Author's Note:

Again this chapter carries a warning for scenes of gore and violence. Enjoy ;)

United on the Battlefield

Sybill held the gaze of the lead werewolf without flinching. She threw the spoons in the air again and wordlessly charmed them to attack the werewolves. Most of them dodged, but one luckless beast was soon cut to ribbons by the ballistic silver cutlery and sank into a bloody heap. The werewolves circled her warily and the spoons hovered around her like fireflies.

"You will do no harm here." Sybill warned them.

"You're going to stop us are you seer?" sneered one of the werewolves.

Sybill advanced on them, the spoons dancing in front of her like a moving shield, and the werewolves backed away towards the greenhouses. Sybill waved her wand and the shield moved further forward, forcing their retreat further.

"We will not allow any more murder in our castle." Sybill said.

"You can't stop us," snarled another werewolf, "one lone teacher can't hold out against our pack."

"Your pack is mostly beaten and you will go the same way." she said, "Your leader will fall and you will be destroyed. I am not one lone teacher."

One of werewolves fell to the ground and the rest looked round in surprise. He was wrapped in a vine, tangled around his leg and body, and it was pulling him backwards towards a clump of plants. Beside the plants stood Neville Longbottom, Professor Sprout, Professor McGonagall and most of the other defenders. The other werewolves were soon being dragged in by the Devil's Snare until they were all securely held. The defenders walked to Sybill's side and as a group they moved towards the castle door.

"Auror's are guarding the gate," McGonagall told her, "Mr Thomas and Mr Finnigan have more or less finished off the inferi. Our job now is to guard the castle. Does anyone know where Miss Potter and the others are?"

"We just flew over the nets and all that was there was melted werewolves." said George, as he and the other thestral riders landed nearby. "It was worse than the bathroom after Percy has been in there."

Percy made a disgruntled noise and there were some smirks and giggles.

"No sign of Harriet and the others?" McGonagall said looking worried.

"They'll be alright," Sybill said, with a knowing look, "Harriet Potter has much more to do for the wizarding world, this is not her time."

"Yes, well," said McGonagall looking disapproving, "all the same Sybill, we'll send someone to look for them."

One of the werewolves had taken on its wolf form and was biting and clawing desperately at the twisting vines. It almost struggled free when Dean and Seamus flew overhead. Dean made straight for the group by the doors but Seamus hefted a flaming bottle towards the trapped werewolves. It arced through the sky on a trajectory for a direct hit, Seamus watched gleefully from high above on his broom. Dean glanced back over his shoulder and a look of panic crossed his face.

"Shit!" he shouted, "Seamus no! The pile of crates is under that plant."

It was too late. The bottle struck the pile of crates and cracked open, sending flames in all directions. The werewolves howled as the flames ignited the rest of the crates and then they were blasted to smithereens. A rolling ball of fire swept out from the centre, hot ash and debris pelting the defenders by the doors as they threw up their shields. An ear-splitting boom thundered around the castle, shaking the ground and causing animals nearby to take flight. Pieces of charred werewolf hit the castle and the windows of the greenhouses shattered. A violent pressure wave knocked people without a shield to the floor and made everyone standing clap their hands over their ears. Seamus was hurled backwards and up in the air, losing his grip on his broomstick and falling to earth. Dean swerved and caught Seamus before he hit the ground, a singed smell was strong in the air. He deposited Seamus on the ground and rolled him over, expecting burns after such an explosion.

"Jeeze," coughed Seamus, "that was a big one, even for me. I think I lost me eyebrows again though."

"That and about half your hair." Dean laughed with relief while patting out a smoldering spot on Seamus's head.

"It'll grow back in time for the bonding." smirked Seamus. "Provided I don't blow anything else up before then."

"I'm pretty much resigned to you being without eyebrows in the photo's anyway." smiled Dean, "How would anyone recognise you without them being singed off?"

XXXXXX

"If any of you move I will slit her open and then I will kill you all." Greyback snarled, the point of the knife digging into Harriet's throat.

Ron shifted slightly on his feet and Greyback pushed the knife in slightly, until blood beaded on Harriet's neck and began to roll towards her collar bone. She cried out in pain and they all flinched.

"Now you see I'm serious." he growled. "Where is Severus Snape? I can smell the greasy bastard."

"Snape's not here you fucking arsehole!" yelled Ron. "You let her go!"

Greyback laughed nastily. "Lie to me again and I'll cut off one of her fingers, Weasley." he sniffed the air, "I can smell the traitor. He's close by, maybe watching for his bastard son."

Severus flinched as Greyback turned his snarling grin on him, but he didn't back away.

"When I cut you in half will Daddy try to save you, half-blood filth?" he sneered at Severus. "I know he's here."

Hermione and Ginny glanced desperately at Severus, but didn't speak. Severus stepped forward, arms spread.

"Here I am Fenrir," he said with a sneer, "I am Severus Snape. Let Potter go."

Ron gasped, but at a nudge from Hermione he went silent.

"You?" sneered Greyback, "you are the son...you cannot be Snape."

"I am Severus Snape, former Death Eater, potions master, member of the Order of the Phoenix and betrayer of the Dark Lord." Severus said, his lip curling in a familiar look of disdain. "I'm the one you want, so let Harriet go."

"Severus Snape is a gutless traitor," jeered Greyback, "he wouldn't have the courage to face me this way. Where is he boy?"

"Severus Snape gave you a Restorative Draught after the Dark Lord tortured you at Malfoy Manor." Severus said frostily. "You paid for your mistake with the snatching squad with blood. I watched him carve your chest with a silver knife. How would I know all this if I were not Severus Snape?"

"If this is a trick I will carve you with my claws," Greyback snarled, uncertainly, "if you are Snape I will exchange your life for hers."

