Harry looked around his potions class. “….He’s not here…” he whispered to Ron. Slowly they crept into the empty classroom with the invisibility cloak held tightly. “I know it has to be here…” he whispered again.

“Just forget it, Harry. It‘s late, I‘m tired.” Ron said quietly.

“No”

“Let's go!”

“You go then!”

“Fine I’ll--” Ron started, then turned pale. Snape walked into his class room with his wand ready.

“Who’s there?!” Snape yelled to his supposedly empty classroom.

Harry and Ron started to back into a corner. Snape ran his cold, black eyes around the room. He walked up to his desk and made sure everything was in order. Surveying the class a few more times he left and closed the door behind him.

“…That was close…”Harry breathed. “Snape almost caught us!” he said almost yelling at Ron.

“Well, he’s gone! Hurry up!” He breathed back.

Harry came from underneath the cloak and walked to his seat in the potions class. “..Ugh…its not here!” he whispered to Ron.

“Maybe Snape found it.” Ron said with a bit of worry in his voice.

“…no…maybe I didn’t drop it here…lets check the Grand--” Harry started

“NO! Harry it's gone just get a new one! You can have mine. Here.” Ron said, taking of the cloak and pulling from his pocket a gold Galleon.

“Mine is different from yours!” Harry hissed, amazed by his friends unawareness.

“Oh…well have Miony make you a new one.” Ron said, a little embarrassed, stuffing the coin back into his pocket.

“….Then we will have to change them all, Ron.” Harry said, sounding tired. “Let’s just go back. Oh, and don’t tell Hermione…she will kill me if she finds out I lost it.”

Ron nodded as they both went under the cloak again. They reached the door when Harry stopped.

“What?”

“Snape might be waiting for us if go out.” said Harry.

“He’s such a git…but I think he would have heard us talking by now.” Ron said, looking nervous.

“Ya…” Harry said, slowly opening the door. Ron stuck his head a little out of the door to see if the coast was clear. “All good.” he said confidently.

“Let's go…” Harry sighed”

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Why do you look so tired?” Hermione questioned the both of them, sounding a little worried.

“What? Were not tired.” Ron lied, clearly trying to stop a yawn.

“Ya were good.” Harry said, trying to cover Ron’s yawn as he stretched.

“Sure,” Hermione said unmoved.

Ron looked at his plate of bacon and eggs and started to eat. Harry did the same to his.

“Harry,” Hermione whispered, “when is the next DA meeting going to be? Luna has been asking me. It's been almost 2 weeks since the last one.”

Harry almost chocked on his breakfast. Has it been that long? It didn’t matter anyway. He didn’t have a way to tell the members so, the next meeting would have to be a little late.

“Harry?” said Hermione.

“Huh?..Uhh…oh, the next, meeting will have to wait a little while longer.” He said, eying Ron, “I think Umbridge might be on to us. Let's wait a couple of days.”

“…oh, ok.” Hermione said, satisfied with the answer she got up to leave for her first class.

Ron looked at Harry, “Nice mate! That gives us a little more time to look for it…” he said smiling, “Just hope she doesn’t find out.”

“Heh,…ya” Harry said finishing off the rest of his breakfast.

The rest of the day went as usual. Until potions.

Harry looked under the desks again as he wrote down the homework that Snape had assigned.

“Now…before you all leave…I must share a rule with you…” Snape said, looking at Harry. “You should not bring any valuables into my class….If they are lost or if you have left them accidentally in my class…you will not get them back.” He finished. The rest of the students looked confused but Harry understood. Snape DID find the Galleon.

Harry shot a worried glance at Ron, who apparently got the message too. They then both looked at Hermione, who didn’t seem to notice them.

“Dismissed.” Snape said, still looking at Harry.

All the students rushed out of Snape’s class, except Ron and Harry who were quickly stuffing their books in their bags.

“Potter. Stay after class.” Snape said as he hovered over Harry.

Ron looked at Harry then Snape. “Just Potter.” Snape said walking back to his desk.

Harry shrugged and stayed while Ron left. He turned to face his potions teacher, who had the galleon in his hand.

“ Did you understand why I made that rule Potter?” Snape said, messing with the coin.

“ Yes, sir.” Harry said, trying to not look at the galleon.

“ And you understand the consequences?” Snape said, enjoying Harry’s torment. Consequences? Snape hadn’t mentioned consequences… “ N-no..sir” Harry admitted slowly.

“ Hmm…detention Potter. My office 8 o‘clock.” Snape said, sneering.

Harry opened his mouth to speak but quickly shut it. Uggghhhh….I need that galleon….

“ …..is there any particular reason you had this in class?” Snape said sounding intrigued.

“ No. “

“ So you don’t need it?

“ …no”

“ yes….your not a very good liar, Potter.” said Snape. “ If it’s not important why were you searching my class? Care to explain that one?”

Oh great…I’m dead… “ I wasn’t in here last night.” Harry said, trying to sound confident.

“ I never said last night….how do you know it was last night I almost caught a thief?” Snape said, obviously enjoying this. “ Well?..”

“ Well you would have told us that yesterday if it wasn’t last night.” Harry said thinking quickly.

“…but it wasn’t. Now..if you just tell me what this particular coin is for…I wont alert Umbridge.” said Snape. Should I tell him?….no I cant. “ I have never seen that coin Professor.” Harry lied.

“ Yes…8 o’clock.”

------

Harry arrived at Snape’s office door. I should have just told him…now Umbridge is going to find out…Harry knocked on the door twice and a familiar voice told him to come in.

“ Since there are no dirty cauldrons to clean you can dust the shelves and clean them.” Snape said, making a duster appear.
“ Ok.” Harry said picking up the duster Snape conjured for him and began to dust.

Snape was busy grading papers when a startles gasp from Harry broke his concentration.

He quickly looked up. Harry was sticking his hands through a portrait in Snape’s office.

“ Potter! Get away from there quickly!” Snape said with urgency in his voice.

Harry tried to pull away put his arm was stuck.

“Now!” Snape yelled.

“ I-I can’t!” Harry said sounding terrified. “ what is this?” he said a little calmer.

“ I think it’s the entrance to the Labyrinths…..hold still…” Snape said quietly.

“ What are the Labyrinths?” Harry said no longer scared. “has it always been here?”

“ No it hasn’t…it only appears for 5 days every 10 years“ Snape said “Slytherin built the Labyrinth’s to test high ranked students…but so many died he was forced to destroy it. Instead of getting rid of it completely…he sent it to another dimension where it reappeared at Hogwarts for only 5 days every 10 years…its location is always random…”he finished, tugging Harry from the portrait.

“ …..oh…” Harry said rubbing his shoulder. “ well…do you just leave it here?

“ Yes….hmmm..” Snape said, he pulled out the galleon from his robes and considered what to do with it. He's going to throw it in there?!

Harry saw Snape was distracted and tried to grab it.

He wasn’t fast enough. Snape quickly jumped backwards towards the portrait.

“…so..you do need this coin?” Snape hissed.

Harry tried once more and missed. Snape jumped back once again and was now grabbing Harry by the robes, trying not to fall into the portrait. Harry was trying to keep from falling on Snape.

Harry couldn’t keep his balance and smacked right into Snape. They both fell head first into the Labyrinth.

Harry woke up to Snape saying “Get OFF me Potter!” He quickly scrambled to get off his disgruntled potions master.

“Do you have any idea of what you have gotten us into?!” Snape hissed at Harry, “Nobody has gotten out of here. Except Syltherin himself!”

“You shouldn’t have grabbed my robes!” Harry spat, “We wouldn’t be here…..how do we get out?”

“We wander until the 5 days are up and hope that we have found the way out!” Snape said maliciously.

“And if we don’t find the way out?….Then what?” Harry asked sounding worried.

“….We will find our way out…” Snape said, careful about his words. He pulled out his wand and lit it. “Lumos. Let’s get going.”

“Wait I have my dad’s map. We could use that.” Harry said at once. He was happy now. He wouldn’t have to wander the corridors with Snape for 5 whole days.

“I doubt that your map will work here. Your father didn’t know this place existed.” Snape sneered. “And it would be impossible to map. The corridors change. “

“How many times must I tell you?! Do-not-call-me-that! Its sir or Professor.” Snape yelled. “And it’s called the Labyrinth. The Labyrinth of Illusions.” He finished calmly.

