Disclaimers: Please refer to chapter one for full disclaimer write-up.
When Living is No Longer EnoughChapter Thirty-Four
Mad-Eye Moody had just about had enough of skulking quietly around Malfoy Manor. He was the type of wizard that would rather just charge in and take care of a situation rather than hold back and play hide-and-seek. If he hadn't respected Albus Dumbledore to the degree that he did, he might very well have packed up his wand and headed off on his own to round up the Dark Lord's minions.
"Albus," Minerva whispered and pointed toward a doorway at the end of the corridor. "I think we found them."
Dumbledore raised his hand in a gesture that politely requested the team's silence and cocked his head ever so slightly. After a moment, he nodded to himself and turned his attention back to the group that was staring at him expectantly.
"It would seem that we have indeed 'found them,'" he agreed, a small smile lighting up his facee as he mimicked the deputy headmistress' words. "Or at least we have found some of them."
"Let's just go in there and get this over with," Mad-Eye exclaimed impatiently. It was a sentiment that was echoed whole-heartedly by Madam Hooch.
"How many do you think there are Albus?" McGonagall asked, giving the other two members of the team a disapproving look.
"That would be difficult to say," the wizard replied thoughtfully. "It would seem that they are currently engaged in some type of group discussion although I unable to discern more than a few voices."
"Let's go then!" Mad-Eye whispered fiercely and readied his wand.
"Perhaps we should attempt to draw them out of the room?" the transfiguration professor suggested, preferring logic and planning as opposed to blindly rushing forth. "That might make it easier to disarm them rather than charging in and facing them all at one time."
"Agreed," the headmaster answered, staring intently at Moody to convey a silent warning that he was not to do otherwise. "Does anyone have any ideas as to how we should distract them?"
"Rats," the flying instructor said suddenly, a very determined expression on her face.
"I beg your pardon?" McGonagall questioned in surprise.
"I said RATS," Madam Hooch replied with a smug grin. "You are an expert in transfiguration. Suppose you were to transfigure several things into a pack of rats and let them loose?"
"The Death Eaters will see them scurrying past their location and around the corner and follow after them," Mad-Eye said nodding his head in approval. "It just might work."
"Albus?" the transfiguration professor questioned, seeking the older wizard's seal of approval on the plan.
"What better way to attract a snake then to present it with a rat?" he agreed, his eyes twinkling.
"Very well," she answered, "but I will need something to transfigure."
"Perhaps these will suffice?" the headmaster suggested pulling a handful of lemon drops from his pocket and handing them to the skeptical looking Gryffindor.
"Lemon drops?" Mad-Eye exclaimed, his voice rising slightly. "Don't you ever go anywhere without those things Albus?"
"Apparently not," Minerva replied, one eyebrow raised. Taking the sweets from the headmaster's withered hand, she carefully laid them on the floor. Positioning her wand, she uttered the complicated incantation that would transfigure the inanimate objects into scurrying, fur-covered rodents. In response to the incantation, a burst of bright light appeared and receded leaving nine dazed and confused looking rats staring up at the four figures surrounding them.
Raising his own wand, Dumbledore conjured a small burst of air that raced through the corridor and sent the rodents scampering in the direction of the Death Eaters. Moments later, the faces of several bewildered Death Eaters appeared and hurried off to take care of the unusual infestation.
"We've got those two," Moody called excitedly and ran off in pursuit of the unsuspecting Death Eaters with Madam Hooch close on his heels.
"You know Minerva, it would seem that those two are getting along quite well," Dumbledore observed, his eyes twinkling as he watched the Auror and Hogwart's flying instructor disappear around the corner.
"Really Albus," McGonagall sighed in exasperation, "This is no time for your matchmaking games."
"Perhaps not," he conceded regretfully. "It would appear that it is just you and I Minerva," Dumbledore told the woman with a smile.
Before she could open her mouth to respond, a deep voice sounded just behind them.
"Please tell us that you all have actually managed to find something."
"Merlin!" the transfiguration professor whispered in irritation. "Sirius, do you have to sneak up on a person like that?"
"I could go running through the hallway making my presence known to everyone if you prefer," he answered with a roguish wink of his eye.
"You forget that your womanizing ploys don't work on me," Minerva huffed.
"So you keep telling me love," he retorted playfully. Turning his attention to Dumbledore he quickly brought the wizard up to date on their status.
"Well, by the sounds of things I'd say there are still several more of them," George noted, referring to the Death Eaters that had remained. "How are we going to draw them out?"
