Chapter 7
Privet Drive
After his talk with Nagini, Harry had hoped that she had delivered his message to her master and that meant that the man was on his way to kill him. His scar had been hurting lately, but he didn’t think it was because Voldemort was angry. No, the pain came whenever their minds were connected. It was always like he was floating around in the madman’s head looking at different memories pass by. He couldn’t get further in order to look at them because the last time he did he had burned his hand and woke up with a bad migraine. Now every time he is in his dreams-cape he just watches the memories go by. His aunt and uncle had been less than pleased with his unfinished chores. His aunt screeched at him about being an ungrateful freak while his uncle took a belt to Harry’s healing back. At least it wasn’t the whip. The belt had left whelps, but it didn’t break the skin, only bruised not that that made it any better. The wounds on his back had begun to burn and he was sure that by now he had developed some sort of infection. Which only served to make the beating ten times more excruciating. To make matters worse on the way out Dudley had “accidentally” stomped on his hands and broken his fingers. His aunt looked on in disgust as Harry cradled his broken hand with tears running down his face while his uncle laughed and praised his son for what he had done.
That had been a couple days ago and even as he worked in the yard there was no sign of him getting better. There was one thing that surprised him to his very core. After being thrown into the cupboard back hitting the wall with a thud, Harry passed out from the pain. When he woke up he found two rolls of cloth gauze. He didn’t question where it came from but went to work on patching himself up. The color of his shirt covered the wrapping along his torso, but the one around his fingers were on full display. He was sure that when his uncle saw it he would be angry but he took one look at Harry’s hand and told him to “Get to work boy or I’ll make good of breaking your other hand.”
Now here he was yet again tending to garden in the back as his relatives didn’t want him working in the front lest someone see and start asking questions. Thunder rolled up ahead and the sky was getting dark quickly. He knew that if he didn’t finish his chores there was no way that he would be let into the house. Try as he might though he felt sluggish and weak. Harry had taken into account what Nagini had said about the bad magic around his wrists. At first he couldn’t see what the snake saw or felt. That was until he wished for it. At least that’s what he thought happened. He had been thinking about it nonstop and it wasn’t until he was safely tucked away in his room that the area around his wrists started to glow. It continued on for a few minutes before there was a flash of bright light that eventually died down until Harry could see two cuffs that almost looked like shackles around his wrists. They had what looked like a halo around them. He knew what they were as soon as he turned his wrists over and saw the initials AD marked in the center.
The magic handcuffs were emitting magic that stemmed from the headmaster. He didn’t know what their exact purpose was but he wasn’t naive enough to believe it was for good. Luckily the only person who could see them was Harry and he was able to will them out of sight if he wished to even though he could still feel the weight on them on his arms. He thought about what he was going to do for the rest of the summer with these things on. He knew that if he kept this up then he would be drained of his core by mid July. One thing his magic had always done was heal him after his beatings. His magic was his friend who provided aid when he needed it, and that took a lot of work whether intentional or not. Between his magic trying to heal his body and being drained by the headmaster he knew there would soon be nothing left. The only question was why. Why would the headmaster need to suppress and suck out his magic? How was that going to help him in his confrontation with Voldemort if that was indeed what they were for?
The Potter heir chose not to think about that right and went back to his task at hand, never once realizing that the coming events leading up to tonight would end up tilting his entire world on its axis.
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Malfoy Manor
Back in the magical world Tom, now wearing his Lord Voldemort persona, was sitting in the throne room surrounded by his most loyal circle. He looked around the table at the comrades that he saw as his friends until his eyes stopped on his son who was sitting to his left. The man’s face was a blank mask, but Tom could make out the tendrils of anger and brewing within those dark eyes. Although he hated fighting with him, Tom knew that it was high time for Severus to let go of his petty grudges and realize that the course of action they were about to take would soon play in their favor.
“Tonight,” Tom started gaining the attention of those present. “We are about to make history. I am hopeful that tonight will be the night that we will be able to turn the course of this war in our favor.” He looked around and let the information sink in. Tom could make out the calculating looks passing through his followers.
“My Lord, what plan did you have in mind?” Elijah Rosewood asked from the end of the table. His question caused everyone to turn their head in Tom’s direction.
“We are going to get Potter” was the only reply that he gave, and the dark wizard could see the moments of confusion and astonishment at his word before he was met with neutral expressions. “I have been informed by a reliable source of the Potter brat’s whereabouts and am quite certain that he will be more than willing to join our side, if the circumstances that I have been informed are indeed correct.
