Previously...
" Harry... this is incredibly realistic. When did you start drawing?" she said, looking up curiously.
He squirmed, slightly uncomfortable. "Erm... a few days ago," he answered.
The regal witch's eyes widened. "Really? From the quality of this work, I would have said at least a year or two." She seemed to notice Harry's discomfort, and handed the paper back to him.
" Thanks," he murmured.
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Severus leaned back, breathing out slowly. He had been brewing an intricate potion that may or may not buy the headmaster more time. He had used the brewing equipment and supplies that were in his classroom. They were closer to the infirmary than the ones in his quarters, and he also didn't want to waste time answering the questions he'd be bombarded with.
He had made the most complicated curse repelling potion he knew of - and that was saying something. It had taken him hours to complete, since lunchtime, and it was nine in the evening. Remus Lupin hadn't divulged any information about what in Merlin's name they had been doing, but Severus had a hunch.
He wondered if Harry had gotten one of the house elves to send him and his company dinner. Narcissa, at least, would have had the sense to do that. Severus chuckled darkly when he thought of Harry's reaction to the witch sashaying her way into his quarters. She had asked if she could spend some time with the young man, and Severus had gladly given her the password, out of spiteful humour.
Severus summoned a ladle out from one of the cabinets into his waiting palm. He steadily poured the potion into bottles for many dosages. The headmaster would have to take this once a day, to help his mind battle the curse for a bit longer. (A/N: Do you notice how Severus never calls Albus by his first or last name? Think about that...)
If his prediction was correct, the headmaster would last for about a year. Maybe two, if he's lucky. Severus hoped that the Dark Lord would be defeated by then, but he knew that was a desperate hope.
Corking the last bottle, he finally let himself relax. There was no reason to worry about the far future just yet. It would be best for himself and everyone else if he lived in the moment.
And, with his custody of Harry, it might just be worth it.
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Lucius Malfoy grasped his left arm in a vice grip, gritting his teeth. He was in the vacant lounge of his and his family's quarters, sitting tensely on the couch. His wife was down in the dungeons supervising the Boy-Who-Lived, claiming that the only way they would be truly be accepted into the Light side was to make ties with people. Draco was down in the common room, preferring to stay in the comforting familiarity of Slytherin during the day. Lucius didn't blame him.
The throbbing pain of the Mark on his forearm had been getting worse and worse, but it wasn't unbearable. The medium-grade pain-relieving potion he had been taking for the last few days had slowly stopped being effective. He didn't want to be a bother to Severus or Poppy Pomfrey, since they already had so much on their plate. Between housing the Golden Boy and brewing for a deathly ill headmaster, the potions master obviously didn't have time to spare. Poppy, on the other hand, had to be constantly on call for both Dumbledore and Potter.
So, everything considered, his minute pain wasn't that important. He could take whatever the Dark Lord threw at him, by himself. Maybe pride had a lot to do with this mindset, but he didn't care. He'd be able to stomach the ache, as long as it didn't get any more severe. But, the way things seemed to be going, there wasn't much chance for that.
Lucius just had to hope the Dark Lord wasn't intent on killing him.
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Harry tapped his foot on the cold, stone, dungeon floors, Nagini twirled around both the table legs and his own. He was slowly drinking his glass of pumpkin juice as he watched the scene unfold between Lady Malfoy and Dudley.
Earlier, Narcissa had abruptly announced that it was about time for them to have dinner, so she had called in food from the kitchens. Dudley, smelling the food, timidly walked out of their room and into the dining room. He was automatically met with a scathing glare from the witch, for reasons still unknown.
Now, after dinner was finished, they were still sitting at the table, silent. Narcissa was still staring hostilely at Dudley, who was looking at his lap.
Harry finally had enough. "What's wrong with you two?" he asked, not too kindly.
Narcissa sniffed, seeming to have expected this outburst from him. "This boy has tormented you since the day you came into his home. I have seen the medical reports, and I have heard stories from Dumbledore." Dudley gave a slight whimper, and Lady Malfoy scowled at him again.
Harry felt a pang in his heart that Dumbledore would tell Narcissa that, but he ignored this for the time being. "That's all settled now. He was just ignorantly following in his parents' footsteps. He started acting like a decent human being a few days I left for Hogwarts. He's changed, really."
Narcissa still looked apprehensive, but less incensed. Harry counted that as a win, in his book.
