A/N Wow a whole six days later and there's another chapter!! I'm trying to make up for not updating throughout the summer. I felt terrible about that. Well This chapter is a tad bit longer than normal, so I hope you enjoy that. :D

I guess since it was such a short time, I didn't get as many reviews... But that's alright, cause I just want the readers to be entertained!!

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Happy Reading!

Chapter 10

Seven, a Magical Number

Snape walked through the hallways with many thoughts running across his mind. He had not gone to Hogsmeade. That was a fault he made against Voldemort, he would be Crucio'd the next meeting until he hung on by a thread. He did feel the pain coming from the mark, but he did not heed the call. I'm a professor here and the kids are my first responsibility. I couldn't go out there and hurt them.

He half-heartedly sneered at a few passing students. Thankfully, none had been harmed in the Hogsmeade raid. Nothing had happened because of Potter, his Gryffindor brashness, and the unknown named Will. Just Will. He seemed so alike to Potter that I can't help but protect him. Contrary to what most people think, I care about Harry. Lily made me promise that I would protect him and I have done a lousy job so far. Snape made his way silently, scaring a group of Hufflepuffs that had not seen him coming. But he didn't take points off, and for that they were confused. He was too immersed in his thoughts to do anything other than put one foot in front of the other.

His path took him to the Hospital Wing where he knew Dumbledore would be. He was going to do something he never thought he would do since he started the job. Snape was going to give up on his spying occupation on the Dark Lord. The war was moving along too quickly for him and he was just getting too old to keep up his facades. Oh, it's not that he absolutely adored kids, hell no, and that would never be the case. He just didn't hate them as much as they liked to believe.

When they doors came into view, he slowed down. Can I really do this? Face Dumbledore's disappointed eyes? Fate didn't give him a chance to answer as the object of his thoughts opened the door. Next to him was the boy, whom he had remembered a few weeks back. A magnificent bird was sitting on his shoulder.

"Ah, Severus! To what do I owe this pleasure?" He smiled serenely at him in his grandfatherly way. Albus could see the tension in his shoulders and the worry in his eyes.

Snape sneered, for good-measure, at Will. "Headmaster, I would like to speak to you in private." He couldn't help but shift uncomfortably when both pairs of eyes looked at him in concern. What does the boy know that makes him concerned?

"Let's all go to my office, shall we? I believe that Will can come if he is not too tired?" He looked at the other, the question hanging in the air. Grey eyes met obsidian as Snape's anger grew. Why would he invite this mere boy to our meeting when he knows it's about my private affairs? This is a confidential conversation.

"I understand what you are feeling, Severus." The man spluttered at having his unspoken questions answered by the boy of his recent anger. "I will explain when we arrive somewhere where the walls don't have ears." As if answering, a window opened and a slight wind blew in. Will laughed softly and Severus thought he heard him whisper, "High Magic," but he couldn't be sure. The bird on his shoulder hopped down to his arm and nudged his hand. The boy smiled again.

"Go on then, have fun." And with that he threw his arm in the air, launching the beautiful falcon who flew out the window. The breeze felt as if it flew after her.

Dumbledore smiled with an emotion the potions master had never seen before. Total respect, as if to an endeared grandfather. He started walking and called over his shoulder.

"Come along, you two."

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When they got to the office, the tension coming from Snape was almost palpable in the air. Will knew that this would be a turning point in Snape's life almost as it would be for himself.

Dumbledore conjured another chair for Will and Severus sat in the other. "Now let's get started." The old man clapped his hands and a jar of lemondrop popped onto the desk. "Would anyone care for a Lemondrop?" Snape scowled.

"This is serious Albus!" The old man looked at him patiently. "I still don't understand why this adolescent should be able to sit in on this discussion." He looked at Will with fake distaste.

"Well, my boy, looks can be deceiving." He smiled slightly at Will and Will smirked back.

"Well then," Snape sighed. "I guess I shall trust your judgment." He looked at the headmaster with such intensity that made the Old One curious. "I have decided to stop my spying duties." Without pause, he continued, uncertain of the reactions he would get. "My reason is that I did not go to the raid today. There was the choice of Him or the students. I couldn't do that to my students." He sighed again looking his many years being in the service.

"My boy," Severus looked up. "You never need a reason to step out. If you felt unsafe, then you should have told me. I could have helped earlier." Lots of sadness was radiating off of the older man in front of him.

"Spying is a very difficult occupation to have, especially if you work for the two highest factors." Will glanced at the man beside him.

"And what would you know about any of this?" Severus glared. "You're just a child."

Will smirked and the potions master felt he was missing something. "I know everything about you." He said cryptically. Snape was about to retort but Will cut him off. "That day that I obliviated you, I learned that some things just don't work as well for my kind."

Snape looked to Dumbledore for guidance while the headmaster just sat there. He popped a Lemondrop in his mouth which made it so he wouldn't be able to talk. Will called his attention back though with his next sentence.

"Your life has been hard indeed, Severus." There was so much sadness coming from the boy, but no pity. "I have felt what you felt, endured what you endured and yet I cannot fathom why." Grey eyes stared mournfully out the window. "Why can someone do that to a mere child?"

"I am not a child." The infamous glare came back in full force but instead of frightening him away it just made him look sadder.

"To me," he looked back to the man. "To me you are." He paused gathering his thoughts.

"Tell me," His grey eyes bored into Snape's soul. "What do you know of the Old Ones?"

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Snape glared even more. "I know what every other Pureblood knows, it's just a myth." He didn't mention that he actually wasn't a pureblood, he was just in Slytherin. "They are an old race that helped save the world from eternal darkness." He looked back to Albus. "What does this have to do with our conversation?" Albus sat back in his chair and offered for Will to speak again, which made Severus scowl.

