to talk about.”
The matron gave Draco a scrutinizing look, before she eventually sniffed and answered, “All right. You’ve got an hour. I’ll be in the greenhouses, should there be any problems.”
Once Madam Pomfrey was gone, Harry finally asked, “Do you remember what happened at Christmas?”
Draco answered with a shake of his head. “Not much after I returned from my walk. And Hermione told me that I started to act strange then. More than two months… I can’t believe it. Who has taken over my classes?”
Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged a quick glance, before Hermione eventually said, “Dumbledore hired a substitute in your absence. It’s… Snape.”
“I see... He’s still a Death Eater, isn’t he? What else has happened, while I was… indisposed.”
Harry, Ron and Hermione spent the next hour explaining everything that had happened during the previous two months and Harry also explained about his theory that Snape might have poisoned him. Draco agreed that it was a likely possibility. Not long into their explanation, Dumbledore arrived. He, just like the rest of them, was surprised to see Draco up and about and he had a few questions.
Much too soon, the hour was up and though many questions were still open, Madam Pomfrey, who had arrived right on time, shooed them out of the Hospital Wing. Just as she had said, only Hermione was allowed to stay. But neither Harry nor Ron returned to their duties that day. Instead they found themselves in the common room, talking about this surprising turn of events and waiting for lunch.
In the Great Hall, Harry was once again observing Snape, although he was looking for something slightly different now. He was looking for any sign from the professor that he now wanted Harry’s help. But he couldn’t detect anything. The frown on his face returned. Something wasn’t quite right. So after lunch, Harry intercepted Snape in front of an empty classroom and motioned to him to go inside.
“And again I ask you, Mr. Potter, what’s the meaning of this?” Snape sounded rather impatient.
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard, but Professor Draconis woke up this morning. According to Madam Pomfrey, he’s in a much better condition than last night, and I wanted to thank you. You obviously gave him an antidote, and I’m wondering now, why you don’t ask me to fulfil my part of the offer.”
A sneer spread over Snape’s lips and his dark eyes glinted cruelly. “Your deductive skills, Mr. Potter, are thoroughly amazing and yet at the same time completely pathetic. I’ve got nothing to do with the miraculous recovery of Mr. Draconis. Maybe,” he said, as he walked past a surprised Harry, “you should learn that not all things are as they seem.”
Harry didn’t tell his friends about his second meeting with Snape and they didn’t question him, when he once again began to get lost in his thoughts, pondering about what the Potions Master had said. Harry had even almost forgotten to inform his parents about this sudden development. Both of them were happy, of course, though James was also a bit suspicious. He still wasn’t too fond of Snape, no matter what Harry had told him about the Snape in their time.
They paid Draco another visit that night before dinner and then again the following day after classes. As usual, Hermione was already there when Harry and Ron “ who was doing this a bit grudgingly “ arrived that evening, and she and Draco were laughing about something. It was somehow weird for Harry to see Draco with a genuine smile on his face “ something that apparently only occurred, when he was alone with Hermione, because as soon as he noticed that they were there, the smile was replaced by his trademark smirk.
“You’re just coming at the right time,” Draco told them. “Hermione was just about to finally tell me, why I always lose so much money in our bets about the Quidditch Cup.”
Hermione, who was also already looking a lot better than just two days ago, shook her head with a soft smile on her face. “Honestly, Draco… Did you really think that I’d become Head of Gryffindor in our time without researching how the Quidditch matches in the last fifty years ended?”
“Blimey!” Ron gasped astounded.
“For once, I agree with you, Weasley,” Draco smirked. “Who would’ve thought that a Gryffindor cheated like a”“
Whatever Draco wanted to say, he didn’t get to finish his sentence, as suddenly an agonized look crossed his face and just a second later, a terrible scream erupted from his throat. He flung himself back onto the mattress with flailing limbs, as if he had a seizure. Hermione jumped back with a startled cry, as Draco’s back arched and another pained scream escaped his lips.
Madam Pomfrey was immediately at their side, roughly shoving a shocked Hermione behind her to get a good look at her patient. She wove her wand above him in intricate patterns, and soon pearls of sweat were appearing on her forehead. “Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, get Miss Granger out of here. I need space to work on my patient. I’ll Floo-call your room, when I know more.”
Harry looked at Hermione and saw the silent tears that were running down her cheeks. He and Ron only nodded at each other, before the redhead walked up to her and put a gentle arm around her shoulder, to lead her away. Hermione resisted at first, but after a few soft urging words from Ron, Harry saw her nod eventually and they left the Hospital Wing.
