A/N: Thanks for the reviews.

Last chapter:

Spells shot from the open hole on the second floor. Apparently the Death Eaters had finally broken through the spelled door. A cutting spell clipped Snape's arm, and he hissed in pain. His hold loosened on Harry, and the boy started to slip through his arms. Ignoring the pain in his arm and the blood trickling down it, Snape tightened his hold on Harry as he activated the portkey.

xXxXxXxX

After a few seconds, Snape and Harry slammed into the ground. Harry remained unconscious, and Snape rolled the boy over. Standing up, Snape pulled his wand out and levitated Harry's body. Once Harry was gently floating in the air, Snape began walking towards Hogwarts since the portkey had dropped them outside of the gates.

Even though it was summer, the Headmaster was still in the school for a few more days. Madame Pomfrey was away on vacation, but Snape thought that he would be able to take care of any injuries that Potter would have. Thinking about the boy, Snape looked at the body floating beside him. Now that they were out of danger, Snape allowed himself to sneer at the boy. Trust Potter to cause trouble even while on holiday. Not only had Potter been captured by the Dark Lord, but Snape would no longer be able to work as a spy.

When Snape had walked into the room, he had been shocked to see Harry surrounded by Death Eaters. The boy was supposed to be safe while at his relative's house. Snape, knowing the importance of the boy in the upcoming war, realized that he would have to do whatever was possible to help Potter escape.

After the Dark Lord had been defeated the first time, Snape had thought that he would finally be able to lead a more normal life compared to his previous role as a spy for the Light. When his Dark Mark had begun burning again over a year ago, Snape had been resigned to the role that he would once again have to engage himself. He knew that keeping Potter safe was important not only for releasing him from his mistake of joining the Death Eaters, but it was also important for witches and wizards all over Britain. He felt some bitterness over the fact that James Potter's son had such a significant role in his own life.

Entering the Hospital Wing, Snape lowered Harry onto one of the beds. Looking the boy over briefly, Snape decided that he would be all right for a few more minutes without some potions. It was more vital that he inform Dumbledore of what was going on. Grabbing a vial and swallowing an Energy Potion, Snape entered Madame Pomfrey's office and walked over to the fireplace. The Floo powder sat on the mantle, and after pouring some into his hand, Snape threw the powder into the fireplace.

Kneeling on the ground, he stuck his head into the green flames and called out, "Albus Dumbledore's office."

After a few seconds, the office came into view. A quick scan of the room located the Headmaster standing next to a bookcase. Seeing a head appear in his fireplace, Dumbledore set down the book he had been reading before walking over to the hearth.

"Ah, Severus. What brings you to my office?"

"You are needed in the Hospital Wing. I will explain everything when you get here," Snape answered briskly. Without waiting for a reply, he abruptly pulled his head out of the fire.

Picking up a few potions on his way, Snape went back to Harry's bedside. He heard the whoosh of the fire announcing the Headmaster's arrival, but he ignored the man as he concentrated on locating and repairing all of Harry's injuries. There was a sharp intake of breath behind him; however, Snape did not allow it to bother him.

Gently, Snape removed Harry's shirt. There were cuts and bruises all along his chest and abdomen. Selecting a healing cream, Snape briefly turned to Dumbledore and held it out. Wordlessly, the man grabbed the cream and began to lightly rub the cream onto Harry's skin. Once Snape was satisfied that that problem was being taken care of, he lifted the boy's head and dribbled some potions into the slack mouth. As the liquid entered Harry's mouth, Snape stroked his throat to help ease the potion down.

The healing process continued for a few more minutes. Once he was sure that nothing more could be done, Snape turned to Dumbledore. The Headmaster was staring down sadly at Harry, but he straightened up when he saw that Snape was finished.

"Let's move our discussion into Poppy's office," Dumbledore said.

Following the man, Snape settled into an armchair with Dumbledore sitting across from him. Without wasting a moment, the Dumbledore went directly to the point. "What happened?"

"All I know is that the Dark Lord captured Potter some how. I had been brewing a potion at the time, and he asked me to bring the potion to him. When I walked into the room, Potter was all ready there," Snape explained.

"When Harry wakes up, we will be able to get the whole story from him. Apparently the wards are not sufficient enough to keep him safe anymore. We will have to find somewhere else for him to stay for the rest of the summer. Continue your story, please, Severus."

"The potion that the Dark Lord had me brew is called the Conculco Potion. The instructions to brew the potion have been lost for centuries; however, the Dark Lord discovered a book last week with the instructions in it, and he gave me the book in order to create the potion. He did not tell me why he wanted it."

