Harry was scared to breathe, feeling panicked like a cornered animal. His mind raced feverishly, causing his thoughts to become erratic and distorted.

He was at a loss at what to do now. A part of him wanted to retreat and go back, but he made it down there unnoticed so far and he had to somehow warn Neville that he was here so he could prepare himself when the time came to escape. Meanwhile, Draco was crouching around, cloaked himself, in his bid to scope out the spare wands and figure out a way to steal them back without the enemies suspecting such a thing. But if Harry could get to Neville, perhaps he could use him as a mild distraction while they did just that.

He knew very well that they were losing opportunities fast, as the Death Eaters began to round up more of their own. Once they figured out that Harry himself was there in the same cavern, all hell would break loose, and they may not get another chance to do this safely. Once the Death Eaters knew, then they would not hesitate to slaughter those trapped in the cages and a last resort. Harry was not going to let that happen, no matter what he did. He had to think logically about this now. It could not afford to be reckless, because that could cost far too many innocent lives.

Maybe even his own.

He had to wonder what had happened for Bill, Percy, and Hannah to be captured in the first place, and he also knew Hannah was assigned to Hermione's group. It was a worrying thought as to what went down, but either way, they were quickly losing allies.

After trying to quell his dismal thoughts, Harry attempted to move once again, treading carefully on the blood and clay-littered stone ground under his aching feet. From what he could see, the magical cages sealing in the captives were spread out in the front of the underground late, looking oddly like tents before a beach like some messed-up camping trip. However, he'd much prefer to be back camping aimlessly with Hermione and Ron topside, rather than crawl through hostile enemy territory a great distance under the earth.

Several Death Eaters were meticulously weaving their way between them, eyeing their prisoners very carefully for one wrong move that could get them further injured, tortured, or killed and thrown to the Inferi pits with the rest of the poor, mindless creatures. Neville, much to Harry's relief, was stationed on the far end closer to the wall on the other side. If Harry could get there undetected, he may be able to have a few minutes close to Neville and warn him before the Death Eaters circled once more.

But Harry had to be swift, and extremely vigilant.

Weaving his way closer to the cages which were still a stone's throw away, he continued to edge nearer, inch by inch. He had to hold his breath on several occasions, as a Death Eater swept past him, but for the most part, Harry was able to keep to the left side of the cavern against the wall. The lake lay on the right, and the middle was encompassed of rock formations, uneven elevated stone, some man-made iron bars, and the faction of murderous Death Eaters littered around. To Harry's left, he could see another tunnel entrance unsure of where that one leads. But one step forward, and he nearly jumped out of his skin once he passed it.

"Harry!" There was a harsh whisper. It was Hermione.

Harry almost gasped in fright, as he sidestepped into the small crawl-sized tunnel entrance. "Geez, Hermione – " He lowered himself into the crawlspace as he flicked off his Cloak, finding himself crouched beside his friend. Hermione appeared slightly flustered and covered in dirt, but for the most part, she seemed unharmed, "How did you know it was me?"

"I saw your footsteps in the dirt – " She lowered her voice, grabbing his wrist tenderly, "- Oh, it's really good to see you…Where's Ron?"

"Ron is over there - " Harry pointed to the ledge where he had just traveled from. It was well hidden and concealed, leaving Hermione to squint a while before she spotted the familiar mess of red hair hiding behind a rock formation within the shadows.

Hermione crinkled her brows in worry, "I'm guessing you saw what just happened down there?"

Harry nodded gingerly, "Yeah, I did. I thought Hannah was with you?"

"She was. Once we encountered the cavern littered with Acromantulas, one chased her out and we were unable to find her. We thought it got to her – " She looked upset.

"Better captured then dead, " Harry responded, keeping his voice low.

"What were you doing down there, anyway?"

"Malfoy and I were going to attempt to steal back the stolen wands, so when the time comes to fight, we can arm the captured. We can't release them without defense, because they'll be killed otherwise, " Harry sighed, "I was heading down to get closer to Neville to let him know we are here and attempt to distract the Death Eaters while Draco tries to steal them."

Hermione's eyes grew wide, "That is suicide, Harry. You can't – "

" – I know, but what else do we do? They are already suspecting something is up, and the longer we leave doing anything, the more in danger we are."

There was a pause as Hermione looked increasingly worried, but eventually, she nodded looking scared, "Alright. I'll come down there. Go and see Neville – I'll find Malfoy and let him know I'll help him. I was also thinking, maybe, we can somehow lure the Death Eaters out of this cavern so there are less of them to deal with."

Harry looked at her as if she had gone mad, "How the hell are we going to do that?"

"Well, we are not all here, aren't we? They already seem a little on edge, so maybe if we send a message to someone not with us like Arthur or even Dean, they can cause a diversion somewhere else in the cave system."

"That could work, " Harry nodded, "Sure. That way if one of us slips up, we don't have the entire Death Eater brigade moving in to slaughter us at the same time. We need to split them up."

"Very comforting, Harry, " Hermione responded, sarcastically, "And the others?"

"Ron's on standby, and Ginny, Angelina, and George should be joining him soon."

"Alright, " Hermione inhaled deeply, "You go on ahead – I'll send Dean a message with the coin. Patronus' are a little too risky now."

"I agree, " Harry responded, as he covered himself with the Cloak once again.

"Please, be careful, Harry – "

Harry snuck back out from the gap he found Hermione huddled in, as he continued down the dimly lit stone path he was traveling on before. If Hermione's idea goes to plan, perhaps Harry's job of confronting Neville could be far easier without all the enemies lurking around. Perhaps the Death Eaters would start to become more paranoid, as they continue to send their own out to investigate. He knew that the Death Eaters were not that stupid, but they just needed a single distraction to buy them some time. If he could prepare Neville in advance to be ready to fight, the rest would be able to handle it. But it was a mere matter of figuring out how to get the others away, unharmed. There were far too many injured amongst the cages, along with children too young to have a wand, and elderly too frail to fight. It was utter madness. He also knew that he had Kreacher on standby, but they needed to bring down the magical cages first, but in order to do that, they needed to deter the enemies. That was where things were more than problematic and delicate.

