Hello, everybody! Thank you very much for giving this story a chance. I'd really appreciate if you could give me some feedback to keep improving it. I'm not an English native speaker so please tell me any mistakes you see in order to correct them.

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Disclaimer: The world and some of the characters that appear in this story are property of J.K. Rowling.

Devoured by Fire

Nicholas observed with silent fascination as the red, orange and yellow from the flames mixed themselves with the cold colours of the night. He found the scene mesmerizing, like if a veela were whispering one of their alluring songs on his ears. To think that he would find beauty witnessing such a despicable act. That mere realization made him look away.

"You're going to miss the fun, Nick!" commented Albert cheerily while patting his back.

Another of his companions yelled something offensive and the rest laughed hysterically, drowning the shrieks of the muggles that where still inside the burning building. The same screams which didn't bother Nicholas before and now were painfully cutting through his ears. While those horrible sounds strangled his conscience, one of the others raised his wand and summoned the Dark Mark in the sky. A new colour tainted that cursed night and, with sudden subtlety, the scene showed Nicholas its true colours: where there was once beauty, now he could only see a repulsive ugliness; an ugliness that he was part of.

"We blew up that f****** orphanage for good, mate! Look at that! God, I wish I could have done this ages ago. Those muggles deserved it." said Albert.

"There were kids in there too, you know."

"So what? Bullies and low-lifes, nothing else."

"Not all of them. We were not like that when we were little; when we were there."

Albert turned his eyes from the building and looked at him. As always, his face betrayed him: he was suspicious.

"Nick, are you having second thoughts about this?"

Nicholas knew that question was coming and yet he couldn't think of an answer before his colleague uttered it. Of course he was having second thoughts. They were killing people, innocent people. Those muggles, those kidsweren't like the bureaucrats from the Ministry they attacked before. Was him the only one who realized that? They were not part of that war. Nothing would be gained with their deaths. It was nothing more than senseless murder. And yet...

"No, of course not", answered Nicholas with an emotionless voice that didn't sound like his own.

"That's my Nick!, said Albert with a grin. "F***, you got me scared for a sec there, mate. If I had had to report you to the Dark Lord— "

"The Dark Lord doesn't have time to bother about your unfounded suspicions, Davies. But please, do try to speak with him: He might finally free us from your company" said someone on their left with a soft, contained tone.

Severus Snape walked up to them calmly, his black eyes fixed on Albert, eagerly awaiting his reaction. Nicholas shivered when he saw Snape approaching them while a thought crossed his mind: what would happen if Snape was the one reporting his doubts to the Dark Lord? There was no one He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named trusted more than Severus Snape, not even Malfoy or Lestrange.

"F*** off, Snivellus!"

"An old nickname? Is that the best you can do, Davies? I guess it is true that some people's minds don't grow beyond their teenage years. Or maybe is something else... perhaps you idolize Potter so much that you want to talk like him."

Albert took a step back and pointed Snape with his wand. There were some gasps followed by soft laughters among the other Death Eaters.

"I should hex you right here for saying that, Snape! Are you accusing me of being a spy?!"

"Easy, Davies. Even though I'd appreciate the opportunity to make you levitate upside-down for a bit, we should get moving. We have spent too much time here."

"He is right, Albert. The aurors or the Order might come if we stay here" said Nicholas while putting his hand over his friend's stretched out arm.

Albert looked at him for a second before lowering his wand with a menacing groan; he joined the other Death Eaters, getting as far away from Snape as possible.

"You should control your friend a bit better, Fawley" whispered Snape to Nicholas' ear so that no one could hear him.

"He is not my friend, Prince. At least not the kind of friend you're implying."

"Whatever. I don't really care about who you share your lonely nights with."

"As it should be. You were right before: We should get moving" said Nicholas, but Snape stopped him when he tried to move.

"Don't let them see your hesitation, Nick."

They looked at each others eyes for a brief moment. Nicholas lost himself on those dark, profound eyes he had known so well an eternity ago. He was afraid of what he'd find in them, of how much his old friend would have changed during all those years. However, while his memories of their years together in Hogwarts came back one by one, he found that feeling of wordless understanding that he didn't expect to find. A memory of better times had just came to life.

Snape turned around and Nicholas wondered if he saw something unexpected in his eyes too.

"You shouldn't call me Prince again. I'm not the Half-Blood Prince anymore."

"What? You finally realized how pretentious it sounds?"

Both laughed softly. It was as if the years hadn't passed. As if they were still on their shared-dormitory in Hogwarts. As if she...

A sudden crack broke the spell and brought them back to the crude reality again. They were surrounded by a group of robed figures that had appeared from the nothingness of the night. Nicholas wanted to warn his comrades, but he only had time to bend down before countless spells filled the air over his head.

Snape was right as always: they came for them.