Trapped
Harry was but a few steps ahead of his old Potions Master who was only a few yards in front of Lucius Malfoy, who had only recently escaped Azkaban. Snape's large black woolen cloak helped to hide their exact location in the deep dark of the pitched battle. Harry could hear the sounds of curses being hurled at them. Snape would dodge and pull Harry into another direction. That was until they ran out of running room.
They found themselves on the top floor of a high rise under construction. The windows were in, but the rest of the interior had yet to be put into place. The rest was a tangle of wires and bare steel beams. Malfoy approached them with his typical cruel smile.
"Well, Severus. It would seem that you have finally come to the end of the line," Malfoy delighted. "I always suspected you of treachery to our master. He will be pleased with me when I bring him the boy and your wand. Make no mistake of it, I am going to kill you and watch the boy die at the Dark Lord's hand. I will be reinstated into his good graces at last. I will have my revenge, and it will be sweet!"
Malfoy's two fellow Death Eaters stood at the ready, wands up as Malfoy himself strolled toward Snape and Harry who had been tucked protectively behind Snape.
Malfoy raised his wand and commanded it: Lumos! And it sprang to life.
"Rough go of it, eh, Severus?" Malfoy commented as he looked at Snape's battered features. "Oh, I should think this one stings like the very devil," he remarked coldly as he roughly ran his gloved finger across one of the larger gashed bruises across Snape's cheek.
Harry had half a mind to shove Snape at Malfoy and make a break for it. Snape was slightly larger than Malfoy, and Malfoy had made the mistake of standing quite close to his old friend Severus. Before Harry could decide exactly how to execute what he had in mind, Snape went off like a coiled spring. Wandless magic! Snape was indeed a powerful wizard in his own right.
Malfoy found the floor with the same violence as Harry, Ron, and Hermione had sent Snape to the wall of the Hogsmeade Shrieking Shack four years ago. With speed and agility, Snape wheeled about to face Harry, wrapped his cloak around the young man, and shoved them both out through the plate glass into space. Harry hated the feeling of falling, but before that feeling had set in solidly, Snape had disapparated them both safely to the ground. He was too exhausted to get them much further though. The glass had shattered slashing Snape's face, adding to his lengthening list of injuries. Harry had lost count.
Earlier in the day, Malfoy had his Death Eaters administer an old fashioned beating to Snape. Harry was forced to watch something he had once dreamed of doing to Snape after one of the tongue-lashings Snape was fond of giving him. Harry was horrified by it and vowed that if they got out of this alive, he'd never think that way again and maybe apologise for even having thought it in the first place. For his part, Snape was sure that they had broken several of his ribs, but he'd suffer nearly anything to protect Harry Potter. He had made an unbreakable vow long ago to guard Harry's life with his own, and he had no intention of letting Lily or Dumbledore down now. Harry was beginning to understand that Snape had ceased being his enemy somewhere along the night's events. Harry was even beginning to wonder if Snape had ever been his enemy.
"Run, Harry!" Snape commanded in between raspy gasps for air. "This way."
The chase was on again.
"Shame you don't have your father's cloak of invisibility with you," panted Snape as they stole into a darker alley. Harry noticed that Snape was holding his side and grimacing in pain.
Snape faced the wall, behind an obstruction, shoved Harry back under his cloak, and spun Harry around to face the wall, too. Snape's black hair seemed to melt into the dark recesses of the alley. Harry heard exactly what Snape had obviously just heard a moment before. Malfoy's Death Eater squad was now a breath away. Surely they had apparated into the street below nearly as quickly as Snape had brought the two of them down. Surely, Snape had heard the crack of their appearance on the street below the building. Harry heard their feet shuffling about and their mutterings as the Death Eaters sought their evening's prey. Then one set of heel clicks stood out as more premeditated than the others.
The deliberate footfalls could only belong to Malfoy.
"Severus…" he called out. "I know you are here… Oh, do come out so we can get this over with. Hiding only prolongs your misery and the boy's misery. Think of Potter if you won't think of yourself."
Snape and Harry could hear Malfoy rummaging about in the dustbins, or rather his Death Eaters rummaged about the dustbins. They could hear Malfoy pacing back and forth.
"Find them!" he demanded. "Our Dark Lord wants Potter alive, so he can kill the boy himself. And I will have my fun with the traitor Snape."