He began the slow descent again down the rocky slope, being cautious not to slip. He really could not afford a clumsy blunder, because that could be the end of them all. To his relief, he was able to grasp hold of the iron bars aligning the slope on the way down. But every few paces he forced himself to stop so that he would be able to focus on overhearing the possible conversations below. But as he stopped, he had the urge to look up, and he was glad he did. Above him were large stalactites, which littered the cavern ceiling above him. The cave was full of them, and Harry had the idea that maybe, he would be able to use them to cause further distractions. He found a loophole.

But first, he needed to get to Neville.

Harry stopped cold, as he heard the rising voices of a few Death Eaters ahead who appeared angry. He held his breath, not wanting to miss a word, and silently begging for his heart to stop racing.

"This has gone out of hand! I'm sick of being stuck in this hellhole!"

"Shut up, Warren – You agreed to this."

"I didn't agree to getting us trapped in here, you son of a – "

"- Enough, you two! We're here, and there is no going back. The plan is in motion. Either assist to finish what our Master started or prepare to end up as one of them. Your choice."

"If it is indeed true, and those insolent children are here, then we have them right where we want them, don't we? They are in our territory, now."

"We have alternative plans to bring our success into fruition. Trust it. We've discussed this multiple times. We have the upper hand."

"You do realise that we can't fully control those things, right? Our Master may have been able to, but us?"

"Relax, Kaden. They are like sheep. All we need is to control a few, and the rest will follow suit. Those brainless abominations will do the work for us."

The color drained from Harry's face, feeling sick to his stomach.

The Inferi. They were talking about the Inferi.

Although he had an inkling that they suspected him to be here, it seemed far more worrying that the enemies ensured that they had backup plans. But he at least had a small comfort in knowing that there appeared to be some in-fighting between the Death Eaters and had been for a while. Not all of them were on board with whatever their plans were, and that seemed to make a few of them uneasy about it. Perhaps they, too, were frightened and realise that they have gone much too far in their twisted ideologies in their bid to cleanse the world of impurity, and those who oppose them. He didn't know what was worse – Voldemort to lead them into insanity by the masses, or the minions without a Master following no one in their bid to finish what they started.

Once Harry continued to move once again, finally, Harry arrived at the first cage. Inside was Parvati and Narcissa, both sitting in silence. They looked bruised and exhausted. Their hair matted and dirty, and the dark bands under their eyes made them look far older than they were. In the same cage, was a young boy and girl he didn't recognise, along with an Auror Harry happened to recognise from their station at Hogwarts. He could not recall his name, but he remembered his face. He only silently hoped that their enemies were out of Polyjuice Potion.

Harry swallowed thickly, as he moved cautiously to the next cage. Lee Jordon was inside with Dean's parents. Lee himself had buried his head in his hands, sitting awkwardly on the uncomfortable stone floor. Dean's parents were holding hands, remaining as close as they possibly could in comfort. In the same cage was another teenage boy with dark, raven hair. His blue eyes reddened.

Moving on, Harry passed several other cages, all full of people. Some he recognised, most he didn't. He did spot a few Ravenclaws he recognised from a few years behind him, and a Gryffindor he used to see being the willing subject of Fred and George's creations. He couldn't help but wonder how long they had all been here for, and how many had perished since. He wrinkled his nose – the scent of them all huddled together was enough of an indicator, as with what smelled like blood, excrements, and even those that had already perished. He thought of those poor souls being tossed in the pit like a lifeless doll, forced to convene with the horrible creatures waiting idly in the ground below.

How many of these people had to witness their own being tortured and slaughtered?

Finally, after avoiding a few circling Death Eaters, he reached the opposite wall to where Neville's cage was located. Harry stood there rooted to the spot until the nearest Death Eater was farther enough away to avoid Harry's attempted whispers. Eventually, some of the Death Eaters merged together in conversation again, and Harry took that as his only chance.

Harry knelt down behind Neville so that his friend could act as a shield block for his sound, "…Neville, it's me. Don't talk, just listen carefully…" His voice was barely an audible whisper, but he knew Neville had heard by the way he jolted slightly on the spot, tensed up, and tilted his head to his side. He noticed Neville's breathing become shallower. "We're all here, but we are waiting on a distraction. We're trying to get your wands back, first – "

There was a pause, and Harry watched as a Death Eater walked agonisingly close by, unaware of the conversation being masked under their noses. Once the enemy was finally a distance away, he watched as Neville's hand shifted beside him. Frowning, Harry watched him etch something in the red dirt beside him. It was an arrow pointing to what looked like another tunnel further into the cavern.

Harry looked confused, "…What are you showing me, Neville?"

Neville seemed to bite his lip, as he quickly erased the arrow and replaced it with a word: 'Wands'.

Oh.

"They are keeping the wands there?" Harry whispered.

Neville all but managed a small, subtle nod.

"Okay, got it – hang tight, Neville. We'll get you all out of here soon, " Harry pulled out the coin while still under the comfort of the Cloak and tried to relay a message to Hermione and Draco. 'Wands. Tunnel three o'clock to Neville.'

Harry held his breath, anxious for the next response. The more minutes that ticked by, the more worried he grew.

Eventually, he felt the coin vibrate within his dirt-covered, sweaty palm, illuminating Hermione's next message: 'Too many DEs. Stuck. Dangerous.' He bit his lower lip, as he held onto his wand tightly with a mildly shaking hand. Whispering back to the coin, he sent back another message: 'Wait for it.' Drawing in a silent breath, Harry turned to the stalactites hanging just above the lake and flickered his wand. Immediately, several of the mineral deposits crumbled and broke away from the ceiling, sending each of its glistening shards crashing into the lake below. There was a loud crash of water, as the Death Eaters seemed to stop amidst their heated conversation and turned to face the lake in utter confusion. Some of the enemies walked up to the lake's edge inspecting the situation, as Harry hoped that Hermione and Draco were able to use that opportunity to retrieve the wands, clearing their path.

Now he had no other choice but to wait.

