Harry Potter and Dumbledore's Secret

by chadsgirl824

YEAR SEVEN Harry's 7th year at Hogwart's, and the hardest he's yet to face. New enemies and tough challenges await him, as well as the discovery of incredible new powers. Written PRIOR to OoTP

27. Chapter 27

Harry had no idea how long he'd been out, but as he started to come to, the first thing he felt was a throbbing headache. Letting out a low moan, Harry blinked his eyes slowly, dimly aware that he was not laying down, but rather leaning against something. Straightening out his legs, Harry forced himself into a standing position, all of his muscles aching as he did so, and it was then he finally realized his movement was restricted, as his wrists were in shackles just above him.

Trying not to panic, Harry pulled at the chains that were driven into the wall above him, holding him to it tightly. The shackles were too tight around his wrists, and there was no chance that he'd ever be able to slip through them. Pausing in his efforts for a brief moment, Harry began to look around, to see if he could figure out where he was, when he heard his name.

"Harry…are you alright?"

"Remus!" Harry cried anxiously, looking across the room to see his friend in the same predicament as he, on the opposite wall. "I'm fine…where are we?"

"We're in Hogwarts," Remus replied gravely. "In one of the dungeon cells…deeper in the school than any student is ever allowed to go."

"Are you alright? What happened?" Harry asked, glancing around and finding they were the only two in the room.

"Voldemort sent some of his followers for Lucius," Remus began, "I happened to be in the room when they arrived. I tried to fight them off, but there were too many…" he trailed off, shaking his head in disgust.

"Don't blame yourself," Harry said quietly. "There's nothing you could have done…you were outnumbered."

Remus nodded faintly, seeming entirely unconvinced. Harry sighed inaudibly, before asking his next question.

"Did we know they were coming? Was there any warning?"

"No," Remus replied, shaking his head. "I don't know if the ones I saw was all of them, or if there are more elsewhere in the school. They were just there all of a sudden…I don't know how they knew where to look…but they were able to find Lucius and set him free…"

"So we don't know if the others are alright then?" Harry asked, worriedly.

"Unfortunately no," Remus replied grimly. He looked up at the chains around his wrists, struggling against them for a brief moment, before leaning back against the wall with a thump. "They could be in another cell down here…or they could be completely unaware of the intruders' presence. I just hope they can figure out what's going on before I was able to…" he trailed off, looking up at Harry. "Is Lucius the one who found you, or was it someone else?"

"It was Lucius," Harry replied darkly, feeling anger simmering within him once more. "And a shapeshifter disguised as you…I was so stupid not to realize what was happening…"

"No you weren't," Remus replied. "They can be very convincing, the shapeshifters, especially when you're mind is occupied with many other important matters…you don't catch onto things as fast as you usually would. With all that's going on with you lately, I'm sure that worrying about shapeshifters again was not top on your list."

Harry nodded slowly, his mind drifting back to Lucius…and Neville. His stomach knotted in worry over what Malfoy would do to his friend…now that he knew the truth. Why couldn't he have kept his mouth shut until they'd gotten to Dumbledore? If Neville died, it was Harry's fault for giving him straight to Malfoy the moment they'd arrived.

He was stirred out of his thoughts, however, as the door to the cell swung open harshly, and none other than Lucius Malfoy strode confidently into the room.

"Comfortable?" he asked wickedly, grinning from Harry to Remus, an air of excitement about him.

"Stuff it Malfoy," Remus spat at him. "You're going to wish you'd never heard the name of Voldemort before this day is through."

"Empty threats, Lupin dear…they just don't become you," Lucius replied shaking his head and grinning. "And you will address my master as Lord Voldemort…for he is far superior than the likes of a half-wit, no-good wizard such as you."

"Remus is twice the wizard you are!" Harry yelled, hatefully, jumping to his friend's defense. "You could never hope to be as good as him!"

"You are young," Lucius spoke darkly, turning his gaze upon Harry. "And have no idea what you're talking about. Sadly, however, you will not live long enough to be shown the truth. Your friends are nothing but weak cowards, and today they will all perish under my Lord. You, however, will not be viewing any of this…" he trailed off, raising his right hand in front of him and twirling something small between his fingers.

Harry leaned forward slightly, and recognized the item to be a flask, filled with a dark brown liquid. He looked up sharply at Malfoy, assuming the potion would be for him, but Lucius' gaze was on Remus. After a moment's hesitation, Lucius began stepping slowly across the cell, smiling wickedly at Lupin.

Harry watched helplessly as Lucius came to a halt, barely a foot from Remus, as they glared at one another.

"Do you know what this is?" Lucius asked, tauntingly, holding up the vile so Lupin could see it fully.

Harry could see the panic in Remus' eyes, who looked from the flask, to Harry and back to Lucius.

"Yes," he spoke through gritted teeth. "And if you think I'm drinking it you're off your gourd."

"Oh believe me…you'll have every last drop," Lucius hissed menacingly. "It was made especially for you, so let's not be so ungrateful, shall we?"

Lucius lifted the vile towards Remus, who instinctively pulled down on the chains, trying to push it away. He turned his face away as the flask neared him, trying to block his head with his arms.

"This childish behavior just won't do," Lucius said impatiently, raising his left hand and forcing one of Remus' arms away. He again moved the flask closer, but Lupin wasn't having any of it. Refusing to give in, he grabbed hold of the chains above him tightly as he backed into the wall, and in the next instant, he'd used them to pull himself up, kicking out forcefully at Lucius. The blow struck Malfoy in his stomach, and he stumbled backwards, doubling over in pain and groaning, but he held fast to the vile.

"Nott! Goyle! Get in here!" Lucius called out, between gasps to catch his breath. Harry looked up to see two death eaters enter the room and cross hastily to Malfoy's side.

"Hold him," Lucius spat, drawing himself back up into a straight stance and glaring at Remus, who was smirking at him, despite the fact that he still appeared nervous. The two nodded obediently and wasted no time in crossing to where Remus stood. They took hold of his arms roughly, forcing them back against the cold, hard wall, before they each brought one of their heavy boots down painfully on Remus' feet.

Harry struggled against the chains that held him, but they wouldn't give. He was forced to stand by watching, while his friend clenched his teeth in pain, glaring hatefully at their enemy.

"You never could do things the easy way, could you Lupin?" Lucius spat, once he was sure Remus was held securely by his two cohorts.

"Never for you Malfoy," Remus snarled back.

Lucius nodded faintly, stepping back towards Remus once more, and stopping just inches from his face. The two stared at each other darkly for a long moment, when suddenly Lucius took a half step back, and slammed his fist into Remus' gut without warning.

"Remus!" Harry couldn't stop himself from yelling as his friend began to gasp for air, unable to move as he was still being held in place. Harry turned his angry gaze on Lucius, who was paying him no mind, as he stood by, clearly enjoying Remus' reaction.

"You dirty coward!" Harry screamed at him.

"Shut your mouth, boy," Lucius hissed at him, his eyes flashing dangerously before he turned his gaze on Lupin once more. "As much fun as I'd have doing this all day, I have an urgent matter which I must attend to." He raised the flask again, stepping so close to Remus there was barely an inch between them. Harry could see his friend's eyes were watering in pain as he tried to turn his head away, but was too weak at the moment to fight. Lucius gripped Remus' jaw, forcing it open, and poured the liquid down his throat. Remus began to choke instantly, trying to stop himself from consuming any of the potion, but Lucius closed his mouth with a snap and held his hand there until the fit subsided, and he was sure the liquid was fully swallowed.

Smiling triumphantly, Malfoy nodded to the death eaters once, and they instantly released their hold on Remus, who slumped against the wall, gasping. Lucius reached his hand into his pocket, bringing out his wand and Harry felt his heart stop as the death eater pointed it at Remus, but a moment later, the shackles around his wrists snapped open, and Lupin crumpled fully to the floor, shaking from exhaustion.

Harry looked up at Lucius, his expression a mixture of hate and confusion, but Malfoy merely smirked back at him.

"I leave you both now," Malfoy spoke darkly as the other two death eaters exited the cell. "Lord Voldemort is coming, and I must have Mr. Longbottom ready…" he trailed off as he stalked across the room, pausing once at the entrance and glaring back in at them, before turning abruptly and slamming door behind him.

Harry heard the lock slide forcefully into place with a resonating bang, and the sound of Malfoy's measured footsteps growing fainter, before he was left with nothing except the darkness…and Remus' shallow gasps.

"Remus?" Harry called out, his voice full of concern and worry. "Are you alright?" he asked. For a long moment there was no reply. He could hear his friend's breathing but that was all. "Remus, please answer me if you can hear me!" he called out again, pushing down the dread that was building within him. He could do nothing to help his friend, still securely chained to the wall, unable to move more than a foot from it.

"Harry…" Remus' faint whisper floated up to him.

"Remus!" Harry replied, relieved that he'd gotten any response. "What did he give you? Can you stand? Will you be alright?" He squinted his eyes in the dim room, fixed on Lupin's hunched, quivering form, not having the slightest clue how to get him help.

"Harry you have to…" Remus began, straining to push himself into an upright position as he spoke. "You can't let me do anything…"

"What do you mean?" Harry asked apprehensively, shifting his weight from one foot to the other nervously. "What was that potion for?"

"I'm…it will make me…transform," Remus spoke, between long breaths.

"What?" Harry cried, feeling a sharp stab of panic. "But it's the middle of the day! How can it…?"

"Harry we don't have time to argue," Remus spoke, forcing his voice to remain steady, but gasping again as he finished speaking. He looked down for a moment, seeming to collect himself, before glancing back up to meet Harry's frightened gaze.

"It won't take long for the potion to…to do its job," he began slowly. "I can already feel the change happening…"

"What can we do?" Harry asked, suddenly horribly aware of the cold steel clamped over his wrists. He had no way to defend himself in the slightest.

"Use your powers," Remus said fiercely, giving Harry a penetrating stare. "Do whatever you have to so that…"

"Remus, no," Harry interrupted, shaking his head emphatically. "You don't understand…I barely know how to use the crystals at all…and I don't have any of them here even if I did know!"

"You've used them before…when…when they weren't…" Remus stammered, his breathing becoming heavier and more forced.

"I wasn't able to control it though," Harry said, feeling a chill run up his spine as the full realization of this situation sunk in…and what Remus was truly asking of him. "Besides," he continued in grim determination, "I would never use it to hurt you…I don't care what reason I might have…"

"Harry…you have to do whatever it takes!" Remus tried to shout, but it came out as a strangled cry, he doubled over in agony at the last word, and Harry felt his stomach twisting at the sight. Remus' very bones seemed to be shifting, slowly and painfully, his face was stretching outwards and his hands were becoming gnarled.

Harry watched as Remus' back arched skywards and could hear his clothes ripping…shredding…as the transformation continued on relentlessly. Harry wanted to shut his eyes, to block out the horrifying vision, but was unable to tear his gaze away. Several agonizingly long minutes passed and thick, brown fur had begun to cover Remus' body. When the transformation was nearly complete, he let out a tortured scream that was quickly strangled…before becoming a low, predatory growl.

Harry could feel his heart racing in his chest; the thumping echoing back to him in his ears so loudly he felt his head would burst. He listened intently as the sounds of long nails clicked against the hard stone floor, pacing back and forth in front of him threateningly.

