Fanfiction

Blood Ties-- By Aurea

Chapter 27

"Where will you send the Morthahg?" he asked to cover it up. Dumbledore pointed the wand at a scroll and it unrolled to show what looked like a map drawn by an angry monkey with a calligraphy pen. Harry turned it sideways and then upside down, but it made no more sense that way.

"I can't read it," he admitted. He heard a soft sound from Snape, but wasn't sure if it was contempt or amusement or both.

"Neither can I," said Dumbledore, surprising him. "but I know what it says. This is a map, young Harry, of levels. You've heard the Muggle stories of seven levels of Hell?" Harry nodded. "There are many more levels than seven and not only Hell has them. The Morthahg came from here," he went on, pointing to a spot on the map and tapping it lightly.

"Once when Hogwarts was being built," Dumbledore said. "A monster was kept in a deep cellar."

"Why?" asked Harry, thinking uneasily of the basilisk. They stood in front of a massive cellar door. It had been made from a single slab of cold metal. Spells and seals were scrawled over it, and bolts as big as Harry's head studded the edges. Snape was there as well, helping with a whole mountain of scrolls and books that were needed for the spell. He rustled around on a small table behind them. Harry tried to ignore him.

"It was a cursed creature," Dumbledore said, drawing a new seal on the door with his wand. The symbol glowed gold and then faded to white. "A Muggle had been turned into a monster by a careless curse. Our predecessors contained it here to see if it could be returned to normal."

"Could it?"

"No. . . The transformation was complete. Not even the poor Muggle's mind had survived. It killed the witch who tried to help it and was then blasted with every spell possible until there was nothing left. These walls and door are made from nullifite iron, which is naturally magic-resistant. The bars of Azkaban are made of the same metal."

"Will it hold the Morthahg then?" Harry asked.

"It shouldn't have to. . . " Dumbledore half-smiled at him over his shoulder. "If the Morthahg can be lured through the World's Door, it can be banished back to where it came from. If not, the nullifite can hold it until we try again." It was strange to have such a vague plan from Dumbledore. Harry wondered if it would work at all and then felt a touch of guilt for doubting.

"Where will you send the Morthahg?" he asked to cover it up. Dumbledore pointed the wand at a scroll and it unrolled to show what looked like a map drawn by an angry monkey with a calligraphy pen. Harry turned it sideways and then upside down, but it made no more sense that way.

"I can't read it," he admitted. He heard a soft sound from Snape, but wasn't sure if it was contempt or amusement or both.

"Neither can I," said Dumbledore, surprising him. "but I know what it says. This is a map, young Harry, of levels. You've heard the Muggle stories of seven levels of Hell?" Harry nodded. "There are many more levels than seven and not only Hell has them. The Morthahg came from here," he went on, pointing to a spot on the map and tapping it lightly.

"What level is that?" Harry asked, pushing his glasses further up his nose.

"The Morthahg was born from fear and the hate that comes from being afraid," Dumbledore turned back to preparing the door. "It's a level of the mind." That didn't make much sense to Harry, but he nodded anyway. "Several professors have been flying out over the Forbidden Forest all night, using magic to herd the Morthahg to places where it can do the least harm. When this spell is completed, we hope to use the World's Door in this cellar to send the creature to that level. The trick will be to lure the creature through the door alone."

"Lure it with what?" Harry asked.

"What indeed?" Dumbledore drew a pronged spiral on the door and the shape bled into rune shapes. "And more importantly, what bait could be sacrificed? Whatever is in the room with the Morthahg will be banished with it."

"Perhaps someone will volunteer," Snape said icily. Harry thought the Potionsmaster was talking about him, but then followed his gaze to where Sirius had appeared down the hall.

"I know who I would nominate," his godfather replied, just as nastily. He was dripping wet and shivering. Esme still hung from his arms. Snape sneered at that, but jumped when he saw Lorelei floating along behind him.

"What happened?"

"Family quarrel," Sirius sighed. "Open the door for me will you, Harry?"

All three of them sprang to help. Harry ran to hold the door, Dumbledore hurried through it to inform the infirmary, and Snape took up the rear to hover over Lorelei. Sirius just hoped he wouldn't get sick again.

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Blood Ties-- By Aurea

Chapter 26

The lake was so cold it registered as pain. Sirius might have been screaming if the cold hadn’t sucked all the thought from his mind. As it was, he thrashed in the water, hissing for breath, and trying to keep his joints moving. He was trying to come up with some sort of plan, but all he could think about besides how miserably, mortally cold he felt was to wonder how his teeth could be chattering when they were so tightly clenched. Focus, he told himself.

The lake was so cold it registered as pain. Sirius might have been screaming if the cold hadn't sucked all the thought from his mind. As it was, he thrashed in the water, hissing for breath, and trying to keep his joints moving. He was trying to come up with some sort of plan, but all he could think about besides how miserably, mortally cold he felt was to wonder how his teeth could be chattering when they were so tightly clenched. Focus, he told himself.

Lorelei still hung suspended in the air over the water. She was an unnerving sight hanging there like a wet marionette. Her wand was still clenched in one white hand. If only she had dropped it on the way, he thought unhappily. I could've taken it then and flown out here. I'd be warm and dry. I would be able to feel the rest of my body! He was tempted to become Padfoot in the hopes that fur would be more resistant to the cold, but needed hands to wrestle the wand from Lorelei's grip. He had to tread water underneath her to get it. He couldn't tell if she was breathing or not, but her fingers closed tight again after he pulled the wand away, so he decided she was alive.

Now he had a wand, but still no plan. The water was black as frigid ink around him. He looked down, hoping for some sign of Esme. A flicker of light too green to be the moon's reflection was all he could see, and that happened so fast he wasn't sure if he hadn't imagined it. What to do?? A breeze wafted across the lake and the cold wracked him again. First things first, he thought, raising the unfamiliar wand and pointing it at himself.

He could vaguely remember a spell he'd learned when he was a student. It was an Adaptation spell. They had cast it on goldfish and then tossed the creatures into a box of sand. The fish had grown mole-like digging claws from its fins and its gills had closed. It had buried to the bottom of the box until Remus enticed it out with a fresh earthworm. That had been after it was done correctly, though. Peter's fish had gone up like a firecracker and rained little orange scales on the whole class.

Sirius wasn't sure he remembered the spell and he was fairly certain that it hadn't been intended to be used on humans. Desperate times called for desperate actions, his half-frozen brain told him. Besides, he was willing to bet that he could do a spell better than Peter, even years after the fact. With that, he tapped himself on the chest with the wand and forced the words out through his chattering teeth.

He was immediately afraid that he had said it wrong when the pain tore through him. It felt like his skin had been grabbed and twisted backwards over his organs. It passed quickly and he took a deep breath to steady himself, then gagged. It was like breathing out of a chimney, scorching dry and scratchy. The cold was forgotten in a moment of panic. He also forgot to keep treading water and sank under. Two cold stripes opened on his neck and he found himself breathing water.

I have gills, he realized. He felt them flare open again and cold water seeped in. It felt weird and frightening and he didn't want to touch them. Another brief flare of light came from the water below and he dove for it. The water parted for him easily and the cold no longer bothered him. It was too dark for him to tell what else the spell had done to him, but the results were what mattered.

Far below him, Esme was in trouble. The Magic Cancellation Curse had been slow to wear off. Perhaps sensing her helplessness, the merfolk had attacked. As Sirius approached, he could see the dim lights of their lanterns. Esme had finally been able to use magic, but she was running out of air and the blasts that she was able to summon underwater were growing weaker. Sirius could see her weighed down by her long coat as she tried to fight. Three burly mermen circled her like sharks. At every opportunity, one would attack, slashing at her with their tridents.

Threads of darkness swirled around her in the water, only visible in the light of the eerie mer-lanterns. Sirius hoped it wasn't blood. Her rings flashed and she sent one of her attackers reeling back again. She tried to kick upwards, but another merman grabbed her coat and pulled her back down. Sirius burst into the dim circle of light and the lake people turned to see him. Then, they all recoiled in horror. One dropped its lantern.

What HAVE I done to myself if I look that bad?? Sirius wondered. In the pale green glow, he saw that he now had a slimy membrane webbing his fingers. At least my skin isn't scaly, he thought, swimming to catch Esme. Her eyes were closed, but she struggled when he grabbed her. Bubbles escaped from her mouth and her fingers dug into his arms painfully. He wrapped his arms around her and swam as hard as he could for the surface.

The moon was behind the clouds again when he burst back into the air. He tried to take a breath and choked on it. He lifted Esme's head above the water and gave her a shake. When he tried to call her name, only a strange wheezing came from his altered throat. Esme was gray from the cold and limp in his arms. Lorelei was floating lower than she had been. Whatever spell was keeping her aloft was wearing off. And I can't speak to cast any new spells! Sirius fumed.

Gritting his teeth, he took a deep sucking breath of the air and forced it into his chest. He counted to five and did it again. It's an adaptation spell, he reminded himself. I'll just have to adapt back. It hurt even worse than before, but slowly, he felt the gills seal shut in his throat after a few more breaths. His hands were still webbed, but that didn't bother him. He got a better hold on Esme with one hand and grabbed Lorelei's robe hem with the other. Towing them both, he swam for the shore.

Without the moon, it was dark and clumsy going. Sirius' legs didn't want to support him when he finally got to water shallow enough to walk in. He hoped it was from the cold and not another bizarre shapechange. Lorelei was still floating unconscious. She was the lucky one, he decided. He set Esme down on the back and pulled Lorelei up over a pile of leaves. She was floating about three feet off the ground. He checked her pulse and it was steady. After a moment of misgiving, he peeled back one of her eyelids. Her eyes were still red, but she didn't wake.

Esme thrashed suddenly and was still again. Sirius turned back to her. The movement had thrown her broken arm at a painful angle. He knelt beside her and gently tried to lay the bone straight again. The pain seemed to awaken her for a moment. Her eyes opened and her mouth made the shape of a scream. She seemed to recognize him and clawed at his sopping wet robes wildly, even with her bad arm.