He looked back down to Neville, who managed a very subtle thumbs-up behind his back. Harry tried to suppress his chuckle – He was glad his friend was keeping in good spirits, despite their grim predicament. They needed some measure of positivity and hope to get them out of this mess. They will all be glad to see daylight, once this was all over, however it will go.

His patience was wearing thin as Harry waited for what seemed like almost an hour before anything further happened. He kneeled uncomfortably on the cold cavern floor, staring nervously at his coin for any further sign of activity. He still had not heard from anyone else yet, and he hoped that Ginny and the others were waiting with Ron. He hated the waiting, and more specifically, being stuck in the middle of it all. He quite literally could not leave, and the waiting was becoming too much to deal with. He wished Severus were here – he'd know exactly what to do, and how to reassure him that everything will be okay.

Harry longed to be home so desperately, that his chest ached. Under the Cloak, he rubbed his sore eyes, wanting nothing more than to escape from this hell he wandered into.

The cavern soon fell into a suffocating silence, and not even the Death Eaters could be heard talking. The multiple younger children trapped in the cages were terrified, scared, and forced themselves to remain quiet by biting down onto their sleeves to stifle their sobs. The tears in their eyes held back their whimpers, anxious for what might happen. Some buried their heads against the strangers beside them in comfort. Harry watched as a young girl clung desperately onto Narcissa's torn and battered black robes, who enveloped the child securely against her as if they were her own. Even Narcissa looked defeated and torn. The Malfoy matriarch was also helpless, and Harry could see how heartbroken she was.

Harry clutched the coin tightly in his sweaty palm, staring at the dull shine under his Cloak waiting for the next worrying message. He hadn't heard from Hermione, or Draco since they left. Or anyone else for that matter. He tried to strain his eyesight on the far side of the dark-shrouded cavern, but he could not see Ron, Ginny, George, or Angelina. For an odd moment, Harry felt alone, even despite Neville sitting patiently at arm's reach in front of him, playing ignorant for the satisfaction of the Death Eater's surrounding them. He glanced down at the cage they were trapped in and realised they hadn't figured out how to bring them down. Severus did so back at the Quarry, but it was the one thing they failed to ask about. He felt so utterly stupid that it never occurred to him earlier. But as he looked down again, he noticed a dull shimmer embedded in the red dirt. A gleam of something that looked familiar.

Of course!

They were selenite rods, identical to the ones Harry had used for the transference spell. In knowing this now, all he needed was to blast the selenite rods into pieces, destroying them completely. With a precise blasting spell, he can bring it down so the Death Eaters will not be able to use them again.

Disrupting his train of thought, was a sudden ripple in the grounds as the earth shook slightly, causing dust and debris to rain from the stone ceiling. It felt like a pulse of something, not quite a blast. Harry frowned for a moment, confused as to what it may be. Looking around, he realised the Death Eaters were, too. He watched as several enemies, one being Antonin Dolohov, move towards one of the cavern exits and disappear through the dark tunnel ever so quickly. Harry slowly stood up, unsure of how else to proceed. There was another ripple in the earth again – whoever it was, needed to tone it down, otherwise, the entire thing could crumble.

Harry panicked for a moment. But in the midst of his quiet anxiety, the coin buzzed within his hand, giving him a fright as he jumped. He looked down to find a new message from Hermione: 'We have them.' He released the breath he forgot he held. But just as he moved to respond, the coin buzzed again, a little more violently as a distress message. This time, it was from Seamus: 'We messed up. Danger! Get out!'

There was a small explosion from another tunnel, rippling within the cavern they were occupying. Several shards of stone and stalactites hailed from the ceiling, dropping, and disintegrating upon the tops of the magical cages. Some debris narrowly missing the stationed Death Eaters, as they bounded out of the way. In all but a few moments, chaos ensured as some of the Death Eaters fled to investigate. The prisoners in the cages gasped, as some of the small children began to wail in distress. But at that moment, there was a blast in the wall on the other side of the cavern, creating a new opening as Arthur burst out of it first, alongside Fleur and an Auror. Immediately they began to attack the Death Eaters that were stunned in their absolute confusion.

Using that as his cue, Harry reached into his small satchel bag, retrieved George's Instant Darkness Powder, and threw it across the ground where it skipped several times, where it suddenly exploded in a mass of thick, black, and purple fog. The area around them were instantly doused in darkness, creating the perfect cover for him. Feeling new adrenaline rise up within him, Harry then aimed his wand at the cage by Neville's feet and fired a blasting curse at the selenite rods, shattering the crystal, and deactivating the cage completely. At the same time, Hermione made her appearance through the black fog with Draco by her side, clasping a handful of the wands that they were successful in retrieving.

"Impressive, Potter – " Draco smirked, clutching his wand tightly out in front of him in defence. Harry nodded to the Slytherin in a silent acknowledgement, who then turned and ran forward to duel a few of the Death Eaters with dangerous intent.

Meanwhile, Hermione passed the necessary wands to the able prisoners, including Neville who looked like he was about to jump for joy. Neville ran towards his grandmother, as Hannah Abbott moved to join them. The three of them darted off with their wands raised and begun to attack two Death Eaters who appeared enraged by their escape.

Harry, in all of his panic, pulled the many younger children and the elderly behind him, as he cast a Shield Charm to protect them. The white silvery sheen of the dome he created, erected in time for several hostile curses to bounce off of it. Harry cleared his throat, "Kreacher!"

In a flash, the old house-elf appeared right before Harry, "Master Potter – "

" – Take as many of them back to Grimmauld Place as you can! Children, wounded and elderly, first."

Kreacher bowed his head slightly as he took the hand of a young boy and a girl, and Disapparated immediately out of sight.

Hermione ran to Harry's side once she was done handing out the wands, looking incredibly exasperated. "Sorry it took so long – We got there, and they were being guarded by about four Death Eaters. We tried to take them out silently, but then we saw Seamus and - "

"- We have to make a move out of here…There are far too many captives than we thought…" Harry responded as he watched Hermione hurled a curse to the far side of the cavern, narrowly missing a Death Eater and exploding dangerously at the rockface instead.

Arthur managed to run up to Harry, "Harry! Are you alright?"

Harry nodded, "Yeah, I am – we are – was that explosion you?"

