Draco pressed Harry up against the wall, his face mere inches away. Eyes narrowing, the blonde breathed, "Surrender, Potter?"

Harry smirked. "If I say yes, what'll you do to me?"

Lowering his head so his mouth was brushing Harry's neck, Malfoy purred, "Anything you'd like me to."

"GYAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Harry jerked bolt upright in bed, lost his balance, and went toppling over the left side and onto the floor with a THUMP. Tonks, slightly out of it from being so rudely awakened, sat up, wobbling. She crawled over to peek over the edge of the bed. "Nightmare, Harry?"

"You have no idea." Groaned Harry, still face-down on the ground. "I can only hope Draco's having them too."

Tonks snorted, laying back down. "It's your own fault, Mr. Wand Licker."

"Quiet, hench wench." Harry scowled, sitting up to untangle himself from the blanket. "Damn it all... I wish we could've nicked a bottle of firewhiskey or something. I need some strong juju to get that dream out of my head..."

"'Strong juju'?" Tonks repeated.

Sighing, Harry sat back up on the bed, setting the blanket next to him. "Look at it this way, how would you feel if you were having random nightmares about Pansy seducing you?!"

"I think I should be asking you about that." Tonks said, opening an eye to grin at Harry.

"Oh don't you even try to turn that one back on me, woman." Harry said, prodding one of Tonks' legs. "What time is it?"

Tonks looked to the right, where a little clock stood on the night stand. "About 4:30." She said. "Lay back down and get some more sleep. And spread that blanket back out. It's cold in here."

Standing, Harry did as he was told before crawling in next to Tonks. "Urg. I haven't heard him yell out tonight, so I guess he isn't suffering like I am."

"That or he just hasn't gone to bed yet." Tonks said, rolling onto her side.

Wrapping his arms around Tonks, Harry chuckled. "He'll have to sleep eventually. Shame I don't know any spells to mess with a person's dreams."

"You realize that to mess with his dreams, you'd have to actively think about the two of you snogging each other senseless, yeah?" Tonks said.

"...Right, didn't think my cunning plan out. Shut up, I'm groggy." Harry mumbled, pouting at the ceiling.

Giggling, Tonks patted Harry's chest lightly. "There there, Harry. You'll have other brilliant plans. How're you feeling, anyway? Still sore?"

"Still sore." Harry said. "Draco's damn good. Guess he's been practicing somewhere in Hogwarts or something. He's a lot stronger than I recall. Not exactly Dumbledore level like I suggested to Mrs. Weasley, but with time..."

"Sad you have to limit yourself to fight evenly?" Asked Tonks.

"Kind of. I do wish I had asked him for a duel before I got the Gauntlet attached." Harry said, idling playing with Tonks' hair. "Hey, what were you dreaming about?"

"Hmm... don't ask." Tonks said, a grin on her face.

"Why not?" Asked Harry.

"One wizard's nightmare is another's fantasy fuel." Tonks said simply.

"Oh good lord." Harry said, turning his head. "You were dreaming about the same thing I was?"

"Dreaming about it and rating you two as you went." Tonks said. "What can I say? You're both good looking and in fairly decent shape. Even if you are--"

"If you call me scrawny, I'll magic a platoon of ice cubes down that damn nightshirt of yours." Harry growled.

Tonks laughed, squeezing Harry in a hug. "Aw, I'm sorry. But hey, if I'm dreaming about it, you only have yourself to blame. Pansy and I sat around talking about you two awhile."

"Before or after you busted in on us changing?" Harry asked in a withering voice.

"After. That was the first time I'd seen him in a state of undress." Tonks said. "So after you two ran us back out, we sat around and compared notes, so to speak."

"You know, I think I'm going to go have some coffee." Harry said, groaning.

"Aww. Sorry, Harry!" Tonks said, letting go of him as he sat up and got back out of bed. "Come on now. If I did something like that to Pansy's wand..."

"I know, I know! Don't get me thinking about it!" Harry cried, quickly leaving the room. As he closed the bedroom door behind him, he let out a quiet groan.

"Wonderful. Company." Came a weary voice from the nearby couch.