“This has to be done with precision and without mistakes. Severus, Lucius, Bellatrix, and Rodolphus will accompany me in retrieving the boy. I want the rest of you spread out in case we have need for reinforcement.” His followers nodded. “No casualties if possible. Defend yourself as needed, but our mission is not to kill. And I need not to explain the consequencessss of failing me tonight.” A shiver ran down the spines of everyone in the room when the snake man hissed. They would not fail him. It was too important and most of them were willing to lay down their lives if necessary.
“Yes, my Lord.”
“Good. Alright, let’s move out.”
Lucius, Bellatrix, Rodolphus and Severus apparted out of the manor and to the location Nagini had given them. When they landed at Privet Drive, everyone save Severus and Voldemort shivered at the ordinariness of the neighborhood.
“It’s so...plain.” Rodolphus proclaimed with an air of disgust. He received hums of agreement. His comrades pulled their masks over their faces and draped their hoods over their heads. They walked along the streets under a disillusionment charm. They moved fast, wanting to get in, nab Potter and get the hell out before they were suspected. The last thing they needed or wanted was for Dumbledore and his cronies to show up.
“You know which house it is don’t you, Severus?” Tom asked. His son nodded.
“Yes, not too much farther. It should be the fourth house from the end on the right.”
They moved in that direction. When they stepped onto the lawn their skin tingled with the magic contained in the blood wards. It left the air feeling stifled and unpleasant, but they paid it no mind. Tom, Severus, and Lucius took their positions at the front of the house while Lord and Lady Lestrange headed for the back. They were to wait on their leader’s signal and then enter the house as backup. Voldemort looked at his right and left hand men and raised his wand, prompting the two wizards to do the same. He took a step back and Severus pointed his wand at the door. With a quick ‘alohomora’ the door was unlocked and open, followed by shrill screaming.
They moved quickly then, rushing into the house after placing a silencing spell around the perimeter.
“How are you?!” The men looked to the left and were met by the sight of a skinny woman trying to wrap her arms around a boy who was almost the size of a beach whale. Severus’s face scrunched up behind his mask as he took in the presence of his old rival. He had always hated Petunia Evans and the feeling was more than mutual. She hated anything she deemed “unnatural” and he had to wonder just how the Potter brat fared living with the woman’s wicked ways. He took off his mask and dropped his hood. The look of fear on Evan’s face was soon replaced by rage as she jumped from the couch.
“You! What are you doing here?! Get out of my house!”
Severus raised an eyebrow. “How eloquent and charming as ever, Tuney.”
Petunia cringed at the old nickname given to her by her sister when they were children. “Get out before I call the authorities.” She said through gritted teeth. She was met with a raised eyebrow and a sneer.
“Need I remind you, dear Tuney, that we are not children. And are authorized to use magic as we see fit?” The woman in front of him flinched at the word magic and by the time he had finished talking she looked so pale that her skin was almost grey. Severus smirked. “Now I am to assume that we won’t have any problems out of you, yes?”
“W-what do you want?”
“Potter.” The reply caused a brief moment of disgust to appear on the woman’s face and although it stunned the Potions Master for a second, he wasn’t the least bit surprised.
“What do you want from the boy?”
Severus raised an eyebrow. “I hardly see why that should or would concern you seeing as you seem to harbor no affection towards the boy.”
“I don’t,” Petunia said with a scoff. “But that freak with the flashy clothing made it clear to look after the shit. Waste of space if you ask me.”
For a moment Severus took the time to observe the woman in front of him. Absolutely nothing had changed about with her horrible personality and it seemed that her malice did not age her well. He was suddenly filled with a burst of sympathy for the Potter heir since he too knew what it was like to be hated just for existing. Tobias Snape had been his Petunia Dursley. The old drunkard had been cruel to say the least, wanting nothing to do with his son and hating anything involved with him. Even when his mother had been alive, the man loathed his son with every fiber of his being and did any and everything he could to get rid of him or just to bring him down. And for some reason, when that didn’t work and Eileen spent her time making him feel better, the hate that Tobias harbored for the young Snape only grew with time. It wasn’t until after his mother passed that Severus stopped trying to find any redeeming qualities within his sire and allowed his own hatred manifest.