The Weasley patriarch shrugged sheepishly, looking oddly proud of himself, "By accident. We found their potions lab and destroyed it. We vanished all of the toxic potions they were brewing. Luckily for those burn salves because it got to a few of us -"

Harry was relieved, but manic, "Brilliant. That's great…But Seamus, Dean and Katie might be in trouble. They told us to get out – "

Arthur nodded grimly, "I know - I received the message that there were Inferi here. We need to get the everyone out now!" He motioned for Fleur, who bounded over to them swiftly, looking slightly battered upon her porcelain-like features, "Fleur, I need you to take a group topside and get them out of here. Now! Take who you can – "

"But Mr. Weasley – " Fleur looked stricken.

"No time for debate. Go, now! I'll inform Bill - " Fleur blinked her blue eyes wildly, as she turned on her heel and grabbed hold of a young girl, barely seven years old, and two older boys and swiftly made their way towards one of the tunnels exits away from the chaos. Behind her, an elderly witch followed with her wand clutched in her right hand ready to attack.

Harry watched as Kreacher reappeared, took three more captives, and Apparated away. Barely seconds after he left, several more house-elves appeared – one being Winky, much to Harry's surprise – and followed suit by retrieving a few more of the injured captives, before Disapparating away. Kreacher must have called for reinforcements when he realised, he could not do the task alone.

Meanwhile, Harry moved forward to fire off a few more spells, but he was too worried to leave the younger children behind who had no other defence. On the other side of the cavern, Harry could see Ron and Ginny handling their own enemies, with George and Angelina battling another Death Eater by the lake. On another side of the cavern, Harry could see Dean and Seamus finally entering their vicinity, with Katie and several other Aurors in tow. Dean raced to his parents and enveloped them in a quick embrace before turning back to battle the other Death Eaters with his mum now armed, by his side, as his Muggle stepfather, waited behind in shock and sheer disbelief. Angelina and George decided to round up a few of the captives and sent them down another tunnel urging them to follow the signs he had left. Angelina led the group out, leaving George behind to cover them. He was soon joined by Bill and Percy, and the three of them did their best to hold the enemies back from pursuing them.

There was another ripple in the earth, and a few more rocks broke away and crashed to the floor inches away from them. Harry turned to the lake, and the color drained from his face as he could see the water begin to ripple violently. Crawling from the depths, several dozen Inferi began to emerge, causing Harry to herd the group much farther away in panic.

There were sudden cries of horror and distress once they realised what was happening.

"Get out of here, now!"

"RUN!"

One of the Death Eaters fired a curse at the ceiling, causing it to shatter and rain down over them with jagged stone exploding in multiple directions. A rock ricochet off the ground and struck Harry in the arm, and he heard several others shrieked as they too, were hit. There were people scattered all around the large cavern, and half of them appeared oblivious to the creatures making their way towards them. An array of spells was being fired in multiple directions, leaving Harry to keep his Shield Charm active to protect the children that remained by his side. He could not leave – there were far too many for him to manage alone. He watched as Draco held off Merrick Selwyn close by, who attempted to get to Harry and the children with murderous intent. Draco fired dangerously back, ensuring that he did not harm them, much to Harry's amazement and even, respect. Draco dueled the Death Eater, determined to keep him away. Harry turned his head in the other direction, when he noticed a few of his friends such as Dean, Katie, and even George, realising that Draco was among them, and fighting on their side. To Harry's relief, they did not protest. Draco fired another blast at Selwyn, knocking the Death Eater clean off his feet, throwing him painfully against the stone wall with admirable precision.

The earth suddenly shook once more, feeling the ground shift and begin to crack under their feet. The voices of the Inferi grew louder, as they drew nearer from the far side.

No!

Harry turned to Hermione, eyes wide in fear, "They are trying to trap us – Get out now!"

Draco, with Narcissa close behind and still clutching the same child dearly to her, overheard the pair of them, "The Death Eaters freed the Inferi – That was Finnigan's message!"

"Yeah, I gathered as much – " Harry looked behind them, to find the children scared out of their minds, " – There are too many of them. We can't defeat them - "

Narcissa, blood and dirt streaming from the side of her face, clenched her jaw, "I'll lead some of them out."

"Mother – " Draco started to protest.

"Draco, I will lead them to safety. We cannot send them out on their own."

Draco swallowed thickly, looking as if he was in two minds, until he finally nodded, "I'll – I'll stay and help defend the others."

Narcissa, white with worry, reached out to place a loving hand on her son's blood-caked cheek, "…Are you certain?"

Draco clasped her hand in his own, nodding with absolute confidence, "I'm sure. I can't back out now. I can't leave them. I can't do that again."

Narcissa Malfoy turned to a few of the wandless captives, including a frail elderly male and two younger children. One of the captives had slung a wounded middle-aged woman weakly over their shoulder. She turned back to her only son, "…I will see you at the surface…Please…Please, stay safe - " With that, she fled down the marked tunnel in their bid to escape, wand clutched tightly by her side leading the others to safety as they disappeared through one of the tunnels on the far side.

The Inferi was upon them now, as several of their allies begun to hurl fireballs and ripples of energy at them in order to keep them from advancing. Harry turned to see Padma reunite with her sister Parvati, with Fang in tow. He scrunched his face in a mixture of amusement and confusion but was at least thankful the dog was alright. Neville and his grandmother were duelling two Death Eaters, with Luna and Ginny fighting together, doing their best to keep the Inferi at bay. Percy joined them, with Arthur, but it seemed as if the Inferi just kept on coming despite the added reinforcements. The gruesome creatures were not just crawling out of the lake now but climbing out from the other tunnels leading further below. Harry's heart jumped in his chest, as he realised there was just far too many of them. Harry ran forward, and cast the Freezing spell, which exuded a powerful wave of frost and managed to hit four of the Inferi. The mindless creatures froze to the spot, but multiple soon took their place.

It was useless.

The magic itself was not enough. He was not strong enough for them all.

They were heavily outnumbered.

