Back To The Known

It didn't take him long to catch up with Lupin and Potter. Actually it seemed as if they'd been waiting for him, at least when he spotted them they weren't moving but sitting around next to a rock at the foot of a hill.

"You didn't get very far, did you?" was the first thing he said to Lupin.

"We've been waiting for you. It took you long enough to get here," Lupin replied and got to his feet. "So are the others busy searching for Harry?"

"Didn't I tell you not to wait?" Severus asked.

"Not expressly I think, no," Lupin said. "And we also had a good reason not to go any further; I'm quite sure that we'll have to go back to the house anyway."

"Why should we do that?"

"The book says so," Harry said in a low voice. He was still sitting on the ground, holding the book in his hands and looking rather miserable.

"At least we think so," Lupin added, held out his hand and Harry handed him the book. "Take a look at this," he said, opened the book and gave it to Snape.

Severus sighed inaudibly – he really was sick and tired of that book and its cryptic messages. "Beyond the canvas lies the door and when it opens, it is the way back out, or is it the way back in," he read. "Lies and secrets become your world and reality turns into a frail dream." He looked up and gave Lupin a questioning look. "So?"

"The way out, that's what we're looking for, isn't it?" Lupin said. "Now the drawing on the next page. I'm rather sure that that place is actually inside the house."

Severus turned the page and looked at a rough pencil drawing of a small room stuffed with shelves and all sorts of other things. "How sure is 'rather sure'?" he asked.

"I'd bet my left hand on it."

"Your left?"

"I'm sure, Severus. That's the small room next to the kitchen," Lupin said. "The book says the door was beyond the canvas. In the drawing you can see some paintings leaning against a shelf; I saw those in the house. That's our way back out."

They stood in silence for a moment.

"Personally, I've had enough of that book," Severus said and handed it back to Lupin. "We don't even know what it wants from us; it could just as well be trying to lure us in a trap."

"It?" Lupin asked. "So you believe that book has a will of its own? Or are you suggesting that it's just an instrument of something else?"

"I'm not suggesting anything. All I'm saying is that there's a lot of dark magic in that book and that I don't trust it enough to put my life at risk by doing what it tells me."

"Never trust anything that can think for itself if you don't know where it keeps its brain," Harry said in a low voice and slowly got to his feet.

Severus would almost have replied with an 'Exactly' but didn't as soon as he realised that it was actually Potter who'd just agreed with him.

"Take a look around, Lupin," he said instead. "This is where your little book got us. I for one think it would probably be wisest to do exactly the opposite of whatever it says."

"But what else can we do?" Harry asked. "I think we ought to give it a try at least."

"I don't give a damn what you think, Potter," Severus said, glaring at him. "You've really done enough for one day, haven't you? So just hold your tongue now and leave this to someone who knows what he's doing!"

Severus noted that Potter was obviously quite surprised by his little loss of temper, but it really had been about time for this; back in the house he'd already felt tempted to actually kick or punch the little brat. Just because it was all his fault; just because he kept doing things like this; just because he was so incredibly arrogant, irresponsible and ungrateful.

"Fine," Lupin said in a low voice before Harry could reply anything. "Can we please discuss this in a reasonable way now?"

Neither Severus nor Harry said anything so Lupin continued. "We don't have many options," he said. "We could go back to the place where we first arrived but I don't expect to find anything there. We could also just sit here and wait for the sun to rise or anything else to happen but that's rather unlikely. Or we give the book a chance and go back to the house."

"That's idiotic," Severus muttered to himself, turned away and peered into the distance, thinking.

"You're always just complaining," Harry said angrily. "Since you always know better anyway why don't you..."

"Harry, please," Lupin cut him off.

Severus whirled around to glare down at the boy again. "How dare you talk to me like that," he hissed and slowly took a step towards him. "Who do you think you are? Aside from being the reason why we're stuck here in the first place?"

Lupin stepped forward to stand in front of Harry and looked straight into Snape's eyes. "We have a problem to solve here," he said in a very soft and calm voice, holding his gaze. "We have two Death Eaters out there looking for us, possibly with more of them on the way. There's some kind of evil power inhabiting this world that seems to be after us and we have no idea how to get away from here. This is not the time to start arguing with each other."

