Literacy Rate

by Portrait

Seventh Year Snape finds a Death Note.

Snape clutched his Transfiguration book to his chest as he stepped out of class. The final year of his schooling was coming to a close. NEWTS were still on the horizon (as were many sleepless nights) but an air of nervousness filled the building.

"How about that?" said Avery merrily, licking his lips and grinning cruelly in the direction of Lily Evens. "Mudblood didn't know the answer…"

Snape's fingers curled tightly against the book as he sucked in a deep breath. He could no longer stand that word, a word he used to use very often, and hearing it in reference to Lily made his blood boil.

Mulciber laughed good-naturedly. "You'd think with Super Stud Head Boy by her side she'd know the answer."

"Really," continued Avery. "I mean, has she ever not…"

"We are about to complete our schooling and some Muggleborn is all you two can talk about?" interjected Snape nastily. He glared at both Avery and Mulciber, who were both unfazed.

Mulciber snorted. "We all know you love the Mudblood, Snape. Don't bother hiding it."

Snape stopped abruptly. Avery stumbled and Mulciber grinned dully. "How dare you!" hissed Snape. "I, someone who is about to enter the service of the Dark Lord?"

Shrugging, Mulciber wrapped a thick arm around Avery's frail shoulders. "Seems that way."

"You're wrong," said Snape shortly.

Avery looked fearfully at Mulciber, who said, "Can we continue now to the Common Room?"

Snape stared past them, reflecting for a moment. He did not want to spend time with these people – people he honestly considered his friends. They, they … he did not know. Snape just knew that something was blocking them, Lily. It was her. It was always her. Snape shifted the thick book to one hand and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear.

"I think," he began quietly. "I think … I'll go outside for a bit, if you don't mind?"

Avery smiled. "Sure." He moved away from Mulciber and held out his hands in a gesture clearly meant to be placating. "We mean no harm, you know…"

But Snape was already off, heading down a different staircase and for the outside. He needed air, Snape had decided.

Potter and Friends usually spent time outside, but since he had began dating Lily – something Snape only allowed himself to brood about when lying in bed at night – Potter had toned himself down. The Head Boy did not usually rein in Black, but the combined efforts of Lupin and Lily usually kept him in check.

If only Lily was still friends with him – and not dating Potter – Snape would have been able to say that things have gotten better for him.

But things hadn't.

Lily had moved on; and she was the only person he could ever say he loved. It hurt, very deeply, to recall that day of pain and humiliation. On the same breath, it made him happy too, in a way quite masochistic, to see her happy. That was important, Snape knew. Lily's happiness.

On the plus side, Snape had gotten friendlier with Lucius Malfoy and was going to be joining the Death Eaters sometime in the summer after school had finished. He looked forward to joining a cause he truly believed in and hoped at the same time that Lily would be impressed with him and the lengths he was going to purify and protect the world.

Snape pushed open a pair of heavy wooden doors and stepped out into the blinding sunshine.

The sky was very clear; the sun large and shining without abandon. A light breeze blew and many a student had made a home for themselves outside. Looking around hastily, Snape noticed with satisfaction that Potter and Friends were not outside.

He made his way westward. People were sparser this way and the further we walked the less people there were. Eventually he stopped under a young tree and threw his bag onto the ground, tossing his Transfiguration book carelessly down by it. Free from the heavy weight of his school things, Snape plopped onto the ground, sighing contently.

Not to say that he was happy to be outside. He wasn't. It was either too hot or too cold, the smell of grass was disagreeable and bugs always appeared in droves. Regardless, the solitude was a pleasant thing. As a seventh year, Snape had not been getting much.

As a younger student, it was easier for him to disappear. He'd yet made friends and no one save for Lily cared to spend time with him anyway – so finding time for some much needed alone time was always easy.

Now that he had friends – however fleeting they sometimes seemed – and an upcoming role in the Death Eaters, solitude was one thing Snape did not take for granted.

After enjoying his time for a minute, Snape opened his bag and glared into it. The thing itself was small and old; tattered and quite ready to fall apart. It had been his mother's, but she had only used it in her final year of schooling and not once since.

