Rose did not appear on the map at all.

Black stood on the edge of the soggy pitch, the Marauder's map hanging from his slack hands. His eyes were not wild with vengeance, but dull and lifeless. No matter how many times Severus called his name, he did not respond. For the moment, it seemed the former prisoner had retreated into his own reality.

Snape wished he had the same luxury. Instead, a dozen Gryffindors looked to him for direction. Brutally, he tamped down his growing fear and anxiety. If he had any hope of saving Rose, he could not let his emotions get in the way of his reason. His commands, therefore, were sharp and to the point.

"Mr. Wood, contact the Headmaster and inform him that Miss Potter has been taken. Miss Bell, Miss Johnson, Miss Spinnet, inform the other Heads of House. The rest of you, go back to Gryffindor Tower and stay there."

As the Weasley twins started towards the castle along with the rest, he quickly amended, "Fred, check and make sure that Miss Granger did indeed return with your brother. George, stay with Black and keep searching that map."

Digging his cane into the muddy ground, he half-ran towards the castle, outpacing some of the students. Before he could get too far, however, George called out.

"Where are you going, Professor?"

Not breaking his stride, he shouted over his shoulder. "To find Rose!"

Snape took the stairs to the dungeon two at a time, ignoring the puzzled expressions of Filch and Hagrid. They would know what had happened soon enough. He ignored his Slytherins as well. Several small groups of third years and above stood in the hallways, whispering and shooting him peculiar looks. He had no time to wonder what mischief they were planning.

Entering his bedroom, he found the tiny Golden Snitch in the drawer to his bedside table. Its wings beat rapidly when he touched the neglected charm, and he was forced to cup his hands over the keepsake to keep it from flying away. Potter had given the enchanted charm to Lily at some point during their courtship. Severus had removed it before giving Rose her mother's jewelry, but had kept it out of a lingering sense of guilt. He was very glad now that he had. If he performed the spell correctly, the tiny Snitch would lead him directly to the bracelet and thus to Rose.

The enchantment was a simple housekeeping spell intended to reunite broken pieces of a whole. The incantation and wand motion required little effort; the more tedious task was securing the miniature Snitch to a piece of string. Once it was firmly attached, he held the end of the string, and felt the reassuring pull of the golden charm as it struggled to reunite with the bracelet.

With renewed hope, he followed the Snitch into the hallway. Concentrating solely on finding Rose, he ran straight into Lloyd Harper, a second year Slytherin.

"Out of my way, Mr. Harper."

"Professor! Flint and Malfoy are killing each other!"

That got his attention, though he gritted his teeth at the delay. "Where?"

"In the Common Room. Malfoy tackled Flint as soon as he saw him. Got in a few good punches before Flint threw him against the mantel. They're both throwing curses that are taking out chunks of the wall. If you don't put an end to it soon, someone's going to get hurt."

Gripping the charm tightly in his hand, he stalked towards the Slytherin Common Room, ready to put both boys under the Imperius Curse if that's what it took to continue his search for Rose.

Entering, Severus paused at the threshold, stunned at the level of destruction the two students had wreaked. Marble and stone littered the floor, and there were indeed large chunks missing from the walls. Several green leather chairs had been ripped apart, and all of the glass lampshades had been shattered into tiny shards.

The two protagonists in the duel were still hurling curses at one another, heedless of the sudden appearance of their Head of House. Tellingly, not a single Slytherin stood as witness as a candelabra near the fireplace exploded into lethal shrapnel. Ducking, Severus opened his mouth to yell for them to stop when he heard Marcus Flint's incantation.

"Sectumsempra!"

As Draco dove out of the line of fire, Snape raised his wand. "Stupefy!"

Flint went down with an audible thud. Warily, Severus kicked him in the stomach, but the stunned wizard didn't move. Crossing the room, he yanked Draco Malfoy by his shirt collar to the only surviving chair.

"Talk quickly. Rose Potter is missing, and time is of the essence."

"I know," the bloodied and bruised boy gasped as he regained his breath. "Why do you think I was fighting Flint? By the time I discovered that Pansy had made Polyjuice Potion, I was too late. I knew if he got to Rose, he'd kill her. At least with Pansy, she'll have a fighting chance."

