A warning that this chapter will be more violent than those previous. Enjoy the thrills and chills. Happy Halloween! Thank you for your continued readership and support!

Tuesdays, in Pansy's experience, tended to be uneventful. Usually it seemed like more of Monday had bled over to be dealt with. While the unsuccessful raid was what most were dealing with in the Auror's Office upon her arrival, it was not by any means uneventful.

"Did you see the patronus?" She heard Trotter ask. Pansy's eyes snapped up to watch the two Aurors talking as they walked in.

"I don't think anyone got a good look at it. It made a funny sound, though." Williamson said.

"Like a little pig." Trotter chortled.

Williamson did his best likeness of a pig which had both aurors laughing riotously.

Pansy's hands clenched into fists. She was tied between indignation at their making fun of her patronus, and sheer panic at it having been spotted. She listened doggedly to any conversation which happened near her, making excuses and volunteering for tasks that would take her all over the Auror's Office. From what she could gather, no one had seen her patronus outright. They had only heard it as Trotter and Williamson had said. But they were not ruling anyone out as a suspect within their ranks.

Suddenly Robards emerged from his office and shouted gruffly. "Alright. Gather everyone, even the office staff, and let's line up in conference room three!"

Pansy had been making copies and she tried to look absorbed in her task, hoping she could avoid whatever this gathering was. It sounded like a trap. Savage spotted her. He cut a pretty intimidating figure as he closed in on her, arms crossed. "You heard him, miss. Go get Spink at the front and the both of you head to conference room three."

"I-I'm doing some rather important copies." Pansy sputtered nervously.

Savage eyed her suspiciously. "I can assure you that this takes priority. I'll wait here for the both of you."

Feeling sick, Pansy nodded and did as she was told. She was shaking as they entered the conference room. It was the largest they could boast but it still felt claustrophobic with the entire staff crammed inside.
"Is that everyone?" Robards asked Savage. The senior staff member nodded silently. "Good. Now, I will call each of you forward, one at a time, and you will cast a patronus. You are required to participate. To refuse will mean your arrest. Ignorance or difficulties with this spell will not exempt you. You will attempt to cast a patronus. This exercise is sanctioned by the Minister for Magic Kingsley and is being done for security purposes. Let us begin."

Pansy felt her eyes sting and forced herself to calm her breath to keep from crying. What was she to do? She would be found out! She felt like a rabbit in a den of foxes. As Robards called each staff member up to cast their patronus, Pansy formulated a plan. Before her father set her on this path, she had not known how to cast a patronus. Perhaps she could fake not being able to cast it. She had no chance of mispronouncing the spell, or waving her wand improperly as she would have just witnessed a whole room of people exemplifying the performance. But what she could alter, were her thoughts. If she could just think of her least happy memory. How lonely she felt on that train ride back to London. How her parents had not checked to see if she had even survived the battle. They couldn't monitor her thoughts. And that was the one memory she was sure she could never produce a patronus under.

"Parkinson." Robards growled. He seemed more interested in her than others. Pansy forced calm to her expression, and lowered her gaze meekly as she made her way to the front.

She hesitated as she glanced at all the faces turned to look at her. These were all people she was betraying. People she saw every day. Snape and Potter seemed keen to see her patronus as well. They must suspect her as well. She debated confessing. Maybe if she confessed she would avoid a sentence in Azkaban. But that would mean betraying her parents. And what would become of her then? What would her brother do? Surely they wouldn't give her custody of him. No, confessing wasn't an option. She had to continue her ruse.

"Well?" Robards prompted.

Pansy cleared her throat. "I'm sorry, sir. I'm a little embarrassed. I haven't been able to cast a patronus before." A real blush rose in her cheeks. Everyone else that had come forward so far had no problems with the spell. It was a humiliation to show any shortcoming to them. She had excelled in school for the most part.

Robards seemed to feel no sympathy. "No exceptions, Parkinson. Give it laldy."

Pansy readied her wand and called to mind the unpleasant memory. Outwardly she performed the spell as any would expect, but not even a wisp emanated from her wand.

"Again." Robards demanded.

Pansy flinched in surprise, then did as she was bade, casting the patronus unsuccessfully. Robards growled speculatively then grunted. "And mine." He drew his wand then as Pansy returned to her previous place. A wizened wolf leapt forth from his wand and prowled the room with alert eyes. Pansy licked her dry lips. The immediate threat of discovery may have passed but she could feel the danger still hovering over her head, like the great wolf pursuing those gathered.

Nearly a month had passed and the residents at Ainsley Place awoke at midnight on All Hallows Eve. There was no clear reason for their unrest, but all three emerged warily from their rooms at the same instant. They looked at each other with mirrored concern, then made their way to the kitchen window with wands drawn. A sickly green glow putrefied the horizon. The dark mark with the zealot's rune on its forehead hung ominously in the distance. The faint sounds of screams only now reached their ears. "That's Hogsmeade." Harry choked out through his nausea. The three stood in disbelief for a few panicked heartbeats. "Let's go!" Harry suddenly whispered urgently, making for the door. Hermione grabbed his arm roughly. "No, Harry, there aren't enough of us! They'll kill you as soon as they see you!"

