An engine purred and the world outside began to pass by the one-way windows.

Struggling against the chains that bound him quickly proved futile and despair started to creep up on him. He couldn't reach his wand and without it there was nothing he could do to free himself.

He gritted his teeth as a cold chuckle sounded from a seat opposite him in the back of whatever vehicle he had been thrown into.

"I find it to be a grave stretch of naivety to believe that you would consider shedding any light onto what our destination is to be."

The figure nodded. "Yes, it would."

Again he grit his teeth. "The boy?"

"Quite safe," spoke the figure with an unsettling smile.

"Safe!? I highly doubt it," he spat.

The figure leaned in dangerously and growled at him. "I do not recall a time when it became acceptable for you to speak to me in such a manner Severus."

Severus fell silent. He hated it, but what else was there to do?

---------ad-sb--------

"Calm down Sirius."

The large black dog glared heatedly at the elderly wizard and showed no signs of slowing its step as it paced the cold floor of Grimmald Place.

"We will find Harry, but to do so, we must settle ourselves and think this through thoroughly," the Headmaster tried again.

The dog growled deep in its throat and stood on its hind legs, growing in size as it did so.

"We don't even know where to begin looking!" declared the dog-turned-human Sirius.

Anxiety and desperation shone clearly in his eyes and the Headmaster had to take a moment to settle his own fears before continuing.

"You suggest that we give up then?"

"NO!" cried Sirius, as if the very suggestion was an insult. "I will tear down every building in London if I have to! I will not rest until Harry is safe!"

Despite the bleakness of their situation the Headmaster could not help but sound a faint chuckle. Knowledge could always be found by those who took the time to look and learn and, as demonstrated by the man before him, once the necessary knowledge was attained, there was very little on this earth that would prevent them from using it to set things to rights.

------hp----

Movement. . . They were moving. . . . That was odd. It was rare indeed that they ever left the ‘Environment'.

He sniffed the air. It was fresh . . . no blood. There was metal, the smell of gunpowder and a few life forms though - mostly from the Environment . . . and one . . .

The boy cocked his head to the side in confusion and sniffed again. A familiar scent, but he could not quite place it. . . It was definitely a life form, but not from the Environment . . . was the form responsible for them being ‘out?'

The world passed by his window and the boy looked out into it. A sense of want washed through him and his muscles flexed beneath his binds. He wanted to be out . . . wanted to smell the air outside the transport and stretch his legs . . . best to remain still though. The Greaters did not like for ‘it' to act of its own accord.

-------ad-sb-rl------

"Albus!"

"Ah Remus, what can I do fo-"

"The Death Eaters are on the move!"

"What!? Where?"

"Calm yourself Sirius. Remus, please tell me everything you know."

------- ss----------

A sharp jolt broke him out of his thoughts.

"Why have we stopped?"

The figure opposite him did not answer but instead looked out of the window then quickly signalled to the driver and other passenger.

Severus felt his annoyance growing. Being ignored was not something he tolerated often.

"Why have we-" he began again but was silenced with a look.

"More of your friends perhaps? You cannot seriously believe that we would be unprepared? Why on earth would I allow for you to keep your wand if I believed you to be a threat?"

This only confused the Potions Master further. Friends? Had the Headmaster caught up to them already? He hoped so . . . but what was that other remark about? It disturbed the man, more so because he himself had pondered why a man who knew what he was capable of with a wand would allow him to keep it.

The engine stopped and the very air seemed to still as a voice spoke to whoever may be listening.

"We are here for Harry Potter. Give him to us now and we may consider allowing you to go on living."

Severus froze.

They were not ‘friends.'

"Move," he uttered.

"What?" snapped the other man.

"Start the engine and move. Quickly!"

"I do not take orders from you!" spat the man. "And here you will learn just how serious I am about bringing you and your world into line!"

The Professor just stared at the man in horrified disbelief. He was not seriously planning to fight the Death Eaters!? He would get them all killed before he could even open the car door!

Leaning over to the driver the man took hold of a small black box with a wire stretching from one end of it.

Pressing one of the buttons he spoke confidently into it, his voice carrying into the air by whatever muggle means Severus didn't care to look into.

"I must apologise, gentlemen. At this time I am unable to give you that which you ask for, but I assure you . . . You shall receive him when he is ready."

The man expressed an odd smile that disturbed the Potions Master no end. There was a meaning in that line and he dreaded to think that he might have a slight understanding of what it was.

"Allow me to offer you something else for your trouble," the man continued. "Think of it as small greeting."

