Previously in twenty-one days

"Yes, sir." The boy answered obediently. "I just will finish this sentence."

Snape nodded curtly and then left the teen, went back to his own desk. He himself would finish the page he was reading, and then he would try to sleep too. The next days would be strenuous enough, he guessed – if they were not rescued by then.

Chapter nine

Day five

Friday, sixth of September

Albus was sitting at the head table in the great hall, his eyes wandering over the students, but for once the twinkling of his eyes was gone. This was the fifth day now, since Severus, Harry and the other fourth year Gryffindors and Slytherins were missing, locked away in the dungeons. The fifth day and still they had no word from them.

He of course had tried to send the house elves down into the dungeons, and he of course had tried to send Venenatus down into his own frame in the dungeons. He had tried to make portkeys, had even asked for help from the ministry, and he had tried the floo. He had tried to send food down by a delivering charm and he had tried to even get a time-tuner from the ministry.

Of course he had known that they wouldn't allow that, but he'd just had to try.

Minerva, sitting beside him, was pale and her face looked drawn, tired and hopeless. Half of the students down there were from her own house after all. Of course all the remaining teachers were rather miserable these days, but Minerva, being the head of some of those missing students, she was not herself these days.

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

It was Friday morning and normally they would have potions. Well, they already were in the potions classroom. So – why not, Snape thought and sighed. Potter had wanted them to brew, maybe to have a few more batches of the nutrient potions, maybe just to distract them. The boy was good at such games of aversions, he had noticed the past few days. And never mind their history, nor his opinion of the boy in general, he actually appreciated it. Not to mention the fact that his point of view concerning Harry Potter had changed immensely.

But could he really risk them brewing this potion?

The ingredients they had were limited. If they made mistakes, what they surely would do, then it was a waste of said ingredients and he surely couldn't afford this. But on the other hand he also knew that they had to do something, that they had to take action in their survival and that they … well, Potter was right in one thing. They were here. And they needed the nutrient potion anyway. So they could brew it. He just would have to be extra careful. And maybe, if not all of them brewed but only those who actually wanted to brew and the others made something else meanwhile - he would have time then to explain better and to watch them more closely to prevent mistakes.

Leaving his desk and turning towards the students he watched them for a moment thoughtfully.

"Those of you, who would like brewing a batch of nutrient potion, please follow me into the laboratory." He finally said, trying to judge from the faces who would do as he just had suggested. Potter definitely, the boy looked eager. Granger, Draco, Theodore and Blaze too. They all looked positive and were already leaving their mattresses.

"The rest of you, please try to think about the next lesson for this afternoon or tomorrow morning and what subject you would like to cover. We cannot practise spells or charms, but we can learn the theories behind it. I expect ideas and plans of you. Discuss it and take notes."

Draco, Theodore, Blaze, Tracy, Potter, Granger, and to his surprise, Weasley, got up and followed him to the laboratory. For a moment he was tempted to refuse Potter and Weasley. Those two, just after Longbottom, were a guarantee that the classroom would be destroyed by an exploding cauldron. But then – well, it had been Potter's idea in the first place and he had promised the boy that he could brew the potion. And Weasley? Well, as strange as it might seem to him, if the boy showed interest – then be it. Maybe the boy had thought over a few things after his detention. There hadn't been an episode after all since then. So he just nodded at them and allowed them into his laboratory.

After all, he was glad that there was interest in the first place.

That was something that many students didn't understand – Snape did appreciate students that were genuinely interested in learning.

His temper was terribly short when it seemed the majority of his students only wanted to learn how to do pranks – like those blasted Weasley twins for example – or how to create the biggest explosion possible in his classroom – like Longbottom, just for example.

But honestly, the twins at least wanted to succeed in potions, and if it only was to do their pranks, but they actually had a nick for the subject. They were talented and they were creative. Just a bit too daring, he thought. But well - at least they were responsible enough so their pranks were well thought trough and no one got really hurt by them.