His worldview shifted on its axis, and suddenly everything made horrible sense. Marcus Flint had been their attacker in the Forbidden Forest, not Peter Pettigrew. Draco had all but admitted he had known his attacker when he had vowed to make him pay, though he had been very careful to say that he had not seen the perpetrator's face. Moreover, the troubled teen had told him everything he needed to know was under his nose. How could he have been so dense? Even the crude cartoons Pansy Parkinson had drawn of herself and Draco could be seen in a new, more sinister light. The girl was obviously obsessed with the Malfoy heir. When Draco had apologized to Rose earlier in the year, Pansy must have seen Rose as a rival.

"They're not on the grounds. Do you know where she might have taken her?"

"No, I just knew I couldn't let Flint meet up with them, or Rose would die. When Father visited me in the Hospital Wing, he warned me not to interfere with his plans again."

Lucius, he should have known. It would be just like the scheming Death Eater to use a proxy instead of doing the deed himself. While that explained how Marcus Flint had come to know the Cutting Curse, it did not help him find Rose.

"Find Professor McGonagall and explain how Mr. Flint and Miss Parkinson are involved in Rose's disappearance." Glancing at the prone figure on the floor, he swiftly added, "But confiscate his wand and tie him up first. He has much to answer for."

Draco tugged desperately on his sleeve. "Let me help you, Professor. Pansy might listen to me, and I don't think I could forgive myself if anything happened to Rose."

Severus glowered at distraught boy with no sympathy in his coal black eyes. "You should have confided in me from the beginning. Now, you'll just have to hope Rose hasn't been killed because of your warped sense of loyalty to your own House."

Angry tears poured down Draco's swollen face. "I couldn't tell you, Professor! If I had, he would have taken it out on Mum!"

Narcissa. Snape's vision blackened at the thought of what that cold-hearted bastard might do to her in retribution. He would kill Lucius Malfoy with his bare hands if the sadist so much as touched her. Bitterly, though, he shoved those feelings aside. There was nothing he could do for her while Rose was still in danger.

"Hide Flint in your dormitory. Make sure he can't escape. Then, knock five times on the door to my private quarters and say the word Lily. When the door opens, use the floo powder above the fireplace to reach your mother. You are both to wait in my rooms until I come for you. Is that understood?"

"What if Father is there?"

"If you can't convince him to let your mother go with your Slytherin cunning, you're going to have to use some of that bravery I have seen you display over the course of this year. But, don't try to engage him in a duel. You'll only lose. And, go straight to Professor McGonagall's office rather than my rooms. She will do her duty and grant you both sanctuary."

He hated placing such a heavy burden on a child, but Draco knew better than most the gravity of the situation. Still, Snape prayed that the elder Malfoy was not at the manor.

Severus watched the boy stiffen his resolve. With a violent flick of his wand, Draco conjured a set of ropes to tie up the unconscious Marcus Flint. A sudden sense of dread and guilt washed over the Potions Master. Time was ticking by, time neither one of them could afford to lose.

"Draco, I must find Rose."

"I know, Professor. Mum would want you to go. Ever since Helena told her about Marcus and Pansy, she's been beside herself with worry. She wanted to tell you, but Father threatened me to ensure her silence."

His hatred of Lucius Malfoy rose another notch. Gravely, he wished Draco good luck, and then took out the charm from his pocket to follow it up the stairs. His chest ached with conflicting anxieties. He swore to take vengeance upon his fellow Death Eater even as his vivid imagination supplied all sorts of horrors that Pansy might have inflicted upon Rose due to his delay.

As the miniature Snitch led Snape out of the castle, he noted the deep purple and pinks of the setting sun. He had delayed far too long, no matter how significant the reason. If Rose had been injured, he would never forgive himself. Rigorously, he quickened his pace only to be assaulted by questions on all sides as the charm led him in a southeasterly direction.

"Snape! Where have you been? Sirius said you returned to the castle almost an hour ago. The Headmaster feared you'd been taken as well. He's called in the Aurors. They'll be here soon."

Severus disdainfully glared at Remus Lupin. He would have pushed past the Defense instructor without speaking, but the ragged wizard was flanked by Hermione Granger, Fred and Ronald Weasley, a grim-faced Minerva McGonagall and Filius Flitwick .