The Patil twins took hold of a few of the wounded captives and fled desperately to the exit. Some of the Death Eaters were now making a run for it once they realised that the Inferi were getting out of hand and that they were also in danger. There was a terrible scream which echoed throughout the cavern behind them, as a young captive was taken hold by an Inferi, which dragged him back into the lake. Harry tried to run after him, but he was grabbed by Ron to stop him from pursuing the now helpless victim.

"Harry, no – There's nothing else we can do. There's too many of them in there, we have to go!" Ron looked terrified, as he pulled a desperate Harry back.

Harry turned to see Bill take a few more captives and depart the cavern as he fired a curse behind him, sending a Death Eater sprawling to the floor. Curses and spells flew over their heads, but there were so many duels taking place that it was difficult to figure out who was casting them. At a few instances, he saw the familiar flash of green as several of the Death Eaters began to desperately cast the Killing Curse at whoever was in their way. But more and more of Harry's allies were realising the danger that they were in and began to take a few more of the captives one by one. But as Kreacher returned to take several more, a spell exploded at his tiny feet, knocking the old house-elf as he crumbled to the floor. Hermione watched this happen in absolute horror, and ran over to the house-elf, scooping his small, injured form up within her arms.

Her scared brown eyes darted to Harry.

Harry pointed to the exit, "Go, take him, and get out of here, Hermione! I'll be close behind!"

He watched as Hermione hesitated for a moment, until she finally turned on her heel to leave, pulling a few more wounded captives with her as she went.

There was another explosion, and this time more pieces of the cavern began to collapse. Everything shook, but even that was not enough to subdue the Inferi. Things were getting far worse, and any longer, and they'd be buried within it. Some of the children with Harry screamed in terror, as they huddled against him. Harry watched as Ron and Katie duel a pair of Death Eaters, one being Walden Macnair. They were protecting another exit and preventing the Death Eaters from escaping. Ron turned to Harry and motioned for him to go through. So, Harry ran to the exit with the children at his side, and swung his wand arm over his head, hurling a Death Eater through the air, who landed closer to the Inferi. There was another bloodcurdling scream, as the creatures reached for him, and Harry had to turn away in repulsion to avoid seeing what he imagined happening. Luna and Percy were the next two to flee through one of the tunnels, followed by Seamus, Dean, and his parents. They scooped up a few of the children by Harry's side, as they fled with them in tow.

Ginny ran up to Harry with a wild and flustered look upon her face, "We can't hold them back any longer – "

"I-I know…Go, Ginny! I'll be right behind!" Harry urged.

She shook her head, stubbornly, "No, not without you!"

Harry suddenly grabbed her shoulders and stared into her frightened hazel eyes, "I'll be close behind, alright? Please, go! Now!"

She blinked back teary eyes, "Harry!"

"Now, Ginny! We're running out of time!"

She took another helpless look at Harry, until she turned and bounded out of the crumbling cavern. Behind Harry, the Inferi were beginning to attack the Death Eaters, as the creatures showed no mercy for their creators.

There was another blast fired upon the ceiling by Walden Macnair, who then turned to Harry with a twisted, malicious grin. Harry shuddered, knowing that he intended to bury them all. Urging the last of his allies and captives out of the cavern, Harry alongside Draco, ran out of one of the last tunnels, firing spells behind them at the Death Eaters on their tail. The ground continued to shake, and the tunnels echoed with the dark, primal sounds of the advancing Inferi not far behind them. He could hear the sound as they clambered through the rocky tunnel after them. Harry fired back another spell, but it missed, hitting the wall instead.

The panicked pair continued to run, feeling breathless as they jumped, and climbed certain rockfaces in their bid to edge closer to the surface. His own shirt drenched with sweat, feeling far too worn out already. The Death Eaters behind, one of them being Dolohov, continued to fire dangerous spells towards them. Shards of stone exploded around them, hitting Harry and Draco as they ran. Harry felt hot searing pain from his body but could not stop long enough to see where it hit. There was just no time, as they felt the ground continue to shift underneath them, hearing the caverns collapsing behind them as they ran.

The pair bolted towards what they could see, as a split in their path. There was still no daylight to be found, and they had no idea where these paths led to, despite Lumos lighting the way. There were no markings from any of their allies as to where they would lead, but it was all a wild guess. Neither of them had time to stop and get their bearings, as their shoes pounded hard against the stone ground. The primal, haunting voices of the Inferi grew louder; another blood curling scream echoed behind them as another Death Eater was claimed victim to the twisted creatures. Harry heard Draco swear under his breath.

Once they reached the split in the path, Draco pulled roughly on Harry's sleeve and steered them both to the right path just in time for the left one to collapse before they got there. They continued to run, but no exit could be seen. Harry began to further panic, feeling like he was trapped in the maze during the Third Task all over again.

But several things happened at once before Harry could begin to comprehend.

The pursuing Death Eater fired a powerful Reducto, which pulsed through the tunnel they were running through and shattering the stone perilously around him.

Suddenly, there was an explosion, causing the tunnel around them to collapse. Ahead of the pair, was another cavern in which they raced towards in desperation to escape the crumbling mess around them. The cavern itself began to fall apart, splitting in multiple ways, leaving Draco and Harry to dodge falling rock. There was another scream behind them as another Death Eater was plummeted by a large rock that crashed upon him.

The cavern collapsed further, and the shifting ground caused Harry to lose his footing and stumble to the floor.

The last thing he felt was a searing pain in his head when something struck him, as the earth crashed loudly and violently around him.

He gasped.

…Then everything went black.

There was a stillness in the air around him.

Harry's heart was beating painfully in his chest, racing too fast for him to keep track, as he imagined the sound to be loud enough to echo. He opened his eyes, but they failed to register anything against the cold darkness that surrounded him. He could see nothing. He tried to breathe, but dust immediately filled up his lungs, causing his eyes to water. He attempted to arch his back, as he began to cough several times, but his torso felt heavy like something was weighing down upon him.

Then there was intense pain. His head was throbbing, as it felt like needles were prying at his skin. He felt something wet against his head, and in the darkness, he was trapped in, he wasn't able to see what it was. Although he had the horrible feeling that it was blood.

He tried to wriggle his arms, but his left one seemed pinned by something he couldn't see. Moving his legs was also a tiresome task, as he felt some resistance in them. Neither of them could comply with such a simple task as movement. Everything felt wrong.