He had however never turned away any child that actually asked for help. Never mind what subject in. So surely he wouldn't start doing so now. He would have to be more careful and he would have to be more attentive, but he would not turn them away.

He would have them brewing in pairs.

If he got Draco and Theodore together, and Blaze and Granger, then he would have to observe two cauldrons less. Those four would manage with little help.

The question however was – what would he do with Potter, Weasley and Tracy?

He didn't want to pair the both boys, he still didn't trust Weasley. And he didn't want to pair Weasley and Tracy either. Again because he still didn't trust Weasley.

He could place Potter and Tracy together, those two seemed to get along pretty well and Potter already had comforted the girl once. But that would leave Weasley alone and he … well, there was no other way. Potter and Weasley had been friends at one point, but it was clear that they were not now, even if Weasley behaved so far.

"Draco and Theodore, take a cauldron, Blaze and Granger, take another one, and Potter and Tracy, take a third one. Weasley, you will brew with me." He gave out his instructions and then went over to the ingredients cupboard to get what they would need while the children got the cauldrons.

For a moment he caught Potter's eye and startled he narrowed his eyes at the hurt and disappointment the boy watched him with after he had announced that he would brew with Weasley and not with him. Did the boy want to spend time with him so desperately? Did the boy already ... no, that wasn't possible, the boy surely had not started to form a bond with him, not after five days only.

After they all were settled he again turned to his small class. Seven students, a small NEWT class, only younger. They would do their last OWLS at the end of next year and they would have their NEWT classes at the beginning of sixth year. They just had entered their fourth year now. They had just finished their third year, just three month ago. They only were fourteen year old children, he suddenly realized. Teenagers. Children! They only were children still.

And yet – they probably would die.

Gritting his teeth and rounding his desk to lean against the wooden furniture he forced those thoughts aside and concentrated onto the task at hand.

"What would a potion such as a nutrient potion need?" He asked, looking into blank faces – aside from Granger. "Yes? Miss Granger?" He asked, again telling himself that he should not turn the girl away with her answer as he normally would do.

"I think something that contains sugar." The girl answered as soon as her name was out.

"Why would you think so?" He asked, already knowing what answer the girl would give next.

"Because sugar has the most calories and it pushes up the level of blood sugar in your system."

"What kind of sugar is ordinary sugar, Miss Granger?" He asked, satisfied with his predicament.

"Ordinary sugar – well … it's a disaccharide, sir."

"Correct, Miss Granger." Snape said, walking over to her and leaning with his hands onto the surface of her desk, watching her intently but calmly. "Your body however won't be able to absorb disaccharide. You would need monosaccharide for that. How does your body compensate this?" He asked, again knowing that the Gryffindor know-it-all … well, that the girl would know the answer.

He really should get used to calling them by respectable names, by their given names, if possible.

"It splits up the disaccharide." Granger answered.

"That is correct. The body splits the disaccharide – what means said body has to work doing so. And if a body works, then it has to spend energy, in other words calories. It is pushed up before it falls down again. What is the opposite effect of what we want to achieve. If a person is in need of a nutrient potion, then you generally can say that said person is malnourished. So it would not be wise to get it working. What we need is a relatively stable situation and so we need monosaccharide, that will be what, Miss Granger?"

"Dextrose, fructose and lactose."

"Correct, Miss Granger. Do not forget Honey, that too is a common monosaccharide."

"And you said you have honey here."

"We do, Miss Granger." Snape answered. "We will however not use it in this potion. We will need dextrose here. What else would we need in such a potion?" He asked again and Granger was just about to answer this question as well and he held up his hand to stop her.

"I do not wish to have a dialogue with you alone, Miss Granger, but a discussion with the entire class. You however gained yourself five points. Mr. Potter? Any ideas? What else would we need in such a potion?"

The boy blinked at him in pure shock, maybe at being asked about his ideas, maybe at being asked without a scathing remark, maybe at being called Mr. Potter in class instead of simply Potter.

