Undiscovered by Alexis18
Summary: Dumbledore has requested Snape retrieve something valuable for the Order and stop Voldemort from getting his hands on it. Unfortunately Snape is also required to take Harry as they need a Parselmouth. Along the way, both learn more about each other and Snape's ideas and assumptions are proven incorrect.
Categories: Healer Snape, Teacher Snape > Trusted Mentor Snape, Teacher Snape > Professor Snape, Parental Snape > Guardian Snape, Teacher Snape > Unofficially teaching Snape Main Characters: .Snape and Harry (required), Dumbledore
Snape Flavour: Snape is Angry, Canon Snape, Snape Comforts, Snape is Kind, Overly-protective Snape, Snape is Secretive
Genres: Action/Adventure, Angst, Hurt/Comfort
Media Type: None
Tags: Injured!Harry, Kidnapped!Harry
Takes Place: 5th summer
Warnings: Abusive Dursleys, Bullying, Torture, Violence
Challenges: None
Series: None
Chapters: 17 Completed: No Word count: 80694 Read: 63751 Published: 17 Jan 2018 Updated: 27 Jan 2019
Can Someone PLEASE Give me a Hug by Alexis18
Author's Notes:
Hello! I'm back! I really have no excuse for this taking so long... and I'm sorry for the cliff hanger before. Anyway, here's the next chapter :) . Hope you enjoy and don't forget to drop me a sentence or two telling me what you think! (and thank you so much to all the people who have already done so, I read everyone of them I promise, even if I forget to reply!)
In his anxiousness he began pacing, however he stopped as his foot stepped on something. It appeared to be a long stick, on closer inspection it was a wand – Harry's wand.

So not only was the boy bound and unconscious but unarmed as well. He pocketed the wand, resolutely thinking about how the phoenix core wood would be reunited with its owner in the very near future. He continued to pace between the mouths of the three tunnels.

He tried hard to compose himself. he was actually having some trouble thinking logically; a testament to how much he was truly affected. He was a spy, he told himself, high stakes and tense situation were what he did. The only difference was now, it wasn't only his life on the line. That simply meant, he would not fail.

Taking a few steading breaths he forced himself into thinking of the next step. He paused and looked down at his feet an idea coming to him. The ground around him bore marks where he walked, they weren't clear but they certainly signified his presence

It was something.


***


The strong pounding in head made him instantly want to retreat back to unconsciousness. It was like a merciless jackhammer drilling into his brain. It wasn't even the only source of pain; his chest, stomach and arms were all throbbing something awful. He could feel some type of warm liquid dripping down his chest and realised worriedly, it was most likely blood.

Something – possibly someone – bumped into him and he let out an involuntary groan.

"Wakey wakey, gotta fun day ahead of ye' "

He cracked a crusty eye open and felt the absence of his glasses making itself known.

"There we are! can't 'ave ya sleeping all the time. Whats the fun's thad?"

He tried to speak, tell his captors to stuff their fun somewhere else, but all that came out was another groan.

He gave another shot at composing himself and finally managed to grind out "Go….To….Hell."

The man in front of him who had waited for Harry's response cracked up laughing.

"We're already there. This place," he waved his hand around to emphasise the cavern. "We've been here for months."

"We were sick, tired and about to give up. You see we could only get 'ta that door, but never past it."

The same look of triumph that he had seen on that first night once again crossed the mans face.

"Then you showed up, and you could talk to that snake! that meant you could open the door. Our 'iddle miracle maker eh?"

He ruffled Harry's hair in a mockery of affection. Harry tried to pull away but his body didn't respond like it should of.

"Why," He spat out a glob of red metallic spit, "Be so nice then? why….. not just take me?"

"Much easier to take a willing prisoner than an unwilling one. Besides who are we to fight real, wizards, we're just some squibs, we mean nothing to you people."

"Jerry!" Both Harry and the other man turned sharply towards the new voice.

