Interestingly enough, it wasn't the first time his evil instincts had
overrun any form of care he had for the man. Voldemort gave a short laugh
as he took off the curse, watching as Severus lay crumpled in a heap on the
floor.
"Severus, I've told you time and time again.....why won't you listen?" he asked silkily, stepping forward so his shadow fell over the young man impedingly. His gasps came short and muffled behind the dark mask. Tutting softly he flicked his wand, magically propelling the Death Eater into a high backed armchair. "It pains me to have to torture you this way, Severus.," he said, forcing as much trust and compassion into his voice as he thought possible. The man didn't react, continued staring down at his gloved hands. Voldemort crossed his arms and stared down, a smile creeping across his lips.
"You aren't the only one who has been learning tricks these past years.....I could easily find out any information I wished with a single flick of my wrist. It needn't be so painful you know, but I would much rather you cooperated with me."
The eyes had a haunted look of too much stress and not enough sleep as they battled with his own. "I've told you as much as I can My Lord...." his voice was hoarse after that last dose of Cruciatus. Voldemort shook his head sadly "Severus I know when you are lying to me, I can see it in your eyes....not such a good mask anymore I should think....more of a shaded window easily transparent...." he paused and cast a glance at the broken form of the Potions master in front of him. "I've always considered you a sort of miniature of myself...." he hissed, forcing Severus to stare once more into his eyes. "Confused, bewildered...a need for acceptance.....Why it was almost that you were my son at some times. I don't like to see you cavorting with Dumbledore and his allies, it seems your allegiance to me has been slipping lately my faithful pawn."
"Never swaying, master." the young man replied, in the monotone usually accompanying Cruciatus. "I am as faithful to you as I ever was....."
A grin spread across the Dark Lord's face as Severus concentrated on something behind him. He iwas/i slipping....though not in faith...no, the strain on the poor mans mind must be getting too much....how extraordinarily easy to manipulate....
"I have always been there in the past Severus, I seek only for your good." he probed a bit more, coaxing him towards the edge of ruin. As a trained Death eater he was almost immune to the tongue slips often made by Cruciatus victims, and as a potions master adept at alluding most truth serums, including Veritaserum. However fatigue was a weapon best used for these matters, Severus was too confused now to tell the difference between loyalties....a few more minutes now, perhaps a few more curses...
"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" A phrase used often enough by the illustrious Headmaster Dumbledore, it sounded quite more foreboding on Lord Voldemort's tongue, like milk dappled with the sweetest poison......
Unable to resist further, Severus met him in the eye, his own eyes looked confused and barely concentrating. "The Order Meeting?" he asked, creasing his forehead, closing his eyes slightly. Voldemort almost preened with pleasure as his victim began to fall.
"Yes Severus, the Order Meeting. What time is it?" He seemed to be concentrating on remembering; a moment later he asked "Noon?" in the same bewildered tone, sinking to rest his head on his arms.
"I must know the place as well, Severus." The young man paused and rubbed his eyes. "Hathaway Manor." he replied, his speech slurred as though by drink, though fatigue can be far more intoxicating than Odgens Old, as Voldemort thought. Dark hair fell in front of the now closed eyes, and Voldemort reached out to tilt his head forward once more.
"Excellent, Severus.....However, before apparating I must know about the ward situation, can't be too careful." he tried to keep his tone light, as though asking about his daily schedule.
The pale death eater blinked for a few moments before muttering "Down for convenience....dark apparition shields, though you wouldn't need to worry about those Headmaster."
Taken aback by the way he had been addressed, Voldemort stared for a moment. Then a smile overtook his features once more. Severus was obviously so far gone that he couldn't even remembering who he was talking to. Headmaster indeed.....
"The potions are ready.... took me a week....I'm sorry about the delay...." His heavy lidded eyes closed and he fell back onto his arms again, one of his eyes twitching slightly.
The Dark Lord stood for a moment digesting this information. Noon in the Hathaway Manor, dark shields but no wards. Interesting. With a snap of his fingers he summoned two members of his inner circle. "Lucius, Decintius. Prepare for battle, I want every Death eater capable of fighting in the Main Hall by tomorrow morning. Is this understood?" The two death eaters turned to each other with dismay, as though deciding if their Lord was indeed insane. "Master, that's over a thousand!" protested the blonde haired servant. "it will be..." One look from the wizards eyes made him freeze. "I did not ask for the complications of it all, Lucius. I asked you to serve me as you are intended to do. Failure will not be treated with the normal punishments, but by something far. Far. Worse." His scowl was ten times more horrifying than his best evil smile, and they both scuttled out like terrified first years.
