Halfway down the mountain, (as they’d decided it would be called, for the sake of the story), Harry nearly tripped again, but was caught by the back of the collar by Snape. When he’d gone down though, his wand was nearly dropped, and sent out angry red sparks.

This time Snape wasted no time in picking up a pinecone, and turning it into a portkey.

“You’ll catch hell from the Ministry-” Harry started, but Snape waved him off.

“Take hold of it quickly before it doesn’t work anymore.”

Harry did as he was told without question, and immediately felt the familiar pull from behind his navel as his feet left the ground. A split second later, and he was on a cobbled street.

“Where?” Harry asked himself, letting go of the pinecone.

Snape dropped it, and looked around, pleased that it had worked.

Harry answered his own question in the early morning sunlight though as he recognized Zonko’s Joke shop. “Hogsmeade,” he said quietly, smiling.

“C’mon.” Harry didn’t need telling twice, and they set off up the main street towards Hogwarts.

“Hey! Look at that!”

Harry turned to see Madam Rosmerta and the bartender that worked in the Three Broomsticks, but Snape ushered him along.

“They’ve been looking high and low for you two!” she shouted after them. They were already on the edge of town though.

Harry nearly ran up the drive to the castle, he was so happy. He couldn’t wait to get back to classes, and his friends, and his warm bed and all of that food that would be waiting for him at breakfast… and even Draco and the rest of the Slytherins. He could care less about detention anymore either… as far as he was concerned, it would be nothing compared to what he’d just been through.

An owl flew over their heads and up through an open window somewhere above them as they pushed open the door to the Entrance hall, and Harry could only assume it was from Madam Rosmerta to Dumbledore, but they would beat her to him.

Snape had started up the marble steps, but stopped when he realized Harry wasn’t behind him.

“What are you waiting for?” he asked him.

Harry shook his head. “Uh uh… I’m not goin’ back up there until I know that portal thing or whatever the hell it was is gone or closed or utterly obliterated.”

Snape shook his head, and Harry started off for the Great hall, but a voice rang out across the Entrance hall and stopped him.

“Harry? Severus?”

Harry spun around. Dumbledore was coming down the stairs toward them.

“I was unsure when I received Madam Rosmerta’s owl…”

He took in the sight of Harry and Severus, dirty, and a little scratched up, but none the worse for wear.

The Headmaster began to ask what had happened, but before he got a chance, Ron and Hermione came tearing down the stairs towards Harry.

“Harry!” they both shouted, and Hermione nearly knocked him over when she got to him and threw her arms around him.

“Hermione,” Harry complained happily. “Watch the ribs, ok?”

She was crying, and Ron helped to pull her a little looser from Harry so he wouldn’t pass out from the pain. Dumbledore ushered them up to the Hospital wing, and Hermione let him go for that, as she and Ron pelted Harry with every question possible about what had happened, and where they’d been.

“Was it Death Eaters?”

“Was it You-Know-Who?”

“What happened?”

“I’ll bet it was Malfoy.”

“Did Dementors attack you?”

“They try to recruit you for some sort of Auror program?”

“Where were you?”

“Did Snape kidnap you?”

Harry shook his head to all of those, and Madam Pomfrey came bustling over to have a look at their injuries, Dumbledore watching all of this with some amusement as Ron and Hermione finally stopped, out of questions.

“Well?” Ron finally asked.

Harry looked to Dumbledore, and then to Snape, who opposite of the Headmaster, was looking thoroughly annoyed as Madam Pomfrey was giving him a potion for his wrist. Harry frowned. He hadn’t known that the Potion’s Master was hurt… then again, he hadn’t shown it. Or had he?

Dumbledore’s eyes were still twinkling, though serious, and he turned to Snape for an explanation. He told the Headmaster, (reluctantly in front of Ron and Hermione, who were also listening raptly), everything he knew, except about Harry’s sleep talking.

They turned to Harry, who nodded in agreement.

“Oh Harry,” Hermione said, throwing her arms around him once again just as Professor McGonagall came in, looking very frazzled.

Their story was again accounted for Professor McGonagall, and once more for Professor Lupin, who Harry had yet to see there, as he hadn’t been informed of his return to Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

“The only question that remains then,” said Dumbledore quietly, “is how you were transported to the mountains beyond Hogwarts.”

“What about our wands?” Harry asked him, desperately wanting to know this as well.

Hermione rolled her eyes, and Harry cut her off before she could say it, “Oh no you don’t Hermione… don’t even say that we would know that if we read, Hogwarts A History.”

Ron and Professor Lupin began to laugh, and Hermione frowned. “No, I wasn’t going to say that. Actually, it’s in another book, but since you refuse to read much of anything…”

“Hermione,” Ron and Harry chimed together, and she closed her mouth.

