Harry was running from something, but he didn’t know what. All he knew was that he needed to get way from whatever it was and fast. All of a sudden his foot caught on something and he went sprawling to the ground. ‘Stupid rock’ Harry thought as he stood and brushed himself off. Something in front of him moved. He glanced up and just stared. His parents. Joy surged through his body.

“Mom! Dad!” But they just stood there. “Mom, Dad?” Harry asked again feeling suddenly very uneasy. All of a sudden they started to slowly disappear. Voices started appearing around him chanting the same things.

You killed them. It’s all your fault. Voldemort’s back because of you. You’re killing the innocent. Maybe you should be a Death Eater.

“No, no, no. I didn’t mean to, I’m sorry.” Harry answered, “I didn’t mean to.”

Harry shot up in his bed as his dream world faded. Guilt washed over him. It was all his fault. Why did I have to just stand there while Cedric was killed? I should’ve saved him.

There was a tapping on the small window next to Harry’s bed.

“Hedwig!” Harry opened the window quietly as not to wake the Dursleys. Hedwig flew in and dropped a letter on Harry’s lap. It was a letter from Hogwarts. Harry quickly tore it open and read.

Mr. H. Potter,

It has come to our attention that you are no longer safe at your current residence. Therefore, at 12 pm on Tuesday the 20th of July, a Hogwarts staff member will come and take you to Hogwarts where your living situation for the rest of the summer will be further explained. Have a nice day.

Albus Dumbledore

Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Harry jumped for joy causing himself to topple off his bed and hit the floor. His head and arm were aching, but he didn’t care. No more Dursleys! And he was going back to Hogwarts! He was finally going home! He just hoped Dumbledore would have enough sense to not send someone like Snape to get him. But he doubted Dumbledore was that far off his rocker.

Harry got up off the floor and started to pack his stuff. The Dursleys had let him keep his trunk surprisingly enough. They had been completely ignoring him all summer except to give him his list of chores. Harry of course didn’t mind this at all, but he had been getting pretty lonely without anyone to talk to.

Harry bent over to get his stuff from under the floorboard. Just as he stood up a black blur shot through his window. He tried to dodge it, but he wasn’t fast enough. The object struck him in the shoulder. Harry cried out in surprise. The object was a long black arrow glowing eerily. The arrow was lodged deep into his shoulder, but oddly enough it didn’t hurt at all.

Harry stood in shock for a few seconds. Then he tried to pull the arrow out of his shoulder but it wouldn’t budge.

‘Great,’ thought Harry, ‘Now I’m going to have people staring at my forehead and my shoulder.’

All of a sudden, a piece of parchment flew out of the end of the arrow and into Harry’s hand. He stared at it for a moment then slowly opened it. One sentence was written in the middle of the paper:

Have a nice summer.

‘Ok,’ Harry thought, ‘this is just too strange’. His shoulder started to tingle. Then pain shot forcefully through his whole body. Harry screamed in pain and collapsed on the floor. Hedwig started to fly around hooting in distress.

‘Why aren’t the Dursleys coming? Can’t they hear me?’

Harry’s scar was pounding in unbearable pain. Harry kept screaming for what seemed like hours. He couldn’t stand it any longer and passed out from the pain.

Hedwig landed next to Harry and ripped off a piece of his shirt. She went to fly out the window only to find it had been closed. She tried to push it open, but it wouldn’t budge. Giving up, the owl went and perched on her owner waiting for someone to come.

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

(A few hours before)

“I’m going to bed,” Harry told his aunt and uncle. They didn’t respond. Harry shrugged and walked slowly up the stairs to his room.

About half an hour after Harry had went to sleep, the Dursleys were still sitting in their living room. Vernon was in his armchair reading the news and Dudley was busy stuffing his face with cookies (he hadn’t gone off his diet, but his mother thought he was such a poor ‘duddy wuddy’ that he could have just a few treats). Petunia was busy rearranging the many pictures of Dudley by the fireplace. They were too engrossed in their activities to notice a shadow slip in the room.

The figure came up behind Vernon and wrapped its long fingers around his neck and squeezed. Vernon didn’t even have a chance to struggle; he was dead in a second.

The figure moved on to its other two victims. It came up behind Petunia and crushed her skull between its bare hands. Dudley had heard a strange crunching noise and peaked around from his place in front of the TV. He saw his mother’s mutilated skull and father’s bulging eyes and foaming mouth. He was frozen in shock.

The shadow crept up to Dudley’s chair and stabbed a long kitchen knife into the large boy’s back killing him in and instant. The shadow slipped silently out of the house almost as if it was invisible.

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

(Next day)

Severus Snape was standing at the edge of Privet Drive grumbling to himself.

“I can’t believe I’m here. What was Dumbledore thinking?! He is most definitely off his rocker, making me come get insufferable Potter.” Snape continued mumbling to himself as he walked up to the door and rang the bell. He waited for a few minutes and rang again.

‘If this is Potter’s idea of a joke, he is going to be cleaning the entire dungeon with a toothbrush every night for a the rest of the year!’

Snape gave up and opened the door with magic. He stepped inside. “Potter! Where are you? You’re wasting my time!”

Snape walked into the living room and froze. The Dursleys were exactly where they were left the night before.

‘Potter, what have you gotten yourself into this time?’ Snape thought.

Snape searched the rest of the downstairs a little more frantically then one might expect for him hating Harry so much.

Finding Harry nowhere, he climbed the stairs. Snape entered a small bedroom and tripped over a heap of clothes on the floor.

‘I’m going to kill Potter for this if he isn’t already dead’.

A small moan came from the heap of clothes Snape had just fallen over. Realizing he had found Harry, Snape quickly rose from the floor and stalked over ready to give a lecture to the boy about the proper places for sleeping.

“Potter, what are you doing? Get up this instant!”

Harry didn’t move.

Snape then noticed something sticking out of Harry’s right shoulder.

“Oh no” Snape muttered.

He shrunk Harry’s trunk and put it in his robe pocket. He then bent over and picked Harry up.

“Do you eat anything Potter?” Snape mumbled as he did this.

All he got in reply was a pain-filled moan.

Snape hurried out of the house and down Privet Drive into some bushes. Once he was out of view he apparated.

The shadow slipped silently into the room. It was deserted, except for a figure sitting in a chair by a very old painting. The painting was a portrait of a sinister looking man with a sneer on his face.

The figure next to the portrait rose slowly from the chair.

“Happy hunting I expect?” it hissed.

The shadow remained silent. The figure continued, “Did you make sure the boy got my best wishes?”

“Yes,” the shadow replied in a voice that sounded at least a hundred years old.

“Good. Now I want you to go to Hogwarts. When you get there don’t attack just yet. I want you to wait for my signal. That doesn’t mean you can’t play with them a bit first though. Now go.”

The shadow left the room and crept out of the house. It slipped into the night blending with the dark, becoming completely invisible.

Back in the house the figure sat back down in its chair. A snake slithered up and hissed at the figure.

“Yes, Nagini, soon, very soon, the entire wizarding and muggle world will know of the return of Voldemort and they won’t have little Potter to protect them anymore.”

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

Snape ran up the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, heading for the main entrance. He burst through the doors and dashed straight towards the infirmary. By now Harry had passed out completely.

“Potter, you’d better not die on me now, I still need someone to clean my dungeons,” Snape snarled

He entered the infirmary, banging the door loudly against the wall, causing Madam Pomfrey to let out a startled shriek.

This would have been very amusing to Snape if he wasn’t so worried, no not worried, annoyed with Harry, no, Potter.

“What in Merlin’s name are you doing Severus, barging in here scaring the living daylights out of me?” screeched a very disoriented Madam Pomfrey.

“Not now Poppy, Potter needs help. He’s been hit in the shoulder with a Caedes arrow.” Snape replied.

“But how can that be I thought…”

“Well you thought wrong!” Snape growled while placing Harry down on one of the beds.

He glared at Pomfrey, which was enough to snap her out of her daze and start tending to Harry.

“He’ll need a potion to get the poison out of his system and something to take away the pain. I have one for the pain, but I don’t know the potion for the poison.” Poppy said.

“I know the antidote. I’ll be down in my dungeons making it if you need me. It should take about an hour. Get Albus and Minerva here immediately,” Snape replied.

With that he swept out of the room, robes billowing behind him.

‘I’ve never seen that man as upset as he is today. You’d think he was actually worried about Harry,’ Pomfrey thought as she walked over to the fireplace.

She threw in some powder. “Albus, Minerva? We need you in the infirmary right way.”

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

Snape was making his way down to the dungeons, mentally making a list of all the ingredients he would need to make the potion.

It was called the Infectum Reddere Potion. It hadn’t been used for at least fifteen years because no one had needed it.

The potion was used only on those struck by a certain black arrow. Only one creature alone, the Occisor, a hired assassin, used this arrow, also known as the Caedes Arrow.

It submitted a painful poison into its victim’s body.

The Occisor was banished by Dumbledore himself, but there was no mistaking this arrow, the Occisor was back.

Snape wasn’t watching where he was going and ran into a suit of armor. He mentally cursed himself and continued on to his private rooms.

“Quidditch,” Snape whispered when he reached the entrance. He entered the room and started to collect the needed ingredients.

As Snape was brewing the potion his mind started to wander.

‘How is it possible that the Occisor is back? I saw Dumbledore vanquish it with my own eyes! It must have been Voldemort. He must have found a way to bring him back. It is obvious, since Potter was the one attacked.

Why does Voldemort want Potter dead so badly?’

Snape snapped out of his daze when he heard the potion start to bubble.

He poured some of it into a vial and saved the rest. He then made his way back to the infirmary.

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

Professor McGonnagal and Albus Dumbledore were already in the infirmary when Snape arrived.

“I have the potion.” Snape managed to say between gasps. He had run all the way to the infirmary.

“Thank you Severus.” Poppy said as she took the potion from Snape. She walked over to Harry and started to pour it into the wound.

“Well, Severus, I see you were in quite a hurry for one as composed as yourself,” McGonnagal commented with a slight smile.

Snape gave her an icy glare. “Do you want Potter to die?”

“No! Of course not!”

Dumbledore interrupted the two before the argument could grow.

“Severus, tell me exactly what happened when you went to get Mr. Potter.”

Snape told them both everything up to when he had reached Hogwarts.

“But, how can it be? It’s impossible that the Occisor is back.” McGonnagal questioned when Snape had finished.

“I’m afraid there is a way to bring it back and someone must have found it.” Dumbledore replied.

Professor McGonnagal looked stunned and went very pale in the face.

“We have to get rid of him! You remember what happened last time! Hundreds of people were killed!”

“We’re going to have to talk about this later, after I have contacted a few people.” Dumbledore said as he rose from his seat.

Just then a muffled moan rose from behind the curtains of Harry’s bed.

All three Professors quickly made there way to the bed.

“He’s just waking up” Pomfrey told them as they entered. “I’m not sure if he’ll be all there in the head though.”

