Fire Dragon

Disclaimer: All characters and dialogue you recognize are from the brilliant Harry Potter Book Series by J. K. Rowling. I have written this as a parallel to the last four installments of the series. Because of this, there are times when I recreate J. K. Rowling's dialog word for word, in order to conform to her canon. This story was written strictly for fun; no profit has been made in the writing or sharing of this story.

I'd like to extend my deepest thanks to my two wonderful betas, JenGeorge and NervousAboutAngels, for their diligent proof reading and suggestions. They really helped to improve my story.

Chapter 3

"Fire Dragon, Left Arm Riding,

Skull and Serpent, Nearby Hiding"

One Thursday afternoon near the end of term, Sienna didn't show up for class. While everyone was packing their things to leave, Severus inquired as to her whereabouts to anyone who might be paying attention. The Gryffindor girls looked at each other with apprehension, but remained silent, so Severus began to glare at them impatiently, looking from face to fearful face.

"Come on... Out with it, or it will be detention for ALL of you!"

"She's in the hospital wing," Katie Bell finally blurted out.

"Thank you," Severus scowled. He shook his head and muttered under his breath, "Was that really so frighteningly hard?" He didn't bother to ask them why she was there. As soon as the classroom cleared, he was out the door to see for himself.

He pushed the double doors to the ward open and strode between the rows of beds, his cloak billowing behind him.

"Good afternoon, Professor," Madam Pomfrey greeted him.

Severus nodded at her, but remained silent as he glanced at all the empty beds. His gaze finally came to rest on the last bed to the right. He gasped at the sight of Sienna, her face lobster red, and her eyelids were so swollen she couldn't even open her eyes. As he opened his mouth to ask how she came to be in this state, Sienna managed a smile.

"Hello, Professor Snape. So good of you to come."

Severus wondered how she could possibly have known it was him, then deduced that she must have been able to open her eyes just enough to see a figure dressed all in black. He was, after all, the only Hogwarts teacher that always dressed in black from head to toe.

He glided over to her bed side and pulled a chair around so he could face her as he sat. She looked awful! He glanced at Madam Pomfrey who was standing on the other side of the bed. Since she had no other patients, she had spent all afternoon doting over Sienna. He gave her a look of curious concern.

"Sunburn," she volunteered.

Severus raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had expected some sort of jinx to have caused this. He turned his attention back to Sienna's puffy crimson face. "You really did roast yourself, didn't you!"

Sienna chuckled.

"How on earth...?"

She didn't answer right away, and Severus wondered if she was trying to manufacture a lie. He couldn't swear to it, but he didn't believe that she had ever lied to him, and he hoped that she never felt the need to start. He finally decided that perhaps she would give him a straight answer if they had some privacy. He stared at Madam Pomfrey. When he finally got her attention, he jerked his head towards her office. "Do you mind?"

She turned and walked away in a huff.

"Thank you, Professor. She won't leave me alone. I just want to rest, but she keeps hovering over me, adjusting my pillows, getting me water or pumpkin juice, coating my face with this god awful grease... I know she's just trying to help, but she's driving me crazy!"

Severus stifled a snicker. "How did this happen?"

Sienna pursed her lips. "You're going to be mad at me."

"Why?"

"Because it was stupid."

"Things like this usually are caused by stupidity – or at the very least, carelessness."

She hesitated, obviously out of embarrassment. "I was up on the Gryffindor roof this morning, and I must have lost track of the time. Next thing I knew, Hermione and Katie were up there fetching me. I had no idea so much time had passed, and my skin didn't hurt. It still doesn't. They insisted on bringing me here, though. And when they made me look in a mirror, I had to agree with them."

"What were you doing on the roof?"

Sienna hesitated again. He would have used Legilimency on her, but she couldn't open her eyes.

"I need quiet time in the mornings," she finally offered, "away from people. It's the only convenient place that I've found so far where I know I won't be intruded upon."

"A quiet place to collect your thoughts," Severus mused. "I understand perfectly. I do the same thing, before I must subject myself to the morons and idiots that fill most of the seats in my classroom." He saw a smile spread across her swollen face. He felt so bad for her. He reached his left hand down to hers, which was resting by her side, palm up. He gently wrapped his long, slender fingers around it and flipped it over. The back of her hand was not sunburned, but he saw red along the top edge of her thumb, and just a little ways up her wrist, until, he imagined, her skin had been protected by clothing. He flipped her hand back over, palm up and was about to let go, when he noticed something curious: on her inner left forearm, etched into her skin was an elaborate burn mark in the shape of a fire breathing dragon – a Chinese Fireball, from the look of it. The burn pattern appeared lighter than the surrounding skin – almost white. This scar had been there for at least a couple of years.

