The Fear in The Child

3

"Somebody, contact Severus!" She said hastily, panic fly thing through her eyes. Severus, as all of them knew, was well versed in many curses, dark arts, and potions. Plus his defensive magic was good. She knew he would be able, if nothing else, to reach the boy. Or know of a way to aid them in doing so. Several attempts on their part failing horribly. Tom's magic was protecting him as if they were all a threat, and Molly could not understand why. There was little more that she could think of other than to send for Severus.

Severus, dark cloak billowing behind him, appeared quickly after someone dragged him from his bed, and it was clear he was not pleased with being woken but had come nonetheless. How he had managed to sleep through the ruckus was a mystery to...well...all of them, but he had. His black eyes cast a cursory look around the room, combined with what Arthur had told him, and assessed the situation before him. After reaching a plausible conclusion, he then addressed Molly.

"Release a portion of your magic. Let it identify you. Right now, he is in the throes of sleep. He has no way to know you are not a threat. His magic will recognize yours as unthreatening, considering you have no ill intentions towards him, and will let you closer. Right now, it is the only way to get close." He said in his monotone voice, as though he had not a care in the world of the boy panting on the bed, tear tracks streaming down his face. Molly, face pale, and hands clammy, did as Severus suggested...and failed.

In fact, Tom's magic lashed out far more harshly than it had before, shoving her further away from him in a panic. Severus stared as it happened, his eyes bordering on apathetic, but they did hold some level of worry in them. 

"Severus," Molly whimpered. "I do not think he sees me as unthreatening." She whispered softly. "That was the worse so far." She said in fear as the wallpaper began to slowly peel itself from the plaster from the rough rebound of magic. 

Severus was...dumbfounded. It should have worked. Why did it not work? He then began ordering the other adults to go and received the same result each time. In all theory, the boy's magic should recognize the unthreatening nature of the person who sent their magic out, yet it was obvious that the boy saw them as threatening, and his magic was reacting to that, rather than unthreatening. He just could not understand why. Perhaps...

It should not work, but he was the only one left to try before they needed a healer from ST. Mungos, and he knew several would not be happy with that turn of events. 

"I suppose," Severus said, voice as still as ever. "I will try next."

"Severus," Black hissed. "If he doesn't let any of us towards him he definitely will not let you close to him. Try and the entire foundations of the house will be ripped apart!" Severus rolled his eyes. 

"And?" He asked sarcastically. Turning his back on Sirius, he slowly and carefully, released his magical signature towards Tom. Everyone braced, readying themselves for the blowback....which never came. Severus reached out with his magic, and instead of drawing Severus away as it had with all others, it ruthlessly jerked him forwards causing the Professor to almost stumble in the insistence and force with which the child's magic pulled him towards him.
Severus gazed down at the child in a sort of detached curiosity. Why, of all the loving people in this room, did he not choose one of them, but rather the most dangerous person in the room?
Still, since it was obvious Severus was the only one able to get close, it was him who would need to wake the child. Severus had his fair share of nightmares, and that was exactly what this was. He placed his hands on either side of the boy's temple, ignoring the flinch and whine it produced, and whispered 'legitimens,' only to hit a fortress of solitude, and be thrown back out of the boys outer most defenses. 

Clearly, he was much more powerful than any of them had thought. He did not allow it to deter him, shaking off the mental disturbance at noting a child so heavily fortified. Outside of Draco, he did not think he had come across something such as that.

Severus hummed, but continued to rub at the child's temples, and slowly, but surely, the boy calmed, eyes opening. He tensed in Severus' hold but did not draw away. 

Dark eyes met inky black ones, and the boy relaxed fully. "You aren't a Gryffindor." Was all the boy said as he did so. He closed his eyes in inhaled deeply, wincing slightly. Severus understood, though. This boy had not yet been sorted, but it was becoming clearer and clearer that he did not trust Gryffindors. This was why, despite the unthreatening nature of their magic, none of the others were able to get close. They were all Gryffindors. Severus, he was not, and though Severus was not certain the boy should turn to a Slytherin for help over a Gryffindor, he chose him. 

"No, I am not," Severus said briskly.

"Slytherin." He muttered softly, body relaxing calmly, voice loosing all tension. "You are a Slytherin. My name is Tom." Yes, it was clear the boy did not trust Gryffindors. 

"Severus. I am the Potions Master and Professor at Hogwarts, the school you are attending in a few days." Tom struggled to sit up, and place a hand over his heart and bowed his head. Severus furrowed his brow at the rather...old fashioned...greeting, as well as the boy's struggle to sit up.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Professor. I look forward to your classes." Severus looked at the child thoughtfully. 

"Very well, I shall see you at Hogwarts." Tom nodded and cursed his weakness. Now, everyone but those teenage brats had seen him in his weak state.
..

"I can't..." Sirius could not continue and was cut off by Severus.

"He does not trust Gryffindors. The reasons for this are wide, but that is why you were unable to get close to him." Not caring for the shocked stares which he was getting from the others as his statement registered to them. 

"He...what?" Sirius sputtered, simply outraged at such the thought. 

"You heard me," Severus said simply, one eyebrow raised. "I am sure he has made notions of feeling uncomfortable around you, nervous to be alone with you, eager to escape any situations to be alone." Molly sighed heavily at his words. 

"I thought perhaps that was him being nervous. I have suspicions that he was abused, back in his previous home. He is a Half-Blood, and apparently he was raised by muggles." Severus sighed. Why were the similarities growing more and more every second? "So I never really thought much of it."

"Perhaps you should start," Severus said simply. "Though I doubt, considering your house, he would be comfortable talking to anyone. I am uncertain which caused his hatred for Gryffindors but if he willingly chose me, a Slytherin and the most dangerous person in the room, over you three, it must have been very bad."

Severus turned on his heel. "Now, if you will excuse me I have much I need to do."