A/N: I haven't disappeared. I had to deal with the whole family thing
over Christmas, and then I came down with a cold. Needless to say, I was
in bed a few days. Oh well, I'm back. I hope you enjoy! Oh yeah, big
shout-out to my now official beta reader, Suzanne of Dragon's Breath!
Thanks again, Sue! ~Sylvia
He was just starting to nod off when Snape returned. "Merlin save us! Do you know what time it is?" Harry looked up at the professor and shook his head. He honestly didn't know what time it was. "Well after one o'clock in the morning. Bed!" Harry nodded, replaced the book, and said good night to Professor Snape. Snape turned and looked at the book the boy had been reading. Quidditch. He should have known. He went to bed himself. He was tired, and looking through books made his back ache.
When Harry woke the next morning, he heard a teacup rattle. Breakfast. He found his ingredients and did the first part of the potion: tearing up the leaves. He tore then and inserted them into the vial. Step 2: Store in a dark place. Harry looked around. The closet. He opened the closet and found clothes there. He smiled and hid the vial in the back of the closet in a shoebox. He pulled out some clothes and got dressed for the day. He wandered out and stumbled towards the table. Snape was there, and opposite was a clean plate.
"Not awake yet?" Snape asked, one eyebrow up. Harry shook his head and drank some pumpkin juice.
"Not quite, sir." Harry toyed with the bacon on his plate.
"What are your plans today, Potter?" Harry stopped to think.
"I thought I might finish the book I was reading last night, and then go see Hagrid, maybe." Snape looked him over.
"I've spoken with the Headmaster. He believes you're safe enough on school grounds. He's even set up more wards to keep everyone but you, I, Hagrid, and himself out." Harry nodded. "It's also to keep you in. We, Dumbledore and I, believe that you were given some sort of potion that helped a spell enter some sort of compulsion in your actions, something that only your kidnappers could use. The wards will stop you at the gates and borders of the grounds if such a thing should happen." Harry stared a Snape for just a moment before dropping his eyes.
"I see." He said quietly. His throat threatened to close up. He took a sip of pumpkin juice to open it back up.
"Once we figure out how to remove it, you should be all right." Harry nodded, swallowed some more juice and excused himself from the table. Snape watched the boy walk away. He looked to Harry's plate. It was still full.
Back in his room, Harry added his second ingredient to the vial and shook it. He smiled as the blue leaves turned pink. So far, so good. He rehid the vial and went over to the window. He was trapped. He wondered how worried Matthew and Tom were. If they were at all.
"How is he, Severus?" Dumbledore asked as he came in.
'He drank all of his juice." Snape answered. Dumbledore looked at the still full plate.
"He ate well for the last two days." Snape nodded.
"My point exactly." Snape said. "He ate well yesterday and the day before. Today, when I told him about the new wards, he appeared calm, but it seemed to kill appetite. He then retreated to his room." Dumbledore looked over to the door. "I have a feeling that this spell is still there, just buried." Dumbledore nodded, the twinkle dying from his eyes.
"I was afraid that you were going to say that." The older professor commented.
"What are we going to do for that boy?" Snape asked, folding her arms.
"Protect him. Voldemort is still out there, gaining power. We'll need to be vigilant about Harry." Snape nodded.
"I'm going back to my research." Snape went over to Harry's door and knocked. He opened the door and stuck his head in. "I'm going to the library. Would you like to come along?" Snape paused for a moment, and then shut the door. "He didn't want to come." Snape told Dumbledore as he gathered up his notes. Snape shook his head and left the room. Dumbledore would know what to do with the boy.
Dumbledore walked over to Harry's door and knocked. "Come in." He did as told. Harry was lying on the bed, face down, curled up under the blankets.
"Harry, are you all right?" Harry sat up.
"Yes Headmaster. I'm just a little tired, that's all. I thought I would go back to sleep for a while." Dumbledore sat down on the bed and looked at the boy.
"Anything else wrong, Harry?" Harry shook his head. "Anything you remember?"
"No, sir. Nothing." Dumbledore nodded.
