Disclaimer: I own the plot and Saerry Snape.  Everything else is JKR's.

A/N: I'm not going to bother to list everyone here so I'll just say one thing….

THANK YOU ALL!!

*pulls all the reviewers into a bear hug*  I HAVE FINALLY GOTTEN OVER MY WRITER'S BLOCK!  And Anya, you may have a fight with Saerwy.  *scowls at her muse*  Right after I get done with her that is.

Harry Potter and the Dark Defenses

Chapter 34 ***Set Into Motion***

Remus, Hermione, Draco, Ron, McGonagall, Mundungus Fletcher, and Arabella Figg sat in Dumbledore's office a half hour later.  Harry was lying on the couch, out cold.  Remus and Ron had had to carry him up to the office.  They still didn't know how they had made it without anyone seeing them.

 Dumbledore frowned and looked at Hermione.

"Did he say anything?"

Hermione nodded and replied, "He said he knew where they were."  She looked at her friend and gave a little sniff.  Draco frowned and squeezed his wife's shoulders from where he stood behind her.

Ron looked nervously at Harry and asked, "Why's he asleep?"

Dumbledore gave a slight shrug.  "Perhaps the dream was too much."

Hermione gave another little sniffle and mumbled, "I think it was.  He yelled when he woke up."  She shook her head and added, "It must've been horrible.  I've never heard him cry out from one of his dreams."

Ron nodded numbly, watching Harry.

Mundungus suggested, "Perhaps we should wake him?"

Beside him Arabella shook her head.  "Let him rest."

"But…"

"No buts.  Now hush."

Mundungus gave her a glare and slouched in his chair.

Remus frowned at the two of them then looked at Harry, who had given a little jerk in his sleep.  A second later the eyelids fluttered and opened.

"Uhn."

Seven heads turned and six voices said, "Harry?"

Harry blinked blearily and mumbled, "Wha?"

Hermione cried, "Harry!" and leapt from her seat.  She practically smothered him in a hug until Ron pulled her off.

"Herm!"

From under her Harry's muffled voice said, "Herm, gerroff!"

"Sorry Harry."

Hermione blushed and smiled sheepishly, moving back to her seat.

Harry sat up and brushed his hair back from his forehead.  Turning to look at all of them he asked, "What happened?"

Arabella smiled at him and said, "You fainted."

Harry nodded vaguely and closed his eyes.  They snapped open a moment later and he turned to look at Dumbledore.  He said, "Voldemort will return them."

Nearly everyone in the room either erupted in cheers or smiles, except for Dumbledore, Draco, and Harry.  Ron noticed this and clapped his friend on the shoulder.

"This is good news Harry!  We should be celebrating!"

Draco looked down at the floor and blandly stated, "Voldemort doesn't give up prisoners too easily."  His gray eyes came up and locked onto Harry's.  He continued, "He wants something, doesn't he Potter?"

Harry nodded and silence fell in the room.

Hermione breathed, "What does he want?"

Harry looked up at them and said, "He wants me.  And Severus."

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

Severus looked up from a framed photograph he was looking at as someone knocked at the doors to his rooms.  He called, "Who is it?"

"Harry."

"Come in then."

Harry entered the room, closing the door behind him.

"He'll return them."

Severus blinked and almost dropped the photograph in surprise.  "Wha – what was that?"

Harry sighed and said, "Voldemort will return Saerry, Sirius, and Ginny."

Severus nearly jumped for joy.  Nearly.  He saw the look on Harry's face before he could.  His heart sank quickly as he softly said, "There's a price isn't there?"

Harry nodded.

"What is it?"

"He wants us.  You and me."

Severus arched an eyebrow.  "Why just us?  Why give them back so he can get us?"

Harry sighed.  "I'm not sure he will give them back.  I would never trust his word."

"We both agree on that.  But why . . ."

"I made a bargain with him.  In my dream, vision, whatever you want to call it.  He returns them, he gets us."

Severus found himself laughing coldly and saying, "His two traitor's.  Two birds with one stone so to speak."

"Exactly."

Severus closed his eyes and said, "I will do it."

"And if he doesn't keep his word?"

Severus looked up at Harry and their eyes locked.  The Potions Master growled, "I'd rather die protecting my sister than die knowing I was too cowardly to save her."  He added, "I suppose you feel the same about Black and Ms. Weasley?"

Harry nodded.  "Yes."

Severus rose from his chair, placing the photograph down on a table next to it.  "Then let's go.  The sooner we get this over with, the sooner it will all be over."  With that he left his rooms.  Harry turned to follow him but caught sight of the picture Severus had been looking at.  It was a picture of Saerry and Severus standing outside of a large manor in a broad expanse of gardens.  Both of them were smiling and Severus' arm was about Saerry's shoulders, her own about his waist.

Harry smiled at the photograph and made a silent prayer then and there that Severus would make it out of what they were about to do.

A/N: Okay, as to my last note in the previous chapter there will probably be forty chapters in all, not forty more till the end.  Sorry if I confused anyone.

A/N2: Ah!  And I have the first chapter for the prequel to this story posted.  It is called Harry Potter and the Dark Rising.