Title: P.O.W.

Author: Unspoken Tragedy

Rating: PG-13 (pretty much my default rating)

Spoilers: None that I know of

Disclaimer: I do not own Snape. Too Bad.

Summary: "The children entrusted into my care have been pushed into the waiting arms of a madman and you say you understand?"

Series: None

A/N: Sorry.

This fic (and probably every other I ever write) is dedicated to my mother. I miss her like hell.

P.O.W.

The Headmaster simply sat there. As he ranted and raved, spit and growled, Dumbledore just sat primly at his desk, watching.

Oh, how he wanted to hit the old man. The damned daft old wizard who didn't care who his actions affected as long as he, himself was sitting in his great ivory tower, safe from the repercussions such acts ever incurred.

"You never cared, Albus," he hissed. "Not for them."

"You know that isn't true."

Snape glared. "Indeed. Well then I suppose it must pain you to hear that I will be leaving with them."

And there it was. The reaction he'd wanted. Albus Dumbledore smoothly rose from his chair. In an instant, Severus found the older man's wand pointed at his chest. "You will certainly not."

"And how do you propose to stop me?"

A flick of the wand. Severus heard the door behind him bolt shut. "Oh, very good, Albus," he sneered. "Lock yourself and one of your teachers in your office. Yes, that will not cause any suspicion at all. In fact, when everyone notices that you and I are both absent from dinner, I'm sure they will find it a singularly unremarkable occurrence. "

"Severus, I understand this is hard for you-"

"Hard? The entire Slytherin House just decided to leave Hogwarts and join Voldemort and you have the nerve to act like I've just had a moderately bad day? The children entrusted into my care have been pushed into the waiting arms of a madman and you say you understand?

"Go to Hell."

Dumbledore blinked. "I'm sure you did all that you could."

"While no one else lifted a finger to help, did you really expect me to save them?" Snape glared at the man he had once called a mentor.

"No."

Severus's voice dropped in degree as well as volume. "The why the hell didn't you help me?"

"There were other children that needed saving just as much, Severus." The Headmaster smiled sadly. "I knew we couldn't save them all." This confession was met with silence. "So, I focused my attentions on the more likely to be saved."

"Everyone but the Slytherins, then." The Potions Master shook his head. He reached for his wand to unlock the door, only to feel it transferred into the hand of the other.

"I am sorry, Severus." Dumbledore tucked Snape's wand into his robe. "I hope that this will not have an effect on your performance in class."

Severus stood and lifted the chair in which he had been sitting in a single motion. "Have you heard a single thing I've said? I will not be teaching here anymore. My resignation is on your desk!"

"Now, Severus. I really don't think you want to do that. You aren't thinking clearly." The old man smiled politely. He gestured to the chair. "I do hope you aren't planning on throwing that at me."

Severus slammed it into the Headmaster's desk. Both splintered under the pressure. Dumbledore scowled. "You're a cruel bastard, Albus."

With a wave of Dumbledore's hand, the younger wizard slammed into the wall behind him. "And you will learn to treat me with respect." He towered over Snape. "I hope that I don't have to call the Dementors on you."

Severus stared at him blankly even if he was horrified inside. "You wouldn't."

"Would you care to place a wager on that one, my dear boy?"

"I am not yours, nor am I a boy."

"Fawks!" Dumbledore called to his phoenix. "Take this message to Moody," he waved an envelope bearing the Hogwarts seal, "It seems our spy was really a loyal Death Eater after all…"

"Alright! Alright," Severus snapped.

The Headmaster returned his envelope to the folds of his robe; the phoenix returned to his perch. "I thought you would see things my way."

The anger had drained from Snape's voice. The only thing left was resignation. He should have known better than to try to play both sides. "May I have my wand back? We'll be late for dinner if we don't leave now."

"Of course, my boy." Dumbledore was smiling as he helped Severus to his feet. He brushed splinters off the other man before returning him his wand. With a hand on the dark haired man's shoulder, he steered him towards the Great Hall.

And Severus allowed himself to be guided. It was just another place he didn't want to go. But he had relinquished any semblance of free will long ago. "How were your classes today, Severus?" The Headmaster inquired politely, as if the past hours had not happened at all.

"How do you think?" The hand on his shoulder tightened imperceptibly.

"I'm sure tomorrow will be better," Albus beamed.

The pair's entrance into the Great Hall was met with silence and shocked stares. Apparently they expected Severus to have left with his students. Dumbledore smiled a greeting at the staring children and teachers and tightened his grip on the last Slytherin remaining at Hogwarts. "I hope you know that I'm doing this for you, Severus," he murmured.

Severus didn't answer, simply sat at the man's left and glared over at the still fascinated children. "I never expected you to be able to save them, child," he continued in that whisper.

"All I wanted was for you to be able to save yourself. That's all Severus."

Snape felt the irrational urge to cry, something almost foreign to him at this point. He knew it wasn't true. He was simply another trophy for the Headmaster to show off. Severus was just another prisoner of war.

He pushed his food around his plate, too sickened and tired to eat. He could feel the chains constrict around him, and cursed himself for not getting away while he still could.

A/N: So, I'm trying to write again. This did not end at all like I intended it to. I'm not sure that I like it at all.

For the very very very very few who do not know: POW means prisoner of war.