Trying frantically to calm his breathing, to think…Harry could barely concentrate as he heard Remus snarling faintly. He could see the werewolf's shining eyes in the darkness, fixed hungrily on his own, and felt the now familiar rush of energy begin to fill him.

"No," Harry thought forcefully, sweat breaking out across his forehead. "I won't…I will never hurt Remus." Harry tried intensely to concentrate his energy on anything else, glancing at once above him to the chains holding him to the wall.

"Please…" he muttered fervently as he stared at the shackles, hearing Remus suddenly let out a fierce growl, before the sound of running feet came through. Harry barely had time to register what was happening, before he felt a searing flash of pain, as Remus' jaws ripped agonizingly into his leg.

Harry pulled on the chains with all his weight, and gritted his teeth, unable to fully stifle the anguished cry that escaped him. The pain in his leg was so intense he felt for a moment that he might black out, but as his vision swam in and out before him, he forced himself to remain conscious.

Tears of agony ran down his face as he twisted on the spot, trying to free himself from Remus' vice-like hold, but it only caused another excruciating jolt to run through him, as his skin and muscles were torn and shredded through the wolf's razor-sharp teeth.

Able to bear it no longer, Harry swung out with his free leg, kicking Remus square in the chest. He heard the tortured yelp of pain as the vicious animal was knocked backwards, but was back on his feet in a flash, his eyes gleaming hatefully at Harry as he began to pace in front of him once more.

Breathing heavy, sweat stinging his eyes, Harry didn't dare look down at the gaping wound he knew would be there. He knew it had to be bad, as he could barely feel his leg anymore, and it certainly wasn't responding when he tried to move it. The energy flowing within him was positively howling to be released, but he held it in. He knew from the past that when he used his powers without the crystals, there was little control. If he could somehow center his energy on escaping it would be one thing, but there was a very real possibility that he could seriously injure Remus…or worse. Harry didn't care how much pain he was in…he would not be the cause of someone else's death.

Remus was setting up to lunge again; Harry could see it in the animal's dark glare. He grasped the chains above him to hold himself steady, briefly wondering if Neville were still alive. If he were, then Harry could still live through this…if anyone knew where he was to get him out…

Remus attacked without warning, this time jumping into the air as he did so. Harry barely had the time to cover his face as he felt the jagged teeth penetrate his skin once more, this time on his upper arm. The wolf's paws slammed forcefully against his chest as he wrenched and pulled at Harry's arm. Harry was trying to push him away, to kick him; anything…but it was in vain. Even when he succeeded in taking Remus' feet out from under him, it only caused him greater suffering, as the wolf would cling to his arm by his jaws, refusing to release his hold this time, seeming to expect the blows.

All Harry could do was try to keep his arms in front of his face…and his neck. He knew what Remus had been going for in this attack and that he wouldn't stop until he'd torn Harry's throat out. His strength was fading fast however, and he could feel the blood running freely from his wounds, drenching his clothes…he could even taste it in his throat. The grizzled ripping sounds of Remus' gnashing teeth against his bones was sickening him to the point that he couldn't take it any longer.

Shaking with anguished exhaustion and wanting nothing more than to give in, Harry was prepared to do just that, when he felt Remus release his hold suddenly. Not daring to look at first, Harry waited for the next attack that was sure to come, as he heard the vicious snarl the wolf was letting out, but when nothing came after a moment more, Harry dared to move his arms slightly, to see what was happening.

The door to the cell was open and standing in the middle of the room was Allison, one of her arms held up in front of her, the palm facing out. Remus hung by an invisible force mere inches from her, struggling fiercely against the power that held him there.

Harry didn't know what to say, he stared at Allison, straining to keep his eyes open as black spots were fading in and out of his vision, but immensely relieved that the torture had finally stopped.

"Are you alright?" Allison asked evenly, giving Harry a penetrating stare.

"I'm alive," Harry croaked, his voice barely more than a whisper. Allison made no reply, but turned away from Harry to look back at Remus. She bent her arm towards her and the wolf's floating form followed, looking anxious at the prospect of a new victim. Just as he neared her, however, Allison flung her arm out forcefully, a shock of black energy running through her body as she did so. Remus flew through the air at such a speed Harry could only see a streak of fur, until he collided with the far wall, a sickening crunching sound filling the air for a fleeting second, before he slumped limply to the cold, dark floor.

Harry stared at his friend's still form in horror, as a pool of blood began to slowly form around the wolf's head, before glaring up at Allison.

"Why did you do that?" he rasped, his breathing still coming in heavy gasps.

"He was going to kill you," Allison said emotionlessly as she crossed the room to where Harry was chained.

"But…but it's…he's Remus!" he managed to get out, thinking maybe Allison might not have been aware. She was a healer, surely she could help him…"

"I know," Allison replied curtly, her eyes boring into Harry's own as she lifter her hands to his wrists. He glanced up to see her run both of her index fingers along the edge of the shackles, and they sprang open immediately.

Harry promptly collapsed to the floor, having no strength left to stand. His hands slapped against the cold stones and his breathing was echoing in his ears; he had to stifle a cry of agony, feeling immense pain shoot through his body from the wounds on his arm and leg.

Glancing up through his blurry vision, Harry strained to focus on Remus…he couldn't tell if he was breathing…

"He's alive," Allison spoke harshly. "Now get up."

"We have to help him," Harry said quietly, remaining still.

"I said get up," Allison repeated coldly.

Harry glared up at her furiously. How could she be so cruel? Remus was seriously injured…and there was so much blood.

"I suggest you start worrying about yourself for once," Allison breathed as she leant down and roughly took hold of Harry's arm, wrenching him forcefully to his feet. He had to shift his weight to his uninjured leg, as his other one was entirely unable to support him at the moment, and shaking quite badly. There was blood forming a thin puddle on the floor beneath his leg, and he could feel a steady flow of it coming from the wound on his arm as well.

"Let's go," Allison said curtly, nodding towards the door.

"Not without Remus," Harry spoke, his eyes flashing defiantly.

"If you don't start moving I'll kill him," Allison said in a deathly quiet tone. "I did you a favor by letting him live, though I'm sure he won't want to for long, after he remembers what he just did to you…" she trailed off, a faint smirk touching her lips.

Harry glared at her angrily, becoming completely oblivious to the pain he was feeling. He couldn't hold himself back before asking his next question.

"You're working for Saaneeraa…aren't you?" he spat fiercely.

"No, you fool," Allison replied, a wicked smile now on her face. "I am Saaneeraa."

Before Harry could utter a word in reply, she grabbed him roughly by his injured arm, squeezing it so hard his eyes watered. He could barely see as she dragged him through the door, leaving Remus behind and starting up the dank, sinister corridor.

Harry didn't speak for the duration of their walk. Saaneeraa would not let go of his arm as she strode through the halls and it was taking all of his strength just to keep up with her, so she wasn't fully dragging him to their destination.

Harry noticed that they seemed to be going deeper into the dungeons as he wasn't recognizing anything they passed, and when they went down one last corridor that had a dead end, Harry saw a metal door on the wall to their right just as Saaneeraa reached out for it, pushing it open forcefully and throwing him inside.

Catching hold of a thick backed chair was the only way Harry was able to remain standing, as his leg was threatening to give out beneath him. He looked up just in time to see Saaneeraa step into the room, slamming it shut behind her. They were thrown into complete darkness for a matter of seconds, when all at once every candle in the room ignited at once, casting an eerie glow over everything.

"We shouldn't be waiting too long," Saaneeraa spoke emotionlessly as she stalked across the room, flinging herself almost casually into a faded armchair, dust stirring up around her the moment it was disturbed.

Harry glared darkly at her, thoughts racing through his mind so fast he could barely keep track of them.

"Why don't you sit down…get off that leg?" Saaneeraa asked with an all too pleasant smile as she nodded at Harry's shaking leg.

"I'm sure you care, too," Harry spat as he tightened his grip on the hard back of the stiff, wooden chair, bringing himself around to the front of it and lowering himself down. It was a huge relief to let the weight off his leg and he leant back in exhaustion, sweat dripping down the sides of his face.

He looked around the room briefly, realizing it wasn't an office, but more of a storage closet. Everything in here seemed to be either very old, or very broken. Their were desks, chairs, cabinets, tables and many other small trinkets and decorations, but he didn't care about any of that right now. Bringing his gaze back around, he fixed Saaneeraa with a steady glare.

"Why?" he asked darkly. "Why did you bother saving me just now? Why not let Remus have me…it's what you want, isn't it?"

"To have you killed by a werewolf? Hell no," Saaneeraa replied with a wave of her hand. "That fool, Lucius nearly ruined everything tonight," she continued, a quiet anger in her voice.

"What does it matter how it happens?" Harry asked.

"Because your powers can't be taken by someone if you're already dead," Saaneeraa replied. "The one who kills you gets them…unless they're not of a Faerunian bloodline. Then nobody gets them."

"Which is why Voldemort had Wormtail perform that spell on him," Harry added.

"Right," Saaneeraa replied slowly. "You've done your homework, it seems."

Harry glared back at her smugly, deciding not to mention Tytros and the Zlam. He couldn't betray them after all the help they'd just given him, though he'd made a big mess of things now…

"In any case," Saaneeraa continued, brushing him off, "if Remus had killed you, your powers would have been lost to anyone else forever. Lucius obviously didn't realize what he was doing, stupid man. I can't believe he's lived this long. You would think someone would have done him in by now, out of sheer irritation alone…" she trailed off, rolling her eyes.

"So what then…Lucius just found you to tell you what he'd done?" Harry asked, as another thought struck him. "I guess your coma was all just a ploy too…" he trailed off, glaring fixedly at her.

"Of course it was," Saaneeraa replied, sounding bored.

"And Cole?" Harry pressed. "Is he in this with you?"

"Indeed," Saaneeraa smirked. "Cole doesn't exist anymore, he did at one time…but now his body is merely a disguise for Draam."

"You killed him?" Harry asked, disgusted.

"No, Draam did," Saaneeraa replied curtly. "Do you remember nothing of what I told you about the entities?" she asked, her tone that of a mother berating her child. "The only way in which Draam can change forms, is to take that being's life."

"Well seeing as how you've lied about so many things," Harry shot back, defiantly, "I can't really rely on what you've told me in the past being the truth now, can I?"

"Touché," Allison nodded, a small grin touching her lips. "Well what I told you about the entities was the truth…"

"Except for the fact that the other five serve you…I believe you left that out," Harry cut in, snidely.

"There were certain things we couldn't tell you," Saaneeraa shrugged, "so we only let you know just enough to ease your concerns…to make you believe we were on your side."

"Why though?" Harry asked. "Why make us all believe you were here to help…if you've known from the very first that I was the Psion…then wouldn't Voldemort want you to…"

"Voldemort came to me asking for help," Saaneeraa cut him off. "He explained what had happened since his…rebirth, and exactly what he wanted. I'd seen Hagrid mulling around here and there over the course of two years in Faerun, and after hearing Voldemort's story, I knew he was looking for Cole. However, I also knew Cole would not ever be found by him. He'd been dead for several years at that point, so Hagrid's search was in vain. I saw the opportunity then, to use the former Psionic instructor as a disguise. The only problem was we needed the information, which only he would know, about Psionics. I became Allison Gazten, a complete lie, as she's never existed in the past, and Draam became Cole. I had him inform Hagrid, who was all too happy to have found us, that he would be sending me ahead in his place and would join us later. This would enable him the time he needed to learn all that he could through Cole's dead and rotting corpse. He is lord of the dead, you see. He can do anything he pleases with them."

