A/N This is my first fic, so constructive reviews would be appreciated. I don't have a beta or anything of the sort, except for my little brother, lol.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Some snippets of dialog taken from DH.
Chapter 1 - Fight or Flight
The headmaster's office at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry was strangely quiet. The gizmos and whatsits that had lined the walls under the last headmaster were gone, replaced by dark tapestries and books of varying ages. The moonlight that streamed through the large stained glass windows seemed to dim, as if the light couldn't penetrate the oppressive mood emanating from the office's only occupant.
Severus Snape, current headmaster, was standing behind his desk, glaring at the largest portrait hanging on the wall. The painting, set in a thick gilded frame, portrayed an old man, silver haired, with a long beard and half moon spectacles, lounging in a large over-stuffed armchair.
"The Dark Lord has requested that I place one of the Carrows in Ravenclaw Tower," he reported. "He seems to believe that Potter will return to the castle, soon."
"Does he, now?" the portrait replied, with a hint of a chuckle.
"Yes, he does." Severus quipped, "And based on your reaction, you agree with him. What aren't you telling me? What do you and the Dark Lord know?"
"My boy, I am sure there are many things that I know that you do not." The painted blue eyes seemed to sparkle with mirth.
"Damnit Dumbledore!" Severus shouted, beginning to pace. "What are you playing at? Why would Potter return to Hogwarts? He's going to get himself killed! He-"
"Severus," Dumbledore's portrait interrupted, the levity of the previous moment vanished, and his face turned serious, almost sad. "You know how this ends. So far, everything is going as planned. If Voldemort is scared, than the plan is going very well indeed."
"The plan! The plan! And what plan would that be? Your plan to send a boy into the middle of a war, with no help -"
"He has his friends."
"More children!" Severus stopped pacing, turning back to the portrait of the former headmaster, an accusatory look on his face. "You make me swear to protect the students of this school, while you use them to your own ends! Now, you've set this school up to be a battle ground! You sent Potter out there on a suicide mission, and you won't even tell me what the mission is! I was supposed to protect him! We were supposed to protect him!"
"I'm sorry, Severus. But this is how it has to be. For Voldemort to die, the boy must die too. As for the rest, I'm sure you'll find a way to protect the other students of our school when the time comes."
"Damn you, Albus!" Severus sneered the former headmaster's name like a curse. "I'll find Potter, I'll find Lily's son, and I'll see that he's safe if I have to drag him - ahh!" He cut off as his forearm began to burn. Pulling up his sleeve, he stared at his Dark Mark, a ball of ice forming in the pit of his stomach. "Alecto…."
"It appears that your Death Eater has found Harry for you."
With one last scowl at the portrait, Severus collected himself and stormed out of the office, heading toward Ravenclaw Tower.
The halls were empty at this time of night, but Severus did not run. Quickly calculating the shortest route to Ravenclaw Tower, he ducked into a little used passage. Hogwarts had been his home for most of his life, and he had no trouble navigating through the hidden doors, secret corridors, and moving staircases. He was only a few levels below his destination when he heard the echo of footsteps. He stopped, hidden for the moment behind a large suit of armor, wand already in his hand. The other footsteps stopped as well.
"Who's there?" called a voice. Severus cringed. Minerva Mcgonagall was one of the last people he wanted to run into. But it couldn't be helped now, and perhaps the boy would be with her.
"It is I," he said, stepping into the center of the hall. He eyed Minerva for a moment, taking in her defensive posture, wand at the ready, before asking quietly, "Where are the Carrows?"
"Wherever you told them to be, I expect, Severus," Minerva replied.
Severus took a step toward her, scanning the hall over her shoulder. Potter was here, he was sure of it, but he was probably hiding under that damned Invisibility Cloak of his father's.
"I was under the impression," he said, "that Alecto had apprehended an intruder."
"Really?" Minerva said with feigned surprise. "And what gave you that impression?"
Before he could control the movement, Severus' left arm tensed slightly. Not much, but he knew Minerva had noticed.
"Oh, but naturally," she said, her eyes flicking briefly to his arm. "You Death Eaters have your own private means of communication, I forgot."
Severus flinched internally at the disgust in her voice, but didn't indulge her with a reply. He stepped slowly closer, eyes scouring the hallway for any sign of Potter.
"I did not know that it was your night to patrol the corridors, Minerva," he said casually.
"You have some objection?"
"I wonder what could have brought you out of your bed at this late hour?" Severus asked nonchalantly, still inching closer. He needed to find Potter. Needed to get him away from Hogwarts before the Dark Lord arrived. Needed to save him, even if that meant saving the fool boy from himself. Either Minerva knew where Potter was, or she was in his way.
"I thought I heard a disturbance," She said, voice guarded.
"Really?" Snape stopped, only a few feet in front of Minerva now. She knew. She was hiding Potter from him. His voice turned cold, quiet. "But all seems calm." Severus returned his gaze to Minerva, his patience gone. He met her eyes, putting a touch of Legilimency behind his next words. "Have you seen Harry Potter, Minerva? Because if you have, I must insist -" He saw her wand hand begin to move, and instinctively threw up a Shield Charm. Her Stunner deflected, and the force of the charm knocked Minerva off balance, but not for long.
With a flourish of her wand, a torch came flying out of it's wall bracket. The torch became a lasso of fire, reaching angrily for him. He wrested control of the fire from Minerva, transfiguring it into a large, black serpent. She seized control again, first turning the snake to smoke, then the smoke solidified into daggers which she hurled in his direction. Severus used the suit of armor as a shield, the daggers sinking into the breast plate.
Severus could easily best Minerva when it came to strength or even skill, but she had one major advantage. He didn't want to hurt her. The students would need her to survive the upcoming battle. And while he and Minerva had never been friends, he respected her. She, on the other hand, had no similar qualms.
"Minerva!" a squeaking voice called from farther up the hall. Filius Flitwick, head of Ravenclaw House, came rushing toward them, obviously drawn by the commotion. He froze for a moment as his took in the scene, eyes coming to rest on Severus with a scowl.
"No!" Filius yelled at Severus. "You'll do no more murder at Hogwarts!"
The suit Severus had been using as a shield sprung to life and reached for him. He shoved it away and took flight, straight up to the ceiling of the corridor. As the suit crashed into the wall of the corridor, Severus saw him. Potter, legs still tangled in the Invisibility Cloak, but unmistakably him. Severus started toward him, when another spell smashed into the ceiling a few inches from his head. Turning, he saw Pomona rushing up the hall behind him. Three against one. He was sorely outnumbered, if not necessarily outmatched. With one last look at Lily's son, he flew down the hall, into an unused classroom, and out the window.
"Coward!" Severus glanced over his shoulder at the voice. Minerva was standing in the broken window, flinging spell after spell in his direction. "COWARD!" she screamed again as Severus fled into the night. And while part of him fled from her wand, he knew that he was mostly fleeing from the look of sheer hatred on Minerva's face.