1Title: Harry Potter and the Summer From Hell

Author: Ladye Black

Warnings: Author language in "Notes".

Disclaimer: I own nothing more than when I started this story. Nothing.

Notes: Real life sucks ass. Sorry to all those that were waiting, and thanks to the recent reviews that I got that made me kick my ass into gear.

(semi-spoiler in the next sentence if you haven't read the sixth book yet)

Also, I started this way before Book Six so, the thing about the Horcruxes will be largely ignored

Chapter 24

Harry woke to a gentle stroking against his face. He opened his eyes to brightly colored plumage recognizable as Fawkes' feathers. Gently, the phoenix tugged on the sleeve of Harry's T-shirt, urging the boy out of bed. Before leaving the room, he pulled on a robe and slipped a pair of slippers onto his feet. Fawkes waited patiently by the door.

The phoenix silently led him to the gargoyle that led to Dumbledore's office. Harry quietly whispered the password to it, and was let inside, the phoenix right behind him. Once at Dumbledore's office door, the phoenix pushed it open, revealing Dumbledore at his desk and several Order members scattered about the room in most of the available space.

"Harry," a man said as he stood up from where he'd been seated in front of the Headmaster's desk.

"Remus!" They hugged, happy to see each other after over a four months separation.

"Harry, it's so good to see you again."

"You, too, Remus."

"I know you're happy to see everyone, Harry, but it's best that we get down to business," the Headmaster interrupted.

"You're right, sir," said Harry as he pulled away from Remus' embrace.

"Please, sit and we will start."

Once everyone was situated, Dumbledore told them of the things that had been happening since the end of the school year.

"Ah, Severus, it is good to see you again."

Snape forced a tired grin onto his bloodied face as he looked up at Voldemort. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid I cannot say the same."

"No, I suppose you could not," said the Dark Lord, sounding amused. "I see the time you spent with Lucius has not made you lose your sense of humor."

"As my students would inform you, I can't lose something that was never there," he replied, giving a bit of a bow.

Voldemort laughed, cold and amused. "I see. Well then, I suppose I will be the only to miss it after I kill you."

Severus forced a note of horrified surprise into his voice. "Kill me?"

The smile from the snake-like face disappeared. "You're not surprised, are you, Severus?" The voice was taunting.

"I thought I was only of use to you alive, my Lord."

The laughter was back, though this time it was mocking. "Now, now, my Severus, you and I both know what runs through your veins. The only way for me to use it is to kill you."

Snape frowned. "How can you be so sure? The only texts written on my kind are thousands of years old. And the only ones who can read them are those versed in the language of the Demons."

"Yes, which I happen to be very well versed in after I gave the Demon that I summoned long ago one thousand Muggle souls."

Snape recoiled back in horror from the hideous being that had slowly gotten closer to him. "I always knew you were a monster, Riddle, but that just proves it beyond a doubt!"

Before Snape could blink, Voldemort closed in on him. "Do not call me by that ridiculousss Muggle name!"

Snape smirked. "Careful, Tom, you're losing yourself to emotion. Such a troublesome, human, thing."

Furious, Voldemort flung Snape against the damp, stone wall. "I'll enjoy killing you, Severus."

Probably not as much as I'll enjoy killing you, Voldemort, Snape thought as he gathered his magic around himself.

"And that is how we now find ourselves." Dumbledore concluded. "Severus, my most trusted spy, in the hands the hands of Voldemort, who plans to execute Severus one hour after the sun has set."

Remus was the first to speak. "How are we going to rescue him?"

Dumbledore smiled at the werewolf. "Well, knowing Severus, no real rescuing will be needed. However, we will need to pick him up."

"And how are we going to do that?" asked Molly Weasley. "We don't know where he is."

The smile widened. "On the contrary, Harry here has had a very helpful vision that let him ascertain Severus' position."

"Where?"

"Near the area where Professor Snape and I were staying," Harry answered. "It's on the way to the town of Gravlin, the closest town there was to us."

"Then shouldn't we get going? It's nearly dusk." Another of the Order's members.

"Only three people will be going on the rescue mission, the rest of you will be back-up should we need it."

Harry looked up at the Headmaster. "We? Does that mean you'll be going, sir?"

"Of course. However, before we decide on the other two, I believe Remus has something he wishes to share with us."

Remus stood to address the group that was gathered in the office. "Yes, it seems that in my journey abroad, I ran across a spell. A spell that put me very much in mind of Voldemort. A spell where he could continuously recycle his soul."

The room collectively shuddered at the thought of what that might mean.

"The strange thing is, a deal with a Demon is needed and the reversal can only be done by an Angel."

Harry slowly turned to face Dumbledore. "That's why we need Severus," he said quietly so that no one but the Headmaster could hear him.

"Alright, thank you, Remus." The werewolf nodded and sat back down. "With this information, I feel it is best that Mister Potter and Mister Lupin be the ones that accompany me on this mission."

Molly Weasley was the first to protest. "But Headmaster, Harry's only a boy! It's too dangerous!"

"Molly, I understand your concerns, but it can't be helped. Harry in the only one who knows anything about the place where we are headed, and we don't have enough time to do a memory transference to another member. He will have to go."

Lupin smiled at the distraught woman. "We'll protect him, Molly."

"But-"

Arthur grabbed her arm to stall any further protest. "Albus is right, Molly. If we wish to save Severus, things will have to be this way. Believe in them."

"Alright." She gathered Harry into her arms. "You be careful," she said before turning to Remus and Dumbledore. "Make sure you come back, all of you."

With that, she let Harry go, and watched as they walked out of the office to go beyond the apparation wards.

"Oh Merlin, please protect them."

TBC...

Ooh! So close! Things're heating up a bit. Hmm, I'll try not to make all of you wait so long for the next one, ne?