Tracey and Daphne had just finished their last class for the day, and were on their way to meet Harry and the others for dinner. They were deep in a discussion regarding their charms lesson an didn't notice the group of girls that were standing in front of them, blocking the hall way. Both Slytherins looked up just before they ran into the lead girl, who was glaring at them as if they were something quite foul. There were eight girls in total, some from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff houses. The girl in the middle, who appeared to be in charge, Daphne recognized at once as Romilda Vane.

Shortly after Christmas holiday ended, Hermione, along with Ginny Weasley had pointed this girl out, and informed Daphne that there was a growing contingent of Hogwarts girls, led by Romilda who believed that the Slytherin girl had Harry in her clutches quite long enough. Both Ginny and Hermione warned her that they had heard rumor that Harry might be slipped a love potion just to get Daphne and Harry to split up and give other girls a chance at the Gryffindor Golden Boy.

Daphne had found the whole thing ridiculous, and laughed it all off, though inwardly, she had put her guard up, and tried to monitor who Harry interacted with, just in case.

Harry had of course heard the same warnings, and much to Daphne's relief, seemed to be trying to take precautions. Harry had taken to using revealing spells of his food and drinks, just to be safe. Neville had even joked about getting him a hip flask, much like Mad-Eye Moody had.

Daphne had also started noticing an alarming amount of girls giving her death glares. Most of these she ignored, but there were a handful of girls, mostly seventh years, she made mental notes to beware of. Some of those girls were quite powerful, and more than a bit scary in their own ways.

Romilda was quite tall and mature looking for a fourth year, with long curly black hair and piercing hazel eyes. She was in fact, quite pretty, if not for her rather snobbish demeanor. She stood with her arms crossed over her ample chest, staring daggers at Daphne, who looked a bit surprised. Tracey on the other hand looked to be sizing them all up.

"We've come to give you proper warning. It's time you let Harry go. You've had your fun, and he deserves something better."

"Excuse me?" Daphne asked with shock. "Had my fun? What exactly do you think I'm doing to him?"

"Oh come on. There's no way that Harry would willing fall for a Slytherin. We all know that you've enchanted him. He never looks happy."

"I'd watch your tongue before someone rips it out of your head." Tracey warned. "You don't know the first thing about him."

"I know he always looks miserable in our common room. I know that he takes extra lessons so he doesn't have to spend time with her." Romilda nodded toward Daphne, who was getting more than a little irritated. Tracey could swear that she felt the air ripple next to her.

"We think that you should do what's right for him, and let him go. Give him a chance to find real happiness. He deserves the best, and you're most definitely not it." this came from a girl standing next to Romilda, who was wearing Ravenclaw robes.

"Have any of you even thought of the possibility he looks miserable because we aren't in the same house and can't spend as much time together as we'd like?" Daphne asked, eyeing each girl in turn and settling her gaze on Vane, who simply scoffed at the suggestion.

"Right. Like he's really that hung up on you. Please. There are literally a dozen really good looking witches in Gryffindor who would shag him rotten if they weren't afraid of what you and your snake friends might do to them. But I'm not afraid, and I'm just giving you notice that I'm going to make him mine by the end of the year. I'm going to wake him up from his terrible nightmare of dating you."

"Is that so?"

"Once he's free of whatever spells you've used on him, he'll be so grateful, it won't even be a question of what he'll do." Vane smiled, folding her arms over her ample chest.

Daphne closed her eyes and took several breaths to try and calm her self down. When she opened her eyes again, she looked directly at Romilda, who looked as if she was smelling something very unpleasant.

"I'm going to say this only once, so you'd better listen, you complete cow. Harry is free to do as he pleases. If he wishes to break up with me and see other people, he is free to do so. I have no more control over him than I do the weather. If I were using anything to bewitch him into staying with me, I think someone like Dumbledore might have noticed, and put a stop to it long ago."

Tracey nodded for effect, glaring at each other girls who were standing in front of them in turn.

