Chapter Four

Lesson 1…The Snake with Silver Eyes

The trio ran into Professor McGonagall on there way to the Gryffindor Dormitories. Because Harry hadn't arrived yet, Ron and Hermione spent a few days there instead moving down to Slytherin Common Rooms right away.

"Ah…I am glad I found you three," McGonagall said curtly, "if you will just gather your things I will show you down to the Slytherin Common Rooms."

McGonagall waited patiently in the Common Room as Hermione gathered her things and Harry helped Ron gather his, seeing that Harry's things had been deposited in the Slytherin Rooms upon his arrival.

McGonagall led the way down twisting curving dungeon halls to the Common Room. Harry was very surprised she didn't get lost down here.

"Here we are," but instead of saying a password. She put her hand out palm facing a snake carved into the wall with silver slitted eyes. A beam of light from the hands hit her in the eyes, but it didn't seem to hurt her. Then as the beam disappeared the snake coiled and turned into a doorknob. Instantly McGonagall pulled open the door.

Harry and Ron exchanged looks; it was a much different way to enter than when they were in Second Year. The Common Room was also different. It seemed warmer, same colors and furnishing, but the fire was cackling and on almost every spare space on shelves, cabinets, anything there were books.

"After, the stunt you two pulled in your second year, Professor Snape, thought it best to avoid such troubles again by changing the password entrance." McGonagall said and almost smiled at the guilty looks on the trios' faces', "Yes, Professor Snape knew about it, but thought it best to let you to gather the information you needed to prove that his Slytherins were innocent."

After McGonagall was sure they knew what they needed to know about the Common Rooms, and how the next 4 weeks would run, she left with only a reminder of tomorrow's lesson with Professor Snape.

………

Harry was the first one awake and was startled by his surrounding until the events of the following day finally sink in. It was seven in the morning, and by the sound of the snoring coming form the bunk across the room from him, Ron was still sound asleep.

Sleep, Harry thought, what happened last night that I don't remember? And that is when he realized NOTHING happened during the night. He had no nightmares, no visions, no anything, not even a dream. He got a full night sleep and he felt GREAT. That is until he realized what was also happening today. Lessons, his first lesson with Snape, he knew he had to be ready at 10:00 sharp or there would be consequences for being late.

He gently shook Ron awake and after a few grumbling minutes of keeping him awake they crept down to the Common room and screamed from the bottom of the stairs until Hermione staggered down.

"Well," she huffed, "you didn't have to scream,"

"Well," Ron huffed back, "we couldn't go up the stairs."

"And why not?"

"Please," Harry whined, "not this early in the morning, breakfast is almost starting."

At the word breakfast Ron practically leaped up to his room. Hermione who was already dressed along with Harry began examining the room more thoroughly, "Oh, Harry, here is a letter, from Professor Snape,"

"Snape?" Ron muttered as he trudged down the stairs fully dressed in black Hogwarts robes, "why is Snape leaving us a letter. Go on the, read it then, mate,"

Lessons begin at 10:00 sharp, don't be late, and meet me in my classroom.

The letter wasn't signed, but they could tell by the spidery writing that it was from Professor Snape.

"It would be impossible to forge that mans signature," Hermione said with a lopsided grin.

"True, enough,"

………

They reached the Great Hall in record time. All the tables were still set up, but everyone was sitting at the Head Table, only a few teachers were still present. Professor McGonagall, Remus Lupin, Professor Trelawney, and Dumbledore, were the only ones in sight. Snape was no where to be seen.

"Oh hello, you three, care to join us?" Remus asked with a smile.

"How was your first night?" Dumbledore asked as they took a seat.

"Different," Ron blurted out, "I've never slept in a dormitory besides my own." Ron, unlike Hermione and Harry didn't seem at all shy around the few Professors.

Harry quietly talked about the upcoming lesson with Hermione while Ron babbled with the teachers.

"I am just saying Hermione, he is going to make it torture….."

"Harry, listen to me, if it eases your pain, there are three of us…..I am sure everything will be fine, you'll live, you'll see, I promise." Hermione's words did nothing to extinguish his anger towards Dumbledore for making him take the stupid lessons and Snape for agreeing to do it.

It was nine thirty by the time they finished eating. The three stood to leave all at once and trudged determinedly with their heads high towards Snape's classroom.

Well, Harry thought, here goes nothing….

………

Children that is all they are, just children. Their time is wasted learning Occlumency and Dark Arts; it won't save them from what is coming. They will still have to watch the torture that occurs. Silver eyes blinked from the doorway – eyes of silver that changed and turned to coal black, in literally a blink of an eye.

………

The trio found Snape waiting his arms crossed leaning against his desk in a patient silence. They were 10 minutes early, well, he can't be mad at us, now can he, Harry thought, they were early.

Snape straightened to his full height of 6'2" and spoke, "follow me," he said simply. They did as they were told as he led them out of the classroom and threw an even more complicated rout then the way the Slytherin Common Rooms.

"Professor?" Hermione said bravely, "what are we doing?"

Snape smirked, "you'll see."

Severus couldn't help, but smirk, as smart as Granger was, she could ask the dumbest sounding question. Of course, he knew it wasn't a stupid question, she was just curious, but that's what made it dumb. Long ago, he learned not to ask question just to quench your curiosity but to ask question to learn the answer for knowledge.

………

Harry watched Snape suspiciously, he could be leading them right into the hands of Death Eaters and he was falling for it. Harry wrapped his hand around his wand inside of his robes. Just to be ready incase he tries something funny. He had to be able to get to it quickly, he did remember that much form the DA's lessons he, himself taught last year.

That's right Potter, you be ready……and maybe luck won't save you this time…..

Snape stopped in front of a large set of doors about half the size of the Great Hall's. Snape pushed them open with graceful ease and held them as they passed by him. The room inside was completely stone, small, about the size of inside Hagrid's Hut, directly in front of them were two wooden doors each with a different symbol above it and another door to the left and to the right.

"Professor…what is this….." Harry asked and turned, but then realized to his horror, the doors were closed….and locked…..

End Chapter Four

TBC