Harry looked over to see a very tired-looking Draco Malfoy stretched out, arms behind his head. "So were you having nightmares, too?"

"I wasn't. Pansy was." Malfoy said, sitting up. "She apparently woke her tent up because of it. That sounds like something you'd do. Your bad habits must have rubbed off on her or something. She wouldn't tell me what she dreamt, though she was shaking really badly when I answered the bedroom door."

Forgetting the coffee, Harry walked to one of the chairs and sat down. "Where is she?"

"My room." Malfoy said, leaning forward on his knees. "I stayed with her until she was asleep and I knew she wasn't going to have any more bad dreams. Then I came out here. Haven't been able to sleep since. I'm surprised your yell didn't wake her. She must have been really tired."

Harry smiled crookedly. "You sure you don't love her?"

"I love her, Potter. I've known her my entire life. Of course I love her. It just isn't in a romantic way." Malfoy said, blowing out a sigh.

"Are you sure?" Harry asked.

"I'm sure." Malfoy stated.

"I bet she would've really enjoyed waking up next to you. You should have stayed with her." Said Harry, leaning his head back and closing his eyes.

"This is old hat for us. She used to have a lot of nightmares when she was younger. We lived near enough to one another that we often spent the night at each other's house. Things were a lot simpler back then. Every so often, she'd come knocking on my door at night, crying and telling me about her bad dreams. So we'd go sit up for awhile, talking, until she inevitably fell asleep again. I'd always wait awhile before sneaking out." Malfoy explained.

"I still think you're just trying to fool yourself. Maybe when I finish off Riddle and some semblence of peace can be restored... maybe then you'll allow yourself to open up." Harry said.

"It isn't about the war, Potter. I just don't think I could love her like you love Tonks." Malfoy said, looking over, a weary look in his eyes. "You just don't get how I was brought up. When I turned eight, Lucius decided it was in the bloodline's best interests to find me a future wife."

"He wanted to set up an arranged marriage?!" Harry asked.

"Indeed he did. Thankfully, the idea bore no fruit." Malfoy said. "Anyway, I was brought up a certain way. Even though nothing came of it, I was put through the motions. Learning to court a girl wasn't a part of that because one was being found for me."

"Permission to speak freely?"

"Go ahead."

"Horseshit."

"I beg your pardon?"

"I think you're grasping for excuses." Harry said. "Are you even hearing yourself? You're trying to blame your lack of confidence on the fact that you could have been set up with someone you didn't even know? Draco, love isn't that hard. Just tell her. She clearly cares. You clearly care. At least give it a chance. If nothing comes from it, what harm is there done? You don't think she'd just stop being your friend because of it, do you?"

Malfoy was silent.

Harry raised an eyebrow and turned in his seat. "You do, don't you?"

"So what if I am?" Asked Malfoy, running a hand back through his hair. "I'm happy with what we have right now. I don't want that chemistry to change. I've had to deal with too much change the last few years as is."

"And why risk one that could turn it for the better, right?" Harry asked sarcastically.

"Oh, do shut up, Potter. You couldn't possibly understand." Malfoy said.

"You're right. I couldn't. Tonks was my best friend, too. Granted, I haven't known her as long as you've known Pansy, but what difference does it make? You want a good indication of how the water feels, give her a hug when you greet her when she wakes up again later. See how she reacts. Just don't be too obvious about it or she'll catch on. These womenfolk we know seem to be rather bright, see, and I'm sure she'd know exactly what you're up to if you didn't act coolly." Harry said.

Malfoy closed his eyes and turned to lay back down. "Look, I'll think about it, alright? No promises, but I'll think about it. Now leave me to my thoughts, Potter."

"As you wish." Harry said, closing his eyes again.

And, sitting in absolute silence, the two remained in the living room until the sun began to rise. When it did, Harry got up and headed outside, wanting to check the weather prior to the day's jump, which he wanted to get out of the way early. They had remained in the same spot for too long due to the fact that it was the first real jump Harry had made. Now that he knew what it did to him and how far he could push himself, he was ready to continue onward.

Malfoy sighed and stared up at the ceiling. But he was only alone for about five minutes before his bedroom door opened and Pansy stepped out. She was rubbing at her eyes as she walked over, sitting where Harry had previously been. Malfoy sat up again, asking, "Sleep any better?"