"Easy," he said, his voice still sounding a little hoarse. "Are you all right? What happened to the Bind?" He caught her wrists and pulled them out of his clothes. She coughed up a mouthful of brackish water and tried to force words out, but all she managed was a few stuttering sounds. She was shaking so hard he was afraid she might hurt herself worse. "It's ok," he told her. "I know you're cold, but it'll be ok. We'll get you both inside and get some help. All right?"

She didn't respond even to nod. Her eyes were closed again and she lay shuddering in the dead leaves. Sirius still didn't feel the cold, but his webs were starting to recede back into his fingers. It wasn't pleasant to look at, so he took the wand again and levitated Lorelei up to eye level. He didn't want her waking up if she was still possessed. As a precaution, he tied her sleeves together in a makeshift straitjacket. Though as wet and pale as her sister, Lorelei didn't seem to be affected by the cold either.

Must be the vampire in her, he thought. He wondered what to do with Esme. He could keep her warmer if he carried her close to himself, but that would also jostle her bad arm. If he levitated her with Lorelei, the trip would be smoother, but she'd still be freezing. She was unconscious now, or at least too far from awareness to voice her own preference. Her shivering hadn't eased up, so Sirius decided to go with warmth over comfort and gathered her up in his arms. With Lorelei drifting behind him like a soggy ghost, he started back to Hogwarts.

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Blood Ties-- By Aurea

Chapter 25

On the shore, gasping for breath from the run he'd had catching up with them, Sirius leaned against a tree. He watched the water for any sign of them. What kind of school taught such powerful magic spells to such unstable people?? he wondered wildly. Lorelei was obviously insane and Esme wasn't far from it as much as he could tell. The moon came out completely and lit the whole surface of the lake. Just as he was about to consider that he might have to go into the frigid water, there was a splash.

Finally escaping from the Ministry officials with the excuse that she couldn’t wait any longer to take her medication, Lorelei ducked around a corner and tried to think of where Esme could be. For all that they were twins, she had never been able to read her sister well. A soft panting sound caught her attention and she stopped to hear it better. After a moment, she was able to follow it to a stair well, where she found the ichling painfully climbing the stairs.

One wing was slashed and hanging useless over the small creature's back. It was obviously unused to having to travel with only its legs and stopped often to rest or lick at its wound. It paused to sniff the air and Lorelei quickly drew back into the hall to keep it from noticing her. She wasn't quite fast enough, because it began to run as best it could. She ran after it, but even injured, it moved quickly when frightened.

It bolted up the stairs, stumbled on the landing, then ran for a corridor. Lorelei came hard after it, but slid to a stop before following it into the dark hallway. It was some sort of memorial hall, she guessed, wishing she knew more of the layout of Hogwarts. There were statues of wizards and witches, every other one holding a very weakly lit candle. She whispered a spell that made the flames leap high and looked closer.

The shadows of the long corridor seemed even thicker. There were countless places to hide among the statues and display cases for something as small as an ichling. She pointed her wand at the ceiling and fired a ball of light into the air, hastily pulling on her dark sunglasses at the same time. The blast of brightness lit every corner and she waited tensely for the creature to scuttle into view when its hiding place vanished.

Nothing happened. Lorelei walked carefully to the other end of the hall and looked back the way she had come. There was no sign of the ichling. The ball of light began to dim. Lorelei turned again, her robe catching at her arm. She shook it loose with an impatient sound and started back to the door.

Four small clawed hands scrabbled at her through her clothes. She gasped and spun to see the creature clinging to her sleeve. Its face split into a fanged hiss. Lorelei threw off her coat in a panic, getting tangled in it for a moment, then casting a spell to blast it away from her. The ichling squealed, but instead of attacking her, it ducked into the folds of her coat. Lorelei cast a fireball at it, incinerating the clothing, but the ichling danced clear at the last possible second. It crouched on three legs in the floor. In one of its front paws, it clutched the orb that the Bind was held in.

"Don't!" Lorelei screamed before she could stop herself, but the ichling opened its maw and sank it's teeth into the orb. There was a crackle of released power and a crunching sound like jawbones breaking. The Bind burst out of the orb and the ichling sucked it up. Blackness flowed over it. The injuries on the wing that Snape had damaged bled black and then healed over. Its greasy eyes flared with a red glow and it tilted its head to grin at Lorelei.

"Last of my line," it said, in Brohm's velvety voice. “Give me your strength.”

Lorelei had trained long and hard to be a Defense teacher, but there was no fighting the horror that washed over her. She had only been in Brohm's hands once before he turned her over to his underlings, but he had tasted her blood. The part of her that had been broken in the dark recognized him as her master, even as that thought made her sick.

She took a step back before she remembered. Brohm was dead. The Bind was the last bit of his awareness, but it couldn't bring him back. The ichling shuddered and then stood upright on it's hind legs. Lorelei became aware of the wand in her hand and quickly pointed it at the creature to unleash the same capture spell she'd used before.

The ichling was faster, though. It sprang at her with the same unnatural speed that Brohm had fought with. She struck at it, but its little clawed feet went scrabbling over her. It ran over her back and she screamed for help even as she threw her weight against a wall to pin it. As quick as cockroach, the ichling jumped to her head, its claws digging into her scalp. It dove for her collar and her scream rose high and shrill again as it sank its teeth into her neck.

On their way to Lorelei's room, Esme, Sirius, Harry, and Ron all froze as the sounds echoed down a stairwell. Esme recognized her sister's cry and nearly bolted in that direction before she slid to a stop and ran back. She handed the World's Door key back to Harry.

"Go to the room!" she said. "I'll be right back." Then she was gone, taking the stairs three at a time. Sirius grimaced and ran after, also shouting over his shoulder for Harry and Ron to wait inside. He caught up with her at the first landing and they started into the dark hallway together. They found the crumpled body of the ichling lying in a spatter of blood. It was dead and shriveled, as if the very life had been wrung from it.

"Something's wrong," Esme whispered. "This is bad."

"Didn't you want it dead?" Sirius asked.

"Lorey wouldn't kill it." Esme nudged the corpse with her toe. "She would capture it in case she needed it later. No burning bridges for that girl. Something else killed it and something made her scream."

"How do you know?" he asked, looking around for any movement in the dark hall. He wondered where he could lay hands on a wand. Being without one in the dark was unnerving.

"Twintution," Esme said. Sirius started to grin, but it faded when Esme stayed serious. The word might have been a joke once, but now she barely noticed that she used it. She was sincerely worried and looked it. "Something bad is going to happen now."

They ventured on past the hall's dim candles into a slightly better lit one. There was a smash and they both froze. The sound came from around a corner. Something huddled there, a dark shape on the floor. Esme gasped and left Sirius to creep closer. He was reminded of the careful way she had approached him when she first met him as Padfoot. A choking sound came from whatever was on the floor.

"Is that you, Lorey?" Esme asked. Her voice sounded hesitant and scared. Her rings started to glow. "Speak up if it is." There was silence after that. Esme started to back away again. There was a rush of movement. Only the reflexes gained from hunting vampires saved Esme from a strike that would have broken her neck. Any one who hunts vampires successfully enough to do it often soon becomes paranoid about anything coming at their throats. Some honed instinct sent her scrambling and the hit that should have killed her only slashed some furrows into the stone wall.

"Get out of here!" Esme screamed to Sirius. He hadn't even seen the attack coming, and stumbled back. Esme fired a spell that manifested as spear-like shards of indigo ice that streaked towards the attacker. A few very narrowly missed Sirius, who shrank back against the wall. A flare of red light repelled them before they hit and Esme looked horrified. For a moment, Sirius thought she was upset because the spell hadn't worked. Then, the attacker stepped into the light.

It was Lorelei. Her eyes gleamed red in the stark whiteness of her face. Esme stood speechless and frozen, her face anguished. If Lorelei's eyes were red again, did it mean that she had regressed? Sirius wondered. If the cure hadn't worked, then all of Esme's years of hunting had been in vain. Lorelei gave Sirius the briefest of glances and then focused on her stricken sister. As her head turned from him, Sirius saw a flicker of movement under her skin, like a dark shimmer off fish fins.

"It's the Bind!" he shouted. Lorelei ignored him and leaped at Esme a second time. Esme dodged again, levitating up in a leap that carried her over to Sirius. She grabbed his arm and they ran back down the hallway.

"Damn this place!" she growled. "Ichlings can Apparate in and out, but I can't!"

"What happened to your sister??" he asked. "The Bind didn't send you running red-eyed and attacking people!"

"When it was in me, Brohm was still contained!" she answered. "Now the Bind is all that's left of him. He needs a body to function. The ichling wouldn't have been strong enough to contain him. Now he's in Lorelei."

"Can't you Crucio it out of her like she did you?" Sirius pulled her down a staircase. They heard something else break behind them.

"I don't know how!" Esme bit her lip. " I never learned any Forbidden Curses, just some really iffy ones. And even if I did, I couldn't use them on Lorey!"

"She used it on you," he reminded her and she glared at him.

"And you once chased me with a knife!" she snapped. "Luckily for the both of you, I'm the forgive and forget type of girl."

"What will you do?" he asked, abashed that she had known about the knife.

"She's already got it in for me. I'll lure her away until I can force the Bind out of her. Take the World's Door to the Headmaster if you're sure you trust him." There was a swish of black and Lorelei struck again, falling from above them like a lightning bolt. Sirius and Esme scattered to opposite sides of the hall. Lorelei spun and launched after Esme who ‘eeked!' and ran again. Sirius threw open the first door he saw.

"Broom closet!" he yelled, grabbing the likeliest broom in it. He threw it at Esme, who was circling around a pillar to keep it between herself and Lorelei. "Thanks!" she screamed, leapt onto it, and shot off, Lorelei still in pursuit.

"Be careful!" he called, running to keep up.

"Hah!" was her only reply.

Esme shot down a corridor and used her gust spell to blast open a window. The hallways were too close for dealing with something as fast as her possessed sister. Lorelei slid to a halt at the windowsill and glared at Esme. Esme spun the broom around to face her and cast a wave of green lightning back at the window. It was a mild spell. Even if it hit Lorelei, it would only stun her.

