DISCLAIMER: OK. even if I told you I own HP, you wouldn't believe me...

Enahma: So you received my email at last! Don't worry – I wouldn't do that to Sevvie! Though it was a close shave, some good Fogwalkers tricks, vampire blood and the Fire did their job and Voldie learnt (in a rather painful way) there's still a lot of magic he has no idea about – but Snape does…

Maxennce: Thanks!!!

Futon: Well, I'm happy I can arise strong emotions by my writing! That means I wrote something interesting, after all, that my characters are real-like. Just didn't expect somebody will react like that at Dumbledore – though I'm FURIOUS with him myself sometimes.

^_^ Thanks for information. Well, the legends and myths are sometimes complicated and different versions often contradict each other. I chose one of the versions (Morgana as Arthur's sister, her son, Mordred killed his uncle…), though there were many and they differ a lot – you can see old tradition merging with the new religion. Hail for powerful women!

Sevcrucio: Sorry! Mea maxima culpa… Shouldn't have hurried.

BlackRose1356: Thanks. Every reader hates cliffhangers; every author uses them… Impossible to explain everything at once and who'd read the story that has no riddles? Look at HP books – you have to wait for the solution till the last chap!

Diana Lucille Snape: I love reading reviews, especially when they aren't flamers. Ups, I do have to write more about the others. But Sev just steps in!

THE RING AND THE FIRE

"Well, everything started when the Lord wanted to test me with Veritaserum so I had to find an antidote." – sighs Snape, taking a seat. "Do you really want to listen to this? It isn't a story for…"

"For kids?" – snaps Harry. "I've seen it already so…"

"I meant not for the Outsiders, Mr. Potter. The Fogwalkers didn't boast about their job; they kept it secret."

"I want to know." Snape stares at him for a moment. The boy deserves explanation; on the other hand he's never talked about details of his work, unless it was necessary. Spying make you dirty and no water can clean you. Suddenly he feels a surge of rage – why should HE feel ashamed? It was Voldemort's fault, not his and, after all, it's over. EVERYTHING'S OVER. He feels tired and empty but light. Free at last, free for the first time in his life. Yes, fire devours and burns but also purifies and reforges. He's passed thorough the whole hell during his spying activity – and why should he feel guilty for doing his duties?!

"All right. First, I would like to apologize once more. It was my fault; I should have thought about it but I was desperate. If I don't track the Gammadion down it'll get me. I think it forced the Lord to make me lead the shows and to hurt me. It wanted me to yield; I had to be faster."

"The fast and the dead." – sneers Harry.

"I won't be the one that dies. I will be the one that causes death." – he snaps. Harry nods.

"I know." – he whispers. "Sorry. Still it looked like hell. He nearly got you."

"Just an illusion, like Avada Morgana, Mr. Potter. I controlled it."

"Yeah, especially the end." – murmurs Harry angrily.

"I admit it broke off the chain a bit but Voldemort didn't control the situation, either."

"True. You know, this fear in his scarlet eyes…"

"It was worth everything, Mr. Potter." – smiles Snape with delight. "It was a bloody good sight – the Dark Lord, nothing short of petrified. So, I owe you this explanation. Everything started when the Lord wanted to test me with Veritaserum so I had to find an antidote. I needed Fire Unicorn blood for that so I had to visit my daughters; I met the Unicorn Leader there. She's very wise and knows a lot and she advised me to brew also this." – he summons the phial with the transparent liquid. "Desire Stopper." Harry's eyes narrow.

"He was raving in my nightmares in the summer that you look beautiful when cursed." – he whispers. "Heavens, I didn't know he meant this. And you forgot to take the potion last evening."

"If I were so forgetful, I wouldn't survive a week as a spy. And if the Dark Lord fancied you, you'd rather forget your wand than this."

"So you did it on purpose?! You're mental!"

"Just desperate. Anything is better than turning the Dark Lord. Anything. So I used the potion and it worked perfectly but life would be too easy if there were no new problems. He managed to call the Gammadion and you know what it has done and what it can do." Harry's eyes go wet when he thinks about Ron…

"I do." – he croaks.

"So what could I do? The power of the demon kept growing; it was able to control your friend; it wanted me, it still does. The problem was nobody knew what it was till miss Granger found the answer; still we didn't know how to localize the beast. It occupies an object belonging to its carrier but how to find it and then steal it? I had no idea what to do so I asked Feanor for advice."

