1Summary: He hated Gryffindor and all that it stood for, but someone had gone to far. And that someone was from his own house... the thought made him sick.

A/N: This is a really big AU fiction, I guess. Rating is just in case. Also, this is Snape-centric and NOT a Snape/Hermione fiction. I think that it is wrong to rock the cradle and then sleep in it. And Hermione is a student, Snape is a professor. Last time I checked, that's a no no. Ahh! I'm done with my rant. Enjoy the story.

Chapter One: A Noise in the Dungeon

There was a whimpering in the dungeons that night, and it throughly annoyed Severus Snape. It was a constant noise, like tears or silenced screams, and Severus was finding it impossible to continue his re-reading of Hogwarts: A History in peace. Finally, he stormed out of his chamber, preparing to deduct house points from the criminal that dare to disrupt his halls.

He billowed down the hallway, falcon eyes scanning every crevice, searching for the noisemaker. With every clack of his shoes, he planned what he would do to the one he found.

'A Slytherin... just send him to his dorm. Hufflepuff... twenty house points. Ravenclaw... maybe twenty five. Gryffindor... yes... Gryffindor would lose fifty house points for the disruption. Plus a detention for the student.' His ears followed the sound to his Potion's classroom. As Severus Snape's brooding, black, sunken eyes turned around another corner, he saw it. A sprawl of yellow on the musty dungeon floor. His mind immediately raced. Hufflepuff of Gryffindor... Hufflepuff or Gryffindor.

The whimpering became louder as he came closer to the criminal. "Show yourself." Snape commanded, clicking to a stop on the cobblestone floor. "Who are you and what business do you have in my classroom?" Wand at the ready, he advanced in on the thief. Surely he, or she, was stealing the precious ingredients that were kept in his class... oh the punishment for this would be grand. Expulsion... months of detention. He resisted the urge to smirk at what he could do to the culprit.

Until he saw her. She was not a thief at all. Horror struck the professor as he realized there would be no punishing her. The student's maroon and yellow sweater, proudly displaying the Gryffindor lion was ripped and bloody. Her robe lay disheveled around her legs, her scarf was tied around her hands. The face Snape would have been bringing to Dumbledore was beaten and bruised. She still had her eyes gripped tightly together, and Severus tried to bring himself to comfort her.

Pale, bony hands put his wand away, and tired, brittle knees popped and cracked as he stooped down next to her. Severus Snape began to untie the Gryffindor scarf, unable to speak to the bleeding child in front of him. Instead his mind ran rampant with who could have done this. Only thieves could get into his classroom at night... thieves and... Slytherins.

'Could it be that someone from my own house? No... They couldn't have.' Snape only wished he was as sure as his thoughts sounded.

After he freed her hands, he began removing his robe. He knew that he would spook her if he didn't say anything. "It will be okay." He croaked, his voice less authoritative... and possible more fearful than ever. "You're going to Madame Pomfrey. She will fix this."

She opened her eyes momentarily, and he could see her tears. He closed his, and swallowed hard. No... Madame Pomfrey wouldn't fix this. This was beyond anything magic and potions could handle. Slowly he covered the young Gryffindor with his black, heavy robe.

Severus could feel her tense when he place a skinny arm under her head, and another under her knees. He pulled himself off of the dungeon floor and once more looked down at the child in his arms.

She was just in his class that day. Potions... fourth year... She was safe. What was going on? Who would have done this? She had always seemed so poised, so mature, and yet tonight she seemed too young, and broken. Tonight she was the second year who had stolen his powdered bicorn horn and shredded boomslang skin to make a forbidden potion, not the fourth year who had recently earned a one hundred percent on his toughest exam.

Walking swiftly down the hall, Severus became furious with her attacker. He hated Gryffindor and all that it stood for, but someone had gone to far. And that someone was from his own house... the thought made him sick.

Unknown to him, his steps had become rough and hasty. She whimpered against his shoulder when, thanks to a heavy step onto a moving stairway, her head slammed back into his bone. Snape paused and readjusted her, noticing that she was nearly unconscious. He worked up the courage to speak again, still with sorrow laden voice that was unlike him.

"It's okay... we are almost there."

With a croak and a groan, the staircase began moving towards the infirmary.

"We are almost there."