Title: Harry Potter and the Summer From Hell

Author: Ladye Black

Warnings: Um, please realize I started this before the sixth book, so it deviates quite a bit now.

Disclaimer: Why, no! Would I own something like these pretty little characters? I just wanna play with them for a bit, that's all!

Notes: I am soooo sorry. Again. College is a lot of work. Especially with all the papers. I was writing papers instead of fanfiction. I'm sorry. But now I'm on break and I'll try to get a little done.

Chapter 21

Harry ran for a long time before he finally collapsed onto his hands and knees in exhaustion. He breathed hard, taking deep, gulping breaths before his heart finally calmed down and he was able to look around at his surroundings. After a few minutes of studying the landscape, he came up with one, useless fact. He had no idea where he was.

After a few more minutes of sitting in the dry grass, he realized something else. It was something he'd been missing since he came to this place, and he wondered how he could not have realized it earlier. He felt the tingle of magic all around him. He wasn't in a magic-barren place anymore. He could Apparate to Hogsmeade.

It took a few moments before Harry could get his shaky legs to bear his weight. Once he was standing, he concentrated on the place he wanted to be, and pictured all of himself there. Then, with a loud snap, he was there.

He stood on the outskirts of Hogsmeade, facing the road that led to the gates of Hogwarts. Harry took no time in marveling that he'd Apparated for the first time successfully, but ran towards the distant castle, intent on getting to the school's Headmaster and telling the man all he knew.

The gated were already open by the time Harry reached them, but he didn't pause to consider this. He just ran, his legs and sides burning, to the entrance of the Headmaster's office. The gargoyle jumped out the way as Harry approached and then slid back into place as the young man ran up to the office.

Harry ran through the door and right up to Dumbledore's desk. "Professor!" was all Harry got out before he collapsed against the desk, clinging on to it by the tips of his fingers.

Dumbledore walked around his desk to Harry, and knelt by the distraught boy. "Calm, Harry, calm. Take deep breaths, and then tell me what happened. I assume it has something to do with why I can no longer find Severus."

Dully, Harry nodded, and concentrated on getting his breath back so that he could tell the full story of what had happened on this horrible day. He was gently led to a comfortable chair by Dumbledore, and by the time he was ready to speak, he was also holding a steaming cup of tea.

The Headmaster took a seat behind his desk. "Lemon drop, Harry?"

The boy stared incredulously at the Headmaster before shaking his head 'no'. "Severus told me what you put in those things."

Dumbledore chuckled. "I'm unsurprised. Severus always did like trying to foil me when it comes to my favorite sweet. One year, while he was still at school, he tried to spike them with a Chattering Potion."

Harry had no idea what to say to that bit of irrelevant information.

"He and your father had been fighting in the hallways," Dumbledore explained. "It was the first time they'd been brought to my office. They'd each taken a lemon drop, but afterwards Severus, clever boy that he'd been, realized what had happened. He thought it would give me a taste of own medicine, so to speak."

All Harry could find to say was, "Oh."

"We've had a private war about it ever since. Nothing harmful, of course, and it does keep me on my toes." Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with merriment.

"With all due respect, sir, I'm not here to talk about the past. Severus is in danger."

The twinkle died, and Dumbledore looked seriously at Harry. "Severus has always been in danger. He knew that when he first took on the burden of being a spy."

"But-"

"I know you are worried about him, but there is nothing we can do for him until we know where he is."

"But he could be dead by then!" Harry hadn't realized that he'd stood, his hands clenched into fists by his sides.

Dumbledore looked at him gravely. "I know, dear boy. I know."

In that instant, Harry realized that Dumbledore really did care, perhaps even more than Harry himself. But Dumbledore also cared for the multitudes of people that might either die, or perhaps even worse, survive and be under Voldemort's rule. The Headmaster couldn't worry about just one person; he had to do what was best for them all.

"I promise you, Harry, that if there is any way we can rescue Severus, I will let you know. Unfortunately, at this moment, there is nothing we can do but wait…and hope."

Harry hoped with all his heart that Severus would be okay, and that they all would get out of this alive.

Severus lay limply against the damp stone wall. His session with Lucius had just ended, and he felt physically drained. He was bleeding profusely in some areas, and he knew that if things continued like this, he would be dead in just a few days.

Shaking off feelings of fatigue, he forced himself to study his cell, though he didn't think there would be anything useful. The cell was small, no more than six feet long and four feet wide, but the ceiling was high. The door he had been thrown through was made of heavy metal and had thick bars for a small window for which his jailers could peer through. Another window was set high up in the far corner of the cell. Thick metal bars didn't allow anything bigger than a small mouse through them. Right now, faint strains of moonlight shone through the space between the bars.

He knew he could escape, but towards what end he knew not. His internal reserves were already strained. Living in a magically null area for so long had slowly depleted him. Even if he could muster up enough magic to break out of the cell, he knew it would be nearly impossible for him to get to a safe haven.

No, he wouldn't be breaking out of this cell today. But perhaps in a few days, when his magic started replenishing itself, maybe then he could stage his escape. It seemed that Voldemort had forgotten one thing; Severus Snape did not depend on a wand to perform magic.

TBC…

Thank you all for your wondrous reviews. Hopefully, I'll get another chapter out before the end of break…hopefully.