"I know it's none of my business, but what happened to your arm?" he asked, purely out of curiosity.

"I was branded when I left the Ashram."

"Ashram?"

"The Muggle school I went to before I came here. It was a fascinating place. I'll tell you about it sometime if you're interested."

"Branded? By a hot iron? Like they do cows and horses? How barbaric!" A grimace worked its way across his face.

"Sort of a ritual many of us chose to go through – a test – it's purely voluntary. Many of my friends chose not to try it. But I felt ready, and so I participated. One of the main lessons we were supposed to learn there was mind control. If you have total control of your mind, you can divorce yourself from pain – even severe burns." She stopped suddenly and put her right hand over his left forearm and rubbed her hand gently over the exact spot that was decorated by the Dark Mark. Her eyes were still closed. It was a good thing too because a look of shock came over his face that he was glad she couldn't see. "Have you been branded too?"

Severus tried to recoil, but she had an iron grip on his left hand. As they sat there, he felt the Dark Mark beneath his shirt sleeve burn. It had been getting darker and the burning sensation growing more intense for the last couple of months. He knew something was going to happen soon where the Dark Lord was concerned, but he couldn't begin to guess what it would be.

"Why would you ask such a question?"

Sienna let go of his hand, and he pulled it back to the safety of his side with great relief.

"I don't know. I just got the impression that you knew what it felt like."

He sat quietly for a few moments, wondering how he should respond. Finally he replied, "I have been scarred for life by many things, but a red hot branding iron is not one of them." Sometimes Severus felt as if she could read his mind, see into his soul. Sometimes he was grateful for her insight. Other times, like this one, it made him very uncomfortable. He stood abruptly to leave.

"Don't go, not yet, you just got here!"

"The burn may not hurt, but believe me, when it starts to peel and heal in the morning, you'll itch like crazy. I'll brew you up something to ease the itch, and I'll be back."

"Thanks, Professor. I don't expect I'll get any visitors except you, and perhaps Professor Dumbledore, if he's not too busy."

Severus patted her hand. As he walked out of the ward and back to his dungeon, he thought about their conversation. How could she have gotten the impression that he knew what it felt like to be branded? He did know what if felt like, since the Dark Mark was burned into his skin by Voldemort's wand. But he hadn't lied to her. There was no red hot branding iron involved.

Then there was the comment that she would get no visitors. Were he and the Headmaster her only friends? Was she really such a social misfit? He didn't feel sorry for her, though. He remembered his first couple of years at Hogwarts. Hagrid was his only friend. He felt that the only reason Lucius Malfoy paid any attention to him was because he was smart and it had been rumored that he was already good at the Dark Arts. He wondered if there were any rumors drifting around the student body about Sienna. He got the distinct feeling that she, like he, preferred the loner lifestyle.

They really did have a lot in common.

When Sienna came to her Tuesday afternoon class the following week, her face resembled lizard skin. The potion Severus had brewed for her took care of the itching, but it did not stop the flaking. One of the Slytherin boys started to tease her, but a menacing look from Severus silenced him.

*****

Sienna took a break from her assistant job for the two weeks leading up to her O.W.L.S. She went to see Severus when she finished her Potions Exam. "I think I did pretty well, especially on the practical part."

Severus knitted his brow in a mock scowl. "You better have done well! Or have I been wasting my time with you?"

"Well, the examiner said something that I think was a compliment, but I'm not sure."

"Oh," asked Severus, now curious.

"Yes, he said, 'My, my, not since Lily Evans have I seen such a potion.' Who on earth is Lily Evans?"

Severus looked away with her question. He had been enjoying Sienna's company so much these past couple of months that he barely thought about Lily. He felt a sudden wave of guilt at this. As he tried to recall his dreams, he realized that she had been significantly absent from them since the night before he made up with Sienna. Was this Lily's way of encouraging his friendship with her? Lily had mentioned that he would need that friendship. She had never once steered him wrong.

"Are you alright, Professor?"

Severus turned back to look at Sienna. "Oh, yes," he smiled. "Lily Evans. She was a student at Hogwarts, in my class. Brilliant witch, especially at potion making." After a short thoughtful pause, he added, "Just like you."

Sienna was beaming. He had actually paid her a compliment. He had thought about it many times, but he realized that this was the first time he had said one out loud.

"Thanks."

"Don't mention it." He shook his finger at her, "and I mean that."

They both chuckled.

"Going down to watch the third task this afternoon?"

"I'll be there."

