Author's Note:

Bonus chapter - because I adore all of you!

Reviews and Comments: To Leapyearbaby29: Thank you. To AQuickRead91: I'm sure the week flew by! To Harem_HP_GW_is_Queen: You will have to wait and see! To marauders_mowopapr: Thank you! That will come to play as we will see, and yes Lady Godiva is pretty awesome! To Paus24: Five more chapters minimum? I think we both know I need more than that LOL! Right now I am up to 286 being fully written with 50% of 287/288/289. To Hellpony: Crouch will get what he deserves, eventually. To GryffindorHealer: It was nice to hear from you again and yes the plot thickens, but not as much as Jen's story! To to_read: What is going to happen to Dumbledore? Hmm… To Steelcode: No surprise on Carthaginian? Man, I thought for sure that would surprise people. To SeriouslySam: Thank you! You know how much I struggle with the action! To Harry: Thank you and that will happen when it's the right time. To PurpleLotus: Thank you! Always happy to write an intense chapter! To Endinium: Thank you! I hope more plot twists come your way!

To jaystyles2013: We will see what happens to Ginny. To Nightwing2013: Astronomy Tower… Tom… wait and see. To Arctois32: Please don't throw your computer out your window, it's quite expensive lol. To Nuno Neves: Thank you! I'm glad some people at least found Carthaginian being a spy a surprise. To ValGrey02: Thank you! I really wanted Remus to have a Greyback showdown and he would have, but Greyback knew his weakness — Tonks. To alexproblematicopuentes: Thank you. To shivani: Yay! I'm happy you found it a rollercoaster ride! Writing action is always so hard! To tomduteweert: Thank you! I do try to deliver lots of shit hitting the fan! As much as I would like them to lose their minds and take out the DE's, they are all much too good to do that. To ahlem stelena: Ginny will not be the next Kata, I promise. To Chintan: Theo knows how to use that sword and if need comes, he will chop! Thank you for saying you appreciate my "fluffy smut to anxiety inducing action in the space of one chapter," happy to oblige. To ScoutGinevera: Wait and see. To bronzebec: Thanks LOL.

To Speedyconzalis: Will they kidnap Ginny? Stay tuned to find out! To DeadFish37: Confusing? Well, I can't give everything away in one chapter now can I? To Guest: Ginny has been through a lot. To tim2604: So good to hear that you were so intrigued by the causeway you forgot about Hogwarts! Harry has really progressed in his duelling and I wanted to show that. But he is only sixteen and still needs more work. I loved freezing the lightning, not sure where it came from, but it was a fun image. To scrappy8: Thank you! Poor Harry and poor Ginny. To Dianne: Aoibheann is like "Eve-een." We all wish Greyback had died but sadly it was not his time. No, I tried hard not to give too much away with Carthaginian, I wanted it to be a surprise.

To minerdude: Thank you! A battle IS meant to be confusing. To Wolf's scream: It's a lot harder to ignore verbal taunts than one would think. They can be just as dangerous as they increase your emotions and distract you. To gemini614: Thank you. As to their fighting being unrealistic, they aren't willing to kill people. They're young and want them to punished for their crimes as much as possible. To Coolck28: Thank you! Is Voldemort going to win in this fic? Well, I certainly hope not. To Tiegdalewills15: Yes, Ginny and Bill LOL. To alix33: Plaiting hair is easy. Mine is down to my butt and I braid it almost every night before I go to bed, sometimes in two, sometimes in one. To WinkingSkeever: Thank you! To coloredwords: So lovely to hear from you again! I've missed your reviews! Thank you for the happy anniversary wishes. To The Booknerds: Good! I like turns. To Undead Gothic Princess: Thank you! To .gaela: You knew she was suspect? Who? Carthaginian? To Shouldna: Thank you! I love Theo fighting with his sword as well. And no, Snape didn't know about Carthaginian the whole time, but he did know.

To DoodleBug78: Thank you! To Saz J: Thanks! Zee or Ginny, fair to worry about both and the same but different for Bill as you will see. To Sloopyqueen4: Sorry, as someone said, cliffhanger season is coming LOL. To thequantumwitch: Bellatrix is disgusting, I agree. Thanks for the review! To xX Mizz Alec VolturiXx: Always have faith! Thanks! To clrrich: Thank you! As to you claiming I "seem to like drinking the tears of readers," thank you! I laughed out loud at that. I don't drink readers tears, but I do appreciate them LOL. Thank you for your kind words. To pix25: Intense chapters are good to hear. To Guest: Thanks for reading ASC twice, what an honour! Worried about Kellan Morgan? Interesting. To Hinny64777936: Thank you for saying my story is beautiful! To notthatchhavi: Ha! So happy you found Delta to be a shock! I'm shocked by the number of people who claimed they weren't surprised! Bellatrix and Crouch should die first, I agree! To Rusty-malla Hayek: Thanks! I do love cliffhangers (even though I hate them as a reader LOL). To wreneclipise: Thanks, I think?

My posting schedule: Weekly.

Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.

As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!

CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FIVE:

Ron coughed as he climbed out of the debris from the collapsed stone. He could hear shouting in the distance. He reached back to touch his head, groaning in pain and his hand came back bloody. He moved out of the crumbled wall and noticed the explosion had blocked off the hall. Ron checked his head, but other than the blood, he thought he seemed okay.