"Always do." Pansy said, her voice scratchy. "Nn... what about you? No sleep per usual?"

"Same old, same old." Malfoy said, half-smirking.

Pansy leaned forward in the chair, far enough to wrap her arms around Malfoy's upper body to hug him. "Thanks for keeping my nightmares away."

Malfoy closed his eyes, his muscles relaxing slightly. The two sat like that for awhile, neither wanting to move. Malfoy was the first to break the silence, however.

"You alright?"

Pansy nodded slightly. "M'fine."

"Liar." Malfoy said, bringing an arm up to rub at her back. Her breathing hitched and her grip on him tightened. "...I'm sorry, Pansy."

"It's okay." Pansy whispered.

"It isn't. You deserve better." Malfoy said. "You know how I am. I'll never--"

"I don't care what you think I deserve, dammit..." Pansy said, weakly hitting Malfoy's chest. "Don't you get that yet, Draco? I don't want anything between us to change, either..."

"You don't? But..."

"I just don't want to lose you. I don't want you out of my sight. I get scared when you're not around..." Pansy said.

"Scared? About what?" Asked Malfoy, brow creasing.

"That I'll never see you again. Remember? When your father would get drunk, he'd start yelling about how things were back when Voldemort was at the height of his power and how he was going to mold you into a perfect Death Eater. That... scared me. I'd known enough from my own parents' talks to know Death Eaters rarely last long..." Pansy whispered, squeezing Malfoy tighter. "I kept having nightmares of seeing you in a coffin... I still have them..."

"Why haven't you ever told me this before?" Malfoy asked, pulling out of the hug to look Pansy in the eyes. "Why have you held this in, Pansy?"

"Thought you'd just tell me I was being silly..." Pansy said, staring down at the floor.

"You were right, of course." Malfoy said, putting his hand under Pansy's chin to bring her gaze back up. "Because there's no way we can lose. You saw what Potter's capable of doing. And I know you saw how cut up he was after we finished out sparring session yesterday. We'll be fine in this, Pansy. We'll be strong enough for everyone. I don't plan to die any time soon. But until this ends, I know that talking won't convince you. If you want to keep sleeping in our tent, you can. I can stay out here at night."

"Isn't that uncomfortable?" Asked Pansy.

"Not really. Only reason I wasn't able to sleep was because I was thinking too much. Potter's outside, by the way." Malfoy said, looking towards the entrance. "Dunno why he's taking so long."

"Could be giving us some time." Pansy said, wiping at her eyes slowly. With a sniff, she sighed. "Sorry. I know I shouldn't get like that. It's just... hard to think rationally when you wake up from such a bad dream..."

"Understandable. Come on, I'll help you get your clothes and stuff over here." Malfoy said, standing up.

"You sure?"

"Positive. Come on." Malfoy said, offering a hand to Pansy, which she took.

Outside, Harry was kneeling near the campfire, staring at it as though expecting it to suddenly start talking. Malfoy cocked an eyebrow when he saw this and asked, "What are you doing?"

"Something was poking around." Harry murmured, reaching out and pointing at a spot in the ashes that looked disturbed. "I don't know why. It looks like the edge of someone's robe passed through here, though."

"I think you're being paranoid." Malfoy stated.

"I think we're being followed." Harry said, standing up and glancing into the woods surrounding their camp site. "And I think we'll need to make the jump earlier than I wanted. If you two are going into the girls' tent, wake them up. I'll get Nym out of bed. I want to get the hell out of here. I feel like I'm being watched."

Pansy and Malfoy glanced at one another, nodding as they went into the girls' tent. Harry waited for them to duck inside before he headed back into his tent, quickly moving to the bedroom and slipping inside.

"Nym? Nymmy, wake up. We need to jump early." Harry said, gently shaking the sleepy blonde.

"Nn... we do? Why?" Asked Tonks.

"We're being followed." Harry said. "Dunno who or what it is, but it's bothering me enough to make me want to change my plans."

