A/N: Sorry the chapters are coming up so slowly... I'm kinda busy. But keep reviewing! Thanks :)

Hogwarts would be reopening tomorrow. Harry was excited at the propect of being able to see Ron and Hermione again. He had missed them greatly. However, the notion of having to face Malfoy again dampered his spirits slightly.

"Thinking of school tomorrow?" Came a soft inquiring voice. Harry looked up from where he had been staring moodily out the window to face Severus. He nodded. Severus smiled back in understanding. Harry had been given a day off from his training to rest before school restarted. He hoped tomorrow would go well.

The Great Hall was filled with chattering students as everyone tried to catch up with one another. Smiles were abundant on the faces of the excited students. Ron and Hermione were anxiously looking out for their best friend. They had not seen him on the train, and were hoping he was fine.

"Oh! There he is," pointed out a relieved Hermione to Ron. Harry came striding up to them, smiling broadly. "Oh Harry! Where have you been? We were so worried when we didn't see you on the train!"

"Uh.. I've been staying at Hogwarts over the summer," Harry hurriedly answered, not wanting to elaborate on his suicide attempt and close relationship with Severus. "Oh look, the Sorting's starting." He tried to change the subject. Thankfully, his two friends did not notice.

The usual sumptuous dinner was served after the Sorting. Harry chatted merrily with his friends, laughing at Ron and Hermione's constant bickering. Ron looked as though he had not eaten in ages, judging from the way he continuously shovelled food into his mouth. Harry could not help but grin.

Suddenly, the whole Hall's attnetion was caught by a raven carrying a letter. It swooped around the Great Hall. That's strange, thought Harry, no one usually gets mail at night. He looked over at the Staff table. Many of the teachers were also following the bird's line of flight.

Crash! The raven landed in front of Harry. Harry bit his lip. He knew it could not be good news. He could feel the weight of the stares of the student body. He looked up at Albus in apprehension. The Headmaster nodded hesitantly. Harry reached out for the letter with a trembling hand. As his fingers closed around it, he felt a familiar tug at his navel.

As Harry landed, his scar began burning. He knew Voldemort was here. Before he could react, two cloaked figures approached him and snapped ancient bracelets on each of his wrists. Harry tried to pull them off, but to no avail. Even when he tapped them with his wand, they would not release him. The feel of his wand felt strange, like it did not belong to him.

"Potter... You can stop trying. Those bracelets will not be removed. They are there to restrict your magic," Voldemort sneered, laughing softly. Harry stood up, readying himself against Voldemort. "Haha. Not so fast, Potter, Crucio!"

Harry fell writhing onto the ground. The strength of the curse was stronger than he had ever experienced. He was not ready to face Voldemort just yet, Dumbledore had said so himself.

Voldemort held the curse for an extended period of time, grinning evilly at the boy's agony.

Harry was in excruciating pain. It was terrible. His whold body felt like it was on fire. He gave one last jerk before passing out.

Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, the students were in an uproar over the disappearance of their saviour. They only calmed down at the words of their Headmaster. Severus had paled dramatically, and a worried frown creased Remus' face. After the students had been dismissed, the six of Harry's teachers sat in Dumbledore's office, anxious.

"It must be Voldemort," Albus began, as the others nodded in agreement.

"He's not ready to face him yet, he's no match for Voldemort," Remus added. The others murmured in mutual consent.

Severus had not said a word, his worry for the young boy steadily increasing. "Severus, try to find out where he is, and rescue him as soon as possible. Be very careful, you are our only hope." Albus told him. Severus nodded, his throat felt too constricted to say anything. He just hoped he would be on time.

When Harry woke up, he was in a dark room. He had been bound tightly, he could barely wiggle his fingers. His body was aching from the Cruciatus and was trembling slightly. He just hoped the Order would find him soon.

"Awake, Potter?" Voldemort had just entered the room. Harry's scar prickled painfully. Voldemort muttered a spell and a jet of blue light struck Harry. It was a weird sensation, like Harry was floating. Then suddenly it was gone. He was surprised not to have felt any pain, but could not think anymore as a wave of fatigue overwhelmed him.

"I shall spare you today, Potter," cackled Voldemort before sweeping out the room. Harry barely heard him as he lost consciousness again.

Everyday, Harry would be subjected to the Cruciatus curse. Voldemort made all his Death-Eaters take turns to torture Harry, threatening to continue if Harry did not reveal the contents of the prophecy. Everyday, Harry would endure the excruciating pain. The phrase "I must not reveal the prophecy" became his mantra. As the days progressed, Harry grew increasingly weaker and weaker. He lost all track of time, and the only thing which kept him going was the thought that Severus loved him.

One day, Harry awaoke to the Cruciatus once more. He was surrounded by bunch of Death-Eaters, as usual. This time, however, unknown to Harry, Severus was in the group. He had been horrified to see Harry's emaciated condition. It was evident that the boy was malnourished. His robes had been torn to shreds and there were numerous cuts and bruises all around his body. He knew the boy had been cruelly, and he simply hoped that the boy was still sane.

"How are we feeling today, Potter? Ready to tell me the contents of the prophecy yet?" Voldemort sneered. Harry remained silent, too weak to even fully open his eyes. "You are still stubborn, how noble. Let's see how we react to this!" With that, he handed a vial to Lucius to feed Harry. Severus' eyes widened in horror. The potion would ravage all of Harry's internal organs. It was sheer agony.

"Master, perhaps, it may be too hard on the boy?" Severus ventured. He could feel Voldemort's eyes boring into his skull. He kept his head bowed, not wanting to make eye contact. However, at the sound of the voice, Harry recognised it. Hope, at last. He did not dare to react, for fear that Voldemort would notice. Instead, he settled for hoping that Severus would be able to rescue him today.

"Surely you don't care for the boy, Severus?"

"No, my lord," Severus hurriedly answered, keeping his voice impassive. "He deserves it."

Voldemort seemed to accept his answer. Lucius forced the boy's mouth open and poured the liquid in. Harry, too weak to resist, swallowed it. Almost instantly, his insides felt as though they were on fire. He retched, a pool of blood appearing. His breathing was laboured. The pain was so acute. He barely heard the others leave.

Severus returned to Harry's cell after dinner. The boy was so pale., and he was shaking very badly. Blood was flowing freely from his nose and mouth, and his face was scrunched up in pain. Severus was appalled at the state Harry was in. He had to choke back tears as he conjured a Portkey to bring both of them back to Hogwarts. Harry groaned in pain as Severus scooped him up gently. Severus felt a tug at his navel as the Portkey was activated.