820Mo Chridhe
Chapter 20
Severus had quite frankly the largest frown upon his features, as he stared at the information available to him. He just couldn't figure it out, how had Dumbledore cursed Arcturus without it showing up? He'd went over every single possible way and still he had nothing. He'd done massive amounts of research in his free time – which was very limited – to no avail. The niggling doubt that it had happened at all, lingered at the back of his mind, but the state of the wizard, now that wasn't just old age, it was severe pain, and the damage he was causing his liver and kidneys wasn't good with that level of pain relief. If he wasn't careful, he was going to be dead before they found a damn solution.
Standing up, he moved towards a book, and begun to flip through it, until he had the section, he desired open. Humming softly, his fingers running over the bottom of the writing, and begun to mentally read the information. Part of him loved this research, he'd always loved figuring things out, not just when it came to potions but everything. His mother had said he would have enjoyed being an Unspeakable, perhaps she'd been correct.
He moved towards his desk, putting the book down, keeping it at that particular page with a flick of his wand. Then he begun to look through his books again, looking for a particular book.
"…come on, Marcus! Please! You did say anything I want!" Harry said, as he followed Marcus into the room, and before the door closed, he was already relaxing, after the overwhelming feeling of everyone's emotions acting as a battering ram all day. "I had loads on the train!"
"If Severus agrees then fine," Marcus told him.
"You had loads of what on the train?" Severus asked, pausing his reading, his fingers hovering over the last words he'd read to himself.
"Chocolate frogs," Harry said, a wide grin on his face, "I had a few galleons left from shopping with Hagrid, I took the lot from the trolly."
Severus barely refrained from snorting, honestly, how had the boy ended up in Gryffindor? It was utterly baffling, he was Slytherin as they come. Then again, he may have been experiencing someone else's emotions, he wasn't sure how much control Harry had over his abilities yet. What he did know was that Harry shouldn't have full empathy yet, he shouldn't have gotten it until he was seventeen. So far, he hadn't found a reason for someone to gain their 'empathy gift' early, in fact, he couldn't find a single incident where anyone actually gained their magical inheritance early. "I'm surprised you didn't end up in the hospital wing with refeeding syndrome." Shaking his head, but he couldn't deny that he would have likely did the same.
"I didn't eat it all," Harry said in offence, "I shared it with Ron."
Severus stared impassively, "I've seen how the boy eats, I've also seen how much the boy eats, how much of it did you actually consume?" suspecting that part of Harry had been so desperate to fit in, to have a friend, that he'd gone along with something that would endear Ron to him, and clearly the red head liked food more than anything else in the world.
Harry flushed, "I tried one of everything,"
Severus arched a brow, that didn't say whether he finished it or not, still, it didn't matter. The trolly may have been nearly empty, depending on how much had been used. The second it had been empty; it would have refilled itself with ease. Still, he believed Harry had definitely done it in a bid to get a friend. No matter, he had made a few friends without needing to put himself out there.
"The chocolate frog was delicious, once it stopped moving," Harry said, grimacing a little, who's idea was it to make a chocolate act like a real frog? Once it stilled, he'd eaten it, it was really good, although, he hadn't been sure about eating it after it was on the window.
"Will it do any harm?" Marcus asked, still holding onto the chocolate frog he'd offered Harry if he did the spell successfully, which he needed to stop being surprised. They'd gone into the forbidden forest to cast the spells; it was terrifying the ease in which Harry could cast spells. Especially for someone who had only just found out about the magical world. Then again, when it comes to actual magical powers, it was different.
"One certainly can't hurt," Severus agreed, magical treats didn't have the same amount of sugar like muggle sweets. They had magic to make it taste as if it had, so it had never been a problem. However, if it had been a muggle treat then he would have definitely said no, and would need to keep an eye out to ensure he didn't get any, considering where they were, it wasn't going to present a problem.
"Here, catch." Marcus flung the chocolate frog – still in its wrapper – at the boy, and his brow arched, impressed with the ease the boy snatched it out of the air. "You'd make a good quidditch player, seeker I reckon." That had been a good catch, especially considering he hadn't given him any time at all. "You should come to the practices we have, see if you're as good as I reckon you could be."
