A/N: I was all hyped up to write another chapter. It's my way of escaping the neverending stress filled horror that is my job right now.

Also, I'd like to say that I don't think Gryffindors are stupid (some of my best friends are Gryffindors!) but I do think 11 year olds can be stupid and mean.

oooooo

At 8:15 in the morning, November 1st, on the lowest shelf in Albus Dumbledore's office a small glass and silver device began to glow green. The headmaster was down in the great hall for breakfast though, and there was no one to see it except Fawkes, who glanced at it as he ate his breakfast, but ultimately paid it no mind. Students went out of bounds quite often after all.

The device continued to glow green all through the breakfast period. It was the first thing Albus noticed when he got back into his office. Not terribly concerned, he went over and tapped it smartly with his wand. The name that the device spit forth immediately changed his perspective though, and he jumped towards his desk, scribbled something on a piece of parchment, and thrust it at Fawkes, who immediately flamed away with it.

Severus Snape was walking through the dungeon hallway, thinking about his first class of the day when Albus's phoenix appeared an inch in front of him, clutching a tattered piece of parchment. He reached out to grab it, automatically starting to organize his mind to prepare himself for a sudden meeting with Albus as he read the short message. Assistance needed immediately.

Fawkes had already flashed away, so Severus sighed and turned on his heel. He knew his way around the castle intimately by now, after spending the great majority of his life in it, and arrived at Albus's office less than two minutes after Fawkes had appeared. He walked quickly up the stairs, to find Albus moving back and forth quickly across the room, opening up a bookshelf to reveal a large foe-glass, where two shadowy shapes hovered in the near distance. Severus raised his eyebrows in surprise, not used to seeing Albus in this state of anxiety. "Albus what is happening?"

Albus stopped moving, looking at Severus, motioning to the glass device that was glowing on his shelf. "Mr. Potter has gone beyond the protection of the castle wards. When did you see him last?"

Severus felt a jolt of panic, "I spoke to him briefly before breakfast, but did not see him at the meal. His dorm mates said he needed a minute to himself. Mr. Nott said he was writing a letter home."

Albus turned on a dime, from where he was studying another glass instrument on his top shelf with a frown. "He is writing home?"

Severus ignored the question, not seeing its relevance, "What is your plan?"

Even as he asked the question the glowing ward alert stopped glowing, and went back to being inert. Both men stopped and stared at it. Albus moved forward to poke at it with his wand again. There was no reaction. "He's back." Albus said, confusion and relief clear in his voice.

Severus felt himself relax, "Can that device locate him? Do we know where he exited the wards?"

Albus stroked his beard meditatively, still staring at the device. He didn't respond to Severus's question for a few long seconds, "No. It cannot track like that. We may have to find a more direct way to keep an eye on the boy." Albus's gaze strayed upwards, to a device on his top shelf, which had had no reaction to any of the action all morning. His brow furrowed slightly.

Severus checked his watch. He was supposed to be teaching the Gryffindors and Slytherins right now. Harry would be in that class, if he wasn't they'd have something else to go on. "Well if that's all headmaster, I have a class to teach."

Albus waved him off absently, still staring at the top shelf of his bookcase.

oooooo

The inversion of gravity - going from walking through a mirror on a wall to stepping out of a mirror that was lying on the floor - made Harry dizzy for a brief moment. But Harry's third favorite room in the palace was the Escher Vault, and he was easily able to adjust. He picked up the mirror as soon as his feet were firm on the ground, and slipped it into his pocket. He went back out to the hallway and made his way to the Potions classroom. Theo was waiting anxiously against the wall, and his face relaxed into relief when he saw Harry approaching.

Harry smiled at him happily, and one of Theo's eyebrows went up. "You seem … better."

"I am!" Harry agreed brightly, smiling.

Theo studied his face closely, then reached out to place his hand on his arm. In a fake-concerned tone he said, "Harry, you know cheering charms are not the answer, right?"

