A magnificent sunset cascaded through the open window of the Headmaster's office, washing the room in the bright red and yellow colors of dying light. Outside the birds were singing in the end of summer, whistling proudly as they swooped in and out of the trees of the Forbidden Forest. It would have been a perfect evening had it not have been for the deep ache of anxiety knotted in the pit of Harry's stomach.
He stood at an open window, letting the cool breeze that had chased away the day's heat rush over him. Eyes closed, he listened to the familiar sounds that the wind carried and for a minute let his worries slip away. This was his home, no matter what.
"Sit down, Potter."
The words cut through his thoughts, bringing him back to the reality he was trying to escape. Opening his eyes, he turned an annoyed glare to the greasy black haired man sitting behind the elegant mahogany desk. He seemed so out of place there; his piercing black eyes fixed on Harry as he jabbed the nib of his quill towards an empty chair.
With a roll of his eyes, Harry sulked to the indicated seat and slumped into the soft cushions. Snape continued to stare at him for a long minute before returning to the letter he had been scratching on previously. Harry watched as he skimmed the parchment again, taking a moment to fix things as he went. Sighing, he turned his gaze to the empty portraits that adorned the walls, wondering if their inhabitants had willingly left or had been forced out. He sighed again.
"That's quite enough petulance," Snape said irritability as he returned the quill to the ink well.
"Petulance," Harry reiterated incredulously. "Petulance?"
"It means to act childi…"
"I know what it means, " snapped Harry. "So, you just expect me to sit here and act like everything's fine?"
"I expect you to know your place. You're here to convince people that…"
"Their Headmaster isn't a git?"
Snape's eyes leveled with his, narrowing dangerously, before he stood and rounded the desk. He perched himself on the edge directly in front of Harry and crossed his arms over his chest.
"Let me make something perfectly clear, Potter. This castle is no longer a safe haven for you to do what you want. Dumbledore isn't here to protect you anymore. Step one toe out of line and the punishment will be severe."
Harry pursed his lips but was determined not to back down from the glowering stare. He knew the rules, but he would be damned if he wasn't going to let them know exactly how he felt.
"The train will be arriving soon," Snape continued. "We need to be down there to welcome the students."
"Do you actually believe that Hermione and Ron are going to just accept that everything is okay," Harry blurted out, unable to stopper the flow. The plan seemed so flawed now that he was able to think clearly. "I was missing all summer and then miraculously turn up at the beginning of term? They'll know something is wrong."
"Tell them the truth then. It makes no difference. Sooner or later you'll mess up and they'll pay the price for your stupidity." Snape's thin lips twisted into a sneer. "The only thing the Dark Lord requires is for you to set an example for the rest of the students. Let them see that there is no need for resistance. "
Harry shook his head, fighting back the urge to argue further. It was pointless after all; every detail was so perfectly planned. What bothered him most wasn't the fact that he would be lying to everyone, it was knowing that Ron and Hermione would know the truth and how he gave in so easily.
"Let's go," Snape said, not giving him the chance to answer. He grabbed him roughly under the arm and hauled him to his feet with a swift jerk. Foolishly, Harry yanked his arm away.
A rush of fire spread across his face as the back of Snape's hand connected with his cheek bone. Staggering a few steps, he doubled over and brought his hand up to cover the throbbing skin as if it would isolate the pain. He sucked in a shallow breath and ground his teeth, fighting back the wave of anger that threatened to corrupt his next decisions; however, a hand tightened around the nape of his neck.
"I would get all your defiance out now, Potter," Snape hissed above him. Harry struggled against the grasp, but it proved futile as he was shoved further into his bow. "I'm sure when those carriages arrive you'll be singing a different tune."
The hold on his neck was relinquished and Harry straightened to full height. Professor Snape had moved to stand by the door, motioning with a flourished hand for Harry to step through. Every ounce of him wanted to stand his ground, to show just a little bit of back bone; however, a sharp whistle rang from outside the window, announcing the arrival of the Hogwarts Express. It was all the encouragement he needed. Letting out a dejected sigh, he passed through the doorway and into the empty corridors below.
Snape stayed close to his elbow as they walked the torch lit halls, their footsteps the only sound to be heard. Harry fantasized about running; he was almost certain he could out maneuver Snape with all the passages he knew, but the thought of Ron and Hermione boarding their carriages kept him from finding out. He was just contemplating how fast he thought Snape could run when a thin framed figure stepped out of an office to their left.
