Heya peeps, thanks for your fabulouse reveiws. This chapter happens to be one of my favourites as things are really hotting up now and I mean hotting up, so sit back relax and...

Enjoy!

Fallen angels at my feet
Whispered voices at my ear
Death before my eyes
Lying next to me I fear

Severus sped down into the dungeons, his heart pounding and his adrenaline on an all time high. This would be the ideal time to feed once more but unfortunately there wasn't the time.

The hall's echoed with his hurried steps, his hand swiping at his mouth to keep the almost black blood from staining his chin and without even deviating, stumbling, pausing or hesitating he swept into the potions lab and locked the door securely behind him.

Pulling down one of the larger model glass beakers he placed it before him and promptly stuck two fingers down his throat, wincing as the vile tasting life essence of his ex master flowed past his tonsils once more.

Having thrown up practically the entire contents of his stomach and feeling much weaker for it, Severus wiped off his mouth and placed a protection charm around the beaker and hid it under his desk. Now, a visit to Dumbledore.

Harry looked up from his breakfast again, his gaze skittering once more to the head table where not only Dumbledore was missing but Severus as well.
In his humble opinion this didn't bode well and he would have asked his friends what they thought, but it was Hermione's turn to sit next to Ron today and so he was left with Seamus and Dean.

Distractedly, his eyes wondered over to Ron ad Hermione and he noticed his red haired friend looking distinctly pink around the back of his neck, a sure sign that he was disgruntled, as Hermione simpered up at Professor Lupin who was currently explaining something about the last piece of homework set for Defence against the Dark arts.

Harry sighed, poor Ron if only-

Harry lost this train of thought as one of the school owls swept majestically down onto his plate and obligingly held out his leg to which a tiny scrap of paper was tied.

Hurriedly moving his pumpkin juice out of the way as it went for his bacon, Harry unrolled the note and glanced over what it said.

Harry,

Your presence is required immediately in my office.

Password as normal.

Dumbledore.

No sooner had Harry finished reading it then the parchment burst into violet flames that licked coolly at his fingers.

Despite the fact it hadn't burnt his hands, Harry practically leapt back in his chair from surprise. Dumbledore NEVER found it necessary to destroy the evidence of his notes and Harry liked to think it was because he trusted him. What could this mean?

"Hotmail!" Seamus proclaimed loudly, seemingly proud of his quickly thought up joke. Alas to most wizards this meant nothing and several eyes rolled at the seeming obviousness of this statement.

Harry however remained oblivious to this as he quickly tucked in his chair, grabbed his satchel and left for Dumbledore's office.

Speeding down the hall in which the gargoyle was situated, Harry skidded to a halt and smiled weakly as he came face to face with Professor McGonagall and she glared disapprovingly at him.

"I'd thank you to remain a little more dignified Mr Potter, you may be in a hurry but there are other peoples safety to think of."

Harry smiled winningly up at her and professed his deepest apologies and by the end of his charming spiel, Professor McGonagall was blushing and her Scottish lilt had taken on a softer edge as she told him to "Go on with you."

Heading up the stairs as sedately as possible seeing as his head of house was right behind him, Harry reached the top of the spiralling staircase and knocked softly upon the door.

"Come in"

Quietly pushing open the door he stepped in and stepping aside for Professor McGonagall he loitered by the door, waiting for instruction.

"Ahh Minerva, thank you for coming so promptly, could I ask you to notify the school as a whole that all lessons for the day are cancelled and the Hogwarts express will be arriving at seven o'clock tomorrow morning to collect the students. I will also being calling a meeting with all of the staff in an hours time if you'd be so kind as to inform them?" Dumbledore said a polite smile on his lips but his body language betraying his need to get on.

Professor McGonagall touched a hand to her breast and then up to clasp her throat, "But Albus, you can't be serious, I mean…what…?"

"You will be informed in the staff meeting with the rest of your colleagues Minerva, now please, we must get on, time I'm afraid, is not on our side."

