Here's the next one. I'm on vacation right now, so hopefully it will inspire me for the next chapter. Please read and review.

"Oh no!" Ron exclaimed when he saw where Harry was looking. "We've missed it! Mum and Dad are going to kill me."

Harry nodded dumbly, picturing the look on Snape's face when he failed to show up at the feast. "What are we going to do? I'll guess we should head back to the car and wait for your parents."

Ron looked at Harry, his eyes widening. "That's it, Harry! The car. It flies. We can take it to Hogwarts."

"Keep your voice down," Harry hissed at him. He dragged him to a slightly out of the way location. "What do you mean, it flies?"

"Dad installed a flight generator in it. We can fly it to Hogwarts."

"What about your parents?"

"If we can't get through, they probably can't get back. Besides, they can apparate home."

Harry paused for a moment and nodded. "Let's go."

oOo

Harry and Ron stared at Ron's wand after the car ejected them. "My wand," Ron gasped.

"You'll have to deal with it later," Harry said. "C'mon. We have to get up to the castle." He slung his overnight bag over his shoulder and grasped a handle of Ron's trunk. Ron grabbed the other one and they began dragging it up to the castle.

They peered through the windows into the Great Hall. "They're starting the Sorting," Ron said. "I can see Ginny! I can't see Snape. Is he sick? Did he get sacked?"

"Ron, I think I would know if he was sick or if he'd gotten sacked." Despite the confidence in his tone, a feeling of cold dread crept into the pit of Harry's stomach.

"Or maybe he's standing right behind you, waiting to hear about why you didn't come on the train," a silky voice said from behind them. Harry turned slowly, only to see the angry face of his guardian glaring back at him.

oOo

"With me," Snape snapped, turning on his heel, his robes billowing. Harry and Ron bent to grab the trunk again. "Leave your things." They straightened up and followed Snape to his office in the dungeons, ignoring the whispering portraits.

"Sit." Snape gestured to two chairs across from his. He took a deep breath, his shoulders shaking slightly with rage. "Do either of you have any idea of the danger you put yourselves in? Our world in? What were you thinking?" he hissed at them. The boys stared at the floor. "Well?"

"The barrier sealed itself off, sir," Ron choked out. "We missed the train."

"Then why didn't you wait for your parents?" He growled.

"We thought if the barrier had sealed itself to us then it would have sealed itself to them too," Harry explained, staring at the floor, unable to look his guardian in the eye.

Snape paused before dropping the evening edition of the Daily Prophet on his desk in front of the boys. "You were seen."

The boys paled. "Am I going to be expelled?" Harry asked in a small voice.

"Why do you ask that now? You certainly didn't consider it before you stole a car."

"The letter from the Ministry I got at the Dursleys said I would be expelled if I got caught doing any more magic outside of school."

Snape felt a twinge in his chest looking at Harry's dejected face. "No, Harry," he said, his tone more gentle, "you're not being expelled, though I might have considered it if you were both in Slytherin. But we will talk about that letter later." Harry nodded. Snape glanced up. Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore were standing in the door to his office. "Harry, when you are finished eating, you will come to our quarters. You will not spend tonight in the dorms."

"Yes, sir."

Professor McGonagall sat down at Snape's desk, her lips a thin line. "I believe it is safe to assume that Professor Snape has covered how foolishly you two have behaved," she said crisply. "Rest assured, you will not be expelled. However you will serve detention. Mr. Weasley, I will also be sending a letter to your parents."

"Uh, Professor," Ron interrupted, his face pale, "since school hadn't technically started yet, it really wouldn't be fair to take points from Gryffindor."

Professor McGonagall's lips quirked slightly before flattening out again. "Very well, Mr. Weasley, I will refrain from taking points."

Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat. "I must warn you both that if you cause further trouble, we will have to revisit this conversation. I expect you to keep out of trouble for the rest of the year. Am I understood?"

"Yes, sir," the boys replied, looking at their shoes.

Professor McGonagall waved her wand and a plate of sandwiches appeared. "When you are finished, Mr. Weasley, you will go to Gryffindor Tower and go straight to bed. Mr. Potter, I heard Severus say that he required you in his quarters. I expect to see you at breakfast tomorrow. I will notify you with the date and time of your detentions. Have a good night."

