Authors Notes - Well before you read this, an absolutely huge thank you has to be made to MissLisaBennett for getting this chapter back to me so quick. She is so dedicated to helping me along and has kept on with me from the beginning. She's fab and without her this chapter wouldn't have arrived here so quick!
Chapter 21 – Let the Sun Guide us to our Heaven
After discussing their plans Severus returned to Wales in the early hours of that morning, the sky was lightening as the sun was preparing to rise. The forest stood deathly still as he swept through the trees towards the looming dark castle, it stood tall against the coast line. He could smell the salt wafting over the area as he approached the castle gates. He knew that many of the guards would be sleeping but knew there would be some standing guard. He was determined; he had to get Harry and Ginny out and to the safety of Hogwarts. He felt so disgusted about what had happened to them, he hoped for only two things, that he didn't get caught and it wasn't too late. Both would have dire consequences. But he had to do this even though he had grudges with Harry, nobody deserved what they had been through and they were still just children.
He entered the castle which had its usual guards, but apart from that it was deadly quiet as most were sleeping. When he looked ahead he saw the two large doors that led to the room where he had witnessed the assault just hours before, the sickness swept through his body as he quickly turned away. He followed a passageway that led to the lower floors where the dungeons were, he approached the entrance and found two guards sleeping.
He stepped over to them very quietly, quickly immobilising them and snapping their wands. He tied them up and searched their desks for the prisoner's wands. They lay in the top draw; he pocketed them. He looked at his surroundings; the dungeons were dark and damp. The air seemed heavy with misery as he walked past the desk grabbing the set of keys that were hung behind it he made his way through the cells searching for them.
As he reached the end of the cells he started feeling a sense of despair as he wondered if he was too late, but as he moved to the last remaining doors he realised they looked different to the rest. The wood of the doors had a sort of glow to it, it had a key hole like any other but there was still something different about them. He looked through a small window situated at the top of it and saw a flash of red hair, Ginny's form lay crumpled on the floor unconscious.
He placed his palm to the door and felt a sharp pain running down one finger to his wrist; he quickly removed it to find it slashed. Blood seeped from the wound and he looked back at the door, the glow had vanished but the bloody streak remained. He pointed his wand to his hand to seal the wound up but nothing happened and he was left to take the pain. He rummaged to find the key and opened the door as he stepped in he saw the glass wall separating the cells. Harry lay on the other side pressed up against it, his eyes brimmed red and his brow creased as he tried to sleep. He opened the door walking over to Ginny, she looked so helpless. He careful scooped her limp body up into his arms; he squashed through the door, to get to Harry's cell.
The glow remained on Harry's door and knew he had to repeat his previous actions; he placed his already injured hand to the door and felt the sharp pain shoot from it as it engraved the slice in his hand deeper.
As soon as he'd turned the key in the lock, he pushed the door open with his foot. The door brushed along the floor before connecting with the wall.
Harry stumbled to his feet in shock, awakening him from his uneasy slumber. His eyes focus on Ginny; he clenched his fists and moved forward to attack Snape.
"Get the fuck away from her!" He screamed moving forward fist clenched and only stopped when Snape pointed his wand at him.
"Shut it Potter, I'm here to get you both out before they can get to you again." He quickly explained harshly. "We don't have much time, I saw what they did and that was nothing compared what he would do next time he calls for you."
Harry let the information sink in and unclenched his fists. He shuffled forward looking closely at her pale face as he brushed the back of his hand softly against her cheek. He let out a deep sob looking at the woman he loved in such a state because of him. He held his arms out, taking Ginny's body from the potion master, placing a delicate kiss to her forehead. He held her close to him, breathing in her scent that was still tainted from her attacker, he shuddered at the thought and realised how much Severus was risking to save them.
"Thank you...I know this...must be...difficult." Harry said not taking his eyes from the girl in his arms.
Severus straightened up and smoothed his robes down, "We need to get out now before anybody notices you're missing or we'll all be dead."
He handed Harry his wand as they moved out of the cell, Harry following behind his billowing cloak, down the passage still holding Ginny's body. They moved quickly as they could, Harry was so weak but pushed himself to the limit to be free of this place, his legs shook wildly holding his own weight never mind Ginny's as they approached the tied up guards.