He checked the rubble around him, but he didn't see any sign that someone else was around. He had thought he'd seen two students nearby when the rocks came down, but there was no sign of them now. He needed to find Harry and Ginny before they did something stupid. And he needed to find them fast.

Ron held his wand out and he headed in the opposite direction, determined to find his friends and find out what the hell was going on. He didn't run into anyone until he made it to the next floor and his eyes widened when he saw Hermione and Anthony Goldstein duelling a masked figure.

Goldstein went down and Ron transformed mid run, tackling the Death Eater in his wolverine form and slamming him into the stone. The mask fell off and Ron recognized the chubby face of Marcus Belby, one of the missing Ravenclaw students. His claws scratched across his cheek and Belby screamed. Ron didn't hesitate in breaking his arm, sending his wand flying before he changed back into himself.

Hermione sent ropes towards Belby, tying him up only a moment before she ran to Goldstein. Anthony made a soft moan as he sat up, rubbing his head.

"A wolverine, Weasley? That's bloody brilliant."

Ron grinned and hoisted the prefect to his feet. "It certainly comes in handy. What's going on?"

Hermione tugged Ron's face down to examine his head wound. She must have decided it wasn't serious because she let him go. "I don't know. We were in the library and getting ready for patrol when we heard the explosion. Three Death Eaters attacked us. Two of them left Belby here and took off saying something about needing ingredients."

Ron frowned. "Ingredients for what?"

Anthony shrugged. "No idea, but they were making a beeline down to the dungeons."

"Where's Snape?"

Hermione shook her head. "He was going to the causeway tonight, wasn't he? Isn't that what Harry said?"

Ron held Hermione's hand in his. "Either something went wrong or the causeway was a distraction."

"The causeway?" Anthony asked.

Ron shook his head. He didn't have time to bring Goldstein up to speed. He needed to find out where Harry went. "Later. Come on!"

Neither Hermione or Anthony asked any more questions as they followed him down into the dungeons. By the time they made it down there, the Potions cupboard was a mess. Broken vials and ingredients were strewn everywhere. Snape's office door was closed and quiet next to it, and Ron cursed as he stepped on broken glass.

"What were they looking for?" Hermione demanded. "Snape doesn't keep anything here that you can't find at your average apothecary."

Anthony stared into the cupboard. "Unless they needed something fresh."

A shiver ran over Ron's spine. "We need to find Harry."

"McGonagall must know that there are Death Eaters in the school," Anthony said, running after them. "She can't expect us to fight them!"

Ron glowered over his shoulder. "Expect us? Hardly, but are you going to sit on your arse while people get killed? Go back to Ravenclaw if you're too cowardly to stand up and fight."

"Fuck you, Weasley," Anthony countered. "I'm coming with you."

Ron didn't argue as the three of them ran from the dungeons to try to find out what was happening.

~ ASC ~

Ted and Andromeda had to act quickly.

Snape had given them the key to his office for them to set up. Ted kept the gold dagger sheathed at his belt as Andromeda put chains near the chairs that they dragged into the centre of the room. She clutched her hands together nervously and Ted's arm slipped around her shoulders.

"We can do this, Andromeda."

She knew that he was right, but the thought of hurting them, even when it was for a good cause, still unnerved her. She could still hear Blaise and Draco's screams when she closed her eyes at night.

Ted's lips pressed against her cheek and she turned into his arms.

"What if they say no?"

Ted held her tightly against him, cradling her face into his neck. "They won't. We have to trust Snape on this. He knows who wants to get out."

Andromeda let out a slow breath. "They might be too scared."

"Yes, they might be," Ted admitted. "But we'll have to get them to trust us. If they don't, well… we'll have to alter their memories."

"Or do it by force," she whispered.

Ted pulled back to look down into her grey eyes. "You want us to remove it from them without their permission?"

"They're children," Andromeda said. "If they…"

Ted rested his forehead against hers. "Let's see what they say, Dromeda. I won't have you doing anything that you'll regret."

Her eyes twinkled as she placed a hand on his cheek. "My Hufflepuff Hero."

Ted kissed her. "My Slytherin Princess."

Her lips met his again for a long kiss that made her feel safe and warm. She stayed in his arms until they heard movement in the hallway. The moment the two Death Eaters stepped into Snape's office, they knew that they didn't have a lot of time.

The first one had held his wand up. "Who are you?"

"Graham?" Andromeda asked. "Or are you Malcolm?"

The second one removed his mask, eying them suspiciously. "How do you know our names?"

"Snape sent us here," Ted said, pointing his wand to the chairs with chains surrounding them. "And I think you know that we don't mean you any harm or you wouldn't have removed your mask." When the young boy only stared at him, he continued. "We don't have a lot of time, but we're here to help you."

"I'm Graham," the second one said, his eyes on the chains. "And I don't think anyone can help us."

Ted offered a small smile. "We can if you'll let us. Professor Snape knows this isn't what you want. If you trust us now, we can promise that you'll never have to see Voldemort again."

Graham let his wand clatter to the floor without hesitation. "What do I have to do?"

Malcolm's hand trembled on his wand. "It's… it's not the Dark Lord who I'm worried about."

