The whole 'looking thoroughly snogged' idea was gleaned from a few other fics. All of which I have forgotten both title and name. Sorry…

I have now officially passed the 30,000 hits mark and the 130 Favorites List mark. I feel so proud! Anyway, Soooo close to the 400 reviews mark. I was shocked and pleased when I noticed it had gone over 350…

Thanks for the kind, lovely, wonderful reviews from: nandhp, SlytherinBeauty, Tinkerbellstar, goddessa39, The Gryffindor Drummer, Queen Asinoe, FireOpal, carsonsheir, Moony's-Wolf, RPG King, peachie1st, Professor Rose, loroi, hermione potter/katie jones, CJ, and Bulue Micirue Rashitertsu.

I am the half blood prince - Sorry you don't like Malfoy, but he's my fave character. Lol. I'll try to but in more details. Thanks.

Venus – Wow, thanks! You make feel proud! Lol. That should make you're boyfriend happy, tho. Seriously, I am honored. Thanks.

Sakura Riddle Voldemort's Long Lost Daughter The Heir To Voldemort And Salazar Slytherin And The Next Dark Lady – Can I just call you Sakura? That would be so much easier and short. Please? Anyway. Thanks for the enthusiasm. Hope you like the chappie!

Mary-De-Silva – I'm glad you like it so much. Yes, I definitely have a squeal in mind. This one doesn't have enough pranks! LOL. Hope you like the chappie!

TheWatcherandReader - Wow, very perceptive of you…that's what I had in mind for the squeal, because there is only a few chapters left and all. Thanks.

Seattleitegirl – Wow, thanks! I hope to hear…er…read(?) from you in the future. Although you really don't have to check four times a day. But thanks! Lol.

Power Punk – You know what? I can't even be bothered to be pissed at you. You are not worth my time. If you can't see how calling my writing shameful to the author is offensive, then I'm not gonna explain it to you. Honesty is one thing and I appreciate honesty, but be rude and offensive is quite another. And, sorry if it bothers you, but if I…how did you put it? Oh. "cant take the heat" and the rest of the goes I should get out of the game…well I think if I did that, I would disappoint some faith and kind reviewers of mine, who by the way disagree with you. So I think I'll stick around. Oh, and if you review again, I won't be answering it. Thanks ever so.

Now on with the chappie…

Last chapter…

He hauled Draco and Harry to their feet by the arms. They all grabbed their bags and the four of them almost ran out of the classroom. Once in the hallway, Harry rounded on Draco, not realizing that the students in the class could still hear him. "This is all you damn fault! If you hadn't wanted to get back at me I never would have taken out mine and then Hermione wouldn't have taken out hers and NONE OF THAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED!" Harry shrieked.

"It's not all my fault! You started with the tongues!"

"Yeah, well I wouldn't have if you hadn't started with the hand! I could kick you, sometimes. That was so embarrassing!"

"Well, how do you think I feel! I actually made noise first!"

Hermione decided to jump in at that moment. "If I ever get pulled into another of you childish revenge-sex games again, I will kill both of you! I actually moaned! I could kick you!"

"Um…guys? How about we continue this conversation somewhere else? Preferably where no one can hear you!"

All three flushed deep scarlet and stalked off down the corridor, Ron hurrying after them. He sighed. I am going to kill all three of them one of these days, He thought.

Chapter 31 – Looks, Blackouts, and Detection

Halfway across the Entrance Hall on their way to their Common Room, Harry stopped. "Guys, I just remember. I left a book in the Gryffindor dorms a while back…I...I think it might be helpful. Should we go and get it?"

Hermione nodded vigorously and Ron smiled at her, saying, "I'll stay here and wait. You guys go."

Oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oO

In the Gryffindor Common Room, Seamus, Dean, Neville, and Ginny sat by the fire gossiping. Well, it was more like Seamus and Ginny were gossiping and the other two were just listening. "So, what did you think of Harry's little performance this morning? You know, the threein'?" Ginny asked eagerly.

