Moody had no idea why or how Snape and Tonks had managed to get themselves in this situation, and together no less. Tonks was supposed to be doing the night shift for the Ministry, and Snape - well Snape was supposed to be doing whatever it was Snape did, he supposed. But if he had been asked where he thought Snape would have been, he would have guessed Hogwarts, watching over Potter or getting a jump on that Fire Protection Potion, not fighting Death Eaters a block away from the Ministry.

But he took that all in stride as he normally did. Order members had called for back up and back up was on the way. He took the time to send an alert out to a few more members and then Apparated as close to Bloom Street as he could, hoping to assess the situation first.

And what a situation.

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"Headmaster?" Severus whispered in surprise. How would the Headmaster have gotten here so quickly? Even if Tonks had alerted him, it should have taken longer than that.

But he knew instantly that it wasn't really Dumbledore when the figure masquerading as him shouted "Incarcerous" and began to move. He knew Dumbledore too well to be fooled by that disguise. And on the heels of that revelation came the realization that Tonks was impersonating the Headmaster. Even he had to smile at that burst of inspiration.

His volley of nonstop spell fire had been tiring, but there would be time enough to rest when the battle was won. He jumped to his feet and ran toward the only piece of cover on his side of the street - a parked car. Tonks had her own cover in the form of an alley. He considered Apparating away, but now that the tide of the battle had shifted, he was loath to give up this opportunity. One Death Eater was down for good and another was bound.

Not that bindings were permanent, he thought with a sneer. Always, the Aurors and the Order underestimated their opponents. This would have to be dealt with. The odds of three against the two of them needed to stay that way.

Darting from behind the car, he took aim at the bound man just as a Death Eater did the same with the hope of freeing him. The glowing ropes disappeared and the man jumped to his feet, only to be caught by a particularly nasty blasting curse - an improvement, in Severus' opinion, on the original blasting curse. The man flew a good three meters before falling back to the ground, unconscious.

Now these were odds that he liked.

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Tonks was aware of what was going on in the periphery of her vision as Snape thoroughly disabled her first target. But she had been far too busy pressing her own attack against the two that were now focusing their attack on her, to get involved or even feel badly that her Incarceration hadn't held. Bricks were flying around her head as the Death Eaters shot the wall in an attempt to get at her. One thing was for sure; these men were shooting to kill. A chunk of brick hit her cheek and drew blood.

"Damn it!" she hissed. Darting her wand around the corner, she attempted a Petrificus on the closest target. The man stumbled a bit but righted himself almost instantaneously. His friend, unfortunately, had even better ideas. With a crack, he disappeared from his position and reappeared right in front of her alley.

"Protego" she yelled as a jet of yellow light flew at her. It bounced harmlessly off her shield and slammed into the wall beside her. "Duro!" The Death Eater blocked.

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Snape peered carefully over his cover only to see one of the remaining three Apparate to Tonks' alley. She'd have to deal with that one herself then. But the second one looked quite ready to do the same as the first. He attempted to blast the man but the third shot a curse at him, causing his own spell to go wide. With a scowl on his face, he rounded on the Death Eater firing at him.

Ah, Alecto Carrow. She was impossible to miss even in a mask. Side stepping, he raised his wand and began flicking it from side to side quickly. Anyone watching would have thought a particularly nasty hive of bees was attacking him. Chanting, he let his enchantment fly; taking the time to make sure it hit its mark.

He'd never before used this particular enchantment in battle, but he'd always wanted to. It caused the victim to become uncontrollably defensive of the caster; a sort of on the spot draft as it were. And Alecto was just weak willed enough for it to work. With the odds set against them, they could use all the help they could get.

She grunted as the curse hit her chest and blinked, once...twice. "Snape?" she asked in confusion.

"Help me Carrow!" he yelled.

Grinning, he followed her as she ran off to attack her comrades. Perhaps her nasty little brother was here. This was going to be rich and the odds were getting better and better.

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Crack!

Tonks' head snapped around with her wand, looking for the next threat. Instead of another Death Eater though, Moody stepped out of his Apparation, wand already flying. His very first curse hit the second Death Eater that had been attempting to sneak up on her, but didn't take him out. She spared him a smile in gratitude and went back to her own duel. He had at first wondered how the Headmaster had beaten him there, but a second glance had told him whom he was dealing with. That really is an impressive talent, he thought.

"Am I late for the party?" he yelled.

"You're late for the grave Old Man!" the Death Eater snarled as he sent a particularly nasty slashing hex at him.

"Ha! Is that all you got?"

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Three on three then. Or more like four on two, Severus thought with a smirk as he followed Alecto to the other end of the street to join Tonks and Moody in their battle. His smirk disappeared quickly though. He had miscalculated again, he realized with a small shock, as Alecto instead took up a protective stance in front of him and rounded her attack on Moody. Ah yes, she would think I needed to be defended from the Aurors, he thought with an odd mixture of amusement and anger at himself.

