A/N: Bad news, dear readers, the dark hour has struck—there will be no update for "Battle of Wills" next Friday. I am SO SORRY to make you wait, but I will try very hard to get Chapter 40 to you in two weeks. Next week I have two very major school events, namely the Georgetown Gilbert & Sullivan Society's production of "The Mikado" and the Space Law Moot Court Competition, and there's simply no way I'll be able to update Friday. Mum and I will keep working on resuming our normal pace of updates after this, and with luck there won't be any very long delays. Check our Yahoo Group or my LiveJournal for news. And reviews always serve as a good reminder that you are waiting! ;-)

Chapter Thirty-Nine: Alone in the Dark

"NOOOO!" Harry sat bolt upright, flinging bedclothes in every direction. "NO, PROFESS—NO!"

"Harry!" Hands were shaking him, trying to restrain him. "Harry, calm down!"

"It's a vision," someone said.

"No," Harry gasped, managing to focus his eyes on Ron and Hermione standing over him. "Not—vision—Dumbledore!"

"What!" Ron exclaimed.

"Dumbledore—die—"

Hermione let Harry go and stepped back, her hands over her mouth. "It's happened," she whispered.

"What do you mean?" demanded Ginny, appearing from somewhere behind Ron. "How could Harry have seen Dumbledore die in a vis—"

The door opened. Harry looked to see Dumbledore's office beyond. Ron, Ginny, and Hermione followed him tentatively out, and they saw that the main office door had opened as well. "So we can go now?" asked Ron softly.

The portraits were muttering amongst themselves, and Harry and his friends turned to them curiously. Several were taking off their hats. "Alas," said one of them. "The greatest of this age has passed on."

"No!" Ginny gasped, horrified.

Hermione was staring at the open door. "That's why..." she murmured.

"It's not possible," Ron protested.

Harry charged down the stairs. Before long, they could hear a disturbance in the entrance hall, and ran to see what it was. Students were pouring into the halls from all directions, and the light from the windows indicated that it was mid-morning. "What's going on?" Ginny yelled to a random group of Ravenclaws.

"There's something happening on the grounds! Lots of people crossing into the wards!" shouted Michael Corner. "Half the teachers are gone!"

Harry shoved through the mob, his heart pounding, panic rising in his throat. No, no, it can't be true, it can't...Dumbledore...

Over Mr. Filch's shouted objections and threats, students were getting out of the school building from every possible exit: windows, side doors, secret passages. Hermione led them to a door off the kitchens, and they burst outside to see that there was indeed a mass of people gathered just inside the wards. Harry ran as hard as he could.

Please don't let it be true, please don't let it be true, please...

There were red Auror robes, green Healers' robes, plain wizards' robes, but no Death Eater robes that they could see. As they came closer, they could see some of the people in the crowd were hurt, all were milling about in some state of shock. Whatever the Order had been doing, it must be over.

There were teachers from Hogwarts in the mob, assisting injured wizards or talking excitedly to the Aurors. There didn't seem to be any sense to the chaos until Harry caught sight of a figure lying motionless on the grass, a figure in deep purple robes with long white hair. He slowed, as his stomach began to feel like it was inching his way up his chest, and he was sure for a minute he was going to throw up.

Dumbledore...oh my god...

"Oh!" Ginny made a strangled noise and covered her mouth with trembling hands. Now that they looked closely, they could see that many of the Healers and teachers on the field were weeping as they worked.

Ron was motionless next to Harry, his mouth half-open. "It can't be true," he whispered. "He can't...he can't be..."

Hermione began to sob.

Dumbledore's dead...Dumbledore...Harry's mind couldn't seem to wrap itself around the idea of a world without Dumbledore. What's going to happen to us...the Order...

THE ORDER!

Harry started running again, searching the crowd for familiar faces. Remus and Sirius—where are they? Behind them, he heard Ron and Ginny following, shouting, "Bill! Charlie!"

"Remus!" Harry yelled at random, searching the stunned, dirty faces frantically. "Remus, Sirius!"

"Harry!" A pair of arms snagged him abruptly, and his momentum spun him around until he found himself face-to-face with Tonks. The Metamorphmagus looked exhausted and dirty, but still alert, an Auror still at work. "What are you doing here, you need to go back—"

"Remus and Sirius," he hissed urgently at her. "Where are they?"

Tonks relaxed a little and squeezed his shoulders. "They're safe, Harry, they're both safe, I've seen them. They're around somewhere."

"Bill!" He glanced sideways to see Ginny flying into her older brother's arms, and Charlie standing next to them. Bill Weasley looked dirty, sweaty, and upset, but none the worse for wear. Charlie's robes were smeared with blood that Harry realized, in a rush of nausea, was not Charlie's own.

