The last weekend of September was a busy one for the Order of the Phoenix.

Sirius Black had returned from his mission at the Cane Hill Asylum very early on Saturday morning to report to Snape. At that time, Snape let Black know that they did not have to hide their plans from the Headmaster so the two men headed up to the Headmaster's office and reported to Dumbledore before breakfast.

"I think I'll dance a Wizard's Jig when those Dementors are wiped out for good," muttered Black. That had been the hardest part of his assignment, and the loneliest. Two weeks of planting the Bluebell Bombs and dodging the Dementors had exhausted him. The last thing he wanted, though, was sleep. Even though the Dementors hadn't gotten near him to feed upon his joy, the overall atmosphere of the abandoned asylum had weighed heavily upon his heart.

Snape had watched Black closely as he'd gone through his report and then had dropped, rather tiredly, into a chair by Dumbledore's fireplace. Snape gave Albus a pointed look and then left the office without a word.

Sirius sent a resentful glare towards the door that closed behind the vanished Potions Master. "Not even a ruddy 'thank you' after all that," griped Black.

"Were you aware the Dementors were there when you went to sabotage the property?" asked Dumbledore.

Sirius shook his head. "We thought it might be possible a few Death Eaters could be there. Even hoped that snake face might be there, but he didn't show up. Malfoy did; several times. Almost caught me on the third floor once."

"How did that happen?" Black was too tired to realise that Dumbledore was keeping him talking until Snape returned since the man was close to falling asleep where he was.

"Usually he Apparated onto the courtyard lawn when he came to check on things. I kept to the buildings. In my Animagus form, it was easier to find closets and cupboards to hide in then it was outside. I have no idea why, but on my last day there, while I was making a last minute check, he Apparated directly to the third floor." Sirius stretched, yawned, and then pinched his thigh to keep himself from nodding off in front of the fire. "Luckily I was there as Padfoot. It was probably stupid to try and attack him, but a feral dog in an abandoned building... it seemed the appropriate thing to do." Sirius smirked at the fire. "Malfoys don't taste as good as they look."

"Albus, would you have an elf bring the mutt some hearty broth and hard bread?" Snape swept back into the Headmaster's office, startling Black.

"The bat returns!" remarked Black caustically. "Why are you ordering me soup, Snape?"

Snape didn't immediately reply as he handed several potions to the wizard. "This needs to be taken with food." Black took the first phial he was handed which held an amber looking potion in it. "It will help with the lingering depression the Dementors caused. A single dose should be all that you require, however, if you feel you need more, let me know."

"I know this is Dreamless Sleep Potion, but what's this one?" he sneered distastefully at the last phial, bigger than the other two, that held a rather unsavory coloured potion in it.

"A nutrition potion. I doubt you've eaten well in the last two weeks, Black." Snape sneered and shrugged, "Take it or not. It's up to you." He then turned to the Headmaster. "The bombs need to be detonated soon, Albus. I'm going to gather Hermione and the girls and Lyrica will watch over them. It's fortunate this is Saturday so we needn't disrupt any classes."

"Thank you, Severus. I'll join you in the Infirmary once Sirius and I are finished here."

Snape nodded curtly and left the office. He never acknowledged the look of curiosity and wonder that Black was sending his way. Shaking his head, he glanced down at the potion phials in his hands.

"Was Snape just... thoughtful towards me, Albus?" asked Sirius incredulously.

"I'm sure it was a momentary lapse, my boy." Albus smiled. An elf popped in with soup and bread. "It's for Sirius, Claylee."

The house elf put the meal on the nearby tea table. "Enjoy, Master Sirius." The little elf popped away.

Knowing that they now had to work as quickly as possible, Hermione, Luna, Pansy, and Millicent were all wakened by Snape and brought to the Infirmary. Under the watchful eye of Lyrica Snape, the four girls tapped into the crossed Ley Lines running beneath the castle of Hogwarts and linked their magic.

With meticulous concentration, Hermione sought out the thin threads of her Bluebell Flame Bombs and detonated them with a 'push' of her magic. An hour later, all four girls collapsed as soon as they separated their magical cores.

At lunchtime, the boys, Neville, Ron, Harry, and Draco, made their way to the Infirmary to make certain their girlfriends were all right.

Draco smoothed Hermione's curls from her forehead and kissed her brow. He'd been smiling ever since he saw her asleep; he was so very proud of his love.

