(A/N) Sorry, it's been a long time. So I've made it a longer chapter than the others! Enjoy…

CHAPTER 4 Plots, Plans, and Meetings…

Severus' memory

Severus truly loathed forays into the non-magical world. They were highly inconvenient, lacking all conventional means of transportation. And the last place Severus Snape would ever be caught would be in a muggle cab. Apparation was allowable in his currents circumstances, so that problem at least was eliminated, but he felt ridiculous garbed in foolish muggle clothing. The headmaster insisted it necessary, while personally Severus suspected he privately thought it amusing. He still managed to cling as much as possible to his customary black, but the point of dressing in muggle clothes was to be as inconspicuous as possible so he couldn't be his usual darkly dressed self. His temper, however, had been sharpened to proportions that surely were epic…

The flap of his robes were most audibly missing as he made his way to the door of number four, Privet drive. Blood red eyes followed his every action, intent on procuring answers. The Dark Lord caught every movement, never left Severus' form as he briskly knocked on the door of the muggle home. He watched as Severus impatiently knocked once more, and repeatedly as the door remained unanswered.

"Haven't you realized yet that they're not going to answer?"

Severus' reaction was minimal. He remained unruffled as he turned to face the owner of the voice, who was lounging against the fencepost of the neighboring household in the way only a teenager could.

"I will be getting an answer today no matter what. I have far more important things to do than loiter in this neighborhood to see a boy I don't even like!" Severus would like to say that the teen seemed properly cowed by the whip-crack of his voice, but he only looked annoyed at the interruption.

"You won't be getting an answer, because there's no one there to answer." The boy seemed perturbed by this, despite his acting nonchalant. He frowned, apparently worried over their absences.

"Are you in acquaintance with the Potter boy then? I was under the impression there would be more of a celebration if the Dursley's had left."

Severus silently felt gloating joy that the boy looked extremely surprised, "You know Harry?" Just who was this bitter, dark, stranger that had showed up looking for Harry? His eyes hardened. "You haven't told me your name yet, or what you want with Harry. Seeing as how the entire family has up and vanished, maybe it should be me asking the questions!"

Severus' breath hitched and he immediately flexed his hand towards the wand sheathed safely around his left arm. He stepped forward and quite alarmed the boy by grabbing his arm firmly. "What do you mean disappear!" He spat.

The boy struggled to remain calm, "let go of me, or I'm not telling you anything!" he spat in return. Severus released his arm but did nothing to reduce the space between them.

"Look," he began, "I've no idea why they've left, or even where they've gone. The Dursley's that is. Harry disappeared before they even left." Severus could only stare as the horror began to build steadily. "The Dursley's were never good to him, and I'm almost certain that they did more to him then he let on, but I don't think they'd ever kill him." The story came out in a rush, the boy was lightly panicky. "I don't think it had anything really to do with the Dursley's. It doesn't seem like something they'd be apart of." He shifted his weight around and flicked his eyes to from Severus' face and the ground. "Look, I know you'll probably think this is weird, but I swear it's the truth! The night I think he disappeared…" He still refused to meet his eyes.

"Look at me boy!" Severus fully employed his tone of voice usually reserved for errant Gryffindor's. "Tell me all you know!"

The boy succumbed to his temper and spoke rapidly. "You see that window there?" He pointed to a window higher up on the second floor of the Dursley's house. "That's where Harry's room is. You can see the window to my room as well," He indicated the window facing opposite Harry's. "They aren't perfectly aligned, but if either of us leaned out we could see a little into the others room, assuming the blinds aren't drawn. On that night they weren't. It was warm and both of our windows were open. It was late but I was still awake listening to music when I saw lights coming in from my window that I found were coming from his room. They were all sorts of colors, but mostly this deep green." Not until then did Severus truly begin to worry. "But there was this sound too… It was something unlike anything I have ever heard before. It was beautiful, but terrible. Like a flame that would burn you if you touched, but was so alluring, you would have found yourself reaching for it anyway..."

"The boy, who is he Severus?" Severus lifted his head from were it had been bowed before as he answered the Dark Lord. "He is hardly worth your attention, my lord," He said smoothly, "he is but a muggle by the name of Christian Arceneau. His family comes from France, he was born there but his parents moved here when he was young. He speaks both English and French."

"And yet, this boy is the only link we have to Potter. I want him brought to me. If he cannot supply any more information, then at the very least we shall have some new entertainment. Bella my dear, might you be up for a bit of fun?"

