Disclaimer: Haven't had one in a few chapters. I intend no infringement with the use of characters created by JKR. Merely a bit of harmless fun - I solemnly swear that is the only way in which I am up to no good.

A/N: You guys just wouldn't know what to do if I didn't leave you a note.

Hey Inka! Welcome. Thanks for the review. I think there would have been a big fight if Remus didn't assume that Snape was completely at fault, and Lorien was blameless. (He does have some pre-conceived notions about Snape.)

Welcome Iggie! Hey you guys! Iggie's review was #100! Can you believe it? Anyway, twenty points to your house Iggie.

Jigglydot, I think you must have the same quirky sense of humor that I do. Thanks for the reviews! Harry Potter hall of fame? Next to Fred and George moments? (Nytd bows head solemnly) I am most honored.

Many thanks as usual to everyone who took the time to review!

The Serpent ~*~

Snape left the headmaster and walked quickly out of the castle, and thought of Dumbledore's warning to be careful. He wasn't the only one that had wanted him to be cautious. She had obviously been very concerned about what could possibly happen to him.

A tiny pang of guilt hit him as he realized he shouldn't have grabbed her that way, but he felt less guilty when he thought about the fact that she really hadn't resisted, and then had willingly let him kiss her a second time. Merlin! She'd even kissed him back.

Suddenly it seemed to matter more to him if he made it out of this alive, and he knew the first thing he had to do was put her out of his mind. He had to do this without the smallest distraction, and he put all thoughts of the Nemorosi witch temporarily aside.

Snape wasted no time in reaching the boundaries of Hogwarts grounds. He had been agonizing over this moment for weeks and he wanted to get this over with. As he stepped up to where he could disapparate, he took a deep breath, readied his wand up his sleeve, and disappeared.

The second he apparated in the wooded clearing he dropped to one knee and search all about him. He saw nothing and felt a small degree of relief. No ambush.

As he continued to look around, he saw no one, nothing, and it was what he now heard that alerted him to the presence of another.

The underbrush ahead of him was moving, and he could hear an approaching rustling sound. He took a step back and his wand flicked into his hand.

"Lumos."

The undergrowth was moving more now, and finally the reason became apparent. It was a large snake. In fact, it was the largest snake that Snape thought he'd ever seen. It slid out into the clearing, eyeing him steadily, and reared its head and the front part of its body up to look at him at eye level.

Snape warily regarded the large serpent in front of him but kept his voice steady. "Hello, Ian," he said coolly.

The snake was gone. In its place stood a man about Snape's height, with long chestnut hair graying at the temples.

"Good evening, Severus. How nice to see you again." Ian Fincastle regarded Snape with cold, glittering eyes.

His manner was cordial, but Snape did not even begin to let his guard down. "Where are you to take me?" Snape asked simply.

"Take you?" Fincastle asked innocently.

"Get off it, Ian. I assume you're to take me to the Master, after you're sure I pose no threat." Snape spat the words back at the older wizard as hate blazed in his own dark eyes.

"Severus, when have you ever been a threat to the Master?" Fincastle's oily smooth voice was touched with sarcasm. "You are quite right, however. I am here to make sure you don't pose a threat, Severus...ever."

In that instant Snape knew he was in grave danger, and a second later he knew it was over. He heard the faint crunch of a foot on leaves an instant before he felt the wand in his back. Two wands at his back. Fincastle had simply been the diversion.

"Severus." A voice at his left side acknowledged him. Goyle. Which must mean Crabbe was behind him to the right.

Fincastle laughed. "Severus, you should be flattered."

"How so?" Snape's mind was racing, weighing his options.

"For anyone else I would have come alone. For you, my crafty friend, I brought a little insurance." Fincastle indicated the Death Eaters on either side of Snape as he moved to stand before him.

He reached out and snatched the wand from Snape's hand. "Such a waste of time, playing with these toys," the Nemorosi wizard spoke as he twirled the wand through his fingers. "I suppose, you already know that I have to kill you?"

Snape said nothing, but stared the older man in the eye.

Fincastle continued. "Such a shame you didn't join me that night so long ago. Together we likely would have found the Master much sooner, and returned him to power. Then we wouldn't need to have this conversation, now would we?"

Snape kept his head high. "It never would have happened, Ian. I was a spy long before Voldemort's defeat."

Fincastle seemed amused. "Ho! Were you now? You are a crafty bastard, Severus." He tossed the wand he was holding aside with disdain. "Such a shame. Such a waste of talent. And you're going to miss our little Halloween party too," Fincastle pouted.

"Party?" Snape was instantly alarmed, and he struggled to keep his voice even.

"Why, yes," Fincastle said smoothly. "Our festivities at the Auror Training Center. Ah, I can see by the look on your face that you're sorry you're going to miss it," Fincastle said with mock concern.

Snape was becoming frantic.

"Now, enough small talk. Shall we begin?" Fincastle looked at Crabbe, and Goyle who tightened their grips on their wands.

