Percy's screams echoed around the empty corridors, his eyes tightly shut, as he tried to think through the intense pain he was feeling. His hold however never once wavered on the small boy who was whimpering in his arms. He had a mission to finish and he wouldn't fail. He forced himself to move one leg forward before doing it to the other. He was trying to move and give Chris a bit of distance so the child would have a chance to live and run away. He was too into his plight to hear the footsteps that were getting closer to them.

Fred and George had been checking into every classroom and closet they had passed in search of Harry. They had no type of clue where the small boy was but they knew how trouble followed him and on a day like today they didn't want to risk him anymore then they did Ron or Ginny. After all he was an honorary Weasley. They had just come from another empty classroom when they heard this scream that had them stopping in their tracks.

"That sounded familiar didn't it?" George asked quietly, fear seeping into his chest, at the implication of what that could mean. They knew that Ron didn't sound like that, and the voice he thought they heard was one he was used to hearing at home and he didn't want to dwell on what that type of scream might have meant.

Fred didn't answer, he didn't want to confirm that the scream sounded like their older brother. He didn't say anything to his twin, he just simply took off in the direction of where they had heard it. He didn't have to turn around to know that George was following him. His heart was thudding in his chest, and he hoped with all his heart that nothing was wrong. But judging how the screams were so close together he had a feeling that something was seriously wrong.

"Just hold on Perce, we're coming," Fred murmured as they ran as fast as they could towards the sound of their oldest brother's voice. What they saw when they turned the corner had them stopping in their tracks, eyes wide in horror as they both took in the grave situation. Fred gasped,oi his twins identical one echoing his as he felt his blood run cold.

*~*~*~Greenhouse#3~*~*~*~

Neville whimpered to himself as he held his wand shakily in his hand. He couldn't understand why this was happening nor how in the heck he was going to get out of this. He had been with the Care of Magical creatures but after Madame Pomprey had deemed him well enough he had left as soon as he could to visit his plants. He had allowed himself to get lost in his work and as a result was now facing the consequences of that.

He was sitting quietly on top of a green house that was currently holding steady but he didn't know how long it was going to stay that way. Especially as the lava was flowing steadily around it. It was luck and maybe a bit of help from one of the plants who had started screaming when the lava neared the green house; and it had alerted him that something was wrong. He had then climbed on the vines of the plant to the roof.

He looked mournfully below, some of the plants had natural protective barriers against fire and others didn't and he knew they were done for. He sighed, he had gathered the courage to summon a broom from the Quidditch pitch about a half hour ago but he couldn't make himself get on it and fly to safety. It wasn't just his fear of flying, he felt that he could overcome that, it was also his fear of all things that had to do with fire. He shuddered as he remembered an incident when he was 6.

His Uncle Algie had set his curtains on fire and had then locked him in the room, in hopes his accidental magic would flare up and save him from dying. It did obviously as he wasn't dead but it had also had the side effect of making him deathly afraid of anything to do with the element. He hated the charm's lesson when they were all practicing incendio.

He had ended up in the infirmary with a panic attack before Madame Pomprey had subscribed calming potions for him before every class until they had finished it. He had never been more thankful to get to a new lesson in charms before. He buried his face in his knees trying to get himself and his emotions under control and somehow summon that Gryffindor courage. He sighed, shaking his head, unsure of what he was going to do as he stared at the broom next to him dejectedly.

~*~*~*6th floor~*~*~*~*

"So what was the plan again?" Remus asked warily, wondering if he had heard wrong.

"We are going to take these broomsticks that Minerva has gotten from the Gryffindor Tower and fly down to the Slytherin Dungeons and evacuate the children through the window," Albus told the man patiently.

Remus nodded, inwardly he was shaking his head hell no. He wasn't a flier at all, the wolf in him didn't like being that high off of the ground but he knew that he had no choice in this. They needed to rescue the children.

Severus nodded as he opened the window, he stuck his head out before casting another bubblehead charm on himself, along with fireproofing his broom. The last thing he needed was to get hurt while he was rescuing his students. He sighed before expanding the window for a moment before he flew out of it. He waited for his other 3 companions to do the same to their brooms before he led the way to the lower part of the castle where he knew the Dungeons were.

He could see the lava and Hogwarts in all of it glory. The castle was literally surrounded by the hot liquid and he could see some of the trees in the forbidden forest were gone. He assumed that they had fallen and then covered in the burning liquid. He shook the thought away as they flew silently down to it. He hoped with all of his heart that his Slytherins were fine, before clearing his mind before he somehow ended up panicking.

