The Moonlight Noon Chateau

By Hippy Gypsy

Disclaimer:  [Carlotta:  Hippy, may I?]  Yes Carlotta, you may, since you asked so nicely.  [Sammy sulks in the corner]  [Carlotta:  Harry Potter is the property of the lovely JK Rowling, while The Moonlight Noon Chateau belongs to the Hippy Gypsy.  How did I do Hippy?]  Very well, Carlotta.  You're a shining star! J

Chapter 16:  The Death of the Moonlight Noon

            In a moment of panic, as the Moonlight Noon sign fell from the ceiling, Minerva leapt from the spot and shoved Severus and Carlotta out of the way.  They rolled over just as the electrical sign hit the ground and burst into flames.  Above them, someone screamed and Sammy was heard yelling, "Get out of here!  Someone sound the alarm!  Severus!  Carlotta!  Where are you?!  Diva!"  The sounds of people running away and flames erupting filled their ears.

            Severus, feeling slightly beaten after being flung on the ground, slowly opened his eyes.  The sight woke him up quickly.  He jumped up and found Minerva picking herself up and Carlotta nearly unconscious.  "Carlotta!  Get up!  The stage is on fire!"

            Carlotta shook her head, collecting her bearings and Severus and Minerva pulled her up.  Severus looked, but flames surrounded every way out.  Finding nothing else for them to do, he led them to the roof.

            As they made it to the top and moved towards the edge, they could hear rioting club goers below, running from the Moonlight Noon Chateau.

            Minerva and Carlotta looked at Severus.  "What do we do?"

            "I don't know."

            "Sammy!  Sammy where are you?!"  Little Rock had run out of the Moonlight Noon with Devine, Trelawney, and Hagrid behind her.  The club goers were going all over the place and it was hard to see over the crowds, except for Hagrid.

            "There they are!" he yelled, pointing to the right.

            They moved over to the group that included Sammy, Oliver, and Antonio (Evan was off to the side guarding the Death Eaters).  Sammy engulfed Little Rock in his arms.

            She looked between the groups and asked, "Where's Carlotta and Severus?"

            "They were trapped along with Diva on the stage," Antonio answered grimly.

            "Did they get out?"

            "I don't know."

            Trelawney stomped her foot.  "Dammit!  It's all going to hell!  Dumbledore ought to have-"

            "Wait a minute!" Oliver interrupted suddenly.  "Where is Dumbledore?"

            Up on the roof, Severus concocted a plan.  It wasn't a good one, but it was something.  "Okay," he said grabbing one of the bars.  "We're going to climb up on the sign.  We'll see how far we can climb out there and we'll conjure a rope to tie off.  Hopefully, if we do this quickly enough, we'll live."

            Carlotta looked at Minerva and she nodded.

            "Do you think it's steady enough to hold us?"

            "I hope so.  Minerva, you're first," Severus replied.

            Minerva grabbed one of the bars.  "Oh sure," she said under her breath.  "Send the old woman first."

            "MIN!" they both shouted.

            Minerva gathered up her skirts and carefully climbed out onto the sign.  Years of practice being half feline helped her do so easily.  When she got out as far as she could go, she turned around, and holding one of the bars of the sign, she held out her other hand for Carlotta.  "Come on Sweet Pea!  It's your turn!"

            Down below, the Death Eaters were powerless against the Moonlight Noon patrons.  Not only were they tied down tightly (almost too tightly), but with Hagrid towering over them, they didn't dare make a move. 

            Everyone else searched frantically for signs of Severus, Minerva, and Carlotta.   Devine was the first one to notice where they had gone.

            She looked to the sky, which seemed to turn a bright shade of red due to the fire and smoke, and her brows furrowed in concentration.  "What is that?" she whispered to herself quietly.  Suddenly, the whole realization hit her.  "Jesus Christ!  They're on the roof!"

            When everyone turned to look at her, she pointed way up at the Moonlight Noon Chateau sign.  "There!  See?  Just there!  On the sign!  They look like they're trying to climb down somehow!"

            Trelawney and Hagrid exchanged a quick look, then left them and ran to under the sign, hoping to make it there before anything could happen.

            Severus, Minerva, and Carlotta all stood out on the Moonlight Noon Chateau sign, ready to make their next move.  Carlotta held tightly to one of the bars, scared to death of the height she was at. 

            Severus took out his wand and began the spell to conjure a rope for them to climb down on, but just as he started, the sign gave a great screech and a lurch, and he dropped his wand.  It fell to the streets below as everyone grabbed hold of the sign tightly.

            Carlotta gasped and Minerva and Severus swore out loud.  "Minerva!" Severus shouted!  "Take your wand out!  You do it!"  The wind was picking up and the stress of the situation was tense.  They were running out of time.