Harry groaned. He felt like someone had forced fire down his throat. He could barely move his muscles ached so badly. There was a strange tingling in his right shoulder.

Harry slowly opened his eyes and someone placed his glasses on his face. The first thing he saw was the sneering face of the potions master. He groaned more loudly and closed his eyes.

“Harry, can you hear me?” Professor Dumbledore asked.

“Unnngh” was the only sound Harry could seem to make.

He finally managed to clear his throat and managed a couple words.

“Hello…Professor.”

“Hello Harry. How are you feeling?”

“Alright. What happened?”

“Not now Harry, you need to rest up a bit first.”

Harry was already starting to fall asleep and murmured a small ok in reply.

As soon as Harry fell asleep Dumbledore started to leave.

“Severus, Minerva, one of you will need to stay with Harry tonight to make sure nothing happens. I’m afraid that Poppy has some urgent family business to attend to tonight.”

“I’m sorry Albus, I can’t stay tonight. I have a meeting in Bottertrum.” McGonnagal answered.

They both turned to look at Snape.

“I am NOT spending all night with Potter!” Snape growled.

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

“This is just great. You are now ruining my night also Potter!”

Harry of course didn’t hear this because he was still asleep.

Snape continued grumbling to himself for another hour until he finally fell sleep.

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

A shadow silently slipped through the trees and up the lawn to the castle.

It entered the castle with no problems at all. It hid in a corner as a noisy poltergeist passed by singing something about bunny ears and Snape.

As soon as the poltergeist turned the corner, the shadow continued on through the castle. It stopped at a wooden door and sniffed the air. A devious grin spread across the creature’s face as it entered through the door. It was time to have some fun.

Inside Harry was sleeping soundly in his bed.

The shadow crept over to the bed and stared up at he boy. Its eyes were gleaming with excitement. It touched the boy’s forehead with its hand.

Harry jerked under the touch and went still. The creature removed its hand and laughed quietly to itself as it left the room.

As soon as the creature left, Severus Snape awoke from a fitful sleep. He got up and went to check on Harry. He opened the curtains around the bed to find Harry sleeping soundly.

“I don’t see why I need to be here,” Snape grumbled to himself.

He sat down in the chair next to Harry’s bed and fell back to sleep.

Harry slowly opened his eyes. Sunlight streamed in through the windows causing him to squint. He reached over to grab his glasses and his hand smacked into to something greasy. Harry jerked his hand away and turned to see what it was. He jumped in surprise at the black blur, banging his head on the metal bedpost.

Harry groaned loudly not only from the lump forming on his head, but at the lump sitting next to him.

‘Was he here all night? Probably didn’t want to be, Dumbledore must have put him up to it.’

Harry turned and picked up his glasses and put them on. He looked back at Snape again.

‘Wow, he looks almost human without that sneer on his face. He sure is a heavy sleeper.’

Harry decided to sneak out and see if he could find Dumbledore. He knew he should probably stay, but he didn’t want to be around when Snape woke up.

He slowly swung his feet out of the bed and onto the floor. Then he tried to be as quiet as he could while moving towards the door.

Just as he reached the end of the bed he started to feel a little dizzy. Spots danced in front of his eyes.

Harry couldn’t focus on where he was going and tripped over the bed leg. He grabbed frantically at the air to keep from falling. His hand succeeded in finding a tray of empty glasses and the whole tray came down with him. The glasses must have been enchanted because they didn’t break, but they sure did make a lot of noise.

‘So much for being quiet’ Harry thought to himself.

“Graceful Potter, you should think about a career as a ballerina.”

Harry turned and glared at Snape trying to think of a good comeback. All he managed was an annoyed grunt.

Snape smirked.

Before Snape could say anymore Dumbledore walked into the room.

“I see you’ve finally woken up Harry, how are you feeling?”

Harry, who was still sitting on the floor, blushed and slowly got up.

“I’m fine. Just a small headache.”

“That’s wonderful. Now I expect you want to know what happened?”

Harry nodded in reply.

“Well, why don’t you two get dressed and come up to my office. There are a few people there who want to talk about this too.” Dumbledore said as he left the room, “and Severus? Please wait for Mr. Potter before you come up. Thank you.”

Snape frowned. ‘He has that twinkle in his eye again. What is he up to?’

“Can you move any slower Potter?” Snape said to Harry who was still standing in the middle of the floor.

“Oh…sorry.” Harry walked to the bathroom and changed into some clean robes.

‘What is Professor Dumbledore doing? Does he think if Snape and I are together long enough we’ll start to bond or something?’ Harry let out a snort of laughter at this. ‘Like that’ll ever happen,’ he thought as he walked out of the bathroom.

“Took you long enough Potter, are you ready now?”

“Yes.”

They started on their way to the Headmaster’s office. Harry had to run a bit to keep up with Snape’s long strides. They were only about half way there when Harry started to feel a little weird. At first he thought he was going to be sick, but then he realized his stomach felt fine. Then he noticed his hand. His fingers were slowly starting to fade. Harry started to panic.

‘What’s wrong with me, is this some kind of potion after-effect?’

Harry’s vision started to get blurry and his steps slowed.

Snape turned to snap a rude comment to Harry and found he wasn’t there.

“Potter, what are you doing?!”

He hurried back towards where he had come from and found Harry leaning against a wall.

“Potter, can you not go anywhere without making a scene?”

Harry looked up at Snape. “No, I guess I can’t. Does your potion have any after-effects?

“No, I don’t believe it does. Why?”

Harry glanced at his hand; it was solid.

“Oh, I just felt a little weird, I’m probably just tired. I’m fine now though, it doesn’t matter.”

He didn’t want Snape to think he had gone insane and started to see things, so he decided to just keep his mouth shut.

Snape stalked off leaving Harry hurrying after him. They didn’t say another word until they got to the statue of the gargoyle.

“Peppermint” Snape told the gargoyle. It slid open and they started up the stairs. Before Snape could knock on the door it flew open.

“Severus, Harry, I’m glad you’re here so soon.” Dumbledore greeted them.

Snape and Harry entered the room. Harry noticed that all the head of houses were there along with someone else.

“Professor Lupin!” Harry started towards him, but was knocked to the ground. A slobbery tongue started licking his entire face.

“Uggh, stop it Snuffles.” Snuffles got up and transformed. “What, aren’t you glad to see me?”

Harry laughed and hugged his godfather. “Of course I’m glad to see you, but I’ve already washed my face today.” Harry glanced around the room. “It seems everyone here knows about you, so can I call you Sirius now?”

“Of course!” Sirius got a worried look on his face. “How are you feeling Harry?”

“I’m fine Sirius, no need to worry.”

“Oh, but there is something to be worrying about,” Professor Dumbledore added, “It seems some things need explaining. How about you two sit down and we’ll begin.”

Harry sat down in an empty chair next to Professor Lupin, but only had time to give him a quick smile before Dumbledore started to talk.

“Now, I’m sure you have been wondering about what happened to you Harry?”

Harry nodded in reply.

“Well, it seems I’ll have to start from the beginning. Sixteen years ago when Voldemort was still in power, a creature was created by a death eater for Voldemort’s use. This creature was named the Occisor, which is Latin for murderer. The death eater designed the Occisor to be a hunter and obey Voldemort’s command. The Occisor was very powerful. It had various methods of killing and a useful ability, invisibility.

Voldemort used the Occisor to kill hundreds including some of his own if he was not happy with them.

The Occisor was most known for his tricks. They were horrible tricks too. He had the ability to make others like himself, invisible. People were disappearing everywhere you looked. They were terrible times.”

Color drained from Harry’s face as he stared down at his seemingly solid hand. ‘Maybe I wasn’t imagining it, maybe the Occisor somehow got into the hospital wing and cursed me.’

Lupin was looking at Harry strangely and Harry quickly realized he must have looked weird examining his hand so closely. He gave Lupin a smile and turned his attention back to Dumbledore.

“The problem was that no one knew what happened to the people after they disappeared. Several spells were cast to try and figure it out, but the victims were never seen or heard from again.”

Harry gulped. ‘I really hope my eyes were just playing tricks on me.’

“The Occisor also used poisonous arrows, that was what you were hit by Harry. It would have most likely killed you if Professor Snape had not made the correct potion for you.”

Harry glanced over at Snape in surprise and saw he was smirking.

Dumbledore smiled slightly and continued.

“About around when you were born Harry, the Occisor was finally captured using a special binding curse that kept it visible. With the help of a few others I was able to banish it, but it seems it didn’t stay that way.”

“How is that possible?” Lupin questioned.

Dumbledore sighed. “It seems that someone, who I assume to be Voldemort, has found a way to bring it back.”

A few in the room winced slightly at the mention of the Dark Lord’s name.

“What are we going to do then?” Sirius asked, “If we can’t see the Occisor, how are we going to be able to get rid of it? It could be anywhere! It could be in this room right now!”

“That is why I have gathered you all here, I need every one of you researching this.” Dumbledore replied calmly. “Meanwhile, we need to stay on our guard and lock the door of any room you are in. Though it might not help, it is a precaution. Harry will need to stay with someone for his safety. I’m afraid he can’t stay with me because I am not around my rooms very often.”

“Can I stay with Sirius and Professor Lupin?” Harry asked hopefully.

“I’m sure that can be arranged. You will most likely be staying in some of the extra staff rooms we have then.” Dumbledore answered.

Harry grinned. He’d feel a lot safer with his godfather and professor.

“Now I want you all to be very careful, for all we know the Occisor could already be inside the school. I will see you all at dinner.” Dumbledore finished.

All the teachers got up and headed out the door, Harry following Professor Lupin and Sirius.

“I’m so glad to see you again.” Harry said to Lupin and Sirius.

“I’m glad to see you too Harry, I’ve really been worried about you.” Lupin replied.

“So what are you doing now Professor Lupin?”

“Well, I’m going to be seeing you more often this year.” Lupin hinted.

“Are you teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts this year?”

Lupin nodded. “Professor Dumbledore couldn’t find anyone he trusted enough to do the job except for me. He figures the students will probably be jumpy around me for a while, but he needs me here.”

Harry nodded as his anger toward Snape rose. It was his fault Lupin had to leave in the first place.

“Well here we are.” Sirius said as they stopped in front of a portrait of a tall man with a long beard. He was wearing all brown including his large hat and carrying a staff. ‘He looks a lot like Professor Dumbledore.’ Harry noticed. ‘I wonder if he’s related to him?’

“Mellon.” Sirius said. The portrait swung open and they stepped in. Harry noticed it looked a little bit like the Gryffindor common room.

“Do all the professors live here?” Harry asked.

“Yes, all except the Heads of houses, they have their own quarters near their house.”

Lupin replied.

“I’m guessing all your stuff was already brought to your room by the house elves Harry.” Sirius said. “Do you all want to go to dinner now, I’m getting a little bit hungry.”

