In the morning Harry woke feeling incredibly drained. Standing up he felt so dizzy that he had to sit back down on the bed. His sleep was disturbed by the recurring dreams of Sirius' death, which were recently joined by nightmares of his friends as well. So he spent the night restlessly, haunted by loss, and in spite of the comfortable bed he found himself tossing and turning all night long.

Sighing deeply he attempted to stand up again, succeeding this time. Still slightly wobbly, Harry shuffled toward his trunk to find a set of clean and warm clothes, since the view from the tiny window promised a rainy day.

Dressing slowly, he was about to make his way to the kitchen when he heard voices from the hallway. He sidled closer to the door to try to pick up the whole conversation. Harry knew there would be hell to pay if he got caught, but he couldn't resist eavesdropping on Snape and his annoying talking wax-stick.

"So tell me, when did you stop trusting me?" he heard the candle ask resentfully.

"I did not say that. Regardless, it is hard to believe. Ever since I've known him, Potter always ensured that he was at the center of attention. He's a spoilt brat, everyone's favorite little hero."

"Now I'm sure we are talking about two different people."

"You say that as if you knew the boy."

"I hear things…Have you seriously considered why he would chose to come here instead of going home to his family?"

"Would you enlighten me if I asked?" Snape's voice drawled sounding indifferent.

"No." That candle had guts, Harry thought smiling to himself, no one said no to Snape like that.

"In that case, what point are you trying to make here?" the professor was becoming impatient.

"He will tell you, if he believes he can trust you." Harry smiled appreciatively; maybe the candle wasn't a complete waste of space after all.

"Was there anything else?"

"I'm not sure…to me it seemed the boy hasn't slept in weeks. Which is no wonder, with the nightmares he has." Harry's growing appreciation was immediately nipped in the bud; he fully intended to trample the wax spy. Banging open his door, he walked straight to the kitchen. The conversation ceased immediately, and he wasn't surprised to find his host sitting at the kitchen table with Trenus next to him.

The potions master held a piece of toast in his hand as he turned to Harry with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought you would never get up and deign to join us," he commented snidely.

Harry decided there was nothing to be won by revealing that he overheard their conversation.

"I've been awake for a while," he said coolly, turning to get his jacket. But Snape's voice halted him in his tracks.

"Just where do you think you are going, Potter?

"For my jacket," he returned sullenly. "Then to visit Hagrid. I promised I would visit him every day."

Snape finished chewing before giving Harry a stern look.

"First, you will have breakfast. Then you may visit you friend."

"I think you are not my father, so you can't tell me what to do out of school," spat out Harry and he tried to leave, but found himself unable to move, just like at dinner the day before.

"As I said, first you will eat something," repeated Snape. "Once you are done, perhaps I will allow you to roam the grounds for a while. Agreed?"

"Yes, sir," hissed Harry, and felt the spell holding him lift so suddenly that he was forced to take a step back to keep his balance. He walked to the table and morosely took the place that appeared to be reserved for him. His plate was empty this time, so he reached for a slice of toast and the jam. At least Snape didn't expect him to eat until he got sick today.

"Good morning, little master," greeted Trenus innocently.

Harry's head snapped up angrily, but he managed to contain his impulse to squash the treacherous chunk of spying wax. He was determined to keep quiet in the company of the two shifty, sneaky Slytherins.

"How did you sleep?" queried Snape after Harry polished off half of his toast in two bites.

"Well," ground out Harry, knowing full well that all of them were aware this was a lie. Harry wasn't going to interrupt the charade.

"Hmm," was all the response he got, as the potions master sipped from his coffee. "When we are done with breakfast I will go up to the infirmary to check on the patients. I recommend you go to Hagrid first, and visit your friends later. The healers from St. Mungo's perform their checkups in the morning, and I don't want you to be underfoot."

Harry looked up surprised from spreading jam on his second piece of toast.

"You will let me go?"

Snape responded with a raised eyebrow.

"Of course. And when you return from your visits, right there," Snape pointed at the coffee table by the fireplace "you will find at least five books on potions, and enough parchment to repeat your last three essays, which were so abominable that they didn't even deserve the Troll I had to give on them."

Harry jumped up suddenly, pushing his glass of pumpkin juice over, which fell with a clang pouring its contents all over the table.

