There were probably several ways their Halloween party could have gone better. Perhaps Severus could have gotten slightly less scary decorations. After all, all the people at the party were eleven year olds and even a grown adult would pass out if a scarecrow suddenly grabbed them when, by all appearances, it was just a scarecrow. Well it was funny seeing Draco scream at an octave he never heard and Seamus jumped directly into a nearby Dean's arms, sending them both tumbling to the ground. Ha. But what wasn't funny was the old woman, smiling a smile too big and staring a stare too hard serving the punch. She didn't speak and Harry was sure she didn't blink. Like sixty percent sure because he couldn't look at her too long or they'd make eye contact and he made that mistake once too often.

So yeah. The decorations could have been scaled back. But there was also the candy situation. Harry should have gotten twice as much which made sense. Once again, this was a kids' party and he knew that they as a species could devour sweets in a blink of an eye. Luckily he got a chance to take pictures because as soon as the doors open the candy was gone. That was a bad sign but it was still manageable what with the cake and biscuits still available. There were also little goodie bags!

More candy next year, most definitely. Another thing to consider is perhaps not inviting literally every single first year. There was some tension between students which only got worse when the candy ran out and everyone was hyped up on the sweets and danger of breaking the rules. Unfortunately that lead to some things… some mean things being said, causing one student to run out of the party to cry in private thus causing one, two—oh, three people to go after them.

One last thing to consider was a different location. This place didn't really have the best air circulation or the space to host so many kids, making Harry feel hot and breathless. If it wasn't so seemingly dark, cramped and hot Harry wouldn't have left for fresh air and he wouldn't have investigated the crying he heard passing the abandoned classroom.

But all in all, Harry was sure that what really ruined their Halloween party was the troll. He pressed his back into Pansy (who screamed and tried to squeeze into the tiny corner a shrieking Hermione found herself shoved into). He had to think of something. He just had to. He couldn't let these two get hurt, he couldn't let them be killed in this filthy little bathroom, filled with terror. That wasn't the way anyone should die.

"Protego!" Harry shouted, knocking the large wooden bat (it was almost the size of a small tree) just enough off center to crash into the sink. Ceramic scattered everywhere, just barely missing him in the eye although a large chunk cut him across the cheek. At least the two girls behind him were spared but for how long? As the troll roared in anger, having stumbled back one step from his spell Harry decided that yeah, the troll was definitely the ruiner of this party.

Really though, he was jumping ahead of himself. He really should start at the beginning of this fateful day. Actually he should start a little bit earlier—exactly seven days before now.

—+

"What's so great about All Hallows' Eve?" Ron asked around a mouth full of food.

"There's the trick or treating and the costumes for starters," Harry grinned. Ron stared at him for blankly, obviously uncomprehending of the words coming from his mouth. Oh yeah, Ron was a pureblood wizard raised in pure blood wizard society so there was a big possibility that he didn't know the true amazingness of the holiday. After all, Severus didn't know what Halloween was until a few years ago. Then again Severus was raised on the run and didn't have time to learn holidays that were important and fun.

"Muggles use Halloween as a celebration, a fun way to dress up as monsters or famous people or animals and have fun. At night the kids go around to other houses to get candy," Harry explained.

"Wait so muggle kids are just… going up to strangers and begging for candy?" Ron frowned.

"Well when you say it like that, it sounds weird," Harry laughed.

"No it's just weird on its own," Dean piped up, making Harry realize that half of their year mates seemed extremely interested in what they were talking about. Oh this was a great time to tell them about the party. Wait, no. There were too many other prying eyes and ears around. He smiled at his fellow classmates and picked up his plate, walking quickly to the Slytherin table.

"Are you, perhaps, colorblind?" Blaise greeted him with a voice drier than sand. The boy's eyes were barely open though he somehow maintained grace and elegance as he ate.

"Perhaps," Harry replied simply with his biggest smile. The boy blinked at him slowly, obviously only half awake before Harry's words seemed to absorb and he dissolved into tiny giggles.