Severus took a deep breath and turned away from him again. He was pretty reluctant to go back to that house – not only because of Malfoy. But he had to admit that it probably was their best choice.

"Malfoy's going to give up searching sooner or later," he said. "So if we want to go back, we should waste no more time."

Lupin nodded. "Good. Let's go then."

Despite obviously being rather exhausted, Harry quickly took the lead as they made their way back to the house, Snape and Lupin following him at a few steps distance. Actually he seemed to be the only one who really wanted to go back there.

"Severus?" Lupin asked in a voice low enough for Harry not to hear him. "What are we going to do about Malfoy?"

Severus threw him a questioning glance.

"You know very well what I'm talking about," Lupin said. "If you show up back at Hogwarts together with Harry it won't take him more than five minutes to figure out that you might not be the loyal lapdog he took you for."

"I'm aware of that," Severus muttered and lowered his eyes to the ground again. He knew that Lupin had probably expected to hear what kind of brilliant plan he had to get himself out of this again; unfortunately though, he didn't have the faintest idea. It would definitely be difficult to talk himself out of this and he had his doubts that he would even get a chance to explain anything – the Dark Lord usually didn't waste much time listening to poor excuses.

Harry had come to a sudden halt and when Severus looked up he realised why.

"Not again," he muttered to himself upon seeing his father standing there, arms folded, sneering down at Potter. Like father like son. Severus quickly discarded the thought, simply because he'd rather not have anything in common with his father.

"I thought he looked familiar when I saw him back in the forest," Lupin said in a low voice.

Severus was quite sure that Lupin and his father had never met so that was probably Lupin's subtle way of saying 'You look just like your father'. Well, he had to admit it was rather obvious; the same face, same eyes, even the same black hair, just that his father's was quite a bit longer.

"He's the spitting image of his father, don't you think?" the man said to Harry. When Harry didn't react, he turned his attention to Lupin instead. "You noticed right away, didn't you? Eyes like a hawk."

Lupin eyed him suspiciously.

"Nobody's talking to you," Severus said in a dead calm voice.

"Oh, look who's talking. But where are your manners? Aren't you even going to introduce me?"

"No."

"You're suddenly a tough guy now, aren't you? Now that you're not on your own any more?" his father asked, turning away from Lupin and slowly moving towards him. "Do you think you are? You think you're strong enough to take me on?"

Severus lowered his eyes and shook his head. "Keep talking," he said in a low voice. "I won't listen any more. I've listened for far too long already."

"If you ever had, you wouldn't be here now. Just look at yourself; what are you doing here?"

"What I'm definitely not going to do is to waste any more time talking to you," Severus said softly. "So if you'd excuse us now?" With that he turned away and walked past him. Lupin followed him only a second later, dragging Harry along.

"I told you can't walk away from me," his father called after him.

"Watch me," Severus replied without looking back.

For the next few seconds he almost held his breath, hoping he'd just let him go without following him or saying anything else. Much to his surprise, he actually did.

"He's gone," Lupin said a moment later.

Severus stopped walking and for a second he just stood there, staring at the ground, thinking. "Thesdale said there was nothing special about this painting, it could have been any," he said then. "Which means that this particular picture showed up in the book only because Potter had seen it before."

"But I hadn't," Harry said.

"Yes, you had. You've been down in the lower dungeons before; Professor McGonagall told me she gave you the password for the portrait. You might not recall, but I'm rather sure that was when you saw the painting."

"If so, where does it get us?" Lupin asked.

"I'm not sure," Severus replied. "But it proves that the book is definitely working against us, despite what it might be trying to make us believe. It lured us all in here and I believe that it really wants us to stay."

"Why would this... being want us to stay?" Lupin asked. "And if so, why is it acting like this? Why is it confronting us with things we don't want to see? I mean, if I didn't completely misjudge the situation, you weren't all too happy about meeting your father. I'm afraid your theory's lacking some logic."

"Lupin, just because there's something you don't understand, it doesn't necessarily mean it's illogical."

"Thank you. You hadn't insulted me for at least five minutes now, I was beginning to miss it."

Severus took a deep breath and decided not to take this any further. "It wants us to stay because it needs us. It takes our thoughts and turns them into all of this," he said. "This whole world has been created around us. If we leave, it might simply cease to exist."

