A/N : All the Harry Potter characters belong to J.K. Rowling, No profit is being made from this fic.


Chapter 3: The Manor
Sarah ran as fast as her bloodied feet would carry her. Her chest ached, and the cold air was biting at her face. She grew tired with every step until she collapsed to the ground. She wasn't sure how long she had been running or when she would see civilization, but she knew she had to keep going.

Her legs ached as she stood, and her nightgown was tattered and torn from where she got it snagged on low tree branches, and the thin fabric helped very little to keep her warm. She walked for what seemed to be hours. She constantly looked over her shoulder thinking that those men could be behind her.

Sarah was shaking because of the cold when she saw a manor in the distance. Looking around, she saw nothing other than trees, a dirt road, and vacant hills.

"Well, it's worth a try," Sarah thought as she made her way down the road and turned down the lane that led to the manor. As she approached, she felt a strange feeling come over her – almost like there was an energy field around her. She lifted the heavy knocker and waited. No one answered. She knocked again and this time, when no one answered, she opened the door.

"Hello?" she called as she stepped into the manor. "Is anyone home? I don't mean to intrude, but.."

A small pop sounded behind her and Sarah whirled around to see a small creature hiding in the shadows.

"Hello?" she asked squinting to see what 'it' was.

"Hello," it answered. "Can Suddy help you?"

"I'm sorry for just barging in like this, but I was wondering if I you might be able to spare a room for the night? All I have is this nightgown and it's dreadfully cold out tonight.."

"Suddy doesn't know if Master would like stranger to stay in his home when he not here," Suddy told her.

"Oh, please! I won't be much trouble, and I can pay!" she begged.

"You follow Suddy," the creature ordered after pausing a moment to decide.

The creature snapped his fingers and suddenly the room was flooded with light. Sarah gasped as she could finally see the tiny creature. It looked like, like, an elf! The elf didn't turn around as they climbed a set of stairs up to the next floor and continued down a long corridor. The elf began to mutter under his breath and Sarah walked closer to hear him.

"No, not this room, Master would be furious..Definitely not this one.."

Finally they stopped at one of the many doors, and Suddy opened it and walked in with Sarah following close behind. The room had light gray walls with gray tile and a large canopy bed in the center with dark green curtains and bedding.

"This where you stay," the elf told her, "and don't go wondering 'round, Master will be most displeased if he found out." Suddy's frowning face then shifted into a pleasant and smiling one. "Is there anything you be needing?" he asked kindly.

"Who is your master?" she asked politely.

"House elves have many masters," he told her matter-of-factly.

Sarah nodded her head and sighed, "Well, if it wouldn't be that much trouble, I could use a new, and possibly warmer, nightgown."

The elf looked at her and then at her feet, pointed at them, and then looked at the prints on the tile. "Yours feet! They all bloodied, and they leave floor messy," the elf told her.

"Oh, my! I'm terribly sorry. I'll clean that up right away," Sarah told the elf reassuringly, but, before she could move, the elf snapped his fingers the blood on the tile was cleaned and a new nightgown lie on the bed. "If yous needing anything else, you just call for Suddy." With a pop, the elf was gone.

Sarah looked around the room. There was only one other door, which Sarah assumed was a bathroom. She was sore all over and needed a bath to wash the dirt and blood off. The bathroom had a snake motif: the walls were green with gray stone tile, the sink faucet was a silver snake bent over with its mouth open, and the taps were snake tales bent to the side. A large Jacuzzi bath was in the center of the room with taps just like the sink. She turned the taps and stripped herself of her tattered nightgown.

Sarah stepped into the bath and laid back. Her muscles relaxed and she closed her eyes as she let her body soak. About 20 minutes later, Sarah was in her new nightgown and was drowsily crawling into the bed.


Severus arrived at Hogwarts just as the sun was rising over Hagrid's hut. He walked briskly through the quite halls of the school. Upon reaching the Headmaster's office, he glared at the gargoyle.

"Tootsie rolls," he growled and then stepped on the steps as the gargoyle rotated upward.

"Ah, Severus!" the old man greeted him. "Please have a seat. Lemon drop?" he asked as he offered a bowl to Severus.

"No thank you, Headmaster," he told him curtly while taking a seat in front of the desk.

"Now, I believe you wish to tell me about last nights events?" Dumbledore asked.

"Headmaster, last night there was a Muggle, but she wasn't a Muggle, or she thought she was but..I don't know, there is something I'm missing out of this whole thing. The Dark Lord seemed to know something about her, that she didn't even know."

"What happened to her?" Albus asked.

"I helped her escape. I don't know where she went from there," Severus told him.

"Severus, I think you should go home for the weekend, away from the castle to sooth your mind."

"But, Headmaster-" Snape argued.

"No arguments. I want you to go home and rest."

"Yes, Headmaster."


Hi Everyone!,

Well I just sent off The End of this story to my beta…but don't worry I'm not through yet. Maybe in 10 to 12 chapters. I'm not sure.

Feed the writer…please review.

Stay tuned for the next chapter in A World Without You! … On to Snape Manor!!

L. Jones