Sirius knew the dinner Molly made was lovely, it always was. Tonight it was pork chops with Pease pudding, carrots, and roasted apples. It smelled divine, but to Sirius…he might as well be eating sawdust. Sirius noted that he wasn't the only one off his stomach tonight.

Sirius kept glancing up at his godson. He had been up in his room for over an hour talking to his friends. They had obviously been talking about something of importance. Ron and Hermione kept giving Sirius appraising glances whilst they slowly ate. If it weren't for the fact that no one else seemed to be giving him much notice, Sirius would swear that the twins must have hexed his face. But Harry wasn't eating at all. If anything, the boy was making art on his plate with his Pease pudding.

Whatever it was, it obviously had to do with that bastard, Snape. There was something not right with that exchange when Snape brought Harry to the house and abruptly left to answer his master's call.

Snape had called Harry by his first name and if he didn't know better, Sirius would swear that Harry was actually worried about Snivellus, but that couldn't be right. Snape calling Harry by his first name and threatening Sirius if he did not take proper care of his own godson was probably Snape's way of trying to look good in front of the Weasley's and Remus.

Well…the son-of-a bitch wasn't fooling Sirius.

Unfortunately, Sirius was alone in his suspicions and had no one to share them with. Remus, who had a rather annoying and dangerous habit of being overly cautious, seemed to have accepted the Headmaster's explanation that Snivellus was actually a spy. Oh…Sirius had no doubt that Snape was spy.

He was a spy, alright…just not for the good guys.

Sirius was going to have to think of a way to get Harry from Snape, but as things were now, Sirius wouldn't get far with his godson if he just took off in the middle of the night. And once he was caught (and the Headmaster would catch him) Sirius would lose what protection he had from The Order. At the moment-Sirius could not even offer up his own memories or voluntarily submit himself to Veritaserum in front of the Wizengamot without endangering Remus.

The worry wasn't that the Ministry would find out that Remus was a Werewolf. Remus had been legally registered since he was three years old, but if it were found out that Remus had been out running amuck without the benefit of his Wolfsbane, he could be in very serious trouble indeed. So for now, Sirius was reluctantly resigned to sitting on his arse, waiting for Peter to slip up or some other miracle to occur so he can finally claim custody of Harry and give James and Lily's son the stable home he so desperately needed.

No matter what everybody said, Sirius could never believe that the situation Harry was in now was the best for the boy. Nobody else seemed to believe that it was possible that Albus Dumbledore wasn't infallible. Sirius had become all-too-aware of that fact fourteen years ago. He hadn't fully trusted the Headmaster's judgment since. And now that Dumbledore had put Harry into the care of a former Death Eater, he was certain that he was right to question the Head of The Order.

Sirius cursed himself. He cursed himself for letting Peter get away over a year ago. All it would have taken was a damned Petrificus Totalus and a Mobilicorpus, just as they had done with Snape. But Peter had escaped again, and Sirius was still a fugitive from the law with no legal say over his godson's fate. How ironic. He had a good laugh at how Snape was helpless from keeping Sirius from smashing his head against the tunnel walls, but Sirius was totally at ease with letting a murder walk away from the Shrieking Shack of his own volition. Sirius felt like a total failure to James…and to Harry.

It was obvious that Harry had said something to his best mates. He had never seen the trio look so on-edge. But as if dinner hadn't already uncomfortable enough…Remus had to bring the awkward level up a couple of notches.

Remus asked, "Harry, was there anybody at Hogwarts when Severus brought you here?"

Harry looked up from his pork chop as if he were wondering if Remus asked him a trick question. "Uh…I don't think so. I think we were the only ones in the castle…He didn't want to leave me alone."

Molly cried scandalously, "You mean there's no one in the castle?"

Sirius dropped his fork and raised his hands. "I knew it! I just knew it! See…what did I tell you? Dumbledore trusted Snape and he left the castle doors wide open for the snake-bastard to slither right in."

Harry interjected, "That's not true Sirius. He said he had to get me to you. He was rushed for time. I'm sure he just forgot in his hurry."

Sirius' eyes narrowed. This defiantly wasn't right. Why the hell was Harry defending Snivellus?