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Severus walked down the stairs to go deep into the dungeons, where his quarters were. All of a sudden, his body felt cold. Very cold. He shivered, casting a warming charm over his clothes. As his body's muscles relaxed, he pondered what could have caused that small cold spell. There were rarely drafts in the dungeons, and Severus thought he had acclimated to the frigid temperature, after all of these years.
Brushing it off as an anomaly, he stepped in front of the door to his quarters. He wondered what carnage he would see inside. The Malfoy family had a long history with Harry, and Severus was certain it would take a while for them to get accustomed to one another.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Slytherin snarked.
Severus growled. That infuriating portrait. "Coulbrid," he sighed, frowning.
His scowl quickly morphed into an expression of shock when he saw the picture in front of him. Narcissa was lounging on his couch with Harry and Nagini, looking perfectly amicable. Dudley, for his safety, was nowhere in sight. They both were having a conversation that involved the best candy that Honeydukes had to offer. Apparently, Harry was under the impression that sugar quills were the invention of the century, while Narcissa insisted that the pepper imps were exquisite. Nagini was watching them intently.
Severus cleared his throat, alerting his presence. "Severus!" Harry instantly exclaimed. Then, he looked abashed, glancing over at Narcissa for a split second. "I mean, professor. What happened?"
Severus refrained from rolling his eyes, because doing so was below him. "You can call me by my given name while not in the presence of fellow students." Harry sighed and nodded.
He debated with himself over whether he should answer Harry's question or not. He decided to, because withholding information from him in the past had not been beneficial to anyone. "The answer to your question is a difficult one," Severus started. "The headmaster was brought back incapacitated, by none other than Remus Lupin this afternoon. We are still unsure as to what exactly transpired, but he is still in a slightly unstable condition."
Harry looked horrified, for a good reason. If Albus Dumbledore was out of commission, there was a good chance they would lose more battles, if not the entire war. The headmaster was the leader of the Light. What could happen without him?
"Really? That's... that's really bad," was Harry's response.
Severus put his head in one hand. "I will expand your vocabulary if it's the last thing I do, Harry. I don't think the word 'bad' completely encompasses the enormity of our situation."
His statement got the reaction from the young man that he had wanted. Harry smiled, even if it was faint.
"What condition is Albus in now?" Narcissa asked, eyes suddenly worried.
Severus shook his head, solemn. "He is not doing well. I suspect he has a year or two left to look forward to on this earth."
Harry slumped in his seat, looking defeated.
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Severus slid into his bedroom, shoulders falling from their seemingly permanent high place. He had an exhausting, stressful day, and was anticipating a nice, long soak in the bathtub.
The Dark Lord seemed to have other ideas, however.
As soon as he picked up his nightclothes from a drawer, his left arm flared up with excruciating, but terribly familiar pain. Clamping together his teeth to contain a groan, he placed the robes he had gotten out back.
He stumbled over to the closet, and pulled out a cloak as dark as the night itself. Reaching up high, he grabbed a skeletal mask from a shelf placed up high. Severus had no idea why the Dark Lord wanted Death Eaters to wear them - it didn't help keep their identity a secret, because he made a habit of trumpeting out their real names when they met.
Quickly changing into the robes, he sprinted to the nearest fireplace, which was in his living room. Thankfully, Harry and Dursley were in their room, hopefully asleep. He flooed over to Aberforth's thankfully vacant inn, and apparated to wherever the Dark Lord was.
After he felt the normal squeezing sensation, Severus found himself a few feet away from the Dark wizard. Due to his habits as a spy, when he rushed forward to kiss the foot of the Dark Lord's robes, he took in his surroundings.
They were in a dark, massive forest. Severus tried to glance around to see if anyone else was present, but from what he could see, he was very much alone.
Severus's heart rate began to rise. Why did the Dark Lord call him, and him alone? Typically, he was called with one or more persons other than himself. He prayed that the wizard didn't have any bad news for him. Severus was very aware that he had been inspecting his inner circle with the utmost scrutiny possible after the incident with the Malfoys, but he thought he hadn't done anything to make the Dark Lord even moderately suspicious.
"Severussss..." the wizard above him hissed sibilantly. The man in question couldn't help but tense. "Why are you still kneeling? Stand up, my child." Suppressing a visible shudder at being called 'his child,' Severus complied.
