Title: All It Takes [WIP 1/50 Chapters - Not Yet Posted - 9/20/09] - All It Takes by Lillith Maxwell
�Harry, you need let go of me now.� Severus Snape's voice, though hushed, left no room for questions. The boy clinging to him didn't seem to understand this and instead tightened his grip on the Potions master's robes. With an expression that was distorted with childlike innocence and confusion, he asked in a high-pitched burst of words, �Snape, why I do?� Severus looked as though he had expected such a response and did not berate Harry for asking stupid questions. Instead of answering the small hunched form, he sighed heavily and turned to the group of Ministry workers standing eight feet away and hissed, �I told you he wouldn't understand any of this!� A portly man with disheveled gray hair stepped forward. He was wearing an odd mixture of muggle and wizarding clothing that looked ridiculous, even to a wizard's eye. Clearing his throat loudly, Cornelius Fudge shot Severus a determined look and said in a clipped tone, �Regardless of his mentality, Harry Potter will be taken into the Ministry's custody today and�� ��Yes, you've already explained the situation to me, Minister. I'm not daft. Surely you must have realized by now that I'm not the one who's having so much difficulty understanding,� he narrowed his eyes at the wizard, speaking to him as he would to a disobedient first year. A small surge of triumph coursed through him when Fudge immediately dropped his eyes to the floor, his mouth closing with an audible click. He still had it, even if he wasn't a teacher anymore. Severus scowled at the incompetent wizard for a moment longer before returning his attention to the fidgeting boy who lived. Forcing his expression to remain distant and cold, he gently grasped the child's shoulders in an attempt to gain his attention, �Harry, you need to release me. You're going to go and stay with the Ministry for a while.� Harry's face scrunched up in a look of intense concentration. After a moment of thought, he began to shake his head back and forth wildly, �No, Snape! Ministry mean,� he stomped his foot to emphasize his point and gave Severus a sorrowful look. �I stay...� a frustrated expression appeared on his face as he searched for the correct word, �Hogwarts.� It was known that Severus had no heart whatsoever, but yet, as he stared at the boy, he felt a pang deep in his chest.* The Potion's master swallowed thickly and ignored the sensation, pushing all thoughts of it out of his mind. His features softened for a split second before he schooled his expression into one of frigid indifference. He had no room for weakness, especially not in front of the vultures from the Ministry. They would swoop down upon him and exploit it the moment it was exposed. Fudge's round face flushed a deep puce color and an angry, almost embarrassed expression crossed his features as he found himself being ignored. �Enough!� he barked, having pulled himself together again. Fudge smirked unpleasantly and gave a derisive snort when Harry started at his abrupt appearance in the conversation. �It's time to go, Harry. Enough of this nonsense.� He reached forward and roughly seized the boy's arm. Harry yelped and attempted to wrench himself from the Minister. �No! I stay Snape!� The Potions master said nothing as he felt the boy's nails start to bite into his skin. �Dawlish! Williamson! Get over here and help me separate them!� Fudge demanded, now using both hands to try and pry Harry from Severus. Two aurors extracted themselves from the group and made their way over to the spectacle looking uncertain. One of them grabbed Harry around the waist while the other gripped his shoulders and pulled. Normally they would have used magic in such a situation, but Dumbledore had made it clear that no magic was to be used around Harry (unless the circumstances were dire) as it would frighten him and possibly cause him to regress mentally. Severus forced himself not to react to the situation. The events playing out before him did not bother him. He had not suddenly decided that he wanted to continue helping Harry because this lot would be doing nothing of the sort. He did not want to scoop the boy up and flee from Hogwarts and perhaps the wizarding world itself. None of this had forced itself into his mind, and so, he stood there with his fists clenched, a tightness in his chest and a blank expression. �Help, Snape! Help I!