Snape felt Harry shudder at the mention of Malfoy's personal plans. Snape mused that perhaps the boy finally understood that Snape was not the monster that he pretended to be. Although, he did have to admit to himself that being hard on Harry had been mildly amusing. The first time he had laid eyes on the lad, he was taken aback at how much Harry looked like James. And Snape had good reasons for despising James and his Marauders. Over time though, Snape had begun to see Harry as a person distinct from his father. And, oh, those eyes, how they did remind him of Lily. Snape reflected on how kind Lily had been to him and to other outcasts, like Remus. She was one of the most fair-minded witches he'd ever known. Snape had a hard time mistreating Harry when he looked into Lily's eyes. Now, it could soon be coming to an end, the prophecy unfulfilled. Harry and he would follow James and Lily into death at Voldemort's hands. Still there might be a chance if they remained perfectly motionless. However, Snape could feel anxiety rising in Harry and knew the game would soon be over. They would both be dead shortly. And Snape blamed himself for the latest failures.
A hand reached out and pulled Snape back to reality. Malfoy spun Snape around to face him then struck with such force that Snape was sure he now had a broken nose to go with everything else. Blood spilled rapidly across his face, hands, and chest. Losing his balance, Snape reeled backward, trying not to crush Harry in the process. Harry saw an opportunity to get past Malfoy who was preparing to lash out at Snape yet again.
"Nothing quite like personal contact to rid the soul of its demons, eh, Severus," Malfoy's smirk gleamed in the half-light.
He had been poised to strike Snape again then thought better of it. Malfoy stepped back and pulled out his wand. Harry darted from behind the taller man and tried to head for open ground before seeing Malfoy's two Death Eaters. He found himself frozen. Malfoy switched targets to Harry.
"Let's have some fun with the boy," he laughed coldly, "before dealing with my old friend Severus."
Snape pushed past Malfoy and shielded Harry from the Cruciatus curse, which felled him instead. Snape screamed and writhed on the pavement in agony for just a moment before Malfoy broke the contact. Harry looked on, unable to move. Snape's mind broke through the curse, and he rolled on his back, freed his left hand, focused all his energy and attention toward Malfoy, and with a low voice pronounced the Avada Kadavra curse on Malfoy. Snape had no wand. Snape's wand was in Malfoy's cloak. Thus it was that Malfoy had assumed that Snape was reasonably defenseless in spite of Snape's having decked him a few moments earlier. Malfoy just wanted some sport with Snape before killing him and taking Harry to the Dark Lord.
Malfoy's face froze in horror at what had just happened to him. Malfoy then looked at his wand, his shaking hands, and then collapsed into the pavement a few feet from Snape. The wandless killing curse did not act as quickly as one performed with the power of the wand behind it. Still, it was just as effective in the long run. The Death Eaters escaped before a like ending took them as well. Besides, somebody would have to tell Lord Voldemort what had just transpired. Snape wobbled to his feet and then collapsed on the side of the dustbin closest to his right hand side.
"Harry, help me up," Snape panted and gave a bloody cough. "We've got to get out of here."
Harry blinked a moment before heading over the help Snape stagger to his feet. Snape stumbled and could not find the pavement with his feet. He crawled over to Malfoy with Harry still trying his best to get Snape into an upright position. Snape searched Malfoy's cloak and found both his and Harry's wands.
"Here," Snape began in a raspy voice, "take your wand. Go to the rest of the Order. Tell them what happened. Tell them we have successfully destroyed the last of the horcruxes. He is mortal."
"What about you?" Harry asked as he stuffed it up his sleeve.
"What about me?" Snape looked up into Harry's green eyes as he reseated himself near one of the dustbins. His back rested against a brick wall with the dustbin sheltering him from view from the street.
"They will be back and kill you," Harry stated flatly.
"Oh, and I'm sure you'll be the first to mourn over my grave, eh, Potter?" Snape retorted in his typical sarcastic tone.
"As a matter of fact," Harry began, "I think I would mourn your passing. So how about you spare me…"
Feet plodded toward them.
"Harry," quickly began Snape, "I want you to know I harbor no hard feelings toward you. You are not James; you were never James, and I was wrong to treat you so. So that you will know, the Head Master knew that his injuries were severe and that perhaps he was dying, and we had agreed that his life would be forfeited for the cause if that is what came to be. I had tried to dissuade him, but he was obdurate. I was under orders to 'kill' him to protect the cause and to protect you."
Harry stooped down to help Snape to his feet, "Professor, it has been an honour."
Voldemort rounded the corner. He held his chin high and smirked at his captives who were both on their feet. Snape refused to die sitting down. He was going to go out on his feet and fighting.
