Chapter 2

"Gryffindorks!" He barked at the portrait of Salazar Slytherin, his emotions still in turmoil. He had always suspected the old man of being a little off his rocker, but this truly seemed to be the final straw. His eyes narrowed as he tried to rein in his temper, glaring angrily at the portrait, slightly suspicious at the portrait's silence.
It wasn't normal for Salazar to let him into his private quarters without a comment of some sort.

"Better for you anyway." Snape mumbled, his expression thunderous. Even the warmth of the black stones around him could not soothe him in the state he was in.

Snorting he muttered a warming charm and marched into the kitchen. He could just picture Dumbledore telling the boy that there was yet another heretofore unmentioned piece of the prophecy. Great, once Potter understood what that meant he would be even more insufferable. Why did it always have to be him?

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That evening found Snape still sitting in his favorite chair by the fire, an almost empty glass of fire whiskey safely tucked into his hands and his rage still firmly in place. He glared angrily at the clock on the mantelpiece, which cheerfully announced. "Time for dinner, dear boy!"

"Blasted abomination." Snape mumbled. What on earth had possessed Dumbledore to spell a clock into actually saying what time it was? As if the normal magical clocks weren't bad enough.

"Cheers." He mumbled, downing the rest of his glass. What had possessed him to keep the headmaster's birthday present? He should have gotten rid of the thing as soon as the meddling old coot had been out of the door.

The crystal trembled slightly in his finger as amber liquid refilled his glass. Drinking deeply, he tried to concentrate on finding a solution…any solution…to this newest problem which, according to Dumbledore, wasn't really a problem at all, because they only had to assure that this "lost raven" supported Harry.

Needless to say, the headmaster had not been happy when Severus had pointed out that lost things generally had the disadvantage of not being where one looked for them. The fact that none of them knew which raven was supposed to be lost, didn't help either. There were just too many questions. Even if the word raven was meant as a symbol, what if lost was some sort of metaphor as well?

"Time to let Albus in!" The clock called.

Shards of glass rained to the floor.

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"Really, my boy", Dumbledore frowned as he repaired the shattered glass with a simple wave of his wand, "you should try to get a grip on that temper of yours."

Severus simply stared off into the fire, refusing to answer the older wizard, who made himself comfortable in the second chair, glancing at the clock with a fond smile. With a deep sigh the potions master called the repaired glass to him and filled it again.

"Time to listen to Albus!" The clock chimed cheerily.

"Is there a spell to shut that accursed thing up?"

"It's an enchantment, Severus, not a curse." Albus sighed. "And there is no way of shutting it up. I thought you could use such a clock."

"I'm not complaining, Albus." Snape winced. "It's just that it's too helpful from time to time."

"Speaking of help..."

"What is it now, Albus?"

"I've told Harry."

"So?"

"Can't you at least pretend to be interested in the only one who might be able to destroy Voldemort?" Dumbledore asked, his exasperation in the sullen teacher quite evident.

"No."

"I want you to resume his occlumency lessons."

"What?" Snape sputtered, almost choking on his fire whiskey. "You want me to do what?"

"Resume Harry's occlumency lessons," Dumbledore stated calmly, "I believe we would all profit from such an arrangement."

"Would we now?" Severus stopped coughin long enough to compose himself.

"Yes."

"And pray tell me, Albus." Snape sneered. "In which way would I profit?"

"Well…" The headmaster grinned and Severus knew that he had lost this argument before it had even begun. There was no stopping Albus now. "Mr. Potter would, of course, be able to protect his mind and his dreams from Voldemort, which would be most useful. And you may find some hidden clue about that lost raven in Harry's mind when you teach him."

This time Dumbledore leaned over to pat Severus on the back as he sputtered again.

"You want me to probe Potter's mind for information while I teach him?"

"You will teach him then?" Severus groaned as Dumbledore smiled brilliantly. "I knew you would do the right thing, my boy!"

Severus was more than sure that the clock should have said time to despair or at least time to kill yourself as he stared numbly after the departing headmaster.

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"Time to get up!" The voice of that wretched clock called from the living room for the fourth time that morning.

Grumbling, Severus got out of bed, quickly going through his usual morning routine of washing and clothing himself. Today was destined to be a day of doom. It was Saturday and he was being forced to spend the evening attempting to teach McGonagall's golden boy.

Surely the headmaster would not expect him to teach Potter if he managed to find out what the lost raven was before the day was over? Discovering the answer to this newest mystery would surely absolve him from having to suffer an evening with Potter. Perhaps the meddling old coot had only asked him to teach Potter to spur him into working faster to answer the question of the lost raven's idenity?

"Right." He avowed with a new determination, glaring at the thankfully silent clock. "Tea, breakfast, and the library. No Potter today."

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Half an hour later Severus was stalking the hallways, heading for the library with his usual expression of disdain firmly in place. He hated this life at Hogwarts. Not that he hated the place itself, more that it was built of stone. Of course, stones were alive to some degree, as all things of the earth were, but he always felt cold when he was surrounded by them. He could sense the near lifelessness of them. It simply wasn't home, a small voice in his mind supplied promptly.

