The man showing the way through the Department of Mystery hallways was robed, well-kempt, and blessedly silent. He moved with urgency, as if what they were doing was important.

Harry tried not to resent Dom, he really did.

He followed Dom's replacement through the needlessly puzzling hallways. No one spoke to ask questions, because what needed to be asked? Of course the wards were still in place, the security hadn't been breeched. There would have been bigger fuss if it had.

No, it just was what it was. Voldemort had woken up. Somehow, though the wards protected against it, he was getting stronger.

Harry glaced to his side, noting the grim set of Albus's face. They were no closer to any decent answers. They were as confused as they had been at the start. Harry was a step away from listening to Ron; going into London, buying a gun and just shooting the bastard until, immortal or not, there weren't enough whole limbs to make any magic.

They stepped through the invisible wall and to the door where two guards were standing, wands in their hands, grim set to their jaws. They nodded in respect to Albus and stepped away from the door. "Only you two, those are our orders."

Albus examined the door. "He is still not strong enough to move?"

"We don't think so. Every time we look in he's just laying there."

"We will go in, but once we're gone let no one else enter, not even yourselves. He will not reveal to you when his strength has returned."

"Yes sir," came the instant answer.

Harry stepped through the door after Albus.

The room was still small, still bare. The cot Voldemort lay on was lost in the wash of white that painted everything else, and for a moment Harry had the disconcerting feeling that the figure was floating.

His eyes were open. Harry saw that instantly, the reds of his pupils shocking against all the white.

Albus stood beside the bed with robes flowing, beard and hat and all, and next to that Voldemort seemed diminished.

Harry moved in next to Albus, watching for any sign of movement.

The eyes shifted, looking towards them. They landed on Albus, then shifted to Harry and narrowed.

Harry frowned. Honestly, it was almost depressing to see him that way. Voldemort was evil and had to be stopped, there was no doubt about that. But he had always been strong.

"Tom." Albus spoke, drawing those red, angled eyes back to him. "You know that it's over."

No reaction. Harry wondered if he was capable of moving anything but his eyes. There was a harshness to his face, but it may have been the lighting or the strain of trying to move.

Harry sighed. He didn't know what was to be gained by visiting. He had no urge to rub in his victory, and Albus seemed too solemn to be victorious. He seemed sad.

They left the room soon after, and Albus repeated his command for no one else to go in or out. No meals, no water, nothing. Harry didn't expect that would weaken him much - no doubt Voldemort was past the point of needing food.

When they left through the long paths of the Department of Mysteries and apparated back to Hogsmeade for the walk back, they stayed silent and lost in their own thoughts.

Snape stopped when he saw the werewolf coming out of Lupin's quarters.

The man saw him and flashed a smirk as cocky and irritating as anything either Potter had ever shown. "Oi, mate. Out of the dungeons for once?"

Snape bared his teeth. "Why are you still in this castle?"

The werewolf, Dom, shrugged. "Sanctuary. Your Dumbledore's protecting me from those nasty aurors."

Snape moved up to him, invading the man's space, smelling tobacco and Scotch.

"Oi! What's you're problem?"

He glared with the darkest stare he could manage, which was saying a lot. "My problem is, since you arrived here there have been leaks to Death Eaters. You came in a suspected collaborator. I don't trust you and I don't like you. We're not all as gullible as Lupin."

Something in the werewolf's eyes flickered. "You're on the wrong track, mate, and if I were you I'd watch what you say."

Snape's lip curled. He was careful not to let himself think that the werewolf had probably caused Seamus's disappearance. If he thought about that, the man would die quickly and painfully. Not that his conscience would bother him, but he didn't think Lupin and Albus would be as quick to excuse it. "Watch your step, wolf."

"Right." Dom pushed past him suddenly, tromping down the hallway.

Guilty as the bloody Dark Lord himself, Snape thought. He just had to find the slightest shred of proof.

Poddy was in the kitchens directing the hustle of the other elves with a certainty that made Harry wonder just how long the elf had been there. He had never met Poddy before that summer, but there was no telling how long he had been around. He certainly acted as if he had run of everything.

"Harry Potter!" A familiar, high and squeaky voice said his name.

Harry turned to look and smiled. "Winky. I didn't know you were still here."

"Oh, yes, sir! Winky would never leave Hogwarts! Winky is being so honored as to receive a cut in pay!"

Harry grinned. "That's wonderful."

"Yes, sir! Albus Dumbledore is truly great!"

Harry patted the house elf. "I've got to speak to Poddy, if you don't mind."

"I'll get him for you!" She brightened at the chance to do something and darted over to Poddy.

He saw Harry and smiled, coming over seconds later. "Harry Potter."

Harry crouched down. "I'd like to talk to you about that story you told us."

Poddy brightened. "Poddy is wondering when you would ask."

Harry studied him. "You told Seamus that you thought that story would help us figure out how to kill Voldemort."

The house elf cringed at the name, but nodded.

"Well...I don't understand how it helps."

Poddy tilted his round head, looking surprised. "Harry Potter is not understanding on his own?"

"No, and neither are any of his...er, my friends."

"House elves is having the strongest magic there is today, Harry Potter. The i Ljonsalfar /i used to be strongest, but they is gone now. It is us who is strongest now, and it is because our magic is coming from more powerful places."

Harry shook his head. "I don't understand. Where is it coming from?"

"Is from our hearts, sir."

Harry sighed, sitting on the floor in front of the elf. "What does that mean?"

"It's meaning what it's meaning, sir. We is feeling the magic more. We is getting the magic from inside of us, not from wands or charms like the wizards do. Is meaning it more than wizards."

Harry frowned.

"Harry Potter is wanting to understand how to understand." Poddy frowned, tugging at his ear. "Is not being a lesson one can teach another. I'm sorry, Harry Potter, but Poddy is not knowing how to make you understand."

The grounds of Hogwarts were lonely at night. No Hagrid in the distance walking his huge beast of a dog, no children sneaking around just waiting to be docked house points.

He wasn't sure he understood what Seamus saw that kept bringing him out there, risking his health. It was just...the grounds. Same as they ever were. The lake glittered in the distance, lined with trees - painful now to look at, but he let the two matching charms jangle together around his neck and didn't think about it.

The cold air was a pleasant reminder of home. There was truly no comparison to fresh, winter-chilled air.

It was too bloody quiet. There was no distraction from thoughts.

He taught students who grew up in his sight but left to take their own place in the world. He loved no one and no one loved him, and so nothing in his life was permanent. He had never longed for permanence. Never wanted to grow attached. Certainly never wanted to be dependent.

Why, in the name of Slytherin himself, why did he forget that long enough to let a silly, flighty Irish child into his life? If he were going to ruin himself for a student, why not one who understood more of the world and could fight beside him?

He had somehow become entirely dependent on a pair of green eyes and a warm smile, capable of such shyness and such overpowering eroticism.

Seamus bloody Finnigan.

So be it.

He was going to kill Draco Malfoy. He knew that. What was keeping him going, propelling him forward on the walk he wasn't at all enjoying, was the unknown element. The doubt. Would he kill Malfoy before he recovered his lover?

Seamus was days late for his potion. If Malfoy did leave him alive he was still stealing life and health.

And frankly, if this situation didn't resolve itself very soon Snape wasn't going to be accountable for his own actions.