[Hope]

[5]

Shouting could be from his classroom, he hesitated for a few moments wondering whether it was just some brats in passing. Then he heard a scream. A scream which sounded alarmingly like Harry Potter's. Severus's mind kicked into high gear. Something was incredibly wrong. And like usual Harry Potter himself was involved.

Severus grabbed his wand from its place laying on the desk as he has no clue what he could be facing here. Whilst rushing from his backroom, everything went silent in the dungeons again, Severus for once in his life beings to panic, the overwhelming feeling that he's too late creeping up on him.

It was after Severus rounded the corner lead out of the dungeons when he saw Harry. Laying in a pool of his own blood unconscious at the bottom of the stairs. His unruly hair drenched with Crimson and his right arm bent at a sickening angle. Severus' felt his blood run cold. He was at Harry's side in seconds. Hoping, praying that the idiot hadn't gotten himself killed.

After casting a quick diagnostic spell, he could tell that quite a few of Harry's bones were broken and that he was probably pushed down the stairs. But at least he was alive. Unresponsive but alive. Severus couldn't understand why someone push Harry Potter of all people but what he did know is that he needs to get the boy to the hospital ward. Before he really was too late to save Potter.

Easily, Severus lifted Harry's limp body up into his arms. Anger flaring up when he noticed the state of the boy in his grasp.

The hospital ward was empty so he carefully laid Harry on the closest bed. Sighing at how eerily peaceful Harry looked despite the situation at hand. He almost looked happy to be out cold. That's what scared him the most.

"POMFREY, I NEED YOU IN HERE POTTER'S HURT!" Severus shouted in desperation. Not caring if the witch could've been asleep or not.

A few minutes later she entered groggily, wearing just a nightgown. At first, she looked confused but then she spotted Harry laying lifeless on the bed. She gasped in shock before looking at Severus.

"What on earth has happened to him?" She squealed, running over to the bed.

"I found him at the bottom of the entrance nice stairs to the potions dungeon, he was leaving a detention with me..." Severus choked on his words, unexpected emotions getting the better of him. However, he quickly regained composure. "I ran a diagnostic spell, he as a variety of broken bones. I believe he was pushed down the stairs by someone or possibly a few students, I heard shouting before Harry screamed." He finished shakily. Pomfrey looked at Severus sympathetically then turned to look at Harry.

"Leave him with me Severus, he's in good hands. You can visit in the morning." She said comfortingly. And with that Severus retired to his quarters with nothing other than Harry James Potter on his mind.

***

That night Severus couldn't stay asleep. Images of the scrawny boy's ghastly body, the blood pooling around his head like an angel's halo and the sickening contentment on Harry's face plagued his every sleeping moment. Not before long morning was upon him and he knew that his first priority was to visit Harry before he took on his classes.

The walk to the hospital wing was a blur to Severus, he had walked there almost as if he were in a trance. It was still early, there wasn't many students around the halls, he doubted most of them were even awake. They were teenagers after all.

Harry was laid in the same bed that he had left him but now his wounds were clean, bandaged and there was a sling supporting his right arm - which was now bent at the correct angle. He still looked more peaceful than he ever did conscious and it stirred something within Severus. Was the boy truly that unhappy? He sighed heavily before pulling a chair up to Harry's bedside. Finding it hard to comprehend how a boy so great, who had so much power within him, would allow themselves to be this vulnerable.

Mindlessly, Severus began to gently stroke Harry's hand with his thumb. He truly felt that the boy deserved nothing of what got yet there's nothing he could do to help him. Harry wouldn't accept help from the likes of him and Severus didn't blame him he'd made his life hell since he arrived at Hogwarts and there's nothing he can do to change that either.

Suddenly, Harry began to fidget and squirm. His brows furrowed as if he was scared or in pain. He began to mumble, at first it was inaudible but as Harry seemed to get more worked up he got louder.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...I'm sorry..."

He said it over and over, even though he was unconscious tears streamed from Harry's closed lids. Severus panicked, he'd never been the best at dealing with his own emotions let alone those of others and he wasn't about to start. He stood up and turned make his leave.

"I'm sorry... I can't do it...It's too much... let it stop..."

Severus hesitated to listen to the boy's sobs.

"Let me die."