The following few days were spent further planning the mission, but more so attempting to gather as much information as they possibly could. There was no mistaking the nervousness amongst the teenagers, whenever the tedious and dangerous task was brought back into the conversation.

According to Hermione's research, Puzzlewood was known to be a Muggle tourist attraction that contained one of the most prominent scowles within the Forest of Dean. A scowle – as Harry asked Hermione to kindly explain to him – was a collection of hollow pits diving deep within the cave system underground as a result of erosion, used mainly for mining purposes. The scowles themselves were a collection of rings situated within the central part of the Forest of Dean, which had not been used for years. These pits dated back thousands of years, but as far as they were aware, had been unused for quite some time. Those pits from the surface dropped down to the cave system below.

Puzzlewood itself was an open, public attraction, filled with treetop walkways, bridges, and paths through the dense, ancient forest. Harry was hesitant at first and didn't believe that the Death Eaters would ever use it as a method of entry. Ron had mused that maybe the Death Eaters used it as a cover, despite it being so ingrained as a public attraction, that they intended to fool the rest of them and trick them into believing it was out of the question. There had been a debate amongst the group of them about this, but eventually, Hermione settled on the idea that it was still worth checking out. Draco suggested that they consider approaching the location during the day so they could see better, and Harry didn't deny that it was their best bet, as the enemies would not trek through it during daylight.

The place sounded rather inviting to the average Muggle – But for them, it spelled potential danger. The area was known for its strange rock formations, secret caves, and ancient trees. A perfect filter of mystery to mask what was truly happening under their feet, many meters below. Luna had discovered that Puzzlewood had a vast amount of yew trees, and according to her own personal knowledge, yew seemed to have a particular liking for iron and thus, their roots would actively seek out the veins of iron ore. That alone was a great indicator of the smaller cave openings, and Harry and the others were keen to see it for themselves.

The Secret Forest, on the other hand, was far closer to the traditional entrance to the Clearwell Caves. It was not as impressive as the terrain at Puzzlewood, but given its closer vicinity to the caves, it was also a potential bet.

But as they discussed, they wanted to avoid the usual entrances. If they could catch them off guard, then they weren't about to stupidly use the same doorway as their enemy. So, they all decided to pursue their task at the next two locations that day. As Draco had suggested, they would seek out both places during the day, because the Death Eaters would avoid using daylight to move around. Therefore, it was safer for them as a day mission, instead of trekking through the dangerous terrain at night, and that had them feel a little more at ease with the idea.

Despite Severus being very apprehensive about the plan, they broke off into groups as they did previously before to cover both new locations in the same day, as they could not afford to waste any more precious time whilst people were in danger. Hermione and Ron were sent to the Secret Forest, whilst Harry, Ginny, and Luna decided to check out Puzzlewood. Draco had opted to stay behind this time as Severus was having an off day, and neither he nor Harry felt comfortable leaving him on his own in such a state this time. Severus had a bout of horrible nausea that morning, leaving him incredibly weak and lethargic. Instead, Draco suggested he start stocking up on potions that they may need for the upcoming mission, which had him feeling somewhat productive while the others were gone. Harry figured then at least that would give him and his Godfather the quality time they needed, while the rest of them were away. Time was clearly not on their side.

Harry and his entourage of Ginny and Luna, entered through the main entry of Puzzlewood, leaving Harry to pay the front desk with his own share of Muggle money. Harry had no choice but to be the Muggle liaison for the other two, as he realised that Ginny and Luna would be unlikely to venture out to public areas such as this. Harry felt a small sense of joy in the role reversal since finding out he was a wizard and had no clue whatsoever about the magical world. At least what they were doing, he found some strange sense of normality despite the grim task at hand.

"Paying to enter a forest is rather silly. Don't you think?" Luna spoke whimsically, as she stopped at the edge of the path to plant her hand on a slick, moss-covered yew tree.

Ginny couldn't help but chuckle, "Well, you're not wrong."

"Of course, I'm not. It's a beautiful place and it should be experienced by everyone."

"These tickets do seem ridiculously expensive, Harry. You should have just had Hermione charm fake Pounds or something, " Ginny proceeded to brush her long red hair, out of her face, as a small breeze rustled through.

Harry turned to the other two, keeping his hand clasped lightly over the hilt of his wand, which he had stuffed into the pocket of his jeans, "Relax, I've got it covered. Better this, than sneaking around at night. This feels loads better."

"Yeah, well, I'm sure one of us would accidentally fall into an endless pit in the middle of the night, so this is the right call, " Ginny grinned, as she stepped over a small pile of rocks obscuring half of their current pathway.

Luna smirked, "Not unless you wander off the path. I'm afraid even with your awkward footing, Harry, that it is still a possibility."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Luna, " Harry responded sarcastically looking at the forest floor below his feet, feeling his confidence slightly wounded.

"You're quite welcome, Harry."

