Walk the Shadows

'please,' but the pain kept him from understanding. He drank the potion. Like the plaintive, hollow voice promised, the pain went away, even as he felt into blackness.

---

Harry shut the door behind him and moved toward the sitting room. 'Severus? I'm home,' he called again. But there was still no answer. Odd. Though, maybe Snape was working in his lab. He certainly was abed yet; he tended to keep awful late hours, and besides, he'd have wanted to make sure Harry was back from visiting Remus on time. Wouldn't he?

A strange odor hung in the air, almost like burnt meat. Then he saw the teacup under the table, and the spill on the soft rug, and the second cup sitting almost full near the pot. What the hell? He bent over to retrieve the cup and frowned when a jolt went through his fingers, making him drop it again.

A glimpse of movement in the corner of his eye made him stand up again, and turn toward the short corridor which led to their bedrooms. His mouth dropped open as Dumbledore moved toward him, closing the door to Snape's room.

'What are you . . . where's Severus?'

'Harry . . .' The Headmaster's voice was gentle sounding, but he didn't meet Harry's eyes. 'He's resting. There's been a--'

'What happened?!' He'd only been gone a couple hours. What happened to him, and how could it happen here?

Dumbledore shook his head, looking tired. 'Voldemort tortured him through the Dark Mark. He sent something more than his usual calling card. It ate away his skin like acid or fire--'

Harry shoved past him, down the hallway and pushed open the door to Severus' room. His guardian lay in bed, eyes closed, breathing shallowly, but undoubtedly alive. His left arm was bandaged from fingertips to elbow, and the right hand was likewise swathed in gauze. The room smelt of antiseptic. 'What happened to his hand?' he whispered, not wanting to disturb the man's sleep, though he could hear the panic in his voice.

'He was gripping the Dark Mark with it. His palm and fingers blistered, but there was no permanent nerve damage.'

'And his arm? Will he be all right, or is that permanently damaged?'

'I'm not sure, Harry. I did all I could to prevent that.'

Oh, God. He seemed to be resting all right now, and there wasn't anything more Harry could do for him in any case. He didn't know any Healing magic. But the whole thing was odd, and he felt strangely disconnected, almost like shock. Okay, think. He just had to think. 'Have you given him a Nerve Regenerator?'

'Yes, of course,' Dumbledore said, faintly chiding. 'I'm nearly as competent as Madam Pomfrey in the business of tending wounds.'

'Sorry,' Harry said. 'Is he going to be all right?'

'It's too soon to tell. Once he wakes, we'll have a better idea of whether the damage can be healed completely.'

Harry nodded. Was Voldemort trying to kill Snape through the Mark? If so, why hadn't he done so before? Why tonight? And if he wasn't, why had it been so bad this time? Harry knew that Snape had been hurt through the Mark a few times since they'd escaped from that horrid manor, now that Voldemort knew the truth about Snape's spying. It usually happened at night, and put Snape in a grouchy mood, but the man was generally able to handle it. So why had this time been different?

'What changed?' he murmured.

'Hmm?'

Harry startled, having forgotten that Dumbledore was still there. 'I