Previously in twenty-one days

Weasley had gotten pale, but he had accepted it and he had apologized. Harry had accepted it, but he had warned him to not pull such a stunt ever again and Weasley had promised not to. So – right now everything seemed to be as fine as it could be within this situation and he was glad about it.

Well, Potter's lungs had not been affected too much by the exploding potion, they had three more batches of nutrient potion, the conflict between Potter and Weasley was solved and in an hour the potion for the boy's eyes would be finished. So – all in all – it was a rather good day up to now. He only hoped that it would stay like this.

Chapter twelve

Day six

Saturday, seventh of September

"Poppy!" Molly Weasley yelped when the medi-witch's head appeared in the fire place and she jumped startled, her eyes frightened on the green flames with the face sitting in them, fearing the worst. She always feared the worst these days, feared the next news might be that her son had been found dead. "Poppy! Is Ron …" She couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.

"Calm down, Molly." Poppy said, her eyes worried on the normally so calm and resolute witch that right now was a nervous wreck – just as was each and every mother that had a child down in those dungeons. Even Narcissa Malfoy had visited her twice since September the second, asking for news, any news, asking for Draco's chances, and the woman had offered the headmaster free access to her library. Of course Albus couldn't march into Malfoy Manor, but Narcissa had promised that he just would have to name a title and she would bring him the book.

"I don't fire-call you because of your youngest son, Molly, but because of your daughter." She said, trying to sound calm. It wouldn't do if she got Molly even more nervous.

"What is with Ginny?" Molly asked frightened – so much for not getting Molly even more nervous than she already was.

"If you just floo over, please." She sighed. "I don't want to discuss this on the floo."

She got her head off the floo and stepped aside so Molly could come through, taking a calming potion from her stocks – just in case.

"What's wrong with Ginny, Poppy?" Molly asked the moment she had stepped through, her face pale, drawn and frightened, brushing off the sooth from her robes, a fact that told Poppy enough. Molly normally was a witch capable of stepping through the floo without having her clothes coated in sooth, something not everyone managed. But Molly normally did.

"Ginny is as fine as one can be in this situation, Molly, don't worry too much." Poppy tried to reassure her old friend. "I just think that maybe it is not the wisest move to keep her here at Hogwarts right now. She is a nervous wreck, just like everyone else, but as she has a brother down in the dungeons, she is a bit worse than most of the other children. I think it best you take her home, Molly. She isn't in a position to concentrate on classes too much anyway right now and she belongs with her parents right now."

"Of course!" Molly immediately agreed, most probably glad to have at least her daughter safely at home and with her.

"You will have trouble getting her to sleep and to eat as much as she should, Molly." Poppy said, trying to get the warning through to the mother without startling her. "She is too worried to do so by herself. I will give you a few vials of nutrient potion however and I want to see her once a week."

"Of course, Poppy." Molly agreed. "Do you have any news about Ron? And the others?"

"No, there is no way to predict anything, Molly, and I won't start doing so either. I suggest that you keep Ginny busy and her mind off her brother by learning. It only can do her good to continue with her lessons and if the break she right now needs will be too long, she won't be behind the others too much in the end. Maybe that way she will even be able to do her end of term exams even with this break."

'Not to mention that it will do you some good having your daughter around you.' Poppy thought but wisely kept this for her self.

At this Molly looked at her startled. As it seemed she hadn't thought about that. Well, the woman had a son locked in the dungeons since six days now, without food, so of course she hadn't thought about educational matters concerning her children.

"And what if not?" The woman asked.

"Then she simply will repeat her third year, Molly, stop worrying."

"But – they won't be down there for so long, Poppy, will they?" Molly looked at her, still startled. "They wouldn't survive for much longer! They surely … Poppy! … they …"

"Calm down, Molly!" Poppy said, handing the other witch the vial with the calming potion. She had known that Molly would work herself into a panic. "They will be fine in the end, Molly. We have to believe in that or we can give up hope right now. Take that potion. The headmaster surely will find a way soon. Everyone is searching for a way down into the dungeons."