He had been close on her heels though. He didn't bother raising his wand. Instead, his hand shot out and he backhanded her across the back of her head.

"Ow!" she shrieked as her curse ricocheted off the walls. Of course, that seemed to knock her out of her daze too. Severus would have chided himself for using an experimental curse if he had had the time.

Instead, he raised his wand, hoping to take her down before she could get a grasp on the situation, but just before he could incant the curse he heard a series of popping sounds. Thinking that his enemy had just called in backup, he turned his wand toward the sound. But it wasn't more Death Eaters. Albus Dumbledore - the real one - popped in, followed by Remus Lupin. With a breath of relief, he began to turn back to the battle. But just as he was preparing to attack again, he caught sight of a person that should not be here, holding on to Lupin's shoulder; a person that he had left safely at Hogwarts.

"Potter," he growled.

All thought of returning to engage the enemy flew out of his head as he saw Potter fall to the ground beside Lupin and scramble to get his wand out of his sleeve. Why the hell would the wolf bring Potter? his mind screamed in anger and surprise.

Before he could even begin to move toward the boy though, a jet of green light skimmed past his head, narrowly missing it by inches. He dropped into a crouch, wand already raised, to see Alecto bearing down on him angrily.

"Bombarda!" he heard someone yell, just as he himself sent a blasting curse at the woman. The two curses slammed into her chest simultaneously and sent her flying through the air to land unconscious several meters away.

His head snapped around, looking for the source of the other blasting curse and he saw Potter, pulling himself up from the ground, wand in his hand, eyes on Alecto. Even as his mind screamed in protest that Potter shouldn't be here, he felt a well of approval rise within him. Good boy.

Her comrade did not miss the proceedings though and he turned his attention toward Potter immediately. Before Severus could react, a curse was flying through the air toward Potter's head.

Something very close to terror worked its way from his gut into his throat and he lunged toward the man, snarling. But just as he was about to collide with the Death Eater, the man Apparated away.

Severus' eyes snapped back to track the curse now hurtling toward Potter. Dodge it, come on. Dodge! he thought frantically at Potter.

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Harry saw the curse hurtling toward him and for just a heart beat, his eyes met the Professors, then they snapped back up to watch the curse make its way toward his head. All of it seemed to happen so slowly; the red curse coming toward him, the Professor behind it, standing stock still, dark eyes on him, his heartbeat pounding against his rib cage, the sounds of the battle in the street.

He ducked and the curse flew past, right where his head had been. He whipped around and watched it slam into the brick wall behind him. A shower of bricks fell to the street, one clipping him on the side of the cheek with a sickening cracking sound, and he fell to the ground, blood dripping from his face. Even through the awesome pain that seemed to travel from his cheek through his head and then exploded in bright colors before his eyes, part of him gave a little cheer. He had dodged the curse. And the Professor had seen it.

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Severus let a long breath out that he hadn't even realized he was holding. But any relief he might have felt was overshadowed by the scream from the other end of the street.

"Alastor!" It was Tonks. He turned his attention to that battle and saw that she had her wand trained on a Death Eater who was now standing directly over the old Auror. Severus' thought processes came to an abrupt halt for a millisecond and the first question to register in his brain was, is he dead then?

The man that had fired at Potter Apparated back in beside Carrow with a crack. "Retreat!" he yelled as he grabbed her unconscious body and hauled it away with him to Disapparate. The curse from Severus' wand slammed into the wall behind where he had been. Too slow! Severus ground his teeth in frustration as they made their escape.

Two more cracks were heard as the remaining conscious Death Eater gathered up the last of his injured comrades and then all was oddly silent, just like after a storm.

Severus surveyed the street. The Headmaster and Lupin had hardly participated at all. Dumbledore was running toward Moody, where the old Auror lay face down in the street. Severus turned to see Lupin help Potter up from the ground and a low growl that started in his chest worked its way out of his mouth as he saw the blood dripping from Potter's face and the dazed look in his eyes.

His adrenaline had not yet retreated. If anything, it had increased. He was angry; at himself for giving his position away before he had discovered Tonks' identity and for his unsuccessful enchantment on Alecto; at the Death Eaters who had left his side and arm aching and then escaped; but most especially at Lupin for bringing Potter.

The anger he had felt toward Lupin ever since the shrieking shack incident had become nothing compared to his rage at the Dark Lord and others. Still, over the years, every time he had been forced into the man's company, he had felt some of the old anger return. It had become especially acute when Black had come back two years ago. Everyone protested that Lupin had had nothing whatsoever to do with that incident, but Severus had never believed it. Nor had he bothered with Legilimency to find out the truth of the matter. At Hogwarts he had observed his nemeses close friendship. Even if Lupin had not been in on it, he had forgiven his friends their cruelty, had probably laughed about it, and had certainly never paid for it. He had been the instrument of their attempted murder, and not one of them had suffered for it. Severus, on the other hand, still had two long claw marks down his shoulder to show for it all.