"If anyone of you had enough common sense to check the map, it would have been apparent that I have been in the dungeons this entire time. Not only have I spelled this charm to lead me to Rose, I have also ascertained that it was Pansy Parkinson who used Polyjuice to masquerade as Miss Granger. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have better things to do than passively wait for the Aurors while Rose is still missing."

McGonagall and Flitwick demanded further explanation while Lupin and the Weasley boys begged to accompany him. Miss Granger flushed at his rebuke. However, she bit her lip and offered the first rational piece of advice he had heard that evening.

"Pansy isn't old enough to know how to apparate. If she's off the grounds, she's probably holding Rose somewhere in Hogsmeade."

"We'll start the search immediately," Minerva asserted, already ordering Fred and Ron to alert the Headmaster.

Taking advantage of the momentary commotion, Severus continued to follow the Snitch.

"I'm coming with you."

"So am I."

He nodded curtly to Lupin only because he didn't want to waste any more time. When he opened his mouth to refuse Miss Granger's assistance, however, she wouldn't hear his protest.

"You need me, Professor. You don't know what state Rose will be in when you find her." In an urgent undertone she added, "I've watched her this year. Something horrible happened to her, although she pretends it didn't. If she's really upset, she might not let you or Professor Lupin touch her. Let me help."

On any other day, he might have marveled at the young witch's insight, but her remark only increased his apprehension. He had to find Rose.

"Agreed, but stay behind us. I cannot guarantee that Miss Parkinson is acting alone."

Ignoring his two companions, Severus resumed his quest. The tiny Golden Snitch continued to lead them towards Hogsmeade. Severus felt his stomach untwist with each step. Rose could handle Pansy Parkinson. She was going to be fine.

And then, in the middle of the Hogwarts grounds, the charm broke free of the string to dive downwards into the grass.

"Lumos."

Snape bent down to search for the miniature Snitch in the rapidly fading light. He soon found it attached to Rose's charm bracelet. Picking up the chain, he mechanically examined the clasp. It been ripped apart, whether by Rose's anxious tugging or something else entirely he could not determine. Clutching it in his hand, he scanned the area for any other sign of his ward, but she was nowhere to be seen.

"Severus, the Whomping Willow is frozen."

Cautiously, he approached the dangerous tree, finding it exactly as Lupin had said. It had to be more than a coincidence. Conjuring his Patronus, he directed it to inform Albus that he and Lupin would be pursuing Rose into the Shrieking Shack. As soon his doe disappeared, he looked to Hermione.

"Miss Granger, stay here. Others should be arriving shortly. If I have need of you, I will send for you as soon as Rose is safe, but in such a confined space, you would only get in the way."

The young witch bit her lip, and Severus feared she would protest the restrictions he had placed upon her. Solemnly, he handed her the broken chain. "Rose will want this back."

Gulping, she looked up into his eyes, and he could see she understood.

"I'll hold it until you can return it to her, Professor. I'm sure it will mean more coming from you."

"Stay safe, Hermione."

He crawled through the narrow opening at the base of the tree before Miss Granger could react to his use of her first name. Landing flat on his arse on the soft earth, he listened intently for any evidence that the dirt tunnel was occupied, but heard nothing. Lupin soon followed, dropping more gracefully onto the floor. Wordlessly, he offered Severus his hand, which the Potions Master reluctantly accepted.

Limping down the long, dark tunnel, Snape ignored the sudden spasm in his left leg. His sturdy cane dug into the dank earth as he did his best to keep up with his colleague's hurried strides. Annoyingly, the wolf would not keep quiet, whispering a running commentary as they crossed the invisible boundary between Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.

"Miss Parkinson must have learned of the tunnel from Draco Malfoy. When the Board of Governor's discovered that Sirius had breached the castle on two occasions, they insisted on an accounting of every way an intruder could possibly enter or exit the grounds. Dumbledore was forced to include the Shrieking Shack in the list, and the reason it was put there. He personally guaranteed my good conduct so I could finish out the year, but the Board refused to renew my contract. I'm surprised his son hasn't outed me as a werewolf already."

He didn't bother correcting the wizard. Marcus Flint's involvement would become known soon enough. Instead, he focused on the dim light coming from the end of the tunnel. They were very close to the entrance to the Shrieking Shack; impatiently, he gestured for Lupin to stop talking.

Cautiously, he pushed the door to the derelict building open with his cane. He heard a hoarse shout of "Confrigo," and barely had time to dive out of the way before the door exploded into chunks of rotting wood.

