With the fall of The Dark Lord came the long awaited peace. Then two lone servants of Voldemort came forth to extract revenge…Slowly and painfully. Again opposition is needed. Again they must fight for their lives. Again Severus Snape comes forth along side the one Harry Potter.

Pairing: HPSS

Rating: M

Warning: There will be SLASH! (as the pairing states above) If you do not like then please DO NOT read! If you come crying to me about attempting to harm your delicate eyes, I will chuckle to oneself and place you in my "Do Not Care" outbox. Swearing will be found and if there is to be any other Warnings I will place them in the Chapters as necessary.

Updates: Haha let's just forget this part shall we?

Disclaimer: These characters do not, I repeat, do not belong to me. JKR is the lone soldier who owns these beautiful people. The plot is mine with the exception of the parts that I have burrowed from "The Queen Of The Damned" Oh how I love playing with these precious souls...

Thank you Tori for being the beautiful person and Beta that you are KISSLES AND HUGGLES

Erroneous Shadow

Chapter 4: Unfocused Perseverance

Getting out of bed this morning, I decided, was the most stupid, unintelligent thing I'd done in quite a while. As I watched Dumbledore smiling (was he actually humming!) at everyone, Snape glaring as he drank his tea, Ron trying to talk over everyone, Hermione muttering to herself as she looked through that huge book, and our Head of House coming along the table handing out what seemed to be an announcement, I rectified that last assessment: waking up this morning was the most stupid, unintelligent thing I'd done in quite a while. Woe is the life of Harry Potter.

Yesterday I had informed Dumbledore that my decision was, of course, yes.

"My dear boy, I have great faith that you will fulfill this perilous favour the Ministry has asked of you. Severus has already agreed. You will once again shine among your peers."

Well no wonder I was always damn shining. Did my peers have to throw their lives away to the smiling idiots surrounding them? No. They got to eat waffles while I was kept on a strict diet so I could keep up with all this saving the world bullshit.

I put on a smile as McGonagall handed me my piece of parchment. Don't know why I bother really, I've yet to see the woman respond to anything with a turn of her mouth. Everyone around me was already reading their notes; pushing my glasses higher onto my nose, I squared my shoulders and began reading mine.

Mr. Potter,

We have arranged to hold an excursion specifically for all those who will be graduating this year. A meeting for the Seventh Years in your House will be held during your Transfiguration lesson today.

Albus Dumbledore – Hogwarts Headmaster

Minerva McGonagall – Gryffindor Head of House

I stared dumbly at the parchment in my hands. Well that was unexpected. Ron had already put his note in his bag and was half-way through his second helping of breakfast. Hermione was using her note to bookmark the page she had left for her scrambled eggs on toast. I shoved the parchment into my bag and looked for something 'healthy' to fill this hole I called my stomach. Hmm, this excursion was becoming quite agreeable to me; a distraction was just what I needed.

Sitting in Potions while waiting for Snape to talk to the Slytherins about this excursion, with Hermione chewing my ear off wasn't my idea of fun.

"Harry…Harry! Are you even listening to me? This could be extremely important. Have you forgotten your peculiar reaction that dream of yours caused? I have my suspicions on what caused your sickness. I can't say just yet, but the research would move along a lot faster if you and Ron would help me. What with your suicide mission with Snape and this excursion coming up…"

I felt my stomach drop at the mention of my mission and the excursion.

"Hermione, has anyone said when this excursion is?"

"What? No, I don't think so."

Ron looked up from drooling on his desk beside Hermione when I let out a groan and let my head hit the desk with a dull thud.

"Harry, mate, are you trying to give yourself brain damage? Hermione what did you do for him to try and dent his skull like that?"

"Don't blame this on me! He just asked did I know when this excursion was and after I'd said no he started beating himself up."

"Oh shut it you two. My head hurts."

"Well no wonder mate, you have an egg sized lump smack bang in the middle of your forehead."

I glared at Ron as he leaned forward, reaching out to prod my 'egg' while grinning.

"Since you are both so amused by my current pain I will not inform you of the reasoning behind my throbbing head."

"Oh come on Harry. You might as well tell us now because we all know you'll tell us later anyway."

"This is why I'm not going to tell you now."

I hid my grin as Hermione huffed and turned away from me, while Ron just rolled his eyes and continued to drool.

"Excellent Harry. You managed to yet again aggravate your two best friends. I really do congratulate you on a job well done. Do it again."

I looked up to my potions partner for my last year at Hogwarts, who was grinning down at me while rubbing his hands together. I couldn't help but laugh. Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter may now be considered friends, but Draco was still The Evil Ferret and me, The Heroic Lama.1

"No Draco, my complexion is none too agreeable with all that sweating involved in successfully coming forth as stubborn and annoying. I'm thinking of banging my head against the desk again though. Care to join me?"

