A New Outlook

Disclaimer: All characters are property of J.K. Rowling. I’m just having some fun.

WARNING: MENTIONS OF RAPE ARE INCLUDED.

thoughts
{Parseltongue}
normal speech


Chapter 4: Healing Harry

Voldemort Apparated into the front foyer of Riddle Manor and started up the stairs to the West Wing of the Manor. This wing was where Voldemort’s personal chambers were located and, now, his grandson’s chambers, also. Voldemort called on DeeDee, the house elf, to open the doors to Harry’s new rooms. Narcissa quickly stood from where she had been waiting in the sitting room and followed her Lord to the bedroom. Voldemort gently lay Harry down on the cotton sheets on the enormous four-poster bed.

Narcissa choked back a sob at the bruised and bloody teenager. She quickly shoved back her emotions to examine later and went into healer mode. Using her wand, she cast several scanning spells. Then she turned to an anxiously waiting Dark Lord.

“My Lord, I am afraid that there is too much damage for me to heal on my own,” Narcissa replied nervously.

“Severus expected as much and has gone to Hogwarts to retrieve Madam Pomphrey. They should be here presently,” said Voldemort.

Narcissa breathed a sigh of relief before calling out, “DeeDee.”

“Yous called for DeeDee, Mistress Malfoy?”

“Yes, I need a bowl full of warm water and a flannel.”

“As yous command,” DeeDee replied before popping away to get the requested items.

“My Lord, take off your robe and roll up your sleeves. I’m going to need your help until Poppy gets here,” ordered Narcissa.

Now, normally Voldemort would have Crucio’d anyone who dared to order him around, but since his grandson’s life was on the line, he complied.

“What do you need me to do, Narcissa?” questioned Voldemort, as DeeDee popped back into the room with the water and flannel.

“I need you to clean him up, starting with his chest. I can’t see what to heal with all the blood and other fluids in the way,” replied Narcissa.

Voldemort took the flannel and water from the bedside table where the house elf had placed them and began to wash Harry’s emaciated form. As the blood and grime gave way to show the extent of Harry’s wounds, Voldemort had to keep a tight reign on his anger. He ran the flannel across Harry’s chest, arms, and legs, trying to be as gentle as possible. As soon as a patch of skin was clean, Narcissa started healing the open wounds. She left the bruises for later. Narcissa was sickened by the lash marks marking the entire front of the teen’s body. Her motherly instincts took over and she vowed to herself that she would do anything and everything to help this broken boy.

Suddenly the tell-tale CRACK of Apparation was heard from downstairs. Help had arrived.

While Voldemort was carrying Harry up the stairs in Riddle Manor, Severus was walking to the front doors of Hogwarts with a scowl on his face, looking for all to see as if he was merely returning from purchasing potions ingredients in Hogsmeade. Inside, Severus was filled with the irrational urge to run pell-mell to the Infirmary shouting to the world his urgency, but knew that it was a foolish idea. It was a sure fire way to get himself noticed. Doing anything out of the ordinary would get the Headmaster’s attention faster than lightning, and a running and worried Severus Snape was as out of the ordinary as one could get.

After what seemed like hours to Severus, in actuality probably only fifteen minutes, he arrived at the doors to the school Infirmary. Severus stalked straight to Poppy’s office and opened the door with a jerk, not even bothering to knock.

“Severus, really, you could have at least had the courtesy to knock,” reprimanded the stern nurse.

“Poppy, I haven’t got the time. I need you to give me an oath that what we speak of here will never reach the Headmaster,” stated Severus.

Poppy was puzzled, but Severus had always been a very serious person and Poppy trusted him not to harm her. “All right, I give my Witch’s Oath that whatever is said here in this office between Severus Lysander Snape and I, Poppy Leanne Pomphrey, will never be disclosed without express permission from either party to another living soul. Should I break this solemn oath, may my magic and life be stripped from me. This I swear.”

Severus breathed a sigh of relief before placing the strongest Silencing spells and Privacy wards he knew around the office.

“Poppy, as I said, I don’t have much time, so a quick explanation will have to do. I promise that further explanation will be given at a later time, but a child’s life is on the line at the moment. To put it simply, Harry Potter is the biological grandson of the Dark Lord. The Dark Lord found out very recently and put together a plan to take Harry from his relatives,” started Severus.

“Stop, Severus. I can figure out the rest, after all I have to heal Harry at the beginning of every year of the results of his relatives’ ‘loving’ care. Just answer one question for me. What is Voldemort going to do with Harry?”