"Tereso, ah, your Harry is so funny," Blaise wiped away unseen tears. Severus gave no indication that he heard the boy or even knew that his brother had sat beside him but Harry wasn't surprised. Whenever Severus presses his face that close to a book, there was no point in trying to talk to him. Unless you were Harry. But Harry knew not to abuse such substantial power. He was responsible.

"So… candy here? What's it like?" Harry asked in a casual sort of way.

"You haven't had candy before?" Ah Pansy. He thought he could get used to the snooty and snide way she said each sentence. It was fun. Like finally being on the receiving end of his brother's nastiness. But in girl form.

"Well I just assumed wizard candy would be different," Harry shrugged.

"Most likely our candy is better than muggle candy," Draco took a delicate sip of his orange juice. Harry was very sure he didn't very much like the blond like a funny feeling in his gut having nothing to do with sharing Severus with a new 'family member'. Still, his smile didn't shift as the boy turned to another pair of Slytherins. "Goyle, Crabbe, provide samples." Harry watched with wide eyes as the boys promptly emptied their pockets and the table was covered in strange wrappers containing strange candy.

"Eww! Crabbe, Goyle! You boys suck on bloodlollies?" A small blond girl with great big blue eyes wrinkled her nose. Her delicate little hand came out to shove food she seemed to only be picking at away from her as though she were put off .

"Uh, er, no!" The large boy (who might be Crabbe but by that logic might also be Goyle as no one seemed to call on them individually) protested, snatching up the red lollies that Harry thought looked the most normal. His face was nearly giving off heat how hotly he blushed. "My stupid cousin sent them as a joke. They're not open or anything!"

"Don't be so judgmental, butterfly," Blaise picked out a wayward red lollipop, smoothly removing the wrapper and popping it into his mouth. The blond girl made a dramatically offended noise and turned her back to them. "They are actually very good."

"They're made out of blood," Draco said upon catching the slightly confused look on Harry's face. Oh. Oh! Harry blinked at the now red tinted smile Blaise bestowed upon him. Oh. Gross.

"What are these?" Harry grabbed a quivering box.

"Here, let me," Draco swiped the box from him. Before Harry could protest, the boy opened it and out hopped something—a frog! A frog made out of chocolate! Harry bit down on the creatures head, causing it to still and also filling Harry's mouth with the best chocolate ever made.

"No fair! How did you get Lady Gryffindor on the first try?" Draco whined, reminding Harry of Dudley. A richer, fancier Dudley but Dudley nonetheless. "Potter, I'll give you two hundred galleons for her." Harry perked up a bit at that, not really interested in the money but interested in Draco's obvious interest in the card. Harry leaned in to catch sight of the woman on the golden, ornately decorated card. Her hair was pretty cool, done up in sticks and little flames. But it was the eyes that caught his attention, curious and warm staring back at him.

"Hey! I've seen that lady before," Harry announced around the melting legs of his chocolate frog. It was the lady from his vault.

"Of course you have. Lady Gryffindor is almost as famous as Godric himself," the blond rolled his eyes. Harry leaned in as though getting closer would make this woman look less like the woman in his vault. But no. She still looked like her. Was it normal to have a magic portrait of a famous person? Harry suspected the answer was no. Oh and that the card was his. He plucked it from pale fingers too fast for Draco to stop him and slipped it into his pocket.

"Finders keepers," he grinned before turning back to the candy pile. Before he could pick another treat a familiar hand darted out for a jellybean and disappeared back behind a book. He looked to his brother just in time to catch the look of utter disgust dart across his face before his hand was back out grabbing another.

"Pick the blue one," Pansy suggested with a bright smile that just didn't look very right on her normally pinched face. Harry looked down at the little pile then back at the girl. Pansy was just as or meaner than Severus and he got the feeling she didn't particularly like him. Not in a she had it out for him sorta way more like she didn't like a lot of people sorta way. With all that information the only real conclusion is that she would trick him if given the chance.