"Which would leave that evil spirit or whatever it is homeless. Perhaps it would even cease to exist as well," Lupin said. "That's reason enough not to let us leave."

"Exactly. So how smart is it to do exactly as this thing tells us?"

"Well, yes, but on the other hand: if you're right, it has us just where it wants us," Lupin replied. "Why send us back to the house?"

"Because it's bored?" Severus suggested. "It's probably watching us right now; we're like lab rats, struggling to find a way out of this maze."

"So what are we supposed to do? Sit and wait until it loses interest in us and just sends us back home?" Lupin asked. "That's not my way."

"Neither is it mine," Severus replied. "But whatever we do, we should always keep in mind that it'll probably try to lead us astray."

"You don't think that You-Know-Who's controlling this, do you?"

"No," he said. "I think at the moment the Dark Lord might not even be our biggest problem." Severus looked over at Harry who was standing a few steps away from them and staring off into the distance, obviously not even listening to what they were saying. He thought it was pretty uncharacteristic for Potter who was usually very interested in everything that was none of his business. But then it was fine with him – the less he saw or heard from Potter, the better.

"Let's move on then, shall we?" Lupin said and set into motion. "Come on, Harry."

Severus hesitated for a moment and then started walking as well.

He wondered what Lupin had seen while he'd been waiting outside the house. He didn't want to ask him though because he was convinced that the answer would provide him with far more insight into the man than he'd ever wanted to have.

He just wished his father would also have had the decency not to show up in front of everyone else; the man was an experience he didn't necessarily want to share. But he just wasn't the type to bully him in private when he could get the chance to do it in front of an audience. It was just so much more fun with others watching. Severus knew that, he'd done it himself often enough.

Potter had told him he'd seen Black; that didn't really make a lot of sense to him. He was quite sure that Potter wasn't carrying any negative feelings towards his godfather. On the contrary. So obviously the omnipotent being controlling this world bore a personal grudge against him.

-

When they reached the house Severus made his two companions wait while he went ahead to make sure that Malfoy and Thesdale hadn't returned yet.

He felt anxiety growing inside of him as he walked up to the house. As soon as he entered the building again this feeling seemed to become even more intense, and his inner voice told him very clearly that he shouldn't have come back here. Standing in the corridor and listening to the silence that surrounded him, he was almost waiting for something to happen, something to finally break the tension. But nothing did. Nothing at all. He called for Malfoy and Thesdale, got no reply and went back to the door.

"They're still out hunting," he said to Lupin and Harry. "However, they might be back rather soon, we'd better be quick."

"Nobody's planning on staying any longer than absolutely necessary," Lupin said and flashed him a reassuring smile as he and Harry walked past him.

Severus threw another glance into the darkness outside before he closed the door and followed them.

"So? Which one is it?" Severus asked, leaning against the doorframe with his arms folded and watching Lupin searching through the dusty paintings.

"This one," Lupin replied, as he pulled out a large painting in a black wooden frame and leaned it against a shelf. "I suppose."

"Well, it's definitely Hogwarts," Severus said after taking a quick look at it.

"I'd say it's what we're looking for, isn't it?"

"I'd say that was really easy."

"Easy is good, Severus," Lupin replied.

"What if we only find what we're looking for just because we're looking for it?"

"What if you're the one who's being paranoid now?"

"Look," Harry interrupted them. "The lights in the tower just lit up."

They both turned their attention back to the painting and saw it too: all of the windows in one of the towers were now streaming light into the misty darkness that surrounded the castle.

"That's our way out," Lupin said.

"Fine," Severus replied. "If you're so convinced, just go right ahead."

"You want me to go first?"

"I can go first," Harry said.

"No, you won't," Severus replied curtly.

"Why not?" Harry asked.

"Because I say so."

"I don't care if you say so," Harry said defiantly.

"No, Harry, he's right," Lupin said quickly. "I'll go first."

"Why not you?" Harry asked, still watching Snape out of narrowed eyes. "Scared?"

"Watch it, Potter," Severus hissed.

"Stop it," Lupin said. "Both of you. I go first. Then you," he said and turned to Harry, then to Snape. "And then you. That's safest, that's how we do it, without any further discussions."

