"Now, we're going to show you what we meant when we said to watch your back, Snape," Avery hissed.

"Let her go," Severus hissed back just as venomously. "Your quarrel is with me. Leave Lily out of this."

"Oh, I don't think so," Avery said mockingly. "You fail to realize that this Mudblood filth is the reason you've stopped being our friend and starting being our enemy. She's to blame just as much as you are."

"Don't call her that!" Severus yelled, his wand out in front of him, trying to aim it at all the others, but finding it difficult.

"But it's the truth, ain't it?" Wilkes cut in.

"Here's the deal, Snape," Avery said. "We'll let you go without so much as a scratch if you let us have some fun with your girl here. How about it?"

"No deal," Severus snarled. "I'll ask again nicely: Let Lily go."

Mulciber was leering at Lily, breathing down her neck with a sick look in his eyes. "Pretty for a Mudblood," he started to say, but with one swift motion, Severus had Stunned him. There was no warning. A simple flick of the wrist, and Mulciber was down, leaving Lily free.

"Go, Lily!" Severus shouted.

Lily hesitated, fear covering her features. "No, Sev!" she protested. "What about you?"

"I'll be all right; just go!" he insisted, as the others drew closer to him.

"You'll pay for that one, Snape," Rosier grunted. "Think you can outsmart us? We outnumber you."

Lily stood there and made to move toward Severus as the three Slytherin thugs surrounded him. "Severus!" she cried, clearly frightened and worried for him.

"Damn it, Lily! Go!" Severus yelled.

"I'll get help!" she called back, finally leaving and disappearing from sight.

Severus breathed a sigh of relief that she was, at least, out of harm's way. He sized up the others. They were all sixteen or seventeen years old, and while they knew a lot of Dark Magic, thanks mostly to him, they ought to be no match for a grown wizard.

"You made a serious mistake," Severus hissed. He made a slashing motion with his wand, causing a mean cut to appear on Wilkes's cheek, just like he'd done to James Potter a few months ago.

Momentarily taken by surprise, Wilkes covered his bloodied cheek with his hand and bared his uneven teeth at Severus. He tried to throw a Burning Hex back at Severus, but it was a feeble attempt. Severus easily blocked it.

"Who's next?" he asked, almost daring them to fight dirty, as if this were merely a game.

Rosier shouted, "Incarcerous!"

With a short laugh, Severus blocked his spell as well. "Amateurs, the lot of you," he taunted them now. "You think you can beat me in a fight? You give me far too much notice by saying the incantation out loud."

"Shut up, Snape!" Avery barked. "You forget that we have connections who can teach us all the Dark Magic they know, spells far more advanced than you could ever teach us."

"Like Lucius Malfoy, I presume?" Severus asked. "The man is a joke."

"I dare you to say it to his face next time you see him and see how well you're received," Avery retorted. With what looked like a rude hand gesture, Avery flicked his wand. Without saying anything, he had tried to curse Severus.

Severus wasn't sure what spell Avery was trying to use, but he blocked it just in time. Smirking, he stated, "Gladly, and you'll have to do better than that."

He was just about to Stun Avery when he suddenly felt something hit him from behind. Severus felt the impact of Mulciber's spell and was blasted off his feet. Lying on his stomach on the ground, Severus berated himself for a split second for wasting time taunting the others. He had foolishly let his guard down, and in that moment, Mulciber had come back to consciousness. He tried to stand, but a heavy shoe dug into his back, pressing him harshly into the gravel and dirt.

"Not so tough now, are you, Snape?" Mulciber's voice came from above.

Severus could just see Avery, Rosier, and Wilkes as they joined Mulciber. A well-aimed kick caught him right in the stomach, then another to the ribs. The four Slytherins took to beating Severus with brute force for the next few minutes, and he inwardly groaned, wondering if Lily would be back with help soon. He felt humiliated and stupid. How could he have been reduced to this pathetic pile on the ground so quickly by a group of students? He knew his wand was lying several feet away. He had lost it in the blast.

Then, he heard a word he knew would bring him enormous amounts of pain.

"Crucio," someone uttered, emotionlessly.

As excruciating pain rippled through his battered body, Severus refused to cry out. It sounded like Mulciber had cast it. He endured it a second time. All the while, through the beating and the cursing, he would not be weak and cry or shout in agony.

Then, he heard another voice. An old voice.

"What the bloody hell do you kids think you're doing?" the old man demanded angrily.

The Slytherins had been caught. Panicking, they ran off, afraid of being captured by whomever had come to Severus's rescue. Then, he felt gentle hands on his back and Lily's soft voice, distressed and breaking.

"Sev, oh, Sev," she was sobbing. "What did those bastards do to you?"

"Watch it, missy," the old man rasped.

With a groan, Severus rolled over and sat up. It was Aberforth Dumbledore.

"What happened to you, boy?" Aberforth gruffly demanded. "No matter, let's get you back to my brother. He'll want to know about this."

Severus tried to stand, but nearly falling over, it took both Lily and Aberforth to support him. They led him back into the Hog's Head and into a back room. Gingerly sitting him down, Lily handed him his wand.

"I found it on the ground," she explained, concern etched all over her face.

Severus nodded weakly and murmured, "Thanks."

Aberforth was now at the fireplace, tossing a handful of Floo powder into the grate. "Albus Dumbledore," he stated.

Within seconds, Dumbledore's face appeared in the flames. "Yes, Aberforth?" he asked, obviously surprised.

"Albus, we have a problem. One of your students has been injured by others."

Dumbledore looked past Aberforth and into the room, his eyes locking with Severus's.