Sands of Time

Harry headed down to Snape's office ten minutes early for his detention. He had already arrived late for one of Snape's detentions this year and was unwilling to repeat the experience. Most of the day, he was distracted by his thoughts about the whole situation with Dumbledore and a strange dream he had had this morning.

Cedric Diggory had been talking to a sinister looking wizard that Harry was sure was Salazar Slytherin. Slytherin was asking Cedric for his approval, but just as he started to explain what he wanted approval of, Dumbledore appeared and began cheerfully telling Cedric that he was dead. Both Slytherin and Cedric transformed into a flutter of green and silver butterflies that circled around Dumbledore before flying away. Dumbledore started speaking to him then, but Harry couldn't remember what he had said, especially after Ron shouted in his ear for him to wake up.

He had been wondering about it ever since, much to his detriment in Transfiguration and Potions. McGonagall had nearly given him another detention, and Snape had taken away at least twenty points. Binns at least hadn't noticed his distraction. But Harry could have sworn that Snape had been distracted as he was, which perhaps explained why Harry arrived at Snape's door, and found it locked with no light showing through the crack at the bottom.

Harry had never seen Snape arrive late for a detention. Maybe the older wizard was off doing some investigating of his own. He tried to imagine what specifically Snape could be doing, but nothing came to mind. He knocked loudly on the door, then waited. Nothing.

With a guilty look down the corridor, he attempted Alohomora. The spell shot out of his wand and hit the keyhole of the door. But instead of the lock clicking open, the keyhole glowed an orange colour for a moment, then a beam of magic shot out and hit Harry hard in the chest. He was thrown back in the air, and crashed down hard against the cold dungeon floor.

He lay there stunned for a moment, then pushed himself up. Something crackled under him. It was a piece of parchment. He picked it up and accidentally read the first line on the page. In a spidery scrawl it read 'Dear Remus,'. Harry sat up straighter and allowed himself to read the rest.

Dear Remus,

How are you and Snuffles? Before you ask, Harry is doing well. His grades in Transfiguration are as high as they are low in Potions. The usual precautions as to the authentication of this letter apply.

This is perhaps not the best place to write this, but I must ask you to go on a mission. With Voldemort in control of Azkaban, we need all the support we can find. There is a vampire haven near the island. I want you both to go there and try to persuade them to join our side. You may offer them anything you like, including blood, for without them on our side we have no chance.

Please take care. I have no need to remind you of the danger a vampire can pose.

Albus Dumbledore

Harry's first thought was that the letter was a fake. Perhaps it was a scheme of Voldemort's to make him mistrust Dumbledore, though that didn't really explain Dumbledore's reaction to the prophecy of Harry's death, or the whole fiasco with Hermione's book. Unless someone was using Polyjuice Potion again, but surely no one could manage to do that after Crouch Jr.?

Harry was startled out of his thoughts by the arrival of Professor Snape. Snape saw him, spotted the letter and got a very angry look on his face.

"Into my office, Potter. Now!" Harry complied, though he was a bit worried when Snape locked the door behind him.

"Where did you get that letter?" Snape demanded.

"It was on the floor outside your office," said Harry indignantly. Snape might be suspicious of Dumbledore, but he was more suspicious of Harry any day.

"So you just picked it up and read it," said Snape sarcastically. Harry opened his mouth to defend himself, then stopped. That was just what Snape wanted wasn't it? It was the same as when Draco confronted him all the time.

"Maybe I didn't read it," he said as calmly as he could. Snape raised an eyebrow.

"That's funny because the hands of anyone who read that letter turn purple," said Snape. Harry looked at his hands. They were the same as usual, and he realized what had just happened. Snape had tricked him, and now he knew that Harry had read the letter. "One of Dumbledore's little jokes I imagine," Snape continued casually. Harry looked back up at him.

"Or yours," he said.

"Merely a test, but maybe you won't be caught by it next time," responded Snape. Harry was astonished. Snape never talked to him this way, but then he continued. "For your detention tonight, you'll be extracting the poison from the sulphur root. Wear dragon hide gloves and follow the instructions in this book." He tapped a book on the counter beside his desk. "Maybe you'll even learn something." Harry thought that it was likely he would learn what a sulphur root burn felt like, but started working anyway.

He worked in silence, but his mind was on a totally different matter. He had lived the first years of his life on his own. Adults weren't to be trusted and neither were most of the other children he knew. Everyone didn't care, or couldn't really help him. There were a few he had come to trust. Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Professor Lupin and Sirius. Ron and Hermione seemed to think he was acting paranoid. And he wasn't sure if he trusted Dumbledore anymore. If the letter was true, then Sirius and Lupin were in danger. How could the Dumbledore he knew offer vampires blood to seal a deal?

He glanced at Snape, who was taking notes from a book on his desk. Snape was his real problem. Neither of them trusted the other, but Harry had somehow come to trust Snape's instincts. His Slytherin instincts.

"Get to work, Potter!" Harry jumped and nearly spilled the vile full of armadillo bile he was holding. Snape saw what he was going and came around to snatch the vile out of his hand. "What are you doing? You only need half this much or else the mixture will over boil." His hand stabbed down on a small note at the bottom of the page. "You're supposed to read all the instructions." Harry grimaced. It was a pretty stupid place to put such an important instruction. His mind wandered back to Dumbledore's instructions. Dangerous instructions...

"Potter!" Harry realized Snape had been speaking to him. "You had better pay attention, or else you'll be doing this again with me tomorrow." Snape's voice was dripping with menace. Harry looked at him for a moment and decided he was willing to accept the consequences if it got him some answers. And who better to ask about the Dark Arts then Snape?

"Do you know anything about vampires, Sir?" he asked. Snape stared hard at him before answering.

"I know enough," he said.

"Can they drink from someone without killing them?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Yes," Snape said and Harry felt his spirits soar. Maybe Dumbledore knew what he was doing. "But not without making the person they drink from their mental slave, or another vampire."

"But Dumbledore can't do that!" protested Harry. "He would never sacrifice someone just to make a deal."

"How do you know he hasn't done it before?" asked Snape wearily. He seemed to take in Harry's incredulous look. "But much as it galls me, I agree with you. Dumbledore wouldn't sacrifice anyone, even a werewolf, for the help of a few bloodsuckers. Vampires are useless against dementors anyway since they used to be human."

"Then what is Dumbledore doing?" asked Harry cautiously. Snape seemed to have forgotten who he was talking to and he wanted this impromptu truce to continue. "Maybe the letter is a fake?"

"I verified it," said Snape in the same weary voice. Harry spoke quickly, afraid that Snape would stop him. He explained all about Hermione's book, leaving out the part about stealing it back and implying that he read it before it was taken. He would have told Snape about Trelawney's prophecy, but since Snape didn't like the Divination teacher, or him, Harry doubted he would care. Snape listened and made him repeat the part about Slytherin's diary entries.

"Slytherin left no writings, nor did Hufflepuff or Gryffindor," said Snape flatly. "And only one of Ravenclaw's diaries has ever been found." Harry shrugged.

"They could have been fakes, but then why such an elaborate attempt to take them away?"

"You said attempt," said Snape slowly. "That implies that you still have the book, or that you managed to get it back." Harry tried to remain calm. Snape couldn't prove anything, and it wasn't like he was going to go to Dumbledore.

"And if I did have it?" he asked cautiously. "What would you do?" Snape's black eyes glittered strangely.

"The book is no longer on the Forbidden list," he said. "Therefore your possession of it posses no problem." He appeared to come to a decision. "Fetch the book, Potter, and don't make me regret this."