He carefully schooled his expression into one of blank honesty. Severus met his eyes, submerging himself within his lake of occlumency. Even if the wizard wasn't suspecting him, it still couldn't hurt to take extra precautions.
The Dark Lord seemed to be satisfied with what he found. "I have found need to inform you of a... project... we will be participating in tomorrow night." The only thing keeping Severus from blowing his cover with a shocked and horrified expression were his previous years of being a spy. This was very sudden. He would have next to no time to warn the Order of whatever the wizard was planning.
"What will this 'project' of yours entail, master?" Severus asked cooly, burying those panicked thoughts. He would be of no help to anyone if he lost it.
"We will be starting an attack on Hogsmeade, starting at around ten o'clock." The Dark Lord's nose flared, and a small, cold smile appeared on his face. "I have found myself in need of a potions master. Be prepared with these concoctions at nine thirty, meeting me in the Forbidden Forest. I will be behind the gamekeeper's hut." He handed Severus a list of what seemed to be Dark, destructive potions.
When Severus nodded, the Dark Lord's little smirk turned into an ugly grin. "I know I can trust you, am I right?" he asked smoothly.
"Absolutely, my Lord," Severus answered.
He hummed. "Very well. You are dismissed."
Severus stepped back, bowed, and disapperated.
As soon as he appeared back in Hogsmeade, he hastened back toward Aberforth's fireplace. He tried to use the man's fireplace as little as possible, because it felt as if he were impinging on the man's hospitality. But, Severus figured that this was enough of an emergency to warrant a use of the hearth.
"The infirmary," he whispered, but enunciated clearly.
Severus appeared in the fireplace at the hospital wing. He rushed forward, approaching the headmaster, who still seemed to be asleep. Well, not for long, he thought as he pulled out his wand. "Innervate," he mumbled, trying to be quiet.
The headmaster's eyes flew open. The wizard gasped, obviously not prepared for the abrupt waking. "Severus," he gasped, recognizing the form in the moonlight.
"Yes," Severus responded quietly. "I'm afraid we don't have time for you to rest. Something has come up, and I need your authority on the matter."
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Later, Severus was standing in a dark corner of Grimmauld Place. He had alerted the Order to the matter at hand, and he let Minerva do the speaking for him. The woman had recently come back from her vacation in another part of Scotland to take over headmaster duties in the place of Professor Dumbledore.
He didn't want to have the assumption made that the headmaster was ill - it would lower the morale of the Light side. Yes, they would have to break the news to the general public, but the Order didn't have to tell them that now.
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The next night, ignoring the questions from Harry (and Nagini), Severus gathered up the potions that the Dark Lord had asked of him. He cast a cushioning charm over the bag that held them, and he threw them over a black-cloaked shoulder.
Severus made his way behind Hagrid's hut, where the Dark Lord said he'd meet him. Bracing himself, he broke his way through the thick, forbidding brambles that lined the forest. When his robes got snagged on one of the thorns, he snarled and pulled out his wand.
"Reducto," he muttered. The bushes drew back slightly, making things just a little easier for the spy as he traveled across the wards of the castle.
He stumbled his way through the brush until he reached a clearing. "Homenum revelio," he murmured to see where the Dark Lord must be.
Nothing.
Puzzled, Severus lowered his wand. That spell had always worked on the Dark Lord, even though he was significantly less human than your average person. Severus walked around the clearing, using all of his spy skills to try to hone in on where the wizard could be.
About twenty minutes later, Severus concluded that the Dark Lord truly was not anywhere in the near vicinity. By the 'vicinity,' he meant a few miles out from where he was. Severus was nothing if not thorough.
Nonplussed, he apparated to where the Order was positioned in Hogsmeade.
He appeared next to Tonks, who jumped a foot in the air, drawing her wand at the masked figure. Then, she recognized the mask he was wearing. "Snape!" she exclaimed quietly. "You scared me!"
Severus pulled the stark white cover off of his face. "That is the point of this outfit," he pointed out.
They were positioned at the front of the Three Broomsticks, along with Dedalus Diggle and Emmeline Vance. They were all braced for attack, and once they had all recognized Severus, they went back to where they were before the interruption silently.
They waited.
And waited.
Nothing happened for the next twenty minutes, and Severus was starting to get antsy. Not that he'd ever admit it, but it was true. Where were the Dark Lord and his followers?