GOMEN NASAI! I'm very sorry for the long wait, but senior year was so hectic. Tests, homework, term papers, essays, projects, sports, work….The list goes on and on. Also I'm going to Australia in July, so you probably won't hear from me until August. I will try my very hardest to update The Road Less Traveled before I leave.

Thank you to all of the reviewers who guilted me into writing when I finally had time after I graduated. Yay! On to college!

Lastly, I apologize for the poor quality of this chapter. It's been so long since I've written anything but essays and a long time since I was able to sit down and plot where my stories were going, so I'm a little rusty. Hopefully practice will get me back up to par. Now, without further ado, 'Down the Rabbit Hole.'

Without contraries there is no progression. Attraction and repulsion. Reason and energy, love and hate, are all necessary to human existence. From these contraries spring what religious people call Good and Evil.
-William Blake

…burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it, and was just in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under the hedge. In another moment down went Alice after it, never once considering how in the world she was to get out again.
-Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Snape hadn't meant for it to be like that. He hadn't meant to terrify his niece. But it was for the best. He would miss the correspondences, the New Year's cards, and the pictures that came with them. For the past few years he'd carefully read each letter, examined each picture, as if starved for such friendly and unimportant greetings. Then, with a flick of his wand, everything would once again be sealed in its envelope, all signs of his perusal erased, and the post office would return that letter, with a stamp informing of his lack of forwarding address. The Kinomotos had been persistent, which was why he had at last decided to make an appearance after an important Potions conference in Tokyo. Being any way connected to him was extremely dangerous in such times as these.

He'd meant to speak with Fujitaka and inform him of his wish to no longer be associated with them. Severus was sure that the family would respect his wishes once he made them known.

That plan had been ruined by the Dark Lord's summons, and so he'd had to make it completely clear to his niece instead. It was a more complete way to cut off any correspondence, he acknowledged with dark humor. Such a threat would certainly drive away any wish to associate with him.

Something akin to sorrow rose up in him at the thought that he had driven away some of the last people who truly cared about him. He quickly squashed any such weakness as he neared the Dark Lord's place of summons.

When he arrived at the clearing, what he saw made him curse in a part of his mind hidden from the Dark Lord's probing thoughts.

Potter, no doubt playing the hero, had been captured. With Umbridge in the place of Dumbledore and no time to get a message to the Order, there was no way out of this situation without exposing himself.

Damn that idiotic boy.

"He's coming," Kero warned.

Tomoyo glanced out the window, noting the familiar messy brown hair of Sakura's boyfriend. She waited for him to ring the doorbell before she answered.

"Konnichiwa, Syaoran-kun," she greeted with a smile.

"Konnichiwa, Tomoyo-chan," he replied, returning her smile. "Where did Sakura go?"

"Ah, she just recently heard from a relative in Scotland that she hasn't spoken to in years. I believe she went to visit with him." Tomoyo glanced at Kero. "I agreed to stay and keep Kero-chan company."

Syaoran looked concerned. "Will she be gone long? The clan has been hearing disturbing reports of fighting among the wizards in that area."

Kero froze and laughed nervously. "Eto…she'll be back later I'm sure."

Syaoran glared at him suspiciously and opened his mouth to speak when Tomoyo, without seeming to realize it, interrupted him.

"She'll be back this evening at the latest. I'm sure you're welcome to stay that long if you wish."

Syaoran shook his head. "No thank you. I think I'll just come back later."

Tomoyo saw him to the door, and then sat down in a chair with a sigh of relief. "Well," she commented, "that went rather well."

"Hai," agreed Kero, thinking worriedly of Sakura.

Sakura slowly materialized on the branch of a tree almost above the gathering. It was dark and she shivered with cold and fear. There was a powerfully negative feeling in the air, and the black cloaks and silver masks scared her. She locked onto her uncle's now-familiar aura. He was indistinguishable from the rest of the beings.

Suddenly she remembered her birthday present from Eriol, and with a small smile, she summoned the grey cloak. It was much different than the plain black cloaks. It was fancier, and she made sure she was secure on her perch before cautiously handling the complicated folds and wrapping the cloak required to stay put. She swung the last corner over her opposite shoulder, covering her nose and mouth as a scarf would. Perhaps this was the use Eriol had foreseen when he had given it to her.

