Everything around him had turned black. Unknown forces were acting on him from all directions, his lungs couldn't grasp the omnipresent air. It felt like someone had binded him with iron chains.
Before he could sense anything else happening to him, Harry felt that he could breathe again. He greedily took in amounts of oxygen, which were mixed with the scent of something fresh, different from the urbanized scent of Privet Drive. He opened his eyes and saw that an enormous castle had emerged in front of them. He and the man were facing the large gates of the castle that were clad in pitch black paint. What had just happened?
He was feeling queasy in the stomach from whatever he just experienced. He turned to face the man who was calculatedly staring at him with his narrow, beady, obsidian eyes. They bore a slight tinge of satisfaction. "I'm impressed. Most of the people vomit at their first Apparition."
Apparition. He didn't know what the word meant at all. He scrunched up his nose in confusion. Sensing the emotion, the man continued. "Apparition is a magical form of transportation where a witch or wizard can travel from one location to another."
All the blood present in his face had drained. The world had started spinning, making Harry feel as if he was falling into an endless, voidless pit.
The man had said the forbidden word. Magic did not exist. Freakishness did. He was a living proof. These lines had been drilled into his mind.
The first time he had performed an act of freakishness (he had sent a mild electric shock to Dudley during Harry Hunting), his Aunt had hit him with a frying pan on the head. Whenever he remembered the moment, he could still feel the phantom pain from the frying pan on the back of his head.
He shook his head with such vigor, that the man had a slight look of concern mixed with the feeling that Harry previously had, confusion.
"But there is no such thing as magic, sir." Harry breathed the sentence out in a low whisper. "I am just a freak. I don't know how, but sometimes I do things that are just - not meant to happen."
___________________________________
He felt...apocalyptic.
Yes, that's the word he felt provided justice to describe the current state his mind was in. He could just strangle the old coot with his bare hands with venomous pleasure or drug him with a combination of deadly poisons. These ideas sounded so tempting to the core, but that was not his priority right now.
Potter had started trembling, saying something about being a freak. He had no doubt who had entered such thoughts into the boy's head.
The Boy Who Lived, Savior of the Wizarding World, didn't know about his own magic. The thought was - pitying.
He tried to take a gentle approach on the boy then. He was fortunate no one was around to see that side of him, which didn't even exist, he had to create one out of thin air.
"Harry, I know that you are confused. And where are my manners, I haven't even introduced myself. I am Severus Snape, but you may call me Professor too. Would you like to rest for a while? After waking up, I will answer any queries that you have."
There. He had done it. He waited with bated breath for the boy to respond. After some hesitation, the boy nodded. Severus was glad that the boy had agreed, or else he would have gone out of his mind that he had been gentle to a kid, especially Potter's kid, in vain.
Truthfully, Severus had suggested the offer to give some time to himself for collecting the scattered thoughts that had clouded his mind and strengthening his mind shields via Occlumency. And also to have a conversation with Albus fucking Dumbledore. He knew that their 'conversation' would end on a note of yelling (which will be done by him, obviously).
Severus pulled open the gates, producing a loud, metallic, clanging sound. Both of them walked in complete silence. There was no noise made by them except for the sound of the stones crunching beneath their shoes. The soft breeze of the Scotland highlands hit them like a mother caressing her child.
After a trek of 10 minutes came the large, oak-wooden doors of the castle. Severus took out his wand and opened the doors with a flick of his wrist. He glanced at the boy. His pupils had dilated with fear, mouth hanged open. Severus wanted to snap at the boy, but he restricted himself from doing so. The boy seemed to be coping well in entirety of the situation, he didn't want to be the reason for the boy to have a mental breakdown because of the tone of his voice.
The size of the halls improved some matters, the boy was slightly amazed at the structure by the look of his face. He gasped audibly at the sight of the Grand Staircase. The childish display of the boy vexed Severus, but he had to admit, the boy was a child after all.
The path to the dungeons had been imprinted into his subconscious. Fast travel to the Bell Tower Courtyard Floo Flame, turn left, go upstairs, and enter the first door in front.
They met no one while going to their desired place because of the Quidditch match taking place that day, Hufflepuff against Ravenclaw. Severus knew that badger house will be crushed in the game.
The cold and dark atmosphere was a haven for Severus. He had been living in the dungeons for almost half of his life. He didn't care whether anyone called him a dungeon bat or not(he pretended to not hear when the students say something about him, he never missed anything) as long as the dungeons were welcoming to him.
He heard the boy shivering a little beside him. He had a sudden urge of performing a warming charm on him, and preform he did. Non verbally. The boy exhaled a sigh of relief.
Soon they were in front of the door to Severus' quarters. Severus was a little reluctant now. He did not let anyone enter his quarters, not even the Headmaster had come in their. How could he all of a sudden let a child, that too Potter's, enter his personal quarters?
But Severus was a man of his word.
He opened the door, revealing a room with walls of brown colour. There were two grey velvet couches present, along with a red armchair. Both the couches were separeted by a coffee table. A chandelier hanged from the ceiling, which made the boy look at it in wonder. A kitchen counter top divided the kitchen and the living room. A passage alongside the kitchen held three rooms - Severus' room, his lab and a guest room.
"Your home is really nice, sir," he said in a soft voice. Severus wanted to correct him and tell that this was not his home, but he just gave a mere nod of his head.
"You'll be sleeping in that room. You may use the bathroom inside there. I have to leave to attend to some urgent matters. Can I trust you to not burn this place down while you're alone?" Severus had pointed to the guest room and used his drawling Professor voice to communicate with the boy.
"Yes, sir."
"Good. When I return, I should find you asleep." The boy nodded and bid good night.
Severus now had to tend to the old fool of a Headmaster who would be sitting in his office in the West Tower. Great.
YOU ARE READING
O child born with a silver-spoon, what happened to you?
Fanfiction"Absolutely not, you are out of your mind for suggesting this! You could check on him, or Minerva, or-" "Severus," Albus chided in a little sternly. An AU in which Harry Potter's wish became true, being taken away from his relatives....