"Well I would but my hair would fall out of place. And we all know how much I'd hate that to happen. My offer stands at thus, I shall help you to bash your head into the desk, laughing manically while doing so of course."

"Oh, of course. We must keep up our imagery. Will your help consist of a firm grip on my hair or by magical means?"

"Harry, Harry, Harry. You still have much to learn. You should know physical methods triumph over magical in the pain department, so naturally I'll be using your hair as leverage."

I held back my laugh as Draco buried his fist in my hair and began to tug my head this way and that while muttering to himself about angles, wood, strength and something about black bunnies and his sight being too light.

At his last mumble, I lost control of my amusement. As I clutched my stomach and bent over double, I watched from the corner of my eye as Ron and Hermione chuckled at our good-humored bantering and at Draco who had let his hold on my hair go and was now looking at me with the old eyebrow raised.

I waved at him in an attempt to get across that I was fine and all would be explained once I could breathe again. He rolled his eyes, crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently.

He reminded me so much of Mrs. Weasley that breathing was lost in the hilarity once again.

"Sorry…deep breath…you said something about black bunnies and your sight being too light. It didn't make any sense, which isn't you to not make sense, so I found it comical."

Draco's eyebrows knitted together and he looked at me confusedly.

"What the? I didn't say anything about black bun…oh! Harry you incus 2, I said that I needed black sunnies because the light was too bright."

I stared at Draco and blinked.

"What's the use of having black sunnies? Yeah it'll keep the light from stinging your tender eyes, but you won't be able to see. That's pretty stupid Draco."

"Harry," Draco started off patiently, "The lenses would be normal, but the frame would be black. Could you imagine me in anything other then black framed sunglasses?"

"Oh, right. I knew that. And no, you in anything but black would be awfully abnormal."

Draco sighed and took the seat next to me. Everything had gone awfully quite I realised. Even Ron (who was usually turned, facing me, so that we could talk strategies) was facing the front. And he only ever did that when…

"Mr. Potter! We could all start the last lesson of our already wasted double if you would ever so kindly face the board and listen so you can start on my instructions. I do not want to see Mr. Malfoy completing this task without your help."

Muttering about Potion Masters with sticks stuck up their nether-regions, I nodded and pulled out my quill.

"Since we have missed our first lesson, you will be required to complete the theory during your own time. Tomorrow afternoon I expect to have a 12 inch essay written on the effects this Potion would have on the victim if the antidote was swallowed beforehand. The ingredients and equipment are in their usual locations. I expect you all to have the Potion completed by this lesson."

This was going to be a long single, I thought, as Snape looked directly at me when he'd finished his speech. Remembering why my head was hurting didn't help matters.

Following Ron and Hermione out of the dungeon classroom was the only thing on my mind as I put away mine and Draco's left over ingredients and the equipment we had used. Our Potion, Draco had said, was perfect and would earn us both a pass if we could do as well in the essay. I'd taken his word for it. I could just about smell the food floating along the drafty airways from the kitchens to the dungeons. Okay then, lunch was the only thing on my mind.

"Potter, stay after class. You and I have some…things…to discuss."

I groaned as I turned away from Ron and Hermione and my freedom. Hermione and Ron said they'd save me some food as they skipped from the room. I loved having friends who put me first.

Standing near Snape's desk as he stood up to place our completed potions in a near-by cabinet, I thought of this excursion. I had my suspicions that this excursion was to throw any unwanted looks off mine and Snape's up-coming battle. My face fell as I realised there would be no desperately wanted break for me.

"Well Mr. Potter are you going to stand there looking sorry for yourself or are we going to organise a well thought out plan to once again save the sorry arses that need to be saved?"

I smirked at my combat partner. When I was younger, Snape and I hated each other because we didn't understand the other's position. We assumed and therefore made bad decisions and said cruel things. We may still irritate each other to no end but at least we understood.

We had in ways opened up and although it wasn't personal it was comforting. I knew if I had problems I could go to him. I never told him the details, but he understood and therefore everything was alright once again…or as alright as it got in the Wizarding world. I may have understood why we worked so well together; we kept each other on track and we didn't distract the other. But I could never understand why when I was in emotional distress I would go to him, rather than Ron & Hermione, or Professor McGonagall, or, heaven forbid, the Headmaster. I suppose, even with magic, not everything could be explained.

