"Hey Hermione! Have you seen Harry recently? He missed all his classes today and yesterday when I saw him he completely ignored me. What's up with him?" Enquired a worried Ron. He jogged up to his girlfriend and enveloped her in his arms. But Hermione refused to be hugged. "Ron! I'm seriously worried about Harry. I haven't seen him since that day by the lake. What if something serious has happened to him? I remember we were having a fight about Cho, then suddenly he went all stiff and ran away. He said something about needing to find Cho. He was running to the dark forest. What if he's still in there?"

Ron could see the worry lines deepen on Hermione's forehead. He gathered her close, and buried his face into her bushy hair. "Don't worry, Hermione. I'm sure his alright. I mean he's survived six years of potions with Snape. If he can survive that he can survive anything."

Extremely frustrated, Hermione pushed Ron away. "No Ron I'm really, really worried. Can we please go look for him."

Ron gave a small uncertain look. "In the dark forest?" Memories of his second year at Hogwarts, flashed through his mind. Harry and he had followed spiders into the dark forest in order to uncover the mysteries of the chamber of secrets. They had barely escaped from the giant spiders that had stalked them. Ron gave a small shudder as he looked pleadingly at Hermione.

Heaving a small sigh of despair, she reached up and tugged at Ron's ears, pulling him forcefully down the hallway. "Come on Ron. We're going to the forest, NOW!"

"Ow! Ouch. Wait. Wait Hermione. We'd better get Harry's Invisibility Cloak, so we don't get caught." Moaned Ron as he was being dragged down the hallway by his ear.

Hermione stopped, turned to look at Ron, and raised her eyebrow. "Now that's a first. You're actually concerned about being caught."

Ron grinned sheepishly. "Nah. Any reason to wear Harry's cloak."

"Boys will be boys." She rolled her eyes back, then marched on without a second look.

Ron reached up and rubbed his now red ear, muttering. "Wait up Hermione. Oh geez why am I always dragged into situations like this." He picked up his pace when he lost sight of Hermione. She would be a force to be reckoned with if he slowed her investigations down in any way.

Seeing a patch of light, Draco stepped over a rotting log and found himself in a clearing.

"Hurry now, Malfoy. The fun and games are about to begin."

Malfoy was still uncomfortable, with the fact that Voldemort was in Potter's body. "Errrmm. What are you going to do?" Draco wondered as he looked at the still dazed Snape.

"I have prepared a vial of extra strength veritaserum." hissed Voldemort.

"Oh." Malfoy was severely disappointed. He had been hoping for some blood and guts torturing. Masking his disappointment, Malfoy turned aimlessly and kicked a stray stone. The grey pebble skipped on the uneven floor and landed by a lumpy dark shape. Malfoy saw that the shape was covered by a ragged black cloak and there was a head of black hair poking out. He moved closer to the lump and investigated. Cautiously, he picked up the ragged cloak and saw that the lump was a girl. In fact it was Cho Chang, Potter's ex-girlfriend.

"What on Earth is she doing here?" Malfoy thought to himself. Then stood up suddenly when Voldemort sharply called his name.

"Get away from there Malfoy. I've just given Severus the potion, it should begin to take effect soon. We will begin by asking him some simple questions." With his arms crossed in front of his chest Voldemort began to pace in front of Professor Snape. "What is your name?"

"My name is Severus Snape." Came the strangled reply.

"How old are you?"

"I am 39 years old, on the 13th of May."

Malfoy was quickly getting bored with this conversation and decided to ask a question of his own.

"Do you wear boxers or briefs?"

Draco began to chuckle but was silenced by an icy glare from Voldemort. He quickly turned and busied himself by looking out into the forest. Voldemort continued the interrogation behind him.

"How long have you been working at Hogwarts?"

"I have been the potions master at Hogwarts for 14 years now."

"Why did you start working here?"

"It was my only other option. I didn't believe in the Dark Lords action any longer and I wished to cut off any association I ever had with him. Professor Dumbledore offered to give me a safe haven in Hogwarts."

Voldemort growled with anger. All these years he had believed Severus to be his spy, but all along he had betrayed him. Forsaken him for that doddering fool Dumbledore. Reaching into the pockets of his cloak he pulled out his wand and yelled, "Crucius!"

Snape began convulsing with tremors, and fell to his knees twitching.

Upon hearing the unforgivable curse, Malfoy turned and witnessed his potions master on the forest floor twitching in pain. He looked from Snape to the lump that was Cho. Draco's brow furrowed with thought, he turned to Voldemort and asked, "What is Cho Chang doing here?"

Still obsessing over Snape's admission to betrayal, Voldemort spun round to face Malfoy with a dangerous look on his face. He raised his hand and struck Malfoy against his cheek. "Insolent pup! How dare you question me? Not that it is any of your business, I wanted her here because she is my life source. I used her love for Harry to lure him here, so that this plan could take place."

Malfoy scrambled backwards as Voldemort stormed closer with each word he said.

"Cho has my life source within her, and it used to be that, the only way to kill me was to kill Cho. But now I don't have to worry about my enemies finding my daughter and slaughtering her. Now that I'm in Potter's body the only way to kill me is to kill him, and since Potter is the only person to have defeated the evil Lord Voldemort, why would anyone want to kill him? Which makes me practically invincible." Snarled the Dark Lord to the snivelling boy at his feet.

"Your daughter?" Asked Malfoy shakily.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that Cho's real name is Cho Riddle. She's my daughter."

Malfoy's eyes grew into wide discs of amazement and he continued to scramble backwards in order to stand himself up. Suddenly his hand slipped on something, and a gasp rang through the air. Malfoy looked up to see the floating head of Ronald Weasley. Scrambling quickly he began grabbing at thin air until he ripped the invisibility cloak off the two trespassers.

"Well, well, well. Look whose come to visit. If it isn't slug-boy Weasley and his filthy mud-blood girlfriend." Sniped Malfoy.

Ron glared angrily at Malfoy and raised a fist to whop him with a punch, but Hermione tugged on his elbow urgently. Her eyes darted nervously from Ron's face to Harry. With his fists still raised at Malfoy, Ron turned to Harry.

"Who are you? And what have you done with Harry?" demanded a defensive Ron.

"Now, Weasley. I'm sure you and your friend heard quite enough to know exactly who I am." Hissed Voldemort, as he stepped towards Ron and Hermione.

Hermione began to shake and tears began streaming down her face. "No! Harry I don't know how he did this but I know you're still in there. You have to fight him Harry, you have to defeat him."

"Silence, you stupid little girl!" Voldemort screamed with anger "Harry Potter is no more. Voldemort has conquered him once and for all." Pulling out his wand he screamed out a curse and with a flash of red, Hermione and Ron both flew backwards, slamming hard against the trees.

A cruel laugh filled the air as Hermione and Ron sank into darkness.