"Are you going to tell him your life story or hurt him? I think the less we say the better,"

Jerry apparently disagreed and scowled back, well Harry was pretty sure it was a scowl, hard to tell with his blurry vision.

"Who cares what the skimp thinks? s'not like he's gonna tell anyone."

The new intruder was still outside of Harry's line of sight so he didn't see the reaction.

"Fine fine, lets get to the good bit eh?"

He didn't feel the blow at first. The shock of the punch taking over for a few micro seconds — then the blunt intense pain. The Gryffindor in him spoke before he could stop it,

"What….That…..All…. You got?"

He winced before the next blow even landed, not that it saved him from the pain. This time it was aimed clearly at his stomach, for a few second he struggled to take in air and the panic of suffocation had him gasping.

"You see you little brat, being a wizard doesn't make you invincible. You bleed just like the rest of us."

The man's gaze swept to something behind Harry on his left.

"You do, unfortunately 'eal a ickle bit faster. Have no fear…"

One hand clamped on Harry's shoulder while the other hand reached for whatever Jerry had been staring at. He brought the glinting metal right in front of Harry's face.

"We simply have to do a little more permanent damage."

Harry's eyes didn't stray from the hammer from the moment the man brought it out.


***


He was prepared, he had a plan. He thanked merlin that he always stayed a paranoid bastard and thought to grab a few hairs off one of the men. Having brought the polyjuice potion that had caused so much trouble before their leave, the answer was clear.

Follow, pretend, escape.

The tracks in front of him were often impossible to see but he didn't let up. He held the strongest lumos he could and eyed every shift of dirt.

He knew he was losing time, he would be traveling much slower than they were. He planned to make up for it by travel through the night.

He stopped his thoughts from drifting to what was happening to Harry, only having eyes on the path in front of him.


***


This time he well and truly wished he was back unconscious. Unfortunately the relief of darkness wouldn't come, only the intense thudding in his shoulder. Every time it thudded it brought through an agony of white hot pain. Be no longer yelled out, he had the first the first few times, very loudly, much to his tortures delight. Instead he just tried to focus on breathing through the pain.

Thud, inhale. Thud, exhale. Thud, inhale. Thud, exhale.

Gradually the world began to come back into focus. The sound of some voices talking through water, the feeling of rough stone underneath him, a persistent rock that dug into the space between his shoulder blades. His hand on his uninjured arm was resting on something soft, moving his fingertips slightly he could feel soft fur. A small comfort ran through him as he realised it was his mottled grey cloak.

Just as quickly, that comfort was gone. He wasn't sure how was supposed to make it out of this, especially now with a broken shoulder. The last times he'd been in mortal danger like this he'd never been alone, well, never started off alone. Ron and Hermione had been there for majority of the time with the stone. Ron and even Lockhart had been there for the basilisk, not to mention Fawkes and the sorting hat. He was with Sirius for the dementors in third year, and his parents had saved him that night at the graveyard.

For the first time he was utterly alone. And it terrified him.

Perhaps he was wrong, Snape had to be somewhere right? he might dislike Harry but he'd never want a student to die surely? The man was scary enough that the thought of him on Harry's side seemed reassuring.

In the mean time he just had to make it through the painful thudding of his shoulder.

He flinched reflexively when something was pressed against it, eliciting more pain. He forced his breath through his teeth and looked to the source of pain.

A women, the mousy faced one from before, was tying a bandage around it. Her wispy dirty blonde hair falling over her eyes as she did so. She demeanour was vacant, like she'd been subjected to a dementors kiss.

Methodically she passed the bandage underneath and around his shoulder, giving no reaction to his softs hisses of pain. Any idea of finding a sympathetic ear disappeared.

Fine, if she did not care about her actions he would at least find out why.

"Who are you?" his voice was raspy and quiet but she was close enough that he knew she heard it.

Nothing.

"Do you not care?"

a strong yelp as the bandage was pulled over a particularly tender area.

