Harry woke up screaming -- again. Ron had rushed to his bed as soon as he'd started moaning, and when the moans had turned into screams he'd woken his best friend up. Harry woke with a start, at first he looked confused, but after Ron handed him his glasses he composed himself. "Vision. Voldemort," was all he said before grabbing his invisibility cloak and leaving.

Harry put on his invisibility cloak and walked out of the Common Room. He knew he probably wouldn't be able to fall asleep again especially not after witnessing that. He'd had the rather dubious privilege of witnessing one of the Death Eaters' revels. Harry truly did not want to know what kind of person could take joy in what went on at those events. Unfortunately, he did know, and he knew only too well.

Harry walked and walked. It was a familiar path that he was taking now. He'd gotten in the habit of walking to the Astronomy Tower whenever his dreams took a particularly nasty turn. Tonight's dream was no exception. He'd walk up to the top of the tower and, after sitting there for a few hours, he would get to see the sun come up and that was when he knew that it was time to go back down and get ready for breakfast and whatever classes he had that day.

As Harry climbed the last few steps to the top of the tower, he started to relax. There was a slight breeze coming through and it seemed to blow away some of his tension and fear. He opened the door and stepped outside. After standing for a few minutes, Harry threw off his cloak and turned to one of the class telescopes that had been left out. He noticed that Mars was looking especially bright, so he turned the telescope in that direction.

Harry spent the next two hours lost in the heavens. While he didn't particularly care for his Astronomy class, he did sometimes like the practical part. Especially on nights like this one where it was easier to escape into Space than to stay on Earth and deal with Voldemort.

Finally Harry turned his attention away from the telescope. He sat down and dangled his legs off of the tower. He could just see the Sun in the horizon; it was looking to be a beautiful day. He sighed and thought about his dreams. Sometimes he thought that the information gained from his dreams was very useful and that he shouldn't want to be rid of them, but other times, he thought that he would do anything to never have to see another revel again. The screams of those Voldemort's followers had been torturing echoed in his head, and finally he stood up, grabbed his cloak, and ran to the Headmaster's office with tears falling down his face.

Snape watched as Harry suddenly flew down and out of the tower. He'd come in about an hour before the boy had left. The night's events had left him unable to sleep, both from the adrenaline rush caused by the danger he had been in, as well as because of his disgust at what had gone on.

Snape also came to the Astronomy Tower when his mind was troubled at night. The endless reaches of the nighttime sky never ceased to amaze him and, like Harry, he too would spend hours at a time searching the heavens for an escape. It seemed that the two of them had more in common than he'd ever thought possible. He had stayed in the shadows while Harry had been absorbed in the telescope and his thoughts. The tower was big enough that it wasn't too difficult to observe Harry without being noticed.

His first instinct was to take points from Gryffindor for Harry being out of bed, but something had stopped him. Instead, he simply stood and watched. When the boy had sat down on the edge of the tower he'd almost gone to him to make sure he wasn't attempting to jump. But then he'd seen that this was a practiced position for Harry. Snape had heard the boy mutter to himself about whatever it was that he had been thinking about, but none of it had been clear.

When Harry suddenly jumped up and ran out, Snape had been startled. The boy had been sitting so quietly that he hadn't expected that. When he looked at Harry's face he noticed the tear tracks down his face. He wondered about that, but he dismissed it. Then he walked down the steps and returned to his office. All the while thinking of a boy who had suddenly become an enigma to him.

***

Harry found himself standing in front of the gargoyle that guarded the Headmaster's office. Because he was now a Prefect, he didn't have to stand there and throw the names of various sweets at the statue. Instead, he simply said, "Sugar Quills," and hurried up to the office door. He knocked and after a few minutes he was greeted by a rather tired looking Albus Dumbledore.

"Harry!" came the surprised greeting. "What are you doing here?"

"Professor Dumbledore, please, may I speak with you?" Harry asked, his tone clearly upset.

The Headmaster looked concerned. "Of course, Harry," he said, "come in. Sit down." For once, Dumbledore did not offer Harry a lemon drop.

Harry sat and took a deep breath and asked, "Professor, I was wondering if there is a way I can stop having these dreams from Voldemort."

Dumbledore looked at the Gryffindor with a concerned expression, but he replied with a question of his own. "Doesn't a Dreamless Sleep potion work?" he asked.

Harry shook his head. "No, sir. Now that I'm back at school I asked Madame Pomfrey for one, but it didn't help at all. I think that they may not be dreams anymore. I think they're visions from Voldemort, I see everything as he sees it."