"You are enjoying this!" he snapped. "There isn't a day that passes without you using every opportunity to mock me and deride me for everything I do."

"And I was restraining myself in consideration of your past few days," announced Snape evenly as if to himself, and finished up his coffee.

"Flood alarm…" interrupted the candle. "Would either of you bother to clean the table?"

Harry picked up his napkin and tossed it at Trenus.

"You can lift yourself, just like you did yesterday when you came to spy on me!" he continued furiously, addressing Snape. "What do you mean by the past few days? You think I need special treatment? That I'm going to snap?"

"It wouldn't be surprising," replied Snape, while Trenus moved to the far edge of the table and settled on a dry spot. Harry was speechless at the open insult.

"Well, that's just brilliant! The famous Harry Potter went crazy without his followers. That's what you think, right?" after a strangled laugh Harry pushed in the chair with enough force to make all the utensils rattle on the table. "I'm leaving now. And before I visit Hagrid, I will be sure to research wards to prevent spies from entering my room."

Without waiting for Snape's response he ran to get his coat. On his way out Harry could hear them talking about him.

"That went well."

"Be quiet, Trenus."

Harry looked back over his shoulder at the duo before opening the door, which surprisingly wasn't locked, and he purposefully slammed it closed with a satisfying bang.

oO{~S~}Oo

He hurried away toward Hagrid's hut, a tiny smile playing on his lips.

By the time he reached the gamekeeper's dwelling Harry was completely calm. The October weather with the daily rains softened the ground making it difficult to walk. It took Harry twice the usual time to reach the hut as he slipped and slid in the mud. The thick fog that settled above the ground this morning further complicated his task of finding stable footing, as he could barely see the tip of his nose in the white mist.

Arriving at the door he clumsily propped himself against the doorframe, and after knocking he tried to clean off the larger chunks of mud off his shoes.

Fang barked loudly from within, and in a few moments the door opened revealing Hagrid, who gestured for Harry to enter.

"Hullo Harry," came the melancholic greeting. "Come on in. Fast, or ya'll catch a cold in this godawful weather."

Harry stepped inside to allow Hagrid to close the door behind him. It was much warmer in the hut, and the room smelt of wet dog and caramelized sugar. Harry was about to sit down when Hagrid grabbed his shoulders to turn him around, and the boy found himself in a bone-crushing hug.

"Oh, 'arry. I thought ya'll come down sick by the morning too," said the half-giant punctuating his sentence by loud sniffs. "I heard 'bout Ron and 'Ermione… But Professor Snape and the healers will soon find the cure. I'm sure of it."

"I hope so," replied Harry uncertainly. "Is it okay that I came so early?" he asked with his words muffled by Hagrid's coat. The giant let go of him, and patted is back comfortingly.

"O' course. I just put some water over the fire for tea, and there are some cakes 'ere too," said Hagrid pulling out his tablecloth-size dotted handkerchief to wipe his eyes.

Harry sat down in his favorite, gigantic armchair and waited for Hagrid to pour tea from the whistling kettle. Soon he had a steaming cup of tea and a plateful of rock cakes in front of him.

"Thanks Hagrid," he whispered, taking the cup of tea in his hands.

"I'm sorry, Harry, but you won't be able to stay for long," said the half-giant. "The Headmaster gave me a special assignment, and I have to start working on it soon."

Harry simply shrugged.

"It's okay…I can't stay for long anyway."

"Ye know, I heard that you are stayin' with Professor Snape," said Hagrid with a grin. "They told us yesterday, at the meeting."

"Brilliant," grumbled Harry. "So I'm the topic at the order meetings, too."

Hagrid looked away, and took a piece of cake from the plate.

"Not always. But in this dangerous situation your protection is very important," Hagrid stopped suddenly. "Well, that is to say…just forget about it 'arry. But keep in mind, Snape is not as bad as he seems in yer classes."

Harry didn't say anything to that, just continued sipping his tea.

oO{~S~}Oo

All things considered, living in the dungeons wasn't all that terrible, apart from the ever-increasing amount of schoolwork that awaited him every afternoon. He hardly ever met Snape outside of mealtimes, but the annoying Trenus stayed with Harry constantly. It even helped with homework on occasion.

