"Mrs Flamel? Can I come through?"

"Yes, of course." the woman answered. She was quite surprised to see Mr Snape's head in her fireplace. She had flooed him just hours ago and told him that her husband's condition hadn't improved - quite the contrary, actually. Surely he didn't expect any dramatic changes after their had been no signs that Nicolas was regaining consciousness again for more than two weeks?

When the Potion Master entered the living room, Perenelle noticed that he looked rather pale - well, paler than usual, anyway. Additionally, it seemed that he hadn't slept for quite some time and his eyes were suspiciously red.

"I would like to finish the Elixir your husband has brewed for Harry." Severus requested in a strangely hollow voice, quite unlike his usual one. "If you don't mind, I would like to use your laboratory as it is much better equipped than my personal potion lab, and I don't think it would be wise to take this draught anywhere outside of my private quarters - which means that I can't use the lab attached to the potion classroom."

"You want to finish it?" Perenelle asked, "You are aware that Nicolas hasn't woken up and that it doesn't look like he will do so any time soon?"

"Of course," Severus replied curtly, "but there aren't really many options left. If I do nothing, Harry will die within the week, so I might as well try to give him the Elixir and cast the - the curse." he quickly turned around and hid the single tear that was rolling down his left cheek.

"Yes, of course, of course..." Perenelle was at a loss for what to say. Sure, she was sad that it was quite likely that she would never speak to her beloved husband again, but at least she had been prepared that this might happen.

Even before Nicolas had told her about the proposal he had made to a professor at Dumbledore's school, the couple had often talked about the wisdom of taking the Elixir for even longer.

But to have an eleven year-old child that was on the brink of death? Even if Harry wasn't Mr Snape's child by blood, Perenelle wasn't blind and she could clearly see the love the man felt for the boy.

"Right." Severus said, and without further ado he made his way to where he knew the laboratory was located. He really didn't care whether this was polite or not.

An hour or so later, he emerged from the cellar, carrying several vials filled with a jet-black liquid. Naturally, he had never brewed the Elixir of Life before, but from what Flamel had told him about the draught and from the notes the man had left he knew that this was how the potion was supposed to look like. Quite strange, considering that this potion enabled the brewer to get as much as he could ever want from the two things most men desired above everything else - life and wealth.

But then, perhaps it wasn't a coincidence that the Elixir looked less than appealing - as the wish to possess more of those two things than nature (or fate or some kind of divine being or whatever it was) itself had granted you had brought out the worst of so many human beings.

Thankfully, Perenelle respected the Potion Master's unwillingness to talk more than absolutely necessary and just smiled at him warmly - if a bit worriedly - before he flooed back to Hogwarts.

#

He really was in no mood to talk to anyone, even if it wasn't an alternatively tearful (when thinking about Harry) and furious (when thinking about - or even talking to - Albus) Minerva. Poppy hadn't been much better, though at least she was more apt at hiding her feelings and didn't let everybody know about her current mood.

And Dr Green... well, Dr Green and Severus had had a serious disagreement about how to proceed a few days earlier, and although the man had continued to visit Harry at least once a day the two men hadn't spoken with each other again.

Being a doctor, Dr Green had of course noticed that Harry's condition had started to worsen. When Severus had once again returned from the fireplace with the message that Flamel's state hadn't changed, the doctor had carefully suggested that perhaps it might be better to wake Harry up as it would buy them time. They had successfully prevented the Horcrux from killing the child for years, so why shouldn't they be able to do so for a few additional weeks? When Harry was awake, he would no longer be at risk of dying within a very short time and it wouldn't matter how long it took for Flamel to wake up.

Severus had tried to explain that it was no longer a question whether the Horcrux managed to smash Harry's head against a wall but that the creature had been about to kill the child's soul, his mind, and that they couldn't stop it from achieving its goal simply by tying Harry to a bed.

But although Dr Green had been far more tolerant of everything wizardish than the average muggle, he was a scientist and he refused to believe that anything could kill a person's soul or mind. Neither of these were corporeal, so how could it possibly die?

Of course, he had never seen a victim of a Dementor's kiss.

Severus knew that the Doctor only had Harry's best interest at heart, but he wouldn't give the child the counter-potion only to prove that the Horcrux could indeed kill everything of Harry that made him human.

However, the Potion Master had a different plan.

He intended to wake Harry up in order to - well, what? To lure the Horcrux into the foreground of the child's mind? To tell him that he was about to cast an Unforgivable at him? Or to say goodbye? He really didn't know.

