Trapped

Chapter 11: Crisis

"How is Severus?" asked Remus Lupin when entering the private room.

"Stable so far, though that doesn't say much with the unicorn blood still working," Madame Pomfrey answered. "I'm just giving him some blood and fluid, the Muggle way. Hope it'll be enough to keep him alive once the effect of the unicorn blood fades out."

"The scent is still there but not as prominent as before," said the werewolf, sniffing the air. "It won't be long now."

"Then it will show soon whether I was able to make a difference at all." The mediwitch sighed. "If you are up to it, I could need some assistance. Severus's arm is badly gangrenous. I have to cut again or the infection will poison him. If you could hold him down while I operate?" Remus nodded though he felt a bit queasy at the thought. He didn't care much for the sight of blood, at least not when in his human form. And this would surely hurt a lot.

"Where is the headmaster?" he asked. "Wouldn't it be better if he cast some pain-relieving spells?"

"The spells don't help that much anymore. Unfortunately, the organism gets used to them rather quickly. A lot quicker than to potions." Another heartfelt sigh. "Albus is catching up with some dearly-needed sleep right now, as is Minerva." With a trained eye, she surveyed the young ex-professor. "You don't look that well rested, either."

"To be honest, I fell asleep in the library on top of Havelock Sweeting's 'Encyclopedia of the Unicorn', but I wouldn't recommend it as a pillow." The werewolf massaged his tense neck.

"Have you found anything useful yet?"

"No, not really. Essentially, whoever slays a unicorn and drinks its blood to prolong his own life will be cursed. I haven't found anything about the nature of that curse, nor what would happen if you were forced to drink the blood. There is very little known evidence, unfortunately. Most is mere speculation. Hopefully, Miss Granger will be more successful. She is currently in charge of the library research. Said she couldn't concentrate on History of Magic anyway after what happened last night."

"Quite understandable." The mediwitch nodded to herself while tightening the magical clamp around Severus's upper arm to prevent any bleeding. The Death Eaters had cut right through the elbow, and she would have to do so several inches above. Too bad that the joint couldn't be saved. It would have been so much easier to fit a well functioning prosthesis then. For a man like Severus who was used to working with both hands all the time, it must be a bad shock to suddenly lose an arm. She could re-grow bones, but alas, there was no way a mediwizard could re-grow an entire limb. Not without Dark Magic. It would be hard for him to adjust to the loss when he awoke. If he awoke. But there was no alternative. "Are you ready, Remus? Then let's start. Adurgeo Consanesco!"

The bright blue ray of light that emanated from Pomfrey's wand ate slowly through tissue and bone, sealing the wound at the same time. Severus gave a few whimpering sounds but did not stir. He was simply too weak to struggle against the restraining grip of the werewolf.

"Thank you for your help, Mr. Lupin," the mediwitch said to the slightly greenish looking wizard while bandaging the stump. "I think I can manage on my own now. Severus's knees are a terrible mess and need to be treated next, but they are not necrotic, fortunately. Given some time and patient treatment he should be able to walk again."

"Are you sure?" Remus barely managed to suppress a sigh of relief when Pomfrey nodded. "Then I'll go talk to Firenze. And then back to the library. I'll inform you as soon as I've found something of importance."

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"What's wrong with you today, Hermione? Harry asked as his friend joined the Gryffindors for lunch. "First you are late for breakfast and don't even say 'hallo' or something, and then you skip classes all morning. You aren't sick, are you?" When the girl didn't answer right away, Harry continued, "And Ron, Neville and Malfoy have been called away from classes by McGonagall and haven't returned yet. And what's Lupin doing here?"

"Lupin is doing some research. I was helping him in the library all morning. Oh, Harry, it's so terrible!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed. She swallowed hard to keep herself from crying again, and finally told her friend what had happened during the night. Harry just sat there gaping when Ron, Neville and Ginny entered the Great Hall and walked over to the Gryffindor table. The three of them looked rather pale.

