A/N : Short chapter today! I own nothing!

Thanks to BornOfElvenBlood!^^

Chapter IV: The report

The corridors of the castle were dark and empty. No sound could be heard inside Hogwarts in the middle of this night.

That's why, when a dark man entered the castle in the early hours of the morning, it woke every portrait.

During his progression the man could hear the grunting of the portraits, but it didn't bother him, and he continued his walk until he reached a stone gargoyle. He whispered a password and the gargoyle let him take the stairs it was guarding.

He walked up the stairs, which led to Dumbledore's office. When he opened the door, Dumbledore was already waiting for him at his desk. The dark man approached him.

"Which news have you, Severus?" Dumbledore asked.

"I informed her Albus," Severus answered.

"How is she?"

"Scared although she tries to appear brave," he said. "Stupid Gryffindor!" he muttered.

"Severus!" Dumbledore said with an angry voice. "The poor girl has every right to act as she wants. Will you be able to inform her of every step of our strategy?"

"I suppose."

"And what do you think Voldemort wants her to do?"

"I don't know. She asked me the same question."

"And what did you answer?"

"That he would probably treat her like a house-elf."

"Do you really think so?"

"It would be better for her than to be torture to death," Severus snapped.

"Of course, son, of course," Dumbledore said calmly.

For several minutes there was only silence in the office.

Severus was staring out the window. He was beginning to think that this situation would never end.

Dumbledore was deep in thought. Nobody could really know what the old man was thinking, but his wrinkled face showed his worry.

Finally, Severus decided that it was time to leave. In a few hours the sun would be high in the sky and he would have class to teach.

He would have given anything at that instant to live a normal life, to be a mere teacher without the threat of being discovered or a battle to begin.

He rose and left the office without a word.

The months to come were going to be difficult for everybody to live through.

A/N : A review please...