"Good night," the boys said in unison as she left.

oOo

They ate in silence, the plate refilling itself when they ate the last sandwich. After their bellies were full, they stood up and stretched. "Good luck, mate," Ron said.

"Thanks," he said softly. "Good night." Ron left. Harry went over to the portrait of the snake on the wall. He squared his shoulders and gave the password, ignoring the scolding the snake gave him as he passed through. He was certain a more scathing one awaited him.

"Severus?" He called tentatively when he stepped through. When he got no answer, he went into his bathroom and took a shower. When he had finished and changed, Snape was waiting for him in the living room.

"Sit," Snape said, gesturing to the couch. He sat in one of the chairs. He took a deep breath. "What were you thinking, Harry? To do something so dangerous?"

Harry felt his cheeks burn. "We didn't see any other way. How else were we going to get to school? The barrier had closed and it was after eleven."

"Why didn't you just wait for the Weasleys? They needed to go back to the car anyway. They could've helped you Floo to Hogsmeade and walked you to the castle."

Harry's cheeks burned even hotter. "We didn't think they would be able to get back through the barrier and we figured that they could apparate home."

"If the barrier was closed and they apparate home, don't you think they could've apparate do to the car and then helped you?"

Now his ears were burning. "We...we didn't think of that. It seemed like taking the car was the only option. I wish we had thought of that."

Snape nodded. The boy at least seems to know that he has done wrong, he thought to himself. He took a deep breath and thought for a moment. "You are grounded to our quarters for the next three weekends. For the next three weekends, you will come here after dinner on Fridays. There will be no quidditch and no friends during these times, although Hermione may visit if she chooses, as this is her home too. You will write three essays during this time. The first will be on the various laws that you broke. The next will be on the possible consequences of breaking those laws and what may happen because of your actions. The last will be on the magic required to enchant the car. I suspect the car is lost to the Forbidden Forest now, and Mr. Weasley will not get it back." Harry slumped forward; he had never meant to hurt Mr. Weasley. "When you are finished with the essays, you will complete the rest of your homework, including the readings for each class. After that, I'm sure that I can find plenty for you to do. Do you have any questions?"

Harry sighed. "Oliver expects me at practice. Can I please still practice with the team? It hurts them if I'm not there." He had a slightly hopeful look on his face.

"No. Be glad that I am not grounding you for three complete weeks. If you ever get grounded during the week too, it will include your weekday quidditch practices as well. Understood?"

Harry's face fell. "Yes, sir. What do I tell Oliver?"

"That's up to you, but I would recommend the truth. He won't be happy, but I'm sure he'll understand." Harry nodded. Snape pursed his lips for a moment. "Tell me about this letter you got over the summer."

Harry sighed. "This house elf named Dobby came to visit me. He told me not to come back to Hogwarts because it would be too dangerous. When I told him that I had to come back, he ran down the stairs and levitated a pudding over Uncle Vernon's boss's wife and dropped it on her head and disappeared. Right after that, an owl came with a letter that was a warning for underage magic use and said I would be expelled if I used magic again outside school."

Snape nodded. "Do you know why he came? Did someone send him?"

"I dunno. He kept banging his head on stuff every time I asked him that."

"Hmm," Snape said thoughtfully. "What happened after that?"

"Uncle Vernon put the bars over my window and the locks and cat flap on my door. They hadn't known that I couldn't do magic until that letter."

"How did they not know? Petunia didn't know? Lily was never allowed to do magic during the summers, though they weren't as strict as they are now."

"You knew my mum?" Harry asked, his eyes wide with surprise.

"We were childhood friends and in the same year in Hogwarts."

"Why didn't you tell me before?" Snape didn't answer. "I don't know anything about her. Aunt Petunia told me that she and my dad were drunk and died in a car crash. I know that's not what happened now, but I didn't before. The only other thing I know about her is that she was head girl. Please tell me something else about her."

The pleading look in Harry's eyes-Lily's eyes-tugged at Snape's heart while threatening to let loose all of the grief he had held in for eleven years. "I...I...I cannot."

Harry's face twisted with anger and hurt, his eyes suddenly very bright. "Fine," he snapped, his voice thick.. "I'm going to bed." He turned on his heel and stormed toward his bedroom.

Snape watched his retreating back, feelings of relief and self-loathing battling over leaving the boy's question unanswered.