average human’s Reviews > Sectumsempra > Status Update

“What did it say?” Ron asked.

Harry thought back to that night.

“It said it wanted to kill someone... and it smelled blood...”

Theo leapt up and surprisingly had a smile on his face.

“Well now we know what the monster is!” he exclaimed.

The other kids exchanged confused looks, except Luna who was humming at the ceiling.

“We do?” Draco asked.

Theo rolled his eyes as he sat cross legged back on his bed.

“Don’t be an idiot,” he drawled. “Either Harry’s completely mad or it’s a snake.”

Everyone stared at Theo as they thought about it.

“That makes sense,” Hermione breathed. “The monster of Slytherin would be a snake and if Harry was the only one who heard it it’s because he’s the only Parsletongue!”

Theo grinned at her before smirking at Harry. “Harry may just be completely mad, I’d give it even odds.”

Ron snorted as Harry sent another painful sting towards Theo.

“So, how do we stop it?” Susan asked, getting a manic gleam in her eyes that Harry was getting used to seeing.

“We don’t!” Hermione cried. “We tell one of the Professors!”

“We tell nobody,” he said, giving them all a glare. “We find out what the snake is, who’s controlling it, and we keep it to ourselves.”

Hermione looked horrified.

“But there’s a snake attacking Muggleborns!” she cried. “We have to tell someone!”

“So Harry can be arrested as the only known Parsletongue in Hogwarts?” Susan demanded. “No. We shut up and we figure it out. If we say anything now they’ll just think it was Harry.”

Harry gave her a grateful look. Susan was pretty quick on picking up his exact thoughts.

Hermione still looked panicked so Harry tried to reassure her.

“Look Mione, if it’s a snake then I can talk to it, yeah? And I’m not going to let you get attacked, okay? But I don’t want to end up in Azkaban either.”

Hermione nodded slowly. “Okay,” she agreed. “But for the record I think we should tell someone.”

“Record noted,” Blaise said. “Now! How do we catch the real heir?”

The eight of them discussed it for a while before Hermione’s idea of searching the archives in the library for any known family lines with Parsletongues was chosen as the most likely place to start.

“You guys all have classes next period,” she said, checking her solar wrist watch. “So I’ll check out the books and bring them to dinner tonight.”

Harry jumped up and grabbed his invisibility cloak. “I’ll go with you,” he offered.

Hermione huffed. “You’re not going to class, are you?”

“Nope,” he grinned at her. “It’s Lockhart and I might hurt him if I have to hear him blather on today.”

Hermione rolled her eyes while the other kids laughed.

“Alright then,” she conceded. “Come on.”

“See ya later,” Harry called to the other kids, following behind Hermione. Before they exited the Slytherin common room, where Harry was impressed to see nobody even batted an eye at Hermione’s presence, he pulled the cloak over his head.

“Don’t talk to me or you’ll look crazy,” he told Hermione who laughed at him.

It was weird to walk through the corridors under the cloak. He’d done it last year but last year the halls weren’t packed with kids speculating on who Harry was going to petrify next, were they?

Hermione was giving rude looks to the groups they passed when she heard his name being whispered.

“Morons,” she muttered.

Harry silently nodded his head in agreement despite knowing she couldn’t see him.

They split up in the library, Hermione pointed him towards a more deserted area.

“Don’t draw attention to yourself,” she whispered before going to the section she assigned to herself.

Harry started pursuing the shelves, looking for anything that discussed lineage, Parsletongues, or the history of Slytherin.

41%

Dumbledore turned his blue eyes back to Harry, and he was surprised to see how cold they now looked. Almost like ice.

“Mister Potter I need your wand,” he said calmly.

“Why?” he asked.

“Your wand, now,” Dumbledore repeated, his voice as cold as his eyes now.

You won’t win a fight against him. Not right now. Not like this.

Harry slowly reached in to his wand holster to unfasten the wand. He kept his eyes on Dumbledore, who was holding his own wand now.

“Here.” He placed the holly wand on the desk, marveling at the way it shone like it did the day he got it.

Dumbledore grabbed the wand and stowed it in his desk drawer then nodded at Hagrid.