"Uhm – Vitamins?" The boy then answered unsurely.

"That is correct, Mr. Potter. Which ones?"

"Uhm … well … retinol? And carotenoids?" Potter asked and Snape actually had to lift his eyebrow at him to hide his surprise. The boy actually was able to name the vitamins instead of saying just the letters of them? Wherefrom had he learned that? It wasn't covered in any potions books prior to sixth year. And it wasn't covered in any other books that were needed at Hogwarts. To have them learned now the boy actually would have had to read potions books or healing books that were far ahead of his year.

But then – well, the boy had known that sleep would help with being hungry. The boy already had known what hunger felt like before they had found themselves in this very situation.

The boy had been injured badly each summer, had been starved each summer. And the boy never had searched for help from an adult. Neither from Poppy, or the woman would have addressed the headmaster or him, nor from Minerva, Albus or – even him. It only was logical that he had tried to gain knowledge from books. Healing books and potions books that would help him with healing himself at the beginning of each school year when he was back at Hogwarts.

For a moment he had to force himself to keep his indifferent mask in place as he felt that his features went soft at those thoughts. The child never had trusted an adult to ask for help and instead had healed himself each year upon coming back to the wizarding world and Hogwarts from sever injuries he had sustained from beatings and malnourishment during the summer.

It was even worse as his own childhood had been and he remembered that all too well, he knew what it meant and he knew what it felt like.

"That is correct, Mr. Potter. Which else?" He asked while he went over to the boy's desk and – just as he had done before while listening to Granger's explanations – leaned his hands on the desk. He however tried to look even more calmly at the child, knowing how easy he would startle the boy, even if only accidentally.

"Uhm … thiamine and biotin?" The Gryffindor answered slowly, watching him warily.

"Correct. Tell me one more, Mr. Potter."

"Uhm … well … maybe … ascorbic acid?"

"Was that a question or a statement, Mr. Potter?"

"Uhm … well … a statement … I guess."

The boy had gone pale with this question and his answer was nothing more than a quiet, hesitant whisper.

"A correct one, Mr. Potter." He said, nodding at the boy. "You named me five of them correctly and you will get five points for that. There are however a few more your body is in need of. We will use a prepared mix of vitamins, proteins and minerals in terms of dry chemical, together with the dextrose powder. You have done well, Mr. …" He paused for a moment, still gazing calmly into those frightened green eyes and he inclined his head. "You have done well, Harry." He then quietly said.

Severus had never been one for praise and affection, but he could see that it was doing wonders for the child in front of him. The boy nearly smiled, nearly, but his eyes definitely held a flicker of something he couldn't name for a moment and he quickly had to leave this desk before this hopeful eyes would be his undoing. Again he wondered what Potter was doing to him.

"What else do we need? Mr. Malfoy?" He asked, turning to his godson. He knew that Draco was adept enough in potions so that he might know the answers.

"Water to dissolve the vitamins in."

"That is correct, Draco. Are all of them hydro soluble?"

"No, sir."

"Which one – of the from Mr. Potter before mentioned vitamins – is not hydro soluble?"

"I think, ascorbic acid."

"That is correct. What would we need for this one?"

"Fat, sir."

"What we would find in which form suitable for such a potion?"

Well, that question got the boy and he suppressed a smirk and lifted his eyebrow instead. He liked it to challenge his Slytherins and his godson especially.

"I don't know, sir." Draco answered after a moment.

"Then think of it, Draco, if you want to have the five points." He said, leaning closer. "Any guess would be welcomed."

He practically could see the wheels in the boy's head turning and turning and turning still, but the face kept blank, no sign of recognition, of an idea.

"You may think aloud, Mr, Malfoy, if this will help you." He quietly said, waiting patiently.

"I just don't know it." Draco then said, shaking his head. "It can't be a simple fat like oil or butter." He then added upon his inquiring gaze.