“How cheesy.” Harry tried to say quietly.

“Yes….but the name has a meaning. As you walk the corridors you greatest fears, hopes, dreams, and desires will appear and try to trick you to your death.”

“Oh…do you know the way out?” Harry asked hopefully.

“Unfortunately, it is not of my knowledge.” Snape sighed. “But all we have to do is reject the things that try to tempt us.”

“And if we don’t reject them?…” Harry asked.

“Then you die Potter!” Snape hissed. “Stay close to me. Don’t wander off into any corridors, and don’t communicate with anything.”

“Ya I get it. Let’s hurry…” Harry insisted.

With their wands ready they headed down the corridor. They came to a 3 way fork in the road. “Which way do we go?” Harry blurted out.

“Wait.” Snape said, eying one of the corridors. “We have to wait for something to appear in each of the hallways…”

Just then in each of the corridors appeared a person. The 1st was filled by Hermione, the 2nd was filed by Remus, and then Dobby took the last spot.

“Honestly, Harry!” Hermione said. “Come on we have to go or we will get caught for being out of bed! This way!” She said pointing down her own corridor.

“Don’t listen to the Hermione clone Harry.” Remus said, with a smile. “Remember my lessons, now. Come on. Sirius is waiting. Oh, hello Severus.”

“ Hmm…” Snape said at Remus’s hello.

“Harry Potter and Snape are lost? Dobby will help them get back!” Dobby squeaked. “Quickly Harry Potter!”

Harry instinctively walked toward Remus at the sound of Sirius’s name. Snape stuck his arm out to stop him from proceeding.

“They are trying to trick us Potter!” Snape said, staring at dobby. “Rule out Remus--”

“Why?! How do you know that’s not the real way?!” Harry said forcefully.

“We rule it out because it tempted you!” Snape hissed. “Now…just the girl and the rutty elf…who do you trust more, Potter?”

“Well, Hermione. Not that I don’t trust Dobby.” Harry added quickly.

“Then we follow Dobby.” Snape said. “Always go with the one that least tempts you.”

“Well if it’s that easy, then why did so many people die in here?” Harry questioned.

“Because, they didn’t know that. They went to the thing that tempted them most and got killed.”

“…So, Dobby then?” Harry said after a long pause.

“ Yes.” Snape said, raising an eyebrow at Harry.

They were following Dobby for what seemed like an hour before Harry blurted out “ Sna--Professor we have been following this thing for an hour already!”

Amused by Harry’s sudden outburst respect he said “Well Potter, it’s actually been an hour and a half. And we have to follow it until the next split in the corridor.”

“Well I’m getting thirsty. Can we do magic in here?” Harry asked hopefully.

“I think not. This chamber was used to test mental abilities. Not magical.” Snape said, sounding tired.

Noticing the tone in Snape’s voice Harry said “Lets rest…I’m tired.”

“No. wait till we reach the next split.” He said, trying not to sound weary.

They walked for what seemed like 10 minutes when a hall with 3 more corridors showed up. Dobby stood to face them then disappeared.

“Now we can rest.” Harry said thankfully.

“Indeed…hurry and get some rest. Remember, we only have 5 days to get out of here.” Snape said, sitting on the floor.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After a few hours of sleep Harry finally opened his eyes. Snape was already up and stretching his back. Snape noticed Harry and said "Well?…shall we proceed?"

"Ya…sure." Harry said with a yawn.

"Good…" Snape replied.

They stood in the center of the hall waiting for the people to appear in the halls. Finally they appeared. Dumbledore appeared in the first hallway. "Harry! I see you have found the Labyrinths! Severus! Spending a little quality time with your students? Glad to see you finally took my advice! Now, no time to stand around. Let's get going, shall we?" Dumbledore said, with his usual smile on his face.

"Quality time?" Harry echoed, staring at Snape. He wanted to laugh but when he saw Snape's expression to him he quickly stopped.

The next hall was filled by Hagrid. "Harry! What are ye doin' down 'ere? You should be 'n bed! Ah well. C'mon!" said Hagrid, his voice booming through the hall.

And last was Molly Weasly. "Harry?! What are on earth are you doing here? You should be in bed, you need rest! Come on, we'll go to the burrow. You look famished! Ah Severus. Yes you come as well. Come for dinner." She said in a happy tone.

"This is going to be hard…" Harry said, breaking the silence between him and Snape.

"Indeed. Well, who do you trust the most, Potter." Snape said, eying Dumbledore.

"Well…" Harry began, scratching his head. "Dumbledore."

Snape nodded in agreement. "Then?" he said with a smirk to Harry. Snape obviously knew that Harry loved the last remaining two very much, almost equally.

"I…hey? Why is the hall just reacting to me, and not you? Why do I have to make the decisions?" Harry questioned forcefully. "What about you?"

"It will be my turn soon enough…" Snape said a hint of disgust in his voice. "If you haven't noticed yet. I now all these people as well. I have come to the same conclusions as you when it comes to choosing the correct path." he finished, now staring at Harry.

"Yes it means I choose the same people as you, Potter!" Snape said, frustrated.

Harry said nothing. He turned a slight shade of red and turned back to Hagrid and Molly. "I trust Hagrid more than Mrs. Weasly…" He finally said.

"Good." Snape said. He took a few steps toward Molly when he looked back. "Quality Time." He spat at the fake Dumbledore.

Harry laughed a little at this. For some reason it was funny seeing Snape mad.

They followed the illusion once again down the long hallway for a while before Harry started to lag behind.

"Keep up, Potter!" Snape hissed at him.

"I know! I'm a little thirsty! We haven't had a drink in a long time. Or anything to eat." Harry pointed out.

"Well aware, Potter! That’s why you keep your mind on other things." Snape said.

"Well like what?" Harry questioned. "Not much to think about right now."

"Oh really?" Snape said, there was a hint of malice in his voice. "Well for starters. I'm currently trying to figure out why we are here. Well?" Snape finished, putting a hand in his pocket.

"Wrong answer." Snape said. He stopped and was now staring at Harry. "And yes. I still have your galleon. Would you like it back?…All you have to do is tell me what it's for." Snape finished, tauntingly.

"I forgot about the galleon." He lied.

"Then why did you try to take it from me? Why are we in this mess? And what purpose does it have?!" Snape said now yelling.

"It's none of your business!" Harry shouted before he could stop himself.

Snape stared at Harry looking murderous. Harry felt as if Snape was tearing through him, looking for the real reason he wanted back the galleon.

"Very well." Snape said in such a calm matter that it freighted Harry. "I will just keep it until you tell me."

Harry wanted to say something, anything. He needed that galleon back.

"Hmm?…Could this perhaps inform someone of where we are? Well Potter!" Snape said holding the coin in his hands.

"No. It--" Harry quickly stopped. Maybe I can trick him! "Actually. It can. Here let me see if it works here." Harry said, holding out his hand.

"Nice try, Potter." Snape smirked. "But your first answer was 'no'. You won't be able to fool me that easily."

Harry realized it would be pointless to argue with Snape. He didn’t say anything more.

They started down the hall again. An eerie silence was between them. They didn’t look or even breath in the others direction. At least he wasn’t thirsty anymore.

Finally, after an hour of silence a split in the hall came. Mrs. Weasly turned toward both of them, waved, then disappeared.

Almost immediately 3 more figures appeared. First was filled by a "Dementor?!" Harry shouted.

"Yes. The hall must be reacting to your worst fears…"

The Dementor gave a raspy breath. The whole room was immediately filled with cold air.

The second hall was filled with "The Dark Lord?…" Snape said, trying to sound amused. He was looking at the snake dangling around Voldemorts neck. Harry saw Snape's left arm twitch a little.

Then finally the last room was filled by "What? There's nothing there. Just black smoke." Harry said. Looking at Snape. "What do we choose? Nothing temps me…"

At first Snape didn’t say anything. He was staring into the dark mist when Harry's words finally clicked. "It is the opposite as the others. Just go to what you are afraid most of…I'm guessing that’s the Dark Lord?" Snape said, now facing Harry.

"Not really." Harry said, sounding confident. "The dementors almost killed me once. Me and Sirius. And Voldemort killed himself when he tried to kill me…so the mist…well, lets not go in the mist…" he finished, sounding worried.

"You afraid of the unknown? That is what the mist represents." Snape said, he was looking at Harry with an unreadable expression.