"All right. Dobby will come to check on you a little while later." Harry nodded. "I'll leave you to rest now." Harry smiled and watched the older wizard leave the room. As soon as he left, Harry went to the closet and added his last three ingredients. He shook the vial and watched the color change from pink to sludge green. He smiled and went into Snape's room. He pulled a set of Snape's robes out of the closet and went to the bathroom. Snape's hairbrush was sitting on the counter. He pulled a few hairs out and wrapped them in a bit of parchment. He left the rooms and hid the vial and hair in one of his pockets.
He wandered around until he found Dumbledore. The man was around the corner, talking to someone. Harry checked. It was Filch. He added the hair and shook the vial. He changed robes quickly and hid his others in a pocket of the robes. He opened the vial and drank his potion, hoping he had done it correctly. The strange feeling started. He held his stomach and waited until the feeling stopped. He thought it felt complete. He certainly felt taller. He took a breath and stepped out where Dumbledore could see him. He grabbed his left arm where the Dark Mark should be.
"Ah, Severus." Dumbledore took in the professor's posture and nodded. "Very well, Severus. Please be careful. Pomfrey will be standing by should you need her." Snape nodded and turned, walking away quickly. The potion wouldn't last much longer. A few minutes at the most.
Once Harry was far enough away, he broke out into a run. He found the familiar witch statue and tapped her nose with his wand. The passage opened up and he was down it in a rush. He ran down the passage, thinking that it must have grown longer somehow. He found the trapdoor and eased himself through it. Once he saw that no one was in the basement, he Apparated to the mansion.
Dumbledore was walking down the hall, lost in thought. Severus was called to attend a Death Eater's meeting, Harry was down in the dungeons resting, and Dumbledore found himself unsure what to do. He glanced up when he passed the library. Severus was seated at a table, pouring over a book. Dumbledore went in.
"Was the meeting cancelled?" Dumbledore asked.
"Meeting?" Dumbledore motioned to his arm.
"I have felt nothing for a few months now, Headmaster." Snape said. He wondered idly if Dumbledore was not getting a little old.
"I saw you. You stood there, holding your arm." Snape froze for a moment before jumping up from his seat. He rushed to the dungeons, Dumbledore hot on his heels behind him. He burst into his rooms and went immediately to Harry's room. The boy was not there. He growled and checked the rest of the apartment. He pulled out a parchment and tapped it with his wand. "What is that, Severus?"
"An idea I got from Potter and his friends." He returned. He watched as the map came up, showing the location of Dumbledore, Filch, Mrs. Norris, and all of the local ghosts. No Harry. "Damn!" He growled. "Harry is gone." Dumbledore paled.
"How did they get him?" He asked as he sank into a chair.
"I have no idea. They, whoever they are, are very clever. They managed to get in here, impersonate me, take the boy, and get out." He shook his head.
"How did they get past the wards?" He asked Dumbledore.
"I felt nothing going off. But I am going to personally check each one." With that, Dumbledore rose and left the dungeons. Snape stared off into space. How had they done it?
Harry fell into the middle of the living room. He sat up and looked around. He had made it! He jumped to his feet and smiled. "Freeze!" Matthew's voice said from behind him, his wand jutting into Harry's neck.
"Matthew?" Harry squeaked. Matthew took one of his shoulders and spun the man in front of him. "It's me. It's Harry." Matthew looked closely. "I used a potion to get out." Matthew recognized the voice.
"Harry?" Matthew smiled and lowed the wand. "You're okay. You're here! Come on, we've got to find Tom!" Matthew tore out of the room, Harry being pulled along behind. "Tom!" Matthew shouted, checking the library. Tom was sitting in a chair, staring off into space.
"Tom! Look who's back!" Matthew pulled Harry forward, forgetting whom Harry looked like. Tom sat up.
"Severus?" Harry shook his head.
"It's Harry, Tom! He used a potion to get out." Tom's eyes widened and his face paled. Harry thought the man was going to fall over. Tom came forward and gathered Harry into a hug just as the potion wore off.
"I've been so worried." Tom whispered. Harry stayed still for a second. This was Voldemort! The man who had killed his parents. Harry looked up at Tom's face, blue eyes staring down at him. This wasn't Voldemort. It was Tom.
"I'm okay." Harry said, returning the hug. "I'm home."
