A/N: all reviews much appreciated, thank you! And because there aren't many, I appreciate those I receive even more, see! Heehee! Anyways here goes, I'm really trying to be less longwinded. Complain if necessary.

O=O======================= (flashback ends)

Visions of the Future.

The man sat meditating deeply on the words he had just read, temporarily oblivious to the world around him as the flames lulled him into a state of subconscious drowsiness. The seductive fire as well as the memory had drained his iron will leaving him tired. The storm outside had abated once more and the fire had succeeded in warming up the air a few metres around it, but the heat did not dispel the cold dread that was once again filling him. The century-old clock chimed, ominously announcing the arrival of midnight. Severus closed the book and replaced it neatly in the top drawer of his desk before he secured it. After a brooding moment, he rose abruptly and extinguished the fire with a word. Walking towards the door, he summoned his cloak and a vial of white liquid which slipped securely into his pocket.

The dark corridors were empty and his footfalls resounded as he made his way out of the castle to the apparation point. Winding tunnels dimly lit and unused but by him, unravelled as he passed. Yet he didn't stop until he reached a large oak door embossed with a coiled, silver serpent. Then, whispering as softly as his touch, he ran his long fingers down the serpent's spine and unlocked the ward. Silently, the door opened revealing the heart of the Forbidden Forest.

The moment he had crossed the threshold, the heavy door swung shut. Glancing back, he noted that the portal had morphed into an old, ivy- covered tree for disguise. Severus strode into the middle of the clearing where he seemed rather vulnerable, being less able to melt into the darkness. As he stretched out his wand, he immediately felt their eyes on him. A twig snapped softly; he saw a pair of red, bloodthirsty eyes staring back at him through the night. Severus determined that this was no time to linger. He wouldn't be explaining to the others that he was late because he was attacked by some hungry half-breed lurking in the forest. Slowly, he replaced his wand and took out another object, one which any creature of sense would fear much more - the Mask. Snape held it gently in his fingertips and, never breaking eye contact with the creature, slipped it on. The reactions were immediate: the mask moulded to his features and enhanced him with its dark, inner power; and the creature's eyes lit up, shocked, before they disappeared completely. He closed his eyes.

Upon opening them, he found that his situation hadn't changed greatly. He was still in the middle of a forest, except it was less windy and it wasn't raining. Initially, he saw no one. Then as he walked closer, the moonlight glinted off a silver surface. He wasn't greeted as the last space was filled in the circle. Once again he was late.

The only man who wasn't donned in a mask stood remotely in the centre of the circle. One of his followers was kneeling before him, clad in black, whispering fervently.

"... Everything is as you wished my Lord. It is ready when you desire to use it." The waxen faced person, whose features didn't seem wholly human, nodded as if he had expected no less from his subject.

"And what of the other?" He asked quietly. The follower hesitated in his reply. "Dead or alive, Macnair?"

"He is strong, master, he resists us fiercely. Our magic isn't strong enough to overcome him, he –"

"Good. We may need him yet. Go." Macnair rose and shuffled to a space near Severus. Glancing quickly across, his eye caught sight of some parchment hanging out of his pocket. At another covert glance, he picked up a word scribbled roughly across the top – 'Prince'. That would definitely be worth reporting to the Headmaster, it might mean something to him, at least.

"Severus, it's so nice of you to join us." At the familiar expression on his Lord's face, mingled with the ominous sarcasm in his voice, the named felt his stomach clench horribly. The Dark Lord was well aware of his reasons why he would often fail to respond precisely when the Dark Lord called, but that didn't mean he accepted those reasons passively. It was enough that he didn't kill Snape for his impertinence. He bent his knee for his Lord, only doing so where he stood, for he had not yet been summoned to him. "Come; let me see you in the light." He then rose, trying not to appear reluctant, and knelt before his master, pressing his lips to the ground before His feet. A hand reached across his chin from above and raised his head slightly. "You were not present at our last meeting," said the older man in a deceptive tone. His eyes blazed down at him. Oh dear, so he hadn't forgotten about that either. Severus opened his mouth to reply, but was cut off. "I suppose you have some terribly waterproof reason as to why you were not present. But don't waste your breath on me, when even time is more valuable to you." As the Dark Lord spoke, Snape's mask began to get hotter, absorbing his radiating anger.

