Silence, the lights flashed back on. Ron lay on the floor holding his knee and swearing, Hermione had pressed herself against the wall. She didn't move for a time, catching her breath, trying to calm down. "…Ron, are you all right?" Ron looked up and cursed again.

"Oh yeah, I'm bloody brilliant Hermione. Same way I am every time disembodied voices whisper weird words in pitch black cold as ice rooms! How are you?" She frowned at him, he pretended not to notice. Harry opened his eyes slowly, blinked, and jumped up with a cry. Hermione and Ron turned stunned.

"Harry! There you are!"

"How did you get here!"

"If that was you Harry I'll kill you!"

"Stop guys stop! Hold on, slow down!" both Hermione and Ron took a deep breath,

"You scared us to death!"

"Thought you were dead!"

"Everyone's been searching..!"

"Should have showed your face you bloody..!"

"I'm so mad at you I can't tell you how mad I am at you!"

Hermione stopped, blushed. "…Well, I can tell you, I've been telling you…" Ron and Harry continued to stare. "Oh, stop it! I'm mad at you! And you're not helping!" Harry blinked, Ron shook his head silently.

"…wow…" she glared a bit harder, "…um, I mean… sorry for worrying you..? I was trapped in the painting, and…"

"Told you there was something weird about the painting!"

"Oh, shut up Ron."

Severus Snape watched as the lights flickered back on above his head, he shuffled a wing softly. Below the Aurors got to their feet with exclamations of horror and fled deeper into the compound. Black feathers ruffled, the beak clicked, and three toes released the rafter as he flapped to another. He stopped, shuffled his wings, shuffled, …shuffled…
(No…no more, please no more, I can't, I…not again… why am I here..?) Folded the feathers, closed his eyes. (…I am…I…I am…damn.) He blinked, cawed deep in his throat. (…it was that thing… it did, it… what, who am… I am Severus Snape.) And instantly he shifted and fell to the floor with a cry of shock. He lay there a moment, stunned. "…that actually really hurt." Footsteps down the passage, swiftly he ducked into the shadows as an Auror passed by. (Is it any wonder this war has grown so stale? The armies are filled with idiots…) keeping to the dark he moved swiftly but silently down towards the main hall. (That creature… is becoming much more than a hassle. I was nearly stuck this time…)

It had happened before, he had been flying and the creature had spoken. Instantly his mind had fogged, wings locked and spasmed, it hadn't hurt…no, but its never exactly pleasant to feel ones mind sucked away. He had been lucky then as well, others hadn't. Mcnair would be a ram for the rest of his life. There was nothing in his head anymore, well, save a deep-set love for grass…
(The sooner I can reach my target, the sooner I can leave… …it almost seems too quiet here…) The light flickered, Snape looked at the lamp, watched the flame turn blue. Watched his breath as it misted, heard the floor start to crack…

"…Oh shit."

And for the second time, the light died.

Nagini hissed as Voldemort abruptly stood, depositing her on the grass. He watched the horizon, watched the blackness role past them, further, further down. (Pain!) He leaned against the wall, eyes shut to block it out. (It has found a way in, past all guards it has found a way… how, where is the hole? Where is the link…!) The red eyes flashed open. "…Damn You Pottrrrrrroooooaaar!" Death eaters scrambled from the tents, Lucius turned to see the source of the commotion, and blanched. The tiger leapt over him, bounded across the camp and vanished into the trees.