Chapter Two
Landing outside of number twelve Grimmauld Place, Hermione glanced down at Harry's still form. She was very worried about her best friend. She had seen him when he had been injured in the past, but he never had been this still before. The very act of breathing seemed to hurt him. For that reason, Hermione was thankful that he was unconscious at that moment. Looking down at Ron, she smiled slightly at him. Even in the dark she could see that Ron was just as worried about Harry as she was.
"All right, Hermione, pass Harry gently to me," Ron said raising his arms up.
"Ronald Weasley, where have you…Oh my God! Albus," Molly Weasley cried out rushing over to her son, Harry, and Hermione.
"Molly, what's wrong," Albus asked stepping outside only to freeze at the scene before him. "Harry? What happened to him, Mr. Weasley," Albus asked before quickly using his wand to levitate Harry.
"I don't know, Professor. Hermione and I found him like this."
Sliding down off of Buckbeak's soft back, Hermione glanced from Harry to Professor Dumbledore. "We were worried about Harry. He always wrote to us thanking us for his birthday presents. When he didn't write back, we decided to check on him."
"You should have told us, Hermione," Molly scolded.
"Mum, you would have told us not to worry about Harry."
"Ron, if Harry was in trouble how could you or you Hermione think I would just turn a blind eye."
"It's not that, Mrs. Weasley. We know you care deeply about Harry, but you were very busy with the Order. You all were," Hermione explained as Dumbledore settled Harry in a bed upstairs.
"Exactly. Hermione and I wanted to check on him, and if we hadn't gone Harry would be dead right now," Ron explained defending himself and Hermione.
Nodding his head, Albus sighed softly as he glanced down at Harry. "All that matters is that Harry is safe. The bruises and his arm will heal in time."
"That's not all, Professor. It's worse," Ron said quietly.
"What could be worse, Ron," Molly asked.
"This," Ron said pulling out Harry's destroyed wand from his pocket. "Someone snapped it in half and dropped it beside him," he said glancing over at Harry.
Starring at Harry's wand, Hermione sat down beside her best friend. "What is he going to do now?"
Frowning, Albus took the broken wand from Ron's hands. "Harry will be fine, Hermione. He will obtain a new wand. It will not be the same, but it will be a wand," he said sitting down beside Hermione. "Molly, I want you to go downstairs and get Severus for me."
"Of course, Albus," Molly said wiping her eyes on the sleeve of her dress.
"What do you want Ron and I to do," Hermione asked laying her hand on Harry's hand.
"For now, I want you to just stay with Harry. He needs his friends more than anything right now," Albus said before standing up and turning toward Severus.
"You asked for me, Headmaster?"
"I did, Severus. I need a healing potion to help Harry's body heal itself," Albus said stepping aside so Severus could see Harry.
Starring down at Potter, Severus Snape kept his face unreadable all the while his blood was boiling in his veins. Who could do this to the child? It was well known how he felt about James Potter, and it was also well known that he didn't particularly like Harry but he didn't want the boy dead either. He knew it hadn't been Voldemort or his minions who did this, so it had to be the boy's Muggle family. Oh, they would pay dearly for what they have done if it was the last thing he did. Glancing at Albus, Severus realized the Headmaster was still waiting for his reply.
"I will get started immediately, Headmaster."
"Thank you, Severus. Ron, Hermione, I will leave Harry in your very capable hands," Albus said walking out of the room closing the door behind him and Severus.
"Why did he do that? We can't do anything," Ron said wringing his hands together.
"Calm down, Ron. You heard what he said. Harry needs his friends right now. Do me a favor and get me a washcloth and wet it," Hermione asked before looking back down at Harry and pushing his messy bangs out of his closed eyes.
"Sure," Ron said walking quickly out of the room. He hated seeing Harry like that. Walking into the bathroom, Ron found a washcloth and soaked it down in lukewarm water. Squeezing out the excess water, he walked out of the bathroom and back into Harry's room. "Here," he said softly handing the washcloth over to Hermione.
"Thanks," she said taking the wet washcloth from Ron.
She knew he hated seeing Harry bloody and bruised. She didn't like seeing him like that either, but she also knew that Harry needed their help. Leaning forward, she gently ran the washcloth over his face. Taking his broken glasses off of his face, she set them on the night stand beside him. She would fix them for him later. Seeing him jerk under her hand, Hermione bit her lip but stopped moving her hand as well.
Blinking his eyes, Harry squinted trying to clear his blurry vision. He didn't have his glasses. For that matter, he didn't know where he was. All he did know at that very moment was he hurt. Licking his dry lips, Harry closed his eyes from pure exhaustion. "Where am I," he asked slightly recognizing Hermione's bushy hair.