Tonks groaned, slipping out of bed. Walking to the nearby dresser, she fished out a pair of clean jeans and slid those on. As Harry started back out, she grabbed her shoes and followed. Once back outside, Tonks looked around as Harry shrunk and packed up their tent. Shortly, the others had left their tent, which Malfoy took care of.

"You really think someone's after us?" Asked Ginny, looking groggy.

"Positive. We've been here awhile. Wouldn't surprise me if Albus' men found their way to us. We didn't exactly do a full jump last time. This time I'm going to need to take more care in how I move. I may pick an unplanned spot to drop us, just to help keep them off our trail." Harry said. "Sorry for having to wake you up unexpectedly. I don't like this any more than you do."

"It's alright." Luna said, slumping against Hermione and yawning. "Will there be coffee after we land?"

Harry snorted. "Of course. Coffee and breakfast. I'm hoping I'll be up to eating before I end up sleeping half the day. And starting tonight, we're going to begin keeping watch like you lot suggested. I don't feel safe in leaving the tents unattended to. Alright, gather around."

Harry and Malfoy pocketed the tents. But as everyone walked over, Harry suddenly had to whirl around, Cedric's wand flying down and out of his left sleeve, to block a hex that came at them from somewhere in the forest.

"Damn it." He hissed. "Too late..."

"I see you're still quite capable of defending yourself." Came a silky voice. Slowly, a group of five men began to appear from behind trees. The group converged and entered the clearing. "I was told to ask if you planned on coming back quietly."

"Good morning to you too, Snape." Harry said, drawing his own wand. "And I think you already know the answer to that question."

Severus Snape, leading a group of gruff-looking men, smiled at Harry. "Indeed I do. In fact, I was hoping you would respond so expectedly. It means I will get to use 'whatever force necessary,' I believe Albus called it, to retrieve you."

Harry glanced at the four men with Snape. He didn't recognize any of them. Narrowing his eyes, he asked, "Who are they?"

"Acquaintances." Snape stated. "Ones who readily agreed to assist my cause."

"Draco, get the girls back and get shields going. I'll deal with them and we'll make the jump as planned." Harry said.

"You don't need to do this." Malfoy stated, looking Snape's way.

"Oh, but I do, Draco." Snape said, looking toward the Slytherin. "You've all been branded as traitors to Albus' side. No one will miss any of you should you happen to never return."

"You're a terrible liar, Severus." Malfoy said, sighing. Looking around, he murmured, "Come on. Let Potter handle this."

"You aren't going to try stopping him?" Asked Pansy.

"It would be futile." Malfoy said. "I saw what that Death Eater said. I know he's a lost cause. I just wish I knew when and why it happened..."

The group moved away from Harry, whose eyes kept darting from one man to the next. "So, you came to bring me back or kill me... and this is the only backup you have? I thought you were smarter than that, Snape."

"Others may believe your laughable tales of power, Potter. I don't." Snape declared.

"Ignoring what I did to the Death Eaters who you let into headquarters?" Asked Harry, smirking.

"New recruits." Snape said. "A first year with half a brain could have beaten them."

"Believe what you want. Just know one thing - if you attack me, I won't hold back. If you raise your wand against me now, Snape, I won't let you leave this place alive. Seems as good a place as any to kill the real traitor here." Harry said, eyes narrowing.

"I have no intention of leaving, Potter. We'll dismantle you right here and now." Snape said, aiming his wand at Harry.

"Why won't anyone just leave us to our own devices?" Harry hissed. Parseltongue creeping up mid-sentence, he growled, "You're going to die here, Snape. I've already chosen what to kill you with! This has been a long time coming..."

"You assume you'll get the chance to attack me directly." Snape said. And then, taking a step back, he issued his order to the four men surrounding him. "Kill him."

Harry sighed quietly, bringing the Patronus Armor up as a slew of spells flew at him. Shifting, he walked over to where Snape was standing. Moving around behind him, he leaned in close and whispered, "You're the reason Nym was injured that day, Snape. Infesting my godfather's house and indirectly causing her to be burned... it's quite unforgivable. Does Albus even know what you're doing?"

"Oh, he knows." Growled Snape, whirling around. "He said I should bring you in at any cost short of death. However, I'm sure he would understand if I said I slipped; that you were going to slaughter the lot of us if I didn't."