For a month, he had lived in fear of becoming a monster, despite everyone's assurances that he would not. It had put a rift in his friendship with the school nurse of the time as well. She had, much to his incredulity, cared about the both of them. He had felt her disappointment at his anger and refusal to "see reason" as she had put it, drive straight into his heart. She had been something like a mother in his mind and he had seen her care for the monster that had hurt him as a betrayal. Even after that first month, he had changed in ways. Always wary, especially when outside, always on alert during the full moon, he had slept so little those next few months that everything had seemed diminished. It wasn't an irrational fear of werewolves that kept him up most nights though. It was the knowledge that somewhere in the castle where he slept were four boys that wanted him dead. He was outnumbered and no one gave a damn.

The Headmaster had once told him that he had it completely wrong; that Remus Lupin was a sheep that wore wolf's clothing once a month, and not a beast as Severus had called him time and again. That image had made him hate Lupin all the more. What use was a monster if he didn't even have the strength to back up his convictions? What use was Lupin at all?

And now - now - after all these years of anger, Lupin had just brought Potter to a fight. He could not understand how Lupin could put the son of his late best friend in such danger, but the evidence was before his eyes.

Something inside him snapped.

The Potter child - teenager, he corrected himself - was in his care. Potter's safety had been entrusted to him. And the boy was not yet ready for battle - no one ever was - despite his unfortunate past with Voldemort and the Death Eaters. He had spilled blood for that boy's life on more than one occasion. It was unacceptable that anyone should handle a person under his protection so carelessly.

Lupin would pay for bringing Potter here.

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With all the speed and determination of an attacking Hippogriff, he moved toward the pair of them, his fists clenching at his side. But a shout from Albus slowed his progess.

"Severus! We need your potions. Quickly!"

He took one last look at Lupin helping Potter to stand and clapping him on the back. Of the two, Moody would need immediate attention. By force of will alone, he turned on his heel and walked to where the Headmaster and Tonks were kneeling over Moody's shaking body. The Headmaster was waving his wand over Moody and chanting under his breath. The Auror's good eye was open and his other was swiveling around wildly. Sweat was dripping down his shocked and pale face. He grunted as Tonks tried to move him over onto his side. When she finally got him turned, Severus saw the damage and even he had to suck in a breath.

Tonks fell back and made a few gagging noises. The Headmaster looked away quickly, then steeled himself and looked back. The man had taken a nasty curse to the side. Severus recognized this one; a Rupturing Curse. Blood and pus leaked from the brutal wound that slashed across Moody's side. Severus looked up and noted the blood making a small trail down Moody's chin from his mouth, indicating extreme internal damage to the stomach or intestines. It may already be too late.

Kneeling, he pulled out his bag of potions and started setting bottles on the walkway. "There's a good chance you won't survive this," he said in an even tone as he uncorked the numbing agent and the wound sealant.

"That's what they've always said," Moody wheezed right before he burst into a fit of coughing. Blood droplets sprayed out of his mouth as he coughed and wheezed. Perhaps there is damage to his lungs as well?

"Shhh, Alastor," Tonks said with a sniffle. "Don't hurt yourself any worse."

Moody only grunted in response.

Handing a bottle to Tonks, Severus gave instructions quickly. "He'll need to drink both of these; the green one first. Then pour this over his wound. I'd recommend St. Mungos after that if he's not already dead."

Moody reached out with a trembling hand and caught the red potion before Snape could pass it to Tonks. "I'll do it meself," he snarled, even as his hand shook. He still had his pride.

Severus raised his eyebrows as Moody brought it to his lips and drank. "By all means..." Moody's face contorted and he doubled over in pain. Tonks shot him a look that seemed to war between worry and accusation. "But you might have followed my directions and taken the pain killer first," he finished in a wry tone, pushing Moody's upper body back and emptying the green vial into Moody's unresisting mouth before the man clenched up and did further damage.

Almost immediately, Moody's body stilled and the man gave a great sigh. "Now pour that on his wound and get him to St. Mungos," Severus said, standing back up. He watched as Tonks followed his instructions and was about to turn away to deal with Potter and the wolf, when he heard Moody's low grunt.

"I still don't like you," the man whispered with a small smirk.

"I never doubted it, and the feeling's mutual," Severus said stiffly, but even he couldn't help the way his own lips twitched in response.

Tonks glared up at him as he turned away, but Moody, he heard, chuckled low in his throat, before he started coughing up blood again. Severus looked back once before stepping away. It would be...regrettable - that was the word he'd been looking for - if Alastor Moody died.