"Try that again, Flint, and I'll aim it at you!"

Rose! She was alive and well enough to perform the spell he had taught her only two weeks before, even if her voice was terribly raspy. Gripping the doorjamb with all his might, he slowly pulled himself upright, though he prudently stayed out of the line of fire. Euphoric, he called out to her.

"Miss Potter! I am going to consult Healer Wellby about your appalling eyesight as soon as we get home! There is no excuse for mistaking me for Marcus Flint!"

"Professor! I knew you'd come! Be careful. Pansy and I made a bit of a mess."

A mess was a gross understatement. Several beams supporting the upper floor had collapsed, causing part of the ceiling near the back wall to cave in. Both girls were trapped under the rubble, although Rose had somehow managed to free her wand.

Merlin, Snape, what spells have you been teaching Rose?"

Picking his way through the debris to reach to his ward, he snarled at the Marauder. "Shut it and do something useful for a change, Lupin. See if Parkinson requires medical attention."

Standing in front of Rose, he tried to hide his dismay. She was covered in dirt and dust and buried from her chest down by large pieces of plaster and wood. Her right eye was swollen shut and her glasses were broken. A thin trail of blood flowed from her scalp down her neck to disappear into the rubble. And yet, she grinned happily as he sat down beside her.

"Hello, Professor. Really sorry about the spell, but Pansy couldn't help bragging a bit before I managed to get free. I thought I'd best go on the offensive."

Putting his hand against her cheek, he swallowed a lump in his throat. Her skin was clammy and cold.

"We can discuss Miss Parkinson's scheme later. I need you to tell me where you hurt the most."

She dismissed his concern with a wave of her free hand, although she couldn't help but grimace as she took a deep breath.

"It's alright. I've had worse."

Sadly, he expected she had.

"Rose."

Looking up at the hole in the ceiling, she grudgingly admitted, "I might have broken a rib."

Severus eyed an extremely large piece of support beam that covered the lower half of her body. Ominously, it also seemed to be holding up the remains of the first floor. With as much calm as he could muster, he asked, "Can you feel your extremities?"

Experimentally wiggling her feet and trapped left hand, she let out a sharp gasp. "Yeah, but something's definitely wrong with my arm."

Pasting a wry grin on his face, he did his best to bolster her spirits. "So, no worse than a typical Quidditch match, then."

"Better than some, actually. At least I still have my bones."

"Indeed."

Briskly, he performed a charm to warm Rose's chilled body. Then, he handed her the pain potion he always carried with him.

"I will free you in a moment. Don't get the ridiculous idea to try and do it yourself."

"No worries there, Professor. I'll just sit here and wait."

If she hadn't been smirking at her own cleverness, he would have apologized, for many things. Instead, he hurried over to the other end of the room where Lupin assisted her attacker.

Pansy Parkinson had a split lip and three missing teeth. Other than that, she seemed to have come out of the ordeal relatively unscathed. Lupin had already extricated her from the rubble and had put her in a full body bind. Only the hatred in her eyes gave away her conscious state.

Fleetingly, he sneered at her in disgust, and then he did his best to ignore her.

"Leave her for now. I will need your assistance to free Rose. She's pinned under a beam that is bracing the rest of the ceiling. If we aren't careful, the entire first floor is going to come crashing down on top of her."

"Is she alright?"

Severus bit back a sarcastic retort as he noted Lupin's drawn features. He tried to remind himself that he wasn't the only one who cared for Rose.

"She will be better once we free her and Poppy can tend to her injuries."

Together, they began to carefully levitate the wreckage of the Shrieking Shack that covered Rose, though they took care not to do anything that might shift the large beam that trapped her. For the first few minutes, she cheerfully offered advice, but eventually she fell silent as her breathing grew more labored.

"Looks like you could use another wand."

Glancing up to see Sirius Black standing behind him, Snape felt a profound sense of relief. Lupin gave his fellow Marauder a tired smile. Even Rose perked up.

"Sirius! Did you see me play? The Firebolt's brilliant. It's like riding a rocket!"

Black's eyes swept from Rose to the wooden beam that still trapped her, following it to the sagging ceiling above. His voice cracked, but he managed to fool his goddaughter with false cheer.

"You were incredible, Rosie-posy. James would have been proud."