Snape let his bag fall shut as he hefted the Transfiguration book into the air. Without care he stuffed it into the bag and growled when the thing refused to shut all the way.

He levitated it away from him and sat back against the sapling. It was not comfortable by far.

Minutes later, which Snape had occupied by plucking grass from the ground, he spotted a dark something on the ground, about ten yards to his left. Looking around and realizing that he was alone; Snape stood gracelessly and walked over to the object.

It was a black notebook.

Snape stooped down to pick it up. Realizing that is was backwards; he flipped it over and snorted when he read the words on the cover.

Death Note.

"The hell is this?" Snape muttered, flicking the book open and laughing openly at the set of what appeared to be instructions. "Someone was bored…"

One in particular jumped out at him: The human whose name is written in this note shall die.

Snape snorted. "Wouldn't that be nice."

He continued to inspect the book and noticed with a frown that the rest was empty, the pages oddly lined. The book itself was thin, with maybe fifty pages inside.

"This is mine now," said Snape, tucking it under his arm and jogging back to his things. If someone was stupid enough to spend ample time on the writing of morbid rules and intricate pen did not deserve to have his book back.

Just as Snape sat back on the ground his bag he noticed something out of the corner of his eye.

He inclined his head to stare and did not have to look for long before stumbling back in shock.

"What the hell are you?" he shouted, pointing at the being floating a foot or so off the ground. Snape had seen a lot of creatures and read about a lot more, but had never heard of any looking quite like the one he now saw.

The thing floated over to Snape, were he lay sprawled in the grass, panting and staring wide-eyed at the creature before him.

It was tall and hunched, clad in black, with bulging yellow eyes. It had high, spiking black hair and some sort of blackness surrounding and stretching past its lips. Its skin was very pale. The thing smiled at Snape as it flew over.

"That's mine," it said as it pointed a finger at the Death Note.

Snape shoved it forward hurriedly. "Take it!"

"It's yours now," the thing smiled and laced its fingers together.

"I don't want it!" Snape threw it at the monster. "Sorry I took your notebook."

Ryuk picked up the notebook and handed it to Snape with a kindly smile. "I watched you read the rules."

Severus looked at the cover of the book wearily and flipped open the front cover weakly. "So…," he read the rules again and shut the book carefully, throwing it down on the grass with a heavy sigh. "You're a Grim Reaper?"

"In a sense, yes." Ryuk flew over Snape's head, toward the castle.

"Can't others see you? Hear you?" Snape shouted as he stood and gathered his things. A few students sent him odd looks, and, realizing it was Snape, looked away, bored.

"Only you." Ryuk looked intently at the students sitting around the lake. "But they hear you, of course."

"Can't you wait?" Snape growled, stuffing the notebook into his bag and running over to Ryuk, who was floating around rather impatiently. "And what's your name?"

The Reaper smiled complacently and said, "Ryuk."

"Do I have to use this thing?" Snape asked with his head down, walking quickly with Ryuk.

Ryuk was quiet for a moment and then said cheerily, "Yes."

"You want me to kill people?" Snape locked his fingers together and twisted them. "I don't know if I can kill people."

At that moment, James Potter and his friends came out of the castle, arms around each other. They sent Snape a nasty look and continued with their conversation, talking and laughing.

"Are you sure?" asked Ryuk sneakily.

Snape shook his hand, exhaling nervously. "Just because they deserve to die does not mean I can kill them."

Ryuk sent a significant look at Snape's bag. "Technically, you won't be killing anybody."

"You, Ryuk, are an idiot. If I write someone's name in this book and they die it would have been my doing – therefore making me a murderer," said Snape shortly.

"In theory, Severus. But only in theory." Ryuk smiled at the ceiling. "You can fix the world. Help Him out."

"The Dark Lord," Snape breathed. He pawed quickly through his bag, taking out the Death Note, staring awed at the cover. "I could help."

Ryuk nodded quickly. "Oh yes, you could… So where is the food?"

Snape shrugged angrily. "We've got more important things than food!"

"You do." Ryuk began to float around to the Hufflepuff dormitories. "I'll be back later."

"No!" Snape shouted. He glared at everyone who looked at him until they were minding their own business again. "I -," But Ryuk was gone.