Suddenly, panic rose up within his chest.

Using his right hand, he felt away from whatever was on his chest which found several rocks slowly burying him. After a few weakened attempts, he was able to push them off and tried to go for a deep breath, but his ribs felt bruised and battered. Harry knew he was not in good shape. He tried to call for his wand which was no longer in his hand, but the task was useless. It was dark, cold, and shrouded in dust, and he knew his wand was buried somewhere around him. He managed to give himself a few moments to register what had happened, as his mind was a blur, and his memory was almost hazy. He was running with Draco when the cavern collapsed –

" – Malfoy! Draco…" Harry's voice croaked, feeling dulled down by the stone muting the sound of his desperate plea. But there was no response.

Harry's heart sunk lower into his chest. Once the sounds of his own simmered down, he could hear other voices. Faint, but he felt a looming sense of dread when he realised those voices were the Inferi. They, too, were trapped somewhere and if Harry didn't escape soon, they would reach him like flies to roadkill.

He was injured, wandless, and alone.

Harry felt his eyes burn, in his feeble attempt to quell the new tears forming within his eyes. No, he couldn't break down now. Surely someone would come for him. They knew he was down here with Draco…Maybe Draco managed to escape and tried to call for help? Harry couldn't hear a thing, but he only hoped that he was alive…somewhere.

He didn't know how long he had been there for, because despite the dark compartment he was trapped in, he could feel himself drifting in and out of consciousness. Each time he awoke, he startled himself again, painfully remembering his predicament all over again.

This can't be happening…This has to be a dream…

His mind drifted back to the panicked faces of his friends and allies as they tried to escape the crumbling stone around them. Had they escaped? Were they safe? …Alive? Was Ginny okay? And Hermione…Ron…

The eyes welled up again, as he felt one run down his cheek.

Upset and useless, he tilted his head to the side, "Draco – Please give me a sign you're alright…" He expected a snarky answer, but there was none. Hell, he even hoped for a rude remark within the silence, but even that was wishful thinking.

The sounds of the Inferi trapped somewhere amongst the shattered tunnel behind him grew louder and more ferocious. He felt scared…Defenceless…

…His did not want to die down here, alone. He was frightened out of his mind. He struggled against something else pinning him down, but his head spun, and he felt searing pain once again. He bit down hard on his lip, tasting freshly drawn blood in his bid to silence himself. He had no energy to move. He was badly hurt and was unable to see exactly what had happened. The darkness here was too suffocating.

Would he ever see his friends again? A looming thought took over his mind. He was trapped in here, like the doomed Inferi currently attempting to claw through the stone to get to him.

No…

He was going to die down there, and the feeling of dread felt so heavy upon his heart. He didn't want it to end like this. Not now. Not after everything he worked so hard to mend. The thought of leaving everyone behind again felt all too much for him, and suddenly, it felt much like his journey back into the Forbidden Forest to meet with Voldemort for his own end. A death he faced with acceptance, with no more energy left to fight it. Then, he was more than willing to give up his own life. But now, just felt far too cruel. He didn't want to give up. He didn't want to die. He wasn't ready to leave this world. He chose to return back to the world he was familiar with, so he could continue to fight for the ones he loved, and those who also gave their lives.

He just had to keep trying.

He was scared to sleep, for fear of never waking up.

But Harry became more frightened as he felt himself drift out of consciousness once again.

Too much time had passed – he knew that much. His bones were aching upon laying on the floor for what seemed like hours. He tried to move his arms and legs again, but they hurt far too much. There was some movement, much to his relief, but he was still far too weak. Pain erupted all over his body, along with his chest burning every time he inhaled. And yet the dust hung in the stale air, like a thick fog, causing him to cough uncomfortably.

He drifted out of consciousness once again.

When he awoke, something was different. He saw a light. A dull, blue light which hurt his eyes even before he opened them. He gave himself time to register it, and initially, he thought that he must have suffered a horrible head injury for him to be hallucinating. When he finally opened his bleary, sore eyes, he saw the ball of light. He narrowed his eyes to gain a further glance, soon realising what he was seeing as his vision began to adjust through his cracked glasses.

It was the silver doe.

No, it couldn't be? He was imagining that, he was sure of it.

Harry blinked several times, not quite comprehending the sight before him. He must have hit his head quite badly. Taking that opportunity to look around within the illuminating glow, he saw that his left arm was indeed pinned by a larger rock. His right ankle was bent in an odd position, causing him to wince in horror at the mess of himself. He finally reached for the back of his head with his right hand and retracted it to find that yes, he was indeed bleeding. Wet and dried blood was matting his already messy and unruly dark hair.

He closed his eyes briefly in exhaustion, but as he opened it again, the doe was still there. Several times he noticed the doe disappearing through the crumbling stone around him and soon reappearing in the same spot. The doe itself was faded, like a dull flicker of light, shimmering in and out of existence. Not the bright ethereal light he was used to seeing. But it was there. And to Harry, that's all that mattered to him at that moment. He watched through his hazy, unfocused mind, as the doe always seemed to return to him, but he had to wonder where the doe was going.

Finally, he managed to speak amongst his hoarse, broken voice as his throat felt like sandpaper, "…Severus…is that you? I'm losing my mind, is it really you? …Don't leave me again. Please." The doe seemed to float before him and yet took a few gentle steps closer, leaning its head to nudge Harry's shoulder. He hoped for a verbal message, but he heard none. However the light, and in its form, was enough of a comfort to Harry in this time.

He wasn't alone. He knew that now.

Harry felt his head burn with pain again, but his vision blurred, and he slowly closed his eyes against the comforting light before him.

He lost consciousness once again.

Harry Potter felt his body shift, but he could not make out the muffled sounds around him. He was drifting in and out of sleep, and he grew too wary to open his eyes. He could gradually feel the weight shift from his left arm as he felt his body be freed upon the stone securing him to the ground. The voices around him were heavily distorted, and he was unable to make out who they belonged to. That is if they were actually people and not himself hallucinating those sounds. He knew he had hit his head, so he wasn't surprised by that fact. And yet still, with each unwilling movement his body made, sent pain ravaging him throughout again. Everything hurt.