Remus shook his head and put his hands up as if in reassurance. "No… that's not the case. There has to at least be a Head of House at the castle at all times," he began to explain. "If for any reason there is not, the castle will automatically lock itself down until the Headmaster returns.

"But no one has seen Albus," Molly said worriedly. "There's no telling when he will return."

"Not true, Molly dear," Arthur cut in from the other end of the table. "The Headmaster will return in plenty of time before term begins, lockdown or not. I don't know what he has been doing over the last few days…but I saw him at the Ministry when I left this evening. I wouldn't doubt if we should be hearing from him soon," he said confidently as he speared a large piece of roasted apple and tucked into it with one bite.

"See…Severus knew what he was doing," Remus defended. "After all…he was only trying to get Harry to safety."

Harry dropped his fork, apparently giving up on the notion of eating. Sirius wanted to believe that it wasn't out of worry for Snape. It was the greasy git's decision to resume his duties as a spy. Sirius couldn't fathom how anyone trusted the great bat. If Snape wasn't betraying the Order, he was probably at the very least getting his rocks off using Dark Magic freely in You-Know-Who's presence. Sirius didn't doubt if both were true. If that bastard did anything to hurt Harry, Azkaban or not, Sirius would kill him.

Sirius wondered if Snape had Confunded Harry or at least slipped the boy a Befuddlement Draught. It would explain a hell of a lot of Harry's odd behaviour. The boy just seemed so…forlorn at the thought of Snape being gone.

"May be excused…I'm not hungry anymore," Harry said, staring at his plate. Harry's friends, Ron and Hermione, gave each other odd looks.

Molly asked in motherly concern, "What's the matter, dear…You do look rather peaky all of a sudden? Is your supper not sitting well…I have an Anti-Nausea Draught if you need one," she offered.

Harry shook his head and arose from the table without actually receiving permission...not that he actually needed it. Sirius looked intently at his godson for any hint of what the problem could be. "No, that's okay Mrs Weasley," Harry said absently. "I think I'll just go have a lie-down on the couch in the sitting room for a while."

Sirius patted Harry on his arm as he began to walk by, trying to assure the boy that he was there for him. Harry stopped and grabbed his hand for a brief moment, gave Sirius a wan smile, then left the room.

Sirius rounded on Remus as soon as Harry was out of earshot.

"Look what you did, Moony! You've gone and upset Harry by bringing up Snape! There's something going on that boy isn't telling me about!"

Remus took offence to Sirius' accusations. "Honestly, Padfoot…you and Severus have got to get over your old schoolyard cock-fights. Especially now that Harry is under his mentorship, it is bound to cause some conflict in the boy. He's obviously worried about Severus."

"He's not worried about Snivellus!" Sirius said, hopping if he said it aloud, it would be true. "That son of..." Oops! Sirius almost forgot there were children in the house. "I mean, Snape's treated Harry like sh...like a do...like filth for four years. How is Harry supposed to forget that? I can't understand how you can so blindly trust him?"

Harry's friends knew something. Hermione stabbed at her carrots and stared off into space. Ron was jabbing at his food as well. Both were doing a piss-poor job of pretending they weren't listening in on the conversation.

Remus answered, affronted, "How can I not trust him? Have you forgotten what Severus has done for me—your best friend?" Remus continued to rant as he pointed his fork at Sirius. "Every month he brews my Wolfsbane Potion…correctly I might add…and doesn't charge me a single Knut." Remus then stabbed a carrot and engulfed it.

Like it or not, Sirius had to concede that point. Wolfsbane was notoriously difficult to brew, thus making it so expensive, it was unattainable by most. It would be all too easy for Snape to purposely muck-up the potion and poison Remus...or even crueller...make his condition worse. But it still didn't mean he trusted Snape with Harry. Or perhaps Sirius was feeling a tad bit jealous at all the time Snape was spending with his godson. "I'm sorry Remus…it's just that Snape looked a little too 'fatherly' if you want to know the truth of it."

Ron started to choke on his pudding. Hermione gave him a swift 'THWACK' on his back to get it down. She then quickly began stuffing her face in a very un-ladylike fashion.

