HELP ME!
The panicked thought entered his mind with force and an immediate throbbing erupted behind his eyes.
Severus Snape gave only the slightest indication that something was amiss. If one had looked close enough, they would've witnessed a miniscule twitch of his left eye. His hands subtly curled into fists under the table at the pain now hammering within his head.
Help me. Help me. Help me. HELP ME!
The phrase echoed in his head over and over and over and over.
He had no doubt at the source of the intrusion.
Marcine Finley was standing trial before the Dark Lord. More accurately, Marcine's father was the one standing trial, his daughter was just collateral.
Roger Finley had been brought before the Dark Lord on charges of desertion. Suspicion of his loyalty had run high and was only confirmed when Dolohov had caught him trying to negotiate a portkey out of the country.
Roger was a proud and arrogant man. He had joined Voldemort's cause under the promise of power and glory. Unfortunately for Roger, such ambition came with a steep price. Unwilling to pay, he had sold out vital secrets to the Order of the Phoenix in exchange for safety and a place in Paris to lay low until everything had blown over. Nothing was ever so easy. Roger had forgotten that the Dark Lord (more accurately his followers) were always a step ahead.
A sharp pang in Severus' left forearm had alerted him of the meeting earlier that evening. Since Voldemort was under the impression that Severus was a double agent for the dark side, he was permitted to arrive later to the meeting after informing Dumbledore of his impending whereabouts.
Severus had swept into the Malfoy dining room just as Roger Finley had been thrown upon his knees in front of the Dark Lord and his servants.
"Ah, Severus. I am glad to have you here at last." The Dark Lord hissed in a pleased voice from his place at the head of the table.
It was perpetually the same. Always the same words spoken when Severus joined the meetings. He knew what Voldemort would say next.
"Come, sit at my right hand." Came the beckoning call.
As usual, Severus bowed in a humbled manner and took his place next to the Dark Lord.
Voldemort's snake like red eyes pinned Severus' and studied him for a moment.
"How is the old fool?"
Time and time again, the same question was asked. Time and time again, the same answer was given.
"Foolish, as always my Lord." Snape replied with a smirk.
The Dark Lord chuckled a bit and turned back to his table of Death Eaters.
"Now that we are all assembled, let us commence the trial."
The Death Eaters jeered and all gazes returned to Roger Finley.
He was still upon his knees looking worse for wear. Sweat poured down his brow and his body shook with slight tremors. The tremors signaled the aftermath of multiple Crucio curses that had been inflicted upon him over the past few days. Ah yes, everyone in the room was familiar with the tremors.
"Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Asked the Dark Lord, hands steepled in front of him with his wand threaded between his fingers.
Roger only lifted his head and spat upon the cold marble floor.
A wild women named Belatrix Lestrange leapt up from her place on the left side of Lord Voldemort with a deranged shriek.
"How DARE you show our master such disrespect!" She howled, spittle flying from her lips. The woman's hand shook with rage as she lifted her gnarled wand and cast the first Unforgivable Curse of the evening.
Roger dropped to floor like a sack of grain. His screams of agony echoed across the hall, bouncing off the marble in multiple places. He continued to convulse and scream for a long moment before Lord Voldemort lazily intervened.
"Belatrix." He intoned in a dark voice.
It only took one word for the wild witch to obey her master and lower her wand.
"You show me such loyalty." The Dark Lord said in a tone that hinted at admiration. For a moment, even Severus almost believed that he meant it.
The Dark Lord rose from his seat and stood before Belatrix. She stared into his eyes as he ran a long bony finger down the side of her face. Belatrix preened at the contact and moved to sink back into her chair.
"Roger Finley, you thought you could betray me. No! Not only betray me, but also your brethren. You let your cowardice interfere with our great cause, and for that you must die." Voldemort began, and the Death Eaters hissed and cawed in all the right places.
Roger lifted his head in defiance, but said nothing.
"Yes, you will die." Voldemort said thoughtfully, looking upwards and nodding. "But not before we show you the consequences of your betrayal...bring her in."
Everyone held their breath for a moment as Lucius Malfoy waved his wand toward the floor-to- ceiling oak doors that separated the hall from the rest of the manor. The doors swung open quickly with a thunderous bang. Behind the door was someone Severus had almost hoped it would not be.
