422 Flight of Snape

Along the corridors, they raced, and one by one the Patronuses left them. Professor McGonagall's tartan dressing gown rustled over the floor, and Harry and Chris jogged behind her under the Cloak.

They had descended two more floors when another set of quiet joined theirs. Chris heard them first and touched Harry's arms to make him stop while Professor McGonagall too seemed to become aware of their company. She halted, raised her wand ready to duel, and said, "Who's there?"

"It is I," said a low voice.

From behind a suit of armor stepped Severus Snape.

Hatred boiled up in Chris at the sight of him. She could never miss the details of Snape's appearance in the magnitude of his crimes, how his greasy black hair hung in curtains around his thin face, how his black eyes had a dead, cold look. He was not wearing nightclothes but was dressed in his usual black cloak, and he too was holding his wand ready for a fight.

"Where are the Carrows?" he asked quietly and Chris immediately drew her wand, ready to attack.

"Wherever you told them to be, I expect, Severus," said Professor McGonagall.

Snape stepped nearer, and his eyes flitted over Professor McGonagall into the air around her, as if he knew that they were there. Harry held his wand up too.

"I am under the impression," said Snape, "That there is an intruder within Hogwarts."

"Really?" said Professor McGonagall. "And what gave you that impression?"

Snape made a slight flexing movement of his left arm, where the Dark Mark was branded into his skin.

"Oh, but naturally," said Professor McGonagall. "You Death Eaters have your own private means of communication, I forgot."

Snape pretended not to have heard her. His eyes were still probing the air all about her, and he was moving gradually closer, with an air of hardly noticing what he was doing.

"I did not know that it was your night to patrol the corridors, Minerva."

"You have some objection?"

"I wonder what could have brought you out of our bed at this late hour?"

"I thought I heard a disturbance," said Professor McGonagall.

"Really? But all seems calm."

Snape looked into her eyes.

"Have you seen Harry Potter, Minerva? Because if you have. I must insist---"

Professor McGonagall moved faster than Chris could have believed. Her wand slashed through the air and for a split second Chris thought that Snape must crumple, unconscious, but the swiftness of his Shield Charm was such that McGonagall was thrown off balance. She brandished her wand at a touch on the wall and it flew out of its bracket. Chris was about to curse Snape but noticed something at the corner of her eyes. She instantly pushed Harry towards the wall and shielded him from the descending flames, which became a ring of fire that filled the corridor and flew like a lasso at Snape---

Then it was no longer fire, but a great black serpent that McGonagall blasted to smoke, which re-formed and solidified in seconds to become a swarm of pursuing daggers. Snape avoided them only by forcing the suit of armor in front of him, and with echoing clangs the daggers sank, one after another, into its breast---

"Minerva!" said a squeaky voice, and looking behind her, still shielding Harry from flying spells, Chris saw Professors Flitwick and Sprout sprinting up the corridor toward them in their nightclothes, with the enormous Professor Slughorn panting along at the rear.

"No!" squealed Flitwick, raising his wand. "You'll do no more murder at Hogwarts!"

Flitwick's spell hit the suit of armor behind which Snape had taken shelter. With a clatter, it came to life. Snape struggled free of the crushing arms and sent it flying back toward his attackers. This time it was Harry, who acted fast and dived sideways pulling Chris with him to avoid the armor as it smashed into the wall and shattered. Chris looked up again, Snape was in full flight, McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout all thundering after him. He hurtled through a classroom door with the three Professors chasing after him, and Chris and Harry quickly followed, but before they could realize what was happening, Snape had jumped out of the window.  To Chris's horror and surprise, Snape didn't fall down like Dumbledore but was flying away like a huge bat toward the distant darkness. 

Professor McGonagall yelled after him, "Coward! COWARD!"

Chris threw off the cloak and ran towards the window to get a better look at flying Snape and Harry shouted in panic.

"How did he -- How is he doing that?"

Flitwick and Sprout yelled in shock at their sudden appearance.

"Miss Norton! Mr. Potter!" "Norton! Potter! Minerva, what is -?"

"Snape seemed to have learned a few tricks from his master," McGonagall bitterly answered Harry's question, ignoring the other teachers' shock.

There were heavy footfalls behind them and a great deal of puffing. Slughorn had finally caught up and he immediately spotted Harry.

"Harry, my boy!" His eyes landed on Chris next and he let out a surprise yelp. "Goodness Gracious, my dear girl! Where have you been? Everyone assumed you were -- that they have you -- oh dear, I'm so glad to see you alive." 