"At last, we meet a final time, Harry Potter," he began. "You have certainly caused me a great deal of trouble. But that is all about to end."
Harry stood with his left arm holding up Snape who was still leaning against the bricks for added support.
"And you, 'faithful' servant Severus," Voldemort turned on Snape," What have you to say for yourself?"
Snape pushed off Harry. He dropped his cloak and unbuttoned his jacket. Voldemort watched in rapt fascination as Snape pulled clothes off. The jacket soon found its way to the ground on top of the cloak. Snape undid the buttons on his left sleeve and rolled it up. No longer did the dark mark appear in his flesh. His arm bore bruises and deep cuts from the latest rounds of the war, but it no longer carried Voldemort's mark.
"I say that I'm a free man, Tom Riddle," Snape proclaimed.
Voldemort looked shocked for but a flash. His eyes narrowed, "You can never escape me," he yelled in anger as he began to raise his wand.
"Expecto Petronum!" shouted Harry as his wand slid into his hand.
A burst of silver energy raced toward Voldemort and his cohorts. The stag butted them all backward a foot, rocking back on their heels to maintain balance. Voldemort began to laugh until he saw Snape take aim. Snape had pulled his wand out of his trousers waist.
Snape muttered several curses, barely audible, before pronouncing the final death curse. Flames extended from his hand and wand and wrapped themselves tightly around Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Harry heard them scream in agony as life drained away. In a matter of minutes, Voldemort and three of his men had been reduced to ashes. A sudden burst of wind swirled through the alley carrying away both dust and ash. Harry watched as the ashes mingled and rose in a column above the rooftops. Snape fell back against the wall and slid to the ground again. He rested his head and back on the brickwork as his legs splayed out in front of him. His breathing was terribly laboured. Harry noticed that Snape had yet to let go of his side.
Harry gave Snape half an hour to rest before suggesting that they really needed to get him some real medical attention, not to mention letting the wizarding world know that Voldemort was no more, truly no more. With a heavy grunt, Snape got to his feet. Harry pulled the cloak back around Snape's shoulders and with Harry's help they staggered toward the Order's headquarters. Snape had no strength left to disaparate them there. Harry was afraid of causing Snape further distress in the process that always left Harry feeling compressed. Mercifully, it was only a mile or so to the Order's headquarters. He thought he could endure that much. Every block or so, Harry would force him to stop and rest.
Harry led Snape to the corner near 12 Grimmauld Place. Snape drew out Dumbledore's "put-outer" and extinguished the street lamps. They lumbered forward and Harry unlocked the door. Harry pulled him inside and called out for help.
Molly came around the corner from the kitchen and shrieked, "Him! What are you doing bringing him here! He's a traitor to us all!"
Molly began to pull out her wand when Harry threw up his hand.
"Snape killed Voldemort and Malfoy. He protected me!" he shouted and moved to block Molly from getting a clear shot at Snape.
Molly's eyes burned white hot, "Move Harry! Let me finish this thing off!"
Lupin heard the commotion and clambered down the stairs. He jumped from the landing to block Molly.
"Move Remus! That traitor killed Dumbledore and has bewitched Harry," she demanded.
Gently Lupin spoke, "Molly, let's hear what they have to say before we do anything rash."
Slowly, Molly lowered her wand; her eyes narrowed to a pair of flaming slits. She kept a sharp eye on Snape as Harry guided him up the stairs to his bed. Snape flopped face down across it with a grunt. Lupin helped Harry roll Snape over onto his back so they could see what was broken. Molly snatched Snape's wand from the front of his trousers. She was taking no chances with that man. Some of his injuries were obvious. His hooked nose no longer sat straight in his face, and blood had spilled down his chest from the broken nose. Snape cried out in pain when Lupin began to run his hands across his body. He was murmuring something unintelligible.
"Molly, how about you and Hermione brew some potions for getting Severus back on his feet?" Lupin suggested softly.
"How about I brew up a potion that will put him six feet under!" she shot back.
Snape looked pitiful, "It's okay. I understand how she feels. But you have got to get me to Dumbledore." Snape drew as deep a breath as he could manage and continued, "Harry, where have they laid the Head Master?"
"You are not going to pay your respects…" began Lupin.
"No, I'm not. The Head Master may not be as dead as you perceive him to…" Snape faded out when he tried to pull himself into an upright position.
Harry looked at Lupin who looked at Molly who looked at Snape with disbelief. Molly shoved Lupin and Harry aside and shook the limp body of Snape.
"What do you mean, he's not dead?" she hollered at the body.
