At the start of the first Potions class of the term, Harry was very anxious: how would it feel to have Snape again so near? Every time he tried to sense Snape inside the castle, the emotions he could detect were very complex and mixed-up. He felt that Snape still cared for him, and that the link between them was as strong as before, but there was also a solid resistance. Now, face to face, how would both react?

Snape ignored him completely, both in the first and the second classes.

Aside that, never a first week seemed so uneventful and boring to Harry. When Friday arrived, Harry wondered if he should try and look for Snape's Time-Turner behind the statue of Baldwin the Bald.

Hermione's voice awakened him from his reverie.

"Harry, look, Akhmatov is acting weirdly."

They were in the library, supposedly trying to write their first essay of the term for McGonagall. The Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher seemed to be looking for something in the air, moving his head from side to side, up and down.

"Ah, this bloke is totally nuts," said Ron. "He's always been weird. But at least he survived the first term as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher here!"

"That doesn't mean a thing," said Harry crossly. "Quirrell stayed here for two years and you know who was hiding inside his turban. Now that you've mentioned, I'm feeling a dark energy around him."

Ron hugged himself and shivered.

"Really, Harry? You mean... you can sense this with the powers you've acquired in the Mandala?"

"Yeah. Sort of. It's not something clear, but I feel it. We must keep an eye on him."

~* ~* ~

At night, Harry didn't go looking for the Time-Turner. Deep inside, he knew that Snape wouldn't take the initiative. Harry would have to be the one to go after him. But... what could Harry say to him, now that Harry had agreed to join the Clique, knowing that Snape would never accept his decision?

Ron and Ginny had also joined the Clique. They had decided not to say anything to Hermione, because they knew she wouldn't approve of the idea and might even decide to tell everything to Dumbledore.

Hermione didn't seem to realise they were hiding something from her. Aside from studying all the time, as she had always done, now she had been appointed Head Girl. She spent her little spare time writing long letters to Axel Lescaux, who had been hired by the Ministry to work on a security project in the Department of Mysteries. Lescaux's dream was to become an Unspeakable.

Tossing and turning in his bed, unable to sleep, Harry started to feel guilty. He could be at Snape's cottage, in Snape's arms at that moment. What had he gained by being so stubborn?

But it wasn't a question of gaining or not gaining, he told himself. If any other person died, then he would feel really guilty.

~* ~* ~

He woke up covered in cold sweat, and with Ron's worried face above his.

"The castle. There's something wrong with the castle," said Harry.

"It was just another nightmare, Harry."

Harry tried to sit up and to remember. "It's on the fourth floor. In the blocked secret passageway, behind the mirror. I'm going to talk to Dumbledore."

Under Ron's astonished gaze, Harry donned a robe over his pyjamas and left the dormitory.

~* ~* ~

"Caramelitos!" Harry shouted to the gargoyle, hoping that the Headmaster hadn't changed the password since the last time.

The gargoyle leapt aside, and Harry stepped on to the spiral escalator, which moved upwards. The polished oak door of the Headmaster's office was ajar.

A voice that Harry knew very well was coming from inside. "Albus, I know there is something wrong with him. You must take some measure to prevent him from..."

"Severus, why is it that you always blame the Defence Against the Dark Arts teachers?"

"I have nothing against your marvelous teachers, except for the fact that they are murderers, frauds, Death Eaters or Merlin knows what else!"

Harry opened the door and entered. "Erm..."

"Harry!" said the Headmaster cheerfully.

"Potter," said Snape, seeming intrigued.

"I need to talk to you, Headmaster."

"Have a seat, Harry. Pull that chair over there closer to my desk. You too, Severus, have a seat. If you don't stop pacing about my office, you will make me dizzy!"

Snape clenched his fists and, with a defeated look, sat on a chair facing the Headmaster's desk. Harry dragged the chair Dumbledore had indicated and sat down, as did the Headmaster.

"Now, Harry, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit... after curfew?"

"It's the castle, sir. There's something wrong, I can feel it. It's like the castle has been... hurt."

Dumbledore widened his eyes and nodded. "So you have felt it too. That means that your perception powers are truly enhanced. Very interesting."

Snape looked from the Headmaster to the student, with a mystified look.

"Harry, since you entered the Mandala, a bond has been created between you and the castle. You feel there is something different in the castle tonight, and so do I," said Dumbledore.

"Headmaster, it's on the fourth floor. In the secret passageway behind the mirror. There's something wrong there."

"I know, Harry. We just don't know exactly what it is. But it seems that Hogwarts is in danger. I'm going to have that sector isolated. There's no need to panic, stay calm. You can go back to your dormitory."