"There is it, that's the window for my seventh years," Severus told them as they flew as one to the it. He took out his wand and opened it. The room was darker then it was outside as the smoke had risen and he could hear strangled coughs from inside.

"Do you see anyone?" Minerva asked worriedly as they got close.

Severus didn't say anything, his eyes trying but failing to locate the source of the coughing. "Whose in there?" He yelled out, hoping for a response, and sighing in relief when he got it.

"Professor!" Daphne screamed back before her head appeared in the window. She was coughing having inhaled some of the smoke, and her chest was on fire as it hurt to breathe. But all in all she was fine.

"Ms. Greengrass, it's so good to see you child," Albus replied a sigh of relief making it's way pass his lips as he hovered closer to the window.

"You too Headmaster," Daphne replied, words she had never thought she would say in her life. She found herself reaching for the man before turning back around to her friends who were all laying on the floor so they could breathe easier. "Get up guys, Professor Snape is here!" She told them before reaching for the Headmaster once more.

Severus watched as Albus swiftly pulled her onto his broom behind him and got her situated. He nodded to the old man, inwardly counting before frowning. "The wolf and I will each take two of the students," he told him.

He waited for the old man's nod before he flew away with the child on his broom, no doubt going back to his office to get her to safety.

Severus nodded as he turned to Minerva before he looked in the window at the expression's on his snake's face. He could see the fear, and grief on it which at the moment he couldn't understand why. He didn't have time to think on it, so he shook the thought away before he gestured for the woman to go ahead. "Bring me Ms. Parkinson," he requested urgently. He watched as the Slytherin boys hurried to comply and was rewarded when the girl appeared in the window. She was closed off, her entire face was blank but that wasn't what had him on edge. Her eyes were flowing freely with tears but she wasn't making a sound.

He wanted to know what was wrong but he couldn't afford to ask right now. They were already wasting time as it was, but he knew if they went any faster and rushed, someone could accidentally fall so they had no choice but to go slow and steady. Severus gestured to his colleague to grab the girl, and he hovered near them as she righted herself on the broom. He pulled away to move back towards the window when he swore his heart stopped for a moment when he heard a bit of their conversation.

"What's wrong my dear?" Minerva asked gently. She had the girl in front of her as she didn't believe that the child could hold on in her shocked state of mind.

"One of my friends are dead," Pansy replied eerily calm.

"Who?" Severus blurted out turning to look at her; his heart leaping into his throat at the implications of her ill timed words.

"Severus we don't have time for that, you can talk to her after," Minerva said frowning at his lack of tact. Although she too was feeling the dread in her own heart, especially if the child had witnessed it.

"Yes of course, you're right Minerva. Get her out of here." Severus stated urgently, but he couldn't stop thinking about which child had died. He guessed he would know when they pulled the remaining children out of the window.

Severus cleared his mind before hovering back towards the window. "The next person step up to the window so I can get you," he told them.

Theodore gestured to Blaize to go who was shaking his head, and glaring furiously at his best friend's burnt arm.

"You are going first," Blaize informed him.

"No I have to make sure that Vincent gets up, he's still rocking on the bed," Theo whispered as he pointed at their friend rocking on the bed. He hissed as he had accidentally pointed with his burnt arms and fingers.

"Wrong, Professor Snape! Theo is hurt, he's burned really bad!" Blaize yelled out, before turning to smirk at his friend who was glaring at him. They both knew they wouldn't ignore the commanding tone of their Head of House.

"To me Mr. Knott," Severus stated urgently, his tone barely able to cover up his worry. He didn't know how bad the boy had been truly burned but just judging from his snake's tone had him inwardly freaking out. He was rewarded when the boy appeared in front of him, pain and worry was etched on his face.

"I'm here Professor," Theo replied quietly as he stared up at the man. He looked to the ceiling unable to believe that they were being saved. He had thought all was lost to be honest, especially when the lava had taken Greg. He sniffled before reaching towards the man with his good arm.

"What happened child?" Severus asked gently as he picked him up as he carefully as he could and settled him on Remus's broom. He frowned as he took in the deep burns, his own medical knowledge, allowing him to know that they were very serious indeed.

"I was holding onto Greg," he replied, his lower lip trembling as his grief was threatening to overwhelm him.

