'How is it that my heart has stopped beating, yet my emotions run wild? This new verse terrifies me to no end. I am still the cursed man I was before-why? Why must I still feel this disgusting thing? My detached soul weeps for what I must now do. What I could not do before. Even to save my own life. I cannot. I cannot. But I must. I must take human life to sustain my own. Only this time...there is no Dumbledore to offer me protection. No Harry Bloody Potter to fight for me. I am alone now.

'Father swore that I would never touch the things that he would have granted me. He screamed that I was no son of his. Vowed that no heir would ever turn their back to the cause. So what have I now? Only this dark, molding cave. And the rats that are dying steadily. I wonder what Severus would have said.

'Severus...dear Severus, in his grave. A place I almost long to share. My dear Severus would have known how to help me. He could have offered me anything at his disposal. But could have is useless now. And isn't it strange that...for all that was lost in the war...the only one I cry for is him? But he was everything good in my world. My Severus. He never lied to me. He never forced me to choose. He was a strong man. He was always there to guide me. Not once did he steer from the honest truth, not once.

'Oh how I miss that man. So much more a father than the man who created me. A man who would rather to inform ALL truths rather than senseless ideals rooted in fear and brainwashing. I do miss him so. If only I had the strength to join him now. But I can't even gather up the stones to finally do it. I am such a cowardice man. Not even a man, but still a child in my terror.'

Harry stared at the torn and dirty page in pity. Despair so like his own was pored into the words as though he had written it. 'Who could have written this?' the young man wondered. His mind couldn't bring anyone who would be in such pain. But his heart wept along with the man who wrote this. The hints were there, Harry was sure. Especially the mention of him. But how to piece them together? He would normally take this to Hermione, but her workload as of late was grueling. Besides the addition of a new baby soon.

No, Harry Potter was on his own to figure it out. So he sat. He brainstormed. He thought harder than he ever had before. And he had no idea why it weighed so heavily on him to do so. He mused that perhaps he felt so strongly for this person's pain that he needed to save him. But hecould worry about the why later. Now, it was getting late, and he wanted to get home soon, as Ginny and the children were leaving tomorrow for Hogwarts.

At the retirement of Madam Hooch, Ginny was asked to take on the job of Flying Professor and Quidditch coach. Truly, Harry was pleased for her. She loved Quidditch nearly as much as he did, and she missed Hogwarts. So he would let this little mystery of his wait until tomorrow night.