*runs from enraged readers who have waited so nicely* :)
Here is technically the second half of 86, but I'm calling it chapter 87 so it doesn't get totally screwed up when posted at the other sites. :)
Severus' momentary excitement died as his Master's body fell, sweeping through Harry's misty form, which also seemed to dissolve, each particle scattering like a dandelion in the wind, a whole bouquet of dandelions. It was as though they were in a snow globe and someone had just shaken their whole world. Sparkles lingered in the air, tickling Severus' nose before eventually drifting down to the ground.
He stood frozen to the spot, unsure of what to do. As he considered his options, coming up with very little, a plank of wood fell from the crumbling structure. Hitting the ground, it caused a whirl of air to stir, causing sparkly remains of Harry's Patronus to rise up once again. Seeing this, Severus feared that his lover might actually blow away with a gust of wind. He cast a spell around the yard, forming his own sphere to contain the area while he figured out what to do next.
Severus thought that in theory, Harry could possibly reform his shape. But, did he have to be conscious for that? Could he have conscious thought while spread out? Was he like a tree in autumn with is leaves scattered? Once the leaves fell, they were dead, and the tree needed to start anew the next year. Was Harry already dead? He couldn’t think that way. No, Harry wasn't dead, he kept telling himself. He just had to gather the shimmery substance and keep it contained for now. Severus didn't know what he expected to happen, but he would maintain the containment sphere for as long as it took.
~'~'~
Hours passed and Severus continued to hold his wand aloft, looking for signs of movement from what looked like the aftermath of a silvery snowfall. Severus' legs were growing tired and he decided to sit…... What irked him was that Voldemort still showed signs of life. Supposedly, it was a horrible existence to be without one's soul, but even horrible was too good for Voldemort.
"Harry?!" called out the last voice Severus expected to hear. "P..p..professor?" stammered Neville Longbottom. "What happened to the house? Where's Harry?" Neville's eyes widened when he saw the bloody mess nearby. "Is that…" he trailed off, unsure if he truly wanted the answer.
"Voldemort," replied Severus, saying the name for the first time in a very many years, without hesitation or unease.
"Voldemort?" Severus had to give the young man credit; he'd not hesitated to voice the name, even if he did squeak as he spoke it. "Is he alive? Is the magical field preventing his escape?" Neville held his hand up, feeling the magical current radiate off the sphere. He wanted to ask where Harry was, but didn't think he could voice the question. He'd never seen Professor Snape look grave. This was very different from the myriad of sneering expressions ranging from frustrated to infuriated that he was accustomed to seeing. He prided himself on reading them better than most, having had them directed toward himself more than most of his peers, several times per class, a few days a week for 7 years.
"He's been Kissed. By a Dementor," he added when Neville appeared not to understand. “He's not going anywhere, that is unless someone shows up who is determined to help the bastard… though I don't know of any magic that could help him now."
It occurred to him that he hadn't answered the other question. "I have to…" he trailed off, not sure what he had to do. "The mist… the silver, it…" it was harder to say than he expected. Who ever would have thought that he'd stammer when speaking to Neville Longbottom? "I have to make sure the wind doesn't blow it… Harry… away." There, he'd said it.
"Harry," whispered Neville, as though speaking too loud would disturb the strange scene before him. He didn't understand exactly what was going on, but the fact was surreal indeed that he had been calmly, well mostly calmly, conversing with Severus Snape. He stood there for some time. Neither of them spoke, nor did either of them take their eyes off what was left of Voldemort.
After what seemed like forever, something could be heard in the bushes across the street. Severus feared the worst, but it was Neville who pointed out that a reporter was often there.
"Can someone get magic past your enclosure here?" asked Neville. Severus simply nodded, dolefully. "Oh! I gotta go…" Neville sounded almost startled and Severus didn't blame the boy for being scared. However, he was surprised by the feelings stirred up when the boy left. Mostly, he was glad to be alone, even if he hadn't allowed his grief to show, which he was grateful for, now that he realized there had been a reporter watching all this time. Harry had mentioned her a few times. He'd been surprised that there hadn't been a spread in the paper about the great Harry Potter building his house. Perhaps she wasn't affiliated with a paper, and was waiting until she had a large collection of photos and information to sell all at once. If that was the case, it certainly had paid off. She had a big scoop now, the biggest. His thoughts continued rambling; he felt numb, simply staring at what surrounded him. It seemed his capacity for meaningful thought had simply shut down.