Romilda just shook her head, snorting with disbelief. "I'm supposed to believe a Slytherin couldn't find a way to fool teachers? Please."

"Frankly I don't give a acromantula's arse what you believe, you slag." Daphne snapped, her anger getting the better of her. "Harry is with me because he chooses to be. If you can't deal with that, then it's your problem. But let me be clear, If you try to do anything to ruin my relationship with MY boyfriend, I will use all of my Slytherin guile, and make it my life's pursuit to destroy your life forever. And just so you know, I'm pretty tight with the Weasley Twins. Now excuse me."

Daphne pushed past Romilda, shoving her hard with her shoulder, with Tracey right behind her. They rounded a corner and made it down one flight of steps before Daphne's tears came. Tracey wrapped a comforting arm around her friend and guided her into an empty classroom.

"Wasn't real until now, was it?" Tracey asked when the door closed.

"I don't doubt Harry at all, and I know he loves me, I do. But those cows could do something to him, and …"

"Daph, listen to me. No one, especially Harry is going to let anything come between you two. Harry still flinches whenever anyone mentions his moment of idiocy last summer."

Daphne laughed lightly in spite of her anger and frustration.

"No one who matters thinks that what you two have is anything short of true love. Sirius told me during the summer that he could not have picked anyone better for Harry than you. You're smart, funny, powerful, not to mention one of the sexiest witches in this school next to me."

Again Daphne laughed. She wiped at her eyes and thanked her friend for her support.

"Besides, I have the perfect solution for all this rubbish." Tracey grinned.

"What's that? Hexing that Vane slag into eternity?" Daphne asked, sniffing and wiping at her eyes again.

"Close. I was going to mention it to Astoria." Tracey winked.

"Oh come one, I know their horrible people, but even they don't deserve that." Daphne said quickly, then she cocked her head, thinking about it for a moment. "Well, ok, maybe Vane…"

The two Slytherin girls fell into a fit of giggles and soon left the classroom.

Harry noticed Daphne's puffy eyes when she and Tracey showed up for dinner. However, when he asked her what had upset her, she shook her head and told him it was nothing. Harry knew it was best not to push, and that she would tell him when she felt better.

Through dinner, he noticed Romilda Vane shooting his girlfriend death glares. This was becoming common place with many girls around the school and it was starting to irritate him. He hadn't noticed it before Ginny had told him about overhearing some girls discussing plans to slip him a love potion. Since then, he couldn't help but see the glares that Daphne got.

Most of the time Daphne ignored it, but Harry guessed today something else had happened to get her upset. Harry decided it needed to stop once and for all, and that everyone needed to just deal with the fact that he was with Daphne, and that wasn't likely to change so long as he had any say in the matter.

"Hey." He said, turning to look at her. She looked up, her dark eyes still a bit red from crying, he guessed. He leaned in and captured her lips and held them with his own for a long moment.

"What was that for?" She asked, a little confused, as Harry was sometimes reticent about being affectionate in the middle of the Great Hall.

"Because I love you." He smiled simply, and returned to eating. Daphne couldn't help but smile, and gave him a playful nudge with her shoulder in return. Her mood lightened considerably throughout the rest of dinner and into their study session. Harry noticed that Daphne did tend to keep some sort of hysical contact with him, whether it be sitting very close, or nudging him playfully.

She only tensed up again when Romilda Vane and her group of friends came into the Library to study. Harry felt Daphne stiffen a bit next to him, but once he kissed her again and rubbed the back of her neck, she relaxed a bit. Harry didn't fail to notice that Daphne had gotten tense when Romilda entered, and when the same girl was staring at her during dinner. He remembered Ginny's warning, and felt things were starting to get out of hand. He had way too much to worry about, and didn't need a bunch of stupid fan girls making life difficult for people he counted on.

Harry was going to have to have a word or to with Vane and make it clear where his heart was, and that she needed to get over her crush or whatever she thought she felt for him.

He had made no progress since returning to the school. The remaining wards had remained in place, and his growing desperation was making it so much harder to repair that blasted cabinet.