Soon it was November, and Harry realized with some surprise that at some point he began to think about the dark dungeons as his home. And Snape…well, Snape was okay. But Harry ascribed it to the fact that the potions master appeared so tired every evening, that in all likelihood he didn't have enough energy left to mock Harry.

Harry visited Hagrid every morning, and usually had breakfast with him. Then he was off to the infirmary to visit his friends. His afternoons were spent with schoolwork, and the evenings with reading by the fireplace.

At the moment he was curled up in one of the armchairs with a book, and he waited for Snape to arrive so they could have dinner. Harry noted with some consternation that he was beginning to miss his teacher's snide comments. In fact it was disturbing that Snape hadn't snarled at him lately.

He hadn't even seen the potions master today; apart from glimpsing him in his lab this afternoon, but then the professor closed the door. And it was past seven, so Snape was supposed to have returned for dinner.

A loud crash interrupted Harry's thoughts.

He almost dropped his book, as the crash was followed by a series of smaller crunching noises. Even Trenus jumped aside at the sudden noise.

"What was that?" breathed Harry, with his adrenalin levels soaring.

"I think it came from the lab," stated Trenus as he floated further down the table to make space for Harry's book.

"I will go and check," said Harry determined, and placing his book on the table he moved to stand.

"I think you should stay here."

But Harry wasn't listening to Trenus any longer and he hurried down the small hallway to the door, which he suspected opened to the lab. Cracking the door open to peek in, he caught sight of a shocking view. All of Snape's cauldrons were tipped to the floor, and he watched as the professor swept the remaining bottles to the ground with one motion. Then the potions master just stood there surrounded by shards of glass and mixed potions ingredients with his back toward the door. He grabbed the back of a chair with both hands, leaning against it heavily. Then taking a few deep breaths the man appeared to calm himself.

"What do you want, Potter?" he asked in a deep, cool voice.

Harry swallowed nervously as he shrunk down hoping to become invisible.

"I just…I got scared when I heard…something breaking," he stammered. "Professor…did something happen?"

Snape stood quietly for a while, then without turning he spoke.

"The epidemic took its first casualties."

Suddenly Harry couldn't breathe; he backed up to the wall and leaned against it.

"Who died?" he asked quietly, afraid of the answer. Snape turned around to face Harry.

"You don't know them. Three adults who were among the first infected in Diagon Alley," he said leaning against the table.

"Oh no…but that means that after a while, all of them…" groaned Harry not finishing his sentence.

The potions master stood observing him, and then walked up to Harry and took hold of his shoulders.

"Listen to me, Potter! Those people simply had a weaker immune system, therefore their bodies reacted differently to the temporary serum, than it was supposed to!" he said with emphasis, then added quietly: "Your friends reacted well to it, they will be all right."

Harry looked up sadly.

"You don't have to say that," he said. "I'm not a little kid anymore, you don't have to hide the truth from me." Then looking closer at his teacher's face he realized something else. "You are not telling me something."

Snape let go of his shoulders and arranged his robes tighter as he straightened up.

"True," he admitted, and then he took a deep breath as if in preparation to announce something terrible. "I was recently notified that Longbottom and Finnigan were taken ill as well."

"Oh no…" breathed Harry and he could feel his knees going weak as dizziness overtook him at hearing Snape's statement. "Why didn't you tell me immediately?"

The potions master grabbed is upper arm to steady the boy.

"Perhaps because I wanted to protect you from the news."

"Very touching," grumbled Harry as he tried to free his arm from Snape's grip, but the professor wouldn't let go. "Let me go! I'm fine."

"I doubt that," said Snape and he began to lead Harry toward the boy's room. "After the past few weeks I'm honestly surprised you are holding up at all. And now, whether you like it or not I will put you to bed."

Harry stopped protesting: Snape was stronger than him anyway, and he didn't feel up for a fight at the moment. The professor led him to his bed, and covered him after he lay down.

"You don't have to treat me like I'm a little kid," Harry turned toward the wall in protestation, as Snape sat down on the edge of his bed. The whole situation was so embarrassing and so unlike Snape that Harry was momentarily shocked into silence.

