A/N: Guys, if I haven't said this before, I'm going to say it now. I love you. All of you. You have no idea what a rush it is to open up your email and to find another three reviews for your story. 432 reviews. I am still flabbergasted let me tell you.

Here's chapter 14 and before you all hit me, yes, it is a cliffy.

"Where is he?" Hermione fretted, biting her fingernail worriedly.

She glanced around the solemn common room, knowing they were all thinking the same thing she was. Where hell was Harry Potter when he was needed? She was nervous, Harry never failed to show up when needed, but the last she had heard from him was right before he took Severus and Draco outside for an impromptu picnic. They had been outside and Hermione prayed that they were smart enough to get inside with the first wail of the alarms. She didn't want to think about what could happen if they hadn't.

She jumped slightly when someone wrapped their arms around her waist, fingers splayed on her stomach. Gooseflesh rose on her skin as warm breath rushed past her ears.

"I'm sure he's fine Mione," Ron whispered reassuringly, kissing her temple as he tugged her closer to him.

"Are you sure you'll be able to do this alone, Draco?" Harry asked, cradling Severus' slumbering form against his chest. The little boy had fallen asleep a few moments ago, surprising both Harry and Draco. Harry carefully took off the forest green mittens and the loosely bound scarf and stuffed them in his pocket.

"You're needed elsewhere now Harry," Draco said in response. He gently took Severus from Harry, carefully maneuvering him so his head was resting against Draco's shoulder. They watched in silence as Pansy, the last one to read the parchment, stepped into the flames. She seemed deeply disgusted with herself as she threw the powder down and vanished.

Harry nodded to Draco. He clutched the self-inking quill and pieces of remaining parchment in his fist, waiting for the blonde and the five-year-old to disappear into the floo network.

"Be careful," he said, pressing a kiss to both boys' foreheads before stepping back.

"Shouldn't I be saying that to you?" Draco quirked an amused eyebrow, but Harry could still see the worry.

"What do you mean?" he scoffed. "I'm always careful."

Draco's smirk softened into a smile. "You are so infuriating Potter."

"Don't you know it," Harry said, pulling out his wand. His expression went serious as he stared at the two most important people in the world to him. He stood there uncertainly. There was a good chance he wouldn't make it back alive. He didn't want to leave them but he had to. He had to go and evacuate the rest of the school. The only reason he had stuck around with the Slytherin's as long as he had was because of who was there. Otherwise he would have been long gone by now. He knew the Slytherin's were the least stupid bunch in the school when it came to self preservation and if they were given an out they would take it, reluctantly of course and with a due amount of distrust, but they would take it and go.

The Gryffindor's would go unquestioningly, just because it was Harry who told them to, and they listened to him. Merlin knew why they did, but it would help him more now. The Ravenclaw's might take some convincing but even then they would go once they got all the facts from him. Hufflepuff, Harry didn't even worry about. They would leave with a cheerful smile to anywhere they were ordered to. It made them unique. It made him miss Cedric. He shook his head, wondering why he thought of the long dead boy now. Perhaps it was because he needed the Hufflepuffs to be strong like he was now, or perhaps he just wished he were alive still. He needed an ally with as much recklessness as he had in another house and Cedric had that in abundance. He just hadn't flaunted it in the way Harry did.

"Go," he urged, wanting them gone before he broke down.

Draco nodded, taking a scoop of floo powder from his pouch and shoving the rest of them at Harry. He inhaled unevenly catching a glimpse of the depression lurking in the corner of Harry's eyes. There was nothing he could do about it now though. The last thing he saw as he disappeared into the floo was a single tear trailing down Harry's pale cheek.

"Professor!" Hermione called, racing towards her head of house, needing answers. She needed to know what was going on. The alarms had stopped a good solid twenty minutes ago now and what bothered her most was nothing was happening. She tucked a strand of her frizzy brown hair behind her ear as she neared McGonagall with trepidation. Hermione had never seen her head of house so…frail. She edged around the couch until she was standing in front of the elderly woman. "Professor McGonagall?"

