That moment of humor shared with Sirius was gone by nightfall. Ron had quietly informed Holly of the tragedy: Hermione had erased her parents' memories. Nothing of Hermione remained in her parents' minds. They were sent, with false Muggle papers and money, to Australia to live different lives. That night, after dinner in which Hermione was given beef broth and a mild Sleeping Potion, Holly lied in bed for hours without sleeping. At half past one in the morning, Ron had snuck into the girls' bedroom with a blanket. Holly tossed him a pillow and he lied upon the floor, directly in between Holly and Hermione's beds.

Ginny shook Holly awake a handful of hours later, just as sunlight began to pour through the bedroom window. Ginny was freshly dressed, but looked rather blurry-eyed. She whispered, "Mum will be pissed with Ron in here."

Holly nodded, stumbling out of bed just as Ginny left the bedroom. Holly gathered a fresh set of clothes and went to Ron's side, squatting down and shaking him awake rather roughly. He took three tries of hissing his name before he woke properly. Holly went to Hermione's side, brushing her fingers over Hermione's shoulders. The girl blinked hazel eyes open and sat up rather abruptly. She noticed Ron standing up, groaning and cradling his shoulder, rather quickly. "Ron? What ever are you doing?"

He blushed, eyes flickering between Holly and Hermione. He stuttered, "W-Well, I just wanted to make sure you, uh, slept well through the night. Both of you."

Holly smiled, leaving the bedroom with her clothes clutched in her arms. After a shower and a clean outfit, Holly headed downstairs for breakfast. She was surprised to find Bill there. Usually, he showed up twice a week, mostly during the evenings. She was just pouring a cup of juice when she noticed the tension in the room. Sirius was sitting across from her, teacup frozen at his lips. His mouth was tense. Beside him sat Mr. Weasley, already dressed for work. He didn't offer Holly his usually cheerful greeting, but instead looked forlornly into a cup of coffee. Ginny was eyeing her big brother with jaw-dropping disbelief.

Mrs. Weasley was slamming pots and pans across the room. The only one who seemed unaffected was Bill Weasley himself, who had just finished a rather large plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes. He sipped at his tea before saying, "I have to go to work now. Will I see you for lunch, Dad?"

"Of course, Bill, of course." Mr. Weasley said as his head jerked up, glancing between his son and wife nervously.

Bill offered a nod and grim smile to both Sirius and Holly. He ruffled Ginny's flaming-red hair and smirked, "Bye, Little One."

Ginny frowned, patting her hair back into place. Once the door swung shut, Ginny scoffed. "Fleur. Merlin, he's going to marry Fleur Delacour."

Holly's eyes rounded. "Fleur? From the Triwizard Tournament?"
"Yes," Ginny replied indignantly, "Why her of all people?"

Holly frowned, watching as Sirius stirred another cupful of tea. He added a dash of dark liquid from an unmarked crystal canter. Holly raised an eyebrow in his direction and he grinned before saying, "It's that kind of morning."

Mr. Weasley eyed Sirius and Ginny with a frown. He stood up, wincing as Mrs. Weasley still continued smashing objects about the kitchen. Plates, knives, and bowls zoomed above their heads. A platter of bacon nearly smacked Mr. Weasley in the back of the head, but he ducked in time. He sighed heavily, "Your brother is plenty old enough to make his own decisions, Ginny. Moreover, you don't know this woman well. I would like you to give her a chance. She may be a very kind person."

"She's awful!" Ginny burst out heatedly, "I met her, spoke to her, at Hogwarts. She was always going on about how horrible the food was in Britain, but how divine French cuisine is. Don't even get me started on her basically singing poetry over Beauxbatons Academy."

Mr. Weasley replied firmly, "That very well may be, but times change. People change. I know Bill and if he loves this woman, then she must be a good person."

Mrs. Weasley came stalking forward and slammed a platter stacked with blueberry pancakes. She waved her wand and the food began serving itself onto smaller plates. Cups began filling with milk and orange juice. Sirius grinned and said, "Thanks, Molly. You really are the best cook I've ever met."
She glared and snapped, "Don't try to get on my good side, Sirius."

Holly's Godfather chuckled and tucked into his plate, but Holly shrank into her seat and hoped that Mrs. Weasley would never glare at her that heavily. Mr. Weasley turned to his wife, offering a kiss to her cheek. He patted her arm and whispered, "I will speak more with Bill on our lunch break."