With that the man handed the small box back to the driver and pressed another button that revealed a console and screen within the back of the seats. He tapped away and the men within the vehicle (and all the others the Professor assumed) began to move out.

It was difficult to see from his position on the floor but a number of men that looked like soldiers lined up before the vehicles and an odd shimmer descended around them.

The Professor struggled against his bonds. This was definitely the unnatural calm he had come to recognise as the beginning to a heated and fierce battle and he really did not feel all too comfortable being tied to the floor of an unknown muggle vehicle without access to a wand!

"Struggle all you want," the cold voice whispered to him. "It will do you no good. Like I said, your wand is of no use."

"What do you mean by that?"

The man only smiled cruelly at him before turning his attention back to his screen which was now showing him several angles of the soon to be battlefield.

---------hp---------

Movement! Something was happening!

Muscles flexed and strained against his chains.

The forms were moving . . . something was about to take place.

---------ss-----------

It was impossible to tell who made the first move but what really mattered to the Potions Master was who made the ‘last' move. Would things continue with this unknown group or would he and Potter soon be at the mercy of the Death Eaters?

In all honesty he just wished that he'd placed a body-binding spell on the brat before he'd left Spinner End. If they survived this the boy would look back on his past Potions classes and think how ‘wonderful' they used to be!

Guns were fired, and flashes from various hexes and curses could be seen lighting up the sky.

For a number of minutes the battle went on and the Professor was beginning to think it increasingly odd that the muggles had made no indication of nearing defeat.

Any wizard or witch could protect themselves from simple bullets and it was impossible to think that-

With a start the Potions Master blinked and looked more closely at the muggle fighters. It was true! The odd shields that circled around their forms seemed to be nullifying any spells that touched them!

The cold chuckle broke his concentration.

"I see you have finally taken notice of our ‘shells.' Remarkable, aren't they? I assure you, it would take an exceptionally powerf-!"

A blast strong enough to shake the van cut the man off.

"What the-?"

Severus craned his neck to catch a glimpse of the screen.

A slight twitch pulled at his mouth as he saw what had caused the man's sudden distress.

He couldn't remember the last time he had actually been glad to see the old man. . .

-------ad---------

"Spread out. Diffuse the Death Eaters first then we shall face our new obstacle."

White magic and a new wave of curses joined the fray. A three way battle began between separate forces, none of which intended to back down.

-------hp-------

The smell of smoke and energies in the air grew stronger and he was now pulling so tightly against the bonds that it was painful.

His three guards looked uneasily at him and drew their weapons closer towards themselves.

Fear . . . he could smell their fear.

His teeth bit down and his nails dug into the hard floor. His muscles were as tight as bowstrings, ready to spring and he wanted out. There was a battle being fought and he wanted to be out!

-----ad-----

"They have the same barrier as that door!" shouted Sirius as he deflected another curse.

The Headmaster waved his hand through the air easily and another Death Eater fell motionlessly to the ground.

"Albus!"

"Remus! Kingsley! If you would be so kind?"

The two Order members retreated back towards the Headmaster and Sirius, a number of the other members quickly filling the gaps.

"I have a theory I would like to test, but I will require your help," the Headmaster stated as calmly as if they were on an afternoon stroll.

"A theory? This a battle Albus not a-"

The Headmaster raised a hand to silence the dark haired man.

"If this works, we will have found a means to rescue both Harry and Severus. Now, on the count of three, I would like for all of you to concentrate your magic with mine as we aim it towards their ranks. Ready? One, two, three."

-----ss------

"They're overpowering the system!" growled the man.

Severus was not sure what it was they were doing to destroy these barriers but he had a hunch that it had something to do with the Headmaster.

His lips twitched again. Trust Dumbledore to form a quick solution when everyone else was at a loss.

His mouth dipped, all evidence of a near smile vanishing however as an uncomfortably familiar shadow descended upon him in heated anger.

-------hp-------

A great force of energy shook the ground and the Shells faded.

A powerful wave tore through the air and ripped the roof of the vehicle clean off throwing the car and all its inhabitants on its side.

Shouts and cries could be heard and the energies grew stronger.

The smell of fear and pain filled the air but the final element, the final trigger was the blood.

His teeth cracked and his eyes grew to slits as the scents and sounds of the battle filled him and the barely dormant beast within him lost the last of its control.

(Gory bit coming right up - be warned)

Pain flooded his form as if it were travelling through his veins. His eyes bulged and his tears turned deep crimson.

Mouth and nails began to bleed as jagged claws and fangs broke through skin and gum growing at an unnatural speed.

