**It was so cool, I had the EASIEST Latin exam ever today (talk about cursing myself!) and the main character on the translation was Severus! And he was smart and kind. Eeee!!!**



Snape tried very hard not to glare at Dumbledore. He admired the man; really, he did. A great wizard, and normally very good with the students. But times like these, when it really mattered, Albus could be amazingly short sighted.

"Headmaster, I'm sure he did not do it to spite either you or Minerva. In fact, his loved ones were probably the furthest from his mind!"

"What is that supposed to mean, Severus?"

Albus' tone was sharp, but Snape could see the concern in his eyes. Blind he may be sometimes, but cruel? Never.

"Albus. Let me be frank. The boy has had the hopes and expectations of the wizarding world placed on his shoulders since he was born. It's what his whole life has revolved around. Everyone has always been lenient to him - yes, I am perfectly well aware you gave him that damned cloak - and he has grown used to it. Who wouldn't? However Voldemort is dead, gone for good. What does he have now, Albus? He is useless, in his eyes. Already he has seen how a tool can be so quickly dropped; he is now no different from any other student. But he has problems that no student should have to face, let alone while they should be enjoying their childhood."

Dumbledore was silent for a moment, and Snape continued.

"The boy has blood on his hands, and on his conscience. Draco Malfoy's blood; deservedly spilt, but none the less, he feels like a murderer. No child should have to feel like a bringer of death! He used the Killing Curse - he should be in Azkaban. But he knows, as well as you and I and the Ministry, that the Great Harry Potter must have had a good reason, and so is innocent. He's hurting because suddenly his whole purpose for living has been ripped away. Everything was engineered; his friends sought him because he was the famous Harry Potter, and his enemies attacked him for the same reason. Now he's just plain Harry; what does he have? He's a new person with an old life."

Snape took a deep breath and looked Dumbledore in the eye.

"He doesn't know who he is any more. He doesn't know what is good and what is evil, and where he stands in between to two. He's lost, Albus, and tonight he tried to take the only way out he knew of."

"But why didn't he come and talk to someone? Me, or Minerva, or Sirius?"

Snape felt pity, looking at the confusion in Dumbledore's eyes.

"I suppose he thought you would think less of him; see the once invincible boy had a fault. He's been strong alone all these years, how can he start to lean on people now, now the danger's gone?"

"Severus, are you talking on Harry's behalf or your own?"

Snape's lip curled into a sneer, which he hastily checked when he remembered that he was talking to the Headmaster.

"My circumstances are completely different to Potter's. I chose my role. His was thrust upon him before he was even old enough to walk. I deserved mine, and I fail to see what he could have done to incur the wrath of the gods."

"I've let him down, haven't I?"

Snape sighed, and rubbed his nose tiredly.

"I wouldn't say that. He knew he could come to you any time he wanted. He just chose not to. And it's understandable that he cannot be treated specially now Voldemort is defeated; all I'm saying is that it must be hard for him to suddenly change."

"Should I see him, or leave him alone? And what about Sirius?"

"Black? I think you should set the Dementors on him."

Dumbledore's eyes regained a little of their former twinkle.

"That would only be for your benefit, Severus."

"Mankind would thank me in twenty years if Black never procreated."

There was silence as Dumbledore seemed to be trying not to laugh, but then his face lost all traces of hilarity and his turned to Snape.

"What can I do to help him?"

"I don't understand why you're asking me, Albus. He's no responsibility of mine!"

"Yes, Severus, but we all know how many of your Slytherins have had problems like this. You are certainly the most knowledgeable of all our staff, and I certainly don't want St. Mungo's to get involved."

"I agree, that mental hospital would not be a benefit to Harry, but the boy is not in Slytherin. There is a reason that the Hat sorts students into different houses. Why are you smirking like that?"

"Harry forced the Hat to put him in Gryffindor. It was originally convinced he would be best in Slytherin."

Afterwards, Snape thought he should have known. It was just typical of Ha. . .Pot. . .Ha. . .stupid boy.

*****************************************

Harry lay staring at the ceiling. He had just had a silent nightmare. It was his name for a nightmare that might have had him awake and screaming if he hadn't conditioned himself not to scream in the night. Vernon hated it when he screamed.

