Blind Touch

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Everything went black.

Completely and utterly pitch fucking black.

Harry was torn between screaming in pure terror and crying in complete despair. After the cauldron had exploded, everything just went black. He was wide awake, aware and there however. He could hear the complete mayhem around him. Hermione muttering something incoherently, Ron's quivering apologies, the ragged breathing of his classmates and Snape's quiet drawl. The noise coming seemingly out of pure darkness did nothing to ease his panic. He moved, his arms outstretched around him as he spun, attempting to get his bearings in the classrooms, but his eyes only saw black. He'd been in too much shock to do anything but sputter for the good part of the minute, but now, now he was really realizing what had befell him. He couldn't fucking see. Oh God he couldn't see--A scream left his lips as he drew in on himself, walking backwards until his back slammed into a wall. Right. A wall. That was fine. It was real. Solid. Exactly what he needed right now. His breaths came in ragged pants, as he heard an ever bigger commotion riling up.

"I can't see." He croaked. "Everything's black. I can't see!" He yelled this time, loudly, desperately. 

"Mr.Potter--" Snape began in his withering tone, but then faltered. "Harry, please, calm down." He finished the sentence. The uncharacteristic sympathy in his voice only served to send Harry into a deeper frenzy. However, strange as the odd kindness might have been, Harry had to admit that Snape's voice was soothing. He nodded meakly, and took a few deep breaths, his hands still trembling tucked under his armpits, as if he was trying to shield himself from the darkness filling the entirety of his vision. Jesus Christ he couldn't see. Just as another wave of panic was about to consume him, he heard the soft, unmistakable sound of a billowing cape. Snape had taken a few steps closer. Harry forced himself to focus on the gentle whispering of fabric, and nothing else. 

"You're under affect of the Draught Of Numbness. It has impaired your sight first. It seems that Mr.Weasley has effectively disrupted the potion we were brewing by adding Moonstone powder instead of Mandrake root. How completely, yet unsurprisingly, incompetent." 

Masked by the insult, was the concern. His teacher was worried. Harry strained his ears to absolutely everything now that all he could saw was darkness. It writhed and Harry felt an unwitting tear slip down his cheek. 

"The Draught of Numbness will effectively numb and impair each of your senses. Sight, hearing, touch, speech. In that order. After the four have cycled out, the order repeats, until an antidote is taken. One way to alleviate the effects is the touch of one with powerful enough feelings of either love, or hatred. Such powerful emotions spark powerful magic which can render the Draught null, however only as long as there is contact." Snape explained, Harry sucking in a deep breath when he felt the other man's hand on his shoulder. 

"I am sorry Mr.Potter. I understand you must be afraid, and unfortunately, I can not create the antidote for another 3 weeks. I hope you will find assistance amongst your peers in this time. Losing your sight so suddenly must be horrifying and will not be treated as a joke." 

Harry couldn't believe the care Snape took with this particular scenario. All of the resentment always present within the man in Harry's presence seems to have bled away in place of a teacher having to aid a student. Harry heard Snape's cloak sigh as the man's hand dropped from his shoulder, and he seemed to turn around to some other direction.

"As for you, Mr.Weasley. You are responsible for Mr.Potter's predicament, and you will be dealt with accordingly once I have spoken with the Headmaster. The Draught of Numbness is a particularly dangerous potion, as if the antidote isn't received as soon as possible, over time, the victim's actual senses will abandon them completely."

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