Time dragged.

As October stretched into November – through the first frost and out the other side – Harry started to feel a gnawing sense of urgency, for surely his father and Sirius would make it back before Christmas? Surely this ache of missing a boy he’d only truly known for two weeks would eventually disappear? It was beginning to seem as if neither of these would happen.

Not even the extra lessons from Dumbledore kept him amused for long, though Harry had a suspicion this was because his progress in them was very slow. It was odd; over the summer he had felt powerful enough do anything he wished, but now he was struggling to complete even ‘simple’ wandless magic. His magical core may have finally stopped reacting to his stronger emotions, but it had also seemed to weaken as it settled.

Dumbledore was sympathetic and patient, but Harry would have liked to have the ear of another adult to discuss the problem. As far as he was concerned, Lupin would have provided more comfort had he not been so distracted by his own problems. As it was, their conversations more or less followed the same pattern of:

“Hello, Harry. How are you?”

“Fine, thanks.”

“Good, good. Have some chocolate. I’m afraid I have some marking to do, but I hope to see you again soon.”

Harry was beginning to wonder if he should associate chocolate with bad luck. Last year had been difficult enough, but this was getting ridiculous. So, yeah, Harry was really starting to miss his Dad; even for reasons that hadn’t been apparent beforehand.

But the worst of the whole situation of all was Malfoy.

The Slytherin had been watching him very closely since their ‘run in’ in the Headmaster’s office. Harry had tried to warn Dumbledore during their lessons but the old man just wouldn’t listen! He’d keep insisting Harry must be imagining things, or that maybe he should talk to ‘Draco’ about it.

Sometimes Harry thought the Headmaster really did overestimate the supposed goodness in people; he sometimes couldn’t seem to grasp the concept that people could really be as cruel as they were.

His father would have believed him straight away, he was sure. After all, now that Harry had finally settled back into the pattern of school, it was obvious that back in the beginning the man had been doing his best...

A shuffle in the corridor behind him brought his attention screeching back into the corridor outside the Potions Master’s with an almost audible thump.

He had been hanging around in the hopes that Remus would return early from the staff meeting; maybe then he would finally be able to ask the man’s opinion on the bell Hermione had given him for his birthday, and how useful it might be in a ‘real’ confrontation. He had been idly turning it over in his hands, the silver chimes comforting him in a quiet way.

Now he froze, his nerves jangling as he carefully peered into the darkness of the dungeons behind him. Carefully, he slipped the spirit bell back into his pocket and listened.

Another soft movement and Harry’s wand was in his hand before he really thought about it. He cursed himself for his earlier lapse in concentration; this was Slytherin territory after all.

A further shuffle and suddenly a thin, blonde figure appeared underneath a nearby torch as if he had always been there. Harry twitched in surprise and clenched his wand tighter.

“Malfoy,” he spat.

“Potter,” came the mocking reply.

“I’ve told you before: it’s Snape,” Harry got out through gritted teeth.

The blonde shrugged an elegant shoulder. “Whatever. As if you would ever be good enough for him.”

“Shut. Up.”

“Make me.” The other boy’s eyes glittered dangerously. “Or don’t you have the Gryffindor courage to challenge me to a duel.”

Harry took a deep breath in and out through his teeth. This was not the time to get angry. This was the time to turn around and walk away. But, oh, how he wanted to hex that stupid, smug look off the ferret’s face!

No. He wants you to get angry. He’s trying to goad you into getting into trouble. Think. What would Snape do? What would Snape’s son do? “Is that the best you can do?” Harry taunted, slowly, slowly stepping away from the other boy. “I thought Slytherins were supposed to pride themselves on their subtlety. Are you sure you weren’t mis-Sorted? Did Daddy bribe the Hat to put you in his House, so you wouldn’t bring shame upon the Malfoy name?” Almost there. Once you get to the corner, fire a trip jinx and run, Harry!

The blonde’s eyes had widened. “I would watch your mouth if I were you, Potter.”

Harry took another deep breath and forced himself to go back on the attack. “If you were me,” he scoffed. “I bet this is what this is all about, isn’t it? You want Snape as your Dad instead of that lawless, sneering coward, don’t–” Harry froze as he felt two wands digging into his back and cursed as he realised that he had forgotten to check for accomplices.

The smirk on Malfoy’s face was back. “Very good, Potter. You almost had me fooled there. But come, I’ve said I want a duel, so I’m going to get one.”

Large hands descended on Harry’s shoulders and shoved him forward, almost making him lose his balance. Malfoy snorted. “And speaking of fathers, I don’t see yours rushing to your rescue. You can’t be so terribly important to him after all.”

At least he thinks Dad’s still in the castle... “He’ll catch up with you soon and then you’ll be sorry!”

Malfoy threw his hands up in mock horror. “Ooh, I’m scared. How thick are you, Potter? Do you honestly think I’d give you the opportunity to tell him?”

A chill crept down Harry’s spine. “What are you going to do?”

An evil smile spread across Malfoy’s face and he yelled, “Confringo!” before Harry even thought to aim.

Ducking to the floor and rolling away from the curse, Harry only just managed to avoid the pieces of stone shattering from the wall behind him. The next few minutes were filled with wild dodging and hastily thrown curses; Harry knew he was going to lose this, but it was still terribly satisfying to see Malfoy beginning to lose his smug attitude.

And then it all went horribly wrong.

Harry straightened out of yet another duck and fired a curse at the place where Malfoy was standing. Or rather, at the place where Malfoy should have been standing. The other boy was suddenly right next to him and pressing the cold metal of his family’s ring into Harry’s skin, a ferocious sneer stretched across his face.