“You’re always hungry Padfoot.” Lupin commented. He turned to Harry. “You better watch out Harry or he’ll eat all the food of your plate when you’re not looking.”

“Hey!” Sirius punched Lupin in the arm. “You better watch what you eat tonight Moony!” Sirius threatened with a mischievous grin.

Harry grinned. It felt good to be around his godfather and Lupin again. He just hoped things would stay this way for a while.

They made there way to the Great Hall, though very slowly because Lupin and Sirius kept tripping each other, all three of them laughing the whole way, while being watched silently by something hidden in the shadows.

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.

Harry slowly opened his eyes to find the familiar hallways of Hogwarts.

‘What happened?’ Harry slowly stood and looked around. Wasn’t Professor Snape just here and wasn’t something happening? All of a sudden Harry remembered what happened and looked down at his body. It was all there and it seemed somewhat normal.

What had happened then?

Harry started walking, not really knowing where he was going. He ended up in front of the stone gargoyle guarding the Headmaster’s office.

“Maybe Professor Dumbledore will know what’s going on.” Harry said to himself.

“Er…chocolate frog…canary creams…lemon drop?”

Harry tried every possible password he could think of and half an hour later he was sitting next to the gargoyle waiting for someone to come.

Just when he was about to give up, a familiar black shape turned the corner and stalked up to the gargoyle.

“Oh, Professor Snape, I was just waiting for Professor Dumbledore, I wanted t-“

“Swiss cheese.”

“Excuse me?”

The stone gargoyle jumped aside causing Harry to jump himself. Snape hurriedly climbed the stairs.

“Oh, I guess I’ll just follow you then.”

Harry ran up the steps to catch up with Snape and was met with a door slamming in his face.

Harry reached up to knock on the door. Except his hand went right through it.

He let out a screech of surprise and pulled his hand back out.

“What’s going on?”

Harry looked back up at the door and hesitantly stuck his hand through again followed by the rest of his body. He emerged on the other side of the door in Dumbledore’s office looking very shocked. Harry snapped to attention when Snape started to talk.

“Albus, I didn’t know what to do! That thing just touched him and he started to disappear! I couldn’t do anything!”

Harry had never seen Professor Snape looking so frazzled and it kind of scared him. Something bad had to have happened in order to shake him up so badly.

Albus interrupted Snape’s rants, “Who disappeared Severus?”

Snape stopped talking and suddenly looking very tired. “Harry.”

A feeling of dread washed over Harry. He ran up to Professor Dumbledore and Snape.

“I’m right here! See, I’m fine!”

“How?” Dumbledore asked quietly, he himself looking very weary also.

“The Occisor.” Snape replied.

Dumbledore sighed and put his head in his hands.

“What are we going to do Albus?”

There were a few moments of silence in which Harry just stood there, mouth hanging open.

“I don’t know Severus, I don’t know.”

“But I’m right here!” Harry practically screamed, “I’m right here!”

Neither the Headmaster nor Snape heard him, so Harry desperately tried to shake Professor Snape. He went right through him and landed on the floor. Harry started to panic. What was he going to do? No one could see him or hear him and he could walk through things! Was this what happened to all the people who were touched by the Occisor all those years ago? Was he stuck like this forever? There had to be a way out of this!

All of a sudden an idea hit Harry. “My wand! Of course!”

He reached into his robes and pulled it out.

“Lumos.”

Nothing happened. Harry shook his wand and tried again. Still nothing.

“What is this, some kind of no magic zone!?”

Harry shivered as Professor Snape started to pass through him. Snape stopped abruptly and a look of confusion passed over his face as if he had felt something also. But before Harry could do anything else, Snape was already out the door.

‘He felt something! Maybe that means Dumbledore can to!’ Harry thought hopefully.

He walked over to the Headmaster and stuck his hand into his back. Harry watched the Headmaster’s face for a reaction. He didn’t show the slightest notice of anything at all.

‘Why can’t he feel anything!?’ Harry thought in frustration.

Without a second thought Harry was out the door and racing through the corridors to find Professor Snape.

He ran through the hallways towards the dungeons wondering how Snape could walk so fast. Harry sped around the corner and right through who he was looking for. Harry was about to go through Snape again when he realized that he had a grimace of pain on his face. Then he saw that Snape was gripping his forearm tightly.

“Voldemort” Harry murmured.

“Not now!” Snape growled as he turned and rushed off in the opposite direction.

Harry remained standing in the hallway, trying to decide what to do.

‘As far as I know, Snape is the only one who can feel me, so I don’t really have a choice but to follow him. Besides, maybe Voldemort will tell the Deatheaters something useful about the Occisor. Heck, maybe he’ll even tell them how to get out of wherever I am.’

Harry realized that Snape was gone and rushed after him. He reached Snape just as he crossed the anti-apparation barriers.

‘Oh no, he’s going to apparate! How am I supposed to follow him?’

Just as Snape started to apparate, Harry made a last-minute decision and dove at the professor.

Harry realized it must have worked because he was now sitting in a room surrounded by Deatheaters. It was only then that Harry noticed that Snape had on the same mask and robe as all the others.

Harry also noticed his scar was starting to hurt. All of a sudden the dull pain intensified to an unbearable throbbing. Just then a tall hooded figure entered the room.

“Good evening.” Voldemort told all the Deatheaters. “Yes, a very good evening indeed. I have wonderful news for all of you. Just a few hours ago Harry Potter disappeared from this world and sadly, he is never returning.”

The Deatheaters stood in shocked silence for a few moments before cries of joy started to fill the air. For the first time, Harry was glad he was invisible.

“How?” One of the Deatheaters shouted over the noise. The rest of them quieted to hear the answer.

Voldemort chuckled slightly and gestured a long pale hand toward the door from which he had entered.

“I introduce to you, the Occisor.”

Slowly, a strange looking figure entered through the door. Harry gasped when he saw it in full light.

It had gleaming red eyes and its skin looked old and decayed. Growing from its long marred fingers were claws that though rotting, still looked very sharp. It flashed a wicked grin and Harry noticed its fangs that appeared to be stained red and black.

“Yes, I have brought back to this world the one who caused so much pain and loss for the Light and brought victory to the Dark. And it will do so again, only this time we will not fail.”

The Deatheaters, who seemed to be a considerable amount farther away from the Occisor, started to cheer again. They moved around and blocked Harry’s view of the Occisor.

There cheers stopped abruptly as a snarl emitted from the corner in which the creature stood. Harry moved around some of the Deatheaters in order to see what was happening. He finally found a spot where he could see the Occisor. The only problem, as Harry slowly realized, was that the Occisor could see him.

Harry stood frozen in place as the Occisor snarled violently.

‘Oh God…that thing can see me! Wait, of course it can, I’m in it’s world after all.’

“What’s going on?” Voldemort snapped impatiently.

“Harry Potterrrrr…” The Occisor hissed.

“What do you mean, Harry Potter?! He’s gone!” Voldemort shot back.

By now the Deatheaters were starting to back further away from the Occisor, which was advancing on Harry.

Harry looked around frantically trying to find a way to escape. He noticed that the Deatheaters were silently apparating for fear of the Occisor.

‘I’ve got to find Snape. Maybe I can somehow get him to apparate.’

Before Harry had a chance to even glance at a Deatheater, the Occisor dove at him. Harry ducked and ran. He wove his way through the Deatheaters trying to find his professor.

‘You can’t tell whose who with these stupid masks!’ Harry thought angrily.

Before he knew what was happening, the Occisor had gained on him and swiped its clawed hand at Harry’s back and just barely missed, but caused Harry to stumble into the nearest Deatheater. Harry landed face down on the floor…no grass? He opened his eyes expecting to see the Occisor ready to murder him, but only saw the welcoming sight of Hogwarts.

“I am so lucky.” Harry murmured. He looked around for Snape and saw he was sitting on the grass next to him. He seemed to be deep in thought.

“Why did I apparate?”

Harry jumped when he heard Snape.

“It was like something…pushed me into apparating.”

Harry stared at Snape, his hopes rising. ‘So he can feel…something.’

Snape abruptly rose and started off towards the castle. Harry stood to follow.

He made his way up to the castle, but stopped at the entrance. Standing in the doorway were Sirius and Snape.

“Where’s Harry?!” Sirius yelled. Harry could make out the worry in his otherwise angry voice.

“Ask Albus. I’m sure he can tell you in a way you’ll be able to understand.” Snape snarled in reply. He pushed his way past Sirius and started towards the Headmaster’s office.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sirius yelled after him.

Snape ignored him and kept walking. Sirius let out a frustrated sigh. Harry walked up to Sirius and stuck his hand into him and held it there.

“C’mon Sirius, please feel it.” But Sirius just stood there motionless. Harry pulled his hand out and hung his head. Sirius left in the direction of Dumbledore’s office. Harry stayed where he was for a few minutes, and then lifted his head. “Why Snape!?” Harry shouted to no one in particular and took of in a bit of a run in the direction Snape had gone.

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

“Cowards! They’re all a bunch of idiotic cowards!” Voldemort shouted in frustration. All the Deatheaters had apparated and the Occisor had finally calmed down. He turned to the Occisor. “Are you sure that Potter is gone?”

“Yesssss, he left with a Deatheater.”

“Which one?”

“Severussss Snape.”

“Snape? Well that’s interesting that he should find Dumbledore’s precious little spy. Potter has an amazing amount of luck.” He turned back to the Occisor. “Go back to Hogwarts and kill Snape, but don’t make him disappear. I want Dumbledore to see that Lord Voldemort cannot be easily tricked.”

“What about Potterrrr?”

“Bring him out of your world and kill him in front of all the staff. That should shake them up a bit. Now go!”

Dumbledore lifted his head from his work as his office door banged open.

“Hello Severus.”

“Hello Albus. I came to tell you about something rather interesting that happened at the Deatheaters’ meeting.”

“Ah yes, and what would that be?”

Snape settled himself into a chair. “It seems that Potter might not be completely gone as we had thought.”

“Really? And since when did we think he was completely gone?”

Snape raised his eyebrows. “What do you mean? You knew he was still…somewhere?”

“Right after you left, I found this.” Dumbledore held up a book that seemed to be in a rather poor condition. “I seemed to have forgotten that I had this. It was a gift from an old friend and I never got around to reading it. I noticed it while I was trying to find information on the Occisor, so I pulled it out and started to read it. It turns out that there has been someone who has reappeared after, well, disappearing.”

“You mean someone was able to come back after being touched by the Occisor? Who was it?”

“I don’t know.”

Snape looked at Dumbledore in confusion. “What do you mean you don’t know?”

“The book, which happens to be a diary, doesn’t have a name in it.”

“Diary?”

“This is the record of the one person who disappeared into the other world and was able to come back. It seems that they were writing in this very diary when they happened to be touched by the Occisor and brought it with them into the other world.”

“Does it say how they returned?”

“Luckily, yes.”