Harry sniggered. "You ever gonna lose that smile, Goldilocks?"

Draco sneered through the smile, "Probably about the same time you lose yours, Scarhead."

Harry had lifted Luna so he was sitting behind her supporting her back. This allowed him to wrap his arms around the sleeping girl. "They did perfectly, didn't they?" he marvelled. In her sleep, Luna held onto Harry.

"They were brilliant!" enthused Neville. The usually nervous Gryffindor, who had almost lost all of his nervous habits, was running a comb through Pansy's straight black hair. He had learned that far from being a habit of vanity, Pansy's mother had combed her hair as a child as a way to soothe her and to help her sleep. He didn't know if Pansy knew he was beside her, but just in case she did, he felt this old routine would keep her dreams free of nightmares.

"I wish we could have seen those bombs go off," sighed Ron. He had his hand tucked around Millicent's.

"I'll bet it was spectacular," added Harry.

"Just think if we had something like that for the final battle," mused Ron. He suddenly sat up straighter and summoned his lute.

Draco smirked knowingly. "Weasel's got an idea brewing in his red skull."

Ron had recently begun to use the playing of his lute as a way to calm his thoughts and to help sort out the many ideas that tended to crowd his brain. As he plucked a simple tune on the old instrument he asked Draco a question.

"When you and 'Mione were modifying the Bluebell Flame did you work on any other ways to detonate it?"

Draco shook his head, "We had some thoughts, but since dad and Sirius wanted to plant the bombs as soon as was possible, we did what we could."

"Muggle landmines!" Ron almost shouted.

"What are landlines?" asked Neville.

"LandMines, Nev," corrected Harry.

"They're incendiary devices that Muggles plant in the ground to sabotage pathways to the enemy. If a man steps on an area where a landmine is, he triggers it," explained Ron.

"Sounds hideous," Neville sighed with disapproval.

"I see what you're getting at, Ron," nodded Draco. "Turn the Bluebell Flame Bombs into a flame triggered by weight."

"Can you do that?" asked Harry.

Draco huffed and frowned. "It took every ounce of Charms work I know to modify the flames. When Hermione wakes, I can ask if she might be able to, but I think we might need Professor Flitwick's help."

Ron happily began playing the lute in earnest. "I know you can figure it out."

October 1, 1995 - Sunday

At breakfast the next day, Dumbledore slipped Snape a clipping from a London Muggle Newspaper dated September 30, 1995:

Massive fire breaks out at abandoned Cane Hill Asylum in Coulsdon.

Around half past eight on the morning of September 30, a massive fire, possibly due to faulty electrical wiring, destroyed the Cane Hill Asylum. Although the fire brigade was notified by several dozen residents of Coulsdon, mysterious and still unexplained problems kept the firefighters from reaching Cane Hill until almost an hour after the first smoke was reported. By then, the whole property was blazing and the job of the firefighters was to do their best in containing the flames until the fire burned itself out...

That same day, Professor Flitwick taught Draco and Hermione some advanced Charms that aided them in further modifying Hermione's once harmless Bluebell Flame into something similar to a Muggle incendiary device: a landmine. The two were part of the meeting of the War Room, the Room of Requirement that now held their battle plans, with Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, Severus and Lyrica Snape, Minerva McGonagall, and Albus Dumbledore.

Draco was explaining their Bluebell Flame Landmine, "Professor Flitwick is working on an additional charm that will surround the flame. It will keep the landmine inactive for a certain number of days... hmmm... basically, the charm will degrade, much like a countdown device, and on the day we decide to lure You-Know-Who to Hogwarts, the Flames will be ready. This way, we can plant the landmines a few days in advance and no one will get accidentally hurt."

"However," added Hermione "the temperature of the Bluebell Flames is not as hot as the ones we used for Cane Hill. The landmines will be another facet of adding confusion to the enemy line."

"You plan on giving Death Eaters a hot foot?" queried Minerva as she glanced over her spectacles.

Snape looked sardonically at the young Gryffindor, "Something she already has experience at." Hermione blushed deeply, wondering how Snape had known it was her that set his robes on fire in their first year, consequently burning his foot. Seeing the question in her eyes, Snape tapped his temple, a gesture that meant, 'I know everything'.

Remus pointed down at their battle plan map. "A line of landmines around the castle and then along the edge of the Forbidden Forest would most likely serve best to our advantage."