"You needed him to get information? But…you knew that Neville was the guardian before we did," Harry spoke up. "You had him started on training before any of us…"

"Correct," Saaneeraa nodded. "I knew who all of you were because I know the bloodlines."

"The bloodlines," Harry said, remembering the little he'd been told about them by Xondis. "Why couldn't you tell us about that? Cole said we were just born into our powers, no scheme to it…"

"If I told you the truth," Saaneeraa replied, "then you would have known who both the guardian and the defender really were…and who your life was really linked to…"

Harry sat staring at her for a long moment, thinking over what she'd just said, and coming to a grim realization.

"You knew," he said feeling anger and hatred simmering within him. "You knew Cho had nothing to do with any of this!"

"That I did," Saaneeraa smiled wickedly.

"Why then?" Harry shouted hatefully, "She died for no reason! Not only was she not the defender, but the person Voldemort was truly after turns out to be the guardian! Why didn't you tell him any of this? You said you knew before even coming here…so why keep him in the dark about it? You let her die!"

"Why do you think?" Saaneeraa hissed, sitting up sharply, her eyes flashing. "If I haven't told Voldemort any of this vital information that he would need to know in order to achieve his ultimate goal…what do you think that implies?"

"You're…you're not helping Voldemort?" Harry stammered, his eyes widening in shock.

"Very good," Saaneeraa replied with a smirk. "I thought by now you would've figured that out on your own…"

"Then why tell us that the entities had aligned themselves with him?" Harry asked evenly.

"Because he believes they have," Saaneeraa answered simply.

"So you're double-crossing him."

"Of course I am!" Saaneeraa snapped, standing up abruptly. "How else would I be able to gain control of your powers?"

Harry just stared at her in shock, unable to reply.

"Did you really think I would just help Voldemort become the most powerful wizard in all the world and want nothing in return? He is not a man of his word, in case you weren't aware. If I'd refused to help, then he'd find some other way and come back to repay me for turning him down…but if I agreed, pretended to want to assist him, I could turn this all around and gain control of the power myself. You don't realize what you have, Harry. Psionic powers are the most coveted of them all. People would do anything for them…[Ianything[/I."

"If you want them so badly," Harry spoke in quiet fury, "why haven't you taken them already? It's not as if you haven't had plenty of chances."

"No I haven't," Saaneeraa replied evenly. "If the Psion has no control over his powers than no one else can either. You needed to be in possession of each of the crystals for at least a short while, in order for me to take your powers. I would have much preferred to get it all done at once, but that was impossible because…"

"Because if I'd had all the stones at once I would have gained full control of them," Harry finished for her, glaring in hatred.

"You got it," Saaneeraa said, pointing her index finger at him and winking.

"That's why Cole…" Harry began quickly, "excuse me[IDraam[/I, was so angry at me the one time I did take all of them."

"Yes, you did succeed in royally irritating him," Saaneeraa replied. "I wasn't pleased either, but no lasting harm was done, and he did a good job of scaring you out of ever trying something like that again. Now, however, you've done all that we needed you to do…and your powers will soon be mine."

"You need Neville for that," Harry snapped angrily. "And you don't have him…"

"Sorry to disappoint you," Saaneeraa grinned. "Do you forget so soon that I was the one who saved you just a short while ago? We know what Lucius was going to do. I had Draam stop him from killing the guardian while I went after you. Both the crystals and Neville are being brought down here as we speak. I will dispose of Mr. Longbottom myself, and then it will be your turn."

"What about Percy…and the Changs?" Harry asked darkly. "I know why you wanted Snape out of the way…but why did you wait so long to do it?"

"Percy had to be put out of the way as a precaution, I am not the one who sent him after you, that was Voldemort. He was using my servants, however, to control Mr. Weasley, and I was [Inot[/I pleased with him for that. You see that is something he has to learn, he can't just take my entities because he wants to…[Ithey are mine[/I," she finished forebodingly, her eyes focusing on something that seemed far away.

Harry waited for a moment, and when Saaneeraa made no further comment, he spoke quietly.

"And the Changs?" he asked again.

"They were a distraction to you," Saaneeraa replied with a casual wave of her hand. "I needed you here, finishing your time with the crystals…not off at some pointless ceremony for that silly girl's passing…"

"Don't talk about Cho like that!" Harry hissed, fiercely, gripping the arms of his chair as he spoke. If his leg wasn't in so much pain, he would have lunged at Saaneeraa then and there, not caring about the consequences.

"Oh come, come now," Saaneeraa said sweetly. "After all, you'll be seeing her again soon." Harry merely glared at her darkly as she continued. "So as you see, I had to put the Changs out of the way for the remainder of your training. You would have found some way to attend the funeral, and we didn't have the time to waste. As for Snape, I kept him awake as long as possible to avoid any unnecessary questions from Dumbledore, or your nosy godfather, Sirius. We were going to make full use of Snape's knowledge of Psionics, just as we were doing with Cole. The fact that Snape didn't know he possessed this knowledge would have made it even easier to take. But you just had to walk in while the Dream Snake was doing its work, didn't you? Of course it was able to attack you, as you're a Psion. You would have no trouble crossing barriers through the different realms. As Dream Snakes are supremely greedy, they will always choose a victim who they believe will bring them the most power…you win over Snape easily. But they're also stupid creatures, and this one didn't realize he would be quite unable to end your life, thus killing itself when it tried to consume your life force."

"But you already knew who the guardian and the defender were…what more did you need from Snape?" Harry asked.

"Anyone can read the bloodlines, Harry," Saaneeraa spoke hastily. "The crystals, however, would have proven to be a most impassible obstacle. We needed to be sure we weren't telling you how to use them correctly, but make it look as if we were. Draam took all he could from Cole, and then came to work on Snape. He completed the extraction on the night you were taken by Voldemort, and I had to quickly send Neville after you."

"But Voldemort said the bottle was your idea," Harry said, confused. "Why, if you didn't want him to…?"

"I had to make him believe I was on his side," Saaneeraa said, firmly. "I didn't want to attract any unnecessary attention from him…or suspicion. When you went to Dumbledore to tell him you'd received the bottle I decided to take a chance. I merely gave Sirius and Marzia a small push, and you noticed it just as I'd hoped. You knew something about their behavior was off, and so you disposed of the bottle straight away. I made sure to confirm your suspicions by having Neville ask you about it. You again felt something was strange, and made no attempt to go out and find the bottle."

"Then how did I get it back?" Harry asked.

"Good question," Saaneeraa replied, looking up and meeting his gaze evenly. "I would very much like to know…" she trailed off, seeming deep in thought for a moment, before looking back to Harry as he spoke again.

"After you'd taken the information you needed to from Snape," he started, "why did you need to put him into a coma too?"

"Because we can't fully take the information away from him," Saaneeraa answered. "Draam was learning from him, reading his mind is probably the easiest way to explain it, but he wasn't erasing the knowledge. The night you were taken by Voldemort was the night everyone would have become completely aware of their roles in this little game. Snape would have known exactly what he had to do, and as we couldn't have you knowing the full truth just yet, we filled him with smoke and Draam finally made his presence known…as Cole, Dumbledore's old friend."

"Filled him with smoke?" Harry asked, his brow furrowing.

"Yes," Saaneeraa replied, her eyes flashing mischievously. "You choose to call it what you will, but what it comes down to is just that. The smoke enters their being, rendering them helpless, unable to move or communicate with those around them while, in actuality, they're perfectly awake and able to hear everything."

"And the smoke," Harry continued, horrified over what he was being told, "is it permanent?"

"No," Saaneeraa sighed. "Unfortunately. You, yourself discovered its weakness, but thankfully, you were just too dumb to add up the pieces."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked defiantly.

"Your wand," Saaneeraa replied casually. "I'd be willing to bet anything there's a phoenix feather at its core, yes?"

Harry nodded stiffly, waiting.

"Phoenix feathers negate the effects of the black mist," Saaneeraa went on. "The power contained within them is far greater than that of the smoke."

"So that's why when my wand touched Mr. Chang the smoke started to leave him…"

"It is indeed," Saaneeraa replied with a nod. "Though I'd suggest giving them a potion which contains a phoenix feather as one of the ingredients…rather then just rub one against them. It could end up being quite painful in the end…" she trailed off, smiling wickedly.

"And that's why Mel's wand had no effect on the smoke," Harry continued. "There must be something else at its core."

"And at last, you're catching on," Saaneeraa said tauntingly.

"Why do you want Mel dead?" Harry asked grimly, meeting the entity's gaze evenly.

"Well it's not so much a matter of [Iwanting[/I her dead," Saaneeraa replied. "We [Ineed[/I her dead…"

"Why?" Harry asked, feeling dread knotting in the pit of his stomach.

"Because," Saaneeraa laughed, "the bloodlines dictate that when you are born, your Psionic abilities are imbedded within you. It makes no difference how many people are in your family, only one of you will be born with these powers. Now if a Psion dies, in order for the next in line to be born, the powers must be passed on."

"So what does that have to do with Mel?" Harry asked, apprehensively.

"Don't act dumb," Saaneeraa replied, rolling her eyes. "You know what I'm about to say."

"Mel gets the powers?" Harry asked.

"Exactly."

"So she's the next Psion?" Harry pressed on.

"No," Saaneeraa sighed, shaking her head. "You know you have to be born with that ability, and Mel wasn't. But her bloodline is the next in line to become Psion. As soon as you die, your powers go to her, but she'll never be aware of it. Her child would be born a Psion. If you lived long enough that she already had a child, then that would be who your powers passed to instead of her."

"So, whenever I die, my powers go to the youngest living member of her bloodline…and the next person born gets the Psionic abilities?" Harry asked.

"Correct," Saaneeraa replied slowly. "You're getting better at this…"

"And you need to kill her so…so the powers don't pass on?" Harry asked, knowing that had to be the answer.

"It's the only way I'll ever be able to take possession of them without any chance of a mishap. She doesn't have to die [Ibefore[/I you, granted. But it's best if we kill her soon after at least…"

"So that's why the Fleshcrawlers went for Mel before me that first time," Harry spoke, through clenched teeth. "What about when they tried to kill Ron and Hermione? Is there some secret I don't know about with them too?"

"No, that was just Draam having one of his little temper tantrums," Saaneeraa replied casually. "He likes to think he has some power, when he is truly nothing without me. Occasionally I let him make certain decisions, but he was mucking everything up towards the end there…you were becoming far too suspicious towards the both of us. He was giving you only partial information about the Fleshcrawlers, and everyone, including Dumbledore, could tell he was lying. I forbade him to see you any more, and took over in helping you with the crystals. As for the trainings with Draco, I made sure to supervise them as well. When he saw you and your friends by yourself that day, he decided to take action without first clearing it through me, and I had to call off his disgusting minions myself. Honestly, I don't know why I let him keep those things…" she trailed off as if she were talking about a child owning a puppy.

"So you don't want Ron or Hermione dead?" Harry asked.

"I couldn't care less one way or the other," Saaneeraa answered with a shrug. "I came here for your powers, and if that means killing people to get to them, so be it. Other than that, all of your friends can go about living their boring little lives…"

"And the Inquisitors, are they yours too?" Harry asked tersely, only to see Saaneeraa throw her head back in laughter at his question.