"I'm treating you as if you experienced a series of terrible events in a very short time period," said the professor coolly as he took out his wand. Harry continued staring at the wall miserably, holding his blanket in a death grip.

"Why not me?" he whispered. "I should be sick already…but no, I always have to survive and watch as everyone I care about dies…"

"Harry!" snapped Snape loudly, which made the boy turn back surprised. "Stop this self-condemnation at once! You cannot possibly be responsible for everything bad that happens to your friends. Believing that is incredibly egotistic." Then he pointed his wand toward the door and called out: "Accio Dreamless Sleep potion!"

"No. I'm not willing to drink that," protested the boy. The potions master simply raised an eyebrow and caught the potion bottle flying into the room.

"Really?" he asked threateningly. "Then I will cast Petrificus on you, and pour it down your throat. Your choice."

"I don't want either!" said Harry turning back toward the wall again. "I can sleep just fine, if you would only leave me alone!"

"You need some restful sleep. I've stood by for the last few weeks, and waited for you to come and ask for help with your dreams. But no, why would you," argued Snape. "It's high time you had a proper night's sleep."

"You know, it doesn't become you to act as if you cared," mocked Harry sharply, hoping to distract the professor.

"Even so, you are living with me and I'm responsible for your well-being. Therefore you are going to follow my advice!" retorted Snape holding out the bottle. "Drink it!"

"No."

Harry didn't have too many disturbing dreams lately, and he fully intended to remain alert in case something happened, in case he needed to wake up during the night.

"All right then," continued Snape unfazed, and with a wave of his wand Harry found himself sitting up. The professor pushed the bottle into his hands, and giving him a stern look he commanded. "Drink up! All of it."

Harry took the bottle unwillingly, and after two gulps he could feel his head getting heavy.

"All of it. To the last drop," came the stern order, and Harry managed to stay awake long enough to swallow a few more times. A moment later he could feel through a haze that the professor took the bottle from his hand, and after gently lowering him back into bed he tucked the blanket around Harry's shoulders.

Before Harry passed out completely, he thought he heard Snape whisper.

"Trenus, please spend the night watching over him. If anything happens, I will be in the lab."

oO{~S~}Oo

Waking well-rested seemed a novel experience to Harry. He could barely recall the last time he slept through the night uninterrupted. Surveying the room drowsily with half-open eyes he glimpsed Trenus right next to his bed on the nightstand.

"Good morning, young master," greeted the candle.

"Good morning…" came the dazed response. Harry did feel rested, but at the same time he was also incredibly sleepy. "What time is it?"

"If I'm not mistaken, it's just a few minutes past noon."

Harry suddenly jumped out of bed.

"What, noon already?" Taking account of his clothing he realized that he was still wearing his outfit from the day before. "I need to wash up fast, I can't go down to Hagrid like this." He wasn't concerned so much about his looks; rather about Hagrid getting worried if he saw him looking so disheveled.

"Hey, calm down!" Trenus tried to interrupt, before the boy worked himself into a panic. "Severus already let Hagrid know that you weren't going for a visit today."

That got Harry to stop halfway to the shower with his towel in hand.

"What?" he exclaimed shocked. "I don't believe it! Snape wants to keep me from all my friends? Lock me up with nothing but homework for company?"

Trenus stopped on his way to the door, and moved to float right in front of the boy.

"No, not at all. He simply arranged for you to get some rest," he lifted to eye-level and continued earnestly. "Don't you see? Severus is concerned about your well-being, with everything that's happened."

This appeared to incense the boy even further.

"My well-being? But I'm completely healthy, unlike most people around!" he snapped. The candle floated threateningly close to his face.

"Of course you are," said Trenus in an overtly patronizing tone, before turning serious. "Not sleeping and nightmares every night is not exactly a sign of coping. So stop searching for evil intent, and appreciate a good night's rest for what it was!"

"Just leave me alone!" replied Harry somewhat deflated, and shutting the bathroom door firmly he left the exasperating Trenus hanging in mid-air.

After showering he returned to his room to find the candle still where he left it.

"Don't you have anything to do?"

"As a candle, what do you think?" retorted Trenus unmoved. "Severus says, that once you are up, you are to meet him in the lab. He will be there waiting for you."

