"No! Amanda!" Harry yelled out tearfully as he fought against the arms that had saved him. He didn't want to be saved, he fought against them, unsure of who even had him as he was blind in his grief. His tears had taken over everything, and he couldn't stop seeing Amanda's face as she realized that she had been let go. She had slipped; he had meant to continue holding her, but something had happened.

"Potter stop, she's gone," Severus told him in a gentle voice that he had only used once on this particular child. Could it really have been only a couple hours prior to right now?

"No she's not, I just saw her," Harry said piteously as he cried. "She's my friend! Amanda!" He screeched out as he continued to struggle in his Professor's arms, his arms reaching out to empty air.

Severus held the boy firm as he pulled him back away from the edge and up another flight of steps, trying to put as much distance as he could. He wanted to spare the boy the death of a classmate. He was kicking himself up on the inside. Because he knew that if he had only arrived a second sooner, he could have had them both.

"She's gone, and she's not coming back," Severus told him a bit more firmer, though his voice still had the gentleness to it, it also had an undertone of sadness in it.

"Mandy's still a baby, she can't be dead. Her brother's going to kill me," Harry blubbered out hysterically.

"What are you talking about?" Severus asked, a pit of dread appearing in his stomach as he recognized the name from earlier.

"Flint, Marcus is going to kill me. She's only 11," Harry said as he chewed his cloak to try to stop crying. He remembered the way she look as she fell and he just couldn't. He didn't know how to handle this, as he had never lost someone this close to him, not to mention younger then him. He couldn't remember his parents so that didn't really count.

"Sweet Merlin," Severus said as he absently turned the boy to his chest who really started to sob in earnest. He had told his Slytherin that he would watch out for her and make sure she got to safety and here he had failed. His heart weighed heavy in his chest, at the thought of telling him the news.

Harry was coming down from his denial, and his cries had turned to heart wrenching sobs, for the 11 year old girl who never grow up. Who would never become the Medi-witch who specializes in children both the muggle and wizarding children. The girl who would never again play quidditch with her big brother, and who would never tell Harry the funniest jokes he had ever heard. The one with the brown eyes, who despite their situation had always smiled even through her tears. He gasped softly, feeling like his heart would explode out of his chest.

"It's all my fault, I should've held her tighter. I'm sorry, so sorry. Oh Mandy I'm sorry," Harry sobbed out, his tearful pleas, hurting even Snape who was the only one around to hear.

"Hush Potter, it's not your fault, " Severus told him softly, his hand going to rubbed the boy's back to try to calm him down.

He was completely out of his element, and wasn't sure he was doing the whole comforting thing right. He headed up to the fourth floor and stopped, the child still securely in his arms as he continued to cry. Severus sighed as he took a seat on the stone floor, the boy still nestled in his torso. He was getting caught up in his own thoughts and grief that a part of him wasn't sure that he was truly holding Potter. But then again, he knew who was blubbering into his chest, but at this point in time even he wasn't about to deny the little boy this small method of comfort. Especially when he had seen pieces of his horrendous childhood, and no one had ever been there for him. What kind of person would he be if he turned the child away now?

~*~*~*Entrance Hall 5:45~*~*~*~*~

Draco stared in horror as he looked at the entrance doors to Hogwarts. He was standing directly in the line of lava, as his shock took over his body. He had been trying ever since Snape had sealed the doors to break it, but he hadn't been able to get his friends out. They had been yelling through the doors, that something was happening outside as they could see from their dorms. He didn't need to ask what it was they saw as he was currently looking at it.

He had never heard Theodore sound frightened, as in Slytherin you never showed a weakness to anyone let alone your friends. He couldn't understand them because Pansy's crying had been extremely loud. He didn't even know why he let the girl into their plan, before shaking his head as he remembered how she had blackmailed them by saying she was telling Snape. He gasped as he saw the doors crumble to ask as the hot liquid had him sweating.

How was he going to get his friends out? He didn't even know where Snape was or any other Professor. Where the bloody hell was going on? He had never felt so alone then he did in that moment. He turned around, hoping to see just one single soul, but he saw no one. He took off back the way he came, knowing that Snape had been right in their assessment and that the lava was taking over the whole first floor. He couldn't let his friends be burned alive! As he turned a corner, he found himself colliding with something else, and as the thing grunted he deduced that it was another person.

