Hello Ainsley - thanks for the review and welcome to the roof

Ashleigh - thanks for taking the time to review all those chapters!

The Roof ~*~

Lupin, Black, and Moody had escorted Fudge safely almost all the way to the ground floor when the guards and aurors began swarming in. At the sight of the first auror Black had reverted to canine form, knowing it was too early for news of his recent pardon to have spread very far yet. He wasn't taking any chances and the guards surrounded Fudge and whisked him away.

Brandon Moody was the first in and Kaneene went to him for news. "What's happening outside?" she asked her cousin.

"The Death Eaters have pulled out and are gone. Most of the fire is under control," Brandon told his cousin.

"Yeah, well you'll find another one in the stairway and one on the tenth floor," Kaneene told her cousin.

"Three, actually," said Lupin.

"What?" she asked.

"There are actually three Death Eaters incapacitated on the tenth floor," Remus explained.

Kaneene Moody looked surprised. "You took out two Death Eaters by yourself?"

"Yes," replied Remus.

"Well, I'm impressed, Lupin. Not bad for a school teacher." She punched Remus in the arm and turned back to her cousin. Remus smiled as he saw the way the large black dog was looking at him.

"Have you seen Keath?" Kaneene asked Brandon.

"Not yet," he answered.

"What about Snape and Desjardins?" she wondered.

"Nothing yet."

Kaneene wondered if they weren't already outside and she caught up with Lupin and the dog as they headed to the door themselves.

The three of them looked around at the aftermath of the attack as they walked along the building. Smoke was still billowing high into the night sky, obscuring a trail of stars near the north end. There were Ministry guards and aurors everywhere and medical personnel were spread about tending to injured and hexed ministry workers.

Remus watched the smoke as it curled from the end of the building up into the night sky. It was then that he notice the light.

"What's that?" he said.

"Where?" Kaneene asked.

"There, on the roof." Remus pointed to the lights that looked like tiny fireworks.

Severus walked steadily closer to the wizard across the roof. He didn't like what he saw before him and he knew that this would be worse than facing Malfoy.

Fincastle merely waited with his hand on Lorien's neck. He wanted Snape in close range so he could finish him off himself this time.

Snape's mind was racing as his eyes went to Lorien. He could see that her hands were bound with a curse, and obviously Fincastle was keeping her from apparating somehow. He kept his wand in front of him as he moved steadily forward.

Lorien didn't want Severus near the Nemorosi Death Eater, and she cried out as he got closer. "Severus, get back!"

Snape ignored her. He had to get close if he was going to have any chance of saving Lorien and he moved to stand nearer the man that was holding her. It became apparent that he was holding her very close to the edge of the roof, and Snape groaned inwardly.

"Well. You want her back so soon? I'm not sure that I'm finished with her quite yet," Fincastle taunted Snape.

"You're definitely finished, Ian," Snape snarled.

"Why Severus, is that a threat?" Fincastle sounded offended.

"That it is," replied the dark robed mage.

"I'm not sure that you're actually in a position to be the one issuing threats." He jerked Lorien a little closer to the edge.

Snape kept his wand trained on the wizard but stopped moving when he saw Lorien flinch.

"There, you see. I too can make threats," Fincastle gloated.

Lorien was frantic. She had caught a glimpse of the ground below when Fincastle had jerked her back a step. She knew that there was nothing she could do to help Severus and that no matter what he did she was probably was going over the edge. She just wished she could insure his survival if hers was doomed anyway. She thought unexpectedly of Trelawney's interpretation of her dream, and realized that chaos, destruction and death had indeed been waiting for her. Lorien must have been wrong after all about her own interpretation.

That was it! The dream. The flapping noise. The dragon. She knew it would be a gamble but there was no other way. She had to take the chance.

Fincastle spoke to Snape again. "Now that we've established who's in control of the situation, I want you to drop your wand."

"No, Ian." Snape gripped it firmly but he was starting to feel rising panic inside.

"Don't do it Severus!" Lorien yelled. "Let him drop me, just blast him!"

"Shut up!" Fincastle snapped, jerking her a little.

Snape hesitated again. Lorien had to find a way to tell him. "Remember the legend?" she cried.

"Shut up, I said!" Fincastle jerked her again.

Snape's mind raced. She had told him about the legend in the hospital ward, but nothing that he found there was useful for dealing with the Nemorosi serpent at the moment.

"Remember I was wrong?" Lorien called to him again. "Well, I did it."

Fincastle slapped her with his free hand.

Snape flinched as Ian Fincastle slapped Lorien, but then he tried to concentrated on what she was trying to tell him. Wrong. The legend. She had been wrong about the legend pertaining to her since she wasn't a snake and Snape suddenly realized she was trying to tell him she had completed the transformation. Something else with scales.

"Scales?" was all he said to her and she knew he was on the right track.