“As far as I can tell, the Dark Lord is going to claim his familial relationship and protect his grandson from any more harm.”

“Thank you. Now, what do I need to do?”

“You need to bring anything that would be used to heal a victim of extreme physical abuse and meet me at the Apparation point outside the Gates to Hogwarts.”

Poppy nodded and started gathering supplies as Severus swept out of the Infirmary towards the Entrance Hall.

Before Severus could reach the doors he heard an all too familiar voice saying, “Severus, my boy, where are you heading off to so soon after getting back.”

Severus reinforced his Occlumency barriers and wiped his expression blank before turning to face a set of twinkling blue eyes belonging to the Headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore.

“Headmaster, the Dark Lord has ordered me to seek out a Vampire in Romania who is rumored to know of a potion that can allow Vampires to walk in broad daylight. He wants me to analyze the potion for its validity and procure the recipe if it does indeed work. He believes that the potion will go a long way to obtaining an alliance with the Vampire Clans. I was just dropping off my new potions ingredients before leaving. I will make sure to report my findings to you as soon as I return.”

“Make sure that you do, my boy. And don’t let Voldemort get his hands on that recipe. It could be disastrous for the side of Light, and you wouldn’t want the death of hundreds of innocents on your conscience, would you?”

“Of course not, Headmaster. I would never forgive myself,” Severus lied smoothly.

“Very well, my boy, off you go,” said the Headmaster before heading for his office.

Severus bit back the acidic remark on his tongue and strode out to the Apparation point to wait for Poppy.

As Dumbledore reached his office, his fire flared and he turned to see Madam Pomphrey’s face floating in the fire.

“What can I do for you today, my dear?” questioned Dumbledore.

“Albus, my sister in New York has fallen ill and her husband Owled me to see if I could help,” said Poppy.

“My dear, go and visit your darling sister. It is after all the summer holidays and family does come first. Do you need me to open the floo?”

“No, Albus. I have to get a few supplies that I might need from Hogsmeade, so I’ll just floo from there.”

“Quite all right. Give your sister my regard, will you? And do be careful, I could never replace such a spectacular nurse such as yourself.”

“I will be careful. Good day, Albus,” Poppy replied before leaving the floo and heading out of Hogwarts to meet Severus. Poppy had already fire-called her sister and asked her to cover for her in case the Headmaster decided to check up on her.

Severus was beginning to get nervous when Poppy finally showed up. Without a word, he grabbed her arm and Apparated the two of them to Riddle Manor. Arriving in the foyer, Severus immediately called for a house elf to find out where the Dark Lord had taken Harry. After receiving an answer, Severus motioned for Poppy to follow him to the West Wing.

Severus and Poppy entered Harry’s bedroom to find Narcissa frantically casting healing spells while the Dark Lord was sitting in a chair, clothes covered in blood and other body fluids. Poppy immediately went to help Narcissa while Severus went to speak with Voldemort.

“My Lord,” Severus stated drawing Voldemort’s attention to his person.

“Severus,” Voldemort replied.

“I have something you need to see, but it should be done in private,” said Severus.

Voldemort quickly rose from the chair he was sitting in and motioned for Severus to follow him. They entered Voldemort’s personal sitting room where the adventure had started. Severus took a seat in an armchair while Voldemort went to cast a Cleaning charm and change into fresh clothes. When Voldemort returned to the sitting room, Severus handed him the notebook from the cupboard.

“My Lord, I found that in the cupboard at Privet Drive. I thought that you needed to see it. I will warn you though. It is very disturbing information,” Severus said before leaning back into his chair and watching the fire to allow Voldemort time to read the notebook in a semblance of privacy.

Voldemort quickly read the notebook, his fury rising more and more the longer he read.

“Severus, how much of this did you read?” questioned Voldemort.

Severus pointed out the passages as Lucius and Draco entered the sitting room. Lucius and Draco both bowed to the Dark Lord before sitting on the couch.

“My Lord, the boy’s relatives have been placed in separate cells in the dungeon. I set two house elves to watch over them,” Lucius informed Voldemort.

“Thank you Lucius, and you, Draco,” Voldemort replied as the doors to his sitting room opened to reveal an exhausted Narcissa Malfoy and Poppy Pomphrey. Lucius and Draco quickly stood and helped escort the tired nurses to the couch. Voldemort called for a house elf to bring drinks and food for everyone. After everyone’s hunger and thirst had been satisfied, Voldemort finally asked the question that was on all the men’s minds: “Well, how is he?”