"Malfoy! Watch where you're going!" Ron said angrily. He wasn't truly angry at the boy as he hadn't been paying attention to where he was going. His face was still blotchy but he didn't particularly care, as this was serious.

"I wouldn't go that way if I were you Weasely," Draco told him hurriedly as the boy had quickly gotten up and was about to turn the corner once more.

"Well its a good thing you're not me," Ron replied shortly before continuing.

"You idiot, do you wanna die?!" Draco screeched as he pulled the boy back. His emotions were haywire, and he didn't know what to do. All he could think about his friends being trapped and then being killed by the lava. It was a horrible way to go and to think that this had been his idea he was blaming himself; rightly so.

"The bloody hell is your problem?" Ron asked, turning to look at the other boy in confusion.

"There is lava, pouring into Hogwarts as we speak," Draco replied hoarsely before shaking his head in disbelief.

"It got in then?" Ron whispered in horror.

"Yeah the entrance doors are a pile of ash," Draco replied softly.

"Oh Merlin, did you happen to see any of my brothers come pass you?" Ron asked worriedly.

"No I saw no one. It's deserted," Draco answered. "Have you seen any Professors?" He found himself asking. Now was not the time to be proud, he needed help.

"Professor McGonagall is in her office, evacuating students, as is the rest of the Professors," Ron told him.

"I need help," Draco found himself saying, the tips of his ears turning red in his embarrassment.

"What's the matter?" Ron inquired curiously.

"The Slytherin Tower was sealed by Snape, but my friends hid in a secret compartment in a trunk and now they're trapped in there. The lava is moving fast, if they don't get out they'll die," Draco told him, not even caring that tears were stinging the back of his eyes.

Ron was staring at Draco in horror. "I just want to let you know that what they did was an incredibly stupid thing to do," he said stating the obvious.

"I know that now, but we thought the Headmaster was lying," Draco sniffled defensively.

"He's most certainly not joking. I saw a Slytherin Chaser get burned to death Malfoy, trust me when I say, this is serious," Ron replied choking on his words. That was the first time he uttered the words; about the boy. Even as he had seen it, but saying it just made it more true, even if he had witnessed it.

"Who was it?" Draco asked despite the horror he was feeling. He didn't want to believe it, but there was three Chasers and he knew all three.

"I don't want to talk about it, lets go find a Professor. Where is Snape when you need him?" Ron muttered as he took off the way he came back up the steps with Draco at his heels.

~*~*~*Third Floor Corridors 6:10pm ~*~*~*~

It was about 10 minutes later that Severus found himself standing up. He knew that it was unsafe for them to remain here even longer then they had been. He wasn't naïve as to think that the lava had stayed where it was; knowing how fast it was making its way through the castle. He turned his gaze towards the mop of messy black haired child who had ceased his hysterical sobbing and was producing what could only be classified as soft whimpers. He shook his head as he continued his back rub as he walked through the hall. He was on the alert for wayward students, as they needed to get them all to safety. As he turned towards the DADA classroom, he sneered as he saw the wolf coming out of his office. He held the child tighter, causing him to look up in alarm.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked softly as he felt the man tensed. Was the lava coming back to kill them like it got Manda? He buried his face in the man's shoulder once more.

"Nothing for you to worry about," Severus told him as the man spotted them and turned in their direction.

"Severus, I've just finished evacuating the students in my office. Do you know how many are left?" Remus asked before he caught a glimpse of the child on the Potion's master's shoulder. His nostrils flared at the fresh saltwater he could smell on the boy.

"I was just heading to the Headmaster's office to see," Severus told him curtly; before sighing. "And before you ask, he has just witness a classmate's death," he murmured, seeing the man's sharp look.

"Oh cub," Remus gasped instinctively going towards the child. He could tell by the narrowed eyes of Severus that he was getting to close but he didn't care. He did however stopped, and opened his arms the universal gesture that asked if he could hold the child.

"Here," Severus told him as started to hold out Harry, trying to ignore the small pain in his chest. He knew that the wolf would be able to comfort him better, and in turn the boy would cling to the last of his last link to his parents.

It was irrational and sudden the small sliver of jealously he felt, as he wanted to be the only one to comfort Harry. These protective and caring feeling were new, as he wanted the protect the little boy, and not just because he was his best friend's son. He growled inwardly, this wasn't about him and his newly discovered feelings, this was about the sad little boy in his arm. He started to hold the child out to Lupin only to stop suddenly as he heard a small voice.

