"Luna? Luna, where are you?"

"Here Harry, follow my voice. I'm just ahead of you." Luna had lost her hold on the two of them after one of them had tripped over something. The darkness was so thick that it almost drowned out their other senses. The air was cold but burned their throats when they breathed in.

Harry turned slowly his wand out in front of him the lumos spell doing nothing but showing the tip of his wand. Still it was better than nothing.

"Ron? You there?"

"Still here!"

Harry jumped when a hand took his jacket but he turned his wand, nearly taking Ron's teeth out in the process. "Crisse! There you are. Don't let go. Come on, we've got to get to Luna."

"Keep walking forward, don't stop." Luna warned having done just that but quickly found the air growing thicker around her as though it meant to trap her inside, "I think we're almost through!"

She could see a light up ahead, a soft blue pulsing light just above where the ground was. She felt someone take her hand and turned to try and see. The image that greeted her made a scream pass her lips.

Ron and Harry had never heard her scream before, and most certainly not like that. They each rushed forward towards the sound only to trip over something on the ground. Harry landed face down, the feel of Luna's woven jumper under his outstretched hand made his heart thump and the smell of burnt flesh made his stomach roll.

"Luna? Luna can you hear me?"

"What's wrong?"

"Luna-I can't-I can't see!" Harry pushed his wand down near her face trying to see what had happened. Something warm breathed by his ear and he didn't think it was Ron. Fear froze him in place for a second before his adrenaline spiked.

A sharp spell left his wand sending whatever it was at his side through the smoky darkness. A low growl and heavy thump indicating that the wall wasn't too far away from them. Harry blindly pulled on Luna's arm bringing it around his head, "Come on, Luna wake up."

"What's happened Harry?"

"I don't know we have to keep moving, I've got her. Just don't lose your way! Keep moving!"

Another series of fumbled steps brought them to the bright blue skies of another split path. Harry panted heavily wincing at the difference in light. A soft groan in his ear sorted his priorities very quickly. "Luna?"

"Luna?" Harry turned his eyes down to the blonde wrapped under his arm, "Oh, Merlin..."

Ron panted as he came to rights next, his face curling up to the horrid smell, "What happened to her arm?"

"I don't know...Luna?" Harry quickly laid her down on the ground. His hand gently smacked her cheek before looking down at the burned remains of her arm. "We've got to have something! Look in the potions kit!"

Ron quickly pulled the backpack around dropping down on the other side. He dug through as quickly as he could before he felt the wooden chest in his fingers. He pulled it from the bag and threw open the lid, "What do we need?"

"Something for burns!" Harry was busy trying to pull back the remains of her sweater. Her skin was just falling off and was starting to bleed heavily.

"Dittany? That worked before right?" Ron looked through a few of the vials before locating the clear bottle, "Try it!"

Why hadn't either of them ever paid attention in potions class? Harry unstopped the bottle and used the dropper over the mangled skin. His shoulders released marginally when her skin started to knit back together.

"I need bandages...something to wrap it..." Harry continued to use the potion but kept an eye out as well. They weren't out of the maze yet.

oOOo

Hermione had dressed so fast she'd missed two buttons on her shirt, forcing her to go back, not once but twice, to set it right. Her adrenaline had ebbed away during that time leaving her not only physically exhausted but mentally as well. Her mind having careened headfirst down the deep steep cliff of 'what ifs.' It was a dangerous place to have found herself.

She was angry, furious. He could control her to do anything he wanted. He had made that abundantly clear. What was he doing? Was it all a power play? Was he just toying with her? Playing the long game until she gave him the last piece of the spell? Had he even noticed yet that she hadn't put the final piece down in the journal? She had given him everything he needed to make the stones; finished the potion too but she hadn't written down how to activate the stones.

He hadn't questioned her about it yet. He was clever though, surely he would find out soon. Did her fugue-self have information she didn't? Why did she need to be in a fugue state for this 'party'? She could pretend to be his slave. He could just command her not to speak. Not that she'd want to speak with anyone there.

Her hand rose to her neck. She needed answers. As much as she didn't want to see him ever again after what he'd done, she had to talk to him. His behavior was confusing at best.

Hermione turned away from the window looking at the door to the office. He said he didn't want to hurt her anymore but she reallywanted to hurt him. His words had hurt more than his actions. Those too, had left her at a loss. Why hadn't he simply told her to remove everything? She wouldn't have been able to stop him. Why did he go layer by layer?

