HOGWARTS...ONE WEEK LATER
Abby sat in the common room, staring into the fire. She had been found doing this a lot lately. As the flames flickered, she saw images. A body, in the ground. Pools of blood. Abby felt the breath catch in her chest as she thought about this. She pushed the images out of her mind and looked around. Ron was sitting in an arm chair in the corner of the room, he was biting his nails. Hermione wasn't there. She was dealing with the dilemma by burying herself in books, in the library. Abby shivered as she touched the gold ring that was on the index finger of her right hand. Harry had given it to her for Christmas the previous year. It was just a ring...but at the same time it was more than a ring. Abby shivered again. Someone came clambering through the portrait hole. Ron looked up. It was Hermione.
"There's a meeting or something going on. Snape, Sirius, Lupin and Dumbledore." She said shakily. Ron jumped up, as did Abby. They hurried after Hermione out the portrait hole. The ran down the several flights of stairs in silence. They emerged in the entrance way. Hermione pointed to the stone gargoyle. Sirius was heading up the moving staircase.
"Sirius!" Ron called. Sirius stopped and glanced back. Ron stared at him. Sirius looked like he was dead. His face was pasty pale and his eyes were dead. It looked like he had spent a lifetime with the Dementors. He just sighed and continued up the stairs. Ron and Hermione left, climbing up to Gryffindor tower. But Abby, Abby stayed. She sat on the bottom step of the staircase and waited. Someone was going to tell her something. Even if they told her Harry was dead, that would be better than not knowing. She could make her peace. But this, this was driving her insane.
Sirius was staring out Dumbledore's office window, while everyone else sat.
"Severus, I was beginning to worry. It has been at least two weeks since I have heard from you." Dumbledore said sternly. Snape nodded.
"Potter is there..." He said quietly. Sirius spun around.
"What!" He yelled. Lupin was staring at Snape, as was Dumbledore.
"Potter is there." Snape repeated. Sirius had crossed the room in the blink of an eye.
"Where? Is he alive? Where is he?" He asked hoarsely. Snape didn't like being pressured with questions by Sirius Black.
"He's at Voldemort's lair. He is alive, but just barely." Snape said in a cold voice. Dumbledore was staring at Snape.
"Severus, you must tell us where this lair is." He said forcefully. Snape sighed.
"I can't." He said quietly. In a flash, Sirius had Snape by the front of the robes and pinned against the wall. Lupin and Dumbledore jumped up.
"You tell me where he is!" Sirius roared.
"Sirius, let go of him!" Dumbledore said sternly. Sirius only tightened his grip.
"Where is he?" He yelled. Snape was wearing a look of absolute disgust.
"I don't know where the lair is you fool! We meet somewhere and then he takes us to the lair through a portkey! He's not stupid! He has each Death Eater torture the boy to ensure loyalty!" Snape hissed. The minute those words escaped the grease ball's mouth, Sirius had one hand wrapped firmly around Snape's throat.
"If you laid a single hand on him..." He growled. He lifted Snape off of the ground. Lupin grabbed Sirius and pulled him back. Snape fell to the floor, rubbing his throat. Sirius was livid.
"I swear if you laid a hand on him I'll kill you with my bare hands!" He roared, struggling with Lupin. Dumbledore helped Snape up.
"I harmed that runt in no way. I don't stoop to their level. Memory charms come in handy in this game. Tell someone you tortured the brat and they believe you!" Snape spat to Sirius. Sirius was still livid and had to be pushed into a corner by Lupin until he calmed down.
"Severus, what condition is he in? Moderate, stable?" Dumbledore asked quickly. Snape eyed him, then looked down.
"Critical, if not worse." He said quietly. Sirius turned around and slammed his fist into the wall.
"Severus, we need to get him out of there. By any means possible, we need to get him out!" Dumbledore said sharply. Snape nodded and left the office. Sirius turned around. He was wearing a look of pure anger.
"SH!T!" He yelled as he stormed out of the room. Lupin and Dumbledore stared after him. How much longer could Harry last?
THIRD WEEK...VOLDEMORT'S LAIR
Harry was hanging from the shackles on the wall, nearly dead. His clothes were drenched with both dried and fresh blood. He wished death would just come already. He couldn't think of Sirius...it just hurt too much. Harry had no energy. None at all. He couldn't even lift his head anymore, he just hung there. He heard hurried footsteps. The door opened a little and someone slipped in. The door then closed. The person then hurried over to Harry. It was a Death Eater.
"Potter!" The Death Eater said hurriedly. Harry opened his eyes.
"Snape...please!" Harry gasped. Snape sucked up his dislike for the boy and began to pick at the shackles.
"Voldemort isn't here yet. Just get out of here. Just get out!" He spat. He freed Harry's ankles, then his wrists. Harry fell to the ground with a dull thud. Snape growled. He muttered something and Harry had energy. Not much, but a little...enough. Harry lifted his head and got to his knees. He stared at Snape...he couldn't see his face because of the mask.
