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It Came Upon a Midnight Clear	By : Japhia Category: Harry Potter > Slash - Male/Male > Harry/Snape Views: 12298 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter nor do I make money from this fiction. JK Rowling owns it all and I love her for it.

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Meat and potatoes, yams, pumpkin juice, chocolate cauldrons, and chicken roasted to perfection. This was the menu for the grand feast enjoyed at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The great hall was a buzz with students, new and old, as they spoke of their summer wonders, of family, and some (though very few) of the upcoming term schedules, which had not been distributed just yet. Minerva McGonagall, the daughter of a Reverend, was quite fond of traditions. Hogwarts was known for many, but the all over favorite were the feasts, both at the beginning of the year and during the holidays. She would never miss one unless of course she was violently ill. Thankfully, she was not and at the head of the great hall she sat, observing the students of what was now her school. The late Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, had been killed the previous year. Minerva's eyes wandered to the seat of the man who had spoken the Avada Kedavra which led to his demise. An empty chair, and no plate before it. She took her mind from that thought though as she savored a mouth full of treacle tart.

The Slytherin table was calmer then most years. Many of the children there had parents who were now in Azkaban, some still in holding at the Ministry of Magic for alleged crimes, all in conjuction with the late dark lord. Filius Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw was elbows deep in a plate of chicken, searching for that little piece known as the wish bone. He was not a man for superstition, but he had a meaningful lesson he would need a wish bone for. His own table of students were the source of most talk regarding upcoming lessons. Even here there were a few students who's families had been effected by the trials of death eaters. Ravenclaw, like the 3 other houses, was home to a plethora of students from many different backgrounds.

A small ringing sound could be heard from the front of the room as the Headmistress stood to regard the students. "Quiet. Quiet please." She placed down her glass and spoon. "Welcome students to another year at Hogwarts. By now you are aware that I am your new Headmistress. For our first years, I am Minerva McGonagall, previous head of house for Gryffindor…" A loud applause from the mentioned house, "…thank you, and professor of transfiguration. Now holding the title in both positions is Professor Sirius Black." Half of the hall broke into applause for the acquitted man, joyful of his new position. The other half was skeptical of his innocence, while a few were simply in dislike of the black family as a whole. "You will treat him with the same respect you show any professor or you will, as always, lose house points and your chance at winning the house cup." The first years were the only ones to murmur now as they questioned the second years about this cup.

"As some of you might have noticed, neither professor Black, nor professor Snape are in attendance. They will both return shortly but will not be here for the feast. As always the forbidden forest is off limits to all students. Now don't chew with your mouths open, and enjoy the remainder of your feast. Prefects are to lead first years back to the houses at precisely 8:30." The students turned back to their plates now. Only Gryffindor seemed so on edge. No doubt they had all noticed the missing hero of the wizarding world.

"How can you manage to eat?" Her bushy hair bounced as she elbowed the red head beside her. "Harry wasn't at King's Cross, he wasn't on the train, and he isn't here." She waited only a moment before she pushed him nearly off the bench. "Doesn't that bother you at all?" She wasn't caring at all of Ron's plight to not fall from his seat, mouth stuffed with dressing and poultry.

Seamus was the only one to respond to her, speaking quickly before Ron could try a full-mouthed retort. "The professors are gone. Do ya think they're lookin' for him?"

"I suppose it's possible. Harry hasn't written to us all summer. He's never missed sending us replies more then a few times. I'm just… would you please swallow your food?" The young man was signaling with his hands that he had something to say.

"With Sirius there, he'll make sure Harry is just fine." Neville smiled at her, but Hermione could easily see that even he was questioning his words.

"Pompous little brat. Does he honestly believe that killing the Dark Lord allows him to take time from school."

"I'm sure there's as good a reason as any for it and I doubt it's his self centeredness."

"You have become rather subdued. Did your wolf beat the fire from you, Black?"

A hand grasped at Severus' shoulder, stopping him dead and spinning him on the spot. "You listen here. Remus was my life. He died saving your sorry arse and now I'm stuck alone. Yeah, maybe I got a little of his patience along the way. We're not here to discuss me and my life, or you and your issues with me. We're here because Harry didn't show up at school." He sighed and let the man go, continuing his walk to the corner of Privet Drive.

Neither of these two men would have a lick of smashed potato or gulp of pumpkin juice on this night. Nearly an hour earlier, the students had exited the train and an urgent, and very ill written note had come by owl stating "Harry Potter is not on tha trayn." A second search had been done, knowing of the boys ownership of an invisibility cloak. Nothing was found. A lack of personal belongings said he never boarded the train to begin with. Only his closest housemates had missed the carriages as they waited for an answer. Professor McGonagall had sent the two men immediately to find the boy.

Severus was beyond dissatisfied. The brat's first year had seen the Dark Lord's soul in the castle, his second a projection of his once young self, not to mention the hours spent brewing potion to de-petrify students. The boys third year he was again put face to face with that bloody wolf. The fourth saw so much more, and he was placed in the worst position of his life. Albus Dumbledore, the old fool, had insisted that his passing come by Severus' wand. The Potter boy had defeated Voldemort, and Severus was placed before the Wizengamot and made to prove his innocence. The Order had shown up to assist him with this, but it was not something he ever wished to repeat. "…spoiled brat."