Reviews: Thanks for sticking with me, guys! I'm almost back to where I left off. Don't worry. It's getting there, though I have two separate paths for this story to follow. If you're interested in helping me decide, email me and I'll send you the details. Thanks!
He was just starting to nod off when Snape returned. "Merlin save us! Do you know what time it is?" Harry looked up at the professor and shook his head. He honestly didn't know what time it was. "Well after one o'clock in the morning. Bed!" Harry nodded, replaced the book, and said good night to Professor Snape. Snape turned and looked at the book the boy had been reading. Quidditch. He should have known. He went to bed himself. He was tired, and looking through books made his back ache.
When Harry woke the next morning, he heard a teacup rattle. Breakfast. He found his ingredients and did the first part of the potion: tearing up the leaves. He tore then and inserted them into the vial. Step 2: Store in a dark place. Harry looked around. The closet. He opened the closet and found clothes there. He smiled and hid the vial in the back of the closet in a shoebox. He pulled out some clothes and got dressed for the day. He wandered out and stumbled towards the table. Snape was there, and opposite was a clean plate.
"Not awake yet?" Snape asked, one eyebrow up. Harry shook his head and drank some pumpkin juice.
"Not quite, sir." Harry toyed with the bacon on his plate.
"What are your plans today, Potter?" Harry stopped to think.
"I thought I might finish the book I was reading last night, and then go see Hagrid, maybe." Snape looked him over.
"I've spoken with the Headmaster. He believes you're safe enough on school grounds. He's even set up more wards to keep everyone but you, I, Hagrid, and himself out." Harry nodded. "It's also to keep you in. We, Dumbledore and I, believe that you were given some sort of potion that helped a spell enter some sort of compulsion in your actions, something that only your kidnappers could use. The wards will stop you at the gates and borders of the grounds if such a thing should happen." Harry stared a Snape for just a moment before dropping his eyes.
"I see." He said quietly. His throat threatened to close up. He took a sip of pumpkin juice to open it back up.
"Once we figure out how to remove it, you should be all right." Harry nodded, swallowed some more juice and excused himself from the table. Snape watched the boy walk away. He looked to Harry's plate. It was still full.
Back in his room, Harry added his second ingredient to the vial and shook it. He smiled as the blue leaves turned pink. So far, so good. He rehid the vial and went over to the window. He was trapped. He wondered how worried Matthew and Tom were. If they were at all.
"How is he, Severus?" Dumbledore asked as he came in.
'He drank all of his juice." Snape answered. Dumbledore looked at the still full plate.
"He ate well for the last two days." Snape nodded.
"My point exactly." Snape said. "He ate well yesterday and the day before. Today, when I told him about the new wards, he appeared calm, but it seemed to kill appetite. He then retreated to his room." Dumbledore looked over to the door. "I have a feeling that this spell is still there, just buried." Dumbledore nodded, the twinkle dying from his eyes.
"I was afraid that you were going to say that." The older professor commented.
"What are we going to do for that boy?" Snape asked, folding her arms.
"Protect him. Voldemort is still out there, gaining power. We'll need to be vigilant about Harry." Snape nodded.
"I'm going back to my research." Snape went over to Harry's door and knocked. He opened the door and stuck his head in. "I'm going to the library. Would you like to come along?" Snape paused for a moment, and then shut the door. "He didn't want to come." Snape told Dumbledore as he gathered up his notes. Snape shook his head and left the room. Dumbledore would know what to do with the boy.
Dumbledore walked over to Harry's door and knocked. "Come in." He did as told. Harry was lying on the bed, face down, curled up under the blankets.
"Harry, are you all right?" Harry sat up.
"Yes Headmaster. I'm just a little tired, that's all. I thought I would go back to sleep for a while." Dumbledore sat down on the bed and looked at the boy.
"Anything else wrong, Harry?" Harry shook his head. "Anything you remember?"
"No, sir. Nothing." Dumbledore nodded.
"All right. Dobby will come to check on you a little while later." Harry nodded. "I'll leave you to rest now." Harry smiled and watched the older wizard leave the room. As soon as he left, Harry went to the closet and added his last three ingredients. He shook the vial and watched the color change from pink to sludge green. He smiled and went into Snape's room. He pulled a set of Snape's robes out of the closet and went to the bathroom. Snape's hairbrush was sitting on the counter. He pulled a few hairs out and wrapped them in a bit of parchment. He left the rooms and hid the vial and hair in one of his pockets.