� the child wailed, his chest heaving from his sobs. His grip on the Potions master was suddenly vicious, his nails clawing at him and tearing his clothes. Fat tears trickled down his cheeks and Severus found he could stand it no longer. There was a dull roar in the distance, but Severus wasn't sure if the sound only existed inside of his head or if the others had heard it as well. The only thing he was sure of was that he was rapidly losing his mind and the being suffocated. The noise grew louder, more obnoxious and then everything faded into red. The next thing he was aware of was the feeling of the his wand gripped tightly in his hand and raw power coursing through him. Every hair on his arm was raised and goosebumps were littered across his tingling body. Severus blinked and furrowed his eyebrows. What? Before he could discover the source of his confusion, something warm, wet and alive wiggled against his chest. The Potions master looked down and found two, wide emerald green eyes gazing up at him. Harry, against him... with the Ministry workers ten feet away looking stunned and a bit worse for wear. What had happened? It was then it all came flooding back to him. The notice from the Ministry a week earlier, his talk with Dumbledore the night before, their arrival and their treatment of Harry as well as his magical outburst that resulted in him stealing Harry away from them. Rage flooded through his veins, and his eyes flashed dangerously. �You...� Severus wrapped his free arm around Harry protectively and he gave them his most menacing glare, the one that he reserved for very special occasions. He'd mastered it so well, that once or twice when he'd directed it at Dumbledore, the old coot had hesitated and lost his train of thought. �You dunderheads! Obviously you know nothing about children. Have you learned nothing of dealing with the little monsters in your auror training?! How did idiots like you even manage to get such a high ranking positions? He is a child. You're hurting him� you're terrifying him! Your behavior is no better than that of the filthy muggles who did this to him. You're not fit to be his caretakers for any amount of time. He will be staying here, with me, in my care.� His stance was strong and defensive, but it also resembled a cornered animal. Fudge goggled at him for a moment, his mouth open and his eyes bulging. �N-Now see here!� his voice faltered for a moment when Severus' scowl settled upon him, �You're making a big mistake, Snape! You can't say things like that to the Minister of Magic!� Fudge paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. �However, I'll pretend none of this ever happened if you'll just hand over the boy. Refuse to do so and you'll regret it.� Severus' eyes flashed with hatred and he bared his teeth at the Minster. �Actually, I'm already regretting it... Nonetheless, you're going to have to go through me before you can get to him,� he said, giving him a nasty smile. Absently, he dropped his hand down to give Harry a soothing pat on the back when he heard the boy whimper and nuzzle against him. Fudge's eyes gleamed with guile for a moment and a sly look stole over his face. �So be it. Fellow wizards, let's show him the Ministry is not something to be reckoned with� just be careful not to harm the boy!� It was then everything fell into chaos. All at once, Severus found himself at the wand point of twelve separate wands. Instead of backing down as any sane wizard would, he held his ground, gripped his wand tightly and mouthed the words, �Protego Totalum.� A small wave of relief flowed through him when he felt the strong presence of the invisible force field around him. It didn't last for long, unfortunately. -- The sound of ragged breathing and soft whimpers made him absently wonder if there was a wounded animal nearby. Something warm and heavy settled itself upon his back, slowly anchoring him back into reality. Severus lifted his head from it's slumped position and attempted to peer up at it through a haze of pain to identify the source. It was Dumbledore. Severus growled and shrugged off Dumbledore's hand, he whipped around to glower at the headmaster, his expression anguished and his eyes empty. �This is all your fault,� he whispered, Harry's screams resonating in his mind. With a last ferocious glance, he turned and stalked out of the room. - Three Years Earlier - Albus Dumbledore was sitting in his office, sucking on a lemon drop and reviewing a few files of 'great importance' from the Ministry when Minerva McGonagall bustled inside. Her graying hair was sticking out of her unusually messy bun and her lips were pressed together in a firm line. Swinging precariously from one ear, her square glasses threatened to throw themselves off her face and tumble down onto her rumpled emerald robes. �Albus!� she cried as she came to a stop in front of his desk and reached up to irritably settle her spectacles. As Dumbledore took in her appearance, he noticed that she held a familiar envelope with a Hogwarts' seal clutched in her hands. �Sit down, Minerva, and tell me what has happened. Would you care for a lemon drop?� He gestured to a glass bowl filled to the brim with the sticky muggle sweets and leaned forward to steal two for himself. Minerva threw him an exasperated look and shook her head. �No�Albus, it's about the boy,� she said impatiently, inspecting him with shrewd eyes. Dumbledore, who was unsticking two lemon drops, didn't seem to notice and said cheerfully, �What boy?� Minerva's eyes frosted over in a way that said she obviously was in no mood to play this game. As she gazed into his twinkling eyes, she couldn't help but wonder if the blasted man played stupid simply to annoy her. It was with a icy voice that she finally said, �Harry Potter! Who else would I be talking about, Albus?