Disclaimer: None of the characters belong to me, just the plot.
A/N: Hello everyone, I hope you enjoy this story, as I said in the summary it is book 1 of either a 2 or 3 part series. Please review this story and feel free to email me with thoughts or suggestions. Thanks very much, enjoy!
Underlying Evil: The Evil Within – Part 1.
"Mr Longbottom! Exactly what do you think you are doing, you thick-skulled fool?" Professor Snape roared as he crossed the room in three long strides to reach Neville's workstation in the second row. Neville's quivering hand was suspended above his cauldron, clutching a glass vial in his clammy grip, which contained bat's blood. Snape snatched the vial from his hand as he descended on Neville. Neville sank back into his chair, as his face turned a vivid shade of crimson. The seventh year Gryffindor and Slytherin Potions class was completely silent; apart from the whispers of Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle in the far back corner. Snape's face was merely inches from the shaking form of his student. Hermione Granger, from her position next to Neville, could easily see the anger and hatred etched over his face. She frowned slightly, dreading the onslaught he would undoubtedly come out with.
"You fool," Snape repeated in a menacing hiss. "Adding the bat's blood at this stage in the potion would end with catastrophic results!" Neville's teeth were chattering with fear, and Professor Snape's eyes flashed dangerously. "Idiot boy!" He continued vindictively. "Make another mistake like that and I'll have you sent straight back to the first year!" Neville visibly paled at this, and his eyes widened in shock. Snape snorted. "Merlin knows you need it." With that, Snape swung around, slamming the vial on the table, and strode up to his desk at the front of the room, his robes flapping around him. Neville relaxed, sinking even further into his chair, and releasing a long, heavy breath. However, Snape was not finished yet. He walked around to the back of his desk, and banged his fists upon the wood, causing the whole class to jump collectively. His eyes were narrowed as he glared around the classroom, and he spoke in a deceptively soft voice.
"I cannot believe after seven years of my teaching, you cannot brew a simple Invisibility Elixir!" Snape stared icily around the classroom, addressing the whole class. Hermione, however, had to suppress a scoff at his words. She knew as well as he did that an Invisibility Elixir was no easy potion; it required precise measurements and timings, and each individual potion had to be altered by the brewer to suit their needs.
Hermione's attention was brought back when she suddenly felt the Professor's gaze upon her face. He had sat down in the deep wing-backed chair behind his desk, and she slowly raised her face to look up and meet his gaze. Their eyes locked together, and Hermione felt taken in by his dark, swirling, obsidian depths. Her lips drifted apart and Hermione thought she was sinking and flying at the same time. Her eyelids began to droop, and Hermione felt as if she was inexplicably falling into unconsciousness.
"Miss Granger!" Snape suddenly snapped, rising to his feet abruptly. Hermione's eyes flicked open to be faced with Professor Snape towering above her, his black eyes glittering. "Miss Granger, we will be testing your potion at the end of the lesson." Hermione swallowed hard and nodded. Snape swept away, moving to the back of the class to insult someone else's potion, his midnight black robes swishing around his legs. Hermione shook her head slightly, trying to clear her thoughts, and continued silently with her potion.
The rest of the double Potions lesson passed uneventfully, until finally it was ten minutes until the bell rang for the end of the lesson. Hermione had spent the rest of the lesson softly hissing instructions to Neville to ensure that his potion was perfected when the lesson ended. She had completed her potion with time to spare, and she had sat reading her textbook, whilst her potion came to the boil. While she was studying the next chapter in the textbook, Hermione didn't notice Draco Malfoy sneak up behind her. Snape was standing with his back to her, busily insulting Harry's potion.
Just then, drake signalled to Goyle. All of a sudden, there was pandemonium in the classroom as Goyle grabbed a Filibuster's firework out of his robe pocket and threw it to the front of the room, where it fell beside Snape's desk, before exploding in a shower of multi-coloured bright lights and sparks. As Hermione stood up and ducked away from pink sparks that flew in her direction, Draco took his chance, and tipped a bottle of a clear potion into Hermione's cauldron. It fizzed and hissed momentarily, but nothing more. Draco slunk back to his seat unseen.
"Quiet!" Snape roared. The whole class stopped dead, and turned to face their fuming Potions Master. The firework fizzled out, and the room was filled with a tense, consuming silence. Snape's voice returned to little more than its deadly whisper.
