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Snape ran toward Hagrid's hut at the edge of the Forbidden Forest. He had realized suddenly that the Dark Lord had emphasized taking the castle a bit too much. With the gates of Hogwarts open, the grounds and the Forbidden Forest were all open to the Dark Lord and his minions. He was taken aback by the sight of two giants battling near the unconscious body of Hagrid. He recognized the Gurg, and then realized that the other must be Hagrid's half-brother. He thanked Merlin that there had been someone to assist Hagrid, and eased up next to the fallen groundskeeper, careful to avoid the combatants.

Hagrid's normally ruddy face was pale and one cheekbone was obviously broken. Blood was trickling from one ear and the corner of his mouth. His arm and shoulder on that side were also broken. Snape felt a twinge in his own arm at the sight. Cautiously, glancing over his shoulder at the furious giants, he straightened Hagrid's arm and healed the bones. He felt for a pulse and was relieved to find it fairly strong. The head wound would need time and great precision to be healed, something he could not manage, so with regret, he moved away.

The Gurg recognized the smaller giant as one who had disappeared from his band a year ago, someone he could easily control. He had not reckoned with Grawp's year of mental and emotional development, or his love for his brother. Grawp was out of control, fists and boots pounding fiercely at Golgomath. The Gurg realized in a flash that by his presence out here he was disobeying the Dark Evil one, and the consequences would be dire. He broke away from Grawp and ran straight into the Forbidden Forest.

Snape watched Grawp roar threateningly. The giant made as if to pursue the Gurg, but ran back to Hagrid instead. The wizard breathed a faint sigh of relief before taking up a position inside the edge of the trees and trying to understand what Voldemort's real goal was in attacking Hogwarts.


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Sibyll Trelawney knew that she'd been ordered to stay in her rooms this afternoon. The Headmistress had sent a directive. But what Minerva had not reckoned on was the large bottle of sherry that was in the room with the Seer.

"She has no right! It'sh shummer and I have thingsh to do!" the Divination teacher muttered to herself. She wrenched the door open and began to totter down toward the main entrance.


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Inferi began filing into the Great Hall, looking for victims. The emptiness confused them and they began to slow down and finally stop in their tracks. They were incapable of knowing that they were being watched, and could not yet sense living humans nearby.

Kingsley stood behind a door leading to the kitchens, with Tonks, Moody and Remus Lupin. "It's the truth, and we don't have time to argue. Remus, I want you and Moody to go after those idiots. They're still dangerous while they're loose in the castle, Pettigrew, most of all. Preferably alive, but do what you must."

"But Snape would never have saved Tonks," muttered Lupin defiantly. "I don't believe it."

"It's true, though, Remus!" the young Auror whispered fiercely. "Anything Severus Snape does today is all right with me. Don't you dare interfere with him. Now, go get those bloody fools before they hurt someone!"

"Come on, Remus," Moody growled. "We have a job to do. I want those three." He began to stump away.

Remus Lupin kissed Tonks quickly and hurried after the old Auror.

"Thanks," Kingsley said briefly. "Now, you understand what we're going to do? It'll be a nightmare."

The young witch nodded grimly.

Kingsley flung open the door and stepped inside the Great Hall with Tonks at his heels. As the Inferi sensed them and began to animate, the two Aurors took a position near the wall. Kingsley flicked his wand and a blazing rope of fire caused the Inferi to stop, and then begin to shuffle backward. The rope became a lasso, dragging the Inferi closer together within itself.

Tonks took a deep breath and shouted, "/Incendio/!"

The wood tables and chairs surrounding the Inferi burst into raging flames. The rags covering the revolting bodies caught, and then with a sickening stench, the Inferi began to burn. They struggled and tried to climb away from the flames, beginning to moan and shriek loudly as they were consumed.

Tonks was nauseated. It took all of her will to keep the spell strong.

"Hang in there, Tonks," shouted Kingsley, as foul smoke began to choke them. The smell of it was appalling and the horrific sight was something he would never forget.

Tonks began gagging and choking and her spell to waver. Most of the Inferi were consumed, but perhaps twenty were not yet gone when Tonks dropped unconscious to the floor.

"/Incendio/!" Molly Weasley said firmly. She stepped up next to Kingsley and put herself between the remaining Inferi and Tonks. She stood stern and calm as the horrific smoke billowed up around them.

They let the fire burn long after the last moan and movement had died away. As one, they ceased.

"Thanks, Molly," said Kingsley as he poured water from his wand on the last of the embers. "There are plenty more that we didn't catch in here, so be careful."

"I know. I'm happy to help," she replied lightly, her face slightly green after the horror of it. "Let's see to Tonks, shall we?"