Lorelei's black robes swirled around her in a cocoon and the spell flickered over her, sputtering out. Her robes then unfolded like huge batwings. How did she learn THAT one?? Esme thought, gaping. Lorelei leaped from the window and flew after her, the black wings looking too sharp to be fabric. Esme pointed the broom towards the woods and sped off again. The important thing is not to panic, she told herself. See how calm I am. Yes...That's serene hyperventilating I'm doing. Behind her, Lorelei shouted out a spell that Esme could vaguely recognize. She looked over her shoulder quickly and saw a dragon-shaped shadow materialize out of the night air.

"You've improved!" she yelled at her sister. "Used to be a shadow horse was the best you could manage!" Lorelei didn't answer and Esme cast her strongest light spell back at the shadow creature. The dragon faded out as soon as the brightness touched it, but the glare was still dazzling Esme's eyes when a fireball came blasting through it. With almost no time to dodge, Esme dove the broom straight into the trees. Branches whipped at her, clawing at her arms and legs and raising stinging welts on her head.

"I'm still not panicking!" she squealed aloud. In the woods, she had to concentrate on steering around the trees. She risked one glance back to see a huge winged shape swoop on through a gap in the skeletal branches like a black angel. I gotta think, she told herself, mentally this time. Lorey is Defense teacher so she's going to know most spells. My best chance is to surprise her and then hit again before she recovers. She wracked her brain for a spell that Lorelei wouldn't know, skimming a small pond and sending some furry winter-frogs scattering.

Her sister had never been as good at Personalification as she was, but that took time. If she could land in the woods and lash some fallen branches together into stick men, she could animate them and send them to fight her sister. The trick would be doing it on the back of a speeding broom, at top speed through a dark and overgrown forest, while one's homicidal sibling rained destructive magic on one's poor, branch-whipped head. As if on cue, a blast of red energy shot toward her, setting a few evergreens ablaze on the way.

Esme only barely dodged that one. A few twigs in her broom were singed. The black wings blocked out the weak light from the moon. In desperation, Esme cast the gust spell again. The rush of wind caught the wings and sent Lorelei reeling higher, like an escaped kite. Taking the opportunity, Esme sent the ice spear spell at her. She didn't even aim, telling herself that the Bind wouldn't let Lorelei die. She needn't have worried.

Lorelei dodged the ice missiles as elegantly as a matador. She flourished her wand and glowing golden wire uncoiled from it, spinning towards Esme. There was no eluding that one. It snaked at her too quickly to dodge, cutting through the tree branches between them like butter. Esme jumped from the broom, casting her levitation spell again to stay in the air. The wire sliced the broom into five different pieces which fell to the ground.

Levitation was much slower than broom riding and nowhere near fast enough to keep ahead of Lorelei for long. Esme shot into the thickest underbrush in sight, hoping the overgrowth would slow her sister down as well. Through the trees, she could see the lake gleam. The moon was finally full and a few rays were making it through the clouds. The silver glow suddenly reflected red. Esme cursed and threw herself flat to avoid the fireball that came scorching in past her.

I'm beginning to panic now... Esme whimpered to herself. Thank God my adrenaline is so high I can't feel my arm hurting anymore... She ran a few paces and them jumped into the air, levitating out over the lake. Heading for deep water, she heard the crash of breaking tree limbs as Lorelei flew into the open. Esme turned to face her. The black wings tucked into a falcon-like dive and Lorelei charged.

An idea clicked into place in Esme's smarting skull. As the space between them closed, Esme cast Blindness on her sister. Instant blackness flowed over Lorelei's vision. Her speed faltered, but the momentum carried her on. Just before she collided with her twin, Esme cast a spell she had never had to use on a vampire: a Magic Cancellation Curse. A small shock wave of nulled power exploded from Esme. It canceled out her Levitation and Lorelei's wings. Both women toppled into the icy water.

On the shore, gasping for breath from the run he'd had catching up with them, Sirius leaned against a tree. He watched the water for any sign of them. What kind of school taught such powerful magic spells to such unstable people?? he wondered wildly. Lorelei was obviously insane and Esme wasn't far from it as much as he could tell. The moon came out completely and lit the whole surface of the lake. Just as he was about to consider that he might have to go into the frigid water, there was a splash.

Lorelei floated out of the water. She seemed to be unconscious, hanging a few feet about the water. The moon beamed down and water ran from her robes. Mist rose up from the lake, turned silver and twined around her body. Another long minute ticked by with no sign of Esme and with a sigh, Sirius pulled off his outer robe and waded in.

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Blood Ties-- By Aurea

Chapter 24

The ichlings had adored Hagrid. They flocked onto him and played in his beard. He tried to shoo them away from him, but they weren't leaving. It wasn't until one that had been assembled from a badger's skeleton and had fish hooks set into its jaw like teeth snarled at him and refused to budge from his lap, that Hagrid seemed to soften. Fang had retreated as soon as he had seen them and watched the whole mess from under a large endtable.

The ichlings had adored Hagrid. They flocked onto him and played in his beard. He tried to shoo them away from him, but they weren't leaving. It wasn't until one that had been assembled from a badger's skeleton and had fish hooks set into its jaw like teeth snarled at him and refused to budge from his lap, that Hagrid seemed to soften. Fang had retreated as soon as he had seen them and watched the whole mess from under a large endtable.

Harry was so glad to rid of the ichlings that he forgot to ask about Hagrid's magical creatures until he had said goodbye and was on his way back to the castle. It was early morning and freezing cold, so he continued on in hope of getting an hour or two of sleep before breakfast. The halls were empty, but he went carefully anyway. He didn't want to have to explain to anyone where he had been all night.

Luck seemed to be on his side, but as soon as he reached the Fat Lady painting, he heard a soft voice call his name. There was a transparent ripple and Ron appeared out of nowhere, pulling Harry's invisibility cloak off.

"I didn't think you'd mind," he said, nodding to the cloak. "Now that Raye is back, no one is allowed to leave the houses, so I thought I'd come wait for you to get back. Hermione is covering for us."

"You're a genius," Harry said. "I guess that means no sleep though."

"I brought this too," Ron looked a little sheepish as he held up the Marauder's Map. "Hermione didn't want us to get caught."

"How much of my stuff did you go through?" Harry asked, half teasing. Ron looked awkward until Harry laughed and they both remembered to be quiet. They spread the map out on the wall and looked carefully. There was still a commotion in Ficus' room with Argus Filch, McGonagall, Dumbledore and a few others that the boys didn't recognize. Snape was on the move down a hall way toward Lorelei, and Lorelei herself was on a lower floor with Marcus Glenn.

Then, before their eyes, Sirius Black and Esme Zephyr appeared on the map at one of the north doors. They folded the map and wrapped the cloak around both their bodies and went down to meet them. Harry tried to explain about the World's Door on the way. They met with Sirius and Esme at the same landing Harry had seen her fight Ficus in.

Esme heard them coming and dropped a hand in her pocket. She squinted into the empty hallway until Harry called out to them and pulled off the cloak again. Esme relaxed visibly and whatever she had in her pocket clicked when she let go of it. Harry made a mental note not to sneak up on a vampire hunter again.

"We can't go inside without being caught, so we came to help look some more," Harry explained. He introduced Ron to Esme. Ron nodded politely and Esme offered her good hand to shake. Something brushed Harry's leg and he looked down to see Crookshanks milling around his ankles.

"What are you doing here?" he asked. “Did Hermione send you?” Crookshanks purred like a rusty windmill, butting his head against Harry’s calf. The cat’s bright eyes were focused on Esme, who was rubbing her arm.

"We won't even know if we should keep on looking until we can find Lorey," she sighed. "And if the Ministry is around we'll have to be doubly careful." Crookshanks wrapped around Harry’s ankle a little tighter and he nudged the cat off.

"There's an easy way to keep out of their sight," Harry said. He pulled out the Map and Esme and Sirius leaned in to look. Harry had to push Crookshanks away again as they moved closer. The cat hung on and moved to stand completely on his foot.

“There's Lorelei!” said Esme, pointing at her sister's name floating on the map. "Hi Lorey."

"I suspect you may be fond of her after all," Sirius said.

"Maybe a little," Esme admitted. She shrugged, then winced and rubbed her arm again. Sirius' teasing expression became more concerned.

"Seems to be a lot of 'fond' going around," muttered Ron, raising an eyebrow at them. Harry elbowed him and tried not to laugh.

"Maybe we should go wait in Lorelei's room," Esme said. "The only person likely to go there is her surly new gentleman friend." A snort of laughter came from Sirius. "He's not what I would've expected as Lorey's type either," Esme smiled. "But if being in the Elmskill Drama Club all those years taught me anything, it was that relationships are weird."

"You were in a Drama Club? That explains a lot." said Sirius.

"We both were," Esme pointed at Lorelei's name again. "Our best was the musical Les Miserables."

"What's that?" asked Ron.

"A musical," said Esme helpfully. "About the unluckiest people ever and the relationships they were in. Lorey played Fantine." They all looked blank, so she went on. "This woman who's life is a series of unlucky miseries until she finally dies."

"Sounds fun," said Harry. And a little familiar, he thought.

"It was!" Esme waved her good arm in a theatric gesture. "She was great. I played Eponine."

"How does she meet her messy fate then?" Sirius asked, grinning.

"She falls in love with someone she can't have, and dies trying to help him," Esme chuckled. "I got to die in his arms. There wasn't a dry eye in the house."

"Well hopefully, you'll fare better in real life," he said.

"I can only hope," she said with a smile.

"How long are we going to talk about this?" asked Harry. The two adults grinned at each other and then turned to go. Harry took a step to follow Sirius, but tripped over Crookshanks and landed flat on his face, narrowly missing hitting his head on the wall. Behind him, that cat's purr rose in self-satisfied volume. A few inches from his nose, under a carved design along the base of the wall, something glinted. He reached for it and felt cold metal in his palm as Ron and Sirius helped him up.

"Graceful," chuckled Esme. Harry's face split in a grin to match hers.

"Lucky," he replied and held up a key.

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Blood Ties-- By Aurea

Chapter 23

The Adventure Continues!