“Well how did they do it?!”

“Patience Severus, I’ll let you read it yourself.” Dumbledore handed him the book. “It’s the last few pages.”

Snape took the diary and opened it towards the end and started to read.

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

Meanwhile Harry was still running through the halls towards the Headmaster’s office when he tripped and flew face first through a wall. He landed on the floor and looked around.

“Where am I, this isn’t a classroom.”

Chains were hanging around the room on the walls. A few were hanging from the ceiling. Dust and cobwebs covered almost everything.

“Wait a sec…this must be the old, er, detention room. Filch said something about this once.”

Harry stood up and walked to the other side of the chamber. There was a big wood door on the far wall. There looked like there were at least ten locks on it and most likely even more charms.

“It’s a good thing I can walk right through the door. It would take me days to get it open.”

Harry walked through the door and emerged in a stone hallway.

“It’s so cold, I must be near the dungeons.”

He started walking down the hall. There weren’t any paintings on the walls.

“Probably to cold even for them.”

There was only one door at the end of the hall. Harry walked through it and found himself in another hallway. There was another door at the end of this hall, but there was also one lone painting hanging on the wall. Harry walked up to it. Whoever was supposed to be in the painting wasn’t there.

“The only reason for having a painting down here would be to hide a room.” Harry thought to himself.

His curiosity got the best of him and he went through the painting.

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

Snape started to read an entry from the diary.

I don’t know what to do. I’ve been here, in this world, for at least two weeks. I’m slowly dying from starvation. The monster has shown up again. I think he can smell me. I won’t be able to hide for much longer. It seems that the monster is the only one who has access to this place, this world. I’m getting desperate. There seems to be no hope for me. I figure that I am going to die in this place, so I might as well die doing something that will help others. I am going to try and kill the monster. My wand doesn’t seem to work, so I am just going to have to use my bare hands. I will have to do it soon. I am thinking I will do it tonight while the monster is with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. If I do manage to slay the monster, I want the Dark Lord to see it happen right in front of his eyes.

Snape turned the page, but found nothing more on the pages after. As he turned to the last page, he noticed some writing on the back of it.

If this diary is ever found, let all who read it know that there is a way out, just touch the monster.

Snape read the last sentence over again. “Does this mean he escaped from the Occisor’s world when he tried to strangle it?”

“I believe so.” Dumbledore answered.

“What happened to him then?”

“Voldemort.”

A look of understanding passed over Snape’s face. “He said he was going to kill it in front of Voldemort. After he touched the Occisor he must of reappeared right in front of Voldemort.”

“I imagine he was tortured and eventually died at the hand of the Dark Lord.”

Snape sat in deep thought for a few minutes until he finally spoke.

“How will we tell Potter this, how to reappear, if we don’t even know where he is?”

“I don’t know Severus, I’ve been thinking about that for a few hours now, but I’m just not sure yet.”

All of a sudden Snape jumped out of his chair. “Do you think it’s possible to be able to feel someone who has been touched by the Occisor? Like if they walked through you, would you feel it?”

“It’s very unlikely, otherwise someone would have felt Harry by now.”

“But I have felt something Albus! I just didn’t think much of it at the time. I came back from the Deatheaters meeting only because something, or someone, pushed me into apparating. And when I was in your office before I felt something pass through me. Do you think it was Harry?”

There was a twinkle in the Headmaster’s eye when he spoke. “It most likely was young Harry. I only wonder why he hasn’t tried to get anyone else’s attention yet.”

“Maybe it was because I was with him when he disappeared. Maybe I’m the only one that can feel him.”

“That sounds very likely Severus. Maybe we can get Harry out of there after all. Why don’t you stay in one place for a while, if you feel anything remotely close to being Harry, start telling him about the Occisor.”

Snape nodded and headed out of the office.

Dumbledore watched him with a slight smile on his face. “He didn’t even notice that he called Harry by his first name.”

Harry emerged from the other side of the painting and looked around the room he now stood in. It looked sort of like the Gryffindor common room except it was smaller and done in Slytherin colors. It was still cold and Harry shivered a bit as he walked around the room. There were chairs and a couch in front of a fireplace and a bookshelf nearby. Harry walked up to the shelf and looked at some of the book titles.

“Most Potente Potions, Brewing the Unspeakable, Potions of the Dark Arts? This has got to be Snape’s rooms! This is perfect, I’ll just wait for Snape to come here.”

Harry walked over to the couch and sat, except he fell right through it.

“Ok, I’ll just have to wait on the floor.”

Harry sat near the portrait. “I wish I could light a fire,” he muttered as his teeth started to chatter.

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

Snape was walking down the halls of Hogwarts towards the Great Hall to wait for Harry. Halfway there he started to get an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach. He kept walking, only now a bit faster.

He stopped abruptly. “What am I doing? I’m starting to act like Longbottom!”

He turned around and scanned the hall. Nothing was there.

‘I believe I am going insane.’ Snape thought to himself as he turned and started walking again. He continued on for a few more minutes, but stopped again when he reached the hallway to his private rooms.

“Knowing how long it takes Potter to figure things out, I should probably get something to do. Then again, I don’t want to miss him.”

Before Snape could make up his mind, something hit him hard in the back and knocked him to the ground. He scrambled to his feet and looked around. Nothing was there.

“The Occisor.” Snape mumbled under his breath. He turned around and ran the opposite way the attack had come from, which was also the direction in which his rooms were.

He was finding it hard to run because of a pain in his back. He reached up and touched the back of his robes and found that they were wet with blood. He turned a corner right into a door.

“Alohomora!” The door flew open and Snape ran up to the one portrait in the hall. The only problem was that no one was there.

“Baler! Where are you?! BALER!”

Just then Snape saw something out of the corner of his eye. The Occisor had appeared by the door.

Snape turned back towards the painting. “SIR AVERY BALER!” Finally a chubby little man trudged into the frame, yawning.

“What do ye want? I was tryin’ to get some sleep.”

“Abduco!”

“Fine, fine. Ye don’t have to be so snippy all the time.”

The portrait swung open and Snape jumped in slamming it behind him.

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

Harry jumped to his feet when he heard shouting outside the portrait. A few seconds later it swung open and Professor Snape dived inside. Harry let out a sigh of relief that he wouldn’t have to wait any longer for him. Then he noticed Snape’s back. There were long claw marks down his back and they were seeping blood. Snape didn’t seem to notice though. He started pacing around his room frantically mumbling, “What am I going to do? What am I going to do?” over and over again.

Harry turned his head toward the portrait when someone screamed from that direction. Right after there was ripping of what sounded like claws on the painting. Harry scrambled behind the couch as the Occisor burst into the room. It had a mad gleam in its eyes and was panting heavily. Its attention was on Snape and it started towards him. Snape backed up to the wall and was looking around for something. Then Harry realized what he was looking for. Snape’s wand was on the floor near the entrance to the room.

‘I need to distract the Occisor so Snape can get his wand.’

Harry jumped out from behind the couch and shouted at the Occisor. It spun around and stared at Harry. It stood frozen as if trying to figure out what to do. Harry took a chance to glance at Snape. He was still standing against the wall.

“Come on you greasy git, get your wand!”

Harry turned his attention back to the Occisor just in time to see it lunge directly at him.

Snape backed up against the wall as the Occisor approached him.

‘Where’s my wand? Where’s my wand?’ Snape frantically searched the room until he spotted it by the entrance to his rooms. Snape swore under his breath and tried to figure out how to get it before the Occisor tore him to shreds. Just as he was about to risk diving at the creature it stopped and spun around to face the fireplace.

‘What is it doing?’ Snape wondered. Before he could make anything else of it the Occisor lunged towards the couch. Snape took his chance and went for his wand.

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

Harry was knocked painfully to the stone floor as the Occisor landed on top of him. Harry tried to struggle out from underneath the creature, but it was exceedingly strong and the harder he tried, the deeper the Occisor’s claws dug into his shoulders. Harry stopped struggling and lay limp. His shoulders pounded in pain and the Occisor was not letting up.

‘I’m done for, this thing is going to bite my head off and that will be the end of the famous boy-who-lived,’ Harry thought miserably.

His vision was getting fuzzy from the pain, but he could see the Occisor leaning closer to his face, eyes glinting maliciously. Harry blinked in surprise as it started to talk to him in a raspy voice.

“Well Potter, its time you learn that Voldemort can never be defeated. There’s no one here to help you now.”

Harry winced as the Occisor forced its claws in even deeper.

Before the creature could do anything else there was a shout from across the room.

“Wingardium Leviosa!”

Harry screamed as the Occisor’s claws were ripped out of his shoulders. The creature went flying across the room and Harry heard a thud as it hit the wall on the other side of the chamber.

Harry tried to sit up, but it hurt too much. Before he could try any further, a hand grabbed his and he felt a sharp pull on his navel.

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

Harry landed facedown on the ground. He lay still willing the pain to go away.

“Potter! Are you alive?”

Harry slowly tried turning over and he managed to get half way and let out a gasp. His shoulders hurt so badly; it felt like hundreds of knives stabbing them all at once and not letting up. He realized that it would hurt less if he could turn himself the rest of the way over. He braced himself and turned all the way. He lay on his back with his eyes closed, breathing hard.

“Potter?”

“Yes.”

“Yes what?”

“Yes…I’m alive.”

“I’ve noticed.”

Harry opened his eyes and saw Snape sitting next to him. He looked around and noticed that they’d some how ended up in a forest.

“How did we get here?”

“Portkey. I thought you were smart enough to recognize the pull of a Portkey, but I guess I’ve overestimated you.”

Harry didn’t feel like getting into an argument because it hurt too much to even talk a little.

“Where’d you get a portkey?”

“I always keep an extra one with me in case of emergency. It seems it was very useful.”

Harry was reminded of Moody and wondered if Snape kept flasks strapped to his legs too.

“Very useful.”

They sat in silence for a few minutes until Harry realized something.

“Wait, you can see me?! But how?”

“Before I was attacked by the Occisor, Dumbledore had called me up to his office and showed my a diary of a man who was also placed in the Occisor’s world. He was also able to escape. When he went to try and kill the Occisor and touched it, he reappeared.”

“So the Occisor made me visible again when it attacked me. What happened to the man?”

“Voldemort.”

“Oh…”

They sat awkwardly for a few more minutes until Harry broke the silence.

“So…where are we?”

“I don’t know.”

Harry forgot about his shoulders and shot up and quickly had to lie back down.

“What do…you mean, you don’t…know?” Harry asked breathlessly. “It is your…portkey, isn’t…it?”

“Yes, it is mine, but I didn’t make it. I happened to grab the one that Voldemort gives his Deatheaters.”

“What?!”

“I’m sorry Mr. Potter,” Snape spat. “I was a little busy with a monster to bother with grabbing the right portkey! You should be thankful I managed to-”

Snape gasped and put his hand to his back.

“Professor Snape, are you okay?”

