Dreamful Sleep

"Potter" Snape was standing at the front of the classroom with more then just an angry face on, he was fuming. Gryffindor and Slytherin's alike were moving away, if they were to stay anywhere near their professor they would most likely have chocked from the smoke that was literally poring out of Snape's ears (who knew things like that actually happened). "Potter" Snape bellowed for the sixth or was it seventh time, people were too scared to even think of such trivial things at a time like this.

Hermione and Ron knowing just how angry Snape could get had moved so that their backs were against the back wall. Hermione had only just enough time to run and defend Harry, for Snape was taking his long proud strides and no longer trying to be graceful he was so angry. "Professor I'm sure there is a logical explanation for this," she was trying to sound as sweet and calming as she could.

But this just seemed to angry the already fuming Snape even more. "Yes I'm sure there is Ms. Granger and I plan to find out right now," the last two word were done with such command that Hermione quickly moved away. "Mr. Potter, would you kindly wake up!" It was done loud enough to wake up a troll though with some sweetness (only a little mind you) but nothing.

At this not only did Harry Potter best friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger worry, but Snape was worried himself. Hermione moved with caution towards Harry as to not alarm the professor, it worked, Snape saw what she was doing and moved back slightly. At this point everyone in the classroom including Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter nemesis for almost six whole years but was no longer for after the summer holidays ended after their sixth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Draco had given up on laughing at and teasing Harry because Harry just wasn't interested anymore. Everyone had noticed it after Harry Potter the-boy-who-lived had survived and defeated Voldermort, the darkest and most evil in the world, once again and the Weasley family and especially Dumbledore, the headmaster of this excellent school was proud to say for good.

What everyone had noticed is that Harry had gotten worse at his studies; he has almost failed all his O.W.L's and with dumb luck scraped by with passes, and his quickness and sharpness in Quidditch was so bad that his title of captain and seeker were so close to being taken away from him, that he couldn't even laughed about it; when so many times before he would have laughed in the face of danger let alone this. His friends had noticed that he wasn't in bed every mornings and definitely not when they went to bed, so they didn't even know if he even came to bed or not.

Slowly Hermione moved to Harry and put a hand and his back, but withdrew it suddenly, "he's cold," she announced. Snape quickly moved her aside and crouched down to Harry height and felt his forehead, it was hot, very hot it was after this that he noticed he was taking very shallow breaths, he felt his pulse it was slow, too slow to be normal.

After this Snape made a quick decision, "everyone go back to your common rooms, Mr. Weasley take the Gryffindor's and Mr. Malfoy take the Slytherin, I don't want to see anyone anywhere but their common rooms." He said in a threatening voice, he stopped Hermione "Now I want you to get the headmaster and bring him to the hospital wing. Go" he added when he could she didn't want to leave her best friends.

He watched as Hermione left and quickly took Harry to the Fireplace and flooed to the infirmary where a very startled Madame Promfery sat reading a book 'Advance Medicine Potions and Their Uses'. Snape had lent it to her but this was no time to remember things that was not needed to be remembered, not at this point in time anyway. Poppy seeing who the boy was in Snape's arms was she straight away told Snape what to do.

"Put him on this bed," she pointed to the one closes, which was the one right next to her office. Snape did just that not wanting to argue that he was being bossed around. "What happened Severus?" She asked the potions master Severus Snape.

He replied as calmly as he could, "I don't know really, not long after the class started Potter fell asleep, and he would not wake when I called him. That was when I realized something was wrong and so I brought him here." 'Not quite true but it's enough that it's the simpler version of what happened' he thought to himself. Snape may seem to hate the boy but truth be told ever since the boys fourth year when Severus had told Harry, the minister for magic and who ever else was in the room that he was a death eater and especially after Harry fifth year when things started to get more and more serious and plans were being made to take down the Dark Lord, which meant that Severus and Harry were working close together and had in fact formed a small friendship but of course that was only to be show to each other out side of class and away from seeing eyes that was not Dumbledore.

While Severus was lost in his thoughts Poppy was checking Harry over and then suddenly Albus Dumbledore open the door so hard that it cracked the wall and made an sickening crunch where the door now had a crack down it. "Albus calm down," Poppy tried to reassure him, "Potter is in no immediate danger, just give me a few moment and things will be fine."

