Disclaimer: Ok, way to close to HBP release to come up w/ a witty disclaimer. Y'all know the drill. Moving on quickly!

A/N: Me likey reviews, me likey reviews!

Chapter Seventeen: The Battle Begins

Harry movements were more reflex than training. He dodged a powerful curse, throwing the same one back over his shoulder and was rewarded with a gurgled cry of pain. He log-rolled onto his stomach to look back at Ron. The youngest Weasley son was clutching a defeated Fred, shooting curses back to back. They were sitting ducks. "Ron!"

Snape rolled his eyes and pulled Fred by his collar back towards the woods, Ron and Harry acted quickly to block for their teacher. Several meters into the forest, the three wizards crouched around Fred. "Bloody Weasley!"

"Hey!"

Harry shushed Ron. "So now what? With Fred like this, he'll get himself killed."

"I'll stay with him." Ron stated. Snape nodded and motioned for Harry to follow suit in taking several steps away from the brothers. He quickly set a ward that would alert Ron if anyone approached. "Good luck Harry...and I guess you too...Professor Snape."

Harry winked and stumbled when Severus pulled him back towards the fray. "You guys are the only family I got...Love you, mate." He prayed that he would see both again.

"Oh shit." The Gryffindor paused when he saw the fighting then took a deep breath and started to work his way towards the cave opening, staying close to Snape. A Deatheater flew past him, colliding with a heavy tree trunk with a smack after being blasted by Tonks. She smiled and nodded to Harry. "Stupefy!" He blasted a Deatheater that was charging at the now blue haired witch in retaliation and nodded back.

Bill leg-swiped a particularly heavyset wizard then blasted him at point blank range. He was glad that his father had insisted on having him learn muggle fighting techniques; the bigoted fools hadn't the slightest idea of how to defend themselves. Then there was his magic. He easily cast a reflective spell to repel a curse but had modified the spell to intensify its intent. He smirked to himself when the Deatheater was hit with a crucio that had been amplified tenfold. A bright flash out to the corner of his eye drew his attention to Harry and Snape fighting several Deatheaters at once.

"Blood traitor!" A witch cried shrilly and rushed towards Bill.

"Oh, that was original!" He shrugged her off with an expelliarmus and continued to watch in awe. Years of secret training that Dumbledore had insisted on had resulted in the two fighting perfectly in sync. As Harry ducked, Snape attacked; when Severus repelled, Harry threw a curse as well. Both were working quickly towards the opening. Bill dispatched a few more attackers and began to follow the two wizards. Several Aurors and Order members had fought their way in as well. Once past the false wall, the group found a wide set of stairs that wound down into the darkness.

"Oh God!" Harry gagged when they were halfway down the steps. "What is that smell!"

"Blood." Snape and Bill stated in unison. The Potions master however added, "Yes, you get used to it." Harry and Bill blinked a few times at Snape, whose large nose twitched dramatically then proceeded down the stairs.

"Bit eerie this is." Bill muttered. "We're almost ambushed at the entrance, now... that can't be all of them-" The soft echo of a thud was traveling upwards from further down the stairs. "Wickerlotham?"

"On it." A stout blonde wizard pulled out was looked like a ball of woven twigs. He ignited the ball which cast a soft green glow then threw it down the stairs. "Don't worry young Master Potter, only we can see it."

Harry's smile fell when he followed the trail of light. At least a hundred meters down, a new set of Deatheaters were rushing up the stairs, most unmasked, all armed. "They're ready for us. There's got to be at least thirty of them."

"Yes and they think that they are hidden in darkness." Lupin spoke up from behind the group.

"Too right!" A frizzy haired witch pushed her glasses higher up her nose."Take position! Break, now!"

Harry followed Bill, who motioned him into a magically widened crevice in the cave wall. Bill stepped in also, blocking Harry's view and cramping both in. "Bill?" Harry grumbled with his face pressed against the wall.

"Quiet! We need to get down the stairs to the main door with as many Deatheaters past us as possible." Bill searched the growing darkness as the ball's light faded and all had extinguished their wands. He saw a wand held by a pale hand brush past a pointed nose then disappear into a similar dark crevice. Bill smiled. This is going to be fun.

Harry found himself holding his breath as the first set of Deatheaters crept past. He clutched the ring around his neck and sighed to himself.

"On my mark, we slip out and head towards the doors at full run, got it?" Harry nodded. "Good...ready?" The second group had passed just moments before. "Alright, quietly." Bill stepped out sideways, Harry followed suit. "Let's go." He whispered.

After that, all Harry heard was the blood rushing in his ears as he bolted for the doors. Harry cheered to himself when he approached the last set of stairs that were lighted at all times with torches just as Pettigrew insisted there would be. As his feet touched the base of the stairs, he saw a corridor and, thank God, huge double doors. A blast above indicated that the Deatheaters had realized that they had traveled too far and a battle was ensuing.

"Go Harry! I'll cover you." Bill patted Harry's shoulder. Snape rushed down the stairs.