"No, don't. I wanna stay with you. Please? Don't send me away. I'll be a good boy," Harry whimpered over and over again; as his fingers clenched tight to his teacher's robes. He was holding on for dear life not wanting to be separated from the safety of Snape.

Severus sighed as he brought the boy back to his chest. He didn't want to answer the man's unasked questions, they didn't have time for this. There was so many things they still needed to do. He however did know that he would have to address this, as the last of Harry's whimpering had turned to pleading and he knew exactly what it stemmed from.

"Let's go Lupin," he muttered as he continued his path to the Headmaster's office. He didn't say anything to Minerva when they found her coming out of her own office with a distressed look on her face. Severus was only focused on Harry; and at the moment could care less about what she had to say. He knew that when they made it to Albus that he would hear what had the Headmistress in a twit, and he only hoped that more children hadn't died. As Harry didn't need to hear any of that.

~*~*~*~The Headmaster's Office 6:35pm ~*~*~*~

Albus Dumbledore had just flooed the last of the students that he had managed to get into his office. He sat on his desk, the alarms around his office going off as another section of Hogwarts was destroyed. He was afraid, he had never felt such fear as he felt at that very moment. Oh it wasn't for himself, but for his students, and his staff. His children if you will, he knew he had missed some and he already knew that hoping that his other Professors had gotten the rest was futile. It was indeed an old man's wish.

Hogwarts was huge, and he could only pray that they had all gotten out safely. He sighed wearily, something compelling him to grab the registry book of wizarding students enrolled in Hogwarts. He turned the pages slowly, not sure what he was looking for until he saw a name disappear from a page. He knew what that represented. A name didn't just disappear for nothing. For that to happen a student had to have been deceased and was then no longer registered at Hogwarts. He gasped as a few more names started to disappear as if they had never been there at all.

He knew every single one of his students; so each blank page he felt a piece of his heart break off a little bit more. He took a moment to grieve, for each and every child that was lost. He could hear Fawkes, singing a mournful song, knowing that he failed. He was bent over his book, unable and unwilling to look away when the door to his office flew open. He looked up at the intruders, their fearful expressions had him coming back to himself and setting his book to the side. He looked at his 3 Professor's sadly, trying but failing to get a grip on his emotions.

"Albus what is it?" Minerva asked, as they could all see the tears on his cheeks.

"We didn't get all the students," Albus replied, as he took off his glasses and wiped his eyes with his handkerchief.

"Merlin, the registry book showed you I presume?" Severus asked quietly, his hand unconsciously going to rest on the back of Harry's head. He didn't want the child to hear this, but he himself couldn't miss this information.

"It did, I watched a few names disappearing. More are joining them now as we speak," Albus replied before taking a shuddering breath, as he looked back to the book.

"Any Slytherins?" Severus couldn't help but ask. He cared for all of his students, but he was closer to the ones in his house as was the case for all the other Head of houses.

"Too many," Albus replied softly. "And Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs," he continued before the rest of them could ask.

"Who?" Severus requested softly.

"Don't ask me that Severus," Albus replied, his voice tired and thick with tears of grief.

"I'm sorry," Severus replied almost automatically. He hadn't stopped to think how the man might be feeling, having to see name after name disappear; knowing exactly what that meant.

"It's alright," Albus told him quietly. "They didn't deserve this. My poor children," he gasped out quietly as he saw one name flicker as if they were fighting death before it suddenly disappeared.

"Whose name was flickering Albus?" Minerva asked, unable to help herself. She was slowly inching close but she hadn't been able to see it fully.

"A Gryffindor," Albus replied quietly before swallowing and shaking his head at her. He would could not, and would not tell her who. He didn't need her blaming herself as he was doing to himself now. He was pulled out of his thoughts however when someone spoke. He looked up once more and truly focused on the people in his office. Now that he thought about it, why was Harry with Severus.

"Which one? Albus?" Minerva asked in spite of the pounding in her heart.

"Not right now Minnie," Albus murmured as he took a lemon drop from the desk and popped it in his mouth.

"What does that mean? What does the book show?" Harry asked, curiously; finally poking his head out from his teacher's shoulder. He hadn't been listening to the conversation, but something just perked his interest. Not to mention the Headmaster sounded so sad, it was starting to creep him out. The teachers had all forgotten about the child up into that moment.