Dumbledore frowned and said, "Well, Harry, there is only one thing that I can think of that is left to do. Come see me again after dinner tonight and I'll see what I can arrange for you, all right?"

Harry nodded, he had hoped for something more conclusive, but he knew that that was all he would get out of Dumbledore for now. "Yes, sir," he said.

Dumbledore smiled. "Go now, it's almost time for breakfast."

"Thank you, sir. I'll see you tonight." Harry left then, leaving behind a very concerned, yet oddly satisfied, Headmaster.

After Harry left, Dumbledore stood there quietly considering what he was about to do. Finally he smiled and walked over to his fireplace. He grabbed some floo powder and threw some into the fireplace. "Severus Snape," he called.

***

That evening, Harry returned to Dumbledore's office. He knocked and, after being called in, entered. When he entered the room, he was rather surprised to see his father there. '"My father,"' he quoted back at himself, 'when did he become "my father?"'. He looked at Dumbledore and waited for an explanation of what was going on.

Dumbledore smiled at Harry and said, "Come and sit down, Harry." Harry sat. "Good, now, Harry, since the Dreamless Sleep potions are clearly not working for you anymore there is only one thing left that I can think of to do for you."

Snape started visibly when he heard that bit about the Dreamless Sleep potions. He sent a curious look towards Harry, and he wondered if this could have anything to do with what he had seen at the Astronomy Tower this morning.

Dumbledore noticed the look, but he didn't comment, instead he continued, "Harry, you will have to learn how to build a wall around your mind. You will have to learn how to protect yourself from intrusion."

Harry nodded, but he looked a little confused. "How do I do that, sir?" he asked.

Dumbledore smiled and he replied, "Professor Snape will teach you."

Harry's eyes widened and he smiled inwardly when he saw that Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling madly, the Headmaster was up to something. He nodded again. "All right, sir," he agreed.

Snape, for his part, had known that he was needed to teach Harry something extra and that it pertained to Voldemort. Albus had not told him anything more than that. Though Merlin only knew how hard he'd tried to get more information out of the man. In the end, he'd agreed, he knew from the moment Albus' head appeared in his fire this morning that something would be required of him, he also knew that he probably wouldn't like whatever it was, and that he would agree to it. He always agreed to do as Albus asked. It was a weakness of his.

Dumbledore's next words startled Snape from his reverie, "Well, now that that's settled, I think, Harry, that you should accompany Professor Snape to his office where the two of you can work out a schedule." He smiled benignly and bid them both good evening. The pair was then ushered out of the office and down the staircase before either could even think about protesting.

Snape scowled at Harry and said, "Well, come along, Potter."

Harry sighed but he followed the professor down to dungeons. The duo walked to the potions classroom and then through a door into what was obviously the Potions Master's office.

"Sit," came the curt command. Snape than walked behind his desk and sat down, "Well. I'm sure that Headmaster Dumbledore has an ulterior motive for having me teach you -- he's perfectly capable and able to teach you himself."

Harry nodded his understanding. "I think we both know why he wants us together, sir," he quietly replied.

"Indeed," replied Snape, "and I think that we both know why it was a futile gesture."

Harry schooled his features into impassivity. "Indeed," he echoed.

Snape allowed himself an inward smile. The boy could learn. He continued, "We shall start by you telling me why we need to be doing this."

"I see what Voldemort sees when I sleep. Once in a while, it even happens while I'm daydreaming. Those are the worst, he's feeling a particularly strong emotion when it happens while I'm awake." Harry closed his eyes and then told Snape what he had told no one else. "I can even feel the curses he casts," he said softly.

Snape looked at Harry in shock. The boy had to watch various Death Eater meetings, and he could feel the curses? That explained the tears this morning, and it explained the strangely melancholy mood he'd been in at the tower this morning. "I see," was all he said.

Harry looked down, he was exhausted, and he felt strangely drained by the short interaction that he'd so far had with his father. The professor noticed, and he continued, "I don't believe that we can start tonight. It would merely be wasted effort. Later you will be expected to be able to learn even when you are exhausted, for now, it would be futile. Come to my office after dinner tomorrow. Wear your cloak."

Harry felt that Snape was being strangely compassionate, but his later words showed that he was simply being pragmatic, but still, perhaps there was some hope after all. "Yes, sir. I won't be late," he replied.

"Good. Good night, Mr Potter," was the only reply.

Harry left and after saying an early good night to his friends, he went to the fifth year boys' dormitory and quickly fell asleep.