Andromeda reached a hand out, pulling it back when he jumped away from her. "We won't let anyone hurt you, dear."

Graham dropped his mask to the floor and rolled up the sleeve of his robe. "He can find us. No matter where we are, if we have this, he knows that we're alive."

"Yes," Ted said. "But we can help with that too."

Graham's eyes fell to the gold dagger sheathed at Ted's belt. "It's going to hurt, isn't it?"

"Like hell," Ted admitted. "But when it's over, you'll be free and alive. I promise."

Malcolm dropped his wand to the floor along with his mask and robe. "Yes, I want to be free. Please."

"How old are you, dear?" Andromeda asked kindly as Malcom sat in the chair.

"I'll be fifteen in December," he said.

"I'll be fifteen in August," Graham replied.

Andromeda exchanged a disgusted look with Ted. "This is going to hurt."

Malcolm held his arm out. "With all do respect, ma'am, it can't get any worse."

Ted locked the door to Snape's office and put up a silencing charm before he chained them both to the chair. Her seal Patronus appeared before them and both boys' eyes widened in amazement as Ted pointed his wand at the Dark Mark on Malcolm's arm.

"Tenebris magicae impetum!"

Andromeda's seal dove at Malcolm's arm and when the boy started to scream, tears rolled down her cheeks. When Ted used the dagger to slice through the Dark Mark, Malcom passed out from the pain.

Graham was deathly pale as he stared at his friend, his eyes wide. He swallowed, his eyes on the witch and wizard before him. "You swear that he's going to be okay?"

Andromeda held out Malcom's arm. "He'll scar, but I can promise you, dear, he will be okay."

Graham looked down the Dark Mark destroyed on his friend's arm before his eyes met Andromeda's tear-filled ones. "I'm ready."

~ ASC ~

Fred wasn't sure what to do. He and George had appeared on the causeway at the same time when the coins from the Terra Troops had activated, but the sight of the dead man's army rising up from the sea was unlike anything that he had ever dreamed of. He looked over at where Percy had appeared on George's other side and saw that his brother looked just as horrified as he felt.

There was an army of the dead coming towards them.

And not just dead.

Skeletons. Soldiers made of bone that looked like they'd been under the sea for hundreds of years. Fred wondered if that's where they had come from. Had Voldemort known where ship wrecks were and urged their dead to rise at his command? And if so, how had he done it? Was he here tonight?

He wasn't given a chance to find out as Inferi attacked those around him. He raised his wand as he spoke.

"Time to wrestle with the dead then?"

Percy glared at him. "Now's not the time for jokes, Fred. Only fire can destroy them."

George pointed to where the fae princess was cutting through them like butter. "Or slice and dice."

Percy shook his head. "No, that only slows them down."

Fred realized his brother was right as he watched a dead arm grip Princess Aoibheann Alexander around the shoulder and pull her to the ground. Fred flung his wand out and lit the arm on fire. The princess merely stared through him and kept fighting.

Fred could hear shouts around him, but he focused only on the dead rising from the sea. Some of them still looked human, white eyes, flesh and bone, but others were nothing more than skeletons. How had Voldemort even accumulated so many dead? Where had the bodies come from?

His wand flashed around him quickly as the fire spread, burning the Inferi in their walk, and making them emit an eerie scream that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. But he didn't stop. He kept shooting balls of fire from his wand, hitting Inferi in the head and the chest and watching them burst into flame.

But more kept rising from the sea.

Smoke burned his eyes and his nose wrinkled at the smell of dead flesh as he flashed his wand left and right. Sharp nails dug into his shoulder, followed by teeth, and he cried out as the dead man took him down. He wrestled with the body, trying to stop the teeth from hitting an artery as skin tore off in his hands. His wand fell from his fingertips and he cried out just as a flaming arrow shot through the head.

A small hand appeared before him in offering and he took it, but was surprised when she hoisted him up as if he weighed nothing. His eyes fell on her in amazement. She was small in her green velvet tunic and tall leather boots over brown tights. Her eyes were moss green, bright and vibrant; they shone out of triangular face surrounded by chin-length hair as black as night.

"Thanks," he said.

Those soft lips curved and the pointed ears made him pause. She was fae. "Anytime."

The flaming arrow in her hand shot over his head before he had even realized it was there; he grabbed his wand off the ground to help. The tiny woman only jumped over the walking dead, arrows flying from her bow and landing targets left and right. Dead men burst into flames along her path.

Fred kept going behind her.

He watched as Inferi fell around them, and his eyes widened when Prince Tiernan stabbed a giant through the eye. The giant collapsed to the earth with a mighty roar. The roar seemed to signal the other giants because they began to return to the sea, roaming across the stones and ignoring the fight between the dead and the living around them.

Fred had never seen anything so incredible as the way the water rose up into an arch, parting for them; the giants walked into the empty channel that was once the sea, staying completely dry as the water remained suspended above. Tiernan made to follow them, but Prince Donal stopped him. Whatever he said to his brother made Tiernan turn, and back to back the two fae warriors unleashed themselves on the dead.

By the time the last dead man rose from the sea, the entire causeway was littered in bodies. It smelt like death and smoke and Fred coughed on the ash that seemed to fill his lungs. He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but it felt like an eternity as he blinked through the smoke.

