The Headmaster

Things will be revealed in Chapter 10 and 11 about why Harry is being...Harry and what happened between Severus and Harry. Their relationship doesn't get any better, at least not yet.


Chapter 9 The Headmaster

Severus woke slowly from an unnatural sleep. His heart quickened when he tried to stretch and found his body unresponsive. From the little he could see, as he shifted his eyes back and forth, he became terrifyingly aware that he was in the morgue of the prison. Had they thought him dead? Were they going to do an autopsy? He felt the soft spray of warm water flow over his body. Relieved to be rid of months of dirt and grime, he was chillingly aware that this was the beginning procedure of an autopsy.

“Shhhh, Mr. Snape. Please calm yourself before you cause your body more harm. You’re in good hands. I’m Healer Alvin Montague and I am merely bathing you. I’m sorry if I scared the living crap out of you but the showers in the infirmary would be useless since you are unable to stand. Cleaning charms would barely scrape the surface of the filth. Here I have the room for you to lay flat and the equipment to clean you.”

Healer Montague leaned over into Severus’ line of vision and started to wash what hair the potion master had. “I dampened your pain and all of your senses, which is one reason you find yourself unable to move. After the time you spent in the hole, I thought we would reacquaint your body to your surroundings slowly.”

He didn’t mention about the rape. He would have to live with the mental pain of it but he was going to be sure that Snape wouldn’t have to suffer the physical after effects of the violation.

“Why, don’t you try to relax and drift back to sleep? When you awake you’ll be in a nice warm bed in the infirmary.”

Alvin saw the disbelief in the onyx eyes of his patient. “I give you my oath as a wizard that you will be safe as long as you’re under my care.” He brushed a few wayward strands of hair off Severus’ forehead. “And from the looks of you, that may be for some time to come.”

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Minerva reread the Prophet and silently fumed. She would have railed if there was anyone home to rail at. Hermione and Remus were off to work leaving Minerva alone. She read the column for a third time, describing the wonderful, innovating changes to Hogwarts and to education in general that the ‘Great Harry Potter’ had imparted.

Unable to hold her temper any longer, she fire called Luna at the Prophet.

“Minerva, so pleasant to hear from you.” Minerva could see the top of Ludra in her carrier.

“Well, thank you. Living with Remus and Hermione has been a joy but I fear that I need to take the bull by the horns and start looking for a place of my own.”

“You could come and stay with us for a few days. I think Ludra would like to get to know her godmother a little better.”

“Godmother? Me?” Minerva was almost speechless.

“Oh my, hadn’t we asked you? I was sure Draco told me he had asked you.” Luna waved her hand dismissively. “Doesn’t matter, you’re being asked now. Would you dear, kind lady be willing to be this hellion’s,” she lifted the carrier with Ludra in it to give Ms. McGonagall a better look at the baby, “godmother?”

“There is nothing I would like more than to be your precious daughter’s godmother.”

“Precious? You haven’t seen her in the middle of the night when she is unhappy with us. Nothing satisfies her royal highness.” Luna grinned and kissed the top of her daughter’s head. “Did you call about Dumbledore? He seemed greatly improved today. The Mediwitch believes he’s starting to slowly come out of his coma.”

Minerva was ashamed of herself. She was so wound up about the newspaper article that she had totally forgotten about her old friend. “I’m so pleased to hear that,” she honestly replied.

“Yes, Draco said in no time at all, he’ll be back to his meddlesome old ways.”

“Yes… Luna, I hate to change the subject but I was wondering about this article in the Prophet, about the Harry changing all of the teaching methods in the British Isles. Where did you get your information, may I ask?”

“Amazing isn’t it? I never imagined Harry as an educator much less an innovator. You must go to the board of trustees and look at all of the documents he has turned in. It looked like he had worked on it for years and years and not just a few months. Every time Harry turns around he surprises me.”

“Yes, the boy seems to be full of surprises. Thank you Luna, you’ve been very informative. Please contact me, when you’re ready, about Ludra’s godparent ceremony.”

Minerva’s back cracked as she stood. Looking for an apartment must wait for another day. She slipped a wool coat over her robes and straightened her hat. First thing’s first, she threw a hand full of floo dust into the fireplace and headed to the offices of the Board of Trustees. Before she passed judgment on the boy she wanted to sure of her facts. There was little doubt, in her mind, what exactly she would fine.

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Harry received a desperate letter from Warden Smyth, explaining in detail of what had happened at the prison. Harry was not only beside himself with anger but also with concern. The warden, to save his own hide, could and more than likely would point his finger at the savior-of-the-wizarding-world, for influencing his decision on how Snape should be handled. That would not do. He quickly wrote a draft in the warden’s name for 500 galleons with instructions to cash the note at Gringotts and to go far away. More money would be coming his way if he kept his mouth shut about their communications.

