🐍Basilisk Venom💧

IV ~ Into A Coma

~~~Severus Snape's POV~~~

Severus stood outside the doors to the hospital wing, along with Molly, Arthur, Ron, Ginny and Minevra. It had been almost half an hour since Harry had gone in there, but visitors still weren't allowed inside yet. Severus regretted revealing so much of himself when Harry had collapsed. He could feel the others staring at him as he leaned against the wall, looking into the distance.

Over the years he had spent at Hogwarts, Severus had set up a reputation as someone who was strict, cold and not to be messed with. Would his reputation be ruined now?

Severus mentally slapped himself when he realised how selfish he was being. 

Harry is seriously hurt! And I'm worried about my own reputation... What kind of a person am I?

What kind of... father am I...?

Abruptly, somebody touched Severus's arm, and he instinctively flinched away. He relaxed a little when he saw it was Minevra, but moved so that she was not touching him anymore. He shifted slightly, and leaned back on the wall without saying anything. 

"Severus..." Minevra began. Severus avoided her eye contact.

"I... Didn't know you cared about Harry so much." She said in a soft, caring tone.

Severus didn't reply. His expression was empty and unreadable, as plain as stone. He did not want to let anything else show. Many people did not know about Severus and Harry's relationship, but they were as close as father and son. 

I've already revealed enough... 

Luckily, the door to the hospital wing opened, which saved them from the awkward silence. Madame Pomfrey's head peeked out. There were bags under her eyes, and she looked overworked. Immediately Severus said, "Is he okay?"

Madame Pomfrey hesitated. There was a concerned frown on her face.

"It's not good." She said solemnly. Everyone's expression changed completely.

"Can we see him?" Ron asked in a croaky voice.

"Yes, I suppose." Madame Pomfrey said with a sigh, before opening the door wider to allow them access. Severus was the first to slip through the door. He practically ran to the bed at the very end of the hospital wing. The others weren't far behind him. Severus knew Harry was lying behind the curtains, since he had briefly seen him being laid down there before being ushered out. With a wave of his wand, the curtains opened to reveal Harry.

Severus had to bite back a sob. Molly and Ginny couldn't seem to help themselves though, they started crying like crazy.

Harry looked absolutely horrible. The pale moonlight cast a deathly pallor on his features, and Severus could see his chest struggle to rise beneath the covers. Severus listened with pain as Harry drew breath after strangled breath. Tubes and wires were connected to all over his arm, each giving him some kind of potion to keep him alive. A huge machine lay beside Harry's bed, slowly beeping. Severus looked closer, and realised that it was connected to Harry as well. Harry's right shoulder was heavily bandaged, but blood could be seen seeping through. His face was pale, empty and lifeless.

"How bad?" Severus asked. He could hear his voice breaking. He already knew the answer. 

"Well.." Madame Pomfrey sighed again. "For starters, he's in some kind of coma."

Everyone gasped, and Molly and Ginny sobbed harder. Ron clenched his eyes shut, trying to stop tears from seeping out. Arthur simply looked shocked. Severus stared at Harry in horror.

How could I have let this happen? How could I have not noticed sooner...?

Severus walked to the side of Harry's bed, and held his hand. He took in a shuddering breath, and clenched Harry's hand tighter. Tears started flowing freely down his cheeks. "Harry..." He whispered. It was barely audible, but filled with sadness and pain.

The others followed suite, and gathered around Harry's bed as well.

"How did this happen? It was just a shoulder wound, and we didn't notice anything until it was too late." Arthur asked the question which had been nagging at Severus's head since what felt like forever.

"Well... The wound was caused by the basilisk. It was very deep, and Harry lost a lot of blood. As for how you didn't notice... Basilisk venom is a strange thing. At first, it wouldn't hurt much. That's because the venom is smart. It doesn't want you to be alarmed, so it slowly spreads throughout your whole body, silently. Shutting down all your vital organs one by one without you even knowing. First the stomach, then the kidneys, liver, and so on. You brought him here at a late stage, so the venom was already destroying his brain. That's what caused the seizures, and the coma..." Madam Pomfrey's voice drifted off.

"Is he going to make a full recovery?" Severus choked out. He already knew the answer.

Madam Pomfrey sighed, and looked as sad and grim as ever.

"We're not sure if he's going to make it through the night..."

There were cries and wails of sadness and anguish, but it was all nothing compared to the sound that Severus made.

It showed a kind of pain none of them had ever seen before. Filled with sadness, sorrow, guilt, distress. And it matched how Severus felt. He was heartbroken.

Soon after, Severus broke into inconsolable sobs.