All the while she listened to the group below and swallowed hard when she deduced that they were speaking easily of torturing and killing the boy they had trapped. He was, apparently, an important figure in the wizarding world.

Sakura felt sick with fear and indecision. Was this, then, what her uncle was? A bloody-minded murderer? How to make sure? Neither she nor Tomoyo thought him capable of such evil.

Wait and see, she cautioned herself. But wait how long? How long to make sure? How long was too long with a life at stake?

She paused suddenly, feeling a foreign presence in her mind.

Eriol, she thought at him. I thought we had gotten you to stop eavesdropping.

Did you really? he asked in bemused astonishment.

Sakura paused, and then sighed. Well, no. But I hoped. Right now, though, she was glad that he was here. Mentally, at least.

When I felt you go for my present to you, I thought I'd see what it was supposed to be used for. What are you doing?

Sakura filled him in on the situation, and he shared her senses as he observed the wizards below.

Well, he said, you'll be wanting to rescue both your uncle and the boy, I assume, regardless of the outcome.

Sakura agreed.

Even if you were of a mind to kill them, you couldn't. Their magically reinforced isolation forbids direct meddling… What about blinding them? Fill two glass globes with light so that they won't be suspicious of what you are, wait until your uncle and the boy are together, and then blind everyone else. Teleport the two to my mansion in England and see where it goes from there. I'll make sure Ruby Moon, Spinel, and myself are unseen.

Yes, Sakura thought gratefully. Arigatou gozaimasu.

Then she settled down to wait and watch, with Eriol's presence still in her mind, and they carefully watched Severus Snape's actions, trying to determine where his loyalties lay.

Snape was unconcerned by Potter's hateful gaze as the Dark Lord called him forth, honoring him with the first go at the Golden Boy. His mind was working beneath a shield of hateful thoughts, trying to figure out a way to get both of them out of this. Potter's wand had been spelled into inactivity, but that didn't stop him from waving it around.

"Stop that useless waving this instant," he ordered, allowing the boy a chance to recognize the one beneath the mask. "Petrificus totalus."

Wandless magic released the binding on Potter's wand, but to mask the action, he performed a milder version of the Cruciatus Curse, still quite painful. He watched the boy swallow a scream with mild approval.

Now came the difficult part. Severus felt beads of sweat form on his brow, which was furrowed in concentration. His wand opened shallow cuts on the boy while his mind endeavored to implant information in the boy's mind without the Dark Lord becoming aware.

Your wand works. When I release you, use it. Then run.

Sakura watched his actions in horror and would have leapt down at that instant, but Eriol's voice restrained her.

Clever. Enough pain to convince his comrades of his loyalty, but not enough to permanently damage. Be ready Sakura. It's almost time.

He's not evil, then? Sakura asked, begging for his judgment.

Dark, but not evil, Eriol agreed, and then tensed.

Sakura prepared herself, a glass ball in each hand.

Severus released Harry Potter.

Go!

"Enough!" Sakura shrieked, flipping out of the tree, cutting off the two from the rest of the masked people. Her robe flowed around her as the Death Eaters froze in shock.

"Down boy," Severus hissed almost inaudibly as Potter struggled.

"Get rid of her," the Dark Lord ordered just as she flung the glass balls into the crowd. She turned and her cloak fluttered upwards, shielding the three from the searing brightness of the light as she teleported the group to Eriol's mansion just outside of London.

They arrived in a large room furnished only with a couch and padded chair. Severus almost immediately began cursing as he adjusted to the shock, and then rounded on Harry when he had calmed down.

"What on earth were you thinking, Potter!" he roared as the teen glared at him sullenly. "You should be especially careful with the Headmaster gone, but no. First there was that empty-headed move in creating 'Dumbledore's Army,' and now this! But I forget myself. The Boy-Who-Lived is above such rules, no matter that they are for his protection! You very nearly caused me to blow my cover, and then we would be back to trying to guess the decisions of a madman."

He rounded on Sakura who had been watching this exchange with wide-eyes.

