Slowly his eyes drifted open and he could see the walls around him as he took in a deep breath. He was in the castle, and a quick glance out the window told him he was rather high up. Silently he cursed himself for getting caught, and just as quickly his mind flashed back to what had happened earlier and he cringed in horror.
He could still feel the dementors surrounding him, and Harry doing everything he could to save him. His mind was reeling, and he knew he had to find out if Harry was alright. Frantically he beat against the wooden frame of the door to his cell and shouted out to anyone that might hear him, but it was all in vain. No one came, and only the echoes of his own voice were there to keep him company as he prayed that his godson was safe.
Time slowly passed by until finally there was a click at the door and it slowly opened. Albus Dumbledore was the first to enter followed by Severus and the Minister of Magic.
"Is Harry alright?" He shouted as he stepped closer to Severus.
"He's fine, Black." Snape answered in his usually unpleasant tone, and Sirius knew he was in deeper trouble than he had thought.
"I'll call for the dementors right away!" Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, seemed almost giddy as he spoke and Dumbledore brought his hand up to stop him.
"Sirius Black will be held here until we know exactly what happened out there."
"Nonsense, Albus! Leave him for the dementors and be done with it!"
Severus cast a solemn glance at Sirius and the other wizard lowered his head. "As long as Harry is alright, I don't care what you do with me, Fudge."
Fudge balked at Black's words and quickly turned to leave. Severus followed, nodding briefly to Dumbledore and Sirius before he did so.
Once both wizards were gone, Dumbledore spoke again. "Severus has told me what happened. I'm afraid there is little I can do to stop Cornelius from fetching the dementors for you."
"As I said, as long as Harry is alright it doesn't matter."
"Well I don't believe your godson would appreciate losing what little family he has so soon after finding you. Besides there is much left to be done if we are to be prepared." Albus paused and Sirius raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Prepared for what?"
"I believe you know. Things have already been set in motion, and we will need your help if we are to stop Voldemort once and for all." The older wizard seemed to sparkle as he spoke and Sirius couldn't help but shake his head.
"I don't see how I can be of much help, especially since I'm locked up in this tower, with Fudge ready to bring the dementors in here."
Dumbledore glanced a the window and smiled. "Look to the sky for your answers."
With that he turned and walked out of the room, leaving Sirius even more baffled than he was moments before.
-----
Slowly Daniel opened his eyes and let out a soft groan as the pain in his head began to dissipate. Awkwardly he blinked and pulled himself to his feet, trying to get a feel for his surroundings. The sound of a hoof tapping on the ground made him turn and just beside him was the same unicorns from a few days before. Looking around he could see Carter and Teal'c just starting to stir and he smiled. Turning back to the unicorn he nodded.
"Thank you." He whispered the words and the creature seemed to smile back at him and then slowly the unicorns lowered their heads and turned to leave.
"To whom were you speaking, DanielJackson?" Teal'c's booming voice caught the archeologist unawares and he spun around.
"Um…it doesn't matter." Daniel sighed realizing that neither Carter or Teal'c was able to see the unicorns as he was. "Where's Jack?"
Both men turned around and saw Jack's limp form lying in the grass just ahead of them. Carter had already gotten up and was kneeling next to him.
"Colonel? Can you hear me?" Her voice pleaded with him, but the vacant expression on his face worried her. "I don't know what's wrong with him."
"Jack?" Daniel knelt beside Carter and brought his hand down to Jack's face. He was still breathing, but he appeared catatonic to the three of them. "We have to get him to the school. They may be able to help."
Teal'c reacted first and pulled the Colonel into his arms and they started off towards the school as quickly as they could.
-----
Quietly Severus made his way up the steps leading to the tower where Sirius Black was being held. He had no idea what Dumbledore had planned, but he did as he was told and went to check on things. As he neared the door he heard a commotion and hastened his pace. His hand touched the doorknob and he pushed his way inside, just in time to see Sirius climbing out the window. For a brief moment he thought Sirius was trying to kill himself, but the sound a child's voice caught his attention and he ran towards the window. He could see the back of Sirius' head as he rode off on what appeared to be a hippogriff, and what Severus could see was two children in front of him. Shaking his head he turned to leave, and as he got to the door Albus stepped in front of him.
"I take it they accomplished their mission?"
Severus rolled his eyes and pointed towards the window. "I would think so."
"Good. You'd better run along and inform the Minister that our prisoner has escaped." He tried to his smile, but the curious grin on Albus face kept him from it and he chuckled softly as he walked past Dumbledore and back down the steps.
As he reached the bottom step he noticed the next flight of stairs begin to move and he bit back a curse, knowing he would now have to take the long way down to the infirmary where Minister Fudge was waiting. He'd barely gotten there when he saw Professor McGonagall running towards the entrance to the castle.
"What's the matter, Minerva?"
The witch shrugged her shoulders. "There are four strangers pounding on the door."
She started back on her way, and Severus followed her, curious to find out who it was. They reached the door moments later and a frantic voice met them as they pulled the heavy oak doors open.
