"This is your fault, Potter," the voice drawled flatly.

"My fault!"

"Yes," snapped Snape. "Your fault."

"And how do you come by that assumption, Snape? You’re so perfect that there is no way it can be yours? Yes, you just do what you are told to do. No thought for yourself!" Harry sneered at his ex-professor.

"It was your fault we were here in the first place," Snape answered, voice still flat. Snape had a way of sounding dangerous when he did that, but Harry wasn’t intimidated by it anymore. Hadn’t been for years; he had seen too much in his 25 short years.

Most would say that the war was lost. There weren’t many who were willing to fight for the side of the light anymore. Ever since Snape had killed Dumbledore, no one was able to step up as the leader like the one that the old wizard once was. It was something that Dumbledore didn’t take into account. He knew during Harry’s sixth year that he would die, but he didn’t appoint anyone. Didn’t get anyone ready.

In fact, if it wasn’t for Remus and McGonagall putting together the clues, they would have lost Snape as a spy. It took over a year before they figured out that Dumbledore ordered Snape to kill him if it came between that and Snape and Malfoy’s lives. It was then that Harry, reluctantly, found and contacted Snape, and it was then that they started working together.

Reluctantly, of course. The Order members that had survived were surprised that they both hadn’t killed each other for the amount of time they had to spend together. Snape, after killing Dumbledore, was promoted to a high position in Voldemort’s inner circle. No one suspected that he was still on the side of the light.

Until recently. Somehow, one of Voldemort’s spies found out that Snape was meeting with Harry Potter. They still weren’t sure how. No one but McGonagall, Lupin, Moody, the Weasley’s Granger, and Potter knew of Snape’s true alliances. They thought it might be Wormtail or another animagus who found a way in.

Which was why Harry Potter and Severus Snape were now trapped in the dungeon of a collapsed building. Harry had seen a snake leave one of the many hideouts, and he got Snape to help him follow the snake without being seen. His animagus form, a black owl, was much better in keeping an eye on a dark snake during the night than Harry’s form, which was a wolf.

The snake brought them to an old building that Severus remembered being at for a meeting once, years ago. It was hard to forget a place, what with its dark walls and taunting memories. They lost the snake somewhere in the lower dungeons, when the building above came down. Luckily, they were low enough underground that the falling stone and wood didn’t penetrate the floor of the upper dungeons. It did make it impossible to find the way they entered the dungeons, though.

"I swear we came in from over here," Harry mumbled to himself, ignoring Snape, who was about ten feet away, also looking for the closed exit.

"There," Snape said, not bothering pointing out where "there" was. "If we both use a pushing blasting curse, it should open the way slightly. Unfortunately, it will most likely cave in even further."

"Great. And us, being right below it, will get killed because of your stupidity. And where is ‘there’, exactly? I don’t see anything!" hissed Harry, getting irritated from just being in the presence of the older man.

"Not if we set up a shield to force it around us instead of on top of us, Potter. I’m surprised you’ve survived this long, being such a dunderhead."

"You know, Snape, you would think that after all these years, you would start coming up with more unique insults. They really are starting to get old," sneered Harry. Snape ignored the brat and manipulated a shield that would keep them from being buried when the blasted through the not-so-open stairwell. Harry went back to trying to find where the entrance actually was. Even with both his and Snape’s wand at maximum light, it was hard to see anything. Finally, he could make out a bunch of stone that was slightly different from the ceiling and walls. "Are you ready yet?"

"Yes. Now shut up. It’s bad enough . . ."

"It’s bad enough I have to put up with you insulting me constantly. Three, two, one . . ." Both men shot powerful blasting curse at the wall, and Harry shut his eyes to block out the image of the rocks falling on him. Sure, they weren’t actually going to hit him, but if he looked up, he figured it would be enough to give him a small heart attack. Eventually, the tumbling stopped, and Harry opened his eyes to find Snape smirking at him. "Oh, stop it," he mumbled before looking up to see the passageway cleared enough to get through.

"It would most likely be best for us to use our animagus forms," Snape grumbled, still smirking.

--------

"Now what?" Harry asked as they arrived back at the hideout.

"Now, we need to move. Most likely, they know we are here and they could attack at anytime."

