Snape and Harry rushed into the Headmasters office shocked to find that Dumbledore was nowhere to be found. "Albus are you there?" Snape called, but there was no answer. Snape looked over to Harry, with a look of shock on his face. "Where could he be?" Snape asked looking confused for a moment. "Perhaps he has business elsewhere." Harry said simply hoping not to dwell on it for too long. "Regardless we need to head down to my studies. We need to see just how far he has been able to invade." Snape said looking determined and worried all at once. "I have only seen him in my dreams sir; I don't know what that means." He said with a mental shutter.
Snape stopped and turned around, "We need to figure out how to get him out of your mind. Do you understand that Voldemort could drive you mad, make everything you see the thing you hate the most. He could turn you into the monster that he has become." Harry began to shake now horribly afraid. He had always been able to pull himself into his mind; it had been the one safe place. Now he didn't even have that as solace. "Professor, I'm scared." Harry said and surprised himself greatly. He would have thought this would be the last person he would have told his feelings to. "That may be the first wise thing I've heard come from your mouth Potter. Now hurry we don't have time to spare." Snape said hurrying down the stairs and into his chambers.
Snape walked over to his throne-like seat, and planted himself firmly against the leather. "It is of the utmost importance you tell me what you saw." Harry shook suddenly feeling dread in the pit of his stomach. "I saw my mother screaming, the dementors, Sirus dying, I saw Cedric dead before me, and Voldemort himself." Tears stung his eyes, and he was shocked to find Snape looking at him with some sympathy. It seemed the potions master did have a heart somewhere in his chest. "I fear the worst for you Harry; if he has realized this connection then he will feed on you. I hope for your sake he somehow doesn't know." Harry nodded agreeing with Snape for once. "Please Snape you have to promise me something, if I begin to turn into the monster he is you have to kill me." Harry said.
Snape looked into his eyes with a pained expression, "I promise you I will." He said. Harry nodded and said a small, "Thank you." Snape walked over to him placing a firm hand on his shoulder. "Take care of yourself, and should you ever need anything my chambers are always open." Snape said looking into his eyes for a moment. "Thank you sir, I'll remember that." Harry said with a small smile on his face.
I hope you do, I hope you do. Snape thought to himself. Perhaps Potter wasn't like his father who had tortured him when he was a student at Hogwarts. He watched Harry walk away and before he left Snape called a cautious, "Harry?" Harry turned around standing partially up one step. "Don't think I'll go any easier on you in my classes." Snape said with a small smile. "I wouldn't have dreamed it." Harry returned the smile and headed up into the hallways.
When he walked past the first window he noticed the sun would be coming up soon. "Bloody hell, tomorrow is going to be rough." Harry thought to himself. The worst part would be potions he was sure. With the headmaster gone he wondered if there would even be classes. Where was Dumbledore anyway? Harry had never known him to leave school grounds before. He looked out the window and in the dim light he could see the outline of Hagred's shack. He let a small smile slip to his lips as he walked the rest of the way to his room. There he fell into a deep sleep, but morning came much too early. "Harry wake up, it's time for potions." Hermione said. Harry groaned rolling over and standing up. His eyes were sunken in and there were dark circles around them. "What the hell happened to you?" Ron asked bluntly as usual. "I didn't get much sleep last night." Harry said rubbing his eyes, and wiping the sleep out of them. "Hurry up! We need to get to potions or Snape might give us detention again." Hermione said, and Harry nodded. Snape's words still rang in his ears, "Don't expect me to go easy on you Potter." He smiled softly.
"Wipe that smile off your face Potter." Malfoy said as he walked by. Harry was used to this ever present pest by now, and he had gotten used to him. "Bite me." He said under his breath once they were gone. Ron let out a snicker and Hermione let out a small giggle too. Harry was almost to Snape's Class and when he walked in there were two things he noticed immediately. It smelled horrible in the Chambers, and Snape was yelling at someone. "Looks like a regular day of potions." Ron said which earned him a smile from Hermione.
"Long-bottom!" Snape was obviously very angry about something that had happened. "It's going to smell like this for weeks!" He said his voice very cold and agitated. "I'm sorry sir." Neville said. "Ten points from Gryffindor." Snape said with a smirk on his face. The whole classroom sighed including Hermione and Ron. "If you ever want points deducted from your house, come to potions two." Ron said, and several people around him snickered.
"What's so funny?" Snape said now turning a cold eye on them. "Nothing sir." They all said quickly. Harry watched Snape; he seemed an entirely different man than the one he had met last night. Soon class was winding down, and it was almost time to leave. "Harry see me after class." Snape said. Several classmates looked at him with pity, while the others were racing away from the horrid smell. "Yes Professor?" Harry asked looking at Snape.
"Has anything other than last night occurred?" He asked looking Harry up and down. "No sir." Harry said taking a deep breath of air and swallowing. "Very good…" Harry closed his eyes for a moment and blush crept onto his face. "Sir I've been having a horrible time sleeping in the dorms, would you mind if I slept down here with you?" He asked. Snape's eyes widened. "Due to the circumstances I'll allow it, but there is only one bed you'll be sleeping with me." Snape said blush now coming onto his cheeks. "That's no problem." Harry said trying to act nonchalant. "Alright then, I'll see you later then." Snape said. Harry nodded and walked out as quickly as possible.