"You will inform me as soon as …" Molly started the moment she had taken the potion and it had taken effect. Nevertheless she again was not able to finish her sentence.

"Of course I will, Molly." Poppy said. "Never mind what the outcome will be, I will inform you at once. And now I suggest that you go to Minerva, Ginny is waiting for you in her office. I think, right now not even Minerva wants to keep one of her lions being alone in the Gryffindor common room."

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

"You said … I mean, you said that it was a bond … but, I mean … you surely can't …" Leaning forwards, the boy's body language screaming frustration and shaking his head Harry once again was biting his lower lip, and Snape actually had to force himself to keep his hand still before the wayward thing could tug at that lip to pull it out between the boy's teeth. "See, Professor. I understand that you said I won't have to go back there. And I even understand that you said you would take me if no one else would do so. But I only would be your ward and … and nothing more. I don't know why a bond would form if I only … I mean …" The boy suddenly stood, tears bright in his squinting eyes, but Snape knew that they were not from happiness.

"I mean, do you … do you even want me?" He then choked out. His arms unconsciously had gone around his torso, hugging himself in his confusion, or in his fear over being rejected or taken in only because someone had to. "I mean really want me? Not only because …"

"Want you?" Severus Snape eased himself off the armchair he was sitting in and took a step towards the child. He gently enclosed the boy in his arms. He would show him that there was no need to hug his own arms around himself. He would show him that he would get comfort from him as an adult whenever he needed it. "Of course I do, you silly child." He said, allowing the child to sob into his shirt and quietly tried to reassure the teenager. "Or did I ever give away the impression that I did things I do not want to at a regular basis? If you remember correctly, then it was me who made the offer in the first place. I have not been asked doing this, I offered this by my own free will." Slowly he ran his hand over the raven head, waiting for Harry to calm down.

"But … but I … I still don't understand it … I just feel like … everything has been turned over so many times since … and somehow …" The boy tightened the grip he had on his shirt when Snape pulled back a bit to look down at the child in his arms, wondering why he still didn't mind holding that irritating Gryffindor in his arms and wondering why he still didn't mind that irritating Gryffindor clinging to him like a limpet.

"Look at me, Harry." He commanded and the boy raised his head, squinting his eyes while trying to look into the black eyes that right now showed concern for him.

"I do want you, child." Snape then said. "I know that you do not understand it right now, but I do want you and it is not important that you understand. I only ask you to accept the offer. You will understand later, when you are older maybe, or when we have gotten to know each other better, I do not know. I do not understand it fully by myself yet. But what I do know is, that I do want you, as much as this thought causes me a headache."

The Potions Master pulled the boy back into his arms and they stayed like that for some time longer, the man running his hand through the unruly black hair, wondering why he didn't mind doing so, why he felt comforted by this small gesture by his own, and the child still quietly sobbing into his shirt.

"Are you feeling better, child?" Snape asked when he noticed that the boy's sobbing had lessened.

"Does that mean …" The child hiccupped, nodding. "I mean, does that mean … I can stay with you? I mean … not only as a ward that had no other place?"

With a sigh Snape noticed that the boy probably had pulled all his courage together for asking this question, but that he probably just couldn't keep up his mask for now, that he simply had to know, and he looked down at the child.

Why not? He asked himself. Why not making it permanently? Why not making it a bond that went deeper than the one between a guardian and his ward? He was ready for this, as seemed the boy. The seconds ticked away while he watched the child, each second emphasized by the low ticking of the old grandfather clock in the corner.

Harry closed his eyes, close to tears again. If only Snape would answer finally, even if it was with a no. Anything but this deafening silence that quickly shredded his nerves to tiny pieces would be fine.

"Staying with me?" Snape finally spoke and he was surprised at how gentle his own voice sounded, surprised at how at ease he felt suddenly, and surprised at how needy this child in his arms seemed to be, hungry not only because of the lack of food he suffered from, but hungry, starving, for affection, for human comfort, for …

"Staying with me as not only my ward? But staying with me as my son? Are you really ready to be the son of a grumpy, old Potions Master? Are you really ready to be the son of the dungeons bat? With all the consequences?"