"What does the potion do?" Dumbledore curiously asked.

"It is used to suppress a person's magic," Snape replied. When Dumbledore glanced out the office door at Harry's motionless body, Snape nodded slightly. "The Dark Lord forced Potter to drink the potion. He said that he wanted to insure that Potter would no longer be a threat."

"Is the potion…permanent?"

"There is an antidote to the potion," Snape answered. "The original book is still in the lab at the Dark Lord's headquarters; however, I made a copy of the book which I placed in my personal library here at Hogwarts. The antidote is fairly complex to brew. It requires two weeks to make it, and some of the ingredients are difficult to find."

"It is imperative that the antidote be created as soon as possible. Harry is constantly in danger, but without magic, he will have no way to defend himself. Despite the precautions that are put into place, Harry usually manages, whether inadvertently or not, to run into trouble."

Nodding in agreement, Snape continued to speak. "After ingesting the potion, the Death Eaters were allowed to 'play' with Potter. That is the reason for his injuries. I was eventually able to cause a diversion that allowed us to escape; however, before we were able to leave the wards, Potter was knocked unconscious, and the Dark Lord discovered that I was a spy."

Silence followed his words for several minutes. Ever since turning to the Light and confessing his deeds to Dumbledore, Snape had felt that he had to make up for the things that he had done. He thought that he owed the Headmaster for keeping him out of Azkaban and for believing in him. Now that he could no longer spy for the Order, Snape was unsure what role he would play in the coming war. The Order had relied on the information that he could pass them concerning Voldemort's plans; however, those days were now over.

"Thank you, Severus," Dumbledore finally said. When Snape looked at him and raised an eyebrow, Dumbledore continued. "You saved Harry's life. Giving up your role as a spy is inconsequential in comparison. I am just glad that both of you are still alive."

Uncomfortable with his gratitude, Snape made a small noise of acceptance before standing up and switching the conversation. "I should begin on Potter's antidote immediately."

"Of course, Severus." Dumbledore stood up as well. Both men walked back into the Hospital Wing and stopped briefly at Harry's bedside. The boy was resting peacefully, and his chest rhythmically rose and fell.

"He should awaken sometime tomorrow," Snape said. "If there are any further complications with Potter's health, contact me immediately. I will check on him again tonight."

Robes flapping around his ankles, Snape swept out of the Hospital Wing. Heading down to the dungeons, the hallways were still and silent. His original plans had been to leave Hogwarts tomorrow and go home, but it looked like his plans were quickly changing. Even if he still left the school, he would be busy for the next two weeks creating Potter's potion.

Huffing in annoyance, Snape flung the door to his quarters open and stalked over to his library. Bookshelves lined the walls, and a desk stood in the middle of the room. Many of the dusty books were very old and had seldom been read. Without hesitation, Snape went to the third shelf over and the second shelf down. Pulling out two thin books, he was able to see the cover of another book hidden behind them. Gently removing the book, he walked over to an armchair and sank down into its depths.

Lightly turning the pages, his eyes flicked over each potion and quickly dismissed them. About half-way through the book, his hands stilled as he caught sight of the potion that he was looking for. The tiny cramped writing required his eyes to narrow slightly in concentration. The first ten pages gave background information on the Conculco Potion and directions for brewing it, while the next five pages detailed the needed antidote. Zooming in on the list of necessary ingredients, he pointed his wand at the desk and summoned a quill and parchment. After hurriedly jotting down the ingredients, he grabbed the parchment and wandered into his lab.

The lab was kept clean and tidy. The countertops were cleansed with a spell after every brew, and they gleamed in the light. Cauldrons were stacked neatly on a counter against the wall, and the ingredients cupboard was set into the back of the room. Every jar, bottle, and container was labeled with his spiky handwriting and lined up on the cupboard's shelves. With his careful organization, Snape was quick to locate the ingredients that were on the list. Even with his extensive collection of ingredients, he was disgusted to realize that there were several items that he would need to locate elsewhere.

Shutting the door a little more forcefully than necessary, Snape went into his sitting room and relaxed on the couch. He snatched a quill from the nearby table and began to take notes about the antidote. Despite the urgency and complexity of the potion, Snape found himself anticipating the challenge. When the Dark Lord had presented to him the ancient book, he had been eager to discover the potions which had been lost throughout the ages. Unfortunately, he had not had much time to examine the potions in detail; as soon as he had received the book, he had been told to immediately begin work on the Conculco Potion.

After analyzing the antidote and writing extensive notes, he was startled to realize how much time had passed. He had promised the Headmaster that he would check on Potter one more time that night, so he figured that he might as well get it over with. At least the boy would not wake up for several more hours. He only had to make sure that Potter was fine for the night before he would be able to finally fall asleep.