"You will all return to you seats," he said, looking at his seventh year class. When there was no movement, he yelled, "Now!" There was a sudden flurry of movement, during which Snape strode up to the front of the classroom. He picked up the blackened remains of the firework and disposed of it with a flick of his wand.
"When I find out who threw this," he continued, his eyes narrowing dangerously as he surveyed the teenagers. "I will ensure that that person is expelled." He let his threat hang heavily in the air, as he searched the class for guilty faces. His gaze fixed pointedly upon Hermione. "Now Miss Granger, to you." Snape strode over towards her, holding a goblet. Picking up the ladle from her potion, he gave her a small amount, and handed her the goblet. She met his eyes for a brief moment before tipping back the glass and consuming the contents. The moment the goblet left her lips, Hermione disappeared. There was a low muffle of chatter around the classroom, and no one saw the self-satisfied smirks lingering on Drake, Crabbe and Goyle's faces.
"Congratulations Miss Granger. It seems our Head Girl is not so incapable as some might think," Snape sneered nastily. He reached a hand into a deep pocket of his long, thick, voluminous black robe and drew out the countering potion. "Alright Miss Granger, I believe we have all seen that you can adequately brew an Invisibility Elixir. Now please make yourself known to me so I can give you a Visibility Potion," he continued with a disdainful expression on his harsh features. After waiting a few moments, he snapped,
"Now, Miss Granger! We do not have all day, and no one likes a show off!" still, Hogwarts' Head Girl's voice did not shatter the silence in the room, and Snape felt no small, nervous hand on his arm. He was now decidedly annoyed with the girl's impertinence, but a splinter of doubt had entered his mind. He had never known Miss Granger to disobey a teacher, least of all him. He had also thought that his little dig about the show off would have made her reveal herself.
Suddenly, the bell rang, startling Snape out of his thoughts.
"Class dismissed – Get Out!" He shouted venomously as the seventh years packed their things and hurried out of the room to attend dinner in the Great Hall. Within minutes, the Potions lab was devoid of all students, apart from Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, who were standing a few metres away from him. Before they could open their mouths, he said sarcastically,
"Don't worry, Mr Potter, Mr Weasley; I'm sure our dear Head Girl will be back before we know it." A smirk drifted onto his face as the two pubescent boys nodded tersely and left, shooting him glares of undisguised loathing. Once they had exited and closed the door, Snape swept up to his desk and poured the Visibility Potion into a spray dispenser. He then sprayed the potion thoroughly through the room, although he already knew that Miss Granger would not be there.
After ascertaining this for sure, he sat down heavily at his desk and rubbed one hand over his eyes, before searching the labyrinths of his mind for an explanation for Miss Granger's disappearance. His first thought was that she had been transported somewhere by the potion, but at that point his mind hit a boulder. There was no ingredient in the Elixir, or indeed in the Potions room, that had conveying properties.
Professor Snape tiredly pressed his fingers into his eyes, trying to clear his fogged brain. Standing from his desk, he walked over to Miss Granger's workstation, and idly shuffled the books and papers that still lay open around on the wooden desk. Just as his hand reached into his robes for an empty vial to take a sample of her potion, Snape felt a sudden, unexpected burning sensation rush through his left forearm. He lifted the sleeve of his robe and shirt, and his eyes met the sight of a blazing Dark Mark.
As pain spread through his veins like fire, he clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Snape felt the familiar lurching in his stomach as he looked down at the black glowing skull imprinted upon his pale flesh. His hand flew to his arm, covering the sight and pressing hard, his fingernails ripping at the scorching skin.
With one last, almost desperate glance around the deserted room, Professor Severus Snape released his arm, grabbed his thick black cloak from behind the door, balled his fists tightly, and appartated with a small, decisive pop.
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The instant the goblet left her lips, Hermione felt a sharp tug behind her bellybutton, and suddenly the world went pitch black. Before she knew what was happening, Hermione felt herself hurterling through a small, thin tube. Darkness was all around her, consuming her. And then, suddenly, there was a bright flash of colour, and as she sped forwards through howling wind and swirling colours that made her eyes ache. Her shoulders and elbows were crashing into the walls, so she tucked them in tightly as her stomach lurched. Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, and she swallowed convulsively; trying to stop her from vomiting as her mouth filled up with saliva.