"Then why haven’t they?"

"They probably are trying to find where else we are hiding."

"Oh."

"Yes, oh. I can’t believe that after all these years, you are still as big of a dunderhead as you were your first year."

"I’m not that bad," complained Harry. "I’ve gotten better at a lot of things. Hey, I can’t even whip up a basic healing potion and blood replenishing potion as quick as you can!"

"If you didn’t need them so much . . ." Snape started.

"Hey!"

"Now get your belongings, then start packing other things. I will notify the others that we are closing down this hideout. Once you are gone, I will set a trap for anyone who comes in." Harry nodded and followed Snape’s orders. Usually he was reluctant to listen to the man, but in situations like these, he did know best. Unfortunately.

An hour later, they were in a total different section of the country, claiming their room. Already, Snape and Harry knew they weren’t going to like it here as well as their other hideout. At the other one, it was just those two, but here it was slightly crowded. Crowded enough that they had to share a room.

Living in close quarters was going to be hard, they knew that. Everyone knew that. Unfortunately, it was the only free room, and neither was willing to room with anyone else. After about fifteen minutes of arguing, Minerva shoved them into a room and told them that they were both sleeping there. They glared at each other and moved to separate ends of the room, taking the beds as far away from each other as possible.

"You know, Potter, one of these days, you aren’t going to be so lucky, and they will kill you."

"Woah, Snape, where did that come from? Since when do you just start spouting the first thing that comes to your mind?" Harry said, unpacking his few belongings.

"It just occurred to me how often I save your life. One of these days, I’m not going to be there."

"I have saved your life many times too, you know. And anyone, if they kill me, I’m bringing alone as many Death Eaters as possible. You know as well as I that I won’t go down without a fight."

"Yes, but you often fight when you should run."

"And you run when you should fight. Some things are worth fighting for."

"You think I don’t know that, Potter?" Snape sneered. "Do you think I would be wasting my time around you if I didn’t believe that?"

"Of course not, Snape. I have to suffer your presence as well."

"Honestly," sighed Minerva from the doorway. "You two act as children. I’m surprised either of you are alive, with how much you bicker instead of working."

"I work," Severus and Harry claimed at the same time.

"Sure. Dinner is ready. I’m assuming you two are hungry?" Minerva asked, then disappeared from sight.

"Not that it is any of her business if we fight or not," mumbled Harry under his breath, following his ex professor.

--------

"Do you have the veritaserum, Snape?" hissed Harry. The trap that Severus set had caught its prey: four Death Eaters.

"Of course. One at a time?"

"Oh, yes," replied Harry, taking the bottle from Snape and giving the closet Death Eater a few drops. "What is your name?"

"Joseph Canda."

"Who sent you?"

"Lucius Malfoy."

"Malfoy!" hissed Snape. "I thought he was killed."

"Was Malfoy killed?"

"No."

"What happened?"

"He faked his death."

"Why?" Harry asked, getting impatient.

"More freedom," Canda replied shortly. Harry could tell that the man was trying to get around the serum, but wasn’t having much luck. For safe measure, Harry gave him a few more drops.

Half an hour later, after all four Death Eaters were questioned, they had answers that they were looking for. Apparently, Riddle was becoming careless in whom he gave information to. Like where their meetings were held.

"I’ll take care of the fools," Severus said. "You start planning." Harry nodded and went back to their new hideout. The next scheduled meeting was the next day at dusk. They would attack then.

Severus arrived back much later after Harry.

"That took awhile. What did you do?"

"Altered their memories. They now believe that they killed us, though I do not know what the Dark Lord will do when they don’t bring back proof. They have no memories of the interrogations."

"I have talked about half of the people here. So far, we have ten who will accompany us to the meeting."

"Good. You talk to the others. I need to work on a few things," Snape said flatly, then left.

"Git," Harry mumbled, and went to go to the other wing of the hideout. He was surprised at the amount of people that lived there. Definitely more than he expected. Most of the people were families who had somehow defied Riddle to the point there was no chance that they could integrate themselves into his new ruling.

Therefore, most of the people in hiding, even those who were capable to do so, had no desire to fight. Out of the roughly hundred capable adults that Harry had talked to already, only ten were willing. Harry didn’t have high hope for a successful ambush. The only thing they had going for them was surprise, and even that could backfire.