"You really fell for that, didn't you?" she said after a moment, still chuckling softly. "There were never any Inquisitors here, not at all. We of course played through with the charade for Dumbledore's benefit, making sure you all believed that is what they were, when all the while it was merely the Fleshcrawlers in disguise. There was little need for any further protection, as Voldemort was not sending many of his death eaters for you. He trusted that I was taking care of everything. The only time we had a problem, really, is when Lucius managed to sneak in. We had no excuse for why the Inquisitors hadn't sensed him, so we had to push the idea that somehow he'd been introduced to them. Luckily, his arrival nearly coincided with theirs, and so 'because they were still new and had not yet become accustomed to the newness of their assignment' worked as a believable excuse. We knew, however, that you were quite skeptical of them, searching the restricted section through and through for months. I planted that small excerpt for Ginny to find, to back up our story of the Inquisitors, and again, it worked quite well."

"Why lie about it then?" Harry asked darkly.

"Well we had to make you all believe we were doing something to protect the school, didn't we? The true Inquisitors would never come…for any reason, not that I wanted them to anyway."

"So the Fleshcrawlers…" Harry began.

"Were in disguise, as I said. Covered in the long, black, cloaks all the time, no one really bothered to look at their faces after the first time. Therefore, I didn't even need to bother with a disguise after that first week. We needed them around, to hinder your abilities further. After we realized the crystals were going to try and force you to take full control of them, we had to bring them in. It was the only way to truly be sure of severing your connection with them. They didn't stay too close to you at first, just enough to keep your powers at bay. But as the last few weeks came about, and Draam nearly ruined everything, I needed them around more, to make sure the crystals didn't give you any more information."

"I was able to speak to the courage crystal though," Harry said smugly. "Even with the Fleshcrawlers right nearby."

Saaneeraa stared at him, an unreadable expression on her face, before turning away and shrugging.

"One crystal doesn't change my plans at all," she muttered quietly.

Harry stared at her intently, thinking that despite what she'd said, she still seemed nervous…when suddenly she jumped up from her chair and stalked towards the door. Pulling it open swiftly, she glanced out into the hall before shutting it forcefully behind her, beginning to pace back and forth.

"What is taking them so long?" she muttered angrily.

"Something wrong?" Harry asked, tauntingly, glaring darkly at Saaneeraa. He could only pray that his friends had something to do with this delay.

"Nothing that you need to concern yourself with," she snapped, glancing up at him. Harry stared at her for a long moment, seeing Saaneeraa grow more frustrated by the second, he decided to try and keep her talking.

"What about Marzia?" he asked. "Why put so much into making everyone distrust her?

"Because," Saaneeraa replied impatiently, "I needed someone to take any attention away from myself and Draam. I knew certain things that were happening would cause you to feel skeptical or unsure, and I wanted to be positive you would look to someone else with your blame."

"So why Marzia then?" Harry asked.

"Because she was new to you," Saaneeraa answered. "You knew as much about her as you did me. She also had been to Faerun before and knew a great deal about the magic used there, so it was perfectly reasonable to think that she was the one not to trust. On Halloween when Percy was being controlled, she was the only one unaccounted for. Supposedly she was in her room, recuperating, but you all believed quite easily that her illness could have been a front, so she would have an excuse not to be around for that evening. The bottle you received for Christmas was another example, I was controlling both Sirius and Marzia at that time, but your mistrust for her made you believe it was she controlling your godfather. The night the Inquisitors arrived, I made sure that one of them sent her up to where I knew you and Mel had snuck off to. It seemed as if she were spying on you, as there was obviously no intruder to be found."

"What about what Menetor said?" Harry cut in. "He called her Shadow Behind…or at least that's what Sirius said he did…"

"Yes, he did indeed," Saaneeraa nodded. "I knew the only person who was not suspicious of Marzia in the slightest was your godfather, and so I had Menetor try to change that. He called her by my name and pretended to be quite interested in speaking with her…but your fool godfather didn't let it sway him in the slightest. He trusted her completely. It didn't matter, however…Dumbledore ended up sending her away after we planted the map in her room. It was easy enough to steal her wand just to activate the map once, knowing that Sirius would perform that charm to find it."

"The map," Harry said quietly. "Why doesn't your name show up on it?"

"Because I do not allow it to," Saaneeraa replied simply. "You may think I came here knowing next to nothing about you…but that isn't so. I knew about the map from the start…and if I'd known that it had the ability to see back in time I would have blocked my name from that as well."

"How do you have any control over it at all?" Harry asked.

"I can control minds, Harry, or have you forgotten?" Saaneeraa asked, condescendingly. "Your father and his friends' memories are all that is controlling that map, memories come from your mind. I can do anything I want with them…manipulate them in any way. There is only one person that has ever been a problem…" she trailed off.

"And that is?" Harry asked, stiffly.

"Albus Dumbledore," Saaneeraa replied. "That's why we had to be so careful with everything, and why I had to finally make it so Cole and Allison were 'attacked' a week or so ago. He'd felt the effects of my magic on him, and was able to fight it off for only so long…" she finished, her lips curing into a dark smile.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, suddenly feeling a wave of fear wash over him.

Saaneeraa didn't answer him for a long moment, as she turned away and looked again out into the darkness of the hall. She left the door open this time however, and strode meaningfully across the room to where Harry sat.

"C'mon," she spat, taking hold of his arm once more and hauling him to his feet. "I'm tired of waiting."

Harry clenched his teeth as fresh pain surged through his leg, letting it half-drag behind him, unable to make it move, as Saaneeraa led them both through the door, and out into the dark corridor beyond.

Back through the halls they went, Harry struggling to keep up with Saaneeraa's hasty stride. His leg was screaming in agony and his arm was faring no better under her painful grasp, but he wouldn't allow a cry to escape him. He wasn't going to let himself appear any weaker than he already felt.

As they turned yet another corner, Harry recognized the corridor they had first been in when they'd emerged from the cell Lucius had left he and Remus in. When the passed the doorway to the room, Harry glanced towards it, having forgotten that they'd left the door open. It was too dark, however, in the unlit cell, and in the short glimpse he was able to catch, he couldn't spot Remus anywhere.

"Don't worry," Saaneeraa said, catching his hopeful staring towards the room. "I told you before, he's alive. The potion Lucius gave him won't last very long either…"

"He's alive, how comforting," Harry spat in hatred. "Did you miss all the blood on the floor after what you did to him? He's hurt! Can't we just go and…"

"No time for that," Saaneeraa snapped curtly.

"Please!" Harry said fiercely. "I'd still go with you…just make sure he's…"

"You're going to go with me this way too," Saaneeraa interrupted, grinning smugly. "Someone will find him…sooner or later."

Harry glared at her as she turned her gaze away, wishing he had any way at all to stop her. The rush of energy he'd felt in the cell with Remus had long since dissipated when he'd refused to release it…and hadn't returned. He supposed it only came when his life was in immediate danger…and while just being in Saaneeraa's presence could be considered dangerous, she wasn't trying to kill him…yet.

Exhaustion began to take over as they ascended further still, but Saaneeraa would not relent, she refused to slow down, and soon Harry was barely controlling his own movements at all, but rather allowing Saaneeraa to drag him down the corridors, his leg trailing limply behind him as he tried to hobble along on his good one.

They reached an area that Harry recognized after a grueling twenty minutes, but still it seemed Saaneeraa had no plans of stopping. Needing to take his mind off of the pain tearing through his body, and not daring to allow himself to pass out, he brought his gaze up slowly.

"What did you do to Dumbledore?" Harry asked, his voice thick with fatigue.

"What does it matter?" Saaneeraa replied bluntly. "He's out of my way…that's all I care about."

"It matters because he's my friend," Harry stated, trying to keep his voice steady.

"And we know how much you care about those," Saaneeraa replied with an impatient sigh. "Stupid of you really…friends are nothing but a weakness, they make you vulnerable."

Harry glared at the back of her head, as she refused to meet his gaze, before speaking quietly.

"Well it's no wonder you're so miserable," he began, a dark anger in his tone. "Now I know why you had to create the other entities…it was your only option after no one else would…"

"Enough," Saaneeraa cut him off sharply, coming to a sudden halt and turning to face him. "Your stupid little teenage retorts don't phase me, but your constant chatter is beginning to. If you don't shut up now, I'm going to make it so you can never speak again, understand?" she finished, her eyes flashing menacingly. Without waiting for any reply, she tightened the grip on Harry's arm, and once again they were off, up the corridor.

Harry was doing all he could to remain awake now. He didn't know if Saaneeraa had been serious in her threat, but he didn't care to test it and find out, so he remained silent. They'd passed by Snape's office and the potions classroom several minutes earlier, and would soon be out of the dungeons area entirely.

When they'd turned the next corner, Harry glanced up briefly and recognized the wall that held the secret passage, the one he'd gone through so long ago to find Snape. He stared at it for a moment; sure his eyes were playing tricks on him, as it seemed slightly out of focus. Raising his good arm as they neared the spot, he wiped the sweat out of his eyes and looked at it closer, they were just about to pass by when suddenly the wall shifted as it had on the first day of classes and someone stepped through, blocking their path.

Harry wanted to laugh with relief as he saw who came through the wall. He winced as Saaneeraa tightened the grip on his arm, however, dragging him up just beside her and glaring straight ahead.

"Looks like I'm just in time," Marzia commented slowly, her wand already drawn and aimed as she met Saaneeraa's gaze. Shifting her eyes momentarily, a concerned expression flitted over her face when she saw Harry's condition, but turned immediately back to face her enemy.

"Marzia," Saaneeraa breathed in frustration. "Missed us, did you? Really you shouldn't have stayed away so long…" she trailed off, gazing tauntingly at her.

"And I'm so glad I'll have the chance to thank you properly for my unexpected vacation," Marzia replied stiffly.

"Got bored, did you?" Saaneeraa asked casually. "Pity."

"Oh on the contrary," Marzia began evenly. "It gave me the chance to investigate another mystery that's been bothering me."
"And that would be?" Saaneeraa asked, impatiently.

"What you did with the ministry," Marzia replied. "You've been causing quite a panic among wizards and witches everywhere, you know."

"That was the general idea," Saaneeraa replied smugly.

"That and making sure no help could possibly be sent to Hogwarts," Marzia said quickly. "You sent every last one of them to Azkaban…"

"This is all very interesting," Saaneeraa spoke abruptly, in an irritated tone.

"Isn't it?" Marzia cut her off. "You've been controlling them for over a year now. I know that I could never have gotten the entire ministry to side with me on freeing Sirius all by myself…neither could Arthur Weasley. But yet I walk in and they release him with barely a second thought. I've thought about this for a while now, and the only reason I can think of that you would let him go, is so that I would look suspicious."

"Well aren't you the smart one?" Saaneeraa replied, rolling her eyes. "Yes I was the one who swayed the ministry…Black's name was on the list for the next train to Azkaban, no questions asked. When you suddenly show up and start fighting for him, I thought it would be a much better idea to have him suddenly released. It would look like someone had bewitched the ministry members…and of course, you would be the obvious suspect, no one really knowing anything about you."

"But it wasn't enough, was it?" Marzia spat. "You fixed it so I would seem guilty time after time for months…until Dumbledore finally asked me to leave."

"Can we get to the point?" Saaneeraa asked hastily. Harry wondered briefly why Saaneeraa was allowing Marzia to hold them up this long as it was, and was hanging on every word.

