It just...happened...

Harry!” Hermione screamed, rushing to Harry’s side with
Ron in hot pursuit. The tears streamed down her face
as she grasped her friends broad shoulder’s, trying to
shake him awake. “Wake up Harry!”
she cried hysterically, “Wake up!”

Harry was breathing now, but remained in a tight
embrace with death. Hermione wailed, grasping him
close to her and calling for help. Ron stood helplessly
beside them, looking down with wide eyes at the boy
who lived.

There was a hurrying of footsteps as a stiffly rushing
Snape marched over to the three of them. He took
one look at Hermione wailing with Harry’s limp body
in her arms and glared at her.

“Let go of him, you silly little girl.” He snapped, pushing
her arms from Harry. She wouldn’t let go though,
and her tears suddenly stopped with his presence.

“He’s going to die.” She stated, her chin trembling as
Snape rolled his eyes emphatically.

“Not if you let him go, Miss Granger.” He said with
a motion for her to release her friend. She let her
arms drop after a moment’s hesitation, looking to
Snape warily. Snape took out his wand and after
a muffled spell Harry was levitating behind him

Ron glared at Snape openly as he and Hermione followed
the surly Professor down to Madame Pomfrey. There were
a few looks of worry and mumbling that Hermione and
Ron glared at, telling random passers by to rightfully
‘sod off.’

When they did reach the ward, Pomfrey was like a
lunatic. This was after all, Harry Potter. The boy who lived.
She hurried to a bed, finding him a secure place to rest
and went to work in her office, looking through
cupboards and making quite a racket.

Harry whimpered suddenly, clawing at the air as
his eyes rolled back and forth, up and down, side
to side. He looked almost angelic there in the big bed,
his dark hair almost covering his closed eyes.
Hermione wished for nothing more at that moment
than to see him awake and laughing.

Anything.

“Why’s he crying?” said a nearby bedmate. Snape
gave the young boy a withering look, as the young
man drew his shades shut, not really interested in
the response anymore.

Hermione was sniffling beside him, clasping his big
hand in her own delicate ones. She looked as if
Voldemort had just come down from the sky and
renounced to the world that he would be taking her
as a wife.

She met Snape’s gaze and gave him a
quizzical look that he simply couldn’t shy from,
neither of them moved as if their mere locking looks
had chained them to the ground as something
passed between them. Suddenly as Ron spoke he
turned his gaze from her once more as if he had
been scanning the room and Hermione exhaled...
realizing she had been holding her breath.

“He’s having a nightmare.” Ron observed with rare
clarity as Snape looked down at the whimpering
and twitching boy. His eyes rolling in their sockets
as if watching some invisible ping pong match.
Snape’s own dark eyes felt heavy.

“No.” he said somberly, “He’s having a memory.”

* * *

“Ah, Severus.” Voldemort had said soothingly as
the three of them stood in the barren snowy
landscape, looking to the pale Potions master.
“Just in time…”

Snape nodded in respect, his beady eyes looking to
a discouraged Harry a moment, then flicked back to
his master. “Yes Master.” He commented reassuringly,
as Harry clenched his fists and jaw. “Always.”

He looked to Harry once more, his dark eyes glittering
malevolently as Harry felt his knees quake.
“You…you’re on our side.” Harry said almost breathlessly
as Snape’s grip on his shoulder tightened and
Snape gave him a look of distaste.

“Oh please Potter.” He said giving Harry a
meaningful look, “Do you honestly think that
I’d betray the most powerful dark lord of all time?
Do wise up you idiotic little git.”

“You bastard.” Was all the young boy could say as
Snape flashed him a horribly withering gaze, raising
a fierce, dark eyebrow and telling him internally
what he was about to say aloud.

“Do shut up Potter.” Snape said, looking to Voldemort
as he spoke these words, noticing the Dark Lords
intense gaze on the young boy. He gave an uneasy
look as Voldemort’s bulging green eyes suddenly
shone on Snape.

“Severuss.” He hissed hypnotically and Harry felt
Snape’s hand involuntarily tense on his shoulders
again. A breezing thought passed over Harry mind
that Snape may just be scared…terrified even,
more terrified than Harry if that was possible.

He looked up to his feared Potions Master, suddenly
seeing him in his Deatheater robes as a real person.
Not just some untouchable professor who hated
everyone he came into contact with. Snape noticed
the glance and gave him a look that Harry
completely understood, it read; ‘I am here to protect
you, you idiotic Gryffindor. Where’s all your courage
now? Don’t bugger this up or we’re both going to die.’

