When All is Lost, One is Found

Author: Rinoaebastel

Chapter 16: Triple Idiocy

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling.

AN: This story may contain scenes taken from the Harry Potter movies and books, but it's not exact dialogue, just rewording of dialogue or omission. It is not marked.

June 1994

He opened his eyes and immediately regretted it as the dust around him swirled and the room spun. He forced them to stay open and tried to move into an upward position. A metallic taste coated his tongue. It was blood. He must've bit his tongue when he lost consciousness.

What in the seven circles of hell happened?

When he tried to move again, this time forcing himself to sit up, a sting shot through his head from the back all the way to the front. He braced one hand on the floor to make sure he didn't fall over, and then blinked a few times as if it would help the spinning.

No one was around. Why was he in the shrieking shack? He gave in and closed his eyes. It was as if that action brought forth what happened earlier. He wasn't sure how earlier though.

"Shit," he muttered. That idiotic child. He'd been trying to save those brats and Potter attacked him. Where were they now? Did Black take them?

He opened his eyes again, relieved that the reeling had eased somewhat, and got to his feet. He immediately placed a hand against a wall just in case. It wouldn't do for him to fall over and knock himself out again.

Licking his lips, he took a step forward, grunting as his knee threatened him with a steady ache. He ignored the pain and went towards the exit, not caring about the massive hole in the wall. Maybe the cause was another spell of Potter's. He sat at the edge of the trapdoor and slowly climbed down. He needed to find them.

The tunnel's silence made his senses focus even more. The walk back seemed longer than it was when he was coming here. Granted, at the time he hadn't been injured.

He forced his steps to quicken when he heard a male scream. He rushed forward, climbing up the hole, the dirt and stones, and twigs scarring his hands and gathering under his nails. When he got out of the hole, he saw the three students in front of them, terror on their faces. They were hugging each other, with Weasley between Potter and Granger.

He took a step toward them but froze upon hearing a rumbling growl, a growl he still heard in occasional nightmares. He twisted around and spread his arms to cover the children.

His nightmare was there in his true form. It was there with salivating tongue and dripping fangs. The smell of wet dog came to his nostrils.

The amber eyes fixed on him, but he steeled his nerves and refused to budge. He was unsure if his refusal to move was foolish bravery or cowardice not allowing him to move. He was the lost prey that it wanted to devour.

The animal raised his paw and claws slammed into his chest, making him fall backward. He felt the hit against the rocks in his back more than the embedding of claws.

His ears registered Granger's scream and then another growl.

"No!" Potter's voice made him reach out. He tried to grab him to keep him from rushing forward.

"Potter!" When he saw Granger trying to do the same, he stopped her, refused to let another jump into danger. "Don't be as foolish as your friend!"

Another howl sounded in the distance and the growling ended. They waited a few minutes in silence. He cursed in his head when Potter was nowhere to be seen. Now he needed to find the boy while he protected these two. He couldn't leave them alone with a werewolf on the loose.

"We need to find him." Granger had stopped struggling, so he released her from his grasp.

"Yes, Miss Granger, but it would be insane if I let you and this weakling chase a werewolf."

"Hey, I'm hurt!" Weasley said, his vocal volume just under yelling.

He didn't bother turning to look at the boy as he waved his wand, lifting him and placing his body onto a floating stretcher. "Shut your mouth, Weasley. Your bleeding is enough to make us vulnerable so please, don't use your mouth and make us even more detectable."

Worthless idiots.

"You're hurt too, sir."

"Who cares about him," Ron muttered, he noticed she shot him a look but couldn't quite make out what she was trying to express, and he honestly didn't give a shit.

Instead, he bit back the urge to yell at her for stating the obvious and in a calm voice said, "And whose fault is that, Granger? I'm here because of your friends' stupidity. I didn't think you'd be such an idiot along with him." He could tell his words wounded her, but he didn't have time to care.

"Hermione is not an idiot. She's trying to he—"

"Ron, don't—"

Snape glared at Weasley then directed the same cold look at her. He raised his chin. "If you want to be helpful then I suggest that you take your wand out and control your friend. Get him back to Hogwarts. Do you think you can manage that?"

"No, sir."

"No?" he raised an eyebrow at that. It wasn't like her to go against authority when she was directly ordered to do something.

"I can't leave Harry alone, sir. Please let me go with you."

Snape studied the girl. He'd never known such loyalty. It was admirable at least.

He pursed his lips. "You'd probably try to go on your own if I didn't allow it," he said. "Very well, Granger."

"Hey, what about me?" Ron said.

Snape glanced at him. "You are to go where you're most useful." He waved his hand at the stretcher and it took off at a much faster speed than what anyone else would use.

"Shitttt!" he heard Weasley yell as he went out of sight and back to Hogwarts.

He thought Granger would protest what he'd done, but she looked fascinated and then muttered, "Wand-less magic, I need to learn that."

He had to withhold a smile at her curiosity.

Then he moved. He pressed his hand against his chest, the blood leaking onto his palm. Thankfully, the injury wouldn't cause him to lose a significant amount of blood. He was grateful that the werewolf hadn't use his fangs or he would've had to join Lupin in drinking Wolfsbane next month. His throbbing head was the biggest source of annoyance. His thoughts were cloudy and his vision looked as if a light fog coated his surroundings.

He heard Granger moving behind him, but put the majority of his focus on his surroundings, trying to find some trace of Potter among the shadows and trees. When satisfied Potter wasn't hiding there, he chose a direction and continued onward.