He found George sitting on the ground, coughing, and he plopped down next to his twin. "So, what do you want to take on tomorrow night? An army of vampires?"

"Ha ha," George said, dryly as he caught his breath. "You know that I'd much prefer banshees."

Fred laughed, the sound making him choke again. "Your arm okay?"

"Think so," George said. "If you're bit by an Inferius, you won't turn into a zombie, right?"

"I think you're safe," Fred said. "Though you might want to get that checked out. Who knows what kind of diseases the dead could have."

George stuck his tongue out at his brother. "Where's Percy?"

"Over there talking to Shacklebolt, trying to make himself seem more important."

George snickered before he sobered. "Did you think it was possible, Fred?"

Fred didn't have to ask what. He had never imagined it could be. There were always stories about wizards who had mastered the art of controlling the Inferi, but never in a million years had Fred truly believed them to be true; not an entire army's worth. It was a spell of necromancy that he had never once imagined. It was beyond anything that he had ever dreamed of. Hundreds of dead had risen from the sea as if they had been called.

"No, not that many," Fred admitted. "But after tonight… he can't have another army like that, can he?"

George's eyes were wide. "I don't know. A lot of them returned to the sea. He could bring them back."

Fred really didn't like the sound of that.

They both looked up when Percy stood over them.

"Dumbledore and Slughorn are missing," Percy said, gravely. "Death Eaters have attacked Hogwarts."

Fred jumped to his feet. "How many?"

"Not many," Percy said. "About ten from what Kingsley said. Remus, Tonks, Zee, and Misha are there and McGonagall and Flitwick are working to get the students to safety. We don't know anything else. Aurors have been dispatched to help."

Fred frowned. "Do they need more help?"

Percy shook his head. "No. Kingsley said the Aurors are going, some are already there. If we're needed, we'll be told. Bill's been taken to St Mungo's."

"What?" George exclaimed, jumping to his feet.

"I don't know anything else," Percy admitted. "Someone has to find Fleur and let her know."

"She wasn't here tonight?" Fred asked.

"No," Percy said. "Bill said that she was working on some special project at Gringotts and would be in the vaults until later tonight."

"I'll find her," Fred said, standing up. "You two get to St Mungo's and find out about Bill."

"No, I'm going to Hogwarts," George said. "Ron and Ginny are there and knowing them, they're probably right in the thick of things."

Fred looked over at his brothers. "That's true. I'm going to find Fleur. How is Bill?"

Percy pursed his lips. "Kingsley said it's bad. I don't know anything else."

Fred nodded. "I'll find Fleur. Percy, you check on Bill, and Georgie, make sure Ron and Ginny aren't doing anything too stupid."

George scoffed. "Let's not ask for miracles, Fred."

Percy nodded. "Let's go."

~ ASC ~

Crouch licked his lips as he watched Rabastan carry the redhead up the stairs to the Astronomy Tower. She was truly lovely. He was disappointed that they couldn't take her back to Avery Castle with them. He imagined she would be a feisty one when he tied her up.

She had certainly put up quite a fight. Her wand had moved quicker than lightning. The way she took them out with hexes and curses left and right had been incredibly impressive for one so young. The fact that it had taken three of them to knock her out said enough. The chit was only fifteen as it was.

Oh yes, she was definitely powerful.

He let his eyes travel over her full breasts to the small waist and up to those soft lips. He most certainly wanted to force his cock between those lips. Preferably with Potter watching as she choked on it. But sadly, Snape had declared something else was going to be put into place.

Crouch knew better than to argue.

Besides, if he followed orders correctly, the Dark Lord had promised to reward him. He did love it when the Dark Lord let him have his reward. The thought of feeling his master's release in his own mouth was enough to make him hard. He would never disobey a direct order from his lord and master.

At first he could admit, he had been a little hurt that the Dark Lord didn't want him on the causeway, but when he had heard this plan, he had relished in being here instead. He snuck a look over at where Selwyn stood next to Bellatrix. She was extra happy today, more vibrant and excited; Crouch knew that it had everything to do with how she had sliced off her husband's testicles the night before.

Crouch had tried not to look, but the sight of Rodolphus' had intrigued him; he'd lifted the bandages to take a peek. Dominic Pucey had done what he could but since Bellatrix had burned her husband's flesh, there was no way to replace what Rodolphus had lost. The woman hadn't left anything behind. He couldn't help but smile at the beautiful brutality of it. It served Rodolphus right, thinking that he deserved two wives just because the Dark Lord had blessed Crouch with two young brides. Even Crouch wasn't stupid enough to piss off Bellatrix Lestrange. The healer had told him that he could have fixed it, reattached them with only minor complications, but since Bellatrix had burned them, there was nothing that he could do.

Rodolphus didn't speak.

He had only stared at Crouch, eyes full of hatred and Crouch only smiled in return. Then he'd done the only thing he could. He'd pulled out his own cock and jerked off all over Rodolphus' chest.

The wizard's eyes were cold when he finished. "You'll regret that, Bart."

Crouch only grinned and zipped himself up. "Just wanted to remind you what you're missing."

He hadn't regretted it.