Snape agreed, but added, "The gate is also a vulnerable entrance as is this egress to the Chamber of Secrets."

Dumbledore nodded in approval. "Now, the question is, what of Lucius Malfoy? Have our actions against the asylum and the Dementors caused him trouble?"

For a long moment there was silence and then Snape spoke softly, "Lucius will suffer, if not be killed outright by the Dark Lord. He lost me, then he lost Harry, and now he's lost the Dementors."

Sirius snorted, "As the Muggles say, he's toast!"

Harry and Draco walked on either side of Lyrica, each of them supporting their mother by the forearm. Madame Pomfrey, seated at her desk, was notified of their entrance by what appeared to be a half-hearted argument.

"Boys, this is really unnecessary!" protested Lyrica.

"Mum," admonished Draco, "you got dizzy."

"You can't take any chances with our baby sister, mum," added Harry.

"I swear, I'm about to deduct..." Lyrica was interupted as Poppy bustled over and quickly took over escorting duty from Draco and Harry.

"Tell me what happened, gentlemen," ordered Poppy.

"Nothing happened, Poppy!" interjected Lyrica.

"I'll be the judge of that, Madame Snape. Now," she peered expectantly at the two boys, "who is going to enlighten me as to why your mother is here?"

Draco nodded to Harry. Harry explained, "Mum was checking on Neville's potion and all of a sudden, it began to fizz and spurt out sparkles. Mum started getting dizzy. Hermione got rid of the potion before it blew up or something, but mum was still wavering on her feet and her eyes looked odd."

Poppy began a diagnostic spell. "What potion were you brewing today, Draco?"

Lyrica huffed in annoyance as she could well see that she was going to be ignored. Draco replied quickly, with a smirk at his mother, "Draught of the Living Death. If the Sopophorous Bean and Valerian Root are added together, they produce those sparks and can cause dizziness."

"The baby's fine, but you're not, Madame Snape. Unfortunately, you're going to have a good case of the dizzies that will affect your stomach."

"Oh Circe's crossed eyes!" muttered Lyrica. "Really, I have two more classes today, Poppy." She started to stand up, wavered on her feet, and plopped down heavily onto the infirmary cot. Lyrica instantly clapped her hand over her mouth and Poppy promptly conjured an Emesis Bowl. Draco and Harry both grimaced and looked away as their mother vomited.

"Lyrica!" Snape, his robes fluttering heavily behind him, came running into the infirmary. "What's happened, Poppy? Hermione found me in the Teacher's Lounge and told me there'd been an accident!" He sat down beside Lyrica, Scourgified the bowl, and conjured a cool cloth for his wife.

"I was stupid, Severus." Gratefully she took the cloth, wiped her mouth, and dabbed at her cheeks and forehead.

"Poppy?" he asked worriedly.

"The baby's fine, Severus. Your wife had a minor mishap with one of Neville's fortunately botched potions. Lyrica is going to be dizzy and nauseous for a few hours. Do you have any of her Morning Sickness Potion left?"

Snape shook his head. "No, but I will go brew some." He rose to his feet and kissed Lyrica's cheek. "Poppy, would you notify Lupin and let him know that he needs to substitute for my wife?"

"Consider it done, Severus."

"Harry, Draco, my next class is yours to teach in two hours. Take the students through their protection spells. Nothing else. Understand?" he spoke firmly.

"Of course, sir," replied Draco, and Harry echoed him.

Poppy grudgingly released Lyrica from the Infirmary after she was able to keep a light portion of dinner down. Snape escorted his wife back to their quarters and she curled up on the sofa. Summoning a small quilt from the bedroom, she draped it over her lap, rested her hands on her rounded belly, and stared at the flames in the fireplace.

Snape had gone to the small kitchen and procured his wife's preferred pregnancy water. He cast a spell to chill the water and brought it out to Lyrica. After handing the glass to her, he settled himself beside her and stretched out his long legs towards the fire.

"You're far too quiescent, my dear," he commented warily. He had to be careful these days when commenting on Lyrica's moods. He never knew when she might explode angrily, or begin weeping, for no reason at all. The mood swings, which Poppy had informed him can sometimes last an entire pregnancy, were beginning to wear thin on what little patience he normally had and there were still at least six months left before his daughter arrived.

"I feel like a complete idiot," Lyrica muttered tersely, not looking over at her husband.