"I…I just don’t want to find out what's in there. That might be the wrong way." Harry said. He was afraid of the unknown. But he couldn’t let Snape know that.

"Potter…" Snape started, the unreadable expression still on his face. "If you don’t want to travel into the mist, for whatever reason, that is where we must go." He finished.

A look of dread took over Harry's face. "O-ok." He said quickly.

Snape started toward the hall, Harry next to him. Before they went into the hall Snape shot Harry a look that look like sympathy. But in a flash the usual scowl was back on his face.

Harry let out a sigh, then they both stepped into the mist.

As they continued along the path, the mist seemed to linger blanketing lazily around them. It appeared almost magnetic, as it covered the two wizards hair and clothes. The mist became thicker and thicker, the farther that they walked. Harry could barely see Snape in the almost indistinguishable fog. The man's black robes blended seamlessly into the mist, almost making him a hidden target. Feeling slightly disconcerted, Harry paused in his footsteps. Looking around in growing despair, he finally spoke.

"Professor? Where are you?"

"Honestly Potter! I'm standing right next to you." Snape said, sounding a little irritated.

Harry quickly whipped his head around toward where he had heard Snape speak. His vision latched onto the deep black orbs that were the potion master's eyes. He almost sighed with audible relief. "Oh. I can barely see anything. What should we do?"

"We keep walking. The corridor only goes one way. The worst that could happen is that one of us goes too far or strays behind. If that were to occur, then all you would have to do was continue on until you reach the next split."

"We should probably stay together." Harry said quietly. "I don't want to get lost."

"Perhaps I should have brought a leash then. Lets go!" Snape said, still frustrated with a cold sneer on his face.

"You know--" Harry started, but Snape quickly covered his mouth with his hand effectively canceling out any further speech.

"Quiet, Potter!" Snape hissed. "Something is watching us!" He finished in a tight whisper.

Harry looked around and quickly saw what Snape was referring to. Two eyes were staring at them through the mist. Wasting no time, Snape simultaneously grabbed Harry by the arm, swiftly pushing him behind himself, and pointed his wand at the eyes.

"Wait!" Harry whispered, knocking Snape's wand out of his hand.

"Idiot! What did you do that for?" Snape hissed, his eyes burning like fire.

"Maybe it could help us." Harry insisted. "Wait and see what it does." "Or it could kill us!" Snape said. The mere idea that I am in Slytherin's labyrinth should be punishment enough. What did I do to deserve ending up in here with a brainless Gryffindor as my sole companion as well? Snape thought. Bringing himself back to the present, he quickly spoke. "Where's my wand?!" Snape was now running his eyes along the stone floor in hopes of finding his wand. Unfortunately, he could not see through the thick mist that seemed to be growing heavier and heavier by the moment. As he continued his futile search, the eyes began to draw more near to them. Harry walked from around Snape and came towards the eyes.

"Potter get back here!"

Harry didn't listen. There was something about those eyes, it was as though he was hypnotized. He stopped short when Snape grabbed him roughly.

"Do you have any common--" Snape started. Suddenly he stopped speaking and Harry noticed that Snape's expression became softer. Slowly, Snape's gaze shifted from the wandering eyes to Harry's own. "Do you understand?" He said slowly in an almost awestruck voice. "Do you know who those belong to?" He said, pointing a finger at the floating pair. Harry looked confused. "No. How should I know. Do you know? Who do they belong to then?"

Snape stared into Harry's eyes for a moment, turned to look at the floating ones, and then again back at him. What's he doing?!Why is looking at me like that?...What is he playing at? Suddenly a quick realization came to Harry. Harry gasped. He took a timid step closer to the eyes and stopped.

"Well?" Snape said, still talking slowly.

"They're my mom's." Harry stopped, a woman with radiant auburn hair walked out from the mist in front of them.

"Get behind me, Potter." Snape said, looking at the woman. Harry, too dazed by his mother's appearance, reluctantly obeyed without comment.

"You both have been so brave." The woman said in a sweet voice. "Severus. Do you remember me?"

"Lily." Snape started, his voice cracked a little. "Why are you here?" He said, now talking sternly.

"I thought I would help you, you seem lost. Thank you Severus!" She said, her eyes twinkling.Snape swallowed hard fighting with all his might against a lump that was growing in his throat. How could he keep up his icy exterior around
her?

"For what?" he asked, a little calmer. "You can't be here. You are merely an illusion, nothing more." he swallowed again. "Leave."

She didn't seem to hear his last words. "Harry dear, come here." Lily said, opening her arms. Harry started to move forward towards his mother but stopped. He looked
at Snape. Harry opened his mouth, trying to form words, but nothing managed to come out. Trick you to your death...these thoughts that had been spoken already, caused Harry to pause in consideration. Snape nodded in agreement. He knew what he was thinking.

"No." Harry said softly. "You're an illusion." He finished more strongly.

"What?" Lily said sounding a little mad. "You don't trust me?but you trust this; she pointed towards Snape, traitor."

The last word stung. With a sharp intake of breath, Snape took a step back and his boots landed on something. He bent down to pick up his wand, and then pointed it at Lily. Harry hesitated, but followed with th same motion.

"What?" Lily said. Still a little mad. "You side with the traitor Severus, I thought you loved me? You too Harry? You are a traitor too Harry! You aren't my son! She ended in a sob.

"Be quiet!" Harry shouted. "You're not my mother! My mother would never call me a traitor! Nor would she call Snape one! My mother loved me!" Still fuming, he stepped even closer." Harry used his wand, positioned it as though it was a sword and with an instant, fluid motion, slashed at the Lily illusion. With a large crack, the apparition vanished.

Harry turned to Snape, who's face was pale, and said after a long pause "Let's go..."

Snape felt as though he had been punched in the stomach. Traitor. That's what she had called him. His stomach twisted in knots, and he felt nauseous. Inwardly taking a deep breath, he forced himself to relax, and turned toward Harry. With a simple nod, they continued on their way.

After ten minutes of unspoken words, Harry could not take the silence anymore. "Professor?" he began.

"Yes?" Snape replied, without a single trace of emotion.

"I..." Harry mumbled silently.

"What were you thinking when she appeared?" Snape began.

"What?..I was thinking..." Harry stopped. What was he thinking? "I don't remember. She called me a traitor."

"Yes. She called me that as well. However, it was just an illusion. Remember that these illusions are not what they seem, and are meant to trick you. Don't let them effect you." He said. Abruptly changing his tone, he spoke in a business-like voice. "The smoke is starting to clear. I believe that that is a strong indication that there will be another split up ahead." He was correct. The smoke cleared and revealed another hall that split off into three different directions.

"You know what I noticed? The right way has always been the third hallway. We should just go down that one." Harry said, and started for the last hallway.

"No, Potter." Snape said, annoyed. "That may be coincidence. We have to choose correctly. We don't need your brainless Gryffindor logic, to try to get through this. We need to use some logic and tact."

Harry sighed and took his place next to Snape.

They did not have to wait long for three more figures to appear.

The first figure that they came across was extremely familiar. Harry knew her, as he had just seen her recently. He did not understand. Exactly what was the room supposed to be reacting to this time?

"Sev!" the familiar voice said. "What are you standing there for? Come with me!" Lily pleaded. Snape groaned softly, while visibly rubbing the bridge of his crooked nose. Not again, he thought, not again. I’m not sure if I can tell her to go away again.

"Terrific." Harry mumbled flatly with a hint of sarcasm.

The figure adjacent to Lily was none other than Lucius Malfoy. Dressed in ornate black velvet robes, and holding his intricately carved trademark silver serpent cane, he sneered at Snape. "Severus. Lost in Slytherin’s Labyrinth, I see? I must say that I find this to be rather amusing. How foolish of you..” He started to speak in a taunting voice, but then quickly paused. "Potter! Quickly Severus! Bring him to the Dark Lord! He will reward us greatly!" He finished with an evil smile.

Harry looked wildly at Snape, who was looking amused at Lucius. "Er…Professor? What is the room reacting to now? I'm not afraid of Malfoy or tempted by him." Harry ended with an uneasy smile.

Snape looked at Harry. He didn’t need Legilimency to interpret what Harry was thinking. It was the unspoken, “Are you tempted by him Snape?” that made Snape’s eyes widen. Snarling, with looks to kill, he slowly hissed. "What is that supposed to mean, Potter?"