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Somehow Sibyll had managed to make it down from her tower without breaking a hip and she found herself in a cloud of black, reeking smoke near the entrance hall. She gagged and headed for the open doors, but just then she saw a strange sight. She saw Horace Slughorn, bound with ropes and staring at her in shock.

"Help me," he begged. "Release me, so I may help in the effort."

She pulled out her wand, sliced the ropes through and lent a hand to hoist him to his feet. "Professor, what happened?" she asked in a shrill voice.

A hint of doubt appeared in his eyes, but just then footsteps were heard coming from a staircase, and Mad-Eye Moody rounded the corner, followed by Remus Lupin.

The two were taken aback, seeing Slughorn and Sibyll Trelawney standing together, but they began to shoot Stunning spells at the pair.

Sibyll went down immediately, but Slughorn, for all his considerable bulk, made a dash out the doors and headed for the Forest, quickly getting out of range. Lupin followed, filled with murderous rage for this wizard who had put Tonks under the Imperius.

Meanwhile, Moody had bound Sibyll Trelawney with magical ropes and Levitated her to the staff room, which was being guarded by Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Got one," he said briefly. "Sure looks like Trelawney to me, but it could be one of the Death Eaters. Keep her stunned and tied until we can sort her out."

Harry caught a strong whiff of sherry coming from the unconscious witch. "I think this is the real Professor Trelawney," he said firmly.

Moody turned and snapped, "Anything's possible, Potter, but watch her. I hope we'll have more for you shortly."

"Professor," Hermione asked, looking rather ill. "What's that horrible smell?"

"You don't want to know," he replied gruffly, slamming the door behind him as he left.

The three looked at each other doubtfully.

"If she's really Trelawney, I think it's probably best if she stays unconscious," said Ron. "I couldn't stand it if she wakes up and starts predicting stuff."

Harry snickered. "You're evil, Ron. And right, too." He paced restlessly. "I want to know what's going on out there," he said.

"No one's supposed to know we're here," said Hermione, recognizing Harry's familiar 'saving people thing' making an appearance. "Please, Harry. You promised to stay out of the way."

"I know," he growled. "It's not time yet, we have more to find. But he'll be here. I can almost smell him. He won't be able to resist coming."

Hermione and Ron looked nervously at each other. Every time he knew that Voldemort was on the move, Harry seemed to lose it and be drawn into doing crazy things.

The door opened and Professor McGonagall entered. "Are you three all right?" she asked.

"Just fine," Harry said irritably. "Mad-Eye brought us a drunk Divination teacher and told us to stay put. What's happening out there, Professor?"

"Inferi are loose in the school," she said. "The majority have been... destroyed, hence the revolting smell. But if you come in contact with one, use fire to repel it and get away. They are terribly dangerous."

"Okay," said Ron. "Is everyone okay?"

"As far as I know," she replied. "There are also two giants about. Again, stay away. We shall return, hopefully with real prisoners for you to guard. However, in case that is indeed a Death Eater, keep her bound until we return."

"Yes, Professor," Hermione said firmly.

The door closed behind her and they were alone again.

"/THE TIDE HAS TURNED/..."

The teens all jumped and turned toward the hoarse, cold voice in shock. Harry knew that voice.

"IT IS THE DAY OF RECKONING... THE DARK LORD RISKS ALL ON A DARING MOVE... HIS POWERS ARE WEAK THOUGH HE KNOWS IT NOT... THE POWER HE KNOWS NOT GROWS STRONG IN HIS ADVERSARY... THE SHADOWED ONE WILL BE KNOWN THIS DAY... AND IF THOSE TWO WHO WERE APART JOIN TOGETHER ON THIS DAY... THEN THE DARK LORD'S DOWNFALL SHALL BE REVEALED... THE DAY OF RECKONING IS HERE..."

Harry gazed at his friends, his heart pounding wildly. "This is it, mates," he said shakily. "You heard her. Her third real prophecy."

"But what did it /mean/?" asked Ron, knowing what he'd heard, but unwilling to believe it. "We haven't found the other... you know what."

"That's the voice I heard before, the day when Wormtail escaped. It was a real prophecy!" Harry insisted.

"But what's all that about a shadowed one? The two who were apart?" Ron asked persistently.

Harry wanted to slam out of the room, but he said through gritted teeth, "Ron, don't you get it? Professor Snape's the shadowed one. Today everybody'll know him, which means they'll know he's on our side. If I'm not there with him he's going to die and I can't let that happen."

Hermione had expected this, really from the time Harry learned Professor Snape was on their side. He'd added his formerly hated teacher to the list of people he'd risk dying to save. She'd closely watched them together during the summer. In a screwed up way, they needed each other. Working separately, misunderstanding each other and with the baggage of more years than Harry had lived between them, yet they'd been working toward the same goal, and her friend cared deeply about Snape.

"We're coming with you," she said, her voice remarkably calm.

