Golden Age by black_blade

Chapter 17: Chapter Seventeen

Harry woke to the feeling of fingers running over his side. He started badly and grabbed the wrist of the person then sighed when he recognised Severus. He released him and Severus just continued to lather the cream along the line from the cutting curse without a word. He felt better after sleep as he laid there. Severus's fingers wandered further than the cut but Harry didn't mind. He looked over to see that it was just after seven in the morning.

"Did a message come?" Harry asked, his voice hoarse.

"Yes," Severus answered. "They want you at the Ministry at eight. A note came from the Headmaster and he has one of the Aurors taking over your classes...he sent you a copy of the Daily Prophet as well."

"Am I the evil one or the hero?"

"Hero," Severus answered with a smirk. "How do you feel?"

"Like I was run through with a sword," Harry groaned. "I'll deal with the Ministry today. I want you to stay here."

Severus looked like he was going to argue but nodded his head without a word. Harry grabbed the teen's hand and gave it a squeeze until Severus looked at him. He tugged on his hand until Severus placed the jar on the side table and laid out beside him on the bed. It would be the only quiet time that he would get all day.

xXx

Severus couldn't focus on classes that day. The look in Harry's eyes last night had haunted him. It was a raw and aged and a side of the man that he hadn't seen before. He'd seen the bruises and cuts on Harry's skin. What he'd read in the Prophet had painted an image in his head that had been hard to shake. Harry had come very close to being killed and from the tone of the article and the way that Harry had acted last night. He'd killed some of those Death Eaters. Severus glanced around his potions class and didn't miss the way that his fellow students had been quiet around him.

Severus caught Narcissa's eye at the table next to him and she gave him a small smile. They were all shaken by the news of the attack. The whole school had been but Slytherin most of all. The Avery brothers had been taken from the school that morning by their mother and Severus had the feeling that they weren't going to be the only ones. He felt like the world was changing around him and he was in the middle of it. Severus looked back to his table as he added the beeroot to the bubbling potion and wondered how Harry was going at the Ministry.

xXx

"You were supposed to keep your head down!" Albert yelled as he stood behind his desk and Harry was glad for the silencing charm around the room. "If a whisper gets out about who you are and where you are from. It could bring down this whole Department!"

"I doubt that," Harry commented as Albert glared.

"Do you want to be locked up in Azkaban?" Albert demanded.

"It wouldn't be at the top of my 'to do list'," Harry remarked mildly. "But neither is dying and if I hadn't fought yesterday. That is what could have happened to more than just me."

Albert blew out a breath of frustration as he sat himself back behind his desk. Harry had been in the same position that Albert was in when he'd been the Department head and could feel for him. Running the Department was all about preparing for the unknown and running with it. Harry guessed that Albert hadn't had as much experience as Harry had when it came to these kinds of matters.

Harry had written up his report and submitted it to Albert. He would then vet it then pass it along to the Aurors then the rest of the Ministry would hear about it. Harry had just placed himself into a difficult position. Or really Voldemort had and Harry was sure that's what he'd intended...as plan B. He'd made it clear what plan A had been.