"It would do you well to fear me that bit more, child." Those humiliating words spoken with such malice dulled him emotionally against the pain now searing the soft tissue around his eyes. After a minute, it was unbearable. His eyes watered profusely, and the tears sizzled on the mask's white rim, his clear vision was blurring rapidly, but all the while the sight of those red, evil eyes never dulled. They were boring into his mind, searching, questioning.

Eventually, his Lord slid a finger down the profile of his mask, causing it to just rise off the skin. The agony was still as intense, though. Severus then realised his lip was bleeding, either from the heat or his attempts to stop himself from screaming. His master lifted it further off his visage until his assaulted, tear marked face was exposed to the others. This was the greatest humiliation.

"Don't forget I'm still here Severus," the red-eyed man whispered, sliding his other had up Severus' loose sleeve to the Dark Mark, "and always will be."

"Always, my Lord," he muttered as clearly as possible, holding his head up high, dignified until the last.

The Dark Lord released him and sent him back to his place in the circle fully masked, and disciplined. His vows rang fresh in his mind at that moment, clouding his thoughts until something Lucius Malfoy said drew his attention.

"They are ready to be released, my Lord, and when they are, I believe you will find them to your satisfaction." The Dark Lord raised an eyebrow.

"Have they previously been tested outside their confines?"

"No my Lord, they have not. Frankly they ignore us; they are loyal only to you, master. Without your direct instruction, they will not even eat." Lucius was kneeling before the tall man, with his staff placed on the ground.

"If that is so, then why do they remain since I have given them no orders to do so?"

"It seems, my Lord, that as savage as they are, even they know when they meet their maker." Severus could tell that Malfoy was smiling underneath his mask, perhaps from some subtle irony in his words; he wasn't sure. But whatever he was proud of, Severus didn't like it. The Dark Lord gazed down at his subject with an unreadable expression before turning away.

"When it is time, I will summon you and give you my instructions. But what of your other news, that you have been so eager to inform me of?"

"My Lord, simply, I am expecting an opportunity to arise soon that will put myself in a prime position to seize control of the entire Ministry of Magic." Severus narrowed his eyes intently. This was certainly a revelation to some, judging by their quick glances at one another. For him, however, it was not as unexpected. He was all too aware of Lucius' little tea- parties with the minister as well as the abnormally loud jingling coming from Fudge's pocket these days. Dumbledore and himself had anticipated this move months ago, yet neither had thought that it would happen so soon. Evidently, things were being done differently from last time, but for what reason? And what exactly did his companion mean by "expecting an opportunity to arise soon"? Severus stored his thoughts for later reflection.

The Dark Lord tilted his head slightly and gazed down at Lucius. "Continue."

"All the pieces are set, just as you required of me, my Lord. The place reeks of sedition and suspicion. Witches and Wizards have lost their faith in the current Minister. Few know who to trust now, and in their desperation they are turning to me with little persuasion. It will soon be time to initiate stage three. If you will, my Lord, it is time to release the Dementors."

"Tell me, Lucius, have you stopped to consider the consequences of failure?" the Dark Lord posed the question softly.

"My Lord, failure is not possible. An upheaval is in order and those who resist can easily be silenced. The Dementors are an invaluable weapon and can be used efficiently to our ends -"

"Those creatures are not to be used lightly." His eyes darkened with impatience. "Their presence alone in the Ministry points only to us. No, I will not risk it; there will be no mistakes this time." Lucius slouched in a huff.

"Then what am I to do, master? Even one Dementor would be less risky... am sure we could -"

"If you cannot think of anything, then clearly I will have no further need of you and all your efforts will have been in vain. Clear?"

"Of course, my Lord, I understand." Voldemort waved his arm in dismissal. Lastly, he turned to the two hulking forms of Crabbe and Goyle. He only had to raise his eyebrow to bring forth a response. Kneeling on the grass, they informed him that they had been successful. About what, Snape had no idea.