The deputy headmistress slowly raised her head and peered at her with a careworn expression. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Professor, what's going on? Where is Harry?"

No one had dared to ask her when she had first shown up. One look at her was enough to cow them all into silence. They obeyed her every command not wanting to face her wrath if they dared question her. But now Hermione couldn't help herself. She needed answers or she was liable to explode from tension and anxiety. She didn't do well at all without knowing every detail about a situation.

"Death Eater's, Miss Granger, have broken through almost all of Hogwart's wards." McGonagall's impassive gaze rested on Hermione's anxious face. "As for Mr. Potter, Merlin himself can't predict what that boy will do, he could be anywhere."

Hermione scowled, but she knew her professor was quite correct. Harry was the single most reckless person she had even met.

Knowing that was no great relief either.

"Mione, you need to relax."

Hermione whirled around her face plastered with shock. He was here, he was finally where he was supposed to be. She could hear the excited whispers race through the common room and knew she wasn't just seeing things. She jumped and wrapped her arms around Harry's neck tightly, crying into his shoulder. "You're an idiot Potter! A real jerk! I hope you know that," Hermione sniffled, pulling away. She smacked his shoulder hard feeling satisfied when he winced in pain.

Draco slumped down in a comfy armchair in Harry's living room. He gazed around at the other Slytherin's who seemed suspicious of every piece of furniture in the room and had taken to standing around like morons.

"Oh will you just sit down!" he snapped, pinching the bridge of his nose. Severus was napping on the black leather couch beside Draco's chair. Draco wasn't sure how long Severus would stay like that. Aside from being five-years-old, meaning his naps were unpredictable, he had been switching back and forth from Snape to Severus so often Draco couldn't rely on the quiet for long. The entire ordeal was beginning to give him a huge headache.

"Draco, how much longer will we have to stay in this dreadful place?" Pansy simpered, curling up at his feet like a faithful lapdog. Draco felt ill and prodded her away from him with his knees. "Aw Dracie what's wrong?" she cooed, batting her overly painted eyelids at him. He grit his teeth, his fingers gripping the fabric of his chair.

"Miss Parkinson, perhaps it would be wise to go curl up in a corner and die. At least then we wouldn't have to hear your irritating voice any longer."

Draco heard sniggering from some of the older students and had to resist the urge to join them.

Pansy sputtered indignantly, clamoring to her feet ungracefully. "Sir!" she shrieked in her horribly betrayed voice. Draco wondered if she knew she sounded like metal grating against stone when she talked.

Harry had been suffering Hermione's inane game of twenty questions as she tried to get him to tell her every detail of his life from the past few hours. It was annoying and distracting, because really all he wanted to do was speak to his head of house and tell her of his plan. For all he knew at the moment

Dumbledore could have come up with a better one by now, but from the frazzled state his professor was in, he knew he hadn't.

"Hermione, please, ask me later," he begged, gripping her shoulder tightly. It was bad enough her eyes kept flickering to his unflawed forehead. He could just hear her asking about it in front of everyone and their reaction when they found out exactly why his scar had vanished.

"I know a diversionary tactic when I see it Harry," Hermione stated aggressively.

"Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall snapped, intervening. Hermione blushed and stammered an apology. McGonagall pursed her lips as she gazed between the head girl and the boy-who-lived.

"Mr. Potter, did Albus tell you anything?"

"No, ma'am," Harry answered, his voice clearly carrying his irritation with the entire situation.

McGonagall scowled, the worry lines on her forehead deepening as she stared around the room full of her students. They were her responsibility and she had to plan accordingly. She couldn't just leave them all here.

"Professor?" Harry asked, his eyes shining with determination and a tinge of anger.

"What is it Potter?"

"Ma'am, the Slytherin's have already been evacuated to a safe house," he said, pulling out the three remaining pieces of parchment each with a different address on them. He handed one of them to her. "This is my house in the south of France. I had it refurbished last summer, and had it hidden and made unplottable."

