Hehe. The general consensus is that I'm quite evil for leaving the last chapter there. And yes, I am. But there is a method to my madness- you see, these next couple of chapters will be rather short, but updated quickly since they all deal with Severus's rescue. The Rescue chapters are short so that the next set of chapters can be longer. You'll see what I mean sooner or later.

This chapter is dedicated to Xirleb70, whom I accidentally forgot when thanking my reviewers at the beginning of the last chapter. So sorry about that! Please tell me about the door spell- I'd LOVE to know what you used!

So, in the hopes that I don't leave any of you out this time, thank you to Bogan, MadMonkette, candledot, Fnxmoon- yes, Dumbledore cast some glamour on him. Sorry I forgot that, rebma, Toria, emerys, Gryphnwng, Charma1219, artful dodger, Corgi, Elfmoon87, xikum- I agree! SAVE SEV!, Lady Lightning, Calani, Lirael, Sage and Snape, Piggie, enahma, litine, Mikee, Kemenran, carpthia, and Xirleb70! You all are AWESOME!!!

And now… the NEXT PART OF THE RESCUE!!!!!!

~~***~~~

Harry had blacked out halfway through the beating. He had been hit like this before, hit by his own uncle earlier in the summer. But it was different now, with the sting of the Cruciatus filling him with pain as the elder Crabbe and Goyle rammed their fists into his head, stomach, and side. It had hurt, definitely, but Harry knew that it was worth it.

And then, of course, he had blacked out.

Now everything was dark, musty-smelling, and disgusting.

Harry had been moved. There was no sound anywhere, he was sure of that. No sound, no light, and the smell of death. Was he already at the Riddle House? Had he really been out that long?

He couldn't see anything at all, so sight obviously wasn't going to help him. No sound, except for his own staggered breathing. Or.. was that his breathing?

No, no, it wasn't!

Harry had been holding his breath.. was there someone else with him? A friend, or an enemy?

Harry didn't trust his voice, but could it possibly be..

Professor Snape?

Potter, you're awake?

Is that you? I can't see anything.

Yes, it's me. Your eyesight will adjust, eventually. You've been out for hours. Lucius Malfoy brought you in about midnight.

What time is it now?

It's not like I have a watch or a wand around, Potter. But I think it's about.. four, maybe?

Oh. Good grief.. Where are you? I hate not being able to see.

I'm right across from you. But don't move, you look like hell. Malfoy really did a number on you.

They won't come in for a while, will they?

No. They came in and cast another Cruciatus spell on you about twenty minutes ago. I think Voldemort is beside himself with glee, finally capturing the famous Harry Potter.

I'm sure. Um, warn me if you hear anything. I'm going to do something.

Oh lord, Potter.

Don't worry; it's not going to hurt you.

Harry concentrated his magic on his injuries, and all of the sudden, a golden glow enveloped his entire body.

Snape gasped as he saw the cuts all over the boy's face and arms disappear into nothingness.

As soon as it started, it was finished, and blackness settled around the two again.

Potter?

Um.. yes?

What in the HELL was that?

That.. was.. um..

Spit it out, boy.

Wandless magic.

Harry heard an audible gasp from across the cell.

WHAT?

I couldn't tell you before, in case they used Veritaserum or tried to torture anything out of you.

How long have you been able to do that?

A few days. I would try to heal you, Professor, but I think it might kill me.

Don't bother. I think I hear somebody coming, anyway.

He was right. A metal gate opened from somewhere to Harry's right, and a tiny bit of light flickered in from a wand. Two figures stood before them; one obviously Lucius Malfoy. The other- the remarkable pain in Harry's scar warned him of the other man's identity.

It was Voldemort.

"Ah, Mr. Potter," croaked Voldemort happily, "so good to see you. Thank you for joining our little party."

Harry snorted indignantly. "Nice of you to invite me, Mr. Riddle."

Voldemort's eyes flashed. He pointed a wand at Harry and yelled, "Crucio!"

Harry's body shook and writhed, blood spouting from his right leg. But he did not yell out.

Most displeasing to Voldemort.

"Come now, Harry Potter, go ahead and scream. You know that you can't possibly keep all of that pain inside of you," Voldemort hissed.

Harry opened his eyes and yelled, "Penetro Crucio!"

Golden light streaked from his fingertips toward Voldemort. The dark wizard jumped back in surprise, but didn't move quickly enough. The golden light hit him and he doubled over. The boy had backfired the Cruciatus! That wasn't possible!

Harry hadn't held the curse, so Voldemort quickly recovered from the shock.