"Are you still worrying about the accident in class?" he scoffed. She shot a darkling glare at him and he swallowed as he realised he needed to be more careful with his words.

An angry retort was on the tip of her tongue, but he could see that she carefully pushed the anger away before speaking. "I should have known better than to get that close to any of the cauldrons today, Severus. I am lucky that Neville botched his in the way he did, but even corrupted, I know better than to have leaned over those fumes. It scares me to think what could have happened if he'd been working on the infusion of the Aconite."

"I'll admit I had feared the worst since I knew the Draught of Living Death was on schedule for today." He drew her away from the arm of the sofa so she was leaning against him. Snape kissed Lyrica's cheek and then splayed his long fingers possessively over the life growing within his beloved wife.

"You think I should stop teaching Potions, don't you?" she accused sullenly.

Snape scowled down at the part in Lyrica's hair. "I do not, and you know it. We've had this discussion before. Once you're at six months, Tonks will begin assisting you." He sighed in annoyance at the pout that persisted on her features. "There has never been any pregnant Potions Mistress who has miscarried due to brewing, so stop your melodramatic pouting!" Oof! Lyrica had just elbowed her husband in the ribs.

"I'm not pouting!"

He rubbed the offended rib and snapped, "Don't do that again!"

Lyrica turned in his one-armed embrace and kissed his cheek and then gave her husband a sad-eyed look. He sneered in exasperation. She caught his lips in a very passionate kiss that she deliberately broke off too soon. Lyrica smirked at the dazed look on Snape's face.

Snape touched his bruised, lower lip with his slim index finger. "You do not play fair, wife. Especially when I am trying to engage you in what I expected to be a serious discussion."

Lyrica sighed and gave her husband a genuinely contrite expression as she touched his side where she'd elbowed him. "Albus and Minerva came to see me while you were brewing the Morning Sickness Potion for me. They said they were worried, but I lost my temper with Albus when he told me he intended to speak to Tonks about taking over my classes."

"As an assistant," he interjected. Lyrica didn't know that Albus had also spoken to Snape after looking in on his wife.

"No! He means to remove me. I am pregnant, Severus, not infirm! I would have thought that Minerva, as a woman, would have supported my anger, but she was clucking alongside that twinkling menace completely agreeing with him." Snape tried to stifle his chuckle, but his smirk gave away his mirth. "Are you laughing at me?"

"Not at all, my dear. I quite like your description of the Headmaster." He brushed a strand of her long hair off her cheek and then idly curled it round his finger.

"Hmm. So tell me, then, what am I to do? I realise the Potions class is only mine for a year, but..."

"I have some studies I can show to the Headmaster. He'll see that there's nothing to worry about." He kissed his wife's forehead.

"Studies," she said flatly.

"Yes. Since your day, my love, there has been some significant study done in regards to pregnant witches dealing with potions. As potions has long been a wizard's demesne, there were several, unscrupulous Masters that hoped to rid the guild of practicing witches by implying that as witches became pregnant, they were thus, more vulnerable, and potions more dangerous."

"I do recall that my apprenticeship took an extra year due to the fact I was a witch. Fortunately, my master did not possess the bigotry other Masters generally had." Lyrica shifted slightly. "So who precipitated these studies?"

"Balor and Gwnyth Leeds. Potions Master and Mistress. They not only were the first Potions Master and Mistress to marry, but Gwnyth's own pregnancy, and the controversy surrounding her continued brewing, is what began serious study." Warming to his subject, which he had recently read up on since he'd had his own concerns about his wife being around possible dangerous substances, he continued. "Gwnyth discovered two remarkable things in her first study. The first discovery had to do with an increase in a pregnant witches defensive magic. As we know, defensive magic is rather similar to a child's accidental magic. Defensive magic is triggered by stress, fear, almost any negative flight or fight response. Coriolanus Black, in the 16th century proved that witches manifested defensive magic more than wizards did, what he was unable to prove was whether or not defensive magic could be controlled. Gwnyth's studies revealed that a pregnant witch had control over defensive magic."

Lyrica smiled smugly. "I always knew we witches were more powerful than you wizards."

"Hmph. Indeed."

"So what was the second discovery, Severus?"

"Gwnyth's second discovery also had to do with the increase in defensive magic. She found that the mother's magic would weave a protective barrier around the child, quite like our protective wards, that kept a child safe from anything that might harm it. This included many of the noxious substances that tend to give Masters and Mistresses trouble."