He waved at them dismissively with a look of disgust. "Oh, please. Not the wands. Nothing quite so...barbaric," he said haughtily and then laughed a wicked laugh.

Crabbe and Goyle laughed with him.

Snape nearly sank to his knees when the first blow caught him below the ribs. He stumbled slightly and tried to turn on Goyle. Crabbe held him back and Goyle hit him twice more. Snape gasped as the wind was knocked out of him. Goyle was reaching back for another blow and Snape managed to dodge enough to the side that the punch missed and caught Crabbe instead.

Snape knew he was in serious trouble. His wand was gone. He couldn't get enough wind to utter a spell, and if he tried to apparate...well now that would just take him directly to Voldemort.

Goyle hit him in the face, and his head snapped back. He could feel blood running down his chin. He manage to dodge a second time and Goyle clocked Crabbe again.

Crabbe was infuriated. A small but deadly knife flashed in his hand. Snape never saw it, but the searing pain in his right side told him he had been stabbed. He staggered again and sank to his knees this time, with one hand pressed to his side. His hand was wet with something warm and he knew he was finished.

His eyes went to the wand on the ground. If he could just get to it, at least he could take one or two of them with him. He summoned his remaining strength for the effort, but then Crabbe's hand grabbed him by the hair and he saw the flash of metal from the corner of his eye. He groaned. He wasn't even going to die by magical means.

Sirius had been creeping closer and closer to the voices that he could hear coming from just up ahead. Two men were talking. He could just make out words now and he sneaked closer to the clearing that he could see was partially lit.

A man laughed. "Severus, when have you ever been a threat to the Master?"

Severus! Snape was there. What the hell was he doing? Sirius crept in closer as he listened to the conversation.

Closer.

"Severus, you should be flattered," the unknown voice spoke again.

He could just about see what was happening.

The voice continued. "I suppose, that you already know that I have to kill you."

For only a brief moment, Black considered walking away, but he knew he couldn't live with himself if he abandoned Snape to danger again. Besides it was the right thing to do.

He sighed. Why did he have to be a Gryffindor? He moved in to get a better look at what was happening.

He saw the first blow coming and watched as Snape nearly dropped. He winced as they hit him twice more. He decided that he would go for Crabbe, and hope that the element of surprise gave him an advantage. The dog crept closer around the edge of the clearing. He panicked as he saw the flash of the blade. Snape went to his knees.

Sirius saw the second flash of metal and sprang.

Snape's thoughts went to his last moments with Lorien as he braced himself for the searing pain he knew was about to rip across his throat. Suddenly there was a tremendous growl and he was thrown forward as he felt Crabbe's hand let go. He didn't know what happened but he used the momentum to dive for his wand. As he grabbed it he hit the ground and rolled. A large chunk of dirt exploded from the spot where he had been a second before.

Fincastle! The Nemorosi wizard had blasted the spot.

Instantly he pointed his wand at the standing wizard from where he lay on the ground. "Battuo!"

Fincastle was knocked off his feet as if struck by an invisible hand.

Behind him Sirius had Crabbe by the throat, and was throttling him and growling fiercely. Snape risked a glance in the direction of the noise and saw Goyle point his wand at the large black dog. It only took Snape a second to figure out part of what was happening and he didn't have time to question any of it further. The same spell slammed into Goyle, knocking him backwards into the brush.

Snape immediately looked back to Fincastle and the man was gone. The huge serpent reared in his place and it lurched toward him.

"Incendio!" Flames shot from his wand in a large arc and caused the snake to hiss and pull back.

Sirius let go of the unconscious Crabbe just in time to see Goyle sail into the woods. He looked in Snape's direction and saw the huge serpent recoiling for a strike. He transformed and called to Snape.

"Time to go!" he yelled.

Black ran toward where Snape lay on the ground, trying to hold the giant snake at bay. The snake was going to strike again. Sirius dove on top of Snape, and the serpent struck.

The snake's large head slammed into the open ground where the two men were an instant before. Black had disapparated, taking Snape with him and the serpent had missed.

The enormous snake hissed with blind fury.

"Whoa! That was close!" Black said as they apparated just beyond the Hogwarts grounds.

"Indeed," answered Snape. "Black, if you're finished making brilliant observations, would you mind?" he asked, somewhat indignantly.

Sirius rolled off the disgruntled Slytherin and sat up. Snape thought twice about sitting up when the searing pain returned in his side, and his hand pressed against the wound reflexively.

"Black?" he spoke.

"Yeah?" Sirius stood up and dusted himself off.

"Thank you," he said stiffly.

Sirius nodded but couldn't resist a smart remark. " I never ever thought I would hear you say that."

"That makes two of us," said Snape dryly. " Your timing was...impeccable."

Sirius Shrugged. "Yeah, well you weren't so bad yourself back there," he admitted reluctantly.

"Black," Snape gasped, "we need to warn Dumbledore about the attack on Halloween."

"Yeah, we should go," Sirius agreed.

"Yes, but first," Snape replied weakly, "I believe I need to go to the hospital wing."

"Oh, right." Black waited expectantly for the other wizard to get up. "Snape?" No reply.

