Disclaimer –It isn't mine.

Chapter 2 – Shining Lights

Harry grinned as he landed just outside of London. He'd flown all day and he was exhausted but just so happy that he'd gotten away. He moved into the shadows of the alleyway and tugged off his invisibility cloak that he'd draped around himself once he got to the highly populated area. He felt as if he could touch the sky, like he could take on Tom Riddle himself and win at that moment. That particular thought sobered him slightly but it also gave him an idea.

One which would most certainly give Dumbledore and the Order a heart attack.

Harry's mouth twisted into a wry smirk. He would finish this and then they would have no choice but to sever the bond as it was no longer needed.

With that in mind Harry lifted the cowl of his cloak and stepped out onto the street crossing quickly and slipping into the pub leading to Diagon Alley. He garnered some interested looks but just ignored them, making his way swiftly through the room to the little courtyard out the back and tapped his wand against the bricks which quickly peeled back to reveal the entrance to the alley, quickly thanking Merlin he was now over age and could use magic whenever he wanted to.

Money. He needed some money first.

Keeping his face well hidden under his hood he hurried through the alley towards Gringotts. Thankfully, in the midst of a war there were lots of people hurrying around keeping their faces hidden, lest they become a target, and Harry fit right in.

He skipped up the stairs of the bank two at a time and slipped through the door.

'Yes?' Harry looked up but didn't lower his hood when the goblin at the desk in front of him spoke.

'Yes, I need access to my vault and to change some galleons into muggle pounds.' Harry said quietly.

'Name?' The goblin snapped.

'Harry Potter.'

The goblin's eyes widened.

'And I would appreciate your discretion.' Harry added, quickly realizing that Dumbledore must already be out looking for him.

'Of course, Mr Potter.' The goblin said quietly, summoning another goblin nearby. 'Take this gentleman down to his vault, Ricknog.' He commanded.

The goblin bowed his head and gestured for Harry to follow him.

Harry walked quickly through the streets of Knockturn Alley keeping his head down and his hood up. He'd changed several sacks of galleons into muggle pounds, keeping one full for this current shopping trip. He glanced up at the different shop names until he found what he was looking for. The shop had only one other person in it but Harry ignored them immediately stepping up to the counter and clearing his throat.

'May I help you?' The wizened old man behind the counter asked, his voice no more than a gravelly whisper.

Harry glanced behind him to see that the witch who had been in the shop was just leaving. 'I need a book on wizarding genealogy. Pureblood families and their history, particularly their allegiances. Self updating preferably.'

'Something such as that would be costly.'

'I have enough.' Harry said bluntly, placing the large sack of galleons on the counter.

The old man just stared at him for several moments before disappearing through the door behind him. Harry waited for several minutes before the wizard shuffled in again and laid a tome that looked to be several hundred years old on the counter between them.

'A young man would do well to remember that some secrets should be kept at all costs.'

Harry's green eyes flared, the only thing visible under his hood, as he hefted the book with both hands. 'I don't plan on saying anything.' He whispered before stalking from the shop.

'How are you feeling, Severus?' Dumbledore asked kindly as the potions master took the proffered cup of tea. More than a week had passed since Harry had disappeared and neither hide nor hair had been heard of him since. It was like he'd just dropped off the face of the earth.

'I'm fine, Albus.' Snape insisted causing the headmaster to raise a surreptitious eyebrow at the slight trembling of the man's hands.

'I can see that.'

Snape all but slammed the cup and saucer back down on the table. 'I said I was fine.'

Dumbledore opened his mouth to reply when the fire flared and the tall dark form of Kinglsey Shacklebolt stepped out. 'Kingsley? What is it?'

Kingsley looked between the two men. 'We have a situation, Albus. You might want to see for yourself.' He said slowly.

'What on earth are you talking about, Kingsley? Is this about Harry?'

The Auror shrugged. 'At this stage we don't know. I don't believe so, but it's probably best if you come.' He said quietly glancing once more at Snape. 'I think Severus should come too.'

With their curiosity more than peaked the two wizards stood and moved towards the fireplace. 'Carlton Manor.' The Auror said loudly, throwing a handful of floo powder into the fire.

