I want to thank Delightful Sins who has edited this chapter for me in a most beautiful way and who had somehow managed to do this while also preparing for finals. I big good luck to you DS. Enjoy!

Chapter 10

Harry Harry Quite Contrary

OOOO

NO, NO, NO! Severus mentally cursed as he tore out of the Great Hall. Severus's thoughts had immediately turned to Professor Quirrell and the odd behavior Severus had noticed the man displaying. Since the first week of the term, Severus had noticed that Quirrell was behaving strangely. And magical world aside that a troll would end up inside of Hogwarts seemed too random, too strange—especially with the conspicuous lack of Quirrell at dinner tonight.

Severus hadn't really begun to harbor any suspicions about the man until a few days ago, when Quirrell had held yet another conversation with Severus about the Dark Forest and the Sorcerer's stone. Quirrell had informed Severus that he intended to go into the forest on his own if Severus would not go with him. Quirrell also wanted Severus to talk to him about the traps that the teachers had set up. It was not a very common topic considering the secrecy of the subject matter and the fact that Quirrell was so curious made Severus question his loyalty all the more.

Quirrell was one of those people who never really changed unless something substantially large happened in their life. Quirrell had been a normal enough man until he had gone out to adventure and see the world. He had come back a man scared of his own shadow. So routine was expected and relied on and the man had been breaking his routine since the start of term. He was usually on time to every meal but in the last few months he had been late, he hadn't been as well groomed and his normal stutter of only one or two words had gotten far worse as the weeks passed.

Severus burst out of the Great Hall, the doors whooshing open to let him out. He looked more palepaler than his usual skin tone, frustrated, and utterly terrified, as he had screamed to the Headmaster about the dangerous, uninvited guest in the dungeon. Severus had taken a glance at Harry, once Dumbledore had instructed the rather terrified student body how to handle the situation, and saw that the young Gryffindor was heading out with the other students then Severus allowed eyes to shift back and fourth over the table in front of him as he had decided what to do. Should he go after the troll with the other teachers or should he try to catch Quirrell in the act of sabotage? The students were mostly out of the Great Hall and Severus noticed the teachers gathering to leave as a group.

Dumbledore wanted all the teachers to go to the dungeons, but Severus's gut told him he needed to be somewhere else, and he heeded the feeling, launching himself forward at a dead sprint. Severus rushed through the halls and turned down corridors, running down some stairs and flying up others. It appeared that the magic of the castle that allowed it to move the staircases was moving doubly fast. Severus found himself completely turned around too many times to count, as doors and stairs were shifting like mad—it was as if someone had place an acceleration spell on the staircases to make them shift at a faster pace and go haywire.

It had taken an extra twenty minutes, but Severus had finally reached the third floor corridor. He kicked the door open and turned down into the narrow, dark hallway. The torches, which were near the far side of the hall, were burning low, but flared brightly as he entered; the yellow flames crackled as he stood near them. Severus had made it in time to see the shadow of a figure disappear at the end of the corridor and go through the door furthest from him. Severus didn't hesitate and he resumed his run, reaching the door quickly and flung it open.

He stepped into the doorway and found the figure was laying on the floor glaring up at the large three-headed dog as it's large paw came around for another swipe. The figure moved just in time to avoid the large claws and the black fur of the beast ruffled in frustration, "Hello Fluffy," Severus greeted the monstrously large dog. The angry beast's attention was momentarily directed to Severus as it lunged forward just as Severus snatched the prone form on the floor by the (front of the robes) and out of range of three sets of snarling jaws.. Fluffy's rightmost head, in eagerness to snap up the man on the floor, knocked the middle head out of the way as it was about to close its sharp teeth on the figure. Severus barely managed to pull the man out and slam the door shut on Fluffy's enraged heads as they howled and barked.

The torches that were merrily burning earlier were now muted and let out an eerie glow. Severus threw the man to the floor and cast Lumos in the poorly lit corridor, confirming his suspicions as Quirrell's face looked up at Severus from the floor.

Quirrell stood and said in a cold flat voice, "The Dark Lord will return, Severus Tobias Snape and your services will be required. You will be called upon."

As Quirrell's voice faded, darkness suddenly swept through the corridor, extinguishing Severus' wand light. Black dust filled the air, and as Severus relit the end of his wand, the figure and any trace of light disappeared.

OOOO

"S-Severus?" Came a soft, hesitant voice edged with worry. Severus's head was swimming, and as he opened his heavy eyelids, two blurry faces, McGonagall and Quirrell, wavered in front of him. Professor McGonagall was looking at Severus with concern.

