FicWad

Lightning Bolt and Serpent

By Loralee

Disclaimer: Potterverse isn't mine, neither is the house or the cat.
A/U Post OotP No HBP
Summary: Dumbledore's actions can lead us to believe that Harry vanquishing Voldemort would be an instinctual act. What if he's right?



It had been a bad summer for Harry Potter and it appeared that the school year just might not be so great either. Dumbledore had not let Harry communicate with his friends or visit the burrow. He'd had to stay with the Dursleys the entire summer.

The train ride had been taken in silence as Hermione and Ron had prefect duties and had not sought him out until very near the end, it was then the trip got worse. Hermione had berated Harry for not writing, for 'wallowing' she called it. Ron had angrily agreed, neither had listened to Harry that he had not been allowed to communicate, that he had not had news of the Wizarding world the entire break and now at the feast still she went on as if Harry a purposely insulted his friends.

Harry had enough, his emotions whirled and his glass shattered in his hand, cutting him. As it was close to the end of the feast and the hall was rather quiet, the noise attracted attention. Harry's out burst attracted even more.

"Shut up Hermione, I had no way to contact you. Dumbledore cut off all communication. He just left me there to rot and be abused by the damn Dursleys." He screamed, at the end of his rope. Harry was standing now robes billowing and hair flying as his magic ran wild with pain and anger.

Harry was surprised when Snape grabbed his shoulder and spun him around,

"Enough Mr. Potter. Ten points from Gryffindor for your..."

Harry cut him off.

"Don't you dare touch me! It's your fault he's dead, you greasy bastard." Harry spit.

Snape sneered at Harry; "I think you should place the blame where it truly belongs Potter."

Harry was sure that Snape meant that it was Harry's fault Sirius was dead, but he was no longer going to accept that.

"You're going to pay, Snape." Harry snarled and with a muttered wandless cutting curse, he tore the sleeve from Snape's left arm. As the dark mark came into view Harry saw Dumbledore, from the corner of his eye, start to move. And suddenly, Harry knew; he knew exactly what he needed to do.

Harry slid his right hand down to grasp Snape's left wrist and slapped his bloody left hand down on top of the Dark Mark on Snape's forearm. He glared deep into Snape's dark eyes and hissed in Parseltongue. Snape's eyes rolled up into the back of his head, his back arched and his mouth opened in a silent scream. Harry continued to hiss; pitchers and glasses up and down the tables shattered, as did the windows, the torches flared high and a wind swept through the hall and the very stones in the castle groaned. Across the room came several screams and the clutching of left arms as three Slytherins and two Ravenclaws collapsed. There were more cries and gasps as an evil glowing, Dark Mark appeared above each collapsed student. Chaos reigned as the teachers tried to react.

Harry released Snape's arm with a sigh and the two of them collapsed. Only the quick thinking of Neville Longbottom saved Snape from cracking his head open on the stone floor as he fell and Harry fell across him.


Harry Potter woke to a familiar place, the Hogwarts infirmary. As he opened his eyes he noticed one thing that was not familiar, a dark shape in the chair next to his bed. He reached toward the side table for his glasses. He didn't really notice that they were to far away but slid into his hand anyway.

Snape was sprawled in the chair next to his bed. Sleeping with his head forward on his chest. Harry chuckled slightly thinking 'that can't be comfortable'.

At the slight noise Snape jerked awake and sat up straight looking around and then noticed Harry.

"Mr. Potter, how do you feel?" Snape asked, with none of his usual snark.

"Kinda achy all over and my hand hurts, Professor." Harry answered, just then noticing Snape was wearing sleeveless robes and had his white dress shirt sleeves rolled up and a bandage on his left arm. "Did I hurt you, sir?"

"No, Mr. Potter, I am well, does your head hurt at all. I have a potion for you if it does."

Harry shook his head smiling, "Actually it feels better than it has in a long time. What happened?"