"Why were you holding onto him?" Remus asked when Severus moved back towards the window. He knew without a doubt that the man was still listening.

"To help him from the lava. It started seeping under the entrance to the common room, and we were all sleeping," he choked out.

Remus felt like his throat closed up, and though he had a hunch this is who Pansy had been talking about, didn't make it any easier. He didn't want to voice this question but he knew he needed to ask it. "Was Mr. Goyle okay?" He asked his heart thudding loudly in his chest.

"No the lava, it covered him," Theo whispered out tearfully before turning his head into the man's chest.

Remus was visibly startled when the boy turned around, but more shocked when he found the boy sobbing into his chest. He was no stranger to comforting students, but never had he had to comfort a Slytherin. They stayed away from him, but from the way the child was clinging to him, he knew immediately that he would a cruel man to deny the child this.

"My god child," he whispered, arms instinctively coming to rub the boy's back. He looked over at Severus to find the man's expression unreadable, but he could see the grief and anger clear as day in the man's eyes.

"Get him out of here," Severus said gruffly, swallowing his own grief and firmly putting up his shields. Was there no end to this nightmare, to this madness? Was he destined to be too late for all the students? First Amanda and now Greg, he shook his head ruefully; glaring at the wolf who refused to be move.

"No, I'm staying. It's safer, just in case something goes wrong," Remus explained before frowning. The smell of sulfur had gotten thicker, so he knew that the lava was extremely close. "We need to get the other boys out of there!"

"I know," Severus replied before he hovered near the window again, and peeked in once more.

The air had gotten even denser from when he had gotten Theodore out of, and now he could only just see inside. He was rewarded for his efforts when Blaize appeared but the stubborn child refused to reach for him. He was all set to reprimand him for being stupid when the boy spoke up.

"Wait sir, you have to get Vincent first, something's really wrong with him," Blaize told the man fearfully.

Severus didn't need to ask what was wrong with the boy, as he knew as did everyone else when it came to the friendship between Gregory Goyle and Vincent Crabbe. You never saw one without the other, and if you did, you just knew that the other wasn't far from him. If the boy; (as he feared) had witnessed his best friend's death, he wasn't sure how the child would come back from that. He shook the thoughts away, he could think on this later, but right now he had two boys to save.

"Bring him to me, we will fix what's wrong with him later," Severus told him calmly.

"That's the thing Professor, I can't bring him to you. He won't move, or talk really. He hasn't said or done anything since we saw Greg..." he let the sentence drop but they both knew what he was talking about.

"I see," Severus said as he ran a hand through his hair. This was unsurprising to him really, but given the severity of the situation, he could not deal with it right now. There were lives at stake including his own, so it was a troublesome and also delicate situation. He sighed before he turned to look at Lupin who was now rubbing soothing circles in his snake's back.

"I'm going to have to go in and get Mr. Crabbe, who is in shock and unable to get out on his own," Severus told him quickly as he reached out to Blaize.

"Professor?" Blaize question as he slowly let the man grab him.

"I need you to stay on my broom and keep it steady, the lava is still rising and when I come out with Vincent, it's going to be pretty close to us," Severus explained as he hoisted the boy on his broom.

He brought the broom closer to the window before he slowly climbed inside. He was very thankful for his bubble-head charm as he could literally see the thick smoke in front of his face. He didn't even want to think about how it felt to be breathing it in. Thinking of which, he flicked his wand and pointed it at his student who was rocking on the bed. It was an eerie sight as the boy was making no type of sound, not even a whimper.

He noticed that the child didn't even seem to be aware that he was in the room, let alone that he could now breathe easier. He made his way to Vincent and stood in front of him, the tip of his wand lit so he could see into the boy's eyes. The child's eyes were clouded and unfocused, and Severus knew the boy was locked somewhere in his mind. He hurried over to the door, and gasped when he saw the lava seeping underneath the crack in the door. They were out of time! He swallowed thickly before gently albeit firmly shaking the child on the bed.

"Mr. Crabbe! Snap out of this! I know you can hear me and I know how you feel. But we need to get out of here!" Severus told him urgently, his eyes focused on the child but at the same time the lava that was making its way towards them. He snapped his fingers in front of the child's eyes, but he still didn't get a reaction, and after a moment he knew what he had to do. He flicked his wand at the boy throwing a featherlight charm on him before he picked him up.

