Harry felt a tightness clutch at his chest as he resisted the urge to satisfy his lungs desperate desire for oxygen.
He clamped his jaw shut as the tightness verged upon suffocating. Darkness threatened to blanket his vision as it washed over the corner of his eyes like waves at the shore.
He couldn't take it anymore.
The young wizard finally relented, his lips opening as though of their own accord. His mouth suddenly becoming inundated with murky, reed ridden water.
Harry choked as he felt his descent into the darkness suddenly cease, something he could only attribute to the ball as it finally collided with the bottom of the lake.
He had gone and done it now.
He was relieved that no one was here to witness the final bubble of air as it left his lips. His mouth still desperately trying to survive despite it's owner's determination to see this out.
An impenetrable darkness shrouded Harry's eyes, consuming him until he sensed that he no longer belonged in this world.
*~.~*
Snape heaved as he finally reached the pebbled shore of the lake. He stumbled forward, the mismatch of pebbles beneath him were lurking in the dark, waiting to ambush the professor as he struggled in an effort not to roll his ankle.
Hagrid of course had no trouble as his thundering form trampled past Snape.
"Where is he?" The giant cried out as his eyes searched the still surface of the dark water, as though hoping to spot the boy when he came up for air.
Snape clenched his teeth, the air around him no longer feeling cold as he tore at his clothes. He wasted no time as he pulled off his robes until he stood at the lakeside in nothing more than his underwear.
"Severus." Hagrid began, only Snape couldn't afford to waste any more time as he stepped into the icy cold water.
He forced himself forward, the water climbing around him, slowly consuming his body as though attempting to make the professor another part of itself.
It wasn't long before Snape reached the point at which he knew the lake dropped away.
This had to be it.
"Lumos maxima." Snape muttered as he aimed his wand into the dark night sky.
A small sun appeared above the lake, illuminating the calm depth as its warm rays penetrated the darkness.
Snape inhaled a deep breath before diving into the freezing depths.
This whole thing was entirely his fault.
He had no one to blame but himself.
Snape gritted his teeth as his fingers sifted through rouge reeds.
He simply had to find him.
He continued to descend, knowing full well that if he were to locate the boy, he would most likely have to search the floor of the lake.
It was then and only then that he noticed something unusual.
Something that didn't fit the surroundings of the underwater world.
His heart stopped as his eyes fell upon the still, seemingly lifeless form as it swayed in the green water, his ankle chained his new master, the weighted ball.
He couldn't afford to waste any more time.
Snape pointed his wand at the pale figure of the boy.
"Ascendio!"
The boy's body shook slightly, as though resisting itself before beginning to float away from the floor of the lake.
Snape lowered his wand slightly, this time taking aim at the chain that bound the boy with the weighted ball.
Within a split second it was severed.
Harry began to float to the surface.
Snape pursued the boy until both had broken the lake's unforgiving surface.
"Hagrid!" Snape called out, his voice raspy as he dragged the unconscious Harry towards the shore.
His heart pounded, yet it seemed as though his strength were waning despite his best efforts to savour it.
A flurry of water grew louder towards him, it sounded as though a torpedo were skimming across the surface of the otherwise calm water.
Snape didn't need to look up to know that Hagrid was almost by his side.
The giant huffed as though he had just run a half marathon, ceasing his movements as he approached the body Snape had retrieve from the belly of the lake.
"S-Severus." Hagrid gasped as his eyes ran over the pale, lifeless body of his dear friend.
"Help me Hagrid." Snape's words seemed to snap Hagrid out of his shock, prompting him to action as he scooped the boy up in his enormous arms.
"Lay him down on the grass." Snape was shaking, though he did his best to keep this from showing in his voice.
Hagrid nodded, obeying the man without question.
Within seconds Hagrid had laid the boy out on the dew drenched grass.
"There's still time." Snape's low voice shuddered as he aimed his wand at Harry's chest.
Hagrid nodded as hope ignited within his heart. The thought of losing his dear friend and so young, was far too much for the giant to bear.
An orange ball radiated from the tip of Snape's wand, it traversed towards Harry's chest before slipping through his damp clothing and into his heart.
An ever so slight, raspy gasp escaped Harry's lips. It morphed into relentless wheezing before finally manifesting into a violent cough.
Snape continued to shake despite himself.
He wasn't too late after all.
He clutched at Harry as though afraid he would loose him once more.
"We need to get him to the infirmary." Hagrid panted as he reached down, preparing to scoop the boy up in his arms.
"No." Snape stated firmly, wrapping his arms around Harry as though protecting the young wizard from the giant's words.
"But Severus, we have to get him medical attention." Hagrid nodded as though doing so would reinforce his words.
Snape knew Hagrid was right, yet he couldn't afford for anyone to ask questions and find out why Harry wanted so desperately to end his life.
"We'll take him to my chambers." Snape stated, a sense of finality echoed in his words.
"I'll take him." Hagrid nodded as though not entirely sure this course of action was the right on to take as he collected the young wizard up in his arms.
Snape followed behind Hagrid as they traipsed across the cold, dark grounds before ascending the slope and entering the castle.
Harry had long since faded back into unconsciousness but as long as Snape could still hear the boy breathing then he was satisfied.