It seemed that the teachers were giving out more homework just to prove that things were going to be okay and everything at Hogwarts would settle back to normal. It was far from normal, Rhyann knew. It was her opinion that the amount of homework they were receiving was just to keep all the students out of trouble and stuck in their common rooms or the library trying to get through the piles of work. Those from Hufflepuff were working the most since they had to re-organize their event and their House had the least amount of students who returned after the break. Hannah was even going around to students from other Houses asking favors here and there.

There had yet to be another meeting to arrange a schedule that would suit the new semester and thus the dreamer hadn't a chance to ask about bringing Draco into the fold. She sent out a note to Harry asking what time would be good to resume their own private lessons and hoped that through him, she would be able to convince the others. Their minds showed how much they disliked and did not trust the Head Boy, and she could not force any suggestions without a bit of help in the waking world. She had hoped to get that done immediately, but her first meeting of the year was with the new Deputy Headmaster.

Snape sat behind his desk with his hands folded across his chest. His eyes followed the teen as she entered his office. "Miss Rookwood, please shut the door behind you."

Rhyann knew it would be a serious conversation to do with something other than class material and silently complied. Knowing that the hook nosed professor was one of Voldemort's made her more cautious than before. She did not doubt that he watched her as much as he kept an eye on the other staff members as was his responsibility. She took a seat in a chair with a rigid back in front of his desk and waited to hear what he had to say.

He did not waste any time. "Let me see your arm."

"What?" She blinked, not immediately understanding what he meant.

"You do have the Dark Mark, don't you?" Snape leaned forward, eyes boring into her.

Her own dark eyes narrowed. "Yes, professor, I do." Did he really need to ask such a question? It certainly could not be such a secret amongst the Death Eaters' ranks. She slowly pulled up the sleeve of her robe and the shirt underneath to allow him to see the hideous brand.

"I trust you are taking all precautions to make sure no one else sees it?" There was a lightning quick flash across the surface of his eyes upon seeing the tattoo but he gave no indication what it was about.

"Of course." Rhyann rolled her sleeves back down, wondering what this questioning was about. "I've always been a modest person and so I will not attract any suspicions in keeping my privacy in that manner."

Snape gave her a curt nod and leaned back again. "There has never been any students in this school with the Dark Mark. There have never been any as young as yourself and Malfoy who had been granted the honor by the Dark Lord. I do hope you understand the immense significance of it."

It was no honor in her opinion. It was just a way for Voldemort to mark her as one of his possessions. A constant reminder that she belonged to him. The petite teen hated it and would rip it off her own skin if she thought that she would rid herself of it that way. Yet the brand went deeper. She would be his with or without it. It was those chains that she had to sever. "I understand fully, sir."

One of his eyebrows raised slightly. "Do you really?"

"Yes, I do." Rhyann replied tightly. It seemed that he was trying to get her to say more and that he knew just what she was thinking. She didn't like that feeling at all. Her small body was completely tensed. If someone were to poke her from behind now, she would probably jump ten feet out of the chair.

The black robed wizard remained silent for a few moments as if contemplating what she had said and didn't say. Snape did not pursue it further though. If possible, his voice was even more on edge when he spoke again. "How much did you see that day?"

She couldn't help herself. Rhyann did jump a little at his question. "What do you mean?"

"You know precisely what I mean, Miss Rookwood." Snape stated sharply. "No one but those in the room then know what happened. The rest of the wizarding world does not know what went on. Did you tell anyone? And what do you know?"

"I didn't tell anyone." She answered swiftly. "I don't even know exactly what I saw. I know who was there. I know what the newspapers said. You spotted me just a few seconds after I looked into the room and then I ran off."

"You ran off very quickly too." Suspicion laced his voice. "I went into the hall to find you, but you weren't there. Certainly you cannot move that fast. You wouldn't happen to have an invisibility cloak or some potion that allows you to remain unseen, would you?"

Rhyann frowned. "No. You probably just missed me. The situation did provide me with ample motivation to run as fast as possible so that I would not be caught."

Snape did not appear fully convinced but continued onward. "It is best that you continue to tell no one what you had seen. There are only a few of us that know Potter and myself were in the room at the time. He is not even allowed to tell anyone what happened. I expect you to do the same."

So the former Potions Master had been in the room when Dumbledore died? The dreamer had not been sure of that. The explosion had looked like a horrendous one. It devastated the old wizard and hurt Harry badly. She was sure that Snape did not have a single scorch mark on him and certainly if anyone else had been in that dungeon room, they would have been affected by the blast. Unless the cause of it all was not an exploding potion...

"Of course, professor. Any extra trouble is not something I am looking for."

"I would expect not." Snape his piercing eyes kept her pinned to the chair. "You are not to discuss it with Potter at all either. Not in any realm. In fact, you are to stay away from him completely."

She had heard that before from him. The young witch nodded her head in agreement but she had no intentions of doing so. Snape had been right on many things but what she had going on now was not something she could get his opinion on. He was a loyal servant of the Dark Lord and she was only bound to their master by her fear and lack of power to do anything about it. What would the Deputy Headmaster think of her plan to break free of her servitude? What of her new powers? And her bringing Draco back into her trust?

Professor Snape had been right about the Malfoys. He had warned her on several occasions and she chose to ignore him. Rhyann had believed it had been some personal vendetta - and she had not been far off - but he had been looking out for her as well. If she had listened, her situation might be very different at the moment. Yet then she would not have Draco and she would still be a tool for Voldemort.

"I know much more of what is going on in Hogwarts than many think I do." He suddenly said, drawing her attention completely back to him. "After all that has happened, do not think you have received any honorable position here or that you'll be treated differently. You are still a student. There are eyes and ears all about. More so now."

Whether it was a warning or a threat, she did not know, but the dreamer would take it as both. "I understand."

"So you keep saying." His big nose crinkled as if he had just tasted something bitter. Snape gestured to the door and picked up a pile of parchment that lay to one side of his desk. "You may go now, Miss Rookwood. Just keep in mind what I said."

"Yes, sir." Rhyann stood up woodenly and exited without looking back at the older wizard. She might have argued with him about things again, but she was afraid that in the heat of her anger, she might say something that she did not want him to know. Yet she was left with the question of how much Snape really did know.