She grinned maliciously and aired her only concern, "What of the Order my lord? Should they show we may be captured…" Voldemort cowered her with a single glare, "I do not fear Dumbledore and his army of mudblood filth. They are inferior by far to my deatheater's, are they not, Bella? "

"Yes, of course my lord." She gave him an adoring look, striving only to please. Severus secretly laughed; they were lambs, the lot of them, and Voldemort the wolf among them. A wolf that also played the role of their shepherd. He silently contemplated the comparison as the orders for the upcoming raid were dished out.

"Malfoy, you will accompany Bellatrix. Mulciber and Avery, you will go as well. And take the new one, Avis. We do not need so many to take a mere muggle but the Order may show, and if they do you are to return immediately. The boy is not worth it. And besides," He smiled gloatingly, "Severus can inform us immediately of the Order's findings should they get him first."

"My lord…" Severus cautioned, "You know the Order has already been informed of all I know, why attempt this when it is near certain Dumbledore will show?" Severus hoped the comment would not incur a punishment felt necessary by Voldemort and he got lucky. The Dark Lord smiled indulgently and graced Severus with a small insight into his plans, "I am counting on it Severus, I am counting on it." And what a bloody useful insight it was.

XxXxXxXxXx

"I don't know what he's thinking at all!" To Severus, this was the ultimate transgression. To not know what Voldemort was planning was the surest way to get him killed. He paced furiously in the headmasters office having not even taken the time to remove his deatheater robes. The headmaster was not in the quite the state Severus was, but he, too, was worried greatly.

"Severus, are you certain that that is all he has showed up his plans? He has mentioned nothing to any other deatheater's about this?"

"Nothing! He merely examined my memory and made that damnably cryptic mark. But, mark my words, he has got something deadly up his sleeve and when he springs his trap, it is going to be nasty."

The headmaster merely looked thoughtful. "Albus, surely you do not intend to go after the boy?" His voice was deadly soft, his pacing legs had stilled as he glared at the headmaster. "You do mean to! Albus, this is definitely a trap. We cannot afford to make sacrifices simply to satisfy your curiosity."

"It is not for only curiosity that I would do so, Severus. I cannot, under any circumstances, willingly let a boy be captured by the Dark Lord to be tortured and then killed." Severus winced slightly, he had suggested just that. "And," his eyes twinkled, "If we do not go, then your position as spy may be compromised. Voldemort may suspect your warning to us." He scowled, knowing he had lost. "Do not fear, my boy, thanks to you we shall not be taken my surprise perhaps."

XxXxXxXxXx

For the-boy-who-lived, golden boy savior extraordinaire, life went on at Lamb. It was a long shot from the chaos of his normal life, but Cole was still kept on his toes. He had appointments with the good Dr.'s to worry about (which was really just an hour of conversation and attempts to draw out his past) and the façade of an amnesiac to uphold, not to mention a set of very mischievous brothers intent on causing pandemonium on earth. This was all in-between visits with the headmaster (not very pleasant) and the introductions to others at Lamb, all of who just had to know the story of how he came here, which he himself didn't yet know. Yes, he was busy indeed and it had only been just over two weeks since he had arrived

Currently though, he was enjoying a very relaxing nap in his room. Which naturally couldn't last long. It was the weight on his chest that woke him. It was the smooth rub of scales that caused him to bolt upward. It was the sight of the albino snake that made him scream before he knew what was happening. He toppled out of bed and was shocked into awareness by the unforgiving floor. He scrambled to his feet and ran for the door and… crashed headlong into Marc.

And it was then that he noticed the laughter. He rose to his feet pale and shaking. The laughter… He reminded himself that it must have only been a prank; it was a different kind of laughter, different then the merciless mocking of the deatheater's, different than the high pitched voice of Voldemort.

"Hey mate, are you alright? I didn't think it'd get to you that much." The voice belonged to a blond haired boy slightly on his right. His brown eyes were amused despite Cole's reaction. The redhead on his left mirrored the expression. His clear blue eyes were a fractionally more serious then his counterparts, he at least was slightly genuinely concerned. It was to him Cole addressed himself.

"Was that supposed to be funny?" He layered his voice in frost, he was really angry. The laughter died out quickly leaving five very unsure people. The blond opened his mouth to object but Dart beat him to the punch.

"Come on Cole, can't you take a joke?" Cole didn't want to attack Dart for what had just happened, he at least was only a kid, but the others were shifting guiltily now and he glared at them.

"I don't have very pleasant memories associated with snakes."

"I though you didn't have any memories at all?" A female voice intoned quietly. The doorway framed the newest invader into Cole's room. A girl roughly the same age as himself and the other teens in the room. She was many inches short of Cole's modest height. Her white? hair reached to her mid-back and partially obscured her sharp face with its long strands. She made no move to brush the hair from her eyes.