There was no answer, only the boy returning to sobbing just the more into his shirt, and he sighed. Yes, he was ready, as was the boy as it seemed.

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

"Do you think he's alright?"

"I can't imagine. You know how he is with food."

"Or the lack of food, you surely meant."

"Or the lack of food, yes."

There were a few moments of silence between the two Weasley twins. But then –

"Do you think Ginny is alright at home?"

"She's with mum and dad, so yes."

"I wouldn't want to be at home right now. I want to be here when …"

"Yes, me too."

Another few moments of silence were between them. Then -

"Do you think Ron will survive?"

"Snape's with them. If someone will be able to keep them alive, then it's Snape."

"Yes. Do you remember when he caught us in his classroom last year?"

"Jap. I thought our last hour had come."

"Me too."

Again there were a few moments of silence. Then –

"He always kept us safe."

"That he did."

"Even if we annoyed the hell out of him."

"And we've been good at that."

"That we were."

"I'll go down to the dungeons and apologize to him personally if he brings Ron out of this alive."

"Me too."

More moments of silence between the twins followed. Then-

"And he's good at that, keeping us alive."

"That he is. He'll keep Ron alive too."

"Even if our dear brother annoys the hell out of him."

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

"I'm sorry, sir." Harry finally managed to say. "I've never cried so much without a good reason."

"You had a good reason, child." Snape answered, shoving the child away a bit again so he was able to look the boy over. "Are you ready to go back to the classroom? I believe the potion that might help your eyes is finished and I would like to have you safe on your mattress rather than here on the sofa then. It might be that you will fall asleep after I administered it."

The truth was that he wasn't ready to leave the boy alone right now, that he wanted to have the boy in his presence right now, but at the same time he knew that he had to have a look at the others too, even if most of them had been laying down to take a nap.

"Alright." The boy said, untangling himself from his arms, his pale face blushing for a moment.

"Keep your eyes closed." Snape growled. "In the classroom the candles and torches are all burning. I will lead you." He too stood and started to lead the boy towards the door. He however paused for another moment increasing the grip he had on Harry's shoulder to keep him from walking on.

"And Harry." He started, looking down at the teen. "Truly think it over. If you mean it, if you really are ready to be the evil dungeon bat's son, if you really want this, with all the consequences, then I am ready to brew a special potion to make it permanently, to make it true. But for this potion, you will have to be absolutely sure, and you will have to be ready for this – or it wouldn't work."

"I am already sure." The boy quietly said. "To have someone who cares was all I ever wanted. To have a family is all I ever wanted. And you do. Care, I mean. You have already given me more than aunt Petunia ever had. I trust you."

He stood there, his eyes on the boy that looked sincere, but then he gave a curt nod and continued leading him towards the classroom, more stiffly than before to cover his own confusing emotions. The boy had given him his answer, and an answer that was – reasonable and genuine. The boy had clearly stated what he wanted, what he needed, probably for the first time in his life had he told an adult what he wanted, what he needed.

The classroom was quiet upon their return. Most of the students were still sleeping, Longbottom … Neville, for Merlin's sake … just waking up at the moment they entered.

"Good morning, Mr. Longbottom." Snape drawled, leading Harry towards his mattress. "Do me the favour and watch over your friend for a moment while I get the potion needed for his eyesight."

He sharply turned on the spot the moment he had the boy sitting safely on the mattress and went into the laboratory.

He took the small cauldron he had needed for brewing this special potion from the stove and dipping his finger into the dark blue liquid he tested its colour, its consistence, how it smelled, and finally how it tasted. Only then he tilted the cauldron and filled some of it into a vial with a pipette.

He hesitated for a moment before going back into the classroom where Harry waited for him, doubt suddenly gripping him for a moment. Had he really done the right thing? Promising the boy a home? And a family? Would he even be able to really care for the child? Forever? However long forever would be? Would he be able to give the boy all that he needed? Would he … and what if the boy died? If he now claimed him as his son, if he really brewed the potion and adopted him, what would happen if the boy died? Would he be able to handle the boy's death if he …

Well, it didn't matter.