"You're worried," Marzia drawled with a small grin. "I may not be as powerful as you…but I know a great deal of your magic. More so than anyone else in this school…you needed me to leave, so I wouldn't be able to stop you…"

"Precautions never hurt…and you're still not going to be able to stop me," Saaneeraa hissed. She took one menacing step forward, nearly lifting Harry off his feet as she did so, when Marzia spoke again.

"I knew it was you," she said smugly. "From the first day I'd arrived and you walked into the great hall I knew. I saw that you'd recognized me as well…"

"But unfortunately for you, you never bothered to tell anyone what you thought," Saaneeraa growled, obviously wanting to end this discussion.

"What proof did I have?" Marzia shot back. "You certainly don't look very ominous in this form you've adopted. Allison Gazten, cute name, really…" she trailed off with a dark smirk.

"Well I couldn't show up in my true form, now could I?" Saaneeraa glowered at her.

"No, you certainly wouldn't fit in," Marzia replied curtly. "I think, however, that this disguise was more to fool Voldemort and his followers than anything else. From what Sirius told me, none of them recognized you when Harry was nearly taken at the Dursley's. You're hiding something, aren't you?"

"Your detective skills are truly astonishing," Saaneeraa began, sardonically. "Now if you don't mind…"

"What I can't figure out," Marzia continued, loudly, "is why you would tell the death eaters Harry was going to be at the Dursley's if you hadn't planned on letting them take him."

"That would be because I didn't tell them," Saaneeraa replied stiffly. "Now get out of my way."

"Make me," Marzia replied, a threatening edge in her voice. Her wand was aimed steadily at the entity. "Show yourself Saaneeraa," she said with an air of confidence, "face me now."

Harry glanced at Saaneeraa as he felt a radiant energy suddenly begin to emanate from within her. Her expression was dark and threatening, and he wanted nothing more at that moment then to get as far away from her as possible.

Averting his eyes quickly as there was an intense flash of heat and light, which lasted for less than a minute, Harry slowly turned his head back around to face the sight that now awaited him.

The person he knew to be Allison Gazten was completely gone, and in her place stood something else. A towering figure, clothed in white sleeveless robes, stood beside him. The material was soft and shimmering, seeming to play tricks with his eyes as he stared at it. Her red hair was now a shadowy flame, flickering out at awkward angles, there seemed to be electricity running through her skin, which was transparent and shifting through all the colors of the spectrum, and her eyes were a ghostly white through and through.

"Much better," Marzia commented stiffly. "It'll be much easier to end your existence when you don't look like a human…"

"You weak, pathetic fool," Saaneeraa spoke in a booming voice, which Harry could feel vibrating in his throat. "You will be punished for your arrogance. I will be the last thing you ever see."

With a violent shove, she released Harry, slamming him into the opposite wall harshly, and he slumped to the floor in exhaustion. Marzia looked as if a giant weight had been lifted from her shoulders just seeing that Harry was no longer in Saaneeraa's clutches, but did not lower her gaze for even the briefest of seconds.

Harry immediately tried to get back on his feet, but he couldn't make it. His leg was in such fierce agony that his vision kept swimming in and out. Rather than lose consciousness again, Harry gritted his teeth against the pain, and tried to stay as motionless as possible, praying that Marzia knew what she was doing.

"Maybe so," Marzia spoke evenly. If she was afraid in the slightest, Harry couldn't tell. "But your fight doesn't end with me. You will lose today, I promise."

Saaneeraa made no reply, but instead appeared to be drawing her energy together. The air around her was humid and sticky, and Harry could feel the immense weight of the power she was calling on. A shimmering circle of light formed in front of her after a matter of seconds, and as Saaneeraa looked up to Marzia, Harry did the same.

He wanted to scream at her to run, to get out of the way…she didn't seem to be preparing in any way for what it looked like was going to happen. Before he could even open his mouth, however, Saaneeraa released her energy and it crossed the distance to Marzia faster than his eyes could see.

Feeling his stomach flip sickeningly, Harry watched as Marzia was hit squarely in the chest, flinging her backwards several feet down the hall, her body landing with a dull thump.

"Imbecile," Saaneeraa muttered indignantly, looking disgustedly at Marzia's still form, before turning and moving towards Harry.

Harry couldn't take his eyes from Marzia, unable to believe she would have just allowed herself to be hit like that, praying it was some sort of ruse, but as Saaneeraa forced him back on his feet and began dragging him ruthlessly back up the hall, the realization began to sink in.

They came to the spot where Marzia lay, and Harry looked down upon her, silently begging her to get up, but she remained motionless. He saw her wand lay a few feet from her half-open hand, and he couldn't see her breathing.

A second later they were past her, and continuing the grueling walk in the darkness.

"You didn't have to kill her," Harry said darkly, straining to keep his voice steady while taking deep breaths. He couldn't take this much longer and didn't care where they were going anymore, as long as they got there soon.

"She is the only one to blame for that," Saaneeraa replied emotionlessly. "If she'd stayed out of my way, she'd be alive right now."

"You're disgusting," Harry spat hatefully. "You could have done anything to stop Marzia but instead you chose to…"

"I have my reasons," Saaneeraa cut him off sharply. "Marzia is a hazard to have around. If she hadn't come back to the school…" she trailed off, bringing them both to an abrupt halt and looking over her shoulder.

Harry stared up at her, before glancing in the direction she seemed to be fixing on behind them, unable to see anything.

"What is it?" he couldn't help himself from asking.

"Shut up!" she snapped viciously, not bothering to spare him a glance as she spoke. Harry remained silent, not wanting to get her angry again, and prayed for the best.

After another long moment, Saaneeraa seemed to decide to ignore whatever it was she thought she heard, and turned back to face the opposite direction, pulling Harry along with her.

They'd made it less than three steps, however, when Saaneeraa halted once more, so forcefully Harry nearly lost his balance, and he looked up immediately to see what she had stopped them for this time. He was quite unprepared, however, for the site that awaited him.

The shadows on the wall behind the entity seemed to have sprung to life, and were peeling themselves away from the cold surface, wrapping around Saaneeraa in thin snake-like tendrils. Her face was contorted in anger, her upper lip curled in a vicious snarl, as she struggled against the unrelenting shadows.

"Imbecile, am I?" Marzia's voice called out as she came up the corridor towards them. Harry was filled yet again with sweet relief, seeing her very much alive and well.

"This won't last forever," Saaneeraa hissed, rage flashing in her eyes.

"I don't need it to," Marzia replied evenly as she moved up next to the seemingly helpless entity. She reached out with her wand, touching the tip of it to Saaneeraa's hand that was still grasping tightly to Harry's arm. He heard her shriek in pain as he was released, and Marzia instantly caught him, helping him stay upright.

"Stand back, Harry," Marzia said firmly, pulling him away from Saaneeraa, who was cursing vehemently while struggling against her bonds.

"What did you…?" he began.

"Later," Marzia replied. "I just want to make sure she's taken care of first."

Harry nodded, not quite understanding what was going on, or why Saaneeraa seemed to be so powerless at the moment, but he didn't care. The two stood side by side, as the shadows pulled Saaneeraa back towards the wall, and to Harry's shock, into it. The process seemed quite painful and Saaneeraa looked positively murderous as she fought will every last ounce of strength she possessed to free herself, to no avail.

When she disappeared entirely into the hard, stone surface, Marzia stepped into the center of the hall, leading Harry gently with her. He glanced uncertainly to the shadows, which were still moving restlessly against the wall.

"C'mon," she began, "we have to find…"

She was cut off abruptly as the wall seemed to burst with power. A large jolt slammed into Marzia's hand with specific aim, knocking her wand out of her grasp, and Saaneeraa pushed through, still held tightly by the shadows. She had a maniacal grin spread across her face and Harry had no time to get out of the way as she lunged for him, pinning his arms to his sides by wrapping her own around him, before they were both being pulled back towards the wall.

"No!" he cried through clenched teeth as he fought to free himself. Marzia didn't hesitate for a second as she took hold of him as well, refusing to allow Saaneeraa to take him. Harry could see that her wand was too far out of reach at the moment for her to release him and go for it…he'd be gone by the time she turned around.

"Let him go!" she screamed angrily, trying to pry Saaneeraa's arms away, to give him even the slightest amount of room to slip free. But it wasn't working, and Saaneeraa's wicked laughter echoed in Harry's ears. He could see Marzia's feet sliding across the floor, as the wall drew ominously closer. He didn't want to know what awaited him on the other side, and ignored the pain running through him, trying desperately to get away.

As his feet made contact with the wall, he felt them go numb almost instantly, and glancing down he could see the tips of his shoes had entered this warped portal. His energy was all but spent and he wanted nothing more than to just give in at this moment. He was about to do just that, when he felt himself suddenly jolted forward, away from the shadows. Saaneeraa's grip around him tightened painfully for the briefest of seconds, and in the next, it was loose. He let himself fall to the floor, pushing with his good leg to get to the opposite wall as fast as possible, glancing up just in time to see Saaneeraa sucked back into the shadows, her enraged scream echoing in the damp hall.

Breathing heavily, Harry leant his head back against the wall, having no idea what had just happened, when he felt someone kneel down just beside him. Slanting his eyes open slightly, Harry gave the faintest of smiles, when he saw Remus staring back at him.

"Remus," Harry said, barely above a whisper, happy to see his friend was alive. His vision was still fading in and out, however, and it took a moment longer to realize that there was a large gash on the side of Remus' head, which was still bleeding freely, down his neck and soaking his shirt.

"You're hurt," Harry said concernedly, suddenly very worried.

"Not as bad as you are," Remus replied, his voice thick with guilt.

Harry shook his head faintly; he didn't blame his friend for what had happened, and opened his mouth to tell him so, when Marzia spoke urgently.

"We need to get Harry out of here," she said, staring intently down at the both of them, before continuing pointedly. "And you both need medical attention."

"Are the death eaters still in the school?" Remus asked, standing up slowly.

"I saw more of them coming when I arrived," Marzia nodded. "I would bet anything they're still here."

"What…what are you doing here anyway?" Remus asked, suddenly realizing whom he was speaking with.

"I'll tell you later," Marzia said hastily. "We can't stay here any longer, it isn't safe."

Giving her a skeptical glance but obviously deciding she had a point, Remus nodded once, before kneeling back down beside Harry.

"Can you walk?" he asked gravely, looking from Harry's injuries to his eyes, a pained expression on his face. "If we help you?" he added firmly.

"Yes," Harry nodded, not wanting to bring any more guilt down on his friend by having him conjure a stretcher for him. Besides, it wouldn't be as bad as it had been while Saaneeraa had been forcing him through the halls. Clenching his teeth, Harry pushed himself up from the floor as Remus took firm hold of his arms, and stood up slowly. The pain in his leg worsened with the added pressure, and he quickly shifted all of his weight to his good leg. He felt Remus but an arm around his back, and his own arm lifted around his friend's neck, before they were ready to go.

"C'mon," Marzia said quietly, motioning for them to start up the hall.

"No," Remus replied, shaking his head quickly. "This way," he nodded in the opposite direction.

"Remus…we don't want to go back into the dungeons!" Marzia whispered fiercely, giving him a look of confusion.

"I know that!" Remus replied quietly, already beginning to lead Harry back down that way. "Just trust me, this is the fastest route."

"To where?" Marzia asked impatiently as she jogged up beside them, beginning to walk in the same pace.