Harry laughed, just as the door to the classroom swung open and Neville jogged up, looking flushed. "Hey." Harry greeted him, "Interesting night in Gryffindor I hear."

Neville groaned slightly as they entered the classroom, "It's been horrible. A bunch of people are blaming Hermione. They don't like her in the first place. It's so unfair."

It took Harry a moment to link the name Hermione to the face, but he realized Hermione was the anxious girl who was always raising her hand and interrupting when Professor Snape took too long to call on someone. He was pretty sure that Professor Snape purposely waited sometimes, just to be able to take points when she spoke out of turn. Harry sighed, "How's she doing?"

Neville shrugged, and looked behind him back to the hallway, "I think she was just scared. I doubt being scared will keep Hermione from a class."

Sure enough Hermione came bustling through the door just as Harry and Theo sat down. She looked a bit paler than usual, but otherwise mostly normal. She hesitated for a beat when she realized her usual lab partner, one of the Gryffindor boys, had traded with someone else. Neville was left alone. She hesitated only slightly before taking the free seat.

Harry looked around. Most of the Gryffindor first years were glaring at the girl. It made his stomach twist uncomfortably. It was unfair. It wasn't Hermione's fault that the prefects hadn't done their job. Nor that her dormmates hadn't reported her missing earlier. He hears Jareth's departing words from a few minutes ago do your best to be good and kind. He looked at Theo, and bit his lip. Finally he leaned over, and quietly asked, "Can you switch with Neville?"

Theo looked over at him, eyebrows arching in surprise. He looked up at Neville and Hermione, who were seated directly in front of them. Theo was a true Slytherin, and one glance around the room, and the self satisfied glares the Gryffindors were wearing, Neville's guilty expression, and Hermione's pursed lips and white face, clearly explained the situation to him. He glanced back at Harry, "You sure?"

Harry nodded, "It's not her fault."

Theo sighed, softly, "It'd be better if you switched with Neville."

Harry knew that, but he hadn't wanted to inconvenience Theo. The switch wouldn't only be this week, but probably for a while. There was a better than even chance they'd have to do a partner potion in that time. Needless to say, Hermione was a better potions partner than Neville. The Gryffindors really were kind of stupid, in Harry's opinion. To give up a great - if slightly abrasive - potions partner for some misplaced revenge was the height of stupidity. Hermione, when she wasn't interrupting the professors, got easily 5 times the amount of points for Gryffindor than anyone else did. Thier best bet, to win back the points they'd lost, would be to help her, not hinder.

Theo sighed again, which was one of his favorite things to do, Harry was pretty sure, and nodded. "Go. It'll be fine."

Taking Theo at his word, Harry stood, swung his bag over his shoulder and moved up to Neville's side. "Hey Neville. Theo wants to work with you today."

Neville looked up, clearly confused, and then behind himself to Theo, who nodded. "I -" Neville started, and then stopped, glancing at Hermione. "Okay." Neville grabbed his own things with something like relief, and moved back to take the seat next to Theo. Harry felt the sharp glares of the Gryffindors (and, he would bet, Draco) as well as the considering glances from some of the Slytherins right between his shoulder blades. He ignored them with the ease of long practice, and took his new seat.

Hermione turned to look at him, temper starting to rise behind her pale face. "What are you doing?" She hissed, and Harry had to admire her paranoia.

"It isn't fair." He stated, calmly, as he began pulling out his equipment, making sure his knives were sharp and his scales balanced.

Hermione was clearly surprised by this response, but, credit to her, it only took her a moment to come up with a response, "Life isn't fair."

Harry grinned at his father's favorite piece of advice, and corrected her the same way Sarah corrected Jareth, "The world isn't fair. Which means that people have to try their best to be. All the time."

Hermione was again, surprised. But she didn't answer, pulling out her potions text and her notebook, just as Professor Snape entered the room. Slightly late, and, Harry was surprised to note, limping very slightly. How had he missed that this morning? Or had he gotten injured in some way at breakfast?

"Today class we'll be working on the Boil Cure." Snape began, and Harry had to put aside his questions for a few hours.

