Author's Notes:

risi - thank you! sometimes I like confusing my readers...

beth - you are right. I fear this is going to be epic. actually it all depends on the characters, but at the moment the seem to want to go a bit slow.

anon: I'm sorry, but I needed the foreshadowing scene. It is important to understanding the story. This story is gloing to be a supernatural AU, so it will stay a little obscure.

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Chapter 10

"I cannot believe you did that Albus!" Snape's usually pallid cheeks looked almost rosy. "Have you even for a second thought of what might happen if the students write their parents that there's a wild phoenix somewhere around the castle? Can you imagine what it would mean for -"

"I have thought of that Severus," Dumbledore was the embodiment of calmness, relaxing deep into the comfort of his armchair. "I am counting on it, in fact. Now," he added, folding his hands over his stomach, which looked more than just strange in his blue-striped robes. "I would be very grateful if you could refrain from pacing a hole into my office floor."

Snape's robes billowed around him as he swivelled to a stop. "I am not pacing a hole into your office floor."

"You aren't anymore," Dumbledore pointed out. "But you certainly would have succeeded, had you continued any longer."

"I do not pace. Ever." Snape's dark brown eyes glared irritatedly at the snickering portrait of Phineas Nigellus. "And you would do well to remember that your frame is not protected against vandalism."

"Severus." Albus sighed deeply, shaking his head as the potions master tried to glare the portrait into silence. "When are you going to start Harry's occlumency lessons?"

Severus frowned deeply as he finally tore his gaze from the portrait. "Do I have to?"

Dumbledore's eyebrows almost disappeared into his hairline. "I thought we had come to an agreement?"

"No headmaster," Severus sat down, perching on the uncomfortable chair like a big crow. "You had decided."

"We had decided together," Dumbledore reminded his younger colleague. "I merely asked for your co-operation."

"Of course headmaster," Snape's voice was more than just cynical. He smoothed his robes over his knees. "Your wish is my co-operation."

"Harry has to be taught," Dumbledore shook his head. "We do not know how much Voldemort can learn from his dreams. We have to protect ourselves."

"Of course." Severus sighed deeply. His reluctance was more than obvious. "I'll give him a detention today. We will start at once."

"Thank you Severus." Dumbledore's smile was almost blinding. "I knew you would see reason."

Snape just glared angrily at Phineas as he finally stalked out of the office. Monday evening was his only real free evening and of course Albus just had to make him spend it with Potter. He smiled suddenly. Maybe there was something good to be won from this after all. He just had to hand out a few more detentions.

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His mood had improved to something that could almost be called good as he strode through the dungeons after lunch. The corridor in front of the potions class room was already crowded with students. A quick glance around confirmed his first suspicion. Severus sighed as he opened the door with a flick of his wand. All students were present. Even Potter was on time today. Pity.

He sneered at the room, simply enjoying the effect of it, as the students finally took their seats.

"I am surprised that all of you decided to be on time today," he announced. "But at least that means that there is the chance of some of you actually learning something today." He grinend at the Longbottom boy, who flinched immediately. Good. "You will work in pairs today. Longbottom," he once more turned his attention to the shivering boy. "You will work with Mr Malfoy today." A groan echoed through the whole class.

Severus glanced at his list again, before quickly pairing of the other students.

"Granger and Crabbe." Even more groaning, this time on both sides.

"Potter and Goyle."

"Weasley and Zabini." For a moment Severus felt sorry for his Slytherins. Every one of them had been paired with one of the Gryffindors. He shrugged, sneering the class into silence once more. At least Albus would approve. House interactions and everything.

"Today will be a theory lesson," he announced, stalking up and down between the tables. "I will give each pair a potions book that is neither on your book list nor on the syllabus for this year and a specific potion you are to research. Each pair will give a speech in front of the class on the potion they had to research." With another flick of his wand the cupboard to his left opened and some heavy, leather bound books floated out, one of them settling down on each table. "Get started! You will hand in drafts of your speeches at the end of the lesson."

