p class="MsoNormal"Severus Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts school of Witchcaft and Wizardy, ex-death eater, spy for the light stood in shock in a dark alley with dead death eaters surrounding him. He had been cornered by Bellatrix, Avery, Nott, and Mulciber, they all thought him too be scum and untrustworthy, and they had finally caught him alone. Severus cursed his stupidity once again for refusing pick up Lupin to go with him on the venture to Knocturn alley for potion ingredients after he finished his Death Eater meeting. "Scared little half-blood?" Bellatrix tittered in a sickly-sweet voice. She raised her wand to-presumably cast a rather painful curse when a dark blue blade thrust out of her midriff and instead of the intended incantation of Crucio all that came out was blood. She fell to the ground, internal organs falling out of her back. Mulciber was taken out in a second slash of the double sided staff that had dark blue razor sharp blades on both sides, the staff made of elder tree and blood ash wood along with mithril filled runes, and wielded with deadly precision. By now Avery and Nott had gathered that they were under attack and the wands were pointed away from Snape and towards that attacker that had appeared out of nowhere and looked to be clad in a cloak made out of shadows and darkness. Nott fired off a complex cutting curse and the assailant turned the staff in one hand so the sides were reversed and it left a circle shape shield in place of where the weapon had been spun moments before, the curse was absorbed. Avery had fired off a Bombarda and that bounced off and hit him in the chest, sending the masked dark wizard back into one of the walls of the alley, unconscious, and with possibly a crushed skull from the force of the collision. It was just Nott and Snape now, and Nott, stupid as he was drew a dagger in his other hand and charged, rapidly casting stunners of all kinds. The shadow avoided them by ducking and weaving through the beams of light with minimal effort no matter how many were streaking towards him. Nott was finally in range of the enemy and he swiped down with his dagger, to have his wrist painfully broken by the metal and wood handle being thrust upwards double handed to stop the wickedly curved blade. The staff still held in the same position was used to push Nott into the wall crushing his windpipe. Nott also fell to the ground, and a red light looking like a stupefy flew from one of the blue blades and hit him. By now Severus had analyzed the situation, this man-he assumed it was a man from the broad shoulders- must be one of, or emthe/em, fabled Shadow Mage. There were speculations on if it was a group, or a single person, but whomever it was, was known to kill death eaters and leave behind a dragon sign in some way shape or form. Lucius, who was also a spy for Dumbledore, had once seen one of them, he thought. The report was of a couple new additions falling down, frothing at the mouth, to die later on, and then a firework of sorts of a red dragon breathing fire. Lucius and a couple had not been taken by the mysterious curse that had occurred right inside the wards of Malfoy Manor. The Order believed that they Mage knew that Lucius was a spy and had spared him. Snape now really hoped it was true and as the Shadow turned from Notts fallen body to view him still standing with his wand drawn. He quickly pulled off his mask and hood revealing his face. Silent as it was, with Bellatrix no longer taking those shuddering heaves she had been momentarily before -she was dead- he heard the quick intake of breath from the other. The mage slowly walked forward, and the potions master kept his wand in a neutral defensive position. Snapes heart was pounding so hard, the mage must have been able to hear it as the other was even with him. "Severuss Snape." Came the voice, from the folds of the cloak, it was smooth, and deep, but very light, it sounded revering actually. Severus took a deep breath and was about to reply when a tan calloused hand came up dressed in a black basilisk skin/dragon hide open fingered glove. The finger tips were warm, was what came to Snape first as the hand caressed the side of his cheek. Snapes eyes grew impossibly wide. Suddenly the man stepped back and wandlessly and wordlessly conjured a bow beautifully carved in redwood with dark metal reinforcements. A arrow was also conjured, and drawn back on what must have been at least an 80pound draw effortlessly, it was shot in the middle of the Dark Lords followers and Snape saw a blood red dragon inscription on the head of it. A piercing whistle came out of the alley and the Professor flinched violently as a threstral flew down from the sky. Severus saw the immensely powerful man mount and fly off, and there he stood, in shock. /p