"Can I?" Harry positively vibrated in excitement, "I'd love to learn how to play the game! Or fly!" he added, as he ripped open the chocolate frog package and snatched it before it could leap. "Hmm…Dumbledore again, what are the changes of me keeping on getting his one every time I have a chocolate frog?"
Severus' head jerked up so quickly you could hear the bones protesting in the still of the room.
"What is it?" Harry asked, naturally the first to realise something was going on.
Marcus glanced at Severus himself, curious, wondering what he was missing.
"The bloody chocolate frog card," Severus cried out exasperatedly, summoning the card from Harry's fingers, and begun to read, "Considered by many as the greatest wizard of modern times, Dumbledore is particularly famous for his defeat of Dark Wizard Grindelwald in 1945, for the discovery of the twelve uses of dragons blood, and his work on alchemy with his partner, Nicolas Flamel, Dumbledore enjoys chamber music and ten-pin bowling. Of course, how could I be so stupid?" smacking the card on his desk, what a fool he'd been.
Harry snorted, clasping his hand over his mouth, "Sorry, just the image of him playing ten-pin bowling in that horrid getup in the muggle world." Sniggering in amusement before he just let go and laughed, it was lies, wasn't it? Just something silly to add to a chocolate frog? He certainly hoped so, it sounded completely ludicrous.
Severus smiled at Harry's merriment, leaving him to it, as he banished all the books back to the bookshelves. He didn't need to worry about them getting beaten up or ripped, they were copies. He was a cautious wizard, he kept his real books safe, just in case he ever had to go on the run suddenly and had no means of getting to his quarters for whatever reason. He didn't have the necessary books required for this, he only had rudimentary books for Alchemy. He knew Alchemy quite well, but never taken his OWLS or NEWTS in it, but if he had he knew he would have easily gotten Outstanding. However, he was an epitome of a Slytherin, and kept much about himself unknown, this was just another part of that.
Unfortunately, it had been quite a while since he did any reading in the craft, more than a while actually. His time was being eaten up at Hogwarts, and he wasn't able to do one of the things he enjoyed more than anything else, never mind two. The only potions he did were the ones for the hospital wing, although he did like to keep a complement of all his ideas, even if they were only theoretical at the moment.
One day he'd get to live his life the way he wanted to.
If he was very lucky.
If it wasn't for bad luck, Severus knew he wouldn't have any.
That is to say it was very unlikely, but in the dark of the night, he liked to hope, even he wasn't devoid of it as dark and dreary as his world often was.
He looked through the treasure trove of books he had – he only had the legal ones here – but found them utterly lacking in the craft he requested. He was stupid for not realizing it sooner, foolish of him to consider 'transfiguration' as his only ability due to his mastery in it. He and Dumbledore were more alike than he liked to think of to be entirely honest. Hmm, he didn't have the time to be travelling to Spinners End, never mind explaining why if Dumbledore checked and yes, the Floo networks were monitored.
"Serin?" Severus called out, almost vibrating out of his skin to finally have this puzzle complete.
Severus' personal house-elf popped into the room, an inquisitive look on its face, as they awaited orders.
"Go to my home in Spinners end, and bring me all the books on Alchemy and dragons blood, put them in my bedroom," Severus commanded, he knew he had at least two books – more like articles really – on dragons blood but he hadn't truly paid it much attention to those. He was kicking himself now, he truly wished he'd at least read them properly.
"Just Spinners End?" Serin questioned, "Not the vaults?"
"Not yet, but it might be needed," Severus answered, and with that the house-elf popped away to do Severus' bidding. In fact, he wasn't sure the vault would have the answers, he might actually need access to the Black library to get any semblance of an answer. He hoped not. It would take significantly longer if he did need permission, then he'd need to wait to receive whatever books the wizard designed to give him. That was with no guarantee it would be enough, did any of the Blacks have a penchant towards alchemy? They did say they had the biggest library in the magical world, so perhaps there were enough.
Shaking off his thoughts, he bundled up all the parchment with his own scribbles and things and placed it carefully inside his desk drawer. Not quite ready to destroy them yet, they might prove useful. He knew better than to leave anything out, Dumbledore had a very nasty habit of appearing out of the blue and intruding on his privacy.