"Will you shut up! Drop that wand, Snape!" Fincastle was becoming irate.

Lorien risked the last clue, hoping that all that time spent watching Severus make the wolfsbane potion would pay off. "What makes wolfsbane potion black?" she asked.

Dried dragonroot...dragonroot.....scales...dragon...she was a dragon. And dragons had wings, didn't they? Snape had it. "I understand," was all he said.

His eyes locked on Lorien's and she gazed steadily at him for just a moment, nodded almost imperceptibly and closed her eyes. Scales spread rapidly up her arms. Snape pointed his wand at Fincastle and the man became infuriated and didn't notice the changes taking place next to him.

He screamed at the former Death Eater. "I'll drop the bitch before you ever touch me, Snape!"

"Then by all means, drop her," Snape said calmly, and he leveled his wand at the man at the edge of the building.

Lorien knew as she felt her feet leave the edge that she had about three more seconds. By one the dragon finished appearing, by two she righted herself, and by three she spread the great wings enough to break a good deal, but not all of her fall. The impact caused her to lose her grip on the spell and she lay crumpled in human form on the ground. The last thing she remembered before she lost consciousness was seeing the flash of green light near the roof.

Sirius, Remus and Kaneene all watched the roof as it became apparent that a battle had been taking place. Then the flash of lights had stopped and they realized whatever had happened was over.

"Should we check it out?" Lupin asked.

"No, the guards will be at the roof in a minute or two," Kaneene observed. The outcome had apparently been decided.

They were about to walk away when the dog noticed something else and Remus was surprised when Sirius transformed and began walking further along the building, staring at the roof. "Is that Lorien?" he wondered aloud. "Oh no, it's Fincastle!"

Remus looked where his friend was peering and as he saw the two figures near the edge of the building his heart froze.

They were helpless as they watched some sort of exchange taking place. They were too far below to hear what was being said and they were afraid to interfere as they could see Fincastle yank Lorien repeatedly closer to the edge.

Remus prayed that the guards would get to the roof in time.

They didn't.

He swore his heart actually stopped when he saw the man fling Lorien backwards off the roof. He couldn't bear to watch, but he found he couldn't look away. His mouth dropped open along with Black's and Moody's as the small blue-green dragon appeared and righted itself.

They felt the impact as they were already running to where the dragon had crashed into the ground.

Remus reached Lorien first and flung himself on his knees. Sirius was right behind him. Together they gently turned over the unconscious witch and Remus was relieved when he at least saw she was breathing. He pulled her into his arms.

"Kaneene, get the medics!" Black yelled to the dark haired woman.

Remus talked to Lorien as he held her. " Come on now, Lorien you're going to be ok. Can you hear me? Help is coming, just hold on."

Lorien's eyes fluttered open. "Remus?" she said weakly.

"I'm right here," he answered.

"Broke something," she whispered.

"Where?" he asked, terrified of how badly injured she might be.

"Lots," was all she could manage.

He smiled at her with tears in his eyes. "That's ok. Broken can be fixed."

She managed a tiny smile and her eyes went to Sirius. "Coach?"

"What is it, sweetheart?" Black leaned over her.

"Need work.....landings." She smiled again weakly.

"There'll be plenty of time for that when you're better." Sirius tried unsuccessfully to sound confident.

The medics were arriving and moving to displace Remus and Sirius as they went to work on Lorien. Remus stayed nearby to continue to talk to her over their shoulders until she was ready for transport and then he stepped back in to hold her hand.

"I'll see you at the hospital, ok?" He tried to sound a little more cheerful than he felt.

A weak smile was all she could manage.

"Lorien, what happened to Severus?" he suddenly asked her.

She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment and Remus could see the tears in them when she opened them again.

"Lorien, I'm so sorry....."He broke off, not really knowing what to say.

"Me too," was the last thing she whispered before they took her away.

Lupin felt awful. He despised the man but he never wanted to see him dead. Not truly dead. He also knew how much it must have hurt Lorien to lose him. He walked over to where Sirius was standing. The former fugitive was watching Kaneene as she checked among the aurors to see if anyone had seen Keath.

Black looked at him.

"Snape's dead," Lupin said.

"Lorien told you?" Sirius asked.

"Yes."

"What a bloody mess." Sirius meant the whole night.

Lupin couldn't have agreed more.

When Lorien left the roof in a backdive, Severus felt himself raging at the Death Eater for endangering her life. It was then that he made the decision. Either he or Fincastle would never leave the building alive.

When he pointed the wand at the Death Eater a fraction of a second after Lorien went airborne, the Nemorosi wizard raised his hand at the same time, intending to kill Snape faster than Snape could hex him. The problem for Fincastle was the flash of vivid blue-green scales to his right a second after he flung the woman backwards surprised him.

The glimpse of the dragon unfolding it's wings was the last thing the man would ever see, and Snape's two words were the last he ever heard.