"Why not, Draco?" He asked, lifting his eyebrow again.

"I don't know, it simply would be too easy." Draco shook his head and shrug one shoulder.

"So, what do you think?" He asked, leaning closer again.

"I think there might be some chemical reactions in the human body that helps to dissolve those vitamins. I don't think that you actually can dissolve them in simple fat."

"Your train of thought actually is a good one, Draco. Those vitamins however are soluble in – simple oil. In other words, we need oil also." He cast one more look upon the blond Slytherin before he finally straightened himself and turned back to the class, his tone of voice business again. "That makes five points to you, Draco. Can we dissolve hydro soluble and fat soluble vitamins in one go?" He then asked, stopping in front of Weasley's desk. "Mr. Weasley?" He addresses the boy.

"I don't know." Said boy answered.

"Then think about it, Mr. Weasley, and let me know your thoughts - we might come to a solution."

The redhead looked at him startled, but then shrug his shoulders.

"I guess not." He then answered. "I guess you would need to dissolve them separately. But you said it was a mix of dry chemicals we would use and so we would have to split it up first. What would be stupid."

"You are right, Mr. Weasley." Snape said, nodding. "It would be stupid to split up an already prepared mix of all the vitamins, proteins and minerals. So what do you think, would we need to add this mix to? Water or oil?"

"I'm not sure." The blasted boy answered again, not ready to use his brain as it seemed. He was intelligent enough to recognize that it actually would be stupid to split an already prepared mix of ingredients, but he wasn't ready to think of how to use it then.

"What do you think, then?" He asked, leaning closer and piercing the youngest Weasley with his eyes.

"I don't know?" The boy answered, leaning back a bit. "Maybe water?"

"Why?" He asked, not backing away, not giving the boy room, but forcing him to use his brain with his closeness.

"Because normally powder is mixed in water?"

"A simple train of thoughts, and not always correct, but yes, you are right in this case." He finally said, letting out a deep breath and straightening up again. "We will need water. That will be five points to you, Mr. Weasley."

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"How can you do that, Albus?" Minerva asked quietly.

"What Minerva?" The headmaster looked at the woman questioningly. He had been a little absent with his thoughts, as he often was lately, and he was not sure what exactly his deputy had asked him or told him earlier. And so he didn't know what exactly she was referring to right now.

"How can you be so calm, Albus?" Minerva repeated herself. She would have transfiguration right now with her fourth years Gryffindors and with the Slytherins and during those now free periods she felt particularly miserable. So she had followed Albus into his office after breakfast, just to have some company. "How can you be so calm, knowing that seventeen students – and Severus too, soon might die?"

"I don't know, Minerva." Albus said, sighing heavily and running his hand over his forehead. He adjusted his glasses and sighed once more. "I can't answer you this question. I guess I just try to deal with it as good as possible."

"None of them … they are children, Albus. None of them deserve such a fate. If there were only a way to help them."

"I know, Minerva." Albus shook his head. "And Severus and Harry are the last who deserved such a fate. I do love those two deeply. I always hoped that I would be able to get them to get closer somehow. They are so much alike. But I fear … I fear now that never will happen."

His hands shook a bit while he poured some tea into two cups and reached one to the deputy headmistress. He even didn't feel the need anymore to indulge in his lemon drops. How could he eat lemon drops when there were seventeen children in his care, and when there was one of his teachers and friends trapped down in the dungeons since days? And being hungry? Maybe dying soon?

"Is there really no way, Albus?" Minerva asked desperately her voice sounding as miserable as he, Albus, felt himself. "Do you not have an emergency plan? Why are we not simply able to blast our way through those walls?"

"I have checked them." Albus answered. "Not only the doors are warded, Minerva. The entire area is hermetically sealed by those wards. There is nothing we can do."

"What if they really will die? Albus! They are down there since five days without food. They must be hungry and frightened. And there is nothing we can do! That is … it is frustrating. It is a nightmare."