He turned back to Tonks. "What happened?" he demanded. "You've got to tell me!"

Scrubbing her face with her hands, she grunted, "We hit the Fortress of Shadows. I think we took it out—can't really remember, they had me evacuating casualties—but we've had losses. Dumbledore..." she made a choked sound and turned away. Gripping his arm, she said, "You and the others have to go back. This area's not secure, and Voldemort'll be looking to retaliate."

"But Remus and Sirius..." he protested.

"Harry, they're both all right! I promise," she said. "They're probably in this lot somewhere helping the injured—we can't worry about that and you. We'll get you to Headquarters to see them as soon as we can."

Harry met her eyes and sighed, relenting. "Okay." She patted his arm wearily, and he walked over the trampled grass to where Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were gathered with Bill and Charlie. "They want us to go."

"Remus and Sirius?" Hermione whispered.

"Tonks says they're safe. They attacked the Fortress," he told her. She nodded absently, watching the activity around them.

Aurors and Healers were starting to move the worst injured onto stretchers and using Portkeys to transport them out. Harry scanned a few faces as they were carried away, but didn't see anyone he recognized. There were reporters showing up now, being held back behind a line of rope conjured by Hagrid. Their cameras were snapping, but for once they weren't pointed at Harry. Harry did everything he could to keep from looking at what the reporters were looking at. He didn't want to see anymore.

Just then, a familiar, sour voice reached his ears. "Bloody bastards, if I hadn't been so busy trying to protect Vance's flank, I'd have seen them coming!"

"But your reflexes are as good as ever, Severus. Another few inches, and you'd have lost a limb. Come on, let's get you back to the Hospital Wing."

Harry turned around, his legs suddenly unsteady. "R-Remus?" he half-gasped.

Professor Lupin was there, just a few yards away, with one of Snape's arms over his shoulder as he helped the injured Potions Master to walk. Snape appeared to be nursing a nasty burn or gash to his leg, but was still coherent enough to complain. Remus looked fine.

"Remus!"

Remus looked up wearily, but his eyes widened as he met Harry's gaze. "Harry!" He released Snape with one arm as Harry stumbled toward him, and caught Harry in a one-armed hug. "What are you doing here?"

"Sticking his nose where he doesn't belong, as usual," Snape grunted.

Harry ignored the jibe, pressing his face into Remus's dirty robes for a few seconds until he got control of himself. "I'm so glad you're okay! Where's Sirius?"

Remus let him go to resume assisting Snape. "I'm sure he's around somewhere—"

"Harry!"

"Ah, there he is."

Harry spun around just in time to be crushed into a pair of familiar arms. "Sirius?"

"Oh, God, Harry, what're you—never mind, it'll keep." After embracing Harry hard enough to break ribs for several seconds, Sirius let him go enough for Harry to step back and see his face. To his intense relief, his godfather seemed fine, though he looked scraped, bruised, and exhausted. With a sad smile on his worn face, Sirius held him back at arm's length. "I'm glad to see you—even if you shouldn't be out here. Are you okay?"

"Dumbledore," Harry muttered, and Sirius winced, nodding.

"I know, I know." He hugged Harry again. "We've lost a lot of people today, but at least we gave as good as we got."

"The Fortress?"

"Dumbledore blew it to hell before You-Know-Who got him, bless him," said Emmeline Vance from nearby as she helped move an unconscious Auror onto a stretcher.

"Voldemort killed Dumbledore?" Harry breathed, appalled.

Sirius nodded, looking past Harry at where Harry knew Dumbledore's body was. Remus was looking there too, though Snape was looking fixedly at the ground. "I'm glad James isn't here to see this," murmured Remus to Sirius.

"I know," Sirius sighed, giving Harry's shoulders a squeeze. "I was thinking the same thing,"

"I say, Minerva," Remus called to Professor McGonagall, who was talking to an Auror while wiping her eyes with a handkerchief. "We're getting an awfully large number of students out here!"

Professor McGonagall turned and saw the large crowd of Hogwarts students standing in stunned shock on the grounds, staring at the scene taking place. Blowing her nose once, she stalked out of the chaos and roared for them all to return to the building. Harry watched as they scattered, but made no move to go himself, though he saw Bill and Charlie urging Ron, Hermione, and Ginny away.

Things were beginning to quiet down in the center of the crowd of returned fighters, though the reporters were still chattering at the top of their voices. Most of the worst-injured had been taken away. Madam Pomfrey was trudging over to Professor Snape, snapping at him to hold still as he snapped back various complaints at her, and Remus was chuckling wearily.

