Harry was roaming the corridors of the castle. He was extremely grateful to the mysterious person for 'returning' the Invisibility Cloak to him. It enabled him to take long nighttime strolls, especially when he didn't want to sleep. This was one of such nights, one of too many this year. Harry was having nightmares. Some of them were directly connected to Voldemort's current doings. But other went back to the events of his previous ascent to power. Harry tried not to think about the images he had dreamt, but it was so hard as they kept coming back to him. Neville's parents, his own parents and others.

Scolding himself for letting his thoughts drift away towards the painful images, Harry noticed that he had come to the dungeons and was in a dangerous proximity of Snape's chambers. He was just about to turn back when he heard the door open. He gasped as he saw the unusually pale Potions Master hurrying from his room. Snape held his left arm stiffly by his side and an expression of pain contorted his face. All of a sudden, he clutched his left forearm with his right hand and accelerated his pace. Harry jumped away just in time to avoid clashing with the teacher, as the latter almost ran in the direction of the main entrance. The boy's curiosity quickly won over his reluctance to find out about something he might not want to know about. He swiftly followed the Potions Master.

When Harry left the castle he was almost sure that he lost Snape. But as his sight adjusted to the surrounding darkness he saw a vague light flickering on the edge of the Dark Forest. Harry ran. Before entering the forest he hesitated for a second, the unpleasant memories of the first-year encounters rushed back to him. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and followed the Potions Master.

The forest engulfed him in its darkness, Harry saw light of Snape's wand in quite a distance. He thought of using light as well, but he wasn't certain whether it would be invisible even if concealed under the Invisibility Cloak. He should have thought of that and checked. Being caught by this particular teacher was one of those things he wanted to avoid.. As for now, Harry had to concentrate and stop thinking about all the noises which accompanied the darkness. Fortunately, the light of Snape's wand was still visible. The Potions Master's pace wasn't as brisk as before. He seemed to be reluctant to invade the area of the forest, so even though Harry had to be very careful not to stumble and fall he managed to follow the teacher. Snape was carefully picking his way through the forest. Harry was literally following into his footsteps.

His luck finally failed him and Harry fell to the ground with an audible thump. Snape stopped dead in his tracks, and he slowly turned back. Harry almost stopped breathing. The Potions Master extinguished the light and sent a huge fireball in the boy's direction. He barely missed but Harry was sure that if he didn't move Snape would hit him in the end. He tried to crawl noiselessly to hide behind the nearest tree trunk while the fireballs were flying around him. He barely made it to the trunk.

A few minutes later Snape ceased to send the fireballs, muttered Lumos and resumed walking. Harry was close to giving up, his heartbeat was racing and his hands trembling. But he went a bit too far and was much too curious to see Snape's destination. Suddenly the Potions Master stopped and disapparated. That was just what Harry had not anticipated. He was angry. He should have thought of this possibility before following his teacher. But in his haste he just forgot to think.

Harry had now two choices, he could either go back to the castle, which was not a good idea as having no Snape to accompany was somehow making the walk back very unpleasant. Or he could wait here. The Potions Master should be back quickly. That was Harry hoping for. He settled on the ground, covered himself with the Cloak and tried not to think of where he was.

He felt that he was floating in the air. He looked down and saw the same place where he dueled with Voldemort not more than a year ago. And the Dark Lord was there, hovering over a man sprawled facedown on a gravestone. He was encircled by thirty or more black-cloaked and red-masked figures. Harry swallowed when he recognized that it was Snape lying on the stone. He focused on the Potions Master, he had to know if Snape was still alive.

'My faithful Death Eaters,' Harry was startled by Voldemort's low-pitched hiss. 'As you see, it is not worth betraying your Master.' Some of the figures shuddered slightly. 'And so as to this piece of filth,' the Dark Lord pointed at Snape. 'He deserved to die. But before that, he has to see what it means to betray the Lord. Come closer, my faithful servants.' The Death Eaters began to approach Voldemort.

'Faster, come crawling faster! Obey your Master!' Wormtail's words echoed slightly against the gravestones. The Death Eaters hastily formed a tighter circle around Voldemort and Snape.

'Now, point your wands at this scum, he has to feel it all.'

'Crucio!' The curse uttered by a chorus of the Death Eaters reverberated in the graveyard.

Harry woke up with a start. He didn't quite remember where he was but he knew one thing, he had to get to Dumbledore as quickly as possible. He stood up and noticed Snape's body lying in the place from which the Potions Master had disapparated. Harry had never moved so quickly before, even during his best Quidditch match. He kneeled down by the body and tried the enervation spell but to no avail. Finally he decided to levitate Snape to the castle. He hoped that the Death Eaters would not follow the Potions Master, but it would have been wise to leave the forest anyway. For a split second Harry felt something close to admiration. His teacher was actually able to escape Voldemort.

It wasn't easy to pay attention both to Snape and to the path. He cursed. How he could have forgotten this useful spell that Hermione had taught him. The one that enabled a wizard to have a light separate from the wand so that the wand could be used for a different purpose. Like levitating. Finally he decided to leave the Potions Master in the forest and get help. Harry was risking much, but he was sure that Dumbledore wouldn't be angry and perhaps Snape would not learn about Harry's participation. He laid Snape on the patch of moss and was covering him with the Invisibility Cloak when the teacher opened his eyes.

'Potter,' he croaked, his eyes gleaming coldly. 'This time I'm going to have you expelled. For now, fifty points from Gryffindor for being out of your dormitory, and one hundred more for being out of the castle, and another hundred for being in the Dark Forest.' Harry's eyes opened wide. He couldn't believe his ears. He was getting angry and was just about to shout at Snape that he didn't give a damn about being expelled or losing points, he just wanted to help, when he noticed that the Potions Master drifted back into unconsciousness. And his breath was shallow and dreadfully discontinuous. Harry knew he could not waste any more time. He covered his teacher with the Cloak and set off running towards the castle. Later he wasn't able to count how many times he had tripped and risen again. His only thought was to get help before Snape died. He had to make it.