Snape's eyes were blazing as Fincastle crumpled to the floor. A moment later his legs gave out and he sank to his knees not far from the dead man.

It took him a few minutes to slow his breathing and steady his now shaking hands, and finally he managed to tuck his wand in his sleeve and peer over the edge of the building.

Medics were swarming around Lorien on the ground and he gave a sigh of relief as he could see that Lupin appeared to be talking to her. He climbed wearily to his feet and headed back for the stairs. There was one more thing he needed to do.

Snape made it to the tenth floor just before the Ministry guards, and he ran along the corridor where he had last seen the young auror charge after Malfoy. He knew the younger wizard would be in serious condition or dead, since Malfoy had made it past him to the roof.

He winced when he rounded the corner and saw the blood and the man on the floor and he dropped to one knee to feel for a heartbeat. He could find none at the man's wrist, and his finger's went to the man's throat, where they could barely detect the thready pulse.

"Ok, Moody," Snape said aloud to the unconscious auror. "Let's see how this works."

Snape reached to his belt and removed the second tiny vial. The one he had started carrying with him ever since his near death experience that held a powerful class IV restorative potion. As he tipped the contents into the man's throat, it amused him that Lorien would not be happy with him at the moment. Not because he was trying to save the man's life, but because he knew she had never used more than a class III restorative. Class IV potions involved.....questionable magic to produce them, something the Nemorosi witch was not capable of, while he on the other hand......

"This should give you a chance, the rest is up to you," he told the unconscious auror. Snape heard the guards coming and stood to flag them down.

Kaneene Moody ran to where they were carrying her younger brother out of the south end of the Ministry. She could barely get near him with all the medical personnel around him. They were transporting him immediately and she was frantically asking questions as she walked along beside him. "Is he ok? How bad is it? Will he be alright? I'm his sister."

The closest witch turned and spoke to Kaneene. "It's pretty bad, but we've got his vitals stable at the moment."

Kaneene was left standing alone when they took her brother away.

Sirius walked to where the tall dark haired woman was standing by herself. "Will he be ok?" he asked.

"They don't know," she replied numbly. She looked up at him as she tried to keep it together. "They just don't....." She couldn't continue.

Sirius touched her arm. "It'll be ok, Kaneene."

"Do you think?" she asked hoarsely.

"Yes. I do. Come on, Remus and I are going to the hospital too."

The auror walked away with the escaped convict.

Remus looked up as Sirius came back with Kaneene. "Is he alright?"

She was afraid to speak for fear of breaking down in front of the two men and she shrugged.

"She's going to the hospital with us," said Sirius.

Remus suddenly squinted and stared past Black. "You two go ahead. I'll be right behind you."

Sirius looked a little puzzled but shrugged. "See you in a few." He disapparated with the auror.

Lupin had seen the tall dark figure emerging from the south end of the Ministry, and he walked quickly to meet up with Snape.

"Where is she?" Snape asked him.

"They've transported her to the hospital. She's pretty banged up, but it looks like she'll be ok," Lupin said to reassure him that Lorien was in no immediate danger.

Snape nodded.

"Severus, what happened up there?" Remus asked curiously.

He told Lupin how he had been detained by Malfoy, and how Lorien had tried to go after Fincastle. He told Lupin about the choice he had faced of attacking Fincastle and risking him dropping Lorien or dropping his wand and risking that he'd push her anyway.

"Lorien made the decision," Snape continued. "She knew she was in trouble either way, and I guess she was willing to take the risk in order to see Fincastle stopped."

Snape told Remus how she'd given him the clues that led him to understand about the dragon, but kept the Death Eater from understanding what he did.

Lupin looked at Snape steadily. "I can't believe you let her fall. I don't think I could have done it."

Snape became angry. "Well, you weren't standing there watching her life hanging by a thread, were you? You weren't weighing which miserable option might give her the faintest chance of....."

"Severus, you misunderstand me," Remus interjected. "I'm not blaming you, I'm thanking you. I don't think I'd have had the nerve to just let her fall. You made the right choice."

Snape looked surprised at the werewolf's candor for a moment and then nodded. "I see."

Lupin became curious. "What happened to Fincastle, did he get away?"

"No. I killed him," Snape said. "The very second after he let go of Lorien."

Lupin merely nodded grimly as a chill went through him. "That explains it," he said, almost to himself.

"What?" Snape asked.

"Lorien thinks you're dead," Lupin informed him.

Snape realized she must have been aware of the Killing Curse, but that it must have never have occurred to her that he was the one to cast it.

"Hmmm. I believe that gives you a bit of an advantage at the moment, Lupin," he said dryly.

Remus suddenly realized that Snape was making an attempt to lighten the moment with his comment.

"You'll forgive me if I choose to inform her otherwise?" Snape asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Just this once," Lupin said wryly. "Shall we go to the hospital?"

Snape nodded.