Muscles cramped and tightened, flexing and escalating in size and power as bones cracked and splintered before reforming and increasing in size and strength, the shape being forced by a solid metal skeleton.

Broken skin healed quickly and seamlessly around developing sinew, sprouting a thick layer of auburn and black fur.

The jaw snapped and cracked taking on a powerful form as two long, sharp teeth stretched down from the upper jaw to below the bottom.

(Hmmm. . . S'okay to look now, but please remember that this is a battle)

New, powerfully strong claws slammed into the ground and an unearthly scream formed into an almighty roar!

Harsh breath of the predatory beast filled the suddenly very silent air as the two surviving guards from the wrecked vehicle whimpered and raised their weapons shakily towards the beast before them.

The beast looked at them hungrily, and as the fist shot was fired their screams signalled their last breaths.

-----ss-----

Even though he had spent a good while berating himself for his ‘childish fears' his instincts had caused him to cringe and shrink back once again at the memory of the raised fist.

An unnatural cry caused his eyes to snap back open however and he could see, once again, that the man had hesitated to strike him, but this time it was unlikely to be because of his own choosing.

The Potion Master strained his neck again to search whichever windows, or screens, he could in order to find out what was happening.

His eyes darted wildly about the scene but he failed to see anything that he found reassuring. Rather, the sight of every figure standing stock still in mid action all facing in one direction did nothing but increase his anxiety.

------ad------

The world had become suddenly still as a thunderous sound echoed throughout the battlefield.

The odd muggle barriers had fallen to the concentrated magic but evidently there was something here that no one had expected.

A communal intake of breath was shared as two terrified screams filled the air, and then suddenly seemed to end unnaturally.

A huge clawed paw appeared from behind the tipped van followed by a head boasting two sturdy, sharp horns and piercing green eyes that scanned the battlefield.

The beast stepped forward with all the grace and confidence of a feline predator, huge feathered wings folded tightly against its striped form.

Silence seemed to stretch as men and women, who only moments ago had been fighting fearlessly, were frozen to the spot in terrified dread. Then, in one unconscious agreement, all weapons and wands lifted as one to target their new enemy.

The first fire was shot and the beast pounced.

A deep feeling of foreboding washed over the Headmaster. At least half of the remaining Death Eaters had fled the scene while the rest fought desperately only to be slaughtered.

He could feel the unbridled power radiating from the creature. It was . . . so familiar. . .

And the scream! It had most certainly been human to begin with! But. . . surely not. . .

The other Order members had retreated to a safe distance and now looked expectantly towards the Elderly Wizard for their next orders but Dumbledore merely shook his head.

There was too much about all of this that even he did not fully know about and rushing into things would only mean wasting lives.

The best option now was to wait and observe.

-----ss-----

There was something out there, and it was emitting a wave of great power and energy. . .

From his place on the floor the Potions Master caught only glimpses of what was happening and he wasn't enjoying any of it!

"What is it?" he demanded unable to ignore the events.

The man before him turned and cast him a dark grin. "It would seem that ‘its' progress has developed further than I had thought. This, boy, is the ‘Chimera' and the end of your pathetic world."

The Professor watched as the man abandoned his console and once again picked up the little black box.

"Hold your attack!" he yelled into the device, his voice carrying into the surrounding area and being obeyed immediately by every man, women and ‘creature' out there.

"All units pull back. Chimera! Begin your hunt!"

The soldiers retreated to a safe distance seemingly without complaint.

The man waited expectantly for something but when a minute or two passed and nothing seemed to be happening he scowled at the console and growled into the device.

"Chimera! Begin your hunt!"

Again, nothing. . .

"You foolish beast! What do you think we created you for? Attack them!"

Another moment of silence fell and the man lost his temper. Picking up yet another muggle device that Severus did not recognise he tore open the side door and strode out into the gravel field.

Through the open door Severus could now see very clearly what all the commotion had been about and instantly wished that he couldn't.

A gargantuan creature that he assumed was this ‘Chimera' looked directly towards him and the man before him.

Struggling he fought desperately to retrieve his wand in inside his pocket but to no avail.

He assumed that if the situation escalated he could always try to Apparate but the problem with that was that one needed to know both where they were and where they were going and he knew neither.

Through the silence and open door, he could hear the man addressing the creature in harsh tones. Something similar to how a cruel master would address a badly behaved dog and while he was never at the top of his class in ‘Care of Magical Creatures,' he knew enough to know that that was not the way to talk to something that looked like it would enjoy ripping your head off!