The blond haired boy scowled, "Aurelia has a point, I thought you weren't supposed to remember anything!"

"I don't," He interjected smoothly, "Though I have plenty of recent memories of nightmares, ones that sometime involve snakes." The lie was enough to appease him; he jumped from one mood to the next with ease it seemed. The white haired girl, Aurelia, made no move to come any closer. The rest of his audience seemed quelled. Marc hadn't said a word and was just now regaining his footing. Dart looked confused and the other two boys were yet again mirroring each others slightly annoyed, slightly abashed expressions.

"So," said Cole, "Any chance you're going to tell me who most of you are?"

Blond and Red looked at each other and grinned wolfishly. Inwardly Cole just groaned. The small Aurelia impassively looked on. Why was it always him who fate loved to toy with?

XxX Later in the day… XxX

Beseechingly, Cole looked to the ceiling of the Cafeteria as he entered it, ignoring the odd looks he got. The blond, Christopher Wolfe, or Wolfe as he preferred, beckoned him to come join him and his counterpart, Stephen. The rest of them were there also, Marc, Dart, and Aurelia, and also another girl who sat on Aurelia's right. Cole approached the benched table in the center of the large room. He bypassed the line of people waiting for food and took the only space available on the girls' side of the table and was greeted politely by the other girl there. She introduced herself as Gwen asumably short for something. She was quite robust in comparison to her wraithlike friend. She was hardly taller then her though, and so was a bit stocky. She smiled warmly though and was tan from time spent outdoors undoubtedly. Her hair was non-descript, neither dark nor light and her eyes were the same shade. She wasn't slim or bulky; she was a welcome newcomer to the insanity that had over-run his life of late.

Aurelia nearly whispered her greeting and refused to look up, quite opposite from the energetic chorus of hello's from Wolfe and Dart. Cole sat down with a soft greeting of his own.

"You're not going to eat Cole?" Inquired Stephen as a way of greeting. "I'm not hungry." Was his rather waspish reply, he disliked it when he was pestered to eat, he was just used to small amounts of food, but he could hardly say that for an explanation. Stephen nodded with no complaint for which he was grateful. "Can't see how that is, you're nearly as thin as Aurelia!" Wolfe chose to comment. Cole shrugged, he would likely always be on the thin side, but it suited him. He was a slight and lightly muscled type.

While the rest worked on their meals before them Cole made a silent appraisal of the lot. Marc was a protective older brother and always kept an eye on Dart though you wouldn't always know it. He was couple years younger than Cole but tall for his age, not much shorter then Cole. Dart was even younger, only ten or so and a dark haired, fair skinned, miniature of the older. Both struck Cole as rather feminine looking in their appearances. They each shared a frame slighter than even Coles own.

Wolfe, to combat things, was something of the opposite, in nature and looks. He was quite tall and had an athletes frame. His hair was short and arranged in flyaway spikes at many different angles while the two brothers kept there's long. He was fair skinned like them, but the similarities ended there. He wasn't exactly brutish, but could be rather unrelenting as far as Cole had seen. It seemed as if Stephen made up the better half of the two. He was much more laid back in nature but Cole knew well enough from this morning that the two could be as equally trouble-seeking. There actions were coordinated to work with and match the others own. They moved together like a well oiled machine, as alternate as some traits of theirs were.

Aurelia presented an enigma. So far she had said very few words to him beyond what was said this morning and the greeting here at lunch. She was obviously extremely shy, and Cole had yet to dig up an answer to what condition made her hair white. And it really was white; he found, not just a light shade of blond. Her companion who he had just met offered little insight. Her looks were average and she full- heartedly engaged in the boy's conversations. She was hardy, he was certain, and would back up a friend well.

Overall, he had no clue what would become of his life at lamb. He felt reluctant to get close to any of them; they wouldn't ever be able to know the side of him that could only exist in the wizarding world. As circumstances stood he couldn't afford to stay here long even. He had a life to get back to. He took a moment to wonder if his absence had even been noted yet. He supposed it must of; it was drawing up to the third week since he had last had any contact with the wizarding world at all. Surely Ron and Hermione were worried, even if they had grown in distance since his leave of absence, if you could call it that, when he had been captured by Voldemort.

