This chapter is a bit short, but needed for the story. I hope you enjoy! This chapter was asked for by so many of you so I have granted your wish!

Harry dreamed of castles and dungeons, knights jousting and bugles sounding, and poor Ivanhoe wounded and imprisoned. There was so much action – so many difficult decisions had to be made – and they were all unfolding in this wonderful book he had spent all night reading. Harry yawned and adjusted himself, happily falling back into the colorful, medieval dreamscape that invaded his imagination. He was now Ivanhoe – the greatest, toughest, and bravest knights of all –

A loud tapping interrupted Harry's dream. Harry tried to ignore it, scrunching his eyes tighter together.

The incessant tapping grew louder.

Harry groaned and opened his eyes to see a finger tapping the corner of his desk. The finger stopped tapping and then Severus squatted in front of Harry's desk, giving the boy a mild glare. Harry blinked, then shot up in his seat with a gasp, looking around the classroom. There was no one else in the room besides himself and his father. Oh no.

"Tired, Mr. Snape?" Severus raised an eyebrow. "Or was my lecture that boring?"

"No, sir. It wasn't. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"As I'm sure you've noticed," Severus said, standing back up and folding his arms, "class is over. You've slept through my entire lecture. Do you even have the slightest clue what class was about?"

"Err," Harry tried to remember what his father had been talking about before he had fallen asleep. He didn't have a clue. "Something about . . . boomslang skin?"

Severus narrowed his eyes at Harry but said nothing. It was enough to tell Harry that his answer was wrong. Harry gulped and looked down at the smooth surface of his desk, trying to ignore the waves of anger seething off his father. It was just last night Severus had lectured him and Draco on the importance of getting a good night's sleep. And he did the exact opposite.

"So, what kept you up this time?" Severus asked, sarcasm starting to creep into his voice. "Sugar?"

Harry shook his head. Using that excuse once was enough.

"You could have woken me earlier," Harry said softly, his face reddening at the fact that his entire class had to know that he had fallen asleep in his father's class. Why didn't his friends wake him? Hermione would have been aghast to see anyone sleeping in class.

"I could have, yes," Severus agreed, "but I'm sure missing an entire lecture will help this lesson sink in harder. I asked your friends to leave you be as well. This will have to come out of your participation grade."

"I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"But you did. And I would appreciate a good reason as to why."

"I . . . I'm just tired."

"I said a good reason."

Harry rubbed at his eyes, fighting a yawn. His mind tried to come up with a better reason than: I stayed up till half past three reading several chapters of Ivanhoe. He was just a little over half way through and he figured he could finish it over the weekend if he spent his hours doing just that. However, he was sure there was no possible excuse his father would buy except the truth.

"Harry," Severus growled, "I'm waiting.

Yep – the truth it was.

"I was reading."

"That book your uncle gave you? How late were you up till?"

"Maybe three? Four?"

Severus sighed heavily through his nose as he shook his head at Harry.

"I do recall our conversation last night and the night before. Do you remember what we've talked about on the matters of sleep?"

"Yes, sir."

"Please, remind me of those conversations."

"A good night's sleep is important to stay focused in classes. I know."

"If you know, then you should have done yourself a favor and went to bed at a reasonable time. Now it's cost you an entire lesson that you will have to make up. You will report to our quarters this afternoon after your charms class and we will go over the lesson you missed.

"But I have astronomy."

"Not until midnight. Unless Professor Sinistra has changed the times on me?"

"No, she hasn't."

"You are not getting out of this that easily, young man. And that book of yours, you will bring to me this afternoon as well, unless you have it on you now."

"Why?" Harry frowned.

"Because I'm taking it."

"No, please don't. I can finish it this weekend and it won't be a problem."

"But it is a problem. And what were you planning on doing, using good study hours to read? No, I'm taking the book and when you show me that you can manage your classes, get a good night's sleep, and stay awake through classes, I'll return the book to you. But for now, you are grounded from it for a week."

"But Dad, this isn't fair! You can't just –"

"Two weeks."

"Dad!" Harry's mouth fell open before he glared at his father, opening his mouth to protest more.

"Shut your mouth or I'll make it three weeks."