Mortified, Harry felt his face turn a deep shade of red. Oh God. "Mean wh-what Professor?" he said, looking at the floor.

Snape still looked murderous. "If you have any sense of self-preservation, you ought to learn to control your thoughts. Specifically, thoughts that are sordid in nature Potter! Your mind is like an open book!" He spat. "This chamber does not react to temptation! Wait for the other illusion to appear before you make your simple little judgments!" Snape finished. He was breathing heavily.

Harry inwardly laughed. I really should stop thinking around him. Or at least control my thoughts…He never gave me an answer…But I-- Harry's thoughts were cut short by Snape's glare. "No" was Snape's only response.

Harry turned back to the hallways. In the third hallway another familiar figure stood. "Dumbledore again?" Harry asked, a little confused. This Dumbledore, however, looked much more serious. There wasn’t any knowing smile or twinkling eyes that greeted them. He looked serious and grim. Harry stopped and stared at Dumbledore for a moment. "Well Severus? Choose." The Dumbledore illusion said quietly. Harry looked at Snape. Snape looked pale, more so than usual. His face was a deathly pallor. This confused Harry even more. Snape's eyes slid rapidly from Dumbledore to Lucius then to Lily.

"I think you are supposed to choose this time, Professor." Harry said softly, looking at Snape. "What is this room reacting to?"

It was a while before Snape answered. "It reacts to loyalty." Looking at Lily, he spoke. "Potter. I am going to need you to do something. You need to trust me."

"What?"

"You cannot see the choice I am going to make. Since the Dark Lord has a connection to your mind, it would be in all of our best interests if you didn’t see."

"What? Why? Am I supposed to blindfold myself then?" Harry asked a little surprised.

"Yes. You cannot see my choice. That’s why you should learn-"

"Yeah! I know! Ok, I don’t have anything to use as a blindfold. How long will I have to wear it?"

"For however long the hall lasts. You'll just have to trust me in leading you." Snape said, smirking at Harry.

Trust you?…ugh…Hopefully this won’t last long. “Fine." Harry said. He reached down and tore a piece of cloth off his robes. Then he gave his glasses to Snape, and tied the cloth tightly around his head.

"Good. How many fingers am I holding up?" Snape said smirking, while not raising a hand.

"Four?" Harry guessed. Snape didn’t respond. "Well? Was I right? Honestly, I can’t see."

"You were wrong. I did not hold up a hand. Of course that does not prove anything. I suppose though, if you trust me, I will have to trust you as well. Consider this though, if you do see, your life will not be the only one in danger." Snape finished with a stern voice. "Now I am going to spin you around a few times, so that the way chosen isn't obvious."

Harry felt Snape grab his shoulders and spin him twice in one direction and then three times in another. "Do you know which way you are facing? Be honest, Potter." Snape said a little harshly.

"No I don’t."

"Good. Now, at no time during this you may not take it off. Until I say. Understand?" Snape said, putting a little emphasis on the words 'may not'.

"Yeah. Alright. But how will I know which way to go if I'm supposed to be following you?"

"You will walk behind me. Hold on to my robes, the sleeve will do, and you will not get lost." Snape replied, sounding a little surprised. Snape handed Harry the end of his robes and began walking down a hall. Harry clung tight to his Potion Masters robes as he walked. I wonder if Snape would come back for me if I got lost? Harry thought. He could have sworn he heard Snape laugh a little.

Which way did he choose!? It’s bothering me. Loyalties? Whatever. I'm thirsty again. Harry almost thought that Snape was sensing all of his random thoughts. He tried to stop himself from thinking anything stupid. "Professor I have to go to the bathroom." Harry said finally.

"Well I don’t see a bathroom anywhere! You'll just have to wait." Snape said, sounding annoyed again.

Harry sighed. I can’t wait for five days! Ughhh! Why isn't there anything to eat down here?! Did Salazar expect people to eat eachother?!

"Probably." Snape said coolly. "He wasn't known for being the most amicable when it came to the founders of Hogwarts."

"Aren't you hungry or thirsty?" Harry persisted.

"Yes, Potter. However, unlike you, I'm not complaining about it! If you can't go a few days without food or water then you are weak." Snape finished sourly.

When I'm with the Dursley's I go days, sometimes weeks, without food or water as a punishment. Ha! Me? Weak? That’s laughable. Try living with them for a week and say that I’m weak.

Snape didn’t say anything. He suddenly thought of a greasy haired, hooked nose man towering over him.

"Do you think that Dumbledore knows where we are?" Harry asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.

"It’s Professor Dumbledore, and I’m sure that the headmaster probably does. There is, however, nothing in his capacity that he can currently do. We have to find our own way out." Snape finished with a sigh. They walked a while before Snape broke the silence. "Alright, it looks like the end of this corridor is close. Keep the blindfold on until I say so." He said, walking a little faster. Harry was relieved. He trusted Snape, but he just didn’t like not knowing what was going on, or where he was going. Anybody would hate that.

Snape finally stopped and Harry walked into him and fell backwards. "S-sorry Professor!" Harry breathed out, trying to stand up. Harry felt Snape pull him to his feet and take his blindfold off. Harry was handed his glasses, and he quickly put them on. Looking up at his Potions Master, Harry noticed that Snape's years were starting to take toll. The lines on his face were even more visible. His eyelids were tinged red and he had dark shadows under his eyes. He looked as though the walk had hurt him. Not physically, of course. His eyes showed a myriad of emotions, sadness, happiness, and, most of all, regret.

"Are you…" Harry started. He wasn’t sure if he should ask Snape if he was alright. He knew that Snape would never tell him the truth, but he looked torn.

"Am I what, Potter?" Snape asked, sounding tired.

"Er-…nothing, never mind." Harry said. He figured that Snape wouldn’t tell him how he was, so he decided to leave the matter alone. Snape stared at Harry, then looked past him. He was staring at the wall opposite of the three hallways, which were still empty. Harry turned around and finally saw what Snape was looking at. It was a basin full of, what appeared to be, water.

Harry ran up to it, not thinking about what the liquid could be and put his hands into the clear liquid. Snape came from behind him, grabbed him back by his collar, and glared at him. "Do you have any brains at all? Do you not find it strange that there is water here?"

"What? You mean its poison?" Harry asked, rather embarrassed. He hadn't thought of that. He was just thirsty. That didn’t make him not think though, that he should have known better.

"It might be! Wait, let me see if it is safe to drink." Snape said, irritated. He walked up to the basin and carefully surveyed it. No visible poison…He scooped some into his hands and smelled it. No smell…He hesitated, then throwing caution aside, drank what was in his hands. Whatever this is, it isn't water…

"This is not water. Wait about ten minutes, and if nothing happens to me…then you may have some." Snape ended. He sat down with his back to the wall and watched while Harry did the same.

"What do you think it was?" Harry asked, looking a little anxious.

"I'm not sure. It could be anything." Snape said, a thin gloss forming over his eyes.

"What if you get poisoned? What am I going to do?" He questioned. What would he do? Would Snape tell him to go and leave him? Snape didn’t respond. His eyes became unfixed and all emotion from them had been drained. Harry noticed the change in his Professor and became worried. "Professor?…Snape? Professor?!" Harry shouted at his teacher.

Harry slowly walked up to Snape. He ran his hand in front of his face a couple of times and nothing happened. He became worried. What should he do?

"Professor? Are you there?" Harry tried again.

"Yes." Snape said plainly, without emotion. His eyes were still unfixed. Harry looked at the basin of water. No…could it be…

He quickly looked at his Potion Master and sat down in front of him. "Professor…what is my name?"

"Harry James Potter." Came the emotionless voice.

“Is the basin full of Veritaserum?" Harry asked, now excited.

"Yes."

He knew it! Snape had swallowed Veritaserum! Harry considered to let sleeping dragons lie, but this was a once in a lifetime chance.

"Alright then." said Harry. What should I ask?

"Alright then…" Harry said. What am I going to ask?…

Harry eyed his professor, thinking what he could ask him. Before all this happened he would have jumped on the idea of Snape being under Veritaserium and being able to ask whatever he wanted, but now that the opportunity was here, he couldn’t think of anything to ask. Harry considered asking Snape how Veritaserum worked, that would count as a question right? "Professor, how does Veritaserum work?" Harry asked.