Her lips went tight. He hadn't looked at all interested in what he had seen. His eyes hadn't even wandered. The look she would have expected of someone in his position hadn't been there. He had just looked focused and, dare she say, hurt. Maybe he had already had her... Her breathing grew tighter and her hand curled tight over her heart. There was so much time missing. Could she ever know for sure?

Her temper rose again, fueling her steps towards the door. The teacher-student bond was broken. She could no longer see the man who had towered over her in the classroom. Those days were gone. A distant memory. Now she was fighting a man who held her fate in his hand. It was time to look at him and see what he truly was.

Her hand landed on the handle to the door, half expecting it to be locked, surprised when it wasn't. She pushed open the door with controlled anger turning her eyes out into the brilliant space.

Her eyes sought the dark shadow only to find the space empty. Her brow furrowed further as she took a step into the room. Where had he gone? Had he been summoned? Her anger switched gears and she quickly moved towards the desk. The stones were laid out over top and she could see that he was just about to finish the first. Why were there four stones? He only needed two. She pushed that thought aside for now. She needed a wand. Her hands had stopped their horrible shaking but they still trembled from time to time. Whatever had been in that potion had done wonders for her nervous system.

She reached for the top right drawer, giving it a pull, again surprised to find that it hadn't been warded in any way. She pushed some spare quills and parchment aside before her heart skipped a beat. Her wand!

Hermione grabbed the sacred wood, pulling it her chest. Her eyes flicked out over the room again as though he would materialize out of some hidden alcove. When he didn't, she quickly pushed it into her back pocket and closed the drawer. There was a heavy gate over the floo; she wasn't ready to try any complex spells and thus dismissed it. She looked straight ahead at the door that was sure to lead to the gargoyle staircase. The castle was empty for the holidays, it would be easy just to run straight down and out onto the grounds. If she could make it past the apparation fields, she could escape.

She glanced up at the many portraits that were silently watching, all of them holding a unique expression. She turned behind to try and speak to Dumbledore one last time but found his frame empty. Not wanting to waste this opportunity, she turned back towards the door. She moved quickly, ever watching for something to burst out at her until she got to the door. She gave it a pull but found it locked.

"Alohamora." A tingle ran down her arm from the flood of magic starting to roll through her system again. It felt as though she were greeting an old friend. Its power hadn't been dampened by all that had happened. In fact, she'd almost dare to say it had grown stronger.

The door unlocked with a heavy click and Hermione wasted no time slipping through. Her socked feet padded silently against the stones, so focused on what she had been doing she hadn't thought of finding her shoes. She would have to find something to transfigure along the way.

She kept her wand out, dipping into an alcove just beside the entrance way. She didn't want to run into Snape making a return trip. Her heart was beating loudly in her ears as she tried to think of the quickest way to the front gates.

oOo

"That's it..." Ron helped Luna onto Harry's back. She had come to but she was still rather out of it. Whatever had attacked her had left her well out of sorts. She had tried to talk to them but she hadn't made any sense, her words too slurred.

Harry pulled her arms carefully over his shoulders and reached behind to hold her up. She was surprisingly small given her age. Her head rested down on his shoulder. Her hair pressed into his cheek and smelled oddly of strawberries. Something Harry wasn't even sure why he noticed. With a little help from Ron, he made it to his feet.

"Just one more turn..." Ron was still shaking from what had happened.

"Let's go..." Harry adjusted his hold making Luna mumble something incoherent. Her legs flexed as she tried to help him keep hold of her.

The sky was beautiful. The sun shining down so brilliantly, giving a warmth to the breeze that wafted through. It was like coming into a new world. Harry glanced behind to the darkness that was kept inside the maze. He would never have survived that alone, but he still felt immensely guilty for Luna's injury. He glanced down at her arm that was neatly wrapped, the smell of burnt flesh was gone and the dittany had done a hell of a job at restoring what had been left of her skin. There were still patches missing but they were not very large. They could take her to a proper healer and get her sorted easily.

"That's got to be the house..." Ron had stopped at the final bend, there was just a small stretch left, he could easily see the door beyond the boundary. "Should we run for it?"

"I don't know...I don't think I can move that fast..." Harry adjusted his hold again, "I think we should be careful...wand out, yeah?"

"Right..." Ron put the map back into his pocket and pulled his wand free. He nodded to Harry before taking the lead. His eyes watched for anything amiss. When he looked back towards the door his eyes grew wider. "Harry...are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

Harry nodded his head, "Yeah...but it's not her right?...It can't be her..."