The bonding already had started and if the boy died, he would feel the same, never mind if he had adopted him or not. And it didn't matter if he was unsure or not, because he knew that he was ready. He was ready to acknowledge that child as his son. No one wanted this child, so he would claim him as his.

His son. For a moment the thought startled him, but it was gone as soon as his doubts had been gone.

The child had no one and he was ready to take him.

The child had no one and he was ready to be taken by him.

Finally turning he went back to the classroom, casting his gaze once more over the area. Vincent was awake too meanwhile, sitting beside Harry, and for a moment he narrowed his eyes at them. He didn't think that Vincent would harm the smaller Gryffindor, but he knew the animosity between them, and he feared for a moment that the situation might go out of hands. But then he huffed – as if the situation itself wasn't already out of hands.

He dropped onto one knee in front of the boy he was about to take as his son, piercing him with his dark eyes for a moment, but then he lifted his hand and placed it onto the bony shoulder in a reassuring gesture.

"I think it would be wise if you laid down for this, Harry." He said, turning the boy until he sat with his back towards him and then pulling the boy's upper body down until he lay with his head in his lap. "I want you to keep your eyes close, I will open them to administer the potion. Just try to relax. The potion won't hurt. It has cooled down, but it won't be cold. I will administer one drop of it into each eye."

The boy nodded, his muscles still tense, not able to relax and he could feel the fear radiating off the child. He didn't want to have the child so frightened, he didn't want to cause him such fear, and he didn't want to … well, it had to be done, and gritting his teeth he reached out to open the boy's left eye with his thumb and forefinger, ignoring the startled flinch, ignoring the boy's muscles tensing even more, and he let a drop of the potion fall from the pipette and into the boy's eyes.

A startled cry from the child made him releasing Harry's eyelid and placing his cool hand over the now tightly shut eye.

"Hush, child." He quietly said, running his thumb over the boy's brow. "Breathe. Just release your breath and try to relax."

Well, the boy did, slowly releasing the breath he had been holding before taking another shuddering breath and holding it for a moment before releasing that one too.

He opened the boy's other eye, knowing that the sooner they got this over with, the sooner the boy would feel better and he quickly let another drop fall into this eye too, his teeth still gritted and then placing his hand over this eye too for a moment when the boy shut it tightly after once more giving a startled yelp away.

"Alright, child." He whispered, not able to keep his traitorous thumb from running over the boy's brow, noticing the slight film of perspiration that meanwhile covered the pale face. "It is over, child. Just release your breath once more and try to relax. You will be quite fine. We are finished here."

He watched Harry releasing his breath, taking a few more shuddering breathes before his breathing finally settled into a calm and easy one.

"That's it, child." He said, his traitorous thumb still running over Harry's brow. "How do you feel?"

"I'm fine, sir." The boy said, his voice indicating otherwise just as did his entire tense body.

"I beg to differ, child." Snape said, concern still audible in his voice. The boy's pale face still was covered in this fine film of perspiration and even if calm, he could see that the boy forced his breathing this way. He noticed that the boy's hands still were clenched into fists and the teen still pressed his eyes shut tightly.

"I want you to keep your eyes closed for a few moments longer." He said, taking the wet cloth Theodore just now reached him and he nodded his thanks towards the other boy before running the cold cloth over Harry's face, wiping away the perspiration. "Are you in pain?"

"No." The boy quietly answered and he could hear the fear still lingering in the child's voice. "I was just startled."

"Alright." He said, accepting the answer for now. "Are you tired? Sleepy?"

"No." The boy repeated. "Just dizzy … sort of."

"Your eyes as well as your ears are organs you need for your sense of balance and any foreign particle in them can cause your sense of balance to be disturbed momentarily, causing dizziness." He explained, trying to sound comforting. "It will cease in a few minutes."

Harry just wordlessly nodded at him.