--------

Severus made his way to the lab. He had taken all his supplies from their previous hideout, so he knew he had everything he needed. He just hoped some incompetent fool didn’t bother him. He wasn’t sure the potion would work. After all, he had no way to test it. There was nothing to lose by trying it when he came face to face with Riddle.

This potion, hopefully, would be their way around the horcruxes. In theory, when Riddle breathes in the fumes from the gas produced, his bits of soul that he stored in horcruxes will not be able to resist the call from the main soul in Riddle’s body. They will make their way back to his body, and he would no longer be immortal.

This was all in theory, of course. Although Severus was sure in his potion developing skills, this was something that no one had been able to figure out before. In fact, Severus had found no research on the topic anywhere, so no one had probably tried. If it worked, though, the only obstacle for killing Riddle would be his dueling skills and his many servants.

Potter had been searching for the remaining horcruxes since the summer after his sixth year. It had been eight years, and he hadn’t had much luck. He figured out what happened with the locket . . . but where it was now, no one knew. At one point, it was at Grimmauld Place, and the Order turned the house inside out looking for it. Potter had a feeling that Dung lifted it sometime, and probably sold it, but he was killed shortly after Potter had turned 17. Whether Regulus Black had destroyed the soul piece, no one knew.

Potter knew that Severus was working on this potion. In fact, he had made several decent suggestions and help with a lot of the research when he had time. Severus would never admit it out loud, but Potter had gotten better at potions. Brewing the potion, Severus thought back to how far the brat had come. If Potter wanted to do something, he often did it, though. Still way too much Gryffindor in him, Severus thought.

--------

"Ready everyone? They shouldn’t be expecting us, so we’ll have that advantage. Our main goal is to get Riddle to breathe in the fumes from the potion you all have been given. Other than that, to weaken them. Try not to kill any of them unless necessary. You all know our way of taking prisoners?" Everyone nodded. "Good. Everyone have the escape portkeys? They will bring you to our prison. Good. Okay, let’s go," Harry said, holding out the untraceable portkey he was holding.

A few seconds later, they were about a mile from where the meeting was supposed to be held, so they all cast a disillusionment charm on themselves and walked silently, wands ready.

They knew something was wrong before they arrived. How they knew, no one could ever figure out. Perhaps something was trying to warn them. As they neared the site, most people left, not being able to handle it. The only ones who stayed were Snape, Harry, and Moody. As no one knew why the others left, no one knew why those three stayed.

Almost as soon as they left, the remaining three were ambushed. Totally surrounded, they had no way of fighting back. Not that they didn’t try. No, they fought until they were unconscious.

--------

All he felt was pain. He felt worse, of course, but it still hurt. Slowly opening his eyes, he expected to see the bright lights of an infirmary. Instead, all he saw was darkness. After blinking a few times, he noticed it wasn’t pure darkness. Somewhere a torch was lit. He sat up and was unable to suppress the urge to groan from pain.

The floor was cold and damp. Well, more than damp actually. There seemed to be a thin layer of water where he was sitting. He was right about a torch being lit. In what he assumed was a corner of the . . . room? cell? . . . was a very dim torch.

"They took everything," a voice came from behind him. Harry didn’t bother moving. He knew it would hurt. "I can only assume it was trap. We were foolish."

"Yes, we were," Harry answered Snape. "So, how come we are still alive?"

"Most likely, Riddle wants us to suffer for what we have done."

"Great. So the last of my days are stuck here with you."

"I’m not too pleased about it, either, Potter."

"Of course not," Harry agreed. In actuality, he was glad that Snape was there. As much as they fought, he had come to deeply respect the man. "So, what’s the plan?"

"There is none, Potter."

"So, we just wait here until they come to torture us? Kill us?" Harry asked softly.

"Yes. I assume you know some wandless magic?"

"Barely. I can accio my wand. A few weak shields, but that’s about it. You?"

"About the same. I doubt they’ll have our wands around, so we could try to accio one of the Death Eater’s wands."

"We could try," Harry said, choosing to lie back down, not caring that the ground was wet. "How stupid were we?"