Snape raised an eyebrow at the familiar name but Shacklebolt just gestured for him to go ahead.

Dumbledore looked around him curiously before moving to the side just as Snape stepped from the fireplace. The potions master looked at him before folding his arms over his chest. 'The Crabbes.' He said bluntly.

'This way.' Shacklebolt murmured as he stepped from the fireplace and headed out of what seemed to be a receiving room and down the hallway. The Auror seemed to take a deep breath before opening the door to what Dumbledore quickly realised was the kitchen.

'Mother of Merlin.' Snape swore as he caught sight of the two dead bodies sitting upright at the table, eyes staring sightlessly ahead and left arms laid bare on the table . The actual bodies didn't concern the potions master. No, he'd seen many of them after all. It was the mutilation of their left arms which still held a barely discernable Dark Mark that looked as if had been attacked by thousands of ants that had him almost retching.

'Who did this?' Albus asked, hiding his grimace well as he stared down at the mangled limb resting on the table in front of him.

'We aren't exactly sure, but…'

'Kinglsey?'

The Auror sighed heavily. 'This is the third of these we have attended this week.'

Snape's head shot up. 'What? Who else?'

Shacklebolt glanced at Dumbledore before answering. 'Geroge and Ninthia Goyle, and Petrov and Emmalina Flint.'

'But Emmalina didn't wear His mark.' Snape insisted, gesturing to the bodies at the table.

Kinglsey shook his head. 'No, we think she died of a heart attack. Shock when she found her husband the next morning in his study after she woke up and found he hadn't come to bed.'

'Dear God.' Snape breathed moments later after he stepped closer to the dead body of Angelika Crabbe and felt a vaguely familiar and slightly welcoming signature wash over him.

'Severus? What is it?' Albus asked.

Snape shook his head but bent to study the mutilated arm while he placed his hand out of sight of the others on the woman's shoulder, soaking up the residual magic and letting it calm his beating heart and shaking hands.

'This is quite disgusting.' He said clinically before removing his hand and straightening up.

Dumbledore looked at him quizzically but Snape ignored him as he looked to Shacklebolt. 'And you have no idea of who is doing this?' He questioned.

Kingsley glanced at Dumbledore before returning his eyes to Snape. 'We have our suspicions of course, but no evidence as yet.'

Snape nodded in understanding at what the Auror was purposefully not saying. 'Will you let me know if any more are found like this?'

Kingsley nodded. 'Yes, I will let you both know. It's best if the Order is kept apprised of just how many Death Eaters are still loyal.'

The unspoken comments hung heavily but no one said anything else as they headed back to the floo. Shacklebolt promised to keep in touch and the two wizards flooed back to Hogwarts.

'What had you so rattled, my boy?'Dumbledore asked the moment they stepped through the floo.

Snape sat down in front of the desk and scowled. 'You know exactly what stunned me, Albus, so just stop with the games.'

Dumbledore sat down heavily in his chair and shook his head, stroking his beard and suddenly looking every day of his one hundred and fifty odd years old. 'Are you sure it was Harry, Severus. Could you have been mistaken?'

'That was my signature, Albus; and you know I haven't left the castle in over a week. There is only one way my signature could have got there.'

'I can't believe Harry would do such a thing. What on earth is he thinking?'

Snape was silent for a moment. 'My guess would be that he is thinking of finishing this war any way he can, as quickly as he can, so that the bond can be severed.' Snape said bluntly.

Dumbledore shifted nervously causing the potions master to raise an eyebrow.

'I gather there is an aspect of this bond you haven't shared with Potter?' He questioned dryly.

The headmaster shifted again and cleared his throat. 'There is an aspect of this particular bond that I haven't shared with either of you, Severus.' He said slowly.

Snape's eyes narrowed and his expression became stony. 'And just what exactly would that be, Albus?' He asked coldly.

Dumbledore's eyes dropped. 'You have to understand, Severus. It was the only one strong enough; the only one Riddle couldn't break.'

'Albus.' Snape hissed angrily as he quickly realized what the headmaster was staying.

'I had to, Severus. Please try to understand.' Albus pleaded, looking up again.