Severus was slightly surprised by Lupin's sudden determination, but it was fine with him as long as he wasn't the one who was expected to go first and run headlong into a trap. Although he had to admit that being the third to run into a trap probably wasn't any better either.

Lupin knelt down in front of the painting and slowly reached out his hand. Carefully he touched the canvas with his fingertips. The colours blurred and his touch sent ripples across the canvas, making it look like the surface of a lake. Quickly he pulled his hand away again.

"Like water," he said. "It felt as if it was trying to pull me inside."

"So what are you waiting for?" Severus asked. "Jump right in."

Lupin hesitated for a moment, and then shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it's worth a try," he said. "Can't get any worse, I suppose."

He reached out again, touched the canvas and slowly moved his hand further until his fingertips sank through the surface, then his whole hand, his arm and suddenly he seemed to be pulled forward, off his feet and head first into the painting. And then he was gone.

"Go ahead, Potter, you're next," Severus said.

Harry made a step towards the painting but then hesitated.

"Maybe-"

"No," Severus cut him off. "Just get in there, I'm not going to discuss it with you."

"Harry, don't."

Severus whirled around upon hearing the all too familiar voice and cursed himself for not simply having pushed Potter right into that painting. Standing there was no other than Sirius Black, looking just like he had when they'd last met.

"Sirius," Harry whispered, a faint smile on his lips and a vacant expression on his face.

"Go ahead now, Potter," Severus said, trying to pay no attention to Black.

"Don't listen to what he says, Harry," Black said. "You don't want to go, do you?"

"Potter, don't be stupid," Severus said in a low voice.

"You mind your business!" Black hissed. "Harry, you can stay here. You don't have to leave."

"He's not there. He's dead," Severus said.

"Yeah, you'd like that, wouldn't you?" Black asked. "Must have been one of the best days of your miserable little life when you heard that your friends had killed me. Nearly as good as when they killed James, wasn't it?"

Harry turned around, watching him and waiting for his reaction.

"Yes," Severus replied slowly, sneering at Black. "It was indeed. Who'd have thought I'd actually outlive both of you?"

"Two down, one to go, right? I mean, Pettigrew doesn't count any more, he's on your side now."

"Pettigrew never counted."

"Yeah, but Remus does," Black replied. "He's too trusting, too easy to hurt. And I know you want to make him pay."

Severus was well aware that it wasn't actually Black he was talking to; it was Potter. Just like it hadn't been his father he'd seen but just a reflection, created from his own memories. And since he hadn't really enjoyed meeting that ghost from his own past, he definitely didn't want to waste his time on Potter's memories now either.

"Enough of that," he said. "Potter, get going."

Harry shook his head and slowly took a step away from him, towards Black.

"Looks like he doesn't want to go with you," Black said.

"I don't care if he wants to, he will. Potter, my patience with you is wearing thin. Move it."

"You don't tell him what to do," Black hissed, glaring at him.

"Potter!"

"No," Harry said. "I won't just leave. I can take Sirius with me, I can bring him back."

"No, you can't," Severus said. "That's not him. He's dead, nothing and nobody can bring him back."

Harry didn't listen. He turned away from him to face Black again. "I've been searching for you," he said. "I knew you weren't gone. And now that I found you, I can bring you back."

Brilliant. Now Potter junior has finally lost what little brains he had left. I just bet someone's going to blame me for that, too.

"Harry, I can't leave here. Not yet," Black said softly. "But you can stay. You can help me to become strong enough to go back with you."

"Yes...," Harry whispered and made another step towards Black. "I'll help you."

"Well, yes, why not," Severus said quickly. "If you want to stay, you may stay. You're old enough to decide that for yourself."

Harry frowned at him, seeming to be a little surprised at first, but then nodded.

"However, I'm going back now," Severus said. "If you'd just give me that book? I'll have to hand it in to Dumbledore."

Harry took a step towards Snape and raised his arm to hand him the book. Severus took his chance, grabbed him by his wrist, pulled him away from Black and pushed him across the room with enough force to make him stumble.

"No!" Black yelled.

Harry tripped, fell towards the painting and reached out, trying to break his fall. His hands touched the canvas, sank right through and then he was pulled inside.

