The shadow slipped silently into the room. It was deserted, except for a figure sitting in a chair by a very old painting. The painting was a portrait of a sinister looking man with a sneer on his face.

The figure next to the portrait rose slowly from the chair.

“Happy hunting I expect?” it hissed.

The shadow remained silent. The figure continued, “Did you make sure the boy got my best wishes?”

“Yes,” the shadow replied in a voice that sounded at least a hundred years old.

“Good. Now I want you to go to Hogwarts. When you get there don’t attack just yet. I want you to wait for my signal. That doesn’t mean you can’t play with them a bit first though. Now go.”

The shadow left the room and crept out of the house. It slipped into the night blending with the dark, becoming completely invisible.

Back in the house the figure sat back down in its chair. A snake slithered up and hissed at the figure.

“Yes, Nagini, soon, very soon, the entire wizarding and muggle world will know of the return of Voldemort and they won’t have little Potter to protect them anymore.”

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

Snape ran up the grounds of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, heading for the main entrance. He burst through the doors and dashed straight towards the infirmary. By now Harry had passed out completely.

“Potter, you’d better not die on me now, I still need someone to clean my dungeons,” Snape snarled

He entered the infirmary, banging the door loudly against the wall, causing Madam Pomfrey to let out a startled shriek.

This would have been very amusing to Snape if he wasn’t so worried, no not worried, annoyed with Harry, no, Potter.

“What in Merlin’s name are you doing Severus, barging in here scaring the living daylights out of me?” screeched a very disoriented Madam Pomfrey.

“Not now Poppy, Potter needs help. He’s been hit in the shoulder with a Caedes arrow.” Snape replied.

“But how can that be I thought…”

“Well you thought wrong!” Snape growled while placing Harry down on one of the beds.

He glared at Pomfrey, which was enough to snap her out of her daze and start tending to Harry.

“He’ll need a potion to get the poison out of his system and something to take away the pain. I have one for the pain, but I don’t know the potion for the poison.” Poppy said.

“I know the antidote. I’ll be down in my dungeons making it if you need me. It should take about an hour. Get Albus and Minerva here immediately,” Snape replied.

With that he swept out of the room, robes billowing behind him.

‘I’ve never seen that man as upset as he is today. You’d think he was actually worried about Harry,’ Pomfrey thought as she walked over to the fireplace.

She threw in some powder. “Albus, Minerva? We need you in the infirmary right way.”

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

Snape was making his way down to the dungeons, mentally making a list of all the ingredients he would need to make the potion.

It was called the Infectum Reddere Potion. It hadn’t been used for at least fifteen years because no one had needed it.

The potion was used only on those struck by a certain black arrow. Only one creature alone, the Occisor, a hired assassin, used this arrow, also known as the Caedes Arrow.

It submitted a painful poison into its victim’s body.

The Occisor was banished by Dumbledore himself, but there was no mistaking this arrow, the Occisor was back.

Snape wasn’t watching where he was going and ran into a suit of armor. He mentally cursed himself and continued on to his private rooms.

“Quidditch,” Snape whispered when he reached the entrance. He entered the room and started to collect the needed ingredients.

As Snape was brewing the potion his mind started to wander.

‘How is it possible that the Occisor is back? I saw Dumbledore vanquish it with my own eyes! It must have been Voldemort. He must have found a way to bring him back. It is obvious, since Potter was the one attacked.

Why does Voldemort want Potter dead so badly?’

Snape snapped out of his daze when he heard the potion start to bubble.

He poured some of it into a vial and saved the rest. He then made his way back to the infirmary.

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

Professor McGonnagal and Albus Dumbledore were already in the infirmary when Snape arrived.

“I have the potion.” Snape managed to say between gasps. He had run all the way to the infirmary.

“Thank you Severus.” Poppy said as she took the potion from Snape. She walked over to Harry and started to pour it into the wound.

“Well, Severus, I see you were in quite a hurry for one as composed as yourself,” McGonnagal commented with a slight smile.

Snape gave her an icy glare. “Do you want Potter to die?”

“No! Of course not!”

Dumbledore interrupted the two before the argument could grow.

“Severus, tell me exactly what happened when you went to get Mr. Potter.”

Snape told them both everything up to when he had reached Hogwarts.

“But, how can it be? It’s impossible that the Occisor is back.” McGonnagal questioned when Snape had finished.

“I’m afraid there is a way to bring it back and someone must have found it.” Dumbledore replied.

Professor McGonnagal looked stunned and went very pale in the face.

“We have to get rid of him! You remember what happened last time! Hundreds of people were killed!”

“We’re going to have to talk about this later, after I have contacted a few people.” Dumbledore said as he rose from his seat.

Just then a muffled moan rose from behind the curtains of Harry’s bed.

All three Professors quickly made there way to the bed.

“He’s just waking up” Pomfrey told them as they entered. “I’m not sure if he’ll be all there in the head though.”

Harry groaned. He felt like someone had forced fire down his throat. He could barely move his muscles ached so badly. There was a strange tingling in his right shoulder.

Harry slowly opened his eyes and someone placed his glasses on his face. The first thing he saw was the sneering face of the potions master. He groaned more loudly and closed his eyes.

“Harry, can you hear me?” Professor Dumbledore asked.

“Unnngh” was the only sound Harry could seem to make.

He finally managed to clear his throat and managed a couple words.

“Hello…Professor.”

“Hello Harry. How are you feeling?”

“Alright. What happened?”

“Not now Harry, you need to rest up a bit first.”

Harry was already starting to fall asleep and murmured a small ok in reply.

As soon as Harry fell asleep Dumbledore started to leave.

“Severus, Minerva, one of you will need to stay with Harry tonight to make sure nothing happens. I’m afraid that Poppy has some urgent family business to attend to tonight.”

“I’m sorry Albus, I can’t stay tonight. I have a meeting in Bottertrum.” McGonnagal answered.

They both turned to look at Snape.

“I am NOT spending all night with Potter!” Snape growled.

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

“This is just great. You are now ruining my night also Potter!”

Harry of course didn’t hear this because he was still asleep.

Snape continued grumbling to himself for another hour until he finally fell sleep.

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

A shadow silently slipped through the trees and up the lawn to the castle.

It entered the castle with no problems at all. It hid in a corner as a noisy poltergeist passed by singing something about bunny ears and Snape.

As soon as the poltergeist turned the corner, the shadow continued on through the castle. It stopped at a wooden door and sniffed the air. A devious grin spread across the creature’s face as it entered through the door. It was time to have some fun.

Inside Harry was sleeping soundly in his bed.

The shadow crept over to the bed and stared up at he boy. Its eyes were gleaming with excitement. It touched the boy’s forehead with its hand.

Harry jerked under the touch and went still. The creature removed its hand and laughed quietly to itself as it left the room.

As soon as the creature left, Severus Snape awoke from a fitful sleep. He got up and went to check on Harry. He opened the curtains around the bed to find Harry sleeping soundly.

“I don’t see why I need to be here,” Snape grumbled to himself.

He sat down in the chair next to Harry’s bed and fell back to sleep.