Finally, she snapped, "That's it, Professor Lupin, kindly assist Professor Snape to the Hospital Wing, and be so good as to Stun him if he moves before I get there!"

Remus half-bowed, laughing. "Yes, ma'am! Come on, Harry, you're coming with us. I want you out of this bedlum."

Pomfrey turned, following his gaze and began to scold Harry, "I quite agree, Mr. Potter, whatever are you doing in this—" She suddenly broke off, her mouth half-open, and her eyes went wide as saucers with stark terror as they fell on something behind Harry.

Harry whirled around, as did Sirius, seeking whatever had frightened the Mediwitch. Had Death Eaters come to retaliate? Was Voldemort here to finish off Harry now that he'd killed Dumbledore? Who or what...

There were half a dozen Aurors behind them, wands trained on them, all wearing expressions of combined determination and panic. "What..."

"Harry," said Madam Pomfrey in a trembling voice. "Harry, don't move."

"What!" Harry looked around in confusion, still unable to identify the source of the threat, then glanced at Sirius. His godfather's face had gone stark white, but when Harry followed his gaze, he realized Sirius was looking at the Aurors.

And then he realized what had happened. Sirius...

Remus swore softly under his breath, and even Snape had frozen. No one, Aurors or Order, could seem to decide what to do.

Harry didn't see a single familiar face among the Aurors, and his heart was beginning to pound. He looked around, and saw more and more red robes encircling them, surrounding Sirius with their wands all pointed straight at his godfather. Even the reporters were silent, except for the soft clicking of cameras.

Finally, one of the Aurors spoke. "Black. Raise your hands and back away from the boy."

Feeling Sirius's grip start to release his shoulders, Harry grabbed his godfather's hands. "No," he whispered.

"Harry, quiet," Sirius said softly. Looking over his shoulder, Harry saw in horror that his godfather's white face was calm and resigned.

Sirius was going to surrender.

NO...

"Sirius..."

"Harry," Madam Pomfrey said, extending one hand without taking her eyes off Sirius. "You don't know who that is—"

"Yes, I do!" Harry shouted as panic took hold of him. "He's my godfather!"

A murmur of astonishment went up among the reporters, the camera clicking grew louder, and the Aurors exchanged baffled glances. "Son, just do what we say—"

"No!" Harry twisted around, trying to put himself between Sirius and the Aurors, but Sirius grabbed him.

Several people gasped and cried out, but Sirius ignored them. "Harry, don't!" Harry had him by both arms, determined in the haze of terror not to let go of his godfather as he twisted around to stare at the Aurors' faces, seeking a way out. They can't take Sirius, they can't take Sirius, they can't... "Harry, listen to me!" Sirius whispered. "You have to get out of this. It'll be all right."

"No," Harry whispered desperately. "They'll take you, they'll send you to the dementors..."

"Black, let him GO!" shouted an Auror.

"I'm not going to hurt him!" Sirius shouted, and tried to step away from Harry, but Harry held onto him.

"No, Sirius!" Harry cried, turning desperately toward the Aurors. "You can't—I won't let you!" And he pulled his wand out.

"Harry, don't!" Remus and Sirius shouted simultaneously, but one of the Aurors recoiled, then took aim.

"Oh my God!" someone yelled, and Sirius yanked him back, raising a hand to the Aurors.

"Don't curse him!"

Too late. The rattled Aurors saw a wand pointed at them and reacted out of instinct. Harry heard Expelliarmus incanted from several directions, and the next thing he knew, his wand was gone. He stared in horror at his empty hand, his mind moving too slow to keep up. This couldn't be happening!

He sprang in front of Sirius, trying to keep his body between his godfather and the Aurors. "He's innocent!"

Ripples of surprise came from the reporters, and Harry turned instinctively toward them. "He was framed!" he shouted. He could see quills moving. "He never even had a trial! Peter Pettigrew is the murderer, not him! Pettigrew faked his own death!"

"Confunded," someone muttered, and Harry started to shout a denial, then someone else spoke up.

"It's true." Harry and Sirius both turned in surprise to see Snape, standing with the assistance of Remus. "Peter Pettigrew was the traitor who sold the Potters to the Dark Lord. He framed Black for his own murder and is now still in the Dark Lord's service."

Madam Pomfrey was staring in disbelief, and Harry heard someone say, "No trial?"

Sirius whispered in his ear, "Harry, go to Remus."

"No!" he hissed back furiously.

"Harry, fighting them won't help my case!"

"They'll just throw you back in Azkaban!"