"The names of all the students in Hogwarts. Harry my boy, how are you?" Albus replied, trying to fix his tone so that Harry couldn't hear the worry in his voice.

"I'm fine," Harry replied quietly. "Were you talking about the kids that....died?" Harry choked out softly.

"Yes Harry, we were," Severus replied softly. "Don't think about it," he told him knowing exactly where the child's thoughts were going to. More specifically who.

"I can't not do that. Headmaster? Can...could you see if Amanda Flint is still in there?" He asked, swallowing hard as a wave of grief threatened to expel him. He knew she was gone, but he felt that he needed a bit of closure since he knew she probably wasn't going to get a funeral anytime soon. He rubbed his cheek against his teacher's shoulder, releasing a shuddering breath. He felt the man"s hand resume his soothing back rub.; making him feel good on the inside. If the situation wasn't so bad, he really would have relished in the comfort.

"Of course Harry," Albus replied looking at the small boy with a confused expression. After all he didn't know what happened to the girl.

"Amanda Flint was holding onto him when she fell from the second floor, where there was lava collecting underneath her. Potter would have fallen as well if I hadn't pulled him back at the last second," Severus explained feeling the child stiffen at his words; and Minerva gasp. He had remembered that she probably hadn't known this.

"I don't like it when you call me Potter," Harry whispered tearfully in the man's ear.

Every time he heard Snape called him that, he only remembered the man sneering down at him and making fun of him. Like his Uncle tended to do. But when he called him Harry, he could see the man who held him, and let him cry into his chest. Just thinking on that had him blinking away tears. There was the mean Snape and then the not so mean Snape. Could he help it if he wanted the security and safety he got with the latter?

"Why not? It's your last name," Severus told him quietly.

"My Uncle calls me that, when he's about to hurt me," Harry admitted before sniffling.

Severus stilled himself at the child's admission, and he could hear the intake of breaths in the office, making him remember that they were far from alone; and not every occupant had known that. He looked at Albus who looked even older if that was possible before he resumed looking at the book.

"Amanda, the first year Gryffindor. She's alive," Albus found himself saying as he read it, and she was. Her name wasn't flickering, but he could see that it had turned a red color which meant the child in question was injured. "But she's hurt," he continued.

"She's alive? How? But I saw her fall," Harry asked, refusing to believe it, he knew what he saw!

"I'm sure someone else did as well, and they saved her. As it is, I hope that she's in good hands," Albus told him as there was nothing more he could say and he turned the page to see who else was there, or wasn't.

Harry quieted at that, but he didn't poke his head up anymore. He was safe in Snape's arms, and he wasn't about to leave that. Or at least that's what he was planning on doing until he heard his head of houses voice.

"Severus set Harry down, so I can floo him to safety," Minerva told him briskly. She was still bristling over the news of about her lions. Not to mention she couldn't understand just why Harry was clinging to Severus that way, especially considering their history together.

"No!" Harry screamed out, his arms tightening around the man's neck, lest someone try to yank him away from his Potion's Professor.

"Mr. Potter, enough of this. You will get down and come to me right this moment! We do not have time for this," the Headmistress said in her no-nonsense voice, that usually had students quick to do what she wanted. She made her way towards the child, ignoring the glare she was receiving from Severus.

"No, I'm a good boy. I didn't do anything wrong! I wanna stay with Snape!" Harry whimpered out hysterically, his eyes shut tight as his legs and arms securely attached themselves to his Professor's body. He trembled in the man's arms violently, as the items in the Headmaster's office started to rattle with his magic. He didn't seem the alarmed expressions on the Professor's in the office, nor the fact that his Head of House was now backing off.

"Calm down Harry, you're not going anywhere. I told you that you were going to stay with me, and I meant that," Severus told him gently, his eyes like knives from how sharp he was looking at the Gryffindor Head of house; who looked at alarmed as the rest of the occupants in the office. He was starting to understand that seeing the small girl fall had been a bit too much for the child. He seemed to be suffering from mild flashbacks, and Severus hoped they wouldn't get any worse. His heart heart every time he heard the child say that he was a good boy, he had know desire to know why he was so insistent.

"She's going to make me go," Harry told him tearfully as he sniffles returned.

