AN: Sorry about killing Parvati but since I saved one twin I had to kill off a different one. Just trying to keep it as balanced as possible for the light and the dark for deaths. Once again anything you recognize is JK Rowling's anything you don't is mine.

Ron POV

Harry, Hermione and I were climbing down the passageway to the Whomping Willow. The branches were frozen since I had used a stick to push in the knot at the base of the tree. It was much smaller than the last time I had gone through this tunnel. The only way to move through it was to crawl. Rocks and roots tore at my clothes but I ignored them.

Finally the tunnel began to slope upward.

"The Cloak!" Hermione whispered from in front of me. "Put the Cloak on!"

Somehow Harry pulled it over himself and whispered, "Nox."

We continued forward slowly. My heart hammered loudly in my chest and I could hear Hermione panting from the exertion of climbing.

Voices were talking ahead and we stopped. An old crate blocked most of the opening but we could still see through it slightly. The room beyond was dimly lit, but I could see Nagini, swirling and coiling like a serpent underwater, safe in her enchanted, starry sphere, which floated unsupported in midair. I could see the edge of a table, and a long-fingered white hand toying with a wand. Then Snape spoke, and my heart lurched: Snape was inches away from where we were hidden. Hermione stiffened and gripped a root next to her.

" . . . my Lord, their resistance is crumbling—"

"—and it isss doing ssso without your help," You-Know-Who said in a high, clear voice. A shiver raced down my spin. "Sssskilled wizard though you are, Sssseverus, I do not think you will make much differenccce now. We are almossst there . . . almosssst."

"Let me find the boy. Let me bring you Potter. I know I can find him, my Lord. Please."

Snape strode past the gap, and we all drew back further into the shadows. Why would Snape want Harry? Probably to deliver him to You-Know-Who himself.

You-Know-Who stood suddenly his red eyes gleaming terribly in the light.

"I have a problem, Sssseverusss," You-Know-Who said softly.

"My Lord?" Snape said?

You-Know-Who raised the Elder Wand, holding it as delicately and precisely as a conductor's baton. Merlin, it really did exist.

"Why doesn't it work for me, Sssseverusss?"

"My—my lord?" said Snape blankly. "I do not understand. You—you have performed extraordinary magic with that wand."

"No," You-Know-Who said. "I have performed my usssual magic. I am extraordinary, but thisss wand . . . no. It hasss not revealed the wonderssss it has promisssed. I feel no differenccce between thisss wand and the one I procured from Ollivander all thossse yearsss ago."

You-Know-Who's voice was calm and soft. Harry swayed and rubbed desperately at his scar.

"No differenccce," You-Know-Who said again.

Snape did not speak. Hermione swayed and I pulled her hand into mine trying to give her some comfort. She probably could sense the danger as much as I could.

You-Know-Who started to move around the room. I couldn't see him very well as he moved. "I have thought long and hard, Ssseverusss . . . do you know why I have called you back from battle?"

For the first time I could see Snape. His eyes were fixated on the snake coiling and uncoiling in her bubble.

"No, my Lord, but I beg you will let me return. Let me find Potter."

"You sssound like Luccciusss. Neither of you understandsss Potter asss I do. He doesss not need finding. Potter will come to me. I knew hisss weaknessss you sssee, hisss one great flaw. He will hate watching the othersss ssstruck down around him, knowing that it isss for him that it happensss. He will want to ssstop it at any cossst. He will come."

"But my Lord, he might be killed accidentally by someone other than yourself—"

"My inssstructionsss to the Death Eaters have been perfectly clear. Capture Potter. Kill hisss friendsss—the more, the better—but do not kill him.

"But it isss of you that I wissshed to ssspeak, Ssseverussss, not Harry Potter. You have been very valuable to me. Very valuable."

"My Lord knows I seek only to serve him. But—let me go and find the boy, my Lord. Let me bring him to you. I know I can—" Snape was starting to look desperate. His perfect mask was slipping.

"I have told you, no!" You-Know-Who said. Harry rubbed his scar again wincing. "My concccern at the moment, Sssseverussss, isss what will happen when I finally meet the boy!"

"My Lord, there can be no question, surely—?"

"—but there is a question, Severus. There is."

You-Know-Who halted, and Harry could see him plainly again as he slid the Elder Wand through his white fingers, staring at Snape.

"Why did both the wands I have used fail when directed at Harry Potter?"

"I—I cannot answer that, my Lord."

"Can't you?" Harry bit his hand hard his eyes pinched shut in pain.

"My wand of yew did everything of which I asssked it, Ssseverusss, except to kill Harry Potter. Twiccce it failed. Ollivander told me under torture of the twin coresss, told me to take another'sss wand. I did ssso, but Luccciusss'sss wand sssshattered upon meeting Potter'sss."