"She's right in the way..." Ron swallowed thickly, the tip of his wand raising slightly. "I can't hurt her Harry...I can't..."

"I know..." Harry gritted his teeth, "Let's keep walking..."

Ron looked at Harry as though he'd gone crazy, still though, he carried on beside him. They'd reached the halfway mark before the image in front of them started to become more clear. Her hair shined brightly in the sun, a beaming smile on her face.

"You made it!"

Ron felt his heart lurch. He'd been expecting a fight, a battle, not a warm greeting. "Hermione...is it really?"

"Of course it is. I've been waiting for you." Hermione came just a bit closer, to a keen eye one could see that her clothes didn't quite move the way they should have. "Come on, it's just a little farther." She held out her hand towards him, "I've missed you so much."

Ron felt his shoulders start to sag, "Have you been here this whole time?"

Harry caught up with him at that time and Luna shifted her head to try and say something. Her eyes were heavy as she looked straight through the demiguise. It wasn't real, how could they not see? The nature of the beast was to play on your deepest desires before luring you in for a kill. It was a most deadly creature, nearly extinct.

"Of course, I needed to be safe. Remember?"

Ron's eye twitched. Of course, he remembered. How could he ever forget? "Are you alright? What about the man?"

The creature standing in for their best friend tilted their head, going silent, seemingly running out of scripted things to say. Instead, it held out its hand for the boy to take, a soft alluring smile on its face.

Harry's brain ticked, "It's not her Ron." His hold shifted as he pointed his wand towards the creature. What possible spell would remove it from their path? "Don't touch her...whatever you do...I don't know what will happen, but I think it'll be good."

Ron heeded his friend's words, but it hurt. Like a physical pain, he tightened his hold on his wand. He stepped more to the right wall as they came closer. Hermione hadn't moved in either direction only adding more evidence to Harry's observation. She stood perfectly still on her spot, though her head did turn to watch them.

"Don't leave me."

Ron's jaw tightened to her words, he shook his head just a bit keeping his wand pointed at her, "I'm sorry..."

He didn't know why he'd said anything at all. This wasn't the real Hermione. No, the real Hermione as somewhere in a dark dungeon possibly being tortured again. He hadn't been able to check on her the entire day. It only made seeing her in the flesh all the more painful.

Harry kept to the wall right behind Ron, his heart too, aching. They were going to find her, that's why they were there. They were going to bring her home.

Harry was the first to make it out of the maze. A beautiful front lawn stood before him, a neat and brilliant white two-story house standing before him. The door was a deep red with a silver knocker in the center. The windows on either side were curtained off giving no clue as to what was awaiting them inside.

Ron had turned to keep his eyes on Hermione. The creature had turned to watch them go, a sadness falling over its features. It took everything inside him to back out of the maze. As soon as he passed the threshold the visage of Hermione disappeared in a whisp of smoke. A heavy fog obscuring the path within.

"We're going to bring her home Ron...we will..." Harry's voice was tight but he knew his friend needed to be assured.

Ron nodded solemnly and turned towards the door, "I guess it's time to knock..."

"Go ahead...three then one..." Harry moved to his side.

Ron let out a breath and pushed the sweat and dirt from his brow before raising his trembling hand. He took hold of the knocker and did as they had been told.

Both boys held their breath until a loud winding lock sounded. Like a vault at Gringotts. At the final click, the door opened ever just so. Ron glanced at Harry before pushing open the door further.

The inside of the home was bare, the walls a stark white. Ron took the first step, the wooden floor beneath his feet creaking loudly. Where were they supposed to go? The entranceway held three doors, all shut tight.

Harry came in next looking around the sterile space. The air smelled clean, too clean, like a hospital. Once they were clear of the front door it swung closed startling them both. The entire hall went dark then.

"Lumos..." Ron looked down the white walls when a soft click on the right caught his attention, a door had opened.

Harry had noticed too, he started towards it; following the light of Ron's wand. Luna's meager weight was starting to slow his steps even further. She'd gone quiet since they'd entered the house. Her breathing was a bit fast in his ear and he could feel a sweat forming on her skin.

Ron pulled the door open for Harry, a soft glow of a firelight met their eyes. The room was almost as bare as the rest of the house. Only a couch and single chair stood beside the fire on an old green and black rug. A hand rested on the arm of the chair that was faced towards the fire.

