Hermione led the way to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.  They’d meant to catch their teacher before he left the Great Hall, but he never showed up in the first place, so they had to go search for him.

“I can’t believe we’re willingly searching the git out,” Ron said.

“Ron, Professor Snape is the only one we can go to.  If Neville’s right about the headmaster, he might be the only one we can trust,” Hermione said.

Ron snorted.  “A very frightening thought.

Hermione turned to the third member of the group as they approached the DADA classroom.  “Are you sure you want to come, Neville.  I know Professor Snape frightens you.”

Neville had a determined look on his face.  Yes, Professor Snape intimidated him, but Harry was his friend and he was determined to help him.  “I’m sure.  I want to do what I can to help Harry.

Hermione nodded and opened the door to the classroom.  They found professor Snape at his desk.  “Professor Snape?”

Severus turned and scowled at the three gryffindors.  “What are you three doing here?  Perhaps you’ve misread your timetables, but I don’t have the pleasure of teaching you today.”

“We know, Professor, but we have to talk to you,” Hermione said urgently.  

“What you need is to get to class, Ms. Granger, before I take points and give you detention!” Severus sneered before turning back to what he was doing, effectively dismissing the three teenagers.

Hermione uttered the words she knew would get her professor’s attention.  “It’s about Slughorn.

Severus froze in spot and slowly turned back to his students.  “Shut the door, Longbottom.

Neville quickly turned around and closed the door to the classroom.  

“Speak,” Severus ordered.

“We think he’s done something to Harry,” Hermione said.  

Severus ignored the drop in his stomach, not quite ready to accept that he’d failed to protect the boy just yet.  “And what has brought you to that conclusion?”

“Things haven’t been right with him lately.  He avoids everyone and he jumps when someone tries to touch him,” Ron said.

Severus couldn’t help but flashback to himself doing the same thing right after it happened to him.  He remembered Lucius Malfoy touching his shoulder and he turned and pushed him hard to the ground.  But of course, just because Potter didn’t want to be touched didn’t mean he was attacked.  There could be other reasons.  “Yes, well, some people don’t like being startled, Mr. Weasley.  It is certainly not evidence of an attack, nor that Professor Slughorn is responsible.”

“H...he l...lost it in Potions one d...day,” Neville Stammered.  He couldn’t help it when in the presence of Professor Snape.

“Go on, Mr. Longbottom,” Severus said, trying to hide his trepidation.

“S...Slughorn had just p...praised him on his potion and… and he went to touch him.  Harry was t...terrified.  He Jumped and then m...made an excuse to l...leave.  I found him crying in the bathroom,” Neville said.

“He hasn’t been much better in other classes either, like yours, sir.  He was really shaky in the last Defense class,” Ron added.

Thinking back, Severus remembered the odd behavior.  He hadn’t seen it at the time because he’d been in a very bad mood and wasn’t really paying attention, other than to see the boy’s screwups, but it was evident when he thought back.

“He was with Slughorn right before the odd behavior started as well,” Hermione said.

Severus stood up and shoved everything off his desk in a fit of anger.  He’d failed, both Potter and Lily.  He’d made a vow to protect that boy, to protect Lily’s son, and he’d failed in the worst way.  Failing to protect him from the Dark Lord would be better than this.  No, Potter wasn’t dead, but his life was ruined.  He would never, ever recover from this.  Severus knew that because he never recovered.  Whoever Potter was before this happened was not who he’d be from now on.

All three teens jumped slightly at their teacher’s rage.  They were no stranger to this particular professor’s anger, but they’d never seen him this explosive.  The worst they’d seen was him yelling about messed up potions and angrily doling out detentions.  They’d never seen him lose control like he just did.

Severus quickly realized that he’d lost it in front of his students and tried hard to reign it in, which was nearly an impossible feat.  The only thing he wanted now was to murder Slughorn and Dumbledore.  Dumbledore was just as responsible, if not more so.  The bastard knew what Slughorn was capable of, and not only did he put the sick old man in Potter’s orbit, but he essentially pushed the boy to him.  He sacrificed that child.

“S...sir, are you okay?” Hermione asked, quite worried for her professor.

“Have you discussed this with anyone else?” Severus asked, completely ignoring the question put to him.  

“No, sir.  Well, Ginny knows something happened as a result of Slughorn, but none of the teachers.  We’d planned to tell Professor Dumbledore, but Neville thought it might not be a good idea.”

“He was right.  You will speak to no one about this.  Is that understood?” Severus asked.  If Dumbledore found out about this before he could figure out what to do, it would end badly.  

“But what about Harry?  You have to do something,” Hermione said.

“I intend to, Miss Granger.  Now, where is the boy?” Severus asked.  The first thing he needed to do was talk to the boy.  He needed to find out exactly what kind of state he was in.  

“He didn’t come down to breakfast.  He’s either in Herbology or still asleep in the Common Room,” Hermione said.

“He had nightmares last night,” Ron said.

“Yes, I’m sure,” Severus said.  He was sure that boy had had nothing but nightmares from the moment it happened.  He remembered them quite well from when he was Potter’s age.  In fact, sometimes he still got those nightmares.  “Come, we will check your Common Room and then go down to the greenhouses if he’s not there.”

All three of them nodded and followed their professor out of the room.

Harry stood in the middle of the Room of Requirement.  There was a cauldron in front of him, as well as everything else he needed to brew a potion, including the Half Blood Prince’s potions book.  He’d had his eye on a specific potion since right after Slughorn had attacked him.  He’d thought of brewing it a little more every day since it happened.  Now that everyone was going to find out what happened, he knew it was time.

Harry knew there were easier ways to do what he was planning, but this way would be the least painful and the most effective.  No one would be able to stop him once he’d ingested it.  It would all be over.  

Harry had just finished his potion and placed it in the vile when he heard someone come in.  He looked up to see one of the last people he wanted to.  “What are you doing here, Malfoy?”

Draco glared at him.  “I could ask you the same, Potter.  Are you stupid?  You’re brewing a potion in here.  Are you mad?  You’re idiot at it just in the potion’s classroom.  At least until whatever way you started cheating.  What are you trying to kill yourself?”

Harry laughed at the other boy and decided not to even try to cover up what he was trying to do.  It wasn’t like Malfoy cared.  He’d probably egg Harry on.  “Yeah, Malfoy, that’s exactly what I’m trying to do.