� Lately, the boy had been the main topic of all the professors' discussions. They had even taken to wagering with each other about what house he was going to be sorted in. Her competitive spirit had made her unable to resist in participating and placing 15 galleons on Gryffindor. �Oh, I don't know, Minerva. Perhaps one of the hundreds of male students attending Hogwarts?� Dumbledore said with a small smile, popping the two lemon drops into his mouth. Minerva's chilly expression became frigid. Narrowing her eyes at him, she feigned deaf to his comment. �Albus, his letter has come back unopened.� She held up the aforementioned item to prove it. He paused, sucking almost viciously on his sweets as he contemplated an answer, �Perhaps he wasn't home when the owl delivered it.� Dumbledore sounded almost as though he were trying to convince himself. For a moment, Minerva considered ripping her hair out� or his. �Albus, you know that's not the case! The only reason an owl would come back unopened is if the child is dead or unable to respond.� She had seen only four cases in which this had happened throughout all the years she had worked there: two of the children had died, another was comatose, and the last had been extremely ill. The headmaster nodded, his eyes dim and his expression grave. �Very well. I shall send someone to check on the boy and find out what has happened. Not to worry, Minerva,� his light blue eyes penetrated hers, �I'm sure this is all a misunderstanding.� She nodded, relief flooding her body with a warmth so intense it left her tingling. He had finally decided to be serious, thank Merlin. She loved the man to death but sometimes he could be an frustrating prat. �Thank you, Albus.� She nodded at him stiffly and left the room, feeling more clear-headed then she had in a long time. - A Week Later - Knock knock. There was a tapping on his door. At first, the sound had been reserved and polite but it was steadily growing ruder with every passing minute. Knock knock knock. Severus Snape groaned and ignored the wretched noise attempting to penetrate into his sleep. Whoever it was could go bugger off and come back at a decent hour. If they had come while he was still in bed, then it had to be before six A.M. He didn't have to be up before then yet, not until the new school term started. Even though that was only a few days away, Severus intended to enjoy every last bit of freedom he had. Knock knock. Rolling over, Severus grabbed his pillow and pressed his face into the mattress, holding the pillow down over his head to block out the sound in annoyance. They'd get the point soon enough. He was not getting out of bed until at least six in the morning. Knock knock knock. He growled, his irritation beginning to spike into rage. He was upset with both himself and the unwanted visitor. What was he, a muggle? He was an adult wizard and he had a wand- so why hadn't he thought to use it?! Severus' blindly tapped around on the mattress, looking for the side table with his wand on it. KNOCK KNOCK. As he smacked his hand off the corner of it, Severus swore and shook his hand, trying to ignore the slice of pain that shot threw it. He turned and peeked out from under the pillow blearily, squinting for a moment before he slapped his hand down on top of his wand. He wrapped his fingers around it and muttered the strongest silencing charm he knew. Severus smirked in satisfaction when the sound cut off in the middle knock and left his room in silence. Blessed silence. He yawned and put his wand back where it belonged. He rolled back over in bed and curled up on his side, pulling the blankets up over himself. He was just drifting back to sleep when there came an angry banging. KNOCKKNOCKKNOCK- �-ALRIGHT! I'M COMING- KNOCK IT OFF!� Severus roared. He sat up and threw off the covers. He was wearing long sleeved black silky pajamas with out socks. His hair was all over the place from his earlier romp with the pillow and his face was lightly flushed with anger. He stormed out of his bedroom and into the living room, practically growling. Whoever it was that had dared to disturb him so early in the morning was really going to get it. He didn't bother to fix his clothes or his hair as he approached the door. No, he preferred to keep it the way it was- it was more intimidating. The Potion's master scowled and practically ripped he door off its hinges when he tore it open. �Do you know what time it is?!� Professor Dumbledore stood there dressed in one of the outfits he always wore when he had business with the Ministry. Something about it niggled his brain and made him frown deeply. There was something... something he was supposed to remember. He ignored it and turned his attention to the beaming old man in front of him. �Good morning to you too, Severus!� he said, not intimidated by him in the least. Severus sighed and reached up to rub his forehead in resignation. Sometimes he wondered why he even tried. The old fool was never going to affected by him, no matter how hard he wished for it to be so. �Yes, yes. Might I ask the reason that you've chosen to wake me up at,� he paused and looked to the left, squinting to make out the hands of the clock,� 3:50 in the morning?