Walk the Shadows

There was no sneer, as Harry might have expected, on the professor's face as he said, 'Yes. Actually, I can. It will be better . . . later. Now, it . . . I apologize, as it will likely cause you some distress.'

'See!' the voice crowed inside him. 'I knew he would hurt you. You can't trust him, only me . . .'

'No! I won't let you!' Harry said, and pushed off the couch, head down, avoiding the man's gaze. He tried to duck around Snape, to get to the room he'd slept in last night.

But Snape was fast, almost fast enough to be a Seeker, and he grabbed Harry's arm and swung him around. 'You've been avoiding this for days now, Potter—'

'Oh, see how angry he gets, and so easily!' the voice warned. 'Watch out for him, I bet he hits!'

'—and I will not let you hide any more.'

'Let go of me!' Harry cried, and yanked at his arm, trying to pull out of Snape's grasp. 'Please! Let go!'

Snape pushed him at the couch instead. 'Sit still and look at me,' he ordered.

'Don't let him! He'll only hurt you! You heard him, he doesn't care about you, only what he can do to your mind.'

'I know!' Harry hissed back. 'I won't let him—'

The color from Snape's face drained away and the hand holding his wand fell to his side. 'Who are you talking to, Potter?' he said in a low tone. 'Answer me!'

'I . . . I don't . . . None of your business! It's no one. Just leave me alone!' Harry darted past the Potions Master again, and this time, Snape didn't even try to catch him. He made it to his room, slammed the door behind him, and went to lock it and put up a ward, too, when he realized his wand was gone.

Where was it? Had Snape taken it?

That cold feeling had settled into his stomach again, but he was warmed by the soft hum of the voice inside him, even when it asked calmly, 'Do you even need to ask? You know he did. Now, let me show you how to lock your door without a wand.'

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxooxoxox

Stunned, Severus let the boy escape. Behind him, the door slammed shut, and the sound threw him into action at once. He hadn't been mistaken. The boy had used Parseltongue again, and there was only one person he could be speaking with like that. He Floo-called Dumbledore, then went through to the Headmaster's office and relayed his concerns.

Instead of expressing the appropriate amount of dismay, however, Albus seemed . . . preoccupied, dealing with the myriad issues being brought to his attention by the new Minister of Magic, and the daily battles against the Death Eaters and their allies on the streets of various towns, up and down the Isles.

'He's gained access to the boy's mind!' Severus nearly shouted, after ten minutes of trying to convince the old coot that this was a dire situation. 'Potter's always been difficult about Occluding, but this time . . . he has no defenses at all. I can only imagine what the Dark Lord has told him, to get such access, what promises he's made.'

'You'll have to find a way to break through, Severus,' Dumbledore said, his face haggard and gray. 'Unless you've changed your mind and want Harry sent away for treatment.'

'Of course not! That won't help in the least. Unless you want the rise of another Dark Lord . . .'

Dumbledore's gaze sharpened. 'I don't believe that will be an issue.'

Severus shook his head. 'You have no idea, none! I've seen what the boy is capable of. How much pain he can take and how much it took to break him. He's rather easily closed those human feelings off, when they became too difficult to manage, and very nearly lapped up every word the Dark Lord told him, just because someone was willing to ask him how he felt, and what he wanted. How often have you done so, Albus? When has anyone?'

'But Tom turned on him, in the end.'

'It doesn't matter!' Severus paced, gnashing his teeth and gesticulating wildly. 'The boy has no current memory of that happening, and he won't allow me access to his mind so I can show him. He trusted me well enough before we escaped, so something – or someone – is poisoning his mind against me. Along with these Parseltongue conversations, that means he's let the Dark Lord in, and his memories of that 'betrayal' are gone.'

Albus sighed. 'As I said, it will be up to you to get through to him.'

'Fine!' Severus shouted and headed back to the fireplace, hands grasping for Floo powder before he'd even unclenched them. 'I just thought you should know.'

As the flames claimed him, he saw the Headmaster bury his face in his hands.

The boy's door was closed, and when Severus tried it, he found it wizard locked. Impossible! The boy had no wand; Voldemort had confiscated it at once, after he was captured. It was probably destroyed by now. Of course, as he'd said himself, very little was actually impossible, when it came to Harry Potter.

'Alohamora,' he incanted, but the door still held fast. Growling now, with irritation, and not a little worry, he cast a few more counter charms on the door and was surprised to find that the one that finally worked was one of the strongest that he knew.

He swept through the doorway and came face to face with a very angry Harry Potter. Wandless, but with a hand outstretched as if he held one, and just a hint of red in his eyes.

'Harry,' he started, but was interrupted immediately.

'Get out of here, Professor. I won't let you in my mind.'