And then, just as abruptly as it had begun, it stopped. Hermione was flung forward with one last powerful lurch onto flat, moist green grass. Hermione lay face forward on the ground, the wet dew upon the grass soaking into her robes and hair, and a fresh, clean, outside smell filling her nostrils. After a few moments, she very slowly raised her head off the floor, using her elbows to prop herself up. She gazed around blearily, blinking to try and clear the sweat and tears from clouding her vision. When she could she a little better, Hermione sat up, shaking slightly. Her breath caught in her throat as she quickly surveyed her surroundings, trying to assess what had happened to her. Hermione was completely alone. All around her for miles scoped green grass, and far on the horizon, she could see dark green trees and bushes. She hastily scrambled to her feet, and gazed around her, her anxiety growing with the second.
Despite the dew on the grass, the sky above her was dark, and the moon shone brightly overhead, creating an eerie glow over the desolate land. Slowly, Hermione sank back onto the damp ground, pulling her Hogwarts school robe tighter around her small frame. Trying her hardest to push down her thoughts of panic and terror, Hermione began to reason in her mind how this had happened. She knew she had brewed the Elixir correctly, so there was no reason why she should be here. Removing her wand form her robes, she hastily cast a tracking charm. However, as she quickly muttered the charm, her wand just gave a small 'Phttp!' and hissed viciously, whilst smoking from its end. Hermione stared down at it in alarm. Glancing around her nervously, Hermione tried again, but to the same effect.
Hermione tried her hardest to control her fearful emotions, but as exasperated tears filled her eyes, threatening to overflow, she slowly allowed them to flow. Large, pearly teardrops coursed down her cheeks, but after a moment Hermione brushed them away determinedly. She sat for a moment, contemplating her choices, when she suddenly heard a faint popping sound from behind her.
Stumbling to her feet, Hermione spun around. Her mouth gaped open in shock at the person standing before her.
"Professor!" Hermione gaped gratefully and rushed towards her sullen Potions Master.
"Miss Granger?" Snape exclaimed in astonishment and disbelief as Hogwarts' Head Girl rushed towards him, her eyes alight with gratitude. Her face was tear stained, her wild chestnut curls whipping behind her in the slight breeze. Her cheeks were pale, but there was an expression of such relief on her face that made Snape's stomach lurch.
"Professor!" She said again as she stood before him. "How did you get here?" Snape's face hardened as he became aware that his left sleeve was still pushed up around his elbow. He harshly yanked it back down and glared furiously at her. Despite surviving seven years of Potions classes with this man, Hermione was startled at the expression he gave her, and hastily took a small step back from him.
"How do you think, you stupid girl," he spat, his face contorted into an expression of impenetrable anger and hatred. "I apparated here."
"Oh," she replied as here eyes widened slightly. "So you didn't drink my potion to try and find me?" Hermione continued, staring up at her Professor's towering height nervously.
"No, I didn't Miss Granger," he snapped. He looked down at her, and watched as her small features crumpled under his harsh words. He sighed tiredly and continued, softening his face and voice slightly. "I would not have drunk your potion, but I was about to find out what had happened to you when I was summoned." He gave her a meaningful look. Hermione's head snapped up as she dissolved the meaning of his words.
"You don't mean…" She trailed off, searching his fathomless eyes furiously.
"What's the matter, Miss Granger," he sneered. "Cat got your tongue?"
"Voldemort?" Hermione finished defiantly. Snape was surprised. Her had expected her to weakly mutter 'You Know Who', as many of her school companions did. Flinching slightly under her frank gaze, he nodded tersely and turned away from her. There was silence for a few minutes whilst Snape surveyed the area around them. "Professor?" Hermione murmured softly, stepping towards him. As she came close, he suddenly spun on his heel, robes flapping around his legs.
"Not a word, Miss Granger!" He roared. Lowering his voice to a menacing whisper, he continued. "Not a word, Miss Granger. You may just be standing there like a lemming, but I am trying to ascertain where we are and comprehend how and why you got here!" With that he turned his back to her and walked a few paces away.
Hermione looked around desperately, and, finding no comfort in either the green open space, or the black robed man, she sank to the floor and slumped down on the damp grass, her head hanging.