He couldn't stop. He couldn't fail Lily, and he refused to let that blasted werewolf have the boy for dinner or let Black kill him. The man had been nowhere in sight since Lupin transformed. Maybe he was using Lupin as a distraction so he could escape from Potter. Now, like a fool, the boy had entered the forest.

He looked up at the sky as he waited for Granger to catch up. Dementors were flying away, quicker than usual, a sign that they were being forced away rather than searching for anything or leaving of their own accord, and there were far too many of them. Waves of them.

He headed in the direction they came from and felt dark thoughts try to take over his mind. Chills shot up his back and he felt the skin on his arms prickle.

He climbed down a small hill and saw part of the lake that was surrounded by trees. That place was usually rife with animal activity, but there was not as much as an owl hooting. He raked his eyes across the area and stopped when he saw a few shadows moving at the very edge of the lake. He crept toward it, keeping his wand dim enough not to be detected but illuminated enough that he could see where he was stepping.

When he crossed the distance he darted behind a rock and peered over it, he heard Granger behind him, but barely. She was as good at stealth as he was. If she survived Potter's idiocy, she'd be a hell of a witch when she was older.

He waited a few moments to see if the bodies would move. When they didn't, he approached. He leaned down and checked their pulse. He relaxed when he felt Potter's pulse. Black was alive as well, though he was less relieved at that. He moved to transform two rocks in to stretchers but saw Granger had already done so.

He levitated the two bodies onto them and glanced around the area to see if Lupin was lingering. He couldn't care less where that wolf went as long as he left them alone. Him being punished for aiding Black would be ideal, but having him gone was enough.

-/-/-

He couldn't believe it. An Order of Merlin of third class offered to him. For catching the blasted Black and saving the irresponsible Potter. He'd heard it straight from the minister's, who was now walking beside him, mouth. At one time it would've felt surreal, it would've felt pleasant, but now it felt empty. He was satisfied he caught Black, yet it still meant nothing to him.

No matter what he did, he'd never be seen as a good one, and as he aged he found himself caring less. Found himself happiest in his dungeons, brewing his potions, and being left alone with his guilt.

Today, a day filled with things he thought he'd always wanted, was a day of annoyances.

But he'd still get that Order of Merlin. They only needed to check on Potter. The minister wanted to talk to the boy and—

A loud rumble ripped through the area. He whipped out his wand and pointed it at the source of the noise.

"What was that?" the minister said.

"It sounded like an explosion from the..." With a growl, he took off running, ignoring the words of confusion from the minister at his back.

No.

This couldn't be. He must be wrong.

As he took the stairs in twos, he forgot his mauled chest, he forgot his tired body. He continued forward until he reached the upper battlements of the tower.

Something collided with his feet. His wand pointed at the night and he ordered in silence to open the darkness to his eyes.

A burn shot across the palm of the hand holding his wand. The pressure almost made the delicate pattern dig into his skin. He contained his need to blast away the rest of the wall and pushed back the thought of checking to see if a corpse was lying in the grass below them. He knew there would be no body. He knew what happened.

He pushed back a scream of rage. How did Black escape?

Potter. Potter did something.

He twirled and climbed down the stairs.

All inexplicable things were caused by Potter.

The boy would pay. He would make sure of it. Not for ripping any Glory away, or making a fool of him, but for letting a killer loose. He would punish that boy with no one being any of the wiser. Every wrong step, he'd be there to make sure Potter's years at Hogwarts were as close to torture as they could be.

Dumbledore was in front of the infirmary door. How could this man let this happen right under his nose?

"He has escaped! Potter has something to do with this Dumbledore and you can't deny it."

Oh, but he would deny it. He knew he would.

"Potter is inside the infirmary, Severus. I doubt he did it."

Of course you fucking do. The calm voice enraged him more.

"Maybe he apparated away? Some mages can do it without a wand," the minister tried to add.

"Only the headmaster can do that. The castle doesn't allow it," Dumbledore said. "I just left Potter under Pomfrey's care."

"Don't play with me, Albus." Severus had enough and took a step forward, slamming the door open and walking towards the three students that occupied the infirmary.

Always them. Meddling into business that didn't concern them.

His eyes found Potter. The boy's eyes held defiance. Hate. After saving him, that's what he got.

He looked at him the way Lily had after she aligned herself with the elder Potter, leaving him alone.

"What did you do you stupid child?"

"Professor what do you think you are doing? These children need rest not a brutish interrogation," Madam Pomfrey said.

He kept his focus on Potter.

He could see it. He could see pieces of Potter's memories in the deepness of those green eyes.

He'd done it.

"They've been here the entire time, Severus. For as much magic we have, we are still unable to be in two places at the same time or divide ourselves." Dumbledore's words were right but wrong at the same time.

He knew that the old fool was hiding something too.

This whole room was full of liars and secret keepers. He glared at the man.

Whatever Potter did, whatever his precious Gryffindors did, they were never wrong. They were never going to be punished.

He even knew Lupin wouldn't be punished for his actions.

Without saying another word, he stormed out of the infirmary.

Dumbledore followed him and when they were out in the hall, said, "I have my reasons, Severus."

Severus glared at him. "I bet you do," he said with the most hate-filled voice he'd ever directed at the elder wizard. When he saw Dumbledore's eyes widen, he stalked off. Today was further evidence that no one cared. It was time to take out his own justice on people.

He would slip some information to his Slytherins and make those foolish Gryffindors pay for their actions. Vengeance was sweet.

AN: Next month is going to have a weird update schelude. Two times per month but with two chapters due their length. Hope you liked it and leave me a comment with your thoughts. Until next week!