Harry was the first to wake up. A low, chanting noise disturbed his sleep and he opened his eyes and looked around frantically. But there was no Dark Lord and no frightened children surrounding him. Everything was a calming white colour and once he'd relaxed he recognized the Hospital wing. His father was in the bed next to him, sleeping peacefully.

“Dad?” He called, squirming to free himself from the blankets that had twisted around him. “Dad? Wake up!” He slipped off his bed and sat on the edge of his father's bed.

Severus could hear someone calling him, but he didn't want to wake up. “Go away Bella. I haven't got classes this morning.” He pulled away from the hands shaking him and rolled over, almost falling off the bed. “Ah!”

“Are you awake?” Harry asked his father, climbing up on to his dad's bed and snuggling under the covers. It was slightly cold in the Hospital wing and he could see rain falling outside. The beautiful days of Autumn were almost over.

“I am now.” Severus groaned and sat up. He was sore and his magic was still feeling rather drained. “Have you seen your mother? And what's that chanting sound? Where's Poppy?”

Harry shrugged and curled into his father's hug. “Don't know.”

Severus tucked Harry into his bed and got of it, slipping on his socks and shoes. Then he looked around the hospital wing, the chanting noise was really starting to get on his nerves. “Poppy?” He called, brushing his greasy hair from his face.

He spotted a Healer in St. Mungo's garb standing next to Miss Jones's bed. Poppy was slumped in a chair at the end of the bed. Her eyes were closed and her wand had been dropped carelessly to the floor. A bubble of light surrounded the three, it was some kind of healing ritual.

Interrupting them would be a very bad idea, but Severus was almost certain that no one would have checked on his wife. And he definitely did not want her to end up in Azkaban. Even if she deserved it. He headed back into the private room and looked horrified at what he found there.

Bellatrix was restrained to the bed. Two aurors were standing on either side of her, and they both had their wands out. Every few seconds a jet would come out and hit Bellatrix. But Snape couldn't hear anything until he stepped into the room.

“Stop it!” His magic reacted instinctively to protect someone he loved. Both aurors lost their wands and crashed into the wall behind them. “Bella, are you all right?” He took one of the auror wands and used it to get rid of her restraints.

“Why are helping me?” She asked. Her voice was horse and cracking from pain.

Snape didn't answer her question. He summoned a glass of water and a pain relief potion and helped her take them. “Better?” He asked when the water was gone and the potion vial empty.

Bellatrix nodded. “Thank you.” She looked at him seriously. “I was only trying to help Harry. I would never try to hurt him. I'd die.” She reminded him of the Unbreakable Vow.

“I know.” Severus gave her a gentle kiss. “And Harry is awake.” He helped her out of bed, summoning slippers to the room and walking out to the ward hand in hand with his wife.

“Mum!” Harry burst out of bed and gave her a hug. “I'm glad you're okay. I thought Quirrel was going to kill you!”

Bellatrix took him into a fierce hug. “I will never leave you Harry. I love you too much.” She buried her face in his hair for a moment before taking it out hastily. “When was the last time you had a shower?” She asked.

Harry shrugged. “Yesterday, I think.”

Severus smirked. It had taken him ages to prove to Bellatrix that his greasy hair wasn't from lack of washing. Potion fumes and genetics were what made it gross.

“Can we leave soon?” Harry asked. “I'm hungry. And I wanted to play with Draco. And do my homework.”

No one answered because the chanting stopped suddenly. Pomfrey opened her eyes and looked worriedly at the healer.

“It didn't work did it?” She asked.

The comment made no sense to the Snapes and Black looking on.

“Oh, you're awake!” Pomfrey got out of her chair and looked at the three. “I'll be right with you.” She turned back to the healer and they had a quick, whispered argument that ended with the healer sighing in defeat.

He cast a few spells and both Megan and he disappeared from sight and Poppy bustled over to her three remaining patients.

“How are you feeling?” She looked over them all, as if daring them to lie to her.

“Good! Can we leave now?” Harry asked. He didn't actually feel fine. He was sore and rather tired. But he could sleep at home or in Ravenclaw tower better than he slept in the Hospital wing. And then his Dad could give him a potion and Madame Pomfrey wouldn't make a big deal out of everything.

“I have potions in my quarters.” Severus reminded her. “And I am perfectly capable of dosing my family if they need it.”

Poppy turned back to where the disillusioned Megan Jones and the healer were. Obviously the silencing spell didn't include her for the colour drained from her face. “You can leave.” She told them rather tonelessly. “I'll need to check Bellatrix and Harry later.” She called after them as they fled the hospital wing.

“Thank you Severus.” Bellatrix squeezed her husband's hand. “I really didn't want to stay there. I'll talk to the aurors later.” She promised when he glared at her.

“There's nothing to fear Bella.” He reminded her. “Offer to take Veritaserum right away. I'll provide it and the entire world will know that you're innocent.” He gave her a quick smile. “Of course once we get to the muggle clinic and they use their procedures to help you out.”

