Severus slowed down a bit, when it seemed that his pace was too much for the child, who he could hear was gasping on his breath and a bit further from him then he liked. "Do you need me to carry you Harry?" He asked, not mincing his word.

"I can..I can do it," he panted out tiredly, even as his legs burned. His injures weren't healed, and he was still weak from the lack of food; but his pride was speaking.

"I know you can, but we have to hurry. I don't know what state Mr. Weasely is in," he reminded him carefully.

"Alright, you can carry me then," Harry relented as he he stopped running and reached for the man.

Severus stopped and hoisted the boy up before transferring him to his back; piggy back style.

"Hold on tight," he said as he took off at a run towards the charm's classroom.

The only sound was their breaths in the hallways and Severus's feet on the stone floor, Hogwarts was never meant to be this silent, even in the summer it never sounded this still. He turned the last corner and nearly bumped into a child. The boy didn't seem to see him, and continued to run away. Severus didn't have time to think on that situation as he could hear screaming and his heart dropped into his throat at the implications of what he was currently hearing. He glanced over his shoulder at the child whose face shown the fear that Severus knew all to well.

"I'm going to deafen you Harry, because you don't need to hear any of this, and I would blind you but that would leave you powerless. Do me a favor and listen to me just this once?" He requested as he stared at the child.

"I will sir," Harry promised, wanting to be good. He had liked the look the man had given him when he had shown him the map. Like he was proud of him for being useful and he didn't want to mess that up.

"Good boy," Severus told him as he turned around and set him on top of a suit of arms, who only moved his arms to accommodate the child. "Do not move," he told him firmly before he spelled the child's ears and headed further down the corridor. What he saw had him closing his eyes sadly, the children just could not catch a break today.

He ran towards them, not interrupting one of the twins, who seemed to be lecturing his brother on not dying. He didn't care what they were talking about as long as the child was speaking. He nodded making sure the twins were back and out of harms ways before throwing a powerful freezing charm on the lava, he knew it wouldn't last forever but it would bide them the time they needed.

He froze the lava behind, in front, and all around the boy who was much to calm for his liking. He knew it had to be the shock, this was to much for his system, but he had to do this, to save the child's life. Just like in battle, sacrifices had to be made. Once the lava, was thoroughly frozen over, he hurried over to the boy, cutting the ice around the boy and lifting him up, he could see mother nature, working against magic and he hurried off of the ice and back onto the stone floor.

"Run," he told them, as he levitated Percy and hurried down the hall. He knew the ice would preserve the rest of the nerves in the boy's legs, but with the extreme heat he had undergone, he wasn't sure how this was going to be effective.

He gestured for George to grab Harry and once they were a way's away he stopped turning back to his patient. Percy Weasely had gone silent, and it was only a finger to the side of the neck that showed Severus that he was breathing; but just barely. He nodded to himself, before taking off the pendant he had around his neck. It was an emergency Port key, Albus had given it to him in the last war, and once there was signs of the Dark Lord returning he had resumed wearing it. He wrapped the child's hand's around it, before whispering the password and scooting back. The boy disappeared with a small pop and all was quiet.

"Where did you send him?" George asked as he looked at his Professor.

"To St. Mungo's the emergency ward, the wards would4 have triggered the minute he flooed in. They will help him, more then I ever could," Severus told them quietly as he reached for Harry. He canceled the spell, but the little boy wisely stayed quiet.

"Thank you for saving our brother Professor," Fred said thickly.

"He's not out of the woods just yet, you as well as I know that magic cannot fix everything," Severus told them gently.

"We know, but without you, he would have died right there in front of us," George told him.

Severus gave a curt nod. "I think it would be best, if you both headed to the Headmaster's office. Ronald is extremely worried about you," he told them.

"Ron's still here? He was supposed to floo home," Fred said frowning before nodding to his twin.

"Yes he's still here, Albus will floo all of you home. Molly is more then worried about you all," Severus replied.

"At least Ginny is safe," George said with a sigh.

Severus bit his lip before shaking his head. "Not quite. Ginerva if you recall was one of the ones who headed up to the Infirmary earlier. And I have not heard any reports about anyone up there, least of all Poppy. When you see Albus, don't forget to mention the infirmary," He told them seriously.

"We will sir, and we really do thank you for saving our brother," Fred repeated.

They were still in shock from the whole ordeal, and didn't bother to ask why Harry was with Snape, and why the boy wasn't complaining about being in the presence of the potion's Master. Severus watched them ruffle the fondly ruffle the child's hair before they took off down the hall at a run.