"Veritaserum is a strong truth serum. 3 drops would make anybody spill there darkest secrets, whether they liked it or not. While under Verituserum the user will have a blank, unfixed gaze. After the Serum wears off, the user will remember nothing of the experience. The normal amount of time to be under Veritaserum is 10 minutes." The elder Slytherin finished, still emotionless.

Harry processed what Snape said. …the user will remember nothing of the experience.

"It hides the blood stains." He said, still unmoved.

"…oh." Harry said, all enthusiasm gone. Blood stains? He hadn't expected that answer. He expected Snape to say something like, 'I think it make me look cool', or 'It my favorite color.' Not 'It hides the blood stains.' Was Snape in that much danger that he wore all black all day everyday, just for the sole purpose of hiding blood? Well it would make sense. He was a spy. Harry considered not asking anymore questions, not liking his first answer. But what would a few more harmless questions do?

"Umm,…oh! Why is your hair so greasy?" Harry said with a smile on his face. He had wanted to ask Snape that for years.

"It is because I stand over a fuming cauldron all day. And it is genetic."

"Like your nose?" Harry said, still smiling.

"Yes."

Harry was enjoying this. He hadn't considered where he was, how much time he had left, he had even forgot he was hungry, thirsty, and had to go to the bathroom.

"Are you a Vampire?" Harry asked. The answer was obviously 'no'. But he wanted to ask anyway.

"No."

Harry laughed. He would be scared if he ever asked Snape any of those questions when he was conscious. Hopefully Snape wont figure out what happened! Then Harry thought of something. "Have you been listening to my thoughts? And if so why?" He asked. Snape had shown some signs of listening to Harry's thoughts. He needed to know why.

"Yes, because it kept my mind on other things. Listening to your thoughts made thinking about other things easier." Snape said. His eyes were still glazed.

"Were you using Legitiments?" Harry asked.

"Yes, a different form of Legitiments."

He knew it! Snape was listening to his thoughts. He could have just asked him what he was thinking.

Harry looked over his Potions Master. He remember how Snape looked after following…Harry realized he didn't know who Snape had followed. He was excited now. Snape didn’t want him to know, though. Why didn’t he want me to know?…something about my life wont be the only one at risk if I knew. Harry wanted to ask Snape who he followed. He wanted, no needed to know where his loyalties lay. But what if he was on our side and Voldemort found out?…then he'll have a reason to wear black. No. He couldn’t do it. He wouldn't put Snape in danger just to please his curiosity. He would just have to ask little questions till the 10 minutes was up.

Harry sighed. He couldn't ask any major questions he wanted to ask. Nothing about the war, Voldemort, or…his mother? That wouldn’t put anyone in danger. Snape did grow up with his mum, he had to know some stuff about her!

"Snape did you know my mum?" Harry asked, he wanted to know whatever he could about her.

"Yes, I knew Lily Evens."

"Were you her friend?" Harry said before he could stop himself.

"Yes. She and I were best friends, up until our 6th year."

Harry was stunned. His mother had been best friends with Severus Snape? He knew that they knew each other and grew up not very far apart, but best friends? If that was the case, then why does Snape treat him the way he does? Wouldn’t he want to treat his 'best friends' son better? Harry had to know more.

"How good of friends were you?" Harry asked, moving a little closer to Snape.

"We were best friends, even though we were in opposite houses. We often sat together to make James mad. She liked doing that." He said in the still emotionless voice. Harry noticed that a faint glimmer was returning to Snape's eyes. I don’t have a lot of time left… Harry thought.

"What made my mum not want to be friends with you ?" Harry asked eagerly. He was going to try and get as many answers out of Snape as he could.

"After the exam in our 6th year, James and his friends started to curse me. I was soon without my wand and hanging upside down. She came up to us and told James to leave me alone, I called her a 'Mudblood' and she tried to avoid me from that moment on." The Elder Slytherin said. Harry wasn’t sure what to feel. Snape had said something about his father cursing him. Why would he do that. Snape probably did something to deserve it… He thought. His father wouldn’t just attack someone for nothing…right?

"What did you do to make my dad curse you?" Harry asked a little forcefully.

"Nothing. James and I had been enemies throughout our years at Hogwarts. He had a lot of fun cursing me when my back was turned."

Harry was even more stunned. Even he wouldn’t curse someone while there back was turned, not even Malfoy. No, Snape had to be lying. His father wouldn’t do something like that. Harry looked away from Snape for a moment at the wall. What should I ask him? My Father wouldn’t do anything like that…. he thought. He considered what to ask Snape for a few minutes then said, "Why did you hate my father?" while still looking at the wall.

"Well, maybe because he was a thick-headed idiot, Potter! Why are you questioning me?!" The now conscious Snape said. Harry turned to his potions master, his eyes wide. Snape's eyes now showed signs of life, and they were glaring at Harry. "Answer me Potter! Why were you questioning me? What happened?" He said. Snape looked around the room, his eyes fell on the basin of water in the corner. Snape's eyes widened a little before he turned back to Harry. "What happened ?" He asked a little softer.

Harry wasn’t sure if he should tell Snape that he was under Verituserum. No, just say the water knocked him out…That’s to obvious. Maybe I should just tell him? But then he'll go all crazy…But I didn’t ask anything important… Harry struggled with his inner thoughts.

Snape sighed an annoyed sigh. "Potter, I already know I was under Verituserum. I realized my mistake before I could do anything about it.," Snape said, a very small look of fear in his eyes. "What did you ask?"

"Potter, I already know I was under Verituserum. Figured it out right before I went out…now," Snape said, a very small look of fear in his eyes. "What did you ask?"

Harry stared at his teacher and considered what to tell him. Just tell him the truth…I didn’t ask anything major…maybe a little embarrassing, but nothing major…Just say you asked him about the Verituserum, his clothes,…and the…Legitimates! No need to mention the vampire his hair or…mum…

"Potter!" Snape said forcefully. "Stop daydreaming and tell me what you asked. ALL that you asked." He finished. Harry flushed a little. Maybe Snape was to tired to do Legitimates on him…

"I asked how Verituserum worked." Harry started. He tried not to look into Snape's eyes, so he chose a spot directly over his shoulder, that’s what Dumbledore did.

"And my reply was?" Snape asked. If Potter thinks he can fool me…he has another thing coming…that little impudent brat have better not asked anything about Order business…so help me if he asked about my hair…

"Umm…you said that Veritaserum is a strong truth serum. 3 drops would make anybody spill there darkest secrets. While under Verituserum the user will have a blank, unfixed gaze. And when the Serum wears off, the user will remember nothing of the experience. Oh, and the normal amount of time to be under the serum is about 10 minutes…" Harry said, trying to remember Snape's exact words so he couldn’t call him a liar. It seemed like the 10 minutes went by in about 4, to Harry. He had a hard time thinking of things to ask Snape. But now, he remembered some questions he wanted to ask, when he didn’t have the chance to.

Snape nodded at Harry's answer. Hmm…sounds about right… Snape thought. He was still unaware that Harry wasn’t looking straight at him. "What else?"

"I asked if you were reading my thoughts while we were walking in the corridors." Harry said, smirking a little. He wanted to see how Snape was going to talk his way out of this one. "You said you were. Because it 'kept your mind on other things'." Harry said using is fingers to make air quotation marks. He was still smirking at Snape as he replied. "Of course I was listening to you stupid Gryffindor thoughts. How else was I to be sure you wouldn’t try anything?" He said, also smirking. "And it did take my mind off our situation, a little. Listening to your useless ranting was almost amusing."

By the time Snape had finished Harry's smirk was already gone. Snape could talk his way out of any situation. The man would make an excellent lawyer. There were two small patches of color on Harry's cheeks. Why did Snape have to be so smooth? "Oh…I am glad you found my thoughts a little amusing, Professor." Harry said, still looking past Snape. "Yes…well keep going, Potter. What else?"

"I asked why…you always wore black…" Harry said, he took his eyes off the wall and looked directly at Snape. He wished he hadn't asked that question, he really didn’t like the answer he got from Snape. Harry wondered how many more scars Snape had, as opposed to him.

Snape looked away for a moment then looked back at Harry. "…and I said?" He asked.

"You said…'Because it covers the blood stains'…" Harry ended with a sigh. He waned to ask Snape who made him bleed that much…but he already knew the answer.