"Go down the hall. There's a door. Go out the door and just start going. The further you can get away the better." He said hurriedly. Harry nodded shakily. With a loud pop, Snape disapparated. Harry dragged himself across the room. He was quickly losing energy. He was bleeding heavily from several places and the bleeding seemed to become heavier as he moved. Harry gripped the doorknob, a bunch of blood transferring from his hand. Harry turned the handle and opened the door a little. There was a stone hallway, it was empty. Harry staggered out of the room and crawled along the hallway, leaving a trail of blood. He came to a door and opened it. Harry stepped outside. The cool night air danced across his gashed face. Harry knew he was dying. He felt his legs shaking and was having a harder time catching breaths. Harry stepped further outside, gravel crunching beneath his feet. He looked out through a bloody eye. All he saw was a cliff and an endless horizon. Harry staggered forwards, but stopped. His scar was burning. Harry rubbed the blood out of his eyes and looked directly ahead. Voldemort was standing there, his back to Harry. He was peering out across the vast distance. Harry heard feet slapping against cement coming from that hallway he had emerged from. He heard Snape's voice.
"No! I told you the wrong door!" He screamed. It was too late though. Without even turning around, Voldemort waved his wand. Everything disappeared. The building...everything. He turned around and faced Harry, wearing a wicked smile. Harry scar burned, but the chills running up and down his spine were what were overcoming him...
Sirius was standing in Harry's room at the house. Saying goodbye. He knew Harry was gone. Voldemort had no reason to keep him alive for three weeks and no one had heard anything from Snape. There were tears pouring down Sirius's face as he picked up a picture from the night stand. It was of he and Harry the day they had gotten their hair done. Sirius's hair was spikey and red and Harry's was changing colors. The tears came faster as Sirius sobbed. That had been the first day of the rest of their lives...now Harry's life was gone. Sirius tried and failed to wipe the tears away. Harry's favorite red, weathered t-shirt was resting on the double bed. Sirius reached out a shaking hand and picked it up. He lifted the shirt to his face and inhaled the smell. This was the only way he would ever smell Harry again, through his clothes. The shirt was stained with pearly tears as it was placed back on the bed. Sirius picked up a stack of letters from Harry's desk. They were from the quidditch scouts. Sirius threw the letters back onto the desk. Harry would never get to live out his dream. Sirius crumpled to the floor. He sat down beside the bed, his fingers brushing against the under side of the bed. They brushed against something. Envelopes. Sirius grabbed the thick wad of envelopes that were bound together with a piece of string. He pulled one of the letters out and read it. It was from Abby. Sirius skimmed over it. It was filled with loving phrases and comforting words. Sirius sighed. All the letters were like that. He bound them with the string again and put them back under the bed. A secret romance. The hardest and most rewarding ones. Sirius lowered his face to his hands. This was too hard. It was too painful to say goodbye. He had never gotten to say goodbye to James, and was beginning to be thankful for that. But this, this was too hard. Sirius looked around the room. It was filled with memories. Souvenirs from things they had done. A ticket stub from the first movie they had gone to together, was taped up on the wall, next to the brochure from the theater. All the letters Sirius had written to Harry while on the run, were hanging on the wall too. Little things too, like the miniature Horntail from Harry's fourth year, was resting on his night stand. Sirius rested a hand over his heart, over the tattoo of Harry's name.
"I'm sorry..." He whispered, the tears tasty salty on his lips.
"I am so sorry!" He cried.
Harry was facing Voldemort, pain searing through his scar. His legs were shaking. His energy was draining fast and Harry was swallowing blood. Voldemort was smiling at him.
"Potter, Potter, Potter..." He sighed. Harry tried to clench his fists.
"You know, I am so sick of you!" He growled. Voldemort smiled.
"Then I'll put you out of your misery boy. And then, maybe I'll move along to the precious godfather of yours." He spat. Harry felt a surge of anger.
"You filth!" He spat. There was blood in the corner of his mouth. Voldemort took a few steps forward.
"Not a wise move Potter...calling an armed man names when you yourself have nothing to protect you...not a wise move at all." He growled. Harry swayed dangerously. Voldemort sneered.
"You are nothing but a pathetic boy. A pathetic mess. Look at you! You can barely stand up!" He laughed. Harry took a step forward, unsure why. Voldemort eyed him.
"Yes, I will enjoy killing you...probably more than I'll enjoy killing Black. Stupid fool. Should've known he was signing his own death sentence when he took you in!" Voldemort hissed. Harry don't know what made him do it. Maybe it was the threats on Sirius's life. Harry lunged forward. Voldemort was so shocked by the clearly stupid move, that he stumbled backwards, dropping his wand. Harry had his knee pressed into Voldemort's chest. Surely his scar was on fire. Harry wrapped a hand around Voldemort's neck. There was no strength behind it though. They were rolling around dangerously, on the edge of the cliff. Voldemort smiled and wrapped his own, long fingers around Harry's throat. He had much more force behind his grip. They rolled around so Voldemort was bent over Harry. Harry felt the life draining out of him. His hair was hanging over nothingness, they were on the edge of the cliff. Voldemort tightened his grip. Harry started choking.
