The Nightmare Man

Chapter Nine Part Two

Severus came to a stop in front of him. Harrison saw Bellatrix move, and felt the magic rear up inside her.

"If you try to fire off a spell right now, missy, I'll rip off your arms," he told her with a smile. It wasn't a pleasant one. "Starting a conflict within your own group is really immature."

"He's not part of my group!" Bellatrix shouted.

"He's dark. You're dark. Hence, your group," Harrison said. "Now, if I may excuse myself and Severus for a bit… I need to heal him. Would you like to come with us, Voldemort?"

"You said you'd share information?"

"Of course. Whatever I may know, you may know. It's only fair since I took Severus from you."

"That's fine with me. The rest of you, don't do anything stupid. Lucius, Draco perhaps already knows that Severus escaped but do try to tell him the man's fine."

"Of course, my lord," Lucius said. "Severus?"

Perhaps they all believed he was a mindless follower now. Harrison grinned. Severus turned around.

"I'm fine, Lucius," he said, voice rough. "In fact… I might even feel better than I have done in a long time. Despite these injuries, power flows through me. Power the Nightmare Lord gave me."

"A power I should have told you to use."

"Generally you don't have to protect yourself in a school," Severus said. "You didn't know the hostility they had against me."

"Well, once upon a time I was famous for being paranoid. Relaxing appears to not be the right thing to do."

He grabbed onto Severus, and with a nod to Voldemort, Apparated. Once they arrived at his manor he let go of the potions master but moved one hand over the wound on his neck. Voldemort appeared moments later.

"Wow, he looks bad."

Lucian leaned against the wall, arms crossed and looking slightly amused.

"I thought you sent him to a school?" he continued.

"I did," Harrison said and focused his magic before placing his hand over Severus' neck. "It looks like school has become increasingly dangerous over the years. There we go."

He removed his hand and although the blood remained, the wound itself was gone. Severus touched the now unbroken skin and looked at him.

"How did you do that?"

"You weren't paying attention the first time I healed you?"

"Terribly sorry, master, but I was rather busy trying not to die."

Sarcasm intact, that was good. Harrison had been the subject of that sarcasm in his youth, but it was refreshing all the same. Still, he pinched Severus' cheek and said:

"I was being very thorough you know. There was no way you were dying."

"Well, it felt that way."

"Course it did."

"How could I feel that way if I wasn't dying?"