Snape flew through the doors of St. Mungos knowing that Harry was almost dead. The spell that he put on Harry had set off. It meant that Harry's heart beat was almost gone.

   "I need help now!" Snape shouted in the waiting room.

A nurse waved Snape over and they ran into an empty patient room. Doctors and nurses began to swarm the moment he set foot in the hospital. Snape laid Harry down on the bed then backed away.

   "What happened?" A nurse, whom Snape knew, questioned.

    "I don't know. I found him like this. He can't be older than a sixth year.

The master healer looked up at Snape in question. Of course, Snape knew this healer. Healer Anderson knew that Snape's story of how he had come by the boy was coswall. He would not be able to say that this was Harry Potter because Snape had taken the boy's glasses and covered the tell tale scar.

Anderson was a highly regarded healer, but that could all be taken away from him if people knew his secret. Anderson was a death eater. He wasn't high in the ranks, but that didn't matter to him. Anderson's story was a sad one, and, unfortunately, Snape knew all about it.

   "Do you know how badly he is hurt?" A nurse asked.

   "I do not know. He barely had a pulse so I am surprised that he is alive." Then Snape removed himself from the room, allowing the healers to do their jobs.

Snape stood on the other side of the window and looked in. Healer Anderson worked very fast. Anderson was always forced to work fast and thrived when someone was on the fine line between life and death. It seemed so long ago, but it was only eleven years ago when Anderson was sorted into Slytherin. Snape remembered watching Anderson when he gave the first years the regular "This is your family" speech. Anderson showed no fear at all throughout this speech.

That was the first sign that he was bound for glory. Snape had watched Anderson turn into a star potions student, while other teachers spoke of his good work in their class. He was the Tri-Wizard Champion of Hogwarts in his third year and he had won the cup. There were no O.W.L.S that he did not get above an excellent on. Snape knew that the boy aspired to be a healer. He could do more healing his fifth year level than a healer who had been studying for two years.

Anderson would become head boy and prefect for the rest of his Hogwarts years, but it would be hard for him. When Voldemort came into power the first time, he would kill Anderson's mother and kidnap his father. Anderson managed to track Snape down and Snape planned to help him. Snape went to Voldemort and found out that the senior Anderson had a quarrel with Yaxley. He was suppose to be killed, but Voldemort would allow his son to become a death eater in return for his father's life.

Anderson agreed, even though Snape tried to talk him out of it. Nothing could deter the boy from saving his father. Snape went to Voldemort and told him that Anderson would join, only if he was able to work with Snape. That last part was not true, but it was a story that Snape told in an attempt to save the boy. Snape fed Voldemort lies about Anderson being worse than Yaxley, Malfoy, Lestrange, and himself combined. Voldemort took the lie and told Snape to keep a close eye on the boy. Voldemort allowed the boy to be a healer because of the lies that Snape had told him.

Snape didn't care if Voldemort found out that he was helping the boy. Anderson was a kind and caring human who never deserved this fate. It was a sad story, but the world is filled with sad stories.

   "Is it possible that I can talk with you in my office, Professor?" Anderson asked as he walked out of Harry's room.

There was another set of doctors in there who were looking over Harry. Snape followed Anderson into his office, which was sound proof. Snape knew that because it would be bad if people overheard confidential conversations.

   "May I ask who that is lying on one of my hospital beds?" He asked as soon as they entered the office.

   "What I tell you is confidential" Snape stated.

   "Of course." Anderson said, matter of factly.

   "That boy is Harry Potter but he is to remain a John Doe to the rest of the staff."

   "What is that boy doing here? I thought you know who wanted the boy to stay there. I was not there, but I was told that he was there. I was told by someone, with the same rank as you, that I was to turn the boy back over to him if he were to be brought here."

   "What are you going to do?" Snape questioned with a hint of anger in his voice.

   "I am a healer first. That is my main job. No matter what, he will find out eventually."

   "I understand that, but our Lord wanted two things that disabled each other. You and Nurse Beth are the only two I would like to be in that room unless I say so. So, I must ask, who is in there right now?"

   "That is our head neurologist. I will go and check on them."

Anderson walked out of the office for a few minutes, but he returned rather quickly.

   "What is the neurologist finding?" Snape asked the moment that Anderson stepped foot in the office. 

   "He has concurred my earlier findings."

   "Which were?"

