Severus' hands were sweating as he faced the whispy grey drapery. The voices in it called to her, entrancing her mind. His palm felt clammy where it gripped his wand, the wedding band on his left ring finger rubbed painfully. Minerva's hand coming to rest, comfortingly, on her shoulder brought him back to the task at hand.

Taking a deep breath, he whispered the focusing spell, "Focuscus".

He tapped the ring with the very tip of her wand.

His hand and arm began to shake as power flowed into the black center of the jewels. It began to throw off white-hot sparks as he lifted his arm to shoulder level, aimed at the Veil's enterance.

"Severus?" Minerva whispered, "Whats happening?" he only shook her head in anwser as he raised her wand again; this time to cast the last incantation needed to open the Veil of Shadows.

"Veil of Shadows, Land of Death, Theif of Lives and Stealer of Breath, Let us enter, I bring a... a..." here, Severus' voice caught in her throat and the tears began to well up in her eyes.

"Keep going, Sev. I know what I'm bloody doing." Minerva said, squeezing his shoulder again.

"I bring a new life, to fulfill your greed, to exchange without strife." As the last sound of the word strife faded, a breeze started up in the empty chamber. It whipped around the two of them, blowing Severus' hair into his eyes and pulling Minerva's robes in different directions.

"Enter at your soul's risk." the multitude of voiced bellowed out. Severus and Minerva's hands went to their tortured ears, covering them in a fruitless effort to protect them, but the voices were in their heads. Severus stood firm, his arm frozen in it's position, sparks now shooting from the ring without stop.

Suddenly, beams of light shown from the center of the ring, blasting a hole into the fluttering grey cloth. The hole grew to a size just big enough for Minerva and Severus to enter. They stepped firmly toward the enterance. Pausing a moment before they entered, they took a deep breath and plunged in.

The first thing they noticed was the grey light that seemed to shine from every inch. They were standing in a long corridor that stretched toward a light, infinate miles away. Minerva giggled nervously at it.

"Light at the end of the tunnel-get it?" she whispered to Sev. He glances at her oddly and resumed inspecting their surroundings. Everything was dull and matte. The flagstones of the floot and the tunnel walls were a dull flat grey. The only break in the monotony of it all were the black doors that lined the corridor.

"Hermione must be through one of those doorways. Come on Min." Severus said, afraid to raise his voice above a whisper. They started toward the first doorway, glancing through.

"'Ello, Kiddies," The voice came from a translucent shape floating in the darkness. It drifted towards them, "Yay want some 'elp?"

Minerva began to shake, chills drifting up and down her spine and her grip on Sev's hand grew tighter. He glanced at her, frightened by the whiteness of her face.

"P-p-please, wh-who are you?" the strangled sounding question came from Minerva, who was now shaking so bad that the shivers were threatening to knock her to the ground. Severus wrapped his arms around her to keep her upright.

"Really, dearie, no need ta be frightened. Why ask such a foolish questions? Yay know 'o I am already. Why don't you let your 'ikkle 'andsome friend in on the joke?"

Minerva's state began to change drastically. Her body tensed up and Sev jerked away, startled by the heat pouring from her body. She stood firm, feet planted and legs apart. Her wand was brandished in her right hand and she held her hand over her heart. Her face was no longer white, but flushed with barely controlled rage.

"Matron Kinklehurst, I don't know how you escaped death's grip and remained here, but you better help Severus and I. You damn well know what I'm here for!"

Severus looked from Minerva to the shape, confused beyond belief.

"Minerva..who or what is that? I'm confused."

Minerva laughed harshly, the shape joining in with a cackle that caused the hair on his neck and arms to stand on end.

"Matron Kinklehurst was the bitch that ran the muggle orphanage that I had to live in for sixteen years. She knew I was a witch but she made my life hell during summer break. Until Albus took me away from there forever."

The shape interrupted her, "I was the recipient of numerous acts of wandless magic. Ha! One time this 'ikkle 'ore turned my 'air green and me lips purple!"

"When did someone finally kill you?" Minerva asked, hate in her question.

"Ah, 'bouts thirty years back."

"Well," Severus said, trying not to laugh, "Will you help us?"

"Sure. It's almost boring as life down 'ere. I could use a bit 'o fun."

Minerva, her wand still held at the ready, and Severus fallowed Kinklehurst out the door and down the grey corridor. Sev grew more and more worried as they went closer and closer to the light.

"Matron," he finally asked, "what is that light?"

"Bah!" The Matron scoffed, "Death itself. Boring place, death. Wasn't much fun so I came back 'ere. The death couldn't argue, really, I stayed dead, ya know."

"So Hermione must be-" Minerva began.

"Minerva," Kinklehurst's mocking voice became almost kind, "'Ermione might be 'arder for you to cave than you life. 'E's almost there, ya know. The Death woln't like another one to escape 'is clutches."

"We'll save him, just you wait!" The Matron stopped, shocked by the sudden outburst from Severus. "SHe's stronger than all of us!"

"Sev, Sev, it's ok. Shhh, shhh." Minerva comforted him as the tears poured down his face. She held him, sobs soaking her shirt as his head lay on her shoulder. Finally his tears quieted and raised his head. Minerva turned to the Matron who had been waiting silently. She turned.

"This way, kiddies, through there." she pointed. They were so close to the light they could feel the flames of Hell. She pointed into the darkest door yet. Severus ran it.

The only thing she could see in the room was a single candle flame illuminating long brown hair and soft hands.

"Hermione! Oh, Herms, shit. Lumos!" the light from her wand lit the room further, showing Hermione crouched over a floating and unwavering candle flame. Minerva hurried to her side.

"Hermione?" she said again and shook her. She remained frozen in the same position, showing no sign of life. "Sev! I can't move her, it's like he's a statue, frozen."

Sev hurried to them, the Matron floating behind him. He knelt and tried to awaken Hermione a well. "Is he under a spell?"

"Damn...Yunichi!"" Severus said, reciting the spell. No red light shown around Hermione to show that he was under a spell, but a red beam of light shown from the flame to Hermione's eyes. "It's the flame! Whats wrong with him, Matron, what is it?!"

Matron Kinklehurst began to cacke again. Her laughter rose to a hysterical level as she choked out an anwser. "I. Told ya. That 'e'd be a 'ikkle 'arder to get. Than most!"

"No!" Severus screamed, "Stupify!" he pointed his wand at the corporeal shape. The spell went right through and bounced off the ceiling of the chamber. Minerva had to dive out of the way to avoid being struck by the out of control spell. The spell hit the flame in front of Harry. It began to glow with a blue light and grow in size. Suddenly it burst. Blue sparks shot in every direction, barely missing Hermione's face. The Matron drifted into the ceiling and like a ghost from back at Hogwarts, was gone.

As the sparks faded, Severus saw Hermione's huge brown eyes blink.

"Hermione!" he cried, rushing to his side. SHe shook her head, her eyes focusing on Sev's face.

"Sev? What are you...how are you...Gods, my head." she sat back, "I'm so cold."

"Oh, 'Mione, I'm so glad you're here. We're going to get you out."

"We're going to? Who did you bring to exchange?" Hermione looked around, her gaze finally coming to rest on Minerva's face.

"I'm here."