He wondered how Rodolphus was going to survive without his manhood. It was a fate worse than death in his opinion. The sight of the redhead's womanly body before him only reminded him that he was feeling a bit randy himself. Imagine, Rodolphus would never be able to have sex again. It almost made Crouch shudder in horror. He cupped himself at the thought. Oh, he'd definitely like to do things to that redhead.

Rabastan always knew what he was thinking because he held the redhead out against the wall and let Crouch roam his hands over her.

"She's lovely. I can see why Potter's attracted. Do you think the carpet matches the drapes?" Rabastan asked.

Crouch leered. "You know I prefer it to be baby smooth."

Rabastan chuckled as Crouch's hands squeezed her bum.

"If you two are done being disgusting, I could use your help," Bellarosa demanded from behind them.

Rabastan reluctantly put Ginny's unconscious body on the ground and they moved towards the beautiful woman standing next to Slughorn.

"Was getting him out of the causeway hard?" Rabastan asked.

Bellatrix smiled. "No. In all of the chaos, taking him was rather easy. Snape's Imperius has made him as docile as a baby."

Crouch looked over the balcony of the tower. "And the ingredients?"

"Goyle and Bole should be bringing them up now."

As if on cue, the door opened and the two men stepped forward. Bole, tall and lean, looked like a stick next to Goyle's muscle. They handed the ingredients forward and Bellarosa smiled, kissing Bole on the cheek. Bole's face lit up before he stepped back.

"Good job, boys. You two have done well. You can head on back home to your wives."

Goyle nodded, his eyes stopping on where Ginny was unconscious on the ground. "What do you need with Weasley?"

"That's none of your business, Goyle," Crouch said with a sneer.

Goyle stared at him for a moment. "Potter will never rest if you hurt her."

Bellarosa smiled. "Don't worry, darling. Miss Weasley is in safe hands. She won't be hurt, I can assure you."

Goyle still looked skeptical, but he followed Bole down the stairs at Bellarosa's urging as Crouch turned to her.

"Can't we play just a little, Bellarosa? For a blood traitor, she's quite powerful, not to mention beautiful. Smooth skin, lovely tits… just a little taste?"

"Don't touch her, Bart," Bellarosa said, sharply. "You know what the plan is and that's not part of it."

Crouch pouted and Rabastan put his hand over his friend's shoulder. "We'll have fun later with Ophelia. The two of us, together."

Crouch's eyes gleamed in glee. "I want to take her up the arse this time."

Rabastan smiled and patted his friend's cheek. "Of course, my friend. You know how much she loves it when we both take her at the same time."

Bellarosa ignored them and turned back to Slughorn. "Woodrow, keep watch, Snape should be arriving soon. The castle has figured out that we're here."

"And Dumbledore?" Rabastan asked. "Are we sure that he's been contained?"

"Trust me, Rab, Donna has Dumbledore under control."

Crouch slapped his hands together, squealing gleefully. "I can't wait until the Dark Lord lets me play with him!"

"She's going to wake soon," Bellarosa warned.

Rabastan hoisted Ginny back, keeping his arms around her. "We're ready, Bellarosa."

Bellarosa nodded before she turned back to the stairs as she waited, her eyes on Selwyn, Adrian Pucey, and Abel Rowle who were near the doors. Everything had to go according to plan if this was going to work. She looked down at the gold and diamond watch on her wrist that her third husband had bought her.

Snape had better hurry. They were running out of time.

~ ASC ~

Ginny had shot out hex after hex, trying to keep the Death Eaters at bay the moment that Harry's shield shattered. When Bellatrix had moved towards him, fear engulfed her, but Ginny was too busy trying to keep herself alive to focus on what was happening with Harry. Hexes were dodged and stopped, but a particularly good Bat-Bogey to one of their noses made her grin.

Selwyn had reached for her and just as he grabbed her arm, she transformed into her Animagus form and used her claws on his face. He screamed and she bolted. But her little legs weren't fast enough and hands grabbed her, lifting her from the ground. Ginny had kicked, transforming back into herself and managed a good punch right into Rabastan's jaw.

The man swore, but he hadn't let go. Her wand moved quickly and a few more strategic hexes had his grip loosening enough for her to make a run for it. Three more men surrounded her and she heard Theo shout only a moment before the stun hit her in the head and everything went black.

Ginny came to with the wind hitting her face and a sharp pain shooting up her arm. She blinked around in surprise. The last place that she expected to be was at the top of the Astronomy Tower. Rabastan was holding her arm and she realized in alarm that her wand was missing. She pushed him off and he only tugged her up against him, his arms holding her tightly in place.

The feel of his body against hers made her want to vomit and she suddenly felt dirty. Like they had touched her in some way. She was more relieved than she wanted to admit to find herself fully clothed. She struggled again and Rabastan's grip tightened.

"Keep it up, and I'll make you wish you were never born," he hissed, his hand intentionally grabbing her breast before he let go.

Ginny made to struggle again, but the sight of Slughorn staring at her made her pause. The usual jolly man was standing by the railing of the tower, his eyes blank. He stood there, not moving, only staring straight ahead.

"Professor!" Ginny cried out. "Professor Slughorn! Help me!"

Slughorn only blinked.

Rabastan laughed. "Oh, he can't help anyone right now."