“Mister Potter, you are formally expelled from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. You are a danger to your fellow students and I cannot allow you to remain here while your very presence puts them at risk. Rubeus will escort you to your home and your belongings will be sent along at a later time.”

Harry felt his throat thicken with what was probably unshed tears. He was never going to see his friends again. Or Mavis. Or... or Snape.

Show no weakness. Weakness will get you killed instead of expelled.

Harry made sure his face was clear of the sorrow he thought he might drown in and stood as he sensed Hagrid reaching for his arm.

“Don’t touch me,” he snarled at the giant man.

He turned back to Dumbledore and stared hatefully at his icey blue eyes.

“You’re making a mistake.”

Dumbledore inclined his chin minutely. “I don’t believe I am,” he said softly.

Harry glared up at the man. The man who put him with his relatives in the first place. And who didnt check up on him his whole life. Who knew there was a prophecy about him but never said. Who wanted Harry to be a weapon in his own private war against Voldemort. Who was kicking Harry out of the only home he’s ever had. And who was taking Harry away from the only people he’d ever cared about.

“When I come back, because I will, I’m going to kill you,” he said coldly, figuring he might as well lay all his cards on the table at this point.

Harry heard Hagrid give a dramatic gasp beside him and ignored him to watch Dumbledore’s face.

His blue eyes flashed with something that looked like shock before icing over once again.

“I’m sure that you will try,” he said before nodding at Hagrid.

As Harry was led through the floo to Arabella Figgs house, he only had one thought he could focus on without losing his mind completely:

Some day, some how, Harry Potter was going to make Albus Dumbledore regret this with every fiber of his being right before he ended his life.

43%

Severus glanced at Draco, who was pale faced but bobbing his head quickly in agreement.

“And neither Bones nor Lovegood heard the voice? Only Potter?”

“No sir, just him,” Blaise said.

Severus filed that away to consider later, as it was unhelpful at this moment.

“Can you absolutely, undoubtedly, under Veritaserum, alibi Potter during both attacks?”

The boys looked askance at one another.

“Susan and Luna can for Halloween,” Draco said slowly.

“And Granger can for yesterday,” Blaise offered.

That would not be enough.

“What I suggest,” he said quietly. “Is that you both write letters to your parents.”

Draco’s eyes lit up with immediate understanding.

“You want us to tell them what happened?”

“Those words never came out of my mouth. However, you are both Slytherin enough to find ways to convey a message without writing that message, yes?”

Both boys agreed quickly.

“It would certainly be a shame if the board,” he glanced at Draco, “or the press,” he looked at Blaise, “were made aware of the egregious wrong done to our poor, orphaned, war hero.” He sighed dramatically before adding, “With absolutely no proof.” At the word proof he had another stroke of inspiration. “I wonder if Susan’s aunt has heard about Potters expulsion? She seemed very fond of him over the summer.”

Blaise, budding politician that he is, smirked in understanding.

“That would be a shame, sir, if any of our relatives heard about this. I know that the Contessa likes Harry very much. I’m sure if she were aware of this that she would be simply heartbroken.”

Severus shared his smirk. A heartbroken Contessa Zabini is a deadly one. And if Potter has become important to her then all the better for the boy, and all the worse for Albus.

“Father does keep such a close eye on my education and alliances,” Draco said thoughtfully. “I believe that if he knew one of my allies was in need of assistance that he would not hesitate to help him.”

Severus recalled the conversation he had with Lucius over the summer, only thinly veiling his belief that the House of Malfoy would be formally aligning themselves to the House of Potter- and ending any ties to the Dark Lord.

“Also,” Draco looked hesitant, “if Harry needed a place to stay, I’m sure my mother would love to have him at our Manor.”

Son of a bitch.

He needed to find Potter and find him suitable living arrangements. He doubted that the child even took one step in to his relatives home.

“Is Potter’s trunk in your room?”

“Yes, sir.” Blaise assured him. “That’s why we were so worried- his trunk was here but his bed was gone!”

Of course the castle and elves would immediately remove the child’s space- Hogwarts always adjusted herself to fit the amount of children within each dormitory.

“Very well. Do not touch a single item belonging to Potter- warn Weasley, Nott, Crabbe, and Goyle that anyone who lays a single finger on his belongings will wish that detention is all that I set them with.”