"We can't sit here and do nothing!" Harry hissed back.

Snape broke into their hushed argument. "She's right, Potter. You're no good to anyone dead. We need to alert Robards. Follow the emergency procedures they taught you."

"Not fast enough. You hear them screaming!" Harry said stubbornly.

"I'll go do what I can, Harry, but you and Severus need to get reinforcements. This is something bigger than the three of us can handle." Hermione looked up at Harry pleadingly. Her nightmare of the two men falling while she was helpless to do anything haunted her. That could not be allowed to happen.

"What do you expect to do on your own, foolish girl? Potter, go. I'm staying here with Hermione." Severus gave the young man a look that allowed for no further protest. Harry nodded once before stepping back to apparate to the Ministry.

"Wait, Harry!" Hermione called to the space Potter had just occupied. She rounded on Snape. "Why would you send him alone? What if something happens? Follow him!"

"The route Potter is taking is top secret. Robards has forbidden any new recruits from knowing of its location. Potter and Weasley were given an exception because of their status as war heroes. If Potter were to take me there it would be suspicious. Why would he come find me before going to the Ministry? And Robards would be furious I was allowed to know this way in." Snape explained.

"Then I can't follow him either." Hermione sighed in frustration. "They really don't trust you despite that memory they've authenticated."

"No." Snape agreed wryly.

"But what if Pansy is there?" Hermione's fear made a resurgence.

"New recruits are not given overnight shifts. It'll be a senior member of staff." Snape assured her.

Hermione nodded, looking distractedly back to the little town. "We have to do something. They can't wait." She started for the door. Severus grasped her shoulder roughly and turned her to face him, his features set sternly. "What do you expect to do?" He asked her again. "To be killed? Or captured and tortured?"

"I expect to help them defend themselves!" Hermione tried stepping out of his hand's reach, but he used both hands to shove her bodily into the wall, effectively pinning her no matter how she squirmed. "Let me go!" She shouted, abandoning precaution in her struggle. "I can't bear to hear them screaming."

"Sometimes it is prudent to bear unpleasantness to wait for a better outcome." Snape lectured.

Hermione looked up at him angrily. "You're not a spy anymore. And Harry's not her to protect. We can fight!"

Snape gave a short nasty laugh. "What would we accomplish?"

Hermione slid her hands around his wrists which still pressed her firmly into the wall. "Let's find out." She said fiercely. Suddenly Snape felt the pull of apparation at his navel and he thought he might truly be ill, not from the trip, but for worry of what was to come.

The two of them appeared in the middle of some sort of Hell-scape. Severus quickly tugged Hermione behind him, a vice-like grip on her wrist as he crouched into a defensive position, his wand at the ready. Hermione noticed Snape had left her wand hand free, likely purposefully. And she was grateful to have Snape and her wand with her as she feared all that lay before them.

Vile green flames rose from the Three Broomsticks and various other little shops and residences nearby. Thick, noxious fumes clouded the air which flickered from within the dark gasses like lightening. The silhouettes of people under the mobilicorpus charm could be seen floating like lost spirits. Hermione felt sick. Were they all dead? Terrible, stomach churning screams of fear and agony ripped through the chaos. People ran wildly, disoriented by their tormentors who herded the innocent witches and wizards like snapping sheep dogs.

As if they had eyes on the backs of their heads, several Death Eaters who had been keeping people blocked inside the blazing Three Broomsticks turned slowly to face the two new arrivals. Each of the Death Eaters were dressed in their traditional paraphernalia- except for Lucius Malfoy. The man twisted about, directly in front of them, like some broken marionette on wayward strings. A mad glint was in his eye as he grinned rabidly. His hair hung in lanky tendrils. "Dear Severus." He hissed. "Did you bring us an offering for our Hallows Eve festivities?"

"I'm not interested in whatever festivities you have planned. In fact, I am here to see that you desist." Severus replied. Lucius laughed menacingly, he and his fellow Death Eaters closing in on them. "I thought you were smarter than this, Severus." Malfoy tsked. "You were safer hiding behind your new Auror masters' legs."

Hermione assessed the situation. There were many more Death Eaters than she expected. They had gathered more recruits. There were fewer civilians to rally and aid them than she anticipated. The few left were scattered and had no chance of forming a cohesive force. Severus and herself were essentially surrounded.

"I've never been one to play it safe." Severus fired back.

Hermione felt panic constrict her lungs. This could be the end of this man she had grown attached to. He could die defending her here. And all because she had not heeded his warnings. If she had but waited. They could die a senseless death here. "I'm sorry." Hermione uttered, tears blurring the encroaching figures. "You were right, Severus. This was stupid."

Malfoy's eyes constricted, then dilated in interest. "The mudblood calls you Severus. What have you been up to, old friend?" The Death Eaters snickered wickedly.

"I want a turn with her." Hermione flinched away from the voice that called amongst the wolf whistles and suggestive sounds. Severus pulled her closer to his back, widening his stance to shield all of her he could. From Hermione's view behind him, she saw his features grow thunderous. "You won't touch her." He spat.