"Please! You have to help us! He's hurt!" A young man shouted as he pointed to a rather large black man holding a limp figure in his arms.
Severus cast a glance at both men and the woman beside them, and then at the unconscious man they were trying to help. He gasped loudly as he recognized who it was.
"JACK!" His hand went out to touch Jack's forehead and Minerva stopped him.
"You know this man, Severus?"
"It's Jack Corrigan, Minerva." She paused a moment and took a closer look at the pliant man being held up in the black man's arms and he instinctively brought her hand to her mouth.
"Heavens it is. What happened?" McGonagall turned to the other three who she didn't know and waited for a response.
"The dementors…you have to help him…please." The younger man's voice pleaded with them and Minerva motioned for them to follow her.
They did so without hesitation and didn't stop until they reached the hospital wing. All of them plowed through the door, startling Madam Pomphrey and the others already in the room as they did so.
"What's going on, Professors?" The healer asked as she stepped closer to the seemingly frantic group.
"The dementors may have gotten to this one." Minerva pointed to Jack as he was being placed on an empty bed.
"It's Jack!" Madam Pomphrey exclaimed as she got a good look at the new patient before her and she turned to Snape and McGonagall for confirmation and they nodded quietly. With that she was quick to begin checking him over, shooing everyone away as she went to work.
Albus moved closer to the ones who had brought Jack into the castle and extended his hand. "I'm Albus Dumbledore, and you are?"
"Daniel Jackson." The younger man answered as he took the wizard's hand and firmly shook it, and then just as quickly he turned to his friends. "This is Samantha Carter and Murray. We're friends of Jack's."
"I gathered as much, though I must ask…What are you all doing here?"
Daniel sighed as he shifted his gaze from Albus to his teammates. "We came here with Jack."
Sighing Dumbledore motioned for all of them to leave the room so that Madam Pomphrey could work on her patient without being disturbed by their noise and they all retreated to the headmaster's office to talk.
-----
Several hours went by where Daniel and the others talked to Dumbledore and a rather irate Cornelius Fudge about who they were and what they were doing at Hogwart's. Fudge was ready to have them sent away, but Teal'c's stern expression made the wizard back away cautiously. Albus had calmed things and sent the four of them to the hospital wing where Madam Pomphrey was still fervently working on Jack.
As they entered Daniel saw Severus standing quietly by the door, a few beds away from where Jack was lying. The poor man looked distraught, and the pain was clear in his eyes as he took in a shaky breath.
"He'll be alright. He has to be." Snape turned his head to see Harry half-smiling at him.
"Shouldn't you be checking on your friend, Potter." The tone of his voice made the boy shrink back and he nodded, slowly walking back to the other side of the room.
As soon as he'd seen the hurt look on Harry's face, he knew he'd been wrong to snap at him. If anything happened to Jack, Harry would feel just as guilty. Jack had tried to save Harry, his nephew, and by all rights Severus' nephew as well. Sighing heavily Snape shook his head and sat down on the edge of the bed in front of him.
Daniel's voice caught him off guard and he looked up at the man quite confused. "The kid was only trying help."
"It's Daniel right?" Daniel nodded. "I don't see how this is any of your concern, so I'll thank you to keep your nose out of other people's business."
With a snort Daniel rolled his eyes. "I didn't believe Jack when he said you weren't very sociable, but I guess he was right."
At the mention of his brother's name Severus gaped. "What are you talking about?"
"Jack told me about you. Said you didn't do too well with people."
Severus smirked and shook his head. "My brother always did have an abnormally large mouth."
Daniel chuckled and Severus motioned for him to take a seat beside him. As he did so, Teal's and Carter also stepped into the room.
"Do you think he'll be alright?" Daniel asked and Severus looked away, making Daniel and the others feel a bit nervous.
"I honestly don't know. If the dementors succeeded in their kiss…" He spit the last word out as thought it were the vilest of things and looked up at Daniel and the others. "If they managed it, there will be little any healer can do for him."
"What about a doctor? We have physicians back home that might-" Carter spoke up from her silent position near the wall, and Severus hand quickly cut her off.
"Muggles won't be able to do anything. Without a soul he's as good as dead."
Teal'c nodded solemnly, but there was a tinge of anger in his eyes as he looked towards the bed where is comrade helplessly lay. Daniel and Carter shared the same expression as their teammate as they too glanced in Jack's direction and silence took over them as they waited for Madam Pomphrey to inform them of her patient's prognosis.
It was several minutes before the healer stepped away from her patient to let the others know what was going on.
"I'm afraid there's little we can do for him. The dementors did performed the kiss on him. I'm dreadfully sorry." Madam Pomphrey solemnly lowered her head as Daniel and the others shook theirs in response.
"There has to be something we can do. Anything?" Daniel was desperate as he raised his arms in frustration.
"I am sorry, Daniel. I know he was a friend to you all." The healer's sincere expression did little to comfort him or the others.
