“What do you mean they got away?! You’re a skilled assassin, you’re supposed to be better than this! I’m hoping you at least inflicted some pain! Or am I wrong in expecting too much of you?!”

Voldemort was face to face with the Occisor. “Well, answer me!”

“I didn’t know Potter wasss in the room, he surprissssed me. I didn’t know what to do, kill Ssssnape or Potter firssst, so I attacked Potter. I managed to wound him, but Ssssnape had gotten hisss wand and-“

“How can you be so ignorant! Of course you kill the one with the wand first! Think before you act creature! Do you have any idea how long I have waited to kill that stupid little boy?! I should dispose of you right now! But because I’m so kind, I will give you one last chance. Go and find them and bring them back to me. I don’t care if you hurt them, but let me do the honors of killing them. Well, don’t just stand there, go!”

The Occisor turned and raced out of the room passing a rat on his way out the door.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“Have any of you seen Severus since this morning?” Dumbledore questioned the staff as they sat down to eat.

Everyone murmured answers of “No” and “Do we ever see him?”. Sirius turned to Remus and growled, “Just like Snape to disappear when we’re trying to help Harry. I bet he’s helping the Occisor!”

“Sirius Black!”

Sirius nearly fell out of his chair as Dumbledore turned towards him.

“You have no right to accuse someone who had put his life on the line many times to help our side and not to mention Mr. Potter!”

Sirius lowered his head and looked properly ashamed. Remus turned to the Headmaster.

“What do you mean Albus, not to mention Mr. Potter?”

“Well, I talked to Severus this morning and he told me that he thinks Harry is trying to get his attention. Apparently he has been feeling strange every once in a while, and something had forced him into apparating from his meeting with the Dark Lord.”

“What makes you so sure it’s Harry?”

“I’m not completely sure Remus, but what else can we do? That’s why I’m worried that something has happened.”

“Why don’t we go check Snape’s rooms? He’s probably hunched over a cauldron anyways,” Sirius put in.

“That’s a wonderful idea Sirius! Why don’t you and Remus come with me to check.”

Sirius started to protest, after all he’d be missing a perfectly good dinner, but Remus kicked his shin under the table.

“We’d love to Albus.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Harry’s eyes snapped open. For a few moments he wasn’t quite sure where he was, but it quickly came back to him along with the pain in his shoulders. He turned towards Snape to see that he was awake and had moved up against a large rock for support.

‘Does he ever sleep?’ Harry wondered, but then he remembered seeing Snape sleeping in the hospital wing.

“What is it Potter? Did you want something or do I have something on my face?” snapped Snape harshly.

Harry quickly took his eyes off of Snape and looked around to the other side. The forest was denser on that side and seemed a lot darker. Harry suddenly felt very vulnerable lying out in the middle of the small clearing. He stared up at the sky wondering what time it was. Something moved out of the corner of his eye near the denser part of the forest. He turned his head sharply in the direction of the movement, but nothing was there. He squinted hoping he had just imagined it. The forest was completely still. And now that he thought about it, it was awfully quiet too.

“Do any animals live here professor?”

“What kind of question is that Potter, of course there are animals in a forest.”

“They’re awfully quiet ones.”

Realization hit Snape’s face and he looked like he was listening very carefully.

“Strange,” Harry heard him murmur.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

“What the heck happened here?!!”

Remus and Dumbledore entered the room following Sirius after examining the ripped canvas.

They looked around the room. It looked like something had torn it a part in a mad rage.

Remus walked over towards the fireplace and knelt down.

“Albus! There’s blood on the floor over here.”

Sirius and Dumbledore rushed over.

Remus looked at Dumbledore. “Should we do a blood test?”

“Yes, I’ll do it.” Dumbledore took out his wand and pointed it at the blood and mumbled a charm. A foggy steam-like cloud came up out of the ground and formed an oval shape. Slowly a person’s picture appeared inside of it.

Sirius put his face closer to it and let out an exclamation. “Harry.”

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

It was getting later and later and Harry was getting very anxious. He finally decided to try and talk to Snape.

“Er, Professor?”

Snape turned and glared at Harry. “Yes?”

“Well, I was wondering why we’re just waiting here. Shouldn’t we be trying to contact someone or something?”

“Yes Potter, I had thought of that, but you do realize that we are most definitely near Voldemort and he might pick up on use of magic?”

Harry nodded deciding not to ask how Voldemort could know when someone was using a spell. He didn’t exactly feel like being told how stupid he was.

Harry went back to thinking of Quidditch and going through moves that he wanted to try after seeing the World Cup. Before he knew it, night had come again and his eyelids were getting heavier. He finally gave in and fell asleep, not realizing what he was going to be waking up to.