He suddenly realized he was on the floor and sat up quickly, "What the hell?" he asked as he forced himself to stand on shaky legs.

"Oh thank goodness, Severus. We need you!" McGonagall said as she grabbed Severus' arm and started to pull him up. Quirrell looked like he was going to head in a different direction but Severus gripped the man's teaching robes and pulled him along as the man whimpered in protest.

"What is going on Minerva?" Severus asked in an annoyed tone.

"The troll has left the dungeon! The students are in their dorms but if the troll were to find an entrance…"

"Right." Severus said, slipping from Minerva's hold to focus more intently on the shaky man next to him.

"You seem more shook up then I am Quirrell…did something not go according to plan?" Severus asked as he continued to pull the man along the corridor after Minerva.

"S-Severus I don't know what you-"

The far off roar of the troll echoed towards them and the faint sound of a child yelling cut Quirrell off. .

The three professors stopped and warning bells went off in Severus's head, the tone in that voice was very familiar. "Oh Gods….Gods, POTTER!" Severus roared as he recognized Harry's yell, released Quirrell, and flew down the hall with the other two followingtwo following closely at his heels.

"Potter?" Minerva asked, breathless from running down the corridors.

"Only one student has such an annoying voice!" Severus bit out Sometimes that boy really pissed him off.

As they rounded corner after corner Severus heard the noises getting louder, "WHERE ARE THEY?" Severus bellowed as he stopped at the intersection of four separate hallways.

"SWISH AND FLICK!" Came a young female voice from two corridors over, and Severus recognized it as the Granger girl.

"Damn." Severus said as he quickly turned towards the voice, there was a loud thunk that echoed towards them and suddenly McGonagall was in front of him, she had picked up the ends of her dress and was moving far more quickly than Severus had thought possible.

Rounding several more corners, they saw one of the doors to the girl's bathroom hanging awkwardly. They had found the source of all the noise. The three professorsthree professors rushed in the girl's bathroom and stopped dead in their tracks at what they saw.

The troll was on the ground unconscious, its club lying off to the side. Harry still had his wand out seemingly ready to protect himself, but quickly shoved it into his robe when he realized Severus was staring at him.

"Explain yourselves!" McGonagall exclaimed, her voice frazzled along the edges.

The bathroom was a complete wreck. The children were covered in dust and water was spouting from pipes that had been bashed from their places in the walls. The stalls had been reduced to shards and pieces of kindling and Granger stood estranged from the boys who seemed to be looking for the right words.

"You see what it was… it was like-"

"It's my fault professor!" Hermione said, stepping forward.

Apparently Minerva was even more confused then Severus, her voice filled with question as she asked, "Miss. Granger?"

Severus felt his own face screw up in disbelief.

"I went looking for the troll because I have read about them and thought I could handle it. But I was wrong, if Harry and Ron hadn't come and found me… I'd probably be dead."

Severus heard the minor deceit in Granger's voice, but didn't call her on it, he was just glad they were all safe. It didn't matter how the events had truly unfolded as long as the three children were unharmed and didn't seem traumatized. Severus spared a glance at Harry who was staring at his leg. Severus looked down and saw his pants were shredded, showing his bloodied and mangled leg. Severus swiftly pulled his cloak around himself, effectively covering the wound and gave the boy a look that was laced with warning.

Severus listened as Minerva scolded Granger and took points for her recklessness, turned to the boys and lectured them as well. Severus eyed the two, looking for any scratches or bruises. They seemed relatively unharmed, aside from the look of fear on their face as McGonagall came closer and closer to remove points. However, it surprised Severus to hear the woman award them both five points.

"For sheer dumb luck!" She snipped as she turned to go, no doubt she wanted to speak with Albus about who let the troll it.

"P-perhaps we ought to go. He m-might wake up." Quirrell stuttered to the children as he ushered them out.

The man lingered but Severus couldn't be bothered with him. He had more important matters. He caught up to Minerva and placed a hand on her shoulder. She stopped and turned to look at him, "Minerva… this will be hard for you to swallow, but I need you to tell Dumbledore to take Quirrell into consideration in regards to who let the troll in tonight."

The woman looked even more flabbergasted than when she had found the terrible trio in the bathroom with the troll.

"Severus, that is a very serious accusation… what evidence have you?"

Severus honestly had none, but he knew that Quirrell was the one who had done it, he just had to be. There was no way Quirrell could claim that he had been possessed. Severus had a gut feeling that even though the man would most likely play dumb about the scene in the third floor corridor he still needed to bring it up to Dumbledore.