"They will do no such thing, Mr. Potter," said another voice, and he turned to see Professor McGonagall and Mr. McGonagall coming back toward them. "Ladies and gentlemen, that will be quite enough hexing of Hogwarts students, thank you."

The Aurors hesitated, startled, and Sirius took the opportunity to take out his own wand. People gasped, but he tossed it to the ground. "No," Harry choked out, but Sirius squeezed his shoulders again, turning him around so he could look his godson in the face.

"Harry, it'll be all right. This had to happen sometime." He gave Harry a weak smile and sighed. "At least now I finally get my trial."

"Sirius," Harry pleaded, trying to hold on to his godfather's arms. Everything that had happened...it was too much. Dumbledore dead, Percy dead, now Sirius, Sirius arrested! "Sirius, no!"

"Enough of that, Mr. Williamson!" said a stern voice, and they saw Mr. McGonagall looking at an Auror whose wand was again aimed at them. "The boy is in no immediate danger, and Mr. Black is attempting to cooperate. It will not look well for you to be seen throwing around hexes without provocation." To Harry, he said, "I will, of course, be accompanying Mr. Black to the Ministry, to see that all rights are upheld. If there has been no trial, we shall have to remedy that."

"For a murderer," someone muttered, and Harry turned, furious.

"He's NOT a murderer!"

"Harry, that's enough," Sirius said softly. Harry turned to face his godfather again, biting his lip hard. "You have to let go. I promise, it'll be okay."

Someone touched his shoulders, and he jumped. It was Professor McGonagall. "Come, Potter," she said quietly. "You can do nothing here."

"What're they going..." he mumbled.

"They will take Sirius Black into custody, and his counsel," she indicated Mr. McGonagall, "will lodge an inquiry as to whether all his rights have been observed, including his right to a trial before the Wizengamot before he can be returned to prison or any...other punishment."

"Dementors," Harry hissed furiously, fighting the lump in his throat.

"The dementors no longer guard Azkaban, and his safety will be protected until the trial is over," she said firmly. "Come. Harry, you must let him go," she whispered urgently.

Shaking, Harry slowly released his godfather's arms. Sirius chucked him gently under the chin with a smile that didn't quite meet his gray eyes, then he turned, hands raised, to face the Aurors. Harry's head swam and his stomach lurched when he saw them conjuring ropes to tie his godfather, and he was sure he would either faint or throw up at any minute.

Sirius...no...Sirius...

"Remus," he whispered helplessly.

Behind him, he heard Remus saying, "Minerva, if someone else can see to Severus, I think I'll accompany Sirius as well. We're all going to have statements to give; I may as well give mine." Remus gave Harry a reassuring smile as he went to join the Aurors.

Sirius never took his eyes off Harry, and tried now and then to muster a smile as the Aurors tied him up. Harry could hear the reporters shouting questions somewhere in the background, but ignored them. Sirius and Remus were too far away now for him to hear what they were saying to each other. Then the Aurors surrounded Sirius and began marching him down toward the edge of the wards. Sirius still looked over his shoulder at Harry, mouthing, It'll be okay.

Professor McGonagall put a hand on his shoulder from behind as he swayed on his feet. He'd stood face-to-face with Voldemort multiple times, and faced moments when he was sure he was about to die, but never had Harry felt more scared than he did right now.

The Aurors, Sirius, and Remus reached the Hogsmeade road, went over the hill, and were gone.

Harry wasn't aware of much during the walk back to Hogwarts. People talked to him, possibly Professor McGonagall or Ron and Hermione, but he didn't answer. It was as if the image of the Aurors tying his godfather and marching him away to Azkaban...Azkaban...was permanently stuck in front of his eyes. That was all he could see.

Some time later, he became aware that he was in the Great Hall with the rest of the students. Someone had an arm around him, trying to get him to eat, and he blinked. It was Hermione. She was saying something, but he just shook his head.

Sirius! SIRIUS!

What's going to happen to him?

Lots of students were crying, he noticed dully. Word must have gotten around about Professor Dumbledore dying...

I loved you, Harry. Goodbye.

Or maybe Professor McGonagall had made an announcement. If she had, Harry hadn't heard it.

Someone was pressing a glass into his hand. It looked like pumpkin juice, and they wouldn't let him put it down, so he sipped it. They still wouldn't let him put it down, so he sipped again, and again, until he felt the world coming back into focus, and the fog in his shocked mind began to recede a little.

"—feel a little better, Harry?"

He blinked. Hermione was watching him with red, worried eyes. He nodded. "Yeah," he said hoarsely, and cleared his throat, taking another sip of pumpkin juice and whatever Potion was also in it. "I...sorry..."