"To be honest Sir, I won't be able to concentrate on anything but this hole in my stomach. I know we have to get onto strategies and such, but I'd rather be more prepared and well fed. I was thinking that having Ron talk with us would be an advantage. Of course Hermione would come along, and she'd be able to contribute too. No offence Sir, but we both know strategies is Ron's area."

"I know that Potter. I was going to suggest that he and his lady friend tag along to our meeting during your spare after lunch this Wednesday. Draco will also be attending. He knows the situation since I am his current guardian, and he will be suggesting a few ideas he believes will be valuable."

I stared dumbly at him.

"Huh. We're having a meeting on Wednesday?"

"We are as of now. I know for a fact that during your spares you sit in the middle of the Quidditch pitch, servicing your broom and flying at neck-breaking speeds around the grounds. This week you will be doing something…more productive." Harry had to chuckle at the amount of sarcasm that one sentence held. "Tomorrow I am unavailable so Wednesday it will have to be. Your other spares on Thursday and Friday will be spent in preparing and packing. Does that sound suitable to you Mr. Potter?"

"Umm, yeah sure. How do you know how I occupy my spares?"

Snape looked up at me from looking for something in his top drawer.

"Dumbledore tends to be quite protective of you Potter."

He went back to his drawer and I realised I was being dismissed. I stood up and after shouting a quick 'Bye Sir', I snatched my bag from the table closest to the door and ran towards the Great Hall.

Ron was playing chess against himself, as Hermione watched him sleepily from her position in the armchair near the fire. We were the only ones in the common room; the two third years that had been working on Divination homework had headed up to their dorms half an hour ago.

I had been right of course. The excursion was a way to cover up the newest threat to the Wizarding world. Each seventh year student had a 'chauffer' as such to accompany them to a course that focused on their currently chosen career. It would go for two weeks and would take place during the holidays. It was optional and you had to have permission from your guardians.

I was to go to Western Australia, as that's where The Institution of Spelled Artifacts was situated. When I left Hogwarts I wished to become a part of their staff. They had many artifacts that could only be activated by a Parseltongue. I would be offered a job instantly as, obviously, I was the only living Parseltongue, and the fact that I wouldn't be fawned over helped intensely. Australia hadn't been affected by Voldemort, as he hadn't conquered England in his time, let alone tried to invade oversea lands.

Dumbledore had told me when Riddle was still cursing, he had sent Death Eaters to scope out many promising countries but he had yet to corrupt them. That was a good thing in my books.

I wasn't going to Australia of course. Just as long as everyone believed I was, Dumbledore believed Snape and I were safe. Snape would be the adult 'escorting' me.

Staring out at the stars through the window, I watched Sirius' star blink at me. I sighed and smiled as Hermione let out a very unladylike snort. I would go along with what I was expected to do. Ron and Hermione would be safe along with everyone else again. I would survive and move to Australia then live like I had always wished.

Sometimes I wished I was a Slytherin, not just an underhanded Gryffindor.

:Beta'd Version:

1 There is an unwritten prequel to this story and Harry as a Lama is in the prequel…kinda like the moment with Draco being turned into a ferret.

2 Incus: a derogatory term used to insult someone's moronic/idiocy intelligence…this was made up by a couple of my friends…my beta calls me that all the time.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeee! It's done! It's done! Well as you can all see Chapter 4 is done. I'm sozzi it took me so long to get it out. I know I said I'd be updating every second day but hah as you can see that did not happen. My excuses are Parents and not being in the mood to complete what I had started on this chapter. I swear I'll be getting the next two out faster...well I'm going to try. I'm gonna be real pushy and ask could you read my one-shot Lifeless Lunacy…review if you can 'cause I wanna know how many of you like it.

Queen Zephora Yami & Hauntedemotions: thank-you thank-you!

im-a-daydream-believer: no you don't have to see the movie to understand this story…everything you need to know was pretty much found in Chapter 3…and I'll be explaining everything thoroughly…I've only used bits and pieces from 'The Queen Of The Damned' but I mainly wanted to use Akasha and the powers she held and could have held…I would just like to say that the movie is excellent and Lestat (this other vampire) is damn gorgeous…thank-you for your wonderful reviews by the way!

velze: haha no no not an abnormally dirty mind…lol just a very observant one…but I'm glad you pointed it out…sigh I love the fork incident…lol it just brings out my image of Ron so strongly…I'm very sozzi that it's taken so long for me to update…enjoy!

..:Klee:..

P.S. thank-you Sarah Katherine for your review on Lifeless Lunacy…I was terrified that it would be hated but you proved me wrong HUGGLES AND KISSLES!

Note: I just fixed up a couple of things and uploaded the chapters again...I know I haven't updated in a while, but I'm hoping to have the next chapter and a few more out soon...Thanx all!