McGonagall stared at him in shock. Her eyes widened almost imperceptibly, but the pride radiating through was enough to make Harry blush.

Draco couldn't believe how fast that went. One moment he had been staring at a five-year-old and suddenly a thirty-seven-year-old was in his place. Not that it went that fast or that smoothly. As a matter of fact Draco had felt rather at a loss when Severus had started screaming like the house was collapsing around him. He had done the only thing he could think of at the time and had raced up to the master bedroom and lain Severus' writhing body on the soft, fluffy bedspread. Draco managed to remove the child's clothing before the actual change in size occurred, hoping to avert a potential crisis. It didn't take long for Severus' skin to start rippling and the sound of bones breaking to begin. He only hoped Severus couldn't feel it, especially if it was as horrible as it looked.

It had taken maybe five minutes total for the changes to finish and when it had Draco felt a pang of sadness. He knew Harry would take this change harder than anyone else, he only hoped Snape wouldn't make it harder on his friend.

Harry was ready to go to Ravenclaw tower when the entire castle shuddered. He stumbled forward and crashed into Hermione. A confused look crossed his features as he stared around at the upturned furniture and frightened students. It took him a moment to remember what he was doing and where he was about to go and with that came the horrifying revelation of what the shuddering could have been.

"Please tell me that wasn't," he began, gulping when he caught the terrified expression on his professors face.

"Mr. Malfoy, stop gawking," Snape grumbled, sitting up slowly.

"Sir, I wouldn't-!" Draco advised averting his eyes.

Snape glanced down and growled. "Care to tell me, Mr. Malfoy, why am I naked?"

Harry was trembling. He was standing at the entrance of Hogwarts alone. The ground around him shook as spell upon spell smashed into the castle's ancient walls. It wouldn't be long now before the death eaters entered the castle and then…Harry swallowed nervously. There was no one to back him up this time. None of the order had been alerted, Dumbledore had locked himself in his tower, and all the professors were helping with the students. They had all urged him to go with them. That it wasn't worth it. And maybe they were right. Harry clenched his wand tightly in his right hand. The careworn floors buckled and cracked beneath his feet and it was all he could do to remain standing.

Perhaps he should have listened to their advice.

"Harry!"

Harry gasped as arms wrapped around his shoulder's steadying him as the earth beneath his sneakers continued bucked and roiled.

"How?" he asked, his voice shaking with relief. He wouldn't be alone. They hadn't left him alone. Someone had come back for him, to stand with him. He leaned backwards feeling dizzy and nauseous, but secure. The musty smell of careworn books and mint drifted through his nostrils as he inhaled deeply. Even now when it seemed like the world was going to end that scent calmed his fraying nerves. He missed Remus, missed him almost as much as he missed seeing Snape stalk down the corridors of the castles.

Harry felt horrible about not visiting the werewolf more often, but he hadn't had the time. He had planned on visiting him during Easter break but that didn't look like it would be happening anytime soon.

"Fawkes set off the alarm."

Harry nodded, closing his eyes briefly. He knew the Death Eater's still vastly outnumbered them and that retreat would be inevitable. But as long as they could take some of them out. Just get a handful of Death Eaters out of the way, and then maybe, maybe the actual final battle wouldn't be as costly.

"Remus, who else is coming?" he asked, turning around. His eyes widened in amazement. Kingsley had just appeared to his right and directly behind Remus stood Tonks.

"Wotcher Harry," Tonks said brightly, her pink spiky hair shone brilliantly in the halls. "What's this I hear about you fighting alone?"

Harry flushed, realizing how stupid it sounded now. He wasn't a God. He was a teenage boy.

"I-I," he stammered embarrassed. Immense satisfaction washed over him as slowly more and more of the order appeared in the entrance hall to Hogwarts.

