sekkoon

CHAPTER 1

Crash! was the first thing Harry Potter heard that morning, he turned over and put on his glasses, groaning, he knew it was going to be a bad day now. He was just surprised that his Uncle Vernon hadn't called him down yet and blamed him for whatever mishap just took place. He sprang up, realizing that it could be the death eaters, he raised his wand, but instead of going out to meet them decided he run for it, he did not need the ministry expelling him for under age magic. However, it just hit him, he was seventeen, which just made it even more likely they were death eaters. However he knew he was wrong when he heard elephant sized stomping up the stairs and heard his uncle wheezing louder than a freight train on the top of the stairs.

Than he heard dainty steps, like if they stepped too hard the dust would get on the floor from the shoes, he knew they were his Aunts', And dudley came out to greet them. He groaned, he usually had a way of escaping from this but this time he didn't, they had just moved to a new town in England called Stalton High. Harry knew no one, he didn't even know why they moved, Dudley had a fit because he had to leave his friends at home, though Harry knew it was his reputation as tough boy he was really leaving behind.

However them moving wasn't top priority at the minute, staying out of his families way was more of the problem, ever since they moved here the Dursley's have become meaner and crueler, it wasn't just Dudley that beat him up now, it was every one. Harry knew this day would come, his Uncle had always said on your seventeenth birthday bad things were going to happen. Of course a nine year old would take that seriously and run crying, just like he did but he never thought it was true. Now however it seemed that no other possibilit remained. Uncle Vernon slammed open the door, and there the two men stood, holding a whip with nails protruding out of it and a metal bat, Aunt Petunia seemed to want to watch so she sat on the bed, grinning.

Harry backed away, he had his wand still but he seemed to have forgotten that. Uncle Vernon how ever didn't, he brought the whip down on Harrys hand, Harry let the wand go and watched as blood seeped over his hand faster than he thought possible. He backed against the wall, brought his arms up across his face and waited for the blows, they came and painfully, without mercy. Two Hours later they were done, leaving the room laughing, Uncle Vernon took his wand and locked the door and bolted the window shut, there was no way Harry was escaping, he feared this, feared that that wouldn't let him leave. Now he lay on the floor, blood surrounding him in a large pool, blood splattering the walls, dripping down. He moaned, he was covered in blood like he had taken a bath, the pain was almost unendurble. And as he tried to get up on his bed, he shrieked in pain and slid down on the floor unconscious.

The next day he woke up on the floor, his wounds had scabbed over, and he was stiff and sore from his position, he gently got up, hoping and trying not to reopen the fresh wounds, unfortunately he wasn't so lucky, he felt the blood first than the pain, he fell back to the floor. His Uncle and cousin came in an hour later with the same weapons, and layed him out flat and repeated the process.

"Everyday from now on you will receive a punishment for all the years you made us take care of you." His Uncle said before leaving the room. Harry groaned, and once again passed out. This went on for about two months when finally people grew suspicious.

~The Order~
Dumbledore sat at the head chair in 12 Grimmuald place, conducting a meeting of the Order Of The Pheonix. It was slightly discouraging to see most of its members gone, they had about seven empty seats, one which Dumbledore knew, Harry would never get over, Sirius Black, yet he made a portrait of him right over the kitchen sink. He did this because of Harry, whom he never told because if he had he would come here and dwell on this picture and live off of it for ever and he would never heal. However he knew when Harry was fully healed and ready he'd come back and there it would be, when Harry was ready he'd see Sirius again but not until he got over him, unfortunately, Dumbledore thought it wasn't likely to ever occur. Harry had loved Sirius too much.

He sighed as once again Remus opened his mouth to voice his concern on Harry, he and everyone else had heard this before, yet he knew he had something to go on, it was a bit odd that Harry hadn't tried to see one of them or his friends. He was starting to get concerned but he didn't want Harry to think he had no confidence in him at all, didn't want Harry to think that he, Dumbledore, thought that he couldn't take care of himself. Yet what if something had happened to Harry? He must think that we've abandoned him! He sighed as Remus stopped and stared at him, all of a sudden he felt as old as he was. Exhaustion washed over him, he finally looked up to realize everyone there was staring at him worriedly.

"Okay we'll need someone to check on Harry, at his Uncles house, if he isn't there leave him be." Dumbledore said, Remus got up and left to go check, everyone awaited patiently for his return. Ten minutes later Lupin returned, bursting in the door with a wild worried face.

"What is it?" Dumbledore said his face turning pale, his worst fear almost confirmed. Horrified at what he might have done.