Puzzlewood felt like a new forest entirely, as it was hard to believe that it was still a part of the Forest of Dean. Already the moss-covered terrain was vastly different, and as Harry looked above, there were man-made wooden bridges connecting to each other via the treetops. Harry had to fumble with his own little map given to him by a young, olive-skinned woman, as they had to make sure they did not get themselves hopelessly lost. The place itself was series of winding stone pathways descending and ascending amongst ancient, twisted yew trees, with treehouses and boardwalks located above. It was rather a beautiful place. The lush summer flora was evident in the vast number of bluebells and an array of ferns as they brush past some overgrowth over their path. As they walked, they noticed some of the wildlife trekking through, almost oblivious to the humans in their midst. Luna had spotted a pair of badgers near the small creek as they walked across a small, rickety wooden bridge, and Harry had sworn he spotted a small deer amongst the ferns on the other side. Ginny almost accidentally hexed a rabbit who rustled the bushes, sending her on high alert as she grew slightly startled, leaving Harry chuckling to himself as her cheeks tinged red with embarrassment.

As they discovered on their map, there were two mine entrances that Hermione had mentioned the day before in regard to the composition of the Clearwell Caves – Old Bow and Old Ham Mines. Luna herself was eager to add those points of interest to her own hand-drawn map back at headquarters, and at least they could have a visual as to what they were dealing with.

The trio spent a few hours wandering around, keeping their eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. Or at least, only whatever the magical eye could see. Harry was thankful for the cover of a mild crowd, as summer holidays meant that there were a lot of families with small children bounding through the pathways, giggling away. Their innocent, joyous laughs seemed to absorb into the thick trees around them as not to have a single care in the world. They knew that the Death Eaters would not attack this far in the open, and in broad daylight, so they had a welcome measure of protection that enabled them to remain clear-headed as they scoured the woodland for any sign that they were heading in the right direction. They passed both entrances to the mine located on their map, through their winding travels, and they discovered that both entrances were blocked off to the public to prevent them from using them.

They had also discovered, that both entrances had been magically warded, and one of their enchantments happened to be a Muggle repel charm. There was a small cheer of victory between Harry and Ginny, as they knew they were one step closer to finding them. Their only concern now was mapping the underground cave system itself and they could only hope that either of these two mines did not drop down directly into enemy territory. That was what had Harry worried the most. It was far more difficult to plan something they simply could not see for themselves.

Once they were satisfied with what they had discovered, they ventured back to Grimmauld Place to re-connect with the others and relay the information amongst their own scattered notes.

Hermione and Ron weren't able to find a separate mine amongst the Secret Forest area they traveled through, but since it was located across from the main entrance of the Clearwell, the pair decided to pay the attraction a visit from the outside. Hermione had procured extra maps of the interior and had a discussion with the woman at the entrance more about the cave itself. According to her findings, the attraction had been closed for weeks during a cave-in at one of the mine entrances, thus, no one had been able to travel down within it. That immediately sparked up interest amongst the others, as it now became certain that it was intentionally caused in order to keep the rest of the Muggle population away while the Death Eaters used it for their own means. Upon her conversation, she also found out that there was a location deep within the center, containing an underground lake known as the Skeleton Pool, which had been there for hundreds of years. Hermione had pointed out to the image on the map she held within her hands, and it was almost identical to the strange, blue-lit lake that Harry had seen within Amycus' memories.

With this information in mind, the group was more than ready to begin their planning upon its infiltration. But as Severus had bluntly mentioned to him the night before, this was a potential death trap.

That was more concerning, and neither of them felt overly confident about the entire venture.

Harry had the most terrible feeling within the pit of his stomach. The more he held onto Severus' words the night before, the more frightened he was to venture down into the darkness.

He hated every bit of this.

As the next day sprang forth, Harry decided to join Draco into the basement tending towards the potions supply that the Slytherin had been working on prior. He entered the basement, as strong fumes, and the scent of burnt wood and cardamon wafted under his nostrils. The younger Slytherin was hunched over a mortar and pestle, grinding away at the contents within. Once Harry reached the bottom step, there was a large creaking sound causing him to wince, and Draco to look up.

"You need to work on your stealth, Potter. I can hear you from a mile away, " Draco spoke in a slightly sardonic tone, but turned back towards his current task and rolling his eyes as he did so.

Harry walked up to the main bench and observed the scatterings of ingredients, empty vials, and containers around the workspace. It was in slight disarray, but it was far more manageable than Harry's usual disorganised state. Harry stood idly by the table, carefully looking into the two simmering cauldrons in front of him. One was a large cauldron – a thickened, almost sludge-like consistency was slightly bubbling at the rim. Its light plum-colored tinge smelled like the cardamom that Harry had noticed as he walked in. The second cauldron was small and copper. Its simmering turquoise liquid was giving off colored smoke, causing Harry's eyes to slightly burn.

"Not too close – It'll be a shame if you singed your face off, " Draco smirked sadistically, "But while you're here, throw in a pinch of ground lacewing flies…over there. Make yourself useful, " The Slytherin pointed to a small dish beside the cauldron, with a black and grey ground powder.

Harry frowned at the request, as he took a small pinch with his fingers, and dropped the powder into the smaller cauldron causing a small blue spark to illuminate the contents. "…What's in the larger cauldron?"

