Disclaimer:

The Slayer: Well this chapter was harder than I thought!! I had writers block of what should happen next, but I finally come up with some stuff, and I don't wanna hear no more complaining about short chapters, you get short chapters if u wish to have the story updated daily longer chapters may take a few days!

Bob: *snores*

The Slayer: Bob is very tired after being hugged to death, heh

Bob: epp!

The Slayer: Yep I know Bob, you're tired and want peace and quiet!

Bob: That's not what I said!

The Slayer: Then what did you say?

Bob: I said that you don't own Harry Potter or any other characters!

The Slayer: So now you say it! - -;;

Chapter Four – The Price You Pay To Follow A Snake

Harry yawned, and snuggled down into the warmth of the blankets, the softness of the mattress in the bed, unfortunately he was rudely woke as the heavy velvet drapes were pulled back and sunshine suddenly flickering into the room playfully teasing at Harry's eyelids preying them open awaking the slumbering boy.

'Mister Harry should be waking up now,' it was Lily, she darted about cleaning up Harry's clothes that were scattered across the floor, the boy wasn't the most tidy of people.

Harry groaned, 'What time is it?'

'It is ten past eleven, Harry sir.'

Harry blinked, 'Wow really? I've never slept in that late!' 

'Lily was getting worried that Harry would sleep right through lunch,' the elf smiled as she draped his clothes over the chair in the corner.

Harry, after much of a struggle to pull himself away from the warmth of his cocoon made out of bed sheets tumbled out onto the floor.

He was feeling particularly chirpy today; he knew why, because he hadn't had any nightmares. He stripped himself of the large flannelette pyjamas and pulled on a sweater.

Lily picked up the trousers of the pyjamas and frowned, 'Mister Harry, Lily has found a large hole in the buttocks of these pyjama trousers!'

Harry blushed, 'They were my cousin's, he split them and so I got 'em.'

'Lily can't have mister Harry wearing awful pyjamas, Lily will make Harry a new pair!'

'You don't have to, really.'

'Lily wants to, now Harry must head down stairs for lunch, Master Snape has already eaten.'

Harry entered the empty dinning hall, and sat down to his lunch, today was some cold left over roast chicken in a sandwich with lettuce and mayonnaise.

Again had had received that strange drink from the night before, it was the nicest liquid he had ever tasted, Harry got Lily to give him two more rounds of it until she left him with the tall thin unmarked bottle of it.

As he was draining the last of the bottle's contents Hedwig fluttered over and perched on the seat back next to him two envelopes clamped in her beak. Harry swapped his owl the letters for two pieces of chicken, which she snatched away from him eagerly.

Harry unfasten the wax-sealed letters and opened the first one, he already had a fair idea who they were from.

Dear Harry,

I have just heard that you are staying with Snape! Is Dumbeldore off his nut or what?!

So what's it like living with the Slimy git?

Is he a Vampire? I bet here is.

Has he taken you down to a secret torture chamber? Maybe he has already turned you over to you-know-who.

Now seriously Harry be careful of him, don't trust him! He is probably planing to kill you or something.

You never know what he might be up to when your not around.

See you in two days Harry,

If Snape hasn't murdered you by then.

Ron.

A faint smile flickered over Harry face as he read his best friend's letter, Ron like most of the school body hated Snape.

But Ron has raised an important possibility that he hadn't even the to time think about thoroughly, would Snape really kill him? He knew that he was supposably working for Dumbledore as a Death Eater spy, but what if he really had returned to the dark lord and was planning to hand him over to Voldemort? Harry didn't even know where he was in England!

Harry didn't want to think of what might be in store for him, so he opened the next letter.

Dear Harry,

Once I heard about Dumbledore sending to live with Snape, I knew Ron would be over reacting. Don't listen to a word he says Harry, you know how Ron exaggerates, If the headmaster place you in Professor Snape's care then he must have a good reason to Harry.

I know it must be hard to live with Professor Snape, but try you best to keep you sanity Harry, both Ron and I are thinking of you and our sympathy is out to you.

Hold out for two days Harry, that's when Dumbledore is allowing us to visit you, maybe we can go to Diagon Alley get you out and about a bit?

I'm sure Professor Snape will not kill you, Dumbledore would never leave you in harms way, so don't go worrying over Ron's ridiculous rants and I'll see you soon.

Hermione

P. S. Have you finished your homework?

Harry had to admit that Hermione raised a strong argument, she was right Dumbeldore would never leave him harms way. But Harry couldn't help but allow the possibility that Dumbeldore was wrong and Snape was truly a loyal servant to the dark lord.

Harry drew in a breath and pocketed his mail, there was no use in worrying about it he was suck here and there was nothing he could do about it.

Anyway right now Harry was going to find that girl in the portrait and interrogate her.

Harry left the dinning room and hurried back up the staircase, but when he reached the picture frame it was empty.

'Damnit,' Harry cursed mildly.

Harry turned to a nearby portrait of a man, 'excuse me?'

The man peered at Harry over his rectangular shaped spectacles, 'yes?'

'Would you know by any chance where Selena has gone?'

The painting gave him a strange look and pointed across the hall, the lightening scared boy turned to see Selena sprint across the painting directly across from him.

'Hey wait Selena!' Harry called after her; he darted after her, back down the staircase, through the entrance hall and down a new unfamiliar corridor.

Harry soon lost her and also in his chase lost his sense of direction, where was he? He wandered a littler further on, sighing he had no clue which way he had gone.

'Well that was real intelligent Harry, getting yourself lost in Snape's house!' he thought harshly to himself

Harry came across a door it was open wide, he crept carefully over to it the lonely creaks of his tensed steps all of a sudden sound ear-splitting against to silence. He peered around the door and found that there was a stone staircase leading down underneath the ground, he knew where it lead to immediately, the basement!

Harry's mind gasped, he had wandered to far, remembering Snape's warning. The silence was broken as the faint tapping of feet against stone came echoing up the stairwell. 

He stumbled back in panic, Snape was coming up the stairs! Harry twisted around and sprinted back down the corridor at full speed, glancing back Harry couldn't see Snape or anyone else for that matter of fact following, he was safe.

Well so he thought.

Harry's full speed dash was abruptly ended when he crashed into something, or more actuate into someone! The teenage wizard rebounded and fell backwards to the floor, gasping as his eyes were fixed in the gaze of two dark black ones.

'Well, well, well, Potter, I see you haven't matured anymore from you last year at Hogwarts and you still seem not to take my threats seriously. You know Potter that I don't appreciate snoopers,' Professor Snape purred dangerously.

'Professor. . . I'

'Don't make any excuses Potter!' the tall raven haired man snapped sharply.

'But Professor!'

'ENOUGH!' Harry jumped as Snape scowled, 'I want a three thousand word essay on the history of the dreamless sleep potion!'

'Professor Snape, It's the summer holidays,' Harry corrected; surely Snape couldn't just give him an assignment when the school year hadn't even started!

'Make that a five thousand word essay Potter, this can be considered your potions homework,' Severus sneered.

'Yes sir,' Harry sighed in defeat.

'Lily will show you to the library if you need in more books to research,' Snape droned coolly.

With a swish of his robes Snape left Harry by himself once more.

Harry groaned these next two days would be the longest in the history of his short 15 years of his life!

The Slayer: And now I must leave it there! I'm sorry, but I gotta go to my Grandparents for dinner and I still haven't even gotten ready yet!

Bob: meep - -;;

The Slayer: ok what smart sarcastic or totally pointless comment was that?

Bob: Review Please =P

The Slayer: Bob are you sick?

Bob: . . . yes