It was after he murdered the man in cold blood that he sought refuge with Tom. He understood his principles and agreed with them for the most part. And while working under his wing he developed a relationship with his leader that soon moved away from mentor and protegee and became that of father and son. He had been 17 when Tom had brought up the idea of making him his heir and son by means of blood adoption. Although he had been legally of age in the wizard world, Severus agreed nonetheless and their relationship had only grown since then. It was because of that that he decided he would become a spy for his father against Dumbledore, a man who had no problem with sending abused children back to their abusers and turning a blind eye against their cries of help. He did it with anyone who came from slytherin. He had done it with Severus, he had done it with Tom, and it seemed that he was doing the same thing with Potter.
His reverie was broken when he heard a bang coming from upstairs and then a sharp gasp. He and his companions looked to the doorway of the kitchen and found Bella leaning heavily against Rodolphus while her husband looked on in worry. The witch had a pained look on her face and her skin had miraculously paled a few shades while also looking slightly green. Her hand was gripping tightly around her wand and Severus could see the muscles of her jaw working from her grinding her teeth together. They all followed her line of sight which was the staircase. Tom moved over to the pair and he and Lucius followed the noise coming from upstairs.
Petunia moved to stop them but one scathing glare from Severus stopped her in her tracks and she moved back to stand protectively in front of her son. They made their way up the stairs, wands at the ready. They stopped in front of a door that was covered with locks and a small cat flap on the door. They could hear muffled noise coming from inside. Both partners looked at each other, a heavy feeling of dread filling their senses. Lucius moved back a bit and watched his husband raise his wand.
“ALOHOMORA”
The door was instantly blown off its hinges and the sight that met them had both of them seeing red. On the floor was Potter who looked to be on the brink of consciousness. The boy was lying face down in a pool of blood, and since his shirt was missing making it easy for them to see where it was coming from. There were whip marks and lacerations all along the child’s torso starting from the bottom of his neck to his tailbone. Above him stood a man who was twice the size of the portly child they had seen downstairs. Said man had yet to notice the two of them behind him which left his defenses wide open. The man, who Severus assumed was Potter’s uncle turned just Lucius raised his wand.
“WHO THE HELL-”
“STUPUEFY!” The man was blown off of his feet and managed to hit the wall on the other side of the room. He fell limply to the ground and Severus rushed over to his student.
“Potter? Potter!” He said shaking the boy. Tired green eyes looked up at his most hated potions professor. His eyes were glazed and his pupils were dilated.
“P’fessor ‘Nape” Harry wheezed out. The child's body shook as he coughed and blood spilled out of his mouth.
“Hush child,” the man instructed gently. He took the handkerchief that Lucius handed to him and cleaned the boy’s face as gently as he could.
“I’m sorry, professor.” Harry whispered. Severus stopped and looked at him.
“Whatever for?”
“I was- was supposed to beat him. I was ‘pposed to be the savior- a hero.” The potions master looked at the child in his arms and for the first time was wracked with horrible guilt at the way he had treated him before. Po-Harry was no more his father than Severus was his. He was- is a child. A child who was unfairly thrown into a world and placed on a pedestal to be used as a martyr. Harry coughed again, breaking Severus away from his thoughts.
“I’m tired, professor. S-so tired.” Those emerald eyes were now a dull green as Harry’s gaze focused and unfocused on his teacher. The slytherin pulled a vial out of his pocket and gave it to him.
“Take this Harry,” he said while he put the vial of dreamless sleep against the child’s lips. Harry shook his head.
“Don’t wan’ tha’.” He slurred. Severus persisted.
“You have to take it. Then we will get you out of here.” He received a slight smile from the child in his lap. Harry shook his head again.
“Can’t leave. Too late. Headmaster’s already here.”
That sentence alarmed Lucius and Severus. Lucius raced over to the window and could see the small flashes of light from where aurors were beginning to appear. Harry was right.
“He’s right, Severus. We have to go. Now.”
“Leave me. He’ll kill me anyway. Gotta get out of here, leave me.”
Severus rose to his feet lifting Harry in his arms. He looked down at him. “Not a chance.” He looked at his husband. “Let’s go.”
With that, the two of them hurried down the stairs and out the backdoor where the rest of their companions were there waiting for them. Harry had passed out on their way down and was now lying limply in his professor’s arms. No one spoke, each taking a hold of Tom’s arms so they could apparate to safety. The portkey activated just as a flash of light flew over their heads and they were apparated to safety. They had all disappeared by the time the wards around Privet drive disappeared.