AN: Just want to say something! The tree will be explained later. I'm sorry, but the information about the tree brings about a discovery about Harry and it's a necessary factor in a later chapter.

Sorry, that I've been running late with this. I've been grounded and when I've had the chance to sneak to the computer I was busy trying to get chapters on my other fanfictions done. I'm really behind on my other stories.

My apology for being late with this chapter. Anyways, enjoy! I actually got to the detention scene that everyone was begging me for!

Chapter VII

Harry pulled at the cover of the large tome to open it but the cover refused to so much as budge. He tugged at it again, but still it remained as tightly shut as before. The dark-haired boy smiled self-mockingly as he fought the urge to laugh aloud. Hermione looked over at him curiously when he spoke, "Well, now. That was quite anti-climaxic!"

"Harry, you did check for locking spells didn't you?" The sixth year Gryffindor witch asked flatly.

The only answer she got was the spread of a light blush that crossed his face. Ron struggled to stifle his snicker quickly when Hermione turned to glare back at him. The boy-who-lived watched then chuckled coldly, sending shivers down the spines of his two best friends.

"I was so caught up in everything. It was so. . . I don't know. It just felt like I had a small part of my father back. It didn't even cross my mind to check it. . . To make sure that it was safe even. . . To remember what happened to Ginny." Harry laid back down, his head barely touching on the pillow just as Madame Pomfrey walked back into the room. She walked to the bed's side as Harry turned to his friend, "Hermione would you please find a way to unlock it for me? Please?"

The brunette witch reached out to take the book back with a resigned sigh. "I really should tell you I'm to busy with my studies and that this is probably something that you should do on your own. But seeing how you actually asked me politely and you're going to redouble your own studies when you get out. . . Right Harry?"

Harry nodded reluctantly at her glance.

"Then I'll see what I can find."

"Well, you do that Ms. Granger. Now off with you two. Harry needs to sleep. You can see him later, he'll be well enough to leave and continue with his classes." Madame Pomfrey passed a vial to Harry and he downed it in a gulp as Ron closed the door behind them. The medi-witch bustled around the room as Harry felt the potion work it's way into his blood. Then he slipped into unconscious once more.

LATER THAT DAY

"Mr. Potter, no need to tell you how it absolutely thrills me to know that you are deemed well enough to attend the detention that you missed on Tuesday night." Harry shifted uneasily from one foot to the other under the scathingly sarcastic tone. Only a responding shudder let the potions master know that the boy was listening to him. Harry continued to stand there under Snape's cold gaze. The older wizarded ignored the urge to roll his eyes and instead said, "Well? Hurry up and get in."

"Yes, sir," the boy squeaked. Harry scurried into the room, leaving a wide berth between the potions master and himself. The slam of the door startled the sixteen year old wizard and he whirled around to warily watch the older man. Snape said nothing as he quickly walked across the room to the supply closet, his robes just as billowy as ever.

"Mr. Potter. Seeing as I've recently discovered that you've been hiding your skills at potion-making during class, you will be making those restorative draughts on the list for the infirmary." Harry caught sight of the paper on the table where the potions master was vaguely pointing. "It is a rather simple test of your general working knowledge. I will be over seeing that you don't screw up anything as you work. Begin."

"Y-yes sir," Harry stammered as he cast a quick glance over the list and moved forward to pull the ingredients from the opened cabinet. Snape leaned back against the neighboring table with his arms crossed in front of his chest. Harry gulped as he set to work under the Professor's burning gaze.

Silence reigned in the classroom as the boy-who-lived quietly and quickly began to begin the preparations. Setting out several cauldrons he began chopping ingredients as he started on the calming draught. He lit a fire under the pale green liquid, waiting until it began to boil a bright blue before he started the numbing potion. Professor Snape watched on with an interested gleam in his eyes. Harry, meanwhile, was slowly relaxing a little as he stirred another cauldron and he extingished the flame beneath the first. All of the boy's attention going towards making the potions as well as he could.

The minutes ticked by, one by one, and Harry seemed to forget that anyone else was even there.

"Mr. Potter." Harry jumped in startlement and nearly dropped a large wooden ladle into the now cooling calming draught. Snape arched an eyebrow.

"Y-y-yes, S-sir?" Harry spun around to face the older wizard but he dropped his gaze to the faintly dusty floor.

"Why is it, that when all I did was say your name that you almost succeeded in leaping from your skin? Hmmm, Mr. Potter?"

He turned his head away completely, "I don't know why, sir."

The dark-haired Professor stepped closer and reached another Harry for a bit of the calming draught, "Drink this, Potter. The habit you've developed for leaping about at the slightest noise is rather annoying. Where's your 'Gryffindor bravery'?"

Harry silently took the potion in hand, gave a slight shake of his head and gazed at the floor without saying another word. The potions master let loose an almost silent sigh.

"Just bottle the rest of these potions while I get the other potion Poppy requested."