"I do understand you, Minerva." Albus sighed again. "I feel the same frustration as do you. But there really is nothing we can do."

"What will we do if they really will die, Albus?" Minerva asked, her voice nearly chocked now. "What will we do if we finally find a way to undo those wards and find them all dead?"

"I refuse to think of this option, Minerva." Albus said, his face pale, paler than it had been a moment before and he felt a sense of dread, of foreboding. "I refuse to give up on them, I believe that we somehow will find a way to get them help before they die."

"But what if we do not?"

"I don't know, Minerva." The headmaster said. "I don't know."

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

"I am sure that all of you are tired." Snape said, knowing that – as tired and as hungry as they all were – he had demanded a lot of them. Not only with having them answered all those questions so they had to use their brains, but with having them brewing the basic of the nutrient potion as well. It had not been an easy task, being hungry and having to concentrate, and he knew it. But they all had done well, and they all had been distracted enough so they hopefully would be able to sleep for an hour or two without their usual worries. More and more of them had started having nightmares. Nightmares of being trapped, of being hungry and of dying.

"The base will have to rest until tomorrow morning and then we can add the dry chemicals before bottling the potion." He continued. "We cannot add the dry chemicals now because if keeping them heated until the basic is settled the vitamins would be destroyed. Go back to the classroom and simply take a nap. If you cannot sleep, then read a book or just indulge in daydreaming. It will help you to rest and save strength."

The seven students he'd had in his laboratory silently nodded and tiredly left the room. He followed them and his gaze wandered through the classroom as soon as he entered.

Vincent, Gregory, Finnigan and Longbottom were sitting at a table, playing the 'game of cards' Potter had invented the day before. Seven lost, he had called the game, and they had played with peace in their minds until most of them had gone to bed.

At some point they had shoved two desks together on their long sides so that they now formed one large table at which everyone fit around and he had left those 'cards' on the table that had become the centre of the classroom – and their attention. It was as if this desk was something like a neutral meeting point between the Slytherins and Gryffindors. A place where truce ruled.

The two Slytherins and the two Gryffindors were playing there in peace, whispering to each other and he couldn't feel any animosity coming from them. They were quite at ease with each other and he was thankful for that.

The rest of the students were laying on the mattresses, sleeping.

"We're finished, sir." Vincent quietly whispered the moment he went over to them. "We've made a list. The rest was tired and lay down."

He nodded at them and took the parchment Gregory handed over to him, looking it over shortly and then placing it on his desk. He would take a nap too while most of them slept.

"I trust that the four of you won't do anything stupid?" He asked, his eyebrow lifted.

"No, sir." They answered, shaking their heads.

"I do trust you, that all of you are responsible enough to be left alone while I take the liberty of taking a nap myself. Please do wake me, Vincent, if I am not up by myself in an hour or the others wake up before that time."

"Yes, sir." The boy answered.

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

Poppy Pomfrey was brewing potions with a grim expression on her pale face.

She knew that she didn't as good a job as Severus would do, but she also knew that she had to do it. She not only had to restock the potions she needed in the hospital wing herself, but she also needed to brew potions in hopes that they would be able to reach Severus and the students that were trapped in the dungeons in time.

She would need nutrient potions then, special calming draughts that wouldn't harm them. They surely would be too weak and their bodies surely wouldn't be able to deal with the regular potions she had in her stocks. She needed weaker pain easing potions and she needed muscle relaxing potions.

She also had to plan what they would be able to eat as soon as they were free, and she had to ensure that she had enough free beds here in the infirmary. If only those children and Severus would be free in time. If only they would survive.

She'd had enough students over here during the past five days.

Friends of the missed students that worried over them, siblings that had a nervous breakdown every now and then, others that just didn't understand the situation, mostly the first years.

For those first years it really must be a scary thought to know that in the dungeons of this castle were seventeen students and a teacher locked up since days, most probably about to die. Most of the first years and some of the second years were startled and frightened. They already talked about seeing their ghosts and startled the third years with that.