Minerva McGonagall glanced in their direction, then did a double take, her lips parting slightly. She seemed on the verge of running to them, but she quickly regained her stoic composure and instead stepped out into the middle of the corridor to meet them.
"Harry," she said, her gaze falling on his bruising cheek. Her hand came halfway up before Snape stepped between them, catching her withered wrist in his own hand.
"Step aside, Minerva, " he said curtly.
Professor McGonagall pulled her hand away with a scathing look. "I would advise you not to touch me, Severus unless you wish to lose that hand." Her words were as sharp and precise as ever.
Even from where he stood, Harry could see Snape stiffen. The man's hand dropped to his side and gave a subtle twitch towards his robes. Harry was willing to bet that his wand was waiting just inside that dark material, begging to be used; however Snape seemed to controll the urge.
"And I would advise you to watch your tongue," he replied coolly. "We wouldn't want any students getting hurt." The threat rolled from his lips smoothly without any pretense of subtlety.
Before Professor McGonagall could fathom a reply, Snape pushed past her with Harry in tow. He managed a glance over his shoulder and found her rooted to the spot in the middle of the corridor, a discouraged look pulling her thin lips into a frown. He had never seen her look so helpless.
They arrived at the Great Hall without any more interruptions. Inside, most of the Professor's were already sitting at the head table, somber looks adorning their faces. A few glanced in their direction as Snape forced Harry into a seat at the Gryffindor table, but they all quickly turned away. Harry wondered what threats they had received or, more likely, what bribes.
Faint voices and the clatter of wooden wheels could be heard filtering in through the open castle doors, signaling the arrival of the first carriages from Hogsmead. Professor Snape gave Harry one last look of warning before turning on his heal to take his place at the center of the staff table. Harry let his eyes follow him momentarily before turning his full attention to the open door, a overpowering ache of dread suddenly scratching at his insides.
A steady stream of black robes began to filter into the hall as students found seats at their house table. The room was suddenly full of familiar commotion; the scrapping of chair legs, hurried footsteps on cobblestone, and the overwhelming happy chatter as friends reunited for the first time in months. Harry would have given anything to be as oblivious as the rest of them, with no idea what was in store for this term.
Over the sea of bodies, he suddenly spotted a familiar glint of red hair. His heart soared before plummeting deep into his stomach. He somehow had to manage to get their attention and discourage them from making a scene. Thankfully, Hermione made eye contact with him first.
Her cautious brown eyes found his and widened with excitement, pulling her face into a bright grin. Harry quickly gave her meaningful look and shook his head slightly, praying that her cleverness would understand. The smile on her face quickly fell into a concerned frown but she nodded nonetheless. She pulled on Ron's arm and whispered something into his ear before leading him towards the place Harry sat.
They sat down on either side of him and, unable to controll her emotions any longer, Hermione threw her arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around her as she began to shake with suppressed sobs.
"It's alright, Hermione, " he assured her quietly. Glancing towards the staff table, he found Professor Snape's eyes fixed on them with a crooked sneer. Harry's stomach clinched and he quickly looked away. "I need you guys to act like everything is fine, okay?"
He felt Hermione nod into his neck. With a steadying breath, she pulled away and hurriedly wiped her eyes.
"What happened, " Ron asked hesitantly.
"I can't explain here. I was hoping you guys wouldn't come back."
"W…we didn't have a choice, " said Hermione shakily. "I don't know why I was even allowed back. They're rounding up muggle borns."
"I think I know why, " Harry mumbled. So Voldemort allowed Hermione to go free as collateral for his good behavior. It was truly a clever plan.
The table began to fill up around them. Ginny, thankfully, had sat sat herself across from them without incident. She gave Harry a knowing look and nodded her understanding. The last thing he needed was Snape finding out his feelings for her. It was one less thing they could hold over him this year.
"Hey, Harry." Neville 's voice rang from a few seats down and he leaned forward to wave. "Why weren't you on the train?"
"I..uh..I actually stayed over the summer holiday," Harry muttered, rubbing his neck in mock embarrassment. The story had been drilled into him earlier that day in Snape's office while they waited for the train to arrive. "My Aunt and Uncle didn't er…they didn't want me…" He trailed off letting the awkward silence speak for itself. It wasn't an unreasonable excuse; after all it was very much like his Uncle to kick him out.