His footsteps were silent as he made the journey to the Hospital Wing. Even though there were no students to catch out of bed during the summer, Snape unconsciously allowed himself to blend quietly into the shadows. He was used to prowling the school after hours while hoping to catch some idiotic Gryffindor out of bed. As he walked, his thoughts focused on one specific foolish Gryffindor.

Snape had no idea where Potter was going to stay for the rest of the summer nor did he care. He only had to make the antidote for the boy, and then he could continue his life as he normally did when not teaching dunderheads. He would probably have to check on Potter periodically, however, during the two weeks that the boy would be without magic. The Conculco Potion had not been brewed in hundreds of years, and he had no experience with the potion. For all he knew, the potion could have some terrible side effects. He would have to study the boy and ensure that he lived long enough to take the antidote. Despite the severity of the situation, it would be interesting to observe how the potion worked.

When he entered the Hospital Wing, he heard a slight noise in the darkened room. Flicking his wand, a soft light filled the area. Potter was moving around on the bed, and a grimace marred his face every now and then. As he walked over and stopped beside the bed, Snape was able to barely hear Potter muttering unintelligibly under his breath. Apparently he was having a nightmare. The potions that he had given Potter earlier had been for his injuries; he had not expected Potter to need the Dreamless Sleep potion.

After checking the boy for a fever and inspecting his injuries, Snape opened up a cabinet filled with potions. With a brief cursory glance, he picked out the potion that he wanted and wandered back over to Potter's bedside. Opening his slack mouth, he poured in a potion to help with the nightmares. The effect on the boy was instantaneous. His movements quickly stopped, and the lines on his face finally went away. Potter's chest rose and fell in a rhythmic pattern again as his anxiety disappeared. During the boy's tossing and turning, the covers had become twisted. Not wanting Potter to catch a cold which he would have to heal, Snape efficiently grabbed the covers and rearranged them. Once he was sure that Potter was going to be all right, he gave the boy one last glance before leaving the room.

xXxXxXxXx

Arriving back at the Hospital Wing the next morning, Snape was not surprised to see the Headmaster sitting in a chair next to Harry. Dumbledore had been silently reading a book, but he put his book down as soon as Snape entered the room. It always slightly disturbed him that the Headmaster seemed to possess preternatural abilities in knowing what was going on around the school. Since his footsteps were silent even on the hard stone floor, most people probably would not have been aware that he had entered the room; however, Dumbledore had known the moment he had crossed the threshold.

"Good morning, Severus."

Snape walked over to the bed and began to inspect the boy again. He looked like he had not moved any more during the night. His injuries were healing nicely, and he would probably be fine - sans magic, of course - within a few hours.

"Has Potter woken up at all, Albus?" Snape asked.

"Not since I have been here," answered Dumbledore. "How is he doing, Severus?"

"His injuries are looking much better. He should wake up any moment now."

Nodding in satisfaction, Dumbledore asked, "And what did you find out last night about the antidote?"

"I have many of the ingredients in my lab, but there are some that I will have to find somewhere else. I will begin brewing the potion as soon as possible," Snape briskly replied. "What do you plan on doing with Potter in the meantime? I will have to check on him during the two weeks or more that it takes to locate the ingredients and brew the potion in order to see if he suffers from any side effects."

Before Dumbledore was able to reply, there was a small stirring from the figure on the bed. Both men gazed intently at the boy to see whether he was going to wake up or not. Harry's head turned slightly to the side and his eyes slowly opened. Raising one hand, Harry began to sleepily rub his eyes.

Relieved that Harry was waking up, Dumbledore grabbed the boy's glasses and extended them towards Harry.

When Harry lowered his hand, he finally noticed two blurry figures standing on his right. A yelp of surprise escaped his mouth as he scrambled out from under the covers and tried to hobble away. One of the figures came around the side of the bed and firmly grasped his upper arms. He struggled and tried to break the grip, but it was no use.

"Calm down, Mr. Potter. You are in the Infirmary at Hogwarts," a stern voice said.

The glasses were settled on his nose and he looked into the black eyes of a man with a crooked nose and dark, greasy hair. When the man saw that Harry was not going to struggle any more, he hurriedly released his hold and allowed Harry to take a few steps back.

"You are safe now, Harry."

The soft voice had Harry turning his head and taking in the sight of a very old man with a long, white beard dressed in strange robes. Harry looked back and forth between the two men and did not allow either one out of his sight. Finally, he was able to find his voice.

"Who are you?"