"It's okay," said Ron, patting his back. Harry noticed that Ron's eyes were red too. "Everyone's a ruddy mess. There were twenty-seven of our people killed. Not counting...Dumbledore," he sighed. When Harry stiffened, he said quickly, "Nobody we really knew. Well, that is...Hestia Jones and Ephias Doge of the Order, but..." he shook his head. "Moody's at St. Mungo's, but they say he'll make it. Snape should get out of the Hospital Wing later tonight."

Harry swallowed hard and muttered, "Have you heard anything...about Sirius?"

Hermione shook her head. "But he's got Mr. McGonagall and Remus with him. They won't be able to just...lock him away, Harry, I promise. Mr. McGonagall won't let him. And the reporters heard you proclaiming his innocence—that'll count for something."

"It'll count for a lot," Ron agreed, patting his back again. "Hang on, mate. We'll get him back."

"We'll get him back free," Ginny added. "When it's over, he'll be exonerated, and he'll never have to hide again."

Harry rubbed his aching head. "I wish I could believe you."

"Drink some more juice," Hermione ordered him. "It's got Restorative Potion in it, and I got a stronger one from Madam Pomfrey. You've had a bad shock. We all have." She pulled a face, rubbed her eyes, and put an arm around Ron' shoulders.

Harry mustered a weak smile at her. Some things never changed. He gulped some more Potion and glanced around the Great Hall. The Slytherin table, he realized, was missing quite a few people. "We were wondering if you'd notice," said Ron.

"Malfoy's gone," Harry mused.

"Crabbe and Goyle too. And Parkinson and Bulstrode," said Hermione. She lowered her voice and said, "The word is that they disappeared yesterday after dinner. They might have been...there."

Ginny made an angry noise. "I almost hope they were."

Neville came over to them. "Everyone's asking about Harry and Sirius Black. No one knows what's going on. Didn't he..." he looked at Harry in confusion and asked cautiously, "didn't he die?"

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny winced, but Harry shook his head. "It's a long story. But what matters is he's innocent. He's my godfather."

"But I thought he killed—" Dean Thomas began, but Seamus Finnegan elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"If Harry says he's innocent, then he's innocent." He gave Harry a wry smile. "After all, you're usually right about everything." Not missing the irony in Seamus's voice, Harry found it easier to smile in return.

A rustle from the ceiling made everyone jump, but it was just the owls delivering a late edition of the Daily Prophet. "Oh, lord, here we go," Hermione muttered.

"Oh no, you don't," Ginny said sharply, and snatched the paper from Hedwig before Harry could take it. Hedwig looked put-out, but Harry called her over and fed her some carrots from the almost-untouched dinner table.

When he looked up, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, and Neville were all crowded around his copy of the paper, their faces solemn. "Well?" They looked nervously at him. "Go on, show me."

With a grimace, Ron turned the paper around. And Harry immediately wished he hadn't:

ALBUS DUMBLEDORE KILLED IN BATTLE WITH HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED!

was the screaming banner headline. And in an only slightly-smaller headline below it:

SIRIUS BLACK APPREHENDED AT HOGWARTS!
BOY-WHO-LIVED PROCLAIMS BLACK'S INNOCENCE!

Hermione hastily pulled the paper away as Harry felt blood draining from his face. He fumbled for his pumpkin juice, and took a large gulp. Ginny put a hand on his arm. "It'll be okay," she whispered.

The doors slammed open.

Everyone in the room froze as Aurors swarmed in. They were followed by Cornelius Fudge who stalked directly towards Harry, his chest puffed out with self-importance. Harry was keenly aware of Headmaster Dumbledore's absence, and from the look of him, so was Fudge.

From the Head Table, Professor McGonagall demanded, "Minister Fudge! What is the meaning of this!"

Fudge ignored her, and gave a peremptory guesture in Harry's direction. "Take him."

Immediately, Harry felt hands grab him by the arms, and he was hauled to his feet. Hermione jumped up with a cry of protest, and the nearest Auror knocked her to the ground. Surrounding Gryffindors came to their feet shouting, followed quickly by many students from the other Houses.

"MINISTER!" Professor McGonagall roared. "YOU WILL EXPLAIN THIS ACTION!"

Fudge turned to her dismissively. "As you can see, Professor McGonagall, I am placing this boy under arrest."

"Your Aurors have also just struck one of my students!" Harry stared in astonishment at Hermione, who was pulling herself to her feet, rubbing her bruised chin, and glaring daggers at the Auror who currently had a wand in her face.

