Thanks To A Snake

Chapter 3

Harry was moody all week. He frequently snapped at others and his grades dropped. He didn't even bother to show up to Transfiguration once. Daphne told McGonagall that he was sick and Professor Snape had him stay in the dorms. The only night he slept through was Sunday when he was given the dreamless sleep potion.

Today was Saturday, Blaise woke up to find Harry sitting up in his bed starring at the wall. "Harry mate, you okay?"

Harry slowly turned back from the wall towards Blaise, the black circles under his eyes and his pale skin giving him the appearance of death warmed over. "I'm not feeling well, go on without me." came his mechanical reply and he turned back to the wall. Blaise got dressed every so often glancing at Harry who sat on unmoving. "Harry, you sure you don't want to come to breakfast?" Harry nodded without looking at Blaise. Blaise sighed and left the room.

"Where's Harry?" Daphne asked as Blaise came into the common room.

"In the dorm, he said he's not feeling well."

"I sense a but coming." Tracey spoke.

"He kept staring at the wall, he kind of looked like those people who get their souls sucked out by the Dementors."

"Well we'll bring him something back from breakfast and see how he is." Tracey said a little unsurely and glanced at Blaise and Daphne. Blaise nodded while Daphne looked towards the entrance to the boys dorm, as they were leaving.

Harry sat on his bed starring at the wall contemplating his memories. He was taking in nothing, he had felt numb all week, the only real feeling he experienced was dread for Sunday's meeting with Snape. He would be forced to talk about how much of freak he was and how weak he was. He just let them hit him.

"Um, Harry I brought you some toast and fruit. It was the only thing we could bring back." Blaise spoke rather timidly, a bit freaked out by Harry's unusual behavior. Harry just nodded his head. The food went largely ignored. Harry's behavior continued the rest of the night. By morning all his friends were worried and Blaise completely freaked out to see Harry still in the exact same spot.

Blaise went up to Harry, who was rocking back forth a bit, and touched him on the shoulder. Harry flinched violently and started muttering. "No uncle, no don't, I won't be a freak anymore." Blaise threw on a school robe and bolted from the room, down through the common room, and through the dungeons. He pounded on Professor Snape's living quarter's door. "PROFESSOR!"

"Bloody hell, the castle better be on fire!" Snape muttered as he opened his door. "What the..."

"Professor, sir, something's wrong with Harry, he's in our room!" Blaise broke into Professor Snape's question. Snape took one look at Blaise and started striding to the Slytherin common room. He arrived in cloak billowing and strode straight to the first year dorms and into Blaise and Harry's room. He took in the scene of Harry sitting on his bed, and went straight towards the boy in question.

"Hadrian," Severus quietly spoke touching his shoulder. "You're at Hogwarts in your dorm room. Shhh, Your Uncle isn't here and will never see you again." Severus spoke as he would comforting a frightened puppy. Hadrian gradually started to calm himself, he first stop muttering but kept whimpering and rocking back and forward. "Dotter." Severus called quietly, the little elf popping into existence. "Please bring me a calming draught from my store room." The little elf nodded and vanished. Severus placed his arm around Hadrian's shoulders pulling the boy towards him trying to offer him comfort. Dotter popped back in with the potion and Severus coaxed Hadrian into drinking it. After a few minutes Hadrian calmed and actually fell asleep in Severus's arms. Severus sent a Patronus to Madam Pomfrey asking her to set up a private bed. He then levitated Hadrian and set out for the hospital wing. As he was leaving the common room, he looked to Hadrian's friends. "I'm taking him to the infirmary."