The boys rushed out of the castle quickly, their feet clambering down onto the stone walkway. Harry clutched the paper in his hand, the sweat from his palm seeping onto it frantically. Ginny and Hermione sat up straight, and Harry rushed to place his hand on Ginny’s side again as he watched her wince.

“What is it?” Ginny asked, “What’d you find?”

“Harry found some paper in the tower,” Ron said, “He said that it was written in Parseltongue, and when he translated it, it turned out to be orders of some kind.”

“What kind of orders?” Hermione pressed them.

“Attacks,” Harry replied, “When, where, and how to carry them out. It seems to me that we have a bunch of Death Eater battle plans right here in our hands.”

“Well that’s good, right?” Ginny asked, “We know where they’re going to be. We get people together and attack them ourselves. Besides, now we know the areas to avoid in our search for remaining Order members.”

“It sounds great, I know,” Harry told them, “But the truth is, there was something else in those orders. It would be wonderful under any other circumstances…but they attack tonight.”

“Where?” Hermione asked.

“They’re going to burn Azkaban to the ground,” Ron said, “They’ll lock the Hogwarts prisoners up inside the cells and burn them alive.”

Hermione gasped and Ginny let out a cry. Ron went to comfort his girlfriend, and Harry held Ginny closer. The entire Weasley family, aside from herself, Ron, and Bill, who had been killed in the first battle, sat inside that prison, awaiting their own deaths. Neville and Luna were there too, trapped and unable to break free. The hope that had returned to the four of them only an hour before had quickly been whipped away within five minutes time.

“We’ve got to help them,” Ginny said finally, and she sat up and looked into Harry’s eyes. Harry nodded.

“I know,” he said, “and that’s what we can try to do. But…Ginny, I don’t think that any of you quite understand what we’re going up against.”

“Er…Harry?” Ron said sarcastically, “No offense or anything…but how can we not understand it by now? I mean, each of us has been through Hell. I was a member of the Death Eaters. Hermione was a vampire, and Ginny was a servant for one of them! I think we know exactly what we’re up against, mate. I mean, we’ve come from immortality, to death, to coming back from the dead, and a whole lot more. We took out an entire camp of them! How can we not understand it?!?”

“Ron’s right Harry,” Hermione said, “We do get it.”

“Have you ever felt the true effects of a Dementor?” Harry asked anxiously, “Have you ever stared Voldemort square in the face, his laughter filling your ears and his eyes reading the truth in your mind as if you were an open book? These are two of the new things that you all are going to have experience if we do this. I’m just…I’m not sure if I want you to have to handle it. You’ve been through a lot of trauma…more than you had in your last Dementor attack. Those memories will be sprung upon you in a manner that you don’t get!”

“I would rather save my family and suffer doing so,” Ginny said, “then suffer for the rest of my life without them.”

“That’s something that you DO understand, Harry,” Ron told him, “And you understand the rest of it, too. In order to save our family, we’re willing to suffer through the Dementors and Voldemort. I don’t want to understand how you feel when it comes to family.”

Harry looked at them all. His glance first went to Ginny, then to Ron, and then Hermione. In his mind, he was trying to capture them as they were now, unaware of what it felt like to lose those that were so close to you. Of course, the pain that they had endured for the past few months was a taste of it. In the end, though, it had been a false alarm. The loss wouldn’t be felt. He wanted them to keep from understanding. The other things could be dealt with in time, but Ginny was right. It was better to deal with them with your family around you.

“Alright, then,” Harry said, “Looks like we’re going to Azkaban.”

“Thank you,” Ginny cried, and she pulled him down into a kiss, tears falling again from eyes that hadn’t stopped weeping for months. He took a deep breath, nodded, and then took her hand in his. Helping her up, he held her into his waist.

“Hermione, can you Apparate with Ron?” he asked. She nodded.

“We’re Apparating?” Ginny asked, “Won’t they know that we’re there?”

“They’re going to know anyway,” Harry replied, “Besides, we’re not going directly there.”

“We’re not?” Hermione asked.

“No,” Harry said, “We’ve got to go see somebody first.”

“Harry, you told us you don’t know where anybody is,” Ron said.

“I don’t exactly know how or why,” Harry replied, “But I just have a hunch and I think we need to follow it.”

“And we should trust this hunch because?” Hermione pressed.

“Just do it, okay?”

Harry feet slammed into the ground, but he managed to keep himself and Ginny upright as they landed in a heavily wooded area somewhere in the mountains. Hermione and Ron were close behind him, having followed the description of the place that Harry had given them. Ron swallowed an entire mouthful of grass on impact, but Hermione landed daintily.

“I love you,” she said as he spit dirt from between his lips. Grumbling, he took the hand that she offered to him and stood up.

