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Harry followed Firenze without speaking. He no longer knew where he was, but he was deep inside the Forbidden Forest. He remembered Hermione saying she thought it was Unplottable and magically enlarged. He had so much more to learn of magic, it seemed he had barely scratched the surface. If he managed to survive this day, he wanted to understand it. He sighed. If he found Professor Snape they'd probably both die today. He wished they'd both make it... somehow...

"This way," Firenze said calmly.

He led Harry away from a dark place that seemed familiar. Suddenly, he knew it. The spider home! He walked faster, pulling the Map from his pocket, found Harry Potter and Firenze on it, and saw that they were heading straight toward Malfoy and his mother. Professor Snape was behind them. Harry was intrigued to see that Ron, Tonks, Lupin and Moody were walking with him. Professor McGonagall and Kingsley were entering the Forest at the nearest point to the castle. He didn't know whether to be glad or sorry.

"Firenze," he whispered as they walked along a narrow path. "We're going straight toward Draco Malfoy and his mother."

"This day, they too are called upon to choose," replied Firenze. "It is the day of reckoning for many." He strode on in silence as the afternoon sun shone down in small, rippling patches through the thick canopy.

Harry watched the Map closely as they walked. When he knew they must be close he drew a step ahead and rounded a turn, his wand held lightly in his hand.

He saw their blond hair from afar. Taking a deep breath, he kept walking, going a few steps ahead of Firenze and then stopped a few feet from them.

"Malfoy," he said quietly. He nodded toward the woman. "Mrs. Malfoy.

Draco Malfoy looked grim. There was no arrogance left in his expression. "Potter," he said shortly.

"Voldemort's coming," said Harry bluntly. He looked from his childhood enemy to the boy's mother, who flinched at the words. She looked many years older than she'd looked a year earlier, gaunt and haggard. "What'll you do?"

"Die," replied Draco coldly. "I know he's coming." He rolled up his left sleeve and Harry saw the Dark Mark, ugly and black on his pale skin. "Can you help my mother get away?"

"Draco! I'm not leaving you," she said wearily. Her blue eyes had dark circles around them and she looked almost as haggard to Harry as her mad sister.

It was obviously a conversation they had repeated often recently.

"Malfoy, where've you been since that night?" asked Harry. He couldn't imagine how they'd gotten into the Forest.

"Professor Snape... he took me to get my mother," said Draco. "After I... after Dumbledore..." he stopped.

"I was there on the Tower. I saw... what happened," said Harry. "But how did you get here?"

"Professor Dumbledore arranged it," said Narcissa. Her expression was haunted. "While Draco was plotting to kill him, Albus Dumbledore was plotting to save Draco's life. Severus Snape brought us here, to a hidden place. We've been here, alone, ever since."

Firenze strode forward. "The time grows short. It is the day of reckoning and you both must choose. What will you do this day?"

Draco and Narcissa Malfoy saw a golden haired centaur, his face serious and serene, his blue eyes challenging them. His tail swished softly, the only sign of impatience to be seen.

Draco looked at Harry, alert for signs of triumph, but he saw none. Harry only looked determined and a little sad. "Our wands are gone. We have no defense. I deserve what'll happen when he finds me, but I want my mother to be safe."

"I won't leave you," she repeated.

"There's no place safe at Hogwarts today," Harry said bluntly. "The castle's under attack, there are Inferi and I dunno what else running around. Voldemort wasn't here earlier, but he will be."

"Bella! She can help us, Draco," Narcissa said, a desperate gleam in her eyes.

"Mother, no!" Draco replied. A bitter scowl appeared on his mouth. "She's mad. She'll kill us both if Voldemort gives the word. She's not the sister you knew. I want no part of her."

Harry stared. This new Malfoy was unexpected. "What do you want?" he asked intently.

"I want this gone, I want it undone!" Malfoy snarled, staring at the loathsome thing on his arm. "I wish I'd never heard of bloody Voldemort. I'm done for, Potter."

Firenze watched them all with dispassionate interest. He often wondered what made humans choose what they did. They worried and fretted over things that meant so little. But this moment mattered deeply to all three of them.

Harry doubted what he was hearing, but looked into Malfoy's eyes, using Legilimency. He knew Draco was aware and he hesitated, but the cold eyes did not close him out. He saw bitterness and regret. Also guilt over Professor Dumbledore's fate. Malfoy had obviously suffered during his time in the Forest. He seemed tired and old.

"I wish I could undo it," the young man said grimly. "Do whatever you want to me, I don't care any more. It can't be worse than Voldemort's plan for me."

