Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
Traitors
Part One: Mindgames
It was a cool evening, but Severus could feel beads of sweat rolling down his forehead nonetheless. He tugged at the mask on his face. It felt foreign and suffocating. His breath got trapped against it and washed over him, creating an oppressive heat that seeped into his head and down his shoulders. It was just nerves, but that didn't stop him from feeling paranoid.
Severus turned his gaze up and down the street. A boring stretch of houses that would have looked at home in any muggle town. Street lamps created orange puddles between every sleepy house, and only the gnome infestation at the house across the street betrayed that this was a wizarding neighborhood. Severus's survey ended where it had begun. Nobody was there. Even if they were, no one would have been able to see through his disillusionment charm. But it wasn't him that might attract attention…
A sharp scream pierced the night. Severus flicked his wand behind him and reapplied a silencing charm over the house he was guarding. He scanned the street again, but no lights flickered on, and no suspicious neighbors peeked out their front doors.
There was a pop of apparation a hundred meters away. Severus whirled and let his wand arm track the source. A wizard walked through the front door of the third house down the street. Severus heard him call out before the door swung shut again and released a breath. Just a wizard getting home late.
No prying eyes had fallen on him since his arrival ten minutes ago, but that wasn't unusual. At Hogwarts, hardly anyone had bothered to give him more than the occasional sideways glance. Potter and his lackeys were the exception, but their idea of attention was to make his life a living hell.
Severus let himself imagine that it was James Potter's house he was keeping watch in front of. A satisfied smile spread across his face as his imagination played out the scenario. The smile stopped short when Severus's thoughts fell on Lily.
Lily Evans had cared. She was the one, the only one, that had treated him with kindness, as though she didn't understand the rules the rest of the world was playing by. Until his fifth year, she was the only person who acknowledged his talent. Avery and Mulciber were all that remained after she left.
Severus forced away thoughts of Lily and focused on the task in front of him. He wasn't in Hogwarts anymore. There was no time to waste thinking about the past. The Dark Mark on his left arm twinged, and immediately Severus's full attention was back where it should be.
Severus nearly jumped out of his skin when someone hissed his name. He snapped around, wand ready, but found only Avery walking out of the front door.
"They need you inside. I'll take over out here." Avery said.
"They need me?" Severus asked. The whole reason he was posted as the lookout was because this was his first assignment. He didn't know what the other Death Eaters might need that they couldn't do themselves.
"Yeah, don't keep 'em waiting," Avery replied with all of his usual charm.
Severus nodded curtly and slipped past Avery into the house. It was nice—magically enhanced of course—but not grandiose as far as Severus could tell. Voices echoed down a short hallway, beckoning him inside. When Severus reached the sitting room, his stomach turned.
Travers was there with Yaxley. The two of them were standing over a shaking young woman. Her face was bloody, and she was clutching a hand to her stomach. Strewn further in the room, as if forgotten amongst the shredded, were three bodies. Two of them were older—a man and a woman—but the third looked to be in her twenties, same as the girl on the floor.
"Get in here, Snape," Yaxley barked. As the senior Death Eater on this mission, it would be his head if they failed.
Severus tried to look away from the woman his friends had been torturing, but he couldn't. Immediately, his mind began to rationalize the scene. This was war, and he was a combatant. Severus almost unconsciously ran through a quick Occlumency exercise. His breathing and heart rate slowed and his composure returned.
"You summoned me," Severus said.
"Yeah. This bitch won't give us what we need." Travers snarled. He lashed out with a kick that caught the woman in the ribs. She whimpered, and Severus was forced to ignore a stab of pity.
"We know she's working against the Dark Lord, but we don't know who else she's working with or what their plans are. Thus far she's been quite... reluctant to tell us," Yaxley said.
"And you need my assistance?" Severus didn't understand.
Yaxley nodded. "The usual method isn't working. We can't be here all night."
