The boy really was quite amazing.
Severus rolled his eyes at his own maudlin hyperbole, but he brushed a strand of the boy's perpetually messy hair away from his closed eyes, even so, and wished him sleep free of dreams. In fact . . . he summoned a vial of Dreamless Sleep and fed it to the near-unconscious boy, knowing that he would need it more tonight than usual.
Besides, this way, Severus could return to the Ministry and deal with the two men waiting there so patiently for him. It was a confrontation he both dreaded and looked forward to, and he knew he needed to have a better idea of what happened before Harry woke.
'Sleep well, Harry,' he sighed, and Warded the boy's door against Werewolves before he retraced his steps to the Ministry.
TBC . . . .
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A/N: Again, another quick post. Short-ish chapter, but the next one will be longer, I swear. Thank you, all, for your continued support and wholehearted enthusiasm. You guys rock!
*Chapter 40*: Chapter 40
Walk the Shadows – Chapter 40
By jharad17
Disclaimer: Not mine. I imagine I'll get over it.
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No entries for this date.
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Severus had been sitting by Harry's bedside for almost a day and a half before the boy opened his eyes again, mid morning on the 29th. He supposed the long rest was inevitable, what with the amount of drain on his magical core Harry had managed, but long about hour thirty after the boy's utter collapse in the Ministry of Magic, Severus started to honestly worry. Then he chided himself for worrying; Harry had proved himself capable of recovering from far worse, hadn't he?
Rumor had it, in fact, that the boy had fought and killed a
Still, he was very glad when Harry opened his eyes, and even more so when he asked for water, even if his voice was hesitant and breathy. Severus hadn't known, until then, if Harry had suffered any permanent brain damage from the massive amounts of magic with which he had accosted Dumbledore and Malfoy.
As he summoned a goblet, and filled it quickly with a water spell, he said softly, 'How do you feel?'
Once he had drunk his fill, instead of answering, Harry irritated Severus by once more proving how little he thought of his own life, and focusing on others instead. 'Dumble . . . dore. Is . . . he . . . okay?'
Severus closed his eyes briefly. 'He will be. He regained consciousness soon after we got back from the Ministry and is recovering, just as you are. But I expect he'll be up and around before the Welcoming Feast. I . . .' He drew a deep breath and plunged on, knowing that he had to get out what he needed to say, though the practice of apologizing did not come easily to him. 'I did not realize he was not himself. I foolishly put you in danger, and I am very sorry.'
Thin brows drew down over the bright green eyes, turning the boy's expression to one of confusion. 'Not . . . your fault.'
Severus grimaced. 'If not mine, then whose? I fancy myself one who reads other people well, and yet I could not discern that one of my oldest friends was possessed by a maniac?' When Severus had gone back to the Ministry, he'd found the Headmaster wrapped inside a bubble of sorts, complete protection against offensive, controlling magic. It was something Harry had done, he was pretty sure, and it was well