Snape caught the panicked look of desperation that had returned to his eyes, however, and quickly took charge.

"Rose, in just a minute, Sirius is going to pull you out while I hold up the ceiling and Lupin lifts the beam. He is going to take you through the tunnel and back to Hogwarts."

"But what about you?" she demanded anxiously before he could finish.

"I will meet you in the Hospital Wing after I see to Miss Parkinson and Mr. Flint."

And Draco and Narcissa, he added silently. If all had gone well, they should be waiting in his chambers. If not . . . he couldn't think of that at the moment.

"Okay, Professor. But, just so you'll know, I refuse to take a Sleeping Draught until I see you."

"Fair enough."

Hurriedly, he consulted the other two wizards on the best approach to free Rose. They needed to hurry. His growing fatigue would soon impact his ability to cast spells. His leg could barely hold his weight and his wand hand trembled. Lupin looked no better. In fact, his shaking had gotten worse and sweat beaded on his forehead.

"On the count of three. One. Two. Three."

Black gripped Rose under the arms as Severus performed the spell to stabilize the ceiling. Though the concentration required to maintain such a spell was grueling, his knowledge that Rose would soon be free gave him an added boost of energy. He anxiously watched Lupin levitate the beam six inches before the wizard abruptly dropped his wand to frantically clutch his sides.

"Aaaaaah!

Rose's scream echoed off the walls as Remus Lupin began his transformation into a vicious, snarling beast.

It was Snape's worst nightmare come to horrible life. Rose was still trapped, and he had no means to save her. Since the beam had shifted position, his spell was the only thing keeping the remnants of the first floor from crashing onto their heads.

"Black! What the hell are you waiting for? Levitate the beam and get her out of here!"

But Black didn't listen. He sprang up, transforming in mid-air into a very familiar shape. Only this time, Grim didn't happily wag his tail, but growled and snarled and launched himself against the werewolf in an apparent attempt to rip out the monster's throat.

For a moment, Snape thought himself back in Surrey, cradling Rose's body near the darkened playground. The sounds, the dim light, the smell of blood all served as a visceral reminder of his own attack by a gigantic, snarling, ferocious hound. And, why wouldn't it? In that terrifying instant, he finally understood they had to be one in the same.

"Professor!"

Rose's ragged shout brought him out of his shocked stupor just in time for him to see the werewolf fling Grim across the room. The mutt let out a yelp as he fell onto the floor. With a brief, remorseful look at Severus, he attacked yet again. This time, when the werewolf threw him off, he did not get back up. Snape had no time to contemplate his emotions as the mutt lay unmoving on the floor. The werewolf had turned his attention to Rose.

"Mobilicorpus!"

Pansy Parkinson shot through the air to land on Snape's left side. Clasping her frozen fingers, he grabbed Rose's injured arm. Urgently, he thought of nothing but their escape. The three vanished with a loud crack as the rest of the ceiling finally gave way.

Author's Note – Hi! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. A quick note about the Marauder's Map. Since the Shrieking Shack is definitely in Hogsmeade, I didn't include it on a map that is described as a map of Hogwarts. Hope that doesn't feel like too much of a cheat. And, sorry for Lupin's brief info dump in the tunnel. At that moment, Severus could care less how Pansy discovered the tunnel underneath the Whomping Willow, but I was afraid readers would not be so patient.

Some people have asked me if Sirius would show any remorse or confess to Snape that it was he who had attacked him in Surrey. As you can see from this chapter, he never did confess before Snape figured it out. However, I think he has been showing signs of remorse throughout the year. Black hated Snape as much as Snape hated Black, but Sirius has done nothing but help Severus since that night, and has tried in his own immature way to befriend him. I apologize that I haven't conveyed his motivations and emotional state more clearly in the story. It's difficult when the point of view is Snape's because he's already affected by their past. As for the aftermath of Severus' realization, well, you'll just have to continue reading to find out.

If you're still reading this rather lengthy author's note, I'd love to have some feedback about the chapter and the story overall. Hermione still has a time tuner, and I haven't quite decided whether or not to utilize it. Part of me says enough, and the other part is itching to write some over the top melodrama. It's a dilemma. Thanks as always to everyone who has reviewed this story. I love the comments. And, thanks to everyone who is following the story and has put it on alert and favorites. I know the updates have been spotty this summer and I appreciate your loyalty!