Author's Note: WOW! I didn't think I would get so many reviews! I was crying when I checked my stats and then I saw all the e-mails I had. Thank you for the wonderful reviews. This story has more than twice the amount of reviews than Nothing is Ever the Same does. It makes me proud! Also, I would like to apologize for the long wait for this chapter, I have been so busy with all my schoolwork and the fact that I got a laptop that didn't let me use Microsoft Word. So, I am back and hope to update as much as I can! I LOVE YOU ALL! Thank you! Now on with the other stuff!

Warning: Adult themes and SLASH.

Disclaimer: I own nothing, only the plot.

Pairing: Harry Potter/Severus Snape

This is dedicated to Saadia10511.

Now, on with the story…

On the Way Down

Chapter 3: Shifting Abundances

"It seems we have a high advantage in a few days, my Lord," said a very low-pitched voice to a man sitting in the center of the room. This man was one of many in the room standing in front of a snake-like man.

"It seems we do, Goyle," the snake-like man said as he stood up and walked to the only window in the room. Out the window, he saw a great big castle. "I will get him, he will be mine, and I will make him feel as powerless as he is, won't I, Potter?"

Harry shot awake in a cold sweat. The sun's light was streaming through his bedroom window in the Headmaster's office. In a few days the trip to Hogsmeade would occur and the supposed Death Eater attack as well. 'I need to tell the Headmaster,' Harry thought. He threw the sheets off of himself and ran to his door, outside, he heard some voices, but this was an emergency. Just as he reached for the doorknob, a sudden thought occurred to him. Everyone would find out he wasn't getting enough sleep and they wouldn't allow him to go to Hogsmeade.

Harry turned back around and shuffled over to a spare trunk with some of his clothes in it. He pulled out a pair of jeans that were at least four times his size, a belt with extra holes punched into it so it would fit him, anda shirt that was also way too big. He grabbed a towel and the rest of his bathroom necessities and headed to the bathroom and turned on the water in the bath and then pulled the lever that would allow the water to come out from the shower head. He took off his clothes and tested the water. It was nice and warm, so he stepped into the shower and so began his morning routine of getting ready.

As Harry stepped out of the bathroom, he noticed that his room had been completely tidied up and the Headmaster was waiting on his bed. Harry smiled and walked over to his nightstand and picked up his wand. He walked back to the Headmaster and the Headmaster asked, "Are you ready to head down to breakfast?"

Harry smiled and made a request, "Can I not sit at the table with the other students? I just don't feel up to big speeches." Harry's smile faltered and the Headmaster noticed. He gave Harry his own smile to show his support and stood up.

As Harry and the Headmaster walked to the Great Hall, a cutting curse was thrown at Harry from an invisible attacker. Harry pulled his wand out, but the curse hit him on his wrist. The Headmaster was on his toes as the second cutting charm flew at Harry who was grasping the deep gash on his wrist. The Headmaster said a very complicated charm and the curse was suspended in mid-air and sent straight back to the person who used it, but the spell hit a wall. Harry's attacker had fled. The Headmaster sent Harry a worried look, but Harry just smiled. Dumbledore transfigured a set of bandages and wrapped them around his wrist.

"Thank you, Headmaster," Harry said.

"People are getting desperate," the Headmaster said as he pulled Harry into a comforting hug. "We'll have Pomfrey look at it while at breakfast." Harry nodded and dropped his head. He was getting tired of being babied. He just wanted his magic back.

He followed the Headmaster to the side entrance of the Great Hall. They entered and Harry followed the Headmaster to Madame Pomfrey who immediately gasped when she saw his wrist. The staff knew about Harry's past problem with cutting, so they all assumed that when they saw his bloody bandage and how it was beginning to drip that he had cut himself on purpose.

"Harry, you didn't, did you?" Pomfrey asked as she lifted his wrist. Harry shook his head and gave a weak smile. Now the whole hall was watching them as she unwrapped the bloody bandage. Harry swayed slightly. A strong grip tightened on his shoulder and he winced slightly. He turned his head and saw Dumbledore with a weak smile on his face.

