Disclaimer: J.K.R. owns Harry Potter and co., not me (I wouldn't mind owning Sev though).  This story is slightly (basically bits of the plot ideas; just technical stuff) inspired by Minnionette's A Gutter Rat's Tale and Dauphin's Let History Repeat Itself.  Niamh O'Feir, Jardin, Mika Davids, Darcorn's, and anything you don't recognize belong to me.

Not Myself by Saerry Snape

Chapter 132 – Leavings and Screamings

Harry.

Hmm?

Where are you?

Harry slowly lifted his head and peered sullenly across the classroom.  He stared through Binns to the wall then dropped his head again.

Still in History.  Why?

Fawkes just informed me that Severus has left the school.

Da left?  Wha…  Where'd he go?

Jardin paused and sounded confused when he replied, To see a White Queen.

Harry's shoulders sagged and he sighed.

Helps a lot, Jar.

It was all I was told.

Damnit, cursed Harry.  Thanks, Jar.

You are very welcome.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a crow to see.

With that Jardin's presence in Harry's mind lessened and the dark-haired teen chuckled softly before he dropped back off into his light doze.

* * * *

"Bloody thorns…"

Fizzt!

A clump of thorns vanished after being struck by a small bolt of lightning and Severus kicked his foot to free it of the few remaining ones.  He then turned and found himself staring at the broad chest of a centaur.  A dark-haired centaur who looked particularly grumpy.

"Hello, Bane."

"Snape," growled the centaur.  "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for an old friend.  You haven't happened to see him lately, have you?"

Bane snorted and stomped one of his back hooves, glaring coldly.

"I shall take that as a 'no'…  Well, its been a pleasure seeing you again.  Goodbye."

He started to move around the centaur but was stopped when a dinner-plate sized hoof nearly came down on his foot.  Leaping back, he fixed Bane with one of his best scowls.

"One way or another, I will get past you, Bane."

"No, you won't," growled the centaur.  "Get out of our forest, Death Eater."

Severus' scowl deepened and he snarled, "Barid dan ost brai calais, shurdan."

Bane took at step back at the sound of the harsh but smoothly flowing words.  He then frowned and growled, "You can't scare me by spouting off an ancient language, Snape."

"Don't you know, Bane," purred Severus, slowly drawing his wand. "The Snape's are descended from the High Elves.  I have the right, by the law of the first High King, that as one of Elven blood to seek out the Mitigator."

Bane's eyebrow twitched.

Severus' scowl deepened.

A bird chirped from somewhere above.

"Something going on?"

Severus turned his head slightly and saw the gray-gold body of a palomino stallion in the shadow of a tree.  He inclined his head and muttered, "Dai, Firneze."

"Dai, Severus," replied the blonde centaur, stepping out of the shadows.  "Bane, what is the meaning of this?"

"Death Eater's are not to be allowed on the grounds of this forest!  The Council…"

"Severus is not a Death Eater, Bane," said Firenze in a soft voice.  "The Council should know this by now."

Bane stomped a hoof angrily and snapped, "The Council trusts this Death Eater as much as they trust you!"

Firenze took a step towards Bane, a frown on his face.

"This…Death Eater," he spat, "is kith and kin to those who once lived on this world with us.  You remember their laws from the teachings of the Elders."

"Yes, but…"

"Elven law is The Law, Bane.  Despite our own laws, we still obey their's.  You know that."

Bane glared sulkily at Firenze then scowled at Severus before he turned and vanished into the forest.  The blonde-haired centaur looked off after him for a moment before he looked at the wizard.

"Forgive him.  He, like so many, have nearly forgotten the Elven laws.  They…they simply are not used anymore."

Severus nodded and said, "I know.  Would you happen to know…"

Something from behind him snorted and a velvety nose nudged at his ear.  Firenze smiled and said, "I believe that he has found you."

Severus chuckled and turned, patting the soft nose.

"He does tend to do that.  Hello, my friend.  Have you been watching over Harry like I asked?"

The Darcorn nickered and nudged him with its head, dark eyes twinkling.  Severus smiled and said, "I'll take that as a 'yes.'"  His smile faded then and he continued, "I need a ride, old friend."

The Darcorn stomped a hoof and nodded vigorously, its mane tossing.  Severus patted the dark neck before he moved to its side and grasped a fistful of the silky mane in one hand.  He placed his other hand on the sloped back and jumped, pulling himself up.  The Darcorn danced nervously when he straightened in place on its back and nickered again.

Firenze smiled and lifted a hand slightly.

"Fair travels, Severus."

The Potion's Master nodded sharply in reply then leaned forward to whisper something in the Darcorn's ear.  The black unicorn tossed its head and reared slightly before it took off at a gallop.  Firenze looked after it for a moment before he turned his golden head skyward.

"Mars burns bright tonight," he said to himself.

* * * *

"Hey, Harry?  Harry?"

Niamh poked her head into the boy's dormitory and frowned when she saw that no one was there.  Sighing, she walked on over to Harry's bed.  She idly touched the top of his trunk and felt the prickle of its protective charms flicker over her skin.  Giving her hand a little shake, she sighed again and fell back onto his bed.

"Mmm," she said as she stared up at the green canopy.  "Where are you?"

She lay there for a few moments before she sat up, sighing a third time.  As she did this, something bright flickered out of the corner of her eye.

It was a silver chest.  Sitting on top of Harry's pillow.

Niamh blinked and leaned towards it, wondering how she'd missed seeing it.  At the sight of the odd symbols carved into it, she reached out and touched it.  There was a prickle of energy and the lock snapped open.  Niamh jumped back at that, staring at the trunk.

