A/N: I figured that at the MoM buildings you can't apparate directly in or out of them for security reasons. Apparation is allowed on the grounds and from the roof in case of an...emergency.

Hexed - So did Lorien go as Catwoman?

Jigglydot - I think you've had too much sugar, love. Maybe it was all that e-chocolate?

Miss Kitty Kat - good to hear from you again, Brittney. *winks*

Draco Luver - Welcome to the Halloween party

The Ministry ~*~

In Lupin's rooms, Sirius and Remus were also preparing for the possibility that they would be needed tonight.

"I really don't think it's a good idea if you go," Remus was saying from the next room. "There'll be aurors everywhere. If someone sees you....."

"Quit worrying. You don't think it's a good idea if anyone goes," Sirius said, as he changed his robes for black ones.

Lupin stepped back into the sitting room dressed completely in black as well. "I wish nobody had to go, Padfoot."

The two men looked each other over.

"Hey Moony, you look good in black," Sirius grinned.

"You don't look so bad yourself," replied Remus.

"Hey, maybe Snape's got the right idea?" teased Black.

Lupin scowled at him about the sore subject.

"Oops.....sorry," said Sirius apologetically.

They went to meet with the headmaster.

Dumbledore stood staring out his window at the nearly full moon as it rose in the night sky. He hadn't heard anything back yet and it was making him nervous. He had a feeling something was wrong, that Severus might be right after all. He turned at the knock at his door.

Lupin and Black stepped into his office.

"I'm worried, gentlemen. I haven't heard anything back yet, but I have a bad feeling about this," Dumbledore said. "I think you should both go, now."

Both of the younger men nodded, noting how somber the headmaster looked and turned to leave.

Dumbledore spoke again before they left. "Both of you be very careful, and Sirius?"

Black looked back at the headmaster.

"This might come in handy."

Black caught the wand that Dumbledore tossed to him and smiled. "Thanks."

Dumbledore spoke solemnly. "Good luck, and please be very careful."

The two men apparated near the hill overlooking the ATC, and the second one immediately transformed into the large black dog. There was no one around as they reached the top, but it was the dog's keen eyes that spotted the group at the bottom of the hill. He gave a low 'woof.'

Remus looked in the direction the dog was looking and saw the same movement. Someone in black robes (probably Snape) had run up to the group of blue robed wizards at the bottom of the hill (probably aurors and Moody).

"Come on. I think that's our group," he spoke to his canine companion.

They only got a few steps when the night sky was lit up with an explosion over the next hill. Lupin and the black dog both jumped and then ran down the hill toward the group at the bottom.

"Why did Snape have to be right?" Remus complained.

It was fortunate that Lorien saw the pair coming before the rest of the group did and said something about their approach. As it was seven edgy aurors drew their wands on the man and the dog running up to them. Lorien made quick introductions for Lupin. (and Snuffles.)

Kaneene whirled to face her uncle. "Do we go in now or wait for the aurors posted at the ATC?" The sounds of people yelling and several smaller explosions could be heard in the background now.

"We'd better get in there now, lass." He put his hand on her shoulder. "Keep your heads down. All of you," he said to the entire group of aurors, and they turned and darted up the hill one by one, running from shadow to shadow.

That left Moody with the witch, the werewolf, the dog and the Death Eater. "You were right," he said to the dark haired wizard as he drew his wand.

Lupin found himself expecting the man to gloat.

"It's most unfortunate that I was," Snape said evenly as he drew his own. Moody nodded and went to follow the group of younger aurors.

"Come with me," Snape ordered the rest of the group, as he started in the opposite direction from Moody.

The three of them looked at each other with more than a little confusion, and then followed Snape down and around the hill quickly.

The north end of the building was on fire. People were panicking and running out and more screams could be heard as the fleeing wizards and witches from the Ministry saw the Death Eaters emerging from the woods.

Snape had taken one look at the situation and immediately headed for the south end of the building with the others in tow. He found as he ran that he felt a small sense of satisfaction at being able to now declare open warfare on his former comrades. No more slinking and spying.

He came to a stop in the trees at the south end to survey the situation, and Lorien and Remus came to a halt next to him with the black dog, who immediately transformed.

"What the hell are you doing, Snape?" Black asked in an angry whisper. "Everyone is running and screaming down there." He pointed to the other end of the building.

Snape looked over and snapped at the other black haired man. "Precisely, Black."

"So, we're running away?" Sirius asked sarcastically.