From the way the woman was quivering, Severus suspected that the usual method involved a heavy dose of the Cruciatus Curse.
"Mulciber tells me you're an accomplished Legilimens," Yaxley said.
"Does he?"
Severus cursed silently. He had shown Mulciber and Avery the ability in seventh year to impress them. It had been a mistake. The two of them immediately began to avoid making eye contact with him. They had been impressed, but Severus had never seen the two of them drop their guard again.
"Yeah, so get into her mind and get what we need," Yaxley said. "And do it fast. Like I said, we can't be here all night."
Severus nodded. It wasn't like he had a choice anyway. He stood over the girl, and his heart skipped a beat as he recognized her. Marlene McKinnon, a Ravenclaw three years above him. They never spoke, but the sight of her, bloodied and at his friends' mercy, shook Severus.
That wouldn't do. Legilimency required complete focus. Distraction meant losing track of what you were searching for, or worse, letting your own thoughts and memories seep in. There was a reason that every Legilimens had already mastered the art of protecting their own mind.
"Well come on," Travers said impatiently.
"Silence," Severus hissed. "I have to concentrate."
He immobilized McKinnon and made sure she wouldn't be able to close her eyes. The floor creaked as Severus knelt next to her head. He made eye contact and pushed.
There was a disorienting flash of images and emotions as Severus plunged through Marlene McKinnon's mind. He brushed her surface thoughts aside. Even if she hadn't been trained as an Occlumens, anyone who had survived what Yaxley and Travers put her through would be clever enough not to consciously think about information they were trying to protect. Severus would have to draw it out.
Severus tried to think of the way he regarded his fellow Death Eaters, or the Slytherins he had shared a house with at Hogwarts, anyone who belonged to the same group he did. He pushed through McKinnon's mind, searching for the feeling, ignoring irrelevant thoughts that raced by. A particular memory flowing past caught Severus's attention, and he stopped to drag it under his mind's eye.
Surprise passed through him as Severus recognized James Potter and Sirius Black. They were sitting beside each other in a pub, drinking and talking in low voices.
Severus shoved the memory away, cursing himself for letting his thoughts compromise the mission. He pushed forward into the woman's mind again. Another memory tugged at him, so Severus forced it into the woman's conscious mind. She was speaking to an older man whom Severus didn't recognize.
"The Fidelius Charm," the man said. "It has some drawbacks of course, but you can't get any safer... assuming that there's someone you trust with the secret."
"Who could cast it for me?" McKinnon's voice echoed inside of her head.
"Dumbledore can do it. He can't keep the secret for you, but he'll cast the charm for anyone in the Order..."
There was a long silence as McKinnon twirled a lock of hair between her fingers.
"I can't," McKinnon said. "I can't live in hiding, even if the Death Eaters are onto me. I'll stay with my parents. Their house is warded. I should be safe there."
The memory faded. Severus didn't know who the other man was, but the name Dumbledore he recognized for certain. It seemed that McKinnon and Dumbledore had been acquainted beyond the relationship of headmaster and student. As for what the "Order" was, Severus did not know. He focused on that idea, Order, and dug deeper into McKinnon's mind.
A torrent of memories flooded past. He felt McKinnon trying to suppress them, but she didn't have the discipline to keep him out. Whatever the Order was, she clearly didn't want Severus knowing about it.
"Meet at my place. Tonight. Use the password." James Potter's voice caught Severus's attention again. He honed in on the memory and found Potter engaged in a furtive conversation with McKinnon. From what he could tell, Potter was setting up a late night rendezvous.
Fury filled Severus as he realized the disgrace that Potter was inflicting on Lily. The memory began slipping away as Severus lost focus. He held on as hard as he could, but it was no use; Severus felt himself falling out of McKinnon's mind.
"Will Remus be there?" McKinnon's voice sounded like it was crossing a great distance.
