Chapter Eleven:

As soon as they reappeared in the village of Hogsmeade, their arrival was announced by a horribly screeching alarm. Panicked, they tried to hide, but no such luck: even though they had chosen a very late hour to carry out their plan, the headmaster was still on the lookout.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?", Snape said in his usually slimy voice and Harry was overwhelmed by a sudden wave of pure hatred and despair. Couldn't luck for once be on their side? Before any of them could even think about moving, Snape waved his arm and cried: "Expelliarmus! Finite Incantatem!" Disarmed and visible once more, Hermione, Ron and Draco stood before him. If Snape was surprised to see Malfoy with them, he didn't show it.

"Weasley, Granger. So that must mean Potter is nearby." Under the Invisibility Cloak, Harry silently cursed himself for agreeing to this extremely stupid and dangerous mission that would for sure end their quest and not in a good way. They couldn't have been any less stealthy if they had come in to the village accompanied by a marching band wearing shirts with his face on them.

"Come out, Potter!", Snape snarled, as he grabbed Hermione and pointed his wand at her head. Ron threw himself at Snape in a fury, but Snape just made him stumble with a flick of his wand. "He isn't with us!", Ron screamed. Snape just scoffed and Harry knew he would never believe something like that. He actually knew them too well.

Harry didn't stir under the cloak and was grateful that Quirrell didn't either. Snape called out again: "I warn you, Potter, come out now or I'll torture your friends."

Harry didn't think Snape would actually do that, it just didn't seem right. But then again, he also wouldn't have thought Snape would kill Dumbledore. Before Ron or Hermione could say anything to stop Harry, he ducked under the Invisibility Cloak, leaving Quirrell still hidden. In the second it took Snape to turn around to see the movement, he hoped he wouldn't see that Harry didn't gather up the cloak.

"So", Snape said and drew in nearer. "What brings you here?" Facing Snape, Harry found some courage in his blinding hatred. "Why don't you ask your master?" Hermione winced and Harry was concerned for a second that Voldemort had told Snape about the Horcruxes and he now knew what they were planning to do, but then he remembered that Voldemort didn't trust anyone enough to convey that particular secret.

Indeed, Snape just glared at him, but there was no sign of recognition in his eyes. "Petrificus Totalus", he said lazily and Harry and the others went into a limp state, unable to move. Snape lifted them in the air and let them hover to the castle. Harry was suddenly reminded of a time when it was the other way around.

Because of the lateness of the hour they didn't come across any students of teachers that would have seen him, though Harry was unsure they would actually help them. Maybe McGonagall, but not Slughorn for sure.

In Snape's office, he let them out of their completely limp state, but still bound their feet by magic. Harry decided that if Snape called Voldemort right now, everything they fought for would be doomed. So, he said: "Listen!", before Snape could even so much as look at his Dark Mark. "We're looking to bring You-know-who down. I know you work for him and I also know that you will probably do anything you can to stop us. But Dumbledore trusted you and I believe he had a reason. You're rational, you don't want this to happen! Please let us go. We have almost made it, there's just one little piece missing. And if you hand us over right now, the world as we know it will be over."

He didn't know where the words came from and they sounded overly dramatic, but they seemed, against all odds, to stir something in Snape. He looked behind them and as Harry turned around, he saw Quirrell standing in the doorway, completely himself again. In all the confusion, Harry hadn't even realized the potion had worn off, but as he looked down on himself, he was in his old body.

For a moment, time seemed to freeze. Then Snape gave Quirrell a short nod, looked briefly at the quartet standing in front of him and touched his Dark Mark.