They both pushed their backs up against the wall of the spiral staircase as they climbed, both wands out just in case they were discovered. It was deadly quiet and they could hear their own footsteps echoing around them as they reached the hallway that Harry and Ginny had been dragged through hours before.
Severus stopped and did a sweep of the area before he stepped out into the open, they quickly moved to the front doors where to guards still stood awake. He had waited until now to disarm them in case they had been discovered early and someone could have raised the alarm.
"Quiet, stay against the wall with your wand out while I get rid of them," he whispered to Harry as he moved through the doors.
He heard Snape disarm them and knock them out. He heard a snap and realised he had snapped their wands too. Snape flew back into the room and rounded on Harry again,
"Soon as we get out of the gate you need to run as fast as you can through the forest, run until it starts to clear. Don't wait for me Potter, if I'm not beside you. You need to apparate straight to Hogwarts gates and get inside before they follow you."
Harry nodded as his pulse quickened realising they had a chance to survive, and the man who had truly hated over the years had made it possible. He would be forever grateful to him no matter what the outcome.
"Well what have we got here." Came a deep snarl from behind Snape, who spun round with his wand pointed as the he realised it was Lucius Malfoy.
Lucius stopped his pursuit but continued holding his wand menacing at Harry, Ginny and Snape, "I knew you weren't faithful to the Dark Lord, and now you will pay Snape. Mark my words!" he threatened.
"I'm sure I will Lucius, but at least I will be able to die knowing I did the right thing." Snape replied moving in front of Harry blocking him from view.
"You're a traitor!" He shouted as a jet of red light shot from his wand hurtling towards Snape.
He quickly blocked it and shot his own spell back at Lucius, as he shouted. "Run Harry and don't look back!" Snape cast a huge shield in front of him as Harry fled out the front doors.
He kicked the door shut behind him and caught a quick glimpse of the fallen guards as he looked out over the courtyard until he saw the exit. He ran towards the gate and realised Snape had left it open for him, he was a about a metre away when all of a sudden a huge explosion erupted behind him. It knocked him to the ground still clutching Ginny's body as he tried to take the brunt of the impact.
The dust swirled around him as he pushed himself from the ground, his toes and bare skin held small cuts from where the debris had hit him. He stumbled as he pushed them both through the gate and into the forest, another jet flew past his ear and exploded into a tree at his right.
All current weakness left his body, as he pushed himself running in between the trees changing course trying to throw off the attacker from the castle. He could hear the blood pumping in his ears as he ran deeper and deeper into the growth, he did as Snape had said and didn't look back. He didn't think he was being followed but didn't want to spare a second to really consider it. He weaved again and stumbled into a ditch. His body hit the earth as he fell, and he covered Ginny's body with his own as he landed hitting his head against the ground. He clawed his fingers at the earth as it stuck underneath his nails as he tried again to get onto his feet.
He straightened up and saw the trees thinning up ahead, he pushed off from the ground and again ran as fast as he could until the forest cleared into a lushes green field where the grass came up to his middle. He held his wand tightly and spun on his heel; he had never apparated with another before but this wasn't the time to dwell on it. They both spun through the air as their bodies were pulled to their destination, as they spun Harry saw the outlines of the turrets appearing as his feet touched the ground. Relief flooded his body as he looked down at Ginny just as his knees buckled and he went crashing to the ground.
He grabbed the gate, pulling himself up. Staggering with Ginny's body into the grounds, he stumbled to a nearby tree and hid behind it as he slid down the trunk with Ginny sitting in his lap. Her face was bruised where she had been hit, along with a deep cut along her forearm that had been left untreated from when they first got kidnapped. These were just the physical scars she had received and Harry panicked not knowing what scars hid inside her, she had collapsed in shock shortly after the assault. He knew he had to get her to the castle as he pushed himself again onto his feet as his knees shook.
The sun shone against the deep blue sky; it lit up the entrance to the castle like the gateway to heaven as he tried to move faster to reach the tall oak doors. His eyes stung from the brightness of the rays, he let the heat engulf his skin as they began to approach the doors.
They were safe once again but for how long, he didn't know.
Thank you for reading, I know people hate this but remember I need reviews before I post the next chapter. And again thank you to the people who take the time to review.