"No. Too close to the full moon. He's…"
Severus blinked and found himself back in the sitting room over McKinnon's body. She was still immobilized, but tears were running down her face. Severus ignored them as he tried to sort things out. How did McKinnon know Potter, and what were the two of them doing together? If Lupin was involved too, it had to be something beyond a simple tryst.
"What happened? What did you find out?" Yaxley demanded.
"I need another go," Severus replied. He rubbed his eyes before pointing his wand back at McKinnon. "Legilimens."
He ripped past the surface emotions, much less careful than before. He needed to find out what she knew, and how it connected to the Dark Lord.
The Order. What is the Order? Snape kept repeating the thought as he tore through McKinnon's head.
"The Order of the Phoenix," Albus Dumbledore's voice answered.
Severus tracked the voice to its source and grasped the memory firmly.
"The Order of… what, professor?" McKinnon replied. They were in Dumbledore's office, but Severus had the distinct impression that this wasn't a school meeting.
"The Phoenix," Dumbledore said with a smile. "And I'm no longer your professor, my dear. Albus will do fine, although if you'd prefer a different name, I have several others to choose from."
McKinnon seemed just as confused as Severus. He'd never heard of such a thing.
"What is it?"
"A secret society with one purpose: to defend our way of life from Voldemort."
Severus's stomach dropped. Albus Dumbledore had formed a secret society to fight against the Dark Lord.
There were whispers among the Death Eaters that the Dark Lord feared a confrontation with Dumbledore. It would certainly explain why the Death Eaters had been instructed to leave Hogwarts untouched. If Dumbledore had joined the fight, the war could only escalate. Rumors or no, the Dark Lord would not be cowed by an old headmaster.
"And you want me to join?"
McKinnon's voice became muffled as Severus withdrew from the memory. Now that he knew what the Order of the Phoenix was, he needed to find out who was involved. Severus had a sinking feeling that he was already familiar with four of the Order's members, but the more he found out, the more pleased the Dark Lord would be.
Images began flying by faster than Severus could process them. He forced himself to slow down and identify as much as he could. Many face and locations he didn't recognize, but some…
James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. They were all in McKinnon's memories, all too recently to have been from their Hogwarts days. Severus felt his jaw clenching as he tried to remain inside of McKinnon's head. Her memories of Potter were too distracting for Severus to keep his focus. Desperate to remain in control, Severus decided to give up the fight and center his search on Potter. A memory came to him, very recent from the ease that Severus found it.
"Look out!" McKinnon shouted as a hail of spellfire came flying her way. She grabbed ahold of the man beside her and dropped, bringing them both behind a low stone wall and out of harm's way.
"Thanks, I owe you one!" Remus Lupin said.
"I'll collect later," McKinnon replied.
Lupin arched an eyebrow, but didn't waste time following McKinnon's lead as she rose above the wall and began hurling spells at their assailants. Severus realized with a jolt that they were fighting Death Eaters. Before his eyes, one of McKinnon's curses struck a Death Eater in the torso. The man grunted in pain and collapsed.
The remaining three Death Eaters began working to get around the wall. Before they could reach the edge, they were set upon from above by combatants on broomsticks. The ground beneath them exploded from a Reducto, and Severus heard one of them scream as his leg was mangled by the spell. There was a whoop of victory from one of the riders, and Severus tensed further. He recognized that shout from the Quidditch pitch at Hogwarts.
"Looks like James and Sirius have us covered," Lupin said.
He grabbed McKinnon's arm and dragged her down the wall past two felled Death Eaters. Severus felt like his head was whirling. He had witnessed the aftermath of this fight only a fortnight ago. He recognized the injuries of his comrades. The man with the maimed leg was Wilkes. They had saved the leg, but he would be limping for the rest of his life. Kimball had received three broken ribs courtesy of McKinnon's bludgeoning hex.
"Snape! Let's go!"
Yaxley's voice broke through Severus's mental barrier. He could feel Yaxley tugging on his shoulder, but Severus desperately tried to stay inside McKinnon's mind. He needed to learn more.