Draco Malfoy paced in front of the object of his ire, ruffling his normally sleek hair, and cursing loudly at his own ineptitude. Every time he felt he was getting close, he would lose concentration, or be too drained to accomplish anything. He was barely sleeping, and rarely ate, and he had become sickly looking. Drawn and pale. A shadow of himself.

What was worse was his growing paranoia. He felt as if he were being watched everywhere he went. He didn't even trust Crabbe, Goyle or Nott any longer. He'd started avoiding them all, leaving the dorm before they awoke in the morning, and returning late in the night. So far, he'd been lucky he hadn't been caught by Filch or that insufferable cat.

He had been attending classes, though he barely paid any attention, and rarely finished class work. Snape had tried again on several occasions to gain his confidence, but Draco always refused to listen, and always managed to escape the greasy man's clutches.

Draco sat down in a huff, staring at the broken cabinet, and wishing for the millionth time that he had never begged to be marked. He knew now without question that he was in over his head, and all he wanted to do was to run. To take his mother and escape to France, or Germany, or Russia. Far from England and the ire of the Dark Lord.

He had only heard from his mother once in the nearly two months he'd been back at school. She had him a short letter along with some cookies, which he'd scarfed down with relish. The letter had hinted that it would be wise to seek help. The trouble was, she had not indicated from where he should seek such help, or what kind of help. Whenever he thought of her advice, he became infuriated by it. Now was not the time for cryptic riddles.

His first thought was to accept Snape's help. However, the words of many disgruntled Death Eaters always gave him pause. Snape was highly suspect. Many felt he was too close to their master. Others felt he was too close to Dumbledore to be trusted. Draco's own thoughts of the man were that he would gladly sacrifice anyone to get in the good graces of the Dark Lord. Despite the fact that he had been a family friend for many years, Draco just didn't feel that Snape was the help his mother had referred to.

It really only left Dumbledore. The man he was supposed to kill. But that would mean admitting what he'd done, and what he was supposed to do, and Draco knew that meant a one way ticket to Azkaban, and that thought chilled Draco to the bone.

He had no other recourse but to complete his task. It was the only way to save his own life as well as his mother's. He had been spending a lot of time planning his escape from England once he'd accomplished his task. He'd also spent a immeasurable amount of time researching the Dark Mark and anyway he might break it's charm so that once he fled with his mother, the Dark Lord would be unable to track them down.

He had been unable to convince any teachers to allow him into the restricted section of the library, especially since he was avoiding any interaction with Snape. Draco was sure that several answers to his problems were hidden with in those ancient tomes. He felt stupid for not thinking of these things while he was at home, as the Malfoy library was a fountain of information on all things dark.

There was nothing for it now. He had to break the remaining wards and repair the Vanishing Cabinet, and he had to find a way to kill Albus Dumbledore, and he had to do it quickly. He could feel the cold breath of death on him more and more with each passing day.

"Professor Snape?"

Snape looked up at the door where the near mirror image of his school rival stood, looking tentative. Snape waved his hand non chalantly, beckoning the young man into his classroom. Harry potter entered upon the Professor's signal, and shut the door behind him.

"Today will be our final lesson." Snape said, not even bothering to look up. "I have given you a very thorough education in Dark magic spells. You have, rather surprisingly, managed to master many of those spells."

Harry smirked at Snape's version of a compliment. Snape rose from his desk and approached Harry, staring hard into his green eyes. He brought up his wand and aimed it over Harry's shoulder. Harry heard the distinct squelching sound of the door being sealed magically.

"The last spell I have for you is a very dark spell. It will open a very deep cut in your opponent's flesh. Without the counter curse, your enemy will bleed out and die. The incantation is Sectumsempra."

Snape stepped to Harry's side, and with a flick of his wand, A practice dummy, similar to those the DA used during their meetings appeared out of a cabinet behind his desk.

This is not a terribly complicated spell, so there is no reason why you should not master it at the end of our lesson. However, please refrain from teaching it to any of your friends. This is not a spell that is known by the Death Eaters, save for one. Me."