"Hello...?"

"You survived." The voice was soft, almost floaty like Luna's. It held a small accent as well, the location of which Harry couldn't be certain. The hand that had been on the arm raised up motioning towards the sofa. "Sit."

Ron swallowed heavily and tucked his wand away. "One of us is injured..."

"I know." The voice didn't change at all, the hand merely disappeared behind the chair.

Harry glanced at Ron before moving closer. With his help they laid Luna down, her head shifted and her eyes opened slowly. "It's alright..." Harry have her a small smile before turning towards the chair. The wing still obscured the woman inside from view.

Ron stayed on his feet, moving around the edge of the chair. He couldn't stifle the gasp that left his throat. He covered his mouth and tried not to let his surprise show.

She could have been the female embodiment of Snape. Her hair was lank and dark resting just below her shoulders. A roman nose and lips with sharp angled cheeks. Her skin was pale, almost sickly, but what had really made Ron gasp was the band of red and disfigured skin that ran from temple to temple over her eyes. Like a mask. Her eyes were hazed white, completely blind.

"Wh-who are you?" Ron continued his overt examination stopping when he noticed the house crest necklace sitting just above the neckline of her dress.

"Prince, Galia Prince."

Harry felt as though someone had hit him in the head. Snape was a Prince or at least his mother was. He pushed himself from Luna's side and came to the same startling observation Ron had.

He noted that the disfigurement didn't stop at her face. He could see a harsh webbing of scar tissue that dipped just below the neck of her dress. Her chest completely flat for a woman of her suspected age. She had to be at least 40 years old.

"Any...relation to Eileen Prince?"

"Perhaps. But that is not why you're here." Her head turned slowly in the direction of his voice, "You have brought a great evil here." Her brow furrowed and her white eyes narrowed at Harry.

"I shall not help you."

"Please...we just...we just want to find our friend...we don't want to bring you into this war..." Harry felt a vice tightening around his heart. How much had this woman suffered?

Galia pursed her lips listening to the boys' thoughts so easily. She could sense their intentions and their fears. They were mere children, just as she had been. Caught in a dark web of lies and hidden loyalties.

"We need to bring her home...please you're our only chance."

"She is at Hogwarts, and she is safe." She could tell the boys' words were true, but also knew the danger that Harry possessed. She needed them to leave, immediately.

"That's not possible. How is that possible?" Ron couldn't believe her. It couldn't be true.

"You would do well to heed her warning. The man who has taken her shall keep her safe. So long as no one knows she is there. It is too soon to go to her. You must wait until the time has come. Only then, will she be returned to you."

"Who is it? Who has her?" Harry moved just a touch closer. This was immense news.

"His heart is filled with pain. He knows of only a love lost. He will not harm her." Her eyes shifted and her brow flexed.

"He already has! We've seen it!" Ron was ready to apparate there right then.

"There are more things in this world than what can be seen with sight, Mr. Weasley. You shall do well to remember that."

Ron started, how had she known his name? Could she really see them?

"More things than can be seen." Her eyes shifted to Harry then, "Your friend is going to die."

"Wh-at?" Ron squeaked.

"Your friend has been poisoned."

Her head turned past the both of them looking in the direction of where Luna laid, "She hasn't much time now."

Her hand raised from the arm, her movements were slow and graceful. A wall behind them clicked and swung open revealing a wide variety of potions and ingredients. Another small adjustment of her hand lifted a stone from a jar inside the wall.

It floated towards the two boys and Harry took hold of it. He turned to Luna without a thought. He knelt down beside her and started to shake her shoulder. Her eyes that had opened had gone closed, a deep blue over her parted lips.

"Luna...? Luna, I need you to swallow this..." Harry had remembered how the bezoar had helped Ron when he'd been poisoned. He recognized the stone and knew it was safe to use. He pressed it past her lips and into her mouth. He held her head just so and let out a relieved breath when she swallowed the stone down.

Ron turned his narrowed eyes back to the woman who had turned her eyes on him now. Her face was a mask of indifference and it grated on his nerves. How could he trust this woman who looked so much like their enemy?

oOOo

She was so close. She just had to get past the great hall. Thus far no one had gotten in her way. She'd not seen hide nor hair of Snape either. Her confidence was starting to rise at the idea that she just might make it.