He considered for a moment before adding, “And one of you ensure that Potter’s owl,” he refused to call it the inane name the brat chose, “is in the owlery and being cared for.” He knew Potter doted on the creature and would be disappointed if it were neglected in his absence.

The boys both murmured their understanding and Blaise volunteered to go check on ‘Sevvie’.

“I believe you both have letters to write and mouths to keep shut,” he hissed. “Feel free to spread word within Slytherin of the wrongdoing done to Potter but say nothing of the rest of it. Understand?”

The boys both nodded before Severus dismissed them. Draco lingered by the desk for a moment.

“Uncle Sev, you’ll find him, right?” he asked in a small voice. “Because I don’t think he does so well on his own.”

Severus assured him that tracking one lone child would be simple.

***

Once again, Potter was sowing chaos that was incredibly complex.

‘It’ll be simple,’ he scoffed to himself. When has Potter ever been simple?

The child was proving to be impossible to locate, but Severus was nothing if not determined.

Severus had apparated to Petunia Dursley’s home that night after dinner, only to be immediately reassured that Potter had indeed never set foot inside the bland home.

Upon his return to Hogwarts he had what he believed to be an inspired idea. He trailed down to the kitchens and sought out Potter’s ‘acquaintance’, Mavis.

“Mavis is not seeing Master Potter,” the elf squeaked out, wringing his hands. “Master Potter is not at Hogwarts and Mavis knows Master Potter has no other home. Master Potter told his bushy haired friend to tell Mavis to ‘stay at Hogwarts’ but Mavis is wanting to be with Master.”

So Potter must have had an inkling he was going to be expelled before he was sent to the headmasters office.

Potter likely has been expecting this from the moment he found the cat, he thought. The child is no fool.

“If Potter summons you I need you to inform me immediately. It is for his own health and safety, is that clear?” he stressed severely to the elf.

Mavis nodded, his large ears flopping, “Master Potter is telling Mavis to listen to Mister Snoops, and Mavis will be telling Mister Snoops if Master summons him.”

Severus wondered if Potter had intentionally mispronounced his name in an effort to irritate him at a later date or if the elf simply had as poor elocution as his master used to.



Severus spent a sleepless night in his quarters, creating a mental list of every possible location the child may visit.

The next morning, freed from his classes for the Christmas break, he floo’d to the Leaky Cauldron and asked the barkeep if he had seen Potter.

“Not since he stopped by over the summer,” the man said with a frown. “He’s alright, isn’t he? Poor lad was a tiny twitchy thing when he stayed here.”

Severus evaded his questions while receiving a swear that he would be the first person he contacted if he saw Potter.

Severus checked with the goblins who, though unaccomadating, he believed had also not seen the child.

He checked the ice cream store. The quidditch supply store. The library. Eventually he had to concede that it seemed as if Potter had either not yet made his way to Diagon Alley or purposefully chose to avoid it.

As he pondered his next step his own words to Potter reverberated in his mind. ‘I do not believe there would be a place within the magical world where Albus would not work tirelessly to keep track of you.’

He nearly bashed his head on the brick archway as he remembered telling Potter that when the child discussed his wish to leave Hogwarts. Potter was cunning; if he believed Albus was a threat to him then he would avoid the magical world.

So Severus began his search in Muggle locations.



He checked homeless shelters, youth homes, and hospitals. He charmed Muggles into allowing him to search social service reports and police records. He showed Potter’s photo to strangers on the street.

‘Poor Dear,’ an older woman had crooned looking at the photo. ‘I hope you find your little boy.’



He returned to his office that night to find it filled with Potter’s friends.

He hoped when he found the child that Potter would be heartened to hear that his friends all remained behind at the castle for the holiday in hopes of hearing news of him sooner.

“Harry isn’t with his Muggle relatives, is he?” Miss Bones asked immediately.

“He is not,” Severus said.

Severus could barely stand to look in to her face.

“Have you found him then?” she asked.

“I did not,” he confessed gently.

You are letting them down. You are letting him down.

“YOU HAVE TO TRY HARDER!” Bones yelled, her eyes alive with a manic fury.

“Do you think I have done anything aside from my best?!” he demanded.

How dare this little witch come in his office and call him out? Potter has been his only priority since he discovered he was missing.