Severus was dragged forcibly back to reality as Yaxley hauled him to his feet. He awoke to a wave of nausea, and had to force down the acid rising in his throat before spinning to face Yaxley.
"I wasn't finished!"
"You're finished now," Yaxley replied. He whipped out his wand and peered out a window. "Avery says we're out of time. The aurors are on their way."
Severus's heart pounded. There were four of them, but there could be a dozen aurors surrounding the building. The only reasonable option was to disapparate. They needed to get McKinnon to a safehouse—Malfoy Manor perhaps. Once they were there, Severus could search through her mind again and learn more…
"Avada Kedavra!"
Severus's vision flashed green as the killing curse struck McKinnon in the chest. He turned to Travers, fury hot in his veins.
"What the hell are you thinking?!" Severus didn't care that this was his first mission. He couldn't let that pass.
"That we need to go," Travers replied coolly. He raised his wand above his head. "Morsmordre!"
A jet of green light shot from Travers' wand through the ceiling. Severus cursed. If the aurors hadn't been about to move in already, they would have to now.
"You bloody idiot," Severus seethed.
Yaxley turned on his heel and was gone with a pop. Avery and Travers followed suit. Severus took one last look around. His head was swimming from the exertion of Legilimency, but the scene before him stood out in stark detail. Shattered furniture littered the ground, and the walls were torn and spattered with dark blood. The McKinnons were strewn unceremoniously about the room, with Marlene as the centerpiece. Their bloodied corpses stood as a warning; this was the price to be paid for defying the Dark Lord.
Severus disapparated. The brief moment of discomfort ended when he emerged on the front lawn of the Dark Lord's base of operations. The mansion's pale exterior and steep roof always made Severus think of a menacing skeleton. Appropriate, given the masks that the Dark Lord's servants wore. Severus tore his off and let the cool night air wash some of the fuzziness in his head.
Travers, Avery, and Yaxley were already halfway to the mansion's front door. Severus hurried after them. He was still furious about Travers's stupidity, but he was not going to be the one that showed up late when they reported to the Dark Lord.
They moved through the front doors together. Severus's Dark Mark twinged as he passed through the magical barrier keyed to the insignia. A short walk up the grand staircase ended at a set of black double doors that stood in stark contrast to the rest of the mansion's decoration.
Yaxley hesitated for a moment, then knocked. The black doors swung open immediately. The room beyond was shrouded in shadow, but dominated by the tall silhouette against the rear window.
The four of them entered with trepidation. Yaxley took the lead as he let the room swallow him. Severus was only a step behind, with Travers and Avery bringing up the rear. The Dark Lord had his back to them. They knelt in unison, and Severus kept his head firmly directed to the floor as the Dark Lord turned to face them.
"Rise," the Dark Lord commanded.
They did so, and Severus had to fight to keep his composure when he met the Dark Lord's scarlet eyes. The Dark Lord's skin was pale, and his nose had flattened until it was reptilian. Severus could only guess at the kind of magic that could alter a wizard's appearance so drastically..
"Yaxley, what have you brought me?" The Dark Lord's voice was hardly above a whisper, but it sent chills running down Severus's spine.
"My lord, we tried to extract the information from the woman. She proved highly resistant to the Cruciatus Curse," Yaxley shifted under the Dark Lord's stare. He spoke quickly. "I called Severus to enter her mind. He has what you seek."
Severus did his best not to react, but internally he was furious. Yaxley was trying to deflect any responsibility onto him, despite the fact that his Legilimency had been interrupted.
The Dark Lord looked to Severus. He swallowed the fear in his throat and spoke, head bowed in deference.
"The woman's mind was undefended, but I did not have enough time to learn everything." Severus exhaled heavily. The Dark Lord would not be pleased with failure, he could only hope that what he had learned was enough. "The woman was a member of a secret society, the Order of the Phoenix." It may have been his imagination, but Severus swore that he saw the Dark Lord bristle slightly. "She was recruited by Albus Dumbledore. I assume that he is the leader of this society."