"Careful, Ron…I know you're a growing young man. But there's no reason to inhale your food," Sirius lightly teased, yet kept a suspicious eye on the teens.

"Yeah…Thanks," Ron choked out through his tears.

Molly rushed over and offered her youngest son a glass of water whilst Remus turned back to Sirius and continued the conversation. "Sirius, if you're concerned about Harry let him know. Let him know that if he has any trouble with Severus that he can turn you."

"Thanks, Moony…You're right." Sirius reluctantly admitted. Perhaps Harry just didn't think that now Snape was his 'mentor' that he could turn to anyone else. Well, Sirius was determined that he would put an end to that notion immediately. Feeling a bit more confident, he dabbed his mouth with his serviette and put it on his plate. He arose from the table and gave Remus a grateful pat on the back. "If it wasn't for you old friend…I don't think I'd ever get my head out of my arse."

"Language!"

"Sorry, Molly."

A table full of teenagers were trying to stifle their laughs as Sirius left the kitchen.

Sirius hesitantly called out into the dark sitting room, "Harry?"

"I'm here." Harry's voice sounded small. Sirius could only see the top of the boy's head over the back of the dusty, thickly upholstered sofa.

Sirius came around to the front of the sofa. Harry was hunched over and Sirius knelt down so not to tower over the boy.

"Harry…" he asked gently, "Is everything alright? You said that you needed to speak to me." He assumed that the boy was having a problem with Snape, but he thought it best not to accuse until he knew exactly what was going on.

Harry wasn't taking his eyes off the Floo. Sirius' heart sank when he realised that Harry was actually waiting for Snape. "Yeah…I need to tell you something about me and Severus, but I'm afraid that you won't love me anymore."

Dear Merlin! It was worse that Sirius thought. He could only think of one reason why the boy was using the bastard's first name so casually. Sirius couldn't help but to bellow with rage, "I'LL KILL THE SON OF A BITCH!"

Yes...he would kill the fucking pervert! Dumbledore be damned!

Harry quickly stood up and tried to force Sirius to sit down. "No…no…Sirius…It's nothing like that at all!"

"Well, what the hell is it then, Harry? What did Snape do?"

"Why is it everyone always imagines the worst about Severus Snape!"

"Because he's a bloody Death Eater!"

"No-he's-not!" Harry bit out. "You're just too blinded by hate to see the truth for what it is!"

Sirius wanted to cut out his tongue for snapping at Harry. The boy stood there defiantly, with his fists clenched, practically shaking with pent-up rage. Sirius was tempted to say that Harry was too close to the situation to see the truth, but it was obvious that Harry was too set in his convictions to listen to reason at the moment. Sirius would address the problem at another time when Harry's emotional state had calmed down a couple of notches. Right now, he needed to get down to the problem at hand.

"Okay, Harry, then what is wrong?" It was Sirius who gently prompted Harry to sit back down and calm himself. Sirius slowly took a seat next to his godson.

Sirius took out his wand from his sleeve and charmed a fire to give light and warmth to the cold dank room. The house was too dark and anything to lighten Harry's mood had to help.

"Don't you know that you can tell me anything? There is nothing in the world that you could ever do or say that would make me stop loving you," Sirius swore to Harry.

Harry gulped and then wiped back a tear with a handkerchief he pulled out of his pocket. Sirius scowled when he noticed the monogram of 'SS'. Something just wasn't right here.

"Not even if I told you that Professor Snape…and not James Potter…is my father?"

For a moment Sirius stopped felt like he had been stung by a Stinging Hex. What was this new madness? "Who told you that? Snape? It's a lie, Harry," Sirius tried to assure his godson when he was finally capable of speech again. Of course it was a lie.

Harry shook his head dejectedly, "No…it wasn't the professor who told me...It was Mum."

Sirius fought the overwhelming urge to shake the cobwebs out of his head. He couldn't have heard the boy correctly. "Lily? Harry what do you mean? How could your mum possib... "

"She sent me a pensieved memory on my birthday…"

Sirius leaned back into the sofa, and despite the urge to go numb, he listened as Harry told him everything that had happened over the past two weeks, from the moment he received the memory from Lily, to the Occlumency lessons…and why was it, when he should feel happiest for his godson…he couldn't help but feel the last precious threads he had to his late best friend, irrevocably slipping away.