“I’m fine Potter, it’s just a scratch.”

From what Harry remembered seeing he knew it was much more than just a scratch.

“Can’t you heal it?”

“I’m not Poppy, Potter! It takes a lot of skill to heal.”

Harry shrank back and decided just to shut up.

They were both quiet for a long time after that. Harry looked up and noticed that it was already night. The stars shone brightly against the sky and he recognized the Dog Star.

‘I wish I were back with Sirius. While I’m at it, I also wish I could have a normal life, my parents alive, and Voldemort dead. Oh, and Malfoy as a permanent ferret.’

Harry chuckled at the event from last year of Malfoy the ferret bouncing up and down.

“Something funny Potter?”

“Oh, nothing.”

Thoughts of last year started surfacing. Harry tried to push them from his mind, but couldn’t seem to. He eventually sank into a fitful sleep while Snape sat staring at the stars.

“What do you mean they got away?! You’re a skilled assassin, you’re supposed to be better than this! I’m hoping you at least inflicted some pain! Or am I wrong in expecting too much of you?!”

Voldemort was face to face with the Occisor. “Well, answer me!”

“I didn’t know Potter wasss in the room, he surprissssed me. I didn’t know what to do, kill Ssssnape or Potter firssst, so I attacked Potter. I managed to wound him, but Ssssnape had gotten hisss wand and-“

“How can you be so ignorant! Of course you kill the one with the wand first! Think before you act creature! Do you have any idea how long I have waited to kill that stupid little boy?! I should dispose of you right now! But because I’m so kind, I will give you one last chance. Go and find them and bring them back to me. I don’t care if you hurt them, but let me do the honors of killing them. Well, don’t just stand there, go!”

The Occisor turned and raced out of the room passing a rat on his way out the door.

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

“Have any of you seen Severus since this morning?” Dumbledore questioned the staff as they sat down to eat.

Everyone murmured answers of “No” and “Do we ever see him?”. Sirius turned to Remus and growled, “Just like Snape to disappear when we’re trying to help Harry. I bet he’s helping the Occisor!”

“Sirius Black!”

Sirius nearly fell out of his chair as Dumbledore turned towards him.

“You have no right to accuse someone who had put his life on the line many times to help our side and not to mention Mr. Potter!”

Sirius lowered his head and looked properly ashamed. Remus turned to the Headmaster.

“What do you mean Albus, not to mention Mr. Potter?”

“Well, I talked to Severus this morning and he told me that he thinks Harry is trying to get his attention. Apparently he has been feeling strange every once in a while, and something had forced him into apparating from his meeting with the Dark Lord.”

“What makes you so sure it’s Harry?”

“I’m not completely sure Remus, but what else can we do? That’s why I’m worried that something has happened.”

“Why don’t we go check Snape’s rooms? He’s probably hunched over a cauldron anyways,” Sirius put in.

“That’s a wonderful idea Sirius! Why don’t you and Remus come with me to check.”

Sirius started to protest, after all he’d be missing a perfectly good dinner, but Remus kicked his shin under the table.

“We’d love to Albus.”

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

Harry’s eyes snapped open. For a few moments he wasn’t quite sure where he was, but it quickly came back to him along with the pain in his shoulders. He turned towards Snape to see that he was awake and had moved up against a large rock for support.

‘Does he ever sleep?’ Harry wondered, but then he remembered seeing Snape sleeping in the hospital wing.

“What is it Potter? Did you want something or do I have something on my face?” snapped Snape harshly.

Harry quickly took his eyes off of Snape and looked around to the other side. The forest was denser on that side and seemed a lot darker. Harry suddenly felt very vulnerable lying out in the middle of the small clearing. He stared up at the sky wondering what time it was. Something moved out of the corner of his eye near the denser part of the forest. He turned his head sharply in the direction of the movement, but nothing was there. He squinted hoping he had just imagined it. The forest was completely still. And now that he thought about it, it was awfully quiet too.

“Do any animals live here professor?”

“What kind of question is that Potter, of course there are animals in a forest.”

“They’re awfully quiet ones.”

Realization hit Snape’s face and he looked like he was listening very carefully.

“Strange,” Harry heard him murmur.

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

“What the heck happened here?!!”

Remus and Dumbledore entered the room following Sirius after examining the ripped canvas.

They looked around the room. It looked like something had torn it a part in a mad rage.

Remus walked over towards the fireplace and knelt down.

“Albus! There’s blood on the floor over here.”

Sirius and Dumbledore rushed over.

Remus looked at Dumbledore. “Should we do a blood test?”

“Yes, I’ll do it.” Dumbledore took out his wand and pointed it at the blood and mumbled a charm. A foggy steam-like cloud came up out of the ground and formed an oval shape. Slowly a person’s picture appeared inside of it.

Sirius put his face closer to it and let out an exclamation. “Harry.”

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

It was getting later and later and Harry was getting very anxious. He finally decided to try and talk to Snape.

“Er, Professor?”

Snape turned and glared at Harry. “Yes?”

“Well, I was wondering why we’re just waiting here. Shouldn’t we be trying to contact someone or something?”

“Yes Potter, I had thought of that, but you do realize that we are most definitely near Voldemort and he might pick up on use of magic?”

Harry nodded deciding not to ask how Voldemort could know when someone was using a spell. He didn’t exactly feel like being told how stupid he was.

Harry went back to thinking of Quidditch and going through moves that he wanted to try after seeing the World Cup. Before he knew it, night had come again and his eyelids were getting heavier. He finally gave in and fell asleep, not realizing what he was going to be waking up to.

Wormtail scurried through the doorway just as the Occisor was exiting. Shivers went down his back as the creature passed.

‘I wish that vile thing would go back where it came from. It’s not doing any good and it scares me half to death.’

He crossed the room to where Voldemort was sitting and transformed into his normal self. He was having a hard time standing because he was shaking so hard. Wormtail could tell that his master was not in a good mood and that meant a lot of pain for him.

“Good evening Peter. Did you get the potion? Or will I get to practice my curses tonight?”

“N-no need for that…m-m-my lord. I have the potion.”

“Wonderful. I trust you managed to get it without the ministry noticing.”

“No problem at all. They don’t notice rats.”

“I would expect not. After all, Fudge is the Minister of Magic and he’s a complete idiot.”

Wormtail stood listening, hoping that he would get away unharmed. He doubted this very much though. Whenever Voldemort talked with a note of patience in his voice, you knew something was coming and that it was going to hurt.

“Well…the potion?”

“Oh! R-r-right.”

Wormtail fumbled around in his coat pocket and pulled out a small vial. There was only about two drops of liquid inside.

Voldemort carefully took the bottle from Wormtail and held it very close to examine.

“Ah, the perfect tool for Mr. Harry Potter. I’m sure he’ll enjoy this tremendously.”

He continued to marvel at the small vial of potion. Wormtail took his chance and started backing away towards the door.

“Er…I guess I’ll be going now my lord. Awfully tired and I need my rest. Enjoy your evening.”

He had almost made it out the door when Voldemort spoke.

“Wait one minute. I’m calling a meeting tomorrow and I expect you to be there.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world. Bye.”

“Wait, I need to thank you.”

“Oh no need for that my lord. It was nothing. Really.”

Voldemort smiled. “Oh no. I insist.”

Wormtail braced himself.

“Crucio.”

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

Arthur Weasley was walking down the hall to see the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. He needed to convince Fudge to search the Malfoy Manor. He knew that there was more illegal objects in there then had been found in the past ten years. He also hoped that something would be found to prove once and for all to Fudge that You-Know-Who was really back.

Arthur reached the door to the Minister’s office and reached for the knob. Before he could turn the handle, the door swung open and a disgruntled Cornelius Fudge appeared in the doorway.

“Arthur! What a surprise. You’re just the person I need. We have a situation.”

“A situation?”

“Yes, a very big situation actually. It seems our security isn’t as dependable as we had thought.”

“What do you mean Cornelius?”

“The potion’s been taken.”

Arthur was silent. Of course Fudge didn’t mean the potion. He must be talking about some other potion. Right?

“The guards were standing outside the door the whole time. No one entered the room at all or even passed by them.”

“Aren’t there security charms on the room?”

“Apparently they were down temporarily. They had to be strengthened. It’s been at least four years since they were recast.”

“Are the guards sure they didn’t see anyone?”

“No one. All they saw was a rat, which isn’t at all surprising. That room is down pretty deep.”

Arthur thought about it. That potion shouldn’t be used. In fact, it shouldn’t have even been made in the first place. He was snapped out of his thoughts by the Minister’s voice.

“I want you to start investigating this matter right away. I know it’s not exactly your area of expertise, but I trust you on this Arthur.”

“Sure thing. I’ll get right on it.”

Arthur turned and walked back down the hall. So much for busting Malfoy, but this was too important to ignore. He turned into his office and grabbed some parchment. He would need to inform Albus about this because he knew Fudge wouldn’t have.

He finished writing the letter and was about to seal it when he decided to add one more thing. It seemed pretty insignificant, but Albus was usually interested most in the small details, even if it was only just a rat.

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

A group of teachers, Lupin, and Sirius were all seated around a table in Dumbledore’s private study. They had just filled everyone in of the situation and were currently trying to think of a plan to get Harry and Snape back.

Sirius couldn’t take he silence and jumped up.

“We have to do something soon! Who knows what has happened. They could be-”

“Sirius, shouting isn’t going to do them any good.”

Sirius looked at Dumbledore and sat back down, but he couldn’t help but asking another question.

“How do we know they’re not standing in this room with us right now?”

Remus turned to Sirius to answer.

“Well, we have a pretty good guess that they got away and that Harry’s visible again. If we were able to see his blood on the floor, that means he touched the Occisor. And you know Severus; he’s always carrying portkeys in his pockets. He’s smart enough to grab one and grab Harry.”

Sirius looked somewhat comforted, but was now worrying about Harry being all alone who knows where with a slimy git.

Dumbledore stood up. “All we can do now is wait. I know Severus well enough to know that he’ll get Harry back here safely.”

Sirius looked doubtful, but didn’t protest. It’s not as if he could do anything anyway.

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

Harry was actually having a nice dream about Hogwarts and all his friends when he was jerked awake. He tried to cry out as his arms were twisted painfully behind his back, but someone had put their hand over his mouth. He struggled frantically, but had to stop because his shoulders couldn’t take it.

“Well, what a surprise. Mr. Potter all alone in the woods. Didn’t your mother teach you to never go into the woods without someone else? Oh, that’s right, she wasn’t alive to tell you.”

Harry turned his head to try and see who was talking to him. The pain from his shoulders was bringing tears to his eyes, so it was hard to focus on anything. His stomach jolted as he saw his situation. There were five Death Eaters surrounding him, not counting the one holding him.

“I’m sure Lord Voldemort will be very pleased with us, bringing him the Boy-Who-Lived.”

