"Ron and Hermione watched Harry nervously all through dinner, not daring to talk about that they’d overheard, because Percy was sitting close by them. When they headed upstairs to the crowded common room, it was to find Fred and George had set off half-a-dozen Dungbombs in a fit of end-of term high spirits. Harry, who didn’t want Fred and George asking him whether he’d reached Hogsmeade or not, sneaked quietly up to the empty dormitory…”

- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban ( Chapter 11,  Pg 157)

Chapter 1- The Thirst for Revenge

5 days before Christmas

Harry hid. He couldn't handle another second of Hermione’s concerned looks or Ron's forced casual quidditch talk. So, rather than explode with the sharp angry remarks he so longed to make, he made an excuse to go to the dorms and slipped on his invisibility cloak.

Ron and Hermione had probably figured it out when the common room entrance had seemingly opened without anyone there. If not, they certainly would when he never came back to sit by the fire. But Harry couldn't bring himself to care what they would think. He couldn’t stand another second being in the crowded common room where everyone was celebrating the start of the holidays.

How could no one have told him that Sirius Black was the one who had betrayed his parents? Did they all think he would never figure it out? Didn't anyone at all think he had the right to know? The Minister, Professor McGonagall, Dumbledore…all of them had had the chance to tell him and no one had said anything.  

Malfoys words from the beginning of the year floated back to him “if it were me, I would hunt him down myself.” So Malfoy knew. And the thought of that made Harry feel just a bit more violated. Everyone knew his whole life but him. It had always been like that since he joined the Wizarding world, but this time he didn’t have the excitement of learning about magic to distract him from the injustice of it all.

Even worse, for once, he agreed with Malfoy.

It made Harry's gut twist to think about it. Black was their friend. Best man at their wedding. Named godfather to their child.  Traitor. One moment, being so close that Flitwick had said they were almost like brothers and the next- condemning them to death.

Harry quickened his steps through the castle. His breathing was coming in more ragged. He wasn't sure if he wanted to cry, to scream or to hit something. Probably all of it.

Definitely all of it.

He walked aimlessly. It didn't matter where he was, only that he kept moving. It was like his mind was connected to his feet and stopping would make the hazy fuzz of anger too thick to think.

And a new anger took over him. This - this disgusting piece of human garbage was out of Azkaban now. Apparently the dementors didn't affect him. So he was just…wandering the world, without a care, running around trying to finish the job he started 12 years ago.

And right then Harry hoped that Sirius Black did find him tonight. Because he thought he could survive it through sheer rage alone. He wanted Black to suffer. He wanted to rip him limb from limb. He wanted to…stuff him in a cupboard under the stairs for 11 years with just enough food to keep him alive.

He wanted Revenge.

Revenge for his parents who had been betrayed by their best friend. Revenge for all that they had missed in the last 12 years. And Revenge for himself. For all the happy childhood memories he had missed out on; For every time the Dursleys had locked him away and called him a freak.

Harry rounded the corner powered by fury- and stopped cold. He held in a gasp as he lurched to the side to avoid running right into Professor McGonagall. He hurriedly skirted to stand by the wall, focusing on breathing slowly, so as not to make too much noise. His head of house was standing staring out the window looking towards the lake. It seemed like Harry had caught her in a rare moment of silence, and her face looked heavy with sadness.

“Minerva are you alright?”

Harry almost jumped out of his skin. How had he not noticed Snape coming towards them?

“Severus,” said McGonagall. “It has been quite an evening.”

“Dinner with the minister went that well?” Snape quirked an eyebrow.

The transfiguration teacher laughed. “Well, the minister is definitely a character, but the conversation was rather heavy.”

“Are we to be rid of these dementors anytime soon?” Said Snape

“No.” Said McGonagall with a heavy sigh.

Snape walked closer to her and crossed his arms. Harry didn’t dare move in case he made too much noise.

“They are causing a number of my Slytherins an undue amount of stress. Some of them are still having nightmares from the search of the express in September.”

“I know, Severus. I agree with you,” said McGonagall “I hate walking by the damn things every time I want to go for a drink in the village. A few of my Gryffindors have bad reactions to them as well.”

