Dinner was quite uneventful that evening up until dessert. Harry ended up having to sit in between Sirius and Snape and was still trying to figure out how it happened. It wasn’t too bad except for the occasional snarling comment from Snape at Sirius or Harry. At one point, Sirius managed to lob a spoonful of mashed potatoes into Snape’s face. Sirius of course blamed it on a “rogue spoon” and managed to quickly engage in conversation with the Headmaster. Snape sat through the rest of the meal glaring at his plate.

Halfway through dessert Harry started to feel dizzy.

‘Must have been the cauldron cakes’ Harry thought to himself. ‘Maybe I should go lie down.’

“I’m going to go lie down for a while.” Harry told Sirius. “I’m not feeling so great.”

Sirius looked worried. “Are you ok Harry? Do you need me to come with you?”

“No, I’ll be ok. I’ll be in my room.”

“Ok Harry, but if you don’t feel better soon come straight to me.”

“Ok.”

Harry got up and said goodnight to his teachers.

Snape got up a few seconds after not feeling like staying around Black much longer.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry was walking towards the staff rooms when his head erupted in pain. He staggered and leaned against the wall.

‘I don’t think this is from the cauldron cakes.’

He slid down to the ground and sat there trying to make the pain go away. Then he noticed his hand; it wasn’t there.

‘Oh no. I thought I was just imagining that!’

Suddenly the pain in his head increased and he passed out.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Black is such a self-centered git! I wish I could just strangle him!”

Snape was stalking through the halls towards the dungeons muttering irritably to himself. All of a sudden his foot caught on something and he went sprawling to the floor.

“This is just great! Some idiot had to have left their things lying around in the middle of the hallway!” Snape shouted to no one in particular. Then he noticed what he had tripped over.

“Potter?” Snape exclaimed. “I must be cursed! Why do you keep getting in the way of my feet!?”

Snape walked over to Harry and picked him up.

‘I though he wasn’t looking too well at dinner, why isn’t someone with him? Did they think I had left to be his bodyguard?’ Snape snorted in disgust.

He checked Harry over making sure he was still alive. He froze when he saw Harry’s hands, or rather didn’t see them.

‘Oh God…’

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Snape was practically running to the infirmary with Harry in his arms.

“The Occisor is already here! This can’t be good, we’re not safe anywhere!”

Snape stopped dead. Standing in front of him was a dark figure. He could only make out its gleaming red eyes.

Snape tried to reach for his wand while balancing Harry in his arms at the same time.

‘Where is it, where is it?!’

“Give me the boy.”

Snape’s head snapped up. ‘That thing can talk?’

Just then his hand hit something smooth and solid in his robe pocket. He sighed, now he could at least try and defend himself.

Snape whipped his wand out of his robe ready to stupefy the creature, but it was gone. He stood there for a few seconds and then started towards the hospital wing. Before he had gone two steps something grabbed his shoulder from behind and turned him around. Before he realized what was happening, the Occisor stuck its mangled hand on Harry’s forehead and then disappeared, leaving Snape stunned. Snape snapped out of his daze and looked down at Harry.

“Potter, can you hear me?”

Harry remained silent.

“I guess that’s a no.” All of a sudden Harry’s body started to shimmer and was slowly fading.

“Oh god. Harry! Harry!”

Harry was barely visible now and Snape was frantic.

“C’mon Harry! Can you hear me?”

Slowly Harry’s eyes flickered open and he looked up at Snape. Snape could see the confusion in his eyes that slowly turned to fear.

“Professor! What’s happening?!”

But before Snape could respond Harry disappeared completely leaving Snape speechless and alone.