I do not own J.K.Rowlings idea of Harry Potter story and/or background.
A New Weapon
Stepping out of this chamber, Dumbledore tried to reconcile the last year's event. Harry had met with Voldemort for the first time, much sooner than he expected. Actually, he had secretly hoped that this day would never come. Unfortunately, there was no denying left. Walking down the stairs that leads to his desk, with his long robes trailing lazily, he forced himself to think of the best solution at hand. The boy had shown courage above anything else, but it would certainly not prove enough if the most dangerous wizard of this time was to appear in full flesh. He had to think of something and fast.
Sorting through his library, he pulled out a smooth covered book that served as a diary. Without taking the time to sit, he opened it, searching for any helpful ideas. As he turned the page, his eyes dropped on a name he had long heard of. As if Lady Luck had blessed him on that rainy night, he re-read the name and sparkles of lights appeared in his eyes. That could prove to be exactly what he was looking for. Without wasting anymore minutes, he stepped closer to his desk, searching for a parchment and quills. At that moment, a thin quill shaped in a feather fell from the book. It brought a smile on the old wizard face as memories flooded his mind. Indeed, his luck was at work tonight.
Allowing himself to sat down; he plunged the tip of the feather into his ink pot and started writing. He had only used this artifact twice in his life, both in extreme situations. The magical power imbued in that quill allowed the writer to make an imprint of his emotions while composing; therefore, the reader was able to seize the importance of the matter.
Somehow, he knew that his life was coming to an end, sooner than later. With a fair amount of luck and a great deal of cleverness, he might last four or five years more at most. Calling forth those with greater power was a necessity. Just the same, he couldn't afford to have this letter falling in wrong hands. Fortunately, he knew of many ways to ensure the success of this dangerous missive. Without letting his writing distracting him, he mentally summoned the only person that would be up to the task of sending this letter out.
As he finished his letter, he heard his guest arrive. The Headmaster folded the letter swiftly put away his quill.
"You wanted to see me, Headmaster?"
"Yes, Severus. Please sit down." Although his voice still held much authority and strength, he could not hide that little vibration which told of his long life experience.
The dark robed man walked through the office, took the chair in front of Dumbledore, and waited.
"What I am about to ask of you is of the utmost importance. Understand that I cannot let anyone else know about this, not even Minerva. It is not a matter of trust, far from that. We both know the implication of dealing with the Dark Arts." He paused, letting the news sink in.
"See here, the letter in front of you, no other than its intended receiver must read it. It will bring forth disaster if someone else gets hold of it. It is possible that Voldemort will return; and I am using one of the last resorts against it. I am confident that this should help you when the time comes."
Suddenly, Dumbledore's mind seemed to lose itself in some countryside far away and his eyes were now glittering as tears built up in them.
"Headmaster?" Snape inquired.
Dumbledore turned his attention back to his visitor and nodded slightly.
"Please forgive an old man's memory. Time goes by so quickly, does it not Severus? None the less, we still need to buy some more if we want to win a war that might be declared." On those words, the Headmaster stood up and walked all the way in the back of his office to retrieve an object.
Snape was a bit curious, he knew of the many assets in this place. Some were utterly evil and some very pure. As for the object in Dumbledore's hand, nothing special could be sense from it. However, the old man was holding it with his hand wrapped in a delicate and glowing handkerchief to protect him from the evil waves that were probably hidden inside it.
"This, Severus, is a Communium, the very link between the owner of this letter and us. As you might have understood, there will not be any owl involved in this matter. Only few artifacts like this one exist, and you can be sure that they are rarely used. The main utility is to send direct messages between two living beings. However, in order to link it properly, as you might have guessed, the use of the ancient bloodmagic rituals is required."
Dumbledore was quiet for a moment. He was asking his faithful colleague to reach out to the Dark Arts again. It had been part of their 'contract' when Snape had come to him after the defeat of his last master. The young man was accepted because of his abilities in handling various type of magic, especially the dark one. Not that the Headmaster favored it, but it did serve its purpose in tidy situations in the past.
It did not make the teacher flinch one bit. He was used to this kind of request.
"I understand perfectly. Do you happen to possess the blood required?"
"As a matter of fact, I do" He barely opened his robe and a violent flash of red was spreading out from his chest. "Do not fear. It only serves as a protection for the bearer. This light is produced by a strong ward, which helps to avoid the corruption of my blood."
The Potions master remembered hearing about this during his earlier studies. "I have heard that with only a small amount, some blood is powerful enough to take over another's soul and body. Nonetheless, I never saw it with my own eyes; I always assumed that such blood was kept deeply hidden."