Just as he left, Ron and Hermione came into the kitchen. While Hermione was dressed in a pale pink t-shirt and dark jeans, Ron was still in pajamas. He frowned as they sat on either side of Holly. When Ron reached for a bottle of homemade maple syrup, Holly passed it to him. He asked, "Why's Mum mad?"

"Our brother is marrying Fleur Delacour." Ginny announced bitterly as she stabbed rather viciously at a sausage.

Sirius chuckled as Ron gasped, "No way. Who? What?"

"William." Ginny huffed, rolling her pretty brown eyes.

"Lucky sod." Ron let out a disbelieving laugh. He shoved a forkful of pancakes into his mouth, chewing quickly. Hermione abruptly began cutting at her sausages, elbow smashing into Ron's. He yelped, rubbing at his sore spot. He swallowed and slowly asked, "What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, Ronald." Hermione sniffed, "Hand me the syrup."

He cautiously pushed the bottle across the table, but stayed well out of reach. Holly rolled her eyes at the two and continued to eat for a quiet moment. Mrs. Weasley was busy, scrubbing dishes in the sink and muttering hotly. Twice, Holly thought she heard the Weasley matriarch cursing. Holly bit her tongue, refraining from telling the family that she had liked Fleur by the end of Fourth Year. The woman was courageous, magically talented, intelligent, dutiful to her sibling, and drop-dead beautiful. Holly thought a girl like Fleur Delacour marrying a guy like Bill Weasley made perfect sense.

In a foul mood, Mrs. Weasley put the children to work as soon as they had finished their breakfast. Ginny and Mrs. Weasley had gotten into a slight row, which Holly was reluctantly impressed with. They spent the afternoon pretending to clean one of the many dusty drawing rooms, but they played Exploding Snap instead. It was on their fourth round of the game that Holly caught heated whispers. She put her finger to her lips and ducked out of the drawing room. As she crept down the stairs and peeked over the edge of the landing, the others followed her lead.

Three floors down, Mrs. Weasley and Sirius stood on the landing near Sirius's bedroom. He was leaning against the rickety stairwell, not in the least disturbed by the ominous creaking from the ancient wood. Mrs. Weasley was whispering in a wobbly voice, "I only know what Arthur's Patronus said. Dumbledore asked for Bill to come to Hogwarts first thing in the morning. Something about his ability to cast Wards."

"Why would Dumbledore be worried about the castle's Wards?" Sirius sighed hotly, "That damn castle is practically sentinel. And Bill may be good, but is he truly that good with Warding?"

"Yes," Mrs. Weasley straightened up and spoke with a sharp tone. "My son may have a fool-hardy job, but there's a reason not any riff-raff can be a Cursebreaker. It takes incredible magical skill, especially in Charms and Runes. Not to mention, the sheer brains needed to work out complex Arithmancy formulas. Dumbledore knows talent when he sees it. You would do well to remember that, Sirius Black."

"Alright, alright." Sirius sarcastically replied, "Keep your shirt on, woman. I like Bill. He's a smart kid. I'm only wondering why Bill's skill is needed. What could Bill do that Dumbledore can't…?"

Holly frowned, thinking deeply. A creak from Ron's shoe had all of them gasping and scrambling to make their way back into the drawing room. Mrs. Weasley muttered, "Must be the kids."

Her footsteps on the landing below had Ron grabbing Holly by the elbow and yanking her into the drawing room. Ginny and Hermione raced to hide the evidence of their game underneath a dusty carpet. Both girls picked up brooms, idly sweeping, while Ron thrust a pillow into Holly's hands. He began to beat at it, causing dust to puff out like clouds. Both of them were coughing, bent over and clutching their stomachs, when Mrs. Weasley opened the door.

For the rest of the afternoon into the late evening, Holly was distracted. She cleaned a bit, but mostly kept staring out of the drawing room window. Thinking. Thinking. Thinking. By dinner time, Holly had a raging headache. She picked at her dinner, taking only a few measly bites of her Shepard's pie. After a cup of water, Holly went to bed. She didn't stay up to speak with Hermione and Ron, both of whom were whispering on the floor of the bedroom the girls' shared. Holly's thoughts kept circling around and around again, coming back to a singular question: Why would Dumbledore need Bill's help with Wards? What could Bill Weasley do that Dumbledore couldn't?