"My apologies," Fudge said lazily, "but we will brook no interference."

Aurors with wands drawn were keeping the other students at bay. Harry was aware of two of them marching him towards the doors of the Great Hall, but couldn't seem to muster the energy to struggle. "Do something!" Ginny screamed.

"Minister, you have no authority to do this..." Professor McGonagall shouted, only to be cut off by Fudge.

"Your Headmaster is the only person with the authority to contest this, and in case you haven't noticed, Madam, he's gone!" Fudge gave a smile of triumph. "We'll be going now...with Mr. Potter."

Professor Smythe-Wellington calmly rose to her feet. "And with what are you charging the student, Minister?"

Fudge actually inclined his head to her. "Aiding and abetting a fugitive from Ministry Justice, Madam." Smythe-Wellington frowned, and he elaborated, "the criminal, Sirius Black."

"Ah."

Fudge turned to follow the Aurors and Harry as they moved towards the door. Maybe they'll let me share a cell with Sirius, he thought dully.

Just as the front- most Aurors and Minister Fudge reached them, the Great Hall doors slammed shut.

Harry blinked.

Fudge whirled around, eyes ablaze, to see Professor Smythe-Wellington still standing at the Head Table, but with one arm outstretched, her open hand aimed at the doors. As Harry, Fudge, the Aurors, and the students watched, she lowered her hand, reached into her belt, and drew her wand, bringing it to bear upon the Minister of Magic. "No, Minister," she announced coldly. "You will not be going now with Mr. Potter."

Fudge went purple in the face and sputtered, "How DARE you!" She merely raised her eyebrows. He waved his hand vigorously at the nearest Aurors. "Disarm her!" The Aurors gaped at him, then glanced uneasily at each other. A few of them did begin to raise their wands, but Smythe-Wellington cast a quick glance at them, and they froze. Fudge bellowed, "You cannot stop us from arresting this young criminal!"

"I believe I just did," she replied.

"You're violating the law by threatening me!"

Smythe-Wellington's lip curled, and when she spoke, her voice dripped with contempt for the Minister. "I certainly am."

"Your teacher is interfering with a lawful arrest, Professor McGonagall!" Fudge shouted.

"My teacher is acting under my authority, to protect one of my students," she replied. "And you will kindly address me now as Headmistress McGonagall."

Smythe-Wellington's lips twitched, and she turned her gaze to Harry. "You may return to your seat, Mr. Potter."

Harry didn't think he could have disobeyed her even if he'd wanted to. As he walked somewhat numbly back to the Gryffindor table, it dawned on him: Smythe-Wellington had stood up for him. She'd broken the law!

For him.

He noticed that not a single Auror was looking at him because their undivided attention was still on her. He found himself wondering distractedly what kind of teacher she must have been in the Auror program that not a single one of them could help listening to her. Blimey, Moody's going to love this.

As he sat down, Headmistress McGonagall told Fudge, "You may leave these premises now, Minister."

As Fudge sputtered inarticulately, Smythe-Wellington addressed the Aurors, "Ladies and gentlemen, kindly escort the Minister off Hogwarts grounds."

Slowly, red-robed wizards lowered their wands, and with a furious snarl, Fudge turned and stalked out the door. The Aurors trailed out after him, but as they went, a few glanced over their shoulders at Smythe-Wellington with expressions of awe. One of them even raised his wand to his forehead in a mock-salute. She nodded.

"Bloody hell!" Ron breathed. "I think I love that woman!"

"Which one?" Neville laughed. "Smythe-Wellington or McGonagall?"

"Both, and that's Headmistress McGonagall," said Ginny. She sighed sadly, "Poor Professor Dumbledore. But I think Professor McGonagall will do just fine."

"No arguments here," agreed Ron, sitting down. "Eh, Harry?"

There was no answer. They all looked around in surprise.

"Harry?"

Harry closed the door behind him at the side entrance to the Great Hall, then broke into a run. He couldn't take anymore. He had no idea where he was going, and didn't care, he just couldn't bear to be in the presence of a single person for a moment longer.

So he ran.

The rest of the school was deserted. The portraits were weeping softly for Professor Dumbledore, so he ran past them, trying to find some place where he wouldn't have to hear another human voice.

He couldn't take it. Dumbledore was gone. Sirius—Sirius!—was in Azkaban again. Who knew when or if Harry would ever see him again.

Voldemort would be coming after him sooner or later, and he had no idea what to do.

I can't do this.

Eventually, he was in the deeper corridors where there were fewer portraits and suits of armor, but he kept going. He didn't want to see anyone. He couldn't see anyone. So he went deeper.