"That, Mr. Potter, is what I'd like you to tell me." Said a voice from the doorway.

"Madam Bones, Mr. Potter has just woken up. Madam Pomfrey has not had a chance to examine him yet. I don't believe that..." Snape said.

"He's not in any trouble Professor Snape but I do need to get your statement Mr. Potter as soon as possible, if you feel up to talking to me." Amelia Bones said sternly.

"It's okay Professor." Harry nodded to Madam Bones who took a seat on the other side of Harry's bed from Snape.

"If you could give us some privacy Professor," began Amelia. Harry interrupted.

"No ma'am, I'd like the Professor to stay please, this concerns him also. Could you tell me how long I've been out and what's happened?" Said Harry.

Snape sat down and Amelia appeared to gather her thoughts.

"You've been asleep for fifty-six hours Mr. Potter. A great deal has happened since your little out burst," drawled Snape in a dry tone. Harry grinned at him.

Annoyed, Amelia said, "Please, Mr. Potter your magical disturbance was recorded off the scale by the ministry monitors. At the same time dozens of people collapsed with the dark mark hovering over them. All of those people have been revealed to be active Death Eaters. The ministry is in turmoil; Mr. Potter, Minister Fudge and several of his closest aides were among those people. We've used Veritaserum and uncovered unmarked Death Eaters as well as numerous plots to undermine the ministry and yourself."

"Your guardians are in custody. After your collapse, Mr. Potter, Professor McGonagall filed an abuse report based on your words before the incident. An investigator was sent immediately to your residence and the evidence was taken straight from those disgusting muggle's minds. Can you tell me why you hadn't told any one of this before now Mr. Potter?"

"Dumbledore knew," Harry said, "but he always made me go back there anyway. For my own protection," he snarled. Amelia and Snape shared a look that Harry couldn't interpret.

"Mr. Potter, leaving that alone for the moment, can you tell me what happened?"

Harry ducked his head looking rather sheepish.

"Well, I uh, I think I killed Voldemort." Harry looked up sideways at Amelia Bones who merely nodded her head as if she already knew that.

"I was angry, really angry, about being locked up all summer, not being able talk to or write or go see my friends, the Dursley's were a real pain when they realized that the order wasn't going to do anything after they'd threatened them. And then Hermione was being a pest 'cause apparently Dumbledore had told them I was pouting and didn't want to hear from them. Ron acted like they'd been sending stuff to me but I never got anything, all summer. Then the Professor grabbed me and I decided to hurt him. To make him suffer for what I was going through, I thought that he was saying I was to blame for all the bad things, for Cedric and Sirius dying and Voldemort being alive. So I used Parseltongue to activate his dark mark." Harry eyed Snape for a moment for a reaction.

"The thing is, I'd cut my hand and when I made the connection with my blood on the Dark Mark I could see the bindings beneath the Dark Mark, how the mark worked and the connections between each mark making a web with Voldemort in the center. I knew I could break those connections, so I reached out and broke the bindings beneath the Mark and then used the Mark to start working my way through the links to Voldemort but when I got there I realized that there was one more connection. The one to my scar, see I realized at that moment why Dumbledore didn't think I needed training to fight Voldemort, because I was suppose to die with him. But because I had gone through Professor Snape's Mark he'd died too. I couldn't allow that so I had to do something that I didn't want to and that the professor probably isn't happy with. Then I used all the emotions I was feeling; the anger at Dumbledore and Voldemort, the love for Sirius and my parents and my friends and pushed it into the link between Voldemort and me. I felt it swell and swell and then there was, like, this pop and the link was broken."

Harry looked at Professor Snape and raised an eyebrow.

"I believe what Mr. Potter is leaving out is this." Then Snape slowly removed the bandage from his forearm; there on the pale skin where the Dark Mark used to be was a new Mark. Harry Potter's Mark, a lightning bolt with a serpent slithering up it.