"Minerva wouldn't dare," Severus repeated trying to calm the tears; and to his relief(and everyone elses) everything stopped shaking. The glass figurines on Albus's desk, stopped rattling almost instantly when he calmed down.

"Okay," Harry whispered. He was aware that he wasn't acting his age, but who the heck cared? So Amanda wasn't dead but she was hurt, and unaccounted for, that was just as bad; so he knew he had a right to be upset. He had seen her fall, a person didn't just bounce back from that, especially if there was lava underneath!

Albus found his blue eyes twinkling in spite of the situation as he looked at his two boys. He had always known that they could benefit from each other, he was only sadden that it took a tragedy like this to get it going. He sighed as he stared at them, before turning to his familiar who had left his perch and was now singing a song to Harry. He was relieved when the child's tensed shoulder started to relax.

"Albus what are we going to do? Hogwarts won't stand a chance against this," Remus murmured when it seemed that no one was going to speak.

"I do not know and at the moment I do not care. My first priority isn't the castle, but the remaining children inside. According to the registry there are approximately 25 students still inside the school. Now before you ask there are: 8 Gryffindors, 7 Slytherins, 4 Hufflepuffs, and 6 Ravenclaws," Albus told them.

"Is there anyway that you can let us know who they are?" Severus asked, a sinking in the pit of his stomach, at the mention of the 7 Slytherins. He had told them to go up, and head to the library and he knew that everyone up there had been evacuated. He didn't have a good feeling about this, and neither did the small boy in his arms as he he whined at the news. Severus knew that Harry was no doubt afraid to hear if he knew the Gryffindors.

"Who are the Gryffindors?" Minerva asked quietly.

"Well Harry is one of them of course, but oh dear. Molly isn't going to like this," Albus breathed out quietly. He shook his head as he saw that not one or two but 4 of her sons were still inside the school and in danger as long as they were in the castle. He wasn't about to speak it aloud, not when he could see those emerald green eyes peeking through a curtain of hair in curiosity.

"Which one of her boys is it?" Minerva asked with a bit of dread in her stomach.

Before Albus could say anything, he looked up as the guardian guarding his office, suddenly sent him an alert that someone was trying to guess the password and get in. He knew that it had to be students and he quickly had the guardian grant them access. He didn't know what was wrong, but he had a hunch that whatever it was wasn't going to be good news.

"Albus? What is it?" Remus asked softly.

"We have more visitors," he told them as he turned towards the door to wait for the knock, that he knew would come.

~*~*~*~2nd floor Corridor 6:15pm ~*~*~*~

Sirius Black was currently making his way through the second floor of the castle. The escaped convict, was shaking his head in disbelief. As a dog he had heard all sorts of rumors of what had been going on, but hearing it from the Headmaster's mouth had been the kicker. If the situation hadn't been so severe he would have never braved being in his human form. The reason he was out, is that he wanted to make sure that his godson was safe, and he couldn't really do that if he was a dog. He sighed as he took in the sight in front of him. He had never see the castle look this deserted, which is why he felt confident that no one would run into him.

Oh he wasn't as stupid as one might think which is why when he came across a fallen wand he picked it up, and was in the process of disguising himself when he heard it. He heard that cringing ear piercing shriek that all little girls do, only something told him that whoever was screaming was in some serious trouble. His first reaction was to find her and save her, before he remembered himself. Acting impulsively had led to him getting incarcerated and Harry being raised by someone other then him. He had a plan to catch Peter and he was sticking with it.

At the moment, he wiped the brow from his eyes, he could see no one and had deduced that the scream had come from up above. He continued to walk, wondering why the temperature seemed to keep rising. He wasn't yet sure what was going on, until he lost himself in his thoughts and almost walked straight into the lava. He gasped loudly as he hurriedly stepped back, at the hot liquid seemed to destroy everything in his path. He didn't need to look down to know that the whole bottom floor seemed to be destroyed or on its way to it.

He turned to transform when he heard the scream again, only this time it was occupied by another, a familiar voice! Looking up he could see Harry, and some girl hanging off the edge of the staircase. Sirius pulled out the borrowed wand, and made a strong shield of water to prevent the lava from coming towards him while he focused on not letting the children fall. That plan fell through however, when the girl was suddenly falling, her screams echoing in his ears, as he watched her fall. She looked like she was first year, and he knew he had to catch her. She was only a baby, his own safety be damned! He hadn't even called out a spell as his wand caught her, and due to the way the lava was rising; he was terrified for her, that he wouldn't be able to hold onto her.