The inside of the basin was visible in the mirror. A ripple appeared in the reflected surface, but the water in the basin was still. Snape stopped where he was and readied his wand. There was a long count of perfect stillness and then the bat-winged ichling sprang from the mirror. It wasn’t expecting to see Snape and skittered to a halt, baring its fangs at him in a hiss. He cast a spell that sent it flying across the room, but it recovered before he could capture it and leaped at him. It wrapped around his wand hand and sank its teeth into Snape's thumb. He cursed and flung it off. It took to the air with its greasy wings.

Harry lead Esme and Sirius around the woods for about two hours. He had been lost the first time he had found the hollow tree, so it was hard to backtrack. Hermione's markers had long since burned out. Harry scanned the treetops, looking for dead limbs and red sparks, but there was nothing. Esme's arm was still glowing purple, but she was being careful with it. Sirius was keeping a close eye on her. She was pale, but chipper.

"So it's a chimney we're looking for then?" she asked, stumbling over a tree root while looking upwards. Sirius grabbed her good arm to steady her.

"A big hollow tree, really," Harry sighed. "I'm pretty sure it's near here..."

"I wonder," Sirius said suddenly. "We're not far from the cave where the Morthahg was. There were other tunnels. If this place is in a cave, would they be joined? I remember seeing a glow down one, when we were looking for you." He poked Esme in the side, hitting a ticklish spot. She eeked and flinched.

"I followed Ficus into a cave," she said. "With the Bind in me, I didn't dare fight him."

"Why did you leave the coat?" he asked her.

"Some ichlings ambushed me," she sighed. "You had my rings so I couldn't fight them. They grabbed my coat and I just shrugged out of it and ran. I ran into Ficus and he didn't recognize me in the dark. He ran and then the wolves caught up with him a little before I ran into you."

"I saw a fire down one tunnel when I was down there," Sirius said. "Could that have been Weiss' fire?"

"It could be," Harry yawned and rubbed at one of his eyes. Running around in the middle of the night wasn't getting an easier. "It can't be worse than wandering around like this."

"Which way did Ficus go underground?" Sirius asked Esme. She shrugged. "You said you followed him." he reminded her.

"He got away from me," she admitted. "I tried to Apparate after him and couldn't. This place is warded against all kinds of magic. I finally remembered a traveling spell that worked, but I ended up underground in a completely different spot."

"Did you have a porkchop?" he asked, just to push her buttons. She narrowed her eyes threateningly, but smiled.

"No, Mr. SmartyPants, I didn't," she sniffed. "The downside to having Lorelei speaking to me again is that she never figured out the whole ‘If you can't say something nice, keep your big mouth shut' rule." Sirius chuckled and begin to lead the way to the fake rock over the stairs. He changed to Padfoot to help remember the trail by scent. Tanner had lead the way last time, but Sirius was able to find the trail.

He raised the false rock and they all crept carefully down the stairs. There were still a few glowing flitters in the big room. A sad little wailing could be heard down one corridor. As Sirius led them back the way he had gone last time, it got louder. The firelight he had seen then was weaker, and they were soon at the room where Harry had met Weiss. The ichlings were gathered in the room, weeping and wailing. Weiss was nowhere to be seen, but his oven mitts were being clutched by the largest ichling.

"He's gone," Harry said, looking around. "Do you think that he was killed when his physical form was?" The ichlings sobbed even louder. Esme looked baffled, but then spotted her coat. A few of the smaller ichlings were nesting in it. She grabbed the edges and tossed them off of it.

"Would this bunch be in mourning if he hadn't?" she asked. She dumped Lorelei's coat off for them to lay on and put her old coat back on with a pleased expression. She started going through all of Weiss' shelves and cabinets, looking for the World's Door. Harry knelt down to try to talk to the ichlings. They stopped their noise to look at him sadly. The large one rocked back and forth clutching the mitts.

"Do you know where Weiss is?" he asked them. They all looked at him, odd-colored tears leaking from their mismatched eyes. There was a sniffle from one of them and then they all started bawling again. Sirius shied away from them and went to help Esme search.

"What does it look like?" he asked her. "If I grab it by mistake, I won't be transported anywhere will I?"

"Not unless you have my blood on your hands," Esme told him. "It looks like a big, antique key." Harry tried to get something out of the ichlings, but they only crawled, weeping, into his lap. Finally, he gave up and helped ransack the little office. After a few hours of this, they had a pile of Weiss' junk in the middle of a bare room.

"No keys," Harry reported, pulling an especially clingy ichling off his leg.

"No," sighed Esme. "I hope Lorey had better luck."

"Let's go see," Sirius said, dusting off his hands. They backtracked through the tunnels and found their way back out. Dawn was still a good while coming, but a brightness was growing in the east. The ichlings followed Harry in a sad little parade. The woods were no cheerier. There were dead magical creatures everywhere. There were clusters of dead bundimuns scattered around like moss. Esme blamed it on the Morthahg being loose in the forest. Harry was glad that it only seemed to be small creatures. He couldn't bear to think about what the Morthahg would do to a centaur or unicorn.

"I hope Hagrid and his animals are all right. . . " he said.

"Go check," suggested Esme. "We'll meet you back inside." Sirius nodded, so Harry jogged off towards Hagrid's cottage.

*
*
*
Meanwhile, Snape and Lorelei had delivered Raye to Professor McGonagall. The girl was still stunned by what had happened and went along without protest. Lorelei led the way to Ficus' chamber. She was describing the World's Door to Snape when they were cornered by the Ministry of Magic official in gray.

"Just the young lady we wanted to see," he said. "Ms. Zephyr, isn't it? I am Marcus Glenn and I need to discuss this whole Morthahg business with you." Lorelei started to speak, but Marcus began to talk again, interrupting her. He blathered on for a while about family curses and was in the middle of a story about a family he knew that had a minor demon imprisoned in the well behind their house when Lorelei caught on.

"You think we were KEEPING the Morthahg??" she sputtered. "That's absurd!"

"I have been told by the Elmskill faculty that the creature was released by one of your family's famous keyports," he said. "One that only your family can use?"

"Well, yes, but-"

"Ms. Zephyr, you are not being accused," Marcus said kindly. "You have obviously been a victim of this whole situation." Ice began to form in Lorelei's aura. Having been around her long enough to recognize some of her moods, Snape stayed quiet.

"Mr. Glen," said Lorelei and he stopped talking. A cold ripple of power lay underneath Lorelei's voice and she took a step closer to the gray man to stare him in the eye. "I can't talk about this anymore. I need my medicine."

"Well, of course!" Marcus stammered. He turned to Snape to break the icy stare. "Perhaps the Potionsmaster will fetch it for you."

"Perhaps," Snape said, glancing at Lorelei. She just barely tossed her head towards Ficus' door and raised one eyebrow. Snape ducked his chin a fraction to acknowledge that and then gave them both a much more obvious nod before sweeping away down the hall. Lorelei braced herself and turned back to Marcus, stepping to block his view of which hallway Snape turned down.

"Now then," she said. "Exactly what is the Ministry's plan for the Morthahg?"

Out of sight down the corridor, Snape crept to Ficus' room and closed the door quietly behind him. The small room was perfectly neat and smelled like the strange cigarettes the Headmaster had liked. Snape wasn't sure where to start, but a large wardrobe with the Elmskill crest on it caught his eye. He opened up the drawers one at a time and tried to quietly go through the contents. Twice, a sound in the hall made him jump and look at the door, but the knob never turned. Halfway through the fourth drawer, a rattle came from the wash basin by the mirror. Snape eyed it carefully and stepped closer.

The inside of the basin was visible in the mirror. A ripple appeared in the reflected surface, but the water in the basin was still. Snape stopped where he was and readied his wand. There was a long count of perfect stillness and then the bat-winged ichling sprang from the mirror. It wasn't expecting to see Snape and skittered to a halt, baring its fangs at him in a hiss. He cast a spell that sent it flying across the room, but it recovered before he could capture it and leaped at him. It wrapped around his wand hand and sank its teeth into Snape's thumb. He cursed and flung it off. It took to the air with its greasy wings.

The ichling, created and enslaved by a wizard, knew about magic. It fluttered close around him, staying at too close a range for him to use any attack spells on it. Snape tucked the wand back up into his sleeve and brought out another knife to slash at it. It snapped at his nose, but he didn't flinch. He swung the knife swiftly, feinting to make the ichling dodge and then stabbing at it when it came into place.

The slash carved though the ichling's wing and it screeched, falling to the floor. Snape lunged to crush it under his foot, but it rolled to all fours and hissed at him again. It scuttled across the floor, as quick as a roach, tucking both wings back to keep them out of the way. It left a trail of stinking, black blood as it went. Snape cast a capture spell at it and it dodged under a footstool. It jumped into the padded armchair then turned and leaped at Snape's face with another shrill scream. He threw his arm to block it and felt its claws scrabble through his sleeve.

The ichling sprang for the mirror from Snape's arm, trying to escape. The Potionsmaster threw himself in the way and it spun to dodge him as best it could with the damaged wing. The door knob behind them jiggled, then clicked as it was opened.

"Wait!" Snape shouted, but the ichling was already leaping for the door. He flung his knife at it, hoping to kill it before it got far. The woman coming in was the witch with the pet rat from Magical Maladies. She had three scares in a row coming at her. The ichling was the first. It launched itself straight at her with a shrill cry. She screamed as it landed on her chest and sprang from there over her head and out into the hallway. As soon as it saw the ichling coming, Ophelia the rat dove into the woman's elaborate hairstyle to hide, making her scream again. A bare instant later, Snape's dagger sank into the doorway next to her ear. With a squeak she might have learned from Ophelia, the witch toppled backwards in a faint. Luckily, Argus Filch was behind her to break her fall.

"*#!&%@?!?" he gasped, trying to keep her head from hitting the floor. She recovered quickly, waving her arms wildly and hitting the poor man a few times before he was able to heave her back up to a sitting position.

"What?!" she squawked. ""What, what, WHAT??" One of her flailing hands formed a pointing gesture and she shook it at the knife. Her other hand waved towards the hallway where the ichling had disappeared. Too late to chase the creature down, Snape tucked his hands into his sleeves and tried to look nonchalant.