"Death will - come painfully for - you!" He hissed as he squeezed Harry's throat. Harry did the only thing he could think of. He brought his knee up and got Voldemort in the stomach. Voldemort rolled over Harry and off the cliff. Harry was laying there, on the gravel, in a pool of blood. Everything was swirling...swirling...swirling...
Everything went black.
Snape and the other Death Eaters appeared in a large, open field. The building was gone. The confused Death Eaters started disapparating. Snape scrambled to his feet. He had sent Harry out the wrong door and possibly to his death! With a loud pop, Snape disapparated. He appeared in front of a large house...Sirius's house. Snape scowled, but hurried inside. He pounded on the door. After a minute, Sirius opened it. His eyes were red and blood shot. He looked at Snape and pulled out his wand. He pointed it at Snape's chest. Snape put his hands up.
"Black! It's me!" He hissed, pulling down his hood and mask. Sirius lowered his wand.
"What do you want?" He asked shakily. Snape was staring at him. This wasn't the popular, prankster from Hogwarts. This was a mess of a man...but nevertheless, it was Sirius Black.
"We need to go! Potter escaped, but went out the wrong door. He's probably either dead or about to be killed!" He said hurriedly. Sirius was staring at Snape.
"He-he's still alive?" He gasped.
"Not for long!" Snape yelled. He grabbed Sirius by the front of his shirt and pulled him out of the house. They stood in front of the house, Snape still clutching Sirius's t-shirt. They disapparated with a loud pop.
Sirius and Snape appeared in a graveyard near the Riddle home. Snape weaved in and out of the graves, looking for something, anything.
"He - already set up - the next portkey!" He panted. Snape and Sirius scoured the whole graveyard. Finally, Sirius spotted something. An old piece of rope hanging from a tree.
"Snape!" He yelled. Snape looked up. He was at the other end of the graveyard. Sirius was pointing to the rope. Snape nodded and dashed across the graveyard and slid to a stop.
"On three! One...two...three!" He roared. They both grabbed the rope and felt a pulling behind their navel. They began spinning very fast. Everything was becoming a blur.
Sirius and Snape appeared in a forest.
"Where the hell are we?" Sirius asked, looking around.
"We're in the right place. Look, Voldemort might be there...maybe you want to stay here." Snape said with a scowl. He couldn't believe he was doing this with Sirius Black.
"No, if Harry's there and that bastard killed him, I'll strangle him with my bare hands!" Sirius roared. Snape laughed a hollow laugh.
"You can't kill Voldemort you fool!" He hissed. They slowly made their way through the forest. The trees were staring to thing and Sirius could see a bit in front of him. When they were almost out, Snape put his hood and mask on. They continued on. Snape was the first to step out of the forest, then Sirius.
"Harry!" Sirius yelled. He ran forward. Snape tried to grab him, but Sirius was too fast. He came skidding to a halt and nearly went over the cliff. Harry's eyes were closed and he was soaked in blood. Sirius checked for a pulse. There was nothing.
"No! No! Harry, please!" Sirius begged, tears streaming down his face. Snape watched in awe as Sirius tried to revive the dead boy. Sirius shakily pointed his wand and muttered something. A silver string went into Harry's chest. Sirius checked his pulse again. Nothing. He shot another silver string into the bloody chest. He checked for a pulse again. There was a faint one. The tears came faster as Sirius checked to see if Harry was breathing. He wasn't.
"We need - to get him - to a hospital!" He sobbed. Snape snapped out of his daze and nodded. He crouched down next to Harry and glanced over the cliff. He gasped.
"What?" Sirius asked. Snape pointed down. Sirius glanced over the edge of the cliff. Voldemort was lying face down on the jagged rocks. Harry had killed him...or had he? It was said that Voldemort could never die. Then, another figure appeared. They grabbed Voldemort's wrist and began dragging him. Soon, they were gone. Sirius turned back to Harry.
"Come - on..." He said, resting a hand on Harry's chest. Snape nodded.
"Get him to a hospital...I'll go get Dumbledore." He said sternly. Sirius nodded. They both disapparated.
Snape appeared in Hogsmeade. Some people screamed...he was still wearing his mask and hood. He quickly took them off and ran towards the castle. People were staring after him, unsure what to think. Snape's robes were covered in blood as he went tearing into the entrance way. Some of the students gasped, but Snape ignored them. He hurried to the stone gargoyle and gave the password. It jumped aside and Snape dashed up the moving staircase. He didn't even bother knocking, just pushed the office door open. Dumbledore was talking to someone...Lupin. Dumbledore looked up and saw all the blood on Snape. He stood, as did Lupin.
Snape was trying to catch his breath.
"Potter...hospital...Voldemort...dead!" He gasped. Lupin went very pale.
"Harry! Is he alive! Where's Sirius?" He asked quickly. Dumbledore was waiting for answers.
"Doesn't look good...Black at the hospital.." He panted. The three tore from the office. Dumbledore had some quick words with Professor McGonagall before running to catch up with Snape. They all ran across the grounds, causing students to stare. The passed the turnstile and stopped on the dirt road. There were three loud pops and they disapparated.
A/N: I'm going to update on Sunday but I'm not going to be able to update until next Friday because I have finals. Sorry everyone but I need to study.