"Move, boy!" Snape cursed vehemently and continued to run for the doors. "Weasley's got this. He's one of the few decent ones created."

"Gee thanks."

Harry gained a second wind and began to head for the doors. He could hear the fight reach the base but did not dare look back. He trusted that Bill would cover him. He heard Snape yell the spell that Pettigrew had given them to open the door. Harry laughed when the doors swung open.

Bill heard the loud creak of the doors opening as he came face to face with one of the unmasked Deatheaters. He recognized Bill immediately. "Well," he hissed as the two began to circle each other. "If you aren't the spitting image of your uncle, Fabian." The eldest son flushed momentarily. "Oh, yes. So eager to join the fray. If only you had one of you brothers here; it would have been perfect."

"Antonin Dolohov. I'm afraid you'll find that I am much more resilient than my uncle. I also must advise that you are fighting alone this time. Your Deatheater mates are attained just as much as you are. But why talk?" Bill bowed at the waist, never breaking eye contact.

Dolohov smirked and returned the bow. "So eager to die. I've always taken such pleasure in destroying your kind. You're such a foolish bl-"

"Blood traitor, got it." Bill smiled. "Here we go!" He said as he flipped backward to avoid a curse. Landing in a crouch, he quickly retaliated "Discerpo terra." Aiming his wand at Dolohov's feet.

The Deatheater yelped as the ground at his feet cracked and upturned, causing him to fall onto his back. Bill rushed to him and yelled. "Comburo velox!" A bright green flame burst from the wand quickly engulfing Dolohov, who began to scream in anguish. Bill sighed and turned to run towards the open door.

He had just stepped into the doorway when he realized that the screaming had stopped. It was a quick burning spell, yet... Bill whirled around just in time to see a severely burned Deatheater crawling on the floor with his wand aimed directly at him. The curse was muttered before Bill could recover from the sight of his near death attacker. The eldest Weasley son saw a flash of bright light and fell to his knees. Mom's gonna kill me, he thought before he slumped into nothingness.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Harry stopped when he reached the three doors at the end of what had seemed like an endless hall. At least it felt that way to his side. Snape had fallen just a few strides behind him. "Well, Professor which one did that shit of a man say it was?"

"He didn't. He suggested the one directly ahead of us."

"Yeah? Fan-bloody-tastic." Harry rolled his eyes. At that moment Wickerlotham was hurled past him and hit head first into the stone door. It took a moment for the young wizard to realize that he was dead. He turned to see a group of four Deatheaters facing the two.

Snape quickly attacked, blasting a witch into the wizard closest to her, knocking both unconscious. He bound them and moved on to the the next Deatheater, who was more prepared. The fight was short but intense and after a sharp stab in his shoulder from a ill-aimed curse that could have killed him, Snape had dispatched of his opponent. There was a bellow of pain from Harry. Snape rushed towards the fight that his student was loosing. He recognized the attacker as Rodolphus Lestrange. His wand was pointed dead at Harry, who was slumped against the wall opposite Lestrange. Snape jumped between the two, taking the curse in his stomach just as he yelled "avada kedarva". He landed with a hard thud causing blood to shoot from his mouth.

Harry blinked at Lestrange's corpse then stood and knelt by Snape. "Professor Snape?" He carefully turned him over, relieved to see that he was alive, though seriously injured. "Are- are you?"

"I will live." Severus hissed as Harry helped him sit up. "I'm going to need several potions and intense recuperation but I will live. Help me stand." Harry quickly helped Snape stand only to have him slump back to the floor. "Carefully Potter! Bloody idiot!"

"No offense, Professor, but it would seem that you're the bloody idiot, literally." Harry smiled. "Here I'll levitate you. Really, jumping to save someone you can't stand." Harry opened the door to their right, which turned out to be a cold room that was designed for torture or interrogation, probably both. He levitated Snape to rest behind a large stone table where he could see anyone coming with enough time to determine if the person were friend or foe. "Thanks Professor."

"For what? I only jumped so that I could kill Lestrange when he wasn't expecting it. Saving you was the price that I had to pay."

Harry smirked at the weak attempt at denial. They respected each other by now, if not liked each other. "Yeah, well I only thanked you because no one was around to hear it and I will deny it if asked."

"Fair enough. I'd-" Snape groaned as he tried to situate himself. "I'd take the door directly ahead. Careful though. We've yet to come across the Malfoys, Bellatrix or Volde- Vol-"

"Got it. Thanks for the warning."

As Harry reached the door, he heard Snape say. "Yes, well I can't let my sacrifice be for not. In other words try not to get killed."

"I'll give it a decent shot." Harry chuckled then opened the door that revealed more stairs that led further underground. He gripped his wand and began to trot down into the unknown, alone.

A/N: I have a brief note but I gotta move on to the next chappie. For mysterious: I had to leave you in suspnse. It's called karma after all that cliff hanging you put me through (big smile). Also huuuge thanx to everyone who reviewed as well as all the new readers, welcome and make yourselves at home. Just please try not to break anything. See y'all later.