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Two very subdued groups of students left the potions class room one lesson later. The Gryffindors and the Slytherins even refrained from insulting and hexing each other and instead concentrated on grumbling about their teacher. Snape had been more unfair than he usually was and even the Slytherins had managed to get some detentions, although they did not lose any points. It seemed that no matter how bad his mood Snape just could not bring himself to deduct points from his own house.

"It's unfair," Ron kicked angrily against the nearest piece of armour. "I swear, he only paired us off like this to hand out detentions."

"I'm with you on this one," Harry sighed, hoping that Ron would calm down soon. The redhead's temper was even more volatile than a blast-ended skrewt. "But if you continue like this, he'll give you another detention for damaging school property."

"He's right Ronald," Hermione pulled Ron back from another armour. "Stop behaving like a child."

"A child?" Ron glared at her. His ears were just as red as his hair. "I'm not a child!"

"But you are behaving like one!"

"No, he isn't." Harry interrupted his friend, changing their direction to the quidditch pit. "But Snape is, if he really paired us off like that just because he wanted to hand out detentions."

Hermione's ginger curls bounced around her shoulders as she shook her head. "Giving Ron a detention simply because he annoyed Blaise and giving you one as well because you didn't check what Gregory had written for spelling mistakes was unfair."

"Yeah," Ron agreed bitterly. "As was making you suffer a whole lesson next to Crabbe. And giving you a detention for breathing at the wrong time. And we can't even complain about it to the headmaster. He would only say that Snape was encouraging us to take care of each other or something."

"Let's just hope that we manage to survive the evening somehow." Harry grumbled.

Groaning Ron hit his head against the nearest stone wall, not even stopping when Hermione once more tried to pull him away. "Please don't remind me that our detentions start today."

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On the outside he was just as calm and collected as always but on the inside he was grinning madly. His plan had worked better than he had dared to hope. He had not only managed to give Draco and Potter detentions but also the rest of the damned golden Gryffindor trio. Perhaps life was good today after all. Even without raspberry jam. What better way to get back at Minerva for that than claiming her pet students' free time?

She would probably never forgive him, but then he had never been someone who sought forgiveness from anyone. He had learnt early enough that everything had its consequences and that some things simply were not meant to be forgiven.

He had planned to spend the evening in the forbidden forest, but at least he could get the first of the occlumency lessons with Potter over and done with. He smirked at a passing Ravenclaw.

The black-haired girl immediately shrunk back against the wall. Plus he could send Weasley to Filch for some nice, old-fashioned hand-to-scrub cleaning and give Draco some time to get close to the Granger girl. Maybe the Gryffindor know-it-all would be able to tempt the boy away from Lucius' dark influence.

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Harry shivered with anticipation as he slowly closed in on his prey. His tongue darted out to wet his almost non-existent lips. Another whimper escaped him. He was so close. So close to coiling, to striking. He only had to await his master's command. No one noticed him as he slithered through the assembled pairs of feet, only once stopping to admire the texture of a especially beautiful pair of dragonhide boots. They looked as though they must be heaven to slide over.

"Nagini!" He stilled as soon as the cold voice boomed through his mind. No, he tried to frown but failed miserably. Something was wrong here. He was not supposed to answer to this name. "Just a little further, my pet," the voice in his mind crooned. "You have almost reached the traitor. It is time to give him what he deserves."

He launched himself at the ankle of the man, his poisonous teeth bared and ready to strike. His veins sang with pleasure of the imminent kill and Harry groaned, unconsciously rubbing his scar as he shook his head.

"Hey mate?" Ron shook his shoulder more roughly than necessary. "Are you back with us? You suddenly zoned out."

"Yeah, I think I am." Harry mumbled almost incomprehensibly. "I think I just had some weird daydream or something like that."

"Daydream?" Hermione quickly pulled Harry and Ron into a deserted corridor. A few surprised glances followed them, but nobody came after them. The pupils of Hogwarts had learnt to expect strange behaviour from the Gryffindor golden trio. "Harry," she let go of her friend's robe. "Did you have another vision?"