"Who's Feanor?"

"Devil alone knows. He's my friend. He's a sculpture of a Fire Unicorn but possesses some mind of a great sorcerer – I think the guy could be a match even for Merlin. His advises have always been wise but always riddles. So, when I asked him how to find the Gammadion he gave me another one to solve."

"The second thing you're afraid of most. Do it and you'll find it."

"You were in my thoughts indeed." – sighs Snape, hiding his face in his hands again. "Oh, no."

"I tried to stop you." – whispers Harry. – "but you weren't listening to meYou were too desperate to listen. You know what, Professor," – Harry stares at him sadly – "this Feanor isn't your friend if he told you to…"

"Stop it!" – barks Snape, leaping to his feet. "Stop it! I'll go to this Unicorn fool tomorrow and yell at him till my vocal cords give! His genius advice nearly killed me, not to mention you had to watch this!" Suddenly it hits Harry. The Unicorn may have been right…

"Maybe he wasn't all wrong." Snape's jaw drops.

"Excuse me, Mr. Potter?"

"The Gammadion attacked you for the first time when Voldemort grasped you, right?" Snape's eyes narrow as he concentrates and after a while his face brightens in comprehension.

"Of course…" – he whispers – "How could I be SO stupid? Hundred points for Gryffindor, Mr. Potter." (Ups, has Voldemort beaten him SO hard?) "Feanor, you semi-devil." Isn't it obvious? The second thing he's afraid of most – Voldemort's touch… Feanor was bloody right! The Gammadion attacks when you get in physical contact with its carrier, by hell's sake! That's how he enslaved poor Ronald – either his Death Eater brother brought him to Voldemort and then erased his memories or the Lord gave Perceval the object containing the demon. The same thing could have happened to Fudge; Perceval worked in the MOM! Sure, the Minister has always been a hopeless moron but no one can be so blind! The beast can be still controlling him! So Machiavellian and so simple! Feanor was right – if the beast attacks like that, physical contact with Voldemort was an obvious way to track it down! Still, it gave him no answer – or did it? "Mr. Potter" – says Snape slowly – "You may be right. Feanor's advice could have been wiser than I thought – he knew that only Voldemort's touch could give me a clue." But where's this clue, for devil's sake?! Wait. Don't hurry up, spy. Watch every detail, form the very beginning. He Apparated at the Riddle House. There were many Death Eaters there – luckily not Draco. Pettigrew, these new recruits, this French guy… Then, Voldemort's usual courtesy and his hissing voice:": "You look so beautiful, when you're in pain, Severus… My Snake." Snape wasn't shocked by that – after all, he didn't use his Desire Stopper. Then, when all others had been gone (except of the guardians), he told him to stay. No wonder. They entered this bloody Riddle House and Voldemort literally licked all his make-up off his face; no wonder Potter yelled at him if he had to witness that. It isn't the sight for an Outsider. It isn't' the sight even for an experienced Fogwalker. Pity the rouge isn't toxic. Snape was wondering till the end of his life how he managed to endure this without using the Portkey Hari had given to him. Yes, the Portkey – this little ring on his finger he could use if the action went out of control. So he, seven million hells, did, what Feanor told him to and… Where is this bloody clue? Wait. "Mr. Potter, are you sure my tattoos hurt because of the demon? Because it wanted to enter my mind and something stopped it?"

"Sure. What do you think, Professor, what could stop it?"

"It wasn't you?" Harry shakes his head. "So we have another riddle as if one Riddle wasn't enough." – laughs Snape sarcastically. "But let me think. The Gammadion is a powerful thing, Mr. Potter, and so are my tattoos. I think they could have interfered when Voldemort touched me and the result was quite unpredictable or the Unicorn on my chest protected me somehow, or…" Hell and Heaven, his touch! It hurt! It hurt when his fingers touched the sign of Yr, his Dark Mark went crazy, not to mention his silver Unicorn which still aches a bit. His touch. The clue. Wait. Think. Snape closes his eyes, trying to comprehend this. The scar on his left cheek. The Dark Mark on his left forearm. The silver Unicorn on the left side of his chest. All hurt when he touched them. LEFT, so his right hand, probably… His touch, his hands. Snape stares at his own hands, trying to understand this magic. What could be so special in Voldemort's bloody hands? The Portkey ring is glittering in the candlelight… Suddenly it hits him.

