A/N: Hello to all my readers! 81 Reviews! You are all so very kind. So to reward you I have decided to post another chapter. I still don't own anything!

Last Time:

He made to move towards him, but Harry held up his hands, 'The walls have eyes and ears you know. It is better to just pretend that what you read in the letter didn't really happen and that you don't know anything. Also, it is pertinent to not tell anyone about what you read. I will try to find a way around it. Well, I told my friends that I was coming here for detention, and I think that I am a little overdue in leaving. I should head back to the Common room where my friends will be waiting to ask me what took me so long and if you had tried to poison me or not.' He let out a small chuckle, 'Well, goodnight Professor.' With that, Harry turned and walked out of the room.

Severus was still thinking about the letter, when his thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a scream.

Chapter 5:

Dropping the letter on the ground, Snape raced out of his quarters and into the hallway, unknowingly following the direction that Harry had taken only moments before. On his way, he met up with Professor McGonagall. Exchanging worried glances, they continued on their way to where they believed the noise had emanated.

Arriving at the scene, they were not surprised to see the other professors as well as most of the student body. In the middle of the crowd Snape saw the source of all the commotion. Unconscious in Harry's arms, was a fourth year Ravenclaw – that he recognized as Sara Ann – with cuts and bruises appearing on her mangled form.

'Potter! What is the meaning of this?' Harry's eyes seemed to come back into focus at the shocked voice of the Deputy Headmistress.

'Professor, it wasn't me! I swe---'

'Silence Potter,' turning to face everyone else she snapped, 'Make way! The Headmaster is trying to get through!'

Silence reigned immediately as the Headmaster made his way through to survey the scene. "Mr. Potter, if you would please bring Ms. Ann to the Hospital Wing and then follow me to my office?" There was no spark or hint of a twinkle in his eyes as he spoke out these commands. Facing the rest of the students he stated, "Please make your way back to your Common Rooms. You are to remain there until further instructions have been given to you. Severus, Minerva, if you would please follow me…"

With one last backwards glance to his friends, Harry conjured a stretcher and levitated the young Ravenclaw to the Hospital Wing with his three professors following behind him.

'Poppy! Get out here woman!'

Madame Pomfrey bustled into the room at the Potions Masters call. Upon resting her gaze on the young girl, she promptly went into 'Nurse Mode.' "What happened to Ms. Ann? Quickly, move aside! I can't work with people in my way! Well… I am waiting for some answers!'

"Please, Poppy, heal her now and then you may ask your questions later. Mr. Potter, after you…"

The walk up to the Headmaster's office was in a very heavy atmosphere. Harry had tried on many occasions to protest that he had had nothing to do with the attack, but each time he opened his mouth, no words were able to take form.

Upon reaching the stone gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office, Professor McGonagall gave the password (Skiving Snack boxes) and they all made their way up the revolving staircase.

Professor Dumbledore went and sat behind his desk, Professors McGonagall and Snape took up positions on either side of him, and Harry sat in front of the desk. Dumbledore's periwinkle blue eyes regarded Harry gravely over his half-moon spectacles.

"Harry, what exactly happened when you arrived at the scene? (A/N: I was so tempted to write 'at the scene of the crime')

"I am not really sure sir. I was making my way back from detention with Professor Snape, when I heard spells being exchanged and cries for help. I brandished my wand and went to help, but when I arrived, all I saw was a cloak rounding the corner and Sara looking ready to collapse. She seemed to look at me and then fainted dead away. I caught her just before she hit the ground and then everyone else arrived." Harry made sure he kept a steady eye contact with the old Headmaster.

"Why were you in detention with Professor Snape, Harry?" McGonagall thought that something felt a little strange about that.

"I…uh…I sa…"

"He had insulted me in class with some colourful words, so I assigned him to clean out the Potions rooms from top to bottom, hence why he took so long, we all know that Potter couldn't clean if his life depended on it." Snape gave Harry a look that seemed to say, 'You owe me one for this!'