"Ah," Neville's face reddened. "Sorry, mate."
Harry waved off the apology but was saved from answering further as Snape stood to address the student body.
"Welcome students to another year at Hogwarts. Let us begin with the sorting ceremony. "
Taking advantage of the distraction, Harry quickly recapped the events over the summer months to Ron and Hermione in a hushed whisper. For the most part he skipped the details, focusing instead on what had happened that night with Dumbledore, why he was there and the threat that had been placed upon them. They had both listened intently with little interruption, but were now shaking their heads.
" What about the Horcruxes, " Hermione whispered.
Harry subconsciously reached for his right arm as a phantom tingle ran up to his shoulder. He knew that the conversation would eventually turn to the Horcruxes, but he didn't know how to explain without breaking his vow. It was dangerous territory and he knew the slightest slip of the tongue could kill him.
"I can't..." he trailed off, biting his lower lip in contemplation. "I can't talk about that," he said finally.
Ron's brow furrowed in confusion. "But you and Dumbledore were..."
"I know," Harry interrupted quickly. "But Ican'ttalk about it." He tried to stress the word, hoping it would give them some sort of clue to his situation.
Hermione, being as observant as she was, picked up the hint first.
"You've been told not to," she said, but at the look on Harry's face, she corrected herself. "Vowed not. An Unbreakable Vow."
Harry nodded solemnly and then shook his head. "I don't know how much I can say but I don't want to risk..."
"Its definitely something I wouldn't mess with," Ron advised. His face was abnormally pale making his freckles stand out against the white skin.
Before Harry could agree, the hall fell silent as the last first year took his seat at the Hufflepuff table. Professor Snape stood once again, his cloak flourishing behind him as he swept his black, hard eyes over the awaiting crowd. No one dared say a word.
"As you may have noticed, a few changes have been made this term. In these trying times we have need for more security in order to protect the wellbeing of our students. The ministry has so kindly offered the services of Aurors and Dementors to patrol the grounds."
A few professors exchanged sideways glances, but all remained silent. Professor McGonagall, who had taken her seat, pursed her lips and continued to stare forward. They knew that those were not Aurors outside, but Death Eaters.
The rest of Snape's welcoming speech was more or less the same, continued lies about what was actually happening at Hogwarts. Harry let his gaze wander around the room, watching the faces of his fellow students as they nodded in approval. How could they be so easily persuaded?
"We have to get out of here," Hermione stated as dinner appeared before them in copious amounts. The normal sounds of the feast overtook the silence that had been left in the wake of Snape's address.
"Have you not been listening," Harry implored as he looked up from his plate. "They'll torture you if I try anything."
"Not if we escape together ," she countered. The plate before her was empty and she turned her full attention to the boys on her left. "We can make a run for it tonight after everyone has gone to bed. They won't expect it the first night."
Harry swallowed a mouth full of potatoes as he shook his head.
"How can you be eating," she snapped in frustration.
Turning a dejected look in her direction, Harry considered raising his shirt to show her the protruding ribs that had developed after a summer of little to no food. Instead he calmly reiterated his earlier statement.
"If they catch us they will torture both of you or worse. The only reason you weren't brought into the ministry for questioning is because they needed you to keep me in check this year."
Hermione gaped at him and then looked away. "What do you think will happen when the term ends? What happens when they don't need you anymore?"
Harry sighed and let his eyes close. He had wondered the same thing for months, but instead of considering the options, he had swept it under the rug. Deep down he knew this arrangement wouldn't last forever, but then again he couldn't understand why Voldemort had let him live in the first place. He kept coming back to that night in the cellar. What had Voldemort seen that led them to this?
"She's right, mate," Ron interjected. He had hardly touched the food he had spooned onto his plate, instead absent-mindedly poked it around with his fork. "We can use the passageway to Honeydukes. We're the only one's that know about it."
It was tempting, he would not lie. If they could all escape at once it would leave Voldemort without any leverage to make him return. But was it worth the risk?
"We can't just sit here and do nothing, " Hermione said, basically pleading with him now. "If we don't try then...then Dumbledore and Sirius died in vain."
The words had their desired affect. Harry winced as if what she said had physically hurt him. If there was anything that could persuade him to action, it was this.
"Fine," he agreed. "We'll do it tonight."