Harry Potter and all his magic are the property of JK Rowling

This is not my first FF, but it is my first in this fandom. This short story is canon up to mid-way through OOTP. I've taken a little license with the timeline after that, but not much. Harry and Severus are slightly OOC. I've been reading a lot of SS mentors HP fic and thought I'd give it a go. This story is fully written and will be a post-in-progress. It's just over 10K words, so the chapters are short. Enjoy.

Prologue

Two men stood in a darkened room, wondering if they'd made the right decision. The sounds of the battle were growing louder and the younger man thanked whatever mercy remained in the world that the place was so well hidden. "The wards are holding," he observed.

"Obviously," came the silken reply. The voice held the barest hint of its once customary sarcasm.

"Is it ready?" the younger man asked.

"Tonight, when the moon is at its peak."

Silence reigned for several minutes before the older man spoke. "I…I wish it had not come to this. I thought, the last time…" his voice trailed off.

The apprentice laid a hand on his mentor's forearm. "We all did. But we were wrong. This is our last chance, our only remaining hope."

"I do not want you to go. I made a vow."

"I know. But this is the only way. You're not breaking your vow. You're keeping it in the best way possible." He was silent again for several minutes. "Do something for me?"

"Anything. You know that."

"Don't leave me. Please, just," his voice cracked, "watch over me, until I return."

"Always."

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