"Is this true Mr. Potter?" Lowering his head to add effect to this statement, Harry confirmed what Professor Snape had stated. "Very well then, however, I must advise you to be extra cautious and to try and not end up at the scene of the crime, so to speak. You may all return to your rooms."

Making his way back to the Common Room, Harry couldn't help but wonder why everyone was always so quick to accuse him whenever something went wrong or if he was different from everyone else in any particular way. What bothered him even more was how Ron and Hermione hadn't really looked convinced either. Oh well, no use crying over spilt milk as the muggles always say.

Entering the Common Room made everyone around him stop whatever it was they were doing and look at him. However, a glare later and they all went back to their own conversations.

He went back to his friends and told them that he was going to head off to bed and that he would see them in the morning.

Snape's POV

He returned to his chambers and went to the washroom. He turned the shower on and began washing his hair. He used his own shampoo that he had created himself to get rid of all the grease from working in the Potions classroom and his own personal lab all day. He sighed, washed the rest of his body and got out of the shower. He wrapped a towel around his waist and walked into his bedroom. There, he put his black robes away, and dried out his hair. He put on his green silk pyjamas and went to bed.

He slept fitfully that night, nightmares being the cause. In one, he was walking through the remains of a town destroyed by Voldemort and his Death Eaters, and saw children, women and men wounded, dead, and crying out for mercy. One after the other the nightmares became worse and worse, but the last one would be imprinted in hi mind forever…

!Dream Sequence!

"Oh, honey, don't go! I'm begging you not to go!"

"I'm sorry my love, but I must, this is a way for me to atone for what I have done."

"Please…our son needs you; I need you!"

"Don't worry, I will be fine. However, if any Death Eaters come here, just run okay? Run. Don't wait for me. I will find you no matter where you go."

"I love you…you will always be the only man that I could ever love."

Severus walked away from his perfect world that night, but later, when he returned, he found the entire village in ruins and not one person had been spared. He cried for the first time in years, even after his father had thrown him at the Dark Lord's feet to receive that Dark Mark.

With a newfound determination, he stood up and venomously declared for all the world to hear, "Voldemort, you will pay for this someday! Mark my words, you will pay!"

!End of Dream Sequence!

Severus woke up all clammy and sweaty. He checked the time and saw that it was nearing 5:00am. 'Might as well get up,' he thought to himself. He walked into the living room and ordered a strong cup of tea and sat down on his favourite black leather chair in front of the fireplace. He and his wife used to sit in the chair cuddling and thinking about their future together. Now, he was widowed and he felt like it was all his fault.

When the tea arrived, he drank it and stared into the fire, while contemplating his life. As the clock chimed six, he began to prepare himself for the coming day of lessons.

End of Snape's POV

That night, Harry was plagued by visions from Voldemort…

§Dream Sequence§

Sitting upon a throne that was carved out of stone (A/N: Hey, that rhymes!) sat a man – if he could even be called that – with serpentine features and eyes as red as blood that seemed to be able to bore a whole of pure hatred right into your very soul.

"My loyal followers, the time has come for us to put our plan into action. It shall take place on Halloween; I wish to leave a little 'gift' of remembrance to our favourite Hero." Voldemort began chuckling which soon turned to a full out evil laugh, and his Death Eaters weren't very far behind him…

§End Dream Sequence§

Harry awoke covered in cold sweat, and looked at the clock beside his bed. Seeing that it was 4:37am in the morning, and knowing that he wasn't about to get anymore sleep, he silently made his way down to the Common Room to sit in front of the fire.

After settling himself down, he decided to call for Dobby who appeared quite suddenly.

"Yes, Mr. Harry Potter Sirs, what can Dobby be doing for you! Dobby is so pleased you called Mr. Harry Potter Sir, Dobby's is been wanting to give special birthday present to Harry Potter!" The little elf was bouncing up and down, so full of jot and excitement in these dark times.

Opening the multicoloured wrapped package, he wasn't surprised to see a pair of mismatched socks. One was red with golden snitches flying around, and the other was a deep blue with a black panther with green eyes prowling around.