"He's not there." Lupin said.

"Okay so leave him be." Dumbledore said some color rising in to his face again.

"No, I mean no one's there, the house is empty." Lupin said quickly. Worry for Harry sweeping over him, what if Voldemort and his crew got to him before they did? He couldn't lose Harry, he was the only family he really had left, and he loved him as his own son. He sat down at the talbe, shaking. Dumbledore seemed far away, a shocked and guilty look was plastered on his pale face, he had a tear coming down his cheek.

"Oh no, I should have listened, I should have sent you out sooner......I should have....." Dumbledore choked on the last part, sorrow and guilt swept over him. As more tears trickled down his beard he turned to Severus, desperation in his eyes, Snape was staring at Remus in disbelief, he knew Severus was thinking of Lily and he felt even more at blame for his greif than any others, besides Harrys. Dumbledore looked down at his hands, as Severus looked up and in a croak he heard a voice say,"I'll do it, I'll go now."

Dumbledore looked up in the voices direction and saw Snape giving him a peircing, very unnerving, yet determined glare. Dumbledore's jaw dropped open in response but none came, just more tears, he closed his mouth and thought about what Severus had just offered. If he went now, he risked exposure and severe punishment, even death, yet he was willing to risk that just to make sure the boy was alright. He felt warmth erupt into his body as he felt more sure of anything than ever before: he made the right choice trusting Severus Snape. He nodded at his hands and said,"Thank you Severus, just becareful.....son." And with that Snape got up and disapparated outside.

Now he was even more worried about Severus, he decided to close the meeting, he knew it would be several hours until Severus returned, and he didn't want everyone here to witness it, he didn't know what kind of state he'd be in if he did return. He shuttered at the if. However he remained behind, pacing back and forth hoping for Snape's safe return, which came about 3 hours later, in the living room. He sat down, blood trickling down his face, Dumbledore ran to him and started healing him, thanking him all the while. And than after he was done he did something he never did before, not to a death eater anyways, not even a reformed one, he hugged Snape, tears spilling down his eyes. It had been a rough night, and he was glad snape was alright, thought he was sorry for sending him there to get hurt.

Snape after a few minutes, slowly wrapped his arms around the headmaster gently, surprised by this emotional outburst, since he was usaully so collected. He didn't know what to do or say and not wanting to make it worse said nothing at all, Dumbledore finally broke the silence, though not the hug.

"Severus, I am so sorry I sent you off to get tortured, I never meant it to be this way, Oh god Severus, I'd rather it be me than you." Dumbledore said, Snape could feel him shaking and knew he meant it, he gripped him harder.

"I know, its fine. Voldemort would have killed you. Sir Harry wasn't there, I would have saved him if he was." Snape said softly, not wanting to make it any worse.

"Severus you did your best, you did it with out complaining, and I thank you more than anyone else, you are my most trusted Advisee. I would never desert you. Severus I just wanted you to know that If anything ever happened to you, I would be heart broken, I would never forgive myself, and I would most certainly go after you if you hadn't returned with in the night." Dumbledore said Snape frowned, confused.

"Why are you saying all this?" Snape asked Dumbledore broke away, and gasped, he felt the pain tearing at his sides, he knew it was time.

"Severus promise me one thing...." Dumbledore trailed off as he dropped to the floor, Snape bent down, next to him, and Dumbledore smiled as for the first time in his life, he saw Concern fill Severus Snape's eyes.

"Anything, Anything Albus." Snape said gently, as he looked down knowing what was about to happen.

"Take......Care..Of....Harry..." Dumbledore said through his gasps of excruciating pain.

"Of course sir." Snape said, not wanting to but wanting to for the man that had helped him through so much, protected him, saved him, trusted him, everything he could, he even forgave Snape which he couldn't even do that.

"Thank.....you." And with that Albus Dumbledore closed his eyes and Severus Snape felt him go limp and take his last breath. Snape knew what he had to do, he had to call the order and tell them what happened, than go out and look for Harry, he knew the boy would want to be at Dumbledores funeral. Plus he had promised, and he never broke a promise, not even to a dead man.

He pulled out his feather and wrote the names on a peice of parchement that he wanted here, and just like that they appeared, when they all gathered, Snape stepped aside to show them Dumbledore's body, like he thought they would, they freaked. Many collapsed in shock and one person wailed "Dumbledore now all is lost!" Remus actually accused Snape of murdering him. But apologized when he had collected himself.

He left them to the body, as he went in search for Harry.

# posted by Sek Koon @ 9:32 AM