Just as she was falling asleep, as she stared at the shadows and moonlight playing upon the floor, Holly had images float into her head. Withering, grey fingers on a dying hand. A shattered ring. That Cursed hand being withdrawn into a powder-blue sleeve. Quiet reassurance and cerulean eyes. With a gasp, Holly sat up in bed. She blinked rapidly, glancing at first Hermione and then Ginny's form. Her heart was pounding in her chest, but she heard the soft snores of Ginny and the utter stillness that always signaled Hermione's sleeping state. As cautiously as possible, Holly crept out of bed.

She blindly reached under her bed, hand fumbling a few times before she pulled out a pair of faded, old denim jeans. She slipped those on over the cotton shorts she was wearing. The tanktop she was wearing stayed in place as she pulled her hair into a tight ponytail and slipped her wand off of the bedside table, wincing when wood against wood made a muffled noise. She shoved her feet into the trainers by the foot of the bed and crept across the bedroom.

She was just opening the bedroom door when Hermione abruptly sat up and demanded in a hiss, "Where are you going?"

Holly blinked, shutting the door once more. She said, "Nowhere."

Even from the dim-light of the moon, Holly could tell Hermione was glaring. The other girl threw the blankets off of her body and stood up. She looked Holly up and down before saying, "Then, why you are fully dressed with your wand in your hand?"

Holly gulped, "I was just going to the bathroom."

She winced when Hermione's face morphed into fury. Ginny sat up slowly and blinked many times before yawning. "Are you two fighting? What about?"

Hermione grumbled, "You stay right where you are, Holly Lily Potter."

She whirled around, dropped to her knees, and pulled her trunk from underneath her assigned bed. Hermione dressed quickly, with jerking motions that let Holly know just how angry she was. Ginny stood from the bed just as Hermione put socks on her feet. Ginny was wiggling on Muggle jeans and a faded green T-shirt with a Quidditch logo on it as Hermione snatched her wand off of the bed.

She firmly said, "We are going to wake up Ron. Then, we are going with you to wherever you were headed."
Holly sighed hotly, "I don't really have time for this, Hermione."

Hermione let out a puff of air and snapped, "You better make time. Let's go. Ginny, are you coming with us?"
"Absolutely." Ginny snorted as if Hermione's question was absurd. The two girls opened the door. Both looked back and Hermione hissed impatiently, "Are you coming or not, Holly?"

Holly followed on their heels. It took much longer than she had hoped, but they finally made it to the bedroom Ron was occupying. After a difficult moment of attempting to roust him, Ginny simply dumped him out of bed. The loud thump and grumbled swearing were enough to make Hermione and Holly frantic, but Ginny reassured them quickly.

"Mum is four floors below, sleeping beside Dad, who snores like the Hogwarts Express whistles. We're only in trouble if we're caught on the ground floor."

By the time the group had reached the main hallway leading to the front door, Holly was sweating and her heart was pounding. Ron had sent her more than one searching look, but she kept shaking her head and putting her finger to her lips. Once Hermione had disassembled the Alarm Charm on the front door, they all piled out on the stoop. "Careful!" Holly insisted quietly, "Only the first step is under the Fidelius Charm."

"Where are we going?" Ginny asked, curiously calm and cool.

"Hogsmeade. Outside Honeyduke's." Holly muttered.

The group looked to her with confused frowns. She sighed, "I have to get into the castle. I think Dumbledore is in trouble. It would take too long to explain."
"How is he in trouble?" Ron asked anyway.

Holly retorted, "I'll explain once we actually get out of here."

Hermione took Ginny's hand and said, "I will Apparate first."

Five minutes later had all of them directly behind Honeyduke's building, crouched beside trash bins. Ron wrinkled his nose and muttered, "Stinks out here."

"Focus, Ronald." Hermione snapped quietly and gestured to Holly.

She took a deep breath and eyed her friends. Holly bit her lip, looked away and blinked rapidly to keep the sting of tears away. Hermione touched her forearm and whispered, "Stop hesitating. We're with you. We want to end the Death Eaters and V-Voldemort as well. What's going on with the Headmaster?"

Holly slowly said, "I've been helping Dumbledore. For months. All year. The locket wasn't really even the beginning. Voldemort is creating Dark artifacts. We've discovered most of them, I think. One of them, a ring, hurt Dumbledore a while back. Snape helped heal him the night it happened, but it was pretty bad. A Dark Curse of some sort. I think Snape couldn't heal him completely."