"Sir, Harry told us to stay-"

"Mr. Malfoy, I am very aware of what Mr. Potter had to say on this matter, but the bloody little fool is going to run headlong into danger, not even aware of what the potion I gave him will do for him!"

"Sir," Draco tried again in desperation. "Sir, what about the rest of the Slytherin's?"

"What about them?" Snape grumbled. "They are quite capable of taking care of themselves. Do you want Potter to live or not?"

Draco blanched. "Live. Of course."

"Then I am leaving."

Draco stood back as Snape rifled through Harry's closet looking for something to wear and finally settled on a plain black t-shirt and a pair of too small black jeans that he had to lengthen. It took him a moment to realize his professor had performed wandless magic. It took a great amount of willpower to not let his mouth hang open in shock at the display, no matter how small. He had only seen it a handful of times before and never for something so casual as a clothing altering charm. He ran a hand through his hair, mussing up the perfectly styled strands, not that he noticed or cared. It was more important to keep an eye on his professor. There had to be something wrong with him, no one came back from being five-years-old perfectly fine, especially the way he had.

Draco bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself from commenting on Snape's wardrobe choices. He was certain Snape had never worn something so completely muggle in his life. He watched as his head of house examined his appearance in the mirror.

"Remus," Harry whispered, edging towards his only remaining link to his family. Everything had gone silent a few seconds ago and it left everyone on edge. The air sang with the tension that was building. Something was going to happen, someone was going to make the first move.

"Yes, Harry?" The werewolf kept his wand down by his side loosely, but Harry could see the muscles tensing in his arms and knew he wasn't relaxed or as calm as he outwardly appeared.

Impulsively, Harry hugged him. He couldn't stand this much longer. Everything was piling higher and higher and soon it would all come tumbling down and when it did he hoped everyone made it out alive. "What's this all about Harry?" Remus questioned softly, returning the embrace easily.

Harry shivered. Of all the people here he worried about his surrogate godfather the most. The full moon had been two nights before and Remus still appeared ragged at the edges. He knew it had been rough for the werewolf without the potion. Harry hadn't even thought of that until now and he felt oddly guilty about it even though it wasn't his fault and it wasn't like Remus was blaming him either. He hugged the haggard man closer.

"Don't die, all right?" he mumbled, half hoping Remus didn't hear that bit of sentimental dribble.

Draco had been ordered to stay put, like he hadn't wanted to join in the "festivities" anyways. Well, all right he had. He wanted to be by Harry's side badly, but knew better than to argue the point. There were still people who thought he was still fighting for Voldemort's cause. His aunt for one would be especially displeased if he showed up fighting side by side with Harry Potter himself. He cringed realizing they were probably wondering where he was right about then.

"There you are, Draco."

Draco eyed the audacious first year apprehensively. It didn't surprise him that he had been found, it wasn't exactly like he was hiding. Plus now that Snape had vanished to go help Harry he was left alone. But this still begged the question: Why were they looking for him in the first place?

"I'm not going anywhere, Harry," Remus reassured him, pressing a kiss to Harry's brow. It was as this was said that the grand doors smashed open, crashing into the walls, splintering the wood. A purple spell whizzed over Harry's head and dissipated as it hit the wall behind him and Remus.

Draco couldn't believe he had been suckered into a game of exploding snap. He felt like a bloody Gryffindor, this was not a very Slytherin-esque game, but it was keeping the first years quiet and he would do anything to maintain that quiet for as long as possible. It let him think, and worry, and strategies, and occasionally pray, but that was only very occasionally and it was usually whenever he thought of Harry being hit by the killing curse, his lifeless body staring blankly at the world, mouth hanging open permanently in shock.

