Don't own them. Darn


Albus Dumbledore sat in his office, contemplating his next action. He had not attended a meal in the great hall for the past week; instead he had the house elves bring him food. He knew that the only thing he could do now was wait and hear for news of Severus Snape. None of the other students had come back either. How had this happened right in front of him? Hadn't Severus come to him the day before asking him for protection?

Severus had realized the mistake he had made by getting involved with the death eaters, so he went to Dumbledore, hoping that the headmaster could offer him some help and protection. Albus had questioned his motives at first, prodding at the boy to get him to confess what was behind his sudden change of heart.

"Lily Evans, sir. It tears me apart to see her hanging all over Potter. I want to show her that I'm not bad like them, that I realized my mistakes."

The boy had been reduced to tears, right here in his office. He had never seen a soul as closed and distant as Severus' nearly explode from emotion. Albus had ached for the boy, realizing the pure love that coursed through his veins. It seemed strange for a Slytherin, cunning and resourceful, to be on his knees sobbing and asking for help guidance in front of the Headmaster's desk.

Albus had offered the boy different sleeping arrangements, as to avoid contact with his peers. He had asked the other teachers to keep an eye on him at all times. Severus had told him that he could get out of it, that he had yet to take the dark mark on his arm. He had assured Albus that as long as he had protection, he could get out of it. Severus had told him it was not too late.

But Albus knew differently. Albus knew that Voldemort thought a sixteen year old boy could be easily manipulated. It was far from over. They wanted Severus' power. They would kill to have it, and if they couldn't have it then no one else could.

Those thoughts ran through his head again as he sat at his desk, trying to figure out his next action. Just as he began to stare blankly at the wall because he was so lost in thought, an owl squawked and flew in, landing on his desk. It held out its leg. A small scrap of folded parchment was tied to the owl's leg. Dumbledore leaned forward with curiosity. He untied the parchment from the owl's leg and handed it a small treat he had sitting in the candy bowl on his desk. Unfolding the parchment, he found it to be red with dried blood. On one side was the loopy handwriting of Severus Snape. They were notes that had something to do with some potion and changing ingredients for something or other. Albus turned the parchment over and saw a different kind of handwriting, and the whole time he read it, he held his breath.

Dear Albus,

We regret to inform you of the unfortunate passing of Severus Snape. You should have seen it, it was awful. Bloodied and broken, the boy begged for death. Pity, isn't it. He did betray us, and he deserved death. Perhaps you'd like it described? He cried the whole time. He cried out for you and for some girl named Lily. It was gruesome, really. The Cruciatus curse was used a lot. We all took joy in throwing him around. The sound of his bones breaking as he was smashed against a tree, or the sound of his cries as we burned him from the inside out. Oh yes, he practically begged for death. He asked for it. He pleaded for it. You can't blame us for granting his wish.

Dumbledore let out the breath he had been holding in. Fear coursed through his veins as he stood quickly. He went over to the fireplace, throwing in a small handful of powder, he said "Minerva's office" and stuck his head in.

"Minerva!" Albus said.

"Goodness, Albus you scared me." Minerva stood from her desk and rushed over to her fireplace.

"Gather Horace and Poppy. Meet in my office. Quickly!" Albus said. He pulled his head out before Minerva could respond. Albus made his way back to the desk and stared at the note. Under it, a riddle was printed. There was a catch in his throat as he read it. Yes… he thought to himself. The thought of a smile had crossed his mind, but he didn't think he could bring himself to actually do it.

Moments later, McGonagall, Slughorn, and Madam Pomfrey entered his office. They were shocked to see Albus sitting in his chair staring up at the ceiling with a blood stained piece of parchment in his hand. They were sure it was about the recent disappearance of Severus Snape. The one that they had not acted quick enough to prevent.

"What does it say, Albus?" Minerva asked. Ignoring her question, Dumbledore mumbled his thoughts as he stood.

"The worst. I feared the worst. I tried to offer protection, but it didn't work. Now the worst has happened on my watch." Dumbledore muttered as he made his way to the front of his desk.

"What does it say?" Minerva repeated her question, stepping towards the headmaster.

"He's dead. It says he's dead. There's a riddle. I…I think it might tell us where his body is." Dumbledore crushed the paper in his hand. His face was contorted in anger and pain as he thought very hard about how it could've happened.

"Who is dead?" Slughorn questioned stupidly. Madam Pomfrey shot him an angry glare.

"Severus Snape." Minerva turned around and spoke his name quietly. Slughorn's eyes grew huge before filling with tears.

"What? No! He had so much potential! He could've been someone in the world!" Slughorn wailed as he sat down in one of the chairs near the desk.

"Far and near you'll look
But it'll be so clear
Right in front of you he'll be
But blindness separates
Life and death, you see
Find him before you can't
And he may just have a chance."

Dumbledore began to read the riddle that had been written under the cold words informing them of Severus Snape's demise. He practically begged for death. Bloody and broken, boy begged for death.