“Where are we?” Ron asked.

“There’s a traveler here,” Harry said, “Somewhere close by in these woods. We need to find him…and fast.”

“Okay, Professor Trelawney,” Ginny said, and he gave her a small chuckle and led them through the trees. They moved quickly, jogging small steps here and there in order to reach some kind of destination faster. It seemed to the other three that Harry knew where he was going. None of them even knew where they were.

“Stop,” Harry called out, and they obeyed him. Ginny had walked another couple of steps ahead of them, and Harry motioned to her to cut it out.

“Sorry,” she said, “It felt good to defy somebody again.”

She turned around. Not twenty feet in front of her, a small light was bobbing up and down in the woods, advancing towards them steadily. Harry tiptoed over to Ginny and stood in front of her, his wand raised in the air.

“Who are you?” he called out.

“Well, ‘at’s a nice way o’ greetin’ an ol’ friend?” grumbled a familiar voice, and Harry spirits soared. Approaching out of the shadows was Hagrid, a face he never thought he would see again. He saw the lantern rise up high over his head, and then Hagrid’s face appeared, halfway covered by his thick, bushy beard.

“Harry,” Hagrid said, “Good ‘ter see yer again, m’boy.”

“Hello, Hagrid,” he said, “Thought they had you captured.”

“They did,” he replied, “But Hermione, o’ course, come ter me rescue, and saved the day fer me.”

As if on cue, Hermione released Ron’s hand and pulled Hagrid into a hug, her arms barely able to go around the front of his stomach.

“You got out okay,” she said, tears welling in her eyes.

“So I did,” Hagrid replied.

“Why aren’t you surprised to see us, Hagrid?” Ginny asked.

“Ah, well, we been waiting!” Hagrid said, and he gestured behind him. There, standing before them all, were Moody and Snape, wands a glow in the darkness.

“It’s not going to be an easy battle, boy,” Moody growled, his magical eye twisting in numerous directions, “But if you’re all up for it, I think we’ve got a fair shot.”

“Right,” Hermione said, “We’re outnumbered by…I can’t even do math that fast! I mean, it’s lovely to see you all again, don’t get me wrong, but let’s be realistic. We’ve got two Aurors and a giant. We’ve got four teenagers, one of which is injured and hasn’t come of age. How are we going to take on several hundred Death Eaters, Dementors, and God knows what else?”

“Oh,” Snape said, “I think that you’ll find that you’re more than capable. Especially with Harry’s strength returned to it’s full potential.”

“What are you talking about?” Ron asked inquisitively.

“Let’s just say he is much more than what he used to be.”

“What…” began Ginny, looking back at her boyfriend, but he shook his head.

“I don’t know, either, Gin,” he said, “But we’ll find out about that later. Right now, we’ve got to go.”

“Hold onto your buttocks,” Moody growled. Harry gripped Ginny’s side again, Hermione mimicked him with Ron, and the group Apparated from the site.

The air was thick with tension as they landed in the small wood that surrounded the prison. Harry looked out from behind a tree to see what the landscape looked like.

The prison was nothing like that of a common Muggle jail. It was large and made of stone, but resembled more of a stable than a human jail. There were only two doors, one at the front and the other at the back. Snape began to explain that the inside was made of wood, and that the entire building would catch fire within a few minutes. Moody motioned for Hermione and Ron to follow him around the outside.

“Checking the perimeter for any outside Death Eaters,” he said.

“Won’t they all be outside if they’re planning on torching the place?” Ron asked.

“Not until the last moment,” Moody said, “They don’t want the prisoners inside to have any inclination as to what they’re planning to do.”

“I’m coming too,” Harry said bravely.

“No, you’re not,” Snape replied, holding him firmly by the shoulder.

“Why not?”

“Because you’re going inside with me,” Snape told him firmly, and Harry’s eyes grew wide. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing…they were going to burst in with hope of survival?

“Snape,” Harry began, “Do you think…”

“He’s got it well planned, ‘Arry,” Hagrid said, “Yer gonna be fine.”

“And what about Ginny? Where’s she going?” he asked.

“I want to stay with Harry,” Ginny said.

“Yer stayin’ wit’ me, Ginny,” Hagrid boomed, “’S not safe in there, and yer injured. ‘S best you stay right here.”

“But…”

“It’ll be okay, Gin,” Harry told her, and he kissed her lightly on the forehead, “Just keep me in here, alright? As long as you’re thinking about me…”

“Nothing can happen to you,” Ginny finished for him. She grasped his hand, and he kissed that, too. Then, he walked over to Snape.