The voice sounded familiar and then it hit Harry. Lucius Malfoy. There was no doubt about it. That was one voice that wasn’t easily forgotten. Then he realized what Malfoy had said. He was alone. Where was Snape?

Harry turned his head to where Snape had been. It was deserted.

“Well, let’s get going. The sooner we get Mr. Potter here to Voldemort, the sooner I get my reward. Goyle, carry Potter.”

The man holding Harry, whom he knew now was Goyle Sr., picked Harry up and threw him onto his shoulder.

“Let’s go!”

Harry’s shoulders were aching badly. As Goyle started walking Harry looked back again to where Snape had been. His eyes searched the area until they met a pair of familiar black ones, right before the pain caused him to pass out.

Dumbledore had just sat down in his office when an owl flew through an open window and circled his desk, dropping a letter right in front of him. He picked up the letter and looked at the seal; it was from the Ministry. Dumbledore opened it and scanned the letter. His eyes widened as he read the note at the bottom.

“Oh no.”

Dumbledore dropped the letter and stood up. He started to pace around the room.

“What should I do? Voldemort probably has the potion by now and there’s no doubt that he is going to use it on Harry.”

For the first time in his life, Albus Dumbledore felt completely helpless. All he could do now was wait.

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

Severus Snape had woken up to the sound of rustling in the trees nearby and voices. He swore when he realized that he wouldn’t be able to move Harry out of the way in time.

‘Well, if I’m caught too, that wouldn’t do either of us very good,’ he thought. He tried to quickly move behind the boulder he was leaning against. This, of course, wasn’t very easy due to his injuries.

He had just managed to pull himself out of view when a group of Deatheaters burst through into the clearing. He immediately recognized Lucius Malfoy and his two goons, Crabbe and Goyle Sr.. His heart started beating a little faster when he saw that there were six Deatheaters in all and they had noticed Harry.

Snape couldn’t make out what they were saying. He decided to peer out from around the rock. He saw Goyle pick Harry up and throw him over his shoulder. The group started to walk away into the forest, but before they were completely out of view, Snape managed to catch Harry’s eye.

Snape sighed and leaned back against the rock. He would have to follow them somehow. Of course he should have realized that Voldemort would call a Deatheaters meeting when the Occisor had failed to bring Potter back.

Snape sat for a few moments. Suddenly his eyes widened and he grabbed his sleeve, jerking it up. His eyes widened. The Dark Mark on his arm was no longer black, but instead it was red.

‘That’s why I didn’t feel anything when Voldemort called. He knows I’m a traitor!’

Snape swore again, but was cut off by rustling in the bushes. He peered slowly around the rock and was just in time to see the Occisor creep off in the direction Harry had been taken.

‘The Occisor must want to be the one to bring Potter back to Voldemort. Well, that’s one more set of tracks I can follow.’

Snape slowly got to his feet and started off into the forest.

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

Harry awoke from unconsciousness just in time to hear a shout from somewhere behind him. He tried to see what was happening, but it was hard to tell because he was still groggy. From what he could make out, something was attacking the Deatheaters. Goyle Sr., who was still carrying him, had started to run. Harry realized that only Lucius Malfoy and Goyle had managed to get away from whatever was attacking the group. The rest of the Deatheaters were scattered around the forest floor.

Harry looked around, trying to find the attacker. He let out a shout as a dark blur came out of nowhere right behind them. It was quickly gaining on them and there was no way that they could escape.

Suddenly Harry was flying through the air. He landed hard on the ground a few yards away. He looked to see what had happened and saw that Goyle Sr. had tripped over a tree root. He had apparently hit his head on something because he wasn’t moving. It was then that Harry realized that Goyle was dead, the Occisor hunched over him.

Harry urgently looked around in search of Lucius Malfoy. He was nowhere in sight. Harry scrambled back against a tree ignoring the pain in his shoulders. He looked around desperately, trying to figure out how to get away. The Occisor was closing in and was only a few feet away.

Harry shut his eyes. He’d rather not see himself be torn apart. He tried thinking of all the happy times in his life. He lost his focus as he felt the Occisor’s breath on his face.

‘Well, this is it,’ Harry thought, ‘this is how it’s going to end. After all my narrow escapes, I’ve seemed to run out of luck.’

Harry took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

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

Severus Snape was making slow progress. His back was hurting more then ever and he didn’t think he’d be able to get to Harry in time.

“Just like Potter to get himself captured,” Snape muttered. “Why couldn’t he have just kept himself out of trouble for once!”

Snape sighed. He trudged along following the set of tracks. He looked up at the dense branches.

“I can’t even tell if it’s night or day!”

Snape’s foot caught on something and he just barely kept himself from falling. He looked down to see what had tripped him. He was thankful that it wasn’t Potter this time. It seemed that the Occisor had already gotten to the Deatheaters, four of them to be exact. Now he just needed to find out where the other two had gone.

Just then he heard a shout from ahead. ‘Definitely Potter,’ Snape thought.

He quickly moved towards the direction the shout had come from.

“Off to save Potter again,” Snape growled under his breath.

Harry opened his eyes. The Occisor was standing inches from his face, but it wasn’t attacking. It suddenly moved, causing Harry to flinch. But, instead of moving towards him, it took a step back and started to speak.

“Potter…I want to kill you. I wissssh I could, but I cannot.” Harry had to strain to try and make out what it was saying. “But Lord Voldemort did not ssssay anything about keeping Ssssnape alive, did he?” The Occisor stopped talking and it looked to Harry like it was trying to think. Harry jumped when it started to talk again. “No, no…bring Misssster Potter back, never Ssssnape.” The Occisor turned sharply and stared at Harry. “Where’sssss Sssnape?”

Harry was about to reply that he didn’t know, but he blurted out a different answer.

“He’s dead.”

The Occisor stared hard at Harry and then grinned, at least, that’s what Harry thought it was.

“Sssnape isss dead? Aw, Potter, it isss not nice to tell liesss.”

Harry tried to put a confused look on his face. “He is dead. The portkey landed me in the clearing, but Snape landed near the edge of a cliff. The cliff started to crumble and he fell with it.” Harry desperately hoped that the Occisor would believe this, but he knew that it was not the best story.

The Occisor stared at Harry again. It knew something was wrong, but it also knew that it was best not to keep the Dark Lord waiting. “Ssstand up.”

Harry pushed himself up, trying to ignore the pain. He finally managed to straighten, but had to lean against the tree for support.

“Follow me.”

The Occisor headed past the tree Harry was leaning against. Harry knew there was no way he could escape, but he couldn’t just willingly walk to his own death.

Before Harry had a chance to decide, he heard a voice shout something from the direction that the Occisor had taken. He peeked around the tree to see the monster frozen in mid stride.

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

Snape hurried past a dead Goyle and hid behind some trees. The Occisor had Harry cornered.

‘Potter looks like a wreck,’ Snape thought to himself. The Occisor started to speak and Snape could just barely make out what it was saying. He moved quietly closer, but froze when he heard the Occisor question his whereabouts. His eyes widened when he heard Harry’s reply of his apparent death. It took all of his self-restrain not to groan when he heard the excuse Harry made. ‘Leave it to Potter to make up the lamest story ever.’

Snape was shocked when the Occisor replied by telling Harry to get up. ‘There is no way he could have believed that.’ Snape saw Harry struggling to get up and the Occisor stride past him. ‘Perfect,’ Snape thought to himself, now he could easily grab Harry and escape.

Snape jumped out from behind the tree, knowing he would have to be quick. But before he could curse the Occisor, someone else did it for him.

Standing on the opposite side was Lucius Malfoy with a smirk on his face and wand now pointing at Snape.

“Severus, what a nice surprise. Now, not only will I be rewarded for bringing in Harry Potter, but also for killing the traitor.”

Snape was sure that Lucius would drawl on for sometime as he usually did and was completely unaware when he heard the curse and had no time to react as it came flying towards him.

But it never hit him. When it was inches away Snape felt someone barrel into him, taking the curse and knocking him to the ground at the same time. He looked around to see what had happened and saw Harry lying on the ground next to him.

“Oh my God, he’s dead.”

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

The end!

Just kidding, I wouldn’t end it there, well actually, I would, but it’s way too short, so keep reading.

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

Harry watched as Snape jumped out of the bushes, wand out. He felt relieved. Then he saw Snape staring and heard someone start to talk. He looked over by the Occisor and saw Lucius Malfoy. He was about to curse Snape. Harry glanced back at Snape; he seemed to think that he still had time.

Harry heard the curse and saw the light emit from Lucius’ wand and head directly toward Snape. He didn’t know why he did it, but he felt himself moving towards Snape. He dove at him, pushing him to the ground. Then something hit him in the back and he fell, landing hard next to Snape.

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

Snape stared at Harry, but found he was wrong when Harry started to writhe in pain. He heard muffled whimpers as if Harry was trying hard not to scream. It wasn’t the Killing Curse; it was the Cruciatus Curse.

Snape grabbed his wand, and jumped to his feet. Before Malfoy knew what was happening he was lying stunned on the ground. The curse immediately stopped, but Harry lay on the ground looking as if he was trying very hard just to breath.

Snape walked over to Harry and knelt down next to him.

“Potter, can you hear me?” Snape let out a sigh of relief when Harry nodded. “Can you get up?” Harry seemed to think about this for a second and then shook his head and muttered, “Shoulders”. Snape looked at Harry’s shoulders and found that they were worse then before. He reached into his coat and pulled out a vile of potion he had been saving and showed it to Harry.

“Here, drink this, it will make the pain go away.” Harry looked up at Snape and took the vile and downed it with one gulp. Immediately his shoulders seemed to go numb and the aftereffects of the curse subsided to a dull ache. He slowly sat up and handed the vile back to Snape. “Thanks.” Snape looked uncomfortably at Harry and seemed to be making an effort to speak. “I should be thanking you,” he managed to choke out. Harry wasn’t sure how to respond and just nodded his head slightly.

Snape stood up and looked around. “Well, we’re going to have to find where the apparation barriers end.” Harry stood up slowly looking confused. Seeing his expression, Snape would have normally snapped about what a complete dunderhead Harry was, but he found himself not able to. “Voldemort put up anti-apparation barriers so you and I couldn’t escape.” Snape decided to leave out the point that he had tried apparating on the first night after Harry was asleep, but only moved a few feet hitting a large rock and knocking himself unconscious for a few hours.

He looked back at Harry. “Do you think you can walk?”

Harry looked up and nodded determinedly, but his gaze fell back to the Occisor and Lucius Malfoy. “What about them?” Snape lifted his wand a muttered a spell. Green cords seemed to come out of nowhere, binding both the Occisor and Malfoy Back to back.

“There,” Snape said, apparently satisfied. “Well, let’s get moving. That will hold them, but a Death Eater is bound to show up and free them sometime.” Snape started to walk back towards the clearing they had appeared in. Harry looked back at the Occisor, hopefully for the last time, and hurried off after Snape.