"Potter" - he whispers – "The next thing we do is waking the Headmaster up. He must see your fingers, you Demon Fighter."

"Do you think I'm one?"

"You've solved the riddle of the Gammadion. You were right, Feanor's advice was OK. Potter, it's the RING! The Gammadion needs an object to occupy – and it's a ring on Voldemort's right hand! He made it invisible, of course, that's quite easy – and that's why it attacked when he touched me! It's the ring, it was so simple! And I was a moron not to realize that before." They're silent for a few minutes before Harry breaks the silence.

"So you have to steal it somehow. I hope not the same way…"

"You know it's impossible. The next time we meet he'll kill me." Again a long, heavy silence.

"It looked terrible, Professor. All that blood and then the fire… What happened? I understand it was you plan but it went out of control I think. What was it? How?" Snape sighs. It has always been hard to discus the details of such a dirty work.

"Well, a plan like mine is called Half-The-Way, Mr. Potter, and has always been used by the Fogwalkers for theft, or to get physical contact with their victim. Bloody difficult. The clue is to stop it before, well, the things go too far. It's Half-The-Way, not All-The-Way, you know…" Ups, luckily Dumbledore isn't listening to all this. "I should have done something to stop Voldemort when my tattoos started to hurt; I had a Portkey" – he shows Harry the ring – "just in case. He's the Dark Lord, devil alone knows what he could have done to me. You know what I mean – he could break my neck in the end or curse me to death or something."

"I bet he would."

"So I prepared some surprises for him… Basilisk hide, for example. Cut his hand pretty well… It was some sight. Never run your hand against the scales." – Snape smiles sarcastically. "So, if you really want to know and maybe you should as you had to watch it" – he sighs –"the bastard literally hauled me upstairs, to his private chambers, and he hit me in the face so hard I rolled over his bed and…" – Snape's eyes flash malevolently – "I lost control. I wanted to harm him and I did it. I DID IT! I HOPE IT STILL HURTS HIM!!! I HOPE HIS FILTHY HANDS WILL NEVER HEAL!!!" Harry's never seen Snape so furious before… Draco was right, calling the Potions' Master "the Predator." His eyes are shining madly form behind the curtain of his ebony hair, his slim hands are clenched on the chair back with an inhuman force like animal claws and his aura is roaring. Black flames, rimmed with silver are shooting up into the air, forming something that resembles two enormous, beating wings. Harry winces. "What's the matter?" – asks Snape. "Oh, that." – he murmurs, realizing that the fire is surrounding him again. "Sorry." He calms down and the aura diminishes, though the ebony flames are still flickering in darkness. "Before I came to him, I had used a very nasty potion, you see – it causes severe hemorrhage on demand. I wanted him to think he had broken my rib and it pierced my lung or something and that's why I'm bleeding after a strong blow. I'm a vampire and human wizards, especially the Dark ones are afraid of our blood. It interacts with the Dark Arts, you see. Beware of vampire blood, Mr. Potter, if you possess great powers, or if you have some powerful magical object, because the contact can bring hmm… interesting results. I thought the very sight of my blood would stop Voldemort. I was wrong." He stares somewhere in space for a long while, before he speaks up again, in a very low voice. "I don't know what made him so blind – his lust, his cruelty or the Gammadion" – he whispers, not looking at Harry – "but, as you had to see, he grasped me and ripped my shirt. His hand must have brushed the Unicorn tattoo because it literally" – oh, how he hates telling this – "literally burst out with pain and I was dazzled for a moment. The next thing I remember was his yells."

"Your blood burnt him."

"Yes. Human blood is slightly basic, nearly neutral, while our is acidic. I'm only one-eight vamp, so mine isn't so nasty, but the pure vamps' blood is like concentrated acid. I've heard form the others that when part-vampires are in danger, their blood can turn as corrosive as this of pure vamps and it was true. You saw the remnants of my shirt – it was all destroyed by the blood, not to mention what happened to Voldemort's sheets."

"I was looking at his hands. They looked terrible. Why didn't it burn you, by the way?"

"I'm a vampire. It runs in my veins so how could it harm me?"

"True. I've read vampire blood is corrosive but I didn't know it can burst into flames."