There was a moment of silence and she looked into three sets of eyes before saying, "Dumbledore and Snape planned on destroying the…the dark objects this summer. They were waiting for the students to leave the castle. What if Dumbledore used too much magic and he's weakened from the injury, so he needs Bill's help? What if he tried to destroy the Hor…"

She cut off abruptly and cleared her throat. "What if he tried destroying the dark objects, but couldn't? He needs Bill's help because somehow the Wards at Hogwarts must have weakened from all the Dark magic and Dumbledore can't fix them himself."

Hermione was frowning deeply. She shook her head and replied, "There could be many reasons Professor Dumbledore requested Bill. He's very smart and talented. We shouldn't assume the worst. You have little information to go on, Holly."

Holly growled in frustration. "Yes, but Severus was to train us this summer. I know he was because Dumbledore told me so. It's been nearly three weeks and neither has shown his face at Headquarters. Why do you think that is? It's because something didn't go as planned. Something must have delayed them both."

"Did you just call Snape by his-" Ron's astonished comment was cut off by Ginny's deep sigh. "Maybe Holly's right. Maybe Hermione's right. Either way, we came this far. Why don't we use a secret passage and check on Dumbledore and Snape ourselves?"

"How do you know about the secret passages?" Holly asked, stunned.

Ginny rolled her eyes and said, "My brothers are Fred and George, remember?"

With that, the small group entered through the back door of Honeyduke's, stopping only once as Hermione disarmed multiple Alarm Charms on the front of the store. They crept down the staircase, Holly in the lead, and made their way through the dusty, cramped basement. The passageway was dark and narrow and damp, but the group managed without complaint. Ron tripped once, sending Ginny to the ground as well. Multiple swear words and grumblings could be heard until Holly asked, "Are you both alright?"

"Yes," Ginny huffed, "Thanks a lot, Ron."

"Sorry." His voice echoed sheepishly.

As Holly eased out of the passageway and into a familiar drafty corridor, the surge of Dark magic hit her full-on in the chest. It was as if she were drowning again, being pulled under murky water by clammy, sharp claws. Holly heard voices as if from underwater and then she was being pulled to her feet by Ron. She hadn't even realized she had fallen to her knees.

His eyes were dark with concern as he shook her shoulders. "What is it? What's happened? Is it…him?"

"No," She gasped and shook her head, "Dark magic, though."

"Where?" Ron glanced about frantically, wand drawn and mouth grim. He demanded, "Mione. Gin. Stay beside me."

Holly had to swallow multiple times before her fingers could loosen from the fabric of Ron's shirt. She stood by herself on shaky legs. She said, "Voldemort's objects carry a part of himself inside. Just like the diary."

She sent a worried look to Ginny, who was as pale as snow, but full of determination. The youngest Weasley demanded, "What do we do?"

"Dumbledore must be…" Holly's throat convulsed oddly before she spoke again, "Dumbledore and Sev-Snape must be fighting one. Let's go."

"How many of these things are there? More than just the diary and locket?" Ron demanded as they ran down the corridors with Holly a step or two ahead of the rest. She swerved right abruptly and tore down another corridor.

"I don't know," She explained in a rush, "Dumbledore figured at least six."

"How many have you found so far?" Hermione asked in a pant.

"The diary was the first one," Holly replied, "I didn't know what it was at the time, but I've found two since then. The locket. And Ravenclaw's Diadem."

"Half of them found." Ginny nodded firmly as she spoke from beside Ron.

They group came to a halt, jumping on the balls of their feet as they waited for a slow-moving staircase. As soon as it was in place, they were off again. Holly panted, "Dumbledore found Slytherin's ring. That's what Cursed him, but he destroyed it."

"Two more left then." Ron muttered.

Hermione gasped, "The Founder's scared items. Holly, Gryffindor's sword may be one. Dumbledore has that in his office, doesn't it?"

Holly shook her head as they rounded the main corridor leading to the outdoor courtyard nearest the Great Hall. That was where she felt the surges of magic coming from and she knew, the paler her friends become, that they felt it as well.

Holly said, "Dumbledore has had it in his possession for a long time. He says Helga Hufflepuff's Chalice is likely a dark object now. We need to find it."