Grumbling, Snape stuffed the Death Note back into his bag and made way down to the Slytherin dungeons. He did not yet know what he was going to do. On one hand he could help out the Dark Lord, and he knew he would probably have to kill people some day but on the other Snape did not feel as if he was yet prepared to do it. He thought of murder enough and had believed before finding the note that he could easily kill someone but now, when it was so easy and anonymous, Snape had lost his guts.

Then, what if he decided to use it or could not easily get rid of it? He'd have to tell people then, but how would that work? Avery would shit and someone else would surely try to steal it from him. Only if Snape could tell the Dark Lord first … but He probably already knew… but from the way the atmosphere was, He did not have one.

So how do I tell the Dark Lord without alerting others? Snape knew that as he was not yet a Death Eater he could not simply waltz up to Voldemort and request to show him something. No, he'd have to go through someone first, that someone probably being Lucius. And Lucius would want to know.

"Shit," Snape swore. Then he grinned. I'll lie.

"Avada Kedavra," Snape said, opening the way to the Slytherin Common Room. As soon as he had made his way inside, he tucked the note under his arm and scanned the room for Avery and Mulciber. Gone. Snape bustled through the crowds of Slytherins until he'd made it to the hall of boys' dormitories. He walked quickly down it until he came to the Seventh Years door.

"You're back!" said Avery happily when he saw Snape. "You're not still mad?"

Snape rolled his eyes and glared at the bleary-eyed Evan Rosier. "No."

"Mad about what?" Evan stood from his bed with a flair and stumbled across the room to Snape. "Missed me, I presume?" He placed his hands on Snape's shoulders and smiled gleefully at him.

Snape shrugged away from Evan and sat down next to Borias Wilkes, who had previously been lounging with Evan. "Everybody get over here," he said formally, "I've got something to show you."

The other three people in the room came over immediately, sitting far too close and staring far too interestingly at Snape.

"This," Snape said, showing everyone the cover of the Death Note. Wilkes went to touch it and Snape slapped his hand away. "Don't touch!" he scolded. "This," he began again, "I found a few weeks ago. When I picked it up I noticed something that came with it. I have waited to tell you all, of course, as I needed to inform the Dark Lord. He has allowed me to hold it for the time being. I can assure you that it is legitimate."

Bloody well better be legitimate, Snape thought sourly. If this was just another one of Potter's elaborate pranks… Snape clenched his fists on the cover of the Death Note.

"You see –"

"You talked to the Dark Lord?" interrupted Mulciber. "How?"

Snape closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Anyway-"

"How?" repeated Wilkes.

"Yes, Severus," added Avery with a whine. "How?"

Snape sighed heavily and said in a clipped tone, "I talked to Lucius and he led me to Him. Anyway, basically, if you write a person's name in here they will die."

Evan laughed ecstatically and clapped his hands. "That would be so neat!"

"I'm serious!" snapped Snape, frowning. It could just be a prank.

"Prove it!" dared Wilkes, drawing forward with an eager smile. "Write Dumbledore's name in there…"

"I can't do that," said Snape fearfully. "What if the Ministry knows and can pin it to me? I'd have to do someone less high profile first, anyway, the Dark Lord said no."

"Damn," muttered Evan. "I waaant to though."

"Take it up with the Dark Lord," Snape snapped.

As everyone sat silent and tense, Snape looked around the room. Ryuk was nowhere to be found. "So… uh…," Snape stammered, unsure. "You see, I think, Grim Reapers –"

"No such thing," said Evan, popping his lips.

"Did I find it or did you?" Evan put his head down with a mischievous smile. "Reapers write names in them, you know, to kill us humans. That's how they do it, I guess. It wasn't really explained. Anyway, this one came with a Reaper, who is some-!"

Snape startled as Ryuk floated down from above Evan's bed, munching on an apple.

"Who is what?" prompted Avery gently, staring at Snape with concern.

"Just touch it!" said Snape quickly.

At once the four reached out and grazed the cover. As soon as they had two screams filled the air, Avery and Evan toppling off different sides of the bed.

"What the fuck?" screamed Avery.

"You have seen Dementors and other horrendous creatures and you are scared of that?" said Snape nastily.