"Neither did I. I was pretty shocked when I saw dark flames everywhere. I've never seen burning blood before. Mr. Potter,"- he looks into his emerald eyes – "for the first time in my life I saw Voldemort so afraid. Imagine that – your victim coughing with blood that destroys everything around and these black flames that are flickering over it, setting things on fire. I doubt he noticed that neither blood nor fire harmed me; he was too busy with his own hands. I bet his Mediwizard is still busy with the burns the blood and the fire left. Oh, yess" – he hisses, closing his eyes – "it was the sight all wizarding England should see – so called Dark Lord, yelling in fear and pain as his hands were burning. Mr. Potter, this sight was worth everything… Everything. Still I don't understand who or what caused my blood to burn. I think it happened because of my silver Unicorn – remember what happened when Flitwick crashed this jar and the flames didn't hurt me. I ruled it. You've seen this aura of mine as well."

"You share blood with Fire Unicorns, Professor. Maybe it was their power that attacked Voldemort. Maybe no fire can harm you. Maybe the fire helps you." Snape ponders over this for a moment.

"A human can't touch the Fire." - he whispers finally, thinking of Feanor's words. "Maybe it wasn't a metaphor. Voldemort is a human, after all. Let's see." He starts a fire in the fireplace with a spell, kneels by it and takes a handful of living coals. Harry's jaw drops as the burning stuff is falling between Snape's fingers, doing him no harm. "Shared blood" – murmurs the Master of Potions, staring at his unscathed palm. "Feanor kept telling me there's some Fire Unicorn inside me and that the Fire will come when I'll need help and it did indeed. Incredible."

"You think you could turn into one, Professor?"

"Fire Unicorn, you mean? I'm not Merlin!"

"I'm not Salazar Slytherin but I can talk to snakes."

"Merlin was far more greater than Slytherin." – snaps Snape. "Though Salazar was a great wizard. All this racial prejudice was stupid and evil, I admit that, but he was great. So, that explains the fire, I suppose." – he says, standing up – "My blood sharing. Incredible."

"Did it also cause all that hell later?"

"Oh, no." – hisses Snape and his face twists into a cruel grimace of wild satisfaction. "No."

Flashback, Riddle House

Voldemort was yelling in pain and Snape was staring at him, bewildered. He didn't expect that to happen; he just wanted to frighten Voldemort and now his blood was destroying everything around and the ebony flames were consuming the sheets. What the hell?

"Snape" – roared Voldemort – "stop it!" But the only thing Snape managed was another attack of coughing which produced another dose of smoking, corrosive, burning blood. Finally Voldemort regained control. He was the Dark Lord, after all, and it was hard to harm him. "What was this?" – he hissed malevolently, pointing at the Death Eater with his wand. Snape noticed, with some satisfaction, that holding a wand is painful for the Lord.

"I'm a vampire" – he whispered – "our blood is corrosive." Another attack of coughing nearly tore his chest apart. He must have overdosed his potion and was choking with his own blood. He had to come back to school, to the Healers…

"I know, you idiot!" – bellowed the Dark Lord furiously. "But these flames?!" – He put them out with a spell. Well, the true answer was "I don't know." but Snape was aware that such a reply wouldn't satisfy his enemy.

"I'm an Assassin." – he spluttered, trying not to cough. It was a downright lie but what another excuse could he find? Let it end, let me go, Dark Madman… Let me go home… Voldemort raised his wand, no, please, not another curse! The Lord had no time to pronounce the words. All the candles in the chamber burst aflame and the fire in the fireplace roared madly. They both got dazzled for a moment but the flames disappeared as fast as they blasted. All the candles stopped burning, even the fireplace turned dark. They room was dark, only the moon was casting some pale light into it. Voldemort was literally petrified – he didn't know what was going on again. Snape was sitting on the bed in silence, also bewildered but after a few seconds his lips curled into a smile of a predator. He knew what was going to happen; Mormegil the Dark Sword didn't leave him alone. She has come, feeling the danger. WHAM!!! All the window glass was blasted into tiny pieces. Voldemort's eyes widened in fear. Snape couldn't help a wide, nasty grin. A tree opposite to the window exploded into flames with a loud bang. It turned into ashes in a second, if not less. Voldemort turned white. Another tree turned into a roaring flame, flickered and then vanished. Then the next… "The Aurors!!!" – yelled Snape desperately. "They're breaking our defenses!!!" Voldemort swore and ran downstairs, calling the Death Eaters. Snape forced himself not to burst into a wild laughter – the Dark Lord, hissing with pain and crazy with panic. At last, tit for tat, pain for pain, humiliation for humiliation. Snape, still bleeding, dragged his feet downstairs. He was tired and all his muscles ached; not to mention that the blood loss was serious but he knew he had to hurry – the roof of the Riddle House was on fire already. He knew the fire waits for him and he was right – hardly he had left when the roof collapsed and the Riddle House turned into a sea of roaring, golden flames.

