The Boy Who Wanted to Live

Untitled Part 40

Hannah swallowed hard and looked at the old man in front of him. Dumbledore was speechless and scratched his eyebrow. He coughed slightly, her staring eyes bearing into his skin like knives. The trust of a child is the worst punishment for someone not good enough. He stood from his seat and walked over to the girl. Gently holding his hand to her back he led her to the couches in his office and gestured for her to sit. She sat down but made no move to wipe the tears from her face. He swallowed hard and smiled gently at the child. 

"Can I get you anything, miss. Abbott?" He asked, sitting down across from her on the other couch. 

She sniffled and replied no. He crossed his legs and smiled at her, unsure of what to say. 

"When-" he said, taking a breath, "When did this start? Can you tell me?" 

Hannah thought about it for a second before starting to say her tale.

"It was just after school started. After Halloween. I saw him in the bathroom. He-He had screamed." her throat burned as she talked and she made sure not to give too many details as to who she was talking about. A sharp pain went through her when she almost said his name, "Ha-he was crying and I was worried, you see. I didn't know what to do... I asked him if I should get help, he was bleeding see? He always seems to be hurt..." 

Dumbledore frowned and sat forward. 

"How does he get hurt, Hannah?" 

She swallowed hard and looked down. The room felt colder and she shivered slightly. She doesn't want to say, but she knows she had to. She can't do this anymore. She needs help. 

"He hurts himself," she said after a minute. "I don't know how he did it that time... I think he had punched something. He was acting weird."

"Weird?"

"yeah... L-like... I said I found him in the showers? He was in the shower when I first saw him but he... He was just sitting under the cold water, I know it was cold because there was no steam, and he was in all his clothes. Just sitting in the shower in his pajamas. He was crying." 

She stopped and looked down, her eyes misting over with unshed tears. Albus frowned and gently placed his hand on hers. 

"It's okay," he said "Take your time,"

She took a shakey breath and nodded. 

"I think he had punched something. The mirror... The wall... I don't know. His hand was bleeding though. I asked him if I could help and he-" she stopped, choking on the words. 

Dumbledore nodded and rubbed her back.

"It's okay,"  he said, "I understand,"

Hannah took a breath and smiled at him sadly.

"Next thing I know I'm getting in bed. I don't remember anything else from that day." she continued "Most days I don't remember anything. I remember going to class but not what happened after. I remember going to bed, but I can't remember waking up. At night he sent me to go talk to Dr- to someone. He needed something. He was looking for SOMETHING." she said, her voice getting thick "He wanted Dr-to find it! He had me..." 

She collapsed into tears and Dumbledore moved to her side, hugging the girl to him. She gasped painfully and looked up at the kind blue eyes with horror and fear. She couldn't breathe but she forced the words out. Regardless of the consequences, she had to say this. 

"I sent him to look for it. I sent him. Now he is going to die! I just know he is! I know! I sent him there and he is going to die and it's my fault! And Harry is in the hospital wing! Right now D-he is looking for it! I just know that he'll be caught and he'll be hurt and it's all my fault!" She cried. 

"Wait-" Dumbledore said, trying to calm the girl, but also trying to calm the rising panic in his chest. "You aren't talking about Harry Potter?"

She looked at him with wide, terrified eyes. 

"It's not his fault, Professor." she said "He can't think straight. H-he is under some type of spell or s-something." 

"Who?" He asked, momentarily forget the curse. 

"I-"

"Professor Dumbledore!" Severus said, rushing into the office "Albus!" 

Dumbledore stood up in surprise, looking at the man cloaked in black who was panting heavily from running. Which was very unusual for the man. 

"Yes, Severus?" He asked, forgetting Hannah who sat behind him with her mouth open in surprise. 

"It's Potter," he said, panting heavily.

"He woke up?" Dumbledore and Hannah said at the same time. 

"yes," Severus said, not noticing Hannah, "and no." 

Dumbledore's eye brows came together and he looked intensely into Severus' dark eyes. The man was thinking hard and Severus Snape swallowed hard. Hannah looked between the two men who were just looking at eachother when HARRY WAS AWAKE!

"Well come on then!" She said, making the two men jump "Let's go!" 

Severus looked at the child, finally noticing her, before turning to look at Dumbledore with a 'the fuck?' look. Dumbledore smiled softly before following the bossy girl out of the office. He paused to look at Severus. 

"Well come on then," he said, tilting his head pointedly towards the door. "Let's go,"