"Snape?"

The Potions master had fainted.

Harry had not slept well that night. Everything that had happened earlier was still running around in his brain, and he was worried about Sirius. He tossed and turned, but no matter how hard he tried, he could not rest. Finally, he gave up and threw back the covers.

"You're up too?" He heard Ron whisper as he climbed out of bed.

"Yeah, I'm worried about Sirius," Harry answered.

"I know. Me too," whispered Ron.

Harry went to where Ron was seated at the window.

"Do you think he's ok?" asked Ron.

"He's probably...." Harry hesitated and peered past Ron's shoulder out the window. The first hint of dawn was beginning to light up the extent of the grounds he could see, and a large black shape was visible moving toward the castle.

Ron turned around to look at what Harry saw. It looked like the large black dog, but what was he dragging? It looked like a person.

"Come on, Ron." Harry grabbed a robe and threw it on over his pajamas, as did Ron.

The two boys ran as fast as they could out of the tower, down the stairs, and to the entrance of the school. They arrived just as the great black dog backpedaled through the door. He was dragging Snape, who was unconscious, by his robes.

The dog transformed. "Harry!" he said quickly. "Go get Lorien! Meet us in the infirmary. Ron help me!"

Ron moved quickly to help Sirius lift the unconscious wizard as Harry sprinted for Lorien's rooms.

Harry arrived at the door and pounded fiercely. "Mistress Lorien!"

When she didn't answer immediately, Harry opened the door. Remus was sitting on the couch asleep with his head back, and Lorien was curled up next to him, asleep with her head in his lap.

"Lorien!" Harry called to her. She started and bolted upright.

"Harry, what is it?" She was fully awake in an instant, wondering what the boy had come to her rooms for.

Remus stirred at the commotion.

"There's an emergency! Sirius is...."

"Sirius?" They both jumped to their feet. "Where?"

"No. Sirius is fine. He's got Snape with him," Harry said.

They both stared at Harry as he spoke. "He's taken him to the medical ward. He looks like he's really very badly hurt."

Lorien was out the door in a heart beat, robes trailing behind her as she ran.

She blew through the door to the hospital, and found Ron and Sirius laying an unmoving Snape on a table. She dashed to the side of the table, and winced at the sight that met her eyes. Snape was unconscious. There was blood trickling from his mouth and he was white as a sheet. Harry and Remus ran into the room behind her.

She noted quickly the short, shallow respirations, and went to work in a flurry of activity.

"Sirius, how long has he been out?" she asked.

"Ten minutes," sirius replied.

She placed her hand on his neck, and found a rapid, thready pulse.

"Injuries you know of?" She opened his eyelids quickly and peered at him briefly.

"He was stabbed," Sirius answered quickly.

"Where?" she asked.

"Right side," Sirius informed her.

She spoke softly and made a pass in the air with her hands near Snape's head. A small barely visible cloud now hovered about his face.

She placed her hands on his robes and suddenly drew them back. They were covered in blood. It was difficult to see the large stain on the black robes.

She spoke as she passed a hand over Snape, and she quickly pulled the split robes aside and then the shirt underneath. Blood was everywhere, and it was still issuing from a two inch gash below his right ribs. She looked up and her gaze went from Sirius to Remus to Harry and Ron.

"Harry. Here. Now," she ordered.

Harry stepped quickly to the table.

"Press here hard." She indicated the wound and handed him a handful of gauze sponges.

"Do it," She said when he hesitated. Harry complied and pressed on the wound.

"Harder," She said sharply.

Harry applied more pressure.

Lorien looked at the other teenager. "Ron. Third shelf. Clear bottle with large blue writing. Get two." She pointed and Ron ran to the shelves.

Lorien turned away from Harry. She placed her hands on Snape's neck and inhaled. Slowly, as she stared straight ahead, she let her hands pass over his throat, his chest and ribs. The searching spell was an air spell; looking with clarity and enlightenment. She nodded to herself. No chest injuries but his heart rate was very rapid and his pulses were weak.

Ron stood by with the bottles. Lorien grabbed Snape's right arm and stretched it out. She spoke a word and bound his hand to the table, palm up. She took one of the bottles from Ron and hung it upside down from the stand attached to the table. She pulled the odd stopper and suspended the bottle immediately above Snape's wrist. She spoke again and a steady, rapid drip of the potion began to drop the half inch or so to his skin. Each drop disappeared as it was quickly absorbed .

She recheck the pulse at his neck. Thready and weak.

She turned to Sirius and Remus. "He needs blood. I don't have time to do a replacement spell, and he has other injuries I have to address immediately."

They heard the door close and all looked to see the headmaster in his dressing gown standing there with great concern upon his face.

"Lorien?" he asked in a choked voice.

"It's bad," was all she said and then she turned to Sirius and Remus again.

A/N: The idea for an attack at the ATC comes from A Matter of Honor, by McAmy. Go read it if you haven't already. It's a very good Snapefic, and I recommend it if you aren't opposed to Snape/Hermione.