Severus carried Harry into his chambers. Draco rushed to Severus' side when he was laying the teenager down on the couch.

"What happened?" Draco panicked, reaching Severus' side.

"Something that I need to finish," Severus fumed. "Stay here." Severus stood up but was stopped by someone grabbing his robe. He looked down and saw a hand holding the hem. He looked at the owner of the hand and saw un-shed tears in those green eyes.

"Don't go," Harry sighed.

"Stay here," Severus said again. "I'll be back."

"Be careful, Professor," Draco said. Severus looked at both boys while removing the hand from him and leaving the two boys in his chambers, reapplying the wards on his chambers.

Severus drew his wand long before he made it back to the room where he had left Moody. Better to be over-prepared than under. When he got in the near vicinity, his spying skills began kicking in. His senses were heightened, as were his perceptions. The door was slightly ajar, just like he had left it when he had taken Potter out of there. Cautiously, wand pointed in front of him and a defensive spell on his lips, Severus opened the door and saw Moody just beginning to stir.

A quick "Stupefy!" ensured Moody's continued cooperation. Severus began weighing his options at that point. Much as he wanted to kill the man on the spot, he doubted his employer would stand for cold-blooded murder on the school premises by one of the faculty. But things had gotten too far out of hand for Severus to simply stand by and let Dumbledore do his meddling. If he had any hope of keeping Hogwarts as a refuge for himself as well as Draco, and possibly Harry, he knew he needed support from the other faculty members.

He grabbed a pinch of floo powder.

"Minerva!" he called urgently. "Get down here right now!"

Minerva was sitting at her desk when the flames in her fireplace turned green and the dour Potions Professor's head appeared in the flames.

"Minerva, get down here right now!"

"Severus," Minerva said. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I need to speak with you immediately." Minerva heard the urgency in his voice and walked over to the flames.

"Step back, and I'll come through." Severus did as instructed and receded from the fireplace. True to her word, Minerva was only a moment before she stepped through.

"What's wrong?" was her first question. Cold fury burned on Severus' face as he pointed wordlessly to Moody's unconscious form. Minerva watched for a moment as Moody drew ragged breaths.

"I'm impressed," she nodded approvingly. Severus arched a questioning eyebrow. "You haven't killed him yet," she elaborated.

"Key word being 'yet'," Severus growled. "How did he get loose?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're not simple, Minerva." Minerva looked as if she had her feathers ruffled. "When I left him in the Headmaster's office, he was in a full body bind. Now, he attacked Harry."

"What?!" Minerva slightly raised an eyebrow at the new information. She turned and looked at the unconscious wizard laying on the floor. Slowly, she walked over towards him pointed her wand. "Rennervate." Moody began to stir and moan, and momentarily, he sat up. Severus couldn't help a wicked gleam of satisfaction cross his face when he saw Moody in any sort of discomfort. Minerva heard him snort derisively and she shot him a disapproving glance. He tried to cover it up with a small coughing fit, but it was useless, and Severus stood there like a not-quite-repentant child who had been caught with his hand in the proverbial cookie jar.

"So, tell me," Minerva began, her voice cold and her wand trained on the spot between Moody's eyes, "what do you have to say for yourself?"

"I don't owe you any explanation," growled Moody as he tried to sit up.

"You attacked Potter," Severus fumed.

"Severus, calm down," Minerva admonished, looking back at Moody. "When we left you, you were bound."

"Yes, well, maybe you should talk to the Headmaster. He wants Potter trained." Severus raised his wand and cast a spell. Minerva saw the movement out of the corner of her eye and hastily cast Protego to block Severus' unforgivable that was aimed for Moody.

"Get control over yourself, man!" Minerva hissed at him. "How do you survive being a spy if you can't keep a better control on that temper of yours?" He returned her glare.