Snape's plan was to walk as quickly as two badly injured wizards could in a direction he hoped was the correct one. Not the best of plans, but at the moment the only one. He knew the Occisor would easily escape the magical bonds as soon as it woke up, but he had hoped it would at least injure Malfoy in the process.

Snape glanced down at Harry who was struggling to keep his pace. Stupid boy, why had he jumped in front of the curse? His incessant desire to be the hero was becoming ridiculous.

Snape shot an annoyed look at Harry. But he couldn't quite seem to summon the normal vexation he had with the boy. Snape sighed. Why did he care what happened to Potter? He didn't want to admit it to anyone, let alone himself, but when he'd seen Harry there on the ground, seemingly dead, he felt strange. He felt…distraught! What was wrong with him? Severus Snape was not going to be sucked into the fan circle of the bloody Boy-Who-Lived! Soon he'd be growing a beard and offering everyone lemon drops!

Snape realized he was staring at the boy when the green eyes glanced up at him. He managed a sneer and quickly looked away.

He couldn't help but glance back. What would possess a boy, whom he had ridiculed since day one, to jump in front of a curse in order to save him, the most hated Professor at Hogwarts? Snape would've thought Potter would take any chance to be rid of him.

Why did the brat have to be so bloody noble? It was starting to make Snape feel, well, guilty. This was not good. In fact it was very, very bad. He looked at Harry again and felt a twinge of something he found rather horrifying.

Severus Snape found himself unable to deny the fact that he indeed cared about the boy.

How the hell did that happen?

Harry felt much better after drinking the potion from Snape, but his shoulders still ached quite a bit and he thought he might've landed on his ankle funny because he was developing a limp. This made him think of Moody, which only brought back bad memories, so he quickly pushed away the thought.

He started to feel a bit nervous like someone was watching him. He looked up at Snape who gave him a sneer an instant later and looked away. But not before Harry saw a look of slight confusion and even worry.

Harry turned back to focus on not tripping over any roots. Why had he jumped in front of Snape? It was an immediate reaction, but he couldn't help but think about how he felt when he saw Snape unaware of the coming curse. He was scared. He didn't want Snape to get hurt. And it wasn't just because he didn't want to be alone in this. He was scared of losing Snape for some reason he couldn't figure out. Why should he care about a man he should, in all rights, hate?

Harry glanced at Snape. He looked tired. Why was Snape helping him anyway. He hated Harry. But then why did he save him from the Occisor's poison? In fact, why had he been saving Harry since his first year at Hogwarts?

Harry was abruptly thrown from his thoughts when his scar started to burn. It had been a dull ache for awhile, but now it was growing strong and fast.

Harry immediately stopped walking. "Professor."

Snape looked back to see Harry grasping his forehead. "Professor, its Voldemort. I think we're walking straight to him."

Snape turned back and grabbed Harry by the arm, taking a few steps back the way they had come. But he immediately stopped.

Emerging from the forest stepped a dark shadow with gleaming red eyes.

'Why am I surprised,' thought Snape dryly. 'I'm with Potter so bad things are bound to happen.'

The Occisor leaped forward to attack.

Voldemort paced the basement of the worn down house. Most of the deatheaters were already there, waiting tensely for the boy and traitor to be found. No one dared make a sound for fear of the Dark Lord. He seemed to be split between maniacal pleasure and anger. He was twirling a corked vial around in his hand, staring at it with what could best be described as some kind of sick glee. But then he'd abruptly look up at the door and mutter curses at the lateness of his search party. Occasionally he'd throw a Crucio at one follower or another.

He continued to stare at the vial in his hands, smiling. "Soon Potter…so soon."

Chapter 15: Death

One would think it impossible to have such bad luck. To have so many things consistently go wrong. You can only be injured, kidnapped, almost murdered so many times before you start to wonder if, after cheating death so many years ago, it's been trying to catch you this whole time.

Or maybe, Harry thought, as the Occisor started to close in, he had incredibly good luck. To have survived everything up to this point. Maybe Death was just keeping him company, checking up from time to time like an old friend.

Either way, Harry was definitely tired of this terrifying monster that kept popping up bloody everywhere. He really would not mind if his old friend Death would turn it's focus onto this thing. Especially now that it had just leapt right towards him.

Expecting to be knocked backwards by the monster, Harry was surprised when he was instead shoved violently from the side. He hit the ground hard and looked over to see the Occisor on top of a struggling Snape. Harry jumped up and pulled out his wand.

"Stupefy!"

The Occisor leaped out of the way and started towards Harry. Snape threw a stunning spell at it from behind, hitting the mark. The monster fell forward and seemed to be twitching.

'That's not normal,' Harry thought warily.

The Occisor pulled itself up, seemingly fine, and continued toward Harry. "Ssstupid boy. Weak, sssilly boy. I'm not ssso easssily beat."

"Well, bully for you!" Harry stammered and had the mad urge to start giggling. Apparently the pain, tiredness, and adrenaline from fear were starting to catch up with him. He felt almost giddy and though he might also faint at any moment.

"Lumos!" Harry's wand lit up, a huge grin forming on his face. The Occisor paused for a moment and began to laugh. Snape stared, frozen to the spot. Had Potter finally snapped?

Then Harry lunged at the Occisor and shoved his wand straight into it's red eye. The monster made an awful keening sound as Harry jerked it back out. Harry figured he might as well go for the other eye, when his wand flew out of his grasp and his forehead erupted in pain.

"How very muggle of you, dear Harry. Using such crude methods. Perhaps sometime I could show you some more effective curses. Spells that will not require the cleaning of your wand afterwards." Voldemort wiped Harry's wand off on another Deatheater's robes. They were now surrounded by black-cloaked figures.

Voldemort looked down at the Occisor. "However, it seems you have killed one of my favorite pets. How unfortunate. For you."

Harry stared at the creature. In the heat of the moment, he hadn't realized the force he'd applied. He must have hit its brain. Harry felt sick as Voldemort began to speak again.

"I will not bore you all with the Cruciatus, however fun it may be. Let us get right to the point. Harry. Please come here. And you too Severus. I won't leave you out." Voldemort flicked his wand and Harry felt himself dragged forward to the ground in front of the grinning Dark Lord. Snape landed heavily next to him. Harry glanced over and met the black eyes. Suddenly Harry felt very small, as though all his Gryffindor courage had seeped out of him. He was afraid to die. And he realized, he didn't want to see Snape die. Or even tortured for that matter. His adrenaline couldn't blind him any longer. He could see the hopelessness of the situation fully. No one was coming to save them and they couldn't save themselves.

He couldn't save Snape. And he very much wanted to.

Snape looked into Harry's eyes and saw fear. And loss. And suddenly he knew why he needed to get them out of here. Not for Lily, or Dumbledore, or even the wizarding world. And definitely not for that mangy mutt Black. But for Harry alone. And maybe for himself, because he finally let himself accept that he cared for the boy a great deal.

'Albus will be so annoyingly happy about this,' Snape thought to himself.

Snape considered the other portkey in his boot. Harry was within arms reach. If he could just get it out of his boot without anyone noticing-

"Severus!" Snape snapped his attention up to Voldemort. "My dear servant Severus. What shall I do with you now? Do I torture and kill you in front of Harry here? Hmm. No. I think not. Then you'll miss the show that I've been waiting so long to put on. I was just missing our star, Harry." He reach down and grabbed the front of Harry's shirt, pulling him up to his face. "Harry. Will you star in my show? Only you can do it." Voldemort laughed maniacally, taking a vial out of his robes. "All you have to do, is drink these few drops. I don't think that's too much to ask, do you?"

Snape squinted, trying to see the potion better. There was barely anything in the vial. It appeared to be a red liquid, but strangely, the longer Snape looked, the less definable the color became. In fact, now it seemed almost black.

"Severus," Voldemort addressed him again. "You are the Potions Master. Tell us, what does this particular potion do?"

"I do not know what that vial contains."

"Oh why Severus! It's Devil's Blood!"

Snape felt the warmth drain from his face. It wasn't possible. That potion was a myth. A very ancient myth in fact, that only a select few knew about. And also impossible to brew. There weren't directions of any kind. Or even a list of ingredients.

"That does not exist."

"Severus. Do you really believe that? There are many nonexistent things in the Department of Mysteries."

Snape turned his gaze to Harry, who looked confused. Voldemort wasn't lying. He would have killed Harry by now if he didn't have that potion.

"Now Severus, as I said before, tell us what this potion will do. You are aware I do not like to repeat my requests."

Snape continued to stare at Harry, feeling a mounting terror.

"Devil's Blood," Snape began, still looking at Harry, "will consume the mind of the drinker, destroying all but one desire. The subject will be driven mad, becoming less than human. Doing anything to satisfy the desire that controls them, though never being able to achieve that end. Never being able to satisfy the desire for death."

Voldemort laughed gleefully. "So you see, Harry. Why I am just so thrilled to have you with me. I'm going to turn the Savior of the Wizarding World into a monster! A violent and terrible murderer!"

Harry turned white and began to struggle against Voldermort's grip.

"Ah, ah, ah! You can't leave now. Not right before your grand debut! You know, I was quite looking forward to killing Severus myself, but, I think you should have that honor Harry. How does that sound?"

And with that, Voldemort uncorked the vial and tipped it down Harry's throat.

Chapter 16: The End

Snape stared in horror as Voldemort lifted the potion to Harry's mouth. Without a second thought, he reached to his boot and grabbed the portkey. No one seemed to notice his movements, all eyes on the potion, now touching the lips of a struggling Harry.

"Spinner's End," Snape whispered to the portkey, beginning its activation. Then he made, in his opinion, a bloody Gryffindor type of move. He lunged towards the Dark Lord and punched him in the side of the face, falling into Harry with the force of his body. The pull at his navel that started as soon as he spoke, suddenly tore them into the air and back down onto a hardwood floor.

Snape sat up immediately and looked around, relieved to see Voldemort had not been pulled along with them. And that the portkey had worked at all. He tried it the first night in the woods, but the Dark Lord had apparently gotten the barriers up almost immediately after they arrived. 'Thank God we crossed the barrier at some point.' He didn't even want to imagine what would have happened otherwise.

He turned to Harry, lying face down on the floor, not moving. Snape didn't know if the potion made it down the boy's throat.

"Potter," Snape murmured, as he moved to turn Harry over. No response. There was a feeling of fear gripping Snape's heart. He didn't know the antidote. No one knew it. If Harry had ingested the potion, their only hope would be that it didn't work. After all, there were no recorded test subjects. It was a myth. Maybe the potion in that vial did something completely different. Though, if Voldemort truly had retrieved it from the Department of Mysteries, he was sure it couldn't be anything good.

Suddenly Harry jerked and moaned. "Noooo..no I don't...I don't want..." Snape grabbed Harry gently by the shoulder and turned him over. His eyes were clenched shut in pain.