"Vermin," he said by way of explanation. Ophelia poked her head out of a cluster of curls and looked indignant. Snape ignored it. "May I help you two in some way?"

"Vermin??" Filch echoed. Snape caught himself nodding.

"Perhaps Mrs. Norris could have a look around?" he asked. Filch glared at him.

"Mrs. Norris has more pressing business than mousing right now," he said huffily. There was the hurried click of heels on the stone floor and McGonagall came bustling over.

"Have you seen the Headmaster Dumbledore?" she asked, too worried to notice the dagger sticking out of the door frame, or the blood trail across Ficus' carpet. "There may be a boggart about."

"A boggart?" Snape said, thinking of the ichling. "Which way was it headed?"

"I don't know," she said. "Young Raye is hysterical. She swears she has seen Headmaster Ficus killed and something about giant spiders and wolves. . . What else but a boggart could cause such delusions?"

"What indeed?" said Dumbledore as he came around the corner. The Magical Malady representative flounced over to get to him before McGonagall.

"What is going on around here?" she shrilled. Dumbledore looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to go on. When she didn't elaborate, he smiled absently.

"You've heard of our difficulties with the Elmskill Morthahg?" he asked.

"Of course," she said. "I was coming to discuss it with the Headmaster Ficus."

"It is loose somewhere in the Forest," Dumbledore said, and some of the color drained from the woman's face. "What would you like me to do about it?" he asked next. Silence fell over the little group and while she wrestled with that question, Snape crept away again.

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Harry Potter and the Eye of Power--by Berilac

Chapter 7: Back at Hogwarts

Summary: Harry's sent back to Hogwarts by Snape after being rescued by the Potions Master, but he's suddenly plagued by strange feelings and frightening moments of possession by the Dark Lord. Can Dumbledore help, or will Harry be overwhelmed?

The few minutes it took to soar through the forest felt like an eternity to Harry. Dense foliage looked like blurry streaks of green and white on either side of him. He remained firmly attached to Snape's legs as the Potions Master controlled the direction of their flight.

After what seemed like ages, the two of them descended rather dramatically amidst the trees and bushes of the forest. Harry gazed straight ahead of him and saw a familiar hollowed-out region of the forest. It wasn't like the one he and Yorick had been in the evening before. This one was larger and boasted fewer trees. A number of decaying logs littered the moss-infested earth—in fact, the entire hollow appeared abandoned, as if some creature (or creatures) used to reside in this particular section of the forest and didn't any longer....

Both of them finally touched the ground lightly and effortlessly. Snape quickly threw off the Levitation cape and tapped Harry's head with his wand. The Disillusionment Charm was immediately taken off. Snape did the same to himself, placing the wand over his almost indecipherable outline and now both he and Harry were visible to the naked eye once again.

Without hesitating another second, Snape began to rummage through the decomposing logs for something while Harry wiped the stray leaves and twigs that had gotten caught in his T-shirt and trousers while in flight. As Harry was brushing off a few of the more crinkly leaves, he looked over to his right and noticed remains of what appeared to be gigantic cobwebs, or worse... a spider's web....

"Er... P-Professor," Harry spoke up shakily.

"Not now, Potter!" hissed Snape as he stepped out from behind one of the larger overturned and rotting logs with part of a stump resting in both his hands. "We've got to get you out of here-"

"But, this place looks rather-"

"Silence!" Snape said with obvious indignation. "There's no time for you to be chatting about a storm! You've already gotten in the way of some extremely important business and I won't allow any more holdups!"

"But sir! It wasn't my f-"

"DO NOT INTERRUPT ME, POTTER!" Snape snarled, his black eyes piercing with unrestrained malice. "I have NO idea as to how you managed to be in the company of-those people. But I assure you, Dumbledore will not be pleased with these shenanigans of yours!"

Another faint rustle came from the deep and shadowy insides of the forest, beyond the remnants of the massive spider webs that wove around the border of trees. Images from around three years ago filtered rapidly back through Harry's head: he recalled a dark, starry sky, Fang barking in the background, the revving engine of the Weasleys' battered and wild Ford Anglia; Harry remembered Ron completely petrified at the sight, and a commune of abnormally large and hairy spiders, spiders that were numberless.

"Aragog!" Harry whispered aloud with obvious anxiety.

"What?" Snape shouted, his wand pointed directly at the stump as if he was using it as a dousing rod.

"Th-This place is his lair!" Harry said fearfully.

Snape looked at Harry for a moment as if he was delusional and then peered back down at the stump. He concentrated upon the stump and spat out "Portus!" rather viciously, as if it had misbehaved in one of his Potions classes.

"What are you doing-sir?" Harry said.

"Making a Portkey to take you straight to Dumbledore," Snape said quickly. "And don't even try to ask any questions right now. You'll be sent there immediately when I set this down and you touch it. I order you to speak to no one about what you've seen, or that you've seen me here... like this...."

Harry didn't move, even after Snape released contact with the stump. There came another rustle, more like the scuttling of legs whispering over the brittle and dead leaves that smothered the forest floor where logs weren't rotting.

"Potter, touch the stump," Snape ordered, more sternly than before. His lip was curled; his right foot protruded from under his robe, tapping impatiently; he obviously was in a rush. "Touch it, NOW!"

But Harry remained motionless. He looked at Snape-and a sharp stab of pain tore his head open. This was pain worse than almost every other pain he had experienced. He remembered pain akin to this current searing: it was last year in the Atrium of the Ministry, when Voldemort tried to reside in Harry's own head along with him, but failed.

"Potter..." came Snape's far-away voice, his concern barely noticeable.

"And why are you here!" Harry's now high-pitched voice resonated loudly across the open space, his eyes burning a deep red, his vision blurred, the profile of Snape melting away like burning candle wax. Again, Harry felt himself talk:

"I admit I am rather perturbed with the current situation, but your punishment will come... someday. Not soon though; I'm sure you'll be safe for now under his wing, you-Potions Master-"

"TOUCH THE STUMP, NOW!"

Snape made a desperate lunge at Harry, tackling him to the ground and forcing his hand to brush against the decaying remnants of the tree stump. An imaginary hook caught Harry's navel, he lurched forward and into a blur of endless color as Snape shouted, his words fading away with each syllable.

"Tell no one about this! Not... even... Dumbledore..."

Harry tried to piece these words in his mind in a coherent fashion. His mind felt as if it was popping sporadically in places like popcorn being heated up-scalding hot and completely numbing. He couldn't think anymore-all he could do was hear, hear maniacal laughter and resonating words from someone's high-pitched evil voice.

"We'll get him, Wormtail! We'll get him...."

* * *

Harry opened his eyes. Slowly, slowly, a blurred high domed ceiling shifted into focus. He turned on his side and noticed he was next to a large wooden desk, tall and imposing from where he lay. His head was still throbbing uncontrollably. What had just happened, he thought. He was in the forest... but what was going on? Harry tried to come up with a reason as to why he had said those things, why he had felt so... unlike himself... why he felt so evil just then....

A high-pitched but soothing song started to flow across the room mellifluously, permeating the tense atmosphere that was suffocating Harry. As the song continued on, Harry's head cleared. He felt at peace. It was unmistakably phoenix song. And he knew where he was: Dumbledore's office.

Harry leapt up and, abandoning the stump which had fallen completely apart during his travel to his current location, peered around the office to see if Dumbledore was there, awaiting his return back to normal civilization. But he wasn't there. Only Fawkes, Dumbledore's pet phoenix-who was resting upon his perch-was present. The phoenix still bore the tumultuous effect of Voldemort's curse last school year when it fought alongside Dumbledore at the Ministry of Magic. He was still rather young and frail-looking, his feathers were not evenly distributed and they didn't hold the shimmer they used to. His eyes were doleful and he hadn't grown completely to his adult dimensions yet.

"How are you, Fawkes?" Harry said softly, afraid to disturb him too much.

"Rather chuffed, if you ask me," came a bemused voice behind Dumbledore's desk. Phineas Nigellus was sitting, smirking slightly in his portrait. He was Sirius's grandfather, a former headmaster of Hogwarts, and intermediary between Dumbledore's office and Number 12 Grimmauld Place. "That bird needs continuous care to be nursed back to health, the poor thing."

"Where's Dumbledore?" Harry asked.

"Around," Phineas half-heartedly shrugged. "I daresay, he's been worried about you. Fatherly sentiment. How... touching."

"What-he's been worried?"

"After what's happened last year, you don't think he'd be worried at your disappearance?" Phineas's lips pursed and his eyes narrowed. "You teenagers-your minds never process things completely. You always view things at face-value."

Before Harry could retort Phineas's words, the door into the office opened and Harry swung around to see a tall, old man in long aquamarine robes. He had long, white hair and beard, a crooked nose and half-moon spectacles. Professor Dumbledore was smiling tiredly as he ambled slowly toward Harry, with arms outstretched and shaking, perhaps because of rheumatism, or maybe even with relief at Harry's arrival in his office... or even with uncharacteristic anxiety.

"You're here," he said, with a trace of gladness in his hoarser-than-normal voice. His eyes twinkled behind his spectacles. "And not a moment too soon..."

"Professor," Harry said, nonplussed. "I want to-"

"First off Harry, you must hear me out," Dumbledore said, his eyes suddenly losing their shimmer, and being replaced by a serious stare that stopped Harry from replying. "I do not claim to be fully ignorant of this affair," he continued. "I realize that a Yorick Hades had indeed kidnapped you from your caretaker at the time, Ms. Arabella Figg."

"Is she, is she-"

"She's fine," Dumbledore reassured Harry. "She was stunned, quite powerfully so, but stunned nonetheless. Not dead, of course not! Alastor Moody was able to bring her round. He, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks and the rest of the Order assigned to your watch were unfortunately too late to stop Yorick. Your owl to them had just arrived when he struck. And he struck unexpectedly."

"Sir," Harry said. "He, Yorick that is, said I was in danger because of my aunt and uncle's absence from Privet Drive...."

