Well, this is just great, thought Sirius as he stared down at the hay piled up at his feet then to the other centaurs that were promptly munching away on theirs. Sirius thought back to a few hours before now, when Severus had brought them to Hogwarts (more precisely the forbidden forest).

'Hey, I remember this place,' said Sirius admiring his surroundings. They apparated to the small clearing that the two of them used to use to have their "disagreements" and of course that would result in a one way trip to the hospital wing where they would quite literally carry each other to. 'This is where I used to kick your arse,'

'If you want to get technical about it we were equally matched and we kicked each other's arse and neither would win,' replied Severus as he strode away deeper into the forest, 'but now we have the possibility of differently matched power and being that you were in Azkaban for the better part of twelve years, I would say that as it stands I would win this time.'

'Oh really,' scoffed Sirius as he followed the Slytherin.

'Yes really,'

'You keep thinking that,' he laughed, 'where are we going anyway?'

'Oh well, since you already have blown your cover you are going to have to stay here in the forest until the boy gets here in a few days. Until then your presence here must remain a secret so you are going to stay here with the centaurs that after much persuasion have agreed to look after you in secret until such time as I say otherwise.' They arrived at another clearing filled with a herd of centaurs settling down for their evening meal.

'You didn't persuade them, you bribed them with hay,' spat Sirius as he noticed the many bales of hay stacked in piles around the clearing.

'Hey, be thankful it worked,' whispered Severus, 'because if it didn't then you were bunking with Aragog and his spawn,'

'Oh yeah really thankful and why couldn't I have just stayed in the dungeons? I mean there are plenty of them,'

'Because the Dementors have been given an exact number of people to expect inside the castle and if they sense an extra then they have permission from the ministry to enter the castle and take the extra person,'

'Oh, well I guess the ministry is getting better at this just-follow-Albus-Dumbledore's-lead thing, huh?'

'Nope, that one was my idea,'

'I hate it went your smart,'

'I know,' and with that Severus left Sirius with the centaurs. Just bloody brilliant I'm stuck here eating hay with pony boys while he gets to chill in the castle. Just brilliant. Sirius sat quietly staring at his hay when finally he gave in to his hunger and began to nibble the end of one piece.

A few days later when Sirius had finally managed to find food that wasn't poisonous and wasn't hay Severus Snape made his way back down to the forbidden forest. He found Sirius half asleep listening to Firenze jabbering away about the history of the centaurs and how they could tell the events of the next day by reading the stars the night before. Taking pity on the poor man (as he had been through the same speech before) Severus excused Sirius and they walked back to their "disagreement" clearing. Severus transfigured Sirius into a different person that he had been designing since he brought Sirius to Hogwarts then apparated them both to Hogsmead village and showed him to a room he had payed for him to stay at.

'You can stay here in Hogsmead because the Dementors don't have a number of people to expect,'

'Couldn't of mention that a little sooner,'

'I had to budget for this believe it or not this is coming out of my pay not yours, anyway, you can still shift into dog form at your will but I don't recommend it. Do you still have that rock I gave you?' Sirius pulled the rock out of him pocket and showed Severus.

'Good, I'll check every day and give you updates to the events at Hogwarts and let you know when I will be needing you services again,' with that Severus headed for the door and paused, 'by the way Remus is subbing in as the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher this year, and I asked him on his thoughts of you and he thinks you are guilty of the deaths of the Potters so don't go rushing to him for old times' sake.' Severus left Sirius to his thoughts and apparated with a crack. Moments later Severus Snape reappeared in the living room of his rather sad and dark home at Spinner's End. He walk straight to the fire place and removed his belt returning to his younger self. He lit the fire and threw a fist full of floo powder at it making it blaze an emerald green flame and he stepped inside without stating his destination.

Severus stepped out of the fire place of a prestigious looking manor house. The room was brightly lit by the light of the sun and seemed nothing like a place you'd find Severus. He wasted no time admiring the décor and marched straight out of the lounge and down the hall. Severus did however look out the tall arched windows along the hall. A smile crept onto his face as he spotted his most beloved structure, the Eiffel Tower. He was home. As he reached the end of the hall two blank faced butlers promptly opened the door and Severus strode through to a room filled with people displaying their abilities by filling the room with a mixture of fire, water, vines and roses and small cyclones and twisters.

'Severus,' called a voice and followed by it a very enthusiastic young man that was identical to Severus emerged through the crowd.

'Sebastian,' said Severus as his twin leaped into his arms, 'how have you been?'

'Bored shitless without you around,' stated matter-of-factly, 'and where have you been that was so much more important than the dragon rally last week?'

'The usual teaching, killing and cleaning up after Dumbledore; nothing new,'

'That's not hardly good enough,'

'Well I can't see how riding dragons through hoops is going to save the entirety of Britain and possibly the world if Voldemort gets his way,' said Severus as the twins made their way through the crowd to a door across the hall, 'besides if I leave it up to Dumbledore, his old age is more than likely to distort his judgement just like last time. Trust me it is better off if I'm in charge this time. Less people die that way,'

'You still miss her,' sighed Sebastian as they approached a set of large double doors with the crest of the Prince family on it that opened at their presence.

'Always,' replied Severus, 'now, I have to give my report to the council. We can talk later, OK?'

'OK, see at dinner,' Severus watched as his twin left then walked through to a circular room with a large semi-circular desk and six tall chairs seating the six members of the Council of Elements.

'Severus Snape,' came a solemn voice from an old woman in the chair with the symbol for fire, 'what business do you have with this council?'

'I've come to give my report on the current standings of the plan for the Voldemort threat,'

'Very well proceed,'

'As usual the current whereabouts of Voldemort is still a mystery however the Ministry for Magic has managed to capture and imprison twenty more Death Eaters leaving thirty Death Eaters still at large. Now, as I discussed with the council in my last report I was going to help release Sirius Black…'

'Release?' interrupted a man sitting at the chair with the symbol of water on it, 'more like break out. His face has been plastered on just about every wall, window and newspaper in the whole country, offering up enough money to buy a small island,'

'Yes, I'm aware of that and it is all going to plan. The Ministry thinks that he escaped by himself and that's how it's going to stay. I have safely hidden him where the Ministry won't find him and have given him instructions to stay there until I come and get him. Now, him being in hiding ensures his prolonged life span making the chance of the Order of the Phoenix to make a reappearance more likely according to my predictions,' said Severus reaching for his necklace, 'also I require his help to interpret the rest events of this year as I feel it to be a very interesting one and with understanding the events of this year it will be impossible for me to interpret what will be required for next year but based on previous readings I believe that this threat will be diminished completely in four years from the end of this year,'

'Indeed,' said the old woman seated at fire, 'continue as planned, but be weary we have received reports that Malissha has caught wind of your presence in Britain,'

'Duly noted, I shall bring my next report in the middle of the year,' with that Severus left the room; his eyes dark and cruel looking. So Malissha is still looking for me, he thought, you'd think one "no" would be enough, but no, not for her. He smiled a cunning and insane-like smile. Very well Malissha I'm ready for anything you throw at me.