He still had lost all concept of time and place and had no idea where he was now. He felt his body upon something soft and knew he was no longer laying helplessly upon the stone ground. There was something soft around his head and his leg, but his eyes felt far too heavy to open, to further comprehend it. He continued to hear voices again, but they seemed distant and distorted yet, still. A few times he could swear someone was calling his name, but nothing was registering in that clouded mind of his.

Harry could feel a hand to his head, shifting the bandage that he could feel against his skin. Slowly and steadily, he tried to open his eyes. Initially, he saw darkness once again and he panicked once more as he was overcome with dread that he was still trapped. He shifted uncomfortably in the bed, feeling new burning pain within his chest radiating from a rib he was sure he had fractured.

He felt a warm hand gently clasp his shoulder, "Remain still…Relax…It's alright, you're safe."

Harry shut his eyes again, feeling his vision sensitive to the dull candlelight within the room. He groaned in pain again, but it took him a few moments to realise who was there. That voice…

He opened his eyes blearily again, to find Severus Snape sitting at his bedside rubbing his uninjured shoulder gently, trying to calm him down. Harry's previously tense body eventually relaxed, until he soon realised, he was laying safely in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts. The room was dark, and Harry's heavy eyes darted to the colorful stained mosaic window to realise it was night.

"…Severus?" Harry's scratchy voice barely made a whisper, "…But how…?"

"Shh, you'll wake Poppy, " Severus' voice was quiet and calming, with a hint of amusement upon the thought, "I'd rather not suffer her wrath at the dead of night."

Severus was seated to Harry's right side, leaning close to the bed as he left his hand upon his shoulder in a reassuring comfort that Harry needed. Against the dull flicker of the candlelight on the bedside table, Harry was able to finally take a glimpse of the man once his vision finally adjusted to the light. Severus was wearing his full black robes, and no longer the plain white shirt he was wearing before. The man's hair, although still a weary mess, seemed to be pushed back to his shoulders keeping his face clear of any wayward strands. Harry had to narrow his eyes once again, and until he realised that a smaller bandage was plastered to the side of his neck, clean and unstained with his own blood that used to occur so often. His face, although still slightly pale, was not as deathly white as he last remembered, and he could see spots of color finally appearing on the man's cheeks. His dark eyes, noticeably exhausted, were widened in concern. His brows crinkled, as he studied the injured Gryffindor beside him. His hands were no longer a tremoring mess that they had been for the last few months – they were now steady, and soothingly comforting.

The man's lips twisted in a small, half-smile. One of obvious immense relief.

Harry was still in disbelief, however, that the man was alive and seemingly well before him, "…But sir. I don't understand…"

Severus shook his head gently after a short pause, "…I do not understand it, myself. I expected to meet my end, and I didn't. It let me go, and I eventually…woke up."

Harry was still worried, "…H-How are you feeling?"

Severus pursed his lips, "Like I've been run over multiple times by a herd of Hippogriffs."

Harry's face fell, feeling suddenly upset, "…I-I'm sorry. For everything. I thought – "

Severus' lips twitched, as he slowly lifted his hand up to silence him. His expression softened, "…I heard you. Before you left…I heard every word." The man's voice seemed to quiver towards the end, even despite his whispered tone as not to wake the others occupying the other beds within the Hospital Wing. Harry could hear the light snoring of the others within the room, but he could not determine who they were.

Harry hesitated, "Oh…I-I didn't expect you to hear it, " He suddenly felt embarrassed, and looked away, "I was…scared. For you."

"And yet you quelled those fears so that you could gain the strength necessary to save your friends."

"Same thing you did, wasn't it?"

"…Not quite the same, " Severus drew in a deep breath, as his face seemed overcome with heartache, "Harry…I, too, was…afraid. I awoke, and once I received word that no one had heard from you in almost two days, I panicked. Poppy would not allow me to leave, and thus, I did the only thing I could to assist."

"I'm glad you did because it helped me to feel a little less alone down there. I really thought I was going to die - " Harry felt his eyes well up with tears once again, and he knew Severus could detect that fear as he choked on those last few words.

The hand on Harry's shoulder squeezed gently again, "We're both alive."

"Yeah…we are, " Harry breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that they both made it. However, another thought crossed his mind, "…Is everyone else okay?"

"Safe. Everyone accounted for."

"Malfoy – Draco – Is he okay? He was with me when it collapsed – "

Severus nodded, "He is also safe. He was unable to get to you, so he managed to crawl out and get further help, " His lips seemed to twitch into another small smile, "Now, Harry, rest. You've earned it."

"Are you sure you are okay?" Harry was still slightly worried, and still somewhat in denial that the transference spell allowed him to survive. He was scared to get his hopes up yet again, for it to be ripped away from him as it has happened so many times before. He couldn't bear it if it happened again.

Severus seemed to hesitate slightly at the question. He looked at Harry with a measure of relief, "…Perhaps, I will be." He gave Harry a coy look and placed something in the palm of Harry's hand. It was the beaded bracelet Harry had slipped on the man's wrist before he left.

Harry looked further embarrassed, "…I supposed it gave us both more luck than we realised."

"I admit I was surprised to be wearing it when I awoke. Allow this to remain with you. I think it has long since served its purpose now - " Severus' face turned serious again, addressing the next few words with his familiar stern, baritone voice that Harry actually missed, " - Now go to bed. Rest."

Severus gave a last squeeze of Harry's shoulder before the man rose up and slowly made – or stumbled, rather - his way to the bed he occupied beside him on the other side of the partition. Harry relaxed once more, feeling immense relief that everyone else had made it through alive. Even Severus. He couldn't owe that to luck just yet, but it left a wonderful feeling back within his chest that he longed for, for an awfully long time. Possibly even as far back as when Sirius was alive. That hollow feeling, he was all too familiar with, was filled with something light and hopeful. Almost like the warm, comforting guiding light he saw within the doe, that made him feel less alone and isolated. He knew that the mission was complete, and everyone else was rescued. But it was the feeling of coming home to familiar faces which left Harry feeling incredibly happy and relieved.