"If you survive somehow, Snape, tell Dumbledore that as of this moment, he may as well be working for Voldemort as well." Harry hissed. "I have better things to be doing! I won't be held up by you and your thugs."

"What should we do?" Asked one of the men. "We can't find him like this!"

"He'll turn up eventually." Snape snarled over his shoulder. "He cannot strike when he is hiding like this."

"Quite right." Harry said, his voice carrying through the clearing. "So why don't I get this over with?" And then, in a voice that no one outside of Balthazar could hear, he whispered, "First lock."

"Are you certain? We'll still have a jump to make." Balthazar said.

"I took more than this down at Number Twelve." Harry murmured. "Let me vent. It'll be good for my mental health."

"As you wish. But I am slamming the lock back in place at five minutes, whether you're ready for it or not." Balthazar said. "So mind the time."

"To hell with this." Another one of Snape's men said suddenly. Turning toward where Malfoy and the girls were, he nodded. "Why don't we go after them?"

"Hm... yes, that may well get Potter to stop being a coward." Snape said, looking thoughtful. "As you wish, then. The report will just have to indicate that they were using lethal force as well."

The man grinned and stalked towards the group. Raising his wand, he began firing spells. Malfoy's shield was holding, but it wouldn't for long. The girls quickly got their own wands out and reinforced Malfoy's spell. The man scowled at this and, looking over his shoulder, he shouted, "Oi, help me out here!"

Two of the other men came walking up and joined the first in battering the group's collective shield.

Malfoy, wincing, yelled, "Potter, any time now!"

A series of pure white hands shot up from out of the ground in front of the three attackers. Two caught sight of what was happening and quickly threw themselves out of the way. The third wasn't so lucky. Looking down, he caught one of the light clones' claws directly to the face. It sliced upwards, sending blood spraying as the man collapsed to the ground, howling in pain and clutching his head. Grinning maliciously, the three light clones dissipated.

"One." Hissed Harry's detached voice.

Harry reappeared opposite Malfoy and the girls. The light around his left hand pulled back enough to reveal his wand, aimed at another of the thugs Snape had brought. "The longer this goes on, the worse it'll be for you all. If you stop and leave now, you'll be spared. If you stay..."

"FIRE!" Snape roared, quickly raising his wand and shooting a dark-colored curse Harry's way. His cohorts followed his lead, including the two who hadn't yet got back to their feet. The light quickly wrapped back around Harry's hand and he apparated behind Snape.

"This was a terrible mistake, Snape." Harry said, shifting as the Potions Master spun around and began to fire wildly again.

As the cries of the first downed attacker filled the silence, Harry made his way over to the one who hadn't joined his friends in trying to break his friends' shield. Dropping into a crouch, Harry shifted back in, released the light from around his hands, and in a move he had used on his uncle so long ago, sprung back up, pulling both wands with him as he went. "SECTUMSEMPRA!"

Caught thoroughly off his guard, the man was lifted into the air by the force of the spell, which packed quite a lot more force than the one Vernon Dursley had taken. Blood splattered around the man as he came crashing back to earth, his body twitching every now and then.

Standing back up, Harry's eyes changed from green to red. And, as the light engulfed his hands again, he began to shift out once more, whispering, "Two."

"We're outclassed here, Snape..." Said one of the remaining men, sounding quite nervous now.

"If you even think about abandoning me here, Jacobs, I'll hunt you down and rip you apart myself!" Hissed Snape, turning to glare at the man. "He's just one boy. When he appears, SHOOT at him!"

The man, Jacobs, started to argue, but an odd sound filling the air caused him to close his mouth. Turning, he saw a disembodied hand, holding a wand that was aimed at his midsection. The odd noise he had heard kind of sounded like something clicking. There was silence for a few seconds. The man turned to react, but it was too late. A wild howling noise filled the air as Harry snarled, "Three."

The Eximo caught Jacobs square in the chest, sending him shooting across the clearing with such force that most weren't able to see which way he went. It wasn't until the sound of a sickening CRACK of the man slamming into a tree echoed through the air that anyone was able to see what had happened to him. He was lying, prone, in an expanding pool of his own blood. The tree he had impacted was splintering and, within seconds, had fallen back into the forest. A trail of blood and other bits of the man left a path from the point he had been to the point he had ended up at.

