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The instant they burst through the Headmaster's door Severus shoved Penelope behind him. Foolish old man! You shouldn't have done it.

Dumbledore struggled to rise from the floor. He gasped and groaned.

"Stay back," Severus ordered Penelope and ran to Dumbledore.

Another Horcrux—Marvolo Gaunt's ring clung to the Headmaster's finger like an angry snake. It hissed and pulsed. A high wail—more like mocking laughter—rang from the cursed ring. Dark magic flowed from the relic and slithered up Dumbledore's forearm. It grabbed at his throat as the stench of death and rot invaded the air.

Dumbledore's screams tore at Severus' ears. Each unnatural shriek stole a shred of his nerves.

Severus acted swiftly. Got to get it off.

The ring wrapped tighter, like a kraken around its prized ship. A dark tendril dug into Dumbledore's pale skin, and the Headmaster yelped.

"Foolish! Foolish old man!" Severus lowered his Occlumency shield, offering himself as bait to persuade the dark magic to release Dumbledore. "How stupid are you? To do this twice?!"

Dumbledore forced a smirk through his agony. "I—wasn't—aware I—did it the—first time."

"You should still be intelligent enough not to do it at all!" Severus hissed as he battled the darkness swallowing Dumbledore's arm. The only way to fight it is with my mind. And I'm failing. Miserably! Odd. This went better the first time around. "Curse it all, I thought you were supposed to be the most powerful wizard of all time! You're supposed to be smart!"

Mind fighting to focus, Severus mentally attacked the writhing mass. His efforts seemed to no avail, and the magic tendrils tangled and merged with Dumbledore. No amount of tugging or yanking could unseat the ring.

A black cord lashed at Severus like a person swipes at an annoying bug. It smacked his face, and though it left no mark, the contact splatted and sizzled like burned meat.

Penelope screamed. She huddled against the wall and stared, hands over her gaping mouth as if trying to stifle another scream.

Severus concentrated, attacked with new vigor and forced the clawing darkness away from Dumbledore and toward himself. He hissed as the bit of soul snatched at his mind and tried to bend him to its will, sending him thoughts—words—images.

"Finally!" Severus grinned at his Death Eaters in perverse delight. "You shall be rewarded, Travers."

"Thank you, my lord." Travers bowed.

"No one escapes Lord Voldemort for long." He growled in ill-concealed satisfaction. "He thinks he's oh-so-safe in his castle, but he can't stay there forever. Bring them in!"

Six Death Eaters hauled out four people—three shaking. The fourth, a white-headed man, walked upright with his customary dignity.

"Augustus Prince." Severus smiled. "We meet at last. I'm afraid I didn't quite catch you last time."

Prince's dispassionate, black eyes didn't flicker, almost as if the old man imagined himself a threat to the great one before whom he stood.

"And the Evanses." Severus scowled. "Filthy muggles—the lot!"

"Why bother to bring them here?" said Augustus. "Let them go. They have no value to you—other than being in the way."