"I've had enough of these word games," he spat. "It's high time someone did something, and if that job falls to me, then so be it. I don't know what Albus is playing at, but he's playing with fire. Sadly, it's not burning him - it's burning those around him instead. Now if you're going to just toy with the situation, please step aside and let me end his miserable life. Of course, if you have something valuable to contribute, that was why I asked you here in the first place. You're more privy to Albus' insanity than I am, actually, and if you had any insights, no matter how bizarre, now is the time to speak, or next time your shield won't come in time, I promise you." Severus' breath was coming in short gasps. The exertion was wearing on his already exhausted state.

Minerva looked at Severus. She could see that he still haven't fully recovered from his time at the shack. She turned and looked at Moody, raised her wand and with a S formation, she cast an Angoro on Moody and let it continue. She walked over to Severus, who was standing there shaking. She put her hand on his arm. What worried her more than anything was that Severus flinched at the touch.

"Severus," Minerva's voice was calm and low as if talking to a wild animal. "Severus, where are the boys?" Severus looked at Minerva as if he didn't even realize that she was in the room. "The boys, Severus. Where are they?"

"Safe."

"Then go back to them. Stay with them. I'll take care of this." Severus looked like he was about to argue. "I am not Albus. He will be taken care of." Severus turned and headed towards the door.

"Severus," she called back, and Severus turned and faced his colleague. "Take care of yourself. Get some rest."

With a curt nod, Severus left Minerva in the room with Moody, who was still writhing in agony.

When Severus re-entered his chambers, he found Harry dozing lightly on the couch where he had left him and Draco's footsteps quickly came pattering from the kitchen. His eyes held dozens of questions. When he saw the expression on Snape's face, though, he decided against asking any of them. He wasn't ready to get yelled at again.

But the noise roused Harry, and Harry had no such qualms apparently.

"What happened?" he asked nervously.

"Your head of house is taking care of the situation," Severus replied deferentially.

"Oh," Harry replied eloquently.

"As of the last I saw, Moody was screaming under an example of the spell she demonstrated in class," Severus continued, hoping the information would cheer Harry up a bit. "As one who can attest to her skill, I doubt that Moody is comfortable at the moment."

"Professor."

"Please," Severus sounded drained, emotionally and physically. This in itself worried the two boys. "I need to rest. Just let me rest for a few hours."

"Yes, sir," they chorused. Severus slowly walked back towards his room and closed the door.

Minerva released the spell once Severus was gone.

"Well?" she prompted. "What are you and Albus up to? These are our students, and we've sworn to protect them, physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, from any threats, real or perceived, with our lives if necessary. Start explaining, now, or you may wish I had left you in Severus' more than capable hands."

"I don't have to tell you anything!" Moody screamed. Minerva, looking bored, transfigured her kerchief into a comfy lounge chair and sat down.

"YOU WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND WHAT I DO FOR YOUR STUDENTS!" Moody ranted.

"Yeah," Minerva sat back in her chair. "Enlighten me."

"Someone must do the hard job. Harry must learn how to handle himself during this war."

"Harry is a child," Minerva sat up in her seat.

"Harry must win this war," Moody countered.

"Harry. Is. A. Child. This war is not his to win."

"This is where we differ," Moody leaned against the wall.

"Well, tell you what," Minerva continued, matter-of-factly, leaning forward, still pointing her wand at Moody, "tell you what. I'll give you two options. One, you can tell me what Albus is planning and promise to never trouble yourself in these matters again, and in return, I will let you live, or you can proceed to be stubborn, and I'm sure Severus and I will be able to finish you off quite nicely."

"So, basically I choose my death at the hands of my enemies, or my enemy's enemies?"

"Albus lost this war when he broke his weapon," Minerva intoned coldly. "You would do well to escape to America or Australia, as far away as you can get, and leave the rest of this to people who actually have a shot of winning it." Moody snorted.

"You won't win this war without Potter," Moody sighed. Minerva slowly stood up.

"Do you have any idea what you've done to Harry?"

"Harry's fine," Moody dismissed.

"Fine?" Minerva fumed. "Fine? FINE? I don't know what you've been seeing, but when I got to the shack, Harry was anything but fine. Then I find out that you've been torturing that boy."