"You?" Harry asked, looking at his Defense Teacher.

"I have never taught it to anyone. I only do so now at the Headmaster's request to give you any advantages I can. Now, watch carefully."

Snape demonstrated the wand movement for the spell. Harry watched Snape's demonstration, and then tried it for himself. Snape snapped his wand on the back of Harry's hand when he did it wrong. Harry tried a few more times with similar results before Snape felt it was good enough to attempt a real spell.

Harry took aim and cleared his throat. The spell shot across the room, hitting the dummy directly in the chest leaving a slightly charred slash across the torso. Harry went quickly over to inspect the damage he'd inflicted, and imagined what it might do to a living breathing person.

The slash mark was thin, but was quit long. Harry had caught the dummy below the chin and the charred slash ended near the navel area. Harry turned back to Snape, who was watching him contemptuously.

"Where did you learn this spell?" Harry asked.

"I invented it." Snape said. Folding his arms superiorly.

Harry stared at his Defense teacher with a mixture of awe, and loathing. Harry guessed that Snape had developed his spell to use against muggles and Voldemort's enemies.

"Have you ever used it against anyone?" Harry asked, staring coldly at Snape, who still looked smug.

"Yes. Of course I have."

And then Harry saw it. Only for a second, but he knew he wasn't mistaken. Snape's cold black eyes softened for a split second, and looked regretful, before returning to their normal cold indifference.

"How many?" Harry pressed, returning to Snape's side to attempt the spell again.

"What does it matter?"

"It just does." Harry said firmly as he fired the new spell again, hitting the dummy with a diagonal cut from shoulder to hip.

"Seven." Snape said after a long pause in which Harry had hit the dummy three more times.

"Who were they?"

Snape looked at Harry, raising an eyebrow. "Why is it any of your business, Potter? Last time I checked, You are in no position to pass judgment upon me. I have paid for my crimes, not that it is any of your concern. All you need to worry about is mastering this spell so that we can finally stop having these… visits."

Harry agreed that he wanted to end his training with Snape. It always left him feeling disgusting and dirty. Usually after a lesson with Snape, he would spend an hour in the shower, trying to feel normal and clean again.

Plus, the sooner he finished with this final lesson, he would be able to meet up with Daphne, and maybe get some time in the Room of Requirement. She had been hinting that Tracey had given her an idea that she really wanted to try on Harry. She had mentioned that she had been practicing using a banana.

"Again." Snape commanded, snapping Harry out of his very pleasurable thoughts. Harry practiced for another three hours, in which Snape, as he had on every other lesson before this, had made him perform non verbally once he felt Harry had the spell down well enough.

By the end, when Snape had apparently had enough of Harry, and Harry felt he could perform this new spell just as well as the rest of his magical arsenal, Harry actually felt very tired. He was thankful that this was supposed to be his last lesson with the greasy haired git, but something occurred to him as he was heading back to Gryffindor tower to change and shower. Snape had not once insulted him or his father. Harry could not remember any lesson in which Snape had not at some point told Harry he was no better than his vile father. But today, not a syllable on the subject.

Plus there was that brief second of what Harry could only describe as regret. It really struck Harry, because, so far as he had guessed, Snape was an emotionless sack of putridness. The new spell he'd shown Harry that day was proof of it, really. Who would bother inventing a spell that would basically kill your enemy slowly.

Harry shuddered as he thought of using the deadly spell. He thought back to the previous summer when he'd talked to Sirius about what he might have to do in the war. Moody had worked them pretty hard that day, and Tonks had shown them some pretty powerful spells.

"What's up kid, you look like you might be sick." Sirius had said upon finding Harry staring out his window when he should have been sleeping.

"I don't know if I can do it, Sirius. Take some one's life again. I mean, when I thought Daphne had been killed, and I blasted that Death Eater, I was so full of adrenaline, I couldn't think straight."