Severus sighed, as he tried to occlude the emotions and memory away. He would never forget the things he had seen today, the way the boy looked. He tried not to think on it to closely, but he honestly couldn't see Percy Weasley coming out of this with both his legs. They had been a mangled mess of skin and bone. He only hoped however that the boy would live. As neither of those boys deserved to have guilt on their hearts for something that was out of their control.

~*~*~*~The Greenhouse~*~*~*~*

Neville was unsure of just how much time had passed, he was afraid of casting a tempus charm on the chance that he would drop his wand in the lava. He watched helplessly as the Greenhouse that held the muggle plants succumb to the lave. The one of the mixture between muggle and magical plants seemed to be faring okay, but he knew that one too would burn. As for the one he was sitting on top of, well he didn't think that magic had a chance against mother Nature, at least not today.

He looked at the broom next to him, before he swallowed deeply and stood up. His mother and Father had been strong wizards and they sacrificed themselves so that he might live. His eyes watered, he didn't want to die, he was too young. And he couldn't leave his Gran alone in this world, not to mention for once in his life he wanted to make her proud. He nodded to himself, for the first time knowing just why he was put into Gryffindor. He could and would do this, to save himself. He mounted the broom, a sense of calm washing over him like a wave, as he had never felt this way on a broom.

Taking one last glance around he leaned down on the handle and the broom shot forward. His eyes closed for a second before he opened them, and he found himself flying effortlessly towards the castle, a small smile of pride on his face.

"I really am a Gryffindor," he whispered softly to himself making sure to stay high enough off of the ground so his broom wasn't at risk of getting burned.
The fear of burning to death like the Greenhouse was enough to push the fear out, and then entered his determination and his will to survive. He felt the wind blowing through his hair, his eyes actively searching to see where he could fly through one of the windows as he came close to the castle. He looked long and hard at the walls, trying to see where they're might be an opening before he saw something that nearly made his heart stop. He could see someone on the ledge of one of the Hogwart's windows. Narrowing his eyes, Neville flew straight for them, afraid that they would fall before he got there.

~*~*~*~The Window Ledge*~*~*~*~*~

Dean Thomas was in a state of shock and almost in a panic as his brain tried in vain to process what just happened only moments ago. He is in so much denial and grief and pain and he almost cannot deal with it. How could this day just have gone so incredibly wrong? He gripped the ledge with both of his fingertips, his feet only mildly stable, and he knew one wrong move, a sneeze or a cough and he would fall.

He could see the 7th year girl reaching for him. He had no idea what her name was, only that the crest on her robe told him that she was in Slytherin. He couldn't understand why she of all people was helping him. He was only a half blood, who hadn't even known of his heritage until he got the letter of acceptance from Hogwarts 2 years ago.

He was so very afraid to let got of the ledge and reach up to her, so afraid that once he did his other hand wouldn't hold his weight. Or what if she let go? He didn't know that she didn't care about houses right now, only that he didn't fall to his death. He choked on his breath at that thought, death had always been something you experienced when you were older.

Sure he had heard about children dying but never someone close to him. He blinked his eyes hard trying but failing to get the image out of his head from only 10 minutes prior. He knew without a doubt that he would never in his life forget it. He and Seamus had run to higher ground but they had stopped for a moment because a section of the castle has started to collapse and they had only just made it into an empty classroom. He blinked his eyes tightly once more trying to block the memory.

#Flashback#

"You think we're safe now? They have to be coming for us right?" Dean had asked worriedly as he tried to catch his breath.

"Or course the Headmaster knows where everyone is at any given moment in the castle," Seamus had told him with a sure tone. But if one looked closely they could see the fear in the Gryffindor's eyes even as he tried to reassure his friend that everything was okay.

"So we just wait then? What about the lava? It's still rising," Dean pointed out softly, his eyes flickering to he blocked door. He hugged his torso trying to get a grip on his shaking frame, he was so afraid. He didn't seem them getting out of here, and he didn't want to die. He was the man of his house, who would take care of his mom or his sister if he was gone?

"We have no other choice the entry way is blocked. And besides Hogwart's is magic, we'll be safe, the Headmaster said so," Seamus said softly, his voice lacking the conviction it had earlier when they had both heard from the man that day in the Great Hall.

Dean had stayed quiet, not wanting to be the pessimist, but knowing they both knew that Mother Nature didn't care and had penetrated Hogwarts already. He had slid down on the wall and buried his face into his knees, hoping help would arrive soon. Dean knew they couldn't stay here forever, it just wasn't realistic. No sooner had the words crossed his mind, he heard Seamus gasp, his neck cracking as he turned sharply to look at his friend.

His friend's face seem devoid of all color his eyes fixated on one thing. With his heart thudding in his throat, he looked towards the debris that used to be a doorway and saw the stones steaming, before the red liquid started to seep through. He quickly got to his feet, looking around the empty room widely. They were trapped with no where to go.