Oooooo

The class went surprisingly well. It seemed like Neville responded to Theo's calm manner, and he hadn't gotten as anxious as usual. He'd actually turned in a potion only a few shades off from Harry and Hermione's perfect ones. Harry caught up to the two of them as they left, "How'd you do?" He asked, smiling wide.

Neville flushed and Theo actually smiled, "It was pretty good actually. I'm fine if you want to make the switch permanent."

"You okay with it too Neville?" Harry asked, and Neville nodded shyly.

"I only sat with Ron that first day because Dean and Seamus were already kind of friends. And then no one really wanted to move. Until today." He added, with a glance back at Hermione, who was only a few steps behind them, since they were all headed to the great hall for lunch. Her head was down, and she seemed to be mostly ignoring them and everyone else.

"So you don't mind switching?" Harry asked, just to confirm.

Neville shook his head, and grinned, "I did better today then I ever have!"

Harry grinned back, "Great!"

Oooooo

The next week passed quickly, and Harry paired up again with Hermione when Double Potions rolled around again. Snape continued to limp, very slightly, and Harry grew concerned. He was so concerned, in fact, that following potions class, he shook Theo and Neville off, and headed to Snape's office door. It swung open easily at his polite knock.

Snape was seated behind his desk, and didn't get up when Harry entered. "Mr. Potter. Did you have a question about today's class? You performed well, as usual."

Harry felt himself flush a little with pride. "Oh. No sir, but thank you. I was just - I was worried about you."

Snape's eyebrows went up, and the placid expression on his face cracked slightly, before smoothing back out, "I assure you, Mr. Potter, that I am perfectly fine."

Harry bit his lip, studying the man. Severus Snape was bitingly intelligent, fiercely protective of Slytherins, and sworn thricefold to protect Harry specifically. Harry took a leap of faith, "It was the cerberus, wasn't it? You went to the third floor Halloween night to make sure Quirrell didn't. It attacked you?" Snape's expression went completely and totally still, though his dark eyes glinted at Harry, assessing him. "It's some crazy plan Dumbledore cooked up isn't it? The Sorcerer's Stone was nearly stolen from Gringotts this summer. Now he's got it under the third floor corridor as some kind of bait. But you have to make sure that the right person gets caught in the trap." Harry blew out a breath, Snape continued to stare at him, "Look. Dumbledore is crazy and has some kind of plan for me that he'd like me to just step into. You should see the note he left for my Aunt when he left me there," At this, there was finally some kind of reaction from Snape, a bit of surprise maybe? Harry continued, "he didn't care that she didn't want me, he just left me there and tried to force her to take me in."

"Tried?" Snape questioned, leaning forward.

Harry hesitated. Dumbledore still believed he was living with his aunt, and he didn't think that now was the right time for Dumbledore to find out he was wrong. "I need to know if you're on my side or Dumbledore's side. I'll tell you whatever you want to know about me - but I'd need a guarantee."

Snape sat back in his chair again, sharp eyes still considering Harry. After a moment, he said, casually, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Harry nodded. He would have expected something like that, had he actually taken the time to plan this. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a jar of fireflowers and bog twig. He placed it on Snape's desk. "If you mash these together, into a paste, it'll help with healing and numbing the cerebus bite."

He turned around quickly and left, hoping crazily that he hadn't just made a terrible mistake.

oooooo

The next day the whole school was tromping out to the Quidditch field to watch the Gryffindor vs Slytherin game. Theo and Neville were taking turns explaining the game to Harry, who listened with bemused fascination.

"Bludgers are made of iron?" Harry asked, at one point, incredulous. Wizards were crazy! "There are flying iron balls that the teams aim at each other? How has no one died?"

Theo laughed, and Neville grimaced. "I mean, no one's ever died in a school game, but there have been accidents on a professional level."

Harry blew out a breath, and watched it steam into the chilled November air. "Crazy. All of you. Absolutely bonkers."