"Well, Mr. Potter, that tallies with the reports that I have. I believe that You-Know... that Voldemort is dead. I will be reporting that your actions lead to the defeat of Voldemort. Thank you, Mr. Potter; our world owes you and Professor Snape here, a debt of gratitude. I do need to ask you one more thing though. You said that Headmaster Dumbledore knew that your guardians were abusing you? Do you have proof of this Mr. Potter?"

Harry shook his head, "No actual proof ma'am but I really do think he knew, my first Hogwarts letter came to me at the cupboard under the stairs. I do have the letter from this summer telling me I was not to leave the Dursley's or write my friends."

Amelia nodded, "I'd like a copy of that when you're able Mr. Potter. I should be going now. You get some rest." Amelia Bones smiled at Harry patted him on the hand and walked quickly out of the infirmary.

Harry was left with Professor Snape who just sat there looking at him. Finally Harry gave up.

"Well, are you going to tell me how stupid I was, sir?" he asked.

Snape looked started at the question then dropped his eyes.

"Do you still blame me for Black's death, Mr. Potter? Do you still wish to hurt me?" Snape asked Harry quietly.

Harry sighed, "No sir, I don't want to hurt you and I know now that you aren't responsible for any of the things that have happened in the past few years. Don't forget sir, that I saw everything in your mind. I know exactly what you've been going through. I do hope you can forgive me for marking you though. I promise, I'll make no demands on you. You are free to do as you please."

"Mr. Potter, I willing bound myself to Albus. The things I did..." Harry cut him off.

"No Severus, he manipulated you into it. You know that. Then he used you to get to Voldemort. Albus Dumbledore doesn't deserve you sticking up for him. He is a cruel, evil man. He hurt you, he hurt me and I will kill him if the ministry fails to punish him. I will not let him get away with what he has done."

A noise startled them both and the turned to find Madam Pomfrey coming towards them wand out.

"Severus, I expected you to call me when Mr. Potter woke up. Have you been awake long dear? I was just at lunch. Have you eaten? Does your head hurt?" As she waved her wand about, Harry grinned.

"I'm fine Madam Pomfrey, I could eat though, I didn't get a chance at the feast."

"Your are grossly underweight Mr. Potter. I'll have a house elf bring you something and I believe some nutrition potions would be a good idea. Did those people feed you at all this summer? I do hope you'll forgive me Mr. Potter. The Headmaster had assured us that you were well cared for I never thought to check you for malnutrition. I really did just think you were small for you age. Now that I know we can take steps to fix some of the damage. You just relax there and I'll get you some food." As she started away from the bed Harry called after.

"Professor Snape needs to eat too I think." Madam Pomfrey merely nodded on her way back to her office.

Snape shook his head and Harry grinned at him as an oddly dressed house elf popped in with an overloaded tray.

"Harry Potter sir, Dobby is so happy to be bringing you's food. Harry Potter sir is the greatest wizard in the world. Harry Potter sir is being defeating bad dark wizard and saving the whole world." Said Dobby.

Professor Snape saved the tray that was tipping precariously and relieved of his burden Dobby threw himself into hugging Harry. Harry just laughed and hugged Dobby back. Dobby pulled back his large eyes opening even wider.

"Harry Potter sir is feeling better?"

Harry laughed again and said, "Harry Potter is feeling the best he ever has." Dobby grinned and then popped away.

Snape set the tray down concerned that there was something wrong with Harry.

"Mr. Potter, are you well? You aren't acting normally."

"Yes, I'm very well, sir. I'm finally free, my head doesn't hurt. I didn't realize until now how much my head has always hurt. I feel lighter than I ever have, like a weight I didn't even know I was carrying has been removed. I'm still alive and he is dead." Harry's grin was infectious and Snape began to smile as well making Harry laugh.

"No more serious things right now, I'm starved." Said Harry.

Snape nodded and lifted the tray to the bed.

Harry knew they still had lot to talk about; the bond between them, the headmaster, the past, and the future but for now Harry could only enjoy the freedom.