A/N: Oh my goodness guys, I am sooooooo sorry for the long wait. It's been forever! I had extreme writer's block and I tried for a new chapter five or six times. It's a little shorter than usual, but full of important content. This chapter is dedicated to @accio-5sos for being the first person who I don't know to comment on this story. Sorry for the long before-chapter note. Bye!

I looked at Will. She looked just as confused as the rest of us, but I was sure it had been her. She was the only one who would have been doing it. Professor Flitwick, although shocked, managed to maintain a calm façade.

"Back to work, class!" he squeaked. "Continue that good work!" Of course, he had to notice that I was done and came over to inspect my work.

"Oh, perfect use of the spell. Class, see here, Miss Snape has done it!" My name gained many resentful glares, but I shrugged it off. I didn't have time to care about things that couldn't be changed. I smiled a little, but I didn't really care. I knew I would always be talented at magic, it's just who I was. But right then, I had more important matters at hand. If word spread that Will could do—whatever she'd just done, she might be taken away. She was already so fragile; I couldn't let something happen to her. Without thinking, I pointed my wand at the nearest person, and, directing my thoughts at the everyone in the room, said, "Obliviate."

It was something like I had never felt before. A glow was released from my wand and it grew larger at each passing second, sliding through my wand and inside of me. The soft white light pulsed and I felt magic pouring out of me, caressing my face. My hair floated around me, shockingly bright against the background. The magic faded, but instead of feeling energized like I had during the spell, I felt more drained than I had ever felt before.

*

I sat up quickly. Where was I? Everything was sterile and white and spinning. When everything came into focus, I realized Daphne Greengrass was sitting on the edge of the bed with Will on her lap.

"What hap—" Daphne began, but at that moment, Madame Pomfrey burst in through the door. Ah, so that's where I was.

"Oh, good, you're awake! Here, take this," She practically shoved a greyish potion down my throat. Ugh, it tasted like cow manure! Not that I had ever tried any, of course. Daphne leaned back to avoid Madame Pomfrey's elbow as she reached for a yellow, pee colored potion.

"Take this as well." This time, I swallowed the potion on my own, albeit reluctantly. This one tasted like vomit. Just warning you, that is not a good combination.

"If there are any side effects, please come straight here! You are free to go!"

"What side effects?" I yelled after her, but it was for naught, as she had slammed the door to her office behind her, leaving me bewildered.

Daphne looked at me with a mischievous smile.

"Fred and George were here just a few minutes ago." Will nodded, and I blushed, trying not to react. On another note, Will looked nothing like the scared little girl she had been when I first met her earlier today.

The hallways were darkened. How long had I been out? I grimaced, thinking that this was not the first time in the last few months that I had thought that. I voiced my question and was answered with "Since Charms today. Willie and I planned to stay under the bed if you didn't wake up." I nodded, happy I had such good friends. Well, most of them, the nagging voice inside my head commented snidely.

Finally, we arrived at the Fat Lady.

"This is where I leave you," Daphne said.

"Oh, okay." I faked nonchalance, but in reality, I wasn't. I was none too excited to be practically alone in a dorm with two girls I hated and one who couldn't speak. Well, maybe she could, but no one else, including her, would ever know.

When we entered the dorm, I realized there weren't enough beds. I conjured one for Will on my second try, blaming the failure on the fatigue I now felt. I tucked Will into her bed and went to sleep. I was out like a light.

I sat on my bed with my owl, Storm, on my shoulder and a large orange cat beside me, lazily performing spells. It came with an ease I hadn't felt in a while, but I didn't think of that. I just thought of the marvels I was creating. Purple paper dragons flew through the air, chased by little knights on flying horses. Dolphins made of sparkles dove in and out of crashing waves. Will clapped her hands and giggled on the bed across from me. She was next to a boy with blonde hair who I somehow knew to be her brother. Harry was grinning next to me and I could hear my laughs bouncing from the walls. I suddenly realized that I didn't recognize the cat. Nonetheless, I reached down to pet it, but it hissed and tried to bite me. I kept my hand out of reach on its head, unrelenting my hold. Everything else had disappeared and it was now just me and a cat, then just a swirling train of black and white images. I felt the cat scratching where my shirt had ridden up.

I woke up sweating, still in the form of paralysis that sometimes occurred when I woke up quickly. That's when I realized that I still felt scratching on my stomach, but it was no longer the scratching of claws but of human nails. I grasped onto the hand attached to it and as it tried to pull away, I saw rotting nails attached to the grimy appendage. I tried to scream, but no sound came out. Red marks had appeared where I was scratched and suddenly the room was too dark. I tore out of bed and down the hall, not knowing where I was going, just that I had to run.

I collided with a soft surface and heard the crinkling of paper but jerked back and kept going. I heard the pounding of footsteps behind me. Maybe I would go to my old room from my pre-Hogwarts days. Uncle would protect me. Or maybe the Slytherin common room. They didn't like intruders, but maybe Draco wouldn't mind, even though we weren't on good terms.

The person—no, people—behind me were catching up. I burst ahead, running as fast as I could in the darkened hallway, past suits of armor, paintings, and even Mrs. Norris once. Finally I recognized where I was: the staircase. The same one I fell down all those years ago. I looked between the direction of the footsteps and that of the staircase in blind terror. I knew what those footsteps would bring: the thing that caused the pain my stomach was currently feeling. I chose quickly. It was the staircase. It could take me to Uncle. I ran out onto the staircase, flying down it as fast as I could. I was clearly not fast enough though, because the footsteps were getting ever closer. They were right behind me now, pounding. I reached the bottom of the stairs and veered to the side, plunging into the air, just like I had four years ago. 

A/N again: so that's it folks! Tell me how you like it, I always love feedback. I don't really have anything to say, so yeah! 

-Jess