Harry, muttering something unintelligible under his nose, picked up a thicker sweater and walked over to the lab.

He found Snape standing by his workbench like the day before, though the ruins surrounding him have been cleaned up. The potions master held up two vials, intently observing them by the torchlight.

"Good morning," he greeted, lifting up his eyes to look at the boy.

"Not anymore, thanks to you," grumbled Harry, and walked over to sit on one of the chairs lined up along the wall. The desk was covered with a seemingly disordered pile of encyclopedias and unrolled scrolls of parchment. Snape returned his attention to the vials, and tipped them simultaneously into a cauldron, stepping back to avoid the fumes.

"Are you feeling unwell?"

Harry lifted heavy lidded eyes.

"No," he mumbled. "Just terribly sleepy."

A self-satisfied smirk settled on the potions master's face.

"That may be a side-effect of a slight overdose of the Dreamless Sleep potion," he announced haughtily. Then covering the cauldron he walked closer to the boy and stopped in front of him. Leaning back against the edge of the desk he observed Harry intently. "Would you care to elaborate a bit more?"

The boy glared at him accusingly.

"What kind of questions are these?" he snapped. "I'm perfectly fine! My hands aren't shaking, I have no fever, and I'm not hallucinating either. No trace of the symptoms. I'm not sick at all!"

Snape raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"You forgot to mention your nightmares."

"Because it's nobody's business that I keep dreaming about…" Harry shut his mouth before accidentally slipping up. He absently noted that the drowsiness wasn't helping his self-control any.

"No, they are not my business. But the fact that you are suffering from them is. Do you agree?" the professor continued unrelenting. "I admit I may have misjudged you. You aren't the attention-seeking brat I thought you were. But there are situations in which one should accept the help offered."

Harry stared at Snape in stunned silence.

"It's fine. I've always been like this," he said defensively, casting his eyes at the floor, unable to face the man in front of him. "It's just that people don't notice."

"Perhaps," acknowledged Snape letting go of the table. He nodded for Harry to stand. "Come, I need to examine you closer."

Harry stood hesitating for a moment, and then taking a step he stopped in front of the potions master.

"You mean, to find out why I'm not sick?" he asked curiously, but Snape just nodded. He cupped the boy's face turning his head toward the light as he observed him with narrowed eyes.

"You are not even pale," he stated with some surprise. Then holding Harry's eyelids open he incanted a Lumos and proceeded to point his wand at the boy's eyes. "I don't see any sign of the infection."

"But I was there when the first student at Hogwarts got sick," Harry responded quietly.

"I know," the professor continued by carefully palpating the lymph nodes on the boy's neck, and Harry began to suspect that the potions master was not unfamiliar with the job of a healer. "Hold out your hands."

He obediently extended them, but there weren't even the faintest tremors to be seen.

"Sir, what does this mean?" asked Harry after a short while, because his hands were getting tired. "Why am I not sick?"

"I'm not sure. Let me test one more thing," said Snape stepping up to the other workbench. "Come here."

Harry complied taking a few steps, but stopped when he saw the needle in the potions master's hand.

"I will need a few drops of your blood," informed the man raising his eyebrows in question. "It won't hurt."

The boy looked at him accusingly closing the distance between them.

"I know, just startled me is all…I'm not particularly fond of needles. Oi!" he cried out when Snape pricked his skin and applied pressure to collect a few drops of blood in a glass vial. "It won't hurt…yeah, right."

"You have pulled through far worse things than this, uncomplaining I might add," sighed the professor. "Did you not?"

"I have the annoying feeling that this wasn't the last time I will hear that from you," yawned Harry as he watched Snape carefully add a drop of the blood to a bubbling cauldron. Then the professor turned away to place the vial onto the neighboring desk. Harry stepped up to the cauldron curiously to get a better view of the potion. The viscous liquid appeared unchanged at first, then it began to froth and bubble violently.

"Sir, is it supposed to do that?"

"Potter, watch out!" exclaimed Snape and he grabbed Harry by the arm forcing him to duck, as he pulled him along to the distant wall shielding the boy with his body.

They arrived just in time. The potion exploded with a deafening boom spraying all the way to the ceiling, and Harry could feel the hot pressure on his eardrums as the gases from the concoction filled up the room.