"None as of yet but I will be up momentarily to speak with Albus and I want you to be there. I will need both of you to consider what I am about to tell you."

The woman reluctantly nodded, "Where are you going?"

"I just need to… I have to see to something. I won't be a moment." Severus took off in the other direction. He felt pain rush up his leg and he nearly fell.

Severus swore under his breath as he pulled his robes away from his leg to inspect the damage; Fluffy must have gotten him when he had pulled Quirrell from that room. He didn't remember any pain, nor did he remember Fluffy swiping at him. But perhaps the adrenaline from running had masked the pain. The abrasion on his leg was long and thin and even though it looked rather nasty it was not very deep and the bleeding had stopped on it's own.

Severus kept moving and did his best to hide his limp; he didn't want the Gryffindor Trio to be suspicious about where he acquired the wounds on his leg.

He just barely caught up to them before they disappeared behind the corridor leading to the portrait guarding the entrance to their common room, "Potter! Granger! Weasley!" he called, keeping his voice even and loud.

The three Gryffindors halted at his voice, looking scared and reluctant, but he didn't have time to encourage to their fear right now. He stopped in front of them and stared down, noting their nervous fidgeting.

"As it appears you three were not with the other students as you had been ordered I need a moment of your time to ask you some questions." He said, speaking in his usual classroom tone. He kept his words spaced and even to make sure they understood everything he was saying.

"How can we help Professor?" Hermione asked and Severus mentally thanked the girl for keeping this practical.

"Did any of you three, before, during, or after the incident with the troll notice anything unusual? Any shadows or strange people you haven't seen before, perhaps someone who had run away from the general grouping of the students? Any student perhaps that wasn't at dinner or who has been acting odd?"

The three thought a moment. After a few minutes, Hermione and Ron shook their heads but Harry kept staring straight, brows furrowed in concentration as if trying to recall something from his mind.

"Potter?" Severus asked as soft and calmly as he could. Harry looked up at him and then shifted his eyes to glance at his friends.

"Right. Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, you are free to go to bed. Mr. Potter will be along shortly." Granger and Weasley hesitated but quickly turned and moved through the portal after he glared at them.

Severus took Harry tightly by the back of his neck and steered him a little ways down the hall. When he came to a halt he took a moment and said softly, "Mr. Potter, are you all right?"

The boy gave him a confused face but nodded to show he was indeed okay. Severus gently took the boy's chin in his fingers and moved his head from side to side looking for anything that could be considered a wound.

"You know, aside from the fact that you should be dead right now due to a mountain troll attack, I was rather impressed by your efforts to protect Miss. Granger. Perhaps your abilities against the dark arts and other evils in the world are even more advanced then people think."

Harry seemed to step back a little out of Severus's hold and the man almost reached for the boy instinctually. He stopped himself and said softly, "I am glad you are un-harmed Mr. Potter, but now is not the time to be forgetful. You are not in my Potions class so I will not deduct points on your answer, no matter how small or insignificant you may think something is. Now tell me if you noticed something off, anything at all. Even the smallest thing could help."

Harry looked up at him again and Severus let out a small sigh of exasperation, maybe he had been to hard on the boy the last few months. He decided for a more direct approach and hoped no one was about to see what he was going to do. Severus knelt on his good knee, which was difficult considering his other leg was now throbbing steadily, reminding him of his need to visit the hospital wing.

"Mr. Potter, listen to me." He placed his hands on the boy's shoulder and squeezed to bring the boy back to reality, "I need to know. Whoever did this could be planning something else at a later time. Someone could get hurt… did you or did you not see anything?"

Finally it seemed Potter had made up his mind, he slowly shook his head and held the man's gaze. Severus stared back looking into his eyes trying to find the truth. Those green eyes were indeed hiding something but Severus did not have the time or energy to try and pry it out of him.

"If you change your mind, you will tell Professor McGonagall, Professor Dumbledore or myself. Do I make myself clear?" Severus said, a little harsher than he had intended.

Harry nodded once and then said quickly, almost as if he realized that Severus was about to send him to bed, "Sir… your leg?"

"That is none of your business Mr. Potter. Now get to bed before I take fifty points from Gryffindor for being nosy." The boy glared at him but didn't protest the dismissal. Harry turned sharply and walked away towards the dorms.

Severus stayed long enough to make sure the boy had entered his common room before heading towards the Headmaster's office. He had to get to Dumbledore.