"Burn salve. In ten minutes, it gets removed from the heat and set aside to cool. Once it does, it creates a wax-like consistency, which means it needs to be mixed to soften."

Harry was rather impressed with that knowledge, "That's handy to know."

Draco raised an eyebrow, "Severus' recipe, actually. This takes some time to prepare but given our eventual venture into the depths of hell, I figured I'd get a head start."

"Brilliant, " Harry nodded, feeling rather pleased with that progress, "So, any thoughts about how we should approach this. You know…Going down there."

"You actually asked for my opinion?" Draco seemed to hesitate slightly.

"As a matter of fact, I did, " Harry tapped on the table until he shifted to sit down on one of the wooden stools, "We need ideas. Severus is working on something, but I also want to know what you think. I mean, you worked amongst them too. I figured you might know their strategies or something."

The younger Slytherin seemed to arch his head to the side in deep thought, "Hmm. Honestly, it's hard to know without going in there. For once, the forest is not on our side. They seek protection underground. Besides, I don't know any more than Severus does."

Harry bit his lip, feeling worried yet again, "Maybe we won't be able to plan this as well as we thought."

The cringeworthy grind from the mortar was slightly distracting, but Draco finally stopped and leaned casually against the table, "We can still plan this. But it's risky as hell, I'm not going to lie. All I know is that they'll have a back-up plan once they know they are under threat. A failsafe. Considering we'll be stuck in a cave, it has me wondering what they would do. They'll kill everyone, including themselves if it means gaining the upper hand and seeking their own sick justice. They are ruthless."

Harry tapped his fingers nervously upon the wooden table, feeling fresh anxiety grip him by the throat. He hated this. The feeling of entrapment and danger made him feel sick with nervousness, as the pondering of the unknown scared him immensely. And not to mention what else they'd find, and face once they reached them. How many other poor souls had perished since viewing the memory in the first place? He hoped within his heart that Neville was not baiting them further. He hoped with everything he had that they were, at least, alive.

Reaching into his pocket, Harry withdrew one of the spare fake galleons stashed within the lint-filled crevices of his old, worn jeans. He placed it on the table, watching as Draco eyed it curiously. "One of our DA coins – we use it to communicate…Just in case you get yourself into trouble. Wouldn't be the first time."

Draco appeared to observe it with much distaste, "I don't fancy being a part of your big-headed Gryffindor squad, Potter."

"Just until we get the others back. After that, you can toss it back to me for all I care, " Harry frowned lightly, "It's just as a precaution if ever you need backup. Especially once we get down there."

"Are you underestimating my ability? Me?"

Harry couldn't stop the condescending snort that escaped him, "Don't flatter yourself, and take the damn thing."

The Slytherin picked up the coin and gently twirled it around within the palm of his hand, studying the object with interest. Once he was done, he stashed it back into his own pocket merely only responding in a small nod. Draco turned back to the larger cauldron and using his wand, cast a non-verbal levitation charm, causing the heavy object to lift from the burner and set it down onto the marble slab beside it. After he was done, he turned to the small, clear empty container and gave it a tap with his wand, as the object shook and several more copies of it emerged. Upon the duplication charm, there were at least ten containers ready for when the burn salve had finished cooling. Instead, Draco turned and slumped into the other chair.

"So…" Draco placed his wand back onto the table, "Trial is the day after tomorrow, yeah?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah."

Draco sighed, "…How do you think it's going to go?"

"I really don't know, to be honest, " Harry bit his lip, "I can only hope they go easy on him, at least."

"They won't. The Council will be brutal, no matter who is Minister, " Draco crossed his arms over his chest, "I'd be shocked if they don't listen to the Chosen One's testimony. No pressure there, Potter."

"Gee, thanks, Malfoy."

"Just suck up to the Minister, and I'm sure he'll give you a free pass. Hasn't been the first time, " Draco curled his lips, rather coldly.

"Yeah well, it's the Council we need to convince, not the Minister. There are about fifty of them. And this won't be a small trial. They'll be interested to hear your side of things, too, don't forget. "

Draco grumbled, "Yeah, don't remind me. I thought I was done dealing with the Ministry, and now I have this other bloody thing to worry about."

"Remember this is for Severus…your Godfather. Try not to mess this up. It's not all up to me, you know."

"…Who else is testifying?"

"We have a few people willing so far. It's hard to find anyone who witnessed Severus in a better light – for lack of better term - as he was too good at hiding it. You know…what he did the entire time."

Draco ran a hand down his tired face, "Yeah, and he fooled even me, and my family. My father was in a state of shock, though he didn't fully understand that…" The Slytherin sighed, and suddenly, he looked saddened. Harry was a little unnerved by his sudden new demeanor, as Draco seemed to stare off glumly into the distance with an unfocused gaze. "…I'm really scared for him."

Confused, Harry scrunched up his face, "Who? Your dad?"