"We should make him watch." A Death Eater to their right suggested. This was met with cruel laughter and shouts in agreement.

"On the altar!" One behind Lucius insisted. This was met with a collective shiver of excitement. The circle about them seemed to grow more emboldened, a few lurching at them teasingly. Severus didn't fall for these taunting moves, watching their body language with an eye trained for combat. He waited for both feet and waist to come forward or for the flick of a wrist.

Hermione gasped as a man grasped her hair from behind, making to pull her from Snape's protective hold. Her dueling experience kicked in and she twisted to aim at her attacker. "Incendio!" She growled.

The man pulled away, screaming as the flames licked his arm. The other Death Eaters howled with a mix of laughter and outrage. A second attacker leapt forth but Severus anticipated him with a full body-bind curse. The cloaked figure fell to the earth with a thud.

"Flipendo!" A woman hissed before either could react. Hermione fell back out of Severus' grip. As three Death Eaters made to subdue her, Severus pulled her back to him with carpe retractum. She collided roughly with his chest and he wrapped a strong arm around her. Despite her fear, Hermione revelled in the closeness of his firm body against hers. Clinging to his shirtfront with her left hand, she spoke with her lips grazing his shoulder. "Everte statum!" Malfoy, who had thought to take advantage of Snape's back to him, flew back several feet, grunting in pain.

Having sized up their quarry, the Death Eaters stepped up their game. Several of them fired hexes and curses at the same time. Severus and Hermione were able to block most of them or recover quickly enough, but they were forced onto the defensive, unable to cast any offensive spells. It was a losing battle. A well timed cruciatus brought Hermione down hard with its potency. Severus desperately worked to fend off all the spells sent their way and stoop to retrieve Hermione, but Lucius came back to the fray behind him and hit him with immobulus.

The Death Eaters gathered up their newly acquired victims and forced them to the center of the main road where a junk heap of architecture and odds and ends had been fashioned into a type of altar. Blood already coated its surface and Hermione struggled against her captors as they pulled and positioned her crudely on it. She was on her back with one Death Eater holding her wrists painfully above her head and down towards on side of the altar. Another used a sticking charm to fix one of her feet to another side of the altar. She was terrified that one of her legs was left free.

"You better be worth the trouble." Hermione recognized this voice to be the Death Eater who had wanted a turn with her. She shuddered in disgust as he drug a gloved finger over her lips leaving a trail of blood and ash. "I'm going to make you scream."

With a sensual caress he slid his hand up her free leg, then stopped just above her knee at her inner thigh and pressed hard, putting his body weight into it. Hermione cried out in pain and alarm. It felt as though he intended to break her leg.

Severus struggled out of Lucius' grip who had been too enraptured in the beginnings of the torture to mind his captive. Snape managed to curse the man harming Hermione, leaving him a bleeding heap on the ground. A sickening gurgle spurred the others into a rage. They regained their control of Severus violently, using their fists and curses that left visible marks. Another man came forward to toy with Hermione. This one rubbed and squeezed her hips roughly, hurting her in his grip. An animalistic growl formed in his throat and Hermione whimpered in fear. She squirmed desperately, trying to free herself from this helpless position, but the man backhanded her three times in rapid succession leaving her dazed and shaken. Wordlessly he began tugging her shirt up. Hermione felt icy dread as he pushed at the fabric and began to twist and struggle again.

Just as the man reared back again to backhand her, a body-binding curse brought him down. Hermione saw the entirety of the Aurors force descending on the group that held them. Harry was there first, disarming Lucius and stupifying the wizard that held her wrists.

"My foot. There's a sticking charm there." Hermione told him shakily. Harry freed her foot and helped her down from the altar. Hermione hugged Harry close, tears threatening to overwhelm her.

"It's not over yet." Harry told her, stepping back from her gently.

Hermione sniffed and gathered her strength. With a firm nod to let Harry know she was ready, they joined the Aurors in their fight to subdue as many Death Eaters as possible. Severus made his way to her side and fought possessively by her side. She noticed he was as cold and lethal as a knife's edge. He cast his spells wordlessly and Hermione saw from those he felled that they were not strictly procedural. He was using violent curses. It was both disturbing and satisfying to see.

Unnerved by her dark protector, she focused her attention on binding Death Eaters and healing victims, hopefully enough to help them last until they got attention from a healer.

The fight was relatively short-lived. Many Death Eaters escaped. Clearly this was a statement. Not meant to be a true clash of forces. Six Death Eaters had been captured which was more headway than they had made in the past several weeks. Still, no one could feel the catch was worth the cost. Many innocents had either perished or suffered terrible injuries.

As medi-witches arrived on the scene from St. Mungos, Hermione looked up at the moon, eyes unseeing. This war was definitely not over. Tears flowed unchecked down her cold cheeks and her teeth chattered loudly. She barely noticed. Harry came to stand before her and pulled her into his arms. "Let's go home." He croaked. The two apparated back to Ainsley Place. On opposite ends of the smoldering town, Severus and Ron's gazes lifted from where Hermione had been and met each others. They regarded one another with resentment, then turned to help the others where they could.