But she knew that they didn't do so because they were playing a prank, or because they wanted to frighten the others, but simply because they believed it, because their over productive minds played tricks on them and they told everyone of the ghosts they had seen.

Especially the Weasley twins and Ginevra Weasley had her worried. Their brother, Ronald Weasley, was one of the students trapped in the dungeons and they worried deeply. The Weasley-twins had stopped their pranks and Ginevra Weasley barely was seen outside of her dormitory or classes.

She seemed unable to eat by herself and Minerva had brought her over to the hospital wing in need of a calming draught, a dreamless sleep potion or a nutrient potion more than once since Monday morning. She even considered keeping the girl here if it got worse with her, if she lost weight more, if she didn't sleep more soon. The child surely was worried beyond what she could take.

And then there was Harry.

The boy really had enough on his back, since years.

Aside from Albus she never had mentioned anything to anyone as she never had had any proof and the boy always had denied it, but she was sure that the boy had been mistreated by his relatives. The boy always was thinner when he came back from the summer holidays. And the scars he had seen on him … well, she had that particular boy here in the infirmary at least three times each term, the boy practically had a bed with his name on it.

This time however, she had been about to mention something to Severus.

Albus might not have seen it the way she had. The headmaster always believed in the good of people. And he simply did not believe that Petunia Dursley nee Evans, the sister of his beloved student Lily Evans, would abuse her sister's son.

But she knew that Severus would see it.

Maybe he didn't see it right now. He hated that boy. He always had hated James Potter, and with a reason, she had to admit, and now he hated the son of his schooldays nemesis. But she also knew that if she told him about the scars and about how thin the boy always was after the holidays, then he would see it. Severus was someone, he would help, never mind how much he hated someone. He would lay his hate aside, at least until the child was healed and out of the abusive family.

He might return to his loathing later, maybe, but he would place reason and necessity over his feelings and he would help. And she also knew that Severus would find a way to get the boy talking. To talk about the abuse. Severus always managed it with his Slytherins.

But now …

As she saw it, Harry would be the first one to die, followed by Theodore Nott.

Nott.

That boy had been visiting her on Sunday evening after the welcoming feast. Severus always sent him over after the holidays, just as he always sent over other children as well, and just as he sent over all the new first year Slytherins each year. And Theodore Nott had been worse this year than last year, but she had been able to at least heal his injuries.

And now that.

Sometimes she wondered why in Merlin's name she was doing this.

All the times Severus brought her an abused child her heart hurt, but she at least was able to do something. At least she was able to heal them, to help them, to even help Severus in getting them out of their abusive homes sometimes.

But this time?

This time she could do nothing. Absolutely nothing.

She knew that there were seventeen children and a friend of her that were suffering, but she could do nothing against it. She even knew where those seventeen children and Severus were, but she could not reach then, she could not help them. She could do nothing, she was absolutely helpless.

And right now she wanted nothing more than to lock herself in her office, to sit at her desk and to place her arms over the wooden surface of the table, to burry her head in them and to cry. But she knew that she couldn't afford that. They needed her. The students that were here trying to struggle through the castle's routine and classes, worried and frightened, as well as the students that were locked down in the dungeons, hungry, frightened, exhausted and … well, hopefully not about to die.

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

Severus lay down onto the sofa in the small restroom that was attached to his office, where Harry and Theodore had been sleeping two nights ago, and he closed his eyes immediately.

But sleep did not come.

What was it that kept his mind circling around Potter? Around Harry?

He knew it was not pity.

He had enough abused children in his house so that he knew they did not need pity, so that he knew they did not even want pity. They needed stability, they needed understanding, warmth, maybe even comfort, they needed a hand that guided them, someone who challenged them to go on, who told them how to go on, and someone who just was there. But not pity.