"What do we do? We're gonna die," Dean cried out desperately. "I don't want to die!"

Seamus turned to stare at his friend unseeingly almost, the fear seemed to be too much for him. He managed to swallow once to look at his best friend before he turned towards the window and pointed out it. "We can get out the window," he whispered out already hurrying towards it.

Dean didn't need to be told twice he didn't bother to think about which floor they were currently on. All he knew was that the room was now incredibly warm, and they needed to get out and fast.

As he watched Seamus opened the window, Dean felt himself let out a loud gasp of horror as he saw just how high they were. He swallowed thickly, the fear threatening to overwhelm him and Dean turned to Seamus

"You first mate," he told him quietly.

Seamus had been shaking his head in disbelief, fear had his frozen and unable to move. He couldn't make himself go out on the ledge, he felt paralyzed in his fear. He couldn't move, he could barely breath it seemed like. "No you first," he whispered out harshly.

Dean shook his head quickly. "It was your idea, you go," he said softly.

Seamus sighed loudly. "You first Dean, there's no use arguing over this. I will be right after you," he told him, hoping that by the time his friend had went that he would have gained the courage to climb out the window.

Dean made to protest but a loud hiss had him turning around sharply before nodding. They needed to get out of this classroom. He took a breath before moving one of the chairs in front of the window and climbing on it. The mantra 'don't look down', was constantly playing in his head.

The ledge wasn't big enough for his feet, and he knew it was dangerous. But they had no choice. He blinked hard, as a rush of emotion hit him before he slowly but surely made his way on the ledge. He was breathing heavily, but he made it and turned back to look at Seamus.

"Your turn Seam, just do what I did and you'll be fine," he panted, a bit tired from that overexertion and then having to hold himself up like this on the ledge. He was hanging on by his fingertips and then his tippy toes, he was so very afraid. He had never been in a position like this before in all of his life. Dean watched his friend firmly shake his head, and too a moment for the Gryffindor to understand, just what that meant.

"What do you mean no? Get up here! Seamus, the lava is nearly one you," Dean cried out, his voice cracking on the end of his sentence.

"No Dean, I can't move. I can't make myself get out there. I'll be okay, just try to scoot over alright," Seamus told him, his eyes filling with tears. He wanted to get out of this room, it was becoming stifling and he didn't have to turn around to see that the lava was directly behind him. He stood on the a chair, his fear filled gaze looking back at his horrified friend's.

"Seamus, you can't do this, I'm coming back for you then," Dean told him firmly, as he started ever so slowly trying to scoot back.

But Seamus knew what he was doing and he knew that he couldn't allow Dean to come back. He shook his head and shakily took off the irish locket around his neck. As soon as his friend as scooted close enough to the window he shoved it at him before he slammed the window shut and flicked the lock. He bit his lip fearfully, as he watched his friend pound the glass of the window pane.

"No! No! Seamus don't do this, unlock the window!" Dean had screamed, his eyes would never forget the scene of his best friend being burned to death.

#End Flashback*

Dean blinked his suddenly watery eyes, turning to look up at the girl in confusion. "Why are you helping me?" He choked out tearfully.

"Because you belong to someone too, and you don't deserve this," she replied softly her arm still outstretched.

"But I'm a Gryffindor," he whispered out.

"And I'm a Slytherin, my house doesn't define who I am," she replied with a shrug. "You need help, and I can help you if you'll let me,"

He took a breath and shakily reached for her hand, allowing himself to trust her not to drop him. She lifts him up and with the help of another student a Ravenclaw he notes he is suddenly stable on his feet. At least he thought so, that is until he moved to turn and found his foot slipping. His eyes closed automatically, the locket gripped tightly in his hand. If this was how he was going to die he didn't want to see it.

He felt something tug sharply at his robes and he was suddenly pulled back. He looked to smile at the 7th year, only to see the fear that he had felt was now on her face. He didn't have a chance to do anything as she fell off the ledge. Her ear piercing scream echoing the entire way down. He had closed his eyes once more, refusing to believe that a girl had just died, because she had saved him.

He didn't even get to thank her or return the favor. He shuddered quietly, the other two Ravenclaws staring down where the girl had fallen. Dean felt something in him break, he couldn't handle this. First Seamus and now her, he didn't even know her name. He nodded to himself, before turning to the Ravenclaws, ready to ask them if they knew when he turned to see who they were staring at. He couldn't make it out, but someone was flying towards them.

~*~*~*~*~Corridors*~*~*~*

Amanda squirmed in Sirius's arms for what must have been the 10th time in in only a couple of minutes, and she found to her utter horror that she couldn't help it. She wasn't sure where exactly they were going as they kept entered and exiting secret passageways that she never knew existed in Hogwarts. Any other time and she would have been excited but now she was anything but.

