Thank you for the great reviews again! And may I please take this time to remind you that this story has NO slash in it. In fact, I'm not planning on including any romance. Sorry. And I'm still deciding on what my order is for the events coming up, so I don't know the title of the next chapter yet. Sorry again! But at least this got up MUCH faster than I thought it would!
"Who are you," Snape growled, enraged.
Snape's scowl darkened considerably as he studied the dark form silhouetted by the growing light of dawn. He could see that the person was small, or smaller than him, and wore a billowing robe of the concealing type the Deatheaters used. He couldn't see who it was, so he couldn't tell if he had been followed by a follower of Voldemort or by another member of the hapless kidnappers.
"It doesn't matter who I am," said the man softly, even his voice was lost to the gruff softness. "You are both soon to join the ranks of the dead."
Snape made a sharp move to attack the figure, but a quick flare of light emitted from the man's wand brought him up short.
"Huh-uh, Snape," he said. "I'm having too much fun. And You-Know-Who will be especially pleased to learn of a traitor. I might even become his second. If I'm lucky, that is."
He muttered a quick spell and ropes sprang out, wrapping around Snape like snakes and tightening painfully. Snape let out a hiss of pain as he fell to the rocky cave floor, a sickening crack resounded through the cave.
"Professor Snape," Harry cried out, his voice filled with concern and fear. He'd never imagined that any one person could ever conquer his professor. It just wasn't something that seemed right when he thought of the sour older man.
"Oh, that didn't sound good, did it, old friend," the figure said rhetorically with a chuckle.
"Who are you," Snape demanded in a pained hiss.
"Well, you are a dead man, so it doesn't really matter," it answered. "But I think I'll play it safe and not tell you."
Snape snarled and struggled weakly with his bonds. He rolled on his back after a few more moments' struggling to ease the pain in his arm.
"That's probably broken, you know," the figure told Snape, its soft voice almost gleeful.
"Only a Deatheater could revel in someone else's pain," Harry growled as strongly as he could manage.
The figure only laughed, "Stupid boy. The world will be well-rid of naivete such as your's."
Snape growled low in his throat, suddenly resentful that someone like this person would dare make threats against Harry. Children and reporters were one thing, they wouldn't kill him. This person not only could, but would kill Harry, and Snape wanted Harry to live. He wanted Harry to live the life he'd never had, the life that had been stolen from James and Lily.
"Stay where you are boys," the figure continued with a laugh, "I'll be back...eventually."
With that the figure turned and climbed back out the cave entrance.
"Professor," Harry called out hesitantly.
"What," Snape snapped, still angry and more than a little embarrassed at being caught so easily.
"A-are you alright, Professor," Harry asked him.
"No, Potter, I am not alright," Snape snarled back.
"Well, I didn't get us into this mess," Harry snapped back, suddenly angry. He was tired of taking the blame for the entire world.
"And why couldn't you have warned me, Potter," Snape reprimanded him, also angry now. "Surely your eyes aren't bad enough not to notice when light's being blocked."
"I couldn't see past you," Harry exclaimed, indignant.
'At least his fight hasn't left him left,'Snape thought with a grim smile. 'Yet,' he added, once again trying his bonds. He heard a scuffling coming from Harry's direction.
"What are you doing, boy," Snape snapped out again.
"Trying to get to you," Harry told him, sounding very tired and strained. "If I can find you, I might be able to untie you."
"And how might you manage that," Snape asked him. "Have you forgotten that you are bound just as tightly as I am."
"No," Harry snapped sounding so much like Snape that even Snape had to smile. "I'm going to try untying you still bound. Unless you can snap these ropes in half with your sharp wit."
"Potter," Snape said with a snarl in his voice, "have respect for your elders." He grunted as he tried his bonds again, looking for a weak spot of any kind.
His only answer was the wracking coughs produced by Harry.
"Potter, are you dead," Snape asked after he was finished.
"No..." Harry moaned and gave another small cough, followed by a sneeze and yet another cough.
"Die on me, Potter, and I will find a potion to revive you so I can finish you off again myself," Snape snarled, concern causing him to become even more surly than usual.
Next Chapter: The Escape