Snape glared furiously at Black and then spoke to Lupin. "You should have muzzled that dog before you came." His eyes went back to the building. "There." He pointed.

The three people with him now saw about a half dozen Death Eaters making their way stealthily to the south entrance.

"That," Snape said smugly to Black, as he indicated the chaos at the far end of the building, "is a diversion. This," he said, pointing to the south entrance where they'd seen the Death Eaters, "is where things are going to get a little sticky."

Black was not about to back down and he quipped back at the irritable Slytherin. "Well, just as long as this party you've invited us to isn't boring."

"Why the diversion?" asked Lorien. "Why not try and take out more of the building?"

"That's not their goal," Snape replied.

"Well then what is?" she asked quietly.

Snape pointed to the offices on the top floor and Remus was the one that realized what he was saying first.

"Fudge!" he whispered.

"I believe so," said Snape.

Cornelius Fudge was in his offices working late, which was not unusual for the Ministry's top official. He was bent over his desk, quill in hand, working on a stack of documents that needed his signature.

As he worked, his eyes kept going to the last urgent request from Albus Dumbledore to evacuate the ATC. He was getting exasperated dealing with the Hogwarts headmaster. He had always tried to accommodate the old wizard's odd requests in the past, but this was just too much. Ever since the unfortunate end of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, Dumbledore had given in to the notion that He-who-must -not-be -named had returned and was rising to power again secretly.

"Ridiculous," he said to himself as he scrawled his name along another document. He ignored the request once again, which would probably turn out to be the best thing he'd done in a long time.

Things at the north end of the Ministry of Magic were total chaos. Fire raged in several spots, and hysteria reigned where the Ministry workers were escaping the building. Things were worse when they made it outside and found the squads of Death Eaters roaming the grounds immediately around the building, creating more destruction and hexing people as they ran screaming.

The mayhem escalated a notch further when the Ministry guards arrived to engage the enemy at hand. A moment later the seven aurors of the Moody clan arrived and flung themselves into the fray. Eerie light flickered across the chaotic scene everywhere as hexes, curses and countercurses flew about.

Keath and Kaneene stood back to back keeping each other covered in the middle of the madness.

"I guess you're seeing some action after all, Keath!" Kaneene yelled to her younger brother over the noise. She fired a brutal stunning spell into a group of Death Eaters nearby, and one of them dropped to the ground.

"Yeah! But what I want to know now is where the hell is that back up from Hogwarts?" Keath ducked the newest hex flying in his direction.

"Something's up," his sister replied. "I saw them all head to the south end with Snape. We've got to get there as soon as we can get out of here!"

She only had to wait a minute until the extra aurors stationed at the ATC arrived, and not long after, a large handful of instructors from the school that thankfully had not been evacuated. She saw their chance to break out of the melee when the newest arrivals threw themselves into the battle.

Keath and Kaneene ran for the south entrance to the Ministry.

The black robed Hogwarts group had made it inside the foyer of the south entrance and found no sign of the Death Eaters that had entered a moment ago.

"They must be on the way up," Lupin commented.

Snape nodded. "We'll have to split up." He indicated the large stairways on the east and west sides of the foyer. "Fudge's offices are on the 10th floor, this end of the building. These two stairways meet again at the top."

Sirius eyed him suspiciously. "Do we want to know how you know all this about the layout of the building?"

"No." Snape gave him a dangerous look. " Now let's go. Fudge is in real danger if he's still in his office." Snape tapped Lorien on the arm, indicating she should go with him up the west stair.

Lorien looked at Remus and Sirius, told them to be careful, and ran to follow Snape up the stairs.

Lupin and Black headed up the east stair.

A few moments later Keath and Kaneene entered the foyer at the south end. There was no sign of the four people that had just entered.

"Should we split up?" Keath asked his sister. She looked at the two stairways and nodded.

"You go that way." She indicated the left side of the room, and then ran for the east stairway herself.

On the top floor of the Ministry, Cornelius Fudge had crawled under his desk. When the explosions started, he had ducked for cover, and now he sat there debating as to the best course of action. Ministry guards should be here any time now to escort him to the roof where he could disapparate to safety. He decided that he would wait for them.

One of the first thing he wanted to do when he got out of there was apologize to Albus Dumbledore for not listening to him.

Snape crept up the stairs stealthily with Lorien a few steps behind. They were about to turn the corner to the next flight when he put his hand up to signal for her to stop. Soft voices could be heard a short way above. They crept a little higher and now they could tell that two men were talking quietly not far ahead. Snape listened for a moment and knew that both voices were familiar.