            But as Minerva moved to take out her wand, the sign lurched again.  Minerva lost her grip and balance and she fell through the gap of the bars.  She was able to hold for a quick second as Carlotta shouted her name, but in the next great lurch, the Diva was falling to the streets below!

            Trelawney looked up just as Minerva began to fall from the sign.  "Oh my god," she whispered to herself.  She acted quickly.  She took position right under Minerva, and before she was about to hit, Sybill performed a spell that suddenly froze Minerva in mid-air.  The top-hatted witch slowly opened her eyes to find herself floating a foot and a half above the smiling fortune-teller in disbelief.

            "Hagrid?  A little help?" Trelawney asked. 

            Hagrid took position under Minerva, and as Sybill released the spell, she fell into the half-giant's arms.  Minerva's face was completely white and her breath was unsteady.  She looked back up at the Moonlight Noon Chateau sign, where Severus and Carlotta were still suspended, then passed out.

            High above, Carlotta and Severus were retreating back to the roof of the Chateau.  The sign screeched and lurched more and more with each of their moves.  They nearly didn't make it!  The sign made one final movement, and in desperation, Severus and Carlotta leapt from the sign and grabbed to the edge of the roof.  They hung on as the sign fell to the streets below.

            Severus strained to climb up, but he couldn't quite make it.  He was having trouble with his grip.  He looked over at his side.  "Carlotta," he gasped.  "Pull yourself up." 

            Carlotta had her eyes shut tightly.  "I can't Severus!  I'm too scared!"  She made a slight effort to move, but it proved unsuccessful.

            But in the next moment, they both went silent and stiff as footsteps could be heard above them.  They looked up hoping to see someone that could help them. 

            Voldemort's pale grinning face came from behind the smoke.

            Severus and Carlotta hung paralyzed as the Dark Lord stepped closer to them, flexing his delicate fingers.  "I warned you fair Carlotta," he whispered looking down at her.  "I said that I would kill him…but you wouldn't listen my dear."  He looked down at them with a snarl on his face.  "I told you that you belonged to me…but you ignored my orders."  In one sudden movement, Voldemort's boot was crushing Severus' right set of fingers, which were gripping on to the edge of the roof.  "And now, he will die."

            Severus grinded his teeth and howled in pain, but he couldn't move his hand.  In desperation, Carlotta managed to free her left hand and grabbed for Voldemort's boot.  But it was no use.

            Voldemort grabbed her wrist and lifted her a foot higher so that they could look each other straight in the face.  "And now my Sweet Pea!" Voldemort shouted.  "Suffer the consequences…CRUCIO!"  Carlotta shrieked as pain filled her to bursting and beyond.  Without knowing it, she let both her hands lose their grip.  In a moment of sheer panic, Severus let his free hand go and grabbed hers.  He held on as tight as he could, but it was almost unbearable!  At any moment they would fall!  And Carlotta was jumping all over the place, wiggling in torturous pain!

            Voldemort towered over them and cackled.  "Oh look at how we have fallen!  Love conquers all!"  He took his wand and pointed it between Severus' eyes.  "Here's something I should've done the moment I met you Severus Snape," he whispered venomously.  "Avada-" 

            BAM!!!

Severus watched stunned as Voldemort's figure flew over his head from the roof of the Moonlight Noon Chateau and fell to the street.  When Severus looked back up once more, Dumbledore was revealed. 

            "So that's what they mean by 'Give it to them like a dragon'," the wizard said with a smile.

            Carlotta's cries turned into exhausted sobs.  "Albus!" Severus called.  "Help!"

            "Let go," Dumbledore said walking towards the edge of the roof.

            "What?!"

            "Let go!" he repeated matter-of-factly, and with that he walked off the edge of the roof.  Not knowing what else to do, Severus complied and let go of the wall.  The three of them fell for about twenty feet, but Dumbledore took out his wand, and with one quick flick, the three of them disapparated in mid-air and appeared safely on the street below. 

            As they were revealed, safe and sound, everyone from the Chateau gathered around them.  It was a solemn moment, as they watched, as Severus cradled Carlotta in his arms and rocked her back and forth. 

            "Severus…" she sobbed quietly.  "It hurt so much…"

            "It's over Carlotta," he replied in her ear.  "It's all over…he's gone…"

            "I thought I had died…"

            "It's done my angel…we're together now."

            Everyone would have smiled, but behind them, a short distance away, the Moonlight Noon Chateau burnt to the ground, leaving nothing but ashes.

Note from Hippy Gypsy:  Well, I'm getting down to it.  Don't worry!  I'm not ending it here so it'll be bitter sweet!  It's all going to be just fine!  Think of it this way…even if I did, Severus still ended up with Carlotta!  So ha!  More to come! J