He sighed, hoping that the child would be able to pull himself out of this depression he was now currently in. As he moved to run back to the window that is when the trouble started. The nearly catatonic child started screaming and thrashing about the moment he lifted him in his arms. Severus was unprepared for that and as a result he dropped the child back on the bed. He moved to pick the boy up and again he was pushed back for his troubles.

"Mr. Crabbe! Cease this at once we do not have time for this," Severus told him sternly, but inside his heart was thudding.

He knew they didnt have time for this or anything else really. He frowned as he stared at the screaming child. He pulled out his wand all prepared to stun him. It was looked down upon to stun an emotionally distraught child, but he would do it in a heartbeat, especially when it saved the child's life. As he moved to flick his wand, the rest of the trouble started. He heard a groaning noise from the bed frames as the ones closest to the lava started to break down. He simply levitated the hysterical child and started running back to the window. Vincent's bed had been the furthest from the window and the closest to the door so it had felt like forever to get to the window. Severus saw Blaize just outside the window on his broom and as he turned around to grab the levitating child, he was promptly kicked in the stomach for his efforts. He fell to the ground, the spell on the boy failing and he too landed on the floor.

As he reached to grab the child, so they could get out of there and then give the boy the sternest lecture of his life, he heard the groaning noise even louder this time and much more pronounced. He stood up slowly, and all was quiet for only a second as he held his breath. The only sound he could hear was the boy whimpering on the floor and his thudding heart. He turned towards the window when he felt Hogwarts starting to crumble where he stood. He gasped and reached for the boy once more only to get pushed away once again. He couldn't stun him not when he see the foundation of the floor opening for fear that the boy would topple straight into the opening.

"Vincent, come here now!" Severus screamed out, as he went for the boy. Somehow the child had ended up on the other side of the floor which was now divided in half.

"Not without Greg, I can't leave him here," Vincent muttered over and over again as he rocked in place.

"Gregory is here, with me the Headmaster's broom. You just have to come with me and I'll take you to him," Severus lied swiftly, he would do whatever it took to get his students to safety. Even if it meant lying about the fate of a child that they both knew was dead.

"You're lying, he's not there. He wouldn't have left me alone. How could he do that?" Vincent ask, as his frame started to shake as the sobs ripped out of his chest.

"He didn't do it on purpose Vincent, come here. We don't have time for this," Severus stressed as he moved to stun the boy and levitate him only to realize in fear that his wand was nowhere to be found.

He could see the bed's falling, and he knew as the boy inched closer to the whole in the floor that he had failed him. There was no reason with a grief-stricken person, who had watched his best friend perish in front of his eyes. Severus knew the pain the boy was feeling and how often had he been pulled away from the cliff when he had been about to kill himself. He shook himself out of his thoughts, ashamed that he had allowed himself to do that in a crucial time. He growled to himself before taking a running leap over the hole in the middle of the floor to stand next to the bewilder child.

"I know you are hurting, but killing yourself isn't going to bring him back. And I will not allow you to do this," Severus stated darkly as he lifted the boy up.

He was surprised to find that the feather light charm was still in effect, and he took that to his advantage. He hoisted the boy up over his shoulder and ran and jumped back the way he came. He could feel the floor crumbling under his foot, but he wouldn't be defeated. He tried hard to ignore the kicking and the pounding the boy was giving him for taking him against his will. He could see Blaize on the broom and shook his head.

"Lupin, switch with Blaize now!" Severus told him urgently as he looked behind him.

The smoke was so thick, it was only the bubble head charm that had him and Vincent conscious. He could see the werewolf visibly startle, and gently tried to push the boy in his arms away. He winced at the piercing shriek that he had no idea that Theodore could produce. He was at a loss at what to do, but unless they got out of this window they would die.

"Professor, what do you need me to do?" Blaize asked fearfully.

"Hold the broom as steady as you can, and do no let go for anything," Severus told him gravely, as he watched his Slytherin follow his orders.

Severus took a breath hoping the boy wouldn't fight, and had tired himself out. He could feel the bruised skin under his robes, but other then that the adrenaline was pumping throughout his body. As he moved to set Vincent out the window, the boy took advantage of the situation and threw himself away from he window and Severus. The big Slytherin landed on his back on the crumbling floor gasping for air.

"You foolish child!" He yelled out before he could help himself, growling as he moved towards the boy when the unthinkable happened.