Sighing, he turned around to face Severus, the man who he had rescued from ruin twenty years ago, who he had trained personally and had actually cared for at one time, had reached the end of his usefulness. Voldemort reached for an engraved silver goblet that lie on the table and strode over to the dozing form of the spy. Reaching out with one long hand he shook his shoulder gently. Severus snapped instantly to attention, but still only half awake. He swayed slightly as the dark Lord placed the goblet into his hands. "Drink, Severus. You need sleep. This will give you the rest you truly deserve.....sleep now. It will be over soon.....no need to be awake. Severus you must be so tired.....fall back......."
The young man mechanically raised the goblet to his pale lips and gently murmured, "Sleep..." before downing an extreme overdose of the fatal Sleeping Death draught. After a few seconds of apprehension on Voldemort's part, he fell forward, deep in sleep. The Dark Lord's thin mouth broke forth in a bitter smile, and he brought out his wand.
Levitating the sleeping form of his once unswayed servant onto a four poster bed, he bent down and whispered gently into his ear "In five hours I will have massed the army that will defeat my enemies, and in nine hours I will have done so. And it's all because of you.......Severus."
Knowing the poor man would be dead within the hour, he instructed a nearby house-elf to remove the body in due time. Turning on his heel the infamous Dark Lord swept off to his own bedchambers to plot the final details of his barrage, and to get his own well deserved rest. The others will take care of everything. Lord Voldemort smiled to himself as he glanced out a window into the brewing storm. Speaking to his invisible adversary as he stared thoughtfully out at the purple lighting, thunder echoed menacingly around the stone walls.
"Don't look now Albus. Everything you've worked so hard for will be crushed, everyone you raced to protect will be destroyed, and you will be nothing but a hopeful memory in the minds of those I spare. Evil has won the war, Professor...... and there's nothing you can do to stop it."
"Severus, I've told you time and time again.....why won't you listen?" he asked silkily, stepping forward so his shadow fell over the young man impedingly. His gasps came short and muffled behind the dark mask. Tutting softly he flicked his wand, magically propelling the Death Eater into a high backed armchair. "It pains me to have to torture you this way, Severus.," he said, forcing as much trust and compassion into his voice as he thought possible. The man didn't react, continued staring down at his gloved hands. Voldemort crossed his arms and stared down, a smile creeping across his lips.
"You aren't the only one who has been learning tricks these past years.....I could easily find out any information I wished with a single flick of my wrist. It needn't be so painful you know, but I would much rather you cooperated with me."
The eyes had a haunted look of too much stress and not enough sleep as they battled with his own. "I've told you as much as I can My Lord...." his voice was hoarse after that last dose of Cruciatus. Voldemort shook his head sadly "Severus I know when you are lying to me, I can see it in your eyes....not such a good mask anymore I should think....more of a shaded window easily transparent...." he paused and cast a glance at the broken form of the Potions master in front of him. "I've always considered you a sort of miniature of myself...." he hissed, forcing Severus to stare once more into his eyes. "Confused, bewildered...a need for acceptance.....Why it was almost that you were my son at some times. I don't like to see you cavorting with Dumbledore and his allies, it seems your allegiance to me has been slipping lately my faithful pawn."
"Never swaying, master." the young man replied, in the monotone usually accompanying Cruciatus. "I am as faithful to you as I ever was....."
A grin spread across the Dark Lord's face as Severus concentrated on something behind him. He iwas/i slipping....though not in faith...no, the strain on the poor mans mind must be getting too much....how extraordinarily easy to manipulate....
"I have always been there in the past Severus, I seek only for your good." he probed a bit more, coaxing him towards the edge of ruin. As a trained Death eater he was almost immune to the tongue slips often made by Cruciatus victims, and as a potions master adept at alluding most truth serums, including Veritaserum. However fatigue was a weapon best used for these matters, Severus was too confused now to tell the difference between loyalties....a few more minutes now, perhaps a few more curses...