Audrey had suggested that it would be more likely for the Horcrux to be well and truly destroyed if it was in the front of Harry's mind when he cast the curse, and Severus himself had sworn himself - and Harry - not to do anything without the child's consent.

Anyway, he would give Harry the counter-potion before he would dose him with the Elixir of Life. Of course, he would have another dose of the Draught of Living Death at the ready and Severus would feed it to Harry immediately when the Horcrux gave the first signs of harming the child.

But there was no reason why the Doctor shouldn't be present when he woke Harry up. And then he could see for himself what Severus was sure would happen.

If nothing happened, all the better, but the Potion Master had little hope that this would be the case.

When Severus arrived back in his quarters, the first thing he did was to make sure that Harry's condition hadn't taken a turn for the worse while he was gone - and to tell the medi-witch (who had stayed with the boy) that she could go back to the hospital wing. He was surprised when he found Dr Green quietly conversing with Poppy, glancing at the pale and still boy every now and then.

Severus cleared his throat. "I didn't know you would be returning so soon." he addressed the doctor. "Poppy, thanks for watching over Harry, you can return to the infirmary now. I have been able to finish the potion and I would appreciate your assistance in what we have talked about later today."

"Of course, Severus. Shall I inform Minerva?"

"Yes, but perhaps it would be sensible if she kept the headmaster busy rather than joining us. I don't know what will happen, but it wouldn't do any good to have Albus interfering at exactly the wrong moment. And considering that the witch didn't manage to pull herself together the last times she was confronted with Harry and his likely fate, she won't be a big help anyway."

"Of course." Poppy replied stiffly before she rose from her chair, nodded to Dr Green and left the room.

"So you really want to go through with this?" Dr Green asked expressionless. His voice, however, was slightly higher than usual which told Severus how the man really felt.

"Yes. There are no other option."

"Well, I think there are. I have spoken to a colleague of mine-" the doctor was cut short.

"YOU HAVE WHAT?" the Potion Master yelled. "Have you any idea how dangerous this could be? Have I not made it clear enough that nobody is to know about Harry's true condition - let alone magic?"

"I haven't talked about those," Dr Green replied, rather agitated himself, "but if you would just allow me to bring Harry to a hospital we could start artificial feeding and perhaps put him on other drugs that aren't quite as dangerous as your potion!"

"Have you not listened to anything I told you?" Severus asked exasperatedly, "We can't just give him a normal sleeping draught or a muggle equivalent of those, it simply wouldn't be enough to keep the Horcrux at bay! And the Draught of Living Death causes his organs to stop digesting food, so your artificial feeding would be completely useless! Madame Pomfrey has done everything that is possible and there is nothing you can do to change this!"

"So you will just kill Harry or what?" Dr Green almost yelled. He couldn't believe that the other man was not even willing to try to save the child.

For a few seconds, Severus regarded Dr Green with a steely expression. When he spoke, his voice was harsh. "I will do the only thing there is that might save Harry's life. Though yes, there is the possibility that he will not survive the spell I will cast at him. If you think that you can't accept my decision, you are to go now and not to return until... until we now whether it has worked or not. Otherwise, you might choose to return in about four or five hours and stay with Poppy while I... cast the curse."

Sensing that his voice was about to break, Severus quickly turned around to the sleeping form of Harry. After about a minute, he heard the doctor leaving the rooms and a few seconds later, the roaring sound of the floo told him that the man had left.

It was quite fortunate that the house Dr Green lived in had a fireplace and that Minerva had friends or acquaintances in almost every department of the ministry.

Now, however, Severus wasn't in the mood to deal with visitors - not even the few that still could enter his quarters by using the floo. So he went to the fireplace and, with a wave of his wand, shut it down.

It was only about three hours later that a red-eyed Potion Master emerged from Harry's room. He tried not to think about the very real possibility that in a few hours, this room might only be the guest room again.

After he had cast a charm on his face that would hide any signs that he had been crying, he went into an unused (and therefore completely bare) room at the very end of the corridor that held the doors to his and Harry's rooms.

For a few seconds, he only looked at the stony walls and the dusty floor.

Mentally shaking himself, he cast a few spells in order to get rid of the worst of the dust before pointing his wand at the ground in the middle of the room. A muttered incantation, and the hard stone floor was as soft as a mattress. Then, he conjured several blankets. Yes. This would do.