"Something weird is going on here…" she muttered before cautiously leaning forward.  She reached out and lifted the lid of the trunk…

A scream of such decibels that it was nearly beyond the human range of hearing ripped through Slytherin House, causing every soul in it to clutch at their ears.  Only two other soul's in the castle heard the mental scream that made them both quake in terror.

Fawkes immediately informed Dumbledore of the scream.  Jardin abandoned his perch with Mordiana (Cho Chang's crow) to find Harry.  He surprised Flitwick by flying through the walls of his classroom and several first years by going right through them.

HAAAAAAAREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY!!!!!!!

Bloody hell! yelled Harry, futilely clapping his hands over his ears.  He glared at Jardin as the raven crash landed in the middle of his plate of half-eaten food.

"Grea'.  Now me foo's gone."

We have bigger problems.

Yeah, thought Harry grumpily.  You.

No, said Jardin.  Niamh.

Harry instantly snapped to attention and he fixed Jardin with a fierce emerald gaze.

"Ni?"

Something's wrong.

"Wha'?"

I do not know.  And it worries me.

There is a new power in Hogwarts, said Fawkes' voice suddenly, resounding through Harry and Jardin's heads.  A dark power…  It reeks of old magic.

"Le's go," said Harry, rising from his seat.  Jardin cawed and flapped after him, landing on his shoulder with wings spread as Harry sprinted from the Hall.

Ginny frowned after him and turned to arch an eyebrow at Mika, who just shrugged.  They then both rose as one and walked hurriedly out after the dark-haired teen.

Draco caught them leaving out of the corner of his eye and hurriedly made his excuses to his friends.  He then made his way after them, looking like he was just walking back to Arx Serpens.  Besides Harry, he was the only student in Hogwarts who could follow someone without looking like he was.

Came from being a Malfoy.

* * * *

Harry yelled the password to the hidden doorway as he ran towards it and charged through before it was even open.  Jardin took flight the instant they were through, flying over to land on top of the door that led to the boy's dormitories.  Harry rushed through the door, nearly shoving a third year to the floor.

Where is she, Jar? he demanded as he headed towards his dorm.  He intended to get the Marauder's Map and hunt Niamh down.

She's…in your dorm.

That response brought Harry to a halt and he blinked.

What?

She is in your dorm,   repeated Jardin.  And in pain.  She's screaming again.  Oh gods make it stop!

Harry winced as Jardin's pain filtered through to him before he rushed down the hallway to the sixth year boy's dorm.  He threw open the door and was nearly thrown back by a backlash of magic.  A second later he sank to his knees and threw up what he'd eaten earlier on the floor.

Groaning, he sat up and felt his stomach threaten to revolt again.  The magic that had hit him the moment he entered the door was still rolling over him, seeming to prod at him with dark tendrils.  He felt continually sicker by the minute.

Forcing his eyes upwards, he saw Niamh collapse on top of his bed.  With her collapse, the dark magic that had been in the air vanished, allowing Harry to get to his feet.  He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before he rushed over to his friends side.

Her head hung off the edge of her bed, blue eyes staring blankly ahead.  An expression of such intense pain was etched onto her face that it made Harry shiver.

But what really made him nervous was the fact that her right hand, which was hanging limply off the side of the bed, was covered up to her elbow by a vicious looking silver gauntlet.  Runes were carved onto its surface and his brain screamed as it recognized a few of them.  It, however, wouldn't tell him what they meant.

Hesitantly, he reached out to touch one of the gauntlets clawed fingers…

"Do not touch it!"

Harry slung himself around and to his feet, having his wand out before he even knew who'd addressed him.  Dumbledore, standing solemnly in the doorway with Fawkes swaying on his shoulder, smiled slightly.

"Be at ease, Harry."

"S'ry, professor," mumbled the dark-haired teen as he sheathed his wand.  He then looked at the gauntlet and asked, "Why should'n Ah touch i'?"

Dumbledore moved into the room, allowing Mika, Ginny, and Draco to peer in.  He walked slowly towards Niamh and bent over slightly, studying the gauntlet.

"If I am not mistaken," he said softly, "this is the Gauntlet of Aerilsed."

"The what?" asked Mika.

"The Gauntlet of Aerilsed," said Draco matter-of-factly.  "Its an ancient magical object created by the High Elves.  They bestowed it with great power.  I thought it was just a legend, like the Elves."

"Not all things are legend, Mister Malfoy," said Dumbledore, catching Harry's eyes for a moment.  He then pointed his wand at Niamh and muttered, "Ennervate."

Niamh sat up with a shriek and grabbed her right arm.  Harry rushed forward to grab her but was stopped by Dumbledore, who motioned at Mika instead.  The white-haired boy gave Harry an odd look before he moved forward to try and console the distraught girl.

"Sir," growled Harry, "why woan ye le' me 'elp 'er?"

"Because, Harry, if you were to go near the Gauntlet, it would disengage itself from Miss O'Feir and attach itself to you."

"Wha'?"

"Come to my office and I will explain.  For now we shall take Miss O'Feir to the hospital wing.  Mister Davids, Mister Malfoy, if you would assist me?  It is much harder to carry a struggling soul alone."

"Yes, sir," muttered Mika and Draco.  Three wands pointed at Niamh and as one spells was spoken from three mouths, she bobbed into the air.  Carefully steering her out of the room, they left, leaving Harry alone with Ginny.

"What's going on?" asked the redheaded girl.

Harry shook his head slowly and looked at her for a long moment before replying.

"I doan know."

With that he walked past her out of the dorm.

Translations for Severus' Speech

Barid dan ost brai calais, shurdan – Elven for "Get out of my way, centaur"

Mitigator – shortened version of the Elven "Mitia gator" which means "World Walker"

Dai – Elven for "Greetings"