He sighed, ever since then they hadn't been able to look at him the same. He was used to every else around him welcoming him one moment and shunning him the next and this time was no exception. The public's opinion as a whole morphed so rapidly that he had been blind sighted by it continuously. Their problems were either blamed on him or all expected to be solved by him. The one thing he had counted on never to change was his friend's opinion of him. Ron and him had overcome their dilemma in his forth year successfully and he hadn't expected his and Hermione's attitude when he had returned. They had pitied him. Acted like he was made of something more delicate than glass even. They became uncomfortable around him. They couldn't sit in the same room anymore with out feeling the tenseness and insecurity that consumed their friendship now.

It was because they didn't understand, didn't know what to make of him now. Back then he had almost screamed in frustration. It wasn't as if he was suddenly a different brand of creature never before seen by man. He was still just Harry. He had realized then that the problem had been then that they hadn't really known who 'just Harry' was. Didn't fully appreciate the pain he had felt long before then.

He lifted his head again and looked at the people around him in a different light. What had landed them in their current position? They had seemed like a group of any other teenagers but this wasn't Hogwarts, and this no common institution. Lamb Shelter, another's trash, our treasure…

"Something bothering you, Cole?" Marc astutely inquired. Cole gave a small smile in return as he lied through his teeth, "It's nothing, I'm fine."

An hour's time later found him back in his room, preparing to resume his previously disturbed nap. He found he got tired quite easily now, since he was still in the middle of healing from his injuries. But this time he was sure he wouldn't be bothered. He pulled the covers, which was just as plain as the rest of the room, up to his chest and made to take his glasses off. He realized not for the first time that he no longer had his visionary problems. He frowned, another complication in his already over-complicated life. The feel of scales once again did little to help him. He managed this time to hastily extract himself from bed without falling on his back.

"What are you still doing here?" He hissed to the albino snake.

"Those foolish boys from before forgot to put me back into my tank. Not that I'm complaining." Lyssa responded.

"So why does that mean that you have to be here!"

"I want to speak to you of course." She coiled herself quite comfortably at the foot of Cole's bed. "Or rather, I'd like to know how I can speak to you at all."

Cole muttered obscenities under his breath, couldn't he had been allowed just once to actually do something as mundane as take a nap without being bothered?

"I'm a parselmouth; I can speak the snake's language."

"A human can do this?"

"Not just any human, I'm a wizard. And even among wizards it is a rare… ability."

"Wizards?" So she didn't even know. Cole sighed for what must have been the hundredth time that day and sat down on the bed's edge. He was quite sure he was never going to get his nap.

For once in his life, Cole was glad to be wrong. After numerous hours of conversation with Lyssa he was more exhausted then ever. He and Lyssa both enjoyed the conversation about the magical world and the both enjoyed the sleep afterwards, it was something that Cole had still been apprehensive about. But Lyssa had ignored any objections Cole might have had and curled herself tighter at the end of the bed before drifting off. Cole found that by that point he was too tired to care. To his chagrin he slept all the way through dinner. When he woke later he stomach protested the numerous missed meals he had that day.

He stood carefully, unsure if Lyssa was asleep or not. Snakes had no eyelids so he couldn't tell. Just as he stepped out the door she spoke.

"Where are you going now?"

"I'm hungry; I'm going to the cafeteria to see if I can get any leftovers from dinner. Um, do you want to come with?"

"What would I find to eat there? I don't suppose they keep mice on hand?" she asked sarcastically.

"I dunno, maybe there are some? I think Amon would be grateful if you caught them for him."

"I think I shall come regardless, I need to stretch." If a snake could yawn she managed it. She exposed a row of small sharp fangs while she was at it, Cole hadn't thought of it before but she really was a fairly large snake. At least five feet long by his count.

"Lyssa, do you know what kind of snake you are?"

"I am me. Though the idiot human referred to me as a Burmese Python."

"I have never heard of a Burmese Python before, then again I'm definitely not an expert on snakes." He then remarked, "Lyssa, you don't seem to like humans very much." He chuckled lightly as she hissed in annoyance.

"Every human I have met so far has proven to be foolish and inconsiderate. You are the only exception as of yet."

They navigate the turns of the tile hallway while locked in conversation.

"You can't have met very many humans yet then. How old are you anyway?"

"In human years, not even a year."

"But you already over a meter long, how big will you get?"

"I wouldn't presume to know. The only other snakes I have met were the others at the store I was bought from."

"There's a library here isn't there? Maybe I'll look up on Burmese Pythons."

"If you wish. I would be interested also to know what is said about my kind."

They finally came across the swinging doors to the cafeteria. Cole pushed it open and allowed Lyssa to slither in ahead of him. He followed and let the door close behind him. The slam echoed eerily in the large and now empty room. Cole uncertainly made his way to the back, his foot steps echoed emptily on the tiled floor. Lyssa departed with a hiss and went in search of mice.