Severus then proceed to cast the strongest and most advanced protection- and warding-charms he knew on the room. Sure, his chambers already had a very high level of protection, Albus inability to invade these rooms despite being the headmaster and one of the most powerful wizards alive was proof of that. However, considering that he would cast an Unforgivable it didn't seem excessive to notch the wards up a bit.

Not that the Potion Master would try to defend himself if the ministry found out that he had killed the boy-who-lived and sent him to Azkaban. If the boy died... well, better not thinking about it.

When he hoisted Harry from his tent he felt as if being in a trance. He carried him into the cold chamber, the body of the child limply hanging in his arms.

After he had reopened his floo so that Poppy and Dr Green would be allowed through, Severus returned to the chamber where he had placed Harry on the soft part of the ground and covered him with two of the blankets. Not that it was necessary, as his body temperature was rather low anyway, but somehow, the Potion Master couldn't bring himself to let the child that was only dressed in a thin pyjama lie there with nothing to protect him from the cold - no matter how irrational it was.

Severus sat down onto the ground, next to Harry, caressing the child's hair. At some point, he had to close his eyes to prevent himself from crying yet again. Poppy, and perhaps the doctor too, would be here any moment now.

"I'm so sorry, Harry, I'm so sorry. I wished I could have done more." He whispered.

#

Finally, he heard the floo going off.

"Severus?" The medi-witch called.

He had to clear his throat before he could reply. "In here," he called while getting up from the floor. Poppy seemed to say something, though it was too quiet for the Potion Master to hear. Apparently, Dr Green had decided to return.

When the witch and the man entered the room, Poppy shuddered. "It's freezing cold!" She exclaimed while waving her wand. Immediately, the temperature rose by several degrees.

Severus just stared at her. Why did it matter whether it was cold or not?

Once again, the Potion Master had to clear his throat. "I trust you informed Minerva about what she is to do?"

"Of course," Poppy answered, "and I have brought everything I could think of from the hospital wing that might help us to treat whatever damage Harry might sustain."

Severus noticed a rather bulky bag next to the door. "Good. Then I will fetch the potions." He left the room with long, purposeful strides.

When he grabbed the three vials, his hands were shaking.

"All right," he said after he had returned to Harry's side, "I will now give him the Wiggenweld Potion which should wake him up. Please keep you wand at the ready, Poppy, I don't know what will happen. If the Horcrux overpowers Harry before I have a chance to speak to him, we might need to stun him. Otherwise, I ask you to stay away from him - I don't want him to be frightened when he wakes up, and too many people standing around him will cause exactly this.

"If the creature attacks him mentally, I will give him another dose of Draught of Living Death.

You are not to do anything unless I let you know otherwise. If it is clear that the Horcrux tries to hurt Harry physically, you might, of course, stun him, but nothing else. This is going to be dangerous enough and I don't want to take any additional risks. Have you understood me?" he was well aware that he was talking to the witch - who was his senior by more than two decades - as if she was a student prone to misbehaving, but right now, he didn't care.

Poppy nodded solemnly. Severus regarded Dr Green with a piercing stare.

The man swallowed. "I don't agree with you, but I promise I won't do anything to jeopardize Harry's life." The 'unlike you' was left unspoken.

Severus looked at the doctor for a few seconds longer before he slowly turned around, his eyes on the small child lying on the ground. Behind him, Poppy and Dr Green retreated to the corner farthest away from the boy and the man in the middle of the room.

The Potion Master knelt down. Carefully, he took Harry's upper body, lifted him up a bit and leaned the child against his own body. With one hand, he made sure that Harry wouldn't slide back onto the ground while he uncorked the vial with the other. Then, he pried the child's mouth open and poured the liquid inside.

Quickly but gently, he pushed his index finger into Harry's mouth and searched for the right spot at the back of the pharynx that would trigger the swallowing reflex.

Finally, he felt how the child swallowed the potion.

Now all they could do was to wait, as there was no way to tell how long it would take for Harry to wake up. Most of the times, it only took a few minutes, but there had been cases where it had taken up to two hours.

Nobody spoke while the three adults waited for something to happen. Then, after about ten or fifteen minutes, Harry stirred.

Quickly, Severus tightened his grip so that Harry or the Horcrux (whoever would wake up first) would have a difficult time to pull free.

"Harry?" he whispered when the child's movements increased and his eye-lids started to flutter. "Harry, can you hear me?"

