Hmmm...well, I'm enjoying Japan. It's really does get hot and humid here though. I barely had time to write this too. Too many things to do and I have to study a lot to understand, but I believe I'm improving... I also got the third Harry Potter book in Japanese the other day, which makes me happy...even if I can't read it yet. ;o

Anyway, Chapter 12 is starting to pick up the action a bit. I'm also not sure that everyone is going to like what I'm doing with Wormtail, but...oh well! I'll try to get Chapter 12 out soon. I already have it planned out and somebody will be mortally wounded. But I'm gonna be mean and not tell. There will also be someone severely wounded. Again, not telling. Hopefully, it will be an interesting (omoshiroi) chapter.

Oh, and I currently have 198 reviews!!! Thank you!!! I'm glad you enjoy!!! But I'm curious, who will be reviewer 200??

::hides a katana behind her back and starts watching for Lycoris's flags to appear::

Enjoy!!



Sirius watched Dumbledore rush from the room in confusion.

Snape was in trouble? Last he'd heard, Snape had gone to spy on Voldemort, but that HAD been several hours ago. Did that mean he'd been caught?

Sirius' eyes widened as the realization hit him. Snape had been caught-- and it was because of his having gone to rescue Harry a week ago. Snape had risked everything to save Sirius' godson and it might cost him just that.

"I've got to help him," Sirius said suddenly, looking at no one in particular.

Startled, Lupin and the Weasley's looked at him, "What?"

"Snape," Sirius said, getting to his feet. "He saved Harry. I have to help him."

"Wait," Lupin said, moving forward as if to bodily stop Sirius. "Dumbledore will take care of it. There might be dementors there. You wouldn't survive an encounter with them."

Sirius shook his head, sending his shaggy black hair flying, "I have to go. He might die because he helped Harry. He saved my godson. I have to go."

Sirius looked Lupin in the eye as he said solemnly, "Watch over him?"

Lupin looked as though he wanted to protest further, but he only clenched his jaw and nodded quickly.

A quiet double sob sounded in the room as Mrs Weasley took Hermione's lead and began to cry on her husband's shoulder. Sirius smiled at the sight of the father and son as they comforted their women.

Sirius turned and smoothed Harry's hair back from his forehead sadly, "I'll never really leave you. And you were always worth it."

Tears formed in everyone's eyes at the touching scene, even Sirius' eyes seemed wet as he transformed into the dog and ran from the room. Harry moaned in his sleep, as though in unconscious protest.

***********************************************************************



Dumbledore walked quickly through the castle, taking every secret corridor he could remember in his rush to make it to the grounds. He finally reached the door and practically barreled through it, not even bothering to close the doors after him.



Quickly he ran through the castle grounds to an area he could apparate from, barely noticing the large dog that loped up to run beside him. Dumbledore skidded to a halt just outside the Hogwarts' gates and looked down at the dog.

"What do you think you're going to do, Sirius," he asked the dog.

The dog popped back into a man and looked determinedly at Dumbledore. "I'm going with you to save Snape."

"I thought you hated him, Sirius," Dumbledore said calmly, not letting any of his anxiety show.

"He saved my godson to get him into this mess, the least I can do is help get him out of it," Sirius told him. Dumbledore watched as Sirius set his jaw in a determined look that Dumbledore still remembered from his school days to mean Sirius' stubborn streak was coming into full play.

"Alright," Dumbledore sighed, watching the sky become brighter with the encroaching dawn. "Hold onto me. We'll apparate together and I'll guide us there."

Sirius nodded and wrapped an arm around Dumbledore's, his free hand bringing out a wand. Dumbledore took his out as well and nodded at Sirius. With a pop, the two men disappeared just in time for the sun to peak its head over the horizon.

***********************************************************************



"Kill me," Severus Snape repeated to the stunned evil lord that stood before him. "You were always going to, anyway, weren't you? You were just waiting for someone with half my talent for potions to come along to replace me first."

An ironic smile crept across the dark lord's serpentine face as he watched his one-time servant stare defiantly up at him. Almost lazily he twirled his wand, careful to keep it pointed at Snape the whole time. He cocked his to the side and stepped a little closer, his movement smooth and imperious.

"So," he said icily, his high voice practically dripping with icicles. "You want death. I would not be so easy on you. Perhaps I should allow you to live. At least until I have finally taken Hogwarts and killed that old fool Dumbledore."

A small spark of life lit in Snape's eyes for a moment before fading, leaving no trace that it had ever been there. He continued to stare dispassionately up at Voldemort, his eyes never leaving the malicious red ones.

"You think that you will win because you could defeat Harry Potter," Snape told him. "Harry was only a defenseless child, but Albus Dumbledore is a grown wizard with powers that can and will defeat you, eventually."

"CRUCIO," Voldemort screamed vengefully at Snape.

"How dare you imply that that old fool is greater than I! I am Lord Voldemort and I have found immortality! I am the greatest wizard to ever live! Even greater than Merlin himself," Voldemort raged at Snape's writhing, cursed body.

Snape silently endured the curse, hoping it would all end soon. He found he was exhausted from this battle. He was no longer a young man.

"Now what do you have to say," Voldemort asked him as he lowered his wands from Snape's still twitching form.

"You will lose, Tom Riddle," Snape told the dark lord quietly, his voice full of lingering pain.

Voldemort angrily lifted his wand to curse Snape once again, but suddenly he was blocked by a balding, shaking man. Peter Pettigrew stood, in human form, facing his master and quaking with fear.



"Expelliarmus," he cried, pointing a wand at Voldemort and allowing none of his fear to enter into his voice.

Voldemort flew across the labyrinth's center and through a tall shrub with a roar of rage. Pettigrew turned back to Snape, almost falling in the attempt before he righted himself.

"We have to run! He'll be back soon," Pettigrew told Snape as he reached down to help him up.

"What happened, Wormtail? Finally find your stomach," Snape asked, glaring at his would be rescuer and knowing that it was already too late.

"Maybe," squeaked Pettigrew, turning to face Voldemort, whom he could hear bursting back through the shrubs.

"Wormtail," Voldemort screamed, his rage a seemingly tangible thing. He raised his wand at the shaking Wormtail and opened his mouth to speak-

"Expelliarmus," came a familiar cry. Snape and Pettigrew turned to see Sirius Black and Dumbledore standing in the very center of the Labyrinth's center.

Voldemort dodged the spell and turned to face both his victims and their rescuers, "Dumbledore. We meet again."



Next Chapter: When He Let Go