A quick glance showed that Hermione was about to ask a question, but they rounded the last corner and came to the courtyard. In the middle of weathered stone stood Dumbledore and Severus. Both were formidable, one wearing purple and the other wearing black. There was incredibly dark smoke obscuring everyone's vision, more obsidian than anything the group had seen before, and it crawled across the stone floor like greedy fingers looking to wrap around someone's throat. In the very center of the courtyard was the two older wizards, both circling a shiny object upon the ground. Holly squinted, seeing the glint of silver metal. The Diadem.

"What's happening?" Ron breathed quietly from Holly's right side. He was so close that she could feel his broad chest moving rhythmically against her back. A clammy hand brushed against her wrist. Startled, she glanced to her left and saw a wide-eyed Hermione pressing closely as well.

"There's something in the fog, coming out of that diadem." Ginny's voice was thin and raspy, but somehow Holly relaxed at the sound. She tore her eyes away from her friends and watched carefully as Severus and Dumbledore continued to circle the diadem. The sky was dark and there was no moonlight tonight. The smoke curled and hissed and spit as if it were a sinister animal, hell-bent on choking them all. More than once, Holly had to suck in a painful breath.

Hermione gasped suddenly, "Bubble-Head Charm!"

Within seconds, Ginny and Hermione had cast the charm on themselves as well as Ron and Holly respectively. Ron muttered, "Thanks."

"Do we interrupt?" He asked a moment later in a rather abrupt manner.

"No." Hermione firmly said, "We could distract them and that thing may attack."

"It's already attacking," Ginny said grimly, "Even if we can't see it. If it's like the diary, then he is in their heads, confusing them."

The group stood on the edge of the courtyard, halfway hidden behind pillars, for a few moments more. Holly felt suspended in the air as if she were weightless. Her indecision was beating a rhythm against her ribs. She swallowed multiple times, but her throat stayed dry. She could see Dumbledore standing just outside of the immediate circle of absolute darkness surrounding the Horcrux. There was a small circle of golden light surrounding him as if that light was a protective barrier from the pure darkness of the Horcrux.

Dumbledore stumbled occasionally, causing Holly's stomach to flop with sickness. She could see only the paleness of his weathered skin and the grim look of his face. Deep, thick lines were etched beside his mouth. The shadows kept reaching for him, but a simple wave of Dumbledore's wand had those shadows retreating and clinging to Severus instead.

Holly could hear whispering, hear many voices, all different pitches and tones, but she had no idea what they were saying. Severus never stopped moving, always bouncing from one side of the courtyard to the other like a swift jungle cat. His cloak billowed around him, flowing like water and nearly blending in with the sinister smoke. Slashing movements from his wand sent blue jets of sparks toward the diadem, but the jets bounced off of the Horcrux only to turn a stone pillar to a pile of rubble just inches from where Dumbledore stood.

Ron whispered hotly, "He can't do it. Snape can't kill it."

"Give him time." Hermione muttered, "Professor Snape is very knowledgeable."

"Yeah." Ron grumbled, "A lot of good his Dark Arts knowledge is right now."

Holly swallowed heavily just as Ginny hushed her brother. Severus was moving both hands in an odd figure-eight pattern directly in front of him. A narrow stream of fire shot out of his wand, moving almost as if it were a swimming creature, pointed directly at the diadem. Suddenly, a blast of brilliant green light burst across the courtyard. A shrill, high-pitched shriek followed in its wake, leaving everyone temporarily deaf and blind. The shock of the blast had sent the group of teenagers fumbling to the ground.

Holly blinked rapidly, seeing sickeningly distorted images of ginger hair, pale skin, hazel eyes, and crumbling stone. A pressure on her elbow and an unexpected yank had Holly stumbling to her feet. She blinked and blinked again, seeing the pale face of Ron above her. His lips were bleeding and moving rapidly, but nothing could be heard except the painful ringing in her ears. Holly held tight to her wand, griping Ron's arm with one hand while jerking her head from side to side. She spit out a mouthful of blood. Her shoulders sagged in relief when she saw Hermione and Ginny leaning against a nearby pillar. There was dust and dirt covering both girls, but they looked unharmed. Ginny was speaking and Holly watched her lips move.