"SNAPE!!!" – screeched the Lord. "It's all your fault!!! You did it! You traitor!" Game over. It was impossible to make Voldemort trust him once more.

"I am one indeed." – hissed Snape malevolently. "The only one who saw you're nothing but a raving lunatic." (Let him think there's only one traitor…) "I hate you. I swear I'll fight you with all my might, Tom Marvolo Riddle, you half-Muggle." All his fellows pointed their wands at him but the flame appeared out if nowhere and turned the wood to ashes before anyone had the time to say "stupefy". Even Voldemort was wandless. Snape smiled wildly. He had little time; Voldemort was a Dark Lord and possessed powers that made him dangerous even without a wand but still, it was funny…

Voldemort was gaping at his former servant with overt fear. He knew vampire blood was corrosive and he could believe that Assassin blood had also some strange properties but this… Snape, surrounded by aura of black, roaring fire, trees burning like straws, his best fortress literally devoured by golden flames. Yes, Snape's fire was black and this was golden. What the hell? One of the Death Eaters had an extra wand hidden in his pocket; he drew it and pointed at Snape. The latter plunged his hand towards him and, before the unlucky wizard managed to use the curse, Master of Potions yelled "ENTROPOS". Voldemort's jaw dropped – Snape's curse ripped the man to pieces and he didn't use his wand! The Lord understood – there was a mage standing opposite to him. A mage – gift more rare than a Parselmouth. There was only one before – Merlin. It was a nightmare, it had to be! Why the Assassin, by devil's sake? Why the man born to kill decided to turn traitor? Viper, this murderer? Viper, tortured by Aurors? Why? However, the Dark Lord had no time to ask.

"Orodruin" – commanded Snape aloud. "I want the rat alive. The rest is yours, I give you a free rein." There was little time indeed; Voldemort had his shields and he could summon another wand in seconds. Snape looked at his Portkey ring and whispered "Home". The last thing he noticed before disapparating was a sphere of dark golden flames. The next second he hit the Hogwarts floor.

End of flashback

"Hell" – whispers Snape – "You described it well, Mr. Potter. Hell, fire everywhere. Sorry I made you watch this but if we're successful we can pay you for your pain back. You're friends with Black again, if I'm not mistaken?"

"Yes. He apologized to me."

"Do you trust him as you did before?" It was a very personal question but Harry answers:

"Not quite. I'm afraid he'll do something like that again… He always reacts so fast."

"The problem is not that he's fast; the problem is he reacts FASTER than he thinks, what is easy, after all." – snaps Snape sarcastically. "But nobody is flawless… We'll see what we can do to help you. IMMENSIFER!" The Dark Sword materializes in his hand and Harry takes a step back. "She isn't laced with Manticore Potion." – smiles Snape – "Don't be afraid. This is Mormegil."

"The Dark Sword?" – gasps Harry with awe. "Dark Lords' killer?"

"The very same." – answers Snape, looking at her with overt pride. "I see Draco explained you a lot about Norangs."

"He loves them."

"He has the taste. It's hard to find a more faithful friend and a fiercer protector. She helped me. She called Orodruin."

"Orodruin?" – gasps Harry. "This golden flame is a beast? It has a name?"

"Orodruin isn't a beast. It's a being, as intelligent as a human." Snape raises his sword. "ORODRUIN, SHOW YOURSELF!" A cloud of ash puffs out of the fireplace, blinding Harry for a moment. Something… well somebody is coming. Harry doesn't know why but he's sure it's a demon – and a powerful one. A huge sphere of dark golden fire emerges out of the fireplace. Harry can't believe his eyes – it changes shape… A huge, golden lizard? No, it's a dragon! A dragon, as big as a pony but made of flames! "Oro" – says Snape – "This is Harry Potter. He's on our side."