"This can't be happening." Carter stared in disbelief as she approached her CO's limp form.
She took his hand in hers and he felt cold. His eyes were open as though he were watching them, but he did not move. There was a steady pulse, but his pale clammy skin was almost like ice. A tear rolled down her cheek as he let his hand go and stood up.
Daniel looked to Teal'c who would have generally been the team's strength, but the jaffa appeared almost lost as he too stared down at Jack's motionless body.
"O'Neill is not dead?" The jaffa's words came out as unsteady as they'd ever heard him speak.
Madam Pomphrey sighed and shook her head. "Not in the physical sense, but his soul is gone. His body is merely an empty shell."
The three of them were silent as Madam Pomphrey moved around them and went to check on the others that were in the room.
"What are we gonna do, guys?" Daniel tried to sound like he was in control, but he was failing miserably.
"I don't know Daniel. We could take him back to the SGC. I know they said there isn't anything they can do, but we could try."
Daniel wanted to agree with Carter, but his heart told him that no one at the mountain would be able to help. He turned to Teal'c and the big jaffa lowered his head.
"I do not know what the appropriate choice would be. It distresses me to see O'Neill this way. He is a warrior, and would not approve of being left in this manner."
With a sigh Daniel nodded. They all knew that Jack would rather die than be a vegetable as he was, but at the moment there was little they could do. Silently Daniel cast a glance at Jack and then he was drawn across the room where Harry was sitting with his knees up to his chest. He eased his way towards him, and the boy looked up at him once he was just in front of him.
"What do you want?" Harry's voice was full of pain and Daniel reached out a hand and put on the boy's shoulder.
"Just wanted to see how you were doing. He is your uncle after all."
Harry's eyes widened in surprise and he nervously glanced in the direction of Jack's bed. "This is all my fault."
"No it's not. Jack wanted to protect you. He would have done anything to make sure you were alright."
"If I hadn't gone after Sirius, he wouldn't have had to protect me."
A tear rolled down Harry's cheek and Daniel instinctively wiped it away. "He probably still would have been there trying to protect Sirius. Jack never leaves anyone behind."
Harry nodded with a look of understanding on his face, but Daniel could still see the guilt in the young man's eyes.
To both their surprise Severus stepped up behind them and spoke. "Daniel's right. Jack would have gone after Sirius whether you'd been there or not. It's just not in his nature to leave anyone."
The three of them stared at one another in silence, neither of them sure what to say. Suddenly the door to the hospital wing opened and Albus Dumbledore walked in. He had a few words with Madam Pomphrey and then moved to where Severus and Daniel were standing.
"I am sorry, Severus. You're brother did not deserve such a fate."
Severus nodded. "Thank you headmaster. I'm afraid now we're all at a loss as to what to do with Jack now."
Albus sighed and then looked towards the door. "I believe there may be a possibility for you."
Curiously, the three of them turned and were surprised to see Firenze standing quietly in the doorway. The Centaur nodded his head and slowly entered the room. Carter and Teal'c were quite entranced by the creature and stared open-mouthed at him as he came closer.
"May I see him?" Firenze looked to Severus and then Dumbledore before proceeding towards the bed.
He leaned down and placed his hand on Jack's forehead. For a moment he was still and quiet, and the others were almost disturbed by the Centaur's immovability as he listened to Jack's breathing.
"With your permission, I would like to take him into the forest."
"What?!" Daniel and Carter practically shrieked at the Centaur, but he stared back at them calmly.
"If there is hope for him, my brothers and I will find it."
Daniel turned to Severus who was resting his hand on Harry's shoulder, looking as though he was too afraid to speak.
"It is up to his family to decide." Dumbledore was the first to speak up and Firenze bowed his head and moved away from Jack.
Severus took in a slow breath and looked down at Harry. The boy looked back at him with a unsure expression on his face.
"Do you truly believe the Centaurs can save him?" The question left the potion master's voice as barely a whisper as he looked the frail body of his brother a few feet from him.
"I cannot say for certain, Severus. If given the chance we will do all that we can."
For a moment Severus looked around the room and then back at Harry.
"He tried to save me. If there is a chance that they can do something…" Harry's voice trailed off and Severus knew that he had to let Firenze try.
"Do what you can, Firenze."
With that the Centaur and Madam Pomphrey went about getting Jack ready for Firenze to transport back into the forest.
"Are you sure this is the right thing?" Daniel asked as he took a step closer to Severus and Harry.
"I really don't know, Daniel. I realize you three are my brother's friends but if there's even the slightest possibility that they can help him…well, some chance is far better than none." Severus looked at the three companions and they nodded to him in understanding.
Several minutes later, Daniel and the rest of SG-1 watched motionless as their team leader was carried away by the Centaur. They cast a glance out the window to see him being taken into the dark of night, as his body slipped into the shadow of night, their hearts sank. Silently they each hoped that that would not be the last time they saw their friend, but an ominous feeling swept over them and they couldn't help but think that was a distinct possibility.