A/N : I know I said I might not be able to update everyday, but somehow I got this chapter done, so here you go. But still no commitments ya. And thanks for your wishes, ferns25100! Replying to AgosDelGrosso, unfortunately, I didn't plan for Dumbledore to be having a big part in this story. However, if my readers love Dumbledore so much, just let me know through reviews and I'll try to insert more Dumbledore scene!

Chapter 4 : The Dark Lord

The Dark Mark on Snape's arm burned just a minute ago. Snape was rushing all over his office, locking his doors and private store rooms before grabbing his cloak. Once he arrived at the apparition point outside the wards of Hogwarts, he apparated to join Voldemort and the Death Eaters.

Snape dreaded these meetings. Being a double spy wasn't easy. He hadn't been able to pass enough information to Voldemort without spilling some inside secrets of Hogwarts or Order of Phoenix that might do permanent harm. As the result, Voldemort would almost always get angry and torture him with the Cruciatus curse.

Unfortunately for Snape, things hadn't changed this meeting. When he was asked to report about any strange going-ons at Hogwarts, his answer wasn't satisfying for Voldemort. Crucio. Immense pain ran through Snape's body, causing him to curl up on the floor in agony. It took all his determination not to cry out loud. Voldemort enjoyed watching the pain in his Death Eaters who failed in tasks, but he forbade them to scream throughout the process. "It shows weakness", he said. Those who were unsuccessful in containing their howls often ended up with longer punishments.

When Voldemort finally finished with Snape, he was at the verge of succumbing into unconsciousness. His mind was blurry, but he was determined not to collapse. He still had a task to accomplish.

"My Lord, I have a suggestion to make. It's about the Potter boy." Snape started. "Hmm?" Voldemort prompted. It wasn't usual for his fellow Death Eaters to have ideas of their own, they just followed his instructions. "When I was having lessons with Potter, I noticed that he had some bruises and cuts which he tried to cover with charms. I believe he was being abused by his family. I cornered him afterwards and used Occlumency on him, which confirmed my suspicions. I'm sorry for acting without instructions, please punish me my Lord." Snape had expected Voldemort to be furious, instead, he merely signaled for Snape to go on.

"Thanks for the mercy, my Lord. I will work harder to prove that I'm worthy. Back to the Potter boy, I was under the impression that I was the only person that knew about his abuse, and I think we can use it to our benefit. If I manage to get the boy's confidence, it would be easier for us to lure him to you with arousing suspicions, my Lord." Snape stopped, and was anxiously waiting for reactions from Voldemort.

Having taken everything into consideration, Snape had ruled out the possibility of attending to Harry without the knowledge of his master. Voldemort might have more than one spy at Hogwarts. Even Draco Malfoy might pose a threat to this plan. On the other hand, Snape couldn't bear the thought of ignoring Harry's struggle. And when he came to think of it, pretending to get Harry's trust had other benefits too. For instance, it would be an excuse for lacking information as Snape needed to spend more time on Harry. Voldemort might also lessen his effort to possess Harry through their connection. Moreover, a fragile Harry could possibly cause Voldemort to underestimate Harry when it's time to fight. Also, it had milder risks, for Snape was good enough in Occlumency to make sure that Voldemort only sees pictures which he deemed suitable. All in all, this was the best plan Snape could think of, not flawless, but worth a try.

Before the meeting with Voldemort, Snape had voiced his ideas to Dumbledore. However, he didn't want to talk about Harry's household problems without his consent, so it made further discussion quite difficult. After several hours of fruitless attempts, Dumbledore made a brave choice. Snape was the only person who knew almost the full plan, and Dumbledore had known him long enough to trust his critical thinking. So, he simply let Snape decide whether or not to proceed. Although Snape tried hard not to show it, he was rather touched by Dumbledore's trust. On the other hand, a twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes suggested that he was more than pleased for Snape who finally saw through Harry's James-like appearance, and started to care for his nemesis's son.

Snape could feel Voldemort trying to peek into his mind, and he tactfully granted access to some memories. After quite some time, Voldemort withdrew himself. He thought had seen enough to trust Snape's suggestion. "Go on with your suggestion. Keep it mind that I will not forgive easily for further rash actions. You are dismissed." With that, their regularly irregular meeting ended.

Snape apparated thankfully back to Hogsmeade and walked slowly back to his room. His body was still aching from the Cruciatus curse. Fumbling through his stores, he found the vial of potion that eases the aftermath of a Cruciatus curse and drained it down. Almost immediately, he felt the pain that was threatening to engulf him fade away. He was sleepy, but he had one more thing to do. He took out his parchment and quill, and began writing a note to Harry.

Potter, (he brooded over the appropriate form of address before finally deciding not to scare Harry with the use of his first name)

I would like you to come to my office at 8 o'clock in the morning tomorrow. We have some issues to discuss. I guess you won't want to be late for class, so I expect you to be here on time.

Sincerely,

Professor Snape

After sealing the letter, Snape waved his wand and the letter disappeared, reappearing a fraction of a second later at Harry's bedside table.