"Sir?" Neville's return startled Severus, though the younger wizard would never know it. "Excuse me sir, I'm afraid I can't hold it for much longer," Neville struggled under the weight of a small box in his hand. He placed the box down on the ground and used his wand to levitate it over to where the Dark Lord lay unmoving, with the exception of his chest rising and falling with slow, shallow breaths. "I, um, don't remember the spell to undo this containment, but I don't think it's going to last long anyway," he explained as if that made any sense to Snape. Sure enough, the box began so shake. Before long, it completely vanished, leaving a small but quickly growing plant. "Little bigger," Neville muttered to himself, as the plant appeared to reach its full size.
Before Severus could ask what the Gryffindor was up to, the head of the plant opened up and swallowed the soulless Dark Lord. Neville waved his wand at the plant, but nothing happened.
"Um, I can't get it back out," stated Neville nervously.
Severus would have made a sarcastic comment here, explaining that that was the point of the sphere in the first place, but he couldn't manage to close his gaping mouth. After so many years of servitude, his Master was truly gone. Yes, his soul had already been gone, but knowing the body was good and gone as well, suffused him with a wave of relief. His mouth hung even lower when it occurred to him that Neville Longbottom had just officially killed Lord Voldemort. If it wasn't for his vigil to keep the sphere intact, Severus may have fainted.
"Incendio," Neville was glad to see the plant go. "I might lose my job for that," he said idly., followed by a satisfied, "No one's going to help him out now, are they sir?" It was as if he didn't realize the magnitude of what he'd just done. "Are you all right?" he asked timidly. "What should I do now?"
A loud crack alerted them that the reporter had hastily Apparated away. This prompted Severus to give Neville a task. Was this what the bint Trelawney was talking about when she said he would trust someone he normally wouldn't? He had thought it referred to Malfoy, but maybe not.
"Albus might know how to help me. You can find Ron and Hermione and tell them that I have to stay with Harry, but they should do what they can to keep the reporters away," Severus received a quick nod from Neville and was glad when the boy cast a 'Notice Me Not' charm around the property. It hadn't occurred to him to ask Longbottom to do the task, nor did Neville take offence. No sooner had the boy left, did he kick himself for not telling Neville specifically to alert Dumbledore of the situation. The young man was not the type to pick up on the subtle, implied message to contact Albus first.
~'~'~
So concerned for his friend, Neville hadn't even stopped to explain to his Gran what was going on. He simply sent out an owl to his friends before Apparating to the Burrow in attempts to find them as soon as possible. Not finding them, he went out in search, but not before sending Fred and George to Harry's place to help keep the reporters and any other passersby away. He figured they were as good a substitute as any, for the time being.
The twins arrived with an arsenal of products just in case they needed a diversion, but were surprised to find not a single person anywhere near Harry's place. Mr. Jennings closed up the antique shop as he would any other eve and went home for the night, leaving the building dark and quiet. Try as they might to see what was going on, Harry's spells to keep busybodies from peeking into his windows made it impossible. Little did they know that they were at the wrong place, but it mattered not, since there were no reporters at Godric's Hollow, either. After a few hours, there was no change; still the twins didn't leave their post.
~'~
After several hours, Severus noticed a film of silver that had coated his clothes. It tickled his nose and he idly wondered how much could be lost without serious problems for when Harry transformed back. He couldn't say if, it had to be when Harry came back. His thoughts shifted from that painful topic. They hadn't discussed it, but he'd been concerned about what would happen to himself when Voldemort died. He thought that maybe their connection though the Dark Mark would somehow prove fatal when the time came. Perhaps he was wrong, or that the Dementor's Kiss changed all that. Either way, never in his day dreams about Voldemort’s demise did he think he'd be the one left standing. Severus had every intention of giving his own life, if that was what it took to protect Harry. Having to watch from the sidelines had been excruciating. Voldemort was gone… that one mind-blowing thought was disrupted when Severus sneezed violently.
He and Harry had talked about what happened when something damaged your Animagus form. For example, when he lost feathers while flying around as an owl, he still came back intact. If there had been a serious enough loss, Harry might have transformed back with less hair, or what ever he wouldn't miss too badly. An Animagus form was compiled of not only the wizard, but of all that was on his person. The clothing and wand in pocket were all part of that package, not to mention inherent magic. And that magic saw to it that in case of damage, the things of less importance were what were lost first. Severus mentally calculated how much matter one could lose before there wasn't enough. Since Animagus forms could be any size, it couldn’t be actual weight, it must be a percentage… it was all too much to think about, but he knew that when he stopped thinking about the mechanics of the problem, his mind would wander into dangerous territory.
