The Four Swords of Hogwarts

Chapter 6: Cracks in the Foundation

It was finally December and the castle had been dressed up for the month for Christmas. Aside from quick meals in the Great Hall, Harry hadn't had much time to admire and enjoy the decorations. He'd been kept busy with classes, homework, and finishing up his detentions with Snape.

He was finishing up his final detention, scrubbing the final cauldron. The detentions hadn't been that terrible. It had been a long two weeks, but he'd only had to clean cauldrons, tools, and jars and Snape had mostly left him alone. There was always some insulting comment from Snape at the start, but that was all.

He dried the cauldron and lifted it onto the stack to the side of the wash basins. He was turning to clean up when the towers of cauldrons toppled over. Unable to get out of the way quick enough, he was hit by the falling cauldrons with one catching him hard above the eye. He felt the skin split and the blood start flowing immediately. The impact of the cauldrons knocked him backwards and to the floor. He slammed into a cabinet filled with the spare jars, bottles, and vials.

He looked up, dazed, as the cabinet shook before burying his face in his knees and throwing his arms over his head as the jars began to fall. Glass rained down on and around him, shattering. He gasped and cried out as shards of glass cut him and pierced into his skin.

It seemed to last forever and pain was ringing through his body from the numerous injuries.

"Potter!"

He jumped at the shout and raised his head to look at Snape with wide eyes, his face covered in tears and blood.

"What in the hell did you do, you imbecile?" Snape yelled, making Harry flinch. He tried to start pushing himself away from Snape to escape his rage and any potential violence, but hissed in pain and stopped after putting his hands on the floor only to have glass push into his palms. "Potter, do not move," the professor growled.

Harry flinched again as Snape stormed towards him, angrily waving his wand to banish the glass from around Harry.

"Alright, up, Potter. Get out of the storeroom," Snape said, reaching out to grab Harry's arms to help him up. Harry involuntarily yanked away from Snape's unexpected touch, thinking the man was going to hurt him. He saw Snape's eyebrows come together and he frowned, but he didn't comment on Harry's reaction. "Come on," he said and reached out to Harry again.

Realizing Snape was just going to help him up, he allowed the man to find spots on his arms without glass to hold and pull him to his feet. He groaned and hissed as all movement jostled the glass in his back and arms. Snape slowly guided him out of the storeroom and back to the classroom. He looked down at his hands to see he was shaking. It registered that blood was stinging his eye and he instinctively raised his hand to wipe the blood away, but Snape stopped him, gently grabbing his wrist.

"Think, Potter," Snape said quietly. "We don't want glass in your eye, do we?"

Harry just blinked dumbly, his brain fighting to keep up.

"Let me see," Snape said and Harry raised his head, meeting the professor's eyes. He watched Snape's wand come up and touch his forehead where he knew he had a huge gash from the cauldron. He felt the magic stitch his skin back together. "Hands."

He raised his hands, palm up. Snape grasped each wrist and, using magic, carefully removed the glass pieces from his hands and sealed the cuts, leaving behind pink lines.

"Remove your shirt, Potter. I must see your back."

Harry's eyes widened and he instantly began to panic as he pictured his scarred back. Snape couldn't see that, no one could. He started shaking his head.

"No, no, I'm fine, I'll go," he said shakily.

"Potter, don't be stupid. You are covered in glass that needs to be removed, but I can't do that with your shirt on," Snape said snappishly.