Seeing him squint at her, Hermione knew Harry couldn't see her clearly but he knew it was her. Grabbing his broken glasses, she placed them gently on his nose. "You're at the Order, Harry. I won't ask how you're feeling. I all ready know the answer to that question," she said smiling down at Harry.
Smiling slightly, Harry opened his eyes to look over at Hermione and Ron. "Yeah, I'm not feeling too great at the moment," he said glancing down at his left arm. "I thought my arm got broken."
"Harry, what happened to you? Who did this?"
Glancing up at Hermione, Harry sighed. "I was being stupid is what happened. I knew better, but I just had to rise to the occasion when it comes to Dudley."
"Dudley? Your cousin Dudley," Ron asked stepping closer to Harry's bed.
"Yeah, I'm talking about my cousin, Ron. He's the only one I've got as far as I know. I was outside in the playground near the Dursley's house. I saw Dudley and his gang of bullies. They saw me and taunted Dudley into fighting me."
"Harry, you didn't," Hermione scolded him.
"I wanted to let off some steam, Hermione. I wasn't thinking, okay," Harry said instantly wincing as pain shot up his body from his ribs.
"I'm sorry, Harry," Hermione said feeling guilty for scolding him.
"Don't worry. It's my fault really. I should have known better than to think Dudley would fight me alone," Harry said smiling.
"You worried us, Harry. You could have been killed and no one would have known if Ron and I hadn't snuck out," Hermione said softly.
"I know, and I'm sorry, Hermione. I promise I won't do that again. Would that make you feel any better?"
"Harry, you just have to be more careful."
Nodding his head, Harry closed his eyes. "I know. I've got to buy a new wand too."
"You all ready knew," Ron asked setting Harry's broken wand down beside his friend.
"Yeah, I knew. I was curled up in a ball blocking punches and kicks when I heard Dudley snap it in half. I didn't think he had it in him really."
"I guess Dudley wasn't as scared of your wand when it wasn't in your hand," Ron said running a hand through his red hair.
"Go on and get out of here, Ron. I know I don't look all that great," Harry said pulling himself up gently into a sitting position.
"No…I'm fine…really," Ron said stuffing his hands into his pockets.
"It's all right, Mate. I know you don't like seeing me like this," Harry said trying to reassure his best friend.
"I'll stay here with Harry," Hermione offered.
"You sure," Ron asked moving toward the door.
"Yeah, I'm sure. Go on," Hermione said smiling.
"Okay," Ron said moving quickly out of the door leaving Harry and Hermione alone in the room.
After the door closed, Harry looked over at Hermione. "Okay, let me have it now, so we won't fight over this later."
"Let you have what, Harry? I've all ready scolded you enough for one night. You need to sleep so your body can start the healing process," she said avoiding Harry's direct gaze.
"No, what I need right now is to know my best friend isn't still angry with me," Harry insisted.
Jerking her head up, Hermione opened her mouth then just as quickly shut it again. She wanted to tell him she was worried sick about him. She wanted to tell him she didn't know what she would do if anything bad happened to him. There were a lot of things she wanted to tell him, but she just couldn't bring herself to say them.
"Say it, Hermione. What ever it is that's troubling you just tell me so we can work past it."
"I…"
"You what?"
Hearing the door open, Hermione jumped to her feet. "That'll be Snape with your potion. I'll see you in the morning, Harry," she said as she quickly rushed past Severus.
"Hermione, wait!"
"My, my, what was that all about, Potter," Severus asked stepping over to Harry's bed with the vile of healing potion in his pale hand.
"I don't know, but I'm going to find out," Harry said looking past the Potions Master and toward the door of his room.
"Not tonight you won't, Potter. Drink this. It will help with the pain, and it will also help you sleep tonight as well," Severus said holding the vile out to Harry.
"I don't want it," Harry said glancing at the blood red liquid in the vile.
Chuckling, Severus shook his head in amusement. "It's not poison I assure you, Potter. That would be rather foolish on my part don't you think?"
"I wouldn't put it past you as much as you hated my Dad and Mum."
"Your Father, yes, I didn't care for him. You know that, so why am I telling you this? Drink your potion and get some sleep," Severus snapped shoving the vile into Harry's right hand.
Against his better judgment, Harry drank the red substance before handing the empty vile back to Snape. Frowning, Harry watched Snape storm off toward the door of his room. "Hang on, you said you didn't like my Dad, but you didn't say anything about my Mum. What aren't you telling me," he questioned struggling against the effects of the potion.
"It doesn't matter, Potter. It's none of your business," Severus snapped before walking out of the room.
Sliding down into the bed, Harry's eyes drifted shut, but his mind was awake as ever now. First, Hermione was clearly hiding something from him, and now so was Snape. Snape's secret had to do with his Mum, and that was something he wanted to find out. There was more to Severus Snape than meets the eye and Harry was determined to find out everything there was to know about his Potions Master.