Once they were seated though, and the game was underway, Harry found himself fascinated by it. He'd enjoyed his only flying lesson quite a bit, but they hadn't really done much of anything except take off and land. The acrobatics the two teams were doing were much more impressive.

At least, some of them are. The Gryffindor seeker is clearly terrified, and some of the older Slytherin students make a few odd moves. Harry would think they're cheating, but he gives them the benefit of the doubt. This is a sport where the two sides basically whack cannonballs back and forth, hoping to injure someone.

"Slytherin in possession," came the echoing voice of the match's commentator. "Chaser Pucey ducks two Bludgers, two Weasleys and Chaser Bell, and speeds toward the - wait a moment - was that the snitch?"

Neville and Theo gasped and pointed at the dot of gold that had just flown past Adrian Pucey's ear, causing him to drop the Quaffle. Harry squinted. The snitch was the one that ended the game, he was pretty sure. He kind of hoped no one caught it. He'd barely gotten comfortable!

However, both Terence Higgs, the Slytherin seeker, and the Gryffindor seeker were flying straight towards thw gold blur. "Gryffindor's closer!" Theo moaned. Everyone's eyes were trained on the two seekers.

Abruptly Marcus Flint moved into action, swerving directly into the Gryffindor seeker's way, causing the boy to be flung wildly across the pitch. Harry gasped as the boy just barely held onto his broom.

Nearly as one, the Gryffindors screamed "Foul!", echoed, Harry noticed, by nearly all the Hufflepuffs and a fair amount of Ravenclaws.

Madame Hooch blew her whistle sharply, and flew up to Flint, speaking angerly. Harry bit his lip, his eyes on the Gryffindor seeker, who now looked even more nervous, clutching his broom tightly and shaking a bit.

Gryffindor was indeed awarded a foul and a girl named Spinner easily made the shot. The commentator was clearly upset, "So after that obvious and disgusting bit of cheating -"

"Jordan!" Professor McGonagall growled.

"I mean, after that open and revolting foul -"

"Jordan I am warning you -"

"All right. All right. Flint nearly kills the Gryffindor seeker, which could happen to anyone I'm sure -"

Harry felt himself flush as Jordan prattled on. He looked around at the stands. The Gryffindors looked furious. A few glared were shot toward the Slytherin stands, and Harry bit his lip again, stomach rolling.

The rest of the match was much the same - Slytherins used what were clearly dirty if not downright illegal moves to keep the Gryffindor seeker from the snitch. After a few minutes it was clear that that wouldn't be a problem either way, as the clearly terrified boy shot up to about 15 feet above the action, and stopped there, completely still. This clearly distracted the Gryffindor keeper and captain, who could be seen shouting up towards the seeker, trying to get him to return to the game.

The Slytherin seeker caught the snitch about five minutes after the Flint incident. They won 210 - 20.

Harry left the stadium feeling like they'd won nothing at all.

Oooooo

Albus Dumbledore was in his office, completely ignoring the Quidditch game that was going on. He'd taken the small ward tracker that had lived on the top shelf of his bookcase for the past ten years, and placed it on his desk so he could examine it closer.

Ward trackers were simple enough devices. Made of silver and glass, they were half potion and half enchanted. The Hogwarts tracker was as old as the school, and had always been correct. If it said that one Harry James Potter had exited the castle's wards at some point this morning, only to return before his first class, than he had.

The ward tracker that was now on Albus's desk was one he'd made himself. Albus had been making them since he was in his thirties. He strongly doubted that he'd made a mistake after eighty years of experience. There must be another explanation as to why this particular ward tracker was not working properly. And it was the utmost importance that he figure it out soon, because this was a very important ward tracker.

This tracker was attached to the wards at Number 4 Privet Drive.

And according to it, Harry Potter was still firmly in the walls of his aunt's home.

Oooooo

A/N: Thanks so much for all the wonderful reviews and PMs! I read every single one and love them all to bits!

If you're confused about the ward tracker, go back to the very first chapter, when Harry arrives Below for the first time. :)