#

Harry felt dreadful. He was cold, he felt ill and he was more tired than he had been after taking one of the stronger drugs at hospital. Truth to be told, he couldn't remember any medicine that had made him feel as bad as he felt now.

But that was what had happened, wasn't it? They must have given him a new kind of medicine, there was no other explanation for his current woozyness.

But who were 'they'? Something told him that it hadn't been the people from the hospital. No, there had been other people, Harry was sure of that. A man... there had certainly been a man.

The thought of the man made Harry feel warm inside. But who was the man? It couldn't be one of the doctors, they had never made Harry feel warm and safe. If he only could remember...

Suddenly, Harry became aware that the surface he was lying on was unnaturally hot. Had they given him an electric blanket?

He tried to open his eyes in order to see what was going on - and where he was - but somehow, his eyes didn't comply.

Then he heard it. A voice. A voice that was calling his name and that sounded very, very close.

"Harry? Everything is all right, just try to wake up. You don't need to be afraid."

He knew this voice! It was the voice of that man, but he still couldn't remember the man's name.

Harry tried his best to lift his eye-lids that felt unnaturally heavy, but somehow, these stupid eyes wouldn't open! And when he tried to raise his hand in order to pry his eyes open by pure force, he discovered that it weren't only his eyes that he couldn't control any more.

Becoming more and more agitated - he needed to see, he needed to know what was going on - he tried to ask the man what had happened, but all that came out of his mouth was a gurgling, hoarse noise.

What was wrong with him?

#

"Sssh, Harry, please calm down, it will take a few minutes for your muscles to start working properly again. Just try to lie still, everything will be all right!" Severus tried to sooth the boy that became more and more distressed.

When this didn't seem to work, the Potion Master tried a different approach. He lifted Harry up from where he was resting against his own body, turned him around and embraced his still-limp body carefully so that the child's head was leaning against his chest. He remembered quite clearly that this had already helped quite a few times.

Severus felt his insides becoming cold when it occurred to him that this might be the last time he would comfort Harry in such a fashion.

#

At first, Harry was startled when his body was suddenly lifted up from whatever surface he had been lying on. However, before he could even try to fight, he felt how his head came to rest against someone's chest and strong arms hugging him.

Harry started to tremble - he couldn't remember ever being hugged like this before. He took a deep, calming breath. The subtle scent of the person that held him close penetrated his nose.

And then it hit him.

Professor Snape. Wizards. Hogwarts. His Professor rescuing him from the wizard-hospital. His Professor comforting him. His Professor knowing about the demon - no, it had been a different word, but Harry couldn't remember it. His Professor promising him to fight the demon.

"Professor Snape?" Harry whispered into the man's chest.

"Yes, it's me, Harry." Severus answered, relieved that the boy remembered him.

"What... what happened?" Harry whispered, feeling too weak to speak louder.

"You have been asleep for two weeks. I was forced to give you a very strong sleeping-potion in order to stop the Horcrux from attacking you."

Horcrux. That was what the demon was really called, Harry remembered now. But why had the Professor kept him asleep for this long?

When Harry didn't give any sign that he wanted to know more, Severus continued. "You do remember the Horcrux, do you?"

Harry gave a weak nod.

"And do you also remember what we were talking about before I had to give you the sleeping-potion?"

Harry thought about the Professor's question. He remembered that the man had done something to look into his head and that he had seen the Horcrux. And then he had told Harry that it wasn't a demon like Harry had always believed but a Horcrux. And then... "you said you'd help me to get rid of the Horcrux."

"Yes, that's right." Severus praised the child, "and just when I was about to explain how to destroy the Horcrux exactly, it attacked you once again. Now, Harry, I want you to listen to me very carefully, it's very important that you let me finish before you decide whether you agree with my plan or not. All right?" Severus was well aware that it had likely been his own words that had roused the Horcrux into action the last time he had approached this subject.

"OK," Harry said, "but I'm really tired..." and he snuggled a bit closer to the man's chest. He really liked it, being hugged like this.

"Yes, it's only natural that you are tired, you have been in a very deep sleep for quite some time after all. It won't take long, though, and then you can go back to sleep."

Severus swallowed. He knew he had to be calm, it wouldn't do to frighten Harry by starting to cry, no matter how he felt. But the irony of his own words made it very difficult to keep up his resolve. Because if things went wrong, Harry would indeed be back to sleep very soon, only this time it would be forever and no potion in the world would wake him up again.