"No," said Evan as he catapulted off the floor. He shimmed around while he said, "So can we kill … the Minister?"

"The Minister is of higher profile that Dumbledore, dear," said Wilkes mildly.

Evan sighed and crawled on top of Wilkes, wrapping his arms around the other boy's neck. "I know that. I just want to know, you know? I mean if we just took a name from the obituaries and killed a relative, how'd we know, for sure?"

"I understand Evan," Snape said softly. "But the Dark Lord said no and we have to listen to Him."

Avery, who was still on the floor and looking valiantly anywhere but at Ryuk, said hurriedly, "Why don't you just give it to Him right now?"

"Grow a pair," mumbled Wilkes.

Snape gestured at the Reaper and introduced him. "That's Ryuk." He then flipped the book open and showed the other boys the rules printed inside.

"There are rules to read, Avery," said Mulciber.

Avery reluctantly climbed onto the bed and curled against Mulciber. "So," he said after he had finished reading, "we can't just kill a relative – we need a face. Damn."

"This is the coolest thing ever," breathed Wilkes, a maniacal glint in his eye.

Beaming, Evan kissed the top of Wilkes' head.

"Let's try it now!" Mulciber said, struggling away from his fellows and to his feet. He held his right hand out to Snape.

Snape shook his head quickly. "No."

"Did the Dark Lord say you could not use it?" Avery asked, propping himself up on his elbows.

"No…," Snape began uncertainly. "I just… damn. I'm scared, alright."

Wilkes smiled sympathetically at Snape. "That's okay, Severus. We can do it some other time, after we've put some thought into it."

"Just think," said Evan with a faraway look in his eyes. "The Dark Lord now had victory guaranteed. We will rule the world."

Snape stood up and placed the notebook onto his bed. "Can you all promise to leave it alone?"

"Yep!" Evan said. Everyone nodded, longing in their eyes.

Later that evening, after Snape had completed his Transfiguration homework and had settled down in the library to study for an upcoming Herbology test, Ryuk floated over to him.

"Are you planning on use it?"

Snape glanced up tiredly at Ryuk and whispered, "Do you need it?"

"No," said Ryuk, shaking his head. "But it would be boring to stick around, waiting."

With regret, Snape pulled the Death Note from his bag and stared reverently at the cover.

At that moment he felt like he was being watched. In response Snape flipped the note onto its back and hide it under his papers. Just then, Potter and Black came waltzing over, arms wrapped around the other's shoulders.

"How have you been, Severus?" asked James solicitously, bowing.

"Go away," responded Snape. "I've better things to do than deal with you, Potter. Black."

Sirius tipped his head to the side with a small frown. "We are trying to be polite," his eyes glinted momentarily, "Sniv, and I – we, would really appreciate it if you could return the favor. Now, James?"

"How have you been, Severus?" asked James again.

Severus looked quickly at the very edge of the note, the only part he could see. He then glanced up at Potter and Black, mind made up. "I've been great," he said cheerily. "And you?"

Black narrowed his eyes and stepped away with Potter. "I've been wonderful as well, Snivellus. How's your mum?" Sirius smiled.

"Dead," said Snape shortly.

"That's too bad," said Sirius with mock concern.

Ryuk flew behind the two and pulled a finger over his throat. Snape nodded.

"What?" James whipped his head around. "You've got those two poofs around, going to back you up?"

"Yes. Those two poofs are waiting." Snape flicked his quill. "Just for you."

Sirius glared. "Let's go, Prongs."

"Yes, Padfoot." James threw his head back proudly. "Let's."

When they were gone and quiet had been restored Snape reached quickly for the Death Note. He could do it. Now, while adrenaline was pumping through his veins, while he still had his nerve. "Go ahead, if you want," said Ryuk kindly. "It would be doing Him good. I'm sure he'd been happy."

"Yes, you're right," said Snape, resolved.

A nasty, small smile light Snape's face as he reached across the oak table and took a quill between two nimble fingers. He glanced quickly up at Ryuk, placed the quill in ink and took a deep breath. Snape pressed the quill to the clean page, pursed his lips, looking quickly at his left forearm and wrote in tight, intricate script, James Potter.