"You won't fool me," Harry wagged a finger and wisely chose a green jellybean instead. And immediately spat it out as his mouth was filled with the taste of freshly cut grass.

"Fool," Pansy shook her head.

—+

"Will this be enough?" Harry dumped a handful of coins into the girl's cupped hands. Harry didn't know her too well, just that everyone called her 'Idyllic' and that she was trustworthy. She only wore black lipstick and she never let her hair grow into the thick, tight curls they could be. Oh and she was a sixth year Gryffindor, did well in class and was a complete loner—by choice and something a little more sinister according to rumors. But Harry knew you couldn't completely trust rumors. Rumors had it that he defeated the Dark Lord with his first word. The rumor that Idyllic did something so horrible, so terrible that she erased everyone's mind of her existence but missed the Headmaster and was thus cursed to live a life of loneliness while still being seen was completely and utterly absurd.

"How much candy can one kid eat?" Idyllic squinted, looking at the pile then back to him. It took him a long time to get her to talk to him and not just stare silently as he carried on. Harry was sure Severus would describe it as 'breaking her' but he liked to think his persistence simply helped her out of her shell. But only with him. He didn't see her talking to her year mates or anyone really.

"I like to be a squirrel sometimes or maybe I can sell them to other students who don't have cool older friends," he shrugged, sitting beside the thin girl. He held open the pouch and helped her dump the coins back in.

"That last bit didn't sound very noble," the girl traced a finger through the swirls etched into her shorn hair. He was quite honored when she asked for his help with the back of her hair, seeing in her wary expression that she didn't typically trust anyone so close. He thought he did a very good job for the first time.

"Being noble all the time is new to me," Harry gently knocked his shoulder against hers. A rare smile pulled at her lips for but a moment. Silently she pocketed the little bag of money and went back to the thick tome she was reading. He smiled even brighter.

Candy? Check!

Now he just had to figure out the food and they would be all ready. Harry contained his squeal just barely. He was so excited!

—+

Severus wasn't one for regrets, never understood obsessing over the past and reviewing every action over and over with a horrible dread in one's guts as you cannot change what's already happened but he had a very slight sense of hesitation as he sat before his cauldron. He's never quite seen a potion this shade of… colors. It rolled and bubbled and popped and with each movement it would subtly shift through shades of green. It was beautiful, hypnotizing. And it just needed one more ingredient.

"Sevvie-poo…"

Should he do this? It shouldn't be done, no one should have this sort of power. He should dump this half finished potion into a toilet and flush it away, never to be known or seen again. Severus frowned at his foolish thoughts but they sat so heavily on his brain that it tightened his hand around the pretty, red rock. He put so much work into this stone and the power it held. Countless hours, missed classes, sneaking into the forbidden section of the library and even breaking into Quirrell's office. So much hard work. And here was the result…

"Sevvie…"

Immortality. Or at least as close to immortality one could get. Severus scoffed. He didn't even care about immortality, thought it a foolish man's desire. Worse than foolish. A coward. Death was one enemy who was not meant to be defeated. He could be cheated as many times as he allowed but he never lost. Besides Severus was very sure he'd be bored to tears after the first century.

"Sev…"

He made this potion because he could. Because it had been complicated and exceedingly hard and time consuming. Because making it proved that he was just as good as his ma always believed.

"Severus."

His ma would be impressed, silently of course and his pa would insist they celebrate. Why was he crying? Severus rubbed at his eyes harsher than he intended but when he opened them he found himself looking at the put off face of Myrtle.

"I've been calling you!" She huffed.

"This potion is very delicate, give me another moment." Severus was done contemplating. Myrtle let out a small huff but floated to his side without arguing. Severus added the final ingredient, a simple sprinkle of grated Philosopher's stone. Now it just had to be left alone until… oh, nearly the end of the school year. Severus frowned and pulled away from the cauldron, signaling for the girl to move it back into its stall as magic would curdle his potion and it was too hot for him to touch.

"Now that that's done!" Myrtle slapped her hands together dramatically.

"Yes, what was of such great importance?"