"Do you think that whatever messed up things you're doing here are okay?"

His anger quickly bubbled to the surface as he was continually ignored in favour of her task.

"That it's fine to torture kids as long as you get what you want? The ends justify the means?"

She finished wrapping and fastened in place with a sliver clip and stood up.

"Fine, walk away! I hope you can be okay with yourself at the end of the day!"

He didn't even see her move, only becoming aware when her face was close to his, wispy hair flying behind her.

"Do you think I started out like this? That I ever wanted to do this? I. Didn't. have. a choice."

She was about to walk away but it looked like she couldn't bring herself to leave. He pressed his advantage of it.

"Everyone has a choice."

Her grip on the bandage roll tightened but her head stayed bowed, hair obscuring her face.

"I never set out to be the villain. We were the underdogs, everyone treated us like the dirt beneath their feet. No magic, no home, no family."

That vacant look was still their but it was overcome by sadness.

"This stupid stone would finally give us power that we'd never have before, give our kids a future where they didn't live on the streets. I'm sorry. I really am, but if one 15 year old has to be hurt to give a whole'lotta others hope, well then, I think your answer is pretty clear."

Before she fled, Harry grabbed her wrist with his uninjured hand. Grimacing when even that small movement caused a strong bolt of pain. He made eye contact, hoping his face could express what his words could not.

"No, its not. Getting this stone won't change anything for you. Voldemort, he will take it off you and slaughter everyone you know. It's not enough to protect you or the ones you love. Please just let me go, torturing a kid won't do anything."

He knew it wasn't enough, she pulled her wrist out of his weak grip.

"I'm sorry. I've come too far now to believe you're right."

She passed him a canteen full of water but he didn't bother taking it. She gave him one last look before standing up and out of his field of vision. He could only see her dirty, used shoes walking away from him.

He continued staring at the cave ceiling listlessly, in the hope that some new idea would come to him and he would be able to free himself. Shifting to his left and right revealed that he didn't even has his wand, he felt completely vulnerable without it. No matter how hard he tried, could not think of a way he could runaway. He wasn't even sure where to go if he did. He had no way of finding Snape, the Stone, or an exit.

He let out a small dejected sigh, sinking into despair. He'd never honestly thought that he would die in a way other than Voldemort. The cruel irony of it was just occurring to him now. Spending so much time worrying about a threat that wouldn't even matter in the end.

Perhaps Snape was rubbing off on him. That seemed a plausible reason for his sudden, depressingly cynical, look at the world.

The sounds of footstep came from his left and he turned his head to see the person leaning down. He instantly recoiled as he recognised who it was - Thompson.

"Hey kiddo. Long-time no see. Gotta say I'm not such a fan of that friend of ya's"

Thompson ignored Harry's obvious movements of escape, and held up his own forearms. Interestingly they were completely covered in bandages.

"He cert'nly leaves a mark don't he?"

Snape had done that? When? currently it didn't matter, Snape had obviously made this man very mad and that was bad news for Harry.

"I think it's only fair I get a little retribution, eh?"

Harry was furiously backing away but a hand wrapped around his throat stopping him cold. A vicious blow landed on Harry's temple, reigniting all the pain from the punches he'd received in his kidnapping.

He kicked out weakly with his legs as his airway was cut off. It didn't serve much purpose but finally Thompson dropped him. He was on his hands and knees gasping for air.

"Some wizard you are. t'think, you people view yourselves so highly above us… and here you are like some defenceless 4 yer' old. "

Harry didn't have enough air to speak yet so he glared violently at the man. Thompson only laughed.

He clenched his fists and tried valiantly to stand up. Fortunately his legs held and he only wobbled slightly.

"You can't beat me in fight boy! you have nothing to defend yourself with, your stick is gone."

He didn't bother replying, simply holding his ground and raising his chin in defiance.

Thompson lashed out with a fist aimed at his broken shoulder that he managed to side step. He wasn't so lucky the next time and a strong push sent him sprawling. He was pinned to the ground too quickly to react.