"See you then."

*****

Later that evening, Severus and Dumbledore settled themselves into the stands to watch the third task. Most of the other Hogwarts teachers were patrolling around the perimeter of the maze, so they sat surrounded by students as the stands began to fill.

"Why don't we save a spot for Miss Kaolin?" Dumbledore suggested.

"Don't you think she'll want to sit with the other students?" asked Severus.

Dumbledore looked at him curiously. "Do you know that the only people in the whole school who came to visit her when she was in the infirmary were you, me, and Professor McGonagall?"

Severus raised his eyebrows at this news. "Really? Professor McGonagall, too? More than she expected," he smirked. After a pause, he added, "Of course she can sit with us if she wants to."

They both scoured the crowd with their eyes, in search of flowing dark curls topping off Gryffindor colors.

As they gazed at the oncoming bodies, Severus leaned closer to Dumbledore and lowered his voice. "My little nuisance has been getting darker."

"Darker still?" asked Dumbledore. "You've mentioned it several times already this spring. What do you think it means? Is he calling you back?"

"Not yet. I'll know for certain if that happens. The sensation is painfully unmistakable."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at this and looked down at his own inner left forearm, as if he was trying to imagine the sensation.

"Well, keep me informed, will you?"

"Of course."

"If he returns, you know what must be done. It's the only way to ensure your safety... Well, relative safety."

Severus shuddered. "Don't worry, I'll do what must be done. Although I don't relish the idea, it's better than the alternative."

"I can't believe you joined in the first place."

"Not one of my brighter moments, I must admit."

"Ah – there she is!" Dumbledore waved at Sienna. They both motioned for her to join them as they scooted apart on the bench to make room for her.

She was beaming at them. "My two favorite blokes!" she said with a huge grin. She radiated a joy that permeated both of them as the dark tone of their previous conversation evaporated.

"So, I hear you did well on your OWLs," commented Dumbledore, making light conversation.

"How would you know? I only took the last one this afternoon!"

Dumbledore smiled. His glacial blue eyes were twinkling. "I have my sources." He glanced over her head to Severus and winked. Severus tried not to smile, but the corner of his lip curled slightly.

Their attention was then drawn to Ludo Bagman as he announced the start of the third task. They watched as Cedric Diggory and Harry Potter entered the maze. A few minutes passed before it was Viktor Krum's turn and then finally, Fleur Delacour. Once the four champions had disappeared into the towering hedges, it was impossible to know what was going on, so everyone turned to each other in idle conversation to occupy the time.

Just as the band began to play a tune to entertain the crowd, a flare went up inside the maze. There were ooo's and aaah's from the people in the stands, as if they were watching a fireworks display. Then came the din of speculation as to who would be the first to bow out. They didn't have to wait long. Shortly, they were greeted by the sight of Fleur being led around the outer edge of the maze by Professor McGonagall. She looked very shaken, with the eyes of a trapped wild animal. A hush came over the crowd as she came into closer view and Madam Maxime rushed forward to take care of her. They headed for the hospital wing, just as a precaution.

The decibel level slowly increased again as the students in the crowded stands began to find ways to amuse themselves. Then suddenly, another red flare appeared, but this time the crowd became silent. After seeing the look on Fleur's face earlier, they all knew it was no laughing matter.

Moody and Flitwick finally emerged from the other side with Viktor. Karkaroff pushed his way through the throng of people in the stands and went to investigate. Viktor's eyes were glassed over, as if he were in a trance, but Karkaroff didn't escort him to the infirmary. Instead, he had one of the other students do it. As they walked slowly up the hill to the school, Karkaroff looked at Severus, worry etched deeply into the lines of his face as he reclaimed his seat. Severus knew this was not about Viktor's condition. Like Severus, he too had noticed the increasing discomfort of the Dark Mark. Several times throughout the year, Karkaroff had come to him, complaining, fearful, asking what to do if the unthinkable happened. Severus, unfortunately, had no good answers.

After a few more minutes, Severus thought he noticed a flash of light deep within the maze. He knew the Triwizard Cup was a portkey that would transport the winner out of the heart of the maze and back to the entrance where the crowd waited anxiously, but when no one materialized, he assumed that he must have imagined it.

Several more minutes passed as the crowd grew increasingly restless. Then Severus' arm began to throb. He grabbed it subconsciously, glancing quickly at Sienna to see if she had noticed. Suddenly, a searing pain shot through his arm, up his shoulder, and into his chest as terror welled up inside his heart to match the pain. The Dark Lord was back – and he was calling in the faithful! Severus gasped and gave Dumbledore a terrified look that spoke volumes.