"And you! When your father hears of your actions – "

Sakura cut him off by throwing herself at him and hugging him tightly, sniffling a little as she recalled all that she had witnessed. Severus stiffened. "It's okay uncle," she said. "We're alright, we're safe. Everything will be alright."

Snape relaxed enough to pat her awkwardly on the back and glared at Harry. "A slack jaw is not attractive, Potter," he scowled. Harry shut his mouth with an audible click.

It took Harry a moment to find his voice after a surprisingly affectionate display by his greasy git of a Potions Master. "Thank you very much for saving us," he said to the girl. "My name is Harry Potter."

Sakura pulled away from Severus to bow in greeting. "My name is Sakura Kinomoto. I'm a relative of your…chemistry teacher?" She arched an eyebrow at Snape.

"Potions Professor," he corrected as Harry stared in surprise that such a pleasant person could be related to such an unpleasant one.

"Where are we?" the older man asked suddenly, unwilling to watch his niece fawning over the bane of his life. His suddenly suspicious gaze darted about the room.

"Somewhere in London," Sakura said.

Severus nodded. "Let's get out of here before the occupants return. We'll go to the Leaky Cauldron and Floo to the Infirmary. Potter, put your hood up or we'll never go unnoticed."

Harry scowled, but obeyed, still trying to wrap his mind around the strange relationship Snape had with this friendly girl. It occurred to him that perhaps Snape was misunderstood. Perhaps some of his unfairness and dislike was an act. He dismissed such thoughts almost immediately, uncomfortable with this new line of thought and settled back into his familiar prejudice.

The three walked in silence for several blocks before reaching the rundown bar. Sakura followed cautiously. She was in unfamiliar territory and Eriol, for better or for worse, was no longer in her head.

At this time of night the Leaky Cauldron was nearly deserted. Snape's long-legged stride brought him quickly to the fireplace as the two teenagers trotted to keep up.

"You first," he murmured quietly to Harry, holding out a pouch to him. Sakura watched curiously as Harry took a handful of green powder and tossed it into the fire. The orange flames took on a green hue. She jumped in fright when Harry stepped into the fire. "What – ?" she half-whispered in a strangled voice until she realized that Harry was perfectly fine.

"Hogwarts Infirmary," he said clearly and disappeared.

Sakura turned to Severus who had noticed her outburst and eyed her suspiciously.

"Will you be going home or with us?" he asked pleasantly enough.

"With you, if you don't mind," she said, struggling to calm her fraying nerves.

He held out the pouch to her, raising an eyebrow when she hesitated. "Surely you've used Floo Powder before."

Sakura swallowed. "O-of course," she said nervously. "Don't all witches?" It was meant as a rhetorical question, but it sounded to Severus as if she were uncertain.

"They do," he said blandly, watching her closely.

"I just don't do this much," she said by way of explanation, took a handful of powder, and tossed it into the fireplace. She hesitated when the flames turned green, and then walked slowly into the fireplace, flinching all over when the fire touched her.

"Hogwarts Infirmary," she said shakily and closed her eyes tightly, gathering her power around her, ready to burst out of here at any moment.

When the unpleasant spinning feeling stopped, she opened her eyes and leaped out of the fireplace, panting a little.

Harry stared at her in surprise. "Are you all right?" he asked worriedly.

"Oh…yes," she said, her racing heart slowing.

He laughed quietly as she looked around at the white curtains and beds. "It looked like you were more afraid to use the Floo than you were to face down Voldemort and the Death Eaters." He expected her to flinch at Voldemort's, and surprised when she only laughed nervously.

"Ah…."

She was saved from having to reply by Severus' arrival. He strode over to the cabinet where Poppy kept the potions. "Here, Potter. Drink this and then get back to your dormitory without being seen."

"Yes, sir," Harry said sullenly. He made a face at the taste and then turned to Sakura. "Thank you, again. Will I be seeing you again sometime?"

"Yes," Sakura said happily. "You are very welcome."

"We'll see," Snape said as Harry left. "First we need to speak with your father. At the very least, you should not return until Headmaster Dumbledore has returned."

Sakura bit her lip.

Hope you enjoyed this and it wasn't too badly written. Wish me a good trip to Australia. I'm going with a school group, so I'll be having a lot of fun with my friends!

Have a great summer!

-Mystical Magician