"You're a little to active, I think I c'n fix that."

With one hand pressed against Harry's chest he used the other to reach into his pocket and pulled out a syringe.

Harry tried to buck and pull away but he was locked in an iron hold.

"Little bit of a sedative, hold still this might pinch."

He grabbed Harry's forearm and stuck the needle in harshly, pushing the plunger all the way down.

He continued to pin Harry for about a minute before finally moving away. Harry tried to scramble away but his body wasn't completely responding. He put his arm out behind him only to have it collapse and fall flat onto the floor.

"Stay away fr'm me." he slurred out.

A growing fuzziness seemed to be creeping up on him, blurring his thoughts and speech.

A voice called out that wasn't Thompson's, he thought it was far away but he couldn't completely tell.

" 'Ey Tommy, 'ave your fun later. We need some 'elp over here."

Thompson's crooked yellow teeth were all Harry could manage to focus on, not whatever the man said next. He did however feel himself being gruffly dragged towards one of the smaller tents and dropped inside.

Once the squib left, Harry slumped over. Not finding the willpower to move much more.


***


Severus had found the campsite. The loud voices and laughing carried a long way. The laughing didn't seem at all welcoming as is it had last time.

Despite the fact he was quite the powerful wizard, he wouldn't be strong enough for a 15 on one scenario. Plus he would need to get Harry out and he wasn't sure if the boy would be injured or not.

No, much better to do this stealthily and destroy them.

He downed the vial in front of him, grimacing at it's terrible taste. Quickly he began to feel the transformation as he grew a few centimetres and his hair rapidly shortened and turned into a dusty brown colour.

He tried to remember the name of the person he would be impersonating. J - something, John? Jeff? Jerry, that was it. He would be first on Severus's hit-list, it wouldn't do to have two identical people walking around.

He cast silencing charms all over himself as well as charms that would partially obscure him from view. This would be all so much easier if this entire place wasn't warded from top to bottom, he would be able to simply apparate in, grab Harry and disapparate away.

He took his first steps into the camp, very careful to avoid the pools of light cast by the lanterns. He scanned the area looking for Harry, but there was an absence of the scrawny mop-headed teenager. He then looked for Jerry - and found him - sitting on a rock in front of a tent, chatting with another women.

He moved behind the tents, until he was within meters of them. Pointing his wand at the women he frowned in concentration,

"Confundus"

The women shuddered as the spell hit but Jerry didn't even notice, still caught up telling some story about his cousin who owned a bar in east London.

She stood jerkily, and interrupted Jerry. "I think, there was something Donvan asked for before."

"Oh, ah okay."

She nodded and walked away, looking upwards in a daze.

"Stupefy"

Jerry slumped forward instantaneously and Severus quickly pulled the limp body behind one of the tents. It was a particularly strong spell and Severus guessed the man would be unconscious for a few hours. The thought of killing him and the others had crossed his mind, it would certainly have been a bit cleaner.

But, some part of himself argued that, if it was within his ability to incapacitate and not kill, he had a duty to do so. That, and certainly Harry would disapprove.

He held no such promise for Thompson though. He'd been given warning already.

He uttered a few spells until his clothing resembled the unconscious man's and pocketed a shrunken version of his own robes.

Seamlessly he took the seat Jerry had been occupying and did his best to look relaxed and casual.

His eyes darted around searching for any sign of Harry, a flash of the grey cloak or a pair of owlish green eyes exacerbated by those terrible glasses; only to find nothing.

He turned his attention to the people.

Six or so were on one side of the camp, seven on the other. Plus the one woman who'd gone to a tents as a result of his spell. There was one missing.

He walked casually towards the group currently nursing whiskey's and stoking a fire. One of them quickly caught sight of him,

"Hey Jerry, theres you are! come, we're celebrating." he held out a bottle towards Severus who took it and pretend to drink before handing it back.