The Dark Mark began burning. Severus gasped and resisted the urge to grab it.
"Dumbledore," the Dark Lord hissed.
He flicked his wand and Severus felt his chin jerk upward. His eyes locked with the Dark Lord's, and there was a sharp probe of Legilimency as the Dark Lord began rooting through his memories of the evening. Severus gritted his teeth and allowed it. Resisting would only make things worse. A touch of Occlumency allowed him to shift the Dark Lord's focus onto Travers's killing of McKinnon and Severus's fury that they wouldn't be able to interrogate her further.
The Dark Lord withdrew from Severus's mind just as sharply as he had entered. Severus gasped and tried not to double over as the Dark Mark on his left arm throbbed.
"Crucio!"
Severus tensed, but the pain never arrived. Instead it was Travers thrashing on the ground begging for forgiveness. The Dark Lord held the curse for ten long seconds, while Severus and the others stood and watched. When it was finally lifted, Travers lie on the floor trembling. With a weak moan, he crawled forward and bent his head to kiss the hem of the Dark Lord's robes.
"Forgive me… forgive me, master," Travers said.
Severus wondered if he even knew what he was asking forgiveness for.
"Lord Voldemort does not forgive," the Dark Lord replied. "Why was it, Travers, that you killed the girl rather than bring her back here?"
"The aurors were coming," Travers choked out. "Avery said…"
Again Travers's screams filled the room as the Dark Lord tortured him. Severus did not dare let his discomfort show, lest he draw the Dark Lord's ire as well. Beside him Yaxley's face was a grim mask, while tremors ran through Avery.
The Dark Lord released his hold over Travers, and his voice dropped to a whisper. "You've disappointed me Travers. I expect better from you."
"Yes—yes master. I will do better," Travers said, not rising from his hands and knees.
A mirthless smile stretched across the Dark Lord's face. "Yes, you will." He turned to regard Avery. "And you, Avery. I confess that I am disappointed in you as well. To let a girl resist you so easily…"
Avery exhaled raggedly. He bowed his head. "I'm sorry, my lord. I won't fail you again."
The Dark Lord lingered in front of Avery for a moment before turning his back to them.
"Leave me… Snape, you remain."
The blood in Severus's veins froze as Yaxley and Avery exited. Travers struggled to his feet and dragged after them, not even glancing at Severus. The door shut loudly behind them, sealing Severus in.
There was a long moment of silence, and Severus wondered if he ought to be apologizing as well. He had never been alone in the Dark Lord's presence, but he knew the wrong move here could bring an abrupt end to his service as a Death Eater.
"I'm impressed, Snape."
Severus almost asked the Dark Lord to repeat himself, but instead remained silent. The Dark Lord turned to face him. There was no hint of pleasure on his face, but there was no anger either, despite Severus's burning Dark Mark.
"I very rarely find… competence among my servants. You have done me a great service by confirming my suspicions. Lord Voldemort rewards those who serve well. What would you ask of me, Snape?"
Severus could hardly believe what he was hearing. Quickly, he began trying to think of something, anything, he could request that might be useful. All of his needs were provided for already… and the one thing he truly desired was beyond anyone's reach…
"I'd like information, my lord," Severus said finally. It was a risk, but he could think of nothing else that would be worth the request.
"Information?" the Dark Lord repeated. It seemed that Severus had piqued his interest.
"Yes, my lord. I would like to know what your suspicions are about the Order of the Phoenix."
The Dark Lord studied him for a moment. Their eyes met, but Severus felt no touch of Legilimency this time.
"Very well." The Dark Lord turned his back to Severus and moved back to the window. "Seven years, I've fought openly against the Ministry. Initially they proved a fair match, but as my numbers swelled, my Death Eaters became too much for them. When the dark creatures joined our ranks, it was only a matter of time before the Ministry fell by my hand.