A moment later Snape let go of him and they both turned around to survey the room. The potions master drew in a sharp breath as he took in the extent of the damage.

"Professor…sir why did it do that?" choked out Harry, terrified. It didn't take much to realize that his blood caused the explosion.

The potions master walked closer to examine the cauldron, levitating it up for a better view he replied evenly:

"Something in your blood reacted with the potion…whatever it was."

Harry swallowed nervously in response.

oO{~S~}Oo

Days passed, and Snape still didn't have an explanation for what happened in the lab, at least not one he was willing to share. The professor did warn Harry not to take any detours when returning from his daily visits to Hagrid, saying it was dangerous for him to be wandering around alone.

Every time Harry brought up the question of his mysterious immunity to the disease, the potions master religiously avoided answering. Harry found it terribly suspicious that the events in the lab coincided with the professor's sudden insistence that he should not spend any time alone. He quickly deduced that someone was out for his blood, in this case literally.

This was the main reason for his unusual obedience to Snape. In fact he was walking back from Hagrid's hut with his wand drawn, ready to cast a Protego if necessary. Having used the moving staircases to descend to the dungeons, Harry was making his way toward his room when he heard a strange noise…like someone flushing the toilet. Except it was becoming louder, soon resembling the sound of a waterfall.

Harry stood alarmed, looking toward the end of the hallway where the sound appeared to be coming from. A moment later he could see the source of the rumble. It was definitely not a flooding toilet: the water gushing in at the end of the hallway was at least a foot deep and rapidly rising.

This was enough to get Harry into motion, and he took off toward the other end of the corridor. Looking back he could see more and more water streaming in, and he wondered where it could be coming from. Certainly not the plumbing, it was simply too much for that. The lake was a possibility, and he fleetingly considered the depth of the Hogwarts dungeons.

A moment later he realized that he was running in the wrong direction, the passage would only get him deeper underground. He knew that Snape wouldn't be in his chambers; the professor told him that they would be transporting the patients from the infirmary to St. Mungo's today, before the school closed completely.

He was about to turn around ready to wade through the water, when the realization came: that all of Snape's work to heal Harry's friends would be lost…

"It's bloody freezing…" muttered Harry, his teeth chattering, as he set out toward Snape's room again. He would save at least the professor's notes.

By the time he reached the potions master's chambers the water level was up to his waist. Shaking from the cold he wrestled the main door open. Inside almost everything was underwater.

"Tre…Trenus!" yelled Harry suddenly remembering the wacky candle.

Without waiting for an answer he trudged to the lab to find anything that he could still save. Grabbing a trunk from the storeroom he levitated it on top of the workbench and began collecting every parchment and lexicon in sight. Tossing them into the trunk he shut the lid and waterproofed it just in time, as the water flooded the desk. He stuffed away his wand to free both his hands, and grabbed anything else that seemed important as he made his way out.

"I'm so glad to see you, young master!" said Trenus floating in front of the door. Harry looked up with his hands full.

"Have you gone completely bonkers?" he yelled gasping for air as the freezing-cold water shook his whole body. "Why are you still here, can't you see…that any moment…this whole place will be flooded?"

"I was waiting for someone to get me. I thought Severus would be here soon."

"Well, you thought wrong," with that he dropped the things from his left hand and grabbed the candle unceremoniously. "We have to leave, now!"

Turning swiftly, he was brought to a halt by a cool voice.

"Drop everything you are holding, Potter. Then lift your hands, so I can see them both!"

Harry let go of the books and slowly turned to face the invader. Lucius Malfoy stood in the main door with his wand pointed directly at Harry's heart. The man was soaking wet, but his victorious smile revealed that he didn't feel inconvenienced by the flood.

"Put down that candle as well," he spat.

Harry was about to comply when the bookshelf in the living room came crashing down, unbalanced by the currents. He took advantage of Malfoy's momentary distraction by flipping Trenus and swinging it with full force at Malfoy's head. Lucius went down with a cry, collapsing into the water.

"Sorry Trenus."

"I think I have a concussion," groaned the candle.

"I said sorry," replied Harry as he went to check on Lucius. The man appeared to be unconscious, and after a moment of hesitation Harry propped him up against the wall to prevent him from drowning. Then he got out his wand to summon the trunk from the lab. Levitating it out through the door he followed it slowly.