Harry hmphed as he shut his mouth, not wanting to lengthen his grounding any more than what it was.

"Two weeks it is. Lunch is in an hour, you should go find your friends and review what you missed in class before coming to meet with me. And you better have that book with you or I'll escort you to your dorm and have you hand it to me there."

Harry's face paled in mortification at that image, having his father walk him to his dorm in front of all his friends just to confiscate a book. He would do anything to avoid that. Harry nodded and said, "I'll have the book."

"Good. You're dismissed."

Harry jumped out of his seat, but before he could take a step, his father stopped him.

"Wait," Severus summoned a small vial from his supply closet. He handed it to Harry. "Take this."

Harry recognized it as Pepper-up. He sighed but opened the vial and gulped down the small dose, smacking his lips at the minty flavor. He handed the vial back to Severus.

"Hopefully that'll keep you awake during Charms. There'd be no point in going to another lecture just to sleep through it."

"Thanks," Harry said before leaving the classroom.

He found Ron, Draco, and Hermione in the hall sitting against the wall.

"Well, it's about time," Draco said, jumping to his feet. "How was your nap, Harry?"

"Oh, stuff it, Draco," Harry scowled at the blonde's smirk.

Hermione and Ron stood as well.

"Your dad didn't sound very happy with you," Ron stated, giving Harry a concerned look.

"Did you guys hear everything?" Harry's face burned as everyone nodded.

"I would have woken you earlier," Hermione said, "but Professor Snape insisted on leaving you be. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. My Dad said it was meant to be a lesson on getting a good night's sleep."

"Sleep is very important," Hermione said. "Getting a good night's sleep can improve memory and –"

"Save it for someone who cares," Draco snapped.

"You should all care! Sleep is critical to our health."

"We know! No one here wants a lecture about it. We just had to spend an hour listening to Professor Snape's lecture on flobberworm mucus."

"I found the lecture very fascinating."

"Of course, you did."

"Oh yeah," Harry remembered, "Dad told me to get a review on today's lesson from you guys. So, flobberworm mucus?"

After lunch and Charms lecture, Harry made his way down to his father's quarters, ready to impress the man with his knowledge on flobberworm mucus and its many uses in potions. He looked down at the cover of Ivanhoe, sad that he wouldn't be reading it for two weeks. It wasn't often he found a book that just roped him into its pages. Oh well, maybe a break would do him good. Then he could really focus on his classes and impress his father and earn the book back.

He opened the door to their quarters.

"Dad!" he called.

: He isn't here, Sam said from the corner of the living room near his dog bed.

Sam was busy performing "dog yoga," as Harry dubbed it just to annoy Sam, on a yoga matt. The fox would perform it every now and then, saying it was good for the muscles and overall health. Harry would sometimes join him just for the fun of it. And it did feel good to stretch. Right now, Sam was in an upward salute pose, standing on his back legs and reaching up with his front paws.

"Where'd he go?" Harry asked, sitting on the couch, setting the book down on the coffee table.

: First staff meeting, Sam answered, dropping into a downward dog. He'll be back in twenty, thirty minutes. Something like that. What are you doing here?

"I have to make-up a lesson I slept through."

: You slept through your father's class? Sam began laughing in his foxy way, his tails offering wags as he maintained a downward dog. How did that go over?

"I'm glad you find it funny. He's taking my book away." Harry stretched out on the couch. "I guess I'll just rest here till he shows up."

: You're welcome to join me. This will help revive your energy. Sam altered into an equestrian pose, placing one back paw in between his two front paws.

"I have a feeling I'll get on the floor and fall asleep," Harry said.

: You'll fall asleep just as quickly lying on the couch like that.

"Maybe," Harry yawned. He glanced at the book on the coffee table. Then something blue caught his eye.

It was Sam's dragon tooth necklace, resting on the corner of the coffee table. And it was glowing blue. Harry had never seen the tooth do that before. He always thought it was just a tooth. Clearly, there was more to it than just fashion. Harry sat up abruptly on the couch, his eyes locked on the strange phenomenon. Sam never allowed him to touch it, nor had he ever been this close to it when it was off Sam. He glanced at Sam, glad the fox was facing the other way. He reached out a hand to touch the necklace.