He reached down to her and drew her closer to whisper very quietly. "This could get bad. I know both of them."

"Who?" she whispered back.

"Fincastle," he said and he saw her eyes go wide, "and Malfoy."

"Draco's father?" she asked.

He nodded. "Are you sure you want to do this?" He looked her steadily in the eye.

"I won't let you go alone," she said, hoping she sounded braver than she felt.

"Alright. Stay close. I know I don't have to warn you be careful," Snape replied.

Lorien suddenly grabbed a handful of the front of his robes and held him where he was while she kissed him soundly, but for only a brief moment.

He stared at her, surprised.

"For luck," she explained.

"I see." He gave her a small smile and they began climbing the stairs.

Remus and Sirius knew as they ascended the stairway that they were right behind a handful of Death Eaters. They weren't sure exactly how many, and they were creeping steadily the way they had heard the murmured voices coming from when it became apparent that someone was coming back down the stairs.

Unfortunately the moment they heard someone coming down, it also became apparent that someone was rapidly coming up the stairs behind them. The two men drew their wands and readied themselves.

The same instant the hooded and masked Death Eater came face to face with Sirius, Remus and Kaneene barely kept from blasting each other in the stairwell as they realized at the last second that they were on the same team.

Sirius reacted quicker than the masked figure and jumped forward, yanking the hood down over the man's face. An instant later he hit the man with a brutal stunning spell the same time the auror below him did. The Death Eater hit the floor hard and lay still.

"You boys ok?" Kaneene asked as she came to stand near the unconscious man.

"Yes." Remus now looked at her warily as she face both him and Sirius. He was afraid that she would recognize his companion, but if the veteran auror felt any degree of surprise at now finding the black haired wizard in place of the black haired dog, she gave no indication.

"Nice job," she continued, commenting to Black as she knelt to pull the mask off the stunned Death Eater. It was Nott. "Here, put these on him."

She reached out to hand him the charmed handcuffs. "He'll be going to rot in Azkaban for a good long time."

Black tucked his wand in his belt and reached out to take the cuffs. He never saw anyone move as fast as Kaneene did when she flicked her wrist and the cuffs locked on his own arm and hers. Her wand was trained on him.

"But I suppose you'd know all about that, Sirius Black," the auror snarled.

"You're making a mistake!" Remus cried out to the woman.

"Really? Well let me tell you. You're going to find yourself in trouble as well when this is over, my friend, for consorting with an outlaw," she replied sharply.

"Honestly, we're trying to help," insisted Black.

"What, help kidnap Fudge? That's what you're up to isn't it? I'll bet that no good Snape and the witch with him are in on it too!" Kaneene snapped at Sirius.

Remus was appalled at first, but then he could understand how the auror might easily jump to the conclusion that she had. "We're wasting time," he pointed out. "The rest of those Death Eaters are on their way up to Fudge's offices."

Kaneene Moody now had a dilemma. She knew Lupin was right, but she certainly didn't know if she trusted him. She wanted to turn in Black, but she didn't want to take a chance on leaving Fudge vulnerable. They'd have to go with her to the top. She grabbed the wand out of Black's belt and tucked it in her own robe.

"Fine. Let's go. But one wrong move from you, Lupin and I won't hesitate to invoke an auror's privilege to execute him on the spot," she stated firmly.

Remus nodded and the three of them began to awkwardly climb the stairs again.

In the west stairwell, Severus and Lorien were just one set of stairs behind Lucius Malfoy and were preparing to make their move, when they heard the footsteps running up the stairs behind them. Unfortunately so did Malfoy.

Lorien whirled to face down the stairway and gestured at the figure rounding the corner as if she were going to push him. Keath Moody would have been hit with a powerful binding spell if it weren't for the fact that at the same instant Malfoy fired a blast from his wand at her and Snape. It missed them since he had aimed hastily before darting back up the stairs, but it took out a large chunk of wall just above them, and Severus had slammed Lorien into the wall as she hurled the spell to shield her from chunks of flying stone.

When the dust settled, Snape leaned off of Lorien and he looked at the wide-eyed auror below them.

"Thanks," Lorien said to Severus. She turned to the man below her. "Sorry about that."

"No problem. How many?" He indicated the stairs above.

"Two this side. Come on. We've go to get to Fudge before they do." Snape quickly resumed climbing the stairs with the Nemorosi witch and the auror right on his heels.

A/N: Sorry - I couldn't resist the good luck kiss a la Luke and Leia. (And no, Lorien is not Snape's long lost sister!)