Disclaimer: It is all mine! Harry, Draco, Ron, Hermione, and Hogwarts! Oh, sorry, I must've been dreaming. Nope, none of it's mine except for, well the stuff that isn't actually in the books.

Chapter 2

Snape had, surprisingly, managed to go to bed that night at about 3 AM.

His classical music was still playing, albeit softer. The tape was now on some of Beethoven's more famous works. A muggle? Nonsense. Do you think a muggle could produce such fine works while deaf?

Snape was sleeping, alarm not set to go off till another hour. However, his sleep was interrupted by a sense of fear, anxiety, and dread with no apparent cause. This was enough to awaken him. He wasn't a good spy for nothing though, and trusted his instincts. Wand at the ready, Snape crept around his entire bedroom but found nothing out of the ordinary.

He opened his closet in order to get dressed for the day. Snape had no patience for choices that inevitably come from variety, so he always wore black. He had no time for a shower because he needed to get the potions to the Infirmary.

Snape couldn't imagine why Madam Pomfrey was in such dire need for Pain-Relieving Potions. He guessed Pomfrey was handing out potions left and right to sniveling children who scraped their knees or some such nonsense.

Before he exited his lab door with the vials of potion floating behind him, a thought struck him.

Potter.

Potter would probably still be lying on his black leather couch. How could he have forgotten about the boy?

However, after turning the handle, sarcastic remark at the tip of his tongue, Snape saw that Potter wasn't in the room.

Potter must've already awakened and left. Severus could still see the indent in the sofa where he had laid Potter the night before. The sun hadn't even risen yet, and so Snape was surprised (especially in Potter's fatigued state) that the boy was already up.

He knew he needed to plan what he was going to say next to the boy. He wouldn't go to Albus yet with the information about the river of memories. He would find out what was actually in the memories first. And the only way he would be able to do that would be with Potter's compliance. Damn his conscience.

Also, if he did go see Albus, Albus would probably find out about Potter fainting. The headmaster had a knack for knowing the entire scope of a situation at first glance, so it was best if he didn't know about it in the first place. Albus would not understand that Snape had no choice but to allow Potter to stay. Albus would think he was actually showing the boy compassion or something to that effect.

Perhaps Albus would even throw in the word 'sleepover' somewhere into that conversation. Snape covered his eyes in preemptive horror. That would not do!

BREAKBREAKBREAK

Harry was already sitting at the breakfast table when Ron and Hermione walked in, hand in hand. Harry watched them look around, and their forms stiffened when they spotted him. They approached, and Harry could see the nervousness in their faces.

They sat down, and it seemed as though nobody would break the silence until Ron cleared his throat and said, "Harry, um listen mate. Hermione and I, um, wanted to say we were sorry about what we said on the train. We didn't mean it."

Hermione joined in. "Yeah, Harry. You should be able to keep secrets to yourself. We just worry about you, okay?"

Harry nodded his head and went back to mushing his eggs with his fork. The eggs got more of his attention than his friends because he didn't look up, even after he heard them start up their own conversation.

However, he did look up when he heard Dumbledore say, "Ahh, Severus. What has kept you? Breakfast is almost through."

"Headmaster, I simply had to complete a potion needed by Poppy. I assure you it was nothing to fret over." Why did Snape sound so…. genial? Well, genial for Snape.

Harry almost liked his biting tone better, because at least it was predictable. Not this….happy tone that was confusing Harry.

Harry thought about how strange this new day was becoming.

Earlier That Morning

"So, you have a history of chronic migraines that has been dormant for five years?" she asked very slowly, as if talking to a 5 year old.

"Yes." He answered. Plain and simple.

Madame Pomfrey looked at him pleadingly. But Harry had nothing else to say. He could barely think over the overwhelming pain in his head.

Although he knew Madame Promfrey didn't believe him, she slowly handed him the Pain-Relieving Potion. Which was all Harry needed from her, and he quickly turned around and left the Hospital Wing.

It was all Snape's fault. I told that bloody bat to stop, but he stayed.

He shuddered with the thought of what Snape could've found.

BREAKBREAKBREAK

Snape was having an unusually hard time plotting his next move, Potter-wise. His brief ideas of being honest with the boy and asking for answers were seeming like a more horrible idea the more he thought about it. If Potter was spending so much effort to block those memories, there was no way he would tell his least favorite professor under any circumstances.

He needed to learn more about the situation, without Potter knowing he was doing it. Snape tended to the fire and searched the flames, as though the answer would come at him like the heat.