"And of course he was over-exaggerating," Dumbledore said confidently, walking behind his desk. "Yorick Hades is a very complex and peculiar individual. Highly paranoid as well. He and I have rarely exchanged owls, but every time we've done so, it has been in heavy disagreement over something. He's been completely attached to past grudges, quite like some other people I know," he paused here but then continued. "So much so that he doesn't realize that taking you to his private headquarters was a dread mistake."

"You know about his headquarters? In the caves?" Harry asked dumbfounded.

"Yes," said Dumbledore, sitting down in his chair, looking quite comfortable. "I know more than he thinks I do. In fact, the Ministry knows more than he thinks they do. He believes he is immune to everything. He thinks he is invisible to everyone's vision. A very foolish mindset to have. Very foolish indeed. His intelligence has completely clouded his perception."

"But sir-" Harry began. He halted, trying to decipher the look on Dumbledore's face. It appeared quite impenetrable at the moment. "Why did Yorick kidnap me? It can't have just been because of fear, or that he was paranoid?"

"I'm afraid Yorick has acted rashly in the past. Not recently," Dumbledore added, "well, he has recently, but awhile back he made some very questionable decisions, acted in unorthodox ways. He withdrew from communicating with the Ministry... and myself. Some of the Ministry people think he's one of Voldemort's secret Death Eaters. Others think he's dead. And some just feel he's a buffoon who doesn't realize he has no power but what's in his head. He's an enigma, no question.

"Also, Yorick is a powerful man, but he's no Death Eater. And," Dumbledore gave Harry an encouraging wink, "he definitely isn't dead."

Harry's mind started to swim with vivid visions of Snape pulling off a Death Eater's mask at the mention of Voldemort's followers. He saw the Potions Master towering over the motionless body of Bilks. Harry wanted to ask Dumbledore why Snape was there along with the raid of Death Eaters to begin with, but Snape's words resonated in his brain. It was also intermingled with Voldemort's shouts of fury to Snape-or to someone else? All he could remember was: "Tell no one... Dumbledore..."

But Harry was saved pondering on how to articulate his words because Dumbledore spoke up once more.

"Is there something you'd wish to speak with me about?" Dumbledore asked, his eyes locked with Harry's in the same manner as when the headmaster confronted Harry in his second year about his concerns on whether he should have been sorted into Slytherin. "You possibly wish to speak about the Death Eaters? They are being tipped off by someone, I don't know who. But they're getting the whereabouts of Yorick's hideaway, and whatever Yorick has locked in there is very powerful, I don‘t doubt that in the slightest. Voldemort would die to lay his hands on whatever was there, which is why Professor Snape ran into you there, I suppose."

"How'd you know that-?"

"Who else would have rescued you-seeing as none of the Order was able to locate you and actually get there in that short a time frame? No one truly knows where the headquarters are. They're near the Forbidden Forest, that we know, but it will undoubtedly be guarded and made Unplottable now that certain Death Eaters have attempted to breach their way through Yorick's defenses.

"And-" Dumbledore said after a slight intake of breath ignoring Harry's gaze of surprise and perplexity, "-now that you know so much about that place and about certain others secret positions," he spoke very slowly and carefully, making sure that what he was saying was being said correctly, "Voldemort will most definitely try and glean as much as he can about what's inside there. He might possibly try and tackle your mind once again, although it proved rather nasty for him in the end last time he tried. Yes, Harry, this means-"

Harry gritted his teeth as the word was said.

"-this means, Occlumency."

Harry let out an unpleasant groan and Phineas Nigellus let out a light snigger at the word and pointed mockingly at Harry behind Dumbledore, only to immediately cease upon the turn of Dumbledore's head at the sound of his sudden burst of laughter.

"Professor," Harry started. "Er, why do I have to continue Occlumency with Snape-?"

"And who said Professor Snape was going to teach you this time around?" Dumbledore asked him, faintly grinning, his eyes now twinkling once more. "I will be teaching you, of course."

"What?"

Harry was at a loss for words. Dumbledore-teach him? Well, it would be easier for Harry and Dumbledore to gaze each other's eyes-Voldemort would be loath to try and completely possess Harry again. But still-was it still safe enough to do?

"We won't start with full lessons right away," Dumbledore said. "But I want you to master the art and possibly learn a bit of Legilimency also. You need to shut your mind from Voldemort's penetrations, if he chooses to do so again. If he breaches through your mind again, he could wrestle anything out of you. Even the Prophecy, which would be fatal for you.

"Currently, Voldemort is wreaking havoc-or so we assume-in different areas around Britain. Car fires, possible bombings, many things that are being attributed to terrorists. Of course, we know that Voldemort is behind most of it-"

"I saw him!" Harry said.

"What?" Dumbledore said, rather sternly than he might have intended.

"I saw him, Voldemort, while I was asleep. He... he pointed his wand out of a second-story window and set a car in a crowded street ablaze. Muggles were screaming. It... it was horrible."

Dumbledore was surveying Harry rather intricately. It made Harry feel uneasy. A sudden twinge of irritation arose inside of him.

"Voldemort knew that I had witnessed what he had done. "I-I think I understand why I need the lessons now," he added hastily.

And suddenly, something inside of Harry came out of his mouth, as if some demon was latched onto his vocal chords and forming the words. "That stupid man! That horrible teacher! Snape... I can't believe that he thought he could teach me!"

"What did you say?" Dumbledore said, completely astonished. Phineas Nigellus's mouth appeared to have touched the base of the portrait frame. A couple of the other portraits gasped at Harry's words.

"I ... I don't know..." Harry said, his eyes widening in shock, his legs starting to buckle. Sweat was pouring down his face. He was breathing rapidly.

Dumbledore made to say something but whatever was controlling Harry's voice, let loose once more.

"I do know what I said, and I know what you're thinking, Dumbledore-" Harry collapsed onto his knees. Dumbledore dashed around his desk, but upon this movement, Harry head shot up quicker than an unruly Bludger. "Don't come any closer!"

"Why are you inside of him Tom-"

"Don't even think about touching the boy," arose the high spine-tingling voice from inside of Harry. Suddenly Harry's head gave an awful lurch, the scar on his forehead beginning to sear with an incredible burning pain and he yelled out loud in his normal voice: "Get away, get away! I don't want you to be inside of me any longer... Voldemort!"

"Well, it's not like I want to be here either, boy!" came Voldemort's voice once more, high and cool as ever, as if no trace of concern or hindrance was plastered upon it.

And then... the feelings stopped... Harry's pain in his head slowly began to ebb away like a declining ocean tide. He was breathing quite heavily, shook up from this latest incident. He looked up at Dumbledore who was edging to closer to him, his long lanky fingers reaching for him to help him to stand up straight again. At that moment, thoughts began to swirl horribly around in his head: Why was Voldemort in his body just now, in plain sight of Dumbledore? And what was worse, why was Voldemort residing in his mind when he didn't currently want to be?

Dumbledore seemed to have noticed Harry's concern behind the overly-disheveled hair, sweating face, and heavy breathing. His eyes gave off a sympathetic twinkling and he smiled in a pacifying way.

"This is exactly the reason why you need Occlumency," said Dumbledore calmly. "You need to filter out everything that Voldemort tries to sling at you, even if it is unintentional, like what you just said and what you just heard him say. We can't have these outbursts. I fear that they may be more dangerous than I might have thought.... I desperately hope that these won't happen once term begins. That's why we need to start as soon as possible."

Harry felt around for a chair and found the wooden one that stood next to Fawke's stand. He sat down and buried his face in his hands. What had gotten into him just now? Why was this happening…? Harry felt sick, his eyes were brimming with tears; the scar still prickled slightly, but it wasn't as bad as when Snape and he were in Aragog's deserted-looking hollow. And it wasn't as bad as a minute or so ago when he screamed at Dumbledore.

"I want to see Ron and Hermione and everyone else," Harry said desperately after a few seconds of complete silence from the both of them.

"You will go to Diagon Alley escorted by the Weasleys and perhaps some of the Order," Dumbledore said. "In due time, of course. You will remain here for now. Your owl and your trunk will be shipped here shortly. We will begin lessons in the meantime. I'm sorry," Dumbledore added when he saw the look of complete disbelief spread across Harry's face. "But right now, you're emotional state is not the best, and the lessons will not aid too well in your recovery. Right now, we'll go slowly. And we'll only go for a half-hour once a week. I'll call for the Weasleys and see if they'll drop by for a day. It isn't usually allowed... but we can try to bend a few rules. The Ministry did bend quite a few last year, didn't they?"

Dumbledore winked again and Harry's mind eased up a bit. He still felt rather isolated and alone, and scared because of his most recent venomous outburst against Snape. He wanted to know why he said what he did. Was Voldemort seriously possessing Harry in a way that neither he, nor Voldemort, knew about?

But currently, things felt a bit better, as if it all might possibly work out, whatever the hell that meant....

Dumbledore stood up slowly, groaning as he did so. He then walked over to a window Harry never noticed before during his other visits to Dumbledore's office. It overlooked a different part of the Hogwarts grounds. Dumbledore turned back toward Harry.

"You know, I think it might be good for you to go out and walk around the grounds. I think Hagrid's around somewhere, perhaps by his hut. I think it'd be a good idea for you to talk with him, it'll clear up your mind."

Dumbledore winked and turned back around. Harry said a quick thank you and walked out of his office. It was almost a silent traverse to the main doors, but in the hall right before the marble staircase, Harry ran into the very thing he wished he wouldn't: Peeves, the friendly school poltergeist.

"Oh, rottery Potter, what are yoooouuuu doing here so early? Couldn't wait to start up on some hijinx with your old pal, Peevsie?"

And without further ado, Peeves reached inside his orange-and-white checkered suit coat and took out a squirt gun, double-barreled, and as lurid as his coat.

"The new Muggle weaponry is ever so much fun" Peeves squealed with delight. He began to spray Harry relentlessly with a completely harsh spray of water.

Harry cursed angrily under his breath and dashed down the marble staircase, trying not to slip because of the water that now covered the steps. Right on cue, and (surprisingly) to Harry's relief, Filch the caretaker, arrived in time to see Peeves watering the floor as if it was a vegetable patch.