“Got your Invisibility Cloak with you?” he asked, and Harry delved into his backpack and retrieved the flowing, transparent robe. Snape took it from his hand and whipped it over the two of them. Both crouched down, Snape even lower than Harry to hide his feet. Hagrid took Ginny back up to the top of the forest, and she tried to protest, but her strength still had not returned in full. She could only watch as the door to the prison opened lightly and Harry and Snape, invisible to the world, stepped inside.

Ron, Hermione, and Moody slunk around the side of the prison, searching for any sign of danger or peril that would present a problem. Hermione found the situation very odd. So far, they had not come across any Death Eaters outside. That surprised her, of course. The oddest thing, however, was the absence of the Dementors. If they were the guards, then why were they not outside, wandering around in search of intruders?

“Moody?” Hermione called out, but Moody held out his hand.

“I know what you’re thinking, Ms. Granger,” Moody replied, “There are no Dementors outside, am I correct?”

“Yes, sir,” she replied, “That’s exactly it.”

“Where are they?” Ron called from beside her.

“I have a feeling,” Moody said, “that they are inside, feeding upon the fear and sadness of the miserable souls there.”

“Why isn’t anybody out here?” Hermione asked.

“There aren’t many threats left,” he growled, “Most of the Aurors have either been killed or are behind a cell in the prison already. The Death Eaters don’t know that Potter is alive, or that the Malfoys have been killed. They have no idea that you and Mr. Weasley are with me, who they believe to have died, or that Snape is on our side now. They think that we are all rotting away somewhere in an open field, or captured by vampires, got me?”

“So we’re a little surprise attack for them?” Hermione asked.

“Indeed we are.”

Once Harry and Snape were inside the prison, Harry felt the blood in his veins freeze. Everywhere, swarming around the cells, were Dementors. He tried to contain his fear, to ignore it so that he didn’t give away their position to them. Walking along the perimeter of the cells were at least twenty Death Eaters. He saw Dolohov, Avery, and a few fresh faces that he had never seen before. There were those that he had spotted at the battle, but had never had the opportunity to learn their names. And there, standing before the end cell, was the one that he hated the most. Bellatrix Lestrange, a whip in one hand and a wand in the other, stood before the cell that contained the Weasleys and Luna, laughing as she served them a terrifying story.

“No one knows where he got to,” Bellatrix said, “But when we scoured that camp, we didn’t find one survivor. Probably another Dark Wizard, in search of overthrowing even us. Seems like he made off with your son, anyway.”

“Get away from us, Lestrange,” Harry heard Fred grumble, “There is nothing that you can say that will upset us anymore.”

Bellatrix cracked the whip, and Harry heard Fred scream.

“Insolent fool,” she sneered, “You will not talk back to me. I have the power here. I have the authority.”

“And where is Voldemort?” Luna asked, her voice less airy now, and more fearful, “Where is the “greatest” Wizard alive, as you put it? Why isn’t he here, with us?”

“He has more important business to attend to,” Bellatrix replied, and she smiled maliciously at the young girl, “Besides, you hardly matter anymore. None of you have the strength to take any of us on. Potter is dead, and the Dark Lord now rules this world. It is time to stop hoping, as so many of your comrades here have done.”

Bellatrix turned her back, and Harry felt Snape slip out from under the robe. He moved to follow but Snape made a motion with his hand to hold him back.

“Well said, Bella,” he said as he walked toward her. She whipped around, and her eyes grew wide in surprise.

“You’re…you’re dead,” she said, “I watched the Weasley boy kill you. What-what are you doing here?”

“I’m here to assist,” Snape said, “Isn’t it nearly time that you torched this place?”

There was great panic within the prison, and it took all of the strength Harry had not to enter each of the cells and comfort the terrified prisoners. He saw inside them the faces of his friends. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil sat in their cell, clinging to one another, much skinnier and ragged then he remembered. He began a slow walk toward Snape, hoping that he would soon give a signal for him. Waiting was something he couldn’t stand.

“Good,” Bella replied to him, “We could use some assistance.”

“Oh,” Snape said, “Did I not make myself clear? I am here to assist the prisoners, as is my friend.”

And he made the motion. Harry flung the cloak off, and pointed his wand directly at Bellatrix’s face. She made to grab her wand, but Snape held up his as well.

“Don’t you think your master would be awfully furious if you killed the person that he wants to get rid of?” Snape sneered.

“Not if he already thinks that he’s dead,” she replied.

“Oh, but I don’t think he does now,” Snape said, “At least, he’ll know very soon. And if he then discovers that you finished him off, he won’t be very happy with you.”

“So why don’t you order them away?” Harry requested of her, “Stop the torching of this place, or else you’ll be killing not only the prisoners and me, but yourself as well.”

Bellatrix hesitated for a moment. Snape looked triumphant, but Harry’s gut was sending him a message again. He wasn’t quite sure why, but something didn’t feel right. And then he saw a smirk appear on Bellatrix’s face.