His face was not showing much surprise, but there was a greedy need building inside him as he watched the small vial.
"Did you feel any of its power until I opened my robes? Most dangerous things are often right under our noses, which is probably the safest place to hide them. It is always good to know where danger is hiding or hidden. My request is for you to complete the blood pact in order to deliver this letter to its rightful owner. I had the complete explanation of the ceremony sent to your room. This needs completion tonight, as we cannot wait much longer. I am leaving this in your capable hands." He took the vial off his robes; the glowing had decreased, but the power had not.
"Hold on to this as if you were holding on to your very life, Severus. I know that you will not be using it totally, and I want you to keep the rest. I am making you the new bearer of the vial of Elem. Do not worry about your meetings with evil-minded beings or about any other time when you may find yourself in a tight situation. This vial will simply protect itself. The only moment when someone else will see it is if you offer it freely. When the time comes, the vial will glow just as it did tonight, and be attentive to its color. If it turns black, break it and the blood will simply evaporate and return to Elem. The consequences will be dire if you act differently."
He gave the vial to Snape who felt the power engulf him for a brief moment, and then everything went back to normal. The young man opened his mouth to ask about the meaning of Elem, wondering where or what it was, but as if the old man read his mind and did not want to talk about that subject, he was cut short.
"And now I will ask you to leave, unless you have any critical matters to discuss."
The teacher only eyed the Headmaster and chose to remain silent. Both were aware of what just happened.
"Good night, Headmaster." He turned and left the office, as swiftly as he entered it.
Dumbledore watched the man leave his office and kept his gaze fixed on the entrance, letting his mind wander once again into his past. He sighed silently and gave two swift nods with his wand. The eavesdropping wards were now gone. He needed rest.
It was always dark in here. The few candles only brought enough heat and light to allow keen eyes to see properly. This had been one of his principal hideouts after the first disaster that had befallen Voldemort. Severus took off one layer of robe and let it fall down lazily, his mind lost in too many thoughts to care. His clothes never made it to the ground as a house-elf hurried to his side and took care of it. If he were going to stay awake and concentrate, he would need a strong focus potion. He felt drained out.
The second year with that infernal trio had begun only five weeks ago, and he wanted it to be over already. The students were more stupid than usual, if such thing was possible.
Snape let out a yawn and looked at the time. It was already half past ten and he had a class to attend at eight. He knew well that his task would require at least five hours from him. He walked through a door on his left to get to his private laboratory.
"Limpy! Get me the package that you brought upon Dumbledore's request, and be quick about it." Once the elf brought him what he needed, he discarded it and warded his lab with powerful protection. No one would know what happened behind this door.
Finally, the class ended. They hurried out of the classroom, with a pile of new homework.
A voice from behind Ron made him jump.
"Hey! Draco! Are you ready for this afternoon? Which subject got your attention?"
Meryl, a Slytherin girl, was addressing Malfoy. They had to do a presentation, explaining the use and the provenance of one potion of their choice.
Malfoy simply glared at the girl and decided to ignore her.
As the trio slowly made their way to the Great Hall, Ron kept to himself, the words of Meryl still ringing in his hears. He had thought about this presentation and wished that his plan would work. It was very simple. The plan was based on a wishful thinking that the teacher would give an extra week of preparation.
"This is okay Ron, you will do great. I mean, I did choose your subject and I even did the research."
"Yeah! Thanks, Hermione. I guess I should take some time to read it at least…"
"What? Don't tell me you haven't done it yet? How do you expect to pass the O.W.L.s with such poor involvement in your schoolwork, Ron? Do not throw me that look. It's is not too early to think of them. How can you have any hope, when you cannot concentrate on a simple piece of second-year homework?"
Ron did not feel proud, but after his first year of Potions, he now possessed enough memories to hate that subject, or more precisely, its teacher. The thought of Professor Snape brought shivers all over his body and his mind started to fight against this intrusion.
He sighed. Damn, he was not ready at all.
The doors flew open, banging on the walls as he entered the room. Every student moved their things aside and got prepared at once, quill at the ready. The teacher made his way up to his desk and turned in his usual dramatic way. Harry rolled his eyes but was able to suppress a sigh. Ron, on the other hand, was not that lucky.
"Misssster Weasley, you seem ready to open the ball with your presentation. We will hear you now. Come here, now."
Ron's face went even paler than normal. He was not ready at all, so much for the plan. He could hardly swallow, and he realized that his hands were sweaty. Damn. Why do I have to be the first? He stood up; his hands were shaking and made his papers rustle noisily. He risked a stare at Professor Snape and was rewarded with a displeased glare and an imperative hand movement, silently urging him to get up on 'stage'.
