AN: Another chapter down! I hope this is up to standards. Enjoy reading and review when finished please!

Chapter V

Harry cried silently within the alcove in the dungeons. The bell having rung only seconds ago, his classmates were coming down the hall almost at a run. He stayed quiet and hidden in the shadows. All he could do was watch them pass, hot tears still streaking down his face and his eyes hollow. Hermione and Ron one of the last one to hurry past with his bag of books to the exit from the dreary dungeons.

Only Draco walked slowly down the long corridor. He walked right up to a painting that Harry hadn't noticed before on the opposite wall. It was the portrait of a tall, dashing young man with white blond hair to his shoulders and sliver-gray eyes that sparkled in pleasure at seeing Draco.

"Morning, Draco," the painting smirked the infamous Malfoy smirk, "Any idea of what got Snape in a rage at the young Potter lad?"

"Morning, Lucious(1), and yes I do have some notion as to why my godfather was so angry. The real question here, however, is how do you know? Are those Gryffindork idiots already spreading it about the school?" Draco asked, an eyebrow raised. Lucious sat back in the chair behind him and crossed his legs with an elegant move.

"Oh, no," Lucious said with a snide chuckle, "I saw Professor Snape and the boy talking. Heard every single scandilizing word said too. Though I must say it been quite a few years since the last time I've seen any Snape that angry. Not since this one's great grandfather was here as a seventh year."

Draco laughed and placed his books on the small hall table beside the large portrait. He smiled, "Heard every word? Well let's have it then."

"Of course, Draco," Lucious's deep chuckle rang out again. Harry felt a shiver run down his spine, his once warm tears growing cold on his face. "Well, now, I was here. Of course I was sitting idly, as nothing interesting was happening anywhere else, when I saw Snape coming down the other corridor there behind you. He was angry, well furious was more like it. I remember laughing at him, but he didn't pay me any mind. He stopped there and waited.

"Well there got me curious and I turned to see as far down this hall as I could when I begun to hear soft shuffling steps being taken. I watched Potter come down the hall until he started to walk past where Snape was waiting, a thoughtful worried look on his face. That was when Snape swooped out of the shadows, grabbed the back of his robes and pulled him into the alcove. I heard the boy go to scream but it cut off.

"Snape no doubt delt with him," Lucious laughed, "I personally would have let the bugger scream. But anyways, then I hear a thump like when the boy fell back and slid to the ground. Snape said, 'I'll be taking twenty points for that little display of yours and you'll be doing three detentions. Got that Potter?' I must say I was waiting for some reply any at all, but then all I heard was 'I am talking to you, Mr. Potter. Have you got that?' I am sure the wretch must have nodded then, becuase the next thing I know Snape is pulling away and stalking back down the same hall that he had come from."

Draco cocked his head, "Did you see Potter after that?"

"But of course! The little half-blood just sat there, tears running down his face. Though I must admit that he is one of those rare people who can cry and still look rather delicous," the blond in the painting smirked.

"Potter was in tears?" Draco's eyes widened in surprise. "Surely my godfather wasn't enough to make Potter cry! He's such a stupid Gryffindor, he couldn't possibly been afraid."

Lucious laughed again, "Maybe, or maybe not. Why don't we ask him? Hey, Potter! Come on out here and tell us why you were so afraid when Snape grabbed you?"

"What! He's still here! Why didn't you tell me?" The teenage Malfoy glared up at his ancestor.

"You didn't ask. He's there in that second alcove, Draco. Bring him closer." Draco stalked over to where Harry now found himself frozen and proceeded to drag the younger boy out. The boy-who-lived refused to look up at Draco, his green eyes a little brighter than usual as he watched the stone floor. Lucious smiled down at the trembling fame of the teenage boy, "Well? Speak up, boy."

Harry winced at what the painting had called him and tried to break free of Draco's firm grip. The blond tightened his hold in surprise and arched an eyebrow elegantly, "What's the matter, Potter? Scared that Dumbledore will find out that his perfect little golden boy has stooped so low as to eavesdrop on people's private conversations?"

Harry struggled harder and Draco moved to pin the boy against the wall with his body. The black-haired wizard began to panic, his heart beating faster as flashes of his memory came to him. Pain. . . touches. . . blood. . . panting. . . and screams. Harry gasped, "Draco, let me go!"

The boy-who-lived sobbed as he thrust out as hard as he could at the blond without thinking. Draco stumbled backwards, shocked at the other wizard's reaction as he watched the teen take off running. Lucious just tittered happily at the scene.

The echos of laughter followed Harry as he escaped the dungeons, ran through the corridors past surprised students and professors, and out into the open field behind the school where no one ever went. Dashing like mad across the open ground, he soon found himself deep within the Forbidden Forest. And he kept running, only slowing to stop when he stumbled into a strange clearing with a single oak in the middle.

He fell to his knees at the base of the tall majestic tree, holding himself up by holding onto a large gnarled root that jutted out from the earth. He laid his forehead on the root and gasped trying to catch his breath, watching his tears land on the root only to disappear as if sucked deep into the very tree itself. He shook his head free of those 'silly' notions and sat up to look around, then turned to look up at the sky. He was stunned to see that the sun was high overhead when it should have been close to setting.

"What is this place?" he murmured.

A place where few are chosen to come and from which even fewer choose to return.

Harry nearly jumped from his skin and glanced around, looking around for someone, anyone. Only the tree stood near, it's ancient bark somehow comforting and soothing.

"Who is there?" he called out, demandingly.

The real question is how did you come upon this place, youngling. Never has one of your kind below the age of one hundred and twenty five stood where you now stand.

The boy's tear filled green-eyes widened, "What?"

Why have you sought me out?

"B-but I didn't I don't even know who you are!" He got to his feet and touched the tree trunk, his hand warmed by some known heat source within the tree itself. He leaned against it, enjoying the warmth on the cool day.

They are searching for you, young one. Do you wish to return?

"Yes, but-" Harry felt himself slip into a familiar dark abyss, unable to even utter another word to the hidden stranger in the beautiful clearing.

OMOMO

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione leaned over the boy with concern etched over her face. The boy-who-lived slowly sat up, rubbing his eyes. Ron knelt beside Harry and placed a hand on Harry's shoulder.

"I'm fine," Harry stated flatly, looking down and fighting to keep from throw himself away from his best friend. "What time is it now?"

Hermione and Ron shared a look over Harry's head before the brunette witch answered, "It's seven fourty-five in the morning."

"Oh, really?" Harry said softly looking down at his hands, "That's not bad. Thirty minutes until DADA right? Tuesday morning. . . er, yeah, that's it."

"Um, Harry. It's not seven fourty-five Tuesday morning." Hermione jiggled her bag nervously.

"What? But you just said that it-"

Hermione shook her head and Ron picked up his bookbag, "No, what I said was that it was seven fourty-five. . . Harry it's Thursday morning. You were missing for over fourty-eight hours. Then Madam Hooch found you just outside of the Forbidden Forest in the back field."

Harry just trembled, "But it said-. . . It was only moments. . . I didn't even know. . ."

Ron froze, "It? What was it, Harry?"

The red-head's voice brought Harry back to reality and he frowned, "Am I in trouble?"

TBC. . .

(1)This is an ancestor of Draco's but not his father, Lucius. It is meant to be spelled that way.