As Potter is to Snape

Chapter 12

When Harry woke up next, he was in the same bed he had stayed in a few days before up in the hospital wing. He could hear people whispering near the foot of his bed and so he kept his eyes tightly shut so that they wouldn't know he was awake. It sounded like Snape and Dumbledore, but there was a third voice that he didn't recognize.

"I thought you said that the dementors couldn't come onto the grounds." Snape was saying, his tone icily cold.

"That was the promise that Cornelious made me." Dumbledore said, "I will be speaking with him about it as soon as I leave here, but I wanted to make sure that Harry was alright before I left."

Harry cracked his eyes open the smallest bit so that he could see, though his vision was blurry without his glasses. He could just make out the three men. Dumbledore had his back to him but he could see Snape and the other man clearly.

Snape looked livid and Harry could guess why. He couldn't believe he'd been so stupid! Snape was going to grind him up into potion ingredients for this! After everything that had happened this morning, today was just not his day.

The man standing beside Snape was tall and thin. He had sandy brown hair and he seemed almost as pale as Snape. Harry wondered if he spent most of his time in a dungeon as well. Then he absentmindedly wondered how long it would take before Harry himself lost all his color and became just as pale as his guardian.

Dumbledore turned to the man then and his voice pulled Harry from his runaway thoughts.

"Remus, I believe I can speak for Severus and myself both when I say that we are so glad that you arrived here when you did. If you hadn't seen the dementors and Harry, I shudder to think of what could have happened."

Snape gave a curt nod but otherwise said nothing.

Yeah, right, Harry thought, he's probably more upset that I didn't manage to fall to my death and save him the trouble of killing me himself.

The man called, Remus spoke quietly and Harry had to strain to hear his words. "Nasty creatures, dementors," he said, then he held out a bag towards Snape. "I managed to find this, though I'm not sure it's even repairable."

Harry's eyes went wide for a split second before he snapped them back shut. He had a sinking feeling that he knew exactly what was in that bag yet he hoped with everything in him that he was wrong.

Harry could practically feel Snape glaring at him as he spoke next, "Very well, though I expect it will likely be quite some time before Mr. Potter has any need for it again."

Harry's heart sank, there was no question as to what was in that bag now. Not that it mattered. He would never fly again if Snape had anything to say about it, and that was assuming that the man didn't kill him in the first place.

"Well, I shall be off," Dumbledore was saying, "Severus, please don't be too hard on the boy. You know that all of this is an adjustment for him."

"I've already told you, Headmaster, I will not coddle the boy."

Harry could hear Dumbledore's heavy sigh and internally thanked the man for even trying on his behalf.

"I suppose I'll be leaving now, too." Remus said, "I hope Harry gets to feeling better soon. Make sure he has some chocolate, will you."

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of the boy, Lupin," Snape snapped, "When I need your opinion, I'll be sure to ask for it."

"Severus." Dumbledore's own voice sounded low, without the lightness that usually accompanied it, though Harry didn't dare open his eyes in order to see what was happening.