Narcissa and Poppy glanced at each other before deciding that it was probably safer if Narcissa answered his question.

“He will live, My Lord. There will be scarring though. Right now he is in a healing coma. We estimate that the coma will last about a week. We won’t know if there is any brain damage until he wakes up.”

Poppy took this moment to hand the list of injuries to the Dark Lord. Voldemort read over them quickly before handing them to Lucius for him, Severus, and Draco to read.

“HE WAS RAPED??!!!!” shouted Lucius as he got to the bottom of the list.

Narcissa merely inclined her head in affirmation.

“I’LL KILL THE BLOODY BASTARDS!!!” yelled Draco as he got up to go do just that.

“Draconis Lucius Apollo Malfoy, you will do no such thing,” admonished Narcissa. “The only person who has a right to decide their fate is Harry, and until he is well enough to decide their punishment, no harm will come to those disgusting Muggles,” Narcissa glared at all the men, including Voldemort, daring them to challenge her statement. Draco sulked, but followed his mother’s order and sat down.

Poppy decided to speak up, addressing Severus, “I believe that an explanation is due.”

So, with the help of everyone in the room and Lily’s letter, Poppy was brought up to date. She sat there for a few minutes contemplating the new information. Making her decision, she stood up and walked over to Voldemort. Everyone was silent, watching to see what the Medi-Witch would do. Voldemort just looked at her, waiting for her to make the first move.

“Voldemort, Harry is like a nephew to me. I love that boy and no one, I mean NO ONE, hurts my family and gets away with it. I refuse to be Marked by you until I speak with Harry. Honestly, I don’t completely trust you, but I trust Harry, and if he trusts you then I will happily join your ranks. And until that time I will also NOT be calling you ‘My Lord.’ Dumbledore has crossed me for the last time. I have told him repeatedly that Harry should be removed from that house, but he has done nothing. Since Harry was a minor, there was nothing else I could do. I kept praying that at least one of his friends or teachers,” at this she glared at Severus, “would notice and come to me, but none did. Know this: your secrets are safe with me. I would sooner cut off my head than harm one hair on that sweet innocent boy.”

“I accept your terms, Madam Pomphrey, and thank you for your help. You may call me ‘Voldemort’ or ‘Tom’ for the time being. As for joining me, I am actually contemplating letting Harry Mark his own followers with a different Mark from my own. Assuming he decides to rule with me that is. Should I do this, you would be joining his ranks and not mine. Would you care to stay here in the Manor until Harry is well again?” said Voldemort.

“I would appreciate that very much, Voldemort, and you may call me ‘Poppy,’” said Poppy.

“Narcissa, would you please show Poppy to the suite adjacent to your own. Lucius, Severus, Draco, I need to speak with you a moment,” stated the Dark Lord.

Narcissa bowed to the Dark Lord while Poppy inclined her head in a gesture of respect. Then the two women went to check on Harry again before settling Poppy into her new rooms.

After the door closed, Voldemort turned to speak to his most loyal followers.

“Severus, is there anything that I can do to help make up for past mistakes with my grandson?”

“My Lord, even though I hated the man, Harry loved his godfather, Sirius Black, like a father. Even though he is dead, Harry would want the public to know that the mutt was not a murderer.”

“Hmmm…since getting that letter I have suspected that Wormtail may be the spy in my Inner Circle. Lucius, see that the Ministry ‘finds’ Wormtail and get Mr. Black’s name cleared. Severus, find Bellatrix and throw her in the dungeons. I’m sure that, along with the Muggles, she would be an excellent gift for my grandson.”

“Yes, My Lord,” the two men responded before leaving to do their assigned tasks.

“Draco.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

“Take this vial of Veritaserum and this journal,” Voldemort said handing him a blank journal and a vial full of the clear Truth Serum, “When Severus and Lucius return, have them help you interrogate the Muggles. You are to record all the questions and answers, separated by person, in that journal. I want to know why they did this. And remember: DO NOT HARM THEM, no matter what they may say. Your mother was right; only Harry has the right to decide their punishment. You may go now and wait for your father and godfather.”

Draco bowed and left the room.

{Nagini,} hissed Voldemort.

{Yes, Master}

{In the next room, Harry Potter is in a healing coma. He is my grandson. Make sure that no harm comes to him.}

{Yes, Master. I will protect the young snake,} Nagini hissed back before retreating to Harry’s room to protect the boy.

Voldemort retired to his bedroom to get a few hours sleep. It had been a long day and it had barely even begun.