What little sunlight there was had faded down into the horizon, leaving Severus with only a single street lamp illuminating the area. The charred and crumbled house was a sad sight indeed. His usual good posture forgotten, Severus slumped further down to the ground, the hand not holding his wand turned over, looking odd as he rubbed his fingers together, recalling the times he'd never dared to touch Harry in that Patronus form. Now it clung to him like talcum powder.
"My Harry," he whispered, tears streaming down his face. "Please come back to me," his voice cracked, his shoulders shaking in grief. Great sobs wracked Severus' body, overcome with the torment of losing his love. He gasped for breath as heart -wrenching sobs overtook him. His free hand pounded into the soft ground. Long strands of black hair clung to the sides of his face, the ends mingled with tears and mud. His fist only stopped hitting the ground when mental and physical exhaustion left him so weak he could no longer lift the now bloody hand.
His strength depleted, the distraught Severus let out a howl and attempted to reel in his grief when he realized how near he was to complete collapse. If it meant he had to force impassiveness, he would - he could not risk losing his grip on his wand or break the connection; that might release the sphere which contained his love. The impassiveness hadn't come easily; hiccups replaced the cries while he tried hard to compose himself. He'd not lost his composure so completely since…well, never, really.
While his breathing calmed, tears continued to run trails down his sallow cheeks. An assortment of potions helped to maintain his strength for a while. He found himself wishing help would come, and yet praying no one would come and see him in such a sorry state.
The sound of someone Apparating made Severus' heart leap. Neville slowly approached but waited a moment before speaking. Severus acknowledged him, but hadn't looked up, his face curtained by his lank hair.
"Sir?" Neville wanted to ask if he was okay, but didn't think the wizard would appreciate the question. "Um, I'm not sure why no one is here yet, since I sent the twins to help quite a while ago. It’s taken a long time to find Ron and Hermione."
"I should have sent you for Professor Dumbledore," Severus said with a sigh, and before he could say more, Neville chimed in.
"Yeah, Hermione thought so too, so she's on her way to Hogwarts, but Ron should have been here," Neville looked all around for any signs of Ron and gasped when he spotted a Death Eater on the ground with a wooden spike protruding out from his chest. Looking quickly away, he noticed the lack of reaction from Snape. The wizard hadn't even looked up. "Is there something I can do for you?" he asked nervously, and for a long time, it seemed he wasn't going to get a response.
"Do you know the Extricorpuniceus charm?" asked Severus, his voice impassive, but barely audible.
"Yeah, I'm good at that one," Neville replied quickly, glad to be of help, and then embarrassed to admit such skill at a spell that clears away blotchiness from your face. He used it after visiting his parents. "Oh," he said, startled, before he could stop himself. "I'll just…" he trailed off and clamped his mouth shut before he could say anything else he'd regret. With a careful wave of his wand, he aimed past the black barrier of hair, making Snape more presentable. Or so he hoped, as he hadn't actually seen the man's face since he'd returned.
"I guessed it, you know. Seamus and I were joking around about you being Harry's 'S', but I had actually thought it might be true, later on of course. Funny that, how a joke can come out to be the truth," Neville babbled, having forgotten he wanted to keep his mouth shut. "That was around the same time they said I could have been the Boy Who…" Neville's breath caught in his throat and he nearly began to hyperventilate. "I… I killed Voldemort," he said in astonishment. This time Severus did look up. Neville nearly fainted. Between killing the greatest Dark Lord of their time and seeing Snape smile he didn't know how he remained on his feet.
"You made a good job of it, Neville," Severus congratulated him sincerely.
A loud voice from across the street grabbed their attention.
"I can't believe you two dolts spent hours at Harry's flat and it didn't once occur to you that Neville was talking about the house," shouted Ron, loud enough to call the attention of anyone in a ten-kilometer radius. "Where's the house?" they heard him ask, making both Neville and Severus laugh.
The 'Notice Me Not' charm apparently was still working quite well. Severus would have commented as such, but didn't think that too much shock in one day would be good for Neville.
The twins remained behind the same bush where the reporter had always hid, while Ron crossed the street for a closer look. He cast a revealer to cancel out the other spell for himself and had expected to see the house appear before his eyes. 'No,' he gasped, seeing the house in ruins. "Neville," he called out, having spotted his friend. "Severus, are you hurt?" asked Ron when he found Severus sitting on the ground not far from Neville.
