A/N- Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the wedding of the century….maybe. In this chapter: The wizard binding is started….Dumbledore and Snape are revealed….Isis (or Teery who is who?) is sacrificed…..

A/N- In this chapter is a huge bit of latin….at the end of the chapter I will translate it.

A/N 3- Thank you for your reviews everyone….now get out there and write more stories for me to read! He he….I love you guys.

Chapter 19- The Middle

Standing chained to her spot by the Imperius Curse, surrounded by death-eaters in a fire lit grove, her freedom lying in the hands of a man aptly named after the devil, Minerva was scared. No, scared wasn't right. She was terrified. She was more terrified than she had ever been in her life. But she held back the tears of regret for the life she hadn't truly lived; she held back the tears of fear and those she wanted to shed for the unfairness of it all. She tipped her head up, her dark hair glistening from the flames. Her jaw was set. Her face was cold, impassive, distant and proud.

Thunder roared over head, announcing the arrival of her would-be bridegroom. She didn't move. His glowing eyes bore into her. She stared back. His cold, unnaturally white hand brushed her cheek. She didn't flinch. He kissed her lips. Hers never moved.

At their feet, Nagini hissed and slithered. Minerva ignored her. Voldemort turned toward his followers. "Welcome my death-eaters! Welcome to a night worth all nights. Tonight…tonight we shall begin our victory. I shall make mine, Dumbledore's power source, and we shall give the traitor reason to wish he were dead, when he receives his beloved's ashes as a gift." There was a loud cheer. "Begin the sacrifice."

The torches from the outskirts of the circle were carried in and set upon the logs at the base of the alter. Flames began licking higher, and Isis's screams filled the air. Voldemort gave a twisted smile and turned to Malfoy. "Begin the binding."

"It's time you ceased these childish games Tom." A soft, but powerful voice commanded from the edge of the forest. Everyone turned, and the two wizards lowered their hoods. Power radiated from Dumbledore whose eyes hadn't left the scene in front of him since he had spoken. Behind him and at his right, stood Snape. He was silent, and his eyes hardened a little with each scream, but he stared his former master in the eyes.

"Tom…It's been so long I'd almost forgotten that was me. I'm so glad you could be here today Headmaster. I did so want you to witness as I took your most precious thing from you. And Severus…how brave of you to come. Can you hear her screams Severus? It's all because of you, you know. I'm sure she's cursing you….with her dying breath." Voldemort's triumphant and maniacal laugh filled the air. Then just as suddenly it stopped. "Deal with them." He instructed his death-eaters. The battle waged around them and Voldemort watched for a minute, as his minions swarmed the two Hogwarts professors. Minerva watched as well, a lump forming in her stomach as she watched her friends fight a clearly losing battle.

"Begin the ritual." Voldemort demanded of Malfoy. Lucius bowed his head in acquiescence and began to speak. "Hic illic es duos. Duos sigulus. Duos unus. Intus suum cruoris est dimidium. Dimidium reus tantum per suus vinculum ut orbis terrarum. Discerpo is terrenus vinculum hac vulnus. (1)"

When he was done speaking, Malfoy pulled a golden dagger from within the folds of his robe. The handle was covered in ancient runes and metal gleamed in the glow of the fire. "Give me your hand." He commanded Minerva. Her hand rose up of its own accord. He cut a wound from the inside of her elbow to her wrist, directly along the left side of her vein. Then he took his master's arm to make a matching cut.

Malfoy opened his mouth to continue speaking, when a voice, directly at Voldemort's left spoke up. "Not another word Mr. Malfoy." Voldemort turned to find Dumbledore standing right before him, looking barely a little worse for wear. "I believe we have business to finish, that rather takes priority. Don't you think Tom?"

Voldemort drew out his own wand. "Very well."

Voldemort's eyes flashed brilliantly, red a ruby in the sunlight. But Dumbledore's eyes seemed to flash too, the electric blue of dangerous lightening. They didn't move, merely stared at each other. Then as Voldemort opened his mouth to deliver his former professor's death with two simple words, Dumbledore uttered his spell. "Expellovos."

It was a spell the Dark Lord had never heard, so rarely is it used. But the second it was uttered he felt an invisible pull and he was whisked away in an instant. Far away. Where? Only the winds knew.

Snape had rushed to Dumbledore's side, getting there as Voldemort vanished. He turned toward Minerva, floating unconscious above the ground, and he moved towards her. "Don't touch her!" Malfoy's assistant shrieked. He stopped upon hearing the commands uttered in the voice of a dead woman. The hooded figure next to Lucius lowered her hood to reveal Isis. Snape just stared. "It's me Sev." She whispered. "But you can't touch Mama. She'll die."

Snape turned in confusion to the headmaster, but he didn't answer. Instead, the old wizard, looking much younger, and very powerful, strode purposefully forward and handed his right arm to Lucius. "Finish the binding Mr. Malfoy." He commanded the younger wizard.

A/N 4- Latin Translation: Here there are two. Two Separate. Two alone. Within their bloods is half. Half bound only by its bonds to earth. Sever this earthly bond by this wound.

A/N 5-Everyone confused by what a wizard bond is? Stick around, our resident know-it-all Hermione Granger will explain in chapter 20!