Spells were being flung carelessly at the encroaching band of death eaters. There was no aim other than the mass of black cloaks heading in their direction. As long as no one managed to enter the castle they were safe. But they could only keep this up so long. Soon the more seasoned Death Eater's would step up and that would be when the real battle would begin. Harry was already wavering, not in determination, but strength. His entire body was still weak. He felt like he could collapse at any moment, but he had to keep himself standing upright and focused. But how long would he be able to keep up at this pace was a question he didn't want to think about to hard. For if he fell now chaos would ensue. He needed to stay strong at least in will power, because the people here standing with him were only there for him and if he fell then there was very little doubt in Harry's mind that there would be a full out retreat.

He stumbled into the rough walls of the school's entrance as a cutting hex ripped through his shirt slicing his arm open. He cast a stunner at the nearest Death Eater, his eyes watering in pain. He grit his teeth as he set off a series of stunning spells taking down three more masked Death Eater's and disarmed another. They were all novices. Harry knew a decoy when he saw one, Voldemort had actually planned ahead this time. He had sent all his new followers to the front line, knowing that whoever they would fight would waste all their energies on the throng of people before them, leaving them weaker for the stronger spell casters. Voldemort's favorites, his chosen followers who had been dedicated to him since his first reign, his inner circle.

"Bloody hell," Harry muttered as he flung himself against a wall to avoid another slashing hex. He had yet to cast anything above a stunner but he knew it was only a matter of time before he would have to fight fire with fire.

Draco glanced at the large grandfather clock that was ticking away in its long corner. Two hours had passed since the alarms had first started ringing; a half an hour had passed since Snape had disappeared from the master bedroom, fifteen minutes since the last person had attempted to strike up a conversation with him and five seconds since he had last thought of how Harry was fairing. This was his first technical battle and the only comfort he got from this knowledge was that Snape would be there making sure he didn't get himself killed.

Harry's eyes watered as he felt his ankle twist in the wrong direction. The fight had moved further into the hall than any of the order wanted it to, but it couldn't be helped. He took a hesitant step forward and crumpled to the floor. No one seemed to have noticed and he rather preferred it that way as well. Because if anybody would have noticed it would have been one of the Death Eater's and Harry wasn't all to keen on the idea of dying that day.

Suddenly, someone gripped him by the collar of his shirt and lifted him bodily off the ground. Harry twisted violently, fearing that in his one moment of thought a Death Eater had captured him. He struggled lashing out spastically but continually hit the air around him.

"Stop squirming boy and listen to me."

Harry froze. He knew that voice. He knew it all too well.

"Why do I even bother?" the older man muttered, dropping Harry back down to the floor. Harry scrambled to his knees and stood up, unprepared for the sudden hit to his lower back that made him buckle over. He turned his head angrily to the side, ready to unleash a very angry, highly uncouth, terribly distasteful string of words that would probably have earned him detention everyday until he was thirty-five but before the first word could leave his lips a spell barely brushed the top of his head, singeing his hair. He watched in disbelief as it struck Severus forcefully in the chest.

Harry's heart leapt into his throat as he stared horror struck as the older man stumbled backwards into the wall, cracking his head against the smooth stone. His sallow features even paler as he slowly sunk to the floor, his long black hair falling limply in front of his face.

"No," Harry whimpered, unaware of anything else but the streak of blood that stained the wall. "Please." Everything seemed to be moving alarmingly fast around him but he felt as if he was standing still. He couldn't seem to get his legs to function correctly as he scrambled towards the unmoving body. "No," he mumbled. Severus couldn't be dead, not like this, not this easily.

Harry's hands were trembling as he reached out to touch the back of Snape's head. A sticky substance coated his fingers and he jerked them back staring in horrified fascination at the thick crimson liquid that drenched them. Something wet fell against his cheek and it took him a moment to realize he was crying. He was numb. Every inch of him was unfeeling and he couldn't tear his eyes away from Severus' expressionless face. It was all too surreal. Harry let out a jagged breath and hysterical laughter began to bubble up from within.

"HARRY!"

Harry jerked his head up at the cry of distress and only caught a glimpse of the demented smile on Bellatrix Lestrange's face before the entire world went dark.

A/N: See, cliffy! I told ya! I warned ya!