Seamus looked thoughtful. "Well…I don't think they were kissing all that, you know, intimately. I mean, you could so tell. It was chaste."

"How so?"

"Well, none of them had that look."

"Huh?"

"Oh come off it! You know, the 'I-have-just-been-snogging-the-living-hells-out-of-someone' Look."

"The what?"

"The-" Any further explanation by Seamus was stopped by the Portrait Hole opening and Harry emerging. Seamus was up and next to him like a shot. "Come here! This is what I mean! The Thoroughly Snogged Look."

Ginny, Neville, and Dean made their way over and examined Harry as he looked at the four with confusion, which was intensified when Draco stumbled through the Portrait saying, "Well, Why the hell are you stopped there? Move!"

Harry moved and looked back at the blonde. His hair was mussed and his faced was flushed, lips slightly swollen. "Um…?"

"OH MY GAWD!" Seamus squealed. "You two have been snogging in the hallway!"

Everyone froze and stared at Seamus. "How did you—" Harry began, but Draco slapped a hand over his mouth.

"What on earth are you talking about, Finnigan?" He sneered.

Seamus had a smug look on his face. "I knew it! You've been snogging each other in the hallway. You look it!"

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong…" said a voice from behind Harry. "They've been snogging me." Hermione stated with a grin as she came through.

Seamus squealed again. Harry was having difficulty focusing on the conversation. He blinked twice to try to clear his head. It worked. "Guys? Can we stop talking about Hermione, Draco, and my snogging habits and get what I came for?"

They all turned to him. Seamus batted his eyelashes and asked sexily, "Am I what you came for, Harry?"

Harry just looked at him dumbly, but Draco and Hermione both growled. Draco snarled, "Back off, Finnigan! Two against one isn't good odds to begin with and you'd be dealing with a Malfoy, who never play fair, and Hermione, who is the top in the year. So step off. And don't ever do that again."

Harry nodded. "Yea, please don't. It was kinda weird. Anyway, aren't you dating Dean?"

Seamus had the good grace to blush and mumble an apology. They all trooped up to the boys dorm and Harry retrieved his book. He had just slipped into his pocket when a sharp pain sliced through his head. He clapped a hand to his forehead and leaned heavily on the stair railing. He felt an arm around his shoulders. "Potter? Claws, Are you okay?" Draco murmured.

Harry blinked and the pain was gone. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just…uh, just the beginning of a headache."

Draco nodded, but still looked worried.

Leaving the others in the Common Room, Harry, Hermione, and Draco made their way down to the Entrance Hall where Ron was waiting. In the middle of the Hall, Harry halted. He stood frozen on the spot. His three friends looked at him worriedly. "Harry?" Ron said quietly.

Harry didn't respond. His eyes were glazed and unfocused. He began to shake violently. Hermione let her gazed travel over him slowly, taking in his condition. She turned to Draco. "You're fastest runner of the three of us and you know almost as many passageways and short-cuts as Harry. Get Madame Pomfrey. Now!"

Draco didn't need to be told twice. He took off in the direction of the Hospital Wing. Hermione then returned her attention to the shaking boy in front of her. Slowly, so very slowly, his legs gave out and he slid to the floor. She helped Ron drag him over to the wall and sit him against it. His pupils were dilated and his face was terribly flushed.

"Ron," Hermione murmured quietly. "This must be a side affect of the Depletion…I can't remember anything like this from any of the books I read…Ron, I'm worried."

Ron hugged her tightly as she began to weep softly. A hiss from behind him made him pull away and turn to see Draco had returned with Pom. "Potter's not out of it for ten minutes and you're already making movies on his girl? Nice, Weasley!" He snarled.

Ron just shook his head. Hermione threw herself at Draco, her soft weeping becoming hysterical. "He has to be okay! He can't die! I can't lose him, Draco, Ron. I can't! He's been through too much already! Why him? Why Harry? Why?" Draco held her close, saying nothing, but his face, usually a mask of indifference, showed it all.