"Ooh nothing," the ghost giggled, floating around him. Severus rolled his eyes and waited patiently for her to settle again, "the party is tonight." Ooh. Severus looked down at his wrist as though that held the answer to where time had gone. The party was tonight. And he had neglected to tell his fellow Slytherin. In his defense… hm, well he had managed to invite the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws… perhaps he didn't have a defense. Except that after he had gotten the decorations, his experimental potion had hit an important development and, well that was very important…

"Why am I doing this again?" Severus rubbed at his eyes. He didn't even like parties. He almost hated them especially if they were dragging him from something he deemed more important. Harry was lucky that Severus loved him.

"From what I understand, it's a bribe," Myrtle supplied helpfully, following him out of the bathroom and down into his dorms. Severus resisted the urge to stick out his tongue because that was childish. Yes he knows the birth of the party came from his own folly. Had he destroyed that oaf faster he wouldn't have been injured enough to inform Harry then he wouldn't have to offer up something to make his twin almost forget the entire incident. He was sure by the end of the night he'd find it all to be worth it.

+/-

It. Was. Not. Worth. It.

Severus burst into an abandoned classroom and tried to calm his hair thin nerves. He blamed Harry completely and utterly of course. The boy had been on a mission to undermine any and all nasty things he did, spinning them in such a charming way that he was seen as a shy boy with a secret heart of gold. All evening he had been assaulted by his fellow year mates as they marveled over his eccentric costume. Severus rolled artificial golden eyes. He and Harry were nymphs, he a fire and Harry a forest. Had he known it would grab so much attention he would have been much firmer in his no.

Severus flopped onto the ground, kicking up a thick layer of dust. Well he had to admit that he had done an amazing job on their costumes this year. The fire effect of his robes was perfect, quietly crackling and popping against his skin. He especially liked the crown Harry insisted on and made when he refused to do so. He knew he shouldn't have let the boy watch him make their costumes for so many years.

"Oh, um…"

Severus sighed through his nose and drew his knees a little closer to his chest. It was the one and only Longbottom. Of course it was. He seemed to always know where Severus was at any given time, if Severus didn't know better he would think the boy had some sort of tracking spell on him.

"A-are you okay? I um… I kinda saw you run out," Neville stammered out.

"I would hardly call it running," Severus denied, a bit of heat coming to his face. He hadn't ran. It was… more like a fast walk. Power walk. Yes. He power walked out of the party.

"Was it because everyone was touching you?" Neville questioned gently, approaching him slowly like one would a potentially dangerous animal. Well at least someone in this school had some common sense and didn't fall for Harry's well meaning propaganda. But still, the boy sat beside him and gave him a small smile. He was dressed as what Severus could only guess was a toad. Neville looked quite ridiculous the more he looked at him. Completely green with giant eyes atop his head and little warts all over him.

"No, it was the creepy old lady serving punch," Severus snarked.

"Please don't mention her, she was very scary," Neville shivered dramatically, "I almost think she's scarier than my gran." He reached into his toad green robes and pulled out a clear pouch filled with jelly beans and then two bottles of fizzy drinks. Severus eyed the treats with the highest suspicion. They were his favorites which he liked but how…? Neville must have sensed his brewing thoughts because his small smile grew twice as large and as bright as the sun while he held out the bag. "Harry told us that these are your favorite candy."

"Of course he did," Severus sighed and accepted the candy.

"He really loves you. You're all he talks about. That and Quidditch. I don't even think he'd be here if you and Quidditch didn't exist," Neville continued, biting into a cauldron cookie. Smoke dramatically spilled from his mouth and the cookie. Harry really did an excellent job on the snacks.

"I certainly wouldn't be here if it weren't for Harry," Severus smacked his lips against the horrible taste of earwax then hummed when the next turned out to be cupcake flavor.

"Why not? Hogwarts—Sev?"