"Stupefy!" Harry heard the spell from behind, and he tried to jump but the deep water aborted his movements, and he ended up executing an inelegant fall. Fortunately this was enough, since the spell missed him hitting a cabinet.

"Harry, watch out!" warned Trenus, but it was too late. The cabinet tipped forward and landed on the boy's leg with a loud splash, effectively forcing him to stay in a sitting position.

He tried to free his legs, but the ancient piece of furniture proved to be much too heavy. The water covered Harry up to his chin, and he watched helplessly as Malfoy sent Trenus flying with a spell. The candle hit the wall with a loud thwack, dropping into the water.

Malfoy slowly walked up to Harry, flashing a predator's smile at him as he pulled out a dagger from his robes.

"Well, well, well, Mr. Potter…after all you are not as lucky as you are rumored to be. The Dark Lord sent me for your blood, and he doesn't insist on personally taking your life anymore. I was granted the honor of doing away with you whichever way I prefer," explained Lucius smirking. Bending closer to Harry he grabbed his arm and cut it deeply with the dagger along the veins. Harry cried out as the blade bit into his skin.

"Just scream, no one can hear you. We made sure that everyone would be occupied with evacuating the castle. Oh, well. Dumbledore can't always be where he is needed, and since all the students are away…and your friends won't be coming to save you either."

Harry listened shivering as his blood dripped into the cold water.

"You bastard…you won't get away with this," choked out the boy, his voice hoarse. "What do the students have to do with this anyway?"

"Oh, you didn't know? Dumbledore is not powerful enough to protect the school alone," Malfoy continued his speech while he held up Harry's arm to collect some of the blood into a vial. The boy bit down on his tongue to hold back a scream as Lucius pressed around the wound to elicit faster blood-flow. "The wards around the school rely on the children within, the more children, the stronger the protection. Did Dumbledore forget to mention that he steals the magic of his students?"

Meanwhile the water level continued rising slowly, and Harry had to lift his chin to breathe through his mouth. He was beginning to lose feeling in his legs, whether it was due to the freezing water or the cabinet crushing them was impossible to tell.

"That's it. It was my pleasure Mr. Potter," mocked Lucius, and capping the vial he pocketed it. Then he looked around them innocently. "Oh, damn, there is nobody to pull you out from there. How regrettable. And now, if you will excuse me."

With that, he walked off leaving Harry trapped.

"Tre…Trenus…" he called out for the candle weakly, but no answer came, and he wasn't sure where the candle fell.

The water was rising alarmingly, and he could barely hold himself straight.

A few moments later the water covered his mouth. He tried to stretch desperately, panicking as his nostrils got immersed as well.

Holding back his breath Harry could only hope that drowning wasn't very painful. He was running out of air quickly, and he hoped that someone would pull him out soon. But no one came and out of breath he began to gulp water frantically… then everything went black.

oO{~S~}Oo

"Harry! Harry, breathe for God's sake!" shouted a voice compelling him to abandon the darkness. He gasped for air as someone turned him onto his side. He coughed persistently spitting out the water coming from his lungs.

Finally Harry was able to open his eyes, and he recognized the figure kneeling at his side.

"Prof…pro…essor," he was shaking uncontrollably from the cold, and it took an overwhelming effort to move his tongue. "Malfoy…'s here…he was here."

"I know Harry," said Snape soothingly and he wrapped Harry into a frayed, but thankfully warm, blanket. "It's all right. We will go somewhere safe."

Harry recognized the Hogwarts hallway, and he could feel water under his back. They couldn't be far from the dungeons.

"He cut…my arm…," His words were barely understandable through the chatter of his teeth. "blood, he…took blood…from me." He felt very tired and yawning deeply he closed his eyes. He could get a bit of sleep, and after that he would recount everything to Snape. "'m very sleepy."

Snape had been occupied with Harry's wound, but noticing the boy drift off he grabbed his shoulders to shake him.

"Harry, listen to me! You need to stay awake."

" 'm sorry, professor…awf'lly sleepy," he mumbled.

"Harry, open your eyes!" ordered Snape firmly, but Harry allowed sleep to claim him; to take him away from the cold.