"Y-yes Professor," Harry muttered softly. Snape watched him down it before walking away. The green-eyed boy shivered as the potion began to work and proceeded with what he was told to do. He only vaguely listened to the noise of the Professor moving around in the storage room. And just as he was placing the cork on the last vial of potion, Snape returned to set down another potion before shrinking all of them and placing them in his pocket.

"Now, Potter, you will tell me how much you actually know about Potions."

The black haired boy jerked at the unexpected question, "Well, I. . . I once made Wolfsbane successfully and. . . this past summer I created a new form of dreamless sleep potion."

Severus's eyes widened slightly and nodded. He began to pace the length of the potions workshop and seemed to be thinking. Harry watched with a subdued expression of surprise.

He isn't scowling, Harry thought, I've never seen him without a sneer, a smirk, or scowl or his face. I've never gotten the chance to see that he actually looks nice before. Especially when he isn't trying to scare anyone. The boy's eyes widened in surprise at the turn of his thoughts but dismissed them with a fast shake of his head. This definitely wasn't the time or the place to have those types of thoughts, As if I wasn't enough of a freak already.

The potions master watched the boy-who-lived even as he paced. He watched as the boy's eyes took on a slightly glazed look and suddenly the boy shook his head sharply, looked away, then shuddered. Snape just wanted to tell the boy to get out, but he looked up at the clock and saw that only an hour and a half passed. He'd never held anyone in detention for less than two hours before, but he stifled a sigh and turned to the boy.

"You're free to go now, Mr.Potter. But know this, you will begin taking extra lessons with me every Monday and Friday night from now on. And never again are you to lie to me about your abilties in anything." Harry looked up at him, stunned. He then nodded quickly.

"Yes, Professor."

Snape watched the boy leave as quickly as possible, practically running from the room as if some great and horrible creature was chasing him with the desire to consume him. That thought almost---almost mind you---brought a sardonic smile to the Professor's face. He snorted and turned back to sit at his desk. During this detention he had learned more than a few interesting things about the 'Gryffindor Golden Boy'. So he settled in comfortably to think, and he knew it was going to be a long night.

MOMOM

Harry slowed down as he reached the main castle and escaped the cold, dark dungeons. He was more than slightly confused over the happenings in detention. The potions master had been acting out of the norm. And there had been his own errant thoughts that had just confused and startled him. He'd have to watch himself more closely in the future.

The teenage wizard continued to walk the halls even as it got later. He ignored the fact that there were less and less students wandering the halls, curfew being in about ten minutes. He, on a whim, turned back to find Moaning Mytle's bathroom and walked directly over to the sink, hissing the word 'open'. As it slid back to reveal the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets, he felt himself shiver.

Then without even stopping to think about it, Harry swung himself down into the darkness. The sound of his shoes hitting the ground echoed off the walls of the tunnel, but he moved on. His eyes showed eeriely in the dark, the green unnaturally bright in the dimly lit walkway. Yet he trudged onward, not really thinking, just moving forward as if drawn to the large chamber. Harry quickly strode towards the center of the room, walking past the oversized bones, reminders of a battle long past, to a circular brick in the middle of the floor.

"Now what?" Harry muttered. He looked around, sighed, and sat. An urge to be alone had driven him to come to this place that no one else could reach. The teenage boy blew at a lock of hair hanging down in front of his eyes, it only fell back down again. He decided to ignore the stubborn lock of hair as a sharp pain ran through his body. He gasped, closing his eyes and whimpering to the empty chamber.

Harry's eyelids began to burn. He rubbed them and the pain worsened. He screamed and opened his eyes, the light emitted from his eyes shone so bright that there were no shadows that could hide from it. He was now in a place so bright that anyone else would have been permantly blinded by the intense, endless white light. He felt a temor run through his body but the pain was now slowly lessening. The light disappeared as he moaned in the cool air of the dark room. Harry struggled to sit up, his ribs aching.

"What the hell just happened?" The boy-who-lived gazed around at his blurry surroundings in now only mild discomfort. He felt as though his body had just rearranged itself to make room for something. He held his breath as he waited for his eyes to get less blurry, but nothing happened. Harry reached for his glasses and took the off, moving to clean them on his robe. He stopped suddenly, a spider scampering across the room in front of him. The amazed green eyes glanced around the room quickly, he could now see everything even better than he'd been able to with his glasses. The darkness that enveloped the huge chamber wasn't even an obstacle.

"Oh, Merlin!" He breathed. He ran a hand over a crack in the floor and blew some of the dust across the floor, then pocketed his glasses. He stood up to brush the dust from his robe. And then with a shake of his head, he turned to leave. And all he could think of was, I think I need to write to Sirius.

TBC. . .

AN: These chapters are taking longer to get up because I no longer have internet or computer access in my home. I have to work on this after I get my work done in my computer classes. So I'm only getting to work on it about twenty minutes a day and right now I'm in SAC, Supervised Alternative Classroom. I'm at a friend's house to write. But as soon as I can I'm getting Chapter VIII done.