He relaxed once one of the school owls disappeared on the horizon with the message. He gave a heavy sigh of relief. Everything should be fine once the warden disappeared.

Things were looking up for Harry. His ‘suggestions’ were a howling success with the trustees. He found a new friend in Adam, to fill his free time with. He had the job that Snape so dearly wanted and best of all… no Snape. Now if he could get out of the medical exam his life would be almost perfect.

A wave of melancholy swept over him. Why did his childhood friends desert him? No one had even tried to contact him since they had lunch together. He had expected Remus at least try to maintain their relationship. Shouldn’t Remus be grateful that Harry had the werewolf law revoked? He missed them.

Harry grabbed an ink well and threw it with all of his might against the far wall. It was Snape’s fault. Always Snape.

Like a snap of a picture, Harry saw Snape standing before him. He was leaning into the palm of Severus’ hand. Only one word was spoken by Snape… Always.

The headmaster shook his head out of the daze he was in. Where in the hell did that memory come from? Was it even a memory? Harry couldn’t ever remember being within an arm’s reach of the professor, unless it was in class. Harry shuddered. It must have been part of a long forgotten nightmare.

“Earth to Harry, come in Harry.” Adam gave Harry a slight shake.

“Sorry.” Harry blushed. “When did you get here?”

“Only a moment ago but you seemed so far away. Are you alright?”

“Yes, I was reliving a nightmare I once had… at least I think it was a nightmare.”

“Want to tell me about it?”

“It’s not worth repeating.” Harry noticed Adam’s brows shoot up. “You are the nosey one, aren’t you?”

“Comes with the diploma when you become a therapist.”

With a put upon sigh, Harry told of his nightmare. “Snape had his hand on my cheek and was looking deep into my eyes as he whispered ‘always’. It was quite a nightmare.” Harry tried to laugh it off.

“If I was a therapist, that information would be good for at least three or four sessions. Since I’m a professor now, I’ll just remind you that it’s time to go to St. Mungo’s for those tests.”

“Crap, for a moment I forgot all about it. You’ll be there?”

“Every moment. I was hoping you would give the Healer’s permission to let me look at your results when they come back. Since I administrated the other tests here at Hogwarts, I will automatically get those.”

“Sure, I don’t give a crap. Give them to the world for all I care.”

“Harry, clam down, this instant.” Adam poured a drink laced with a bit of calming draught slipped in. He didn’t want the world to see how, at times, irrational Harry had become. “Sip this, it will calm you nerves.”

Harry took a swig and nearly choked as the liquor burned his throat.

“I said sip,” Adam repeated.

Within seconds Harry started to calm down, from what would have been a full blown temper tantrum. “Thanks, I guess I needed it more than I thought. Let’s go and get it over with.”

The two men walked outside of Hogwarts’ wards and apparated to St. Mungo’s. True to his words Adam stood close by Harry, calming him with soothing words when the strain was becoming too much for the young headmaster to handle.

“I hate Healers… I hate mediwizards… and I especially hate hospitals,” Harry mumbled.

“I know Harry.” Adam patted Harry’s hand reassuringly. “You will be asleep for the next procedure. It won’t be for more than ten or fifteen minutes and once you wake, you’ll feel refreshed, as if you had a full night sleep. Do you understand?”

“Hey, let’s get this over so we can get back to Hogwarts.”

Within seconds after Harry was put under the spell, bright colors swirled above him, each sorting itself by color and intensity. Adam slowly walked around the bed where Harry lay, studying intensely the shapes and colors of each strands. Each one was a hex or curse that Harry had endured in his life time. Every spell had a unique look about it; the length, color, even the intensity told which ones had hit Harry. Many were still active, some were dormant, and there were some that could never be reversed. He would have to have a long talk with the young man to encourage him to have most of these spells removed. There was one spell that explained his intense hatred of Professor Snape. He had his answer, now all he had to do was to figure out what he should do with the information.

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Minerva placed the last parchment down on top of the others. She knew in her heart she was right. She and Severus had often spoken of the changes they would do, if ever given the opportunity. All of these brilliant changes were those of Professor Snape and not of Headmaster Potter. She was of mixed feelings. She was more than pleased that Severus’ suggestions would be implemented, the school desperately needed to be revived, but she was livid that the benefactor of Severus’ years of work was going to befall Harry Potter.

All she had to do was to figure out what she should do with this knowledge.