� Dumbledore's eyes twinkled and he laughed quietly to himself. �Oh my, is it really that early? I've just gotten back from the Ministry. It took a lot longer then I had thought it was going to take. Anyway, I've been anxious to know- what happened with Mr. Potter?� Severus stared at him for a few seconds, his mind blank. �Potter? You mean Harry Potter?� Why was Dumbledore asking him about the son of one of his worst enemies? How was he supposed to know? It wasn't like he'd asked him to escort the boy to Hogwarts. Dumbledore's eyebrows furrowed at his response and he frowned, �Yes, Harry Potter. I asked you to go and find out why his letter to attend Hogwarts was sent back last Friday...� His eyes suddenly seemed more dull now that the sparkle had faded from them. Severus frowned and thought back to last Friday. He'd been awake for almost two days straight making potions for Poppy to stock up in the medical wing. He'd been so busy, in fact, that he hadn't eaten all day. Dumbledore had come around dinner time with a tray of food for him, babbling about some such nonsense. Severus hadn't paid him much attention because he was at a critical point in the potion. Now that he thought back to it, he did remember the Headmaster mention something about Potter and a letter. As Dumbledore had been leaving, he'd asked him not to forget because it was important. He'd just assumed he meant his food. Severus said nothing. He stepped aside though and ushered the other man inside, which he did with such a grave expression that made his stomach twist. Shutting the door behind him, he turned and sheepishly walked into the living room, feeling like a teenager who'd forgotten to study for an important test. He sat down on the couch opposite to that chair the Headmaster had seated himself in. Four hours later found Severus walking down number four Privet Drive at eight in the morning. The conversation he'd had with Dumbledore about his folly had been intense. How could he have been so idiotic and distracted to have not noticed that the other man was sending him on a mission?! Perhaps it was the exhaustion had set in after being awake for two days. He had gone to bed that night immediately after finishing the last potion. He hadn't even stopped to eat the food. Whatever the reason, Severus was disgusted at his own incompetence. Dumbledore had been upset with him for his mistake, but he also seemed understanding as well. The Potion's master couldn't help but hope that this incident hadn't ruined too much of the headmaster's trust in his competence. He resolved to finish this task swiftly and without difficulty to try to earn back some of his faith. Even if it involved... Potter's brat. Really now, what was this nonsense about the boy's letter being returned unopened? Severus doubted it was anything serious. He'd probably done it on purpose to get attention. It would be just like him- and his father. He could expect nothing less of a Potter. ** The dark was cold. The grimy cement floor was even colder. The room was hardly big enough to fit two people laying down, but it seemed too big for the small child huddled in the corner. His scrawny body was caked with filth and littered in scars, cuts and bruises. A soft whimper crept through the room and pierced the darkness with the kind of pain only an animal could understand. The boy was using his thin arms to hug himself as he slowly rocked back and forth. 'Hurts,' he thought. 'Uncle mad. Boy too slow. Deserved punished. Tomorrow be good.' The child nodded his head in determination and tightened his grip around his nude body. 'Uncle give food.' He was startled from his thoughts by the sound of someone knocking on a door upstairs. The echo bounded throughout the basement. Harry felt his heart contract and pound wildly. He heard the familiar creaks of the floorboards that indicated his Uncle had stood up. Listening intently, he discovered that the other man's footsteps had veered off course and were approaching his door. 'No, visit. No visit.' The child sucked in a sharp breath and cowered against the wall. The creaking stilled beside his door, his Uncle mere footsteps away. To his relief the man only proceeded to give his door a smart wrap of warning before walking past. Harry knew this meant that he'd be in a lot of trouble if anything �odd� happened while his Uncle had company. 'Others here?' Harry shifted uncomfortably and flinched when the rattling of his chains reverberated around the room. The six foot long chain with its heavy, rusted metal collar wrapped around Harry's neck was attached to a D-shackle in the wall. His uncle had made this when he was still a toddler so he could get to the toilet on the other side of the room. Now Harry's freedom to explore the room was ruined by the thick leather straps binding his legs together. When his Uncle had found him toying with the straps, he'd been beaten so badly he'd been unable to move for a week. He'd never so much as occupied the thought of attempting such foolish actions again after that incident. A loud crash, startled yelps and outraged screeching caught Harry's attention. He was able to recognize the sound of his Uncle, a new voice, and the other people who lived there... but not what was being said. The boy tried his best to focus on the sounds and understand what was being said. It was a futile attempt at best. He could hear the words without a problem but was only able to vaguely understand a few of them. �No...Stop... Boy...freak!