When Harry entered the Great Hall the second morning of the year, it was to an odd sight.

Odd, but pleasant.

His mother was standing up up at the High Table, speaking with Dumbledore and the other teachers, a thick book in her arms and a bag in her hand. Her familiar, enchanted handbag she always used. She was really taking this whole thing seriously, Harry thought. But then, she always took everything really seriously.

Dumbledore was nodding to her, and then he gestured to the table; Harry watched his mother go and seat herself right next to a very subdued but irate Severus Snape.

Harry sat down at the Hufflepuff table with Evelyn and Tamara, and started eating breakfast - making sure Evelyn was, too. He was happy to see she was eating on her own, and quite happily too, herself!

He glanced again to the High Table - again to his mother. She noticed him, of course, and gave him a small smile and a little wave. Harry flushed a little as too many people began to stare at him - and up at her, too.

While they'd never announced becoming a family, Harry was too happy and proud of it to ever hide it, so word had gotten out and around anyway. The school, the Ministry, then the Prophet. It wasn't a secret, hadn't been for years. Harry thought his classmates all had to be wondering, then, why Harry Potter's adoptive mother was sitting up at the teacher's table in a new seat all her own.

Harry frowned as he looked from his mother to Snape. He couldn't help wondering - worrying: Had the man said something to Nagini last night? Or this morning? Harry didn't doubt it: he didn't think Snape was even capable of restraining himself from being an arse to others. Even against someone who had humiliated him yesterday. Make that "especially."

And if Snape had started being mean to Harry's mother in their time together already...

Harry knew she was far more capable of taking care of herself than him, but he was still worried over whatever it might have been. The most horrible words and insults ran through Harry's mind as he stared at his mother. He knew she wasn't immune to hurt - even to words. He'd hurt her before, more than once, with his talent for words. And he still felt burning shame over it to this day!

But he doubted Snape would ever feel shame over anything he said. To anyone.

Whether it was to Harry, Evelyn, or Harry's mother.

And that made Harry as mad as he was worried, now.

Toward the end of breakfast, Dumbledore stood up to make the big announcement: that Nagini would be co-teaching Potions for the foreseeable future. She was to be considered a full professor, part of the staff, like any other. No matter how long or short a time she might be one for.

Nagini got a lot of attention for that - and so did Harry, to his embarrassment.

He did his best to tune it all out, hunkering down in his seat.

Harry went through his morning lessons working himself up into an awful state. All sorts of scenes and scenarios crowded his mind up, of Snape being as rude and cruel as ever to his mother.

He walked in with his friends, taking his seat and setting up his textbook, ink and quill out on the table.

His mother and Snape were standing at the head of the classroom.

The Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws were definitely curious about this change from the norm - even if that norm had only been one day so far this year. And plenty of them were even smart enough to have an inkling of just what events yesterday had to have brought this change about.

"Hello, students," Nagini began, clear and light. "There's been a small change in how Potions lessons will be conducted over the next several weeks - it's unknown how long this change will last, so I would like it if you could all bear with us on this. It's new and unexpected for the professors as well. As the Headmaster announced at breakfast, I will be co-teaching Potions with Professor Snape."

"If any of you have any questions or concerns, you should bring them to her, not to me," Snape rattled off, whirling away toward the blackboard in his usual fashion. "Now we have that out of the way, we'll begin today's lesson. All of you take your books out, and turn to page 394! Hurry up with it!"

Harry flipped through his book, sneaking looks up at his mother.

She noticed, of course: she always noticed. She met his gaze, held it with a small smile before looking away. Her gaze roamed the students, from face to face, table to table - noting those who had books out or not yet - while Snape was busy waving his wand to conjure up instructions on the board.

It was the ingredients for a Shrinking Solution.

Snape, apparently satisfied with his work, went to sit at his desk, whipping out a quill and pulling a stack of essays toward himself.

Nagini payed him a brief glance before stepping forward and waving her wand; a copy of the year's textbook appeared to hover in the air at perfect viewing height, in front of her face, and a foot or two to the left.