Madame Pomfrey took over care of Harry, who was now only semi-conscious. She clucked and looked him over. "Oh, Dear." She whispered and cast a hover Charm on him to take him to the infirmary.

Oo0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0oO

Upon waking up a few hours later, Harry felt perfectly healthy. He sat up and looked around him. The Hospital Wing. Draco was asleep, draped over the chair to the left of his bed, while Ron was similarly on the right. He glanced down to find Hermione curled up next to him, asleep, her face streaked with tears. He reached out a finger and brushed them away. The brown-haired girl jerked and looked up. She visibly relaxed and smiled.

"Hello, Harry." She whispered.

"Hello, Hermione. Why am I in the Hospital Wing?" He asked smiling back.

Her face fell. "Harry, I…we don't have anymore time for research, Love. You are already half drained. Madame Pomfrey was shocked you were even still alive, never mind at only the halfway mark. However, you need to find him. Now!"

He looked into her grieving eyes and smile reassuringly at her. "Everything will be fine, 'Mione. I promise. Everything will be okay." He stroked her hair, when she laid her head back down, until she fell asleep.

His mind was working over time. Half power…that meant he needed to find Snape now, tonight. He needed his magic. He could not risk being at Half-power if Voldemort chose to strike. He quickly and quietly got out of bed, making sure not to disturb his girl. He dressed silently. With a wave of his wand, he left his three friends a note signed Claws, so they would know not to tell anyone but the Marauders.

Making his way as quickly and noiselessly as possible, he left the Hospital Wing for his own room. He took out the Record Book from under his bed and wrote into it something for later use, so he wouldn't forget and, also, the beginning of an account of what was happening to him. He replaced it, changed into clean robes without the school insignia on them, and went into the Supply Room. In the far back corner sat the cauldron filled with the potion he and Draco had been secretly brewing since they found out what the curse was. Luckily, it had been done for about two days and aging only helped it. He gathered four vials full and left the rest. It was called Liquid Agony, a potion that had been banned so long ago by the Ministry that most people didn't even know of its existence. If they had, Voldemort would have used it, but he hadn't, thank Merlin.

Liquid Agony was just as its name implies. It causes a sensation, in small doses, that is quite similar to the Crusiatus Curse: white hot knives piercing every inch of your skin. In mid-sized doses, it causes the feeling that all you skin being torn very slowly from your body. However, in large doses, the effect is instant insanity, because the potion does not have the ability to kill. If taken in large doses, the pain that results is not handled by the body and mind, which are unable to cope, and the victim is driven to insanity. No one knows what to liken that pain to because no one has ever been sane and coherent enough to describe it after being subjected to a large dose of Liquid Agony.

Harry slipped the vials into his robes and left. In the Common Room, he pulled out the Map. "I will find you, one way or other, Snivellus!" He vowed. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good…"

The Map unfolded and ink blossomed across its surface. He examined it very carefully, praying that his quarry was still in the castle. Letting out a soft triumphant 'ha!' he closed the Map. "Mischief Managed!"

He transformed into a panther, needing the speed and disguise though knowing it would drain his strength. He quickly made his way down to the dungeons. Transforming back into himself, he threw open the door of Snape's old, abandoned quarters and found them not as abandoned as they should be.

The greasy-haired, ex-potions master sat staring blindly into the blazing fire. Harry stalked into the room and slammed the door, causing the hook-nosed man to leap to his feet, wand drawn. Once he saw whom he was facing and the wand already residing in Harry's hand, his gaunt face lost something. Maybe it was the slight glimmer of hope that had previously resided in his eyes, or maybe it was the superior air he usually had, or maybe it was faith in the mark that he bore openly on his sleeveless forearm, Harry wasn't sure. Perhaps, he thought, it was all three.

They stood, in complete silence, just staring each other down for several minutes, until Harry spoke. "You know why I am here." It was a statement, not a question.

"To kill me."