   "I saw large amounts of cranial bleeding and I wanted someone else to look at it."

   "And he said?"

   "He agreed with me that the boy had been seriously hurt. He agreed with me that we need to relieve the pressure in his brain as soon as possible. One of the boy's lungs collapsed, so his breathing is being controlled by magic. I would like to make sure that he has a chance to survive what may come next."

   "What are you talking about?" Snape questioned,.

   "The neurologist and I both agreed that the boy is in a coma. We are going to see if this self- induced coma will bring the swelling down in his brain. We'll wait about an hour, and, if we don't see any improvement, we will be forced to remove a part of his skull."
 

   "What condition would you categorize him as?" Snape questioned again.

Anderson thought about it for a minute or two, but Snape knew the answer right away.

   "Critical."

Snape stood in silence for a moment. He knew that the boy was in critical condition, but it was still a shock to know that someone agreed with Snape.

   "I want some security posted at his door. You are to tell them that whoever attacked the boy will come back. You will only need it for awhile."

   "Of course, I'm going to do my best to help you get this boy better and I will makes sure that nothing happens to him."

Both men left the office and walked toward Harry's room. When they reached the room, they both stopped.

   "You can go in. I shall be back later to check on him." Anderson said, before walking away and leaving Snape to his thoughts.

Snape stood outside the room, arms crossed across his chest. He watched as a nurse walked about the room, checking off different things on Harry's charts.

   "May I help you?" The nurse questioned as she came out of the room.

   "No, I'm fine. I'm his..." What was Snape? Harry's protector? His savior? "Guardian. I'm his guardian." Snape finished.

   "You may go in." She informed him.

   "Thank you." Snape whispered as he walked into the room.

He took a seat in the only chair that occupied the room. There was something sad about the person laying before Snape, and it was not the obvious. True, it was sad that this boy was hurt. What was really sad was that Snape knew that Harry had been hurt worse. He lived with Petunia Evans and that oaf of a husband she has, so of course he had been hurt like Lily had been. It was sad to see the boy laying in a coma, knowing that he had been hurt worse in his life.

   "You care for him, don't you?" A voice questioned, breaking the silence.

This voice caused Snape to jump.

   "I'm sorry, Sir." He apologized after seeing the professor jump.

   "It's alright, Anderson. How long has it been?" Snape questioned, having no sense of the lapse of time.

   "It's been an hour since we left my office."

   "How long have you been standing there, watching me?"

Even though Snape couldn't see Anderson's face, he knew it was filled with surprise.

   "I may not have been looking." Snape informed, turning his head to Anderson. "but I know that you were there."

   "I was observing for a few minutes. No more. You are dodging my question, professor. You care for this boy, correct?"

Snape turned back to Harry in thought.

   "I care for him like a professor cares for his student." Snape spoke after a few seconds of silence. "That is all."

As he knew, this was not entirely true. He knew that he was starting to care for Harry like a son. He wanted to protect Harry the way a father wants to protect his child. Snape was not going to admit that to anyone though.

   "You said that it has passed an hour. What are you planning on doing?" Snape asked, standing up.

   "We have seen no change in the boy, so we are going to have to remove a portion of his skull."

   "How soon?"

   "As soon as our neurologist gets here."

    "Anderson, you need to keep this boy alive."

    "I will."

   "I don't think you understand what could happen." Snape lowered his voice before continuing. "Our lord will kill me and there will be no one to stop him from ruling the wizarding world. The fate of the wizarding world as we once knew it is at stake."

   "I clearly understand what is at stake and I can guarantee you that I will do everything in my power to make sure that this boy makes it through this operation."

Pain ravaged through Snape's body as Anderson made him this guarantee. He grit his teeth and forced himself not to show signs of pain.

   "Are you okay?" Anderson asked because of Snape's change in demeanor.

   "It seems that he has found out." Snape informed through gritted teeth. "I wish you luck, Anderson."

   "You will need it more than I. Be careful."

Snape stalked out of the room and disapparated when he was out of the hospital.

"Please, Lily, make sure that your son stays alive. Everyone's lives depend on it." Snape thought, knowing that Lily would hear it.

As he walked up to the house, Snape's mind drifted to Harry. He was forced to push the thought from his mind. He desperately wanted to think about Harry and his mother's green eyes, because he was sure that it may be the last time that he would see Harry. Going against better judgement, he cleared his mind, and marched into the office of Malfoy Manor.