"You know of the rhymes, correct?" He asked, figuring that if Albus Dumbledore knew than surely Severus Snape would know.

"Of course, my mother would sing it to me when I was younger."

"Can you repeat it?" Will held back a smile, this was just too much fun!

Snape snorted and muttered, "but I am not singing it."

"Fire on the mountain shall find the harp of gold

Played to wake the Sleepers, oldest of the old;

Power from the green witch, lost beneath the sea;

All shall find the light at last, silver on the tree."

Albus and Will nodded, confirming that he was right in the words. Will was thinking of which to repeat back to him. He nodded t himself and looked straight into Snape's eyes.

"When the Dark comes rising, six shall turn it back;

Three from the circle, three from the track;

Wood, bronze, iron; water, fire, stone;

Five will return, and one go alone.

Iron for the birthday, bronze carried long;

Wood from the burning, stone out of song;

Fire in the candle-ring, water from the thaw;

Six Signs the circle, and the grail gone before." He sighed as memories came back of the Drews and Bran. He missed them almost as much as he missed his family. Looking from Dumbledore to Snape again, he noticed they were both lost in their thoughts.

"I guess I shall make it even shocking for you and add a bit of information." Will smirked until he began to gather his words. This would either anger Snape, or it would scare him to near death. "When I tried obliviating you, remember I have never done it before on a Wizard," he paused. "There were some repercussions. You see, I think because you resisted it, your entire life flashed before my eyes." He looked down. "I had no idea that this would happen, and I am entirely sorry for invading your personal life that I shouldn't know at all. I would like to ask for you forgiveness and if you don't give it I completely understand."

The potions master was gaping. My entire life… He knows my entire life. Well that could be good, he understands me better than anyone… I just can't take this right now. He stood up from his chair and nearly ran out of the room.

The two remaining people sat in a sad silence. They both cared for that man. Albus cared because he knew him for his whole schooling career, and Will cared because he knew his entire, hard, difficult, life. After a long pause where they sat in the contemplating stillness, Will spoke up.

"Well," he said with fake cheer. "I guess I'll get going." He stood up to leave. Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him.

"I have a proposition for you, my friend." He looked over his glasses at Will. "Would you like to help as a potions assistant?"

"But, Severus—"

"Severus will come around in time. I am sure he is somewhat happy about this issue. You would understand why." They both smiled.

"This could be good for him. And think of what he could get done with me by his side." A small chuckle broke out from Albus and then Will stood up.

"I think I will go share the good news to Harry." He grinned. "But I don't think I shall tell them who I will be assisting." He laughed outright.

"Do you need directions to the library?"

Will just smiled, shook his head, and walked out the door.

The High Magic would guide him to where he needed to be. That was one of the perks of being an Old One. This castle is drenched in it, he thought as he ran his hands along the stones. To anyone he would look like he was wandering aimlessly. Will couldn't help it, he laughed and he could almost hear the castle laughing with him.

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After getting and afternoon snack from Dobby, the group made their way to the library. They would go out to the lake, but because of the recent attack so close to the school, the teachers decided that no one would be allowed outside. The headmaster would announce when it would be safe again.

No one took the attack too hard considering that no one was seriously injured. Most of the students thought it was a scare tactic from Voldemort since the Minister finally admitted he was alive. Most thought it was supposed to be like the raid at Diagon Ally. Harry and his friends knew that by tomorrow that idea would change. The confrontation in Hogsmeade would surely go down as another time that Harry was face to face with the Dark Lord and lived.

The group went to a secluded corner that Hermione had found a couple years ago. Not that many Hogwarts students went around the area because it was a history section. Hermione had made it more comfortable, transfiguring the chairs into plush couches.

"Alright," Ron started. "Now are you going to tell us who that kid was?" He was curious to find out. Hermione huffed but leaned forward.

"Harry, we're worried about you." The concern in her eyes amplified that fact. "You've been withdrawn since school started. I understand that school is important but your interest in school has dramatically gone up since last year." She paused hesitantly. "If you need to talk about anything…" She looked around the group. "We are all here for you." Everyone nodded in agreement.

Harry looked around. All the faces looked determined and he realized that they had been hurting because of him. "I'm so sorry, you guys." He started playing with the hem of his robe. "I just wanted everyone to be safe." He muttered softly. Hermione started to speak up but Harry cut her off with a look. "Everyone dies because they were somehow connected to me in some way. But, now that I look at what my separation has caused, I understand that that is not the way to keep my friends safe."

"So what are you planning to do now?" Neville asked. Ginny hit his arm and hissed, "you can be so insensitive, you know that?"

Harry just smiled. He got up and stood in front of all his friends. Looking at them he felt stronger. With them at my side, no one can stop us. "I think we should start up the DA again." Luna smiled in her own way and walked towards a book shelf. "We can train together as a group, just the six of us."

"Seven," came the airy reply from over by the bookshelf. Ron appeared confused by what the Ravenclaw stated and asked, "Seven?"

A new voice joined in from a small distance away, "Yes, seven."

Luna just smiled and wandered over to where Will was standing. "I won't let you go off by yourselves." He said looking straight into emerald. "Where's the fun in that?" Harry and the Old One laughed as if it were a joke.

Joke about the serious things to get through. And they would get through with flying colors.

I'm sure of it, Harry thought.

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Well there it is. I shall get a few more chapters in before school because then I don't believe that my writing will come to me as fast. If you see any errors go ahead and tell me, I don't have a beta. Once I'm done with this story I will go back and edit the whole thing (or have someone do it for me... haha)

Review because it makes me happy. :D)