: Ah-ah! Sam said. Harry yanked his hand back. Sam had lowered himself into an upward dog and was looking back at him. Don't touch it. Especially right now.

"It's glowing."

: Yes, it does that.

"Why?"

: It's . . . a long story. It just wants to finish its job.

"What job?"

: Again, it's a long story. Just leave it be, it'll stop soon enough. It'll give up.

"Why aren't you wearing it?" Harry frowned, looking at Sam.

: One, because it's glowing, and two, because it pricks me when I do these stretches. Now hush, you're disrupting my breathing.

Harry stared at Sam a bit longer, watching him take in a couple slow, deep breaths, his eyes closed. Then he turned his attention back to the necklace. What on earth was Sam talking about – trying to finish a job? What job? As far as Harry could tell, it was just a necklace. Checking to make sure Sam was still preoccupied with his yoga, Harry reached out to touch the necklace once more. His finger brushed against the smooth surface. The blue glow seemed to wrap itself around Harry's finger, a sense of overwhelming power pushing gravity on Harry's chest. It was a weird feeling and it took Harry's breath away momentarily.

: Harry! Sam's voice scolded in his head.

Harry jumped and yanked his hand back. Sam was back up in an equestrian pose with the opposite foot, but he was glaring back at Harry now.

: I said don't touch it. Don't make me have to come over there and watch you.

"Sorry, Sam," Harry said, leaning back into the couch cushion, ignoring the necklace.

Sam stared at him a moment longer before focusing back on his breathing and yoga, though Harry could see by the fox's flattened ears that he was still tense and annoyed. Harry waited until the ears perked up, relaxed and calm and Sam was, before looking back at the necklace. He felt a strange pull to pick the necklace up. Maybe it was the eerily glowing blue light emitting from its surface. Harry reached out, glancing between the tooth and Sam. His fingertips lightly grasped the tooth and he held his breath, looking back at the fox. Sam wasn't looking; he was too focused on his yoga. Taking the opportunity, Harry picked the necklace up, cradling it in his hand.

The blue glow engulfed his entire hand, and Harry felt dazed, entranced. He wondered about the job Sam had said, and what it might be. What are you trying to finish? Harry thought, frowning at the tooth. Just finish your job.

As he thought that last sentence, the blue glow brightened, and a wind chill blew around Harry, causing every hair to stand. He shivered. When did it get so cold? A noise invaded Harry's ears, a voice that sounded a lot like Sam's, whispering: Reveal to me the danger I seek, reveal to me the danger I seek.

Harry looked over at Sam, but the fox didn't seem aware of what was happening. He looked back at the tooth when a thin, bluish fog settled around him, hiding away the entire room except the way to the door, which opened itself for Harry. The fog continued out the door, creating a pathway.

Reveal to me the danger I seek, the voice continued to whisper around Harry, reveal to me the danger I seek.

Harry stood from the couch and followed the fog, leaving his father's quarters, the tooth held tight in his grasp. The fog was leading him somewhere. It wanted to show him something. This must be the job Sam was talking about. What kind of job was this? And what danger did Sam seek? Or was it danger the tooth sought?

The fog lifted itself up the stairway to the first floor and Harry followed in a trance-like walk.

Reveal to me the danger I seek, the voice continued, before turning into the sounds of hissing, similar to a snake. The hissing sent shivers down Harry's spine. From the wall, it sounded as though the pipes were malfunctioning, banging and clanging. The hissing grew louder as the voice returned: reveal to me the danger I seek.

The fog lifted up another stairway, leading to the second floor. Harry was about to walk up the stairs when Sam bit down hard on his wrist, the hand which held the tooth.

"Ow!" Harry cried and yanked, but Sam kept a firm grip, snarling. The fox, wolf-sized, bit down harder, and Harry drew in a sharp breath, his eyes welling with tears. The fog around him was slowly fading away.

"Sam," Harry pleaded, his wrist hurting, "stop. Let go."

The blue glow of the tooth was starting to dim, and wondering if it was what Sam wanted, Harry dropped the necklace. The blue glow faded entirely as the tooth it the floor. There was no more fog, noises, or blue light. Sam released Harry, who cradled his wrist, which was red and swollen.