"No, no!" Black yelled once more.

When Severus turned back around to face him, Black was gone, and in his place, stood his father once more, glaring at him out of eyes filled with hatred.

"You moron!" he hissed. "What have you done!"

Severus smiled at him, took a few steps backwards, reached out and allowed himself to be pulled into the painting as well.

Around him it was cold, dark and silent. It was an endless darkness. This was different from how he got here. He felt as if he was floating in mid-air, but he knew there was no ground below him, no sky above. There was nothing, nothing at all, just him and the darkness. He was alone here, and here was everything that existed. An intense feeling of loneliness emerged from the darkness and wrapped itself around him, tighter and tighter until he felt it inside of him, in every part of his body. It wrapped itself around his heart like a cold hand, an icy grip that would stop it from beating. He could barely breathe, it felt as if someone was trying to choke him.

Images flashed in front of him. He squeezed his eyes shut but they wouldn't go away. Blood. The Dark Mark floating in a nightly sky. A little girl carrying a white cat on her arm. More blood. Dead bodies. A woman, screaming without making a sound.

Through his closed eyelids, he saw a flash of white light. His left shoulder hit something solid, and he opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was Lupin and Potter, standing a few steps away from him.

"He just left him there! He didn't even want to try," Harry said to Lupin.

Severus got to his feet as well and realised that he was standing at the foot of one of Hogwarts's tall towers.

"He was right, Harry," Lupin said softly, put his hands on Harry's shoulders and looked straight into his eyes. "You couldn't have."

"But Sirius said I could. He said..."

"It wasn't him. And whatever you would have brought back from there, it wouldn't have been him," Lupin said. "Sirius was my friend, and if there was any way to undo what happened, believe me, I'd do it. But there isn't."

"Are you two about done?" Severus asked impatiently.

Harry turned around to face him and stared at him out of empty eyes.

"I hate you," he whispered eventually, barely audible.

"Very well," Severus replied. "I assume that you have no objections to continuing with your hating me inside the castle because I'd really like to hand you over to Dumbledore now so we can mark my job as done, and I can finally get some sleep."

Harry just continued to stare at him but Lupin nodded. "Come on, let's go inside," he said to Harry. "I bet there are quite a few people waiting for you."

The first person they came across as soon as they'd set foot inside the castle was Ron Weasley, who was, of course, accompanied by Hermione Granger. They'd just been walking down the stairs to the Entrance Hall, and both stopped dead the moment they spotted them.

Severus was quite sure that Weasley would have stood there staring for another hour if the Granger girl hadn't nearly pushed him down the stairs as she came running towards Potter.

The first thing Severus did, while those kids were hugging each other and telling Potter how glad they were that he'd made it back here in one piece, was to search for a working clock. He found one in a corner across the hall that clearly stated that they hadn't been gone for longer than one and a half hours. He'd expected that much, so instead of being very surprised, he was simply glad that he wouldn't have to show up in class any time soon.

"Professor Dumbledore's in the staff room," Hermione said to Harry and Lupin. "They've been trying to figure out how that painting works."

"How did you get back?" Ron asked. "They all said you couldn't possibly make it back on your own."

"There was another painting there, one of Hogwarts," Harry replied slowly. "It's a long story."

"We'll have to tell Dumbledore that you're back," Ron said and set off towards the stairs. "Come on."

Harry and Hermione were just about to follow him when Severus decided it was about time to step in. "It's almost four o'clock in the morning," he said and the three Gryffindors stopped walking and turned back around. "Weasley, Miss Granger, you're off to your dormitories now."

Ron opened his mouth and was just about to object but Lupin was faster. "Yeah, it's really late. You two go to bed now, Harry can tell you about everything tomorrow," he said.

They were still rather reluctant to part with each other but eventually did as they'd been told. At least after Severus had told Potter twice to finally come along now. Once he finally had the boy following him along the corridor towards the staff room though, Lupin began to slow down and eventually stopped in front of a window to look outside.

Severus noticed, but didn't bother to turn around. Only when he was about to turn around the next corner he called out an annoyed "Are you coming now?"

"Yeah, on my way," Lupin muttered and set off to catch up with them.