"Easy Molly," cautioned Lupin who pulled her off Snape. "Easy!"
Harry adjusted Snape's body in the bed. He pulled open the bloody white shirt his old Potions Master wore and saw deep bruises all over his torso. Two ribs were ready to poke through his skin.
"No wonder he couldn't go very far," Harry muttered.
Molly suddenly felt a deep wave of pity come over her. She shook free of Lupin's grasp and reached out to touch the battered body that lay so still on the bed. Snape's breathing was shallow and laboured. His breaths wheezed and rattled.
"Harry, get me Hermione. Right now!" Molly commanded.
Gently, she began to feel for injuries. Her wand moved slowly and methodically over the broken ribs repairing the damage as it went. She reset his nose back to the middle of his face. His breathing seemed to ease just the tiniest bit.
"We need Poppy Pomfrey for the internal injuries that he's suffered," remarked Molly who had returned to her normal frame of mind. "I can deal with these broken bones myself…and those superficial injuries."
"I'll get her," Lupin backed away slowly.
Snape seemed to flicker back to life after a few minutes.
"Where am I…I need to get to Dumbledore now that the Dark Lord is dead," he muttered. Shaking his head to rid it of unseen cobwebs, "Molly, forgive me. Dumbledore is not dead, I hope. We planned it…" he sank back into the bed with another cough. His eyes remained closed with a grimace.
Molly was mystified. Poppy appeared with Lupin and Hermione. Molly moved away for the mediwitch to give her newest patient a quick examination.
"I need to get him back to Hogwarts or St. Mungo's," she stated matter-of-factly. "I can't treat him here." She turned to Hermione, "And that is not to dismiss your abilities to make potions, my dear."
Hermione smiled and ducked her head.
"So how do you propose to move 'public enemy number one' from here, Poppy?" Lupin inquired.
"The aurors and others are hunting him," Molly added.
"They won't when we tell them that Snape is the one who killed Voldemort!" Harry spoke up again.
"Tell us what happened," Lupin wanted to know.
Harry recounted the key events of the evening. Lupin wanted him to be very specific about how Snape defeated Voldemort with Harry's critical petronus charm that bought them time. Lupin wanted very precise details, down to the last curse. Harry did his best to tell all he'd seen and heard. Molly pulled up Snape's sleeve and saw that the dark mark was indeed gone. Harry had moved his head in such a way to expose his forehead. Molly gave another start.
"It's gone!" she cried out. "You scar! It's gone!"
Lupin pushed the hair fully off Harry's forehead to see. Not a trace of the scar remained. Lupin edged back to sit on the corner of the bed where Snape lay. He was mystified. Then his face lit up with a large smile.
"Do you know when Snape's dark mark vanished?" Lupin asked.
Harry shook his head and felt where the scar should have been, "No. I was as surprised as you when he rolled up his sleeve and showed Voldemort that he was free of the Death Eaters…" he paused a moment. "You know, I think I felt my scar turn cold when we went out the window. I just figured it was because we were putting distance between Voldemort and us. Before that, the scar had really been burning, white-hot. It always burned when Voldemort was near or feeling especially vengeful."
Harry rubbed his forehead again; feeling for that scar he'd lived with for so long. "Come to think of it, I don't remember feeling the scar burn or ache when Voldemort challenged Professor Snape at the end. It should have been on fire being that close to Voldemort. I guess both Snape's dark mark and my scar disappeared at the same time, when we were falling. I don't know why though."
Snape's voice joined the conversation as a whisper, "He lost his power over us."
Harry smiled, "Professor!"
"We'd rather die than submit. That was our liberation," Snape wheezed. "Now get me up."
"Here, drink this," Molly offered a potion that Snape took without comment. "It'll help with the pain."
Snape then looked up at Molly with a curious expression on his face. In slow motion, he quietly fell back on the bed.
"What did you give him?" Lupin wanted to know.
"A sleeping and pain potion Poppy had Hermione brew. If Dumbledore is alive, he'll still be alive hours from now when Severus wakes up again. We cannot risk his life if Dumbledore is alive," Molly explained. "Severus may be the only one who knows how to bring Dumbledore back. Now let's get him ready to travel."
"Wouldn't it help if we let the wizarding world know that Voldemort is no more?" inquired Harry yet again. "That would take the heat off him," he pointed to sleeping Snape.
"Point well taken, Harry," Lupin said as he covered Snape with a blanket.
Molly dimmed the light and began to shoo the crowd out of the room. Carefully, she placed Snape's wand back into his hand. She stroked his face and swept his hair back as a mother comforting a sick child.