"Is there something you'd like to tell me?" A phrase used often enough by the illustrious Headmaster Dumbledore, it sounded quite more foreboding on Lord Voldemort's tongue, like milk dappled with the sweetest poison......
Unable to resist further, Severus met him in the eye, his own eyes looked confused and barely concentrating. "The Order Meeting?" he asked, creasing his forehead, closing his eyes slightly. Voldemort almost preened with pleasure as his victim began to fall.
"Yes Severus, the Order Meeting. What time is it?" He seemed to be concentrating on remembering; a moment later he asked "Noon?" in the same bewildered tone, sinking to rest his head on his arms.
"I must know the place as well, Severus." The young man paused and rubbed his eyes. "Hathaway Manor." he replied, his speech slurred as though by drink, though fatigue can be far more intoxicating than Odgens Old, as Voldemort thought. Dark hair fell in front of the now closed eyes, and Voldemort reached out to tilt his head forward once more.
"Excellent, Severus.....However, before apparating I must know about the ward situation, can't be too careful." he tried to keep his tone light, as though asking about his daily schedule.
The pale death eater blinked for a few moments before muttering "Down for convenience....dark apparition shields, though you wouldn't need to worry about those Headmaster."
Taken aback by the way he had been addressed, Voldemort stared for a moment. Then a smile overtook his features once more. Severus was obviously so far gone that he couldn't even remembering who he was talking to. Headmaster indeed.....
"The potions are ready.... took me a week....I'm sorry about the delay...." His heavy lidded eyes closed and he fell back onto his arms again, one of his eyes twitching slightly.
The Dark Lord stood for a moment digesting this information. Noon in the Hathaway Manor, dark shields but no wards. Interesting. With a snap of his fingers he summoned two members of his inner circle. "Lucius, Decintius. Prepare for battle, I want every Death eater capable of fighting in the Main Hall by tomorrow morning. Is this understood?" The two death eaters turned to each other with dismay, as though deciding if their Lord was indeed insane. "Master, that's over a thousand!" protested the blonde haired servant. "it will be..." One look from the wizards eyes made him freeze. "I did not ask for the complications of it all, Lucius. I asked you to serve me as you are intended to do. Failure will not be treated with the normal punishments, but by something far. Far. Worse." His scowl was ten times more horrifying than his best evil smile, and they both scuttled out like terrified first years.
Sighing, he turned around to face Severus, the man who he had rescued from ruin twenty years ago, who he had trained personally and had actually cared for at one time, had reached the end of his usefulness. Voldemort reached for an engraved silver goblet that lie on the table and strode over to the dozing form of the spy. Reaching out with one long hand he shook his shoulder gently. Severus snapped instantly to attention, but still only half awake. He swayed slightly as the dark Lord placed the goblet into his hands. "Drink, Severus. You need sleep. This will give you the rest you truly deserve.....sleep now. It will be over soon.....no need to be awake. Severus you must be so tired.....fall back......."
The young man mechanically raised the goblet to his pale lips and gently murmured, "Sleep..." before downing an extreme overdose of the fatal Sleeping Death draught. After a few seconds of apprehension on Voldemort's part, he fell forward, deep in sleep. The Dark Lord's thin mouth broke forth in a bitter smile, and he brought out his wand.
Levitating the sleeping form of his once unswayed servant onto a four poster bed, he bent down and whispered gently into his ear "In five hours I will have massed the army that will defeat my enemies, and in nine hours I will have done so. And it's all because of you.......Severus."
Knowing the poor man would be dead within the hour, he instructed a nearby house-elf to remove the body in due time. Turning on his heel the infamous Dark Lord swept off to his own bedchambers to plot the final details of his barrage, and to get his own well deserved rest. The others will take care of everything. Lord Voldemort smiled to himself as he glanced out a window into the brewing storm. Speaking to his invisible adversary as he stared thoughtfully out at the purple lighting, thunder echoed menacingly around the stone walls.
"Don't look now Albus. Everything you've worked so hard for will be crushed, everyone you raced to protect will be destroyed, and you will be nothing but a hopeful memory in the minds of those I spare. Evil has won the war, Professor...... and there's nothing you can do to stop it."