But he wasn't with Vernon now. He was at Hogwarts. . .and he was in the hospital. . .why? He had. . .

"Oh shit!" he hissed. Any second Dumbledore was bound to come in and ask him lots of difficult questions, and Snape would have told him everything, and Harry didn't want anyone to know. . .

He silently got up, wincing at the stiffness in his legs, and moved to the window. Dawn was breaking; he'd have to move quickly. He didn't really know where he was going, but he was determined that he wouldn't stay here. The door creaked as he opened it, and he froze with his clammy hands on the handle until he heard Pomfrey's even breathing from the next room. Then he slid out, wondering if he could sneak into the Gryffindor tower without being noticed. Doubtful, this near to dawn.

The Astronomy Tower was too risky; he would just be found again. He didn't quite know why he was hiding; he just wanted to be alone, and who would understand that? Eventually he decided to get in and out of the Dormitory as quickly as possible, and then go and find somewhere to hide with his invisibility cloak when he was dressed. He was so cold!

Thankfully he managed to sneak in without being noticed, and quickly grabbed his invisibility cloak and some clothes. Then he threw the cloak over head and changed under it in the bathroom, knowing that he was invisible to everyone else. After that, it was simple. He slipped out of the Portrait Hole at the same time as some Second-years and turned to the one place he knew nobody would ever look for him. The Divination room.

For once, the fumes seemed to clear his head. Trelawny was in the staff room, and naturally the place was deserted. Harry sat on a comfy chair and drew his knees up to his chest, wincing as they clicked. Again, Snape's words came back to him. 'You resemble them. . .' he resembled them. Those cursed Dursleys. Snape just felt guilty. Didn't care about Harry, only about himself.

He could leave Hogwarts. There wasn't much point in him staying, after all. What use was one more wizard? And attempted suicide on his record would bar him from almost any job that he might be interested in - flying, or being an Auror. With a sickening lurch he realised that he would become the person he had always fought against becoming; a flat, grey person in a dead- end job.

Despair washed over him in waves, and he leaned back against the chair. It felt soft and gentle against his aching back. He briefly wished that he had allowed Snape to heal it. He knew there would be scars, and he had no idea how to heal himself. Would Snape come after him? Harry knew that Snape was the only one who might understand. Maybe everyone meant well, but he didn't care about well-meaning. He was tired of it. So. . .tired. . .

His mouth stretched into a yawn and he allowed his eyes to drift shut as the fumes pervaded his nose.

**************************************

All hell had broken loose when it had been discovered that Harry had left the Infirmary. The teachers were informed, but Harry was nowhere to be found. Eventually, the only staff available who weren't in lessons were Professors Trelawny and Snape. Having combed the Dungeons, Trelawny sighed dramatically and announced that she would gave into her crystal ball to see if the fates would show her where the poor boy was.

And that was when Snape realised where Harry was.

The one place nobody would even consider looking; the Divination room. He sprinted up the stairs, and flung open the door to find. . .nothing. Disappointed, he turned to leave. He had been so sure that he would find Harry there. Then something caught his notice. The smoke rising from an incense stick in the corner was being blown in the opposite direction to the rest of the sticks. He moved over to the chair and heard very soft, even breathing. With a smirk he pulled at the cloak off the boy, and watched terror flit across those amazingly green eyes. Harry looked like a cat, curled up in the chair. His eyes narrowed as he looked at Snape, who wondered if the boy was about to hiss.

"What do you want?"

Snape regarded Harry.

"What do you think I want? You tried to throw yourself off the highest tower, and then disappeared. Didn't you think that the headmaster would have everyone out looking for you?"

Harry sneered in a fairly admirable semblance of Snape's own, and plucked at his invisibility cloak.

"Would I have brought this if I thought nobody would be looking for me?"

Snape was taken aback by the boy's frank admission, but he really wanted to get him out of the divination room before Trelawny came back.

"Will you come with me?" he asked, holding out a hand. Harry looked calculatingly at him for a moment, and nodded shortly.

"I haven't got anywhere else to go, have I?" he said darkly, and stumbled to his feet without Snape's hand.