Voldemort took out his wand, pointing it at Harry and
said to Snape in a soft voice, “Do move Severus. This
is time for pay back. For stealing as a baby what no
normal man could ever take. You will pay Harry Potter,
for something you have taken from me...”

If you could have seen the movements in this short
space of time, it would have amazed you. Just as
Voldemort pointed his wand at Harry and began
the incantation, Snape practically threw Harry from
his side, pushing him behind him as he stood in front,
acting like a human shield, wand in his shaking hand.
Harry still dumbfounded looked to the grim face of
Voldemort.

“DOLOR!” Snape shouted before Voldemort could
finish his own incantation. The dark lord gripped his
waxy flesh, holding it in place as the magic did its
work. Snape moved back, shielding his eyes from the
dark green light that shone from the wound.

Snape waited for Voldemort to make a motion to
retaliate, to do anything but to his utter shock and
horror Voldemort simple sneered at them, looking
livid.

“You’ll pay for that one Severus.” He hissed, then
looking at Harry once more added, “And you…you’ll
do more than pay!.Effugio effugi effugiturus!”
Voldemort howled, gripping the right side of his
cheek in utter pain, looking to Snape with burning eyes.

Harry suddenly leapt forward from his position
on the snowy ground, preparing to heave himself
onto the dark lord. This creature had caused him
nothing but heartache from the day he was born!
He had killed his parents, he had killed his friends,
and he had killed needlessly. A scream ravaged
Harry’s throat as he went to spring onto the
wand-ready dark lord.

Suddenly he felt Snape’s surprisingly strong arms
around his waist. The man certainly wasn’t a whisp,
but her most certainly wasn’t what Harry deemed to
be strong looking. There was a bolt of light and the
two of them were sent spiraling in mid air backwards.
When they found themselves firmly on the ground
Harry went to attack Voldemort.

Before he could make a step’s advance, Snape
flung the pulsating Harry Potter onto the snowy
drift as the Dark Lord evaporated from sight. The
area became warmer for some reason. Snape
held Harry down as he squirmed, shouting
obscenities as loud as he could, trying his
damndest to throw Snape’s grip off of him.

“You stupid idiotic boy!” Snape snapped furiously
standing and towering over Harry with a look in his
eyes that Harry found starlting, for he had never
seen Snape this mad. Not even being caught looking into Snape\'s thoughts
had been this bad, His tantrums in class were a walk
in the part compared to this intensely horrifying look.
“He could have killed you!”

“He should have.” Harry bit , th, the tears freely
streaming down his face as Snape looked down
on him with a look that could only be described as
torn. “At least I wouldn’t have to live with…knowing…”

Snape waited for Harry to stand before they made their
way towards Hogwarts. They walked in silence a bit
before Snape in his usual brash manner broke the rhythm.

“You will not speak of this to anyone.” Snape hissed,
looking straight ahead and not caring if the young boy
kept up. “Do you understand? And do stop your
crying Potter. There’s nothing weaker than crying.
You’re a sixth year Gryffindor, you’re supposed
to be brave and so forth. Act your part.”

“Why should I? Why should I even try to be brave?”
Harry answered deftly, dragging his feet to match
that of his professor’s.
“Knowing my parents never were.”

Snape looked to Harry with a look of utter confusion,
his dark brows knit together and said with a
low undertone, “What are you talking about Potter?”

“My parents…” Harry muttered miserably,
“Voldemort said they-“

“Your parents did and said nothing of the sort, Potter.”
Snape interrupted, walking with the young man at his
side, looking ahead and not paying heed to the look
of sudden admiration and relief on young Harry’s face.

And for that precise moment Harry wanted to thank
him…for everything he had ever done from him…
right from the start, saving him from falling of his
broom at Quidditch to so much more. Snape finally
must have noticed the look of thanks shining on
Harry’s pale face because her crossed his arms
over his chest, still walking, and glared at him.

“Don’t even begin to think that we’ll be ‘chums’
after this Potter. I’m only doing my job.”

Harry nodded, looking at his feet and Snape’s as
they crunched along in the snow, only their breath in
front of their faces and the sounds of their own
terrified hearts beating were heard. Snape
coughed a moment and muttered;

“Potter?”

“Yes Professor?” Harry looked to the Professor
he had hated for so long, and a new feeling
washed over him. Surely not love or anything
so bizarre or unprecedented…more a respect,
which lasted about five seconds until Snape
uttered darkly:

“Ten points.”