"Harry, you won't believe what's happened," Ron said to his best friend, totally missing the boy's bewilderment. "McGonagall made us donate blood to Snape of all people! We had to drink Galleons of blood replenishing potion, too. It was disgusting, I tell you. Neville passed out, of course. Pomfrey just let us go but not before relieving us of another batch of blood." He looked at his friend more closely. "You heard what happened, mate, didn't you?" Harry nodded silently. He still had difficulty believing all this. Snape tortured and almost killed by Death Eaters? Then the greasy git hadn't switched sides after all. He'd been truly loyal to Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix. But there still was Sirius. Snape had been taunting him, again and again, for not being useful for the Order, until his godfather finally had had enough of the Slytherin's sneering remarks and followed the other members to the Ministry of Magic. To his death. It still hurt so badly. It would always hurt. But Sirius would have joined the rescue party even without Snape's taunting, he knew this now. Had known it all the time, but it was just so easy and convenient to blame the evil Potions master. Perhaps, Snape was right. Gryffindors did tend to act on impulse and without thinking of the consequences, to ignore rules and orders, to trust their own courage and luck more than other peoples' advice, and to take chances just for the fun of it and risk their lives and other peoples' in the process. James and Sirius had been like this, and they both were dead. He often was like this, too, but he didn't want do die. He mustn't die either, not before he had fulfilled his task and rid the world of Voldemort for good. Maybe, he should listen to other people more in the future. If Snape hadn't insisted on being such a bloody bastard from the very beginning, he might even have listened to him occasionally ....

"Malfoy's still up there trying to persuade Madame Pomfrey to let him see the professor. But I don't think she will," Ginny interrupted his train of thought while filling her plate. "Things seem pretty bad."

"They cut off his arm, the one with the Dark Mark. He was hardly alive when we found him, McGonagall and I," said Hermione, still shuddering at the memory. "It was horrible."

"They cut off Snape's arm? Hey, then he probably can't teach anymore!" Ron exclaimed, his face lightening up considerably.

"Ronald Weasley, that's not nice," scolded Hermione. "Snape let you take Advanced Potions after all so you could become an Auror despite your inadequate OWL. And Harry and Neville, too.

"I bet, Dumbledore threatened to sack him if he didn't ..." mumbled Ron, slightly ashamed. Somehow, he always managed to upset Hermione. Maybe because when upset she looked more beautiful than ever?

"I don't think Snape will stop teaching," Ginny said. "He might have to alter his introductory speech though, and use quite a bit of wand-waving in his classroom in the future, some Sticking Charm so the ingredients will stay in place while he cuts them up one-handed, for example. Hope he won't become even more bitter and mean because of this." Then she turned to Neville, who hadn't said a word so far. "Why don't you eat, Neville, you aren't sick anymore?"

"No. I was thinking of my parents," he said quietly. "Snape will be really lucky if he doesn't end up at St. Mungo's with them."

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"Mr. Malfoy, didn't I tell you that Professor Snape is too ill to have visitors yet? He's still unconscious and wouldn't even notice you are there." The mediwitch looked indignantly at the blond Slytherin. "Anyway, shouldn't you be in class right now instead of lurking in the corridors?"

"Please, Madame Pomfrey, just one minute. I ... I have to see the professor!"

"Stubborn as Severus himself, aren't you? One minute, then. Just to get rid of you." She sighed. "Follow me, Mr. Malfoy."

Of course, Draco knew that his Head of House had been badly injured, nevertheless, seeing the formidable Potions master so pale and vulnerable was almost too much for the boy. Blinking back tears, he quietly approached the bed.

"I'm so sorry, Professor," he whispered hoarsely. "They will pay for what they've done to you. I swear."

The blond Slytherin was about to leave again when Snape stirred. He gave a strangled groan and shuddered, and then his whole body began to twitch and convulse violently as if in terrible pain all of a sudden, and his breath came in heaving gasps. Draco's eyes grew wide with horror.

"Mr. Malfoy, quick, hold the professor down or he'll hurt himself!" Madame Pomfrey shouted, looking almost as terrified as the student. "I'll get the headmaster. And Lupin."