He came to a halt somewhere very deep in the dungeons. He wondered if he was anywhere near where he'd first seen the Mirror of Erised. Probably deeper still. Maybe near the Chamber of Secrets?

He curled up on the cold, damp stones, with his arms wrapped around his knees. He didn't cry, but he almost wished he could. The pain inside him hurt too much to cry. He felt like his insides were slowly burning. With a whimpering little groan, he rocked slightly. I'm so pathetic.

He wondered what he'd see in the Mirror of Erised if he ever found it again. Maybe the world without me. Dumbledore wouldn't have died. Sirius...Mum...Dad...they'd all be alive. The Weasleys would be safe...maybe Percy would be alive too.

He was useless. He couldn't help anyone. He couldn't stop them from arresting Sirius. He'd fallen asleep when Dumbledore and the Order had been marching off to fight.

He didn't know how to fight Voldemort. He didn't know how to kill him.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!

"Harry?"

He gasped aloud and lurched sideways, his heart in his throat. Standing a few yards away, at the turn of the dark dungeon corridor was Ginny, looking at him with concerned eyes. Harry gulped back his initial panic and stammered, "What—what're you—how'd you get here?"

"Would you believe I asked Peeves?" she said with a dry smile. When he just stared, she nodded. "I did. And once I got down here it was easy enough to find you. When'd you learn to do that Lumos thing?"

Harry blinked. "What?"

Ginny frowned. "Harry, haven't you noticed?"

He looked around in confusion, then it dawned on him. He'd gone charging into the deepest, darkest part of the dungeon with neither lantern nor lit wand, but hadn't had any trouble seeing, because...his whole body was glowing!

As soon as he realized it, the light vanished, plunging both him and Ginny into blackness. "Oh, bother," she muttered. "Lumos." Light from the tip of her wand re-illuminated their small patch of corridor. When Harry didn't speak, she came slowly to kneel in front of him. "Look, I...I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, I was just worried. Ron and Hermione panicked when you disappeared."

"I just wanted to be alone," he mumbled.

Ginny nodded. "I figured, but...well, I just thought maybe you shouldn't." He stared at her, and she hastily raised her hands, making him wince in the light from her wand. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to intrude. We're just worried about you. We know how upset you are."

Harry sat back against the wall, resting his chin on his knees and looking away from her. That stupid lump was in his throat again, and his insides were burning more fiercely than ever. How could he explain to her how much he hated himself? How much he hated being alive. How could she understand that?

Then her hand came to rest gently on his back, and to his utter humiliation, he sobbed. Ginny wrapped her arms around him, and it was too late to keep her from catching him, so he just let her hug him, biting his lips to hold back a howl of misery. She was kind of like her mum in the way she held him, and yet...not. Ginny just rested her chin on top of his head and didn't say anything while he shook and tried not to let her hear him sobbing.

Keeping his face lowered so she couldn't see (not that he was fooling her, but he still had to try), he wiped his eyes with his hands, trying to sniffle quietly. "All right?" she murmured.

"Uh-huh," he managed, and to his relief, his voice was almost steady.

Ginny gently patted his back, and he felt steady enough to sit up again and say thanks for putting up with his blubbering.

Except that his nose was only about one inch from hers, her brown eyes very large in the light from her wand...

Oh, lord, not steady anymore!

She blinked. He blinked. Say something, you bloody idiot, say something...ohhh... He couldn't stop staring at her face. Her mouth was slightly open; apparently she was as surprised as he was. He could see little strands of her red hair on the side of her face illuminated by the wand, catching the light, brushing against the light freckles on her pale skin, and...

Somehow, their faces had gotten even closer, and it seemed the natural thing to do...the only thing to do...

Some moments later, Ginny's wand went out. They broke apart, startled, and Ginny swore under her breath. He heard her fumbling, and tried to take a minute to get his spinning mind under control. He'd had his eyes shut for a minute there, but now he found himself wanting to see her face in the light again...

Dim light returned to the corridor. Ginny gasped. "How'd you do that!"

Harry's hands were glowing. "Wow," he rasped. "I...dunno." He held his hands up. "Weird."

Ginny put her hand over one of his, waving it back and forth to see the effect of the light on her skin. "I kind of like it."

There, he could see her face again, but the light wasn't close enough...the next thing he knew, he was holding his hands up to either side of Ginny's face, fascinated in a very strange way about the way the wandless Lumos from his hands lit up her skin and her hair and her brown eyes, and then her face was coming closer to him again, and he was actually touching her cheeks, and...

They broke apart again. This time, because Harry had realized what he was doing. "Oh my g...Ginny, I'm...I'm sorry!"

