He found no spare change around the booth itself, so he ambled over to a bus stop nearby. It took quite a long time, but he eventually found enough to make a single 3-minute call.

The phone rang four times before someone picked it up.

"Hello?"a groggy feminine voice said.

"Hi," Harry said. "I'm so sorry to be calling you at this time of night, but I really need some help."

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Harry could hear her sit up straight in her bed as she sighed. "Who is this, again?' He could hear the exhaustion in her voice, and he felt unbearably guilty. This was a family that was just settling into a new life in the UK, and he was bothering them in the middle of the night.

"It's Harry. Remember, I helped Vickie find you guys a few days ago? In the store?" He internally cringed, hoping not to get a terse rejection in response to his words.

"Oh, Harry!" Some tension went out of his shoulders after hearing her familiarity. "You were the one with the green eyes and black hair, right?"

"Yes, I was," he said respectfully.

Harry heard shuffling in the background from another person. Someone spoke, but he couldn't make out the words being said. Gwen responded with, "It's Harry. Remember, he's one of the people that helped us find Vickie?" Harry assumed she was speaking to Nigel, her husband. He spoke again, seeming to ask a question. "He's saying he needs help, but I'm not sure what for."

Harry cleared his throat, self-conscious. "I'm… a bit lost. I'm in the middle of London, without money, and I'm not sure where anything is."

There was a pause where he could tell her tired brain was cranking its gears. "I guess it is quite easy to get lost in a city like that. But, why didn't you ask the police department?"

Harry had no good answer for that question, and he felt even more guilty for saying "It's a complicated story."

He could hear both Gwen and Nigel quietly conversing in the background. Nervously awaiting their response, Harry brushed one of his ankles slightly with the tip of his shoe. Their almost silence went on for quite a while. At least, it felt like a long time.

Suddenly, Gwen spoke into the phone. "Hey Harry, are you still there?"

Harry almost nodded, but he realized they wouldn't be able to see him. "Yes, I am."

"Alright, Nigel and I have decided that we will come and pick you up. Can you give us a landmark, or some street sign?"

He scanned the area around him, and he noticed a sign with a name on it. Carefully enunciating the words, he repeated the name into the phone.

Once he was done, Gwen took a few seconds to write the street name onto a piece of paper. "Great. Okay, once we find out where this street is, we'll be right over."

Harry felt a slight sense of relief. However, there was another hurdle to jump over. "Thank you so, so much. I'm so sorry to be bothering you right now, especially since you're new to the area." He rose up a hand and hesitated before speaking another sentence. "You also need to know that I have a… pet, and a few belongings with me."

"Really? What kind of pet is it?" she asked, sounding genuinely intrigued.

"Erm… do you or your children have a phobia of… snakes?"

There was a pause. "No, not really. Snakes aren't my favorite, but I can handle them. My oldest daughter Honor, though - she adores them."

Harry cringed. If she didn't really like snakes, boy was she in for a surprise. "Okay. Thank you so much for helping me, I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome, Harry. We'll be seeing you soon!" She hung up.

Placing the phone back in its spot, Harry ran a hand through his hair. This action brought attention to one of the appendages he was missing. In his reflection in the glass, his eyes traced the white lines that marked his face. He had so many things about him that were questionable, at best. He just hoped it would be too dark to take in a lot of details. Harry was too tired to explain anything at great length.

Harry sighed. He didn't think any other witch or wizard got into the amount of trouble that he did. Although, most of what happened to him was directly his fault. He always had such a bad habit of leading with his head into situations. He couldn't help but compare what had happened this night to his freak-out over Sirius. Instead of reaching out to someone reliable, he had gone off of the words of a wretched house elf. Harry just hoped and prayed that this mistake wouldn't lead to someone's death. Ugh, I am so stupid.

Although, is it completely my fault? He started back to the alleyway where Nagini was waiting, lost in thought. Ever since he was in first year, he had been encouraged to fight the dangers he saw face-on. First there was the sorcerer's stone, and then the Chamber of Secrets. He only had minimal help on those missions, and he had been congratulated for risking his life every time. Not to mention the time-turner fiasco in third year, and not being taken out of the Triwizard Tournament. Is it my fault that I'm like this?

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Nigel sat in the backseat of a taxi, waiting for a light to turn. He was close to the area that Harry had claimed he was near. As the streetlights flashed across his face, he mulled over the situation he found himself in. It was close to midnight, and a young man that they had only met once had called for help. He didn't have a good grasp of his personality yet. Even though Harry and his two companions had returned little Vickie to his family, that wasn't enough in Nigel's mind to determine his character. For all he knew, Harry had a group of hooligans ready to jump him once he got close enough.