Draco shook his head, as a lengthy blonde lock shifted from behind his ear and fell over his brow, "No…Severus. I spoke to him last night – He was rather sick more than usual, so I stayed with him. We talked a lot, but…I don't want to lose him too, you know? What if we never get my mum back…What if something happens to her? I'll have no one."

Harry stared at Draco and tried his best to keep a calm expression. He blinked hard several times, trying to formulate some sort of logical response for him, but he felt a little out of his league. He spent three months working closely with Severus, and it took some time before either of the two were able to be comfortable enough to be strangely open with one another. As with Draco – They were still in rival territory, and Harry had absolutely no idea how to approach him with any semblance of compassion or understanding.

Instead, Harry fell silent.

"He's known me since I was a baby. Mum was insistent that she make him my Godfather the moment I was born. It just seemed logical, really, " A small, blissful smile played upon Draco's lips, as he reminisced, "I remember one time when I was nine…Mum and Dad asked Severus to look after me, while they left one evening until the next day for some Ministry conference in Europe. Anyway, I was playing out in the garden before sundown, and I fell over and broke my damn ankle. I think I teased or spooked the peacock or something, and he kind of went for me, so I fell over a little awkwardly. Severus was outside, with his face buried in a book. He heard me, and I've never seen him up and moving so fast – He threw his book down and ran over to me, picked me up, and carried me inside. That was the first time I'd ever had Skele-Gro, but for a kid, it hurt like hell. I couldn't sleep that night as it hurt too badly, and Severus didn't leave my side. I woke up to him dozing awkwardly on the chair in my room, and he was a little grouchy when he woke up with a sore neck. But he had me mended in time for my parents to return home. They had no idea."

Harry smiled fondly at the memory, "Kind of hard to imagine him on babysitting duties."

Draco snorted lightly, "He's not that bad. Severus can deal with one or two kids, but a whole classroom of them is his own personal hell."

Harry chuckled sarcastically, "Yeah, I hadn't noticed."

"Although despite that, I reckon he'd make a decent dad – I say that as a Slytherin. He's actually really good with his own students. You wouldn't know because he was too busy assigning detention and docking points off you bloody troublemakers…A kid of his own might actually soften him up a bit, " Draco said, with a light shrug, "I guess at least now he has a chance to move on, finally. Although, we can only hope he can. He's finally in a position to deal with his personal problems, after shutting them away for twenty years."

"Let's just try and get him better first, and deal with the trial. He still has a long way to go, until he can get any semblance of a life back. Until we all can, really… " Harry reminded him, trying to grasp on the memories that Draco was unpredictably sharing with him. He'd never really thought about it much before – Well, he always had the impression that Severus hated children in general. Obviously, he didn't enjoy his job and he made himself so horribly unapproachable. But he had never seen him from a Slytherin point of view, and he wondered how much more approachable he'd be with his own. Harry knew from Professor McGonagall's point of view as Head of Gryffindor, as she was both fierce and compassionate as a mother lioness. She cared for her own dearly, despite being strict, yet fair. He had to wonder how Severus would interact with his own Slytherins, without the presence of a Gryffindor.

The thought had him wonder about a few other things – How much different would Severus had been if people had shown him an ounce of kindness and understanding in his life? If he didn't rummage through his tainted life like a lost cause; unloved, misunderstood, and not spared a single thought by anyone. How much different he would have been if he had someone who genuinely cared up until his adult life? Severus never had a chance to develop deeper empathy, or even his ability to care deeply for others. From childhood to adulthood…He wasn't raised in love. He was raised on survival. He kept himself undoubtedly guarded against emotions that would perceive him as weak, or vulnerable. He shut his emotions away in adulthood because he could not control them as a child. And that was evident in the outburst that cost him a dear friendship that affected his entire life. Those fortifications around his heart were kept strong - He had no love in his life, so there was no use attempting to bring them down. He kept his heart guarded from further love, and his mind guarded from his greatest enemy. He was unable to be his true self and was afraid to show it to anyone.

With that in mind, he never had any hope to start his own family. Especially not with his job as a spy – It was far too dangerous for him. Harry had to wonder if that was something the man still desired or had he lost hope with that, too?

Harry's own heart was warped by another blow of guilt within his stomach. If Severus had not dedicated his life as he did, he may have had a family of his own. If Voldemort had never returned, he may have been raising his own children, with a wife who loves him.

But he simply could never move on from the guilt upon his hand in Lily's death. That is what drove him into painful isolation, and solitude.

He never stopped mourning her loss.

While Severus spent the remainder of the afternoon resting in his quarters, Hermione and Ginny returned back to Grimmauld Place to see Harry. Ron had stayed back with his family that day, assisting George in the logistics of re-booting Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes post-war. The shopfront had been dormant for almost a year, with much of the stock ransacked during the desolation of Diagon Alley. Some shops were starting to bounce back to life again, but many shopkeepers refused to open in fear until it was safer to do so. Some of the usual Hogwarts supply shops were open in light of the new school year in less than a month – that was enough to send people in a state of panic – but the other shops remained sealed shut. Rumor has it that Garrick Ollivander had resumed his post as wandmaker and has begun distributing wands once again. Minister Kingsley and the Auror Office agreed to have additional guards stationed there for his further protection, with a few other Aurors scattered throughout Diagon Alley during the reformation of the Ministry. Thankfully, this seemed to put the local shopkeepers at ease.