Reaching for her wand, Ginny stared at him. "Sorry?"

"I—I mean—I didn't mean to...uh..." Harry babbled, his face turning red. He lowered his hands, and Ginny lit the tip of her wand, frowning at him. "I didn't mean to...touch you like that, I mean...not that I didn't...I just..."

Ginny relaxed a little. "Harry, it's not like I wasn't...uh..."

"Yeah," Harry muttered. "I just...I don't want to..." Merlin's beard, his face was burning. He hoped she couldn't see it in the dim light. "I donwannahurtyou," he mumbled.

Ginny dropped her eyes. "I guess maybe the timing was a little bad."

"I—yeah, I shouldn't have—"

"Don't apologize," she sighed.

"I mean, I—wait!" he caught her arm without thinking. "I like you! I do, I just...shouldn't have done...that...here...now, when I was just...upset. I mean...youjusdeservebetter."

There was water dripping steadily somewhere nearby, and Ginny stared at him. Then, slowly, she began to smile. "Oh. Okay. Well, I, er, I'm glad you think so, but I was upset too." At his puzzled expression, she bristled. "I was upset about Professor Dumbledore and Sirius too. And..." she broke off, looking away from him, and he kicked himself.

Percy—you bloody, insensitive GIT!

"Ginny, I'm sorry! I should've seen..." without even thinking, he grabbed her and hugged her, and felt her shudder in his arms.

"'s okay," she mumbled. "Happens sometimes, I dunno what'll bring it on." She sniffled. "Really, you don' have to—oh, bother." She sniffled again. "You don't have to feel like you were, you know, using me. I mean...I needed, you know..."

"Comfort?" he asked, feeling blood rush to his face again.

"Yeah," she laughed nervously. Then she took a deep breath and stepped back, shyly putting a hand on his cheek. "I did come here to try and make you feel better."

"Well, it worked. I mean, er, you did," Harry said, grinning sheepishly.

She definitely blushed at that, and smiled back. "Well, now I feel better too." The smile left her face, and she cautiously stepped toward him. Harry swallowed hard, stepped toward her, and her wand clattered to the floor, plunging them into darkness.

Ginny snickered. So did he.

Quite some time later, they were hurrying back out of the dungeons. "I hope you know where we are, because I don't," Harry muttered.

"I think I do," Ginny replied. "We're down near those old sections Filch always said students got tortured in for detention."

"That doesn't help much," he said dryly.

Ginny peered around a corner and beckoned to him. "I think..." she murmured, "we're not...too...far..." she peered down a side corridor, "from Snape's office. I just hope he's not back from the hospital wi—"

They both spotted the light emanating from around the bend in the corridor up ahead and fell silent. Harry put out their light, and they carefully crept ahead. Snape, he mouthed at Ginny.

"With his door open?" she whispered, looking doubtful. Harry grimaced in agreement, and they inched their way through the darkness. "There might be another way around."

"Hang on," he whispered, motioning her back. She frowned, but waited, and he crept ahead. Cautiously, he peered around the corner.

It was indeed the corridor where Snape's office was located; Harry could see his door. And he could see the black-robed figure huddled in front of it. There was a white mask by the figure's feet. He must have stiffened, because Ginny was suddenly right behind him, peering around his shoulder.

The figure had a small lantern burning beside him, and all Harry could see were two pale hands wrapped around the black cloth, as though the figure had drawn his knees up to his chest. Snape's office door was closed, and there was no sign of him...

There were footsteps coming down the corridor from the other direction. Ginny grabbed his arm, and Harry did a quick Disillusionment Charm on them both. The figure in front of the office door moved as the noises came closer.

It was Snape, still moving stiffly from his previous injuries. Harry readied his wand in case the Death Eater tried to harm the Potions Master, but Snape already had his wand out. He stopped several yards from the robed figure on the floor, and waited until the as-yet-unknown Death Eater stumbled to his feet.

As he did, his black hood slipped back, and Harry and Ginny both stiffened.

"Well?" Snape said quietly, his face carefully neutral. "What do you want?"

Draco Malfoy drew a shaky breath that echoed in the corridor. The words he spoke, in a small, desperate voice, echoed even louder.

"I want out."

To be continued...

Coming Soon (I promise): A Snape-POV chapter tells us Draco Malfoy's story as Severus works to obtain sanctuary for him with the Order—and we get a look into a similar experience in Snape's past. Severus ponders how he arrived at this moment, and joins others in carrying on the legacy of Albus Dumbledore in Chapter Forty: Three Little Words.

PLEASE don't forget to review!