Harry wanted to argue, but there was no time to waste. He pulled the Marauder's Map from his pocket impatiently and quickly pronounced the words. The Map appeared and he looked eagerly at it.

"Look, it's Pettigrew!" said Ron excitedly. "Why's he up on the third floor?"

"I don't care," Harry said impatiently. He scanned the castle, looking for the tiny words, Severus Snape. There were people everywhere, it seemed, but not the one he was looking for.

"There, in the Forest!" said Hermione.

Sure enough, Snape was in the Forest, in a clearing that was not far from Hagrid's hut.

"Wait, though," she said. "Look. There are lots of people in there. Draco Malfoy? And his mother too!"

Sure enough, Draco and Narcissa Malfoy were there, moving deep inside the Forest.

"I think they're near the spiders," Ron said, looking ill.

"Horace Slughorn too!" said Hermione, now deeply confused. "We need to tell someone before we go."

Harry thought for a moment. He had never attempted to send a message through his Patronus, but it was the only way he could think of. He thought, "The Forest, we've gone to the Forest..." and silently Conjured his Patronus and sent it to McGonagall and Kingsley.

"Leave the Map visible, we'll need it to get there safely," Ron said.

They all cast a look back at the unconscious Seer, but she had no more prophecies for them and snored loudly where she lay.

They peered carefully around the corner before crossing the entrance hall. There was no one, and the doors stood wide. They peered out and saw, down near the lake several human size figures that moved rather oddly.

"Inferi," said Harry grimly. "But they're far away. Head for Hagrid's place, first."

They were jogging briskly across what appeared to be an empty lawn when it happened. A huge snake rose out of nowhere in front of Hermione. As it lunged, a faint whistling was heard and then another. The snake's body exploded in two places, but it still had enough momentum to sink dying fangs into Hermione's leg. She gasped and fell, blood pouring steadily from the bite.

Ron sank to the ground next to her and ripped off the sweater he was wearing to bind the wound. "Go on, Harry. I'll get her to safety and follow you," he snapped.

Harry was scanning the area for enemies and saw several Inferi begin to move toward them. He bent and kissed Hermione's cheek, said, "Take care of her, Ron," and headed for their goal.

Ron lifted Hermione up and said, "Hang in there, we'll get help for you."

"I know, Ron," she panted, her leg burning as the snake venom began to enter her bloodstream. Tears ran down her cheeks.

Tonks rushed out the doors of the castle, and Moody. "What happened, Ron?"

"Nagini," he gasped. "Voldemort's snake. It died... did Michael shoot it? But it bit Hermione and she needs help now!" He set her carefully down in the grass.

Tonks looked at the blood-soaked sweater around Hermione's leg and remembered Arthur Weasley nearly dying from Nagini's bite. "Hermione, it's Tonks. Can you hear me?"

Hermione's eyes opened. She couldn't speak, but she was aware.

"I want you to reach into my pocket. There's a Portkey to St. Mungo's there. Take it and they'll heal you.

"Tonks..." she whispered, eyes desperate with worry. "Harry... gone to help Professor Snape. Help... them..."

Tonks realized Potter was off on another of his rescue missions. "I promise, now go!" she said. "I need Ron with me. We'll be with Harry soon."

Hermione reached into the pocket, careful not to touch Tonks, and she disappeared.

Moody's eye looked up to see four Inferi approaching them rapidly. He sent a rope of flame toward them and said, "Care to do it again, Tonks?"

She looked positively ill, but extremely determined. "My pleasure. /Incendio/!" she snapped, averting her eyes as the animated corpses burned steadily.

Ron stared in horror, but made no sound as they completed their grisly task. The stench was familiar, so he guessed that a similar scene had transpired somewhere inside the castle.

As soon as they'd finished, he said urgently, "I have to go after Harry."

"We're coming along," growled Moody.

"No!" said Tonks. "I don't want you attacking Snape, Mad-Eye."

"He's a Death Eater and he killed Albus," snapped the old Auror. "If he's innocent, the Ministry can sort it out. I want him, Tonks. This time he won't get away."

"No!" Ron said, desperately. "Mad-Eye, Snape's on our side! I know it! Please!" He looked into the wizard's scarred, unrelenting face and said, "You can ask Professor McGonagall, or ask Kingsley Shacklebolt!"

"I know what they told me," Moody snarled. "They're soft fools. You two can either come along with me, or I'll go alone. Maybe I want to ask Potter for myself."

Ron looked desperately at Tonks. If they fought Moody, all three could be useless in this battle.

"All right, Mad-Eye," she snarled. "You're coming with us. But the man saved my bloody life today, so watch yourself." She pulled her wand, pointed it toward the castle doors and a Patronus shot out of it.

The old wizard hissed slightly at her, but when Ron headed toward Hagrid's hut again, the two Aurors followed him.