His necklace was hot. It hadn't even become warm, just a sudden lava attempting to burn through his flesh. He stumbled to his feet, clumsily pressing the rock to his eye, hands wet with sweat. He prayed it wasn't anything serious, perhaps the talisman was malfunctioning but what he saw made his heart drop. A troll. Harry was pressed into a corner and there was a troll attacking him.

"Sev! Where are you going?" Neville called after him. Bathroom. They were in a bathroom. Which bathroom. It couldn't have been his makeshift potion lab, Myrtle locked it and anyone who managed to get into it would alert her and she would alert him. There were two other bathrooms. One was in another abandoned classroom at the end of the hall. The other was the boy's bathroom which was closer to the party.

Severus stopped moving, brain racing and heart pounding. He didn't have time. Trolls were strong enough to crush a human to dust with one hand and once they were enraged their skin became almost as hard as diamonds. Harry didn't know any spells to defeat a troll, Severus only knew of two spells that could kill such a monster and one was an Unforgivable. Severus took a deep breath and immediately slapped a hand over his nose. Trolls stink. They stink so bad Severus could follow his nose right to the abandoned classroom. His magic slammed into the door, breaking it off the hinges.

There it was.

"Harry!" Severus couldn't help the shriek that escaped his throat. It seemed as though the troll was in mid-attack, the door striking the troll in its arm and sending his club into the stall where another pair of screams could be heard. Who—?

"Sev!"

Ooh.

The troll's attention was now on him.

+/-

Harry had tried.

He tried the best he could but his spells seemed to bounce off the troll and even the fire spell Severus used in the forest seemed to just piss it off even more. The most he could do was knock the troll's attacks off center but that wouldn't last too much longer. He was starting to get tired, his lungs seemed to tremble and his spells felt like they were almost dimming. And he could tell that the troll felt no such fatigue. In fact it seemed to get stronger the longer he held it at bay.

They were going to die, here in this bathroom. He, Hermione and Pansy. And soon Ron and another girl would follow them. The troll raised its weapon high over its head, smoke still rising off its flesh and Harry didn't want to see that. He dropped his wand, useless without any magic to fuel it, twisted around and threw himself over the two girls who had suddenly grown quiet because they knew too. Their hands clutched at him and Harry almost felt—

BOOM!

An explosion caused him to flinch but the voice that followed next and the fierce magic that whipped through the air and yet gently caressed his skin caused him to truly relax.

"Harry!" Harry met eyes with his savior, his twin brother and called back to him.

"Sev!" He wanted to jump up and run to the boy and hug him as tight as he could but—

"RARGHH!" The troll roared unintelligibly, spit flying from its disgusting mouth. Something was wrong, something was different. It's eyes, once dull and watery now seemed full of fire and Harry could literally see its skin harden even more, turning nearly white. It let out another roar and Harry could see that it wanted nothing more than to kill Severus. It hated him. It wanted to crush his brother and eat his remains.

"Sev! Run!" Harry shouted. Severus didn't budge, wand at the ready and—it hit Severus. Harry hadn't blinked, he hadn't taken a breath but the troll had crossed to Severus and it was swinging its wooden weapon and… and… Severus was gone. His body went flying into the darkness, loudly crashing into dozens of desks. And then there was silence. Complete and terrible. Only thing he could hear was his heart pounding in his chest. Severus. He. His brother was dead. The troll killed his Severus.

Harry felt his mouth dry and his body felt hot. Burning. His head hurt. He. He didn't. He didn't know what was happening. He stood up and when had his wand appeared in his hand again? He didn't know but he raised it. What spell would fall from his lips? He didn't know one that could hurt the troll, after all he had already gave it his all but something straining inside him insisted that he could do it. What was it? He didn't know but still he opened his lips.

"So. You have chosen death?" Huh? Harry practically flew backwards as the walls burst into shards but the stones did not strike any of them. Instead it froze in the air, suspended by magic so still Harry couldn't help but think that it was someone other than Severus. But it was him. There he was with his head bowed and his arm dangling uselessly at his side, blood steadily dripping onto the stone floor. Ooh and he was in the air. Harry almost didn't notice given how powerful his brother appeared, covered in glowing red flames, but yes, he was several feet in the air. For a moment he was reminded of that day so long ago but somehow this was different. The look in Severus's eyes was so much different. It was… cold.