"Yes, Master." Snape turns pale, as if he were nauseous.

"One more thing, Oro. I'm Severus, or Melkor, or Morthoron but NOT Master or Lord, all right? I don't want a slave. You're free." Big, bright eyes stare at him in disbelief; wizards who managed to call his folk never gave them freedom back. An enslaved demon stayed a servant for all his life.

"Thank you, Morthoron." – he replies finally. "We have never been given freedom before. I am your friend till the end of my life." Harry gapes at the demon in disbelief – did this intelligent, beautiful being destroyed the whole Riddle House in seconds? Could he really burn trees like straws? Make stones evaporate?

"Mr. Potter, this is Orodruin, the Balrog." Harry's eyes widen.

"Balrog? Power of Fire?"

"I am one." – wise, gentle eyes look into emerald ones. "I suppose you expected someone bigger but I'm not a grown-up. Mature Balrogs are few times bigger."

"You're a kid?"

"Well, humans would call me a teenager. I had to leave home and look for my own one when Morthoron called me, using his Norang."

"Orodruin, er… Did you set all this on fire?"

"Yes." Well, Voldemort should be glad Snape didn't call a grown-up Balrog! No wonder they are called Power of Fire.

"So" – Snape scratches a scaly head gently – "Feanor was right. Fire has come. Oro, what happened when I had left?"

"The Dark Wizard escaped, sorry."

"Not your fault. You were not a match for him, neither was I. And the rest? Did you kill them?"

"No. I hate killing." Harry gasps. Snape was right – not every demon is evil. "I caught them and brought here. They're at the gates, trapped in the ring of fire."

"Great" – murmurs Snape. "And the rat?"

"He's with them."

"The rat?" – Harry interrupts him. "Pettigrew?" Snape nods.

"I know I hurt you, Mr. Potter, but I hope I managed to pay you back a bit." Harry looks at him and shakes his head.

"A bit? Professor… He killed my parents and Cedric and framed Sirius in, and you say "a bit"? "

"So go and let that mongrel know." – snaps Snape. "But tell him I don't want any sniveling or wails of gratitude. I haven't done it for him but for you and Lily. I hope I explained everything. Please, wake up the Headmaster and tell him I'm back and inform him there's a present" – he smiles sarcastically – "at the gates. I must go to Hari and tell her what happened" – Snape grasps the basilisk hide trousers – "and explain what I've done to the shirt. I'll be back soon" – he takes a handful of Floo powder and disappears in the fireplace.

So, Harry heads towards the Headmasters office. When he enters, the chamber is full of people. Not only Dumbledore isn't asleep – there are also all the Karkaroffs, Naya, Marcus, Draco, Lea, Falco and Remus. The Healers are talking silently to each other. Sirius is sitting at the fireplace in his animal form. There are also a few more people here – Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher, a few others Harry doesn't know and even Alastor Moody. They all know Snape went to find the Gammadion. Harry notices that the vampires, the Fletchers and Remus ignore the old Auror, as if they were furious with him. Of course, they may know what he's done to Snape… Even Dumbledore seems to be angry with him.

"Professor Snape's Balrog got Wormtail." After a moment of complete silence Sirius transforms into a man.

"Are you sober, Harry?" – he splutters.

"At the gates. Caught a few Death Eaters." Dumbledore stands up.

"Amanda, Richard, Sirius" – he commands them – "Go and deal with them." They leave without a word. "I think Professor Snape went to his Fogwalker friend." – he says.

"That's right" – admits Harry. "He said he'd be back soon." They all sit and wait in silence. After half an hour Moody looses patience.

"I told you not to trust this Death Eater." – he growls angrily. "Dark remains Dark forever. Maybe he's already run with this bloody demon. He used a Balrog, haven't you heard? He's a Death…" WHAM! The door is opened with such a force that it bounces off the wall.

"I'm NOT a Death Eater, Moody. Not anymore. I'm free. I'm a Unicorn." – Severus Snape has appeared in the doorway.

^^^^^^^^^

HA! To hell with Riddle House! Ole!

So, the meanings:

Orodruin – Tolkien again - "Mountain of Blazing Fire" Snape calls him "Oro" for short and that means "gold" (Spanish) The Balrogs ("Demons of Might") belong to J. R. R. Tolkien, of course