Last Thoughts
"My Lord!" I protested, raising my wand.
"It cannot be any other way," said Voldemort. "I must master the wand, Severus. Master the wand, and I master Potter at last."
I saw him swipe the air with the Elder Wand, and harsh realization dawned on me when I saw Nagini's cage roll through the air towards me. My blood ran cold.
I knew this day had to come; Dumbledore helped me understand that I was nothing but a tool in the Dark Lord's hands and eventually I may be nothing but a useless obstacle to him, yet none of that helped when I was staring Death straight in the face.
The soft, dangerous hiss of Voldemort's voice reached my ears and I felt sharp pinpricks pierce my skin. Warm liquid streamed down my neck as I shook. Blinding light fell across my vision and I cried out, still thinking that I could reach my potion supply in time, still hoping…
'I regret it.'
His cold voice echoed in my ears and I still managed to feel a stab of anger at his lie. He regretted nothing. The Dark Lord feels no remorse for the pain he causes others; I had witnessed this first hand.
The pain, slowly increasing, slowed everything down. I watched Voldemort turn away in a haze and the cage that held the hideous snake was lifted off my chest. I slumped sideways onto the hard floor and lay there. Tears leaked out of my eyes and short hoarse breaths escaped me – I tried to grip my cloak and curl up inside it, to be able to give myself some last few moments of comfort before it was all over, when I would feel nothing.
Suddenly I heard a noise, a footfall. Had he come back? Had he come to taunt me, to tell me that he knows everything? That all the lies I fed him were for nothing? He has nothing to take from me now. I have nothing to lose and nothing to win.
I felt myself growing heavier; I would not last much longer.
Out of the blue Potter's face loomed over mine, and I wondered if this was one of the poison's hallucinations. My eyes widened as I looked at him, and I realized this was my last chance. Memories…my memories…now would be of no use to me, but to Potter…I reached out towards the dark material of his robes and gripped them tight; I yanked him closer with all the strength I could muster.
I opened my mouth and attempted to speak – the venom had broken my voice into raspy noises. A gurgling, rough noise escaped my mouth. I knew my memories would come; he had to take them, see them…
'Take…it…Take…it…" I coughed out, my entire body shaking, convulsing, my mind slowly disappearing into darkness.
The girl, the bright one who was behind Potter, thrust a small glass vial into his hand. I fought against the paralyzing pain to watch him guide the silver strands leaking from me into the flask.
When it became full my shaking hands relaxed and I fell back slightly. There was one more thing I had to do…the last thing that could ever make this easier…Lily.
"Look…at…me…" I whispered.
My darkening eyes looked up, searching for the vivid green ones; the ones that I remember framed with red hair and a bright laugh. I felt the pain ebbing away as I let the darkness leak into my vision until all I could see was the green eyes still looking into mine.