Taking a deep breath, he began, all the while caressing the child's back, trying to calm Harry (and, to be honest, himself) down. "It is not easy to destroy a Horcrux. This is why I had to keep you asleep for this long. It would have been much too dangerous to wake you up, the Horcrux almost surely would have attacked again. Creatures like the Horcruxes are created by magic, very, very dark magic. They aren't meant to reside in living beings, though. This is why it is so difficult to destroy it.

"In order to get rid of the Horcrux, I will have to cast a curse at you that normally would cause the death of any living being it is cast at. There is, however, a substance called the Philosopher's Stone which can be used to brew a potion called the Elixir of Life. Someone who has taken this potion cannot die, no matter what. I have been able to find a person who owns a Philosopher's Stone and he has allowed me to brew the Elixir for you.

"If you agree to my plan, I will give you a dose of the Elixir in a few minutes time. Then, I will cast the curse. It's a very powerful curse, though, and I can't promise you that everything will work out as I hope it will. I don't want to frighten you, but I won't lie to you either, Harry. There is the possibility that the curse will not only kill the Horcrux but also you, despite the Elixir."

Silently, Severus waited for the child's reaction. He could only pray that Harry would speak to him, tell him what he thought about the plan, before the Horcrux got a chance to launch another strike.

#

Harry's head was spinning. So there was a way to destroy the Horcrux, something he had wished for since-, well, since forever. But the spell that would do so might also kill him, despite the potion the Professor had brewed for him.

But Harry didn't want to die! Sure, he'd love to be free of the Horcrux, but he was prepared to put up with taking a few pills or potions each day if it meant that he could live!

"I... I don't want to die." Harry managed to get out.

Severus chest tightened painfully. "I know, Harry, I know. I don't want you to die, too. No, surely not." he let out a bitter snort, "but I don't think there is any other way. I have looked for other means to make the Horcrux go away or at least stop it from attacking you, but I'm afraid that there are very few means that can harm such a creature, and all of them would result in your death. The killing curse combined with the Elixir of Life is the only way to eliminate that creature that gives you a chance of survival."

"But the medicine! They always gave me medicine, and it really helped to stop the Horcrux from hurting me. Why can't I just take medicine again? Or you can brew me a potion, I bet there are potion that would fight the Horcrux for me!"

"I'm sorry, Harry, but this isn't working any more. The Horcrux has become too strong, it even tried to kill you by just destroying your soul - and it would have worked if I had not given you the Draught of Living Death. That's the name of the sleeping potion you have been under for the last two weeks. It's the strongest sleeping-potion there is, it kept you in a state only inches away from death.

"It was the only way to keep the Horcrux at bay, though. Medicine or even potions won't be enough to stop the creature from harming and most likely killing you, and you can't take the Draught of Living Death forever. Your body is in a rather bad state after only two weeks, and you won't have survived for much longer. I'm sorry, Harry, but I really don't think there is any other way."

"But I don't want to die, please, I don't want to die, sir." Harry threw his arms around the Potion Master's shoulders, crying bitterly.

"I don't want you to die either, Harry," Severus, who by now had started to cry too, choked out, "and I won't do it - giving you the Elixir and casting the curse at you - if you don't want to, I promise you this. I won't do anything without your consent, Harry."

"But then the stupid Horcrux will get me and kill me," Harry wept.

"Yes. Yes, I fear it will."

For several minutes, the two men just sat in the cold dungeon and cried, Harry rather noisily and Severus silently.

"So either the Horcrux will kill me or you cast that curse at me and maybe it will kill me too?" Harry asked after a while, watching the Potion Master's reaction carefully.

"Yes..." Severus answered, "I can't predict the future, Harry, and there might be the chance that the Horcrux will leave you in peace for a while, or that we manage to keep him under control by potions or medicine. And if you decide not to take the Elixir and let me cast the killing curse at you, we will certainly try this.

"But after what it has done to you - or tried to do, anyway - before I dosed you with the potion, I don't think it's very likely that this will work. But no matter what you choose to do, I will do everything in my power to protect you from the Horcrux, Harry. I promised you this and I keep my promises. I will do my best not to let it hurt you. I... I love you, Harry."

Bright, hopeful eyes flew up. "You- you..." but he never got the chance to finish this sentence - not that Harry had known what exactly he had wanted to say anyway. The Professor's last statement was just too enormous for him to comprehend. Never - never had anybody told Harry that he loved him!