"No," Neville grabbed Ron's arm, preventing him to going to Severus' side. "You won’t be able to get back out, and I don't think you should trod on Harry," his tone firm, until the last word, which he whispered softly. Ron looked from Neville to Severus, studying the older wizard’s face. Neville had done a good job making Severus' face less puffy and back to his usual skin colour, but hadn't erased the tear tracks, that had cut through the silver sheen coating his face.
"What is that?" he held up a hand, but didn't actually touch. "Did you say Harry?" Ron's tone was uneven as he pieced together the clues. "His Patronus Animagus," Ron caught on fast. "Is he…?" unsure how to finish that sentence, he simply looked questioningly to Severus for answers. It was then that he realized what had made the odd lines on Severus' face. "Wait… no! He… no! Bloody Fucking Hell, NO!" shouted Ron, kicking the ground fervently and fearing the worst. He reached for the nearest thing he could find and threw the can of paint with such might, it burst open on impact. "I was supposed to be here by his side!" Ron cried out in anger and grief. He punched a nearby crate, breaking a few bones in his hand for good measure. "What the bloody Hell is in that thing?" he said, looking around the side of the charred crate where he could make out the words 'double size porcelain Jacuzzi bathtub'.
"Oh, dear," it was Albus who had just Apparated with Hermione on his arm. "What precisely has happened, Severus?" Albus asked calmly, assessing the situation. Ron was currently shouting 'Why?!' over and over again, continuing to kick anything in his path. Neville stepped in to help calm his friend as one of the bricks flew past, into the magical barrier Severus was struggling to maintain. As Severus explained everything that had happened since his arrival with the Dementor, Hermione's eyes locked with his watery ones and she slumped to the ground. Her slow descent into the mud was what finally snapped Ron from his tirade.
"Mione!" Ron was at her side in an instant, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her slight form onto his lap. "Dumbledore's going to make it all better; he's going to fix everything. Dumbledore… he," Ron rambled, holding her too tight, rocking them both, back and forth manically. He smoothed her hair with a large hand until Hermione let out a strangled cry from being manhandled.
"All right, then," Dumbledore passed a wand over the pair and instantly Ron and Hermione's eyes took on a serene quality about them. "Boys," he called over the twins from across the street. Before they could get a good look around, Albus instructed them to take their brother and their soon to be sister-in-law to Hogwarts, where Madame Pomfrey could treat them for shock.
"How are you faring?" Albus asked Severus, seeing him stoically maintain the hold on his wand. "I'll put up my own containment to allow you some rest," Albus raised his wand, to Severus' protest.
"No," said Severus firmly. "I'm not releasing this," he gestured to his wand, "… just so I could sit here and be useless, while you put up protections of your own, and have to maintain them. I know you can do more than that. What about an Animagus reversal spell?"
"I don't dare until we've gathered him up a bit." Dumbledore stared into the distance for a moment, lost in thought. "If you can hold the containment barrier, it couldn't hurt to allow more time for Harry's magic to replenish itself." He didn't seem to be waiting for a response, but continued to gaze across the debris and uneven ground, with its frosty looking coating. When Albus did finally pay attention to them, he paused for a moment, looking at Neville appraisingly and then back to Severus, who still bore the signs of shed tears. Albus, like Ron, looked like he wanted to reach his hand out to touch the silver substance, but dared not. "I have something at Hogwarts that might help us bring it all together," said Albus, thinking about one of the many gadgets and gizmos in his office.
With a crack, a ghost-like tabby cat with interesting markings around her eyes appeared before them. Neville understood it to be the Patronus of Minerva McGonagall when he heard it speak with the Deputy Headmistress' voice.
"Marked students have caused an upheaval. Death Eater reinforcements may arrive soon," the tabby disappeared from sight, leaving them in strained silence.
Severus closed his eyes; his head hung down. "Go," he said simply, knowing Albus was needed at the castle. He tried to keep his tone impassive, but failed.
"I'm sorry that you think I wouldn't choose to help you first," Albus said sadly. He knew his track record was against him.
"As you said, you need to get something at Hogwarts to help us. Go, take care of the problem and come back. It's not like I’m going anywhere," Severus added sardonically and then sighed. "Please Albus; you know Harry would never forgive you if, because of him, you didn't go help others in need.” he looked up to Neville, surprised to see what a confidant young man he'd become. "I'm in good hands," he admitted. Neville smiled, but whether it was because he was given a compliment, or due to the pained look it cost Severus to make it, they'd never know.