Cole meanwhile had found his way to the kitchens which he found was significantly larger than it had appeared from the window connecting it to the rest of the cafeteria.

"Fridge, where's the fridge…" He sighted a steel door and made his way to it. His breath frosted the air as he pulled the door close behind him. He'd found the freezer then… Not finding was he was looking for he went in search of something easier. A sandwich would be easy enough to make. He felt guilty taking from the food storages but wouldn't have he been eating from here anyway?

He twisted the handle to leave the freezer room, but it didn't turn. He tried again and tried to hold back rising panic. No luck. The freezer door was locked or stuck. Either way he wasn't getting out anytime soon. His heart thudded crazily in his chest. He could almost laugh if it weren't so serious. Of all the ways he could die, freezing to death would be the end of him? He beat crazily on the door, but nothing happened. No one came, and he could hardly smash through a solid steel door!

His breathing increased in pace. It was so late in the night, who was going to be awake to help him? Lyssa could hardly do anything! He leaned his back against the door. His knees could hold him any more and they fell from beneath him. He slid his way down the door and his head fell into his hands. Could he last until morning? He didn't know. A glance at the clock before leaving his room placed the time somewhere just after eight. It would be so many hours until someone came, most likely for breakfast. The muggle jeans and shirt provided by Lamb would hardly get through the night, he thought.

His panic increased tenfold. What was he going to do? He couldn't die, especially like this. He couldn't die, he couldn't….

The blackness came suddenly, and without warning. His subconscious consumed him, and before he knew what was going on, he knew no more.

"Harry."

What an odd voice, thought Harry. He would have compared it to an eagle's cry, the howl of a hunting wolf, the trickling of water over stone even… It was a whisper in his mind, yet at the same time screamed to him. It was beautiful, yet terrible. It was everything bad in his life, yet the promise that greatness lay before him…

"Wake."

The voice, neither feminine nor masculine, certainly wasn't speaking any language he knew. Yet, somehow, he knew what was spoken.

"Wake. Live."

And so he woke.

The process from his dreams, to the land of the living was instantaneous. His eyes opened, and were sharp and clear like never before. He was still in the freezer, and how much time had passed he didn't know. He knew though that it wouldn't be any longer. He didn't know when it had happened, but he was somehow on his feet. The steel door in front of him seemed to mock him. It was just inches beyond it that life lay. Just a single step… Flashing emeralds stared it down. And a power grew from somewhere behind them. It stretched from there to his fingertips, to his feet, through ever particle of his hair, which was blowing wildly in a nonexistent wind. It flowed farther, into the earth and from the earth swelled something even greater. It flooded him and joined seamlessly with his will. He wanted to live.

The door crumbled like it was nothing.

He stepped forward, but as his foot met the floor it was as if he didn't stop there. He kept on falling into a yawning void. Once again he knew no more.

(A/N) ooh, what's happened to Harry? Well I did promise that you'd learn a bit about why Harry no longer needs glasses, but I suspect I've left you with even more questions, huh? Well as promised we got to see a little more Sev action! SO! What is the Dark Lord planning? Believe me, you'll never guess. And neither will Dumbledore… (Evil Laugh)

Anyway. (Absolutely serious) I must know people, Werewolves or Vampires? This is not about which one you prefer, but they're going to come into play later. So, without thought to Remus or Fenrir at all, which one do you want? I might do whichever one I feel like anyway but that's unlikely at this point. You might get a clue to what I want to do with them next chapter… So just hold tight till next time!

Comin' up, Voldemort puts his plan into action, Harry get stacked with even more problems and questions with out answers, and finally I'll bring in some more of the canon characters, I'm sure you're getting tired of my massive bunch of OC's, but I like my OC's so you'll get to see more of them to!!

Anyway, back to my newest 3rd favorite band (Linkin Park and Blue October will always be 1st and 2nd) Avenged Sevenfold!

One last thing, here's everyone from Lamb's name's…

Cole Black (Harry)

Stephen Shepard

Christopher Wolfe

Guinevere Montaray (Gwen)

Mattias Johnson

Aurelia Johnson (ooh! Her last name is Johnson too, what could it mean?!)

Marc and Matthew "Dart" Duncan

Lyssandra

PS- there's no specific reason for Dart's nickname; he's just a hyperactive kid is all. So it fits... (In my opinion). Also, Jess is on vacation right now, I don't suppose there are any offers to edit this for me? Send me an email if you're interested and I'll send you the chapter on Word Doc.

Until next time,

Kalyx