"Very," Snape agreed.

"Do you know what happened to Moody?"

"No. Most likely, he was killed. If he was lucky, he escaped. With how paranoid he is, he probably had several . . ." Severus trailed off, and few seconds later, Harry knew why. Two Death Eaters were above him with their wands pointed at him.

"You’re coming with us, Potter," one of them hissed. Harry didn’t bother moving. If they wanted him, they had to take him. It hurt too much to move. He needed to save his energy. The Death Eaters made with roughly dragging him to wherever they were headed. Too soon for Harry’s likes, he was laying on the ground, Riddle a few feet away. Not wanting to be on the ground with him so close, Harry stood up, body screaming with pain.

"Riddle," Harry greeted with a nod.

"Potter. You have no right to call me Riddle."

"I will call you as I please," Harry said with defiance. A voice in the back of his head that sounded strangely like Snape warned him to be careful. Great, even now he harasses me about being too Gryffindor, Harry thought. Harry was about to speak up again when his entire body filled with pain and he couldn’t hold back his screams.

--------

"Potter! Harry, can you hear me?" Harry heard a voice. That voice was very far away. Part of him wanted to answer, the other part told him not to bother. "The bleeding won’t stop. Damn. Come on, child, you can’t die yet. What ever happened to bringing the Death Eaters down with you? Do you wish to break that promise to yourself?" Severus continued to talk to the boy. The Death Eaters just threw him back into the cell after what was probably a few hours of torture. Severus didn’t know where exactly the torture happened, but he could hear Harry’s screams from where he was. He knew Harry wasn’t one to scream at pain. Whatever Riddle had used had to have been worse than crucio.

"Take care of them for me, Severus," he heard the quiet, raspy voice from the boy in his arms.

"Harry, listen to me. Concentrate on my voice. Use your magic to stop your bleeding. You’ve done it before," Severus pleaded.

"Can’t. Too tired . . ."

"Harry," Severus pleaded again, moving slightly.

"No, don’t leave, Severus. I don’t want to die alone," the fear strong in Harry’s voice for the first time in many years.

"I’m not going to leave you child. Just try to stop the bleeding. Come on," Severus repeat over and over again, trying his hardest to heal the boy in his arms, with no luck. They were both too weak to do anything more than what they were doing."

Twenty minutes later, Harry gave his last breath. Severus waited until there was no pulse before he put Harry down near the wall of the cell, on the straw that Riddle gave as the only comfort for his prisoners. He knew what he had to do, but he didn’t want to do it. He had to, though. If he didn’t, they would use his body for dark potion ingredients, and Severus knew Harry well enough that he knew the boy didn’t not want that.

Reluctantly, Severus took the torch from the wall, checked one more time to make he was truly dead, and set the straw on fire. He stepped back and watched the closest person he had to a friend he ever had burn, tears in his eyes for the first time since his mother died. He drew strength from the fire, preparing himself to fight when they came for him.

And fight he did. They came for him when the pyre was starting to die out. They were slightly surprised, and angry, to find Harry Potter’s body burned. It wasn’t part of their Lord’s plan. They were happy when Snape came quietly, though. Their Lord was correct in the assumption that seeing Potter die would weaken the traitor.

How wrong they were. If there is one thing that strengthens a person, whether for good or for bad, it is revenge. Severus didn’t plan on living through the next few minutes. The spell he was planning on performing would kill him, along with everyone within a certain radius. But it would serve it’s purpose, along with preventing Severus from suffering in pain himself. The spell was an ancient spell used by prisoners who had no way to escape. When Severus came across it, he never planned on someday having to use it. Now, though, he could think of nothing else that would meet the ends even slightly in his favor.

He didn’t even need a wand for it, since it was so old. Severus brought power into himself, preparing to start chanting. Almost close enough . . . three . . . two . . . one . . .

"Manitom kanimd, alphim kadanim, Manitom kanimd, alphim kadanim," Severus whispered over and over again. He could feel the power building. He knew that the ancient spell would protect him from the pain, another reason why he chose this spell. "Manitom kanimd, alphim kadanim, Manitom kanimd, alphim kadanim, Manitom kanimd, alphim kadanim, Man . . ."