"He was attacked on our way to the Great Hall. I didn't respond fast enough," the Headmaster said and the Slytherin table was filled with whispered glee. The Gryffindor table had worried looks flashing around.

Pomfrey nodded her head and pulled her wand out. She sealed the wound with a simple charm and smiled at Harry. The whole table smiled at Harry, except Snape who was glaring at all the students in the room. Harry took a seat between the Headmaster and McGonagall. Harry picked up his fork and food appeared on his plate. He pushed it around and his eyes drooped closed. All he heard were feet scuffling out of the room to head to class.

Harry didn't go to classes that day, or the next, he just slept. It was odd though, he didn't have any form of nightmare. There were a few other attempts at Harry's life, but for the most part, he was well protected.

As the days slipped by, Harry grew excited for his trip to Hogsmeade. The whole school was excited, spreading around the Christmas joy. Though some were worried about Voldemort and the fact that he might attack, Harry held all that information in. He was tired of being held back.

He rarely attended classes, but he did spend most of his time with the staff. He learned a lot from them. He learned all that he had missed. Granted permission from the Headmaster, Harry was allowed to attend classes till he got his magic back as a student aid. He could shuffle about classes doing tasks for other teachers. The Headmaster would go with him most of the time for Harry's safety.

The day finally came for the big Hogsmeade trip. The students left first and Harry's entourage showed up to escort him to Hogsmeade. Hermione and Ron left early so they could get Harry's shopping done and over with. They were going to meet up with him later.

"You ready Harry?"

Harry turned and looked into Remus' eyes. Harry smiled and the werewolf put an arm around Harry's shoulder. "Yeah, I'm ready whenever."

"Great. Let's move along." Remus and the rest of the guard surrounded Harry. Harry waved goodbye to those that weren't going and together with his guard, they left for Hogsmeade.

Everyone kept a tight grip on their wands as they moved along the path. As they approached Hogsmeade, giggles were heard in the distant. Harry sighed in relief. 'Good, nothing has happened yet. Hopefully I can get my shopping done quick enough.'

They entered the streets of Hogsmeade and they led Harry to his first stop of the day. Harry rushed in with an Order member at his side and found the gift he wanted for Remus. It was a new set of robes and a new leather cloak. 'He really needs new ones. Ones that won't rip so easily.' Harry gave the lady at the counter money for his purchases and had her gift wrap it for him.

Harry and the Order member rushed out of the store, Harry giving the woman a smile as they left. An Order member shrunk his package and Harry placed it in his pocket with a bid of thanks.

Continuing onward, Harry walked into his next store, a Quidditch supply store. There he bought Ron a new broom and an autographed poster of Ron's favorite Quidditch team, the Chudley Canon's. It was signed by all the players. He smiled inwardly. Ron would blow a gasket. It was worth a pretty galleon, but his friend was worth it. He would risk his life for him if the time came.

Out the store with Harry's gift wrapped purchases and yet again, an Order member shrunk the package. Continuing, they came to Harry's next store. He walked in with Remus who followed Harry every which way. Harry found a gift for Hermione and for Dumbledore. He picked up a heavy tome named, Every Field of Magic and the History of Their Origin. Harry thought Hermione might like it. For Dumbledore he got a pair of purple robes with shooting stars that he asked Remus to charm to actually shoot along the cloth. He asked for his packages to be wrapped in colorful Christmas wrap. The clerk did that and Harry pulled out his money.

"What did you want for Christmas Harry?" Remus looked at Harry quizzically. He obviously hadn't gotten anything for him as of yet.

Harry smiled, "For all to be right in the world."

"You're sounding like the Headmaster."

Harry chuckled, "Well, all's well that ends well, I guess."

Remus looked highly confused at Harry's meaning. Harry gave the clerk the money and Remus shrunk the packages. They walked out and next door to their next store, an accessory store. Again, Remus went with Harry. Harry walked up and down the aisles, examining everything. He walked to the front and found exactly what he wanted to get Draco. He asked the witch at the front if he could see the item. She nodded and pulled out the item from the glass case. It was an onyx ring. It had diamonds inserted around the band. Harry looked on the inside, inscribed were the words Specialis Praesul.

"What does this mean?" Harry asked the lady.