"I need to use the bathroom," she told the man seriously, once they had exited into the hallway.

"You've got to be kidding me," Sirius said with a sigh, they didn't need little breaks like that. It was hard enough covering his tracks as it was, it was only luck and a bit of skill not to mention the evacuations that kept him from being discovered.

"I'm sorry but I haven't gone in a while," she stated defensively, as she chewed her bottom lip. Was he going to deny her? "Please Sirius, I'm really not kidding," she pleaded.

"Alright, alright we should be passing one in a bit anyway. Just relax won't ya," Sirius told her easy going attitude as he looked on the bright side. If anything, they could use a bit of a rest anyway and not to mention water. And this part of the castle look isolated, so what were the risks of them running into some other people.

Amanda nodded silently, keeping her eyes peeled, and soon enough she spotted the universal restroom sign. She didn't move however, as he was currently carrying her, and she didn't think her feet would appreciate the abuse if she were to run. Her eye's widen in horror when she saw the direction he was going on. "Hey, I'm not a boy!"

"I know you're not kid, but I'm not heading in there. The entrance is usually warded against males, and as you can see I am most certainly one," Sirius said as he entered the boy's bathroom; staying quiet on the fact that every girl's bathroom was warded except for the one Myrtle was haunting. That was an explanation in itself, and he wasn't about to get into that with an 11 year old girl.

"Oh," she replied softly before waiting impatiently for him to let her down.

Sirius walked over to a stall and set her on her feet. "There you go kid," he said as he headed to the sink and turned on the sink, and washed his face.

Amanda nodded and locked the stall behind her before she took care of business.

Neither of them knew that they were far from alone, in that section of the castle, nor just who was literally just around the corner for them. It was bound to be a surprise for all of them.

~*~*~*~St. Mungos~*~*~*~*

Remus stared at the child on the bed, he had remembered when they had flooed over. Theodore had shortly lost consciousness from his injury but even in his state, the child still had a hold on him and it had taken the healers a moment to get the child off of him. He hadn't protested it, he ran his fingers through the child's hair, noting the worry lines that had marred his forehead even in sleep were gone.

He was sure that if the boy's parent's had of been here they wouldn't be too happy with the close proximity he was of their child. But maybe they would change their mind if they knew he had saved the boy. Theodore's right arm was bandages and he had been given numbing potions and pain potions to knock him out even longer. They had worked for an hour or so, as they tried to regrow the skin.

Remus had been in the waiting room when the child had been whisked to surgery, and had been there when the alarms around the hospital suddenly went off. He watched as someone port keyed in and gasped in horror, even as his stomach recoiled as he recognized that this was a Hogwart's student. The red-hair was enough to get him on his feet and his heart leaped into his stomach. He didn't need to shout help, as the healers were soon there and gently levitated the child.

"Who is he? This seems consistent with the other Hogwarts student that got burn, oh Merlin," the pudgy healer had exclaimed when they had moved his robes and saw his legs.

"His name is Percy Weasely, I'm his teacher as well. He's a 7th year at Hogwarts," Remus as interrupted, seeing the expression on some of the Healer's face as they realized his surname.

There words were soon a mixture of healer talk and he moved away as they ushered the child down the hall. Remus blew out a breath, hoping like hell that the child would be okay. He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting in the hospital room with Blaize, when the door opened and in rolled Percy Weasley on a bed with another healer.

"We thought he'd be more comfortable here with a fellow student, and his teacher to keep watch over him," she told him softly. "He shouldn't wake up anytime soon, but if he's in any pain, you can push this red button here and I will come," she told him.

Remus promised he would and after she had Percy set up, she left the room. The Werewolf stood up and made his way over to the bed, gone was the over confident teen that he was so used to seeing. Now the boy on the bed, looked like a child. His eyes moved down to the covers, but he didn't see any change. He hadn't asked for much information on the exactly what was going on with the boy as he had been in too much shock. He ran a comforting hand through the curly red hair before he gently pulled the covers back.

Remus gasped, at what he saw, he could see gauze wrapped around the boy's knees, but that was all he saw. He felt light headed all of sudden, as he realized the extent of the boy's injuries and what he now saw. He hung his head sadly, hoping Severus would keep Harry safe. He took a seat in between the middle of the boy's beds, wanting them both to know he was there. He allowed a tear to drop for the grief he felt for the boy next to him. He knew magic couldn't heal everything, but seeing it like this was too much for the man.

He hoped that Percy would still have the strength and perseverance of a Gryffindor, and he was glad that the boy wouldn't be waking up anytime soon. He didn't even want to think on how the boy would feel when he was told that he would never walk again.