Unforgivable Promises (Snarry story)

Chapter 31

Harry, Ron and Hermione leapt from their seats and ran for the door to the Charms classroom immediately. Neville took just a moment to appear beside them, wand drawn. Their reflexes had been honed by months of training, and a part of each longed to use their skills. The yelling was coming from outside the castle, and the fear and panic was unmistakable.

The four reached the main doors to the castle as a group of students came running through. Hermione tried to stop them for information, but Harry spotted black robes rushing from behind them and shouted to his friends.

Ducking behind the archway, Harry hit the lead Death Eater full in the chest with a blasting curse, sending the man cartwheeling back. A second wizard appeared, this one walking more cautiously. Harry tried another blasting curse, but the Death Eater blocked it. He returned fire with a curse of his own, but it was deflected before Harry had a chance to respond. Flitwick stood beside him.

"I'll handle this, Mr. Potter. You and the other students go into the main hall. They'll have need for you if anyone enters the castle."

"No," Harry replied quickly, taking a moment to throw a petrifying spell at the advancing wizard. The Death Eater blocked it easily, along with the Expelliarmus that quickly followed. "Everyone, go with Flitwick to the main hall. Whoever's coming doesn't know it's more than just me here. If I surrender to him, he'll probably take me to Voldemort right away. The longer this goes on, the more this will look like a trap."

"Are you sure about this, Mr. Potter?" Flitwick asked. His friends just watched him in silence. They had all promised that when the time came, they'd let him make this decision.

"I am. Let them think I'm a coward turning myself once I saw Hogwarts isn't safe. He's coming faster."

Harry took a single potion from his belt and drank it in a single gulp, then handed the belt to Ron. The group left him alone, though Harry knew how hard it must have been for them. "Thank Merlin Severus isn't here."

Harry stepped out into the open doorway, arms held wide and his wand visible.

"I'd like to speak to the Dark Lord," he called out to the Death Eater before the other wizard had a chance to blast him.

"Take me for a fool, boy?" The masked wizard called back. Harry recognized the voice from the many meetings he had spied upon through Voldemort's eyes, but he could not associate a name. It did not matter anyway.

"Take my wand, then. But hurry. The teachers will be here soon." He was going to add that Voldemort probably wanted him alive, but the Stupefy hit him square in the chest first.

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Severus took the stairs up from the Potions classroom two at a time. The Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff third years he had been teaching were heading to the Great Hall as ordered. Severus's only thoughts were of Harry. He knew the Death Eaters would do as much damage as they could to the school and its students, but Harry was surely the target. Rounding the corner, he nearly collided with the Granger girl.

"Harry?" Severus asked, scanning the corridor beyond for a sign of the boy. He noticed Weasley coming up behind, holding one of the potions belt. That was all the answer he needed.

"Harry asked to talk to You-Know-Who," Granger said. "I don't know who he asked. They're all wearing masks. But they're gone. Professors Flitwick and McGonagall are at the front doors. They said more teachers were coming to help them. They sent us with everyone else to the Great Hall. Neville went there to find the Headmaster, but we came looking for you instead."

It took all of his years of practice to control his fear and push it aside. There were still sounds of fighting, so the battle had not ended with Harry's disappearance. He took the belt from Weasley and strapped it around himself just higher than the one he was already wearing. "Stay close to me. When Harry calls, we won't have much time. Remember your training," he said to them both. "Jones and I have drilled as much into you as we can. Trust in that." The pair nodded, looking terrified and determined.