"Sienna, dear," said Dumbledore calmly, "would you mind switching seats with me? I need to speak to Professor Snape, and I don't want to shout over the crowd.

"Alright," she smiled at him, but she could tell something was very wrong. She looked back at Severus with concern written in her pale green eyes. He tried to look nonchalant, but he had a feeling that she could see right through him.

As Dumbledore silently cast a Muffliato spell, Severus noticed an irritated look cross Sienna's face when she realized that she was not going to be able to eavesdrop. "The Dark Lord has returned," Severus informed Dumbledore. "I haven't felt the mark burn like this in over 13 years! He's calling in his Death Eaters!" Severus looked towards the place where Karkaroff had been sitting, but he wasn't there. He searched the crowd and caught a glimpse of him as he was leaving the stands. Karkaroff stopped long enough to look back at Severus. His eyes were wild with fear. He knew Karkaroff was fleeing, but where could he go? He had a sickening feeling that he would never see Karkaroff alive again.

He turned back to Dumbledore, worry etched in his own face. "What do you want me to do?"

"I've been thinking long and hard about this, Severus, ever since Wormtail escaped. I knew this day would come eventually. You will have to go back to him – if you want any hope of staying alive. But I may need you in the coming hours. Let's see Harry safely through this last task, and then you can return to him. He thinks you are a double agent. The fact that I ordered you back will make it seem all the more so."

Severus nodded. The pain had subsided somewhat, but it was still strong, still impossible to push out of his thoughts.

Dumbledore glanced down at Sienna. "Would you like to switch back now?" She was staring at the maze and ignored his question. Then he realized that he had forgotten to remove the Muffliato spell. With a wave of his fingers and a silent incantation, the spell was broken. "Sorry about that. School business, you know."

She just shrugged it off. They switched places so she was once again sitting between them.

A few more long minutes passed as the three of them sat silently. Severus wondered how many Death Eaters returned to the Dark Lord and how they were treated. He thought about the fact that Lucius was among those who never went looking for his old master. What fate awaited him – and so many others who never bothered to search? At least Severus had an excuse. His duties at Hogwarts kept him too busy to search the countryside for a ghost who may or may not have existed.

He forced himself to relax his left arm. Sienna was sitting on his left side. In an uncharacteristic gesture, she slipped her right hand around his left arm at his elbow and slowly slid the palm of her hand down to the spot where the Dark Mark still burned. Severus was alarmed at first, but he didn't resist, and within seconds the throbbing pain had subsided. She looked up at him and smiled; then she withdrew her hand and returned it to her lap.

"A magical brand is still a brand," she said, smirking.

Severus simply looked at her in silent amazement as her gaze returned to the maze.

Suddenly, with a flash of light, Potter, Diggory, and the Triwizard Cup appeared sprawled out on the lawn in front of the packed stands.

The band began to play, Dumbledore and Severus began to clap, and the students were cheering. But Sienna stood up with a look of horror on her face.

"Oh, God!" she said in a low voice, so the people around them would not be able to hear. "He's dead! Cedric is dead!"

"What?' squawked Dumbledore.

"How do you know?" asked Severus, very alarmed.

"And Harry's in a state of shock. You'd both better get down there – hurry -- before the other students get to them."

Dumbledore jumped up and, with the dexterity of a much younger man, hopped over benches and maneuvered around people with lightening speed, leaving Severus in the dust. He turned to Sienna, still perplexed. How could she know this?

"Go!" she said firmly.

He turned and followed Dumbledore through the crowd. Just as Sienna had stated, Diggory was dead and Harry was sobbing, clutching his body. The wide, horror-stricken eyes of someone who had suffered the Avada Kedavra curse stared up at Severus as he approached. Dumbledore was trying to pry Harry off of Cedric's cold body. As Severus glanced around, understanding was beginning to dawn on the faces of the crowd. The band stopped playing, someone screamed; the applause died and was replaced with sobs and moans. Diggory's parents were making their way through the crowd, descending from the stands and onto the lawn. Severus went to meet them to brace them for what they were about to see. Professor Sprout, head of Cedric's Hufflepuff House, came rushing in from the side. She hugged Mrs. Diggory as Severus grabbed Amos by the arm; he was looking shaky on his feet.

The teachers who had been patrolling the perimeter of the maze had made it back to the stands and were helping with crowd control – all except Moody. He was trying to console Potter as Dumbledore turned from Harry to speak to the Diggorys.