Snape snorted. “I’m surprised the minister didn’t get rid of them once he heard of precious Potters' fainting spell.”

Harry wished, not for the first time, that he could make someone disappear with a glare alone.

“Now Severus, that's not fair.” McGonagall pursed her lips. “No matter how much I don’t like it, I do understand his reasoning. Fudge is just trying to keep Black away from Hogwarts. He’s trying to keep the students safe.”

“He’s trying to keep one student safe,” quipped Snape. “And he’s doing a poor job given that Black almost made it into the Gryffindor common room on Halloween. Next time I doubt he’ll wait to get the password. The dementors are not deterring anyone, they're just making us all miserable.”

McGonagall nodded. “The minister did mention something. He said that the dementors didn’t seem to affect Black like a normal person.”

“Of course not.” Snape's voice somehow got even more dangerous than normal. “Azkaban is too kind for the likes of Black.”  

“Yes, well...tonight was a rather stark reminder of that.” McGonagall stared out the window. “Even after all these years, I still find it shocking that he betrayed them. The Potters were so good to him, they all but took him in.”

Snape seemed to just barely stop himself from rolling his eyes. “Yes, yes, It’s very sad. But let's not pretend we didn’t all know what he was capable of.”

McGonagall sighed. She stared out the window, her eyes unfocused.

 “You know," She said slowly, “ Lily also spoke very highly of him after Hogwarts. They became rather close. She said he positively doted on Harry.”

Snape stilled in a way that was unnatural. For a moment something pained and suffering flashed in his eyes before it was replaced with a mask of stone.

“Give me one day with Black. Just one day. He’ll be begging for the dementors again.” Hissed Snape.

McGonagall reached out a hand and squeezed Snape’s shoulder gently. To Harry’s surprise he didn’t push her away.

“He’ll be getting the kiss when they catch him,” said McGonagall.

Harry wondered for a moment what ‘the kiss' was. Based on their reaction he could assume it wasn’t a snog under the quidditch stands. The heaviness in his teacher's voice meant it must be truly horrific.

“I’m not sure there is a soul there to suck out,” said Snape, darkly

McGonagall patted his shoulder gently.  Harry shivered. He would have happily gone to his grave not knowing that there were things that could suck out your soul. But then he thought of his mothers frantic screams right before her death and thought that surely if anyone deserved to have their soul sucked out it would be Black.

“Does Fudge think that Black was fool enough to stay in the area?” Said Snape.

Harry learned forward. Maybe he had told McGonagall some information he could use to catch the traitor.

“He’s sure of it,” said McGonagall. “Black is after Harry, and Fudge is sure that he won’t be deterred by one failure.”

Snape looked towards the shadows in the hallway as if Black would do him the favor of standing right there asking to be caught.

“Well,” McGonagall drew her shawl around herself. “I best get back to my quarters. I have to be up early to make sure everyone gets to the express for the holidays.”

Snape gave her a curt nod. “ I have rounds. Hopefully none of your lions are out laying pranks before the holidays or they may not make the train.”

“My lions?” McGonagall gave a mischievous smirk. “Never.”

McGonagall turned, and Harry quickly shifted so that she wouldn’t walk into him. He bit his lip as she came within inches of him. He exhaled in relief and immediately froze upon looking up and seeing Snape.

The potions master was standing with his arms crossed staring directly at Harry as if there were no such things as invisibility cloaks. His eyebrows jumped, as if he saw Harry seeing him. They stood like that in a weird stand off for what felt like hours, but was probably only seconds.

Just long enough for McGonagall to turn the corner.

The Snake.

“Potter, I know you are there. My, my- Wandering the halls after curfew, and eavesdropping on your teachers. I’d say that's worth 20 points from Gryffindor and a detention.”

Harry internally groaned, but didn’t dare move. Snape couldn’t know he was there. He had no proof.

“Potter, I can see your foot. Take off that cloak at once.”

Oh. Damn.

