Two days later, October 26, Harry was returning from another night in the Forbidden Forest with Snape. Snape had told him that he had done extremely well, and that he was now ready. However, he wasn't in any means telling Harry to go off and fight Voldemort on his own. They'd draw the plans up later, but Harry had a feeling Snape already had the plans.

It was dark in the castle as Harry walked up the moving staircases, and it was quiet for the most part. However, there was a low sound somewhere above Harry. It sounded like someone strangling a cat, which Harry thought for a minute that someone had finally decided to kill Mrs. Norris. However, when Harry reached that level where the sound was, he didn't see anything. His eyes narrowed on the door because it sounded like the sound was just behind it. He drew in a deep breath and pulled out his wand in case it was a trap. He quietly opened the door and looked around, but still he didn't see anything. He continued down the corridor and towards the sound. When he reached the base of the Astronomy Tower entrance, he saw who was making the sound. His heart stopped, and his mouth dropped.

"Professor Sinistra," Harry whispered as he dropped to his knees beside her. He quickly looked her over and saw the pool of blood around her head, which he guessed was the result of her fracturing her skull from the fall down the staircase. However, he wasn't naïve enough to think for a second that she fell all on her own. Someone had pushed her, and Harry had a feeling it was Amycus Carrow.

Sinistra's eyes remained closed, but she let out a gargling sound as she breathed. Her body rested in an awkward position, and her head tilted to the side. Harry could clearly see the numerous broken bones she had, but the skull fracture worried him the most. He gently touched her arm to comfort her, but his hand instantly recoiled when she let out a strangled cry of pain.

"Dobby," Harry cried out in a whisper.

The little house elf instantly appeared at Harry's side. Dobby's eyes widened at the sight of Harry and Sinistra, but he made no sound. Tears soon filled the house elf's large eyes.

"Madam Pomfrey, Dobby, get Madam Pomfrey," Harry stumbled saying. The house elf was gone within seconds, but appeared a few moments later with someone. Harry was too busy shaking to notice whom Dobby brought back with him. However, when Harry felt a hand on his shoulder, he knew precisely whom it was.

"What happened?"

"I…I don't know, Snape. I just…I came up here because I heard a sound…and I just…I just found her like this," Harry stuttered still shaking horribly.

"Harry, get a hold of yourself," Snape responded, knowing that he was being a hypocrite right then. His hand shook with the same ferocity as Harry did. He knew without a doubt the person who did this to her, and his blood boiled at the thought. Quickly, he regained his senses. He couldn't allow anyone to find them standing around Aurora's broken body. Drawing in a breath, Snape gently picked Aurora up in his arms. She felt so lightweight, and he nearly dropped her when she let out another strangled cry of pain. "Grab my arm, Harry," he ordered. As soon as he felt Harry's hand on his forearm, he focused and apparated them all to his quarters in the dungeons.

Snape quickly carried Aurora towards his bed and gently set down into it. She immediately turned from him and let out another pain-filled cry. He winced at the sound before holding a hand out. A bottle of an amber liquid flew to his hands instantly. He ripped the stopper out and tilted Aurora's head back before slowly pouring the liquid into her mouth. She tried to fight him slightly, but the majority of liquid reached her mouth. It didn't take long before he could tell it was working. She stilled almost instantly and her cries lessened.

Snape ran his fingers through her hair towards her wound. She winced slightly, but made no sound that it hurt. His fingertips soon touched the crimson liquid that had started to soak his pillow. He gently pulled back her hair to look at her wound. He grimaced at the bloody sight before ripping off a piece of cloth from his robes. He firmly held the black cloth against her deep laceration. Closing his eyes, he whispered a Healing spell that his mother had used on him numerous times when he was a child. He gently pulled the cloth back and glanced at her wound before nodding appreciatively at how she had healed nicely. He then waved his wand over several of her broken bones and attempted to heal them. However, he could tell that he'd need Skele-Gro for the rest of her broken bones. Holding out another hand, the tall bottle flew there in seconds. He quickly gave her a sip of it and sighed when she finished drinking the rest of it. He thanked Merlin that Harry had found her in time. Speaking of Harry, Snape glanced towards the young man and caught the concern in the hazel eyes.

"Come," Snape quietly whispered. He was certain that Aurora would be fine now, and just in case he knew that Mokai, his house elf, would watch her the second he left. Harry and he then left and headed towards Snape's sitting room. Snape watched the young man take a seat on the couch. "She will be fine. You need not be concerned. I've healed the majority of her injuries. She'll heal with time."

"That bastard did this to her, Snape!" Harry snarled glaring at him.

"You think I don't know that?"

"Doesn't it make you angry?"

"Of course it does, but anger does me no good right now." Snape then flopped into his recliner and leaned forward to put his head in his hands. "I'd give anything right now to find Carrow and make that son of a bitch pay, but it won't help her feel any better."

"He nearly killed her, Snape."

"Another thing that I am fully aware of," Snape replied tersely.

"We should do something, Snape, so he knows that he can't get away with it."

"We should do nothing," Snape hissed. He then angrily shook his head. "This entire year I tried to protect the students. I promised him that I would protect the students, but none of us could ever guess that I'd have to protect the professors too. I knew that Carrow would harass her, but I never thought he'd try this." Snape then growled quietly. "No, Harry, you will do nothing to give away your true identity. For nearly two months now, this entire castle has been convinced that you are my nephew, not Harry Potter. Remember our plan, and stick to it. I will deal with Carrow."

"I thought you just said—"

"I did, but you're right. He can't think he can get away with that, and I won't allow him to."

"What are you going to do, Snape?"

"Something I've wanted to do to him all term," Snape growled. "Their reign of terror ends now."