"Listen to me beast! You have been modified and trained for one purpose and one purpose alone. You will do as I command!"

The beast seemed to falter for a second as if it had been whipped but when its head rose again, the dangerous and hate filled look that was emanating from its eyes spoke exactly what it thought of that remark. It was all the Potions Master could do to keep his face devoid of emotion even as he felt the blood draining from it at the beast's glare.

Raising its heckles and taking a threatening step forward the Chimera's lips curled back into a heavy snarl revealing a long line of razor sharp teeth.

Much to any of the onlooker's surprise, the man did not even flinch at this. Instead his hands balled tightly into fists, and he pointed the device towards the mutinous creature.

(Don't know how sensitive people are. . . bit of a torture bit here though)

A pained yell rose into the sky and the beast arched towards the ground, claws digging deeply into the soil in its agony.

Its serpent-like tail thrashed through the air and its scream, although a mangled roar, held something else to it. . .

Something . . . human.

The Potions Master looked up reluctantly observing the tortured creature.

His breath caught as the unreality of the situation brought new revelations to his mind.

The heartless monster of a man had used many terms and phrases that held double meanings and Severus had not missed one of them, although he had not understood what the hidden meanings were . . . until now.

A shallow slit of an eye opened as the creature fought against its pain. Although feral, those eyes were unmistakably the emerald-green ones that he had come to recognise.

And on its brow! The black stripes that patterned its auburn fur zigzagged down in the shape of a lightening bolt.

As if these features were not enough, a pair of shattered, round glasses had become tangled and caught in the creature's fur around one of its horns.

The very idea was insane! And yet. . .

Another roar of pain filled the air as the device was turned up a notch and the Professor felt a heated anger well up inside of him. No wonder the boy had nightmares!

(Hmm. Yeah, it's suffered enough. . .)

A blast of light flew by and it was the man's turn to yelp in pain.

He dropped the device as he instinctively clutched his burnt hand and realised with mounting horror that he had just freed a very dangerous and now very, very angry wild beast from his control.

Severus barely had time to react himself before half the car was torn off by a single swipe from those huge claws.

The vehicle was lifted from the ground and the Potions Master thrown aside by the sheer force of the attack.

He hit the ground hard with broken chains falling around him as he did his best to shield his head and chest.

Dizzily he opened his eyes and to his horror his first focused sight was that of a large throat and more sharp, white teeth than he cared to count!

His life had reached his last year of Hogwarts before it stopped flashing before his eyes and warily he squinted up over his hands to see what the afterlife might look like. . .

Lots of teeth, drool . . . and teeth, was his initial thought. . .

"P-Potter!" he snapped, trying to gain some control over the situation despite the fact that his voice was currently much higher in pitch than he would ever admit to.

He heard large nostrils sniff, then slowly, but not unappreciatively, the jaws retreated and the warm mouth closed before the creature lowered its head and sniffed at him again.

"Potter!" he called again, regaining a fair amount of dignity when the creature began showing more signs of curiosity towards him than threat.

The beast locked eyes with him as it showed signs that it was trying to work something out and, without knowing why, he began to raise a hand tentatively towards it.

Stopping at the odd growl or snarl the Professor carefully raised his hand up to the creature's head and plucked the pair of damaged spectacles from its fur, holding them out for the beast to sniff.

"You," he drawled, "are a royal pain in the-"

He never got to finish.

(I lied - More blood)

A deafening bang sounded in the hushed landscape followed by an unearthly roar of pain!

Blood hit the Professor across the face and the huge beast fell to the ground with a thud!

One of its great wings fell limply beside it, blood beginning to pool beneath its massive form.

(Okay, NOW it's safe. . . . ish. . .)

An incoherent shout could be heard in the distance but the Potions Master would no longer wait to differentiate friend or foe between the warring groups. Reaching down he collard the beast's neck with his aching arms and concentrated.

The world felt like it was closing in on them and leaving the ground felt heavier with an unfamiliar form to carry.

Focusing his energy however, he concentrated solely on landing the two of them safely on the outskirts of Hogsmeade.

The world flashed by and the uncomfortable sensation of Apparation bore down on him. He could have sworn that they were almost there, almost safe before something went wrong, horribly wrong.

The feeling was almost like slamming into a brick wall. His energy failed him and his next thought was of how much being catapulted against dry, solid land really hurt.

The Apparation was cut off somehow . . . but where he had landed was still to be deciphered.

So too was what would happen as soon as the unconscious beast awoke. . .