While he was still searching for the right words to express himself, he felt that it became more and more difficult to breathe. And despite Professor Snape's warm body, an unnatural coldness took hold of his body, his heart.

And then, Harry heard the maniacal laughter.

#

Severus was unsure whether admitting his feelings had been right. He hadn't really thought about it, the words had just come out of his mouth. He was reasonably sure that Harry liked him, yes, but would the boy really appreciate that the Potion Master had started to think of him as a son?

The look in Harry's eyes was encouraging, though.

Severus watched Harry apprehensively while the boy was searching for words.

But wait, something wasn't right. Harry's eyes had dulled considerably and the grip of his hands of the Potion Master's shoulders had tightened, almost as if he feared that Severus would leave him.

"Harry?" he asked worriedly. Thankfully, Harry's eyes focused back on his face when he addressed him directly. "What has happened?" Somehow, he didn't believe that it had been his confession that had caused this reaction. Embarrassment or even disgust, yes, that Severus would have understood, but fear?

Unless it hadn't been him who had frightened Harry...

#

Harry wanted to scream, to cry, to run, but he could only hold on the Professor for dear life when he felt the Horcrux advancing on him. It would kill him. Harry knew it, and there was nothing Professor Snape could do to save him from that monster. Not this time.

The Horcrux came closer and closer, uttering terrible threats while cackling menacingly. Harry could feel the black mass closing him in. There was no escape. He could only hope that it would be quick.

Briefly, he wished that the creature would just smash his head against the wall like it had done so many times before. At least, that would be quick and only hurt for a few seconds until he lost consciousness. But this... this was much, much worse. He could smell the rotten flesh and see the black mass with the red eyes that bore into his soul, his very being. He heard the Horcrux hissing about how it would tear him apart, and he knew with dread certainty that these were going to be his last moments.

Perhaps he would see his mum and dad once this was over...

"Harry! Harry!"

Suddenly, between the terrible laughter of the Horcrux, Harry could make out the worried voice of his Professor. "Please..." he whispered.

Breathing had become even more difficult by now, he would never manage to say goodbye to the Professor, or to tell the man that he should cast this killing curse now, because everything was better than to endure this torture.

"Lov' you t', Pr'fess'r" Harry managed to get out. "Curs' - now... pl'se."

Too weak to hold his head up any longer, he let it drop on the man's shoulder. At least now the man knew how Harry felt and how grateful he was for everything the Professor had done for him - more than anybody else ever had.

#

Severus forced down the panic when he realized what was going on. He had known that this might happen and he needed to keep his bearings. He mustn't make any mistakes now.

He fumbled for the vial with the Elixir and suddenly, somebody - Poppy - was next to him. She uncorked the vial while Severus forced Harry's head upright and pried his mouth open. The Potion Master felt someone else' hands holding up Harry's head (later he would discover that it had been Dr Green who had decided to help despite any doubts he had had) which enabled him to to concentrate on pouring the thick, black liquid into the child's mouth.

He repeated the process of making Harry swallow the potion. It took longer than with the Wiggenweld Potion, though, since by now, Harry had started to fight the adults that were holding him.

"Severus you need to be quick now, I don't know how much longer we can hold him down!" Poppy yelled.

"Harry! Harry, please, try to look at me! I know it's difficult, but it will be over any moment now, I promise!" Severus had grabbed the boy's shoulder, trying to make him concentrate on him instead of the Horcrux.

However, the child's eyes were unfocused. He was already too far gone. And while Severus still looked into Harry's eyes, he saw how the formerly green iris changed its colour to a dark, bloody red.

"Stupor!" The Potion Master roared, pointing his wand at Harry's chest. Immediately, the fighting stopped.

"Away from him! NOW!" he yelled when Dr Green and Poppy continued to hold the now limp body of the child.

Realizing what her colleague was about to do, the medi-witch hurried to lie Harry's body down onto the soft part of the ground. She knew it probably didn't matter (and that the softness of the charmed stone would cushion the fall anyway), but she didn't have the heart to just drop a completely helpless child.

Pulling Dr Green with her, the two of them retreated back to the corner of the room, as far away from Harry as possible.

Severus looked at the stunned and ashen-faced child lying on the ground in front of him. Although he knew that the stunning-spell should have rendered Harry incapable of moving any part of his body, his eyes seemed to be locked with his own.

Severus raised his wand. 'I'm sorry, Harry' he thought, and then he roared: "Avada Kedavra!"

Falling to his knees, covering his eyes with his hands, he started to cry bitterly.