I am NOT going to let this story get out of control. It's time for Harry to take on a little Imperio and let our good Professor have some time in the lime-light.

SNAPE! IT'S TIME FOR YOUR BIG ENTRANCE!! (Make it worth while, dear)

What? You mean Harry's still got some screen time? Snape has been delayed? GROAN! Fine! But get on with it.

grumble, grumble Snape better show up at least half-way through this chapter, or I'm going to have to punish him............

.....Er, sorry! Back to the story!

Harry stood against the gravestone, watching in horror as Death Eaters apparated around him. Ignoring Harry, they crawled to their master, kissed the hem of his robe and backed away, to stand encircling Voldemort, leaving gaps in the circle as they had done before.

"Brothers," Voldemort hissed when the last Death Eater had taken his place, "you are freed from your prison, but the prophesy is shattered." There were low moans from the group; some dropped their shoulders or bowed their heads. "But you have learned to be more careful with my property, have you not? And now it does not matter. The dementors know us and they are in agreement."

There were sounds of assent. "My Lord, my Lord," they muttered.

"I am your Lord. Tonight, I will show you why." Voldemort turned to Harry. "Your life is at an end, Harry Potter. I now know how to take the protection your mother laid on you from you. I know how to make it mine. I will kill you and then it will be a small effort to rid myself of those who oppose me--the Muggle lovers, Dumbledore, and his ilk."

"No! You can't!" Harry shook his head. "Even if you kill me, Dumbledore will still be more powerful than you! I know he is the wizard you fear! And there is an army that will stand in your way! You will fall, whether I live or die!"

Voldemort's lips curled. "Such bravado, Harry Potter. But soon you will find how wrong you are! In this house, I have the magic ready. The cauldron is full; it is time to go."

Harry paniced. He bolted from the circle, but Voldemort had hand on his wand more quickly than Harry could have thought possible. "Imperio!"

A light flashed and struck Harry on the back. Suddenly he was rooted to the spot.

Harry stood frozen, but in his mind, he struggled vainly against the curse. How was I ever able to throw off Mad-Eye Moody's curse before? Was it so difficult? Harry wondered. Yes, and no. No, this was worse. Voldemort held him to the spell, in a way Moody had never done.

Voldemort laughed. "Walk with me, Harry Potter."

Harry struggled harder, but soon found himself placing one foot before the other, following as Voldemort led him to the mansion. I'm going to walk up to that place and I'm going to die, Harry thought.

But, why? Why did he have to go to that place? He didn't have to, of course not. It was his choice. Harry felt his feet coming back to his control. He wouldn't walk to his death.

Harry balked, but the Death Eaters near him grabbed Harry and dragged his arms behind his back. Voldemort jumped around, wand at the ready.

At the same time a sharp crack! filled the air.

The entire group stopped dead. No one moved. Not Harry, not the Death Eaters.

Snape had apparated before the line of Death Eaters. He dropped swiftly to his knees without looking at them and touched his forehead to the ground.

"My Lord!" Snape's voice was very tight. "I have come!"

Harry couldn't believe it. Snape! Here! He called Voldemort his lord! Harry suddenly knew he had been right about Snape all along. That conniving deceiver!

Voldemort hissed and leapt forward, but Harry was screaming, "Snape! You traitor! I'm here now and I see you crawling back to your Dark Lord! Dumbledore was wrong to trust you!" He began shouting about the things that Snape had done and not done, and as tears began in his eyes, Harry shouted, "And you killed my godfather! You killed Sirius Black!"

Snape stayed flat to the ground, but his arms curled over his ears. "SHUT UP, POTTER! SHUT UP!"

Voldemort was standing still, listening to Harry's barage. At this his expression slowly changed from one of hate to one of interest. Voldemort approached the prostrate Snape and kicked him in the side. "Get up, Traitor!"

Snape climbed to his feet and stood ignoble before Lord Voldemort. His face was very white, and he stared at his hands. "My lord Voldemort," he rasped.

"Professor Severus Snape," Voldemort paced around him. "You I have long waited for. You have never come to me, never let me see your face since I was reborn. I believed you to have left me. Is it true, and am I right that you were there that night? That you have told my secrets to my enemies? Or is this boy a fool? Letting you touch him, and know him?" Voldemort stopped before Snape. "Snape! Answer! Your life is in your answer. Choose your side!"

Snape's face was a waxy mask. "My Lord. It is you I serve. I have not come to you, for I was a fool. I am prepared for your punishment. It is true I was there that night. But I did not help them! I did not help the Potters as they tried to escape. Now I have touched this boy; and I know him well."

Harry screamed. "The Potters? You were at my home the night they were killed? You helped Wormtail betray my parents to Voldemort!" Harry was fighting with all his might, barely aware of what he was saying. "SNAPE! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU, SNAPE!"

Snape stared, impassive, at Harry. "My Lord, the boy's mind is weak; he makes himself vulnerable. I will make him crawl for you." He looked up into Voldemort's eyes. "I beg your forgiveness for my weaknesses, for not coming to you when I should. But now, I am yours. I will not leave you again."

The Dark Lord sighed. "Yes, you will be punished! But not tonight. Do as you have said! Make this boy crawl for me!" Snape turned and put his hand inside his robe.

Snape drew out his wand. The other Death Eaters raised theirs too, as if expecting attack, but Snape walked past them, straight to Harry. His unfathomable eyes bored into Harry's mind.

No! Harry thought. No! Stay out of my mind! I won't let you control me!

Snape's teeth were barred. "There is no where to run. You cannot run to me, or run to Dumbledore. Not even the grave holds a way out for you." Snape swung his wand back, but suddenly Wormtail leapt at Snape and bore him to the ground. "My Lord," he shouted, "Snape is against you!"

Harry slammed his body against the distracted Death Eaters holding him. Their grip was lost, and he whipped out his wand. Some one kicked his legs out from under him; Harry's knees slammed into the dirt. The forgotten mirror bounded from his pocket and rolled against Snape's thigh as he lay pinned beneath Wormtail.

Snape stared at it. Suddenly, he shouted. "Stupify!" Wormtail was blasted away and Snape whipped the portkey from the ground. A flash of light from his wand and Snape lobbed the mirror into the air. "Harry! Catch it!"

Stupid! Harry thought as he found himself reaching into the air. He grabbed at the flying mirror, unable to stop himself, reaching for it as if to catch the Golden Snitch. His fingers closed around the mirror.

A spell seemed to strike him, and his wand fell from his hand. Harry felt himself being pulled away.