"But then something happened that I did not anticipate. The aurors rallied. They began to adapt to our tactics; they seemed to be able to predict our movements. The spies I had placed in the Ministry began to be rooted out. The Wizengamot was spurred into action, and any attempt by my agents to stop them failed. There was only one man who could have possibly been able to give the Ministry that kind of aid. Only one who might challenge me."
"Dumbledore," Severus breathed.
"I knew that muggle-loving fool wouldn't allow me to stand unopposed. He has always been a thorn in my side. But I expected him to face me himself, as he had Grindelwald. I was prepared for such a confrontation—I have taken steps that Dumbledore would not dare to ensure my victory—but it never came. Instead he remains in the shadows and pulls the strings of his puppets, and they adore him for it."
Disgust was evident in the Dark Lord's voice. The Dark Mark burned hotter every time Dumbledore's name was spoken.
"For all of his interference, Dumbledore still will not stop me in the end. However… recently he has grown bolder. He has begun sending his puppets out to die. This does not trouble me, but they have also been able to predict where my Death Eaters will strike with uncanny accuracy, accuracy even the aurors cannot match."
"They know where we will be?" Severus asked. His mind ran through the information again and provided an answer. "There's a spy among us."
The Dark Lord turned, and again the mirthless grin marred his features.
"Very good, Snape. Until tonight I did not know the extent to which Dumbledore was operating outside of the Ministry, but now…" The Dark Lord approached Severus. He moved with a graceful power that Severus had never seen another wizard possess.
"My lord, if you command it I can have a brew of veritaserum prepared within a fortnight." Severus had never tried the brew before, but it was no more complicated than a Draught of Living Death.
Again the Dark Lord gave him an appraising look. "Brew the potion if you wish, but I do not think it will help us uncover the spy. Dumbledore is no fool. He wouldn't recruit a cat's paw that would wilt under something so simple as veritaserum or Legilimency, nor would he rely on the Ministry's clumsy efforts to infiltrate our ranks. No, this will require a more delicate approach."
"My lord, I wish only to serve. If I might be of some assistance in this matter… I am yours to command." Snape had seen the things that the Dark Lord was capable of. He may not have been a true believer in the cause at first, but standing in the Dark Lord's presence was… awe-inspiring.
"Such loyalty," the Dark Lord replied. He seemed amused. Severus did not know whether that was good or bad. "As it happens, Snape, I could use your assistance. You have proven your worth to me once. Do so again and I shall reward you with power beyond anything you could imagine."
"What would you ask of me?" Severus said. His stomach was bouncing with nerves. Success or failure with this assignment would alter his destiny forever.
"Discover what you can about the Order of the Phoenix. As it stands, you are the one Death Eater among my ranks who knows anything about Dumbledore's intentions. Find out who else he has recruited, and what they are planning. And once you have discovered the identity of the old fool's spies, bring them before me."
Just hours before, Severus would have been shocked to even be acknowledged by the Dark Lord. Now he was being given a vital assignment in the fight for Wizarding Britain. Success could make him one of the most powerful wizards in the world. Failure would likely mean his death. There was no turning back now.
"Yes my lord," Severus said, bowing. "I will find the traitors."
(A/N):
I wanted this story to be 100% canon compatible, but there are a few things which don't fit in perfectly...
1. Snape's Dark Mark. In the books it's stated that only the "inner circle" of Death Eaters receive the Dark Mark. I've interpreted this rather loosely to mean that only those with promise (or influence) receive one. My idea of how Snape got his mark was that Avery and Mulciber (whose fathers were influential Death Eaters) vouched for him, and he got one upon initiation into the Death Eaters.
2. The McKinnons' deaths. In Deathly Hallows, Lily's letter seems to indicate that Marlene McKinnon wasn't killed until 1981 (a couple of years after this chapter). There will be an explanation for this contradiction later.
Thanks for reading!