Everyone was safe. Everyone was alive.

Even Harry.

Even Severus.

Harry could not be more thankful that, although the horrors they had seen down in the cave would forever be etched within his mind, he knew that he was safe upon the surface once more.

It didn't take long for Harry to drift back into a peaceful sleep, and he was surprised it happened so quickly despite his busy mind full of other questions. But the next time he awoke, a pale orange light streamed through the window.

Harry smiled – it was sunrise.

He looked around to find a few other Healers moving around the Hospital Wing, tending to some of the other wounded occupying the other beds. He could see Dean Thomas, Parvati, and Padma, along with Neville in the far corner chatting to Luna. Harry smiled again, although aching from all over, he was in a good mood and it felt like a welcome relief. Around him, there were flowers and treats, along with a container of fresh chocolate chip cookies which looked familiarly like Molly's baking. There were moving get-well cards, and one which started singing and exploded with confetti and streamers when he opened it – he knew that one was from George.

" - Severus, get back to bed this instant."

"I'm about to tend to Potter. He's awake."

"You're the patient – that is my job, not yours. If I turn around and you are not back to bed, I'll secure you to it."

"Poppy, enough coddling, I'd able. Allow me to change his bandage."

"Severus, stop being so stubborn. I receive better compliance from First Years!"

Harry could no longer suppress the chuckle that was rising up within him, despite the act being so painful for his fractured rib. He clutched his abdomen as he winced in pain, but it was still rather hilarious, to say the least.

The partition already shifted to the side, revealed a visibly irritated Severus. He turned to face Harry, sitting up within his own bed, clutching a mug of tea close to his chest, "…Amusing enough for you?"

Harry cracked a cheeky grin, "…Just a little."

Madam Pomfrey called out from one of the other beds, as she tended to Luna's burned arm with the salve that Draco had concocted, "Mr. Potter, I am not finished with you, either. Lie still, and I'll tend to you shortly. Good grief, you two!"

The oak doors to the Hospital Wing suddenly swung open as Kingsley and McGonagall strode into the busy room. The Headmistress had all but an amused grin upon her aged face, gathering her grey and black robes as she went, "Both making your job difficult, I see, Poppy?"

Behind the pair, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny raced past the older pair as they bounded up to Harry lying within the hospital bed. Ron and Hermione took a seat to Harry's right, leaning up against each other looking exhausted, and bruised, but relieved to see him. Ginny sat on the other side, grasping Harry's hand tenderly. Words were not adequate enough to describe how happy he was to see them again. He could barely recall the fight in the cavern and the faces of his friends confronting their enemies and the prospect of being buried alive.

Madam Pomfrey threw her hands up in frustration, "Good heavens, neither of them listen to a single thing I say. I should save myself the added stress and consider retirement already." She walked off back to her office, leaving the others alone again.

Both Kingsley and McGonagall stopped between Harry and Severus' bed, eyeing both cautiously. Kingsley looked upon Harry's bruised and bandaged form, "How are you feeling, Harry?"

Harry raised a quizzical eyebrow, "…Like I've been buried under rocks?" Did he just use Severus' sarcasm?

"We are immensely relieved you are alive and well – " Kingsley was holding a parchment in his hands but seemed to keep most of it concealed under his turquoise and silver robes. " – It took a long and tedious time to reach you."

"How long was I gone?"

McGonagall crinkled her brow, "When you entered the caves, you were gone for nine hours. Upon hearing the explosions, we saw several people flee from multiple exits guarded by our own. Once we realised you had not resurfaced with them, Severus sent his Patronus to find you. It took another day to finally reach you through the collapsed tunnels. You've been in the Hospital Wing for a few days now…" Exasperated, the Headmistress paused to recollect herself, "That was far too close, Mr. Potter. You had us all worried out of our minds."

"…We'd been trying to dig you out for ages, mate, " Ron said, quietly.

Thankful and knowing that it was Severus who led them all to him, Harry glanced at Severus quickly, who averted his gaze as soon as he did. He turned back to Kingsley, "Um…Did you manage to catch any Death Eaters?"

"We caught about twelve as they attempted to flee. Including Augustus Rookwood, and Merrick Selwyn. The others must have perished beneath, " Kingsley answered grimly, "The Death Eater who must have had some control over the Inferi, died amongst them, ironically rendering them inactive once again."

Harry gave a sigh of relief, "That's good news. I never want to see or hear them again."

"Mr. Potter, I do not know what transpired down there, but good heavens, we are relieved that you all made it, " McGonagall gave Harry a small smile. Then she turned to Severus, "All of you."

Suddenly, Kingsley also shared a smile, "That brings me to the next subject – " He handed a small envelope to Severus.

Severus himself retrieved it rather cautiously as if he expected it to be a Howler. Everyone watched in anticipation, even those others still in the Hospital Wing, as the room suddenly grew silent. Severus' breath grew shallow, as his dark eyes poured over the inked words on the parchment. He appeared at a loss for words, something that was unusual for him. He frowned as he looked up at Kingsley, " – What?"

Kingsley's smile widened, "You've been pardoned, Severus. The Ministry has decided to drop the case completely. In fact – " The Minister proceeded to hand both Severus, and Harry, another piece of parchment. McGonagall's bright blue eyes gleamed with happiness.

Harry, like Severus, retrieved his carefully, as he pried open the fold in the center like it was far too delicate to hold. His own eyes grew wide.

It was an Order of Merlin, First Class.

What -

Harry shook his head in shock, "This…This really isn't necessary."

"I, with the Council's immediate approval, felt it necessary to grant you both an Order of Merlin, First Class, in regard to your extensive war efforts. It is my highest honor as Minister, to give to you, " Kingsley bowed his head to both of them, "Your friends here as well, have one each. You've more than earned it."

The room suddenly erupted in cheers, claps, and whistles from not only the occupants in the beds and their visitors, as with the Healers, but the portraits lining the walls of the Hospital Wing.

Both Harry and Severus remained speechless, who wanted nothing more than to escape from the limelight.

Harry felt Ginny's fingers entwine tightly with his, and suddenly, everything was going to be alright.