"Sorry, I guess I was wrong about you," she whispered as she left the room.
When Snape next awakened, he found himself cleaned up and in a hospital bed at Hogwarts. Harry was curled up and asleep on the bed next to his. Snape's cloak covered the young man. Lupin was sitting in a chair reading an advanced book on potions trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle of Dumbledore alive.
"You won't find it in there," Snape rasped.
"Well, welcome back to the living, Severus" smiled Lupin as he put the book aside. "How are you feeling today?"
"What is today?" he wondered.
"It's about three and a half days on for you," he joked. "Poppy was quite worried about the internal injuries you sustained. Those Death Eaters really rearranged lots of you."
Snape tested a breath then drew a deep one without much discomfort.
"Now, if you will get me some clothes, we will awaken our Head Master," Snape was already trying to get out of bed.
"You're serious about this aren't you?" Harry interjected as he shook off sleep.
"Remus, I never joke, you know that. So, yes, I am quite serious," Snape responded flatly.
Lupin smiled, "I think that is the first time in 15 years you've called me Remus. This is an auspicious day!"
With his cloak thrown back across his shoulders, Snape was led to the crypt where Dumbledore's body was lying. As they walked across the grounds to the tomb, Snape recounted the conversation that he and Dumbledore had had over the plan to 'kill' Dumbledore if it came to that. Snape had created a sleeping-death potion and its antidote and some charms that would keep Dumbledore secure in that sleep until Snape could bring him back out of it. Snape had been exceptionally wary of the plan since he was none too sure that he'd survive the battle himself. If Snape died, then so would Dumbledore. Dumbledore assured him that he was willing to give his life for the cause of defeating Voldemort. Since the prophecy had not mentioned him, he knew that he'd be out of the action in some way. The lake water of the cave that had begun to attack his body would surely kill him in the end anyway. Snape still did not think it a good idea to tempt death, but finally he assented to Dumbledore's plan.
At the crypt, Snape then pulled out a small vile of clear liquid, phoenix tears and other ingredients known only to Snape and Dumbledore. Lupin opened the crypt and Snape poured the liquid into Dumbledore's mouth. Softly, he spoke a charm that neither Lupin nor Poppy had ever heard before. It sounded like singing to Harry's mind. He tapped the body with his wand three times. A soft breeze picked up as a stout wind that whipped through the vault. The wind swirled in bright colors of red and yellow. Fawkes' song could be heard in the distance. It grew closer and closer. Soon the phoenix came to rest at his master's feet. He prodded those feet with his beak. Then they all saw it together, Dumbledore's chest rose with the breath of life.
Harry marveled at what he was seeing. Hermione jumped up and down with Ron. Lupin stood with his mouth open.
"Good to see you, Severus," commented Dumbledore as if nothing much had happened.
Snape bowed his head, "Head Master…it's very good to see you."
"I shall assume that Voldemort is no more then," Dumbledore looked at Snape who nodded in the affirmative.
Lupin and Snape helped Dumbledore out of the crypt. His bright blue eyes sparkled when he saw Harry.
"Harry!" he began. Dumbledore then reached into the folds of his cloak and pulled out candy. "Join me, will you?"
Harry beamed with joy.
"You will fill me in as to what has transpired since I took my nap," he went on as they headed for his office at Hogwarts.
Hagrid caught sight of the party as they headed toward the castle. He raced up the slope toward them. He embraced Dumbledore, lifting him off his feet.
"I knew that You-Know-Who could not kill such a great man as yourself, sir," Hagrid began to weep uncontrollably. "Your wand, sir," Hagrid said as he drew out Dumbledore's wand and returned it to its rightful owner.
"Minerva!" waved Dumbledore.
She did a double take and raced toward them. She gave a strange look toward Snape before embracing Dumbledore.
"It's so good to have you back!" she began. "Was it the tears of the phoenix? I heard Fawkes just now which is why I came out."
"Something like that," he said contemplatively. "Severus devised both original potions and charms that kept me safe."
"Your hand, Albus," she noticed. "It's no longer diseased."
"One of the side benefits of a long and restful sleep," he laughed. "I am as healed as healed can be at my age. I have Severus and Poppy to thank for that. Now, I also have some catching up to do, as well. Join me in the Head Master's Office, if you will Minerva."
"It's so good to have you back, Albus," she stated with such relief in her voice, as he'd not heard before. "I hope that you won't do this to us again…make us think you are dead."
"Rest assured, Minerva," he smiled, handing her some candy.