“Your best isn’t good enough Professor,” Hermione Granger told him coldly. “Harry was innocent. And now you can’t find him?”

“What kind of school is this?” Ronald Weasley snarled. “Kick a kid out for no bloody reason then you lose him?”

“Get. Out.” Severus hissed warningly.

Susan Bones stalked very close to Severus, displaying a shocking lack of fear at the venom in his tone.

“If Harry is hurt then I will hold you responsible,” she said. “He trusted you.”

Bones gave him a last look of derision before turning on her heel and storming towards the door. Severus sat at his desk and buried his face in his hands.

“What would you have me do?” he asked quietly.

“More,” Luna Lovegood said softly as she left the office. “We would have you do more.”

Three days after Potter’s expulsion the news finally hit the papers;

DAILY PROPHET BREAKING NEWS:
Albus Dumbledore expels Boy-Who-Lived?
Many of us still remember the night that Harry Potter saved the magical world from the destruction of He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named. Every Halloween you would be hard pressed to enter a pub where Harry Potter’s name is not being celebrated.
There is one place where our hero is not being hailed: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Many sources have reported a disturbing belief that Harry Potter has been expelled from school on suspicion of attacking his fellow students.
Many parents have reached out with their concerns:
‘Harry Potter is a close friend of my son,’ writes the Italian Contessa, Juliana Zabini. ‘He is such a sweet boy, who looks and acts much like his deceased war hero parents. I cannot imagine what reason Albus Dumbledore had to keep our orphaned hero from his rightful education- the young child has lost enough, no?’
Hogwarts Board member, and father to another one of Harry Potter’s many close friends, Lucius Malfoy, spoke up as well. ‘The board must question the purpose of expelling a student when there have been no reported incidents of injuries by the Headmaster. I fear that Dumbledore is losing his touch if he is making such grievous mistakes in regards to the orphan who restored peace to our world.’
Albus Dumbledore, when reached out for a comment merely stated that Harry Potter is home for a “family emergency”.
While we may not currently know the truth behind Harry Potter’s disappearance we hope that wherever he is he knows that the love of Magical Britain is with him.



Severus read the article multiple times with a smug smirk. The Contessa was a master of media manipulation. He could practically sense her presence in every word within the print.

Albus was going to lose his mind with the influx of letters he would soon receive in response.

Severus himself had been the recipient of multiple owls this morning.

‘Dearest Severus,
I believe you may have something that I find quite valuable. If you do not have the item I am seeking, I implore you to FIND. IT. IMMEDIATELY.
Please inform me the moment you have it. I would be very upset if it was damaged in any way and shudder to consider the consequences it would have on your personal health and safety from both Lucius and myself.
If there are ingredients that you require to find my missing item, owl me immediately and I shall procure them for you.
With all my love,
Narcissa Malfoy’

Narcissa was a charming woman.

The letter from the Contessa was slightly warmer but with the same underlying message.

‘Severus Snape,
I hope your holidays are going well. Unfortunately mine are not so wonderful.
My son says that my Meraviglia has not been seen. I wonder why he was not sent somewhere safe, with his allies and familiare, and was instead lost?
Perhaps Italy will treat my darlings better than Britain has.
Once you speak with my dearest ally, inform him that I will gladly assist him in enrolling in a school where his power and intellect will be appreciated much more than Albus has seemed to.
You may reach me by floo at Zabini Villa the exact moment you find my missing deliciae, yes?
-The Contessa Zabini, Lady of the Ancient and Noble House of Zabini.’



Severus spent the evening searching Muggle London for any sign of his missing snake.

He checked under bridges, inside of alleys, abandoned homes, and parks.

He remembered where he found Potter once before and even spent hours riding miscellaneous buses hoping to find him.

All to no avail.

In the end, he stopped by Knockturn Alley to pick up a book on a tracking spell. It was not necessarily illegal, but Albus would certainly never allow him to brew the potion for it either.

Luckily, Severus did not give a damn what Albus Dumbledore thought and had no intentions of asking permission.

***

Four days after Potter’s expulsion, Albus was forced to face the remainder of the Hogwarts staff who had not left for Christmas break.