Severus searched the stands for Sienna's face. How was she taking all this? She didn't know Cedric, even though they were the same age. He was a seventh year, she a fifth year, and in a different house. He finally saw her, right at the spot he had left her. She hadn't moved like the rest of the crowd. She was sitting alone, rocking back and forth with a pained look on her face. Her teeth were clenched, her fingertips pressing against her temples, as if she were suffering from a severe migraine headache. She looked up at the night sky and closed her eyes. Was she crying? It was hard to tell from this distance.

Severus brought his attention back to the people around him. The Diggorys were now sobbing over their son's dead body. Severus didn't even recall letting go of Amos' arm, there was so much commotion. He strode over and removed his cloak, then gently draped it over Cedric's body as the Diggorys were led away by Professors Sprout and Hagrid.

"Where's Harry?" asked Dumbledore.

"I was about to ask you the same question," replied Severus. They both frantically searched the sea of faces. "The last time I saw him, he was with Moody."

Dumbledore looked back at Severus with alarm. "Come with me quickly. Minerva!" he shouted over the din, turning to Professor McGonagall.

The three of them walked briskly up the hill to the school. "The real Moody would never have taken Harry out of my sight, not after what happened. This man is an imposter. I just hope we're not too late."

They raced through the halls and up to Moody's office, where Dumbledore blasted through the door without bothering to see if it was locked. The Moody imposter flew backwards onto the floor, knocked unconscious by the blast. Severus could see himself, McGonagall and Dumbledore in the Foe-Glass, staring into the room. And there was Potter with a dazed and confused look on his face. They had made it just in time, thank Merlin's Beard.

The heat of Dumbledore's anger made Severus shudder. He was glad, as he stared at himself in the Foe-Glass, that he and Dumbledore were on the same side.

Dumbledore retrieved Moody's hip flask for further investigation. Then he turned to Severus and McGonagall.

"Severus, please fetch me the strongest Truth Potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky. Minerva, kindly go down to Hagrid's house, where you will find a large black dog sitting in the pumpkin patch. Take the dog up to my office, tell him I will be with him shortly, then come back here."

Severus gave a slight nod and quickly left the room. He was glad to be away from the angry energy radiating from Dumbledore. He hoped the Headmaster would calm down by the time he got back.

McGonagall was right. They should not have let Potter compete. He was almost killed tonight. Cedric was killed, and Severus felt somewhat responsible. He should have fought harder to get Potter disqualified. There must have been a way around the rules; they just didn't look hard enough.

As he rounded the corner to his office, he was surprised to see Sienna waiting by the door. Her hair was wild and her eyes were swollen from crying. She seemed to be in a state of exhaustion.

"Miss Kaolin, are you alright?" Severus asked with true concern.

"No," she admitted. "I had to get away from everyone; it was too depressing. I even tried the Gryffindor roof, but people kept coming up there, crying, looking for Harry."

"You can stay here if you like," he said gently as he waved his wand at the door. It swung open and they both entered hastily. "Make yourself at home."

"Thanks... What happened tonight? How did Cedric die? What happened to Harry?"

"I'm not sure yet. And I don't have time to explain. All I know is that the Dark Lord has returned, and Potter played a significant, albeit unwilling, role in his resurrection. I assume Diggory simply..." He hesitated for a moment, swallowing hard to regain control of his voice, "...got in the way." He walked over to his store closet and grabbed the Veritaserum. "Tragic waste," he added thoughtfully. "A bright and brave young man with his whole life ahead of him." With that said he turned back to Sienna, concern spreading across his face. "There is a Death Eater here in the castle. He has been apprehended, but there could be more. Stay here." He felt a sudden twinge of anxiety. He couldn't let anything happen to her. He would never be able to forgive himself. "You'll be safe in here. I'll put a locking spell on the door. Don't open it for anyone. You understand?"

She nodded, but she didn't meet his gaze. She seemed to be in a trance.

"It may be some time before I return – hours perhaps."

She nodded again. "OK... I'll be OK."

He reached out and touched her gently on the shoulder, then turned and swept out the door.

He then obediently retrieved Winky from the kitchens, over Dobby's loud objections when he wasn't allowed to come along. He returned to Moody's office where he found Harry, Dumbledore, and to his great surprise, an unconscious Barty Crouch, Jr., still sprawled out on the floor. He handed the Veritaserum to Dumbledore with pleasure. Dumbledore then proceeded to revive Barty and ask him all the right questions to reveal his many secrets: how his mother sacrificed herself to help him escape from Azkaban, how he escaped his father's control with Voldemort's help, and how he captured Moody and impersonated him with the Polyjuice Potion. Severus had to admit that they were all quite brilliant ideas. If Voldemort had succeeded in killing Potter tonight, it would have been perfect. He wondered with quiet amazement how Potter could have possibly escaped the Dark Lord's clutches, and with Cedric's dead body in tow, no less. Of course he knew he could never show it outwardly, but his respect for Harry was growing.