Sirius still sat with his back against the couch. He felt wasted and completely defeated. He idly wondered if he looked as bad as he felt. "Why didn't James tell me?" he mumbled to himself. "Why didn't he trust me?"

"That's the same thing the professor asked about Mum," Harry said numbly.

Despite everything Harry had just explained and no matter how much it seemed to answer some very nagging questions that Sirius had forced himself to forget years ago, he was having trouble allowing himself to believe it. "Harry…are you sure that Snape hasn't Confunded you? Are you sure that he has done nothing to hurt you?"

"No," Harry said irritably. "He did not Confund me, he did not curse me, and he did not put anything in my bloody pumpkin juice. Every bit of it is the truth…even Dumbledore says so… And Severus has done nothing to hurt me," Harry said emphatically. "In fact if it wasn't for him…I wouldn't have even had the courage to tell anyone."

"Have you told your friends?"

"Yeah…He told me that I could…and you too. He said that I shouldn't isolate myself from my friends anymore. He said that I need them."

"Snape told you that?" Sirius said mostly to himself in disbelief. Maybe Harry wasn't the one who was Confunded… maybe it was Snape.

"Yes he did…Sirius…I think that he really...lo... cares... about me."

Sirius really had his doubts about that, but Harry looked so hopeful, as if he wanted Sirius' approval. But how could Sirius approve of anything as far as Snape was concerned. Harry couldn't be Snape's son. Harry simply looked too much like James. But before Sirius could refute Harry…the Floo came to life.

Severus had just been dismissed from a private meeting with the Dark Lord. He left the mad man's presence in the sitting room of Riddle Manor. Now Severus had to ready himself to take his place within the Inner Circle.

His mind was racing and he had to concentrate to maintain his calm. 'Mad-Man' was too kind of a term to use for the self-styled Dark Lord. Perhaps 'Deranged Lunatic' or 'Monster' was more fitting.

Yes…'Monster' seemed to sum it up…for to qualify as a deranged lunatic…one at least had to be human and all notions that the Dark Lord had any vestiges of his past humanity left, were now permanently erased from Severus' mind, for the monster had just charged Severus with the unthinkable.

Lucius Malfoy had found the potion—and in a school, no less. It was hidden away in an obscure tome in the restricted section of the Durmstrang library.

What the Dark Lord was planning was beyond madness...and it was all because he had been bested by a boy… not once, but four times... twice whilst he was in the height of his power.

The Dark Lord had become obsessed with killing Harry and despite his importuning that Harry Potter was nothing more than a mere boy. It was apparent to any who dared even admit the truth to themselves, that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had come to inwardly fear The-Boy-Who-Lived. If one took a look at their mutual history, it did look as though if Harry Potter were allowed to live, he would someday be powerful enough to actually kill the Dark Lord outright.

True…neither was the Dark Lord in a hurry to duel with Albus Dumbledore. Dumbledore was still as brilliant as he was incredibly powerful, but he was also getting old. The Dark Lord believed that he only had to play a waiting game before age and senility finally rendered its toll on the Headmaster.

Harry Potter on the other hand was young and had yet to reach his full magical potential. Although the Dark Lord claimed that it was impossible for him to die, it was obvious that the needed assurances in regards to Harry.

The Dark Lord finally believed those assurances had been found.

It was a little known fact that in the Wizarding world, the most powerful wizards and witches were almost always first born or only children. Blood purity mattered little when it came to magical prowess. It was obvious if one chose to research the phenomenon. Apparently, the Dark Lord had done just that.

The potion that Severus had been charged to brew…Sacrificum Abalienatio Haeres…took gruesome advantage of that fact. It was one of the oldest manuscripts Severus had ever seen. It appeared as if it might have been written by a wizard who could have been a follower of Herpo the Foul.

As far as Severus was aware, the original cult dedicated to the dark wizard had flourished for over 600 years and was disbanded sometime in the 2nd century. The manuscript did not appear to be that ancient, but it was possible that a few acolytes remained dedicated down through the centuries. Severus wondered if the potion had been invented by an acolyte or if it had been passed down through the generations beginning with Herpo himself.