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Severus Snape turned his head slightly as Hermione collapsed onto the ground. He sighed deeply and rubbed his temples, trying to clear his clouded brain. His dark mark was not burning black anymore, but as he lifted the sleeves of both his black robe and the white cotton shirt beneath, he saw it still glowed maliciously, a stark contrast to the pale, hairless skin on his inner forearm. Snape's eyes flickered momentarily back to Hermione as he wrenched the cloth back down, hiding his indiscretion.
Sighing again, he silently made his way over to where the brown haired girl sat, staring at the grass. She did not notice him standing behind her and he looked disdainfully down at her. Realising she may not be as ignorant as him of their whereabouts or how she got here, Snape quickly pulled his robes around him tightly, folded his arms, and sat down on his knees. Hermione looked up in surprise at the movement on her right side, and stared in shock as Professor Snape sat down next to her. He, however, determinedly kept his steely gaze straight ahead.
"Miss Granger," Snape started, still facing forward. Without waiting for an answer, he continued. "I wonder if you could shed any light on our whereabouts." Hermione stared at him dumbly before answering.
"N-No, Sir."
"Hmm," he continued spitefully. "I see your presence here has been of no benefit to myself then. Let's try another then, shall we? Do you have any conception of how you got here?"
"N-No, Sir," Hermione stuttered, still staring at his pale, thin profile, his curtain of raven hair partly protruding her view. Snape snorted.
"I believe I will have to take back my former statement, Miss Granger. It appears that Hogwarts' Head Girl is indeed an incompetent dunderhead." Snape turned his head to her then, to see the effect of his harsh words.
Hermione was outraged, but her eyes filled with tears anyway. She turned her head away form her Professor, determined not to let him see the result of his words. All the time she had spent at Hogwarts, Hermione had striven to gain her sarcastic, scathing Potions Master's approval, and his words cut through her like a thousand jagged knives.
The pair sat in silence for a few moments until Snape cleared his throat and spoke in a lower, more controlled tone.
"Miss Granger, I," he paused, and swallowed convulsively. "I apologise. What I said was of course, untrue." Hermione lifted her head and looked at him incredulously. Her large cinnamon eyes locked with his obsidian ones with a distinct, but inaudible click. The Professor swallowed again and returned his gaze to the skyline in front of him. "I believe a substance with transporting properties was added to your potion. I can see no other explanation, as none of the materials in the potion, as you well know, have conveyable elements. Unfortunately, I cannot fathom why I was summoned here when Voldemort is clearly not here." With that, he picked himself up and stood erect. "Well come on, Miss Granger, what are you waiting for?" He snapped.
Hermione abruptly jumped up and stood in front of him. Snape stared over the top of her head as he spoke to her.
"Miss Granger, I do not intend to waste any more of my precious time in this place, and neither I suppose, do you. I will apparate us back to Hogwarts." Hermione nodded her agreement thankfully. Snape put out one hand, palm upwards, in the space between them. Hermione just stared at it. At this, Snape let out an exasperated breath and rolled his eyes. "Come on, Miss Granger. As you well know, if I am to apparate with you, we need to be in contact." Hermione inhaled deeply and took his hand, avoiding his eyes. To her surprise, his hand was warm and soft; she had always expected him to have cold and rough hands, but now she found his warmth comforting and she held on a little tighter.
Snape was shocked when she squeezed his hand, but he concentrated instead on not splinching himself or Hermione, as he knew the likeliness of this happening was greatly increased with two people.
Suddenly, just as they were about to disapparate, they heard a sharp pop behind them, and both Snape and Hermione spun on their heels. At the sight before them, Hermione gasped loudly, and Snape convulsively grabbed her hand tighter.
"Why, what a pretty picture!" Came the cold, chilling voice that Snape knew all too well. "But it seems to me as if Severus is running off with his prize before the competition has even begun!" Stood before them was a tall, shadowy, robed figure. His skin was tinged grey and his face was only a vague glimmer of a man's countenance. The blood red eyes flashed menacingly, freezing Hermione's insides and making her legs turn to jelly. His nose was just two slits on the blank face, and his mouth was an ugly gash, which was slowly curling into a rancid sneer. Lord Voldemort had returned, and by his side was his ever faithful servant, Peter Pettigrew, half hidden in Voldemort's shadow.
