severus was shaking, he know not if it was out of fear, or angriness, or worry. Minerva slowly detached herself from him, looking Between Mrs Granger and him. Jean however, had no reserve and came forward until she was standing right before him." Tell me you so-called Professor, Tell me that My baby is alright. You..you and that Black woman had the gall to come into my house, ensuring me that she is safe from this Heir business because she is not a muggleborn!"

the sudden intake of breath was ignored by all.

all people around the seem to forgot their own problems and watch the drama unfolding in the office.Minerva was not the only one who was confused by these events.

Severus struggled to tell something, anything but no words formed in his mind. He had not processed that this heir gotten his daughter, it was not right.

If the heir worked for the dark lord, should he just go for non-death eaters? If it was indeed Salazar work, then why kidnap two pureblood girls? Were they even alive or they were petrified?

Or…

"ANSWER me you bastard!" the shouting got him back from wherever his mind was stuck, and the subsequent slap delivered to his cheek left his ear ringing. He could swear it would bruise nicely, Jean could have made a great boxer indeed.

"why are you not feeling anything? Standing like a robot. Arent you worry at all? do you care at all?"The woaman was clucthing the front of his robes, half yelling, half crying of desperation.

He turned his head, there were many people here, but the one the office belonged to.Where was this old lemon loving fucker when you needed him?

A million thoughts were on his mind. His daughter existance was supposed to be a secret, but now 6 other people knew, and by tommorow no doubt Albus. He didn't stop to think his disappointed face staring at him , blaming him for havinng a child. He didn't stop to think about what it could do to his spying, or when the dark lord came back…

If his dughter was living still.

His occlumency walls trembeled like there were made of paper.

"I…"

He wanted to say he was sorry, that he would try his best to find her.

"I.."

He wanted to say he was worried too, damn it. That if he could care for Lily, after all these years, he can care. He could name a dozen ways to track someone by their relatives blood, just before he entered this thrice damned office.

His mind was blanc. Nothing came to his mind.the walls of the office were closing on him.

Everything was red.

Red like blood.

Blood on his hands, on the floor, on the bodies of dead people striken with his spells, with his potions.

With his spying.

The sudden knock to the door broke the episode. Minerva waved her wand automaticly and the office opened.

Enter the bane of his existance, Neville Longbottom.

"Proffessor! H…" and the boy saw the crowd staring down at him and went silent. His eyes widened in fear when he locked eyes with him, with a strange woman half hugging him.

With a side of his face reddened like he had been slaped, oh wait! He had actually been.

"ahh…its…me.."

Severus was sufficiently pissed at not finding Albus, the crowd surrounding him, the woman clutching his robe, and the cheek that hurt like mad. Not to add his daughter getting kidnapped by some prevert fucking bastard, so excuse him if lost his patience with the stuttering boy, for God sack say your piece and go.

"Longbottom you have ten seconds to tell us why you have came here, starting now" said in his silkiest, low tone, the most threatening voice.

"Its Harry and Ron! They are not in the dorm and I think …I think they went to get help from Lockhart"

Severus could facepalm now, if he wasn't busy cursing madly. Seriously, Lockhart? Did those boys own a single working brain cell together?

Then he understood the danger. Not only Hermione was in danger now, but also his charge Astoria and two weasleys. It was a disaster in the making. He had to go now!

He shoved Mrs Granger to Minerva, then pushed Longbottom to the side and ran. He had a tracking spell placed on Potter after he had been accused of being the heir. Yes it was a far fetched theory that a half-blood like him would be the heir, and he was far younger than 50. But him being a parcel mouth made him skeptical, and it was better safe than sorry, as muggles said. Also he could be controlled by the heir, imperiosed or else. He had to check if he was where petrified students found.

He could get to Potter, slap some sense into the boy and take a little time to gther himself so he could finally think of a way to track his daughter.

Harry and Ron were about to sleep when loud voices torn the sleep out of their eyes. Harry sighed, it was probably some kind of quarel between older students.

Then suddenly the door opened and Percy, along with the twins rushed in.

"where is she? Is she here?"

Ron sat up, "she who?"

Percy all but shouted " Ginny Ron, Gin!"

Then he wasted no time in filling them in.

With each word that come out of his mouth, Harry felt more and more terrified.

Ron seemed to be smaller, even. Afraid , more than the time with those nasty acromentala spiders.

"So, so Gin is taken? And..Mione too?"

Percy shakes his head.

"I hoped…I hoped"

And he bursts into crying.

Harry doesn't know to be horrified of the stoic perfect break down, that Ginny and Hermione are taken by the heir or when or if they will be found.