"Harry." Snape shook him slightly. "Harry, did you drink the potion?"

Harry moaned, tears starting to fall down his cheeks. Then he opened his eyes. Snape stared in utter dismay. The emerald green was slowly fading, pushed out by a churning, furious black.

"Yes," Harry managed to force out. Then the green disappeared completely.

Harry didn't have time to think about it. The potion was in his mouth, sliding down his throat. He didn't even get to enjoy Snape punching Voldemort in the face, or realize he was no longer surrounded by Deatheaters. Everything began to feel numb. His heart didn't feel right. It felt cold and distant, no longer a part of his body. Then the potion reached his brain and the pain began. And the terror. He could feel it taking over, ripping his thoughts to shreds. His memories began to fade, where was he from again? Then he didn't even care. The thing in his brain, destroying it, left one part alone. His desires. A family, he remembered he wanted one. His friends, though he couldn't say who they were. Snape. Wait, who? Snape. He remembered that name. In fact, he remembered that voice. It was saying his name right now. Harry. Wait, no. Was he Harry?

Then it happened. He remembered now why he was afraid. He began to feel an overwhelming need to hurt. To kill. He saw brief glimpses of faces. Lucius Malfoy. Voldemort. But they faded immediately. Anything. Anyone. He wanted so badly to kill. No! He wouldn't. Oh but he wanted to. Needed to. He opened his eyes. Snape. No, he can't. He can't kill him. Not Snape. Not now.

Harry struggled with the desires rising within him. He didn't want to be this monster. But it was useless. He couldn't hold on any longer.

"Yes."

He finally lost grip on his remaining feeling, fear, as he saw Snape fade from view.

Now he must kill.

"Harry!" Snape held a now lunging Harry down by the shoulders. "Harry! Please. Be in there still." Snape couldn't take it, Harry was too good to be turned into this. "Damn it!" Snape shouted as he struggled to keep Harry down. The thing that had taken over Harry, it was a monster. Black eyes stared fiercely at Snape, a crazed yet empty look to them. He was panting heavily and making odd, unnatural sounds.

This was the complete antithesis of the boy. Voldemort had taken away his life. This was worse than death for Harry. "And for me," Snape admitted to himself.

Snape glanced around. They were currently on the floor in his living room. He knew Voldemort would check here very soon. He no longer had his wand, having been disarmed along with Harry. So he would have to do this wandless. Snape looked back and stared directly into the dark eyes.

"Legilimens."

It was completely dark. There were no memories. Nothing. Snape moved forward, anger building at Voldemort with each step. Then out of nowhere a force blew him backwards. Everything suddenly turned a violent shade of red. A strange pulsing color. Snape began to feel the overwhelming desire within him. Not to kill, necessarily. Just a feeling of strong need. His continued to move forward, his steps becoming slower, as though moving through deep snow.

"Harry!" The pulsing red flickered briefly. "Harry, I know you're still here." Something to the right caught his eye. A figure curled up on the ground. Snape headed towards it and bent down. It was Harry. He looked much younger. His eyes were closed and his skin had a grey tint to it. Snape put a hand to his wrist. Ice cold...and no pulse. Snape looked around, but there was nothing besides red in every direction. He turned back to Harry and pulled him up into his arms.

"Harry, I'm...sorry. I admit I have not treated you fairly. You can be insufferable, most times, but you mean well. I wish I could say the same for the actions I've taken in the past. You are a much better man than I. Than most, in fact."

Snape sat holding Harry, thinking. He knew he couldn't stay much longer, but he couldn't bring himself to give up.

"You can fight this Potter. You're still here. Where's that ridiculous Gryffindor thorn in my side. Merlin knows you've made it through everything else. You can't leave us now."

Snape stared down at Harry, willing him to wake up, yet he remained still.

"Damn it, Potter! Wake the bloody hell up!"

Snape thought he saw Harry's arm twitch, but he didn't have time to consider it. A sharp pain ran across his back and immediately he was on the floor in Spinner's End, hands pressed against Harry's shoulders and a fresh wound pouring blood from his back.

"You really must stop trying, Severus. Harry Potter is no longer. Now he is my new pet. Fitting, seeing as he killed my previous one." Voldemort was standing in the doorway, flanked by two deatheaters. "And don't think I've forgotten your gracious parting gift to me. I must return the favor. Crucio."

Severus barely registered the words Voldemort continued to direct towards him. Insults most likely. The pain seemed as if it grew with every breath. He writhed on the floor, trying not to scream. Then it was over. His vision was blurred and he couldn't move. He saw movement next to him. Voldemort was speaking to Harry now, summoning him. Snape looked over, taking deep gulps of air. Voldemort was holding out Harry's wand to him. Harry moved slowly towards him, walking in a twitchy, hunched way. Snape felt completely defeated, as Harry took his wand and turned his gaze to Snape and...winked. Snape stared in shock, wondering if he had imagined it. Then wondering how the boy could be so utterly ridiculous all the time. He didn't wonder much longer as Harry spun around, sending a disarming spell towards Voldemort and the Deatheaters. It hit the smaller Deatheater, sending him backwards into the wall. His wand flew to Harry who didn't waste any time casting a second Expelliarmus. This one headed towards Voldemort, who stood unmoving in the doorway, eyes full of rage. He easily deflected the spell towards the other Deatheater, throwing him across the room.

"Harry Potter. Why is it," Voldemort began taking slow steps forward, "you always manage to evade my every move." Harry backed up until he was standing next to Snape who was struggling to get to his feet. Harry dropped the Deatheater's wand he'd acquired next to him, hoping Snape was well enough to at least cast some shield charms.

"I think," Voldemort continued, "it's time to die." With that he raised his wand, shouting, "Avada Kedavra!"

Harry yelled, "Protego!", and felt a slight bit of relief when he heard Snape saying it along with him. He didn't think his one shield would be enough to block out a powerful and angry Dark Wizard, but it seemed Snape's, though slightly weak, did the trick. Voldemort's curse deflected, hitting the wall to their right.

"Sectumsempra!" Harry jumped. Snape had thrown the strange curse and immediately bolted to the left. Harry looked back to Voldemort, unsure if the spell had made contact. Then he noticed blood seeping through the robes on Voldemort's left arm. Voldemort only glanced at his arm momentarily before throwing another curse towards Harry, who dove quickly behind the couch. He looked around for Snape and saw him running a wand over one of the bookshelves. 'I hope that's a secret passage,' Harry thought. He looked around the couch slowly to see Voldemort murmuring something, his wand pointing to his left arm. Harry desperately wanted to attack him, but he knew it wouldn't do much good and only attract attention back to himself. Suddenly he saw the bookshelf swing open out of the corner of his eye, revealing a fireplace. Snape pointed the wand towards it and it burst into sputtering, green flames. He turned to Harry, nodding. Harry scrambled out from behind the couch, keeping low. Voldemort started hurling curses at Snape, who was trying to throw some floo powder in the fireplace. Harry started sending spells towards Voldemort. He blocked them easily, but it took his attention away from Snape for the second needed to throw in the powder. The fireplace briefly flashed gold and Dumbledore stepped out.

Harry almost collapsed in relief. Snape grabbed him by the arm as Dumbledore engaged Voldemort in a wordless duel. "Harry, get in the grate." He dragged Harry with him, grabbed some floo powder and suddenly Harry found himself on the floor of Dumbledore's office. Snape helped him up, then collapsed into a chair. He looked up at Harry, "The Dark Lord will not be able to follow us. Only those trusted by Dumbledore can enter that floo." Harry found a chair and sat down, exhaustion pouring over him. He was worried about Dumbledore. They had just left him there. He looked over to see Snape staring at him. "Professor Dumbledore will be fine Harry. He is much more powerful than he often acts."

Harry felt only slightly better. Dumbledore was the only wizard Voldemort feared, but that didn't mean he couldn't be hurt. Or defeated.

Harry sighed, letting his head rest against the back of the chair. He would be asleep if not for the adrenaline still coursing through him.

Harry looked back over to Snape. "Um, thank you. For saving me. A lot."

Snape turned to him. "And thank you for coming to my aid as well, Potter."

"Yeah. I, uh, I'm glad you're okay."

They sat in silence for awhile, Harry trying to find the words, and courage, for what he wanted to say.

"I don't...I, uh, I heard you. After drinking the potion. You know, in my head or whatever." He looked over at Snape. "And I don't think I would have fought it without you. And you...meanalottome." He rushed out the last part, feeling incredibly awkward.

Snape stared hard at the boy. Mainly he was surprised, he thought Harry only saved him because of his hero type nature. He didn't believe it was because he cared. Especially after all he put the boy through at Hogwarts. Snape wasn't sure what to say. He stared at the strange golden trinkets Dumbledore liked to keep on his desk.

Harry put his head back, looking up at the ceiling. Snape still hadn't spoken. Maybe Harry had misunderstood. Maybe it was only the exhaustion and fear that made him say those things in his head. Harry suddenly felt very sad. He had hoped that maybe Snape would, well, be there for him now? 'God,' Harry thought, frowning. 'I'm such an idiot. What an awkward thing to say. Plus Snape thinks I'm insufferable. Why does it even matter.'

Snape looked back at Harry, noticing his frown. "Potter." Harry turned towards him. "I stand by what I said. You...matter to me as well."

Harry's face broke out into a huge grin. Snape smirked. "But don't think this means better grades in my class. Your work is abysmal."

Harry chuckled. "You know, Professor, you have a pretty good right hook."

Snape raised an eyebrow. "Your acting performance was very impressive as well."

Harry looked confused for a second, then smiled in realization. "Oh! I was just trying to look like Quasimodo. I gave him some crazy eyes too. It was actually making me pretty dizzy."

Snape snorted. "Only you Potter, could manage the ridiculous in such a dire situation."

Suddenly the floo flashed green and Dumbledore stepped out. Snape sat up. "He escaped. I contacted Kingsley to come collect the two Deatheaters." Dumbledore looked tired, but unhurt. "I'm sorry to say that your home might need a few repairs Severus."

Snape seemed to smile slightly, shocking Harry. "It's fine Albus. I'm hardly there anymore as it is."

Dumbledore turned to Harry. "I'm glad to see you both here and safe. I would very much like to hear what happened, however, I think we should take you to the hospital wing and let you rest." He smiled warmly, resting a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I'll contact Remus and Sirius, Harry, let them know you're back and safe. I'm sure they'll be here by tonight. Now, Let's floo to Madame Pomfrey. I'm sure she'll be very happy to see the both of you." He gestured Harry towards the fireplace, letting him step through first. Snape started towards it, but Dumbledore put a hand out to stop him.

"Thank you Severus. Your bravery continues to astound me. Lily would be proud."

Snape paused for a moment. "I hope so, Albus." Then he stepped into the fireplace. "But don't think I'm any sort of bloody Gryffindor." Snape spat out the word Gryffindor, then vanished into the flames, leaving a chuckling Dumbledore behind.