"What did you do to him?" Ginny demanded.

The doors to the Astronomy Tower opened and Ginny's eyes widened at the sight of Snape stepping onto the balcony. His black cloak billowed out behind him and his wand pointed at Slughorn without even giving her a glance.

"Horace," Snape's oily voice cut through the night. "Do it."

Slughorn moved across the tower, taking the dagger from Snape's hands; Ginny's eyes widened in horror as he stopped in front of her. His eyes were still blank, expressionless, as he took her left hand and cut a perfect slice over her palm as she winced in pain. He let the blood drip into the vial that he pulled from his cloak and Ginny watched in horror as she watched drops of her own blood splatter into the glass. Slughorn sealed her palm with a simple healing charm and then he passed the vial of blood to Snape.

Snape stared at her before he opened the bottle and dropped it into the large cauldron he had just made appear out of thin air. It burned a bright flashing red before he turned his wand on Slughorn. "Finish the potion."

Slughorn walked towards the cauldron, dropping the ingredients in that two of the Death Eaters were passing him. The potion flashed in bright colours with snaps and crackles under the night sky. Slughorn's expression never changed as he used a ladle to pour the potion into a glass. The liquid was the colour of fire, sparkling like an open flame.

"What is that?" Ginny demanded.

Slughorn spoke, his voice sounding far off and not at all like himself. "To drink the potion of bloodlust makes the drinker feral. To drink the potion of bloodlust makes them hate the one's blood whom they tasted. It makes them wish death upon them and they will stop upon nothing until they have killed them. Only then will the bloodlust vanish."

Crouch cackled. "We thought maybe Potter might like a taste of your blood, dearie."

"He would never drink that!" Ginny shouted.

Slughorn took Bellatrix's hand in his and carefully scraped the blood from under her fingernails, dropping it into the vial.

"He won't have to," Snape said. "Your blood is only one of the ingredients needed."

And then Rabastan forced her mouth open as Snape poured the potion down her throat.

It burned like fire and it tasted like copper. For one moment she was overwhelmed by the scent of Harry. That delicious teakwood and mahogany smell that was just him. She smelt brooms and summer air. She felt safe and loved… and then, in an instant, there was nothing but fire. Her throat burned and her eyes flashed a moment before she was back to herself.

Rabastan chuckled and cupped her breast, squeezing tightly. "Good, little cunt."

The doors to the Astronomy Tower opened again and Snape's eyes narrowed. "We're out of time. Let's go."

"Until next time, dearie," Crouch said before he pointed his wand at her.

The stunner hit her full in the face and she didn't even feel them let go of her as she collapsed to the stone floor, stunned.

~ ASC ~

Remus, Tonks, Zee, and Misha raced up the bridge and into Hogwarts. The Inferi had overrun the causeway and the walls of fire had taken much longer than they had anticipated to keep them at bay. The Terra Troops arrived to help, but fighting dead men was a lost cause. Every time they knocked a dozen back, a dozen more rose up from the sea.

Remus had thought it was impossible to have control over so many dead, but clearly he was proven wrong. The Inferi ran at them with alarming speed, tearing into flesh, eyes cloudy and white, smelling of death and decay. He'd watched two wizards go down, flesh torn apart under their teeth. The fire burned them, but it had taken much too long.

Zee had met them on the causeway just as McGonagall's Patronus arrived and Remus' blood had turned cold. Death Eaters had infiltrated Hogwarts. With the Inferi attack, it had still taken them almost thirty minutes to get away from the causeway. The giants, the Death Eaters, the werewolves, and the vampires had all left quickly, leaving the Inferi to fight their battle. As more and more of the Terra Troops arrived, they took the opportunity to Disapparate.

The causeway had been a set up.

Dumbledore and Slughorn had both vanished.

He didn't know what to make of any of it.

They arrived at Hogwarts and ran across the bridge into the castle. Lady Godiva raced up the stairs once they entered and the four of them chased after her. When they saw the explosion on the fourth floor, the rubble and the debris from the secret passageway blocking most of the hall, Remus frowned.

"That's been caved in for years."

Zee glanced over at him. "So someone knew it was there."

The three of them moved forward as Lady Godiva sniffed the rubble. A hand moved nearby causing Zee to fall to her knees and move the rocks away desperately with both her hands and her wand. The girl they found underneath was crying, her legs crushed under the rocks.

"Shh, it's okay," Zee assured her. "It's okay. We've got you, darling."

"Miss Fox," Remus said, bending to help move the rocks. "I know it hurts, we've got you."

They finished moving the rocks and found another girl on her left.

"Was there anyone else here?" Tonks asked.

The second girl was coughing, but seemed relatively unhurt. "No. Dinah and I were heading back to Ravenclaw when there was an explosion. There was a prefect who came flying through the rocks. That tall good looking one with the red hair and the freckles."

"Weasley," Dinah Fox said. "He was here."

Remus immediately began to sort through the rubble, stopping only when Lady Godiva's head hit his leg. He looked down at the panther and Zee spoke from behind him.

"It's clear. Lady G knows there's no one else underneath the rubble."