Harry pulled off the cloak feeling sheepish. Snape was staring at him assessingly. Harry wondered what he was seeing. Hopefully,  he didn’t notice Harry’s eyes red and puffy from crying.

“Follow me,” Snape said in a deadly whisper.

“Professor I-”

Snape spun, holding up his hand in a way that froze Harry’s tongue.

“I don’t care how pathetic you look, Potter. You broke school rules and your detention will commence right now, unless you would like to lose more points.”

Well, I guess that answered the question of if Snape noticed his eyes.

“Yes, sir,” muttered Harry finally admitting defeat.

On the plus side, he now had a very good excuse for avoiding Ron and Hermione for the rest of the night.

He followed Snape down to the dungeons, his mind full of thoughts of revenge and Sirius Black. If he was in the area like Fudge thought, and he was after Harry,  maybe it wouldn’t be too hard to catch him. Then, Harry could make him pay.

Snape threw open the door to his classroom, waved his wand to light the candles and stalked to his desk.

“Sit.”

Harry walked forward and took a seat at the front of the room. One time he had tried to sit at the back of the room for one of Snape's detentions and that had just resulted in more lost points.

Snape emerged from the store cupboard with a bucket of frogs and Harry bit back a groan.

“Disembowel them.”

The bucket was unceremoniously dropped on the work table making the dead frogs slosh inside in a way that turned Harry’s stomach. Snape made a small paring knife appear from somewhere and pushed it across the table until it clattered to a stop just in front of Harry. In a blink two more empty buckets appeared on Harry’s other side; one for the bowels and one for the finished frogs.

With as much restraint as Harry could manage, he began the gruesome work. Suddenly he was happy that he hardly ate any dinner. After a moment even Snape couldn’t find fault with his work and he moved to take a seat behind his desk.

Harry fell into the monotony of the work. It was disgusting, but after the first few, his motions became robotic. That was fine; it gave him more time to ponder the issue of Sirius Black. Harry’s very being still screamed in rage. He wanted revenge. He wanted to catch Black, but how? As much as he hated to admit it, Black could probably best him in a duel. It wouldn’t do to find the traitor just to get killed. No, Harry needed a plan that would ensure that Black suffered as much as possible.

“Give me one day with Black. Just one day. He’ll be begging for the dementors again.”

The words of Professor Snape came back to him in a rush, and this time Harry thought about what they meant. Snape wanted to catch Black too, and he wanted to hurt him just like Harry did.

“Professor,” said Harry impulsively “Did you know Sirius Black or something? It sounded like-”

Snape slammed down his quill so hard it made Harry jump.

“Potter, you are here because you seriously overstepped your bounds. What Professor McGonagall and I discussed is none of your business. Finish your work. In silence. Before I add more detentions.”

Harry threw the frog innards in the bucket so hard it rocked. His hand on the frog almost squashed the whole thing entirely. Muttering angrily to himself he pulled out another frog.

“What’s that Potter?” said Snape.

His voice had taken on that deep dangerous tone that meant that if you had any sense of self preservation you would shut up. But Harry found that his anger had eclipsed his good sense, and no one had ever accused him of being anything but a foolish Gryffindor.

“It is my business!” screamed Harry. “Because everything about Black is my business! He’s after me, isn’t he? His own godson, fun fact. Did you know that? The filthy traitor who betrayed my parents is back to finish the job. So pardon me if I think that maybe, some of it may be my business!”

He waited for the onslaught. Surely that outburst had earned him at least another detention and 50  points from Gryffindor. But when he dared look at Snape, the man had simply leaned back in his chair, pressed his hands together and was staring at Harry as if he was a new species of potions ingredient.

“You are better informed on the topic then I thought,” said Snape. “Do tell, if you are aware of the acute dangers to your person, what were you doing foolishly wandering the castle at night alone?”

Harry scoffed. “I was plenty safe, I had on my invisibility cloak. Besides, it's Hogwarts.”

“Yes, a school that Black has already broken into once in search of you,” said Snape “A school that he went to and is intimately familiar with; With not but the protection of your invisibility cloak against magic so dark it blew up an entire street. But do go on.”

