It didn't make sense to Snape how he got into the hospital wing. He knew two things for sure: he had been at the Quidditch match earlier that day and he was in a lot of pain. His right shoulder was extremely sore as well as his back. His right arm was sitting in a sling.
"Good, you're awake." A voice called out.
Snape turned to the source of the sound. Albus Dumbledore was standing a few beds away from Snape, making his way toward the injured man.
"What happened, Albus?"
"You had quite a fall, Severus."
"Off the Quidditch Grandstand?!" Snape exclaimed, knowing that was the last place he remembered being.
He sat up quickly as he asked the question, much to the dismay of his head. It began to pound painfully. Snape closed his eyes as the pounding in his head began to make him dizzy.
"Yes, off the Grandstand." Albus replied.
Snape opened his eyes when the pounding in his head receded.
"Albus, how am I not dead?"
"Someone attempted to catch you and managed to, somewhat softly, lower you to the ground."
"Who was it?" Snape questioned, fearing that he already knew the answer.
"You have Harry to thank for saving your life."
"Potter! Why he's an arrogant little bully, much like his father, who..."
"Who has gone missing?" Dumbledore interrupted Snape's tirade.
"He's what?!" Snape shouted as he jumped to his feet.
"Harry Potter is missing."
"How has this happened?"
"Harry came to save you and he became unseated from his broom. He managed to get you to safety without much injury to you. Harry, I believe, if much more severely injured. Minevra, Hagrid, Poppy, and myself went to help. We only found you. Harry had gone missing. Minevra, Hagrid, and I have been searching the forbidden forest for the past three hours. There is no sign of him. If Voldemort finds out then Harry could be in grave danger."
Snape gasped in pain as his arm began to burn. He removed his arm from the sling and pulled up the sleeve of his left arm.
"Speak of the devil, he has summoned me. This can't be a good thing."
"I agree with you. Please proceed with caution."
Snape pulled down his sleeve and left the hospital wing.
That game never should have happened. They knew that the weather was going to be bad. Now, four hours after the game was stopped, there were students gathered in Professor McGonagall's classroom. The two Quidditch teams, Hermione, Neville, and Luna were gathered in her classroom. They had no idea why they were summoned there, but it could only mean bad things.
Professor McGonagall walked into the room after Madame Pomfrey had checked on the well being of the Quidditch players.
"How are you?" The Professor asked the group as she took her seat behind the desk.
"We are fine, alive at least." Ginny replied.
"Is the staff alright?" Neville asked.
"There were no major injuries." Professor McGonagall answered.
"What about Professor Snape and Harry? Are they okay?" Hermione questioned.
"That is indeed why I have called all of you here. First, I would like to ask the two Quidditch teams if there is anyone who does not know what happened?"
No one raised their hands. They all knew what happened.
"Very well. Did any of you see what happened after Mr. Potter and Professor Snape crashed?"
"We were helping the staff off the tower." Cho stated.
"Some of us didn't even see him fall. Had we know, I think some of us would have made sure that he was okay." Ron confessed.
"The staff wouldn't let us go check. They told us that Madame Hooch had grabbed Madame Pomfrey to go help." Ginny interrupted.
"Ms.Granger, Mr.Longbottom, Ms.Lovegood, did any of you see what happened after Mr.Potter grabbed Professor Snape?" McGonagall asked.
"Myself and Neville were standing next to each other. We saw Harry and Professor snape fall. I tried to leave to go help, but Hagrid told me to stay put. I turned to the teacher's grandstand, then looked back to where Harry was. He wasn't there, so I figured Madame Pomfrey took him to the hospital wing." Hermione explained.
"Mr. Longbottom, Ms. Lovegood, is there anything you wish to add?"
"I saw the same thing." Neville agreed.
"From where I was, I could not see Harry fall." Luna answered.
"So no one saw Mr. Potter after he fell!" McGonagall exclaimed in frustration.
The tone of the room changed in that moment, which is why Hermione was scared to ask this next question.
"Professor, is Harry alright?" She asked.
McGonagall let out a sigh before answering.
"What I am about to say to you does not leave this room. If I hear any whispers of it in the halls, I will assume that it is one of you and you will all be sent to detention for the next two months and both house teams will be disbanded. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, ma'am." Everyone answered in unison.
"I shall hold you to your word, then. Mr. Potter has gone missing."
The room got very silent.
"What do you mean missing?" Cho questioned softly.
"There has been no trace of Mr.Potter since he fell from his broom while saving Professor Snape."
"Professor, I don't think he could have gotten up and walked away after that. I think he hit his head when he crashed. If he did disappear, it was not of his own choosing." Hermione remarked.
