The first thing I notice as I run into the second floor girls' lavatory is the water. It isn't unusual that the lavatory would be flooded, but I keep flashing back to the petrified students. I hear Myrtle crying off in the distance and force myself not to scold her for her wailing.

"Myrtle," I loudly say. It doesn't take long for the ghost of the young girl float out of a stall.

"This is a girls' lavatory," Myrtle snaps at me.

"I do not have time for this frivolity. Have you seen a second-year boy in here?"

"You mean, Harry?" she happily asks.

"Yes, Harry, where is he?" I respond feeling my heart beat wildly in my chest. Each moment I am from him I know is another moment closer to his death. I know immediately that if Aurora heard me she'd think I was—

"Was being melodramatic, oh, yes, you're definitely that today," a voice says next to me.

I glance at Aurora before glancing back to Myrtle. I don't have time for games with either witch. Harry needs me. I cannot describe how I know it, but I do. It is such an unusual experience for me. I am not used to feeling such…strong emotions concerning another. I know that he needs me. I know that Harry needs me, but I don't know why. Fear floods my every pore. Dozens of scenarios flash before my eyes. It is pure conjecture at this point, but I know that something bad has happened.

"Last I saw him he and that really handsome professor were near the sink. Harry seemed rather dazed because my Harry didn't even say hi to me. The handsome professor told Harry to hiss at the sink like some snake. It was utterly frightening."

"He wanted Harry to hiss?" Aurora quietly asks beside me. She then glances at me before walking to the sink. A few seconds later, at the sound of expressed happiness from the witch I walk over there and catch the snake carvings on the side of a faucet. I glance at her as if to ask how she knew it. She only shrugs. "Well, everyone knows that Salazar Slytherin was a ladies' man," she drawls.

Sinistra then pulls out her pendant of two snakes coiled around a glittering green gem. She quickly places the necklace against the snake carved faucet. One of the five sinks slides backwards before disappearing into the floor. She latches onto my forearm before yanking me towards the newly discovered hole. We both fall into the abyss without a sound. It doesn't take long before her pendent glows and lights up the room. However, we crash against the floor prior to me preventing that.

I instantly taste the metallic liquid in my mouth. My head aches horribly as does my back, but I push all my pain away. When I glance at Aurora, I wince sympathetically. Blood streams out of her nose, which she quickly wipes off. She also holds her arm in an odd angle that can only mean one thing. I sigh, hold a hand out to Sinistra, and help her to her feet. She says nothing, which I am rather glad.

We then walk together until we come to a door with metal snakes in the door. I watch her place her pendant on the door again, and the door clicks open. I am rather impressed so far with her pendant. I recall from our schooldays how she always wore it, but she never showed me what it could do.

After a few moments of walking through various corridors, we finally walk down a huge entryway to a large room. On either side of us are snake statues that shoot flames with our presence. My eyes, however, lock onto the bundle of black robes on the floor. I can just make out the feet from underneath the robes. I remain as calm as I can as we walk towards the chamber. I glance to my left where I last saw Sinistra. She isn't there anymore, though. I draw my long ebony wand and continue to walk without missing a step. I know that somewhere in the shadows is Aurora, and that she has my back.

"Ah, wonderful," an unfamiliar young man says as soon as he spies me. His unfeeling eyes are familiar to me. "You know, I must say that I hadn't thought you'd be here, Severus." With the hiss of my name, I instantly know who he is. "Unless you're here to see me destroy the boy who was a mistake," he says with a chuckle. "I have always liked to play with my food." He then sends a lazy curse towards the boy, which makes Harry release a terrible shriek of pain. The cold eyes then glance towards the golden locked idiot Lockhart. "You'd think the old coot would notice his poor DADA professor spending all his time pouring his secrets out to a little diary for me. Oh, well, his loss is my gain. You'd be surprised what you'd learn from that idiot," he says motioning to Lockhart. "For example, he told me all about you getting guardianship of poor Harry. I must say I was rather shocked, but I suppose it works in my favor, though. These months have been magnificent. However, they've also been frustrating. I've had to use that idiot, and he's just not my usual servant."