"Yes…the Dark Lord…doesn’t take kind to failure. I will surely have to pay for not responding to his call…" Snape slowly closed his eyes. He realized he shouldn’t have said that. The boy was too young to know of true evil. Especially the Dark Lord. Snape remembered the burning sensation he felt in his left arm after Harry had fallen asleep. How was he going to talk his way out of that one?

"Nothing. That is it." Harry said, a little too quickly. He tried to look away from Snape's eyes, but it too late. "Don’t lie to me, Potter! I know that is not all you asked. Three questions in ten minutes, that is hardly believable. What else?" Snape said, glaring at Harry. It was obvious that Harry was embarrassed about something. The red cheeks and sweat running down his forehead complemented by clearing his throat every 10 seconds wasn’t exactly the calm behavior.

Snape raised an eyebrow at Harry. What in the world could he have asked that is so embarrassing?… Snape continued to star at Harry, of course Harry cracked first. "I uhh.." Clears throat." I dint ask anymore questions s-sir…" Harry said, face still red. Oh god, if I tell him about his hair and the vampire…Voldemort wont have a chance with me…

"Your not a very good liar, Potter. But I do believe you are already aware of that. As you always say the same thing before you lie." He said. He tilted his head down a little but kept his eyes on Harry. "What. Did. You. Ask?"

Harry cleared his throat again. "I uhh…I asked if you were a vam…a vampire." Harry said looking away. He couldn’t help but smile a little, it was after all a little funny. He didn’t want to hear Snape's reply. But at the same time he did.

Snape considered what to say to Harry. Why do people think that I am a vampire?! I am obviously not! Perhaps I should reconsider my attire… "I see. And my reply was 'no' I do believe?" Snape said, not entirely sure what emotion he should express. He just continued to stare at Potter. The boy had some guts to ask him those questions, even under verituserum.

"Yeah you said no. It just slipped out. I couldn’t help myself." Harry ended with a smile. Of course he could have not asked that question, but what fun would that be? Woo! Glad he isn't mad!

"…yes. Now what else? Come on Potter, we haven't got forever."

"What is with you all and my appearance?! I stand over a fuming caldron ALL day. And you all still wonder about MY hair? What about yours Mr. Potter? Have you ever taken a comb to that mop on your head?" Snape said, frustrated. He looked at Harry, who was trying to stop himself from laughing. Snape never lost his cool, and seeing it was absolutely hilarious. Snape was still fuming as Harry said "You said because you stand over a cauldron all day, and that its genetics." He want to continue to say like your nose but he figured that he was in too deep anyway. Harry coughed loudly for about 10 seconds, trying to cover up his laughter.

Snape stared at the child in front of him, What is so funny?! Ugh…this better be the end of these ridicules questions!… "Is there anything else, Potter? Are you quite finished?" Snape said as Harry's muffled laughter continued.

Harry cleared his throat before answering. "I don’t know what your talking about Professor. And yes that's all the questions." Harry said. Should I ask about mum?! I really want to know…Would Snape tell me?… Harry sat up on his knees and waited for his Professor to do the same. Snape narrowed his eyes at Harry, "Potter, did you ask who it was I followed down the hall?" Harry knew that he would be asked that question, so naturally he had a response ready. "I didn’t ask. You said that more than one life would be in danger if I knew, so I decided that I shouldn’t ask. I wouldn’t want any more people to die because of me. I believe that would be the Gryffindor thing to do, right Sir?" Harry ended with a smirk.

Snape stared at his student. Hmm…he doesn’t appear to be lying…He's rushing something… "Very well, Potter. But I know that there is something else that you asked. And I wish to know what that thing is." Snape said, gesturing Harry to sit down again.

"I-I didn’t ask who anything else Professor. That’s all." Harry said, a little too quickly. Why was he nervous? It wasn’t a question that would get him in trouble. Or…was he afraid of the truth?

"Don’t lie to me! If you don’t tell me on your own, I will just have you take the serum. Now, shall we do this the easy way or the hard way?" Snape said with a burning glare.

Busted! Stupid Snape! Am I that obvious? Well I cant get in trouble…It WAS just a question… "NOW POTTER!" Here it goes…

"I…I asked about…"

"Yes?"

"About my…mum." Harry said at last. There was no reason why he was nervous, he didn’t know, he just was. He suddenly tensed up, waiting for something, but Snape didn’t move, nor did he say anything.

Snape slowly closed his eyes, he folded his hands over his mouth and placed his thumbs underneath his chin, so he looked like he was deep in thought. He soon open his eyes and looked at Harry. At first his eyes flashed with anger, Didn’t ask, did you?… but then they grew softer. He showed no signs of lying…but why ask that?! Of all people, he had to chose…her… "Very well, Potter. I do believe it's time to get going. As I see it we only have, at the most, three and a half days before the Labyrinth vanishes, we need to hurry." Snape said, he stood up and waited for Harry, who got up as well. They walked to the center of the room, the three corridors were replaced by one.

There were a lot of questions running through Harry's mind at the moment, but he decided he shouldn’t worry bout those at the moment. "What should we do? There's only one hall. And nothing is appearing."

"I can see that, Potter. I suppose we have no choice, we'll just take the remaining hallway." Snape said, he and Harry started to walk into the hallway.

Harry and Snape continued to walk in silence for a good portion of the hall before Harry finally spoke up. "How long do you think we've been down here?" He asked, bags forming under is eyes. Harry nor Snape had slept for a while, being under verituserum doesn’t count as sleep, does it?

"I unsure…longer that I would like, most definitely. I don’t believe we will be staying in here much longer, thank Merlin…" Snape trailed off. His eyes too had bags underneath them.

Harry was glad that he and Snape wouldn’t be stuck together forever. The walked in silence a little while longer, Harry was thinking of a certain thing Snape had said about Voldemort. Something about being summoned…

"Umm, Professor?" Harry asked hesitantly.

"Yes, Potter?" Snape replied, a small hint of venom in his voice.

"Er..uhh…were you…" Harry stammered, trying to find the right words to fit his question.

"Spit it out, Potter!" Snape said, sounding irritated.

"You said something about Vold-" "Don’t say his name!" "Oh, right. Umm…He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Were you summoned by him?" Harry asked, hoping that he would get an answer.

"…that is none of your concern." Snape looked away from Harry. "It is none of your business whether the Dark Lord has summ-…oned me or not…" Snape said, his face showed signs of pain. His right hand quickly grabbed his left arm. A familiar burning was starting to occur once again.

"Snape! What's wrong?!" Harry asked franticly. He had never seen his professor in pain, he didn’t think Snape felt pain. Harry soon realized what was happening. Snape was being summoned to He-Who-Likes-To-Torture-And-Burn-His-Followers. Harry couldn’t think of anything to do, should he offer to help Snape? But what could he do?

"Nothing is wrong. I am fine…" Snape said, his hand was rubbing his left arm. "Now…lets keep…" Snape stopped walking. He stared to lean on the wall next to him.

"Professor?!" Harry yelled as Snape slumped to the ground.

"Professor?!" Harry shouted as Snape slumped to the floor.

"Snape?" Harry asked kneeling on the floor next to his Potions Master. Snape was still awake but he looked like he just ran a marathon.

"I'm fine, Potter…It seems the after effects of the serum have not yet warn off…" Snape said, right arm still holding the left. "And as I am sure you have guessed…I was just summoned by the Dark Lord. Unfortunately he will have to wait a little longer…" He ended venomously.

"What effects? What will happen if you don’t go?" Harry asked. Oh man…I bet Voldemort was mad when Snape didn’t come the first time, what will happen if he doesn’t come again… Harry's thoughts raced around his head, he was actually worried about Snape.

"When under the serum you are mentally unconscious. Your body is constantly fighting to regain control, that is why you are only under the effects for about 10 minutes, and when most finally awake, they are mentally and physically exhausted…" Snape explained. He was now standing up, leaning on the wall for support. "And as for 'what will happen if I don’t go', that is none of your business or concern."

Harry reluctantly nodded, he couldn’t do anything to force Snape to tell him the what would happen. And he knew that Snape wasn't going to willingly tell him, so let the topic go, momentarily of course.

Snape took one more deep breath before standing and leaning against the wall. Harry also stood up and observed his professor a little longer. He then focused his attention on the hallway they were walking in. The lighting was different, almost seemed as if the room was brighter. And farther down the hallway, there were various, small tables holding candles in colors of green and silver. Slytherin colors…. Harry also noticed the floor, the carpet was smoother and not as rough as before. Perhaps these were signs of the labyrinth coming to an end.