Remus nodded, relieved to hear that. He sniffed the air, but knew the panther was right. He didn't scent anyone else beneath the rubble. He urged Dinah Fox and Bettina Addersworth to head to the infirmary, putting Dinah on a levitating stretcher with her broken leg before he looked at his wife. The three of them headed out again with Lady Godiva in the lead.

Tonks found the next Death Eater tied up. "Excellent work, that Harry."

"How do you know it was him?" Zee asked.

Tonks pointed to the note pinned on the rope. "It says Scout. He's going to be one hell of an Auror one day."

She replaced his ropes with Auror cuffs and locked him more securely in the empty classroom.

They made it to the sixth floor when they found Ron, Hermione, and Anthony rushing towards them.

"Ron!" Remus said in relief. "Are you all right? We pulled two Ravenclaws from the rubble and one of them said she saw you there."

"Yeah, she called you the tall, good looking one with the red hair and freckles," Tonks said with a wink.

Ron blushed, a pleased smile on his face. "She really said that?"

Hermione cleared her throat, her foot tapping impatiently. Now was not the time nor the place. Ron seemed to cotton on because he cleared his throat.

"Er… I mean, yeah, I'm okay. A little banged up, but nothing to worry about. Professor, there are Death Eaters in the castle."

"We know," Tonks assured him. "Where are they?"

"Some of them broke into Snape's storage cupboard and destroyed it," Anthony said. "It's a mess down there. We saw some lights coming from the Astronomy Tower."

"Where's Harry?" Zee asked.

Hermione shook her head. "We haven't seen him."

"Harry, Ginny, and Theo were with me in the hall before the wall exploded. I was stuck on the opposite side of the cave in and by the time I made it around, they were all gone."

The sounds of fighting could be heard above and Tonks headed towards the sounds.

"You three have just been recruited. Follow me, wands out."

Ron did just that, leading the way, and Remus tried not to think about what kind of trap they could be walking into. The only thing he did know as he headed towards the flash and bang of the spells up ahead was that he knew exactly where his son was going to be.

Right in the thick of it.

~ ASC ~

Snape hated himself for forcing that potion down the Weasley girl's throat, but he needed to play his part just as much as he needed to make sure that he survived the night. There were others who were depending on him and if he was going to help them get out, he had to do things that he would regret. When he heard the door open to the tower, his eyes met Bellarosa's. The woman turned her wand on Slughorn and forced him to walk to the edge of the tower.

McGonagall and Flitwick came racing up the stairs with Harry, Neville, and Theo close behind them. Snape lifted his wand and pointed it at Slughorn.

"Take another step, Minerva, and he will jump."

McGonagall froze, her hand on the head of Nyx at her side. "Severus! What is this?"

Snape's lip curled. "Did you really think that after all this time, I would really fight for you?"

"Where's Dumbledore?"

Bellatrix cackled. "Dead."

Broomsticks appeared in their hands and the six of them jumped off the balcony, flying off the edge of the tower. Flitwick caught two of them, his wand reeling them back in like a fish on a reel. The Death Eaters jumped onto other brooms as Flitwick swore. Bellarosa jumped onto Crouch's broom and they flew off into the night. Rabastan jumped over an unconscious Ginny, his wand pointing towards Harry. He ducked the spell that Harry sent at him and made a beeline down the stairs, knocking Neville down four of them in his haste.

Only Snape was left on the tower now. He stared at McGonagall for a long moment, his wand still pointed at Slughorn.

"Albus knew the risks," he said.

"Severus! Severus, please, don't go with them," McGonagall demanded. "Don't do this!"

Snape looked at Slughorn. "Ego Autem Liberate."

Slughorn's eyes changed as he seemed to come back to himself. He looked at Snape's wand pointing at him in mild alarm. "Severus? What? I thought we were on the causeway? How did I get here?"

Snape's eyes stared into his. "Alarte Ascendare!"

Slughorn shot up high into the air, his eyes widening in alarm as he was suddenly flung over the rails of the balcony.

McGonagall screamed as Slughorn's flailing body tumbled over the side of the tower and down into the night as two stunning spells simultaneously hit her straight in the chest.

~ ASC ~

George recognized the Auror Natalie Atwell as he ran through the halls of Hogwarts. She and her partner were dealing with one of the Death Eaters who was tied up and cuffed. He didn't stop to chat, but kept his eyes on the rubble near the secret passage and wondered who had taken the time to clear it. He knew with absolute certainty that was how the Death Eaters had found their way inside the castle.

He continued to run up the stairs, pulling his mirror out as he did. So far, neither Ginny or Ron were answering. When Ron's face finally came into view, George swore at the cut above his brother's eyebrow.

"Where the fuck are you?"

"School. Where the fuck are you?"

"Don't get smart with me," George said in a very Percy-like manner. "Where's Ginny? Are you two all right?"

Ron pursed his lips. "I'm fine. I don't know where Ginny is."

"I'm on the fifth floor," George said. "Tell me where you are."

Ron's eyes widened. "I'm with Remus, Tonks, Zee, and Misha. We're heading up to the Astronomy Tower. Something's happening. We think Harry's there."

"Of course he is," George said. "The prat always finds himself in the middle of the most trouble. I'll meet you there!"