Harry shifted back in, fully intent on striking down the last of Snape's men. But as he did, there was a sudden lurching sensation within his stomach.

"You're running low already! Either finish them quickly or change tactics!" Balthazar ordered.

Harry, however, had a different plan. He rushed toward the man he had yet to attack. He spun in time to face Harry, but it wasn't quick enough to take aim. Harry pulled the man into an odd sort of embrace. Letting the Armor drop completely, Harry grinned savagely at the man, who was trying to shove him away. Flexing his Gauntlet-clad fingers, Harry suddenly grabbed the man and twirled him around. Once he was facing away, Harry pulled his right hand back. It shot forward again quickly, the clawed fingers driving through the skin on the man's back. He cried out, scrambling to get Harry away from him. But the Gauntlet's fingertips were too far in for that to work.

"What are you doing?" Balthazar asked.

"Something my other half tried getting me to do last year." Harry said, grinning maniacally. "A bit different, but it should still work. MAGUS AUFERO!"

The man he had attacked went rigid suddenly, his eyes wide, a choking wheeze escaping his throat. From the entry points on his back, a blue mist slipped out, spiraling around the Gauntlet. Slowly, the strange substance twisted down and into the Gauntlet itself. As this was taking place, Harry's eyes began to glow the same color as the mist. In a few seconds, the process had ended. Eyes returning to their normal color, Harry yanked his fingers from the man, who fell to the ground whimpering. Turning, Harry faced Snape as the blood dripped from the end of the Gauntlet.

"What the hell did you do to him, Potter?!" Snape demanded.

"What, the great Severus Snape doesn't recognize something? I'm shocked." Harry said, smiling. "You really don't know? Oh, very well. If I must tell you... I ripped out his magical power to bolster my own. If I didn't make him a squib, I'd be surprised. I sucked every last bit of magic he had in him out. Granted, it wasn't much... but it'll serve for what I have yet to get done. It means I'll have the power to finish you the way I've always dreamt of..."

"Magical vampirism?" Snape muttered to himself, brow creasing. Looking from his fallen thug back up to Harry, Snape dropped back into a combat stance and smirked. "Do you truly believe that you've grown strong enough to kill me, Potter? How very amusing that is..."

"I'm stronger than you, I'm faster than you, and I have the ability to outnumber you. I should be asking you why you think you can finish me." Harry said, flicking his right hand sharply to get off a bit of blood. "Look around you, Snape. Does it look like I'm playing around? Albus isn't getting his way this time and neither are you. I won't come back and I'll be damned if I'll let a cowardly parasite like you kill me. I'll give you one last chance, Snape. Turn and run away. It is what you're good at, isn't it? Turning and fleeing from danger?"

"I've faced death in the eyes more than you have, Potter. I've faced worse than death." Snape stated, eyes narrowing.

"And this will be the last time it happens." Harry said, wands spinning slowly near his hands. As he took hold of them, he smiled darkly. "You've always been a sad little outcast, haven't you, Snape? You'll always be one, no matter whose side you take in this war. You should be thanking me, you know. I'll relieve you of the torment you must feel. I'll give you what neither Albus nor Tom will give you. I'll give you death. Balthazar - second lock!"

"What?! Harry, no. I can't. We won't be able to make the jump if you do that!" Balthazar argued.

"We have enough for it, don't we?" Harry asked.

"That's not the POINT!"

"If we have enough, then believe in me. I know what I'm doing." Harry said.

"...One shot. That's all you get. It's too dangerous otherwise!" Balthazar said, sounding tense.

"One shot's all I'll need." Whispered Harry as the Gauntlet began to burn blood-red. The shine carried over to his eyes as he focused back on Snape.

Then, in an instant, he was gone, having both brought up the Armor and shifted in one fell swoop. Snape was quick to raise the strongest shield spell he was capable of producing, not knowing where the attack might come from. However, Snape found himself staggering backwards as the shield almost instantly shattered as Harry reappeared directly in front of him. His right arm was raised, the palm mere inches from the Potions Master's face.