"To anywhere," Remus replied evenly. "But for our immediate purposes, to the hospital wing."

Marzia was staring at him, her expression clearly showing how insane she considered his answer to be, but as they turned into the next hallway, Remus brought the group to a stop only a quarter of the way down. He looked carefully at the wall before them, examining it closely and brushing away at the layering of dirt caked to it, before turning around and staring at the opposite wall.

"Brush that off," he said to Marzia hastily, pointing at the dirt on the opposite wall. Looking completely uncertain, but not arguing, she nodded once and stepped towards the wall, wiping it quickly with her fingers.

"Now what?" she asked, when the wall itself could be seen again.

"Look here," Remus started, pointing at a faint, spiral crack in one of the dark stones. "See that?"

"Yes," Marzia replied, sounding impatient.

"There's one just like it over there," he nodded towards the opposite wall. "Go find it."

Turning once more, Marzia stepped across the hall and scanned the stones before her quickly, before bringing a hand up to the wall.

"Okay, found it," she called quietly.

"Alright, on three, push it into the wall…ready?" She nodded once, placing her index finger over the spot.

"One…two…three." Both Remus and Marzia pushed on the spiral cracks at the same moment, and Harry heard what sounded like a lock springing open with a bang, followed by silence.

"Um…that was interesting," Marzia commented, looking from the wall she was standing near to the one opposite her. "But I still don't see a way to…"

"It's this way," Remus said hastily, interrupting her and starting to head further up the hall, moving Harry gently along with him. They came to a stop in front of one of the small, rusted, candleholders that lined each hallway down in the dungeons, giving off a tiny flicker of light, and Remus reached up towards it. Grasping hold of the once-elegant piece of thin metal that curled out from under the candle, he took hold of the lowest bit, and turned it slightly. Harry was watching every move Remus made intently, holding his breath and waiting, when finally something happened. The wall directly in front of him began sliding backwards, away from him. He could see nothing but darkness as it suddenly shifted, moving sideways, and allowing them entrance into the passage.

Slipping his hand into his pocket, Remus cursed under his breath before turning to Marzia.

"Um…would you mind, some light…? I don't have my wand…" he trailed off darkly. Harry knew he was thinking about Lucius, who, last they knew of, had both of their wands. He hoped they could get them back soon; it would make him feel better knowing he had something to fight with.

"Sure," Marzia nodded, stepping forward and raising her wand. She lit the tip quickly and moved forward into the darkness, waiting just inside for the other two to join her. When they were all fully in the passageway, Remus reached up again, and Harry saw an identical candleholder on this side of the wall. He turned the lowest bit once more, and the loose piece of wall shifted over and up, slamming into place with a low groan, a cloud of ages-old dust rising into the air as it did so.

"Let's go," Remus said urgently. "We can't waste anymore time."

Nodding her agreement, Marzia spun back around, her wand out in front of her, before beginning to step, quickly yet cautiously, further into the passageway.

They walked through the damp corridor, Remus telling Marzia each time they had to turn. It became complicated very quickly, and Harry was unable to keep track of their progress in the maze, glad that at least Remus knew where they was going.

After a few moments, Harry spoke softly, not wanting to wait any longer for the answer to his question.

"Marzia?" he called out faintly, his voice sounding magnified in the deadly silent hall.

"Yes?" she called back gently, glancing swiftly over her shoulder towards him before returning her gaze to face front. "What is it Harry?"

"What happened back there, with Saaneeraa? I thought you were dead…" he trailed off, remembering with an involuntary shiver how certain he'd felt of this when he'd glimpsed her limp form in the hallway.

"I'm sorry to have scared you like that," Marzia replied quietly, a genuinely apologetic expression on her face as she turned briefly to glance at Harry. "But I needed Saaneeraa to believe exactly that. If I'd tried to attack her head on, she could have blocked it easily, the only choice I had was to surprise her. And what could be more surprising than an attack coming from someone you think to be dead?"

"But…you knew she was going to do that then?" Harry asked. "You knew she'd use…whatever that spell she used is called…?"

"If I got her angry enough, yes, which is why I was prepared to let myself get hit by it," Marzia nodded. "I know she wants me out of the way as it is…so it wouldn't take much to get her upset enough to do it herself."

"How come it didn't work?" Harry asked. "You didn't seem to be trying to block it…"

"That's one of the things that differs," Marzia began, "when you compare the magic you learn here…and the magic of Faerun. You don't always need to use words for their magic. If she'd shot that curse at anyone who could only perform human magic…they would have died. I'm surprised she believed me dead so quickly to tell you the truth. Seeing as how she knows I can do their magic. She must've been in quite the hurry."

"She was," Harry nodded darkly, his mind drifting again back to Neville. He prayed his friend was alright.

"Here we are," Remus spoke up suddenly, bringing Harry's thoughts back to the moment, he had more questions, but they would have to wait for the time being. Marzia halted upon hearing him speak, waiting to see what she had to do next. Remus slid just beside her, and Harry noticed yet another candleholder hung on the wall just above them. He supposed each one they had passed along the way must be an exit from these passages.

The wall began to move as Remus stepped back from it, and when it had stopped at last, Harry looked through the opening it had left, and gasped at the sight before him.

"What…what happened?" Harry stammered, unable to take his eyes from the room in front of him.

"I don't know," Remus replied grimly. "And I'm not sure that it's safe to go in here…"

"We need to get something to help the two of you," Marzia insisted, turning to stare at him intently.

"And…what if…what if someone's…hurt…" Harry managed, feeling dread building up within him.

Remus looked back and forth between the two for a brief moment, before nodding once.

"Fine, but we aren't staying. If we find someone who we can help, we'll do it…otherwise I want you as far away from here as possible," Remus said firmly, looking pointedly at Harry, who nodded faintly in reply.

Feeling Remus begin to move, Harry stepped forward, into the utterly destroyed hospital wing. There was no light at all, as every lamp and lantern was shattered. Beds were overturned, the mattresses torn to shreds. The floor was scattered with massive amounts of glass, the contents of the bottles forming multi-colored puddles everywhere. What caused him to worry more than any of this, however, was a blanket of smoke floating lazily in the air around them. He could only catch small glimpses of it in the light from Marzia's wand, as it cast its eerie glow around the dark hospital wing.

"Where is that coming from?" Harry voiced aloud as he stared at the smoke. It wasn't the black haze that the entities could control, but rather a murky gray colored fog that he could taste in his throat.

"Something's burning," Marzia said quietly. She and Remus exchanged bleak glances, before continuing on, cautiously.

The further they went, the stronger and thicker the smoke became, until they reached the main floor of the hospital wing, when it became nearly unbearable.

Holding his breath and ignoring the sickening odor in the air, Harry pressed on, moving forward with the others, hearing a faint crackling growing louder with each passing moment, until at last they turned into the main foyer, and found the source of the smoke.

Madam Pomfrey's office was engulfed in a roaring inferno, the heat so intense that Harry could feel himself breaking out in a sweat from all the way across the room.

"No!" he breathed in a panic, instinctively beginning to move forward.

"Hang on there Harry," Remus said, gripping him tightly to stop him from going ahead. "We don't even know that anyone's in there."

Before Harry could utter a word in argument, Remus turned to Marzia.

"Can you…?" he began.

"Consider it out," Marzia replied, already starting towards the blaze. She lifted her wand, aiming at the office. "Flamma aurae termino," she said quickly. Harry watched as a whirlwind seemed to form in front of her wand, the air in front of her was slowly being sucked into its tip, and the fire dyed out in a matter of seconds.

Remus started forward, helping Harry along, and they moved cautiously towards the office, which Marzia was already stepping through. The walls were nothing more than rubble, as was everything that had been inside the office. Every item that was large enough to not have been reduced to ashes was a charcoal black, and a rotten smell hung in the air.

"You don't think…" Harry began, a sick feeling in his stomach, " Madam Pomfrey…you don't think she was…"

"I pray she wasn't," Remus said gravely. "I don't even know if we'd see her…remains," he said darkly. "Depending on how long this fire was going."

Harry nodded faintly, thinking that finding nothing was much better at this moment than finding…something else, as he felt Remus start to move again.

"Come on, there's nothing we can do here," he said, motioning to Marzia who was sifting through the rubble slowly, "and I don't feel safe staying for very long…whoever did this may still be nearby."

"I'll be right there," she replied quickly. "You guys go on ahead."

"We'll wait for you by the passageway," Remus nodded faintly.

"Do you think they were after Madam Pomfrey for something?" Harry asked, as they started heading back the way they'd come.

"No," Remus said angrily. "I think they're trying to scare us."

"Why the hospital wing then?" Harry asked.

"Because every student in this school sees the hospital wing as a place where they'll be taken care of," Remus replied as they stepped back into the stairwell and started up. "It's a security blanket, you could say. And now it's gone."

Harry nodded slowly, thinking to himself that if there were one place in all the school that gave him a sense of security it would be Dumbledore's office, when another thought struck him.

"Saaneeraa!" he spoke up abruptly, feeling his heart start to pound in his chest. "I think she did something to Dumbledore…we have to go see if he's alright!"

"She said she did something?" Remus asked, meeting Harry's gaze. "Did she give you any clue what it was?"

"No," Harry replied, feeling fear creep up inside him. "Just that he was out of her way…"

Remus stared at him for a long moment, a grim expression on his face, before sighing almost inaudibly in frustration.

"We're going up there as soon as Marzia's back," he said, trying to sound reassuring. "Hopefully we find him there…or at least someone who knows more about what's going on."

"Then we better get going," Marzia's voice spoke up as she walked towards them. "C'mon," she continued, holding up two very battered looking bottles filled with a dark liquid. "At least I'll be able to clean you both up somewhat with this, as soon as we're upstairs…"

"Right," Remus nodded purposefully. "Let's go."

The second journey through the inner passageway was silent, as the three wanted nothing more than to make it up to the headmaster's office. When Remus finally told Marzia to stop and twisted the candleholder they were near, it opened into a room Harry had never seen before.

They stepped through into a tiny bedroom with a modest lamp on a thick oak table just beside a wide, comfortable looking bed. The walls were lined floor to ceiling with books, the only space that was occupied with anything else were for candles. There was a large chest in one corner of the room, and the floor was covered in a plush burgundy carpet.

"Are we in…?" Harry began.

"Dumbledore's quarters," Remus nodded, not wasting anytime before starting across the room, Marzia right behind them. They went through several more rooms before Harry recognized the kitchen he'd been in a few times since the beginning of the school year. Remus slid the wall aside, and they stepped through into Dumbledore's office.

Harry glanced around, hopefully, immediately recognizing the two students before him.

Mel and Draco were sitting on one of the long couches in the center of the office, but their attention was settled on the wall opposite from where Harry stood. He looked up just in time to see the door opening, and Sirius entering the room, a deeply concerned expression on his face.

"I can't find them any…" he began, before catching site of the three new arrivals across the room. "Harry!" he cried out, a relief more than evident in his voice. Harry began to slip his hand out from behind Remus, catching Mel and Draco's stunned expressions, as Sirius reached him, drawing him into a fatherly embrace.

"Where have you been?" Sirius asked, and Harry was almost surprised to hear his godfather's voice shaking with emotion. "I've been so worried…"

"I'll be fine," Harry replied, trying to sound reassuring as he pulled back and looked into Sirius' eyes. "There's so much I need to tell you…" he began.

