Chapter 3

The rest of the weekend the evil Potion Master did not make an appearance at meals or else where. Ron and Hermione speculated various reasons, all Hermione's logical and most of Ron's absolutely ridiculous. Harry pretended to go a long with it, he had promised Dumbledore he wouldn't tell anyone.

Monday flew past in a whirl of lessons and all to soon Harry was approaching the door to the potions classroom with much trepidation.

He knocked, somewhat softly.

'Enter.' came the voice from within.

He opened the door and went in. Snape sat at his desk grading papers.

He stood uncertainly waiting for instructions, wondering what dreadful punishment he was going to have to endure. He shifted uncomfortably as the professor's gaze fell upon him.

'You are going to re-stack and take an inventory of the stock cupboards, Potter'

Not so dreadful then.

'The list is there,' Snape pointed at one of the desks and it appeared, at the back of the classroom, near the cupboards. 'Get started.'

One and a half-hours later Harry didn't think the detention was going badly: he was on to the last cupboard and Snape hadn't bothered him once. But he was going to need to take his potion soon, and he couldn't here: it was too risky. He would have to wait and get through this as quickly as possible

He reached forward to open the doors…

.

Severus was battling to concentrate on grading the stack of papers in front of him.

His head ached, as did the rest off him, he still had not recovered fully Dark Lord's displeasure of finding out of his unsuccessful mission.

Shaking his head, he continued to try and mark the papers, though he didn't really intend to. He had, in fact, been watching Potter for most of the evening, trying to catch him drinking from that vial he had seen on Friday.

He had not tried to as far as Snape could tell. Though he noticed Harry's movements were slowly becoming more and more stiff, as if pained. He sat, lost in thought when suddenly…

CRACK

Snape jumped in his seat, startled at the noise. He looked up to see a large, beefy man stepping out one of the store's cupboard, his face was purple with fury, looking like an enraged bull. He advanced on the boy. Potter was backing away from him, a looked of shock and terror on his face.

'N-no, no, please, no' he stuttered, his back now against the wall. The man was opening his mouth to yell as Snape stepped round the desk and forward, catching his attention.

CRACK

Wisps of smoke, surrounded a tall snake-like man. He turned his red slit eyes to face his turned death-eater, sending shivers down the Potion Master's spine, as he was about to say something Snape drew out his wand.

'Ridikulas' he hissed and the boggart disappeared in a flash of smoke. He did not like people knowing his greatest fear, particularly Potter.

But he needn't have worried, the-boy-who-lived was crouched over in a ball against the wall, his arms protectively across his face, rocking slightly and muttering pitifully under his breath.

.

Harry never registered Snape speaking the spell or anything else, seeing the two men he hated and feared most in under a minute combined with the hell he had experienced and stress of protecting his secret had caused his mind to temporarily shut down.

He was unaware he was on the floor, all he saw was the memories flashing before his eyes.

The man standing over him, yelling at him, raising his arm to back-hand the boy before him… blood everywhere, feathers on the table, that burning smell… pain, fear, hunger, darkness…

Vaguely he heard his name being called, as he started coming out of his trance-like state, two very heavy things hit him.

One: Snape had seen.

Two: The same man was standing less than three feet from him, wand in hand, reaching out to touch him.

Total panic swept over him, he shot up, sided-stepped and flew out the classroom at a dead run, his feet pounding down the stone corridors of the dungeons and away.

.

A stunned Snape picked himself off the floor. He had not known Potter's defensive magic was so strong. Though he should of, it had kept the boy alive on more than one occasion.

He needed to see the Headmaster.

.

As Harry slowed down, he realised that he was in the corridor where the Defence against the Dark Arts classroom was. He took some potion and calming his breathing, began to walk along it, his mind in turmoil. He needed somewhere to think.

Just then the door on his right opened, and Lupin walked out, a sheaf on papers under one arm. With no one else willing to undertake the DADA teaching post at Hogwarts, Dumbledore had been able to give Lupin back the job. 5 teachers in 5 successive years seemed to have eliminated any likely candidates and scared off all the others.

Damn, Damn, Damn...

Lupin had been watching Harry, especially now after Sirius's death. Harry was sure he felt obliged to step in for his deceased best friend, ironic seeing as it was Harry's fault he was dead.

'Alright Harry?' he asked.

'Yeah, just fine professor.' Please don't let him ask me in for tea, please don't le-

'You want to come in for some tea?' Damn

'I'd love to but I've got a stack of essays to write' he lied, this was useless, like Snape, Lupin always knew if he wasn't telling the truth. Something to do with his werewolf senses. His teacher gave him a strange look, Harry could see the hidden hurt and something else in his eyes.

'Right, maybe another time.'

'OK.' Harry quickly walked off, making his way to the old forgotten room where the Mirror of Erise used to stand, now empty and devoid of life. He sat against the wall, and started to think through his predicament.

.

'You wanted to see me Severus?' Dumbledore asked, his voice light and cheerful.

'Yes Headmaster, I wanted to know if any other teacher had commented or complained of Potter's behaviour in class.' As always his words were precise and to the point.

'As a matter of fact, Professor McGonagall was in here earlier, said she had queries as to why Harry was so jumpy, other than that no, though it appears his marks have shot up.' Dumbledore's voice had taken on a slightly grave tone. 'Why do you ask?'

'I wonder,' said Snape avoiding the question, 'if I may be allowed to…investigate some… incidents involving the boy.'

'What kind of incidents?'

'Nothing of real importance, merely a feeling'

'Of course, you will let me now if you find something?'

'Yes Headmaster.' With that the Potion Master left, leaving a slightly perplexed Dumbledore to his thoughts.

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