Well, here's Chapter 10. I realized when writing this that the original plan I had for this story is morphing, so while I'm going to try to keep it at the 16 chapters I planned for, there might be more. Hurt anyone's feelings with that? :o Anyway, I tried to put in a little more action into this chapter, but that just ended with my ending up with an even more cruel cliffhanger than last chapter. Sorry. So what do you think of it?

Remember, ENJOY!



"Snape!"

Snape stilled in surprise at the familiar cry. A shiver of recognition and fear at its terror ran up his spine and twisted his insides into a painful knot. He looked wildly around for its source, but couldn't see him.

"Harry," he cried as he whirled around finally, hoping beyond hope that he would find Harry there. To his horror, the only thing he found behind him was a very large dark creature that looked like a spider. Snape knew he knew what the creature was, but in his weakened state, he couldn't remember it.

"No..." he moaned, his aching, weary body warning him of its immanent collapse once more. "Not another one. Will this infernal maze never end?"

The spider reared and jumped for Snape, its pincers opening wide as it screamed its hunger. Snape tried to leap to the side, but his body was too tired. He collapsed finally onto the ground, hitting it with an "Oof!" as he laid out beneath the attacking beast.

"No," came a scream, louder than before and much more terror filled. A bright body shot into Snape's line of sight and hit the creature, bouncing off and hitting the wall opposite it. The creature slammed into the other wall and slid to the ground, stunned.

Snape twisted and pointed his wand at it, aiming for its soft underside as he called, "Avada Kedavra!" The creature seemed to finish collapsing as the green light hit it and Snape turned back to his rescuer.

"Harry," he called, panic rising in him as he noted Harry's lifeless stillness. "Harry... no...wake up..."

Snape's voice croaked, but he hardly noticed as he crawled over to Harry's body. He gathered the boy to him and rested back against the wall, waiting for Harry to awake and refusing to believe that he might not.

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Pomfrey put out the word magically round the castle that he spell was to be performed early. The Weasley's arrived first, followed by McGonagall, Hermione and Ron, who were to be allowed to participate this time to lend power to the spell. Sirius and Remus arrived last, Sirius looking very anguished still with a red, puffy face and pale, drawn skin. Remus looked better, but his eyes held an accompanying sadness that enticed anyone who saw the two men to have an inexplicable urge to break into tears.

"Hurry," Dumbledore told them once they'd all gathered. "If we want to save Harry's life, we need to recast the spell now."

"What's happened," Mrs Weasley and Sirius asked simultaneously.

"Places, please. We haven't the time to explain now," Dumbledore said impatiently as Mr Weasley blinked at his wife and the escaped convict.

Everyone moved quickly into place, tension making it seem as though they might all have a mass heart attack at any moment. Dumbledore nodded and cast an immobilizing spell on Harry before taking his place as well.

"Think it'll work," Ron whispered to Hermione as they clasped hands to begin.

"I hope so," she whispered back anxiously. "I don't think Harry will survive if it doesn't this time."

She heard Sirius curse colorfully beside her and immediately regretted her words. "I'm sure we'll succeed, Sirius," she told him.

Sirius nodded, but it was clear to her and Ron that he didn't really believe her. Hermione sighed and brought her attention back to the ceremony that was just starting, the hope that she hadn't lied stirring desperately in her heart.

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Harry opened his eyes to see a distraught Professor Snape clutching him tightly to his chest. Snape seemed to be sleeping fitfully, but as soon as Harry wriggled to escape his vise-like grip on the boy.

"Harry," Snape croaked as he struggled to straighten from his previous position.

"Professor, you're ok," Harry said, a bit surprised. He'd been sure he would be too late to save the professor.

"Of course, I'm ok," Snape snapped. "And why did you do that? That was foolish! You could have finished yourself off, boy!"

Harry winced at the professor's tone and volume, the voice hurt his head and the tone hurt his heart. He disliked hearing the Professor speak to him like this. It made it seem as though he'd been wrong to try and save Snape, but what else could he have done?

"I'm sorry, but-"

"But? But what, Potter? You wanted to play the hero yet again," Snape sneered, though his hold on Harry seemed to tighten somewhat.

"No! I wanted to help you," Harry protested. "I wanted you to live and make it back to Hogwarts!"

Snape looked startled and looked away from Harry, his face tight and his dark eyes sparkling like black pearls. He opened his mouth as though he were about to say something when Harry gasped and pain shot through his arm.

"No," Snape moaned as he stumbled painfully to his feet. "Hold on, Harry. I'll get us to safety."

"P-pro-professor," Harry stuttered through the pain, "p-please, make- make it back alive. Please..."

"We're almost at the center, Harry, almost there. Just hold on and we'll be safe," Snape told the shining boy in his arms. "We're going back together."

Snape moved as quickly as he could down the last corridor and turned into the center of the maze. It was large and green, flowers and shrubs decorating it's green lawn, making it as beautiful as the labyrinth was dark. Relief spread through Snape as he saw itand he stumbled to its center where he slid down to sit with Harry in his lap.

"We made it, Harry," he said breathlessly. "We're going to survive, Harry. You're going to live!"

Snape turned what must have been the first happy smile down on Harry that he had smiled in years. But it disappeared at the sight his eyes beheld in his lap.

Harry's light had grown dim and was now flickering slightly. His eyes were closed and his his mouth hung open in an unconscious effort to breathe. Snape's heart almost stopped at the sight and tears pricked his eyes as the horrible realization hit him that he'd been too late.



"No," he breathed, "not now. Not now! We were so close! Wake up Harry wake up!" Snape shook Harry in a desperate effort to bring him back.

Harry finally stirred with a groan and gazed up at Snape with half-lidded eyes. His eyes green eyes seemed to sparkle with resolve and resignation. Snape sadly brushed back some wayward strands of hair from Harry's eyes.

"P-professor..." Harry breathed softly.

"Shhh..." Snape told him. "Be quiet and save your strength. I expect to see you in my class come the start of term."

Harry smiled weakly, "Live. Professor Snape, please, Live."

"No," snape said as Harry's eyes closed and he disappeared. "You're the one that's supposed to live! You! I'm not worthy of you foolish sympathy!"

"Don't worry," said a high cold voice from behind Snape. "It doesn't matter. You'll be joining him soon now, Snape."

A shiver of fear danced up Snape's body as he turned to face the man he feared most, Lord Voldemort.



Next Chapter: He Never Understands the Truth