Chapter 7

"Okay, totally wasn't expecting the duck," Death materialized next to Harry, shocking him and Madam Pomfrey.

"Well don't just stand there. Grab your Potions Master and hold on. I'm getting you two out of here," The skeletal entity proclaimed.

"You lot are going nowhere!" Sirius shouted, hissing in pain from his back that hit the hallway wall after Snape's attack. "Incarcerous!" the man yelled, eyes frantic as he aimed his wand at Harry without hesitation.

"Protego! Immobulus!" Poppy counter, wand at the ready, having gotten over her shock upon seeing Death floating next to the hospital bed. "Sirius Black how dare you threaten my patient!" The matron admonished.

Harry, whose magic was already healing him managed to get a firm hold on Snape. "Leave his wand. Dumbledore put a trace on it," Death stated.

"I am so sorry professor," Harry said as he had to pry the wand out of Snape's unconscious grip. He knew how attached wizards were to their wands and parting with it would undoubtedly hurt the man but at the same time, he could not let Dumbledore or the Order track them.

Death had grabbed both his master and the unconscious professor before apparating out of the Hospital wing, which should have been impossible but it was Death they were talking about.

Poppy took a deep breath. Honestly, this was all too much, but considering the events had to do with Harry Potter, she should have expected it. "Finite incantatem," She muttered, undoing her spell on the comically frozen Sirius.

"Sirius Black I have half a mind to take you by the ear and put you in a corner. How dare you go conspiring with the Headmaster and attacking your godson!"

"He's not my godson!" Sirius shot back with anger in his eyes. "That thing is not my godson!"

"That does not give you the right to attack him!" Poppy shot back.

"And that didn't give you the right to let him escape either!" Sirius shot back. "Do you even know what you did? You let the only person who could beat Voldemort escape. Now he's with that damn Deatheater who will fill his head with all sorts of nonsense. If he joins that maniac's side then we are all done for! In fact..." Sirius said with a smirk as he summoned Snape's wand from where it still lay on the hospital bed. It zoomed into his hand and before Poppy could reach for it he snapped it in two.

"This is what I think about Sniv-"

Poppy's slap came out of nowhere. You could hear it echoing in the now empty wing. Sirius was struck dumb as the Matron wasn't usually violent. "Have you gone insane?! How dare you snap another wizard's wand!" she asked horrified. Only the Ministry had the authority to snap a wand. For a pureblood wizard of an Ancient and Noble House to even think of doing that was considered sacrilege to Lady Magic. "You hate Severus so much that you would sink so low." it wasn't a question anymore, not after that display.

"That bastard let Harry die in his arms. He didn't even help!" Sirius shot back.

"How dare you blame him! Severus Snape is a better man than you are, than you'll ever be," Poppy hissed as her eyes narrowed. "At least he doesn't go pushing kids off of stairs,"

Sirius's eyes widened as the penny dropped. "You... how..." He stuttered.

"I examined Mr. Potter's body!" Poppy shot back as tears welled in his eyes. "He had handprint bruises on his back! They were pre-mortem! And who was standing at the top of the stairs Sirius Black!"

"Snape still could have saved him!" Sirius argued. "It... it wouldn't have happened if James had just listened to me!"

"Harry..." Poppy corrected.

"What?"

"His name is Harry. You called him James," she continued at the stunned look Sirius sported. "You need a bloody Mindhealer and a jail cell for what you've done,"

With that, the Matron marched away. "Wait! What about Dumbledore!" Sirius gestured at the duck still waddling around.

"That isn't my bloody concern I'm leaving!" Poppy shot back. "I quit! The only reason I stayed was because Severus was still around and needed help after those awful meetings. I am done with you and that blasted Headmaster and his schemes!"

Meanwhile, Death had apparated his two passengers into a damp cave. "Where are we?" Harry asked while having a lap full of unconscious Potion Master.

"In a disillusioned cave underneath Tintagel castle," was the answer to which Harry only gave a blank stare. "Merlin's cave, Master. Merlin's cave. The actual one," Death explained exasperated. "Sometimes I wonder if all the dunderhead comments were accurate."

"Oye!"

Death just ignored his master and with a flick of his skeletal hands torches along the wall came to life, illuminating the high ceiling cave. Harry noticed what seemed to be carved-out sections in the cave. Definitely manmade. Further back in the cave stood a stone altar.

"Place your Potions Master on that. It's a spot where leylines converge. It will help charge his core out of critical levels,"

"Kind of like an Energizer Bunny?" Harry questioned, intrigued but did as requested. Now with his magic back, even if his limbs were still weakened he could levitate Snape to the appropriate location.

"Yes, Master. Exactly like an Energizer Bunny," Death deadpanned. "Now I can't stay on this plane any longer as is. I will be back tomorrow," with that said the entity disappeared.

Harry managed to drag himself to the foot of the altar. He rested with his back against it, his skin tingling as he felt the magic strumming through the stone. Death hadn't been joking about it having a charging effect as he could feel some of the magic coursing through his spine. He was tired and it wasn't even noon yet. So much had happened in such a short period that he just needed some quiet to process everything. It was at that moment that his stomach started to rumble and he realized that he hadn't had breakfast yet.

No sooner had his stomach shown his displeasure when a basket of fruits popped onto his lap, startling him. There was a card tied to it that read;

"No, I did not forget to feed you, Master.

This should be enough for the both of you for the night."

-Your friendly neighbourhood Grim Reaper.

P.S. Hand your Potion Master the key in the basket. It's his reward for saving your life from eternal slavery.

True to Death's word there was indeed a key in the food basket. A large silver key with intricate carvings on its bow. It was also then that it hit him that Death had kept referring to Snape as his. Harry's cheeks turned pink at the notion that the entity might know of his old schoolboy crush.

"I wonder... is Dumbledore still a duck?" Harry asked no one in particular while he took a bite out of an apple.