"What is Alchemy? Is it like potions?" Harry asked Marcus in curiosity.
"Similar, same basis but different broad strokes," Severus was the one to answer, now that he had nothing to do to keep him busy, he decided to join in on the chat. "Alchemy is significantly more challenging bordering on impossible most times, it doesn't come with the same gratification as potions does." It's why he had chosen potions in the end, and not alchemy.
"Don't even think about it," Marcus grunted, eyeing Harry, "Focus on learning everything you can until you're fourteen at least, then I'll give you a book on Alchemy." Stretching himself too thin while new to magic and learning everything he'd need as an heir to an ancient and noble line? it was beyond stupidity, and he would tell Harry that if need be. All he would head for was a burnout if he pulled that shit.
Harry pouted before agreeing to Marcus' statement, turns out Marcus would need to learn to watch what he says, since Harry remembered everything, he heard and turned around and used it when you least expected it.
"Answer the door," Severus stated from where he was gathering new supplies, and refilling his ink pot, before a grin appeared on his face, hidden from all, when a mug of coffee – just the way he liked it – appeared on his desk. Now he was prepared for a long night of research.
Marcus moved through Severus' quarters, through the office and the classroom to find Lucian Bole standing with his broom in hand. For a moment Marcus wondered if he'd forgotten that he had the pitch for practice, but he knew he hadn't. "What do you want?" he asked with his usual impatience.
Lucian far from being offended just offered him a rouge grin, "We're all going down to the pitch for a bit, coming with us?"
Marcus was more than amazed to hear that they'd actually got the pitch for an unscheduled practice, especially without Severus' written permission. They were usually filled up by the other three teams to spite them, not that it made any difference, they were still the best and they proved it time and again. "Can't go have fun," he said, truly regretting it, but Harry needed all the help he could get.
"Can't we go! please!" Harry perked up, interrupting their conversation.
Marcus closed his eyes in exasperation, Merlin help him, he truly did have his work cut out, if he did that with adults it would affect his standing with them. Although, it wasn't adults and Harry was usually very quiet with them, he recalled. Harry was himself here, because he could be and because they were without a million emotions bogging him down. "No," they couldn't risk starting something if anyone saw Harry amongst them.
"But I want to play, you said I'd be good!" Harry protested, "Please?" he just wanted to have some fun.
"Fine," Marcus grunted, "Go get a jumper!"
Lucian gaped, had he just heard right? Marcus had given in? He never gave in, to anything, never caved either. Not to anyone, even to the first years he was helping.
"I don't think I have one," Harry confessed, "I have my cloak though!" closed winter cloaks that keep you warm, which by the way was very much needed nowadays, in the cold of the highlands of Scotland.
"Wait there." Marcus said, before he disappeared down the dungeon corridor and back to Slytherin common room.
"Are you just flying or playing Quidditch?" Harry asked, pleased at the calmness he felt from Lucian, not as quiet as Marcus' but not far off it, he knew it was Occlumency, just like Professor Snape. He could feel their emotions, but it wasn't overwhelming him. Not like everyone in Gryffindor common room, it was horrendous and part of him wished he had gone into Slytherin, it was so much better there.
"A little bit of both," Lucian explained in amusement, the kid constantly trotted along beside Marcus since school started. That it was Harry Potter of all people was even more amusing, finding out that he was muggle raised – with no idea about his magic – had been a kick in the teeth. There was just something not right about a Potter heir being raised muggle. Made him feel sick to his back teeth when he heard. He was quiet and rather sweet and unassuming.
"I'll be right back!" Harry said, giving him a smile, before he left, keeping the door open, and made his way back through the classroom, then the office and into Severus' quarters, which had closed, but Harry murmured the password as quietly as possible. Taking it to heart that nobody must know the password. "Me and Marcus are going to play at the pitch."
"Marcus and I," Severus corrected without even giving him his full attention, for that moment and that moment only. "Be careful, you know how dangerous this is." For all of them, far greater than they'd figured, given Dumbledore had risked it all to kill off Lord Arcturus Black himself.