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

"Albus!" Filius' voice called through the corridor and he stopped and turned around to the smaller teacher that was running towards him. "Albus!"

"What is it, Filius?" He asked, startled, frightened that something might have happened. He hadn't seen Filius in such a state since … well, he actually hadn't seen the man in such a state ever before.

"The dungeons!" Filius gasped out the moment he had reached him. "The wards have changed. We have to go to the dungeons!"

Quickly and without asking any questions Albus turned and followed the smaller professor down into the dungeons, drawing his wand while he did so. Might it really be that the wards had been undone? If there was a change in the wards, then he should have felt it. But then – even if he was the headmaster, Filius was a master when it came to wards. So if anyone besides of him could feel the wards of the castle changing, then it was the charms teacher.

Concentrating onto the castle he had a deep bond with, he for a moment stopped in his hurried steps.

Yes – there indeed was a change. The castle itself felt different. It wasn't the carefully guarded awareness coming from the castle he had felt for such a long time, since he was headmaster of Hogwarts. And it wasn't the gloomy and frustrated self-blame he had felt coming from the castle since the dungeons had been sealed off hermetically either.

It was … he couldn't describe it. It was a strange feeling, nearly a real emotion coming from the castle, deeper than the carefully guarded awareness he barely had felt as a presence in the back of his own awareness over the years. But try it as he might, he just couldn't place a name to it.

But whatever it was – the wards had changed, and maybe … just maybe they would be able to get them down, to enter the dungeons, to get them out of there, and maybe before it was too late.

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

His stomach pulsated for a moment and his muscles cramped with a sharp flash of pain but Harry had grown oddly used to it by now. He actually was used to it since many years. But it was stronger this time, the pain in his muscles and in his stomach causing him to nearly gasp and he just couldn't relax. It just was impossible.

He knew that it wasn't from the potion. He knew that feeling and he knew that it simply was hunger he felt. But that didn't make it any better. In the contrary, it seemed to get worse with each minute that passed and he finally tried to roll onto his side, to curl into a small ball, hoping that it would help with the pain.

"Harry?" Snape gently asked the moment he noticed that the boy's condition didn't get any better but seemed to get worse only. "Child?"

The boy tried to roll onto his side, probably in the attempt to curl into a ball to ease the pain he seemed to be in and he placed his hands on the boy's shoulders, keeping him from doing so while he shifted his own position so the boy's head would rest more comfortably and more safely in his lap.

"What is wrong, child?" He asked.

"Hurts." The boy answered, forced out between gritted teeth, still trying to roll over onto his side, and his hands grasping the shirt over his stomach in tight fists.

Hunger. Snape thought, gritting his own teeth and breathing out a deep sigh of frustration. He couldn't do much against this, aside from a few potions that would help for now. But they wouldn't help forever.

"A glass of water, Theodore, a muscle relaxing potion and a nutrient potion please." He quietly asked of the boy, trying to keep his voice calm.

"Your muscles are cramping, because of the lack of food." He softly explained, still restraining the boy that had started to lock his muscles, pulling him closer into his lap so he had a better grip at the painfully thin body. "Your metabolism has started to shut down long ago, and your body has started to take energy from your muscle mass in order to keep you alive at all. I cannot do much against that. I will start giving you the nutrient potion in order to get your body some kind of energy. That way it will cease taking the energy from your muscles, somewhat at least. And for now I will give you a muscle relaxing potion. That will help against the pain. I do not wish to set you on pain reliever right now, but I will do so if we are not able to keep the pain under control."

"Professor?" Came Theodore's frightened voice from beside him and he turned, looking the boy over. Well, Theodore might be one of his abused children, but he never before had been hungry to such an extent. He always had gotten food at least once a day. And seeing the small Gryffindor in such a state, the boy simply was frightened.

"Thank you, Theodore." He said, taking the nutrient potion first and turning back to the cramping child in his lap. "Open up now, child. It is the nutrient potion. And don't you dare complaining that it tastes of old socks."