"What a brilliant witch!" marveled Lyrica.

"She was. So, I shall show Albus the studies and you need not worry about being ousted from your teaching position." Of course, Snape had already shown the studies to Albus that afternoon. The 'twinkling menace' really hadn't meant for Tonks to take over the Potions classes, but the Headmaster did have some genuine concerns that needed to be addressed.

His wife smiled at him. Snape kissed Lyrica quickly, extricated himself from her embrace, plucked her empty water glass from her hands and went into the kitchen where he prepared tea.

When Snape returned to the living room, he put the tea and biscuits on the coffee table. For several minutes they drank their tea and indulged in the chocolate biscuits. Snape brushed away some wayward crumbs and began their discussion again.

"Do you wish to continue to teach, Lyrica? This Ley Line Course you mentioned...?"

She shrugged non-committedly and stared at the fire. Snape waited patiently for an answer. Finally it came. "I do like teaching, but..." she gently stroked her belly. "I'd make for a very poor instructor if I had to leave for a nappy change." Her brow furrowed in thought. "I do feel that a revival of this old magic should be part of Hogwarts curriculum and its not an idea I want abandoned, however..." she placed her hands over her belly.

"What is it you would like to do as we raise our daughter?" He placed a hand over Lyrica's.

Lyrica stared at the flames for several minutes, pushing away another flare-up of emotions. She was getting tired of the emotional see-saw as well as her husband was and almost wished she hadn't gotten off so easily from the morning sickness.

"I left behind a good deal of research projects in 1898," she mused softly. "Of course, my notes survived, but since we've been here, I haven't even had a moment to return to Ashmere. Not that I miss it," she amended quickly. "I adore Billeghdonn Cove, but I do miss King Henry and my lab."

"Would you like to continue your research in Health Potions?" he clarified for Lyrica.

"I think so, Severus. However, I'm certain I don't want to do such research through someplace like St. Mungo's or an independent firm. If it were possible, I'd like to do my research at home."

Snape smiled. "It's entirely possible, my dear wife. We could certainly expand the lab at Billeghdonn, if you'd like, and perhaps we might be able to persuade King Henry to move to the seaside. Although, ghosts rarely leave their haunts once they've chosen a place for eternity."

"True, but King Henry is a bit unique. A very independant sort, he's quite proud of reminding anyone who'll ask." Lyrica chuckled lightly.

After several minutes of peaceful silence had passed, Snape spoke, "As to the Ley Line Course, perhaps it could be a club, to begin with, taught by older students. By then, someone from Harry and Draco's year would be qualified to teach the course as a full professor." He wondered to himself if Hermione might wish to eventually teach such a course. He knew she did have a fondness for Potions, but her skill with the Old Magic was prodigious.

"You're such an intelligent wizard, husband," she smiled sleepily as her eyes began to close.

Snape smirked wryly and kissed her forehead. "Would you be amenable to having Nymphadora begin earlier as your assistant?"

She yawned and curled further into his side. "Yes. She'd be exceedingly helpful." Lyrica lightly massaged the rib she'd poked earlier. "I am sorry about your rib, my husband, but you do realise that when this child of ours decides to put in her appearance, I may do worse."

He caught her hand and kissed her fingertips and then the palm of her hand. "Just as long as whatever injury you cause me, Madame Pomfrey is able to heal."

There was no answer from his wife as her breathing had slowed and she was asleep. Snape sighed in contentment.

Harry woke up screaming. Seconds later he was leaning over the edge of his bed in the boy's dormitory in Gryffindor tower and vomiting. Ron hadn't hesitated. He exited the dormitory and headed down to the dungeons to the Snapes quarters. Neville was kneeling on the other side of Harry's bed. He'd cleaned up the mess and had a cloth against Harry's scar. The scar was bleeding profusely.

"Was it a vision, Harry?" asked Dean. He was wild-eyed from having been wakened so sharply from his sleep.

Harry shook his head and clutched Neville's shoulders as dizziness swept over him. "Kalima. He found... a way to... Nev, she likes to sleep on... on the warm stones by the fireplace..."

Dean put on his slippers. "You stay put, Neville. I'll go check on the snake." Grabbing his robe, Dean was soon thumping down the stairs to the common room. On the last step he ran into Snape and Ron. Ron and the older man swept past him without a word, so Dean headed over to the fireplace.