2nd half of Chapter 87
All chapters are also posted at HPfandom
Severus' momentary excitement died as his Master's body fell, sweeping through Harry's misty form, which also seemed to dissolve, each particle scattering like a dandelion in the wind, a whole bouquet of dandelions. It was as though they were in a snow globe and someone had just shaken their whole world. Sparkles lingered in the air, tickling Severus' nose before eventually drifting down to the ground.
He stood frozen to the spot, unsure of what to do. As he considered his options, coming up with very little, a plank of wood fell from the crumbling structure. Hitting the ground, it caused a whirl of air to stir, causing sparkly remains of Harry's Patronus to rise up once again. Seeing this, Severus feared that his lover might actually blow away with a gust of wind. He cast a spell around the yard, forming his own sphere to contain the area while he figured out what to do next.
Severus thought that in theory, Harry could possibly reform his shape. But, did he have to be conscious for that? Could he have conscious thought while spread out? Was he like a tree in autumn with is leaves scattered? Once the leaves fell, they were dead, and the tree needed to start anew the next year. Was Harry already dead? He couldn’t think that way. No, Harry wasn't dead, he kept telling himself. He just had to gather the shimmery substance and keep it contained for now. Severus didn't know what he expected to happen, but he would maintain the containment sphere for as long as it took.
~'~'~
Hours passed and Severus continued to hold his wand aloft, looking for signs of movement from what looked like the aftermath of a silvery snowfall. Severus' legs were growing tired and he decided to sit…... What irked him was that Voldemort still showed signs of life. Supposedly, it was a horrible existence to be without one's soul, but even horrible was too good for Voldemort.
"Harry?!" called out the last voice Severus expected to hear. "P..p..professor?" stammered Neville Longbottom. "What happened to the house? Where's Harry?" Neville's eyes widened when he saw the bloody mess nearby. "Is that…" he trailed off, unsure if he truly wanted the answer.
"Voldemort," replied Severus, saying the name for the first time in a very many years, without hesitation or unease.
"Voldemort?" Severus had to give the young man credit; he'd not hesitated to voice the name, even if he did squeak as he spoke it. "Is he alive? Is the magical field preventing his escape?" Neville held his hand up, feeling the magical current radiate off the sphere. He wanted to ask where Harry was, but didn't think he could voice the question. He'd never seen Professor Snape look grave. This was very different from the myriad of sneering expressions ranging from frustrated to infuriated that he was accustomed to seeing. He prided himself on reading them better than most, having had them directed toward himself more than most of his peers, several times per class, a few days a week for 7 years.
"He's been Kissed. By a Dementor," he added when Neville appeared not to understand. “He's not going anywhere, that is unless someone shows up who is determined to help the bastard… though I don't know of any magic that could help him now."
It occurred to him that he hadn't answered the other question. "I have to…" he trailed off, not sure what he had to do. "The mist… the silver, it…" it was harder to say than he expected. Who ever would have thought that he'd stammer when speaking to Neville Longbottom? "I have to make sure the wind doesn't blow it… Harry… away." There, he'd said it.
"Harry," whispered Neville, as though speaking too loud would disturb the strange scene before him. He didn't understand exactly what was going on, but the fact was surreal indeed that he had been calmly, well mostly calmly, conversing with Severus Snape. He stood there for some time. Neither of them spoke, nor did either of them take their eyes off what was left of Voldemort.
After what seemed like forever, something could be heard in the bushes across the street. Severus feared the worst, but it was Neville who pointed out that a reporter was often there.
"Can someone get magic past your enclosure here?" asked Neville. Severus simply nodded, dolefully. "Oh! I gotta go…" Neville sounded almost startled and Severus didn't blame the boy for being scared. However, he was surprised by the feelings stirred up when the boy left. Mostly, he was glad to be alone, even if he hadn't allowed his grief to show, which he was grateful for, now that he realized there had been a reporter watching all this time. Harry had mentioned her a few times. He'd been surprised that there hadn't been a spread in the paper about the great Harry Potter building his house. Perhaps she wasn't affiliated with a paper, and was waiting until she had a large collection of photos and information to sell all at once. If that was the case, it certainly had paid off. She had a big scoop now, the biggest. His thoughts continued rambling; he felt numb, simply staring at what surrounded him. It seemed his capacity for meaningful thought had simply shut down.