He only had a moment to grab her and hold her to his chest before he took off down the hall. He needed to get them to a higher floor, he didn't see anyone grab his godson but he knew that the boy hadn't fallen. Sirius didn't stop, or slow his pace, taking the next available staircase two at a time trying to put as much distance he could between them and the lava. As they climbed up onto the 7th floor, he continued to hold the child tightly. He must have been doing something right as the girl had yet to let go of him. Making his way to the Room of Requirement, he paced back and forth for a moment, wishing for an hospital. He wasn't very good at healing, but he knew the child who ever she was needed his help. As he walked in he, and shut the door behind them, he set her on the bed.

"Hey there, little one you're okay," he told her softly, trying to reassure her that everything was okay. His heart was pounding from his run, and he was out of breath. He nearly smirked to himself when a cup of water appeared next to him on the dresser by the bed. Which he gratefully drank.

"Am, am I dead?" Amanda asked, her throat thick with tears.

"No I saved you," Sirius explained to her quietly.

"Why did you do that?" She asked, as she sat up. She hadn't heard his voice before so she knew already that this wasn't one of her Professors; and he looked to old to be a student. She wasn't sure who he was but she didn't feel threatened at all, especially as he just saved her life.

"Because you're my godson's friend. And if the way he was holding onto you was any inclination, I know that hes beating himself up right now because he thinks your dead," Sirius told her gently.

Amanda didn't pretend she got that, choosing to look at the man with a blank expression. "But I am dead, I fell and I was burned alive. See my feet?" She said in a calm voice that had Sirius looking at her in alarm.

He had smelled burning flesh when he carried her, but up until that moment he hadn't know what part of her was burnt. Looking at her feet had him wincing as her shoes, were completely melted off, and sticking to her feet which were black. He had to wonder how she wasn't screaming in pain right now. He could also see the tears silently streaming down her face, but she was oh so calm; it didn't make sense.

"No honey, I know they're burnt, and I'll heal them in a moment," he promised as he stood up and grabbed the burn salve. He went through the bookshelf of potions, grabbing everything he remembered Poppy using on him when he had an incident with a dragon in his 4th year.

"I want my brother," she whimpered out as she hugged herself tightly. She didn't yet feel her pain, because of the shock she was currently in. It was probably a good thing too, as she would probably pass out if she did.

"Doesn't it hurt?" He asked suddenly as he had held out a pain potion and she shook it away; as if she didn't need.

"I don't want it," she protested; shaking her head once more. She felt fine!

"You're in shock," Sirius stated as he stared at her for a second, before uncorking the vial along with a few others and making her drink it. She gave him a bit of a struggle, but she was an injured 11 year old girl and was no match for him. He knew they were safe for the moment, and he took that time to heal her, making sure to keep her as calm as can be. It helped however that she had a calming potion coursing through her blood stream.

"Why did you save me? Thank you for doing it, but why did you really do it?" Amanda asked quietly, as she wiped her runny nose on her sleeve. She knew if her mother had been there she would have been scolded for not using pureblood decorum; and acting like someone without manners.

"Because my godson would never forgive himself if you had died. Not to mention you are someone's baby, I would hope that if I had a daughter someone would save her if she was in a similar situation," Sirius replied quietly, and he had meant every word. He grimaced as he watched her, before reaching over and grabbing the handkerchief that just appeared.

"Harry's your godson, so I guess that makes you Sirius Black then, huh?" Amanda asked neutrally; as she pondered over the information that she was given. She knew this is why she was placed in Gryffindor instead of Slytherin like she had been hoping, her sense of curiosity always overrode her sense of self preservation.

She didn't particularly care who the man was in front of her, she was from a dark family, and though she would deny all who asked her this; but her father was definitely a death eater. And he tended to talk about sensitive things when he thought his children were asleep. She had known as long as she could remember that the man in front of her was no death eater. He didn't even have the signature tattoo! She knew that he had been framed, hell most of the Slytherins did too. As he was from a dark family as well, she had no reason to fear him; as he knew how sacred pureblood children were. No harm would come to her, at least not from him.