Or not.

"Du…professor dumbledore went to get aurors. The message was just on the second floor, written with blood. A..a seventh year saw that. And..and Mcgonagal and.. and others went and searched. There is this first year slytherin, and Ginny and, and Hermione"the older weasley explains with broken voice, his breath hitches between words, althernating between sniffing.

The twins are silent and morose, for once. And it makes it all the way more scary.

More real.

Harry wished he was sleep, and this was one of his nightmares.he never understood when the other 3 left their room.

Only It wasn't. Harry was never that lucky.

Why these things happened when Dumbledore was not in the castle?How could Harry go to sleep and let Ginny and Hermione stay kidnapped?

But what could he do?He had not a clue…

Wait! He had!

The second floor! Myrtle died there too! Maybe she saw something and could help them!

"Hey Ron, lets go get help!"

Ron stood up without a protest, "who from?"

Brilliant! He just so liked Ron! He was the best best friend, err besides Hermione.

"lets go with my clock, we get an adult this time" and grinned. He never wanted to get Professor Mcgnoagal hurt, and Professor Sprout was too nice to go fight a dark wizard like the heir.Professor Flitwick was alright, but he was too tight and by the rules. He would admonish them first and go to explore the second floor last.

Snape… well he was powerful, and he knew a tone of dark magic. But he was not trustworthy, who knew if he decided to join the heir!, and Ron told him that because he had saved his life- kinda- in that first match, he maybe had a life debt to the git, and until he saved him, it was not smart to get him killed. Life debts were tricky and bothered a person a lot.

And Lockhart said he was plenty powerful, and if not he knew more curses and hexes than 2 second years. And besides, noone would miss the braggart if he was hurt. Excellent choice!

Well, Harry did not think so when he was holding them at wand point, Ron disarmed.

"I can just obliviate you and leave this miserable castle. No one would.."

"no-one would what Lockhart? I would like to know"

Never in his life Harry was so happy to hear his menecing, threatening voice ( and it was a bonus it was not directed at him for once)

"oh Severus you know, I just caught these two here and wanted them returned, it is late and dangerous for…"

Ron shouted, interupted him " Liar! He wanted to obliviate us and.."

"10 points from Gryffindore for insolance, now you were saying ..Gildroy?"

The stupid bat! Was he blind?

Gildroy who seemed to be shaken , afraid of being caught, smiled charmingly " Dear Severus, wil you believe these young students imagination! Let us put our wands away and scort them….OBLIVIATE!"

For a second, Harry was afraid that Snape got obliviated and they were left at tender mercies of that lunatic liaer. But he was oh so fast. He haddeflected his curse, had him disarmed and backed into a corner, sneer on his face

"never call me a dear you buffon" Harry was about to sigh in relief when he remebered he had RON'S WAND too!

"Snape he has Ron's.."

Harry shouted at the same time Lockhart sent a bombarda their way.

"you half-witted monkey! That wand is broken!it mis-behaves!"

And it sure as hell did. Even when Snape deflected it again, it bounced and hit the ceiling instead of dissipating. The whole bathroom shoke like it was an earthquake.

Lockhart fled, living Harry and Ron with Snape, and a bathroom ceiling that was coming down on them. Harry dodged a debries and wondered if this night was going to get worse than it was already.

Snape shoved Ron out of the way a particularly large piece of rock that was about to fall on his head, them laviatated ( more throwing ) him to just the corner that was not ruined much.

"get a profes.."

And the ceiling came down compeletly. Harry closed his eyes, maybe he would die..

Was it a bad thing? He could see his mom and dad and…

"stop daydreaming Potter, you are safe inside my shield charm, and merlin save us of your stupid thoughts. We are wizards you dimwit, we don't die because of a little rock falling on our head"

Oh, Harry blushed. He had said them that loud?

"no you idiot, I can see into minds, and your thoughts are bloody too loud for me to ignore. Would you just shut up and let me focus on this shield or not?"

Reading mind! He knew it! There was not a chance he could always ALWAYS know what they planned to do in advance…

"Potter, I repeat it so it goes inside your brick of a head, we are TRAPPED here, and the air has a limit. unless you want to suffocate with airloss or miraculously know a way out, SHUT UP"

Ok, airloss. Yeah he was being stupid. But wsnt Snape talking and yelling lost them air too?

He heard a sigh.

Wait heard? What was all that talking? Who he was talking? Had he gone mad?

"no Potter, you are not stupier than when you entered this bloody bathroom with Lockhart of all people, I am talking in your mind"

Huh?