She looked on the inside of the ring. "That means, if my Latin isn't rusty, Secret Protector."

Harry smiled. "I'll take it. Can you gift wrap it?"

"Of course. It wouldn't be Christmas without gift wrap." She chuckled and wrapped it in green paper with silver bells. Harry gave her the money and Harry slipped the box into his pocket. Harry waved to the lady as he walked out of the store, Remus following close behind.

Their last stop was at an apothecary. Harry trotted in with Remus following behind.

"What do you need from here?"

Harry blushed, "I need some potion ingredients and what not."

"Oh, okay," Remus said, sensing that Harry was lying.

Harry walked quickly through the dark store. He quickly found the things he wanted. They walked to the counter to pay for everything. Harry had picked up a wide arrangement of ingredients. He even found some unicorns blood. The clerk came out and a dusty bottle caught his eye. It was a small phial that was filled with a light blue potion.

"What's that?" Harry asked, pointing at the small phial.

"Too pricey for you is what it is," the man said snootily.

Harry glared at the man, "Please tell me what it is?"

"It's a life regenerate potion. It clears the system of any poison that enters the body. Very complicated to make. That is the last known phial in Europe."

"How much?" Harry asked with defiance.

"Harry!" Remus was shocked that he was considering buying it.

"Fifty-two galleons," the man said.

Harry put his other ingredients on the counter. "I'll take it and all of this."

Remus' and the clerk's eyes went wide.

"Gift wrap it all as well please."

"Um... Harry, are you sure you should be spending this much?"

"It'll be fine." Harry waved Remus off. He gave the clerk the money and Remus shrunk everything for Harry. "Thanks. This isall for today. Let's go meet up with Ron and Hermione then head back to Hogwarts."

They left the apothecary and met up with Ron and Hermione in the Three Broomsticks. They all bought a butterbeer and carried them outside.

"How was your shopping, Harry? Get everything you wanted to get?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, it all went pretty--"

A loud bang rang throughout Hogsmeade. It came from the direction of Zonko's Joke Shop. Harry dropped his butterbeer to the ground.Students were running away from the store and into other stores. The Order members grouped tightly around Harry, Hermione, and Ron.

"Harry, stay between us. We need to run back to Hogwarts," Remus yelled over the commotion.

Harry wouldn't leave the younger students, or anyone for that matter. Harry pushed his way through the Order members. Ron and Hermione were still stuck between them. He ran through the dust. Along the way, he stumbled across his old Quidditch teammate, Yuri Scott. She was lying on the ground face down. Harry picked her up. She was still breathing. He swung her onto his back and ran through the crowd, yelling at people to get inside. A spell flew past his shoulder, hitting a fellow student in the back. Harry turned around and checked the student. It was a Slytherin. He knelt down and rolled the person over. It was a fifth year boy.

Shadows emerged from the thick dust. White masks under black cloaks stopped in their tracks. More shadows swooped down from the sky. The area all of a sudden got icy cold. A lone figure emerged from the line of Death Eaters.

"Ah, Potter, how nice of you to join us."

"Voldemort," Harry stated with rage.

"Who else, Potter?" Voldemort questioned, pulling out his wand.

"I won't let you kill anyone," Harry yelled, pulling out his own wand.

"So, magicless Potter thinks he can beat me."

"Yes," Harry stated plainly.

"I wasn't planning on killing anyone today, Potter, but I think I will, starting with that girl on your back. Avada Kedavra!"

"NO!" Harry yelled, turning his back, pulling both the students to him for their protection. The spell slammed into his back. Harry gasped, falling forward, the back of his robes burned.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed. The Order members stood there, their wands outstretched in front of them.

Voldemort and his Death Eaters laughed menacingly. "Ickle Potter, always the need to be the protector."

To Be Continued...

Author's Note: Does Harry really die, or is there something more? Wait till next time. In the meantime, review. The next chapter may be out soon, depending on the amount of reviews I get. This story and A Feathered Sonata will be updated as much as possible, I don't know about Nothing is Ever the Same.

For everyone's information, the lyrics in the first chapter were deleted because I like keeping my account. So, my thanks to the people who reviewed are below.

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