The other man took a lengthy swig before wiping his sleeve across his mouth.

"Cheers to a life with a little more power!"

Everyone else nodded in agreement. The man seemed to take this as his cue to continue,

"Good luck locking us up or putting us in body binds when we 'ave that stone."

He pointed to himself and everyone else "We all came together because we were sick and tired of how we were treated. Ridiculed because of something we couldn't control. Many of you have brothers and sisters who were favoured because they were born with magic. Favoured because they were born better."

Severus fought the urge to roll his eyes, how tragic.

"Now we 'ave the boy, we can get past the door and get that stone and our freedom!"

The rest of the group responded enthusiastically with comments like 'well said' and 'Here Here!' but Severus was distracted by the mention of Harry.

This was taking too long.

He discreetly aimed a non-verbal wandless spell at a canvas bag sitting near the fire. Instantly it burst into flames capturing the attention of the group. One women was quick on the uptake and grabbed a canteen full of water, pouring it on the fire. However it wasn't enough to full douse the flames which spread to another two bags.

Other group members kicked into action, frantically looking for more water.

The women who now held an empty canteen spoke up. " 'Ey Tommy, 'ave your fun later. We need some 'elp over here."

Severus's blood ran hotter at the meaning of the words and he whipped his head around to see where the pig would emerge from.

The broad man walked out from a small tent, positioned next to a large dark opening in the cave wall that Severus had missed earlier.

He resisted the urge to run and instead walked rapidly towards it - only to be stopped by a firm hand on his shoulder.

"You 'eard her, they need 'elp." Thompsons hands was within centimetres of his face and for a moment, he had the insane urge to bite it. Instead he gave a friendly smile.

"Of course," He purred. He supposed it was a little out of character for Jerry but Thompson was already thrusting a water canteen into his hand and pushing him back towards the small fire.

He hated the idiocy of having to put out a fire he himself started, using muggle methods, while he knew Harry was so close.

One quick agumenti and it would be handled. He would've done it but Thompson was watching him, probably suspicious considering 'Jerry' had just tried to run away.

It was over in a matter of minutes, it felt like hours to Severus.

"How in the bloody 'ell did that 'appen?" asked the man who had given the speech before.

Many others seemed to be wondering the same thing, most were looking around for the source of the blaze. Curiously one mousy-faced woman who was yet to speak, wasn't reacting at all. Severus found her lack of…. presence? disconcerting.

They all sat down ready to continue from where they left off. Making toasts and laughing about decrepit humour with one another. Severus nodded and smiled with the rest of them but internally it was grating on his nerves.

One person made a comment that caught his attention instantly, "So where is our little trouble maker? I sure 'ope you didn't leave him where he could escape Tommy."

When Thompson grinned widely any and all reservations about killing the man disappeared.

"Oh, I doubt 'e can get anywhere. Don't worry he'll get his very soon. Perhaps a little visit later tonight…."

his hand half concealed under the grubby brown jacket, clenched tightly. The only visible signs of his fury.

The conversation once again went back to other topics and he only half payed attention. Finally one other group member said goodnight and went off to his tent. Severus was just about to do similar when a terrible pain shot through his forearm, causing him grab it with his other hand and hiss in pain.

No, not now.

This had to be the absolute worse possible timing. His strange actions seemed to draw attention to himself as a few other were now watching him quizzically. He was forced into speaking,

"Small cut from before, its really nothin' " he lied seamlessly, impersonating Jerry's accent.

When nobody added anything and went back to their personal conversation he breathed slightly heavier in relief.

The pain in his forearm continued, like a worm burrowing deep into his arm. Getting more aggressive the longer he didn't answer. He fought hard to keep his expression neutral and mostly succeeded. Eventually it dulled to a uncomfortable ebb, promising retribution later. He pressed the thought to the back of his mind and concentrated on the problem at hand.