He wandered around until he found Dumbledore. The man was around the corner, talking to someone. Harry checked. It was Filch. He added the hair and shook the vial. He changed robes quickly and hid his others in a pocket of the robes. He opened the vial and drank his potion, hoping he had done it correctly. The strange feeling started. He held his stomach and waited until the feeling stopped. He thought it felt complete. He certainly felt taller. He took a breath and stepped out where Dumbledore could see him. He grabbed his left arm where the Dark Mark should be.
"Ah, Severus." Dumbledore took in the professor's posture and nodded. "Very well, Severus. Please be careful. Pomfrey will be standing by should you need her." Snape nodded and turned, walking away quickly. The potion wouldn't last much longer. A few minutes at the most.
Once Harry was far enough away, he broke out into a run. He found the familiar witch statue and tapped her nose with his wand. The passage opened up and he was down it in a rush. He ran down the passage, thinking that it must have grown longer somehow. He found the trapdoor and eased himself through it. Once he saw that no one was in the basement, he Apparated to the mansion.
Dumbledore was walking down the hall, lost in thought. Severus was called to attend a Death Eater's meeting, Harry was down in the dungeons resting, and Dumbledore found himself unsure what to do. He glanced up when he passed the library. Severus was seated at a table, pouring over a book. Dumbledore went in.
"Was the meeting cancelled?" Dumbledore asked.
"Meeting?" Dumbledore motioned to his arm.
"I have felt nothing for a few months now, Headmaster." Snape said. He wondered idly if Dumbledore was not getting a little old.
"I saw you. You stood there, holding your arm." Snape froze for a moment before jumping up from his seat. He rushed to the dungeons, Dumbledore hot on his heels behind him. He burst into his rooms and went immediately to Harry's room. The boy was not there. He growled and checked the rest of the apartment. He pulled out a parchment and tapped it with his wand. "What is that, Severus?"
"An idea I got from Potter and his friends." He returned. He watched as the map came up, showing the location of Dumbledore, Filch, Mrs. Norris, and all of the local ghosts. No Harry. "Damn!" He growled. "Harry is gone." Dumbledore paled.
"How did they get him?" He asked as he sank into a chair.
"I have no idea. They, whoever they are, are very clever. They managed to get in here, impersonate me, take the boy, and get out." He shook his head.
"How did they get past the wards?" He asked Dumbledore.
"I felt nothing going off. But I am going to personally check each one." With that, Dumbledore rose and left the dungeons. Snape stared off into space. How had they done it?
Harry fell into the middle of the living room. He sat up and looked around. He had made it! He jumped to his feet and smiled. "Freeze!" Matthew's voice said from behind him, his wand jutting into Harry's neck.
"Matthew?" Harry squeaked. Matthew took one of his shoulders and spun the man in front of him. "It's me. It's Harry." Matthew looked closely. "I used a potion to get out." Matthew recognized the voice.
"Harry?" Matthew smiled and lowed the wand. "You're okay. You're here! Come on, we've got to find Tom!" Matthew tore out of the room, Harry being pulled along behind. "Tom!" Matthew shouted, checking the library. Tom was sitting in a chair, staring off into space.
"Tom! Look who's back!" Matthew pulled Harry forward, forgetting whom Harry looked like. Tom sat up.
"Severus?" Harry shook his head.
"It's Harry, Tom! He used a potion to get out." Tom's eyes widened and his face paled. Harry thought the man was going to fall over. Tom came forward and gathered Harry into a hug just as the potion wore off.
"I've been so worried." Tom whispered. Harry stayed still for a second. This was Voldemort! The man who had killed his parents. Harry looked up at Tom's face, blue eyes staring down at him. This wasn't Voldemort. It was Tom.
"I'm okay." Harry said, returning the hug. "I'm home."
Reviews: Thanks for sticking with me, guys! I'm almost back to where I left off. Don't worry. It's getting there, though I have two separate paths for this story to follow. If you're interested in helping me decide, email me and I'll send you the details. Thanks!