Draco rushed back to Snape's office, and granted himself entrance without knocking. He had run all the way back and was panting again by the time he finished his marathon.

"They don't know," he announced while trying to catch his breath. Snape sat behind his desk and watched him expectantly.

"That is actually more than a little disconcerting," Snape observed, almost casually, though Draco knew not to believe Snape's tone. He was actually more worried than he let on, Draco thought. Heaven forbid someone actually think he cared!

"They said they'd try to find him," Draco continued.

"Of course," Snape said. "And their efforts will be fruitless because they're simply students and do not have my resources at their disposal."

"You'll look for him, then?" Draco asked hopefully.

"Miscreant though he is, he still is my student," Snape pointed out. "Regrettably."

"You're too hard on him," Draco whined. "All those cauldrons you gave him? While I got an essay?"

"Look, Draco," Snape sighed, standing up and grabbing his cloak from a nearby hook on the wall. "I was certainly not going to give you a punishment so close to what you would receive at home. I am not like your parents. I've gone over this before with you."

"I know," Draco sighed. "Still."

"I'm going to speak with the Headmaster about Potter's absence," Snape announced suddenly. "Since this is essentially happening because of your involvement with Potter, I do believe you should come along."

"What?" Draco gasped. "No! I can't go! It's Dumbledore we're talking about. I'm supposed to kill him!"

"I haven't forgotten that tiny bit of information, Draco," Snape drawled. "But I need you to come along, or it will look like I'm the one concerned with Potter's disappearance."

"You know how rubbish I am at Occlumency," Draco said through gritted teeth. "If the Dark Lord sees that you and I and Dumbledore were together in a room, and he's not dead by tonight, we'll both suffer for it." Snape nodded thoughtfully.

"Alright," he agreed after a moment. "I will just have to suffer the Headmaster's compliments on how I've come to care about the boy."

"It's better than other things I can think of," Draco muttered under his breath.

"Wait here until I return," Snape instructed, and left his office.

"Headmaster," Snape addressed the old man sitting opposite where he was standing. "Do you know the whereabouts of Mr. Potter?"

"No, Severus, I am not privy to every student's every movement," Dumbledore replied, curious. "Why do you ask?"

"No one appears to know where he is," Snape continued.

"Why so concerned? You've never been this way before."

"Potter failed to show for a detention," Snape lied coolly.

"I'm sure he'll be around for it eventually," Dumbledore dismissed.

"You seem to be taking the absence of your star pupil rather casually," Snape pointed out. "It would seem that since the danger to his person has only increased as he's gotten older, you would be more concerned about any reports that he is missing."

"I'm sure he and his friends are just doing something that teenagers are wont to do," Dumbledore explained, almost sounding a bit exasperated. "Give Harry another detention if you are so inclined, if he's skipped out on the one you've already assigned him. I don't see any need to worry." Snape's nostrils flared slightly as Dumbledore began to read an old tome laying on his desk.

"Well, fine," Snape shrugged. "If that's how you feel about it, I see no reason to further disturb you with possible threats to the little urchin's life." Dumbledore made a casual sound of acknowledgement, which actually said that Dumbledore couldn't have cared less what Snape was saying. Without a dismissal, Snape stormed out of Dumbledore's office, heading back to his own, to think of something else.

He wasn't going to let Draco have a nervous breakdown over Potter's absence. It had nothing to do with the fact that Potter was Lily's child and he had sworn to protect the boy. Nothing at all.

Before he actually made it to his office, Snape abruptly changed destination to check with McGonagall. Perhaps she knew what was going on with Potter. He was her student too, after all.

"Minerva?" he called as he stepped into her office. "Where is Potter?"

"Have you checked the common room?" she suggested.

"Am I correct in assuming that is a version of 'I don't know'?"

"I suppose," she replied. "Is something wrong?"

"Only that no one in this entire school knows why he missed his detention," Snape drawled. "I expected you to keep better track of your students than Albus at least."

"Severus!" McGonagall admonished. "You can't expect me to believe that you know the exact location of every one of your students at any given moment." Severus felt his left forearm twinge.

"Perhaps not," he agreed, more to end the conversation than anything else. "If you could ask after Potter's whereabouts, that would be most appreciated."

"Of course!" McGonagall said. "I certainly don't want him mixed up in anything dangerous." Snape snorted indignantly. As though being marked at the age of one by the greatest Dark wizard the world had ever known wasn't mixed up in anything dangerous. But he would accept the help, nevertheless.

"Professor!" Draco sighed when Snape rushed into his office.

"I know, Draco," Snape said. "We have only a few minutes. You need to learn to occlude and I have a grand total of ten minutes to teach you, or you will be beyond what I can save tonight."

"Alright," Draco said. "Then teach me."

"Grief," Snape instructed. "Grief is the key. Focus on that, and the Dark Lord won't be able to look into your mind." Draco looked horrified for a moment.

"I would have had to have cared if someone lived or died and then lost them," Draco murmured.

"Potter is dead," Snape announced.

"What?" Draco cried. "He can't be!"

"Yes, he is," Snape said again. "The wards around Potter's home have fallen. There is only one reasonable explanation. He must be dead."

"No, no, no!" Draco screamed. "He can't be dead!" Tears rose in Draco's eyes. This was all his fault. If he hadn't left Harry alone, then maybe his Alchemist would still be alive.

"Focus on your grief then," Snape continued. "The Dark Lord won't be able to stand it and will stay out of your mind. He can't stand grief, and he won't see what it's about, only that it would burn his very soul if he were to look into your mind." Draco simply nodded.

"Then let us leave."

Harry woke up again to the sounds of footsteps. They were different from the footfalls of before, but these footsteps caused his breath to quicken and his heartbeat to speed up. Harry didn't want to deal with him anymore. He always made him hurt. And always made him hurt others.

"Wake up, Potter," the grungy voice said.

He didn't want to acknowledge that order. He didn't want to wake up. He didn't want to get up. Getting up meant that he was going to be hurt. He didn't want to hurt. This hurt was going to last longer than the physical pain.

"I'm going to tell you one more time to wake up," the grungy voice was getting angry now.

Please, please, Harry wished. Just go away. Leave me alone.

"Fine," the grungy voice said. "If you don't want to get up on your own, then I'll just have to make you. Crucio!"

Harry's screams could be heard all around the room. This was definitely different from the curse that Draco cast on him. This actually hurt ten times worse. It seemed like he would not let up. Harry felt he was loosing himself. He wanted to plead for him to stop, but the words just couldn't come out.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he let up. The curse stopped. Harry's body involuntary jerked from the nerve damage of the Crucio curse. Harry was loosing his battle with consciousness again. But before all went dark he heard the grungy voice say, "I'll let you decide. Next time I won't be so lenient."

Those footfalls were the last thing that Harry heard before everything went dark again.