"PEEVES!" Filch shouted angrily, entering the hall, face beet-red, his jowls quivering irritably. "THIS IS THE LAST STRAW! I'M GOING TO THE HEADMASTER!"

Harry shot out of the entrance hall doors and dashed down toward Hagrid's hut, leaving Peeves chortling as Filch chased him down. As Harry was running away from the castle, indenting a deep path through the tall grasses that waved faintly in the cool breeze that dried his shirt in a matter of minutes, he hoped Filch wouldn't call out to him to come back and explain to him why he was here at Hogwarts weeks earlier than the rest of the students. He felt he didn't want to explain the whole situation, especially to Filch, someone Harry trusted even less than the Dursleys.

But the atmosphere was clearly devoid of Filch's shouts or Peeves's hysterical laughter as Harry stopped to rest right at Hagrid's front door. Looking around, Harry didn't notice anything peculiar. But, then again, there would be a few weeks before the next term began, and Hagrid still had time to procure whatever he was planning on teaching.

Harry knocked on the door and without a second's pause, Hagrid opened up the door, completely taken aback at the sight he saw before him.

"Harry!" he said breathlessly. "Yer here! But, how'd you-where's Dumbledore-blimey!"

Harry grinned widely as Hagrid beckoned him inside his house, Fang barking happily at his heels, awaiting a fresh wave of stories from Harry as to where he had been and what he had been doing for the past month of vacation.

Please Review Here.

In Hiding--by Crocky-Wock

Chapters 4-5

Rated: PG

Summary: Harry and Snape are forced into hiding, Snape under orders to brew a protective potion from Harry's blood. In their forced exile, Harry and Snape learn many surprising things about each other. But will they survive their seclusion without killing each other?

CONFRONTATION

"How long has he been like that?"

"Only a few minutes. Lucky you happened to come over."

"I had to make sure both of you were still alive. I still see the risk in expecting you to put up with each other all by yourselves for such a long time. Did everything work out nicely?"

"No major problems."

"I am relieved. What made him faint?"

"Oh, you know... growing children... they sometimes have these..."

"Severus? Are you not telling me something?"

"Well, he did have problems cutting his own skin. Can't see blood, I suppose. But I believe I could be of assistance."

"That's good to hear. (smiles)"

"How long will we have to stay in here, though? I must admit it is somewhat tiring in the long run."

"If you have changed you mind..."

"It has nothing to do with ME. I'll do this as long as the situation requires it."

"And nothing else I expected from you. (smiles again) But you will have to tell me immediately if you think either of you can't bear this anymore. Can you promise me that?"

"I think I can."

"Good... Oh, look - he's waking up. I'll take my leave then."

"All right, headmaster, see you later."

"See you later, Severus."

...

"Awww... my... head..."

"Feeling better, celebrity?"

"What happened?"

"(contemptuous look) You passed out."

"I... ouch - oh yes, I remember."

"I bandaged the wound - don't move! You've nearly cut off your own arm."

"Did... did I just see Professor Dumbledore?"

"I don't know what YOU have seen, Potter, but I can't recall any visitor since the day we went into hiding. Perhaps you were having hallucinations..."

"(grins) Perhaps."

"Try if you can sit!"

"It hurts, but I'll be able to get up."

"No way! If you pass out again the headmaster will be after my blood."

"So he WAS here?"

"... Just briefly. To check if we were still alive. And if either of us had changed our mind. I told him we'd manage, though."

"What a surprising attitude of yours..."

"Unlike OTHERS, I know my duties, Potter. You have to make sacrifices sometimes. And bearing THIS is the least each of us can do to support the war against the Dark Lord."

"Suppose you're right..."

"Get used to the fact that I always am."

"Oh, of course! I'll remind you of your words next time I see you bullying Neville Longbottom."

"Longbottom? What has HE got to do with anything?"

"Oh, come off it! The way you treat him is scandalous. It has always been. Don't you know what happened to his parents?"

"Of course I do."

"Then why treat him like that? Even YOU can't be that heartless..."

"He needs to learn. Needs to start defending himself. How is he ever going to be able to stand up to others if everyone keeps pampering him?"

"I don't understand..."

"You don't? Well, it is the same with you and your annoying relatives, really. Why did you think the headmaster did not look for a decent wizarding family to take you in? He didn't want you growing up either admired or pitied by EVERYONE you meet. It is a learning progress."

"You mean... THAT's why I had to live with them? Because you all think I would grow up to be HORRIBLE otherwise?"

"(smirks) Shows that even Dumbledore's plans can fail... (more serious) But of course the main reason you were to live at Privet Drive was the spell... that ancient piece of magic which your mother used for your protection. It works only with blood relatives. Ridiculous, if you ask me. It is like Diana McGonagall always said..."

"McGonagall? Professor McGonagall? But-"

"Not Professor McGonagall. Her daughter, you fool. Did you think someone like her could live for seventy years without finding someone to marry?"

"But... how come YOU know Professor McGonagall's daughter?"

"We've been in the same year at Hogwarts. A remarkably clever girl. And a great witch. If it hadn't been for your brainless godfather, she would still be alive - and HE would never have found you... Come to think about it, I wouldn't be stuck in here with you in that case, but oh well... (sarcastically) that's what war is like."

"I... don't see a connection."

"Well, you wouldn't. Did you think one spell was all you were protected with?"

"Oh... right. But - did you know her? Properly, I mean?"

"We were... partners. On countless missions. She was the cleverest witch I ever met."

"Like Hermione?"

"Like who? Oh, no. Nothing like HER. Diana used to be very modest... very quiet, too."

"You seem to have liked her a lot..."

"And YOU seem to have fully recovered. Off you go - to your own room. Move! NOW!"

***********

BICKERING

(THIRD DAY)

"Sorry to disturb you, Professor, but..."

"I am very busy, Potter. Come back later!"

"Er..."

(a few hours later)

"I... er... would like to know..."

"(jumps) Aaargh! You ruined my potion! OUT!"

(FOURTH DAY)

"Professor, I was wondering..."

"Get out! I am exceedingly busy!"

"But you don't even..."

"Clear off!"

(FIFTH DAY)

"If you don't mind, Professor, I'd like to ask..."

"(sigh) I WON'T tell you about your parents! Not about their life, not about their profession, nor can I tell you anything about their relationship to the Dark Lord."

"(astounded) How do you know... I mean - that's NOT what I was going to ask!"

"(idly) Indeed..."

...

"What's THAT?"

"Intelligence potion. Not quite thought through, though. I am short of experimental subjects."

"I hope you don't count on me."

"(smirks) Don't worry! I need someone with brains."

"..."

"Why so surprised?"

"Er... What are you concocting potions for anyway?"

"Why not? It is a very uncomplicated way of entertaining oneself."

"I bet. What's this?"

"Squid cream. Go away and draw a picture of the Gryffindor common room!"

"Er...?"

"...or whatever. Start writing a diary! - No, that's probably the only thing you definitely can't do in here. Completely useless, I guess. (grins at himself)"

"Why can't we talk?"

"(menacingly) I have no intention of talking to you, Potter. Now get away - or I will make you!"

(EIGHTH DAY)

"There isn't any food left. What are we supposed to eat?"

"There will be a delivery this afternoon. Professor Dumbledore said he would send someone."

"There isn't any water either. Can't we just go and fetch some?"

"We mustn't leave this house, imbecile. The spell doesn't work outside these walls."

"We could use magic then."

"You CAN'T conjure food out of thin air. Even if the start-of-term banquet makes it look like that. All of its food is prepared by house elfs."

"I know, but..."

"How- (sarcastically) Oh, of course - I forgot. Pompous Potter has, of course, made use of his Invisibility Cloak every now and then. Been sneaking into the kitchen for cookies and tea, have you? Sorry, but I can only offer you some sleeping potion."

"Jerk! No, thanks! I'll go and continue writing into my diary."

"(stops stirring and looks up) Your WHAT? Tell me you haven't really..."

"I was bored. What was I supposed to do? (defiantly) That's why I keep asking about my parents - I had to think about them. I don't know anything about myself, because I have never met my parents. But YOU won't understand why that is important for me, of course."

"(frowns) Since you have already decided that I won't, you might as well leave and give me the chance to finish the potion."

"That's not fair! You know a lot more about my own parents than I do! You might as well tell me, or I won't know for ages! No one ever tells me anything!"

"(sneer) Tough life, isn't it?"

"I HATE you! (leaves the room)"

In Hiding--by Crocky-Wock

Chapters 2-3

Rated: PG

Summary: Harry and Snape are forced into hiding, Snape under orders to brew a protective potion from Harry's blood. In their forced exile, Harry and Snape learn many surprising things about each other. But will they survive their seclusion without killing each other?

EXPANATIONS

(SECOND DAY)

"Blasted thing! ... Potter! Come here! ... POTTER!!!"

"What..."

"Quickly - take the knife! Two more tubes at least!"

"But Professor, it's three o'clock in the morning..."

"You will be mourning in a minute. Do what you are told! And do it immediately if you don't want to be cursed!"

...

...

...

"Idiot boy - we don't have the time! Give me that knife!"

"No... aargh!!!!"

"Don't squeal like that! That potion is going to melt the cauldron without its main ingredient. Good... now cool down... cool down... Circumspexit Liquidum! ... Stop wailing, Potter, I mean it!"

"I am bleeding!"

"That is what you are supposed to do. Stop yelling! We need the blood. Professor Dumbledore has asked for another entire cauldron full. Is it my fault that you are not able to obey the simplest orders?"

"You nearly cut my arm off!"

"I didn't! You know that perfectly well."

...

...

"Why didn't you wake me up before starting on the potion anyway?"

"I was going to get your blood while you were sleeping... which would obviously have saved me a lot of trouble! The potion got the better of me, though. I hadn't even left the room when the blasted thing started to boil."

"Ha! Advanced potion brew-"

"(look of pure venom)"

"Er..."

"(eyes narrow) Be careful, Potter, or I might just forget what I promised to the Headmaster."

"Well, I have difficulties bearing my vow in mind as well! You nearly amputated my arm only a minute ago, after all."