Severus felt the floor underneath him starting to go, and he reached out for air. He could feel this intense rush of heat flooding his face before he was no longer standing, and he was reaching for the air. He hadn't even had a moment to ponder that he was falling when he felt an arm grab him by the wrist and pull him out of the window and onto the broom. He turned to look at Lupin incredulously, before both their gazes turned to the window when they heard this bloodcurdling scream from inside for only a moment before all was silent. Severus stared blankly ahead for a moment before his eyes flicked to Blaize who was still gripping the broom as he had told him.

"Let's go, we need to get the boys to safety," Remus said firmly, more authority in his voice that Severus had ever heard.

Severus could only nod as he adjusted himself on his broom, and after making sure that Blaize was still secure he followed Remus through the air. He couldn't allow himself to shut down, but he couldn't help thinking how he had failed those boys. How he had let them die. Why didn't he double check? The haunting questions tore at his heart, as they had no answer. He knew he would never get the last scream of Vincent Crabbe out of his head. Why didn't he stun him when he had the chance?

~*~*~*~*Headmaster's office~*~*~*~*

It was Draco who finally had enough. He couldn't believe that Potter had simply curled up like a cat and fell asleep in the chair. He was bored and he hated not knowing the fate of his friends, not to mention the blonde Slytherin was very much afraid. He wasn't sure what propelled him to do but he found himself in front of the Headmaster's desk in the book of the student's enrolled in Hogwarts closed in front of him. He was a 13 year old boy and he was curious, could one blame him. He turned the first page, wondering what he would fine.

"Oi! Malfoy get away from that. The headmaster could come back any second!" Ron told him in a shocked voice. "Are you mad?"

"Oh hush up Weaseley, I'm not doing anything. I'm just looking through the book," Draco said with a smirk before he chuckled. He wished he would get in trouble for opening a book. "What's so bad about....,"

Ron looked up as the Slytherin trailed off only to stand up in alarm, his gaze going back to his sleeping friend. "What's going on? What is it?" He asked, his heart leaping into his chest.

"This is the registry book for Hogwarts, it shows every student enrolled in at the moment. Some names are disappearing," Draco spoke in a quiet voice.

"So, what does that mean?" Ron asked carefully.

"Father says that when they disappear, they are either enrolled somewhere else, or dead," Draco said choking on a sob before he found himself turning the page. It was in alphabetical order, with the last name first. He had just turned the pages to see Vincent's Crabbe's name disappear from the page, and his stomach dropped.

Ron went to make a remark about the boy's father when he noticed the look of grief on the other teen's face. "Who did you see?" He whispered out.

"Crabbe is dead," Draco said in a monotone voice before he was flipping through the book again, hoping that none of his other friend's were in there. He didn't want to know but at the same time he felt he had to out of respect for them and their families.

Ron swallowed thickly, though there was no love lost between the Slytherin and himself, he felt horrible that someone HIS age had died in something so horrible. He ran over to the other side of the desk and pushed the blonde boy away.

"What the bloody hell Weasely?" Draco blurted out, his hurt giving way to anger as he was moved out of the way.

"Sorry, let me. I need to check on my brothers," Ron said frantically as he flipped through the pages. His motions were rushed and he was anxious at what he would find. He didn't really notice that Draco had stayed to the side anger gone just as soon as it came.

"Are they there?" Draco asked when it seemed like it was taking forever to get answers.

"The Weaseleys are always last," Ron muttered absently, ignoring the part of his mind that wanted him to check to see if his friend's were still alive. He would do that after, the twins had promised they would come back. And he needed to know if they were safe or not. As he made it to the W's he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw his own name. Of course he was still alive, as he came to the twins, theirs weren't the black color his had been, instead they were turning from black to red, and he was unsure of what that meant. He gasped as he looked at the next page before his eyes flicked to Draco's.

"What does it mean when the name is flickering?" He whispered out fearfully. He was very afraid to hear the answer.

Draco frowned as he glanced at the page before turning to look at Harry who still looked to be sleep, thankfully. He didn't want the other boy hysterical as he answered. "Fighting between life and death," he whispered.

Ron's breath caught, and his heart stopped for a just a moment, as he was unable to turn his eyes away from the flickering letters of his older brother's name. He didn't knpw what to do, and he was powerless to help him. He sent a silent prayer to whoever that Percy would be fine, but as his name continued to flicker even as it turned red he got very scared and backed away from the book.