"Yes, but I'm not going to hurt you." Sirius told her in a calm voice.; before reaching over and wiping her nose. "Blow," he requested.

"I know you're not, you didn't do it. You don't have to explain to me," Amanda said with a shy smile, before she blew her nose.

"How could you know that?" Sirius asked her after a moment of silence had passed by and he placed the sodden handkerchief in the rubbish bin. He had been shocked into silence at her words.

"I'm Amanda Flint, a pureblood from a dark family. I know you weren't a death eater," she replied firmer as if that explained it all; because for purebloods it did. And one look at his expression she knew he understood it all to clearly.

"How is Harry friends with you?" Sirius couldn't help but ask; he was aware that his tone was rude and not all gentle as it had been. He stared at her a bit differently as well; ashamed to say that he was indeed judging her, and he knew she knew it too.

"I'm in Gryffindor," she replied softly. "And as of 2 hours ago we weren't friends. We were just the only ones left in the tower. Don't worry, I won't poison him," Amanda muttered before turning away from the man. Her shy friendly smile was gone and in it's place was a blank expression. Though she wasn't a Slytherin she was from a Slytherin family, and she knew how to hide her emotions when she needed too. But she was still only 11 and he had hurt her feeling, so the tears pooled into her eyes unwilling, but she didn't look at him again.

She felt a sense of hurt settling in her stomach, but this was nothing new to the 11 year old. There was a reason she didn't have a lot of friends in Gryffindor, and it wasn't the first time where she cursed the sorting hat. She knew it was only love that kept her parents from disowning her; and the back of her eyes stung from the tears. She stared at her red but no longer severely burnt feet. They were far from being healed, but she wasn't at a risk of loosing her feet or toes anymore. She didn't offer anything else, and only watched in silence as he wrapped her feet in bandages.

"Oh," Sirius stated stupidly feeling low all of a sudden. It didn't matter who Harry was friends with, he should be able to contest to that. He was from a dark family and a Potter of all things had befriended him too. So why couldn't Harry and Amanda have that friendship? Who the hell was he to judge that; to judge them? Not to mention, this was an 11 year old girl, where did he get off hurting kids. What if someone did that to Harry?

"I thank you for saving me," she repeated formally. "If you ever need anything, just call on the life debt that you now have and I will try my best to grant you it," Amanda replied curtly as she waited until he was finished before she started to slide off the bed so she could get off of it. She shook her head; even as the tears fell. But she wouldn't wipe them away, she wouldn't give him that satisfaction to know that he upset her so. Amanda swallowed thickly, just wanting to run away from this place and leave him behind.

"It was nothing kid, listen. I'm sorry, I know I have no business judging you, and Harry is lucky to have a friend like you," Sirius told her softly, before he registered her words. "And you don't owe me a life debt," he protested.

"I do, you saved my life," Amanda told him, his apology and his words warming her hurt heart. She still couldn't look at him Slytherins never showed weakness. And she was a snake in lion's clothing.

"I did it because it was the right thing to do, you are someone's kid," Sirius stressed as he stood up and looked around the sterile room. He sighed as he finally caught a glimpse of her face and sighed, knowing that this new wave of tears was his own doing and not her injuries. He took a clean wash cloth and gently cleaned her face.

"I know," Amanda replied softly, realizing that he wasn't going to take it. "What are we going to do?" She asked, she didn't even know where they were. She hadn't exactly been fully aware when he brought her up him. She didn't protest as he cleaned her face, her emotions confused on the inside.

"The come and go room." Sirius replied absently as he pulled out the wand and started to finish his disguising charm on his face.

"We can't stay here can we?" Amanda asked quietly.

"No it isn't safe, the lava is rising and when it does get to the 7th floor, we will be sitting ducks. We need to get as high up as we can, and then I'll accio a broom and get us the hell out of here," Sirius told her.

"But what about Harry?" Amanda said suddenly, remembering her friend.

"Find him on the way, hopefully after what happened. He will think to go up," Sirius told him as he reached for her on the bed and picked her up. She didn't weigh much so he didn't feel that he needed to cast a featherlight charm so he didn't. He made sure she drank some water before they left the room and reappeared in the corridors of Hogwarts.

"I'm scared," she whispered out, when the empty silence of the hallway seemed much too loud to her.

"I know you are, but I've got you and I'm not going to leave you." Sirius promised her as he headed down the hallway.