She nodded jerkily and backed out of the door, pulling it too as she did so. Dumbledore looked up from some papers he was shuffling and as if seeing Harry for the first time said, "Ahh there you are my boy, please do take a seat, there are things in need of discussion, yes many things." The old, wizened wizard nodded his head sagely and briefly his eyes closed and his head nodded forward.

Dragging over a chair from a nearby corner, Harry sat down and glanced at Severus with a frown, was the Headmaster asleep?

Scowling Severus leaned forward and shook the Headmaster by the shoulder, "Come on Headmaster, there is no time for your games!"
Dumbledore jerked and his eyes fluttered slightly as he mumbled like a man caught between sleep and reality.

"Hmm, yes, yes I…" Here his eyes snapped to Harry and suddenly he was much more alert.

"My boy, things have happened during the night, things that we had not foreseen and things that have the huge potential in ending in disaster. When Severus was called to the Voldemort last night it became apparent that he believes himself to be in love with our potions master and tried to convince him to drink a potion that would trick Severus's mind, body and soul into thinking that Voldemort was his mate.

Fortunately or not the Dark lord saw a bruise on Severus's neck left by you," Here Harry blushed, "and swiftly performed Legimens on him, the upshot of it is that he knows that you and Severus are mates Harry, and Severus feels that Voldemort will not hesitate to come after you for vengeance. Now we don't know when but both Severus and I feel that he will need a few days to organise the attack that will inevitably come and that leaves us with very little time to gather are forces and prepare for it."

Harry was stunned, "What?" he whispered.

"I'm sorry my boy I know this is a shock-"

"You know this is a- YOU KNOW THIS IS A SHOCK!" Harry said, leaping up from his chair, his whole body radiating his anger, "I've had no training! Nothing, zilch! I knew I should've demanded it, look where I am now-"

"Harry, Harry!"

Harry stopped his feverish pacing and muttering to stare murderously at Dumbledore.

"What!" He bit out furiously.

"Severus and I believe we have found a way to rid ourselves of him once and for all."

Harry stared in wonderment, "How?"

Dumbledore steepled his hands on the desk before him and gazed over his fingertips at Harry.

"Severus managed to feed from the Dark lord before he fled and we believe that using the small amount of blood he extracted, we can not only come up with a way to kill him but make it so he cannot touch you ever again."

Harry turned and glared at his mate, "You fed from him? After he tried to take you away from me? Why?"

Severus rose quickly from his own chair to wrap his arms comfortingly around Harry from behind, soothing and calming him with his proximity.

"Harry it is a natural instinct to protect myself from harm and as a vampire my obvious and most dangerous weapon is my bite, it does not mean however that I enjoyed it in any way."

Harry nodded through the haze of warmth that permeated his brain, barely able to grasp what Severus was saying to him.

After a time Severus stepped away from Harry in order for him to think coherently, after the boy started to keen and rub his cheek on Severus's arm where it rested.

"Now I am going to leave you with Severus to figure out the necessary potion and for him to explain the procedure needed for you to use Voldemort's blood to the maximum advantage. I am sorry to say that as much as it is imperative that I be there, there are other matters that urgently require my attention. I will try however to at least drop in from time to time."

Harry nodded, in a generally much calmer mood now that he had been exposed to Severus's reassuring presence.

"Come Harry, there is much to do"

"You can't be fucking serious!" Harry said, backing swiftly away from the silver bowl and dagger that lay on the workbench before him.

"I am very serious, this will enable you to not only harm the Dark lord with a simple touch but also to ensure he can't touch you."

Harry gave a pained glance towards the work bench, "Yes but really…isn't it dangerous? I mean mixing his blood with mine…he's evil!"

Severus sighed and swept to the front of the classroom to retrieve the beaker of blood from behind his desk.

"Yes I am well aware of that fact Harry, but I can assure you that the little blood we mix into your system will be far outweighed by the protection your mother's blood affords you. However once reintroduced to an evil such as Voldemort's very essence, your blood will once more ensure that the Dark lord has no way of touching you and similarly will make the little blood of yours he has in his system null and void. Now will you desist with this pointless waste of time and allow me to perform the ritual?"