Dumbledore then turned to Severus and asked him to fetch Madam Pomfrey, to help the real Alastor Moody out of the trunk and into the hospital wing, and to bring Fudge up to Moody's office to question Barty Crouch, Jr. As Severus obeyed, his mind turned to the ordeal Harry had just been through. He tried to imagine the resurrection of the Dark Lord and the torturous things he had done to Harry. He wondered how Cedric had died. Did he die as he had lived, bravely and with dignity? Severus sincerely hoped so.

He reached the hospital wing and briefly explained the situation to Madam Pomfrey. Then he headed outside to search for Fudge. He didn't have to look far. Fudge was with Ludo Bagman and Madam Maxime. They were arguing over the situation – its tragic ending and who should be held responsible. Karkaroff was, of course, significantly absent from the conversation. Severus took Fudge by the elbow and led him away from the other two.

"What is the meaning of this, Snape?" Fudge barked roughly as he shook himself free of Severus' grip.

"We have apprehended the party responsible for tonight's tragic events. The Headmaster assumed that you would want to interrogate him yourself. He is currently under the influence of Veritaserum, and I believe you will find him quite cooperative."

"Who is it?" asked Fudge, very apprehensive.

"Barty Crouch, Jr."

"It can't be – Crouch is dead!" Disbelief spread across Fudge's face.

"Apparently, reports of his demise were premature," said Severus, matter-of-factly.

"How did he manage to escape from Azkaban? Who was buried in his grave?"

As Severus filled him in on some of the details, Fudge's fears grew larger and more irrational with each word. He stopped short of the huge oak doors at the front of the castle.

"He's insane... unpredictable. Who knows what he's capable of?" He glanced up at the sky and drew his wand.

"What do you think you're doing?" Severus' eyes narrowed.

"I dare not go in without an escort, Snape."

"He's under sedation – incapacitated. He's harmless, at least for the moment. There's no need. Besides, the Headmaster will never allow it."

"I don't give a rat's rear end whether Dumbledore approves or not." He glared at Severus and raised his wand in the air. A strange dark blue-grey puff of condensed smoke rose into the sky where it burst, radiating outward. A wave of low frequency sound resonated through the air like distant thunder, along with the smoke rings. When the sound wave hit Severus, it sent a strange chill down his spine. Then suddenly, out of nowhere, appeared a dementor. It floated down alongside Fudge.

"Shall we?" Fudge turned to Severus.

He looked at Fudge in disgusted disapproval as he followed the two of them through the front doors. McGonagall was waiting for them in Moody's office. Madam Pomfrey had already come and collected the real Alastor Moody.

"What is THAT doing in here?" squawked McGonagall. "You have no business bringing that thing onto school grounds..."

"I'll do as I please. I'm the Minister of Magic, and if I feel an escort is necessary, by Merlin I'll have an escort!"

McGonagall marched over and stared Fudge in the face. "I refuse to let you interrogate the prisoner with that thing present!" she insisted, raising her voice to a new level.

"It's not your place to tell me under what circumstances I am allowed to interrogate prisoners! Now, out of my way this instant!" Fudge had balled his hands into fists. His face was turning quite a shade of purple.

As the two of them yelled at each other, Severus silently watched the dementor swoop down on Crouch like a vulture who hadn't eaten for a month. It happened so fast he didn't have time to warn them. Without hesitation and without warning, the dementor had performed the kiss. Barty lay on the floor with a slack, dull expression on his face and drool dripping from his half-opened mouth. Severus shuddered. His eyes were empty and out of focus. Severus knew there was no mind, no soul left to interrogate... only an empty shell being kept alive by the instinctual impulses of the Medulla Oblongata. As horrible as the acts were that Barty had committed, Severus wasn't sure that even he deserved this fate. Perhaps no one did.

As the dementor moved away, Winky screamed, bringing Fudge and McGonagall to their senses. They both turned to look and realized simultaneously what had just happened.

"Now you've done it!" screeched McGonagall, even more angry. "Dumbledore will have your head for this. This is an OUTRAGE!"

"I suggest, Minister," Severus spoke quietly, "that you remove your... body guard, since it is no longer necessary."

"Very well," said Fudge, unceremoniously. He turned to the dementor and ordered it away.