� Harry's heart leapt and threatened to plummet into his stomach when he heard his Uncle refer to him, 'Uncle talk of Boy? Uncle never do... Boy scared.' All at once, his Uncle's voice cut off in mid-sentence and there was silence. Harry blinked, confused, and waited. 'No sound. Danger.' Seconds ticked by like hours and Harry could bear it no longer. He mustered up all the courage he could find before he timidly began to crawl forward. He used his aching arms to drag himself closer to the door as quietly as he could manage, straining to hear something�anything that would assure him that his Uncle was okay. It was then that he heard the new voice clearly for the first time. The voice was soft and deep with malice expressed towards his Uncle. To his surprise, there was no hidden agenda beneath it's tone. The boy's Uncle would sometimes speak him with false sweetness and honey only to turn around when Harry let down his defenses and use those words (and sometimes actions) to harm him. They would embed their claws deep inside of him and twist until his insides burned. It would burn for days�or perhaps months before finally fading to a dull stinging that never left him. 'Why Uncle mad? Boy likes New Voice.' Harry poked his tongue between the gap where his two front teeth (on top and bottom) should have been and wet his lips as he listened to the conversation. 'New Voice need leave. New Voice upsets Uncle and Others. Boy be punished.' The New Voice did not leave though. In fact, he did just the opposite. Harry could hear him suddenly coming closer to his door while his Uncle's shouts became more panicked. Despite the fact that he didn't know what was being said, his Uncle's fear was infectious. His eyes widened in terror and for a split second, he froze. Even his heart seemed to be caught up in the boy's fear, stopping in his throat and threatening to make him sick. And then the doorknob rattled and the child fell back into himself. 'New Voice coming. Boy do what? Scared. Boy hide.' He scuttled backwards as quickly as he could manage and pressed his body against a wall in the far corner of the room, curling up on himself to appear smaller. The lock on the door clicked. Harry's stomach twisted itself into knots while his heart beat wildly in his chest and he wet himself. The child didn't notice, he was too caught up in the fear that threatened to consume him. The boy lifted his head slightly, just enough to see over his knees as the doorknob turned and dim lighting crept into the room. A slim, dark form stood in the doorway, peering inside the room with sharp eyes. 'New Voice.' Harry didn't move, he barely dared to breathe. He could feel the inquisitive eyes of New Voice sweeping across the room, searching for something�for him... and the closer the man's gaze came to finding the child, the more painful the burning sensation in his chest became. To Harry's surprise, New Voice's eyes passed right over him without even the slightest hesitation. The boy let out a sigh of relief and sagged against the wall. 'Been good. Uncle be proud. Boy hide good.' Unfortunately, New Voice seemed to have come to the same conclusion and rather disliked the idea. He growled in frustration and released a muttered stream of words. Light filled the room, it flooded every corner and chased away the darkness. Pain coursed through his body, centering in his eyes and giving him no choice but to cry out in agony as they were exposed to the light. It was impossible for them to adjust to such intensity after a lifetime of darkness. Harry let out a sobbing breath (without actual tears) and writhed against the wall, attempting to overcome the pain to cover his eyes. Thankfully, it vanished just as suddenly as it appeared and soon the room was submerged in blessed darkness once more. With his body still trembling almost violently, Harry slowly managed to calm himself. He pressed the heels of his hands to his eyes, rubbing in circles to ease the pain. Minutes ticked by like this and nothing happened. Harry had almost forgotten about New Voice when a noise by the door caught his attention. He looked up and squinted at the dim light, attempting to see if New Voice was still there. He was. His form stood motionless in the doorway and his expression was one Harry had never seen before. Their eyes met and the boy found himself captivated by them. It was as if he had fallen into a dark tunnel and was unable to look away to escape. New Voice's eyes pierced into his soul, tunneling deep inside him until they came across his burning insides... and then everything disappeared in a burst of white.
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