"Albus! We have to inform the Ministry! They've got to know that he's killed a student!" Minerva took another step toward the headmaster.

"I'll owl the Ministry tonight. But Minerva, there is a possibility he might be alive. Maybe if we tell his friends…" Albus was interrupted by Madam Pomfrey.

"The boy had no friends! None at all! Why do you think he was in this mess? No one cared for him, about him! Lily Evans was the only one!" Madam Pomfrey spoke harshly, her eyes filled with tears. She had cared about him more than any of the others in the room.

"There has got to be someone who will help beside just the staff. Maybe Minerva is right and we should recruit help from the Ministry. Aurors, maybe." Slughorn suggested.

"If we solve the riddle in time, we can save the boy. I know that he asked you for help and you feel guilty you couldn't help him. If we think about this we can find him before it's too late." Minerva placed a caring hand on Albus' arm. "At the very least, we can give his family a body to bury."

"Are we going to inform Miss Evans? Earlier today she asked me if I had heard anything about his disappearance. She is still concerned about him, even after their famous little incident last year." Madam Pomfrey said.

"Tomorrow morning. For now, we must let her sleep." Albus sighed. The riddle was running through his mind non-stop. What was right in front of him that he couldn't see?

XXXXXXX

It was nearly midnight when Lily awoke for the eleventh time that night. Her face covered in a thin layer of sweat and her night clothes sticking to her body. Her red hair was stuck to her face and her eyes were filled with tears. She had that horrible 

dream…again. The one where she was walking by the lake after dinner and she spotted something moving in the bushes by the edge of the forest, then she went into the bushes and saw Sev hanging from a tree while the death eaters laughed at his body.

She thought about waking James and seeking his comfort, but that wouldn't help. James was no comfort. He hated Sev. She even blamed her lost friendship with Sev partially on him, but wasn't angry at him for it. It was in his nature to be a little rough with others.

Instead of seeking comfort with her boyfriend, she quietly got up and exited the dormitory. She made her way down to the common room and went to the fire that was still crackling. Sitting on the floor, she hugged her knees to her chest and began to cry. She wasn't mad at Sev anymore. She forgave him. She wanted to be his friend again. She wanted to tell him how she really felt about him. She wished she could hug him and tell him that she was sorry she hadn't accepted the apology sooner and that she was James' girlfriend. She knew that she would never see him again, and if she did it might be in a casket at a funeral in which few people attended. Nobody who was kidnapped by death eaters and gone a week ever returned alive.

She buried her head in her knees and sobbed. She didn't know how long she sat there and sobbed on the floor of the common room, but eventually she felt someone's hand on her back.

"Go away, James." Lily sobbed, not looking up at the intruder.

"I'm not James." the voice of Remus Lupin said quietly. She snapped her head up, looking at him with red, puffy eyes. "I heard you get up." he said as he sat beside her. "What's up?"

"Oh, Remus! I had a dream that he was killed!" Lily leaned onto Remus' shoulder. Even though she had been going out with James since the final week of her fifth year, she always found that she liked spending time alone with Remus. They had been close friends since their third year, but nothing more.

"That's awful." Remus sighed.

"I know you never liked him, and all, but I feel so guilty! What if he is dead?" Lily sobbed even harder.

"Why do you feel guilty? It's not your fault." Remus questioned.

"I know, but I never got to tell him that I forgive him! That I…." Lily trailed off and turned her head away from her friend.

"That you what?" Remus asked softly.

"That I loved him." Lily whispered. "I loved him before he called me that horrible name."

"It's alright, Lily. You don't know if he's de-…gone. He could show up at breakfast in the morning." Remus sighed.

"You don't know that!" Lily sobbed.

"Lily, maybe you should go back to bed or something." Remus stood and tried to grab her arms to pull her up.

"No!" Lily shrieked. She pulled her knees to her chest and began crying again. "Please…I just need to be alone for a while. I'm so worried…" Lily spoke after a few moments of silence.

Remus nodded and left her.

XXXXXXX

The next morning at breakfast, Lily was nearly the last one to arrive. Her face was pale and her eyes were still puffy. Her face void of emotion, she took her usual seat next to James at the Gryffindor table.

"Hey Lils. You look tired." James went to wrap one arm around her, but instead yelped as he received a kick in the shin from Remus. Lupin gave him the look that had don't-mention-last-night written all over it. Before anyone could say anything else, a first year Ravenclaw came running up to Lily.

"Lily Evans?" the girl asked.

"Yes." Lily responded.

"For you." the girl quickly shoved a note in Lily's hand before running off. Lily's brow furrowed as she curiously opened the envelope.

Miss Evans,

Please meet me in my office as soon as you can.

Sincerely,

Albus Dumbledore

p.s. Licorice Snaps are quite delicious, don't you agree?

Lily stared at the writing on the parchment. Her eyes began to tear up. She knew exactly what this meeting was about.


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