Chapter 111: The Life Of The Accursed

A/N: Here's Another Update...

My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers-S.S.

{"You let your feet run wild...Time has come as we all, oh, go down...Yeah but for the fall, ooh, my...Do you dare to look him right in the eyes? Yeah...Oh, 'cause they will run you down, down 'til the dark...Yes and they will run you down, down 'til you fall...And they will run you down, down 'til you go...Yeah, so you can't crawl no more...", Way Down We Go, KALEO}

Hogwarts Castle, Scotland, Wizarding World...

Severus Snape had started his morning much as he always did, climbing out of bed before dawn amid the cold morning air and darkened setting of his bedroom. There was no sign of his wife anywhere which was just as well given what he had to do this day. He slowly set about readying himself, shuffling to the shower and even having half a mind to shave for the morning. His expression had been one of impassiveness as he moved about his quarters, the place had been a home of sorts for him ever since he'd gotten out of Azkaban courtesy of The Headmaster taking an interest in him and rescuing him from imprisonment due to Igor Karkaroff mentioning his name among the death eaters. He and Moody had a run in that was less than pleasant and here he was possibly about to have Mad Eye on his coattails once more but this time, he knew Dumbledore wouldn't be there to get him out of it.

The months since returning to school had passed by like that of a blink and here they were at the end of the year, Snape had been more or less a bit bitter about not having as much time as he would have liked, possibly to find a cure or another route to saving The Headmaster's life. Sadly, there was nothing he could do the curse had progressed too far up the old fool's arm and there weren't any other options for saving his life available.

Potter had become suddenly more tolerable after his getting Lucius thrown into Azkaban despite his rivalry with Draco turning out to be quite vile in the wake of it. Once Snape had been showered, shaved, and dressed he made his way to his classroom, more or less annoyed and not much in the mood to endure breakfast. He knew Hermione would have questions, but he was in no mood to answer them. He knew there would be a stack of parchments on his desk this go round due to the work issued out the previous day and figured now was as good a time as any to get to them.

He'd only gotten one foot in the door before he was approached by a student with instructions from Professor McGonagall about a female student possibly being hexed. He quickly made his way toward he infirmary and found himself face to face with the golden trio. Minerva seemed to have been quite weary as she turned toward them with a stern expression filed across her aged face.

"Why is it always you three?" she asked with an arched brow.

"Believe me Professor, I've asked myself the same question for years." replied Harry Potter.

Snape looked over the cursed object that Potter and his friends had brought in keeping everything as casual as possible in front of McGonagall. He glared at his wife whom had offered him a sheepish expression as he noted that she'd been no where near the cursed necklace. He levitated it with ease by way of a tap of his wand as his obsidian eyes looked it over. It was a rather low level curse but no doubt one meant to kill.

"And you saw Miss Katy Bell touch this necklace before the curse struck her Mr. Potter?" asked McGonagall.

"Yes." replied Harry with certainty. "She was floating and screaming and her hair looked as if she'd been electrocuted."

"Severus what do you think?" asked Professor McGonagall still eyeing the necklace with terror behind her eyes.

"I think Miss Bell is lucky to be alive." Snape replied still examining the necklace.

"She was cursed wasn't she?" asked Harry upset. "I know Katy off the Qudditch Pitch, she wouldn't hurt a fly if she was delivering that to Professor Dumbledore she wasn't doing it knowingly."

"Yes, she was cursed." admitted Professor McGonagall "Any idea who might have done it, Severus?" She turned her attention to Snape as she too inspected the necklace once more with her own eyes.

"It was Malfoy!" said Harry almost immediately.

"That is a very serious accusation Potter," said Professor McGonagall unsure she herself believed it.

Snape turned to face face him after putting down the necklace.

"Indeed." he said breaking his silence after quite some time.

Both Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger didn't seem to share in Harry's opinion.

"Your evidence?" he asked knowing full well that Harry had none.

"I just know." replied Harry insisting that it had been his most hated rival.

"You just...know." replied Snape with an arched brow. "Once again you astonish me with your gifts Potter, gifts only mere mortals can only dream of possessing how grand it must be to be the chosen one."

McGonagall sighed as she looked over at the three students that always seemed to find their collective way to trouble while in her care.

"I suggest you go back to your dormitories, all of you." she said dismissing The Golden Trio.

Hermione took one last look at Snape before leaving with her friends. He had known all too well that she didn't take too kindly to the way he spoke to Harry but he could care less. His mind had already been focused on locating his wayward godson.

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The Boys' Bathroom, Lower Floor, Hogwarts Castle, Scotland, Wizarding World...

Snape had been looking all over for his godson Draco desperate to find him before he had done anything else idiotic in the wake of trying to appease The Dark Lord in a bid to rescue his father. The Potions Master sympathized with him in all aspects but the way he'd been recklessly going about trying to end The Headmaster's life and endangering other students wasn't going to get him anywhere aside from a cell beside his ailing father in Azkaban especially if Harry Potter had anything to say about it. He sensed all had not been right as he could hear Draco's screams coming from the bathroom and the sound of a busted pipe spraying along the walls as his pace increased.

He had not been surprised to find Harry Potter standing before him with terror stricken across his face and tears behind his emerald green eyes. The busted pipe had been the result of a scuffle between Potter and Draco no less as the floor was flooding slowly but surely. The sight of the blood that pooled around the downed and sobbing Draco had been enough to give Snape pause as he turned his gaze upon a trembling Harry Potter.

He had known the spell used for this most heinous act of self important retribution at the hands of Harry Potter and he ought to have as he'd been the one that created it. For enemies, of course, that was what he labeled it under in the book where he'd been keen to scribble it down in when he'd once been a mere student in his own right.

Harry Potter true to fashion had taken off much like his father use to after causing his fair share or trouble when hoping that The Headmaster would come to his inevitable rescue. While furious about the brat Harry Potter having somehow gotten his book, Snape turned his attention back to the soaked and bloodied Draco.

"Vulnera Sanentur..." said Snape softly in a song like tone as he ran his wand over the battered body of his ailing young godson. "Vulnera Sanentur...vulnera sanentur..."

Draco's sobbing began to ebb away as had the blood that left his body as if the spell began to reverse it spilling from him in the first place.

The boy had not spoken a word when a brooding Severus had him healed and escorted him to the infirmary.