She could hear footsteps from behind her, two sets. She pressed herself deeper into the wall casting a whispered disillusionment spell over herself. Her body went cold with fear as two people she'd never seen before strolled past. A man and a woman, in black robes. She didn't need to know their names to know they weren't the helpful sort. Their eyes held a darkness inside, an evil cruelty.

She held her breath as they passed by. Taking in the direction she needed to go in. She counted to thirty in her mind before carefully poking her head around the edge. She pleaded with every deity she knew that they would turn away down another path.

So focused on their backs, she hadn't seen another dark figure approaching silently. That was until a hand shoved her harshly back into the alcove. Her back and head slammed back hard. Her head thumping twice when a large hand came to clamp down over her mouth and nose; pressing her head back hard enough into the wall, she could feel the bone of her skull grinding against the stone.

Two dark eyes swam in and out of her unfocused vision and when she tried to raise her wand she felt her arms being snapped back into the wall; her wand clattering to the floor at their feet.

"Do you have a death wish?" Snape growled lowly, his face so close his breath moved the hair beside her temples. He was beyond furious. He had left her in the rooms in search of something to help keep her occupied. Something to help both of them sort out what was going on inside her mind. He was sure the library would have had something relating to their current predicament. Either about the slave bond or her multiple personalities.

He hadn't even made it halfway when he'd seen her out of the corner of his eye. Not wanting to attract attention to either of them. He had followed her silently until she was distracted enough to approach. He had been apprehensive when the Carrows had started down the same hallway as her. He had been somewhat impressed by her stealth skills but didn't want to press their luck any further.

She made a soft noise from the back of her throat; her chest rising up just a bit. It was then he realized his hand had covered both her mouth and nose. He pulled it away with a snarl, "Don't speak." His command was harsh and the mark on her neck flared into action. It remained inert but it was active, waiting for her to resist.

Snape turned his eyes back to the hall. He had to get them back to the head office. More teachers would be arriving soon and it wouldn't do for her to be seen. He glanced down when her gasps slowed. He flicked his hand retrieving her wand from the floor. He slipped it into his coat pocket before taking her harshly by her arm. He released the spell on her wrists before dragging her out into the hall. The way he had come was clear, but there was an even safer path just up ahead.

A secret path that allowed him to move through the walls unseen. Her fingers clawed at his hand and though she didn't speak, she did put up resistance. He turned and spun her back into a nearby alcove making sure it was enough to garner her attention. One hand remained on her arm and the other raised in warning.

"You may not care what happens to you, but I'm not ready to die yet." His eyes flared and he could see the fear sparking in the back of her eyes. "Am I clear?" He waited until she nodded her head before pushing back out of the alcove.

Her smaller legs struggled to keep up with his long strides and the grip he kept on her arm was starting to chafe. The jeans she was wearing were irritating the wound on her hip as well making her gate a little off. She didn't want to go back, but the low burn on her neck reminded her of what awaited her if she truly resisted.

Snape rounded the corner sharply, nearly taking her completely off her feet. What was wrong with her leg? He pushed the thought aside and tapped his wand to a large tapestry. He pulled it aside and quickly stepped into the hidden doorway behind. The scones along the narrow tunnel quickly flared to life illuminating the long winding passage.

He moved her in front of him, releasing her arm. His eyes burned holes into the back of her head as she tried to get her barrings. Her steps were slow and jerky, forcing her to use the wall for added support. She turned back to look at him, a fire inside had eyes that he hadn't seen since she'd arrived, inside them. He could hear all the things she wanted to do to him, all the foul things she called him.

"It may have escaped your notice but you belong to me." His tone was sharp, "If you suddenly come up somewhere you shouldn't be, the blame shall fall on me."

He paused listening to her mind trying to turn. The less he said aloud the less he had to worry about his words being used against him. He had to be more careful now with what he said to her. If he couldn't put her in a fugue state the best he could do was find a reasonable explanation for what the Dark Lord may find in her mind. It was his hope that the madman would be so focused on his initiatives that he wouldn't be questioned. He could only hope.

"I expect your full cooperation tonight. I won't have you making a fool of me." He grabbed the back of her sweater when she misstepped and hulled her back to her feet. The shirt rose up and his eyes snapped down to the flesh it revealed.

The skin of her lower back was red, possibly from his manhandling but the pattern seemed to originate at her hip. He could just barely see something that didn't look right; just under the hem of her jeans. What had she done now?

Another turn and a steep flight of stairs put them just inside the door to the headmaster's office. As soon as they had entered he could tell his control over her had ended and she rounded on him like a feral beast.