Severus also wondered if that was where the Dark Lord had found reference to the potion to begin with…in some of the ancient writings dedicated to Herpo's work. It was more than obvious that the Dark Lord had been introduced to the ancient Dark Wizard's writings at some point. Herpo had been the first wizard to create a Basilisk and he controlled it with the use of Parseltongue. He was also the creator of the first Horcrux. Severus had surmised correctly, along with Albus, that the Dark Lord used a Horcrux. It was the reason Albus had always insisted that the Dark Lord was not dead…merely vanquished. The Dark Lord's return this past spring confirmed their suspicions.

Regardless, whether or not the potion could be attributed to Herpo the Foul or not, it was definitely a concoction the ancient Dark Wizard would be proud to claim for his own.

The potion called for the willing sacrifice from a parent of their first born Wizarding child. The drinker would then obtain the power of the sacrificed. The Dark Lord was taking no chances. He would require no less than one-hundred such sacrifices. It was clear that the Dark Lord was now not only striving for immortality…the bastard was striving to become omnipotent as well.

What wasn't explained to Severus was where the Dark Lord intended to find one-hundred witches and wizards to willingly commit filicide on the monster's behalf, because as far as Severus had read, the sacrifice had to be willing. It was most likely intended to be used by a psychopathic parent looking to increase their magic. Legend did suggest that Herpo killed his eldest daughter…if this potion could be connected to him, Severus now knew why.

Severus wasn't certain if even placing a wizard under the Imperious Curse would qualify as a willing sacrifice. But the real question was...did the Dark Lord think it mattered?

But the potion's history and the Dark Lord's motivations were irrelevant . What mattered was that the Dark Lord intended to kill one-hundred children... but whose children?

Whoever these children were, the Order would do everything possible to save them. At the moment, Severus could only conceive of one way of stopping the madness, and it was a short term solution at best.

As Severus approached the graveyard where the meeting was to take place, he spoke to no one. The meeting was not just of the Inner Circle, but also of lesser minions as well. The only time when anyone spoke at these larger gatherings was at the behest of the Dark Lord.

Severus assumed he knew the reason for the large gathering. The Dark Lord intended to send his Death Eaters on the hunt.

No sooner had the last Death Eater taken his place, the Dark Lord Apparated into the centre of the circle…there were seven concentric large rings surrounding the Dark Lord, each one larger than the last. Just as any properly enslaved minion would, every Death Eater fell on bended knee and averted their eyes until given permission to arise and look up, and they would be given permission…so the Dark Lord would have easier access to their thoughts.

"Arise my children…and look upon your Lord."

Severus arose, along with the other Death Eaters. It was an eerie scene. Between the darkness of the night and the dark robes of the Death Eaters, all he could see of the others was the hoary glint of disembodied skulls that were actually the silver masks of other Death Eaters. Severus had no idea who they were nor could he read the emotion on their faces. The only other identities he was sure of were those of the Death Eaters standing on either side of him...Walden McNair on his left and Lucius on his right. Severus did not need to see the look on their faces. They were in close enough proximity that Severus could feel the nervous tension radiate off them in waves…especially Lucius.

Severus did not have time to wonder about how much Lucius might have known before the Dark Lord spoke again in his rasped voice, "My children…My most beloved."

As if the crazed lunatic knew the meaning of Love.

Thankfully, Severus was Occluded, because such simpering declarations coming from the foul creature would have otherwise turned Severus' stomach.

Instead, Severus simply mimicked the rest of the following, intoning, "My Lord."

The Dark Lord's lipless smile was…unsettling as he practically hissed, "I have most joyous news. That which I have sought has been found…A celebration is in order. What say you?"

Severus droned along with the rest of the coven the only words they were expected to say. "We are overcome with anticipation, Lord."

"Yes…I know you are my children." Severus kept is breathing in check. Despite the loyalty most of the Death eaters willing professed, the air was rank with the smell of fear…something Severus noticed… that was not lost on the Dark Lord. The demon-made-flesh seemed to drink in the fear of his own minions.