OOOO

"I am telling you Albus, it was Quirrell! The Confundus charm on the staircases and the halls were powerful, but not unbreakable. It was the strength of magic I would expect from him, and I am telling you… I swear I saw him run into that room with Fluffy. I dragged him out before Fluffy got to him and the torches in the corridor wouldn't light properly. I couldn't make out the face in the room but I definitely know that I saw Quirrell's face after we were in the corridor. "

"Severus." Dumbledore said softly, "Though I take your word very seriously, without proof, I cannot just have one of my staff taken to Azkaban. Not to mention that the troll could have been let in by Peeves or any of the more rebellious studentsPeeves or any of the more rebellious students could have let in the troll as a Halloween prank. These are factors you are not taking into account."

"Albus, the man has been acting so strange since he came back! You can't deny it! It's been almost two years now and he still acts like feathers have teeth and claws. Not to mention he has been following me around like a puppy dog wanting to mount my leg! If you won't do something about him I will." Severus said with venom as he looked back and fourth between Minerva and Dumbledore with as calm a face as he could muster after his outburst.

"Albus, I think you should listen to what Severus is saying. . Quirrell did seem almost too calm tonight after that grandiose fainting spell in the Great Hall. I found Quirrell pulling Severus down the hall away from the hospital wing and he has a bite on his leg that should have made Quirrell's first priority taking Severus in the opposite direction towards the hospital wing. I think the man was heading outside. Had I not found them and told Quirrell to lay Severus down, there is no saying where Severus would have been taken."

"I'd wager the Dark Forest." Severus said. "He has been trying to get me there for months."

"The Dark Forest?" Minerva asked.

Severus nodded once slowly and then said, "He is under the impression that someone is slaying Unicorns but he said he didn't want to alert you, Albus, until he had proof. In all honesty, I think he just wants to get me alone. That man came back from damn study abroad adventures more damaged than we realized." Severus was leaning against the cold wall next to Dumbledore's fireplace, his arms folded across his chest.

"Very well, something will be done. I value both of you. Minerva, I would like for you to keep an eye on the third floor. And Severus, Quirrell and Harry are under your keen eye."

Severus nodded and turned to limp from the room as Dumbledore continued, "And do get that leg looked at, won't you my boy?"

"Oh no need. I figured I would just let it rot off." Albus chuckled as Severus's sarcasm and Severus shook his head, shutting the office door behind him.

OOOO

It had been almost two weeks since the troll fiasco and Severus still had a minor limp in his leg. Relief had swept over him that night when he had returned to his own room. Relief that Harry had been all right, relief that Albus was going to look into the whole Quirrell, Dark Forest, puppy dog issue that Severus was suffering from.

Severus had neglected to mention the strange voice that had spoken to him right before the darkness had taken his consciousness away. The voice was still ringing in his ears and sent a shiver up his spine. He hadn't told Minerva or Albus. . Severus felt like keeping it to himself for now. Nothing says it was more than just a hallucination caused by the fatigue and stress of running around the castle.

The Dark Lord will return, Severus Tobias Snape, and your services will be required. You will be called upon. The words echoed in Severus' mind, eliciting another shiver.

As Severus entered the Great Hall for breakfast, his gaze swept the Gryffindor table and took in Harry sitting together with Granger and Weasley. Harry looked pale and nervous as he pushed his food around on his plate. Granger leaned over and seemed to insist he eat something but Harry seemed to give a short snappy reply.

Of course, Harry's nervousness was well founded. Today was his first Quidditch match. The boy was likely to vomit from anxiety in the next several hours as he waited for the game to approach. Though Severus had never been really good at words of comfort, he figured that if he was discreet, perhaps he could slip in a small word before the rest of the students came down for breakfast. As Severus quickly approached Gryffindor Table, he heard Harry mumble something about not being hungry.

"Good luck today Mr. Potter. Though now that you've proven yourself against a troll, a little game of Quidditch should be easy work for you; even if it is against Slytherin." Even Severus had heard the sarcasm in his voice, he hadn't meant for it to be there. He had meant to sound sincere; instead he had just made himself look like an arse.

Severus noted the green eyes of the boy changing from hurt and confusion to a rather hard glare up at him and suddenly Severus didn't feel like talking. He swept away from the three and heard Harry start to whisper hurriedly to his friends. Oh this was shaping up to be a fun day indeed. Part of Severus hoped that the boy would enjoy his first match, another part of him, the part that truly despised how much attitude the boy was receiving, really hoped he would fall off his broom.

A/N: Okay, slow chapter I know. But guess what, something exciting is coming in the next chapter, Harry and Severus share a moment and Harry suddenly gets very confused! Let me know what you think! Once again thank you to DelightfulSins who has graciously agreed to be my editor! These chapters get better each time I read the edits and suggestions DS makes.