'Albus, all I understand is that you have tied me to that brat forever. I can't believe you.' The potions master leapt off his chair and began pacing before the fireplace. 'An unbreakable bond? What the hell were you thinking? We hate each other. How do you think Potter will take this when he finds out?'

'Harry doesn't hate you, Severus. He doesn't even know you.'

'Well, he will certainly hate us all now.' He snapped, stopping his pacing and turning to face the elderly wizard. 'You will be lucky if he doesn't kill you too.'

'Harry will see that we did what he had to do. We couldn't let him die.' Dumbledore said calmly.

Snape stared at him incredulously and shook his head. 'You really don't know the brat nearly as well as you think, if you assume that after all this, that is what he is going to be upset about.' He growled before stalking from the room.

The little amount of Harry's magic that had been mingled with his own had soothed the symptoms of the stretched bond but he could feel it wearing off again. He wondered if it was wrong of him to wish the Boy-Who-Lived would kill again, and soon.

Harry hid in the shadows of the room; his heart was beating a little faster than normal but not from the adrenaline. No, it was from the mammoth task of making a hole in the wards small enough for him to sneak through without alerting the occupant.

Harry heard voices and then heard the sound of a floo as the last of the evening's guests left. He'd completed another of the tasks on his list earlier that night and now he waited for the next. He'd listened to them prattle on for the last half hour until finally they stopped talking and made to leave.

Harry shrank back against the wall as Avery kissed his wife goodnight and watched as she walked up the stairs to bed before turning towards his study. Harry snorted softly to himself. These purebloods were so predictable. They talked about practically nothing till all hours of the morning before the wife went to bed and the husband moved to his study to drink brandy and dwell on the things he couldn't discuss with his wife, such as the spate of murders of those with the Dark Mark. It was something that for some reason had not been reported yet in the Daily Prophet.

Harry still had yet to figure out why.

He waited another ten minutes until he knew the wizard would be settled behind his desk, snifter in one hand, and wand, usually not quite within immediate reach, if the others were anything to go by, and snuck silently across the hall and into the room.

The Death Eater didn't even had time to process the fact that Harry was in the doorway before the whispered 'Expelliarmus' had not one, but two wands flying towards the Boy-Who-Lived.

Harry caught both with one hand and raised an eyebrow as he closed the door behind him. 'Two wands, Avery? Tut, tut. Don't tell me you don't know the Ministry ruling on the ownership of more than one wand.'

Avery looked at him in outrage. 'How the hell did you get in here?' He bellowed, making Harry glad he'd cast that silencing charm as he'd closed the door.

'I don't believe that really matters right now.' Harry said quietly. 'After all it won't help you.'

There was a pregnant pause 'You!' Avery breathed incredulously. 'You've been doing this?'

Harry gave the man a wan smile. 'What? You didn't think me capable?' He asked, twirling hi own wand in his fingers as he held the other two tightly in his other hand.

The Death Eater snorted. 'Potter, you're the paragon of the light. Of course, I don't think you're capable.' He scoffed, in a show of bravado.

Harry's eyes narrowed and he flicked his wand at the man causing him to slam back down in his seat and his wrists to bind themselves to the arms of his chair.

Avery's eyes widened in response and he struggled fruitlessly for several moments as Harry moved with cat like grace across the room. 'Don't you know, Avery.' He hissed softly, sounding very much like a certain Dark Lord. 'That sometimes if you keep that light shining too brightly and too long, it will eventually burn out. Formicere.'

Avery screamed so loudly that Harry thought he might break the silencing spell and he quickly sent more power down his wand to strengthen it.

Harry watched with an almost detached fascination as the skin on Avery's forearm shriveled and turned an ugly red as if being bitten by hundreds of invisible ants. It only lasted a few moments more before the wizard gave a strangled gasp and the screaming stopped as his heart gave way under the pain.

Harry stared at the still form for a moment, his expression a mixture of hope and despair. He remembered the words Pailen Parkinson had spat at him several hours before.

'I would never have taken you for a murderer, Potter, but remember that no matter how many of us you kill, there will always be more and none of this, of what you're doing now, can bring back what you have lost. You will always be a murderer.'