"I was under orders."

"Who's?"

"Who's do you think?" Moody spat. "You-Know-Who's?"

"If you think that Albus would ever have condoned such a thing - " Minerva cut herself off.

"Who do you think let me loose after you and Snape assaulted me?" Minerva was quiet for a moment, thinking.

"But - but Albus - he said he didn't know," Minerva couldn't believe what she was hearing.

"And when has Dumbledore ever told the whole story?" Moody sneered. Minerva looked at Moody with pure disdain in her eyes.

The hallway was dark and damp and the only thing that could be heard through the dark corridor was the screams of a bound man.

Later that night, Minerva slowly made her way to Severus' chambers. She knew that he would want to know what they were dealing with, though she did not really want to share the news that she just heard. She knocked softly on the door, and heard some scrambling.

On the other side of the door, Draco and Harry glanced worriedly at each other.

"Should we get him?" Draco whispered urgently.

"Heavens, no," Harry hissed back.

"Well, I'm not answering the door! The last thing I need is someone casting a killing curse at me as I wish them a good evening!"

"Then I'll answer it," Harry volunteered, as he rose and cautiously opened the door a crack, and Draco slipped around the corner, the easier not to be seen. "Professor McGonagall!" he sighed in relief momentarily, and Draco crept out of his hiding place.

"Is Professor Snape in?" she asked, perhaps a bit coldly.

"He's resting," Harry said, but it came out more as a question, and he glanced at Draco for support.

"Yes, he is, Professor," Draco confirmed. "Can we take a message?"

"I need to speak with him," Minerva said, walking into the small living room.

"But...Professor," Harry started looking at Draco with a small amount of panic.

"Harry," Minerva said turning to face him. "Stay here. Don't leave. I need to talk with Severus." Harry and Draco looked at each other. They both new that it had to be awful if she was calling their professor by his name. Draco shook his head when he looked at Harry.

"I'm not waking him up," Harry declared.

"It's alright," a baritone voice said from the hallway. "What can I do for you, Minerva?" Both Harry and Draco jumped when they heard Snape's voice; neither was prepared for the patient, pleasant tone it took.

"Severus," Minerva addressed him. "I must speak with you."

"I gathered," he sighed. "I'm alerted as soon as anyone enters my chambers without my permission," he added to Draco and Harry, when they gave him a questioning glance. "Have some tea; make yourself at home," he continued to Minerva, gesturing to the kitchen, and then to a comfortable arm chair.

"I don't have time," Minerva said. "Can I speak with you - alone?"

"Alright," Severus agreed, seeming too tired to put up much of a fight. He turned and went back into his bedroom, and closed the door behind him when Minerva had followed.

"Forgive the impropriety," he apologized. "Sound travels too well in any other part of these rooms, and the only other room with a door is the bathroom. Now, what did you need to say that's so secretive?"

"I just finished talking with Moody," Minerva said, sitting on the edge of the bed. Severus narrowed his eyes, as he sat next to her. He didn't like the ominous tone to her voice. "Keep Harry here."

"I intend to."

"Protect him."

"Minerva, I am too tired and in too much in pain to listen to riddles."

"Albus let Alastor go," Minerva interrupted Severus.

"Well, I figured as much," Severus said, sounding a bit puzzled. "I highly doubted that any one wizard would be able to overpower or outwit Albus Dumbledore, save perhaps the Dark Lord himself."

"No, I don't think you understand," Minerva pressed on. "Albus let Alastor go. Albus is condoning Moody's actions."

"And?" Severus pressed. "It seemed an obvious enough possibility that I'd come to grips with the idea awhile ago. I suggest you do the same. Of course, I hope I can continue to count on you to help me protect Harry. I also have Draco as a responsibility as well."

"Severus, I'm not sure I can," Minerva said, her voice tight.

"And why not?" Severus asked conversationally, his voice not belying any panic he might or might not be feeling.

"Alastor Moody is dead."