Bellatrix just rolled her eyes and shot a calculated look at Harry. “Severus, we haven't told him yet.” She motioned to their first son following close behind them. “Keep your voice down.”

Once they'd gotten into back to the Snape s Severus summoned two sleeping potions and sent both Harry and Bellatrix to bed. The thought of Bellatrix's coming interrogation played havoc with his mind. It reminded him of waiting in Azkaban and Moody's harsh methods. There's only a few people he'd ever want to suffer through something like that and most of them are Death Eaters.

The morning comes quickly and the three of them head up to the Great Hall for breakfast. Harry was anxious to see if Kevin had returned and Dumbledore had requested the presence of everyone that morning. Severus had to stop on the way and gather up all his Slytherins. A sombre mood hung about the school and he had a good guess at what was causing it.

“Go on Harry.” Severus prodded him in the back when he hesitated at the entrance of the Great hall. It did look quite different than usual. The house crests and school banners had all been replaced with black curtains. Severus felt his heart sink when he took his seat at the staff table and saw Pomona's red eyes.

There was no food on the tables and the pitches and goblets were empty. After all the students and staff had assembled silently in the hall Dumbledore stood up.

“Students, colleagues, creatures.” He nodded to a few owls that were flying circles around the ceiling. misfortune At that Pomona gave a great sniff as if she were trying not to burst into tears. “I'd like to ask you all to s tand and hold a moment of silence for a girl who was kind and strong and a fighter for justice.”

The hall rose. Severus had to glare at a few of the older Slytherins, but they all got the message quickly. Everyone faced the front and continued to watch Dumbledore.

“Please join me in remembering Megan Jones. We will all feel the loss of one of our students, but I ask you to please extend your sympathies to Hufflepuff house as they now have one less student.” He nodded gravely in their direction and turned his gaze back out to the crowd.

Harry tried to stay relaxed and forget about the noises Megan had made and the way her face had looked when she was fighting to breathe. He didn't want to remember her like that even if he'd barely known her and she had been a muggleborn. No one deserved to die like that.

Finally when the hall was filled with owls and you could hear Ronald Weasley's stomach growling from across the room, Dumbledore pulled out his chair and sat down. He tapped the table with his wand and all the breakfast things appeared.

In between bites, Harry scanned the Ravenclaw table. He couldn't see Kevin and all the first years seemed rather subdued compared to their normal morning behaviour. “Su.” He leaned toward her across the table. “Su, have you seen Kevin?”

Su shook her head. “Professor Flitwick told us that he'll be back soon. He's just got to get his hand problem sorted out.”

Breakfast pasted quickly and the first years moved in a pack toward the greenhouses with the Slytherins following behind them. The Slytherins weren't as crushed as all the other houses since they were all purebloods, but things definitely weren't normal.

Herbology class was awkward. Professor Sprout had to stop talking and wipe her eyes every few minutes. They spent the entire double period class taking notes on poisons and potion ingredients and how you grew and care for them. Harry knew that it was important, but it was a lot to write down and remember for an eleven year old.

At least they didn't have to worry about showering and getting all of the dirt off after her class. She did assign them a very large paper due on Thursday. Everyone said she was giving out extra homework because she didn't want to have any free time to think about what happened.

While Harry was in Herbology, Dumbledore floo'd Severus in the middle of his class and asked him to report to his office immediately.

Old fool, he's got no respect for my subject! Snape was in a bad mood. He was tired and the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaws were being even stupider than usual. The Hufflepuffs seemed to have decided that the rumours about him being an agent of the Dark Lord were true and he was just waiting for the right moment to kill them. And the Ravenclaws were saddened that one of the students had died and a Ravenclaw first year was still gone.

“Evanesco.” Snape banished the contents of the class's cauldrons. A harsh glare silenced the few students who'd been about to protest. “Four rolls of parchment on common mistakes and how to correct them in the Telepathic potion. Due next class. Dismissed.” He barked at them.

The classroom cleared quickly. Four rolls of parchment was a tremendous amount and no one wanted to risk begin assigned more. Plus, this gave them a chance to get a head start on the essay. Snape was serious about the four rolls of parchment, he'd already decided to give them to Pomona to mark. She would be happy for the extra work.

“What did you want headmaster?” Snape floo'd into Dumbledore's office and took one of the armchairs in front of his desk. “I was in the middle of a class.” He complained.

Dumbledore didn't bother to offer him a lemon drop or mention that he'd never complained about getting time away from his students before. He looked at his angry potions master and considered how to ask his question without making the man even angrier. “I need you to use your spell to stop the curse again.”

Snape leaned back in his chair. “No.”

“Pardon, my boy?” Dumbledore leaned toward him. “I must have misheard you.”

Severus shrugged. “I can't work the spell this year and besides, Bellatrix is already teaching Ancient Runes.”

“Then who do you suggest teach the Defence position?” Dumbledore asked him. He knew that he could use logic to show the potion master that he was right.

“Albus?” Filius charmed open the door and stepped in, he was carrying a large bundle of papers. “I found you a professor for the Defence position.”