"The Shrinking Solution can be a very versatile potion," she began to speak to the class, in clear, firm tones. "It can be used to not only shrink things in size, but also in mass or volume; it can allow you to store five pigs in your pocket, or it can be used to reduce a person's body weight. If you were to pour a little of it into a pond, you could reduce the water levels severely, depending on the strength and amount of Shrinking Solution you used."

She paused before continuing. "This potion can also be dangerously poisonous if it's brewed incorrectly. And the final step - as you can all see on the blackboard - requires the use of the Shrinking Charm to...well, finalize it. I was told that Professor Flitwick taught you all how to perform it properly last year, but did any of you have any trouble with it? If anyone has, we could go over it briefly before we start you on the potion itself. It's the most critical part of this brew, and to get it wrong could spell disaster in any number of ways - that happens when you want to cast spells on most potions. The way the magic interacts can often be unexpected...and dangerous for it."

Snape made a noise from behind her, glancing up at her and shaking his head. He had a look on his face like she was just wasting time and words - going through too much effort, in his opinion, by actually trying to be a teacher.

Nagini prompted the students again, ignoring Snape completely; a fair few hands rose up, surprisingly. She nodded and observed them a moment. "We'll have a refresher, then. The rest of you - if you feel you're decent enough at the spell - can feel free to get into groups of twos and threes, and get started on the brewing," she added to the rest of the class.

Two more students spoke up to voice their uncertainty about their own spellcasting skills.

Snape rolled his eyes visibly.

Nagini, again, ignored him completely. She simply nodded to the two, and gestured to a table off to the side for them all to practice at.

Harry immediately, obviously chose to form a group with Evelyn and Tamara.

Harry hauled his cauldron up onto their table and cast Aguamenti to fill it up with water - then he lit a fire under it with an Incendio. He threw a confident, hopeful look at his mother, trying to catch her eye again at his spellwork. His friends were impressed enough with it - but he wanted her to be, too. He always wanted her to be.

He finally did, after a minute, and she looked at him a moment before calling out softly, "Are you have trouble with anything?"

Harry flushed, shaking his head. "N-no!"

She nodded at him, and returned her focus to the group practicing the Shrinking Charm.

Harry felt a little upset with her for the dismissal. She hadn't even noticed his spells, had she? She hadn't said a word on it, hadn't complimented or smiled at him over it like usual! She was the one always encouraging him to work harder, to do good, to be great! So why was she ignoring that suddenly today, out of the blue?

Harry turned his attention to his potion, letting a breath go and trying to calm his emotions. Whatever it was, he could ask her later.

Harry was pleased when his mother began to roam the classroom, observing the brewing and giving tips and advice to students. When she passed his by and told him his potion looked really good so far.

But that was it, and then she was turning her attention to another group, whose potion was turning the completely wrong color, as the students looked horrified with themselves.

His mother peered into their cauldron, prodding its contents with her wand and making a little frown. She shook her head, brushed her hair back in the rising heat of the potion and straightened. "We should still be able to salvage this; come on, let's try again while there's still time. I'll help you through where you went wrong - it was the caterpillars. They weren't sliced into small enough pieces to result in the..."

His mother stayed with those students, watching over them and advising them here and there. Right up until the lesson ended.

Harry felt a flash of irritation - and something else - as he packed up his things and exited the classroom. His scar gave a twinge.

"We have a free period now," came Tamara's monotone magical voice as they moved down the corridors of the dungeons together. "Want to play a game before lunch?"

"No," Harry said flatly. He sighed and shook his head, running his hand through his hair. He just felt tired again, now, he realized. And his scar wasn't helping, still irritating him itself. "You two can head back to the dorms if you want - or go wait in the Great Hall. I'm going to just...go to the bathroom," he decided. And he broke off from them, walking away quickly.

Harry made it to the nearest bathroom, bursting in through the door and hiding himself away in a stall.

He slammed his palm to his forehead, smacking it repeatedly. "Why are you doing this now? You've barely done a thing all summer..." The night of the World Cup had been the worst pain in a long time, but after that he hadn't been troubled by it at all again.