A few minutes later he excused himself for bed. He hoped to merlin that the tent he apprehended Jerry at had actually been the man's tent.

He walked in and no one made comment, so he assumed he'd guessed correctly.

Using he wand, he cut into the back of the tent. A section large enough to fit through. He stepped through and stitched it up once again, moving around the stupefied body of Jerry.

He edged his way around the campsite without a sound. Making his way to the very dark alcove in the cave wall. On the floor he noticed something wet, at first he thought it was water from the fire-extinguisher effort from before but he quickly realised it was took thick to be water. Blood, it was blood.

He was finding Harry, now.

He did the same thing he'd done with the other tent, cutting the canvas from the back, and stepped inwards.

Relief poured through him when he took in the dark form leaning against the side of the tent, unmistakably Harry.

The boy became aware of his presence also. Moving away in slow uncoordinated movements.

Severus took a step closer but it only panicked Harry more who raised himself upwards, trying to be defensive.

"Stay… 'way. "

Severus frowned at the sloppy speech. Unable to see what state Harry was in, that was a worrying sign.

"Harry, I'm not trying to hurt you."

the boy snorted, "Yeah right…"

He held his hands up in a passive gesture, then moved to grab something in his pocket.

This did not have the desired effect as Harry retreated even further and the voice that came was full of confidence masked fear. "I'm not… No… Keep that away."

Severus withdrew his hand, holding Harry's wand.

"Take it."

Harry eyed warily, then snatched it away.

Severus couldn't see his expression but he was sure it was one of shock. He needed Harry to realise who he was,

"Lumos." The tip of his wand lit up in a blue ball of light, slightly dim as he didn't want the light to escape the tent.

It was enough however to glimpse Harry and his face broke its usual un-expressive state. Snarling viscously as he took in the bandaged shoulder that hung unnaturally, and the colouring bruises across the boys face and arms.

His lumos had however, had the right effect and Harry relaxed.

"Professor Snape?" he whispered in relief.

"Yes."

At the confirmation Harry's dark shadow even slouched smaller before making an unsteady effort at standing up. He made it part way only to fall again. Severus caught him before he completely fell.

"What did they do to you?" Something was wrong, other than the obvious injuries.

"Needle….Sedative.."

Ahh that answered a few things, the growing anger in the back of mind continued smouldering.

"Can you stand?"

"Mmmmm not sure,"

So no then. Severus looped the uninjured shoulder around his neck and took majority of the weight.

"Thanks for comin' "

Severus scoffed,

"Like I wasn't "

Harry gave him a lazy smile that he could make out even in the dark, and he turned away. Unable to meet such intense emotion in those eyes.

"We need to move quickly, the polyjuice wears off soon."

Harry stumbled but finally stepped out of the tent.

"Yeah, I remember."

"Remind me to get the full story of that later."

"Nah, think I wanna…. enjoy some… detention free school."

Severus bit back his own reply as they neared close to the main campfire. He would get Harry out and safe somewhere, once the boy was healed, he'd consider coming back to cause a little destruction.

He was a little caught up and didn't notice Harry's next stumble in time to catch him. Harry fell forwards, hitting the stone harshly. Giving a muffled cry as he landed on his shoulder.

"Jerry? I thought Tommy had called dibs on the boy."

Severus froze, slightly thankful Harry was on the floor and not in a more incriminating position. He turned to face the women who he'd cast the confundes charm on before.

"Well, the bastard bit me when we took 'im. I wanna little payback."

She shrugged her shoulders but didn't leave. He was immensely grateful that Harry had stayed still this entire time.

"Well I think we're all owed a bit'of a reward ey?"

He instantly disliked where this was going.

'C'mon lets bring 'im to the whole group. HEY GUYS!" Her shout drew almost all pair of eyes their way.

She grabbed Harry by the collar and pulled him fully into the light. Severus stood there uselessly as many mouths turned into shallow grins, eyeing Harry like a piece of meat thrown into a lion's cage.
To be continued...


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