"No, Sev!" Harriet gasped.

"Shut up you little bitch!" Greyback yanked Harriet's hair. "I know you care about her. You were probably fucking her while she was your student. Don't even think about it." he smirked as Severus jerked forward. "Is that why you betrayed the Dark Lord Severus? For some underage pussy?"

"I betrayed him because he was an evil lunatic," Severus snarled, advancing on Greyback in his rage, "and nothing went on with Harriet while I was her teacher!"

"Careful, 'Snivellus'," laughed Greyback, "people might start to believe you have a heart."

"Let her go," he seethed, "you can take me."

"Drop your wand and move closer and I'll release her." Greyback said.

Severus threw his wand to the ground and stepped forward, Greyback shoved Harriet away and made a grab for him. An explosion ripped through the night, the ground shook and a lazy fireball roiled in the air. Greyback started and looked away from Severus, at the distant disturbance, as Harriet rolled clear towards Ron and Hermione. Severus dodged away from Greyback's grasp just as a white streak ploughed into the werewolf knocking him flying.

Draco leapt to his paws as Greyback took on his wolf form. The dark and light coloured wolves circled each other snapping and snarling. Draco was quicker, leaping around and lunging at Greyback, but Greyback was stronger. Draco sprang for his throat and wrestled him to the floor, blood coating his white muzzle as he tore into the skin. Greyback struggled and got free, ripping at Draco's ear and biting a hole in his side. Draco yelped and rolled, springing back at Greyback again and receiving a rake of claws across his face. He fell to the floor and Greyback tensed to pounce and, landing on his chest, tried to rip his throat out.

"No!" shouted Harriet and the others, together, and they all cast spells and curses simultaneously.

The force of six spells knocked Greyback away from Draco in a graceful arc, landing about ten feet away. He had rolled and was getting to his paws when a small ball of fire flew towards him. Some sort of dog-like instinct in him made him leap, open mouthed, and catch the ball. Which exploded, spraying his brain in every direction and his body, headless, collapsed to the floor. As one they turned to look at Ron in stunned surprise, blood and brain matter coating their faces.

"Wow," said Ron, "I didn't realise that the explosion would be normal size even though the crate had been shrunk."

"Don't you listen in class?" Hermione said faintly.

"Well never mind," Ron shrugged, "he's definitely dead now."

"Ya think?" said Blaise.

"Good job Evan distracted him with all that rubbish about him being Severus Snape," Ron grinned, "otherwise I couldn't have got the crate out without him noticing. Bloody quick thinking mate."

"Erm, Ron." said Hermione quietly.

"I mean what a gullible dick believing you." Ron blundered on. "As if you could be that evil, greasy, hook-nosed bastard."

"Ronald!" hissed Hermione.

"Weasley's wand causes devastation with the simplest of spells, we'll be sending Potter to the hospital wing in a matchbox." Severus quoted himself in his trademark acidic tone, Ron's mouth dropped open.

"Oh shit!" said Ron. "But you...and Harriet...I...I mean, oh shit."

"Erudite as always Mr Weasley." smirked Severus.

"Draco," Ginny sobbed as she ran towards Draco's faintly stirring form, "Draco are you alright?"

Draco was too weak to move, blood flowing freely from his many wounds. Severus ran to his side. He tried his best with healing charms but Draco was getting colder and his breathing was becoming shallow.

"I can't fix it," Severus choked, "it won't heal."

"Severus," said Harriet, coming to his side wearing her robe that she had picked up from where it fell, "the bottle of phoenix tears."

Severus reached into his robes and pulled out the little glass teardrop on the end of its chain. He delicately removed the flame-like stopper and tilted the bottle over the gash in Draco's throat. The bubbles of blood slowed with the first drop, stopped completely with the second and the skin knitted together on the third. Draco gave a gasp. Blood was still oozing from his side and Severus dripped three more drops onto the hole, watching it heal in seconds. Severus allowed drops to fall on Draco's muzzle and face, healing the claw gouges. Draco gave a shiver and resumed human form.

His breathing was steady now, his face unblemished. He opened his eyes to see the others leaning over him, worry in their faces.

"If I keep up all this saving people crap people might mistake me for a bloody Gryffindor." he drawled.

"Thank Merlin you're okay." laughed Ginny. "You were so brave."

"I was wasn't I?" Draco grinned.

"Foolish boy," muttered Severus, "as if it's not hard enough keeping Harriet out of trouble, now I have to watch you too."

Draco climbed unsteadily to his feet.

"I assume that fireball by the school had something to do with Finnigan." he laughed, "I'll send a message to the castle to let them know we're all okay."

He waved his wand and his patronus form sped away.

"Draco," said Harriet, fighting a laugh, "was that by any chance a ferret?"

"Shut up," he scowled, but hiding a grin, "I'm sick of the ferret jokes."

"Actually," said Hermione, in her know-it-all voice, "I think you'll find a ferret has a longer body and a shorter tail. That was, in fact, a weasle. You can tell..." she stopped talking at the glare from Ron.

"A weasle?" said Ron, Draco shot a look at Ginny. "Looks like I'm going to end up with a Slytherin for a brother-in-law doesn't it?"

Ginny beamed at him, but Blaise cleared his throat meaningfully.

"What's wrong with Slytherin's?" he asked.

"Nothing," said Severus, "'some' of them are twats though."

"About that Professor-" said Blaise, awkwardly.

"Not right now I'm not," Severus interrupted, "but we can discuss things later. Right now I want to go back to the castle, check everyone is alright and go to bed. Anything else can wait until tomorrow. I trust you will keep my identity quiet Mr Zabini."

"Yes sir!" gulped Blaise, and he fell into step with the group as they trudged back to the castle.