As for the attack at Hogsmeade, Aurors were continued to be stationed there, with strengthened shield defenses that extended to the forest. Some of the injured were being treated at St. Mungos, with some of the shopkeepers there remaining closed once again in light of the attack. The only places that remained open were The Three Broomsticks, and Hogs Head. Which, in these strange times, was not a terrible idea.

Back at Grimmauld Place, Hermione resumed working away on the map, researching additional spells that may come in handy within their venture into the darkest depths. Harry and Ginny remained sitting against each other on the sofa, tossing up ideas of their cave-dwelling plan. Severus himself had previously proposed the idea to have a series of groups to infiltrate from various sides and establish multiple exits when needed. As neither had any idea which chamber the Death Eaters were utilizing, by entering at different sides, they could cover more ground with the hopes of finding them sooner. But they risked dropping directly down into the cavern directly occupied by Death Eaters, and they wanted to avoid that at all costs. Unfortunately, there was no way to properly map its true interior, so they were heavily reliant on the entryways surrounding Clearwell.

It was quite the perilous conundrum. Dangerous, frightening, but incredibly risky.

"Harry, you mentioned Malfoy knew of a self-cloaking charm previously…Is that right?" Hermione looked up from her freshly inked parchment, twirling the quill carefully within her hands.

Harry was confused for a moment, crinkling his brow in thought, until he remembered, "Oh, yeah, that's right. He and Severus infiltrated Knockturn Alley with that a while ago."

"Hmm. I wonder if there was a way he could teach us that spell? Snape certainly won't be able to teach us with his magic heavily affected, but perhaps Malfoy can."

Ginny winced at the idea, "Malfoy? Teach us? Yeah, I don't think that's going to go down well."

"Well, he's the only bet. Severus is in no shape to be any anything of the sort, " Harry shook his head sadly, "It's a challenge for him to stay awake for the entire day."

Hermione noticed Harry's voice trail off, and she could only nod in understanding, "You're right, Harry. I only suggest it as we can utilise the Invisibility Cloak while we're down there. If we can somehow elect a person from each supposed group to cloak themselves somehow, then that could work in our favor. We want to get down there as concealed as possible."

"That could work. I don't exactly fancy on scouting by myself, " Harry said, "I mean, two people can fit under the cloak, but the point is, the others won't have the same advantage."

Hermione nodded, "Right. So, we ask Malfoy to show us. We don't really have an alternative option that can prove equally as useful."

Ginny shifted within her seat, looking rather unsure, "That should be a fun request."

Harry shrugged, "Worth a try. If he's not willing, then the Cloak itself will just have to make do for now. Even if he teaches you, Hermione, then that's better than nothing. Once you can pick it up, I'm sure we'll be able to learn it from you. Problem is, I don't know how complicated it is."

"If Malfoy is not willing, I'm sure Snape can at least give you instructions on it, " Ginny suggested.

Hermione tilted her head slightly, "That's true. Although I'd feel rather horrible to ask that of him."

Ginny chuckled under her breath, "Pick a Slytherin."

Harry scrunched his face, as he playfully poked the side of Ginny's arm, "Look, if I've somehow managed to communicate with both Slytherin's without ending in a total disaster, I'm sure you'll be fine, Hermione. Trust me, if they can deal with me, then you have nothing to worry about."

Hermione blew a wisp of hair away from her face, "Okay, fine. I'll ask whichever Slytherin I see first."

"Who'd have thought we'd ever be presented with a choice like this? Rather amusing, actually, " Ginny laughed, "Dare I say it, Snape would be easier to deal with."

"…I always thought Malfoy might be easier to approach, " Hermione added, thoughtfully.

"Blimey, we really all have lost the plot, " Harry couldn't help but grin, as he threw his arm around Ginny, pulling her closer towards him. She felt warm under his touch, as her head rested upon the base of his neck. Wisps of her long, red hair splayed over his chest and shoulders. Harry had to resist the urge to run his hands affectionally through her soft hair.

Time and a place, Harry. Now is not the time.

"Oh!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed, glancing eagerly at the book in front of her, "I found something – The old entrance you found at the Quarry? It drops down into one of the deeper Clearwell cave caverns directly. According to this, it will take you one of the smaller caverns deeper, but there is a pathway that will take you to the first level down, so to speak. "

"Considering miners used it, there will be enough of a crawl space to get in there. They've likely created an easier path over time. Lucky for us, " Ginny added.

"Exactly."

"So - " Harry crinkled his brow, " - What about the warded ones we found at Puzzlewood? I doubt that is the only one they'd use, but we still have no idea where they lead."

Hermione sighed, "I've still not been able to find out where that one goes yet but considering it is warded, we can likely still use it. I'm assuming we'll be using more than one entrance."