"I don't know if there's anywhere safe, but take your mum and get away," said Harry. He rolled his eyes at his own absurdity and a jaded smile touched his lips. "I'm a traitor, I guess, for telling you, but there are Aurors too. Be careful and get away if you can."

"Why, Potter?" Narcissa asked suspiciously. "You could be setting us up to be captured."

"I still don't care for your attitude," Harry said impatiently. "But your son's gone through hell to keep you alive. He must love you a lot, Mrs. Malfoy. Since you won't leave him, you must love him. I never had a chance to protect my mum."

"We must go, Harry Potter," said Firenze. Time was growing short. He turned to the Malfoys and said slowly, "If you wish to find safety, do not follow us."

"Good luck," Harry said softly.

Draco stared, looking as if he would say more, but then he merely nodded as Harry and Firenze turned. He took his mother's hand and led her away.

"Firenze, we're going back the way we came," Harry whispered.

"Very true," Firenze replied, a subtle hint of humor in his deep voice. "It is now time for the two to come together."

Harry's green eyes sparkled with cynical humor. "We'll see if Professor Snape strangles me on the spot when I show my face to him."

"That choice would be... unfortunate," said the centaur, smiling ironically.

Harry studied the Map and saw that in just a minute the group would join them.


&&&&&&&&&


Severus Snape wondered if somehow he could send Alastor Moody to visit the spiders. The old Auror kept muttering 'once a Death Eater' and other revolting clichés, sounding nearly demented. Toss in Remus Lupin's irritating presence and he thought death by Cruciatus Curse might be preferable. But he walked on, driven by some instinct he could not name. His sensitive ears caught a sound on the path ahead, in spite of the noise caused by his unwanted associates. Irritably he waved them to a halt and slid behind a tree.

Firenze came first, unmistakable with his flowing mane of golden hair and bare chest. And then...

"Potter!" hissed Snape.

The boy ran to him. The confidence in those green eyes caused him to feel an almost physical pain, but there was no time. He thrust the emotion aside.

"Professor, did Ron tell you? He's coming," said Harry. "We both have to be there."

The small group walked slowly toward them and Remus Lupin suffered a pang of bitterness, seeing Harry turn to Severus Snape with such trust. When Snape looked up, almost as if he had known Lupin's thought, his black eyes were hard and expressionless.

"Are you all prepared to face the Dark Lord today?" he asked icily. "Perhaps there is time for you still to get away."

No one moved.

"Potter, tell me of this so-called prophecy," he said, his face hard and cold. "Trelawney's record speaks for itself."

"It's real," said Harry. "It'll take too long to tell you." He focused on Snape's black eyes and offered the memory.

Snape remembered what he had heard of Sibyll Trelawney's first known prophecy. It was real. As he had feared, he would face this day with Harry Potter.

"You know what will be asked of you today. Are you prepared?" he asked in Harry's mind.

There were no comforting illusions offered by Professor Snape, and in an odd way, it made Harry feel respected. "I'll do my best, Sir," he said firmly.

Maintaining the eye contact, Snape nodded. "Let's see the bloody Map," he murmured.

Harry pulled the Marauders Map from his pocket and they scanned it together. The others began to crowd around.

"Kingsley and Professor McGonagall are coming," said Harry, looking at the area closest to the castle. "Do they know Voldemort's coming?"

"They are both very intelligent and must realize the plan has changed," replied Snape. "We all expected that he would be part of the first entrance into Hogwarts, however, he told me at the last moment that he would come later. He has some other plan for this day."

"I sent a Patronus to Kingsley and Minerva," said Tonks.

"I did too," said Harry. "I don't know how to do that message thing yet, but I tried."

Snape found himself looking approvingly at the pestilent brat. Finally, some initiative. "They must be warned," he said urgently. He pointed his wand quickly and a large, gleaming white bird shot forth. His eyes widened in complete amazement.

"What the hell was that?" asked Tonks in a shrill voice. "That was..."

"A phoenix," finished Harry. "But that was Dumbledore's..." he said, staring in shock at Snape.

Snape was rendered completely speechless. His Patronus had changed without warning and it felt suddenly as if Dumbledore had come back to him. He managed to close his mouth, finally, aware that all of them were staring at him. "I am not the first whose Patronus has ever changed," he muttered, his thin cheeks flushing.

"Professor, did you know Malfoy's here?" asked Ron, who had looked down at the Map again.

"It's okay, Ron," said Harry. "I saw them and they're taking cover and getting out of here."