'It doesn't matter what I am if it means they can sever this bloody thing.' Harry had yelled in reply before almost blasting the man through the wall. It had shattered the silencing charm and had the rest of the house up so Harry had had to run for his life, just barely hidden under his invisibility cloak. He was only glad that these purebloods treated their house elves so badly or Harry knew full well he would never have gotten out alive.

He suddenly felt a wave of nausea wash over him and he closed his eyes and swallowed. It was time to go. He knew he needed to rest, two of these in one day was too much. He knew it was the bond making him sick. He knew it was stretched far beyond what was reasonable. But Harry also knew that the only way he would ever return to Hogwarts would be as a corpse. He never wanted to see Hogwarts, or Dumbledore ever again.

He turned quickly on his heel and stalked from the room, silently moving through the house and outside before slipping through the hole in the wards and apparating away.

'There has been another one. Two actually.' Kingsley said with a sigh.

'Two?' Dumbledore questioned, watching as the auror's face floated in the fireplace.

'Yes, Fudge has just left, so I thought you might like to grab Severus and floo over.'

'Where will we be flooing to?'

There was a moment's pause. 'Avery Hall.'

'Merlin.' Dumbledore breathed. 'We'll be there shortly.' He added before ending the floo call and throwing another lot of floo powder into the fire and calling out. 'Severus Snape.'

'Albus?'

'Kingsley just called. There's been another one. Well, two actually.'

Snape's eyes widened. 'Stand back.'

The potions master stepped through moments later and after an internal burst of excitement he flooed out after the headmaster, almost eager to be near that magic again.

Harry felt as if he was dying, his hands wouldn't stop shaking and he was so cold. He silently cursed Dumbledore to the ninth level of hell. He would have done it out loud but it took far too much effort. Instead he lay shivering and feverish under a mountain of blankets he had room service bring to his room. They'd asked if he would like to see the doctor but he'd declined. If he called a doctor, questions would be asked. So he lay there, wishing for something to come…but he didn't know what.

'We think he must have said something to annoy the killer.' Kingsley explained as they stared at the broken form lying on the floor.

'Yes, well, Pailen was always an annoying prat.' Snape muttered stalking closer to the figure and crouching down.

'He was still bound to the chair.' Kingsley went on gesturing to the splintered wood around them. 'No curse on his mark though. The noise woke the rest of the house and the killer had to run for it before he could finish it.'

Snape reached forward and placed his hand out of sight on the dead man's arm, breathing in sharply as the magic washed over him, warming his chilled soul that in spite of the earlier visit to the Avery's was still cold. Idly he wondered just how bad Potter had gotten. Snape had taken to holding some of the young man's belongings that had been accidentally left behind in his rush to go, sometimes even keeping one tucked in his robe during the day in an effort to starve off the symptoms of the stretched bond.

He waited a few minutes before reluctantly removing his hand and rising. 'I'd lay bets that Lucius is starting to look over his shoulder. There aren't many of the inner circle left now.' He muttered, an amused smirk well hidden behind his usual mask.

'Well, don't you think you should be worried too?' Kingsley snapped.

The potions mater snorted.

'Severus is very well protected at Hogwarts.' Dumbledore said quickly but Shacklebolt raised a curious eyebrow in Snape's direction.

'Am I missing something, Albus?' He asked.

Snape let out another snort. 'Undoubtedly.' He murmured softly, not softly enough however as the auror heard it and bristled for a moment before Dumbledore placed a hand on his arm.

'Severus.' Dumbledore said warningly before looking at Kingsley and twinkling brightly. 'You know what he's like.' He said soothingly. 'Just ignore it. He just likes to get under your skin, particularly since Sirius died.'

Snape folded his arms over his chest and let out a sniff. 'It that is all I'd better head back to the safety of Hogwarts.' He sneered before stalking back out of the room leaving one wizard scowling at him and the other looking on in amusement.

Harry stopped for another rest. He'd only come a short distance but he was too tired to even raise his arm and call for the Knight Bus. The hotel staff had gotten increasingly more concerned over his state and the last maid, who'd come to turn down his bed, had been so scared out of her wits by the pasty pallor of his skin, the glassy eyes and the blood flecked vomit that she'd run screaming from the room and Harry knew that others wouldn't be long in coming.