Breathing deeply, he turned to face his classmates and comforted himself with the fact that, no matter how this went, they would not be a bit surprised. He was not renowned for his great capacity at speaking in front of a group. Therefore, he began…
"Huh! Today, I will try…to interest you in the subtle art of Potions." The entire Gryffindor section went bursting out in laughter. Ron thought it might not go so bad after all. Until the low baritone voice of the teacher spoke.
"Ten points from Gryffindor. Of all the students in the entire school, you are probably the one that should not act smart during a presentation, which, unless you forgot, will be accounted in the final evaluation of this year. You may resume."
Ron's throat went dry as his nervousness slowly crept back. Stupid old bat! Fortunately enough he received Hermione's help. He knew he would get some positive review, at least for the choice of the subject.
"Ahem! So, as I was saying, my expose will be about a potion which brings forth and measures the magic potential in human beings." There was a low rumbling at this announcement. Even the teacher stirred up a bit, wondering how Weasley could have thought of that type of subject. This is obviously the work of another, he thought, probably Miss Granger. He sneered at this discovery, which made Ron jump on his words. Good. Weasley will learn to do his own work or I will personally ask for his expulsion from Hogwarts. Good riddance!
"Its creation is based on a simple but powerful ingredient and it also requires a fair amount of knowledge in the lore of magic in order to brew it. The potion's name is Explici Magi."
The sweat was forming on his forehead and his palms were rendering his paper with more and more moisture. He realized that he should have looked at this paper a bit more. To make matters worse, the look on Professor Snape's face was one of pure delight…probably because he knew how unprepared he was.
"This has been discovered more than ten thousands years, by wizards of course. However, back then, the idea of such potion has been discarded and put to the shelves mainly because of the lack of magical beings remaining. Most of the wizards were powerful enough to manage without its use. On the other hand, today's researches aren't going into that direction due to the lack of knowledge of ancient potion making. There is also the constant struggle to keep the secrecy towards Muggles, and the fact that most of the ingredients will force a Potions master to get involved with dangerous quests of finder's keepers. Ron tried to avoid the teacher's glare. Maybe Snape had tried to brew this potion and simply messed it up. That thought made him chuckle, but he quickly got back to the subject at hand.
He looked down at his paper, and as he found what to say next, he gasped. Is she mental? What is wrong with Hermione? He could never say that with a class filled by Slytherins! He looked back at the entire classroom just to face many confused glances. Only Hermione was smiling with genuine excitement in her eyes. She could have told me… no, actually, she should have!
"Erm… so as I was saying…ahem. This is a very powerful potion because it would help bring down the wall between…well, between Muggles and us."
All the whispers started at once. Many Slytherins were gaping widely. Draco was the one to express his disdain loudly.
"That's why nobody cares about this potion, it's useless, you dimwit. Nobody gives a da…a second thought about Mud…about Muggles. Sure, we do have some that show powers, and we are good enough to accept them in our world, but to go and fetch all? Get real."
Snape stirred on his chair, but did not say anything. He could obviously have taken points from his own House, but everybody knew that it would not happen for so little.
"Well, actually, I do care." Ron was even startled by his own reaction. He now understood the choice of Hermione. However, she should have kept the subject and present it herself? That would have been much more brilliant and probably more believable.
"Mister Weasley. Are we to keep on staring at you or are you going to give us a reason to actually be interested in your subject, which, as of yet, hasn't been clearly explained?"
The red came back on his face. He gave a look at his paper, trying to find what to say next.
"In our modern days, this kind of discovery would be exactly the push needed for the evolution of magic. Just imagine, being able to discover the magic power just by sipping down a potion! Right now, we have to rely on the power of strong wizards in order to feel the abilities in someone else. As we already know, few are volunteering to the idea. However, once completed, this potion would be put on sale in our world, with the precise intention of giving it out to Muggles and bring forth more wizards to our community. Some will say that the dark side could rise just as much, but with the disappearance of He Who Must Not Be Named, that matter isn't so worrisome. Nevertheless, what we still need is to find very powerful wizards to brew this potion. Let's take a look at the ingredients first.
"In order to create a magical potion imbued with so much power, we need ingredients that possess strong magical force and meaning. By that, I am talking of the Old Roots. They possess strong magic inside, but as one might have guessed, they also are surrounded by a constant aura of protection. As if this wasn't enough, they grow in dangerous restricted areas, such as in the deepness of the Pyramids of Egypt, or large swamps in East Asia. The search will require a lot of time, equipment, and knowledge. Even in the Muggle history, there is a place for the Old Roots in many legends, though they call it Roots of Eternity or Mother Roots. They bear a deep significance of Pure Healing of both, body and mind.