The boy didn't fall for his joke, but he hadn't thought he would anyway, so he simply tipped the small bottle and poured the potion into the boy's mouth, seeing that the child wouldn't release the shirt over his stomach he had gripped in his fists anytime soon.

"Just swallow it, Harry." He ordered, watching the boy trying to get the syrupy potion down, watching him needing a few attempts until he finally had managed before he poured the remaining potion into the boy's mouth as well.

"That's it, child." He said, running his hand over the child's face for a moment. "The muscle relaxing potion will be next." He said, placing that vial too at the boy's lips and carefully tipping it. "It will help within the minute. You will feel better in a moment." He watched the boy swallowing this potion too while he started massaging the thin upper arms, trying to loosen what little muscles were there.

"That's it, child." He repeated the moment Harry had swallowed this potion too, and he continued with running his fingers over the boy's upper arms, carefully so he wouldn't leave bruises on the already so damn fragile limbs, but with enough pressure so the muscles would react to the massage at all. "You will feel better in a moment. Try to relax, think of laying at a beach, or in the grass near a small forest, preferably not the forbidden forest, no one would be able to relax there."

He could feel the boy's tense muscles relaxing underneath his hands and he couldn't hold back a sigh of relief. The boy's breathing became calmer, the lines of pain in his face evened out and his hands finally released the shirt. Not completely, but enough so they just were laying on his stomach.

"Alright." The Potions Master said, knowing they had overcome the worst for now and he lifted the boy's upper body until he rested with his back against his chest, took the boy's right hand and placed the glass of water into the trembling fingers. "That is only water for now, but it will help a bit against the pain in your stomach. I will get you a tea as soon as you are better a bit. Drink."

Well, that had been the first severe cramp hunger caused, the first of many more to come. They would have to deal with them on Harry's part for now and on the other's part later on too. Lifting his eyes off the child in front of him he cast a glance around the classroom and he could see the other students watching them with frightened eyes.

So they all were awake now, and so they all had seen what soon would come over them as well. Maybe it was time to prepare them before it happened, for in one thing Harry had been right – they were not used to it, they didn't know what awaited them. Not that Harry had known the extent of those cramps, he was sure the boy hadn't. Harry had known them to some extent, yes, having had them before, but he was sure that they never had been that severe. The boy had been too frightened, too startled for knowing.

Alone the fact that he had known them to some extent however, got his blood boiling with fury at those damn muggles that were the child's relatives. No child should know of such cramps caused by hunger in the first place.

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

He had hoped.

He simply had hoped that maybe the wards would allow them through, but again they had used each and every spell they could think of and still it had been in vain, still they had not been able to breach the wards, to go through to those locked in the dungeons, and tiredly he sat down into the chair behind the head table.

He wasn't hungry, not really, at least he had no appetite, but he knew that the students watched him and if he gave in to his misery, to his fear and to his worries, he knew, then the students would follow his example. So he started eating, even if the food he was chewing tasted of dust somehow.

He soon would have to talk to them, he knew.

He soon would have to tell them that maybe they should face the bitter truth, that those students, that those Gryffindors and Slytherins that were imprisoned in the dungeons still, maybe would die, maybe already were dead, at least some of them. But not now.

He would not do so right now. They still had some time left – that at least was what he hoped.

He didn't believe that there already was one of them dead. The castle's wards hadn't felt like one of them having died. They had felt different, yes, but different from the gloom and darkness of the past days. So no – he really didn't believe that. If only they had been able to go through. If only they had been able to breach those wards today. Severus and Harry and all the others could be sitting with them right now.

But they hadn't been able to and he had to face the fact, as painful as it seemed to him.

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

"Your bodies will need energy to survive." He said.

They all were back at the mattresses, sitting there with their blankets around their shoulders or laying over their laps, some of them leaning against the wall behind them, some of them leaning against the mantelpiece, and some of them leaning against each others. Harry, he noticed, was leaning against Vincent, as strange as it might seem, but the much larger boy simply had pulled the small Gryffindor against him the moment he had released him to get some warm tea with honey for all of them.