Harry lurched as a hook seemed to catch him behind his navel and tug. The Hogwarts’ corridor disappeared in a whirl of colour and for a few seconds the only thing which was real was Malfoy pressing that dratted ring into his skin deep enough to gouge.

oooOOOooo

A boy laughed in delight as he was lifted onto his father’s shoulders, an old man on the bench smiled at nothing in particular, and a group of girls dived for the next clothes shop, sunlight glinting off their hair and flashing earrings. Complaining pigeons scattered and re-gathered for the hundredth time, chased by children ignoring their mothers’ cries. The man selling doughnuts looked up and smiled at their antics, momentarily oblivious to his waiting customers. The air was filled with shouts and the rush of traffic, so it wasn’t surprising no one took any notice of the shabby tramp making his way down the street with a big, black dog at his side.

Severus took a last glance around the streets packed with Muggles before whispering the strongest unlocking charm he knew on the door, and forcing it open with his shoulder. After many weeks of hiding in under bridges and people’s back gardens, his – and his companion’s – patience had worn thin. Skulking outside the Ministry doors day after day had taught them nothing, and the defences around that structure had proved too much for even their combined skills, so they had resorted to a different tactic. A last resort, as it were.

This was why they were currently forcing entry to St Mungo’s hospital for magical maladies and injuries, hoping that a Floo connection to the Ministry might still be active.

Inside, the air was musty and stale. Black changed back into a human and glanced around in puzzlement the moment the door was shut behind them.

“It’s completely deserted!”

“State the obvious, why don’t you, Black?” Severus sneered quietly as he started to prowl around the edges of the room. After a moment’s hesitation, Black followed him as Severus muttered to himself, “Something’s not right here. Homenum Revelio. There’s not a soul on this floor or the next... but the Floos are warded – quite strongly as well – and the anti-Apparition wards are firmly in place. In fact, aside from Hogwarts’, these are the strongest I’ve ever encountered.”

The portraits on the walls watched their progress silently, and though Severus would never admit it, it was giving him chills up his spine.

“What do you suppose–?” Black started to ask, but he never finished.

Suddenly all the doors in the room burst open and a furiously roaring mob of Healers and their patients swarmed through, wands at the ready.

Severus only had time to screech, “Quick, the door!” before the mass all screamed out the same spell at once.

Severus numbly watched the lines of green fire streak towards him and Black from all corners, only having time to think: So this is how I die, and more importantly, I’m sorry, Harry.

oooOOOooo

The world was back so suddenly that it sent Harry sprawling.

“I did it!”

Harry blearily blinked up at Malfoy, who had somehow managed to keep his feet. The other boy’s face was lit with malevolent glee.

“Wha...?” he started to ask before taking in his surroundings.

They definitely weren’t at Hogwarts anymore. The corridor’s walls, the floor and the ceiling were covered with shiny, black tiles, stretching seemingly to infinity. Rather like an evil genius’s designer bathroom, Harry thought wryly.

Glancing at the nearest wall, Harry caught sight of his reflection peering balefully at him out from the blackness. He shuddered and quickly looked away.

Picking himself stiffly off the floor, he turned and glared at Malfoy, reaching for his wand to put an end to that arrogant smirk... only to realise he must have dropped it back at Hogwarts. The first curdling of dread settled in his stomach and his muscles locked in place as he regarded the other boy. He should run, but where? If he had indeed been brought here for a purpose, he could easily run straight into a trap... No, it was best to wait a little and get his bearings.

“Where have you taken me?” he asked slowly and – he hoped – threateningly.

Malfoy smirked. “All that taunting about my father, Potter. And you never even suspected he might have set me a task just before you put him in Azkaban!” He fiddled with the large, signet ring on his finger idly. “It’s been terribly difficult to get you away from your fan club, you know; almost impossible in fact, but I managed it, regardless of that traitorous father of yours!” The sneer was back, but Malfoy still looked unsettlingly triumphant.

“A task?” Harry glanced around again and forced a matching sneer. “As far as I can see, you’ve successfully transported me into someone else’s macabre bathroom; well done.” Whoa... that’s definitely the Snape sarcasm coming through.

Up ahead a torch flared to life, just as the one above their heads went out. Both boys gulped and nervously took a step closer towards the only light, just as that went out as well. Another lit even further away. Harry and Malfoy exchanged suspicious and – though they’d never admit it – scared glances. Apparently this hadn’t been a part of the great Malfoy plan.

And it was obvious they had been expected.

Drawing up as much courage as he could muster, Harry cautiously crept down the path being outlined for them. He almost didn’t notice when Malfoy started to follow close behind. It was time to find out precisely what was waiting for him.

oooOOOooo

“Illusions,” Severus whispered softly, his hand streaking through the nearest human without even the slightest hint of resistance. “Of course.” Once the green light had completely faded from the room, Severus had been left feeling rather silly, even though this was an obviously effective defence mechanism of keeping the Death Eaters out of the hospital’s archives and equipment.

“You could have told me they were completely harmless beforehand!” Black snarled up from where he had dived for cover on the floor.

“Not completely.” Severus’ lips thinned into a white line. “That blast of ward magic was too strong to have left us alive if we had been the ones it had sought to kill.” He frowned thoughtfully at a nearby darkened patch on the floor. It was human-sized. “In fact, I think I can say that if I was in possession of an active Dark Mark, I would currently be no more than that smudge on the carpet.” He snorted. “The Dark Lord always did underestimate the power of Light magic.”

Black had picked himself up by now and was currently staring at the blackened spot over Severus’ shoulder. “Urgh. Nasty.”