Stare Into The Abyss

Chapter 8 : What to do

Neville had never been happier to see Severus. When he'd shown up Neville felt hope for the first time since he fled Hogwarts.

Upon being informed that Jay had also escaped and killed the snake, he was ready to cry.

It worked.

It hadn't been all for nothing. There was hope that they could pull this off. They still had a few Horcruxes to go, but the one that would have been the most difficult to reach was now gone.

"That great!" A weight had lifted off his shoulders and he felt light headed from the relief. "But, where is Jen?"

Severus' face fell and all the tightness that had vanished from him returned with vigour.

"What happened?" He demanded.

Severus shakes his head. "I am not sure. What I am sure of is that she was exposed to the basilisk's venom."

Neville feels the blood drain from his face.

"Where is she? Is she-" He can't say it. Doesn't want to go there yet.

"At a muggle hospital. I neutralized the venom, but I have no idea exactly how long she was exposed to it before I stepped in."

"But, she's fine then, right? You counteracted the venom, she's alive." He tried desperately. The grim look Severus is wearing doesn't let up though.

"There is no way of telling exactly what effect the venom might have on her long-term. She could have deficits. She wasn't breathing for a while, how long, again, I'm not sure." He explains grimly.

"Deficits?" He asks quietly.

Severus takes a seat, holding his head in his hands. "There is a possibility that she could have brain damage, nerve damage, she could experience seizures or heart arrhythmia." Severus' voice waivers. It would have been undetectable for most, but Neville spent more time with him than most people. This was bad, really bad.

Severus takes a deep breath and continues. "She could fall into a coma, or experience hallucinations... there is really no way to tell. The pas few centuries no basilisk poisoning has occurred. The most recent information was from the 1700's."

Neville feels like he can't breathe. To think of Jen as something fragile, or anything other as the most stubborn person he's possibly ever met, it feels wrong. And now she's laying in some muggle hospital somewhere.

"Why did you leave her behind?!" He asks, suddenly angry in a way he's never been before.

"Neville, I know that this is difficult, but we are on the run. We can't simply go to St. Mungo's. We would be arrested and thrown into Azkaban. And Jen wouldn't get the medical treatment she needs."

The anger bleeds out of him as quickly as it had come up. He ran his hand through his hair. It wasn't fair on him to blame Severus, he'd made the right decision, and he wasn't actually angry with Severus. He was simply angry that this was their life.

"There is some more positive news though." Severus says. It can't be that good though, because the  man still sounds absolutely miserable.

"What is it?"

"The ministry raided Malfoy manor. The dark lord may not have been there, but there was a formidable force of 'former' death eaters there. It's possible that they may now accept that a second war is on the horizon."

"That's great!" He says excitedly. "But wait, wasn't it the minister the one who denied everything? How would this help?" He asks puzzled.

"I don't expect the minister to do anything at all. I expect the others on the council to overrule him about the rising death eater problem. And hell hath no fury like Madam Bones." Severus smiles. "The minister might be a pawn, but there are more players on the field as just us and the dark lord."