Well, he had had no objections against it. If they leaned against each other, they shared their body temperatures and that for kept themselves warm while at the same time they spent comfort to each other. And Vincent, who was the largest of his Slytherins, having Harry leaning against him surely was not the worst solution. Harry was the weakest of them already while Vincent was still strong and the smaller boy could lean against the larger one without fearing that he would tire him out.

"If your bodies cannot get energy in form of food, it will take energy from other sources, and without an extern source such as food, it will take the energy from intern sources, like your muscles, causing cramps, and later on from your organs." He didn't tell them that that would lead to their death in the end, but he was sure that there was no need to, that they all knew this by themselves.

"All of you will have those cramps, sooner or later, and Harry had been the first one." He continued. "Your cramps won't be as severe in the beginning as had been Harry's, as all of you have been eating regularly and properly before this unfortunate mess has happened. Not so Harry who had not had the opportunity of having much food during the holidays with his relatives. That for I will start getting him on the nutrient potion first and I do hope that none of you will accuse him of anything because of it. If you do, you will find yourselves in quite some trouble."

He watched the other students nodding quickly. They all had been startled, and they all had started to think differently upon seeing what would await them, what their imprisonment would cause. They all had seen the seriousness of the situation and they all finally seemed to realize how important it was that they worked together, even Weasley as it seemed. The boy had watched his friend frightened, and he even now couldn't get his eyes off the smaller Gryffindor. He even didn't object Vincent, a Slytherin he'd always had troubles with, holding Harry in his arms so the smaller boy could lean against him.

"I wish to be informed about each and everyone of you having any cramps, never mind how small they might be." He said. "I won't give you the nutrient potion upon your first cramps, but I will provide you with it the moment they start getting dangerous. I also will provide you with muscle relaxing potions, with calming draughts and pain relievers if necessary. You won't be able to prevent the cramps, no matter what, but it is more imperative than ever that you are drinking as much water as possible. Added to this, I will show each of you how to do a simple massage so you can help each others during a cramp."

Again the teenagers he had in front of him nodded at him, silently and seriously.

He hadn't really thought that the situation would go to this, that they still would be down here at the end of day six. He might have had the possibility in his mind, otherwise he wouldn't have resorted to rations, but he had not truly thought that it actually might happen. But here he was. At the end of day six and with seventeen teenagers on his hand which he had to keep alive somehow without knowing how he could manage if a solution wasn't found soon.

"Just encase that the situation will get out of hands and I won't be there to give my support, whatever reason for, I would think it wise to pair you already." He said. "Vincent, I see that you have chosen to taking care of Harry. Are you ready to continue with this?"

"Of course." The boy nodded without hesitation.

"Good." Severus said. "Then do so. Gregory, will you be able to have an eye on Theodore?" Again there was an immediate affirmation and Severus Snape continued, eyeing the students thoughtfully.

"Neville, Are you ready to watch over Draco if necessary?"

He had thought that he would have a fight right then, either the Gryffindor or the Slytherin complaining about not being paired with one of their own house as there still were enough of them left for doing so, but again he was surprised at their willingness to keep this as smooth and as easy as possible.

And well, in the end he had paired Vincent with Harry, Gregory with Theodore, Neville with Draco, Ronald with Hermione, Blaise with Parvati, Millicent with Tracy, Pansy with Daphne and Seamus, Dean and Lavender together. Each pair having a strong part as well as a weak part, each pair having one who would be able to take the lead if necessary and he was rather satisfied with the situation. Some of them he had mixed together, regardless of their houses while he had kept others together. Some of the pairs held girls as well as boys, and some of the pairs he had not mixed concerning their gender, depending on what he knew about them in the first place.

He had mixed them together to the best of his ability and knowledge, and none of them had complained about the pairings.

They would be able to keep each other alive as long as possible even if he would die before them. He didn't intent to die before them, even if he would rather die himself than letting those children die, but at the same time he knew that they all needed him until the end, whichever end that would be. He however couldn't guarantee that and so he had taken preparations. Just in case.