The wait in their common room was excruciatingly long. Hermione was simply sitting in her armchair with an unopened book lying in front of her. Her knees were drawn up to her chin, as she was staring expectantly into the fire. None of them said a word. They didn’t need to, because there was nothing to say.
Finally Madam Pomfrey’s head appeared in the fire. Her face was flushed and she looked as if she were in a hurry. “It’s bad,” she told them. “If we don’t find an antidote this night, I don’t think he’ll survive.” And then she was already gone again.
A sob burst from Hermione, but tears didn’t fall. Instead she just got up, sat down at the table and opened a book. Even though they knew that it was probably hopeless, Harry and Ron joined her. Not all things are as they seem. Those words haunted Harry. He was now pretty sure that Snape meant this. Draco hadn’t recovered from the poison, no, it was just its regular process, giving the victim a day or two of respite before ending his life.
It was already dark outside and soon after staring at those tiny letters in the book in front of him, Harry felt a creeping headache coming. He rubbed his forehead and closed his eyes, barely aware that the sounds of pages being turned or quiet sniffs melted into the background. Until he suddenly found himself standing in a completely different room.
It was a dark and dank room, with only one window at the wall. The only light came from a chandelier at the ceiling, but this light was not enough to chase away the darkness that lurked in the corners. Next to a rickety bed at one wall, a wooden table in front of the window and a dark green carpet on the floor the room was empty. There were no tapestries or paintings at the stonewalls. No one would willingly live in this room, and yet, it wasn’t unoccupied.
In front of him a blond woman was huddling, clutching two smaller bundles tightly against her chest. She was trembling, but as she looked up, she was doing it with rebelliously blazing blue eyes. Harry recognized her immediately, even though her ashblond hair was a tangled mess and her face streaked with dirt and tears. It was Clara, Snape’s wife.
“Mum…” a small voice whispered and Harry laughed. One of the small bundles seemed to shrink against the woman, shaking violently.
“Hush, Jocy… It’ll be alright… Daddy’ll come and save us…”
“Really touching, dear Clara,” Harry hissed, raising his hand, in which pale long fingers he held his wand. “But didn’t your parents tell you to tell no lies? Severus won’t save you. He has betrayed you.”
“No!” she yelled fiercely. “Severus would never betray me! He loves me!”
Harry shook his head with an amused smirk on his face. “Such loyalty. It’s a pity, really… Don’t you know that this pathetic feeling you call love will only bring you pain? Crucio!”
The woman screamed and at the same moment another wail could be heard, coming from the second bundle. It was a baby, only a few months old. The girl in Clara’s other arm whimpered, crying silently for her father.
Harry lowered his wand, giving the family a short moment of respite, before he cast another Cruciatus, indulging in the screams of the woman and the cries of the children. He laughed.
“Harry, mate! Wake up!”
Harry’s head jerked upwards, the pain in his scar nearly unbearable. He jumped up from the chair, stumbling a few steps and blindly reaching for something to support him. When his hand finally grasped the backrest of an armchair, Harry tried to take deep breath, keeping his eyes closed and concentrated on his Occlumency shields. Soon the throbbing in his forehead subsided and he opened his eyes again, turning to his friends with a shaky and hopefully reassuring smile.
“Are you okay?” Ron asked worriedly.
“’m alright,” Harry gasped. Yes, he was okay, but someone else wasn’t. While he was here in his cosy common room, Clara and her children were being tortured. He had to do something! He couldn’t just sit back and not do anything! Snape’s family was about to die! Yes, Harry was sure that Voldemort would kill them. He had the room directly in front of his inner eye, he could visualize everything he needed to know to…
Whirling around, he waved his hand and opened the door to his bedroom. A second later, his Thunderbolt flew right into his outstretched and he turned to his friends.
“Harry?” Ron whispered.
“Ron, Hermione, please listen closely and don’t ask questions. I don’t have much time,” Harry told them urgently. “Ron, you go to Dumbledore. Tell him to come to the Hospital Wing and to lower the wards around it by 20, no, make that 30 percent. Hermione, you go and get Snape. Come to the Hospital Wing as well. I’ll meet you there.”
“Harry! What are you doing?” Hermione asked shrilly.
He gave his friend a lopsided grin. “Giving in to my saving-people thing.”
With another wave of his hand the tall window of their common room burst open and Harry mounted his broom.
“Hurry!” he told his friends, before he pushed off the ground and raced out of the window.