"You've been a busy boy, Potter," Snape murmured snidely. "Are you sure that was wise?"

"It's done now," Harry replied with a shrug. "And what would Voldemort do to Draco if he found him?"

Snape nodded. "Well done," he murmured.

"I hate to interrupt this love fest, snarled Mad-Eye, peering spitefully at Snape over Ron's shoulder, "but it looks like a big bunch just showed up. Voldemort's here, coming in the gates with Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback. And back here, heading toward Hagrid's place, there's Ginny Weasley and that Zelda woman. Friend of Potter's, they say. But isn't she a Muggle?"

Harry thought he'd puke. The color drained from his face and he looked beseechingly up at Snape, who was staring expressionlessly at the Map. "Professor, tell me it's not true," he whispered.

Snape wanted to howl; he wanted to hex every bloody one of them. He hated his life. "They're here," he said softly, fighting to control his despair.


&&&&&&&&&


"Give me the gun, Ginny!" Zelda snarled. "You've got your damned wand and I've got nothing. Come back outside the gates, right now, and take me back fast. We're going to make everything worse!"

"You didn't have to grab me just when I was about to Apparate," Ginny snarled defensively. "Here," she said, putting the loaded Glock into Zelda's hand.

"I was trying to stop you!" she snarled. She was wearing a blue t-shirt and jeans, and knew she was an easy target, even from far away. She ducked behind the hut and peered out cautiously. "Do you see anyone? Can we get out of here?"

Ginny was scanning the landscape, and saw no one between the castle and the lake. Far away there seemed to be people moving quickly toward the Forest. "There's no one nearby. I'm sorry, Zelda. I need to get you out of here," she said nervously. Now that she was actually at Hogwarts, she knew her entire family would kill her for coming, and especially for bringing Zelda into danger.

Zelda grabbed the girl suddenly and shoved her into the forest.

"What are you doing?" asked Ginny, outraged.

"Look," said Zelda grimly.

Far down at the gates there was movement. Three figures were entering the grounds. One was tall with long black hair; one stocky and hard to focus on, but the third... black robes fluttered slightly and the white, hairless head was in shocking contrast.

"Voldemort," breathed Ginny. She clutched her wand tightly and took Zelda's hand. "We have to get away." She wanted to scream and cry, frustrated and terrified at the thought of bringing a Muggle where Voldemort could find her.

They began to run deeper into the trees. "Ginny, stay on the path," whispered Zelda, pausing briefly. "It'll slow us down if we try to leave it. We need to put as much distance between them and us as we possibly can." She inspected the Glock to see that it looked in working order and shoved it in the pocket of her jeans. Then she took Ginny's hand again and began to run.

No longer speaking, they pushed grimly onward, hand in hand.


&&&&&&&&&



Molly Weasley was searching the Great Hall and environs for remaining enemies. She waited for the rest of the staff, who were searching the castle and would report back to here in the Entrance Hall. The massive room was silent, but her nerves were on edge and she thought she could feel the presence of another. Cautiously she moved, having first searched the antechamber behind the teachers' table. She had sealed the door afterward and knew that room was safe.

The room still reeked of the burned Inferi, a sickening smell. It made her impatient to finish her task and leave the Great Hall behind her, but conscientiously she searched every inch of the immense room, under tables and in every corner. Breathing a sigh of relief, she left the room and magically sealed the doors behind her.

There was no sign of anyone else having completed their search, so she decided to do the staff room next. She asked the gargoyles, "Is anyone inside?"

"Not since your Divination teacher was hauled up to the Infirmary," one replied cheekily.

"I must search it, and then seal it against intruders," said Molly decisively.

There was no place for anyone to hide in the room except the large wardrobe against one wall.

"/Alohomora/!" she muttered. The wardrobe opened and was completely bare. Sighing in relief, she exited the room, pointed her wand at the door and whispered, "/Colloportus/." Then she nodded to the gargoyles and went to wait for the staff.

A faint sound, as of a door opening, brought her to heightened alertness. There was only one door in the Entrance Hall that was not yet sealed. It was in the corner, to the left of the main doors. It was unlatched, but did not open immediately. Molly moved to the shadows next to a staircase and waited.

A lumpish figure of a wizard flung the door open suddenly. He held his wand pointed aggressively out and immediately saw Molly, who was preparing to hex him.

"/Crucio/!" wheezed Amycus cackling with sick glee.

Molly dropped to the floor. She was gasping desperately for air, her body seized with agonizing pain.