However, in the name of possibly doing some good, he was willing to risk that.

His daughter Honor had woken up in the commotion that occurred when Nigel had prepared to go out. She was, after all, a light sleeper. He hadn't allowed her to come with him, due to the potential dangers of coming to pick up the lost boy.

When the taxi rolled to a stop in front of the landmark he had been given, he stepped out. Once he had paid the driver and instructed him to wait for a minute, he paused in front of the street sign.

Waiting a few more seconds, he called out the young man's name. "Harry?"

He saw a bit of motion in a nearby alley. Sure enough, a figure with raven-hair came out of it, holding a few odd items. He had a broomstick and a shimmery cloak. He was wearing the robes Nigel had seen him in a few days earlier. For all intents and purposes, the boy looked like a wizard or witch of some sort. This made him immediately wary of potential foul play, because this certainly didn't seem like a normal situation.

Harry seemed very sheepish. "Thank you so much for coming out to help me," he said.

Nigel nodded. "Anything to help someone in need, especially since you had done us a favor earlier. Might I ask how you got into this quandary?"

The young man flicked his eyes down awkwardly. "I… I don't know… I can't tell you. At least, not now."

That made alarm bells start ringing in Nigel's head. Looking closer, he saw pale white lines marking his face in a way he hadn't seen in the store. Intriguing. "Hmm. Okay, then. Gwen told me that you would have a pet snake with you?"

At that, Harry winced. "Yes, well, about that…" he stuttered. Nigel patiently waited for him to get his thoughts out. "Nagini… well, she's kinda… big, but she won't do you or anyone else any harm, I'm absolutely sure!" He got those last words out in a rush.

Nigel's brow creased. "How big are we talking?"

Harry pursed his lips. "Erm…" He glanced around. "Maybe… from the alleyway to… there?" He pointed across the street, to one of the buildings.

The man struggled to keep his jaw closed. There was no way Harry was telling the truth. The snake had to be at least 25 feet long, if this were true. "I'd like to see this creature."

Harry nodded, and started to walk towards the alley he had come from. Nigel didn't follow close behind, his previous worries coming back to remind him of potential treachery. The young man whispered… something… into the darkness. He heard a faint slithering sound, and a head peeked from the shadows.

Nigel was unsuccessful in keeping his mouth closed, this time. The snake was huge. In better light, he was able to see the immense reptile coil up and look directly at him. Typically, these creatures didn't seem to have a lot of smarts. However, with this snake, he could see the gleam of fierce intelligence in its eyes.

"Harry," Nigel started, but his voice had become weak. He cleared his throat and tried again. "Harry, this is not what I expected…"

The young man cringed again. "Yeah… she's not dangerous at all, trust me. She's tame - this fact is tried and true."

Nigel bit his lower lip, deep in thought. Would he bring this snake into his household? Could it live outside? Of course it could, it was a snake. Honor would be thrilled, but what about the other children that were not so fond of reptiles? Samson would probably start crying at the sight of it. He knew Gwen would be incredibly uncomfortable with this creature living with them, even though she'd never say it out loud.

Would the snake even fit in the taxi? He had specifically ordered one that was pet-friendly, but he was doubtful the driver would allow a snake of this size into his car. Goodness- with a creature like this, someone was liable to call animal control on them.

"Um… where did you come across your snake, Harry?" Nigel eventually asked.

"Well…" he seemed to deliberate for a second. "Her past owner was abusive - pretty evil - and she… came to me." Harry backed up and started stroking the snake's head. The reptile arched up into his touch, the gleam in its eyes becoming fainter and fonder.

Nigel stared. This entire image in front of him was a bit difficult to take in. Almost… whimsical. He closed his eyes, and decided he wouldn't keep the taxi driver waiting any longer.

"Come on, Harry. Let's get you to our house."

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Severus twitched on the hardwood floor, silently wishing for death. He had never felt physical agony like this before. His throat was incredibly sore - although that was the least of his concerns. Each crucio seemed to stop as soon as his mind seemed to be on the precipice of insanity. It made sense that the Dark Lord had experience with keeping someone from going unresponsive while torturing them. There were probably hundreds of victims before him. He almost wished Bellatrix was at the end of the wand, because she cared not for the sanity of her victim.

Another crucio came flying at him. His body twisted in unimaginable pain, bowing backwards and lurching forwards at ridiculous angles. Almost all he could hear was his rapid heartbeat and a high pitched ringing in his ears, but he could faintly make out people laughing and jeering in the background. He didn't know if he was screaming anymore, or if his vocal chords were damaged beyond making a sound. Once everyone had learned it was Severus getting punished and not them, it was like a tense bowstring had been snapped. The deafening silence was replaced by ridiculing shouts and exclamations. None of the Dark Lord's followers had really liked Severus, and it was shown here.

