Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!

Based on the song World So Cold by 12 Stones.

A/N: Part of two challenges.

If You Dare: 970: Bring Back the Sun

Are You Crazy Enough?: 17: (Book title) The Professor.

The days proceeding my bad interaction with Snape they let me out of the hospital wing again. I'm not entirely sure why, but I think it had something to do with the fact that they think part of the reason I hit Snape was that I was "feeling contained." Feeling contained my ass, I lashed out because he provoked me. Either way, I was grateful to be out of the infernal hospital wing.

I was wondering the halls one night when suddenly I saw Sirius being tortured again by Voldemort. This time, they were in the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom... Weird. But I wouldn't fall for it this time. Sirius was dead anyway. The moment I thought that I had to swallow back tears. Sirius was dead. Gone. I went to the classroom to confirm to myself it was just Voldemort playing tricks on me... that nothing was wrong... I just needed to block him out...

I opened the door to the room.

"Avada Kedavra!"

There was a blinding flash of green light and a sharp stab of pain to my forehead. I looked up, alarmed. There was Bellatrix on the other side of the room. And... Sirius! There was Sirius! I ran over to him, but he was dead before I could get to him on time. I failed him... Again... The pain in my forehead was nothing compared I was feeling in my chest. The crushing sense that I'd failed Sirius again... Sirius died because I wasn't there to save him in time...

I felt a scream rip from my chest. This couldn't be happening! Not again! I looked into Sirius' all too dead eyes. I curled into a ball, crying and screaming... I wanted to die...

"Harry! Wake up!" commanded a harsh voice from somewhere in my head.

My eyes flew open to bright white lights all around me. For some reason, I felt anger rise in me. I sat up quickly and looked around wildly. I had one thought in my head. To kill her.

I was reaching for my wand when a hand grabbed my wrist. I gasped and immediately drew my other hand to cover my head. The hand on my wrist pulled away as though burned. "Potter, calm down! You're at Hogwarts."

I peered around my arm to see a disheveled Snape staring down at me. I withdrew my arm from my head and sat up slowly. I ignored Snape's attempt to talk to me and stared at the wall as my hate-fueled from endless questions swirling around my mind. Where is Bellatrix now? Where is Sirius? Is he with my parents? Why did they all have to die? No one could answer those, I knew, but I still wondered why life had to treat me so badly while people like Malfoy got waited on in huge mansions with a loving family. I felt a dark stain cover my heart. I felt it begin to tear me apart. I wondered if this is how it felt to Voldemort when he went bad. If he felt like a sleeping cancer was ripping apart his insides.

I sometimes wondered how Voldemort got to this world. When did he turn bad? An innocent child with a thorn in his heart.

I suddenly was able to almost- almost- sympathize with the dark wizard. I never believed people were born killers and he must have been good at some point. He, too, probably lost someone dear to him causing him to become dark. He probably let the darkness take over his heart and, eventually, become the murderer to kill my mother and father. That one fact kept me from fully relating to the Dark Lord.

I didn't believe I was the one to save the world. Even if I did manage to defeat my nemesis, I didn't believe I would heal the world of the hurts it had. I would never be able to replace all the souls lost in the war. There were people dying daily for me. They were dying so I could succeed. It was hard to fathom at times.

What kind of world did we live in? Why did evil have to exist? Why did love have to be divided by hate? Where people lose control of their feelings and lash out on others? We all must be dreaming this life away. In a world so cold.

"Why were you screaming?" Snape asked the boy. Potter stared fixedly at a spot on the wall and didn't respond. Snape tried to wait patiently, but patience was never really his forte. Curse him and his stupid pride! Snape thought to himself, marching from the room.

He went straight to Dumbledore's office when it was actually light outside. "Is he even sane?" Snape demanded as he started pacing the room.

"Good morning, Severus! Lemon drop?" Dumbledore replied lightly, a twinkle in his eye.

Severus gave him a single glare and then continued. "Where's the shame for being such a brat? A moment of time passes by and his godfather dies. He can't rewind who's to blame and where it started with him. Is there no cure for his sickness? Has he no heart?"

Dumbledore gazed calmly at Snape and let him finish. "The boy has been through much, Severus. Give him a chance to grieve." Dumbledore cut off whatever Severus was about to say. "He hasn't been able to properly grieve at his relatives. He told you what his childhood was like there. Do you honestly believe that he was given a chance to mourn?"

"Either way! He is simply moping around and not getting better! Part of the process of mourning is feeling better about what happened. He is not!" Snape eventually collapsed in a chair, unable to continue pacing.

"Dear Merlin! If didn't know any better I might even think you are concerned! But I know that cannot be." Dumbledore's eye twinkled a little bit at this.

"I'm concerned he won't be able to stand up to the Dark Lord," Snape snarled. "That he'll succumb to the darkness in him and become as evil- if not more so- than You-Know-Who himself!"

Dumbledore nodded thoughtfully. "I've wondered that myself. But I have faith in the boy. I believe that he will be able to defeat him when the time comes. Now onto more pressing issues..."

After they talked about the plan with Draco and how he was to kill Dumbledore, Snape went back down to the infirmary to see if Potter was there. He didn't think he would be, but the Headmaster ordered him to anyway.

He opened the door with a bang and was shocked to see Potter sleeping on the cot. He was suddenly overcome by the desire to wake the boy to look into his eyes- Lily's eyes. He felt tears spring into his but quickly controlled himself. He had to keep on the mask. He had disciplined himself well to not feel.

There's a sickness inside you that wants to escape, he thought to himself, looking down on the small boy in front of him. You want to get better. You want to what you've never had. You want the family you can never have. But just because you can never have it doesn't mean you should give in to the darkness. It's the feeling you get when you can't find your way. So, how many times must you fall to your knees to understand that darkness will never make you happy? Please, never try to kill yourself again.

Looking upon the sleeping boy now, he couldn't help but feel a tiny bit of pity for him. He had lost his parents. Then, the ones who were supposed to care for him only took every chance they got to rub in the fact that he was alone. He had lost virtually everything when his godfather died.

And now, after all of that, he was supposed to kill the Dark Lord, no questions asked. He was 16 years old. In the muggle world, he was just old enough to drive a car. He wasn't even allowed to do magic outside of school!

A wave of anger rushed over Snape at the thought that this child had the pressure of saving the Wizarding World on his shoulders. And then guilt that he had also believed that.

It starts with pain when you see him. Followed by the hate you feel towards him for killing those you had loved. I don't believe you or anyone was born a killer. I don't believe you will ever be saved... What kind of world do we live in? Why does love have to be divided by hate? Where people lose control of their feelings and lash out on others? We all must be dreaming this life away. In a world so cold.

Here you go! A new chapter. And look, it's longer. *le gasp* I hope you enjoyed this new chapter! Please, please, please review what you would like to see next! Should Snape mentor Harry? How/When should Harry get better if at all? Thank you for reading!