“So let him catch me then,” said Harry. “I don’t care! Maybe- Maybe…”

“Maybe what, Mr. Potter?”

“Maybe he’ll regret it. I  know some good hexes. I can throw a punch. I fought off a basilisk last year for God's sake. I can take care of Black. ”

“If he caught you, I imagine you would be dead.” Snape gave him another assessing look. “Am I to gather that you want revenge?”

Want revenge? thought Harry. No I want so much more than that. “I want to rip him limb from limb. I want to make him regret ever knowing the name James and Lily Potter. I want him to suffer.”

Suddenly ashamed Harry kept his eyes on the work table in front of him. If he had said something like that to Ron and Hermione they would be positively beside themselves. What must Snape think of him?

“On that, Mr. Potter, we are in agreement.”

Harry started. Snape…agreed with him? He wasn’t going to try and talk him out of being bloodthirsty? It made him feel… seen. Perceived in a way that he never had been before.

“That son of a bitch took my parents,” said Harry. “He’s the reason I grew up an orphan knowing nothing about the wizarding world. And he’s the reason these fucking dementors are following me around, well the jokes on him  because the dementor’s just make me all the more determined to see him suffer.”

“And why might that be Mr. Potter?”

Harry’s heart thudded in his ears. He had only told Professor Lupin what he heard when the dementors came close. Did he dare tell Snape?

The Professor was sitting patiently, as if happy to wait as long as it took him. He wasn’t even scolding Harry for his language. It was suspicious, but also…

“ Because every time the dementors get too close to me I hear my mother begging for my life. And now I know that the only reason that had to happen is because of that disgusting traitor. So, I invite him to find me, Professor, because I’ll do everything I can to make him regret it.”

Snapes face was shuttered. The usual hatred Harry saw in it was gone, but it was replaced by the seeming absence of any emotion at all. It was unnerving. Snapes hands fell onto his desk with a heavy thud. His eyes never left Harry’s.

“Look, I know you know I heard you with McGonagall,” said Harry, mind working a mile a minute. Was this the part where Snape started lecturing him about how revenge is bad? It was like his mouth had a mind of its own and he couldn’t stop. “You said that one day with you would make Black beg for the dementors. So, I gathered you're not a big fan of the guy either. So- So- “

“So what, Mr. Potter?” growled Snape.

Harry gulped. “So- So help me catch him.”

“Excuse me?”

Harry could see the shock in his face, but it wasn’t an outright denial which was more than he had expected.

“Help me catch him,” said Harry more evenly. “I’m not stupid. I know I’ll probably die if I find him myself, but you seem like you know some dark magic, so maybe with you I stand a chance. You can take all the credit and bring him to the dementors. All I ask in return is that I get to throw a few hexes and punches first.”

Harry raised his chin in challenge. He got the feeling that if Snape had been anyone else his mouth would have been hanging open.

“You hate him,” asserted Harry. “I can tell. And I’m the perfect bait. You can get all the glory of throwing him in Azkaban again.”

Snape’s shoulders shook for a moment and then a barked laugh escaped his lips involuntarily. The potions master couldn’t control himself anymore and he fell forward in a full chortle. Harry looked around the classroom suddenly feeling uncomfortable. Had he broken Snape? Maybe he miscalculated? He was probably about to be marched up to Dumbledor’s office for a dressing down.

When the laughter continued Harry turned back to working on the frogs. It didn’t feel right to watch the man lose his mind. As the laughter finally died down, Harry kept his eyes on his work station. Maybe he could pretend that nothing had happened?

“Well, Potter, you have surprised me, and that does not happen often.”

Harry risked a glance up to see Snape smirking at him, before hurriedly turning back to his work.

“You seriously want me to use you as bait to catch Black, so that you can exact some revenge,” said Snape. It wasn’t a question. “And in exchange I get to bring Black to the dementors for the kiss.”

Harry didn’t dare move. He could feel Snape’s eyes on him.

“Yes,” Hissed Snape.

Harry jerked and almost cut himself with the paring knife. “Yes?”

Snape smiled. “Let’s catch Black, and make him suffer.”