"Sir?" Neville's return startled Severus, though the younger wizard would never know it. "Excuse me sir, I'm afraid I can't hold it for much longer," Neville struggled under the weight of a small box in his hand. He placed the box down on the ground and used his wand to levitate it over to where the Dark Lord lay unmoving, with the exception of his chest rising and falling with slow, shallow breaths. "I, um, don't remember the spell to undo this containment, but I don't think it's going to last long anyway," he explained as if that made any sense to Snape. Sure enough, the box began so shake. Before long, it completely vanished, leaving a small but quickly growing plant. "Little bigger," Neville muttered to himself, as the plant appeared to reach its full size.
Before Severus could ask what the Gryffindor was up to, the head of the plant opened up and swallowed the soulless Dark Lord. Neville waved his wand at the plant, but nothing happened.
"Um, I can't get it back out," stated Neville nervously.
Severus would have made a sarcastic comment here, explaining that that was the point of the sphere in the first place, but he couldn't manage to close his gaping mouth. After so many years of servitude, his Master was truly gone. Yes, his soul had already been gone, but knowing the body was good and gone as well, suffused him with a wave of relief. His mouth hung even lower when it occurred to him that Neville Longbottom had just officially killed Lord Voldemort. If it wasn't for his vigil to keep the sphere intact, Severus may have fainted.
"Incendio," Neville was glad to see the plant go. "I might lose my job for that," he said idly., followed by a satisfied, "No one's going to help him out now, are they sir?" It was as if he didn't realize the magnitude of what he'd just done. "Are you all right?" he asked timidly. "What should I do now?"
A loud crack alerted them that the reporter had hastily Apparated away. This prompted Severus to give Neville a task. Was this what the bint Trelawney was talking about when she said he would trust someone he normally wouldn't? He had thought it referred to Malfoy, but maybe not.
"Albus might know how to help me. You can find Ron and Hermione and tell them that I have to stay with Harry, but they should do what they can to keep the reporters away," Severus received a quick nod from Neville and was glad when the boy cast a 'Notice Me Not' charm around the property. It hadn't occurred to him to ask Longbottom to do the task, nor did Neville take offence. No sooner had the boy left, did he kick himself for not telling Neville specifically to alert Dumbledore of the situation. The young man was not the type to pick up on the subtle, implied message to contact Albus first.
~'~'~
So concerned for his friend, Neville hadn't even stopped to explain to his Gran what was going on. He simply sent out an owl to his friends before Apparating to the Burrow in attempts to find them as soon as possible. Not finding them, he went out in search, but not before sending Fred and George to Harry's place to help keep the reporters and any other passersby away. He figured they were as good a substitute as any, for the time being.
The twins arrived with an arsenal of products just in case they needed a diversion, but were surprised to find not a single person anywhere near Harry's place. Mr. Jennings closed up the antique shop as he would any other eve and went home for the night, leaving the building dark and quiet. Try as they might to see what was going on, Harry's spells to keep busybodies from peeking into his windows made it impossible. Little did they know that they were at the wrong place, but it mattered not, since there were no reporters at Godric's Hollow, either. After a few hours, there was no change; still the twins didn't leave their post.
~'~
After several hours, Severus noticed a film of silver that had coated his clothes. It tickled his nose and he idly wondered how much could be lost without serious problems for when Harry transformed back. He couldn't say if, it had to be when Harry came back. His thoughts shifted from that painful topic. They hadn't discussed it, but he'd been concerned about what would happen to himself when Voldemort died. He thought that maybe their connection though the Dark Mark would somehow prove fatal when the time came. Perhaps he was wrong, or that the Dementor's Kiss changed all that. Either way, never in his day dreams about Voldemort’s demise did he think he'd be the one left standing. Severus had every intention of giving his own life, if that was what it took to protect Harry. Having to watch from the sidelines had been excruciating. Voldemort was gone… that one mind-blowing thought was disrupted when Severus sneezed violently.
He and Harry had talked about what happened when something damaged your Animagus form. For example, when he lost feathers while flying around as an owl, he still came back intact. If there had been a serious enough loss, Harry might have transformed back with less hair, or what ever he wouldn't miss too badly. An Animagus form was compiled of not only the wizard, but of all that was on his person. The clothing and wand in pocket were all part of that package, not to mention inherent magic. And that magic saw to it that in case of damage, the things of less importance were what were lost first. Severus mentally calculated how much matter one could lose before there wasn't enough. Since Animagus forms could be any size, it couldn’t be actual weight, it must be a percentage… it was all too much to think about, but he knew that when he stopped thinking about the mechanics of the problem, his mind would wander into dangerous territory.