"Right, " Harry nodded slowly, in his bid to absorb whatever information he could. It was a lot to think about, "Yeah, I have a feeling that's what Severus had in mind. Small groups, to cover as many entryways as possible. Go in there, simultaneously."

"We don't know how much space we get down there in those caves, so it's the right call, I think. We'd be daft to rely on just the one way in, " Ginny agreed, as she snuggled closer within the crevice of Harry's shoulder, "I can't even believe we'll be doing this."

"Kingsley will likely send Aurors to go with us, but yeah…It's risky. But we have to get them all back, " Harry sighed, "Neville better have held his tongue."

"I'm sure Neville knows better than to further provoke them, " Hermione responded quietly, "He'll hold up."

"I'll summon a meeting in the next few days, most likely after the trial. I'll have a chat with Severus and see what other ideas he has about this plan of attack."

Hermione nodded, as she slowly closed her book and place her quill back on its holder, "Good." She rose up from her seat, and began to re-pack her things, "I need to make a quick stop to check on those potions. I'm not quite sure if I'll return tonight. I promised to have dinner with Ron later."

Ginny smirked, "Tell him to behave, otherwise I'll kick his arse when I get home."

Harry laughed, "I'm sure he knows."

Hermione wiggled her nose, in a mild uncertainty, "…He's attempting to cook…apparently."

"What? Oh no – " Ginny sat up from her seat, looking worried, " – He's totally going to burn the house down. Mum's going to have his head on a platter, instead."

"Just be ready with water charms, Hermione, " Harry grinned, playfully. He was clearly entertained by this, "Although you'd be safer with sandwiches. Want me to send Kreacher over?"

Hermione pulled her hair away from her shoulders, scrunching her face cheekily, "Oh, ha ha, you two. Anyway, I'm going – "

"Good luck!" Ginny shouted back, as Hermione raced out of the door.

"Blimey – Maybe I should have helped Ron… " Harry was now unsure if he should be feeling worried for him, or just plain amused.

Ginny playfully prodded Harry's chest, "He'll be alright. I'm sure George is giving him some pointers. I hear Angelina's a fairly good cook."

"I guess we'll hear about how that'll go, eventually. Although – I'm quite proud of Ron for wanting to help George get the shop up and running again. "

Ginny shrugged, "Yeah, I was surprised when he suggested it. Although I'm more surprised George agreed with it. I figured he wanted more time to…you know…grieve."

Harry pulled Ginny closer, wrapping both arms around her back, and allowing his head to rest upon hers, "And…how are you holding up?"

There was a slight pause, as he heard a heavy sigh, feeling her chest rise and fall with each breath against his own, "Honestly, I don't really know. I think about Fred every day. Some days I get really sad. I think I'm still trying to come to terms with the fact that he's actually gone. And seeing George…Makes that a little more difficult. I still expect Fred to come home, sometimes."

"You haven't given up. Neither of you has. He'd be proud of you all… " Harry spoke gently, but reassuring. He wasn't at all well-equipped for helping someone deal with a personal loss, but he understood that hollow feeling within his chest, even if he couldn't express it in his own words.

"Yeah. I know he would. Percy said he died right after he laughed at his joke…I suppose Fred would haunt us given the opportunity if he found us all wallowing in sadness over him. I can imagine him joining forces with Peeves to slap us out it, " Ginny gave a small, saddened laugh, "Fred wouldn't want us to feel sad, though. That would go against his memory."

Harry nodded thoughtfully, "That's a good way of looking at it. Fred lived well, and happy. Carefree. Positive. He found joy in simple things and I've always commended him for that."

"No matter what was happening, he always had a joke or a laugh. I'll always miss him – "

There was a loud THUMP which erupted in the corridor of Grimmauld Place, following by a grumbling expletive. The sound caused both Harry and Ginny to jump, but wasting no time, the pair sprang up from their seat and bolted to the corridor by the staircase to find Severus Snape slumped onto the floor. Severus scrambled to get back onto his feet, but it was no use. The man was noticeably weakened, and from what Harry could see, he was shivering from head-to-toe wincing from the chattering of the teeth he could hear.

Harry dropped down beside him, scrunching his face, "…H-How did this happen?!"

Severus closed his eyes for a moment and looked as if the world was spinning around him, leaving him grimacing and frowning intensely. There was no audible answer, so instead Harry and Ginny each took a side, swinging one of his trembling arms over each, and gently pulled the frail and bony form to his feet. The Slytherin swayed on his feet for a moment, and Harry could feel the man's weight drop as evident as his weakening, shaking legs. He could barely hold himself up. Aside from the shivering, their ex-Professor was a mess.

Taking careful steps, Harry and Ginny managed to walk Severus into the sitting room, as there was no way they were game enough to haul him back upstairs. They sat him down on the long sofa, and Harry pulled his legs up to make sure they were elevated. After placing several pillows underneath his head, Ginny then made her way downstairs after suggesting brewing some tea to help warm him up. Grabbing the blanket that was thrown over the single sofa, he threw it over Severus, as the man grabbed it immediately and clutched it tightly to his chest, teeth still chattering away. Harry knelt beside the chair he was laying on and noticed how white and pasty he looked. There was barely any color left on him, that even the soft afternoon sun emanating through the windows could not highlight. Though Harry was able to glance at Severus' pain-stricken eyes, and upon the light that overcast the room, he realised his eyes were not completely black at all. Much to his surprise, they were actually a shade of darker brown, that Harry had never noticed before. Knowing this now had Harry feel a little stupid.