Not to mention the little fact that he was not a person who even had the ability to pity someone. He had seen enough death and torture throughout his years as a Death Eater and then as a spy to Dumbledore so that he had become a cold and harsh man that didn't pity anyone.

But if it wasn't pity – and he was sure it wasn't – what was it then? What exactly was it that made him feel angry whenever he laid his eyes on Harry? And not angry at the boy but angry at those muggles that were his relatives?

Well, yes. Of course he always felt anger, even fury, at those abused children's parents or guardians. But never to such a point where he himself actually hurt.

Anger and fury was one feeling. But the pain he felt inside his chest was another one, and he knew it. He just didn't understand what exactly it was.

Of course he knew that his point of view concerning this particular child had changed over the past few days. He had learned that he had been wrong about him. That he neither was spoiled, nor selfish. That he even was abused, neglected and that he nevertheless cared deeply for others. That he wasn't arrogant but trying to remain his last dignity.

But he also knew that there was more. It wasn't only the change of view.

He had not taken a potion that would make him wanting to be close to the child, he hadn't taken any potion. And the child itself hadn't woven a spell over him either as they simply were not able to do magic down here. And yet - he simply wanted to be close to the child.

He wasn't stupid, and he knew that sometimes such a situation could get people together, people that had hated each other before. But he also knew that he wasn't a person driven by his emotions either.

He normally kept his distance, never mind what exactly the situation was. And even if he never hesitated to comfort his Slytherins, to enfold his arms around them if needed, he always had kept his distance to them. He never had allowed them to come close enough so their pain could hurt him too. So – how had Harry managed this? Harry of all people?

Turning on the sofa in his restroom he again closed his eyes and tried to sleep, managing a few minutes later, falling into a deep slumber and dreaming of a fragile black haired child with a thin and pale face looking at him with pleading green eyes. But for the life of him, he couldn't figure out what exactly the child was pleading for. He already had healed his injuries. And he already had given the child something to eat. And he had promised the child that he would not have to go back there, where it came from, but still the child's tired and pained green eyes were pleading with him.

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

Filius Flitwick was sitting in his office. Well, if someone still could call it an office.

The desk, the seats, the sideboards, the floor – every part of the office was covered with open books, with parchments, with ancient scrolls and even with old letters.

He was the charms teacher since many, many years now, he had been Severus' teacher back then when the man had been a student at Hogwarts himself and he always had loved his job. But right now he cursed the fact that he hadn't continued in his own studies.

He had his charms mastery of course and he knew his expertise. He also was one of the best duelers that there were. And wards – they were his special subject. He loved them, he lived them and he even breathed them.

He loved to install them, knowing that no one would be able to get past them, and he loved it to break them.

A lot of Death Eaters had been caught because he had been able to break through their wards, and surely no one could say that Death Eaters were not paranoid and had weak wards. They had the best, even better than those of the aurors, better than even Alastor Mad-Eye Constant Vigilance Moody.

But he had not been able to breach through those wards that had been installed by Hogwarts itself around the dungeon.

Besides of Albus, Minerva and Severus, he was one of the teachers that each year strengthened the castle's wards during the summer holidays, that kept them up to date and that ensured that the school's wards would keep the students safe during the upcoming school year. So he knew the kind of wards Hogwarts cast, he knew the wards the castle preferred. He even was able to undo them in a case of emergency.

Albus once had been badly injured and Severus had been in need to apparate him directly into the infirmary – what normally wasn't possible. No one could apparate from, to, or within Hogwarts. But there had been this emergency once and he had undone the castle's wards so Severus had been able to apparate with the headmaster directly to Poppy. He had recast the wards afterwards and no harm had been done.

But he wasn't able to undo those wards.

None of the children down there was from his house, true, but they were only children and they had done nothing to deserve such a cruel fate like the one they right now were facing down there. He was not only a teacher here at Hogwarts, he was a head of a house himself and he knew the responsibility – not to mention that he simply liked children.

And Severus.

