Hermione poked Harry in the arm the second they entered the Great Hall. "Harry, look up at the Head Table." Harry's jaw dropped the second he saw who was sitting next to Dumbledore.
"I can't believe the nerve of that man. Everyone knows that Lucius is a Death Eater!" Harry whispered loudly. "We've got to talk to Aunt Minerva or Uncle Severus. I don't feel safe anywhere near that miserable excuse for a man."
"Hear, hear. Are you going to try to make eye contact with Professor Snape?"
"If you or Hermione would try to get Aunt Minerva…" Harry looked to the Head Table. Severus mouthed 'I didn't know' to him. Harry was really scared now. "He didn't know…with Dumbledore this far gone, Voldemort will try to get in for sure."
Minerva was just as shocked as they were when she came in with the first years. The sorting went slowly as usual and dinner went even slower. Even Ron, who usually ate half of the food on the table, could only manage to drink a glass of pumpkin juice. Harry and Hermione were focused on trying to figure out what was going on that they didn't even eat that much.
Every eye was on Dumbledore as he stood up to give his usual speech. "As you can see, our open Defense position has been filled by Mr. Lucius Malfoy. I assure you that he will be an excellent addition to our staff." The trio tuned out the rest of his speech.
Hermione, trying desperately to figure out what in the world was going on, looked at the boys. "Do you think he's even acting under his own power? This is highly unusual, even for him."
"St. Mungo's should be notified. I believe they're missing a patient," Ginny muttered.
"Hermione, even You-Know-Who isn't powerful enough to put an Imperio on Dumbledore." Ron looked nervously at the Head Table and back to his friends. "That's the scary thing, isn't it? That he's acting under his own power. At least the Death Eaters are predictable."
"I agree with Ron. I'll bet that even Voldemort is intrigued by this new Dumbledore." When dinner was dismissed, the Seventh Year Prefects took the first years to their dorms, while the Trio, Ginny, Neville, and the twins muttered their plans. "Nev, Ginny, take my cloak and try to get a letter out to my dad. Keep your wands ready." Harry pulled his invisibility cloak from his bag and handed it to them. "Fred, George, we're going to need you to stay in the tower. There aren't that many seventh years who are familiar with what the Headmaster has been doing lately, and someone needs to tell everyone that. We're going to find Uncle Severus. He'll know what to do."
The trio was nearly to Severus' dungeon rooms when they heard a voice behind them. "Where do you think you're going? Gryffindor tower is a long way from here, you know." They didn't have to turn around to know exactly who it was.
"We decided to take the long way, Professor."Hermionewanted to spit in Lucius' face, though she restrained herself well.
"I don't want my future ward to be seen sneaking about in places that he doesn't belong in with people he doesn't belong with." Lucius sneered at Ron and Hermione.
"Good thing that I'm never, in a million years, going to be your ward, then, isn't it?" The venom in Harry's voice would have made Voldemort shiver.
"I will be watching you, Harry…I will be watching." As soon as Lucius was out of sight, the three ran toward Severus' door.
"I knew you three would come. You may go and sit with Ginerva and Mr. Longbottom in my sitting room. I'm awaiting further word from Minerva. She's trying to find your father. You will be sleeping here tonight." Ron and Hermione headed down the short hallway, but Severus kept Harry back. He put his hands on Harry's shoulders and looked into his eyes. "We're not going to let them take you, Harry. They'd have to kill all of us first."
"That's exactly what I'm afraid of, Uncle Sev. I don't want anymore people to die because they were trying to save me."
Severus tried desperately to keep his composure. He had a feeling that something horrible would happen tonight, and he wanted Harry to know exactly how much he was loved. "It isn't a horrible thing for someone to die for someone they love, son. You've willingly gone into situations that could have killed you to save your friends. Don't let anyone else not have that privilege. Go on, try to sleep. And, if I may let you in on a secret, Lucius Malfoy scares me just as much as he scares you."
Just as Severus was about to follow his godson to the sitting room, he felt the mirror in his pocket grow warm. He pulled it out to see a concerned Sirius. "Severus, Dumbledore has shut off all communication to Hogwarts. The news just came over the wireless. He's also blocked all entrance ways. There's other news, too. Arthur and Remus have gone missing and Minerva and Gawain haven't responded to the mirror messages I've tried to send."
Severus' mind immediately jumped to the worst possible scenario, which in this case, was a possibility. "You don't think he's trying to eliminate all people close to our godson in an attempt to control him do you, Sirius?"
"I don't know. I wish I did. That's the only conclusion I could come up with. I'd recommend taking Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the Longbottom boy and making a run for it. It's the only thing that's safe. Hogwarts isn't right now."
"I think I will. Thank you, Sirius."
"There's one more thing, Severus, since I don't know what's going to happen from now on…I've always enjoyed your company, and I consider you one of the finest men I know. You always treated my sister with the utmost respect, even when I was a jerk to you. Remember that promise we made to her, you know, the last time we saw her?"
"I remember. I promise you, that if need be I will go down fighting for that boy. He's our only hope, you know."
"Our only hope, and the one person who held us together, though unknowingly, when we were under so many spells we didn't even know our own thoughts. Good bye, Severus Snape, and good luck." Sirius faded out of the mirror.
Severus put it back into his pocket and headed to the sitting room. The teens were all sleeping, huddled together against the chill of the dungeon. "Children," Severus said gently, watching them rub their eyes, "we need to get out of here as soon as possible. Pack your bags with anything that means something to you. Your belongings are in the other room. When you are done, come back in here."
Ginny looked up at Severus and voice the one fear that everyone had. "Do you think we're going to get out of here alive?"
"I wish I could answer that, Ginerva."He took a deep breath. "Truly, I do."
Within the hour, they were ready to go. "Everyone stay close to me, and please cover your heads. We cannot have anyone knowing who we are. We are going to carefully head out of the castle, and hope against hope that we get a head start on Dumbledore and Malfoy."
A/N: Sorry about the long wait between chapters…school has been absolutely crazy lately. We're officially on Christmas break until the fifth of January, though, so expect at least three more chapters between then and now. REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!!!!