"Severus!" Voldemort suddenly snarled, making Hermione violently jump. "It seems you have misplaced your manners!" He continued mockingly. Snape sprung to life and released his grip on Hermione's hand. At the loss of contact, Hermione swayed slightly, but quickly pulled herself together, staring at the black robed man moving towards Voldemort, as if seeking confidence in his shadowy form. When he reached Voldemort, Snape dropped to his knees.
"My Lord," he murmured before kissing the hem of Voldemort's robes, almost fervently. Voldemort looked down at Snape jeeringly before lifting his foot and kicking Snape across the grass with surprising force for his frail and bony body. Hermione watched in horror as Snape was flung back a few yards and the breath knocked out of him at the impact. He laid still for a moment in shock and Hermione nervously started towards him. As she got to him, she reached out a hand to touch his shoulder and heard a loud, cackling laugh filled with malice. She turned on her heel and was met with Lord Voldemort's wand pointed directly at her. As her head clouded with fear, she desperately fumbled in her pockets for her wand. Pulling it out and brandishing it before her, she yelled as forcefully as she could,
"Expelimaramis!" However this was to no avail, as her wand simply smoked and popped as it had done before. She stared at it in dismay and terror as Voldemort's cackling laugh perforated the tense atmosphere. Just as quickly as it had stared, however, it stopped. Voldemort looked back at Hermione as she raised her head and stared defiantly into his malignant eyes.
"Crucio," he whispered almost inaudibly as his eyes flashed dangerously. As soon as the words left his lips, Hermione fell to the floor as white-hot pain spread through her veins. She writhed on the floor as the burning in her chest increased, feeling as if her very heart was on fire. Her eyes rolled up into her head, as Voldemort stood over her on one side, still laughing, and Pettigrew leant over her on the other side, giggling nervously in a disgusting parody of a schoolgirl. As Hermione's constitution fell away by the second, her mouth opened and the silent darkness was suddenly filled by her piercing screams. Through the scalding pain, she vaguely felt cool hands pressing against her burning skin and she leaned into the as she heard a silky voice calling her name. From a very long way away she heard, 'Finite Incantartum', and the pain was immediately elevated from her aching body. She fell, plummeting through cool air as the welcomed touch still stroked and caressed her face tenderly. Her subconscious hit the ground with a thud and the comforting hands retreated. Hermione whimpered vaguely at the loss and slipped easily into unconsciousness.
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Snape removed his hands from Hermione's face and stood up as she fell into unconsciousness. He looked up to see Voldemort sneering at him and Pettigrew stood halfway behind him.
"So," Voldemort murmured. "So." He folded his arms across his chest and walked slowly towards Snape, Pettigrew scurrying behind him. His face merely inches from Snape's glaring countenance, he hissed, "I know Severus. I know you have been unfaithful to me." He paused, and begun to circle Snape mockingly, as Snape balled his fists and gritted his teeth. "You have been feeding information to that old fool Dumbledore. Don't even think about denying it Severus, I know it's true!" He stopped moving and looked Snape directly in the eye, as if daring him to make a move. However, Snape retained his self-control and calmly met his eyes. "However," Voldemort continued in an almost pleasant tone. "I will give you a chance to," he paused and laughed nastily. "Redeem yourself. Although, your survival depends entirely on how much you value your life and are willing to fight for it, which, I must admit, makes your chances of survival very slim." Snape swallowed harshly, trying to lubricate his dry throat.
"And the girl?" He managed to ask in his normal voice, glancing towards Hermione.
"Ah, yes. The mudblood," Voldemort started venomously. Snape's face darkened, but Voldemort was already continuing. "You must have realised, Severus, that this girl," he spat out the word, "is far too clever for her own good. I decided she must be out of the way if I were to …plan something."
Snape's stomach sank as he realised Voldemort must be planning an attack while he was trapped here and could not warn the Headmaster.
"I may allow her to live," Voldemort continued. "She may prove useful if she can be persuaded to join me." Snape had to suppress a snort at that; he knew from seven years of Potions lessons with her that ram-rod straight Granger would never join Voldemort. "Now, Severus," Voldemort started. "I will leave you two to get acquainted." He smirked at Snape, and clicked his fingers in the direction of where Pettigrew was hovering. "Peter!" And with that final command, there were two simultaneous pops and Voldemort and Pettigrew disappeared, leaving Hermione and Snape alone.