"Excellent," he murmured, turning to the rest of the hooded circle. "The board is set, but the pieces are yet to be played." Slowly, their Lord began to walk purposefully from one to other, gazing upon his Death Eaters with his penetrating eyes. "They think that I lost the last battle, but they do not now what I have since gained. It will be interesting to see how the enemy reacts to my next move. I have a suspicion that the shock will kill him." The Dark Lord made a noise that came terribly close to a chuckle. He continued until he stood before Snape, watching him almost expectantly. Unsure exactly what he was going to be asked, Severus knelt down, his head bowed low, and waited patiently. After a moment, his answer came.

"Deliver this directly into the hands of your other, dear master. It should cover the things that he needs to know. Tell him nothing else of what transpired tonight." Severus raised his eyes and took a fold of parchment from his hand, slipping it carefully into his robes before backing off from His presence. The Dark Lord then proceeded to dismiss the others save Pettigrew, Mulciber, Crabbe, Goyle and Lucius, for whatever reason.

...zCzSz...

Safely back within the castle grounds, Snape strode up along the corridors to the Headmaster's Office, feeling drained. Now was definitely not the time to remind him that he had two hours of Neville Longbottom to endure the next day. Snape didn't bother announce his arrival into Dumbledore's Office; where he found him sitting benignly behind his desk, evidently expecting him. Without a word, he handed over the blank parchment and collapsed on the visitor's chair, rubbing his temples.

While the headmaster perused over the hidden words (hidden to Severus' eyes, that is), Snape took out a small vial of white liquid and brusquely downed it to replenish him. The headmaster glanced at him over his glasses, evaluating his member of Staff carefully.

"You seem tense, Severus. Drink up." Dumbledore requested, pushing a fresh cup of tea in his direction. Holding his head in one hand, Snape eyed the cup warily before declining it with a sneer and rising to leave. "Is there anything you wish to tell me before you go? Off the record?"

"My suspicions are that the Dark Lord has imprisoned somewhere, a 'Prince'. Of what, I don't know. To what consequence, I expect only something detrimental to Wizard-kind, naturally."

"Thank you, Severus. Worrying as it is, your suspicions often tend to be uncannily close to the truth." The old wizard lifted his full cup of tea to his lips, letting it settle for a moment. "You know your efforts are much appreciated by everyone," he commented. The named rolled his black eyes, sighing tiredly. Snape looked down patiently yet expectantly at the Headmaster.

After a minute of silence, the elder voiced his interpretation of Severus' expression. "Since you entered of your own accord, you may leave of your own accord," answering the unsaid question of 'can I go now?' with an encouraging twinkle in his eyes.

"In the aspects of discretion and protocol, Headmaster, I have discerned that it is better not to practice taking liberties and being presumptuous by doing so." Snape replied coldly.

"I take it that also applies to midnight meetings of covert organisations?" The knowing twinkle seemed to fade as his eyes wandered across the few exposed areas of Severus' face. The rest was covered in lank strands of black hair which cut sharply and irregularly across his pallid and pained features.

"Goodnight, Headmaster." Snape concluded before nodding briefly and turning on his heel to leave.

"I am always here if there's anything you want to get of your chest, Severus. As a friend." Snape hesitated just a moment at hearing this, before sweeping wordlessly down the stone staircase and past the gargoyles.

Upon entering his office, the Potions Master continued to move purposefully from cabinet to drawer, collecting the necessary materials. Finally settling at his desk, he scribbled a few lines on a small sheet of parchment using a raven quill containing silver ink, before signing it carefully with another, emerald-green quill. After a moment, the silver ink faded invisibly into the parchment, leaving only the green signature of Severus Snape, which proceeded to burn through it cleanly. In a few swift movements, he had slipped the brief letter and the raven quill into an envelope and sealed it with wax.

Before long he had reached the owlrey. Inside, most of the owls had gone hunting, leaving only the older, less reliable envoys. Gazing up uncertainly into the shadowy dome where most sat unperturbed, he called out to the only the messenger he knew he could trust: "Raven! Come to me." Gliding down on silent wings, the tame crow obediently perched itself on Severus' outstretched arm, awaiting his instructions. "The skies are dark and dangerous, full of new predators," he whispered as he attached the letter to its leg. "Fly low. Stick to the darker regions. If you are followed, seek sanctuary in a muggle village. This letter is to be delivered without fail into the right hands. I expect a reply. Go." The large, sleek bird departed with little prompting, flying off into the night carrying its baleful but urgent message.