It had taken him some years to accept the fact that Severus was not a Death Eater anymore but a spy for Albus. And it had taken him a few more years to not only trust the dark Potions Master, but to understand him and to actually like him.

Of course he never would tell him, he wasn't suicidal after all. But he did respect and like the always grumpy man, even if he always took points from his house and gave his students detention, even if his students called him unfair. He knew that Severus only wanted to keep the students safe, as did every teacher here.

Well, yes – apart from Quirrel and Lockhart, he had to admit, he still didn't know who of the two had been worse.

Long story short – He long ago had seen that Severus only wanted to help those children who needed help – and successfully so.

But now?

Tiredly he placed his head in his hands and closed his eyes before he forced himself upright again, took a vial of pepper up potion and downed it in one go.

The burning sensation of the potion itself that ran down his throat already was welcomed and the burning sensation the moment steam came out of his ears had him awake and let him breathing a sigh of relief. He would be able to work on those damn wards for another few hours.

He knew that he had to stop taking the pepper up potion, and soon, but he simply couldn't afford sleep right now, not while there were eighteen lives at risk.

He had to overcome those wards.

break … ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ … line

An hour was over and Vincent was about to get up from his chair to wake his head of house when Neville looked at him and then placed his hand softly atop his arm, shaking his head.

"Let him sleep." The Gryffindor quietly said. "If he's as tired as we are, then he'll need his sleep and he hadn't slept much. He always goes to sleep after us and is awake before us. The first night he hadn't slept at all."

"You do know about whom you're speaking of, Longbottom, don't you?" Vincent asked and Neville nodded his head, managing a quick but scared look towards the door that led to the Potions Master's office.

"Of course." He said. "Or did you forget what my boggart turned into?"

Snickering quietly Gregory handed out the next round of cards.

"No." He said. "But in this case you should know that one better does not go against Professor Snape's orders. And he ordered to wake him in an hour. That means – now."

"He said so, because he felt the need to watch us so we wouldn't do something stupid." Neville said. "But if we behave, and if we keep an eye on the others when they wake up, then there is no need for Professor Snape to stay awake. We should let him sleep. Surely he's as tired as we are."

"You're right." Vincent said. "But he's the adult and we're the children. He always says that we don't have to solve everything, that we should trust and obey his orders as they have a reason. And he said to wake him in an hour."

"I know. And he probably is right." Neville shook his head and took the cards, sorted them on his hand. "But that isn't such a big deal. We're in no immediate danger. We are fourteen after all and we can look after ourselves for a while. We should let him sleep. He needs his rest just as do we."

"I do appreciate your gesture, Mr. Longbottom, but Mr. Crabbe is right." Came the man's deep and velvet voice, startling him into freezing at the spot. "If I give you an order, then I expect you to obey – quickly and effectively. Because if I give you an order, then there might be a reason behind it, don't you think so?"

"Uhm … well … yes … sir." Neville answered, blushing as red as a tomato. "Sorry … sir …"

"Apology accepted." The Potions Master nodded at the Gryffindor. "Professor McGonagall might never have taught you such and I start to see why the Gryffindors are always heading into danger to safe other people, but it is not necessary. You are children only and you do not have to solve everyting. There are enough adults around here to take over dangerous situations or situations that are simply over your head. So next time I simply expect you to obey, regardless of my own safety. As Mr. Crabbe said. I am the adult here, whereas you are the children. You simply will have to trust my judgment. I see that Mr. Finnigan left you in favor of taking a nap as well."

"He left a few minutes earlier, sir." Gregory said, sorting through his own cards too.

Snape simply nodded and then sat down into the chair beside Longbottom, taking the pieces of parchments Finnigan had left on the table and lifting his eyebrow he turned towards the Gryffindor when the boy looked at him shocked.

"I do hope that your facial muscles still are working as I do need you to explain this game of Potter's to me, Mr. Longbottom." He said with a smirk. It definitely felt good to startle students into a heart attack from time to time.