"We use it today in very small quantities to product healing draught, growing bones potions, instant vitality, et cetera. However, in order to produce the Explici Magi, we need a large quantity of them. We can find those Roots in Africa and Asia."
Ron lifted his head. Only Hermione was still eagerly listening. Other students, including Harry, were shifting in their chair, trying to keep awake. That made him sigh. Well, at least, they are not making more noise than I am. He decided to hurry up and simply jumped at the conclusion, discreetly passing some pages. Without reading it beforehand, he went on, and missed the hurried wand movement directed to his copies.
"In conclusion, it is my most important goal to bring forth this potion and prove to the entire magic world that such potion can be used for good. I will brave all the obstacles…and…I…what?" He threw an alarmed glance at Hermione who was also gaping in shock. Oh no!
"Mister Weasley, this is my last intervention. Finish up, or I will refuse to review your presentation."
"Y…yes Professor Snape. I was saying that this is my final year goal to make this a reality. By the end of my scholarship, before becoming an apprentice, the Explici Magi will be available for testing. Thank you for listening." He barely pronounced these last words and went back to his seat, his face turning into a green that matched the Slytherin outfit.
Professor Snape smirked coldly. This helped to relieve his stress. That night had been long and demanding.
"RON! RON! Stop!" It was Harry, trying to reach out to his friend. Hermione was too shocked to cry out to him. Instead, her mind was racing like crazy, trying to figure out what might have happened.
Oh, Merlin, please be merciful, what has he been thinking? She knew that none of the last declaration had been from her initiative. She was also certain that Ron would not come up with such ideas, especially in his situation. He did manage all right with his schoolwork, but it was, of course, because she was constantly helping him out. So why did he have to come up with this idea? Unless…but no, that sounded absurd. Who would use such a strong curse in front of a teacher? Even Malfoy was not that nuts. Ron did not seem like another person, he simply was a bit confused to hear those words coming out of his mouth. He was reciting, that is for sure, but not like a perfect robot.
"RON! JUST…"—Harry figured he was shouting a bit too much, so he lowered his voice a bit—"…listen to me."
"Forget about that, Harry. You know just like me that I am in deep trouble and the hell with Hermione and her brilliant ideas. What did I do to her anyway? I mean…I…well. I do admit that I have been taking her help for granted from time to time…but. Well, this time there is no way that I am making it out without her."
"Calm down! Even Snape cannot be such a jerk. He will understand that you simply felt like showing off to the class. You go and ask him to forget about your last statement. He will probably give you detention or something, but that should be okay." Harry didn't know what to do; even pleading to Snape seemed like a possibility.
"Haven't you seen his expression, Harry?" Hermione had finally reached them both. "There is no way that Ron will get out of this one. As for your accusation, Ron, you should think about facts before going off like that. You should have read your stuff beforehand and then you would have realized that I never wrote down such a thing. Someone just succeeded in making a fool out of you." On this, she turned away and climbed the stairs to her dormitory, her face red from anger.
Ron sighed. "Now I've done it." His face was showing his guilt towards her again.
"It's okay Ron. You know Hermione… she won't stay in this mood for too long."
"Yeah, well. I'm not hungry, so you go to the Hall without me." He would try to talk with Hermione later. He was now feeling sorry for what he had said to her before. She has always been a helpful friend, just like Harry. Being alone would give him time to find a way out of this situation. The thought of groveling in front of Snape made him very sick. However, what else could he do?
Severus was making his way to the Headmaster's office. He had to report the success of last night and see if there was anything else he could be of help with. Again, he spoke the unnerving password and stepped in the doorway. Spinning around, he finally arrived at the entrance and was greeted before getting a chance to announce himself.
"By the look on your face, I take that your actions were to your liking? How difficult was it? Did you go through any trouble whatsoever?"
"Not at all, Headmaster. It was only time-consuming." He was definitely tired… "It was nothing compared to what I have felt during the many rituals that I performed in the presence of the Dark Lord. May I inquire on how you found yourself in its possession?"
"This… was a gift bestowed upon me when I was much younger. It is such a long story that I do not feel to share now. You may leave; I do not have anything else to ask of you at the moment."
"Headmaster." Snape said, politely and made his salutation and turned to leave, when Dumbledore's voice made him look back again.
"Severus. I must insist; you have to be careful with your recent gift. There are things, which our nature desperately clings on. I won't hide from you that I am concerned, please be wary, just in case."
There was no reply to give to that. The teacher simply nodded and left the office.