What little sunlight there was had faded down into the horizon, leaving Severus with only a single street lamp illuminating the area. The charred and crumbled house was a sad sight indeed. His usual good posture forgotten, Severus slumped further down to the ground, the hand not holding his wand turned over, looking odd as he rubbed his fingers together, recalling the times he'd never dared to touch Harry in that Patronus form. Now it clung to him like talcum powder.
"My Harry," he whispered, tears streaming down his face. "Please come back to me," his voice cracked, his shoulders shaking in grief. Great sobs wracked Severus' body, overcome with the torment of losing his love. He gasped for breath as heart -wrenching sobs overtook him. His free hand pounded into the soft ground. Long strands of black hair clung to the sides of his face, the ends mingled with tears and mud. His fist only stopped hitting the ground when mental and physical exhaustion left him so weak he could no longer lift the now bloody hand.
His strength depleted, the distraught Severus let out a howl and attempted to reel in his grief when he realized how near he was to complete collapse. If it meant he had to force impassiveness, he would - he could not risk losing his grip on his wand or break the connection; that might release the sphere which contained his love. The impassiveness hadn't come easily; hiccups replaced the cries while he tried hard to compose himself. He'd not lost his composure so completely since…well, never, really.
While his breathing calmed, tears continued to run trails down his sallow cheeks. An assortment of potions helped to maintain his strength for a while. He found himself wishing help would come, and yet praying no one would come and see him in such a sorry state.
The sound of someone Apparating made Severus' heart leap. Neville slowly approached but waited a moment before speaking. Severus acknowledged him, but hadn't looked up, his face curtained by his lank hair.
"Sir?" Neville wanted to ask if he was okay, but didn't think the wizard would appreciate the question. "Um, I'm not sure why no one is here yet, since I sent the twins to help quite a while ago. It’s taken a long time to find Ron and Hermione."
"I should have sent you for Professor Dumbledore," Severus said with a sigh, and before he could say more, Neville chimed in.
"Yeah, Hermione thought so too, so she's on her way to Hogwarts, but Ron should have been here," Neville looked all around for any signs of Ron and gasped when he spotted a Death Eater on the ground with a wooden spike protruding out from his chest. Looking quickly away, he noticed the lack of reaction from Snape. The wizard hadn't even looked up. "Is there something I can do for you?" he asked nervously, and for a long time, it seemed he wasn't going to get a response.
"Do you know the Extricorpuniceus charm?" asked Severus, his voice impassive, but barely audible.
"Yeah, I'm good at that one," Neville replied quickly, glad to be of help, and then embarrassed to admit such skill at a spell that clears away blotchiness from your face. He used it after visiting his parents. "Oh," he said, startled, before he could stop himself. "I'll just…" he trailed off and clamped his mouth shut before he could say anything else he'd regret. With a careful wave of his wand, he aimed past the black barrier of hair, making Snape more presentable. Or so he hoped, as he hadn't actually seen the man's face since he'd returned.
"I guessed it, you know. Seamus and I were joking around about you being Harry's 'S', but I had actually thought it might be true, later on of course. Funny that, how a joke can come out to be the truth," Neville babbled, having forgotten he wanted to keep his mouth shut. "That was around the same time they said I could have been the Boy Who…" Neville's breath caught in his throat and he nearly began to hyperventilate. "I… I killed Voldemort," he said in astonishment. This time Severus did look up. Neville nearly fainted. Between killing the greatest Dark Lord of their time and seeing Snape smile he didn't know how he remained on his feet.
"You made a good job of it, Neville," Severus congratulated him sincerely.
A loud voice from across the street grabbed their attention.
"I can't believe you two dolts spent hours at Harry's flat and it didn't once occur to you that Neville was talking about the house," shouted Ron, loud enough to call the attention of anyone in a ten-kilometer radius. "Where's the house?" they heard him ask, making both Neville and Severus laugh.
The 'Notice Me Not' charm apparently was still working quite well. Severus would have commented as such, but didn't think that too much shock in one day would be good for Neville.
The twins remained behind the same bush where the reporter had always hid, while Ron crossed the street for a closer look. He cast a revealer to cancel out the other spell for himself and had expected to see the house appear before his eyes. 'No,' he gasped, seeing the house in ruins. "Neville," he called out, having spotted his friend. "Severus, are you hurt?" asked Ron when he found Severus sitting on the ground not far from Neville.