“HARRY POTTER IS NOT THE HEIR OF SLYTHERIN!” Filius yelled at Albus. “FOR MERLINS SAKE ALBUS, HIS FATHER WAS DESCENDED FROM THR PEREVELL LINE!”

“WHAT HAPPENED TO PROTOCOL? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE HEADS WEIGHING IN ON MATTERS REGARDING EXPULSION?” Pomona shouted.

“I thought the choice to expel a student was a matter we put to a vote,” Minerva said stiffly. “Why was Potter expelled and none of us were informed until afterwards?”

“This matter was too dangerous to wait for an official meeting,” Albus said calmly.

Severus could see the lines deepening in Albus’ face and the blue coloring beneath his eyes; he appeared exhausted and weak. Severus sincerely hoped he was receiving very little sleep and was being as consistently harassed by angry parents as Severus was by angry students.

“I do not need to explain myself,” Albus continued. “The decision is final. There is no other possible explanation for the attacks.”

“That’s what they said when they blamed Hagrid,” Minerva sniffed. “And look how that turned out.”

Albums seemingly had no rebuttal as he attempted to change the discussion to the continued news coverage of the ‘Hogwarts Missing Hero.’

“Why not allow Mister Potter to speak with a reporter?” Pomona suggested. “They could see that he’s not missing and he could get a chance to share his side of the story.”

Because Albus is not aware that Potter is missing, Severus thought acerbically.

“The last thing our school needs right now is more negative coverage,” Albus said. “The boy would slander us. I’m afraid that without us providing proof of his misdeeds, the public would be inclined to believe him. We would lose students as parents lost trust in our abilities to make judgement calls regarding their safety.”

“Do not use phrases like ‘we’ and ‘us’, when you unilaterally made the decision to expel Potter,” Severus said coldly. “I refuse to lie if asked where Potter has went.” He sneered as he sardonically added, “‘Family emergency’ indeed”.

Filius scoffed and glared at Albus as well.

“Will you be readmitting Harry if the attacks continue and his name is cleared or will you find a way to blame him for that as well?”

Albus pushed his glasses up and rubbed wearily at his eyes.

“If there is another attack, which my gut says there will not be, then I will reach out to Mister Potter to speak with him only after I am sure that he was in no way involved.”

Most competent Headmasters would require proof or evidence of some sort before expelling a student for attacks with only the barest hint of a connection between the two. But no, the illustrious War General needs only his ‘gut feelings’.

Severus felt no regret as he fervently prayed that another student was petrified so that Potter can be reinstated.

Of course, first he would have to find the brat.

***

Five days after Potter’s expulsion, Christmas Eve, Severus was trying to create the potion for the tracking spell to find the missing child.

“YOU WILL FLOO ME IMMEDIATELY OR I WILL COME TO HOGWARTS AND CURSE EVERY PROFESSOR I COME ACROSS!”

Severus raised an interested brow at the shrieking voice of Amelia Bones bursting through the mouth of a silver lemur patronus. She sounded very similar to her niece, who has confronted Severus for updates at least once every evening.

Unfortunately, he was mid-brew on the intricate potion and had no time to meet for the next thirty minutes.

“Expecto Patronum,” he flicked his wand casually without looking up from the recipe he was pursuing.

“Madame Bones, I will floo you as soon as- what the fuck?!”

Only his long standing ability to brew despite any disturbances prevented Severus from dropping his stirring rod and ruining the potion outright. He gaped at his patronus as he was hit with icy waves of emotion.

For where his doe, that he has had since he first cast the spell at 16, should stand- instead lay a small fox with bright and wide eyes.

“How...?” he trailed off, gazing at the patronus.

He knew how.

Severus Snape was no imbecile.

Harry Potter had impacted every other facet of his life since they met, why would he not change this one as well?

Lily’s son had clearly eclipsed her as the person he cared most for.

Severus had to occlude very hard as he stared at the silver fox. This was no time to become emotional. He had to keep a clear mind to find the child.

He could break down later. Once Potter was safe.

He flicked his wand again at the fox and cleared his throat. “Amelia, I shall floo you after I have finished a potion which requires my upmost attention. Be prepared to receive me in your home in thirty minutes.”

He stared after the silver fox as it sprang through the dungeon walls.

Merlin.