"Thank you Dobby, they are very nice. Now, do you think that I could get that nice mug of hot cocoa, and maybe some whipped cream and marshmallows on top?" (A/N: That sounds so good for right about now!)

"Right away Mr. Potter Sirs!" With a pop Dobby was gone, and a few seconds later, the appearance of a steamy hot mug of cocoa was it his place.

Pondering over what Voldemort was planning, he failed to notice a fat, ugly brown rat that was watching him from the shadows. However, he did notice when a redheaded young lady came to sit down beside him.

"Harry, have you been down here all night?" Ginny met his soul-deep, emerald green eyes, filled with confusion, deep thought and another that she just couldn't quite read properly. "It's almost time for breakfast you know, and the rest of the house is going to be heading down pretty soon."

"Thanks Ginny, I really appreciate you 'waking' me from my thoughts." He sighed and looked into the fire once more. Ginny was about to leave when he spoke to her again, "Do you ever wonder…wonder what it would be like to live without the threat of evil hanging over you everywhere you go?"

Startled with the question, she paused to think about it more thoroughly. "I do Harry, I think about it everyday or whenever the war turns really bad, but no matter how much we try to gain peace in the world, there will always be someone bad to make someone good work just that much harder to live."

He turned to look at her, in all of her wisdom for such a young age; the war really had forced them to all grow up too quickly. He wanted to say something to her, to tell her how much she had changed from the shy little girl that he used to know, but his words were failing him.

"Just go on living your life as you would without the war and all the evil that we're in right now, because if we don't live, and just give up then it gives the dark side more hope that they will win and it makes it easier for us to be defeated. Don't give up Harry. I know you have horrible nightmares and you are linked to Voldemort and have had so much tragedy in your life, but whatever you do, you can not give up!"

They continued to gaze at each other for a few more moments; a look of understanding passing between them, before people started their way to breakfast. "Thanks Ginny" and he meant it.

Harry sat there for a few more minutes before stretching and deciding to begin his day. He dressed into his school uniform and put on his robe. He grabbed his textbooks and rolls of parchment and made his way down to the Quidditch pitch. There he did some flying exercises to wake himself up more fully. After a while, his stomach growled and he decided to make his way to the Great Hall for some breakfast.

"Hey Harry, where were you this morning mate?" Ron seemed to wake up at the sight of all the food and dug in without waiting for an answer.

"Quidditch Pitch," was Harry's only response.

"What, may I ask were you doing down there?" Hermione asked before giving Ron a face of disgust, "Honestly Ron, can't you eat like a civilized person for just one minute?"

"I woke up early this morning and needed something to pass the time."

"Well, you could have done your homework." Harry and to roll his eyes; that was such a typical Hermione statement.

"I finished almost everything, including that History assignment for Professor Binns on the Goblin Rebellions due this Friday!"

Now it was Ron's turn to look dumbfounded, "You mean you even completed that three foot essay on the Dark Arts that Professor Winchester assigned us?"

"Oh, that? Ya, I finished that. The only thing that I have to do is that essay on Animagi transformations for McGonagall, and I need to go to the library to complete that one."

"Alright, but let me know when you go because I need to finish my Arithmancy homework. Oh, look, the mail's here…"

Ariel flew in and dropped a large parcel onto the table, and as she flew away, left one of her feathers in Ginny's cereal. Harry opened the letter, which read:

Hello Harry,

How are you? Is everything al right? How is school so far? Is the work easy? Have you started Quidditch practice yet? Has anyone asked you any questions of where you have been? Ah, well, enough of that for now.

Your mother and I have decided that when you get your major assignments and projects, we want to know the grades. We've also decided that we will stay in contact every two months so as not to draw too much attention to you.

Everything at Midnight Manor is basically the same since you've left.

Harry, it's your mother here, you must remember to watch yourself, as there are spies everywhere. No matter what kind of situation you're in, always trust your instincts.

Lots of love,

Mum and Dad

P.S. Remember to change your underwear!

Harry blushed at the last sentence and turned to his friends. "Well, I think it is time we make our way to classes." Still smiling and laughing, the trio made their way out of the Great Hall.