Marcine Finley, the 23 year old daughter of Roger Finley. She floated there, bound and gagged. Her red hair was knotted and stuck out in strange places. Her normally snow white skin was covered with angry red welts and bruises. Bright blue eyes were wide with pure fear as Malfoy levitated her over to her father. She was none so gracefully released from the levitation spell, and her knees hit the marble hard. A grunt escaped her as she fell forward onto the floor. She tried the best she could to scramble back into a kneeling position.
Voldemort chuckled as he moved before her. In a blink of a moment, his bare foot was placed squarely on the center of her back. He pushed hard and pinned Marcine to the floor. She whimpered and most of the Death Eaters laughed. Severus stared at her with a blank mask, horror bubbling up within him.
Marcine had been his student. A Hufflepuff with an affinity for potions and charms. She had always greeted him warmly within the halls of Hogwarts and before class. He had even given her detention once for trying to strike up a conversation about his holidays. As hard as he tried, he could never fault the potions she made in his class. He remembered vividly that she had passed her Potion N.E.W.T. with flying colors. In that moment, Severus could think of no person that was more undeserving of her impending fate.
Finally, the Dark Lord removed his foot and Marcine was able to raise herself to her knees. Her breath shuddered and racked her body and she looked around the room with wild eyes. It took only a moment before her eyes met Severus'. Her nostrils flared as her eyes shone with recognition.
HELP ME!
There it was. That infamous thought that invaded his mind. She had penetrated his bricked up Occlumency walls as if they were warm butter. His very soul was struck by the pure, unadulterated fear-filled thought.
His horror was paused by the loud hysterical laugh that poured from Roger Finley's mouth. Even the Dark Lord looked a little taken aback at the captured man's reaction.
"You brought her?!" He said between wheezes. "I don't give a flying fuck about that brat."
Belatrix leapt from her seat and raced forward to violently backhand Roger across the face for "speaking to the Dark Lord in such a manner." His lip split open upon impact.
Marcine did not seem to hear her father's words. Her wide eyes had not left Severus' as she chanted her message within his mind.
Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me. Help me.
All was quiet for a moment, before the Dark Lord vanished Marcine's bindings and pointed his wand between her eyes.
"Crucio!"
Marcine dropped to the floor for a second time, body convulsing against her own accord. No verbal scream escaped her mouth, but the phrase "HELP ME" grew to shriek within Snape's mind.
The Dark Lord continued his assault, becoming frustrated that Marcine was making no noise.
Snape on the otherhand, heard Marcine loud and clear. Her intrusion on his thoughts grew louder and louder, and beads of sweat pooled upon his brow.
Roger laughed again and spit a mouth full of blood onto the floor. Voldemort paused his ministrations. Marcine's body seized up once before giving out. This left her laying spread eagle upon the floor, breathing heavily. The post curse tremors setting in quickly.
Severus let out a sharp breath in relief as Marcine receded from his mind.
"I cannot begin to explain how much you have displeased me Finley. You have taken all the fun out of this evening." Voldemort hissed, almost pouting.
"May I practice on the wretch, Master?" Belatrix questioned, looking up at the Dark Lord pleadingly.
The Dark Lord made a show of considering this, though all the Death Eaters knew he would not deny her.
"Go ahead my dear." He said, and swept an arm towards Marcine.
Belatrix sauntered forward and removed Marcine's gag from her mouth. The younger woman's breath hitched in panic as the wild witch ran a long fingernail down her cheek. Blood welled up where the nail had split Marcine's skin.
"Crucio!" Belatrix shrieked without warning.
This time, Marcine let out a loud agonized wail. Again came the onslaught of pleading within Severus' mind.
Help me. Help me. Help me! HELP ME! HELP ME!
Severus fought against her, trying to use his mental shields to push her out. The force of her begging rammed against him and blew out his shield entirely.
PROFESSOR SNAPE PLEASE HELP ME!
The plea reached a fever pitch and it felt as though someone was stirring his brain with a spoon. He could almost taste her fear.
Foam started to leak from Marcine's mouth and a blood vessel had burst in her eye.
Professor...help...me...
He could tell she was giving up. She was going to let herself fall into the madness that was the Cruciatus curse. It was no longer her panic that boiled up within him. He was startled to realize that it was his own.
He took one more look at her battered body. He noticed the flash of red hair as she convulsed and Severus Snape made a decision that would change his life forever.
Before he could stop himself, the words spilled from his mouth. "My Lord, please make her stop."