"What…who did this to you?" Sirius cried fiercely, suddenly noticing the wounds on Harry's arm and leg.

Harry glanced sideways at Remus who immediately crossed his arms over his chest, bringing one hand up to his face, and hung his head in shame.

"I…let me explain what happened," Harry began, looking from his godfather to the chairs behind him longingly.

"Yes, you have to get off your feet," Sirius said hastily, immediately moving to help his godson. When Harry was seated in one of the soft chairs in the center of the room, he took a moment to sit back, to catch his breath and think. He looked across to where Mel and Draco sat, staring at him in wonder. Mel looked very thankful to see him, and Harry couldn't help but feel happy about her relief.

"Marzia," Sirius spoke up again, as she and Remus joined him next to Harry's chair. "You made it in okay…I'm so glad," he said, taking his fiancé in a brief embrace and kissing her once.

"I'm glad you got a hold of me when you did," she replied pulling back from him and taking the two bottles from earlier out of her cloak. "But I'll tell you about that later…first we need to hear what Harry has to tell us, "she paused, before glancing towards Remus, "and you," she added pointedly, "in that chair now…we need to have a look at that rather large wound on your head."

"Remus!" Sirius breathed, his jaw dropping as he looked to his friend's injury. He'd been too relieved to see Harry alive and well, that he hadn't even noticed what had happened to his friend.

"I'm fine," Remus replied dismally, "take care of Harry first…"

"Sit," Marzia repeated, ignoring his request and pointing at the chair nearest to them. "I'll take care of both of you. All I can do is clean your injuries anyway…that was all the only thing I could find in the hospital wing. But I grabbed a few cloths on our way through the kitchen just now. We'll also need to wrap that arm you've been trying to pretend isn't broken…" she trailed off, looking pointedly at Remus.

"I'll help," Mel spoke up softly, looking at Marzia, who turned at the sound of the younger girl's voice. "I can take care of Harry, while you do Professor Lupin." Harry grinned up at her softly as she glanced towards him, before looking back to Marzia.

"Make sure you're thorough," Marzia said in complete seriousness, holding out a bottle and a cloth, which Mel stood up and crossed the room to take.

"I will be," Mel replied with a nod. She took the items gingerly, before turning and moving closer to where Harry was seated. Kneeling down just beside him, she dampened the cloth with the liquid from the bottle, and began gently applying it to his horribly torn leg.

"What did this?" she asked, horrified at the jagged wound.

"I'll tell you what happened," Harry began, "but…shouldn't I wait…I mean…is Dumbledore here?" he asked, praying the answer would be a good one.

"Dumbledore is here," Sirius began gravely.

"That's great!" Harry said anxiously. "Where is he?"

"He's in the next room…" Sirius spoke softly, "along with Snape, and the Changs."

"Watching over them?" Harry asked, knowing that was not going to be the answer, but not wanting to hear the truth.

"No," Sirius replied, shaking his head darkly. "We aren't sure what's happened to him, but he isn't responding to anything we try…Poppy was in here for hours this morning, trying to figure something out…"

Harry hung his head, already having felt that was going to be the situation. Sitting back in his chair, he sighed softly, when he realized what Sirius had just said.

"Madam Pomfrey," he began suddenly, "she was here? How long ago? Is she alright?"

"She was here all morning," Sirius replied, "And as far as I know she's fine right now…"

"She wasn't in her office recently, was she?" Remus asked grimly, and Harry looked anxiously to his godfather, fearing the worst.

"No," Sirius said, somewhat hesitantly. "She hasn't been down to her office for quite some time I should think…" he trailed off, before glancing at his godson eagerly. "Please…you were going to tell us what happened…?"

Harry stared long and hard at his godfather, before speaking in a very silent voice.

"Sirius…what aren't you telling me? You're hiding something…"

For a long moment, Sirius made no reply, setting his jaw in stubborn determination and meeting Harry's gaze evenly. But Harry refused to give in, and at last Sirius looked away, shaking his head sadly.

"There was an attack a short while ago," he began quietly. "And it was centered on the Gryffindor tower…"

Harry felt his heart stop beating in his chest as he sat up with a start.

"What happened? Is everyone okay? Where are Ron and Hermione…and Ginny? What about…"

"Madam Pomfrey is there now," Sirius interrupted his slew of questions forcefully. "She is tending to anyone who was injured…"

"And my friends?" Harry asked, feeling cold fear closing in around him.

"Ron, Hermione and Ginny are unaccounted for," Sirius replied, barely above a whisper.

"No…" Harry said unsteadily, clasping his hands together as they began to shake slightly. "Why?" he managed to get out, "What do they want with them?"

"I don't know," Sirius replied sadly. "Neville is missing as well, but from what we were able to find out that happened earlier…before the attack."

"We have to help them," Harry said, his fear slowly becoming anger. "We have to find them and…"
"One thing at a time Harry," Sirius stated firmly. "I want to help them…we all do. But we need to know whatever it is you have to tell us before we do anything else."

Harry wanted nothing more at that moment than to jump up from his chair and go off in search of his friends. They played no part in any of this and should be left alone. But he also realized his godfather had a point. He'd never be able to do anything in his current state…and sat back with a frustrated, shaky sigh, before starting to explain all that had happened.

As it turned out, Mel and Draco had explained all they could remember from their visit with the Zlam, so Harry began his explanation at the point from which he and Neville went off with the shapeshifter they had thought to be Remus, and went from there. He talked quickly, feeling the need to finish the story as soon as possible and get to finding his friends, wincing slightly every now and again, as the medicine Mel was gently applying to his wounds would sting, but soon enough he was used to it, and talked through any discomfort.

When he began to tell of what Lucius had done to him…and to Remus, Sirius got up from his seat suddenly, and knelt down next to Mel, examining Harry's wounds.

"I thought that these looked as if you'd been bitten" Sirius commented darkly.

"Sirius," Harry began quickly, "It wasn't his fault…Lucius…he gave him a potion that forced him to…"

"No, no Harry, I realize that," Sirius spoke gently. They both glanced to Remus who was looking down at the floor, an anguished expression on his face, and Harry's heart went out to his friend.

"Remus please…it wasn't your fault," Harry spoke earnestly.

"I…infected you…" Remus spoke, barely above a whisper, his voice shaking. "You're cursed…just as I am…for the rest of your life…" he trailed off, bringing an unsteady hand up to his face and covering his eyes.

"You didn't do it on purpose!" Harry cried, leaning forward in his seat. He wanted to make Remus understand that…he needed him to. "Please…Remus…" he trailed off as his friend would not even glance up to meet his gaze. Sighing in frustration, Harry sat back in his chair, shaking his head sadly, before slowly looking once more across the room. "I'm sorry if I hurt you," he said quietly.

Remus looked up sharply at Harry's words, who could see the redness around his friend's eyes.

"If you hurt me?" Remus repeated in honest confusion. "What do you mean…?"

"I kicked you," Harry said softly, feeling true guilt over what he was saying. "While you were a wolf…to make you stop…"

Remus stared at Harry for a long moment, an awed expression on his face, before his eyes welled up slowly, and silent tears ran softly down his face.

"Harry," he said, his voice thick with grief, "I only wish you had done more…"

"I couldn't," Harry replied, firmly, feeling his own emotions threatening to spill over, but holding them at bay. "You know I couldn't…not ever. I have no control over the powers…and I could never live with myself if I'd done anything…"

"Which is exactly how I feel," Remus said dismally.

"But I'm alive," Harry said, a small smirk crossing his lips as he looked into Remus' eyes. "And I know for a fact that you can get through life with what you call [Iyour curse[/I. I'll be fine too."

Sirius, who had been kneeling silently by Harry's side, listening to both sides of the discussion slowly stood up. He crossed to where his fellow marauder sat, shaking, and put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Harry doesn't blame you, Moony," Sirius spoke up firmly. "And neither do I."

"I blame myself," Remus muttered despondently, "I was careless…"

"You were outnumbered!" Sirius cried fiercely. "You were taken against your will and forced to do something you would never even dare think about…something you never would have done had you any control over your actions!"

"I know," Remus replied quietly, "It's just…" he trailed off, his shoulders slumped dejectedly.

Harry stared at his friend, feeling horrible. He truly didn't blame him in the slightest, but Remus was refusing to accept that…it was almost as if he wanted to be punished. Sighing softly, and shaking his head, he looked to Mel, who had stopped what she was doing for a moment to listen to the discussion, and then up at Draco. For the first time since he'd entered the office a short while earlier, he noticed how pale and sickly Draco appeared to be. He must've felt everything Harry had…and it had worn on him quite badly.

"Draco," Harry called out, waiting for the other boy to meet his gaze. Malfoy's eyes were dull and hollow. "Are you alright?" he asked, truly concerned. After all that he'd just felt, he wouldn't wish the same pain upon anybody.

"Yeah, just great thanks." Draco muttered flatly.

Harry looked at him carefully for a brief moment, when Mel spoke up softly.

"We didn't trust Remus, when he told us to get back to our dorm," she said slowly. "Something just didn't feel right. So after we had walked for a very short way, we turned back, only to reach you just in time to see Lucius knock you out. Before either of us could do anything the shapeshifter warned him of our presence, and he took our wands."

"How did you get away?" Harry asked, gripping the arms of the chair as he spoke.

"He…he locked us in a storage closet," Mel continued quickly. "Before he closed the door he muttered something to Draco about punishment…"

"For betraying him," Draco piped up bitterly. "I left him to sit in a cell for months and this was my payback."

"I was able to pick the lock," Mel said quietly, "something I'd learned from Jack. But not before…it started…"

"He knew you'd feel whatever I did," Harry said absently. "He knew how much pain you'd be in…"

"Is that why Lucius did all of this?" Sirius asked angrily. "Just to repay his son he used you and Remus…"

"No," Harry interrupted curtly. "There's more…"

Harry continued on quickly, telling them how Lucius was planning on killing Neville, while in the meantime Harry would most likely be killed from Remus' attack, as his connection to the guardian would be severed.

"Do we know where Neville is now?" Sirius asked evenly.

"I was hoping you would," Harry replied, shaking his head slowly. He took a deep breath, before launching into the explanation of Allison coming to save him from the cell, and revealing to him that she was actually Saaneeraa.

"I knew it," Sirius spat, furiously. "I knew something wasn't right about her from the very first…"

"Oh, it gets better," Harry said grimly. Talking as fast as he could, he explained everything he had talked about with Saaneeraa, and all the secrets she'd told him, choosing to leave out only one thing. For the time being, he thought it best not to let Mel know about her bloodline being next in line to bear a Psion…he would talk to her about it later. He finished his story where Saaneeraa decided to go off in search of Neville, and they both ran into Marzia.

"And you were able to stop her?" Sirius asked, looking down at Marzia who was just finishing up with Remus' injuries.

"Barely," Marzia replied curtly. "But it won't last forever…it'll just keep her out of our way for a little while.

Sirius nodded faintly, before glancing at the door which Harry knew led to the guest quarters he'd used so many times that year.

"I can't believe Snape is your true instructor," he said with a mixture of anger and wonderment.

"Neither can I," Harry nodded. "But I wish he were awake right now…if only so I can be told something truthful about the crystals for once. Not that I even have any access to them…" he trailed off.

"What do we do now then?" Mel asked hesitantly.

"We have to find Ron, Hermione and Ginny," Harry said, a determined expression on his face. "If Voldemort has them…" he trailed off, not wanting to think about what he would do to his friends. "We just have to find them."