Harry squeezed his eyes shut, before nodding once.

"Right, come here then." Severus said rolling up his sleeves and performing a cleaning charm on his hands before tying his hair back with a leather toggle.

Harry stepped forward, rolling up his own sleeve and allowing his mate to similarly perform a cleaning charm on it as his eyes wondered to the bucket of blood standing on the table a little way away from him.

The almost black liquid looked to be thick and almost oily and was emitting a very foul stench, he wondered how Severus could have stomached it.
Suddenly his eyes widened in realisation.

"Severus, do I even want to ask how that got from your stomach into that beaker?"

"No. Now try to refrain from speaking, this is a very dangerous business."

Shuddering at the thoughts now running through his mind, Harry once more squeezed his eyes shut as his arm was gently grasped and a swab of something was stroked gently over his palm and just above the inside of his wrist. Then picking up the dagger he made two swift cuts where the swab had been.

It stung, but Harry had known pain and this was but a pinprick compared to some of the things he had experienced in his lifetime.

Severus then curled his palm into a fist and squeezed tightly so a few droplets of crimson blood leaked out in the bowl. He then did the same with his upper wrist, squeezing the veins harshly so that the blood virtually flowed from the open wound.

Grinding his teeth but still able to bare it, Harry squeezed his eyes shut even tighter until they ached and he saw spots behind them.

Meanwhile Severus was desperately trying to stay focussed in the face of Harry's blood. His mates crimson pool of blood was tempting him far beyond his endurance, but he had to stay in control, if he got an erection now it could be fatal to Harry.

Breathing in deeply he took quarter of a ladle from the bucket and added the Dark Lords blood to the bowl.

Harry heard Severus mutter several intricate incantations, and then felt a wet touch to his wounds before a burning pain engulfed his arm. A terrible burning, stinging pain and he barely felt his jaw go slack and a tortured scream rip from his throat. He tried desperately to release his arm but Severus held on tight, mixing the dark blood on his hands into Harry's wounds and somewhere in the distance Harry could hear him uttering more incantations and see flashes of light from his wand.

The pain crawled up his arm like a flesh eating acid and seeped into every pore and crevice in his skin and he felt as is his throat was raw from screaming.

Eventually it died down and Harry became aware of strong arms surrounding him and holding him close. He stayed that way for a few minutes until Severus coaxed him to drink a potion to soothe his throat.

"Thanks, but you're an utter bastard for not warning me about the pain! It was meant to be like that right?"

"I wasn't certain but I realised it would be along those lines."

"YOU WEREN'T CERTAIN?" Harry screamed, and then coughed as it irritated his throat.

"No but I knew it wouldn't kill you Harry, you know I'd never put you in danger!"

"You just did." Harry turned as if to leave but was stopped as Severus swept him up into his arms again and kissed his forehead,

"No, I didn't, I was just unsure how much pain you'd be in and I'm sorry it hurt at all." He said huskily.

Harry simply nodded, caught up as he was in the feel and smell of his mate. Once again little keening noises escaped his lips and unable to help himself Severus captured them, plundering them softly, tasting the sweetness of
Harry as his tongue slid moistly along the other's.

Finally forcing himself to pull away he took a deep breath and said, "Right, now the potion I plan to make is very complicated and takes precisely twelve hours to brew. Combining the Dark lord's blood with a few volatile ingredients, we should be able to concoct a potion that when applied to his skin, will eat

away at his life, magic and soul. Destroying him completely."

Harry nodded dazedly and went to help Severus gather ingredients needed.

Dumbledore slipped into the potions lab at about five o'clock and smiled at his boys as they squabbled over the ingredients. Pity they were wasting their
time.

"But if we add ginseng it will stabilise it!"

"And lessen the effect you foolish boy! Trust the boy who lived to think he knows more about potions than a potions MASTER!"

Harry looked away at this, but the Headmaster thought he saw his eyes glisten.

"That's not true," he whispered softly, "I was only trying to help."

"Now, now, no arguments boys, you must agree we haven't the time, now how far along are we?"