So why now?

He tried to breathe, to reach for his Occlumency lessons-

And then his scar exploded in a burning fury.

Harry yelled, pressing hand to forehead, clawing as it felt like magma had gotten into it, was pouring into his head, filling him up! He smacked his head back against the wall, threw his body forward and grasped his head in hands!

Grunts and screams tore from his lips - he tried to breathe, tried to remember the lessons, tried desperately for it all - but this agony was just- and he couldn't see, he couldn't-

Lightest footfalls on the floor...an ever increasing slithering noise...

"Harry...all alone, are we? What a pity..."

Harry's head whipped up, and he drew his wand in an instant and yelled out the first Curse that came to his mind, no time for the terror to overtake him: "Confringo!"

The stall door exploded outward into a million, flaming pieces; the walls of the stall blew out on either side, destroying the next few stalls over from them. The tiles of the bathroom were cracked and blown up into the air, raining down in a shower of sharp objects. The curse traveled on forward, blowing apart a sink and a mirror and creating a huge hole in the stone wall!

Harry jumped to his feet and threw himself out of the stall, whirling to his left on a practiced heel - all those lessons with his mother coming right to him, without even thinking.

His wand was raised and ready...

As Lord Voldemort stood before him.

Tall and spindly, black robes draping, scarlet eyes glistening with malice...and amusement. Lips curved into a smirk.

How? How is he here, how did he get in, why did he follow me, why did he announce himself instead of just killing me, how the hell-

No. Don't think, stop thinking - just act. And move.

Voldemort's wand was not raised. The monster of a man held it casually at his side, his arm nearly hidden in all the black robes.

Harry slashed his wand furiously. "Stup-!"

Voldemort didn't use his wand; he just flashed his bare hand up, of long thin fingers, and the scarlet jet of light was caught in his palm. It sparked and burst, disappearing into nothing. Voldemort turned his hand over, and his fingers curled.

Harry flew forward against his will, and hovered in the air before Voldemort.

Voldemort gave an absent flick of his wrist, and Harry's wand was ripped from his grasp to clatter to the floor. He took a step forward, slow and easy. His face was split by a wide smile. "You think that you, a mere boy, stand any chance against me? Lord Voldemort?" he said softly.

Harry gritted his teeth against his burning scar, refusing to answer. At least he could refuse this man a response.

"How disappointing, Harry," Voldemort went on, tut-tutting. "That woman you call mother hasn't been teaching you your manners, has she? Perhaps I should have a little talk with her about that..."

"No!" Harry yelled. "You leave her the hell alone, or- or I'll kill you!"

"It would be rather disheartening to lose a second mother in your life, wouldn't it?" Voldemort nodded, unfazed by the threat. "All the more reason for me to pay that woman a visit - while I'm in the neighborhood, as the saying goes. Or maybe you would like me to meet your little friends? Tamara, Susan? How about Evelyn? I need to have words with that one about the bit of personal property she stole from me two years ago - perhaps a punishment is even in order. How else do children learn, yes?"

"N-no..." Harry gasped. "Just- just stop, just go away, just leave...everyone alone...why can't you just disappear again?!"

Voldemort tilted his head at Harry. "Because Lord Voldemort cannot be conquered, nor defeated, nor...vanquished. Not truly. I am the one who does the conquering, the vanquishing. I am the one who makes others disappear." He slid forward in a glide, reaching out to wrap a hand around Harry's throat. Harry's scar exploded in a fresh wave of torture, his eyes screwing shut as he thrashed helplessly in the air. "And I will never rest, never stop, never waver...until every last person on this earth has been brought under my power - until they all know of my power, unquestionably."

Voldemort released Harry's neck, stepping away with a small chuckle. He turned away, gliding toward the bathroom's exit. "I think I will pay your mother and friends a visit after all, Harry. There's so much we have to do together..."

"NO!"

Voldemort raised his wand in an instant, aiming it at Harry; a red light burst, streaked across the room in a second, and hit Harry in the chest like a runaway car.

Harry flew back across the room, unconscious before he hit the ground.