"(sarcastically) What a disaster! If I had known that a little bit of pain keeps you from saving the entire wizarding world..."

"Oh come off it! Those few drops of blood can't..."

"You don't get it, do you? They can! Why do you think you have always been everyone's favourite pet? Did you think your pretty face prevented you from being expelled every time you disobeyed school rules for the past four years? You might not have noticed, Potter, but for all the rules you have flouted at Hogwarts, everyone else would have received massive punishment. Not you, however, not famous Harry Potter!"

"Well... I thought it was because of... because Lord Voldemort disappeared when he tried to kill me..."

"Ha! You don't know the poeple, do you? When do they ever put effort into anything without expecting to get something out of it? You Gryffindors do a great job in pretending you are above anyone else. Even the headmaster does, sometimes... well - he actually IS above anyone else, I suppose, but never mind! Did you really expect he would have let you stay - back in your second year - when you broke one school rule after another if he hadn't wanted anything in return?"

"Dumbledore is not as blind as you are. He could see we didn't mean to do it. And we DID find out about the Chamber of Secrets, after all."

"You did indeed... Though perhaps being the only Parslemouth around made it slightly easier for you than for anyone else..."

"Yeah, maybe... but the point is that Dumbledore was right - and YOU were NOT!"

"This seems to please you beyond reason."

"..."

"Have you got any idea why you can speak Parlsemouth, by the way?"

"Professor Dumbledore said Voldemort passed it to me when he gave me the scar."

"Ha! Rubbish! That's what he told you? Those things don't work like that. He above all should know..."

"(disbelievingly) You mean he lied?"

"Come to think of it, he might not be very pleased if I told you... (smirk)"

"So he just told me anything... at random... to calm me down? Wait! Why would I believe you rather than him?"

"Because I know what I am talking about - and you know that I do."

"Er..."

"Salazar Slytherin, the founder of my house, was famous for his ability to talk with snakes. So is Lord Voldemort, my former... er... employer. Don't you think I have devoted a great deal of my time to that subject?"

"So why do you think I'm a Parslemouth?"

"Considering the fact that their percentage within the population is rather small... and that you can only obtain it through inheritance, as far as I know... I am rather sure you must be related to Slytherin... in some way or another."

"..."

"Don't look at me like that! You are NOT the HEIR of Slytherin. Lord Voldemort is. But you might have a bit of... (frowns) Slytherin blood inside your veins after all."

"I... you mean - that's what the Sorting Hat saw, when he... you know, he said I would have done well in Slytherin..."

"Ha! I doubt you would."

"You'd have seen to that, right?"

"I am not saying you couldn't have done well in Slytherin, but I doubt it."

"Why?"

"(deadly serious, moves forward) You. Are. Too. Weak!"

"I am what???"

"You heard me correctly, Potter. Now, if you don't mind, I am going to bed. The potion will have to stew until tomorrow morning. I'll set up the next one afterwards, by the way."

"What, another one?"

"Yes. Just one more. To make sure all of us are protected. (smirk) Ah, the burden of fame... I am afraid you'll just have to cope with it...

...

Do shut the door, will you?"

*******

SNAPE

"Wake up! Honestly, how can anyone sleep that long?"

"Oh, (yawn) sorry, I didn't mean to... You might want to start on the potion while I am getting dressed."

"What do you think I have been doing all morning, foolish boy? The ingredients are ready. But I wanted to make sure the blood is available before the potion spills over this time."

"Oh... good."

"Here."

"I'm getting paranoid at the sight of a knife."

"How very touching. Could you get a move on?"

...

"Ouch! (pleasantly) Aaah, first attempt succeeded."

"(sarcastic sneer) I am impressed."

"Oh, you would, of course, carve your own skin without hesitating."

"I HAVE. On countless occasions."

"You have...? What for?"

"Potions! What did you think? We were expected to sacrifice our lives... if necessary."

"You... set up POTIONS for Voldemort?"

"Among other things... what did you expect?"

"I didn't... I thought you couldn't stand Potions. They all say you are after the Defence Against the Dark Arts job."

"Who says that?"

"Well... everyone, really."

"Complete rubbish. Why would I want to do anything but Potions?"

"I dunno. You tell me."

"Pft. Certainly not."

"So you HAVE been applying for Defence Against the Dark Arts?"

"That is NONE of your business. Shut up!"

...

...

"Professor, why... I mean... why did you join him in the first place?"

"(coldly) Don't be so meddlesome."

"(equally cold voice) I was merely interested."

"Interest is a good thing. ... The problem is - when you are out there - in the real world I mean - you will sooner or later get to the point when you can't simply... come back."

"But YOU did, of course."

"Don't make fun about things you don't understand, Potter."

"I understand better than you think."

"You do, don't you? And you have the impression of being a hero now, because you left your protected little world and saw the Dark Lord ONCE?"

"At least I wasn't too scared to reject his offer."

"I did NOT join the dark side because I was AFRAID of him."

"Then why?"

"Power. Pure, boundless power. That's what he offers. And that is not at all as bad as SOME people think."

...

"I... That's weird."

"What?"

"I wouldn't have thought..."

"(slightly amused) ...that I used to seek power?"

"It's just... you don't seem to be that kind of person, who..."

"Well, what kind of person am I?"

"(short laugh) I am not going to be your psychiatrist! I won't play such games."

"Right you are. Playing games is dangerous and likely to result in death."

"I suppose... (horrified look) What the..."

"(smirk) Afraid, Potter?"

"(walks backwards) I... What do you think you're doing?"

"What would you say if I tested one or two curses on you? Didn't you say you want to play...?"

"(paralysed with fear) I said I am NOT playing!"

"Clever boy. (puts away wand) And I am not hexing, actually. I do not tend to give in urges like this one. And I do believe the headmaster wouldn't like us slaughtering each other."

"(relieved) I suppose not. (weakly) So you... (moan)"

"What?"

"I feel dizzy..."

"Sit down! What is it? A circulatory disorder?"

"I... my arm..."

"What the... It's still bleeding! How deep is the cut? ... This is insane. Now WHO is amputating your arm here?"

"I only... only... l... just a li- llillee... (deep sigh, faints)"

In Hiding--by Crocky-Wock

Prologue and Chapter 1

Rated: PG

Summary: Harry and Snape are forced into hiding, Snape under orders to brew a protective potion from Harry's blood. In their forced exile, Harry and Snape learn many surprising things about each other. But will they survive their seclusion without killing each other?

INTRODUCTION

(FIRST DAY)

"Your room is over there! I will take this one!"

"Right..."

"I expect it will be the most satisfying solution if you just stay out of my way and I... do the same, basically!"

"What about the potion?"

"I will call you when I am ready!"

"R...right!"

"(impatiently) What are you waiting for?"

"It's just that... I... I have sort of..."

"(raises eyebrows)"

"I have a bit of a problem with... you know... obtaining the blood..."

"Which means...?"

"I don't think I will be able to carve up my own skin, really!"

"...Astonishing! (smirk) But we will have to see about that later, I am afraid!"

"O...okay!"

"Now leave! I need to set up the potion without delay!"

*********

THE BEGINNING

"Potter! Come over! And bring the knife! ... What are you staring at?"

"I was just surprised..."

"This, Potter, is called 'advanced potion brewing'! Not that you'll ever get that far... Sit!"

"But Professor, I..."

"Don't make such a fuss about this! We need to get the potion done."

"But I really..."

"If you don't want to use that knife, Potter, I will. It is as simple as that."

"I... well, okay."

...

"If you'd stop shaking like that we could actually make progress here. ... That's it! Just a bit more... Now give me the tube!"

"What does Professor Dumbledore need the potion for, Professor?"

"None of your business!"

"It contains my blood! I have got a right to know."

"Hold your tongue! ... (sneer) It's a tough life not having the faintest idea about Potions, isn't it, Mr. Potter?"

"(sigh)"

...

"This won't suffice. We'll need just a dash more of it."

"What? No way!"

"You are getting on my nerves, Potter!"

"But I can't - not again."

"(menacing smirk) Either you or me..."

"But you've already got a whole tube... all right, all right - Get off me! I'll do it!"

"(leer) You are squealing like a girl. ... Would you be so kind as to speed up a bit?

...

...

This is insane. Give me that knife!"

"No! All right - wait! I'll try the other arm."

"Very well. Take your time then. I'll put the remaining bat wings into the cauldron."

...

...

"You know, Potter, I would have thought you had more guts. If you could see yourself... completely despicable. Very much like your father, indeed..."

"Stop rambling about my... ouch!"

"Ah, there you go. Who would have guessed your arrogance could actually be helpful one day. ... Give it to me - no, wait, you might as well make yourself useful. Put it into the goblet over there! Yes, the one contining rat brain and runespoor scales."

...

"Uhm... this... er... Professor? Is the liquid supposed to turn blue?"

"Blue? Step aside! ..."

"Professor?"

"Shut up, Potter! I am trying to think!"

"(sigh)"

"We might need another tube of blood. Sit down!"

"But Professor, I..."

"Sit!

...

...

Blue...

...

...

Blue indeed...

...

...

(snort)"

"Ah... Professor?"

"What?"

"The potion... I would really like to know what..."

"It will be used as a protection against the Dark Lord's curses. Your blood contains a very rare and very valuable substance, which, as you know, he has made use of already."

"When he took my blood for his rebirth?"

"Yes."

"But why my blood of all people?"

"Inheritance."

"You mean my parents..."

"Your father."

...

"Is that the reason why... Voldemort wanted to kill him - and me?"

"Among other things - yes."

"So why wasn't I ever told?"

"(smirk) Professor Dumbledore seemed to think that you would not be able to cope with it... just yet."

"Well, why are you telling me the?"

"I don't think it makes much of a difference now."

"I suppose not..."

"Besides, we are stuck in here anyway - probably until the end of the war. Except, of course, your saintly godfather chooses to tell on us... (nasty smile)"

"He wouldn't!"

"I know!"

...

"Would you?"

"What?"

"Tell on him - if you were his Secret Keeper?"

"That is certainly none of your... Finally! It is turning green."

"What?"

"The liquid. You are dismissed."

"But Professor, I..."

"LEAVE!"

***********