Slughorn looked like he would start to tear up any moment, and noticing this Chris smiled.

"It's good to see you too, Professor. It's good to see all of you."

Chris looked at Flitwick and Sprout, who returned her smile quite warmly, and it finally felt like coming home to Chris.

"But what happened to Severus -- what is going on?" Slughorn asked looking around. His voice shook a little as he said Snape's name.

"Our headmaster is taking a short break," said Professor McGonagall, pointing at the Snape-shaped hole in the window.

At that moment Harry stumbled again holding his head, Chris quickly understood what it meant.

"He is coming right now?" She asked and Harry nodded. She turned to Professor McGonagall. "Professor, we need to reinforce the school right now."

"Very well. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is coming," McGonagall told the other teachers. Sprout and Flitwick gasped. Slughorn let out a low groan. "Potter and Norton have work to do in the castle on Dumbledore's orders. We need to put in place every protection of which we are capable while they do what they need to do."

"You realize, of course, that nothing we do will be able to keep out You-Know-Who indefinitely?" squeaked Flitwick.

"But we can hold him up," said Professor Sprout.

"Thank you, Pomona," said Professor McGonagall, and between the two witches there passed a look of grim understanding. "I suggest we establish basic protection around the place, then gather our students and meet in the Great Hall. Most must be evacuated, though if any of those who are over age wish to stay and fight, I think they ought to be given the chance."

"Agreed," said Professor Sprout, and at that moment Chris heard Colin's voice through the talisman.

"Sirius, Aurelia, and Cedric are here, Chris, and they are asking if they should call more orders or just talk Neville and others out of rebelling," Colin said sounding a bit panicked. "Are you and Harry, ok?"

"Yes, Colin. But there is a change of plans," Chris said in her mind before speaking out loud. "Professor, Sirius, and Aurelia are here."

All of the professors turned to her in surprise.

"What? How do you know --?" McGonagall asked but then changed her mind. "Nevermind, we can discuss that later. For now, asked them to meet me at the Great Hall and ask them to inform the other Order Members if possible."

"Yes, Professor," Chris nodded and started speaking through her talisman. "Ok, guys, we have a situation. The Professors just drove Snape out of the castle, Riddle and Malgino are coming and we need to barricade the school and help the younger students get out. Tell Aurelia to inform as many order members as possible and ask anyone to inform Mr. Dumbldore that we will be using his place to help the young students out, and meet us at the Great Hall with everyone else." 

"Alright," Ginny, Colin, and Luna answered immediately without wasting any time. The arrival of Malgino and Riddle changed the situation completely.

While Chris was talking, the Professors made their own plans and when Chris turned to them she heard Professor Sprout.

"I shall meet you in the Great Hall in twenty minutes with my House."

And as she jogged out of sight, they could hear her muttering, "Tentacula, Devil's Snare. And Snargaluff pods...yes, I'd like to see the Death Eaters fighting those."

"I can act from here," said Flitwick, and although he could barely see out of it, he pointed his wand through the smashed window and started muttering incantations of great complexity. Chris heard a weird rushing noise, as though Flitwick had unleashed the power of the wind into the grounds.

"I asked them to inform the others and meet us at the Great Hall," Chris informed McGonagall and she nodded.

Chris saw Harry rushing to Professor Flitwick.

"Professor Flitwick, I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"Professor, have you seen the Grey Lady? Do you know where she is?"

"The Grey Lady?" Flitwick frowned as he finished shielding the school with the protective spells. "Unfortunately, no, Harry. After Snape became Headmaster and they took over the Grey Lady was barely seen, even the students haven't seen her much in Ravenclaw Tower."

Harry's face dropped but Chris spoke to reassure him.

"It's fine. We will find Helena."

"We shall meet you and your Ravenclaws in the Great Hall, Filius!" said Professor McGonagall to Flitwick, beckoning Harry and Chris to follow her.

They had just reached the door when Slughorn rumbled into speech.

"My word," he puffed, pale and sweaty, his walrus mustache aquiver. "What a to-do! I'm not at all sure whether this is wise, Minerva. He is bound to find a way in, you know, and anyone who has tried to delay him will be in the most grievous peril---"

"I shall expect you and the Slytherins in the Great Hall in twenty minutes also," said Professor McGonagall. "If you wish to leave with your students, we shall not stop you. But if any of you attempt to sabotage our resistance or take up arms against us within this castle, then, Horace, we duel to kill."

"Minerva!" he said, aghast.

"The time has come for Slytherin House to decide upon its loyalties," interrupted Professor McGonagall. "Go and wake your students, Horace."

[To be continued]