"Harry, I just don't think it's in you to kill some one in cold blood." Sirius smiled, sitting on Harry's bed. "You're might find yourself in situations where the only way to survive will be to kill your enemy. Remember that they won't hesitate to kill you… or, well, I guess you're be safe until they bring you before Voldemort, since he wants to kill you, but you get my point, right?"

Harry gave a small nod and smiled.

"The point is that you'll be acting in self defense, and defense of your friends. You'll do what needs to be done. If you didn't feel remorse or a bit of guilt, then I'd worry. You're a really good man Harry, who's got one hell of a job to do before him. What's important is that you stick to what you believe and remember what it is you're fighting for."

Sirius gave a devious grin and nodded towards the door.

"And when you finally do ask that incredibly gorgeous woman to marry you, I want to be your best man."

Harry sighed as he gave the password and passed through the portrait hole. The Common room was fairly empty as Hufflepuff was playing Slytherin that day. Harry wondered idly if he could get a shower and catch the end of the game. Heading up into the dorm, he opened his trunk to grab some fresh clothes when he noticed something.

Shifting a few items around, he saw that the Marauder's map was missing. Thinking that it might be in his book bag, he dumped that out onto his bed and began sorting through his things.

There was no sign of it.

He remembered putting it back into his trunk when he'd gotten back to the dorm last night. He and Daphne had been using it to try and figure out where Draco had been disappearing to. He had put it in his trunk next to the two way mirror he used to talk to Sirius, and that was still there.

Harry wondered if Hermione had taken it, but couldn't for the life of him figure out why she would use it. It was possible that Neville might have it, but it was likely he was with Hermione at the game, and neither Tracey or Daphne could get into the Gryffindor tower. So where the hell could it be?

He needed to find his friends, and try and figure out what had happened to the Marauder's map. It was one of the few things he had that belonged to his father, and one of his most prized possessions. Not to mention it's usefulness. Harry couldn't stand the thought of someone else taking the map. He had to find it.

Theodore Nott sat on his bed in the Sixth Year Slytherin dorms studying his newest acquisition. He couldn't stop congratulating himself for pulling off such a feat as he had that morning. It had taken a month's worth of planning, but he'd done it, and no one would ever suspect him.

Everything started that night he'd over heard Potter and Greengrass talking about the map. He had been awed to learn that Potter had a map of Hogwarts. He'd started tailing Potter, trying to get a glimpse of this legendary map. Unfortunately he could never get close enough to see the damned thing.

Then a month ago while he was in the library, he'd seen it, and he'd seen how it worked. He couldn't believe his good luck. He hadn't been able to se the map to clear, and had to look as if he were searching for a book, but his plan had begun to form already.

Draco had unintentionally provided the Polyjuice potion, and that idiot first year Gryffindor provided the necessary hair. What took the longest was finding the Gryffindor tower, and learning the damned password. Fortunately he had learned how to disillusion himself over the Christmas holiday, and had been using it in the castle for the last two months.

Finally the opportunity had presented itself that morning with the whole school out watching Slytherin crushing Hufflepuff. He used the hairs of the Gryffindor first year and gained access to the atrocious Gryffindor common room. He remembered Draco's attempt at searching Greengrass' trunk, and vowed not to repeat those mistakes. Fortunately for Nott, no one disturbed him while searching, and the map had been right on top of everything in Potter's trunk.

He then returned to Slytherin House under a disillusionment charm to wait out the Polyjuice potion and examine the map. He had not forgotten the words it took to make the map work, and was truly shocked to see that not only was it a nearly complete map of the school, but that it showed exactly where every single person was. He took great pleasure in watching Potter leave Snape's office and walk all the way back to his dorm. He noticed that Potter remained stationary for a little while, and Nott guessed he probably knew his map was gone. With luck, he'd think Draco had done it.

Nott stopped watching Potter and began to really examine the map in earnest. He saw a handful of hidden corridors that led out of the castle, that he would need to check out. His master was going to be most pleased. Nott closed his eyes and sighed at the thought of what rewards awaited him for serving his Dark Master so well.

Nott surreptitiously rubbed his left arm as he allowed his mind to wander.