Feeling remotely useless, Harry closed his eyes and lowered his head, all still while kneeling on the floor beside his ex-Professor. He could hear the rummaging of delicate ceramic kitchenware downstairs, but within the room, the fireplace crackled gently which only barely managed the sounds of Severus' struggled breaths. He felt a cold hand grab his wrist, gently snapping him out of his thoughts. But Severus retracted his hand quickly as the Gryffindor opened his eyes and turned back to look at him, watching as the man further burying himself under his blanket.

"From now on, you can't be moving around freely like this. You can barely hold yourself up anymore – " Harry spoke quietly, "It's best if you rest, unless absolutely necessary. I'd rather not see you collapse in the middle of your trial."

"That'll be a shame. I'll manage, " Severus mumbled, clearly obvious that he didn't care.

But Harry shook his head in agitation with him, "No. Clearly, you're not. Those potions are not working as well anymore. You barely have any energy left. Why did you come downstairs, anyway?"

Severus glanced sourly at Harry quickly, before flickering his gaze at the cloudy enchanted ceiling above, then turned his attention back to him, "I was merely coming down for updates on your earlier discoveries. I will remain active as I can tolerate because I refuse to remain bed-bound. Not yet – there is far too much to do. I'm not completely incapacitated."

Harry frowned, "Well, you're not tolerating it at all, aren't you? Stop pretending you're okay because you're not. This isn't the common cold. You need to properly rest now. I know you've had enough, but…you don't have a choice right now."

"This is ridiculous. I can't believe I'm being dictated by a teenage Gryffindor, " Severus growled, not caring how rude he sounded.

Harry opened his mouth in shock, feeling completely bothered by that remark, "Really? Is that how you see it? Do you prefer to deal with this by yourself? Is that what you want – for everyone to leave you alone? Go on then. Let's see how you manage the rest of this sickness without anyone else. You can't even move around Grimmauld Place by yourself anymore! Besides, you told me you didn't want to go to St. Mungo's, so this is what you have to deal with instead."

Severus gave a heavy sigh, curling his lip with distaste, "…I'm frustrated. This is close to unbearable! I'm reaching the end of my tether…You've no idea!"

"I know because I've watched you suffer with it for three months."

The man bared his teeth, "I wish you didn't. You of all people, should not bear witness to this. You've seen enough."

Harry ran his hand through his unkempt hair, "Better this than spend weeks wondering where you disappeared to. You could have died somewhere else, and no one would ever know."

Severus' expression was looking as though it wasn't such a bad option. But both Harry and Severus knew that he would not have survived as long as he did at that point, so the Slytherin soon realised how much things had changed. Severus gave another heavy, wheezy sigh, looking back at Harry with slight uncertainty. He looked miserable – there was no mistaking Severus' expression, in which he made no effort to conceal. Remaining hopeful and optimistic was difficult when all you envision is the bitter, untimely end. Day by day, they were dealing with this curse as best as they could, and it was unpredictable how quickly he'd further deteriorate. Harry was frightened that one morning, he may not be able to wake up. He did not want to find him like that, but at least while Severus was sick, the Slytherin would come to finally understand that he would have help and people who were willing to assist him to whatever his final days were. Harry at least felt a measure of relief that he was there – the thought of Severus fleeing Hogwarts after Voldemort's defeat, and passing away somewhere where no one would ever know, was a heartbreaking thought. No, Severus did not deserve that fate. Not after everything he gave up.

Harry drew in a deep breath, feeling defeated, "I'm sorry…For all of this."

Severus' forehead crinkled looking at Harry as if he had truly gone mad, "What in Merlin's name are you sorry about?"

"The whole Elder Wand situation. Voldemort would have never attacked you if he weren't so damn…stupid. He attacked you for nothing."

Severus frowned, "It wasn't for nothing. Once I realised what was happening and what that implied, it was too late. I chose to remain silent so that he would never come to understand. If I fought him, he would have planted doubt within himself that I wasn't the master of the Deathstick. I had to let him assume that I was."

"It still shouldn't have happened."

"Indeed, but that was not your fault - " Severus tried to shuffle himself higher into the chair, with great effort. He pushed himself up with shaky arms, and Harry looped his arm behind his back to further aid him. He was getting alarmingly lighter as the weeks progressed and moving him around seemed to get easier as there was less weight to bear. The Slytherin slumped back again, exhausted for the small effort, and continued to stare at the enchanted ceiling upon, which seemed to further mesmerize him. At that point, Ginny arrived back at the sitting room holding a large silver tray with a navy and grey teapot, and three empty mugs.

Harry stood up and met with Ginny halfway, taking the tray she carefully juggled, and placing it gently onto the table, "You should have let Kreacher send it up."