"No," Neville grabbed Ron's arm, preventing him to going to Severus' side. "You won’t be able to get back out, and I don't think you should trod on Harry," his tone firm, until the last word, which he whispered softly. Ron looked from Neville to Severus, studying the older wizard’s face. Neville had done a good job making Severus' face less puffy and back to his usual skin colour, but hadn't erased the tear tracks, that had cut through the silver sheen coating his face.
"What is that?" he held up a hand, but didn't actually touch. "Did you say Harry?" Ron's tone was uneven as he pieced together the clues. "His Patronus Animagus," Ron caught on fast. "Is he…?" unsure how to finish that sentence, he simply looked questioningly to Severus for answers. It was then that he realized what had made the odd lines on Severus' face. "Wait… no! He… no! Bloody Fucking Hell, NO!" shouted Ron, kicking the ground fervently and fearing the worst. He reached for the nearest thing he could find and threw the can of paint with such might, it burst open on impact. "I was supposed to be here by his side!" Ron cried out in anger and grief. He punched a nearby crate, breaking a few bones in his hand for good measure. "What the bloody Hell is in that thing?" he said, looking around the side of the charred crate where he could make out the words 'double size porcelain Jacuzzi bathtub'.
"Oh, dear," it was Albus who had just Apparated with Hermione on his arm. "What precisely has happened, Severus?" Albus asked calmly, assessing the situation. Ron was currently shouting 'Why?!' over and over again, continuing to kick anything in his path. Neville stepped in to help calm his friend as one of the bricks flew past, into the magical barrier Severus was struggling to maintain. As Severus explained everything that had happened since his arrival with the Dementor, Hermione's eyes locked with his watery ones and she slumped to the ground. Her slow descent into the mud was what finally snapped Ron from his tirade.
"Mione!" Ron was at her side in an instant, wrapping his arms around her, pulling her slight form onto his lap. "Dumbledore's going to make it all better; he's going to fix everything. Dumbledore… he," Ron rambled, holding her too tight, rocking them both, back and forth manically. He smoothed her hair with a large hand until Hermione let out a strangled cry from being manhandled.
"All right, then," Dumbledore passed a wand over the pair and instantly Ron and Hermione's eyes took on a serene quality about them. "Boys," he called over the twins from across the street. Before they could get a good look around, Albus instructed them to take their brother and their soon to be sister-in-law to Hogwarts, where Madame Pomfrey could treat them for shock.
"How are you faring?" Albus asked Severus, seeing him stoically maintain the hold on his wand. "I'll put up my own containment to allow you some rest," Albus raised his wand, to Severus' protest.
"No," said Severus firmly. "I'm not releasing this," he gestured to his wand, "… just so I could sit here and be useless, while you put up protections of your own, and have to maintain them. I know you can do more than that. What about an Animagus reversal spell?"
"I don't dare until we've gathered him up a bit." Dumbledore stared into the distance for a moment, lost in thought. "If you can hold the containment barrier, it couldn't hurt to allow more time for Harry's magic to replenish itself." He didn't seem to be waiting for a response, but continued to gaze across the debris and uneven ground, with its frosty looking coating. When Albus did finally pay attention to them, he paused for a moment, looking at Neville appraisingly and then back to Severus, who still bore the signs of shed tears. Albus, like Ron, looked like he wanted to reach his hand out to touch the silver substance, but dared not. "I have something at Hogwarts that might help us bring it all together," said Albus, thinking about one of the many gadgets and gizmos in his office.
With a crack, a ghost-like tabby cat with interesting markings around her eyes appeared before them. Neville understood it to be the Patronus of Minerva McGonagall when he heard it speak with the Deputy Headmistress' voice.
"Marked students have caused an upheaval. Death Eater reinforcements may arrive soon," the tabby disappeared from sight, leaving them in strained silence.
Severus closed his eyes; his head hung down. "Go," he said simply, knowing Albus was needed at the castle. He tried to keep his tone impassive, but failed.
"I'm sorry that you think I wouldn't choose to help you first," Albus said sadly. He knew his track record was against him.
"As you said, you need to get something at Hogwarts to help us. Go, take care of the problem and come back. It's not like I’m going anywhere," Severus added sardonically and then sighed. "Please Albus; you know Harry would never forgive you if, because of him, you didn't go help others in need.” he looked up to Neville, surprised to see what a confidant young man he'd become. "I'm in good hands," he admitted. Neville smiled, but whether it was because he was given a compliment, or due to the pained look it cost Severus to make it, they'd never know.
2nd half of Chapter 87
All chapters are also posted at HPfandom