"A vision?" Harry laugehd sharply, the sound never reflected in his eyes. "I wasn't sleeping Mione."

"It could have been a waking vision," Ron interjected. His red hair clashed horribly with the carpet on the wall. He was looking away from Harry and Hermione, making sure that none of the other students disturbed them. "They are rare, but even Trelawney is supposed to have had some.

Harry snorted. "Well, that settles it. If Trelawney has had it, then it can't have been a vision. No," he shook his head. "It was only a strange daydream, nothing more."

"Harry," Hermione grabbed her friend's shoulder, forcing his attention back to her. "Are you sure?"

"Leave him be, Mione." Ron was already back on his way into the main corridor. "We'll be late for lunch if we stand here all day. And arguing doesn't solve anything."

For once Hermione completely agreed with her red-headed friend.

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"I am glad that you could spare some of your time to see me," Lucius boewed briefly to the man behind the heavy oak desk. "I have new information, which could be very useful for your case."

"Could it indeed, Mr Malfoy." The square-jawed man pushed a stray lock of straw-coloured hair away from his face. "And is this information important enough to justify your presence here?" He pulled his glasses down to the tip of his nose, squinting through them at the blond death eater. "We had agreed not to meet in public."

"This can hardly be called public." Lucius pointed out, glancing around the sparely furnished office. No one who came in here for the first time would recognize this as the office Fudge's inofficial security advisor. "But I can always leave again, if you would rather be rid of me."

"You will stay." The man's voice was cold enough to send an unwelcome shiver down Lucius' back. "And you will report immediately."

"Of course, Sir." Lucius hid a satisfied smirk. "I have finally found proof for the death eater activities of a person you have been wanting to arrest for quite some time now."

"And that person would be?" Sturgis Podmore pushed his glasses back up. "You should know better than to keep me waiting Mr Malfoy. Especially if one considers your own involvement with a certain illegal movement."

"Of course," Lucius swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth. "I have found letters and photos that prove Severus Snape's involvement with the death eaters."

Podmore's eyebrows shot up into his hairline. "And why should we believe that you are truly handing over your son's godfather and your supposed best friend? I have to admit that actually managing to get to my office is really quite a feat, even for somebody like you," he glanced contemptiously at Malfoy. "Why should I believe anything you say?"

Lucius' eyes narrowed danerously. "Severus Snape is not a friend of mine. It was Narcissa's wish to make him Draco's godfather."

"Just hand this so-called proof over and get yourself out of here;" Podmore sneered at the blond Slytherin. "I have better things to do than wasting my time with the likes of you."

"As you wish." Lucius answered as haughtily as he could, stalking out of the office without another word. His black cloak billowed behind him. He smiled as he hurried through the corridors. The Snape problem was in good hands. Now all he had to do was make sure that Draco ended up just where he wanted him to be.

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Pain soared through her eyes as she opened them again. She could not sleep anymore. The call had become too strong to resist. They were coming for him and he needed her now more than ever. Even more than he had needed her when his parents had died.

Sighing he stumbled to her feet, each joint protesting loudly as she finally moved them again.

"Relaxo," she whispered, pointing at her right leg. Her breathing evened the second the cramp disappeared. Had she slept too long? She needed to find her charge and she needed to find him quickly.

"Cuda," she said resolutely to the empty cave. Her unsued voice resounded hollowly around her. "Great mother of all, who dwell in the seven realms, allow me to ask for thy assistance once more."

A heavy silence suffocated the cave. She stood in the middle of her hiding place, a much too thin figure with almost absurdly long, tangled hair. Green eyes glared into the gloom from sunken features and prominent cheek bones. Her stomach rumbled loudly. She had not eaten for centuries and now, that she had woken again, her body had decided to remind her forcefully of the fact. Raven sighed, taking another stumbling step towards the exit of the cave. She had no time to hunt for food. Her little one was in danger.