Wow, everyone. Thanks for all the splendid reviews! (hugs everyone) I'll see what I can do for you all, okay? Take care and enjoy the new-coming warm weather.

If I could change, I would;
take back the pain, I would;
retrace every wrong move that I made, I would.
If I could
stand up and take the blame, I would;
if I could take all the shame to the grave,
I would.

Moody growled while fending off three death eaters at once. Millie, a few yards away, didn't fair too much better. She had, little by little, been eased into a corner without any hope of escape save for the four death eaters that encircled her. None of these witches and wizards were overly skilled, but in large groups they were just as dangerous as one of the higher up circle members.

The area in which the two sides fought was surprisingly large enough to hold them all, but as spells were deflected and damages were done, there were many who took to fleeing. Not out of fear of Voldemort's forces, but fear that the central structure of the keep might come crashing down upon their heads.

As Moody peered upward, he realized that such a possibility may occur..

No matter where Sirius turned, every step seemed to take him deeper into impenetrable darkness. Even with his wand, who's light only reached out about six inches in either direction, Sirius found himself unable to see anything. Also, for some reason, streams of dirt seemed to be falling from the walls and ceiling whenever an explosion rocked the structure.

He suddenly didn't feel too bad about the initial state of Grimmauld Place when he had opened it in it's own filthy condition some two years ago.

Coughing and muttering under his own breath, Sirius pressed forward. Determination outweighed his understanding of the present situation, which was probably for the best, for anyone with an ounce of consideration toward the threatening tremors of the castle would have realized that the fortress was coming down at the center very soon.

Between the darkness and the lack of pure air to breath, Harry wasn't sure if he would make it out of the keep at all. Either he would be captured again or he would suffocate in these corridors, neither of which sounded too pleasant to him.

Coughing as another stream of dust shot out of the ceiling onto his scuttling form, Harry continued on uncertain of whether he was going the right way or unintentionally backtracking. Anything was better then where he was now though, he was certain about that much.

Another tremor rocked the castle down to its very foundation, and Harry froze, preparing himself to be crushed under thousands of tons of stone. If someone could actually prepare themselves for such an event. With his eyes pressed tightly together, he waited to feel his bones snap and his head smash against the floor and the ceiling as they merged, but nothing happened.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Harry opened his eyes, but found a much more urgent matter on his hands.

Someone was up ahead of him, and drawing closer.

With the constant groaning of stone and wood all about him, Sirius hesitated going forward. He dimmed his wand light slightly and inched forward, uncertain of what awaited him over the next few moments.

Throwing caution to the wind, he called out. Anything was better than this suffocating darkness.

"Hello!"

There was a sudden scuttling up ahead, and Sirius readied his wand for the attack.

"Who's there?"

Again, no answer. But then again, Sirius hadn't really been expecting one.

"I'll have you know that I am armed." A pause. Nothing still. "I won't hurt you, I just need to know where we are. I'm...I'm looking for someone."

He waited, listening to the echo of his own voice which was noticeably distorted due to the constant inhalation of dust and other airborne particles. Still, no one answered, and he readied himself for the attack.

"I'm only going to say this one more time. I WON'T HURT YOU. I'm just looking for someone. I don't care who you are. If you help me, I'll let you go."

Nothing.

Sirius grit his teeth and took one step forward.

"Damn it. Will you just "

Suddenly, a bright display of orange shot out at him, clipping him in the shoulder and sending him into the nearest wall which partially disintegrated against his weight.

Sirius' patience had expired at that exact moment. Standing with a very severe expression upon his face, he flicked his wand in the general direction of the spell caster and uttered a curse of his own, catching his assailant full in the stomach with a bright yellow jet of light that would surely put him at the advantage.

When the person cried out in pain, Sirius huffed proudly and moved forward.

"Lumos Maxima!" came a scratchy voice, and suddenly the entire corridor was illuminated. Sirius found himself momentarily blinded and held up his hands to keep the searing pain out of his already bruised head.

"I don't know who you are," the person started, "but I don't care. I just want out of here. I need to find someone."

Sirius grinned and shook his head in disbelief.

"Then it seems we're in a similar state, don't you think?" He asked, his hands still held up to his eyes. "Why don't we work together? If you've been here long you know the way around better than I do. I'm trying to find the prisoner's chamber. I need to get someone out of there."

There was a moment's pause, as though the person were considering this.

"The Prisoners' Chambers collapsed in the last major explosion. Those who survived were able to escape."

These words chilled Sirius' heart, but he bit his lip. He let his hands fall at long last, though his eyes were still closed against the bright light.

"Can you tell me if a certain person escaped. I'm looking for him."

He sensed an odd expression from the person he was conversing with, but Sirius wasn't willing to open his eyes just yet. The light was still far too bright.

"We weren't really on fist name basis' with each other...but I'll tell you if I can."

"Harry Potter was with you, was he not?"

A pause.

"Was he?"

"Yes."

"Did he make it out?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because he's...I'm his..."

"Harry's parents are dead."

A lump arose in Sirius' throat. "I know that. I'm his godfather."

There was an extra long pause in which the person seemed to be considering this. The light died down to a bearable luminosity, and Sirius was able to open his eyes.

"Took you long enough," came a smile from a green eyed young man that Sirius knew all too well.

No words escaped the man's mouth. He stood there, dumbfounded, for longer than was wise. The castle rocked a few more times before a low groaning echoed throughout the structure.

"Harry?"

But all of a sudden, the ceiling caved in between them, and the light from both of their wands was extinguished in an avalanche of stone and other debris.

I am the Cliffhanger goddess. (grins evilly)

Lyrics: "Easier to Run" by Linkin Park