The teenager stood in a defensive posture as Voldemort tightened a hold on his wand. Harry hadn't intended to do that yet, he had just meant to get Snape out without fighting. But he refused to take the pain, not again.

And so he had reacted and started a duel.

'Excellent choice, Potter, you idiot,' he thought to himself.

Lucius Malfoy went to restrain Snape, as if the man were even capable of moving.

Severus was merely watching; there was nothing more he could do. Not anymore. Harry was on his own.

The potions master cursed Dumbledore under his breath. How dare he leave the boy to fend for himself against the most powerful dark wizard in centuries? Harry was already so small, and he had been hurt by the Cruciatus.. surely he wasn't going to win. Voldemort would kill the boy, just as Severus had predicted that he would.

Severus felt an unnamable fear nudge its way into his heart. Damn it, he had to help the boy. Had to protect him!

But he couldn't. Couldn't even move. What a helpless dump of nothing he was turning out to be.

Voldemort and Harry were walking in a circle now, the dark lord with his wand stretched out and Harry still in his defensive position. (so cliché, I know)

Would now be the time? Would he strike? He had to, didn't he? It didn't matter that this wasn't the way he had planned it- it was happening. And he had to face it.

The anti-Cruciatus spell that Harry had devised a week ago had worked well, and Voldemort had been surprised. If only the stupid man would try that one again..

And he did. "CRUCIO!" Voldemort bellowed.

Harry allowed the blast to hit him, and then yelled the countercurse furiously, directing the searing pain back to its founder.

It hit its mark.

This went on for minutes, with Voldemort hitting Harry and Harry returning. It was an attempt to weaken Harry, obviously, but it wouldn't work. Not when Harry knew quite well what the other wizard was trying to do.

"You're not a challenge, Potter," Voldemort snarled.

"Neither are you, Tom," Harry said, attempting to distract the dark lord. It worked.

"Don't call me that. Tom Riddle is not who I am. I am LORD VOLDEMORT, damn it, and you will NOT call me otherwise!"

"Inflammatio!" Harry yelled, his fingers emitting a stream of fire at the elder wizard.

"Avada Kedavra!" screamed Voldemort, while desperately trying to put out the flames.

"Claudo fortis!" Harry pulled off an impossible twisting move as he quickly put up a shield and ducked, just in case the shield broke.

It didn't, fortunately. The killing curse bounced harmlessly off to the side, which made Voldemort even more furious. His red eyes and snakelike face were deformed into what can really only be described as a rage-filled, horrible-looking, terrible-sounding, the-stuff-of-nightmares snarl. 

Voldemort moved closer to his opponent suddenly. "Crucio! Crucio! Crucio!" he screamed loudly.

The first two curses bounced off Harry's shield, but the third came flying through. Voldemort continued to send the curse at Harry in a fury, leaving the boy in a heap of pain on the ground. Harry had deflected many of them with a word or a wave of his wand, and had even sent some back at Voldemort, but still, many of the curses had hit him and stayed.

Voldemort came over to kick his opponent. He raised his foot-

And in that moment, Harry disappeared.

"WHAT??"

Severus wanted to smile. Wanted to, but couldn't. He wanted to cry in relief, but he couldn't do that, either. Or, more like it, he wouldn't allow himself to do that. Not when Harry was still in the room.

Which he was, Severus knew. Knew exactly what he had done- while in his heap on the floor, Harry had taken the invisibility potion out of his robes, unshrunk it, and drank. And now he was very, very invisible.

Professor?

Snape felt an invisible hand touch his shoulder. He tried to pretend that it wasn't there.

Voldemort was screaming in rage, looking like smoke might come out of his ears at any second. He came over and kicked Snape. "Where is he?"

Severus couldn't move to open his mouth and answer. He was still in overwhelming pain; still felt the intense need to close his eyes and fall into unconsciousness, never to wake up. But he wouldn't do that, not when he had such a reason to live.

Regardless of what he had told the boy, Harry had kept him alive. He wouldn't give up now.

Voldemort kicked him again, over and over again, taking his rage out on his other prisoner.

"Well, if he won't die, then perhaps you will!" Voldemort roared, raising his wand above his head.

"NO!"

Voldemort looked around wildly before falling down, reaching out to fight off his invisible attacker. Harry had tackled him.

Voldemort soon snapped out of his shock and threw Harry off. He couldn't see him, but he knew he was there, and he knew that he had successfully thrown the boy by the satisfying SMACK he heard where Harry had hit the wall.

The dark lord guessed Potter's position and threw a curse at him, only to find it flung right back at him from a shield of some kind.

"Avada Kedavra!" he yelled again.

The curse hit right off the shield and bounced back at an odd angle-

Right into Lucius Malfoy's head.