"We will," Sirius said firmly. "I promise you that…but we're not going out there without a plan."

"What about Snape?" Marzia spoke up suddenly. "We could try to wake him…"

"How?" Harry asked.

"You told us that a phoenix feather will negate the effects of the smoke."

"Right but…"

"And we have Fawkes," Marzia continued, gesturing to the brilliant bird, sitting regally on its perch.

"I know," Harry said. "But Saaneeraa said it would hurt them to just use a feather…that it had to be taken as a potion…"

"I understand that," Marzia nodded. "But right now I really think it's important to have someone who will know about the crystals awake."

"I agree," Sirius said at once. "As much as I'm enjoying all this time without Snape around…I think it's time we woke him up."

"It's going to hurt him…badly," Harry repeated clearly. "And I don't know how long it's going to take.

"Well…there's only one way to find out," Sirius said. Without another word, he turned and headed for the door to the guest quarters. Harry and the others waited in silence as he came back out, levitating Snape in front of him, and set him down gently on the floor.

Fawkes seemed to sense immediately that he was needed for whatever was going on, and flew softly to Sirius' side. Harry slid forward in his seat and gingerly knelt down on the floor beside Snape's still form. Mel sat to his left, while Marzia came around and lowered herself next to Sirius. Malfoy simply stayed where he was on the long couch, while Remus stood slowly. He walked past everyone in the room and stood at Snape's feet, before kneeling down ever so slowly.

"Let's do this," he said quietly. "Maybe with the crystals there will be some way to…to stop the effects…" He trailed off, looking sadly at Harry once more.

"Maybe," Harry nodded softly. He hoped that Remus would come around soon…they would need him when the time came to fight…they would need all the help they could get. And what had happened wasn't his fault.

"Alright there Fawkes," Sirius began cautiously, not accustomed to dealing with the elegant bird. "I just need one of your feathers to touch Severus…" he trailed off as the bird lifted its wing and rested it across Snape's chest. "That was easy," Sirius muttered with a half-smirk, while a thin tendril of black smoke began to curl upwards in the air. It dissipated nearly the instant it was away from Snape's body, for which Harry was glad. He didn't know what they'd do with a room full of the treacherous mist. Glancing over, he saw Remus' face was still drawn in a bleak expression, full of guilt, but he turned away as he heard a noise, only to see Snape was starting to move.

"It's working," Sirius said eagerly, as the smoke coming from Snape's chest grew thicker by the moment. It was piling out into the air furiously, and after several more minutes, Snape's eyes flickered open.

Harry watched as the potion master's expression immediately contorted into one of pain. Snape was squirming on the floor now…trying to move, it seemed. Even though he was conscious he still hadn't regained full use of his arms and legs, but he was desperately trying to use them.

"Calm down Severus…calm down…" Sirius spoke, trying to keep a soothing tone. "It won't last much longer…" he trailed off, in all actuality having no idea if that was a true statement, before looking up at the others and speaking again. "I know it won't be pleasant, but I think we should wake Albus next."

"Will it work though?" Marzia asked quickly. "Hearing Harry explain it…it sounds as if Saaneeraa did something more to him than just fill him with smoke."

"I'm not sure, but I think we have to try," Sirius replied darkly. "If we have any chance of waking him…we need to take it."

Harry jumped back suddenly as Snape's control over his arms returned abruptly, and he swung out viciously at nothing.

"Maybe we should stop this," Mel offered worriedly. "Look at him…he's…"

"We need him," Remus spoke up evenly. "If he can help…in [Iany[/I way…"

Harry opened his mouth to agree with Mel…Snape was obviously in far too much pain, when suddenly the potions master sat up with a jolt, at the exact same moment the door to the office burst forcefully open.

Everyone except Snape was on their feet in a split second, and Harry was horrified to see Fleshcrawlers filling the room. Sirius and Marzia were already throwing curses, as they were the only two with wands, and each blast hit its mark directly…but they were greatly outnumbered.

The seconds that followed passed by in slow motion for Harry. He heard his godfather scream for him to get in the back, get to safety, but he didn't want to leave his friends there. He could see sinew tethers flying through the air, and barely missed getting slammed in the chest with one, tripping over a table as he dodged it. Mel grabbed hold of his arm, pulling him to his feet, agreeing with Sirius and tried to make him follow her. Remus yelled for him to do the same, and Harry let out a frustrated sigh, beginning to turn away, when he caught sight of a bright light glinting off sharp metal. One of the Fleshcrawlers had fired a deadly tether at him, and he didn't have barely a second to think about what was happening before Remus' body knocked into him, falling on top of him limply as they both crashed to the floor.

Harry heard Mel scream and tried to lift his head to tell her he was alright, but Remus was still on top of him.

"Remus…c'mon…" Harry grunted, forcing himself away from his friend, not understanding why he wasn't moving, until his fingers ran through something warm and sticky. Pulling his hand up to his face, his fears were confirmed as they were covered in blood.

[INo, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no… [/I

Was all that ran through his head as he forced himself fully out from under Remus' form, and rolled his friend over onto his back.

"No…" he whispered weakly.

A thick strand of the sinew tether was protruding from Remus chest, blood staining his shirt around it, and running freely to the floor, forming a sticky puddle.

"Remus…Remus please!" Harry cried, tears suddenly running freely down his face as he shook Lupin's limp form in a panic. He could vaguely hear the sounds around him as he was hunched over his wounded friend. Sirius was screaming, and Harry knew by his voice he had seen what had happened. He was cursing vehemently at the Fleshcrawlers while shooting at them in a rage. Draco was yelling to Harry to get up, and Marzia was making her way towards him slowly, making sure not to let anything through as she did so. Mel had simply sunk to her knees in shock, staring at Remus in horror.

"Remus…you have to answer me," Harry pleaded, now pulling Lupin's head towards his chest in a fierce hug. "Please, please answer me!" he cried hoarsely.

"Harry…"

"Remus? You're alive?" Harry asked incredulously upon hearing his friend's voice. He pulled slightly away from his friend and looked down at his barely open eyes, which were straining to focus on him.

"Make sure…Snape knows…" Remus spoke, straining to get the words out as he began to choke violently. Harry shook his head emphatically as his friend spoke, and a trickle of blood began to run down his chin, looking black against his deathly pale skin. He could see the thick liquid staining Lupin's teeth, felt it spray against him as he coughed.

"You're going to be fine," Harry said unsteadily, his tears falling onto Remus' cloak and his hands shaking worse than ever before. "I'm going to get you help," he managed to get out, not having the slightest idea how. But Remus reached up weakly and grabbed Harry's hand, grasping it with so little strength that Harry silently wailed inside.

"Snape," he forced out again, visibly paling even more so, over the energy it was taking just to speak. "Find a way…to stop…my curse…" Remus trailed off, and Harry heard a low gurgling sound in his friend's throat, before his body went entirely still, his eyes staring off at nothing. Remus' hand fell away limply and Harry was filled with a sense of disbelief, unable to hold back from crying as he rocked Remus back and forth in his arms. This couldn't be happening…it couldn't be…

The noise around him suddenly jolted back to reality as Marzia grabbed him by the arm and forced him to his feet.

"You have to get in the back!" she screamed, and Harry could see that Sirius had managed to get up a good-sized shield, but it was beginning to fade, and the creatures were getting through. Without waiting for any reply, Marzia began pulling Harry towards the wall that slid open to the kitchen. She yelled at Draco to get Mel, who was still sitting by Remus' body in shock. When the two Slytherins were in the room, Marzia shoved Harry through, demanding that they not come out for anything, and slamming the wall back into place behind her.

For a long moment, Harry could do nothing except stare at the wall before him in shock. It had all happened so fast, there had been no time to react. He shut his eyes tightly, unable to block out the vision of Remus' ghostly pale face, his unfocused eyes staring back at him. Harry's throat tightened as a lump quickly began to rise, and he forcefully choked it down.

When he felt a soft hand on his shoulder, he turned around with a start, surprising Mel, who stepped back a pace.

"Sorry," he muttered distractedly.

"So am I," she whispered sincerely. "I can't…I can't believe he's…"

"Dead," Harry finished, his voice thick with emotion. He closed his eyes once more, against the rush of tears that threatened to spill over, and turned away. "That tether…was supposed to be for me…"

"Then you should be thankful Remus did what he did," Malfoy spoke up quietly. Harry felt a rush of anger at Draco's comment and spun around to face him.

"Thankful?" Harry spat. "He's dead…because he…"

"Saved you," Draco said quietly. "Yes I was there."

"But he shouldn't have!" Harry yelled. "I wouldn't have died if it had hit me…"

"If Neville's alive," Draco cut in quickly. "Which we don't know for a fact that he is."

Harry just shook his head in anger.

"Look…" he began evenly, "maybe you don't care that someone who you never liked much to begin with just died…but he was my friend! He died because of me!"

"I realize that!" Draco shouted finally, staring straight back at Harry. "Maybe you don't realize the situation we're in here! There are Fleshcrawlers in the next room and they outnumber us about five to one. We don't know if Voldemort is here but we know the death eaters are…and who knows what's going on with the entities! I think you should grieve later and think now!"

Harry and Draco stared evenly at one another, resolute expressions fixed on their faces.

"What can we do though?" Mel spoke up. "None of us have our wands…and there's no way out of here except the way we came in."

"No, there is actually," Harry said quickly. "There's a secret passage that you can take anywhere in Dumbledore's office. I can show you guys where it is and then you can…"

"Wait, wait, wait," Mel interrupted worriedly. "You can show us? You're coming, right?"

"No," Harry replied seriously. "Sirius, Marzia and Snape are still out there, I can't leave until I know they're okay."

"Great idea," Draco drawled, rolling his eyes. "You know what, fine. Do what you want. You're being an idiot by staying though…"

"Oh you mean by not turning and running like a coward?" Harry shot back.

"I mean because everyone that's not on your side is looking for your blood right now, Potter. Do you really want to make it so easy for them?"

Harry glared at Draco for a brief moment, before speaking in a low voice.

"What do you care, Malfoy?"

"I don't know that I do," Draco spoke evenly. "But I do know that I don't want Saaneeraa…or even Voldemort at this point…to gain control over the powers that you have."

"But your dad…" Harry began.

"Thinks I'm a traitor," Draco cut him off sharply. "If he'd still believed I was the defender, he would have killed me earlier today."

Harry looked at Malfoy, feeling suddenly sorry for him, as he realized what he said was most likely true.

"I believe you," he said quietly.

"It doesn't matter anyway," Draco replied, shrugging it off. "He gave me what he thinks is a suitable punishment…and I'm sure if he has another chance he'll do more."

For several moments, no one spoke, and an awkward silence fell over the room. Harry turned away from the other two abruptly, and stepped back towards the secret door in the wall, putting his ear up next to it.

"I can't hear a blasted thing through this," he muttered in annoyance.

"Well, that's a good thing, right?" Mel spoke up, hesitantly. "If we can't hear out…then no one can hear in…"

"I know…you're right," Harry nodded slowly, looking back towards the door, an uncertain expression on his face. "I just wish I knew what was going on…if they're okay out there…"

Forcing himself to turn again towards the other two, Harry began to cross the room once more, when he caught sight of the shocked expressions that suddenly appeared on both Mel and Draco's faces. Their eyes were fixed on something behind him, and he spun around instantly to see what it was.