"I very much agree with you, Ms.Granger. The staff is still looking for him and you shall be informed if anything changes. You are to return to your houses for the night. Remember what I said. Not a peep of this to anyone else. You are dismissed."
The students stood up and made their way back to their common rooms. hermione was walking next to Ginny and Ron when she pulled them into an empty classroom.
"What!?" Ron questioned when the door what shut. He was clearly taken aback by the sudden change of direction.
"I don't think Snape fell from the Grandstand." Hermione spoke after casting a silencing charm on the door.
"What do you mean he didn't fall?" Ginny asked.
"I was reading a book and I remember them talking about the Quidditch Grandstands at Hogwarts. They had been constructed so that no one could fall over the sides if they had been shoved in a type of chaos."
"So then if he didn't fall, what did he do? Grow wings?" Ron asked.
"No, I think someone purposely threw him over the edge."
"You're saying that someone tried to kill Snape?" Ginny questioned.
"Kudos to whoever got the jump on him." Ron mumbled.
"Ron, it's not funny. What if Harry didn't catch him? He'd be dead." Hermione admonished.
"But Harry did catch him." Ron pointed out.
"Yeah, and Harry got seriously hurt because of it. He's gone missing and for all we know, he could be dying."
"Hermione, you need to tell Professor McGonagall." Ron said after apologizing for his earlier remark.
"I agree, Hermione. If you're right, and Snape was thrown off the Grandstand, then Harry's disappearance can't be a coincidence."
As Snape approached the house, he began to clear his mind. It was imperative that Snape clear his mind. If he didn't, it would only mean bad things for him. One of those things would be death, but Snape would welcome it. He had spent too many years in the "Service" of Voldemort. True, it was all for Lily, but Snape felt sick to his stomach every time he stood in front of Voldemort.
He was constantly reminded of the mistake that he made so many years ago. James Potter's son was the largest reminder, having to see the arrogant brat everyday. When the boy was not in the potion master's sight, the spy was still reminded of the mistake. The mark burning was an unfair reminder, but it was the path that Snape had chosen long ago.
Snape stood at the door, putting on his cruel attitude and storing specific memories deep within his mind. He entered Malfoy Manor, taking long powerful strides to meet Voldemort.
"My Lord." Snape whispered as he dropped to one knee.
"Rise, Severus." The cool, snake-like voice commanded.
Snape rose at once, questioning
"What does my lord require?"
"I require nothing, Severus. I have called you here and you are the last to arrive."
"My apologies, my lord. I received your summons while speaking to Albus Dumbledore. It would look suspicious if I left in the..."
"I require no explanation, Severus. I do understand the danger that you put yourself in. Today is a cause for celebration."
A tortured and anguished scream echoed through the house. Snape had heard the screams when he first entered the house, but something about this series of screams caused Snape to stop and listen.
"I am sure you wish to meet our guest." Voldemort continued as he walked away from Snape, who began to walk after the Dark Lord.
Snape was not at all excited to meet this prisoner. He would be forced to torture the poor beast and, even though he looked looked he enjoyed it, Snape took no enjoyment in the task. Voldemort lead Snape to a room near the back to of the house. When he entered the room, Snape could see nothing.
The unlucky soul was surrounded in a circle, three deep, of death eaters. Bellatrix Lestrange was standing in the middle of the circle, cackling as her prey convulsed on the floor in pain.
"Bellatrix." Voldemort called.
Even though Voldemort spoke quietly, he got everyone's attention. Bellatrix relinquished her curse and lowered her torso as if bowing.
"I believe that Severus would like a turn. He shall be most thrilled to meet our guest of honor."
Bellatrix morphed back into the crowd as Snape made his way toward the middle of the circle. The target of the death eaters was rolling around the floor in pain. Snape stood in the middle of the circle, waiting for the man to look up. Normally, Snape would torture without looking at the person's face. It was less personal that way, but something about this man made Snape stop.
This man wore red robes and he had blood everywhere around him. The man looked up as Snape pulled out his want. If the man had not lifted his head, Snape would have barely recognized him.
"Potter." Snape gasped in him mind. It took everything not to say it out loud.
That's why the robes were red. Potter was still in his Quidditch robes. Potter's face was unrecognizable, but Snape knew it was Potter. All he had to do was look at his eyes.
"Professor." Potter slurred. "Please."
Snape's heart broke as he muttered that one word.
"Crucio."
He forced himself to keep a stoic face as the boy thrashed about the floor in pain. Snape's heart exploded into shards. the boy's cries of pain turned the shards of the death eater's heart to dust. The boy begged Snape for death and Snape wanted to curse all of those around him. Potter had suffered enough in his life. This was overkill.
Snape held the curse till the yells subsided. Snape tortured Potter till he passed out. The Potions Master did not enjoy doing that.