"Can't…Holly…Dumbledore's hurt…"

Holly whirled around, nearly losing her footing, but Ron held her steady by the elbows. She took in the scene across the courtyard. Dumbledore was sitting at the base of a cracked pillar, chest moving quite quickly. There was a dribble of blood oozing from a cut on his right temple. His wand was pointed toward the Horcrux. It was then Holly saw the grotesque, bone-thin hand and wrist sticking out from the rip in his dark purple robes. Holly felt her stomach roll uneasily.

The whispers that had been echoing had turned to shrieks of rage. Cold wind was whipping their hair about, so strong that it was nearly knocking them off their feet again. Hairy spiders, smaller than Acrmantualas, were crawling across the stone floor like a thick carpet. Yellow venom dripped from their mouths. Dumbledore moved his wand, focusing more on Severus than himself, hitting the creatures with vibrant orange mist that strangled the venomous creatures. Severus was kneeling a stone's throw away from the tarnished diadem, barely moving. His wand was in his dominant hand, but hanging limp. He stared into the swirling smoke blankly as the shrieks progressively grew louder.

"The sword." Hermione was saying repeatedly, "Holly, call for the sword like before. Use it. We will handle the rest of the spiders and keep them off of you."

Holly nodded grimly, stepping out of Ron's embrace. Hermione's voice was nothing more than a croak as she said, "Snape. We have to help Snape."

I need the sword. I need the sword. I need the sword of Gryffindor.

It did not appear.

Holly chanted the words in her mind and out loud as she took slow steps forward. She could hear Ron, Hermione, and Ginny shouting Stunning spells nearby. Sickening crunching sounds echoed as feet stomped on spiders. Holly continued forward, wand tight in her grip, as she approached Severus. His back was straight and she saw no blood, but the smoke was thick and caused a haze to fall over everything. As she walked closer, the shrieks began to turn to laughter and actual words.

"Did you think you could have her, Severus? Truly have her, the Chosen One? What are you to her? You are a means to an end in this war. You are Darkness as I am. Your kinship with me was your only salvation, yet you throw it away for a bumbling, idealistic fool and his half-wit followers. You have thrown away every gift I gave you for a spoiled, arrogant, mislead child that does not want you."

Hermione's shrill voice grew faint. The blue light of Shield Charms and brilliant scarlet jets from Stunners were left far behind as Holly suddenly darted forward.

"Stand aside!"

The shout from Dumbledore went unheeded by Holly as she tore away from her friends. A whispered spell fell from Dumbledore's mouth, a whooshing sound occurred and the spiders all fell dead, the smell of burnt hair in the air. Then, everything was silent. The wretched wind no long ripped at their clothes. The bellowing of incantations ceased. Out of the swirling smoke came a familiar shape that caused Holly to stop running across the courtyard in mid-step.

Her breath escaped in a gushing exhale. The shape made of smoke was slim and short with a messy head of black hair. Brilliant green eyes were anguished. Blood was gushing from a wound in her chest. She stumbled, falling to her knees just out of reach of Severus's slumped form. She was crawling and moving her bloodied lips. "Severus. Severus, where are you? Why did you leave me alone?"

Holly's voice echoed across the courtyard, making her sound at once demonic and familiar. "You let me die. You let me die like she died."

"Yes," The cold, slick voice of Voldemort rippled inside their minds. "Yes. It seems you have little luck when it comes to women. First the mother and now the daughter. Lily Potter did not want you. She used you until she could use you no more. You allowed her to do so. Now, you allow the daughter to do so. Love is a curse as I have always told you. It is a figment of obsession and fanciful thoughts only. That was your downfall. Has always been your downfall, Severus Snape."

The dying image of Holly suddenly rolled onto her back and let out a piercing scream. Cold laughter echoed. Severus flinched and dove forward as if to touch Holly, but his fingers slipped through the smoke-made figment.

As if jolting awake, Holly ran forward and put her hand to Severus's trembling shoulder. Her eyes never left the disturbed likeness of herself, which lay dying beside Severus. Holly whispered, "I'm here. That isn't real."

He stared forward as the dead body of Holly disappeared only to be replaced with another bleeding, stumbling, accusing Holly. Behind her was another smoky figure. She was a slim red-headed woman with brilliant emerald eyes. She was wearing green flannel pajamas and screaming. Screaming and screaming. With a growl, the real Holly dropped to her knees in front of Severus. She looked into deep, dark eyes. Eyes that were so sharp and intense were now blank and glassy.

"Severus." Holly's voice was thin and brittle. "Look at me. He's lying to you. He does that. He lies and cheats. I'm right here. I'm not dead."