The mirror went blank in his hand and he shoved it back into his pocket and booked it up another set of stairs. He could hear commotion above him, but outside of the explosion on the fourth floor, there didn't seem to be a lot of damage to the castle. He had just reached the bottom landing of the Astronomy Tower as Remus, Tonks, Zee, Ron, Hermione, Misha, and another student who he didn't recognize arrived.

"What's going on? How many Death Eaters are here?"

"About a dozen," Tonks said. "We don't know why they're going up there or what they're planning."

They all froze when they heard a scream and saw a figure fall past the window.

George's eyes met Ron's and then the two brothers raced up the stairs, not even bothering to see if the others were following.

~ ASC ~

As Slughorn fell to his death, Snape turned and fled after Rabastan down the stairs. Harry stepped in front of him, his wand out.

"You're a bloody coward! Attacking an old man and a woman who trusted you!"

The cauldron bubbled between them, full of a liquid Harry didn't recognize. The smell was oddly intoxicating and as he glared at Snape, he couldn't help but find himself surrounded by a familiar floral scent.

Ginny.

Snape's eyes glinted. "Your sense of smell is correct, Potter."

Before Harry could respond, the force of the spell knocked him back and made his side start bleeding all over again as the potion spilled out of the cauldron. Neville reached for him just as Nyx tore after Snape. The half tiger half zouwu's large jaws gripped the bottom of Snape's leg and the sound he made caused the hairs on Harry's arm to rise. When he looked up, Snape was falling down the stairs of the Astronomy Tower and Nyx was holding the bottom half of Snape's leg in her mouth.

Flitwick was crouched down, his wand through the rails, working to try to stop Slughorn from plummeting to his death. McGonagall was unconscious on the stone floor, the potion slowly moving across the stone towards her. Theo used his sword to freeze the potion in place and Neville bent down to see to Harry's side. George, Ron, Remus, Tonks, Hermione, Anthony, Zee, and Misha tore through the door of the Astronomy Tower.

Harry ignored Neville's attempts to stop him from bleeding as he climbed to his feet despite Neville's protests. "Where the hell is Snape?"

George frowned. "We didn't see him."

"He's gone," Ron said as Misha moved to check on McGonagall's unconscious state.

Theo's eyes were wide. "Nyx is literally holding half of his leg! What the fuck do you mean he's gone?"

Neville shook his head from next to Ron. "He vanished and so did Rabastan Lestrange."

Remus sniffed the air, his eyes on the trail of blood on the stairs before they fell upon the bloody prints along the wall. "He must know of a secret passage."

Tonks pulled her wand out. "I'm on it."

Remus hesitated, but Misha gripped his shoulder. "I go vith her. Do not vorry."

They all turned as Flitwick finally managed to grab Slughorn. Ron and Remus both moved as one, helping him pull Slughorn over the railing. The man was shaking, his face ashen, a hand clutching his heart.

"Shh, Horace, we've got you. You're safe," Remus assured him, squeezing his shoulder. Then his eyes moved across the room to Harry. The sight of Harry bleeding from the side made his eyes widen but Zee was already at his side.

"Harry, you have to stay down," Zee said, quickly. "Merlin, you're bleeding everywhere. Sit, sweetie, rest."

Harry held a hand to his bloody side as he climbed to his knees, ignoring her. The bandage wasn't doing much to contain the gash on his ribs. "Where's Ginny?"

"She's here," Anthony called out, crouching over her behind the large telescope. "She's been stunned."

Neville attempted to help Harry again. "Shit, Harry, you're bleeding everywhere!"

Harry shoved Neville off of him. Ginny was still lying face down on the stone of the tower. Panic welled up inside of him.

"Harry!" Zee exclaimed, reaching for him as he stumbled. "What happened?"

"Bellatrix," Theo spat. "She sliced him up good. I tried to patch him up, but the bloody prat wouldn't go to the hospital." He moved to help Anthony turn Ginny over. "She's okay, Harry. She's breathing. As Goldstein said, she's just been stunned."

Harry ignored him. His fingers were covered in blood as he kept his hand tight against his side. "Ginny? Gin?" he called out, ignoring Zee who was holding his arm. He tugged himself away from her and moved towards Ginny, half crawling towards her as he could no longer convince his legs to hold his weight. "Ginny, please be okay. Please, Ginny."

Harry dragged himself across the stone, blood dripping between his fingers and his breath shallow.

"She's breathing," Theo assured him again. "She's just stunned."

"Yes, hi, was nobody listening to me? I just said that she's been stunned like literally two minutes ago. I feel like nobody is listening to me," Anthony declared, throwing his arms up in the air.

"Take a hint then, Goldstein," Ron said under his breath.

Harry let go of his side, ignoring Ron and Goldstein completely; his bloody hands cupping her face and he almost cried in relief when Theo used his wand to wake her and her eyes fluttered open. Those beautiful, warm, chocolate eyes that he loved so much.

"Oh, thank Merlin!"

Ignoring the pain it caused in his side, he tugged her into his arms, burying his face in her neck. "Ginny! Godric, when Theo said they took you, I —"

And then the pain in his side screamed as sharp nails raked through it, splitting him open even more.

Blackness spotted his vision and the last thing he saw was Ginny's brown eyes staring at him full of hate.

Author's Note:

Ego Autem Liberate = I free now

Thanks for reading and please review!