"Noticing your surroundings have changed?" a voice next to him said. Snape was no longer in a state of calamity. He was upright again. "Uhh…yeah. The room seems different, brighter and softer." Snape raised an eyebrow at the teen standing in from of him. "Softer?.." Harry blushed slightly. "Yeah...you know…the carpet is soft….." He trailed off.

As if knowing what Harry was thinking, Snape began to walk a little slower. The walked for a short while before Harry asked "How much longer do you think we have to walk in here?"

"I'm not sure. As you said, the room is a bit lighter and…softer. That might be signaling the end of this maze." He answered. "Oh…alright." Harry said before drifting off into his thoughts.

"Congratulations Mr. Potter. You have just proven that a person can stare into space and walk at the same time. Bravo." Snape said, with sarcasm plastered over every word. "It seems that lack of energy and sleep are starting to get to you, Mr. Potter. Keep you thoughts focused on getting out of here safely, and not on what other people might be doing!"

"I cant stop what I'm thinking! And if you don’t like it then stop listening to my thoughts!" Harry shouted before he could stop himself. Snape glared and clenched his teeth. In one swift movement he grabbed Harry by the collar and lifted him too his feet. "Do not talk to me in that tone, Potter." Snape whispered, his hands still clenched on Harry's shirt. "Let's go." He quickly let go of the boys collar, turned around, and started to walk.

Harry followed a few feet behind his professor. Jerk…

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Harry sighed as the light from his wand went off again. "Lumos…" slowly the tip of the wand flickered on, and then off again.

"Forget it Potter." Snape sneered. His wand glowing brightly. "Salazar made these corridors to react differently towards Slytherin's. A Gryffindor's was is utterly useless, while a Slytherin's could perform extremely limited magic. But limited magic is better than no magic at all." He ended with a smirk. Harry couldn’t argue with that. Some magic was better than none. Harry sighed again. "So he made it that only his students could actually pass the test? That's unfair."

"That it might be, to the other houses. But seeing as that none of the other founders realized that he never destroyed the Labyrinth, it didn’t really matter. And there is no record of a Slytherin passing the test. Or any student passing. There aren't even any documents saying he tested any students at all."

Harry stuffed his wand into his robes. It was practically useless there. "Hopefully we're almost done here."

Snape made an unemotional grunt and continued walking.

After a while of following Snape in the darkness, Harry stopped an exclaimed "It looks like there's a door at the end of the tunnel! Come on Sna--Professor!"

Harry and Snape both examined the door in front of them. It was dark brown and had various runes carved all over it. The handle was made of a black, almost glass-like, substance.

"Should we go through it?"

"Yes seeing as though this is the end of the tunnel, and it would be foolish to go back." Snape slowly turned opened the door. They couldn’t see anything but a dull glow coming out of the door.

"Should we just go through separately or…what?"

"No. Separately is not a good idea…grab hold of my robes, we should be connected. Anything could happen if we pass through separately." Harry quickly grabbed the piece of cloth he was given. Quickly the two passed through the door and landed with a 'thud' on the stone floor of the Headmasters office.

"Severus, Harry, I've been expecting you!" A high female voice called from the large chair behind the newly pink desk. "How was the Labyrinth? You must inquire me about everything that happened. Oh, and Mr. Potter. Your friends need to tell you something." Umbridge said sweetly. She pointed to four chairs, which held Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna, all of which look depressed and sorry.

"Severus, Harry, I've been expecting you!" A high female voice called from the large chair behind the newly pink desk. "How was the Labyrinth? You must inquire me about everything that happened. Oh, and Mr. Potter. Your friends need to tell you something." Umbridge said sweetly. She pointed to four chairs, which held Ron, Hermione, Neville, and Luna, all of which look depressed and sorry.

Harry stared at his friends, none of them made eye contact. Harry glanced at Snape, who looked equally dumbfounded at the scene in front of them.

"Dolores, where is the headmaster?" Snape said, stepping up to face the pink toad. "why has his office been…redecorated?" He asked, staring at the various kittens and pink plushies around the room.

The pink thing took a step toward the two, "Well, Albus has decided to go against the ministry, and is now in hiding. Fudge has decreed that I be the new headmistress." She said with bitter sweetness. "Harry…your friends." Harry looked at the 4 people in the chairs.

"Guys…what is it?"

"Harry, the DA…" Hermione said, gesturing to Umbridge's desk, where 4 golden coins lay. "It's over."

"Sorry mate…" Ron hung his head.

"Dumbledore's gone…" Neville shut his eyes.

"Harry, it's alright. No one got hurt." Luna said melodiously.

Harry couldn’t believe his ears. Umbridge had found out, she new, and she knew Harry was the leader of it all. Harry looked at Snape, he looked deep in thought. The headmaster is gone. And Potter's going to be in an abhorrent amount of trouble…The gold coins…perhaps that is how this charade lasted so long…

Snape slowly walked toward Umbridge. "I see…Delores, would you mind if I had a moment with Potter. Perhaps there is more valuable information that only he holds."

This got her full attention, "Yes, of course Severus! Please do." She opened the office door with a flick of her wand. Harry and Snape walked down the staircase, soon they reached the bottom and Snape turned to Harry. "Follow me, quickly!" Snape threw over his shoulder as he hurried to an unknown destination.

Harry was jogging to keep up with Snape, who was walking fairly fast.

Soon they arrived at an empty classroom. Snape quickly closed and locked the door with a spell. "Potter, with the headmaster gone you are a sitting duck for the Ministry. I'm guessing Albus left no idea of where he is hiding, but I have an idea…we will go directly to the Order of The Phoenix's headquarters. Your friends must, however, stay here." Snape peered through the only window in the classroom. "Here." He said as he shoved the coin that stared there whole ordeal into Harry's hands. "It might come in handy. Surely nobody else in your little club has one, anymore. It will be safe to use. And I also have one…now." Snape took another golden coin from his pocket. "I took it while that woman wasn’t looking." Snape said with a smirk. "When we arrive at the Headquarters, I will come back here. If any people from the ministry show up, us this. Or if Albus shows up."

Harry nodded, he was having hard time processing what just happened. He was still concentrating on the 'you cant bring your friends' part.

"I'm sure Black will be more than happy to keep you quiet." He said sourly.

"Sirius…I bet he knows where Dumbledore is!"

"Hmm…" Snape rolled his onyx eyes at the Sirius's name. "We don’t have much time, it doesn't take that long to interrogate someone. We'll have too move fast and get to the grounds. It shouldn't take long. Try and keep up, I don’t feel like holding your hand through this."

Harry glared at the back of Snape's head. Condescending jerk…

Harry and Snape made it to the grounds in a matter of minutes. With no portraits to tattle on them, it was fairly easy.

"Alright, when we reach the woods grab onto my robes. We'll have to apparate." Snape waved his wand and for a brief moment Harry was surrounded by a dark purple mist. "I have placed a charm on you." Snape answered the questioned glance he was getting. "It's to keep you under the radar, you are not yet of age…Don’t think of trying it yourself. It's considerable dark magic."

Harry nodded slightly in approval.

The Forbidden Forest was close. The two had to hid and sneak in the shadows to get to there.

"Now Potter!"

Harry grabbed his Potion Professor's robes and disappeared with a loud CRACK!

---------------

The two landed in front of the Order's headquarters and quickly walked in.

"Who's there?!" Sirius ran from the hall with his wand ready. His dark brown curls covering his left eye.

"Sirius! It's me!…and Snape." Harry said, taking a few steps towards him.

"Prove it." Sirius said, not putting down the wand. Apparently Snape and Harry arriving unscheduled was a bad thing, with the Ministry and everything. And none can be trusted.

"For Merlin's sake Black! I am Severus Snape and this is your godson Harry James Potter!" he spat out Harry's middle and last name like it was bone replenishing potion. "You can take the form of a large bear-dog, or whatever it is, and this is the Order of the Phoenix's headquarters. My birthday is January 9th and I hate your stupid guts. Go, Potter." Snape finished, trying to prove to Sirius that is was indeed him.

"Uhh...well…your nickname is Padfoot. I have the Marauders map you and my father mad while in Hogwarts. Me and Hermione helped you escape getting your soul sucked out by the dementors. And Remus's nickname is Moony….Oh! And you are the only person in your family to be in Gryffindor and not Slytherin." Harry took another step toward Sirius, who by hearing all of this finally put his wand down and smiled at Harry.