xXx

For the rest of that night, Snape did not rest in peace. Severus sat on the edge of his bed with his face buried in his hands, shivering coldly, and anxious that this was the second time that night he'd woken up with his senses screaming at him, bringing on one of the worst headaches he'd ever had. There was only one word for this reaction: Fear. Despite the sleeping potion he administered himself, the dreams persisted. Or perhaps they could be more appropriately named visions. But of what? The things he saw were not snippets of buried memories longing to escape, as usual; even the dream itself wasn't normal – everything was uncomfortably vivid. Turning over in his mind the things he saw, he attempted to make sense of it all, to little avail, it seemed. All it succeeded to do was magnify that blinding pain in the back of his mind.

There was a dark tunnel, at the end of which moved vague, hooded yet strangely elongated figures radiating a strange, orange light. It felt repulsing to Severus. As he was drawn closer, through no will of his own, the glow appeared to be more of a noxious mist, mingling and drifting around him... they were calling to him, but like a predator calls to the prey... long fingers formed and stretched out, grasping ... clawing ... there was nothing he could do to resist... and yet there was... something so simple but long forgotten... something... overlooked ... the fingers were reaching for him, searching ... for his heart... After that, he woke up breathless and feeling the urge to throw up everything he'd ever eaten.

But the last one had been worse. This time there were voices, cold and devoid of emotion, that faded the moment they were spoken yet rung out acutely in your mind. And this time, the figures were much closer, so that he could see their faces clearly. What he saw unnerved him greatly. Their faces were unnatural, seamless, without mouths, save for two small holes at the end of a short but slender nose. Their eyes, on the other hand, were faded with lifeless white irises, bulging slightly from their sockets. They appeared blind, but he knew that the things they saw were far beyond human perception.

The nearest one approached him and again drew him closer, its sightless eyes reading him like a book. Slowly it lowered its hood revealing a bald, white pate with a small button-sized black hole on the upper surface of the skull. It leaked no blood. The creature captured his gaze and tested his mental boundaries, pushing him to the limits. Then it broke through the wall separating it from him. The creature penetrated everything. He was once again helpless as the creature's head morphed into a skull opened its 'mouth' as a large snake emerged from it. The ugly viper reared its head and struck him hard in the neck. The result was a hot prickling pain seeped through his body to all his muscles. Suddenly he realised he was dying.

Then, just as suddenly, the creature morphed back again, looking almost sorry as it cowered away from him. Yet it wasn't finished with his crumbling body. When it rose, in its hand it held a blue light, which slowly rose over to him and hovered uncertainly over him. The creature reached out and clasped his jaw in its hand, opening it. Instantly the light disappeared ... and that was when Severus woke up to find himself shaking in a cold sweat with an intense fever, like the symptoms of a lethal snake bite.

He sat racking his brains over the meaning of these visions. Were they of the future, the present, or the past? Was it symbolic? Why was he having these nightmares? Was it safe to sleep again? With an effort, he summoned a decanter of deep green liquid and poured himself a glass, watching dizzily as it glowed. Two large glasses later, his headache faded, allowing him to focus despite his defences being down. Sitting there, gazing into the potent, swirling concoction, a thought sprung into his mind. He had no idea how it got there, but the more it sat there, the more he was certain of it. With a third glass, a bit of squinting, Snape threw on his dark nightgown and walked along a private corridor to his office where he flooed the Headmaster's office.

At the other end, Snape found his body failing him again. He knocked softly on the door. Within moments, the sleepy old wizard had opened the door to him. Upon seeing his present state, he immediately invited Snape in and inquired if the Professor was having nightmares again. On both accounts he shook his head weakly, as he held on tight to the doorframe for support. Finally managing to compose his shaking system, he raised his eyes and spoke with grave conviction,

"These weren't nightmares, Headmaster. They were warnings."

xXxXxXxXxXx

hope you liked this chapter, feel free to give me your comments. yawn I sat up soo long doin this... the next chap is cool, we will find out how harry's summer has been, and much more... I know that doest sound good but take my word for it, if al goes according to plan, and the characters don't revolt, it will be the best one by far... action, intrigue, horror and suspense and different types magic of course... but all in Little Whinging???