Walking quickly, eager to get back to his dungeon, his mind drifted to the event of the afternoon. What would he do with that Weasley boy? If the boy was foolish enough to try brewing this potion, it would be far from being his problem. He only wondered how long it would take until he came to plead, to have to listen to all the excuses and finally, to get the opportunity to trap the boy and make him understand his inevitable situation of failure. The thought made him smile in his own sarcastic way, as he finally reached his compound.
Again, the darkness was overwhelming. Limpy was waiting for any instructions, but she had already prepared the meal. He totally ignored it. Instead, he went straight to his bedroom and sat heavily on his bed. He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply three times. This was the method he had used diligently since he had learned the meaning of being a part of Voldemort's circle. To empty one's mind before going to bed, or at all time for that matter, was a way to ensure control and to avoid any sleep-talking issues, which would've been unforgivable.
He took off his clothes and lay slowly on his back, his eyes still shut. Soon he would welcome what he hoped would be a good, well deserved night sleep'.
However, it seemed that faith had a will of its own and instead of getting what he thought was rightfully his, his mind wandered…and he drifted into a world which was unknown to him.
"Ploc!"
"What is this noise?"
"Ploc!"
"Blood?"
"Ploc!"
"Wounded…someone is loosing blood, drip by drip."
Echoes of weeping could be heard from somewhere in the darkness.
"Who are you?"
Again, only the soft sound of sobs and somewhat, the smell of salt. Snape's mind was racing. Someone must be in danger; this was the smell of blood.
"Tell me; who are you?" his mind said, sounding more commanding. He realized the uselessness of using his mouth to communicate. He felt more than he heard the noises around.
It was then that he felt it, a voice, like a breath, very sensual with a touch of eeriness, very young and feminine.
"Help me...please…" Followed by a painful moan.
Snape could not find anything to say in return. It sounded as if the girl was in trouble, yet she kept herself hidden.
As if reading his mind, the voice spoke again, more voluptuous, young and soft. "I am…lost. Come closer, help me please."
The fact that he could not see anything at all annoyed him. "If you need help, stop hiding in the dark. Come out and show yourself. "
Silence.
She sounded like a child, probably no more than eight or ten years old. He was about to say something, when suddenly he felt it: a chill that made his body shiver, but his mind didn't wake up just yet…he was trapped.
"Take me… bring me with you… I'll…grant your wish in return."
He was barely listening; his concentration turned towards acknowledging what was surrounding him. He was now fighting against that thing in spirit, but Severus's mind was already exhausted and could not defend itself at the best of his capabilities. He had lied to Dumbledore. The process involving his message had been more demanding then he had let out. Slowly, he felt like being engulfed into a deep pitch-black hole. The tension was growing stronger, combining with the feeling of losing an important part of him.
A sudden exclamation broke the spell. Snape could only register her last word "Father" and then…
His eyes opened in a flash. It took him several minutes to adjust to his environment and his body reaction. One of his hands was placed on his chest and the other was lying next to him, clutched in a firm grip. Sweat was rolling down from his forehead all the way to his ears and his entire body was shivering from time to time. After a fashion, 'he also realized a reaction, which surprised him more and put him in some discomfort.
Of course, he was a man and knew of his body possible reactions. Nevertheless, a nightmare had brought him to such a high level of excitement; he was so hard that it actually hurt him. He forced himself to breath slowly and tried to sit up.
"Is Master all right?"
"Limpy? Why are you here, in my chamber?" Snape was in the foulest of moods and his sheet could hardly hide the hardness underneath.
The house-elf whimpered in fear, but did reply to him. "Master was screaming. Master was actually growling and grunting in his sleep. Limpy saw him grasp his sheet fiercely as if under an attacked of some sort, but Limpy couldn't wake up Master, no matter how she shook him"
"You…touched me? I didn't feel anything until I woke up."
"Limpy is so sorry. She will leave at once."
"Wait!" His voice was strong and unquestionable. The house-elf's ears went as low as they could and she was bracing herself to a blow that actually never came. Instead, she heard her Master talking.
"Tell me Limpy, what did you overhear? What was I screaming?"
Eager to help him, Limpy quickly related his exact words. By the end, Snape was concerned. He had lost his control and allowed some unknown forces to take over.
He forgot about the elf and decided to lie back on his bed, the sheet half covering his body. The cool air was soothing his mind and calming the heat down below. The voice might have belonged to a child, but the touch…it had been thorough. He clearly remembered the feeling of it. It was not anything close to being touched by human hands, but more like an infinite caress. His mind had shown resistance, but he could see that his body was telling him otherwise. There would be need for deeper investigation whenever he would have the time.
End of Chapter 1
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