Finding Severus

2. The Visitor

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The castle was deserted...and broken. Chunks, big and small, of debris littered the floor. A breeze howled through the corridors--what was left of them anyway. There was no wall to stop it in most places. Hogwarts had been demolished.

Harry stood in the middle of the Great Hall. Pallets were still in the floor where the wounded and the dead had been laying. It seemed like it was just hours ago, even though many days had passed. Sadness stirred in his heart as his eyes floated over the pieces of the place he once called home. All he could think about lately was the battle and those he'd lost. Maybe that's why he was trying so hard to hold onto Severus, to find him. Every other adult he was close to, besides the Weasleys and Professor McGonagall, was gone. McGonagall was at the Ministry helping out and he couldn't go anywhere near the Weasleys right now. The guilt was too much to bear. Even being around Ron made him uncomfortable, even though Ron had made it abundantly clear that Fred's death wasn't his fault. Harry still felt that it was. All of those that died, all of those deaths, were his fault in his eyes. Severus was the only one left, the only mistake Harry could still fix, and he was determined to do so.

He took one last look around Hogwarts. He came there often to think. No one was going to rebuild it until July or August and it allowed him a place to come and be alone when he needed to be. He disapparated a few seconds later.

When he materialized again, he was in the same place he and Ron had been only hours earlier. It was dark now, but the moonlight illuminated the Forbidden Forest well enough for him to see the path. He walked for a little while, his wand out and ready, in case he ran into any trouble.

After nearly an hour of walking the direction he and Ron had started, Harry was about to apparate home. He had found nothing and had managed to get turned around twice already. His eyes were starting to get heavy too. He didn't realize how tired he was. Then he saw it. It was a good distance from him, but it was a soft glow of light. He frowned. It couldn't be a flashlight, because the beam would be brighter (most of the time) and it would be moving. Wand light was a lot brighter too. It had to be something else. Curiosity propelled him toward it.

Harry stopped the moment he saw what was casting the light. It was a house. It was small and quaint, the best he could see in the moonlight, and the light was coming from the front window. He never knew that someone lived this close to the forest...and so close to Hogwarts. He wondered briefly if Dumbledore had known this. Suddenly a thought came to him. What if Severus had found this house? This was the way he had been heading. He could be in there right this very moment. But he wouldn't go to anyone, not unless he was in dire need of assistance. Harry took a deep breath. He had to get a closer look.

He tiptoed closer to the house and checked for any protection spells or charms with a wave of his wand. He didn't want any surprises. None were there. He peeked into the window. All he could see was a petite young woman in the kitchen. She had potion vials spread across the counter and she was standing at the stove with her back turned to the window. He knew she had to be a witch if she had potion vials. He thought she might have been a Muggle. He watched her for a few seconds, then moved to the door. If she was still up, he might as well knock on the door. It couldn't really hurt, could it? He raised his hand and knocked loudly.

Harry heard a gasp and the clank of pots and pans, then the sound of footsteps. Moments later, the door opened. The woman standing in front of him greeted him with a warm smile, even though he had just interrupted whatever she was doing.

"Can I help you?" she asked. She had her wand in her hand, which confirmed that she was most definitely a witch.

Harry smiled. He wanted to let her know that he was friendly and that she was in no danger. "I hope so." He dug into his pants pocket and pulled out a wrinkled newspaper clipping. He unfolded it and presented it to her. "Have you seen this man?"