"We'll see what Dumbledore has to say about this!" bellowed McGonagall, and she stormed out of the room leaving Fudge and Severus in her wake. As they made their way down the hall, he could hear Winky's distant wails fading into the background. The last of the family she had served was lying in her arms, worse than dead. Severus knew Dumbledore had already told Dobby that she was welcome to stay at Hogwarts. The school could always use another house-elf. But she had been such a loyal servant. It would not be an easy transition for her.

They made their way to the hospital wing in silent fury. But as they neared the doors to the ward, McGonagall fired up again.

"He should have had a trial. He should have been brought forth to give testimony. Now there is nothing left to do with him."

"Regrettable, but all the same, Minerva--" Fudge continued to defend his actions.

"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" she yelled. "When Dumbledore finds out--"

They burst through the door to the ward. "Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge demanded of Mrs. Weasley.

As if she would know, you moron! thought Severus, even more disgusted than before.

"He's not here," said Mrs. Weasley angrily. "This is a hospital wing, Minister, don't you think you'd do better to--"

But the door opened, and Dumbledore came sweeping up the ward.

"What has happened?" said Dumbledore sharply, looking from Fudge to Professor McGonagall. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you – I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch--"

"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" she shrieked. "The Minister has seen to that!"

Severus could not recall McGonagall ever looking so angry. He felt the need to help calm things down. "When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," he said in a low, smooth voice, "he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question." But Severus felt that Fudge had acted irrationally and that there would have been much more to gain by keeping Crouch intact. So as he continued, a touch of irritation crept into his tone. "He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle." He glared at Fudge accusingly. "He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch--"

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" she interrupted him. Severus stood quietly annoyed while McGonagall and Fudge verbally duked it out in front of Dumbledore and the others. He glanced at Harry as she tried to describe the dementor's kiss. He could tell by the look on Harry's face that he shared the same sentiments concerning that form of punishment.

As the conversation turned to Voldemort, however, Severus became increasingly concerned with Fudge's desire to turn a blind eye. Harry even started naming the Death Eaters who had returned. When he spat out the name of Lucius Malfoy, Severus turned with a start. So Lucius did come back. Had Harry actually seen Lucius' face? Hoods usually stayed on at meetings. Masks were usually worn. Names were not usually named, unless Voldemort was certain of everyone's loyalty. It was truly a miracle that Harry escaped with his life.

As Harry continued to name off the old crowd, he made no mention of punishment. Severus concluded that there would be no one left but Wormtail if the Dark Lord had killed all who had abandoned him. Perhaps when he had to return, uncharacteristic leniency would also await him.

It became increasingly evident to everyone in the room that Fudge was in complete denial and was willing to take the word of the mud-slinging reporter Rita Skeeter over Potter's and Dumbledore's. What a fool! thought Severus. If he thinks putting blinders on will make the situation heal itself, he is as stupid as he is foolish!

Finally, Severus could take no more of Fudge's denial. He strode forward, past Dumbledore, pulling up the left sleeve of his robes as he went. He stuck out his forearm and showed it to Fudge, who recoiled like a frightened child reacting to a vicious dog.

"There," said Severus harshly. "There. The Dark Mark. It is not as clear as it was an hour or so ago, when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into him by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another, and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the Mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate, and Apparate, instantly, at his side." Severus felt odd indeed, revealing all of this in present company, but he felt that the Minister of Magic must be convinced of the truth, and if this is what it took, then so be it. "This Mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the Mark burn. We both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

Fudge stepped back from Severus, shaking his head. Severus could see, even after his speech and revelation of the Dark Mark to all those present, that it wasn't enough. Fudge was still unconvinced. He was amazed that anyone that blind, that arrogant, could have reached such a high office in the Ministry. But then again... politics was an art form he had never been inclined to learn.

After Fudge unceremoniously handed Harry his Tournament winnings and stormed out the door, Dumbledore immediately sprang into action, making requests of people left and right. There was not a moment to lose in the fight against a Voldemort who was back to full power. Severus took a deep breath. He knew he would have to return soon to face the Dark Lord. The thought made him shudder. How would he be received? He was not as young as he used to be. In his youth, the Cruciatus Curse was at best difficult to recover from. But he was 13 years older now. How would his body endure the punishment? He knew his tardiness would not go unnoticed, nor be forgiven. He just hoped he would survive to tell the tale.

The room cleared of most of the adults. The only people left were Harry, Ron, Hermione, Molly, himself and Dumbledore. Oh, and the odd black dog that sat next to Harry's bed. Where did that thing come from? It looked amazingly like a dog that used to hang around the school when he was a student here. But dogs don't live that long. So he knew it couldn't be the same one. Perhaps it was a descendant.