"About seven hours Albus." Severus said. Dumbledore was pleased to note that judging by the downward curling of his lips he was feeling suitably guilty about his previous words to is mate.

"Good goo-" The Headmaster began to say before a slight trembling started up in the very walls of the room.

Dust and cobwebs that had collected for years in the potions lab suddenly siphoned down in a thick cloud that penetrated the lungs and clogged up the nose.

With a cry Severus dived for the cauldron, protecting it with his body from the dust falling all around them, hoping against hope the trembling in the school would not upset it to much. Stone grated and wood creaked and the castle itself rumbled in dissatisfaction.

"Someone has breached the outer wards!" Dumbledore shouted over the din and with a flash of blue sparkly robes he was gone.

"What are the-" Harry started to yell when suddenly all was quite and the castle stood solidly on its foundations again.

"What are the outer wards?" He asked more quietly.

"They are at the edge of the grounds," His mate said, quickly casting a protection charm on the potion and grabbing Harry's hand. "Come"

Making their way out of the dungeons they were met with the sight of students and teachers alike running up the main stairs.

Frowning and shielding Harry from the jostling crowd, Severus led them right into the hub of the crowd and as one, the population of Hogwarts traversed stairs and hallways to reach their goal. Which Severus and Harry realised was
the astronomy tower.

They had to keep moving for fear of being trampled and Severus was more than ready to carry Harry if need be. The panicked crowd were screaming and running blindly forward, heedless of obstacles or flying limbs.

Finally their section of the crowd reached the astronomy tower, which seemed to be able to hold the entirety of the school, and when Harry looked carefully he realised it was a lot bigger then usual.

As one the population of Hogwarts turned to stare at the dark mass that was the forbidden forest, Dumbledore standing on the surrounding wall of the tower, and staring with a fixed blue gaze at the trees.

And then it happened, dark blurry shapes sped from the shelter of the forest, fanning out across the grounds and heading for any available window and door, dark and ominous growls sounding from their throats, like dogs on a hunt.

Harry had a first class view as they were right next to the parapet and looking down he caught a glimpse of a pale face and dark pools of eyes as one of the blurs sped by underneath him. Sharp and pointy canines shone in the moonlight and Harry gasped, they were vampires.

Despite the crowd Severus hugged his mate closer, sensing his fear and feeling helpless in his inability to assuage it.

But their attention was transferred from the vampire's that were already trying to get in to the school. For the trees themselves were moving, swaying and cracking like great beasts and the ground shook to an almighty beat.

Out of the trees, came a huge, thick, grey, scarred and twisted arm. Curling round two almighty trees at once it ripped them from their roots and flung them high into the air, where they fell with an ear-splitting crash into the
Quidditch pitch.

The crowd was silent; to shocked to scream, to stricken with fear, as the brawny arm was followed by a huge body, on which sat a small little head with black piggy eyes and a black expression.

And Harry was made aware, as terrified whispers swelled within the crowd, that there was more than one of these giants, ripping the forest to shreds.
They trundled onto the grounds before the school, hurling trees about like play things as they smashed their way toward the school and the crowd.

And then through the remains of the trees, in clear formation, marched the Death eaters themselves, hundreds and thousands of them, the ground really did shake with there footsteps, their eerie white masks lit by the glowing tips of their wands held aloft above their heads.

All at once everything was still. The vampires, stopped beating at the school and the giants stood deathly still as the death eaters formed line upon, neat,
orderly line of men, a black rectangle of terror.

Harry tried to protest as Severus pulled him through the petrified crowd, tried to struggle as he passed slack jawed and tear flooded faces, and side stepped in pools of stinking urine.

"I'm getting you out of here, now move!" Severus hissed.

A battle cry went up behind them, and Harry saw the grounds go dark as a cloud past over the moon and he craned his neck over his shoulder and then stubbornly grasped a jutting stone in the wall, refusing to let go, he pressed against the cool stone, grounding himself to it in the darkness.

And the cloud passed, and the moon swept the earth like an early dawn.

...And the Death eaters, giants and vampires, charged.

Author humbly seeks reveiws