The 25th of December

15 December

The world is dark when Harry opens his eyes.

"Do not try to move."

Harry tries to twist his face toward the deep voice, but a warm hand comes to rest against his chin, holding it in place.

"Do not move." The repeated words are harsher now, which makes them easy to recognize.

"Snape." Harry's voice is raspy. He wants to ask for water, but he thinks there is something more important to be said. But he cannot remember what it is.

"Do not speak, Potter. Listen." Snape's voice is closer now. Harry does not have to turn to find it anymore; he can feel Snape's breath against his face. "The Dark Lord attempted to cast the Killing Curse against you. You seemed to be dead for a brief moment, but only for a moment."

Harry remembers a flash of green light, and Voldemort uttering the deadly words.

"You did not die, just as Albus said you would not," Snape murmurs. Harry finds the words odd, but he can't really figure out why. Snape does not usually state the obvious.

"The Dark Lord does not know why you won't die," Snape continues, the timbre of his voice changing. "You are his prisoner now." Snape's fingers shift against Harry's chin--almost as if they are restless. "He wishes to see if you will die in the Muggle way." Snape's fingers move again, this time to give Harry's chin a tug. "Open your mouth," he says, his voice low and gruff.

Harry's lips part.

"Aguamenti," Snape whispers. Water trickles into Harry's mouth. Harry laps at it greedily, but it is gone much too soon. "You will not die here."

Harry tries to focus on the face that he cannot see. He wonders what Snape means--where will he die, if not here?

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A/N: A chapter will be posted every day, until the story's culmination on Christmas. Thanks for reading.