Dumbledore continued to smile, and said, “Yes, it is unfortunate that you were deposited in the Land of Shadows… I imagine it was unpleasant having to live like Muggles for four days with no Muggle amenities.”

“The Land of Shadows?” Harry asked.

Dumbledore nodded, but it was Lupin that answered for him. “It’s kind of like a magical dead zone… They wanted to build Hogwarts in those mountains if I’m not mistaken, but found they couldn’t, because Magic only worked in a rare few places there, and very randomly. We don’t know why magic ceases to work there,” he added at the questioning look on Hermione’s face.

Harry nodded, and Snape asked, “The portal?”

“Yes,” Dumbledore said very matter-of-factly. “That particular corridor on that floor has a nasty temper magically… Just last summer it dumped Professor Flitwick off in Gringotts, and during my first year as Headmaster here, I was storming down that corridor, a little angry at something when I suddenly found myself on the beach!”

Ron gave a pained look to Harry, and Harry laughed, seeing that the look was matched only by Professor Snape. Both looks quite plainly asked why no one had been informed of the corridor, but Dumbledore either wasn’t watching them, or was not interested in telling them his reasons.

Madam Pomfrey released both Harry and Snape, having mended their broken bones in about a second.

“That must have been horrible Harry,” Ron said as they walked towards Gryffindor common room so Harry could change into some clean clothes, “being stuck out there with Snape for four days.”

Harry grinned, “I made it back ok,” he told him.

Ron and Hermione waited for him at the bottom of the staircase, and after he changed, they headed off towards the Great hall for a long overdue breakfast. Silently Harry was thankful that the rest of the students were already there eating and the halls empty, because next second, Snape was walking up to him and his friends.

“Potter,” he said. He gave Ron and Hermione a look, telling them to get to breakfast, but they remained where they were by Harry’s side.

“Go on,” Harry told them quietly. Ron gave him a look, but Harry shook his head, and they left.

Snape seemed to be considering him, and it made Harry want to squirm under his gaze.

“Have you told the Headmaster yet?”

Harry frowned now. “Told him what?”

“About the Muggles you live with.”

Harry seriously considered just denying the fact that he had suffered a nasty injury from the Dursleys, but put the notion aside next second as Dumbledore walked up.

“Severus?” he asked.

Harry gave Snape a pleading look not to tell him for some reason, but Dumbledore caught it, and said, “Harry?”

Harry just wanted to get to breakfast.

“We were just discussing whether it is wise for Potter to remain in residence with his Aunt and Uncle,” Snape told him.

Dumbledore frowned, “Severus… this has been discussed before. He must stay there as long as he can call it home.”

Harry shook his head. He was grateful for what Snape was trying to do, though he didn’t understand why he would want to relieve Harry’s suffering, no matter what Harry had said in his sleep.

“And if he no longer considers it home?”

Dumbledore looked at Harry now, who suddenly became very interested in his shoes. Looking to the Potion’s master for clarification, Snape said, “I heard him refer to the castle several times as home, while we were away… in fact, on our way here, he said he was on his way home.”

It was Dumbledore’s turn to frown now, but his expression lightened slightly, as if he understood something. “Yes, well, I suppose that we will just have to make this Harry’s home then.”

Harry looked up, both surprised and shocked. He wasn’t in trouble? And did he dare believe his ears that he wouldn’t have to return to four Privet drive?

Dumbledore nodded at his questioning look though, and said, “Yes Harry, you can stay.”

Harry could hardly believe his luck as he jogged down to the Great Hall. When he told Ron and Hermione, they could hardly believe it either.

“That means you can come stay with us at the end of the year Harry!” Ron said happily.

Harry grinned. That was right, he supposed he could.

“Ron,” Hermione scolded him, “School started five days ago, and you’re already thinking about summer?”

“Hey, you saw how hard that Transfiguration essay was the other day Hermione… I’m counting down the days til’ summer holiday!”

Harry grinned, but next second, Hermione said, “You know Harry, you have to make that essay up too.”

“What?” both he and Ron asked.

McGonagall walked up before Hermione could say anything else though, and said, “Potter.” Harry looked up, and she handed him a slip of parchment, before heading back off to the staff table.

“What’s that Harry?” Hermione asked him. Harry shrugged and unfolded the parchment.

“Oh no,” he groaned, and dropped it on the table.

Hermione picked it up and read aloud. “Mr. Potter, your detention will be served at five o’clock Monday afternoon with Professor Snape in the Dungeons.”

Ron looked sympathetic for his friend, and Harry put his head in his hands.

Up at the staff table, Snape was looking less than pleased. At least things were back to normal he thought.

Harry looked up a moment later, and turned to Ron, “How many days left until summer?”