Then Dumbledore turned and addressed the dog as "Sirius." To Severus' horror, it transformed before his very eyes into the one person he hated even more that Voldemort himself. Severus was incensed. Dumbledore knew about Sirius all this time and had kept him in the dark. This would be a hard thing to forgive.

"Sirius Black!" shrieked Molly. Ron quickly placated her.

"Him!" snarled Severus. If looks could kill, they would have both died on the spot. "What is he doing here?"

"He is here at my invitation," said Dumbledore, looking between them, "as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other."

Severus felt in his heart that he could never forgive or trust Sirius. The mangy git had, after all, tried to kill him when they were both students.

"I will settle, in the short term," said Dumbledore, with a bite of impatience in his voice, "for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and if the few of us who know the truth do not stand united, there is no hope for any of us."

As Severus absorbed Dumbledore's words of wisdom, he calmed down enough to quickly shake hands, even though the idea of actually touching Sirius for any reason other than strangulation turned his stomach. But Dumbledore was right. They had to put the past behind them if there was going to be any hope of defeating Voldemort.

After Dumbledore sent Sirius on his mission to find Lupin and the old crowd, he turned to Severus to make the request that he knew was inevitable, but he dreaded it just the same. He would have to return to Voldemort's side – tonight – and beg for forgiveness. He could only hope that Voldemort inherited a degree of mercy along with his newly acquired physical form.

"Severus, you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready... if you are prepared..."

"I am," Severus replied, trying to hold his voice steady. He felt the blood leave his face as he psyched himself up for what was to come. He knew that if he didn't return, he was a dead man. But there are some fates worse than death, he thought to himself, remembering Barty Crouch, Jr.

"Then good luck," said Dumbledore. Severus turned and swept from the room. He made his way swiftly down the hall, the stairs, and back into the dungeon to his office. With a wave of his wand, the door opened to reveal Sienna, asleep in his chair with her head on his desk. He had completely forgotten about her. She woke up groggily as he gently touched her on the shoulder.

"Sorry. Your chair's much more comfortable than that thing," she said, pointing to the hard wooden chair across the desk.

"No problem," he replied hastily as she moved out of his way. He began to open the drawers and retrieve items from them, filling his pockets. "There were no other Death Eaters. Everyone should be asleep by now, so you should be able to go back to your dormitory." He stopped searching the desk for a momen, as he thought about what else he wanted to tell her. He knew he couldn't tell her everything, so he chose his words carefully. "In light of what happened tonight, the Headmaster is sending me on an important errand. I may not be here when you leave tomorrow." His eyes met hers. She looked much better than before. Her hair was still wild, but the swelling in her eyes had gone down. Now she only looked tired. He knew how she felt. He was afraid to think about how tired he would feel, or what condition he would be in, when he got back – if he came back at all. It took a great deal of concentration to keep the panic that was welling up inside of him from overtaking him altogether. Her silvery green eyes changed from fatigue to concern, as she seemed to mirror his feelings.

"Can I help?"

He could feel her sincerity. He could see it in her eyes. A warm wave washed over him, even though he knew there was nothing she could do. But just the knowledge that she had a true desire to help him was enough to strengthen his resolve. "No, I must do this alone," he said as he shook his head. "But since I won't see you tomorrow, I just wanted to say..." What did he want to say? For the first time since Lily's death, his own life mattered to him again. He had something to look forward to – Sienna. He had not realized the joy she brought him until that moment. He wanted very much to come back alive, so he could spend more time with her. As he realized this for the first time, words escaped him. Was it inappropriate for him to feel this way? Was this about her? Or was it more about how she made him look at himself? He decided that it didn't matter. Dumbledore was sending him into the lion's den, and he may never see her again. She must have felt his rush of anxiety because she closed the gap between them in two steps and flung her arms around him, sobbing softly into his chest. What a night. And for him it was far from over. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, as if he were holding on for dear life. Perhaps, in a way, he was. He felt an energy force radiating from her. The longer he held on, the more hopeful he became.

He pulled away and gazed into her face. His eyes bore into hers as she returned his stare with equal intensity. "I'll see you, alive and well, in September." It was as if her will could make it happen. Somehow he knew, beyond a doubt, that her statement would come true. But how could she tell that his life was in danger?

"I've got to go," he whispered painfully. She nodded. With a hand on her shoulder, he gently steered her out the door, then he quickly closed and locked it with a wave of his wand.

"I'll write to you about my OWL results."

"Don't expect a reply." This goodbye scene was getting way too mushy for his taste.

She smirked and waved as he disappeared out the huge oak front doors and into the misty night.