What he hated most about Saturday mornings at Hogwarts was the lack of students to terrorize. He took great delight in their scurrying to clear the way as he passed through the halls. Everyone who could be was in Hogsmeade and the students who weren't had other things to occupy them, keeping themselves clear of trouble. Snape's upper lip curled. It always been his greatest pleasure to search for students who were violating the rules and punish them accordingly. He sighed inaudibly, today it was not to be. Today things he had a great many things to accomplish. Confidently he disappeared around the corner, intent on reaching the library.

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"Who?" He staggered as a student barreled into him. "Potter! Naturally, it would to too much to expect that the golden Gryffindor boy might watch where he was going."

"I'm sorry, Sir, but you ran into me as well!"

"Two points from Gryffindor for talking back, Potter!" Snape said almost cheerfully, dusting off his robes. "I shall not suffer your insolence willingly. It is bad enough that I have to endure your presence in my class."

"Yes, Sir." Potter forced out, his voice trembling with suppressed anger. "Are you through with insulting me for now?"

"Why, Potter, do you wish to lose more points for Gryffindor for your cheek?"

"No, Sir."

"Very well, Mr. Potter. You may go now!" He stopped as soon as he was fully around the corner, slowly counting to three.

"Sodding, greasy bastard."

"Ha! I heard that Mr. Potter!" Snape jumped back around the corner, eyes alight with glee. "Ten points from Gryffindor for insulting a teacher and a detention with me." He suppressed a smile as the boy's eyes narrowed angrily. "Your detention will start immediately. Follow me, Mr. Potter."

Turning, he allowed himself the luxury of a brief smile. If he had to do all this research because of Potter, the accursed brat might as well help.

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"Sir?"

Severus mumbled something unintelligible and turned another page with a heavy sigh.

"Sir?" Harry said again, trying to get Professor Snape's attention.

The pile on the table at his right side was already quite impressive. How many more books would he have to search?

"Sir!"

Severus sighed again. "What is it Potter? Or are you unable of concentrating any longer and simply have to say something…anything."

"I think I've found something, Sir."

"Have you now?" Reluctantly Severus raised his head, barely restraining himself from scowling at the boy. "And are you quite certain that whatever you found is worthy of my attention?"

"Quite surely not, Sir." Potter spat out. "I doubt you'd find much of anyone or anything worthy of your attention."

Severus sat the book aside, quietly glaring at the boy for a few minutes. Potter had grown over the summer. His clothes were still ill fitting and far too big for him, but he'd lost the unhealthy pallor that he'd once had. His hair was a mess, as always, though a bit longer and his features had sharpened, enhancing the boy's delicate cheekbones. The only things that had not changed were the boy's eyes. They were still a vivid emerald green, Lily's eyes.

"Are you aiming for another detention, Mr. Potter?" He asked finally, his voice low.

"No, Sir." Potter straightened himself. "But if you wanted my help for this research, why didn't you just ask me?"

"Ask you, Mr. Potter?" Snape's eyebrows rose. "Are you trying to imply that you would have listened had I approached you with such a request?"

"Yes!"

"Really, Mr. Potter? I find that hard to believe."

"I would have listened as soon as you had told me that it was for the Order."

"Which, in your opinion, I should have told you in a public corridor, where anyone could have overheard."

"No, Sir." At least Potter had the grace to blush.

"What is it you found, boy?" Relief and anger quickly flashed over Harry's face.

Snape frowned. What was it this time?

"This book." Potter was still looking angry as he held up a big, leather-bound volume. "It repeatedly refers to someone called 'Raven'."

"The Almighty Almanac of All Avalon-related Actions?" Snape forced himself not to laugh. "Highly unlikely, Potter! Avalon is dead. It vanished into the mists shortly after Merlin's death. Surely Binns taught you that much?"

"We've only covered the Goblin wars, so far", Harry shrugged, "Binns truly seems to love them."

"That's Professor Binns for you, boy."

"Anyway, this is the only book who even mentions someone called Raven."

"Mr. Potter," Snape sighed, "The sole purpose of this research was to find information on this Raven, so it would simplify matters if you were to tell me what you found."

"Oh, yes…well," Potter frowned briefly, pushing his glasses a bit higher, "according to this book only a single priestess remained at Avalon after the Saxons conquered England and Merlin died. This priestess was called 'Raven' and the thing that made her so special was that she had been tutored in the ways of the bards as well. Muggle myths state that the Great Mother looked favorably at this and decided to turn Raven into a bird, an immortal raven, who was to guard and guide those of the blood of Avalon till the Sleeping King rises again."

"Great!" Snape snapped sarcastically. "Just great!"

"Sir? If this is true, then all we have to do is to find the lost heir of Merlin. That's good." Harry paused. "Isn't it?"

"No, Potter, it isn't." Snape's book hit the table with a loud thud, causing Madame Pince to glare at them, "As all of the books on lineage and family trees will tell you, there are two theories about Merlin. The first is that all of Merlin's children died in the war with the Saxons and the second is that every wizard is somehow related to him."

"Oh..."

"Oh, indeed, Mr. Potter."

"What do we do now?"

Snape sighed. "Isn't that obvious? We go to the headmaster and tell him what we've found and, of course, he'll want me to resume your occlumency lessons immediately." He was already rising, stalking towards the exit with a last glare at Madame Pince and the empty library.

"Resume my occlumency lessons?" Harry groaned inwardly, dreading the thought of resuming the hated lessons.