"Snivellus, have you any idea the sort of people Harry lives with? Lilly once told me about her sister. She said the woman hated Magic with a passion. She hated Lilly for having it and her parents for being so proud of it. I didn't get to hear much about the husband, but if I had to guess, I'm pretty sure Harry was never spoiled."

They came finally to the driveway of the home, and Snape took everything the man said as rhetorical. The drive was empty, lights off, and a note upon the door stated simply "Gone away. Please see Ms. Figg for parcels." Sirius blinked at the note. "Who's Ms. Figg?"

"Arabella Figg. She was placed in the neighborhood for an extra eye on Potter." He spat the name and walked away before Sirius could follow too closely. Across the street he could see a small light on in the squib's home. A cat sat in the lawn, tail swaying as it watched them walk to the door. Severus shuddered in disgust at the decorations adorning the garden, the door, and the window. Everything so cat oriented. She could be related to Umbridge at the Ministry. The woman had a love of cats to rival, but Arabella owned them and the pink monstrosity of a witch did not.

Sirius rapped on the door when Severus only stood there. "Stop day dreaming."

The door was opened suddenly and both men gave only the slightest recoil at the stench from within. The cat from the yard slinked into the door and disappeared from sight. "Severus, would you like to come in?"

"No. What do you know of the Dursley residence at this moment, have you seen the boy?"

"The fat one? Of course I saw the fat one, such a lard of…"

"The Potter boy, Arabella. Have you seen the Potter boy?" He was quickly losing any patience he might have had left and Sirius was still attempting to breath without tasting mothballs and cat urine.

She thought for a moment as she glanced at the dark silhouette of number 4. "Ohhh yes. Last Tuesday Petunia came by and told me that they would be leaving for holiday in York. Isn't that lovely? She asked that I take any parcels that might come her way. I did ask if Harry would need to be watched. She always brings him here when they're leaving, but she said no. Would you believe I've watched that boy every time they have ever needed to leave that house, yet I've never watched the fat one? They always take one and not the other. A bit unfair, it seams, but I suppose…"

"Thank you Ms. Figg." The potions master turned and left, leaving the woman mid sentence and Sirius to be the kind one. "Thank you for your assistance. Have a good night." He speed off after the man and back to the supposed home of Harry Potter.

"So I suppose we go to York?" His question was answered by an alohamora to open the front door. "Or not."

Upon entering, it was eerily quiet. The air conditioning was not running and it left the home with a stale sort of smell. The pictures on the walls were many but Sirius was first to note the missing boy. "There isn't a single photo of Harry here. Don't you think there would be a few if the boy was spoiled, Severus?" Again he was met with no answer.

"Homenum revelio." Nothing. Yet, it was still not a good enough reason for this search to stop. "Check upstairs." Sirius did so, noting a squeaky step as he went.

Severus made his way to the kitchen. He opened the cooler to find it mostly void of food and drink. The bin was empty as well. A lone bottle sat on the kitchen table. He took the moment to examine the cabinets, and floors, seeing absolutely nothing out of the ordinary. "Severus… Come here."

With the stillness, one could hear the coo coo clock as it ticked the seconds by. His boots made only a slight clicking sound as he left the kitchen and ascended the stairs.

"The other rooms had clothes missing, personal belongings and such." The animagus stood before a door that seemed like any other in the home, except for the locks. No less then 8 locks adorned the outside of this door, and a cat flap sat at the bottom. "You don't suppose this is Harry's room, do you?" None of the locks, though some needing keys, were locked and Severus need only turn the handle to be let in. He inwardly cringed at the smell. It overwhelmed them and quickly pushed away any memory of cat from their minds. This room was far beyond what either could have imagined. A bed and desk sat against the walls, but those were the only things that would let anyone know the room had been a bedroom. In the corner a cage sat, inside a lump of white feathers covered a dead owl. There were very obvious signs of a struggle, a floorboard was lifted, items torn and strewn about, a broken lamp. Bars could easily be seen beyond the glass of the window, and there were spots of the wall where scratch marks could be seen clearly. It wasn't this though that seemed so utterly astounding. It was the blood strewn on nearly every object in the room. The desk corners were dulled and red, the sheets from the bed and the mattress itself were heavily stained, the floors, the lower walls, and even the bird.

The blood stopped at the door though. Not a drop had made it past that door. "How…"

Severus rushed from the upstairs, his wand drawn as he walked back to the kitchen. He looked keenly around for something, anything he might have missed. From the window across the dining room he could see the corner of what looked like another structure in the back. "Black!" Sirius was on his heels as they made their way from the back porch to a metal shed in a corner of the yard. A pad lock connected a length of chain, holding the doors closed. Sirius was quick to break it, but just like the room, he could not bring himself to open it and Severus took the initiative once more.

Nothing could have prepared them for what they saw.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

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It Came Upon a Midnight Clear