Sirius sighed and said, "I'm sorry Harry. There's been so much havoc lately, its just a necessary precaution. I hear Umbridge has taken over Hogwarts, is that why you’re here?" Sirius said while giving Harry a big bear hug.

"Actually that's exactly why we're here. With Albus gone Potter is an easy target for that woman, and the Ministry. Potter must stay here until I have made safety measures at Hogwarts. I assume that is alright?" Snape said, mildly glaring at Sirius.

"Never assume anything Snivels. It makes and a--" Sirius was cut off by Remus walking in.

"Harry! Severus! What an interesting surprise. Is everything alright?" Remus asked, sounding a little worried.

"Things could be better. Let's go into the kitchen, Tonks and Mad-eye are here as well." Sirius began to walk to the open door at with his arm around Harry's shoulders. Snape took a watch from his pocket and checked the time, he could spare 5 minutes taking to these idiots.

"Harry and Severus are here, its urgent." Remus said as he entered the room. He soon had Tonks's and Mad-Eye's full attention. Harry, Sirius , and Snape walked in wand sat down. Snape stood in his usual spot at the front of the table.

"Well?" Tonks asked. "Has something happened?"

"Yes," Snape started talking. "It appears that this year was the year that Salazar's Labyrinth appeared once again." Mad-Eye nodded, but Tonks looked confused. "I don’t have time to explain everything right now, supposedly I am interrogating Potter for information on Dumbledore's whereabouts. Know where he is?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Aye! He was here a few days ago, left to go to an undisclosed location, said it was better for our own safety that we didn’t know." Mad-Eye answered.

Snape nodded. Sounds about right… "During Potter's detention we both accidentally fell into the Labyrinth and just barely came out today, no less than an hour ago. When--"

"Why did Harry have detention?!" Sirius asked, cutting off Snape.

"Not now Black! Potter will have to fill in after I leave. As I was saying…when we ended up in the Headmaster's office, Albus was gone and Umbridge was there. Fudge has apparently placed her as the new head of Hogwarts…And that leaves off to where I started. I told her I would ask potter questions and we both left the ground and apparated here. I placed a charm on Potter so he shall not be detected by the Ministry while we apparated. He needs to stay here while I go back and make arrangements…" Snape took the watch from his pocket out again. He had spent 7 minutes talking about the events. "I have to go, if I take anymore time she will know something is happened with Potter." Snape faced Harry, who was sitting next to Sirius. "Don’t forget about that coin." Harry nodded. Snape quickly turned, "I will be coming back for Potter when everything has been set, don’t ask me stupid questions the next time I come." He threw over his shoulder.

Snape quickly exited the kitchen and soon he heard the front door close and the sound of apparation.

"Why did you have detention?" Sirius asked Harry. "Is that git punishing you for no reason?"

"No, well…I just wouldn’t tell him what this coin was for." Harry held up the fake galleon, and handed it Sirius. "It's for the D.A. Anyway while I was in detention we fell through this picture that was apparently the was into the Labyrinth. Which reminds me that I haven't eaten or gone to the bathroom in about 3 days so excuse me." Harry rushed out of the kitchen and into the bathroom.

"Moody, what is this Labyrinth?" Tonks asked while Harry was in the bathroom. "Ah…it's Salazar's labyrinth. He built it to test the high ranked students of Hogwarts. But since none of them made it out alive, the other founders forced him to destroy it. Of course he didn’t want to ruin something' he worked so hard on, so he sent it to a different dimension. It returns once every 10 years, for about 5 days." Moody's fake eye went to the spot where Harry was sitting. "It's a miracle they made it out. But with Severus, Harry was alright. The place gave Slytherins and edge. Their magic worked a little, the other student's magic didn’t. So they were alright from the beginning."

"I see…" Tonks nodded and looked at Lupin. "I guess it's a good thing Snape brought Harry here. What arrangements do you think he has to make? It wont be very safe for him anywhere Umbridge is."

"I'm not sure, we'll just let Severus do whatever he's going to do." Remus answered.

Sirius had been listen to the conversation while he was making Harry something to eat, he wasn’t pleased with this labyrinth Harry had been stuck in for 3 days, and with Snape was even worse. But he knew what they were saying was right. Snape wouldn’t let Harry die, no matter how much he hated him.

Five minutes later Harry was back and sitting down next to Sirius, who had made him some soup and a ham sandwich. "It's the only thing I can make that wont turn out extra toasty." Sirius smiled.

"It's alright! I'm starving." Harry began eating his sandwich, not really paying attention to the people around him.

Remus looked at the watch on his hand, "I think its about time we get going, see you all later." Remus and Tonks got up.

"Yes." Mad-Eye also stood up and nodded his head at Harry and Sirius. Soon the three left out the kitchen and out the front door.

"Um reewy gwad to swee you agwen Sewius." Harry said through mouthfuls of food.

Sirius smiled at the boy in front of him. "Yes. Now Harry, fill me in on everything that happened so far. What did you do in the Labyrinth?"

Severus Snape walked slowly back to the opened doors of Hogwarts. He had just left Harry at Sirius’s and was now slowly making his way back the Headmasters office. The corridor to Umbridge’s room seen like the longest he had to take. He was purposely walking slowly, he had to quickly think of an excuse for why Harry wasn’t with him. Surely he couldn’t the ‘He just got away’ excuse. No, he had to think of something better, Something that not even Umbridge would expect. But how could Harry have escaped? He was, in all reality, supposed to be interrogating him. And with all the new school rules passed, he could have strapped Harry to a chair and violently forced him to talk. It would be nearly impossible for him to get away in these conditions. No…I need more time to think…

Snape quickly turned on his heels and walked out of the corridor. He started back to his office, thinking about all the excuses he could come up with.

"So Harry, what else did you discover about Snivillus?" Sirius smirked at Harry. The last 10 minutes of their conversation had been filled with Harry’s experiences in the Labyrinth, particularly the part where Snape drank virituserum.

"OH! Snape’s hair is always greasy because, ‘he stands over a fuming cauldron all day.’ and it’s genetic." Harry said using air quotes. Sirius laughed loudly at this.

"I knew that he was naturally greasy." Sirius took a drink of his coffee and focused his eyes on Harry.

"Sirius…When me and Snape came back came into Dumbledore’s office, Umbridge was there." Harry looked confused. He didn’t even have anytime to talk to Hermione or Ron to see what was going on.

"Yes I know. The Ministry made Umbridge the headmaster of Hogwarts a few days ago. Fudge is losing his mind. He suddenly thinks that Dumbledore is after his position. Umbridge was undoubtedly feeding him that thought. They tried to send Dumbledore to Azcaban the day Umbridge became headmistress."

" Why did Fudge start thinking that?" Harry picked up the coin Snape had left him started to run it through his fingers.

"That’s why." Sirius pointed to the fake galleon. "Umbridge was slipping truth-telling serum into students drinks as she interviewed them. One student apparently didn’t know she was doing that and drank the serum. They spilled everything to her. Everything about Dumbledore’s Army and what you were teaching them." Sirius pointed a slender finger at Harry and bore into his eyes. "Your father would be proud, Harry. However, Dumbledore took the fall for you. He told the Minister that he was starting an army of his own, and that he appointed you to teach his new army."

Harry sat in silence. Dumbledore had taken the fall for him, and he was being hunted by the Ministry. "They didn’t take him to Azcaban, right?" Harry placed the fake galleon back on the table.

"No, he escaped the day Umbridge was appointed. Not even Azcaban could hold Dumbledore anyway." Sirius looked thoughtful. "What exactly were you teaching your army Harry?" Sirius smiled.

"I had taught them how to cast a Patronus charm. And the disarming charm…I wanted to teach them more but I didn’t have enough time." Harry looked disappointed, this was all his fault.

"That’s very advanced magic, Harry, I’m impressed. I still have trouble producing a Patronus charm. I remember in your third year, when Remus was your Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, he told me you first produced the charm during one of your practice sessions. I was very surprised. You could have given your father a run for his money, you know." There was a twinkle in Sirius’s eye.

"Thanks Sirius." Harry picked up the coin again. "Sirius, what does your Patronus look like?"

Snape quickly walked back to the Headmasters office. He had the perfect alibi, but first he had to make a stop at Filch’s office.