Severus blinked. Once. Twice. And then the blank stare was gone. He breathed, "Holly."

"We have to destroy the Horcrux." Holly said firmly, despite the tremble in her voice. "Stand up, Severus. Help me destroy it."

Swiftly, Severus was flowing to his feet in one graceful move. He reached down, clasping Holly by the shoulder and pulling her upward. He pushed her, none too gently, behind him. He snapped, "Go to Dumbledore and your friends. Now."

Holly shook her head fiercely. "No. I can help."

Before she could step around his tall form, a deep tug pulled at her bellybutton. With a gasp, she was flying backward through the air. She yelped as she came to a nauseating stop inches from the stone floor halfway across the courtyard from where she had been standing moments before. She looked up into the bright blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore, who had his wand held high. He flicked his wand carefully.

Holly dropped the final few inches to the ground and was immediately covered in a golden bubble. A quick glance showed all of her friends were covered in the same way nearby. Ron was frowning deeply. Hermione was biting her lower lip, looking at Ron anxiously. And Ginny was glancing between Holly, Hermione, and Ron with a look of sudden comprehension.

Dumbledore firmly said, "Each of you will remain protected behind these Shields while I aid Severus."

With that, Dumbledore strode across the courtyard. Holly banged her fists on the Shield, but it did not give way. The harder she punched, the warmer the Shield got until her fingers were uncomfortably hot. Dumbledore was walking with a slight limp and he had Mended his robes, now hiding his injured hand once more. Just as he reached Severus's side, the wind began to stir monstrously once more. Both wizards stood side-by-side. They stayed still and stood tall. Holly waited with baited breath, hands pressed tightly to the strange, golden Shield. It was unlike any magic Holly had seen or felt before. Instinctively, she knew this Shield was of Dumbledore's making.

Dumbledore nodded once and then Severus stepped forward, coming closer and closer to the Horcrux. Although she could not hear the words anymore, Holly saw the smoke swirling, black and gray and hazy. She saw herself. She saw her mother. The two swirled together, causing a bizarre picture that made Holly close her eyes for a moment. When she opened them, Severus was moving his wand in precise, sharp, flowing patterns. His voice was loud and commanding like thunder, but he was speaking in a language she didn't know. He pushed his hands outward as if he were throwing an object. Brilliant orange and red fire burst from his fingertips in a frenzy. The flames swiftly took the shape of dragons, long and narrow with large wedge-shaped heads.

For a fleeting moment, Holly remembered the burning of her lungs and the dingy-gray water that nearly killed her. And she vaguely remembered fire streaking through that water, burning away the Inferi dragging her down to the bottom of the cave. She watched, mesmerized, as those sleek and fierce dragons launched themselves at the diadem. There were screeches and growls and howling. The wind was ripping at Severus, making his long black hair stand up straight like it had a life of its own. His darkened robe billowed out and then slapped against his body as if it were trying to strangle him. He never moved, but stayed strong and stiff, hands held out like an anchor keeping the fiery dragons in place. From beside him, Dumbledore cast a spell that had his robes falling back to Severus's knees.

The fire tunneled in on itself, dragons whirling and beating great wings tipped with wicked claws, fanning the flames until they were devouring the ground. Smoke rose in the air, reaching high into the blue-lavender sky. As the wails grew less frequent, the roar of the blistering dragons became more apparent. Dumbledore put one hand to Severus's shoulder. Severus nodded as if the Headmaster had spoken and jerked his hands backward, touching his chest. The dragons roared their disapproval, turning abruptly from the charred ground and facing their master with contempt. Severus jerked his hands again, staggering slightly as the dragons abruptly raced toward him as if he had called them home by name.

Holly screeched, a wordless and helpless sound of fear. That fire would burn him if it touched his skin. She was so sure of it. Holly's fingers were digging into the Shield Dumbledore had erected. Just before the dragons barreled into Severus's chest, they disappeared with a poof. Silence rained down on them all. Holly gasped for air and blinked. She found herself sitting on her bottom on the cold stone. A wave of dizziness had her swallowing back vomit.

"Fiendfyre." She heard Hermione whisper shakily.

"Merlin…" Ginny choked.

AN: Here is a longer, more dramatic chapter. I hope you enjoyed. This scene, and the big one that will follow next time, are some of my absolute favorites. Thank you for reading.