But things were not fine all three of them could tell, but no one was going to argue so Albus and Severus left Poppy to check Harry over. "I've sent Ms. Granger back to her class mates," Albus stated when he had finished with his dramatic entrance. "She has told me of Harry situation in school and his sleeping habits, do you know of them?"

"Yes headmaster I do, after Draco and Harry have become more or less friends he has been asking Granger what was wrong and she told him which just shows you how worried she is for him and so of course Draco was just as worried as he had come to me." Severus said with a worried expression.

"I'm pretty sure there is nothing to worry about Severus, I'm sure he's still trying to get over last school year, that was his most trying by far and it may be he is a little sleep deprived," Albus tried to reassure Severus, but Albus wasn't so sure himself because for once the usual twinkle that was in his pure blue eyes had gone out like a candle in a draft and so what Albus just said was not working on Severus. He was sitting there with a worried and guilty face because he knew that if Harry had come to him he could have had a sleeping potion for Harry.

His worry increased when Poppy still hadn't come out after almost and hour, she had come out a few time to get an potion, but would not talk to them. While Severus worried himself until he thought he might go gray, up in Gryffindor tower Hermione could swear on Hogwarts: a History that Ron was actually going gray and starting to lose his hair, but she then thought he was only losing his hair because his was pulling at it.

"Ron stop that!" Hermione commanded, but it didn't work he still worried and pulled at his hair. "I'm sure Harry's fine" she had been saying this over and over, but now even she was starting to doubt her own words.

"Yeah, I know that but don't you think they would have told us that themselves and not let us wait here, while we worry and they could be having a nice chat with Harry," Ron inquired. Hermione didn't know what to say so she just sat there in front of the fire and waited, and of course worried for Harry life, which she hoped beyond hope was fine and that they hadn't told us anything because he was dead and was going to tell the whole school at lunch 'No' she told herself; that was not the case, but by every passing second that was slowly becoming the case a least she hoped not.

Behind them the rest of the seventh year were just as worried, Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnegan were holding each holding each other crying silently, not caring that later if Harry survived, they were teased about it because they didn't care that they were holding each other that it look like they were gay because they were and they silently agreed that once this was all over and either Harry died or lived, 'No after Harry lived, for he will' they told their minds, they were coming out and telling everyone.

Neville Longbottom just sat silently in a corner saying nothing and expressing nothing in face or mind, he was so worried for Harry that he was actually forgetting to think, though a one Draco Malfoy was wishing he could do the same. Draco was sitting in his room on his bed with his knees tucked up tight to his chest with his arms around them and his chin resting on the tops of his knees, trying desperately not to think of what horrible situation his new found friend was in.

Outside he could hear the rest of the rest of his seventh year, some were talking and laughing, but their laughter didn't last long because even though mostly all of them hated Potter with a passion, they could not help but think this is the boy who not only defeated the Dark Lord, their master but had set them free. Of course they still had their dark marks, but there was no Dark Lord to control them through it and for this they owed Harry their lives. Many were real Death Eaters that wished dead all muggles (non-magical people) and mudbloods (witches or wizards born from muggle parents), but many were also acting as spies, so it was very two sided when the war was taking place for real.

Spies were told to take of robes and masks, this included Severus and a few other adult Death Eaters from the inner circle, no one wanted to harm someone that was actually on there side. This was Harry idea everyone had thought of it but Harry taking charge as always had told everyone this and everyone did just that. When Harry told his plan to everyone, ministry (even though he knew the ones that were faithful were to brain washed by Fudge too much to listen), the Order and of course the old D.A. (Dumbledore's Army) from Harry's fourth year and new recruits from the Fourth year's up, Harry had made a point of this that no one under fourteen could enter, they had a listened, to every part and did what they were told.

Returning to our most definitely greying haired (or was it just the light) Severus and an even more worried (if that was possible) Albus Dumbledore, they were as we left them sitting in the same chairs waiting for Poppy to come out and bring them good new, if not good then at least news that could help in the search for a cure if need be. But the next time they saw Poppy was she was going to the store cupboard where they had expected her to bring more dark red potions and some clear coloured ones, but this time she has brought out with her two thick blankets.

Albus and Severus gave each other a quizzical look but then they slowly began to put two and two together and they found that Harry state wasn't as serious as they has thought, but this though was shattered when a relieved but still very worried Poppy walked out from behind the curtains and gave them a reassuring look. "I think what you are both thinking is correct but there is something else I need to tell you. Headmaster if we could go to your office I will you tell you both my findings"