"Minerva could transfigure something more beneficial this time," Black suggested.
"And what would you suggest I create for you Mr. Black?" she asked with a disapproving air.
"How about a couple of nubile young women? I bet they'd all leave the room for that!" the wizard said drawing hushed laughter from the rest of the group and a look of approach from the Head of Gryffindor House.
"What if the animagi amongst us transform into their animagus forms and simply walk right in?" Remus suggested quietly. Seeing the confused expressions on the faces of his comrades, he proceeded to explain his idea.
"The animagi could enter the room with a minimum of suspicion and draw attention away from the doorway while the rest of us enter the room. It's not without risks but it might be our best chance since they wouldn't be expecting it."
Another moment of murmuring took place amongst the group when Dumbledore intervened by holding up his hand, indicating his wish for silence. "Minerva and Sirius will transform into their animagus forms and enter the room where they will attempt to draw the Death Eater's attention away from the doorway. They will have sixty seconds to accomplish this before we enter the room. Does everyone agree?"
After a unanimous consensus, Sirius transformed into his dog form while McGonagall quickly transformed into a cat. Side by side, they made their way down the hallway and casually strolled into the room to note the presence of seven Death Eaters.
"Hey McNair," a rather wiry looking man called. "When did Lucius get a couple of new pets?"
"How should I know?" the other man grumbled, disdainfully eyeing the animals. "I thought he hated cats!"
The words were barely out of his mouth when bursts of light began flying toward the small assembly of comfortably seated Death Eaters. Turning their attention to the doorway, they were surprised to see Albus Dumbledore standing before them, wand raised and flanked by several other wizards and a witch.
In an attempt to recover from their momentary surprise, they grabbed their wands and hurled a couple of poorly aimed hexes. Again they found themselves in shock as additional hexes were being aimed at them from directly behind their backs. Turning quickly, McNair was dismayed to notice that the two animals that had sauntered in only moments before were actually Sirius Black and Minerva McGonagall.
Unprepared for the attack and now flanked on both sides by their enemy, the Death Eaters quickly fell victim to the hexes. Another moment passed and the Dark Lord's minions not only found themselves bound and gagged but wandless as well.
"They're kind of thick," George noted, looking at the forms of the captive men.
"In what way Mr. Weasley?" his former Head of House asked.
"Well, they saw a cat and dog stroll right in here as friendly as can be and they barely even questioned it," he exclaimed shaking his head in disbelief as he collected the dark wizards' wands.
"Molly," the headmaster said to the woman who had just finished securing one of the Death Eaters, "The apparition wards surrounding the Manor have been dismantled. I would like for you and Professor McGonagall to apparate to the Ministry of Magic and inform them of what has transpired here this evening. They will need to send several Aurors in order to escort these men back to the Ministry and then, most likely, to Azkaban."
The two witches disappeared with a small 'pop' and Dumbledore returned his attention to the remaining members of the group. "And now, I think it is time to attempt to regroup with the other strike teams and continue our attack. We still have the small matter of finding and defeating Voldemort."
And on that note, the group exited the room leaving the stunned and bound Death Eaters to await the arrival of the Ministry Aurors.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Snape looked down at the woman lying motionless in his arms and let loose an anguished scream of despair that flew through the night like a bird with wings. 'This is my fault,' he told himself repeatedly, much like a broken muggle record. Lifting her tiny body in his arms and clutching her tightly to his chest, he half ran, half stumbled across the terrain of the castle grounds. 'Damn Gryffindor foolhardiness. What in Merlin's name was she thinking by throwing herself in front of the killing curse? Even with the portkey the risks were too great. Had I only made more of an effort to stop her from participating tonight then none of this would have happened. Damn it all to Hades Hermione, I am not worth it!'
Reaching the castle doors, he magically willed them open, and stormed inside. She couldn't be dead; surely the fates wouldn't allow them to come so far simply to take the only thing that meant anything at all to him? But how could she survive the killing curse? As far as he knew no one ever had, with the exception of Potter and that was because of his mother's love and sacrifice. No, miracles such as that did not happen every day and they certainly did not happen to the likes of Severus Snape.
He was screaming Poppy's name before he even reached the door to the infirmary and the medi-witch appeared just as he burst into the room.
"Severus Snape, what is all this racket?" she exclaimed angrily and then stopped as she saw Hermione's still form pressed tightly to his chest. He looked so lost as he stood there clutching the young woman to him as if mere determination were more than enough to will her back to the living. The medi-witch's heart went out to the man that usually displayed such a cold persona to the world.