He'd drawn together his belongings and used his last bit of strength to slip out of the room and down the fire stairs to the alley behind the hotel. He heard them following and ducked into a doorway, well hidden by the shadows in his black cloak. He waited, leaning heavily against the door behind him until they gave up and then shuffled his way out of the alley and down the street. He'd made it less than a block, before having to sit down on a bench at a bus stop. He was thankful that it was late and cold so his strange cloak that kept him well hidden, didn't pull too many curious glances.

He glanced up with hazy vision, quickly deciding that it was too far to the next alleyway. 'It is a bus stop after all.' He muttered, and with a mammoth effort he raised his wand.

There was a loud bang and moments later a violent purple bus appeared in front of him with a screech of brakes.

'Welcome, to the Knight Bus. Transportation for the stranded witch or wizard.' The still pimply faced Stan said cheerfully, hanging out of the door of the bus. Harry pushed himself off the edge of the seat and stood. 'Er, where too?' Stan said cautiously.

'Just drive around.' Harry rasped out, dropping a number of galleons in Stan's palm and heaving himself onto the bus and to the nearest bed where he promptly passed out.

Snape woke suddenly, his heart racing and stomach heaving. Something was very wrong. He'd taken a Dreamless Sleep. Nothing short of the castle falling down around him should have woken him. And he certainly shouldn't have the clarity of mind he had.

He closed his eyes and his hand reached for the journal belonging to Potter that he kept under his pillow. If the brat ever found out Snape would never live it down, but it was covered with so many spells and enchantments it had kept the symptoms of the bond fairly quiet.

But tonight, it didn't soothe as it should have. In fact, it made him feel worse and he quickly snatched his hand back. Snape's eyes widened comically. Potter was close. The boy was nearby. Nothing else could have woken him.

With this in mind he rose quickly, throwing on some heavy robes to ward off the unseasonably cold weather for late September. It had been getting colder all week and Snape thought it might actually start snowing within weeks if the temperature kept dropping as it was.

He slipped out of his rooms and stalked silently down the corridors until he came to the entrance hall.

'Ah Severus, you're wandering the corridors very late.' Dumbledore's cheerful voice from halfway down the stairs almost gave the potions master a heart attack.

'Don't do that, Albus.' He growled, calming his racing heart.

Dumbledore raised a bushy grey eyebrow, taking in the shaking hands, the surreptitious glances at the door, the shifting of the feet and the longing in the younger wizard's eyes and breathed a small sigh of relief.

'Tell young Harry, I will see him in the morning.' He said simply before turning on his heel and continuing his path upstairs.

Snape stared after him for several moments. The man was a puzzle he doubted anyone could actually solve. Shaking his head he slipped out the door, pulling his outer cloak tightly around him as the biting cold tried to sneak through the layers to his body.

He didn't know how he knew where to go but his subconscious certainly did as his feet carried him down towards the gates. He could see the Knight Bus stationary just outside the gates and his stride automatically lengthened until he was almost running.

'Oh Professor, thank Merlin you're here. We weren't sure how we were going to get him off.' Stan babbled.

'Get out of the way.' Snape snarled, stalking past the spotty young man and all but leaping up the steps of the bus. The scene inside stopped him in his tracks. The driver and two other passengers were casting spells towards a prone figure on the bed to no effect. Every moment or two the driver would step forward and try to touch the figure only to be shocked as if by muggle electricity.

'We've tried everything but nothing works. We were going to take him to St Mungo's but Olivia here thought that as we were in Edinburgh, Hogwarts was closer, and Professor Dumbledore might be able to help.' Stan continued babbling until Snape held up his hand to silence him, taking several slow steps forward until he was beside the bed and settled on the edge. He reached out slowly, waiting for the shock to come but it didn't. He felt the magic around the figure reach out towards him; surrounding him and making him feel as if he could touch the stars. His hand landed gently on Harry's shoulder and at the contact the previously unconscious figure let out a pitiful moan.

'Potter?' Snape murmured softly, his hand moving from Harry's shoulder to move the hood of the cloak away from the young man's face and trace his cheek. He sucked in a breath at the state the boy was in. Moments later Harry's eyes flickered open and pain filled green eyes sought his.

'Please…help.'