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Harry surveyed the destruction on the street with something like relief. All of the Death Eaters had escaped, all but the one that had yet to move from the ground, though there didn't appear to be a mark on him. Harry couldn't tell if the man was dead or not, but he felt nothing but relief that he wasn't a threat at the moment. The important thing was that none of the Order had died and only Moody had been injured badly enough to need assistance standing. Harry couldn't hear what was going on but he could see the old Auror moving a bit. Surely he'd be okay. It looked like Tonks was already getting him ready to transport so surely St. Mungos would be able to do something for him.

This could not have gone any better. And he believed that, right up until he looked up and saw Snape striding toward him. The man looked like a dark storm cloud on the horizon, moving at the speed of a tornado but with all the grim determination of a panther stalking prey.

Uh-oh!

"Professor!" he called in a cracking voice as Snape kept stalking toward him. In his mind bloomed the hope that he could head Snape off; maybe say something about how glad he was that everyone was ok. Not that that would stop Snape for long; or even at all. But he really didn't want to be yelled at in front of all these people and he had no doubt that Snape was gearing up for just that. To his shock though, Remus took a step forward to stand in front of him. Harry couldn't decide whether he thought that was brave or stupid as he watched the lack of effect that had had on Snape's progress toward them.

"Now Severus," Remus began in a placating tone. "We should get back to Headquarters. There's time enough to discuss this when we have Harry safe."

"We'll discuss this when I say we discuss this," Snape snarled as he strode the last few feet to the pair of them, stepping over the debris littering the street without appearing to notice it at all.

Harry's eyes widened as he saw the way Snape's eyes bled into unrestrained hatred when they turned on Remus. And then Harry had to clutch his head as the facial movement caused a sharp burst of pain to radiate from his cheek and shoot through his skull. A low moan escaped him.

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Severus could feel his control slipping away as he approached the werewolf. He was, by reputation, a cruel man. So much of that could be attributed to appearances and rumormongering. But almost every reputation had a basis in reality, if even a tenuous one. His past was a study of violence, as both the victim and the aggressor. And he could feel that violent energy that he always carried close to the surface surge within him as he looked on his would be murderer; the man that he had never been allowed to make pay for the pain he had caused. He could feel something deep inside him coiling and preparing to strike. He took great pleasure at the look in the wolf's eyes as he raised his wand and stared his enemy down. He took great pleasure as the energy within him rose to the surface and shone through his eyes. Something inside him licked its lips in anticipation as Lupin flinched away from him. Teach Lupin to fear crossing you and yours. Help him to understand.

And then he heard Potter moan. His concentration was immediately broken as he glanced at Potter standing behind Lupin. He blinked his eyes, once...twice.

And then he was shoving past Lupin without a second thought, and gripping Potter's shoulders. Had Potter been hit while he hadn't been looking? Was there something more wrong with the boy? Terror unlike any he had felt in a long time clutched at his chest. He had felt fear for himself many times over the years. He had felt fear over the possibility of failing an objective. But it had been many years since he had felt fear of this magnitude for another person, even Potter.

"Potter!" He restrained himself from shaking the boy. That would not help the situation.

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Harry winced as the professor's loud voice broke through his pain. He wanted to ask for a headache potion but his cheek was so sore right now, just the idea of speaking made him want to cringe. He realized he should have responded immediately when a second later, the Professor gathered him closer, pressed his face gently into his chest, took a second to say something to Remus that he couldn't hear, and then he was whisked away in Apparation.

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Remus stood on the pavement staring in shock at the spot Severus had just vacated.

He had not understood the hatred he had seen etched on Severus' face as he had approached, but it hadn't escaped him that Severus had been a heartbeat away from attacking him. He was no push over himself in a duel. But he realistically put his chances of coming out unscathed in a duel with Severus at 30 percent, if Severus had the flu.

He had almost been relieved when that look of uncontrolled rage had transferred into one of surprise and then, strangely, something very close to fear, as Harry had made a sound of distress. He himself knew that Harry only required something for his headache and a bone-healing potion for his cheek, but clearly Severus wasn't aware of that. There had been no break in his stride as he had rushed to Harry's side. When Harry had winced from the volume of his voice and not responded immediately, Remus had been amazed that for one of the first times since childhood, he had been able to read the progression of thoughts on Severus' face. The man clearly thought Harry was hurt much worse than he was and had no idea what the problem was.

Snape had pulled Harry's head into his chest, put a hand over his exposed ear and turned back to look at him with an expression that left no doubt in Remus' mind that whatever he was about to say was important. And what Severus said had thoroughly shocked Remus. There had been no question in Remus' mind that Severus had meant every word of it and nothing would stop him from his deadly promise if it came to pass.

"If he dies, you die."

And then they were gone.