"As a reward for your diligence for finding my prize so expeditiously..." the Dark Lord gave a slight nod in recognition to Lucius, "I shall reward those of you who have sired, the privilege of inducting your first born into my service."

Severus' heart skipped a beat.

Harry!

Merlin! He wants the firstborn of his own Death Eaters!

Of course…the sacrifices had to be willing. But even the Dark Lord could not be as narcissistic to believe his Death Eaters were so blindly loyal as to sacrifice their own children to him…or could he?

Severus reined in his rising panic and immediately bolstered his shields before he compromised himself, but it was still too late. He felt a slight brush of consciousness against his mind. Severus thought he closed his mind fast enough so the Dark Lord would not recognise him, but he couldn't be certain.

The Dark Lord's pace became slower as he made his way around the circle and came closer…his glowing red eyes narrowed even more as he seemed to hesitate between Lucius and Severus.

"What is this…One amongst you does not wish to accept my gracious gift."

As if it were possible for the congregation to be any quieter, standing in within the Inner Circle of Death Eaters in the middle of the graveyard, Severus finally understood the adage, 'silent as the grave'.

It took every ounce of ability Severus possessed to keep his defences in place and not to betray the images and emotions that threated to burst forth like a breached dam. But then, just as Severus thought he had been ousted, The Dark Lord turned to Lucius Malfoy.

"Lucius, why do you forsake my gift?"

Malfoy did a poor job in restraining his panic. His normally smooth, aristocratic voice wavered when he said, "I do not my Lord. I tremble with anticipation for the honour of presenting Draco to you."

A cold, throaty chuckle arose from the Dark Lord. It did not bode well for Lucius. "Yes…you tremble, Lucius… but not from anticipation." In a sickly mocking, sing-song voice, the Dark Lord asked, "Do you not wish your son to follow in your noble footsteps and serve your beloved Dark Lord?"

"Of course, My Lor…"

"LIAR!"

The Dark Lord aimed his wand and hit Malfoy with a silent Crucio square in the chest. Severus had no choice but to look on in ambivalence as Malfoy screamed and writhed in pain on the ground like a dying animal. After what seemed like several minutes, the Dark Lord finally had his way with Lucius.

Then the Dark Lord casually meandered his way back to the centre of his coven, unconcerned… as if he had simply stepped on a slug rather than just tortured one of his favourites.

Malfoy still lay upon the ground, convulsing in a foetal position.

No Death Eater dared show pity.

The self-styled Dark Lord looked out upon his loyal followers. Something was not right. Not all were as loyal as they seemed. The hesitation he sensed had not only come from Lucius. There was another consciousness—one he could no longer detect. It was there for a fraction of a second and then it was gone.

He scanned his followers for any treacherous thoughts... and found none. Why could he not find the other traitor?

There was an Occlumens in his midst…and not just any Occlumens. Normally, Lord Voldemort could easily shred through an Occluded mind like an arrow through wet parchment...but this one… This one was so strong, not even he…the most powerful Legilimens ever…could find the turncoat. Perhaps there were simply too many minds to sift through.

Lord Voldemort had acquired many new sycophants since his return…perhaps one of them? He could discern nothing illicit from his Inner Circle…other than pitiful Lucius that was. Severus had no children, so he had no worries of his coveted Potion Master being the guilty one.

When he found out whom the offender was ...they would dearly pay. A Dementor's Kiss would be preferable to what the Dark Lord would do.

The Dark Lord was no fool. He was not about to expose such a weakness announcing that someone was capable of hiding their thoughts from him.

Lord Voldemort looked out amongst his 'loyal' followers and saw nothing but complacency…and he felt nothing for them but contempt.

His chest began to heave as his rage increased. Did someone actually think they were going to get away with such perfidy?

The traitor had to be punished. And if the Dark Lord could not find the culprit …they would all suffer for the guilty party's trespass.

Drawing up all of his considerable rage and hate and focusing it into his magic, the Dark Lord cried, "CRUCIO!"

The Dark Lord drank in their anguish like sweet ambrosia as a chorus of pain echoed in the night and wrapped over him like a balm when over one-hundred Death Eaters screamed at once in communal agony.