Harry nodded, he understood, he hated it, fully, but understood. "I will." He'd be careful, but he so badly wanted to be normal and have fun without worrying about everything. This was supposed to be his fresh start! A life away from the Dursley's with an understanding of what he was, who he was.
Severus might not be able to read emotions as Harry did, but it didn't escape his notice that Harry deflated a little, nobody else would have likely noticed, but he wasn't everyone. He made a mental note to speak to Harry about it, if it was something he could fix he would try to, however, he didn't have the time tonight. Black could die at any given time due to whatever spell was on him. Assuming he could even figure it out of course, but he hoped he could.
Sighing softly, he hoped to get this solved before the end of the weekend, come Monday he would be back to a full schedule again, and barely get a moments peace. He couldn't focus on finding answers between the brief intervals before he was ultimately interrupted again.
Harry wasn't down for long, upon feeling Marcus' return, Harry bound out towards where he could feel him.
"Where is he?" Marcus asked Lucien as he re-approached the door, he'd vacated some minutes before.
"He went inside," came Lucien's reply.
Marcus was just about to move further back into the room when Harry bound out, "Are we going now?"
"Put these on," Marcus shoved a Slytherin hat, scarf and an old Slytherin Quidditch jumper at him, now that would definitely stop anyone from even thinking it was Harry even if they noticed his face. Nobody would expect him to be around Slytherins never mind wearing their gear.
Harry's face split into a wide grin, as he quickly got into the three pieces of clothes Marcus had given him.
Standing there in the way too big jumper with the hat falling into his eyes, lifting it up, he peered at the wizard, unaware of just how adorable he looked.
Marcus just chuffed and shook his head, as he shrank the jumper down a little, not enough that it actually fitted him, but enough that the jumper stayed on him. Lucien noticed that Harry didn't even remotely flinch when a wand was pointed at him. Foolishness or bravery? Then again Marcus was getting soft in his old age, he'd actually given him when Harry begged to play.
"Let's get going,"
Turns out it wasn't just the Slytherin Quidditch team that went, but quite a few other Slytherins that were bored and in search of entertainment. They certainly found that entertainment, it was quite frankly the best afternoon Harry had ever had. Nobody cared that he was a Gryffindor amongst the Slytherins (the older Slytherins made that clear) they were all just having fun, enjoying the weak sun, and playing on the broomsticks. Although, they all proclaimed Harry forbidden to play for the Gryffindors, he was too good and they didn't want him replacing Charlie Weasley (although they thought Harry was better than Charlie) as one of the best seekers.
Unfortunately, it wasn't to remain that way, for a rather envious red headed boy tattled to the Headmaster, Slytherin's were evil – it didn't matter what his father said! His mum was right! – they would hurt him and Ron didn't want his best friend to be hurt. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact he had a brand-new broomstick and knew how to fly better than him.
Absolutely not! Ron was only concerned about Harry and keeping him away from the evil Slytherins.
A/N – Know the story I was remembering last chapter? Well, it turns out it was belonging to one of my ancient stories (time flies backwards) It's funny how one little scene can annoy the hell out of you lol it was a Sev/Harry though with Harry saving Regulus! My stories were so lacking in detail and my gosh so small! Eleven chapters! Oof! I don't think I'd be capable of that now no matter how hard I tried lol oddly enough re-reading it seems to have stopped the muse for a Reg/Harry story for now anyways! Who knows when it might come back but for now all's quiet on the muse front which is a good thing I've not been able to get anywhere near as much writing as I would like to as of late. I feel like I'm only getting on for an hour at a time these days, upside it's nice weather which allows me to stay up longer writing now instead of getting cooried up in my bed to get warm!
I think we'll have one or two more chapters then it will be Yule! Will Sirius lose Harry by lodging his head up Dumbledore's sphincter? Or will we see Sirius reconciling with his family and becoming a father figure to Harry? For this story it could go either way, especially if Arcturus survives and gains custody of Harry before Sirius gets his trial court date! So much going on, I often time forget to put a date down (sorry guys lol) but I'll try and do it more frequently, but I do hope to move the story along quicker I've really had my fill of stories where Harry's (very young) at Hogwarts and I'd rather avoid them (for now) well, not avoid, just not focus on the first and second years classes etc... R&R