-

Dumbledore really seemed rather surprised to see them. He, McGonagall and Dobberstein had been sitting at one end of the long wooden table with the painting placed right in front of them and when they'd opened the door he'd immediately jumped up from his chair, a broad smile on his face.

"You're back!" was the first thing Dumbledore said.

Evidently.

"Harry," he then said, walked around the table towards Potter and put his hands on his shoulders. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I guess I am," Harry replied.

"Good," Dumbledore said, nodded and turned to Severus. "I suppose we can discuss everything else tomorrow?"

"Yes," Severus replied curtly. Actually he wouldn't have minded a word of appreciation for spending the whole night searching for that kid and risking his own well-being in the process; but if it meant he could finally go and sleep now, he could live without it. Nonetheless, he decided he should at least mention Malfoy; not least because he actually wasn't quite sure what he should do about him. "I'd just like to inform you that Lucius Malfoy was also involved in this. He and another Death Eater."

"And he's also aware of your involvement?"

"Yes. Right now though he should still be believing that I'm out there trying to help him find Potter."

Dumbledore's expression became a lot more serious now. "If Malfoy suspects you, that would mean the end of your days as a spy."

It would more likely mean my end among the living. "I could go back," he suggested. "Pretend I didn't find him."

Dumbledore thought about it for a moment and then shook his head. "No, you won't go back," he said. "It's likely that they'll find the same way out you did; when they show up here, we'll deal with them."

Severus nodded although he thought that it would probably have been easier for him to go back now than to try and talk himself out of this afterwards. And he didn't expect Malfoy to be stupid enough to follow him here either.

"Very well," Dumbledore said, smiled at him and then turned to Harry. "It's about time you went to bed; we'll talk tomorrow."

"Yeah," Harry said softly. "I suppose you'll want this," he added and handed him the small leather bound book.

"Yes, thank you, Harry."

Harry nodded, turned away and slowly walked to the door. Severus watched him and only now noticed that Lupin was still standing next to the door with his arms folded in front of his chest, being uncharacteristically quiet.

"Would you mind if I borrowed that?" Severus asked even before the door had fallen closed behind Potter.

"The book?" Dumbledore asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes."

"This book is a dangerous magical object," Dumbledore replied. "I suppose it would be best if I kept it with me and put it in a safe place. We wouldn't want anything else to happen, would we?"

"I'd just like to have another look at it," Severus said.

Dumbledore nodded, smiling at him in a way he'd usually smile at a first year student. "Tomorrow."

"Yes, sir." Severus cast another glance at McGonagall and Dobberstein who already seemed to be lost in another little chat before he turned away, muttered, "Good night" and left the staff room.

As soon as he'd turned around the corner, he spotted Harry walking down the corridor, obviously taking his time on his way back to Gryffindor tower.

"Potter."

Harry stopped walking and reluctantly turned around to face him. For a moment Severus just looked at him before he spoke in an unusually calm, yet determined voice. "I've spent fifteen years, Potter, fifteen years, all your lifetime, waiting for this to come. I have sat patiently and waited for the day when we'd finally get a chance to defeat him. I can't, and I won't, allow you and your irrational, irresponsible and selfish behaviour to destroy everything I've waited and worked for. So if you should ever consider doing something as stupid as this again, rest assured, I'm going to take it very personally. I hope I've made myself clear."

He didn't even give Harry the chance to reply anything but whirled around and strode back along the corridor, leaving him standing there and staring after him. Severus had his doubts that Potter would take his advice as seriously as he'd meant it, but he hoped it had made enough of an impression on him so he'd at least remember it for a few weeks.

-

Lupin had left the staff room right after Snape and had witnessed what he'd said to Harry. Luckily though, neither Harry nor Severus had noticed him; he definitely didn't want to take sides in this or any other of their arguments any longer, at least no more than what was necessary to even the odds. And this time he couldn't deny that Snape had a point – Harry's behaviour had without a doubt been irresponsible. Nonetheless, he could understand him.

From inside the staff room he heard footsteps moving towards the door. He didn't plan on going to bed just yet so he quickly turned away and set off towards the Entrance Hall, not wanting to be seen and asked where he was headed.


AN: Sorry it's taken me so long, exams kept me quite busy... Thank you for reading, I hope you liked it. And thank you so much to each of you who reviewed :)