He could search for information in their next Occlumency lesson, although it didn't work too well last time he tried it. If Potter passed out again, Snape would have to deal with it again.

No, definitely not.

Also, his mind kept going back to the phrase, 'everyone deserves secrets.' It was exactly what Albus would say to him whenever Snape was feeling pressured to spill his guts. It was Albus' way of comforting Snape without forcing him to give up his dignity.

Not that it matters anyway, I'm sure Albus knows most of my secrets.

So, if he couldn't look in Potter's mind…. he could look through his stuff! Physical belongings are less sacred than memories, right?

Right.

But, how? Those nosy Gryffindors will be crowding around me like lions to an antelope if they saw me in their territory.

Snape strode toward the Owlery to clear his head, and was astounded at the amount of children in the hallways… there were none. Oh… He smacked his head. Today all the brats went to Hogsmeade.

Wait! What more of a perfect way than to rummage while everyone is at Hogsmeade? He shared a smirk with himself. Perfect.

Snape encountered nobody in the hallways to Gryffindor Tower. He glared at the Fat Lady. "Godric, save us from all that is Slytherin." He mumbled, trying to keep his lips as unmoving as possible. Trust the Gryffindors to come up with a password like that. But, he knew that was what it was because he overheard (not on purpose but kind of) a Gryffindor first-year use it that morning.

However much the Fat Lady huffed at his tone of voice as he said the password, she allowed him entrance. Snape scowled at the portrait and then his eyes were flooded with maroon and orange.

He had personally only been in the Gryffindor common room once before, when he got the new teachers' tour of Hogwarts by Albus Dumbledore. It was a sore sight back then, but it now was clashing terribly with the green Christmas trees that lined the wall opposite of the fireplace.

He didn't want to dawdle in the lair of the lions. Snape ascended the set of stairs leading to the boys' rooms. He counted the doors, 5… 6. Ahh. The 6th years. Only one more year after this and he will never have to see Potter again.

He put his hand on the brass doorknob and heard the door creak as he attempted to open it. It would not open. Snape said, "Alohomora," and it opened. That was easy.

He walked inside and looked for Potter's bed. Snape found a trunk with the initials HP on it and the bed above it had thick orange curtains surrounding it.

Pulling the curtains away, he was expecting to see an empty messy bed, probably with the covers strewn about. However, he instead found Potter, in the flesh, staring at what looked like a muggle photograph. Potter had turned to face him when he heard the curtains move, and now had a horrified look. He quickly shoved the picture into his pocket.

Snape only caught a glimpse of a newborn child, smiling up at a very fat man with blonde hair.

Curious.

His attention focused back on Potter. He wasn't expecting the boy to be here, and now Snape would need to explain why he was there. However, Snape was never known for taking responsibility in front of people he disliked.

"Why aren't you at Hogsmeade?" he asked.

Potter seemed shocked that this was the question Snape asked first. He put his face in his hand and muttered something along the lines of, "I can be in my room whenever I want."

"Fine, let's go for something more concrete that your brain can comprehend. Who was that newborn and the man in the photo?"

Potter opened his mouth to say something, but instead emitted a small gasp and curled in on himself.

"Potter."

No response. Potter's hands came up to clutch his head. His fingernails were digging into the skin of his forehead.

"Potter. Give me some answers right now. I can't help you without knowing what is wrong."

The boy looked close to passing out and Snape wanted answers.

"Legilimens," Snape whispered.

He quickly made his way down into the tunnel as miniature screens went flying past him. He hadn't activated any of the memories, which must mean that Potter was thinking about them right now.

Before Snape could see what was on any of the screens, he was shot out of Potter's mind and he looked around to see Potter on the floor, unconscious.

Oh not again, Snape thought. Questions would be asked and he didn't think Potter would want to answer them. He pointed his wand at Potter and said "Mobilicorpus", watching as his body slowly rose into the air. He would've made sure Potter was invisible, but nobody would be in the halls, so Snape started walking down to the dungeons.

Snape went to his private chambers and whispered, "excessum est liberta." The door opened and Snape walked inside, slowly lowering Potter to the floor.

I didn't want to risk a potion before, but this is ridiculous.

Snape then went to his potion stores and got a mild pain potion and laced it with Pepper-Up potion. He spelled the potion into the boy's system. Snape sighed in relief. Hopefully, Potter would wake up soon and Snape could finish this nightmare.

However, before he wakes up…

Snape reached into his back pocket and grabbed the picture of the newborn and man. It was very hard to get this token, and hopefully the knowledge he would receive with that would be worth the trouble.

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