Snape was a mind reader? Mentalist?

"abnoxious child! Not mind reading! Legilimeny! Opposite of occlumency!"

He kept silent, mind wandering.

"Potter have I broken your feable mind?"

"err, professor, what does abnoxious, legillilly and oclu thing mean?"

His companion sighed again.

"and why are you all of a sudden nice? Om, not that youre nice at all, I know it offends you or something, err, I think I put my foot in my mouth, I mean you havent snapped or taken points…"

"50 points from Gryffindore. Is that to your liking?"

Just get outa my mind!

"then you better close your eyes and mind!"

Harry kept silent, with his eyes closed this time.distracting himself. Thought about Quirel in pink cinderella gown so if Snape lied about the eyes thing, he would get a nasty surprise. How they were going to get out? How Snape saw in the dark? Was he a vampire?How he could know about ocluthing and legithing? He was not Hermione!

Hermione… how was she? He didn't like someone talking in his mind, one who was rude too.He was scared, lonely and trapped with his least..no nearly the least likable, that place went to Quirel and Lockhart now, professor. It was many hours after he should have slept, he was hungry and cold and it was dark in here.

He didn't like dark places.

"Alright Potter. You being silent is more troublesome"

Harry kept thinking of Quirel in a pink dress gown.

"Potter will you stop acting petulant?"

He kept silent.

"potter? Potter damn it are you alright?"

Then a frantic voice called him.

"Harry bloody Potter if you got yourself killed… how you got hurt in a bloody 2 meters shield charm?"

Then a lumos.

Snape was approching, more crawling next to him.

"you brat! You had me.."

And Harry snapped at last" what? You had what! Don't tell me you got worried cause I know you came because Dumbledore would fire you! You don't care! How could I know about all those silly big words and stupid mind reading things! I am as good as a muggleborn! Why are you always, always humiliate me, and now suddenly you wanna make sure im ok? Well news flash Im not! Its cold and im hungry and worried for Hermione and Ginny and …and.."

Damn it he was about to panic.

"its dark, it dark and dingy and cold and… and im alone with YOU. You..hate me!"

"I don not hate you"

That stopped his ranting. Huh?

"and I am worried too, they are my charges, innocent children.and about me being not nice, try teaching 5 days a week, 14 classes and then we'll talk. And I am out of sorts because I havent slept in nearly 3 days, next to 4 now. Legilemncy and occlumeny are parts of the mind art, occlumency allows to close your mind to attacks , imperio, legilimency and empathic attacks. And abnoxious means nasty"

Im not nasty!

"you are loud, and brash, and never think before acting. Havent I told you we have a limited air supply? Also about cold, most fire charms use air, also I need my magic for suppling the shield that keeps us from being crashed in the debries. For summoning anything to eat, I also need my magic, they are in my quarters"

Oh.

"so unless you can get us out of here, and needing the shield, we are stuck, but"

He passed him his robe. Harry wtched the offering hand with suspicion.

"it can keep you warm. And if you doubt me, remember I am the one keeping the shield, also I saved you from Lockhart"

Harry felt alittle shamed. It was true, thn had just saved them, he and Ron not an hour ago. Then he thanked him and got the robe, which surprisingly smelt of herbs and no grease. His eyes got shut and he decided to take a nap.

He was jerked awake some minutes later with a rasping voice.

"Potter. Potter"

He chest was too tight.it was hard to breath.

"air, something blocked the air" he said panting. The roof was falling again.

"my magic wont hold… you need.. yo need to"

Harry was panicking. He was not going to die like..like this! His eyes watered. He franticly looked for a way out.

There was not one.

"listen, I can shi..shield you with my body.. but you have to move" move? Move for what?

Fuck.

He saw a little snake drawn on the tile he was napping on.

It hissed.

It hissed? Oh right! He could hear it! Did it know a way out? It was a silly thought, so silly that he would later blame it on air deficiency.

"hello sssspeaker"

"hello dear snake fella, we are suffocating here, you know a way out?"

"no way out sss, but in…sssalazr way"

He didn't wait to look at the man's white face at his hissing, nor to his speech in his mind telling him to do some stupid thing, a rune?

"well damn it! Open!"

The ground under their feet disappeared, replaced with a tunnel. They both fell down. He didn't know who was yelling louder.

"ouch!"

And they were on the ground.

"what.. what was that?" snape asked.

"dunno, a little snake said it was a way in, salazar way or…"

Then the penny dropped. Salazar way. The heir. The chamber.

"we are in the chamber"

Harry could only nod. They had gotten into even bigger trouble.