Once she let go of the tray, Ginny brushed aside a lock of red hair that had fallen over her face, "No problem at all. I didn't mind doing it, " She turned to Severus, looking a little sheepish, "…I'm told you like ginger and honey tea. I hope that's alright, sir."

Severus turned to Ginny and acknowledged her with a nod, as he shakily retrieved the now-poured tea that Harry had handed to him, "Yes. Thank you, Miss Weasley. So…will you, too, be repeating your Hogwarts year?"

Ginny wandered to the couch with Harry and sat down. "Oh, definitely. I wouldn't miss the opportunity."

"Wise choice, " Severus raised his eyebrow, as he took a sip.

"…Would you ever consider returning, sir?"

Severus paused to give the pair a dull flicker of his eyes, "I'd never return, even if the Headmistress doubles my salary. I could never set foot there as the post of Professor. Those days have now diminished."

Harry couldn't help but smirk, "You're not going to beat me to the position of Defence Professor, then?"

Severus narrowed his eyes at Harry, cradling the mug within his hands. His shivers were slowly dying down, much to Harry's relief, "I'm not allowing you to beat me in anything. Do not flatter yourself - I'm wilfully giving it up."

Ginny tried to suppress a chuckle, but it didn't work out so well, "If we ever get anyone as terrible and incompetent as Lockhart or Umbridge, then I'm holding you responsible."

"You will not force my hand to intervene. Tough luck, Gryffindors, " Severus eyed the pair coyly, "Well, if I do happen to make it to the start of your term, do inform me of the poor sod who'll be instructing you, so I can at least have some measure of amusement."

"I'm sure you'll be the first the know, " Harry responded.

Ginny crinkling her brow upon Severus' morbid remark, and shifted slightly uncomfortably, until she made a move to stand, "I best be off. Mum didn't want me out too late, and I need to make sure Ron didn't decide to burn the kitchen down – I might need to rescue Hermione."

Politely, Harry stood up with her, "Yeah, okay…I walk you down."

She placed her hand warmly on Harry's forearm to stop him, feeling a little awkward with the older Slytherin in the room, "It's alright, no need." Turning towards Severus, she seemed to offer a small smile towards him, "I hope the tea helped a little, sir."

Severus nodded once, "Thank you, Miss Weasley."

Ginny soon left the room, and as Harry heard the front door slam shut, he turned to the Slytherin to find him shivering once again. Harry picked up the teapot and re-filled the man's mug with hot tea.

He bit his lip, as he handed it back to him, "Remind me to give your clothes a warming charm for the trial. Your teeth will be chattering so much, you won't be able to get a single word out."

"Very amusing of you, " Severus hugged the mug towards his chest, watching Harry closely. There was a short pause between them when Severus casually raised his eyebrow, "…She's good for you."

"Ginny?"

"No, the Grey Lady, " Severus rolled his eyes, "Yes, Miss Weasley."

Harry felt a little sheepish, and a tad embarrassed, "Oh…Wait, did you seriously just play matchmaker? No offense, sir…"

Severus snorted behind his mug, before he took another sip, "Just simply reaffirming. I care not about teenage romance, least of all from you. However, I thought it would be best to remind you, in these somewhat dismal times."

"Uh…Thanks. I guess?" Harry didn't know how to respond to that, but he really wanted to change the subject to something over than his strange post-war love life, "So, where do you think we should hold the next Order meeting?"

Severus paused in thought for a moment, "I hardly doubt we'll have the adequate space to hold one here. I was rather thinking Hogwarts…If you don't mind me borrowing Godric, I can propose the idea with the Headmistress to perhaps utilize the Great Hall briefly, or even the Room of Requirement. Far safer."

Harry nodded in agreement, "The Great Hall might be better…I feel like we should keep the Room a secret for now, in case of an emergency. Only the DA really knows about it. Once you get the okay, I'll send out the message to the others. Maybe we can consider Apparating to the Burrow and using the Floo from there directly to Professor McGonagall's office? Less walking for you."

The Slytherin was clearly not liking the idea of that, but despite looking bitter, he nodded, "…If I don't get further ill teleporting around Britain first. Your Apparition skills need much improvement."

"Hey – I'm not that bad!" Harry responded, "Now, get some rest before I summon Madam Pomfrey to keep you in line."

Severus snorted under his breath, "Your blackmailing skills are atrocious."

"…Are you finished?"

"Hardly."

Harry smirked and departed as soon as Severus grumbled under his breath upon his own remark, leaving the Slytherin to doze off mere moments afterward. Sleep succumbed him rather easily these days, which did leave Harry rather concerned over. But there was not much else he could do. The man had a busy few days ahead with the trial the day after tomorrow, the upcoming Order meeting, and the final phase of the ritual in over a week. Things were escalating rather rapidly now, and they still have so much left to do.

Gradually, the logistical pieces of the plan were coming together, and that was far more difficult than any of them had anticipated. Once they breached the underground caverns, then they were acting blindly.

All they could do was prepare themselves as much as possible and hope with every ounce of willpower, that they all make it out alive.