A/N:  Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! How could she?!  How could sheeee!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   It's so not fair ***** was one of my very favourite characters.  ***** rocked, I loved them and then she went and killed them!  Well, that's it I'm going to sulk. 

Well maybe not, but it sux big time.  For all those who have read the book, do you agree with me?  It was so not fair.  For all those who haven't though I won't spoil it. (Safe to say I'm pissed off about it though)

Woohoo!  People are still reading this even though OoTP is out!  Thankies to all who reviewed its much fun to read all your comments!

Chapter Twenty four:  Won't Sit This One Out

    Harry snarled at Draco and shook off his hold.  Out side Severus was long gone and Harry let out a bitter sob.  Draco stood, for once with nothing to say, just watching his fried grieve as if Sev was already dead.  Harry started to shiver again, the adrenalin in his blood starting to wear off as the cold sunk in.  Summoning the fallen cloak, he turned away from Draco and marched of in the direction of the headmaster's office.  Draco tried to follow but Harry wouldn't even look back at him.

    "Just go get dressed, before the sun rises we'll all probably be facing an army and it wouldn't do to have you half naked when they get here...  If any thing happens to Severus I will personally make sure you never breathe again."

    "But Harry!"  Draco called out, still Harry marched on, and still not even so much as inclining his head towards him.

    "I could have gone after him, I could have stopped him."  There was a note of pleading in his voice that made the Slytherin wonder who Harry was really trying to convince. 

    "Fine.  Be careful."  Draco called before heading off to the Dungeons to get dressed. 

    "Sure, cos we all know I'm nothing if not careful."  Harry muttered bitterly under his breath when he was sure Draco was out of earshot.  He felt guilty for lashing out at his friend, but he couldn't get the image of Severus disappearing off, out of his head. 

    Harry muttered the password to Dumbledores office (Skittles) and climbed the stairs upward, the room was empty.  No doubt the old man was asleep. 

    "'Lo Fawkes."  The phoenix raised its eyes to Harry.  "Could you get Dumbledore for me?"  The bird looked at him for a second, head tilted before disappearing with a flash. 

    Harry pulled the cloak tighter around himself and looked around the office as the paintings on the walls slept he felt an uneasy loneliness.  He had a sickening feeling.  This was the calm before the storm; the whole castle was eerily silent, so unnaturally that he could hear the faint rustling of a flying owl far outside the walls of the ancient school.  Yet some time soon had to come the storm. 

    "Ah, Harry."  The headmaster appeared with Fawkes, dressed in a long purple night gown looking out of place surrounded by images of the forefathers of Hogwarts who were dressed immaculately.

    "Professer."  Harry regarded the old man solemnly.  "The time has come, Voldemort will be attacking soon."  The change that came over the smiling demeanour was quite something.  Dumbledore pulled a quill from out of a holder and started writing notes.  Once he had finished the first one he duplicated it twice, and then started on a different one, copying that numerous times. 

    He pointed at the first two letters with his wand,

    "Head boy and girl."  As he said it the two letters dissolved down through the floor.  He turned to the much larger pile and commanded "Prefects." 

    Harry was on the verge of opening one as it flew from the pile into his hands when Dumbledore finally acknowledged he was there for the first time since he had started writing letters.  

    "You don't need to read that."

    "Oh."  Harry put the letter back onto the edge of the desk.

    "Harry, I musk ask you for all the information you can provide on the subject, and quickly."

    "Well, I don't know much."  Harry found it hard to talk to Dumbledore as the man rushed around the room, consulting charts and occasionally murmuring charms and spells under his breath.  "I don't really know how I know, it's more a feeling than any thing else.  But it's happening today, or some time soon.  That's why he risked summoning every one at once last time."

    Dumbledore stopped dead.  Harry could almost see the word passing through Dumbledore mind before he said it.

    "Severus."

    "He's gone.  I tried to talk him out of it but Se…Professor Snape wouldn't hear of it."  Harry felt an uneasy lurch in his midsection as Dumbledore levelled his gaze on him, as if assessing him from inside out.

    "Harry, get back to your dorm.  I doubt any thing will happen today, dawn is nearly here and Tom will not risk an attack by broad daylight.  We have at least until tonight before anything happens.  I pray Severus comes back before then, we need more information.  I would be rather shocked if Lucius didn't already know of this plan for quite some time.  We can only assume that Professor Snape has been found out."  Dumbledore had never looked so old to the raven haired seeker.  The worries of a war were not for a man his age, but then again, Harry thought darkly; they were not for a boy his age either.

    "I won't sit this one out headmaster."  Harry said as he stood at the door to the office.  He was again fixed with Dumbledore's heavy gaze.

    "No, I didn't suppose you would."  The wryness in his voice was unmistakeable.

    "Just so long as we're clear."  Harry left stealthily making his way to his room, the last thing he heard from Dumbledore's office was Dumbledore fire talking with the remaining heads of house in hushed tones.

    The Gryffindor common room was full of people when Harry walked into it, first years were scurrying all over the place whispering far fetched stories.  The chatter stopped for a moment as they took him in.  Barely clothed and as white as a sheet he made his way to his bushy haired friend as the babble erupted again.

    "Harry."  Hermione hissed at him, "Dumbledore has just sent all the prefects letters, we have to get all of the pupils down to the dungeons and lower levels, something's going on."  Hermione franticly gestured to the milling students, patting a first year reassuringly on the shoulder.  "Where have you been any way?  No in fact, don't answer that, just go get dressed and help me."

    "Herm, I can't, I have, stuff to do."

    "Harry James Potter, it is your duty as a prefect to help these kids.  I will not let you shirk that responsibility just because you have something on, no doubt with Draco."  Hermione clearly looked un-impressed at that idea.

    "No, it's important."  Herm looked at him for a couple of seconds blankly before gasping horrified.

    "Him?"  She bit her bottom lip and looked round the room again.

    "Look, every thing should be fine, for today at least, just look after every one and keep safe."

    "Oh Harry, don't go, stay with us."  Hermione knew Harry to well to think he would be idol during the fight but she could at least try to make him see sense.

~*~*~Tbc~*~*~