"Severus, what happened?" she asked pulling out her wand and taking readings while simultaneously directing him to lay Hermione on one of the empty hospital beds.
"We were battling with Lucius Malfoy," he said breathing heavily from the strain of running through the castle. "Lucius cast Crucio on her and then cast the killing curse towards me. She threw herself in front of the curse and portkeyed us out of there. I thought we had made it in time. The curse was within inches but I thought we had made it."
"Severus, I need for you to let go of her," Madam Pomfrey said gently but with an underlying urgency to her voice. When the potions master did not comply, she spoke a little more harshly. "Severus, I can't save her if you're standing there in my way impeding me from doing my job. Now let go of her and sit over there!"
The wizard merely looked up and blinked as her words permeated his addled mind. 'I can't save her if…' the medi-witch had said. 'But how can you save someone from the killing curse after they are dead?'
Seeing his confusion, Madam Pomfrey spoke quickly whilst casting numerous healing spells. "She wasn't hit with the killing curse although I have no doubt that she would have been had you remained a second or two longer. The readings show that her body was subjected to an immense amount of dark magic."
"But then, how…?"
"You said that she was hit with the Cruciatus?" the medi-witch asked, casting additional healing spells and shaking her head when Hermione's condition failed to improve.
"Yes. There were also two confrontations earlier in the evening with the Dementors," he replied and stopped suddenly as he saw the tiniest twinge of relief wash over Madam Pomfrey's face.
"I've managed to regain the slightest hint of a pulse but she is still in jeopardy," Poppy said, lifting the woman's head carefully to pour a dark colored potion down her throat. "To answer your question though, I believe that her body was unable to stand up to the stress of the Cruciatus and the journey back by portkey. You know as well as I do how draining that method of travel is on a body."
"Then she will be alright?" he asked hardly daring to give voice to such hope lest fate hear him and snatch her away.
"It is too early to say," Poppy told him kindly. "I've done everything that I can but with her magical energy having been drained to such an extent and the stress on her body from the Cruciatus and the trip home, I just don't know. All we can do now is wait."
"Is there nothing that I can do to help Poppy?" the potions master asked, feeling utterly helpless and at a complete loss as he stood motionlessly watching the scene play out before him.
"You can go back and assist Albus and the others," she answered gently.
"What?" his voice rose and his temper flared. "I will not leave her. She is here because of me and I will not leave until I know, without doubt, that she will make a full recovery."
"She is here because she chose to be," the medi-witch said plainly. "Hermione Granger is a very intelligent witch and I have no doubt that she knew exactly what she was doing. I see no marks on her indicating that anyone had to twist her arm and force her into doing something against her will so you can just stop your with the self recriminations now."
"Poppy…" Snape's voice took on a silky note that most would have realized was a warning that she had gone too far.
"Don't you 'Poppy' me Severus Snape," she retorted in a tone of voice that reminded him of his mother. "That girl loves you, it's clear to anyone who sees the two of you together and if you have even the slightest feelings for her at all then you'll stop this nonsense right this instant. She would not want you to feel like this."
"I am not leaving her," he repeated sullenly, arms crossed in front of his chest, looking tall and foreboding.
"Yes, you will," Poppy answered a little more gently. "You are needed at Malfoy Manor. It will do her little good to fight her way back to recovery only to wake up to a world in which Voldemort has claimed victory."
"But…"
"Severus, I will remain with her and as soon as the battle is over you may return and stay with her for as long as you like. There is nothing you can do here but there is still so much to be done out there."
A look of understanding passed between them and Severus sighed, knowing that she was right. He also realized that Hermione would expect no less from him. Bending over the Gryffindor's motionless body, he gently laid a kiss upon her forehead and softly squeezed the deathly pale hand that rested atop the crisp white cotton sheet of the hospital bed.
"I shall return my love," he vowed, an uncharacteristic tear glistening in his eye. Standing up, he straightened his robes before leaving the infirmary with the determined air of a man who would not be thwarted a second time.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
TBC
Author's Note: I had hoped to end the battle scene with this chapter, however this felt like a good stopping point. Next chapter is the final confrontation and then perhaps after that--- an epilogue maybe? To everyone who reviewed the last chapter, I thank you ever so much. Yes, I realize it was an unusually cruel cliffhanger but the story just kind of seems to scream out for them G
~Jules