Dean found Kalima coiled up just where Harry said she'd be and even though the serpent made him nervous, he tentatively stretched out his hand towards her. The boy swallowed tightly as his fingers brushed the satiny smooth scales of black and silver. The serpent did not move, but Dean was certain she was still alive. Stroking the coils gently once more, he rose and ran back up the stairs.

"Dad!" Snape seated himself on Harry's bed and took over wiping the blood from his son's face.

"What happened, Harry?"

"He... he's furious, dad," began Harry.

At that moment Dean ran into the dormitory. "Kalima's alive, Harry, but I think she's not too well! She didn't move when I touched her."

Harry closed his eyes and sent a tendril of thought in search of the Naga. There was quiet for what felt like an eternity, and then he was suddenly overwhelmed by Kalima's presence in his mind as hers reinforced the Occluding barrier in his mind. He felt her apology and her reassurance and then he opened his eyes. Only a few seconds had passed.

"I can feel her again. Thanks, Dean." smiled Harry.

"Son, tell me," urged a concerned father. "What did he do?"

"He found out about the Dementors and he's blamed Malfoy. He was already very mad that Bellatrix and Malfoy let us escape and he cursed them both, then. This time Vol... He almost tortured him to death." Harry grimaced and held his belly as the acid roiled dangerously. Falling back onto his pillow and curling up on his side, he added, "Dad, he really weakened himself. I think... it might have been accidental..."

The images that had assaulted him in his dream came to the fore of Harry's consciousness. Snape turned his son on his back and lifted his son's chin and looked into his eyes. Softly he whispered, "Legilimens!" and saw what Harry had seen...

Lucius Malfoy screaming as his body was ripped by the Cruciatus Curse... the anger of the Dark Lord's invading Harry's senses as physical pain through his scar... and Nagini... the huge serpent, a slave to the Dark Lord, his Naga... twisting and thrashing about in such horrible pain...

"He killed Nagini, dad," Harry whispered as his fist grabbed a fold of Snape's robes reflexively. "I think Kalima felt that."

Padfoot bounded across the glen towards Malfoy Manor. With Narcissa somewhere in Italy and Draco now living with his adoptive parents, the Manor had an overgrown air to it. As Padfoot skirted its borders he realised the house elfs were gone, possibly with Narcissa.

Near the rear of the property, Padfoot's keen sense of smell picked up the sharp tang of blood. He also found a weakness in the wards he could exploit. Changing his form, Sirius became himself. He whistled sharply.

A very large, blue-black crow flew downwards until it was beside Sirius. The crow changed revealing the form of Auror Nymphadora Tonks.

"I hate morphing into animals," she hissed at Sirius and shuddered.

"You do make a somewhat over large crow, Tonks," he remarked.

"I make an over large everything. Most animal bodies are confining." She glared at the weird hand movements Sirius was making. "What are you doing, cousin?"

"There's a weakness in the wards. I'm trying to get through them without bringing them down."

"You look like you're having a seizure." Tonks pushed him aside. "Turn back into Padfoot. I can make a brief opening, but you're going to need to sneak in fast."

Sirius holstered his wand and changed back to the mangy, black mutt that was Padfoot. Tonks, a usually clumsy sort of woman, knew her wandwork and in this she had grace and elegance. Murmuring the necessary spells under her breath, she soon had the slimmest of openings in the wards surrounding Malfoy Manor.

"Go!" she whispered. Padfoot darted through and was soon out of sight.

Bellatrix Lestrange wrinkled her nose at the smell of infection that assaulted her nose as she walked into Lucius Malfoy's bedroom. She had failed her Master and was being punished by acting as nursemaid to her brother-in-law. As she walked closer to the bed another foul scent washed over her and she nearly gagged.

"Swallow your delicate sensibilities, sister-in-law," hissed Lucius. "Don't forget who it was that brought you back from death's edge the last time he was angry with you."

"I ought to just let you die, brother-in-law," she spat. "You should have checked that Potter brat for a portkey!"

"What does it matter, Bella?" laughed Lucius with a gravelly throat as his sister-in-law Scourgified him and began to use what meagre healing skills she had upon his many infected wounds. "I don't see why you bother," he hissed in pain. He knew his failure at keeping the Dementors hidden had been fatal. "I won't be returning to his side."