I nod my head before glancing at Harry again. I can just make out the pain-filled green eyes. I sigh before glancing back at the young Dark Lord. Secretly, I wonder if I should be kneeling or not, but truthfully I don't care. He's watching me carefully.

"Severus, do you still serve me loyally?"

"Of course, my lord," I silkily reply.

"Then kill him," he says pointing at Lockhart.

My eyes narrow at the request. I previously thought he'd wish me to kill Harry, not that bumbling idiot Lockhart. I lazily point my wand towards the unconscious wizard. However, I notice movement out of the corner of my eye. Something is slithering in the darkness, watching me and appraising me to see if I am worthy or not.

"Forgive me, my lord, but why waste perfectly good magic on this loser?"

"Excellent, Severus, excellent," the young Dark Lord drawls with a grin. "You haven't lost your touch, have you, my most faithful and loyal servant?" He then chuckles quietly as he glances at Harry and Lockhart. "It won't be long now, my Severus, before I reward you. My boy, how I have missed you!" he says. He then inhales as he becomes less transparent.

"Unfortunately, I must disappoint." I feel the heavy weight lift off my chest as I think about my next actions. In one solid and fluid motion, I send a nonverbal Sectumsempra towards the slithering monstrosity heading towards me. A loud shriek reverberates around the room before a terrible light.

Within seconds, I feel the presence of evil lunge towards me. I can only guess that I missed when I tried to kill the basilisk. I fall to the floor after it knocks me off my feet with a hard blow to my back. Dozens of colorful lights bathe the room, which I know is from Sinistra and me.

"TRAITOR!" yells the young Dark Lord. "KILL HIM!"

I dodge and evade every such attack the basilisk attempts against my life. At one point, I involuntarily glance up. I clearly see that its eyes have been removed, which makes me glance towards the darkness. There is yet another reason not to mess with Aurora ever. Again, the basilisk's tail knocks me to the ground. I can feel the whooshing of air as it attempts to strike. I quickly roll myself away.

"AH!" screams Aurora. I glance at her in mid-roll to see why she is screaming. The basilisk has somehow knocked a column near Aurora, causing the ceiling to cave in. In a split second decision, I throw a quick shield towards her to prevent her from harm. Just those few milliseconds of distraction cause me to make a mistake, a terrible and near fatal mistake. I am not quick enough to avoid it.

I feel the sharp pain in my leg instantly. I cannot hold back my scream as the detached fang pierces my right thigh. I can feel the poison flood my entire nervous system. My nerves feel like they're burning. My blood feels as if it boiling. I gasp for air as the poison reaches my lungs.

"Stab…book," a distorted voice speaks somewhere near me. "Protect…please…please…protect him, Sev. Protect Harry." The voice becomes clearer as my vision blurs.

It can't be. It can't be her. It can't be my Lily, I think. I then grab the fang and rip it out of my leg. The pain helps me focus for a second. I hold my hand out and gasp in pain as the diary flies to me.

"Sev, please…" the voice begs.

I'm trying, Lil. I'm trying, I think back. Words are too hard to form to speak aloud. Thoughts are so much easier. However, soon I find that my extremities are not moving. I focus every bit of strength I have in my body on trying to do as she says, but they aren't cooperating.

"Sev, now, do it now! Please…"

Froth gathers in the back of my throat. Breathing soon becomes too difficult. I am losing the battle. I stare up and see my lovely angelic Lily staring down at me. Her beautiful green orbs shine in the white light as she stares at me with sad eyes. I'm sorry, I think before submitting myself to the darkness.

"Oh no, you don't," a voice growls. Warmth then fills me as light bathes the room. I see liquid darkness squirt somewhere near me before I feel a hand on my chest. "You and I need to prove to Harry that there is such a thing as a happy family, and I'll be damned if you die on me before then, Severus."

In my confused mind, I can only think of one word, Aurora. Slowly, it becomes easier to think. Lily's face gradually fades and the chamber comes back into view. I then smile as I think happy family.