: I told you not to touch it! Sam barked angrily, his ears flat and his tails twitching agitatedly.

"I'm sorry!" Harry apologized. Harry rubbed his wrist. "Why did you do that? It hurts."

: It's just bruised, sprained at the most, I didn't bite that hard. Sam paced around Harry, his tails flicking every which way. The fox seemed very tense. He paused near the tooth, using mind magic to lift it and slip his head through the loop, shaking his neck out to put it back where it belonged. Then he walked circles around Harry again.

"What are you doing?"

: The price, the price, Sam grumbled.

Harry frowned, wondering what Sam was talking about. He looked at his wrist, seeing how swollen it was. He'd never touch that necklace again. Sam had never bitten him so forcefully before. The tooth's magic was interesting, and he couldn't help but follow it. It had been rather cool, but now Sam was on edge about the price.

"What do you mean price?" Harry asked.

Sam snarled at him, but before the fox could speak, blue fog swirled into view, spinning near the ground, forming the shape of a snake before disappearing. A black mamba remained in its place. The snake rose up and hissed.

Harry gasped and stepped back. Sam lunged at the snake, barking and snarling, nipping at it but avoiding its own strikes. The snake tried to slither around Sam, its tongue flicking in Harry's direction. Sam jumped in its way, managing to nip its tail and toss it back a few feet. The snake rose and spat at Sam, striking at the fox, missing by a hair.

Harry wasn't sure what to do. He reached for his wand and pointed at the snake when another one appeared at his feet and lunged at him. He screamed and fell over on the stairs, back crawling up them as the second mamba followed.

"Sam!"

Sam rushed to the stairs, biting the snake's tail and throwing it aside. A third and fourth mamba appeared, all lunging at Sam while trying to get around the fox. Harry crawled up the stairs, his heart pounding in his chest. He lifted his wand once more, wanting to help Sam defeat the snakes. A body-binding spell was on the tip of his tongue when he heard a hiss near his head. Looking up, he was face to face with a black mamba, ready to strike.

Harry screamed.

Sam looked back and his heart nearly jumped out of his throat. He raced up the stairs and lunged at the mamba that hissed at him. But when he closed his jaws, he only grabbed a mouthful of air. He stared at the empty spot. The snake had vanished, which meant the price had been paid. Sam looked at Harry.

Their eyes locked, but Harry's face was unharmed. Harry looked down at his arm, and Sam realized Harry must have blocked his face with it. Drops of blood dripped from four small puncture wounds.

: No, Sam moaned, rushing to Harry's side.

"I don't feel good," Harry said, his voice thick with tears, "Sam, I don't feel good, my hands are tingling."

: Relax, Sam said, sliding himself under Harry's arm to help the boy slide down the stairs slowly and carefully. He helped Harry lean against the wall. The boy looked flushed already.

Sam knew that when he had been bitten, his own magic had helped keep him alive, along with his preexposure to snake venom in the past. But Harry – Sam wasn't sure if Harry's magic would help him or not. And he was sure Harry had never been bit by a venomous snake before. Harry was starting to sweat, and his breathing was sounding more forced.

"Sam," Harry gasped.

: Just relax, Sam moved closer to Harry, don't talk. I'm right here.

Sam quickly sent out a telepathic message to Severus and any human that happened to be close to them. He hoped they moved quickly because Harry did not have a lot of time.

"I'm sorry," Harry whispered.

Sam sighed, his ears dropping, I told you to leave it be. Why didn't you listen to me?

"I don't know," Harry choked slightly on air, his body slowly becoming drenched in his own sweat.

: Hush, don't speak. We'll get through this.

Sam looked down at the necklace around his neck. He should have kept it closer in his watch. When that ghost girl had interrupted him days back, the tooth had never finished its job, which was to reveal the danger he sought. Sam wasn't sure if he wanted it to finish, knowing the price he'd have to pay each time. Eventually, if he ignored it, the tooth would give up on insisting he finish what he started. But he had put Harry in danger. And he felt terrible. He hoped someone would hurry up and find them.

Harry started crying, blood dripping down his arm to his elbow. Sam rested his head on top of Harry's, hoping to provide some comfort.

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