Dropping the Armor, Harry grinned at Snape before purring, "Regalis Strages!"

Snape was faster than Harry realized and nearly got off the Killing Curse in the split-second delay the spell had. Fortunately, luck seemed to be on his side for once. Snape's head was jerked back as he was sent flying, blood spraying violently from every orifice on his head. He fell back to the ground like a ragdoll, coming to rest at the foot of a tree. Slowly, blood began to pool under his head.

The instant the spell had fired, Balthazar shut off the flow of power from both limiters, slamming the locks back in place. Harry dropped to one knee, shaking badly, his vision quite blurry.

"Toldja..." Harry murmured, laughing weakly.

"Too close..." Balthazar said.

"Not done yet." Harry said, struggling to his feet. Across the clearing, Malfoy and the girls dropped their shield and began to run over.

"Harry!" Tonks cried. "Are you alright?!"

"No... but I will be in a few minutes. Magic burned too quickly on that last one..." Harry said, shambling over towards Snape's body. "Gotta have a quick snack. Stay there..."

Dropping back to his knees next to the Potions Master, Harry placed his Gauntlet-clad hand up against the man's back. Slowly, the tips pierced flesh. Closing his eyes, Harry hissed, "Magus Aufero..."

Again, a blue mist escaped from the victim of the spell. And again, Harry seemed to be revitalized by the use of it. When he pulled his hand away from Snape's back and got to his feet, he didn't seem quite so shaky. He still didn't look like he was in any condition to be transporting the group, but he also didn't look like he was about to pass out anymore, either.

As he walked back over to his friends, he let the Armor encase his body. "Come on, then. Quickly. I'm probably going to have to be carried in to bed when we land. This is going to be rough on the old body..."

"So wait a few hours." Pansy argued. "We can wait."

"No. We can't. Not here. Not in this carnage." Harry said. "If Snape was actually sent by Albus, then there's eventually going to be a team sent out to figure out why they haven't returned."

"Why the hell did fighting five men wind you so badly, Potter?" Asked Malfoy. "You handled more than that back at Black's house."

"Wasn't back to full. I probably won't get a chance to fully recharge until we get into Germany. It takes a long time to recover. The jumps aren't easy. So come on. Let's get this over with. I need some sleep."

The group quickly assembled near Harry, who pulled the Armor up around them as well. And, with a low groan, Harry shifted with them. The trip, though relatively quick, seemed to Harry like it was taking forever. Every minute that passed, his body cried out louder and louder to rest. It wasn't a pleasant feeling having every muscle you thought you had control over try to revolt all at once. A few times, he worried that he was going to have to make an emergency landing somewhere due to his vision constantly blurring.

By some miracle, however, he made it to the next campsite. Like the first, it was within a forest. Unlike the first, there was no clearing. They were simply in the middle of a giant area overrun with trees and plantlife. He safely set the group down, pulled the Armor away from them, dropped it himself, then fell over forward. He sucked in a sharp whimper as his head collided with irritatingly hard dirt.

"Touchdown." He said, weakly. "Draco, be a dear and get the tents up, yeah? Mine's... mine's in... a pocket somewhere..."

Malfoy nodded. "Your girlfriend can fetch it, then. I'm not going fishing in your pockets, Potter."

Harry grinned, letting his eyes slip shut. "Okay, I'm... I'm gonna sleep now... 'kay?"

He did manage to think one last thing as the exhaust and pain finally caught up and latched onto him. He idly wished that he could be there to see the look on Dumbledore's face when he learned of his retrieval team's fate. If Dumbledore was even responsible for Snape's mobilization, in any case. Harry had his doubts. But he would have plenty of time to think about them later.

Right now, he needed rest.

oOoOoOoOoOoOo

Author's Notes: Oh god, I'm gonna hide from the rabid Snape fans now!

Post-edit edit: Sorry this took so long to throw up here, guys. Blame my getting into the Wrath of the Lich King beta. Derp. Anyway, I'm about a third done with chapter 12 as of now. Having a strangely difficult time writing lately, which is odd since I've finally gotten past the damn CAMPING... Ah well.

Also, Draco x Pansy fluff. Sorta. Yay!