Severus felt his lucidity slipping away again, but the pain halted - yet again. The potions master wondered absently how long it would be until death or insanity claimed him. It would be a sweet relief.

In the pause, he opened his eyes. He noticed that he hadn't moved very far from the dining room table, where he had first been accused. If anything, he had gotten closer to it. Along with getting closer to the table, he also happened to be getting closer to the wand he had dropped. It had remained beside the table leg for the duration of his torment.

Before he was able to formulate much of a plan, another wave of suffering sliced through his dermal nerves, tore through his muscles, and snapped his bones. He twisted forward, mouth opening in a muted cry.

It seemed as if his tolerance was growing more and more tenuous. He felt as the deep waters of insanity were lapping at his toes, beckoning him to surrender to them. Severus nearly gave in, but a green gaze flooded his vision. They were Lily's eyes. They were accusatory. I'm sorry for treating your son so poorly. I'm so sorry. I'll do better. At his genuine apology, the angry lines around her eyes softened.

They faded from his view, and Harry's eyes replaced them. They were the same shade of green as Lily's, but they had hints of James's mettle and fortitude. You didn't deserve what happened to you. You were mistreated and misled by almost everyone in your life, and I'm ashamed to be one of those people. I will never be your biological father, but I can try to become an admirable role model. Harry's eyes blinked in acceptance, and vanished.

Once the eyes had completely faded from his vision, the pain rippling through his entire body ceased - yet again. He cracked his eyes open. What he saw shocked him, and his heart, impossibly, started beating even faster.

He was right next to his discarded wand. The Dark Lord hadn't seemed to notice Severus's proximity to his weapon, because it was obscured by the table leg. He inched his fingers closer and closer, until he was able to close his fist around it.

He wasn't able to hear what he whispered, but he uttered a spell that would be crucial in his survival. It was a spell he and Dumbledore had concocted. It was one of the creations he was most proud of, for many reasons. This was a homing spell - one that could penetrate any known cloaking or obscuring shields. It had taken much trial & error and many (near fatal) accidents to create it, but in the end, it was worth it.

Severus released his grip on the wand after he had whispered the spell. If he started an attempt to attack the people in this room, he would get killed. No question. Even as he was getting tortured, he was able to keep from misplacing his brain. He prided himself on that.

However, this didn't stop the following crucio hurtling towards him.

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Lucius gritted his teeth as his arm pulsed in agony. He was inside Dumbledore's office, staring at the moving image of a snake that had originally been a part of his Dark Mark. It had moved from the skull on his forearm, and was circling his wrist with its mouth open. It left a blazing path of pain wherever it went.

Dumbledore was sitting at his desk, his fingers steepled in front of his spectacled face. He was silently contemplating this new development. Narcissa and Draco were standing in the room as well, waiting for the old wizard to speak.

Trying to ignore the snake burning a bracelet onto his carpal region, he focused on how his family was doing. Draco was looking intently at the floor between his feet, hands clasped together. Narcissa was standing cordially.

The headmaster finally let out a long breath. "I am not going to pretend I know the intricate workings of a mark like this. However, it seems that this serpent was spelled to begin devouring you not long after Voldemort became aware of your repudiation."

Everyone else in the room winced at the mention of the Dark Lord's name. Lucius thought what the man had said was obvious - but maybe because it was currently his arm being eaten. "Do you have any ideas on how to halt the progression of the snake?"

Dumbledore laid his hands down on the desk. "I have an idea, but I am unsure of whether it will be effective or not." Lucius quirked one eyebrow up. "The one to make this brand was a parselmouth. We happen to have a parselmouth that resides at close hand…"

Lucius clearly remembered the night he had been initiated. The Dark Lord had whispered a low hiss at his forearm, and a large cobra that glowed a sickly yellow twined around his arm. It had bitten him savagely where he now displayed the Mark.

As he nodded in agreement, the wand neatly laid across Dumbledore's desk began buzzing intensely. The headmaster, suddenly seeming more concerned, snatched it up and waved it in a precise pattern. A map, with words and all, hovered in the air in front of them.

The wizard paled even further as he stood up abruptly. "Severus is in grave danger."

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Guess who's back! It's meee

:)

Anyways, I'm glad you came to read this chapter. I was finally able to finish writing this one because Thanksgiving break gave me a chance to tear my eyes away from work. Also - a friend of mine wrote a fic about Star Wars that I thought was pretty neat. It's called The Tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise by Mnkjango. I hope you guys have wonderful days!