"You will," Bellatrix snapped, "if I have to drag your stinking carcass back with me!"

The potions Bellatrix plied him with were suspect, at best. Some had been brewed by Snape before he'd turned traitor, the others had been brewed by others with not even a third of the competency Snape had.

Bellatrix left her brother-in-law in better shape than he was when she'd first stepped into the bedroom. She really could care less about Lucius Malfoy, but her Master needed him. In his fiery anger he had lashed out at everything that moved and he had regretfully killed his pet. Twelve Death Eaters were killed outright, as well. Others were tortured, but not nearly as badly as Malfoy was. The disaster at Cane Hill Asylum was all his so the majority of the punishment belonged to him.

The mad Death Eater was completely caught unawares as the dog attacked her from behind. She squealed angrily and tried to throw it off just as it bit viciously down on the back of her neck.

"Bella!" bellowed Lucius from his bedroom. He tried to rise, but one of the potions not only took away pain, but took away his muscular coordination. He was helpless as he heard the growl of a dog and then another scream from his sister-in-law. The scream was abruptly cut off.

To Lucius' ultimate horror, a scraggly haired, large Grim sauntered into his bedroom. Blood dripped vilely from its muzzle and its teeth, bared in a low, warning growl, were red.

Lucius' last thought before he lost consciousness was that he hoped his death would be quick.

October 8, 1995 - Sunday

The morning dawned with the eerie calm found in the eye of a storm. Sunday breakfast was usually a quiet and late affair for the house elfs served breakfast until eleven for many of the habitual late risers. Among those late risers were generally to be found, Harry and Draco. This morning both had woken in their parents dungeon quarters to absolute silence. A quick investigation discovered a note letting them know that there was business that had come up very early, and the two boys were to have breakfast and spend the day with their friends.

In the Great Hall, Harry and Draco met with their friends, ate their breakfasts, and kept glancing up at the nearly empty staff table. The Headmaster, both Professors Snape, McGonagall, and Lupin were nowhere to be seen and no amount of speculation gave a clue to where they might be.

As uneventful as the day was, and as benign, there was an oppressiveness that no one could escape. The students were oddly quiescent and studious, staying close to their common rooms except for when it was time to eat.

It remained that way until just after dinner when the secret members of the Defense Association were all notified of an impromptu meeting to be held within the hour. The twenty-eight members of the DA scrambled to the Room of Requirement and once inside the room was abuzz with the first excitement of the day as they all wondered what was going on.

"Everyone, gather round!" Lyrica Snape had appeared and was addressing the students. Behind her, the Headmaster, Severus Snape, Remus Lupin, and Minerva McGonagall filed in. Some chairs had obviously been set up for them, and they seated themselves.

"Tonight we're going to have a demonstration of everything you can do, so let's start out with our partners."

There was a minor moment of scrambling as the students moved to stand next to their practice partners.

"We're demonstrating your wandless magic, so no wands and be prepared for anything. Do your best."

With a flourish of robes, Lyrica vanished. All the children tensed up, their eyes scouting their surroundings as though they were under attack.

"Dementorus!"

There was a flash of grey light as a false Dementor rose up amongst the students. Five partronii were simultaneously cast at the Dementor while others cast shields. The patronii attacked the Dementor and it vanished with a screech and in a cascade of silvery sparks.

The next assault came in the form of ten pseudo-Death Eaters Apparating amongst the students. The Headmaster marvelled at the smooth attacks and at how efficiently the members of the DA dealt with the pseudo-Death Eaters.

The third attack came in the form of a cloud of smoke. On a battlefield, this cloud could easily hide poison or some other debilitating type of spells within it. Someone cast a rain spell, while another student cast a spell to neutralise any dangers the cloud might have. As the cloud dispersed, the spectators could see that all the students were protected by shimmering shields that surrounded them.

The demonstrations continued, becoming more complicated with each task, and more impressive as the students wielded their wandless, Ley Line enhanced magic. The last demonstration consisted of the combined spell routines where partners linked their magical cores through the Ley Lines. It was a fantastical Tarantella Dance accentuated by spells blasting apart obstacles.

It was quite a show, and as the partners de-linked and gathered their breaths, Snape overheard the Headmaster mutter to McGonagall as he applauded, "I was wrong."

Snape smirked and his black eyes glittered with satisfaction.