"Sev?" Harry reached out his hand, too far to pull his brother out of the sky but feeling the desperate need to do so. Severus didn't spare him a glance, his entire being focused on the panting troll.

"You poor, stupid creature. To think you would stumble upon your death at such a young age. Do not fret. It will be over soon." Severus raised his uninjured wand arm and Harry was sure that the troll had let out a roar but that was impossible because its head was no longer upon its shoulder. Its body didn't know that the head was missing, swinging recklessly and violently. Harry spun around and jumped atop the two girls, knocking them down. The wooden bat crashed into the stalls, the walls, and very nearly them.

"Oh. That. Will. Not. Do." There was the sound of wind and then it all stopped. A hand landed on his bowed head and Harry slowly opened his eyes, meeting a pair so warm and brown he was reminded of chewy brownies.

"Severus?" Harry whispered. His brother was still defying gravity, still surrounded by that tangible, still magic. He was still in his costume, his crown of fire tilted and his robes falling forward as a curtain of brilliant flames. He tried to look away from the brightness, tried to see what had become of the troll but Severus's hand would not allow it.

"Are you okay, Harry?" He repeated, his hand gently brushed through his hair. Harry felt tears fills his eyes. Severus was covered in blood; it dropped from his head, it dimmed the flames where it soaked through his robes and no telling what was going on inside him! How was Severus worried about him? "Harry?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," Harry said strongly, suppressing the water threatening to clog his voice. He stood up and held out his arms to the floating boy.

"Ooh good," Severus sighed and fell so gently into the waiting arms. Harry lowered them to the ground, curled around the small body and filled with relief at the strong heartbeat he felt.

"Harry? Is he okay?" That was Hermione. Harry remained silent, words unable to push past his lips. When had he closed his eyes? He just barely managed to open them enough to look at the bushy haired girl but that was enough for her. "Windgardum leviosa." Harry felt himself and his precious package slowly be picked up by magic but he felt no need to panic. He relaxed into the magic and then against the cold stone he had been placed against.

"Whoa! What—!" He heard Ron scream. But he had shut his eyes again and he just knew they wouldn't open for a long time.

"Shh, you bumbling fool," Pansy hissed.

"What happened? Where's the troll?" Ron whispered.

"Are you blind? It's right there—Severus saved us."

"B-but that's just…" huh. Harry had only spared the briefest thought of that monster, hadn't even really thought of what Severus could have done to it but whatever it was it seemed to leave Ron speechless.

"Is he alright? Should we do something?" A girl murmured.

"Harry is exhausted from trying to fight the troll and Severus is severely injured. Pansy knows advanced healing magic so she will keep him stable and I will assist as best I can. You two will go summon professors—Professor Lupin is closest I believe. It is likely that someone heard the commotion and already did but we will be sure." Wow. Hermione sure was bossy.

"Did you not hear me? Go now!" Harry grinned internally. He knew she was so, so cool. They were in good hands, he knew it so he let himself relax and fall into silence.

By the time the teachers came (lead by the teary eyed Neville) Pansy was still bowed over the twins, her lips moving quickly and her magic filling the room with gentle, healing warmth. Her hands were steady but the sweat dripping from her forehead revealed just how straining it was. Hermione, who was pressed into her back, seemed to be pouring her own magic into the girl, a glow familiar to the experienced professors surrounding her.

"What… is that?" Peter squinted at the strange thing lying upon the floor, far from the children.

"Dear Merlin that's a troll!" Remus choked out, grabbing his friend and practically flinging him away from the limbless monster. At the shout, Hermione lost her concentration and the power transfer stopped and with it Pansy collapsed.

"Please… help him," Hermione managed to whisper before she too fell unconscious.

"What happened here?" Albus Dumbledore demanded, a panting Ron and Cho Chang behind him.

TBC

An update? In my fic? It's more likely than you think :)