"I—I have no explanation, my Lord."

Snape was not looking at You-Know-Who now. His dark eyes were still fixed upon the coiling serpent in its protective sphere. His face was blank. No emotion on his face.

"I sssought a third wand, Ssseverusss. The Elder Wand, the Wand of Dessstiny, the Deathssstick. I took it from its previousss masssster. I took it from the grave of Albussss Dumbledore."

And now Snape looked at You-Know-Who, and Snape's face was like a death mask. It was marble white and so still that when he spoke, it was a shock to see that anyone lived behind the blank eyes.

"My Lord—let me go to the boy—"

"All thissss long night when I am on the brink of victory, I have sssat here," said You-Know-Who, his voice barely louder than a whisper, "wondering, wondering, why the Elder Wand refusssesss to be what it ought to be, refusssesss to perform asss legend says it mussst perform for itsss rightful owner . . . and I think I have the anssswer."

Snape did not speak.

"Perhapsss you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, Sssseverusss. You have been a good and faithful sssservant, and I regret what mussst happen."

"My Lord—"

"The Elder Wand cannot ssserve me properly, Sssseverusss, becaussse I am not its true massster. The Elder Wand belongsss to the wizard who killed itsss last owner. You killed Albusss Dumbledore. While you live, Sssseverussss, the Elder Wand cannot truly be mine."

Hermione swayed and I pulled her closer to me trying to protect her. She must have known what was coming. We both did.

"My Lord!" Snape protested, raising his wand.

"It cannot be any other way," said You-Know-Who. "I mussst massster the wand, Ssseverusss. Massster the wand, and I masssster Potter at lasssst."

And You-Know-Who swiped the air with the Elder Wand. It did nothing to Snape, who for a split second he seemed to think he had been reprieved: but then You-Know-Who's intention became clear. The snake's cage was rolling through the air, and before Snape could do anything more than yell, it had encased him, head and shoulders, and You-Know-Who spoke in Parseltongue.

There was a terrible scream. I saw Snape's face losing the little color it had left; it whitened as his black eyes widened, as the snake's fangs pierced his neck, as he failed to push the enchanted cage off himself, as his knees gave way and he fell to the floor.

I clamped my hand over Hermione's mouth. Her body shook and I pulled her further into my arms. Tears streamed down her face onto my hand.

"I regret it," said You-Know-Who coldly.

He turned away; there was no sadness in him, no remorse. It was time to leave this shack and take charge, with a wand that would now do his full bidding. He pointed it at the starry cage holding the snake, which drifted upward, off Snape, who fell sideways onto the floor, blood gushing from the wounds in his neck. You-Know-Who swept from the room without a backward glance, and the great serpent floated after him in its huge protective sphere.

"Harry!" Hermione sobbed, but he had already pointed his wand at the crate blocking his view. It lifted an inch into the air and drifted sideways silently. As quietly as he could, he pulled himself up into the room.

I didn't know why he was doing it, why he was approaching the dying man. Harry took off the invisibility cloak and looked down at Snape. Snape reached forward and gripped Harry's cloak.

A terrible rasping, gurgling noise issued from Snape's throat.

"Take . . . it. . . . Take . . . it. . . ."

Something more than blood was leaking from Snape. Silvery blue, neither gas nor liquid, it gushed form his mouth and his ears and his eyes, and I instantly knew what it was, but I could tell Harry didn't know what to do—

Hermione was digging through her beaded bag and pulled out at least six vials, one of which was empty. She passed Harry the empty one and was able to get some of the memories.

"Look . . . at . . . me. . . ." Snape whispered.

The green eyes found the black for one moment then Hermione shoved Harry out of the way.

"What are you –" But she forced a small stone and pearly white liquid into his mouth. Tears were streaming down her face but she was ignoring them.

"Ron! Get me the unicorn hair out of my bag!" She yelled desperately pouring another vial of liquid down his mouth.

"But Hermione he's –"

"NO! He's not dead!" She yelled her eyes flashing. "And he's innocent."

Harry and I stared at each other in shock as she dropped her head onto Professor Snape's chest and sobbed. I plunged my hand into Hermione's bag and pulled out the unicorn hair. She tore it out of my hand and wrapped the strands around Professor Snape's neck.

"Please work." She muttered pouring a potion over the unicorn hair and pressed her hand against it trying to stop the bleeding.

"Hermione –" Harry started then stopped. "I think it too late."

Hermione looked at Professor Snape for one moment tears leaking out of her eyes then gasped pulling back in shock. Harry and I gaped as Professor Snape drew in a deep lungful of breath and his black eyes snapped open.

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