Severus Snape entered Dumbledore's office, looking pale and shaken, still twitching in several places. Dumbledore, who had been talking to someone on his mirror, deactivated it as he helped his spy sit down on the chair.
"I take it didn't go well?" asked Dumbledore.
"The Dark Lord was pleased with the information I was able to give him," said Snape in a quiet voice. "But he was already well informed about a lot of things. Apparently, he did not waste time like we originally thought and has been preparing for over a year. As for the torture, it is something everyone had to go through. The Dark Lord is angry, very angry that Death Eaters who had braved Azkaban for twelve years still came to find him but we did not."
"Hmm…" said Dumbledore, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "Any information about his plans for Harry?" he asked.
Snape's lip curled at the mention of Harry Potter. "The Dark Lord has given strict orders that he is not to be touched," said Snape emotionlessly. "I sense that something happened between the boy and the Dark Lord at the graveyard, though I'm not sure what. All the Death Eaters including Bellatrix agreed with him immediately. There are currently no plans for capturing the boy but no doubt the Dark Lord is planning something. Meanwhile, he wants to hear the prophecy in its entirety and asked me if I had found out the other half. He was - displeased - that I did not know it, so he now wants to gain access to the prophecy sphere that, according to Rookwood, is in the Department of Mysteries."
Dumbledore started out of the window, looking thoughtful, but did not comment.
"The prophecy orb might be in his plans, but there are various other matters which take precedence over this," said Snape. "I will also have to prove my loyalty to him by giving information on the Order. He expects results - similar to what happened in the last war."
Dumbledore grimaced. No, he made that mistake once and he wasn't about to do it again. The members of the Order of the Phoenix had all been battle-hardened warriors during the last war - the Prewett twins, Benjy Fenwick, Caradoc Dearborn, Dorcas Meadows, Edger Bones, Marlene McKinnon, Frank and Alice Longbottom, James and Lily Potter - all of them were powerful and talented duellists. He had tried to draw more fire to the members of the Order, hoping they could fight in order to protect the general population but he had been wrong. They had all been picked off one by one by the Death Eaters and Voldemort himself. That had been a very big and costly mistake, one which he didn't want to repeat.
"I'll have to think more about this," said Dumbledore. "But there is a way to make you more valuable to Voldemort. I assume he doesn't like the way the Aurors are being trained ever since Sirius became Minister?"
Snape did not answer.
Dumbledore felt a major headache coming on, but he could see no other alternative. If he had to save lives, other sacrifices had to be made. The students had survived this long without a good teacher - not counting the last two years - so they could do so for another year or two. Hopefully, they would be smart and study on their own, which was all he could hope for.
"How would you like to be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, Severus?"
...
"How are you feeling, Potter?" asked Madam Pomfrey, scanning him with her wand.
"I'm f-f-fine," Harry stammered, though his voice was still hoarse. "But I wouldn't mind something that would reduce the pain."
Madam Pomfrey sighed. "All your internal injuries have been healed, but the after-effects of the Cruciatus Curse will decrease only in about a month's time. There are still some lingering symptoms, like the occasional stuttering, body pain and headaches, but in time, I believe you will make a full recovery."
"What about the pain I feel in my lower regions?"
"Where exactly does it hurt?"
Harry grimaced, his face and neck gaining colour. "My genitals," he told her quietly. "And the s-s-surrounding area, I guess… and - well - I have a burning sensation in my arse."
"It's called the Faux Castration Curse, Potter," she replied grimly. "As you know, in wizarding culture, it's considered an insult to Mother Magic to damage any witch or wizard's reproductive organs. Even the worst criminals who would kill mercilessly wouldn't dare attempt it, since it's believed that it would taint one's bloodline by doing so. However, this curse, a very obscure curse, at that, seems to be an exception to them. It targets the genitals, known mainly to practitioners of the Dark Arts, and mimics the pain of castration. That's what you're currently experiencing."
Madam Pomfrey took a deep breath. "I must say I've never met someone with your level of pain tolerance, Potter. Anyone else would have begged me to sedate them so that they could sleep through it. Back to the curse; physically, your testicles have swelled and you're experiencing a constant erection that wouldn't go away. The effects have spread, which is what is causing the burning sensation you feel from the insides of your buttocks and upper thighs. This curse is so rare that it took us quite some time just to identify it. When you were asleep, the St Mungo's healers consulted various experts from around the world, but everyone came to the conclusion that there's no wand-based or potion-based counter-curse for this. There's a salve that helps with the Cruciatus exposure, to a degree, and that's the only option we have to decrease your pain. I'm really sorry, Potter, but you have to let the curse run its course."
Harry remained silent for a minute while Daphne and Dylan looked at him worriedly. Finally, he gave the matron a stiff nod.
With a flick of her wand, Madam Pomfrey summoned a glass jar which contained a silvery paste inside. "This is a salve that should lessen the pain. Have someone apply this all over your body for the next six to eight weeks for the Cruciatus exposure. For the Faux Castration Curse, use the salve liberally and apply it on your genitals, inner thighs and the anus at least four to five times a day. Keep yourself clean and unclothed, as the charms on your garments will interfere with the healing process. Now is not the time to be shy. If you're in a public place and being nude isn't an option, I suggest you use clothes that don't have magic weaved into them but keep it brief. Also, I know I'm asking for a lot, but I must insist that you don't overexert yourself for at least the next five days. Healer's orders!"