Author's note: So much for being prompt with getting this chapter up. Meh. I'm not sure how happy I am with this. It feels to me like you can hear the gears grinding. Well, please review! The Forest of Dean will be coming up next.
all ur fave characters in one: Thank you for the review! I think the lack of info on Hogwarts in DH is what drew me to the idea. There's a clear trajectory, but plenty of room for filling in the blanks.
Snapeangst4life: Thank you! Your review is definitely not too long. I love hearing what people have to say! It was the corporal punishment scene that I was uncertain about, and I'm relieved to hear that it works. The way I see his character, I think he's pretty much resigned to the idea that he could die, and perhaps even thinks that his death during the war is inevitable. There are a lot of things that could go wrong with this game that he's playing, and Voldemort isn't kind to traitors. If he did survive, I could see him leaving Hogwarts and opening an apothecary somewhere, trying to live a peaceful life in which he can just mess around with potions, maybe create some new spells, and preferably not be subjected to dunderheads. I've now got some notes scribbled down for his death scene, though, so it's more strongly looking like it'll follow the cannon.
Warnings: Swearing, implied torture, allusions to rape
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.
Christmas Eve with the Dark Lord
The fall term wrapped up without complications. Most of the children had opted to return home for the holidays, no doubt eager to escape the toxic chill that seemed to pervade the castle, a chill not entirely caused by the Dementors, which patrolled the grounds at all hours of the day.
The vacating students were sent off with a stern speech from their minacious Headmaster. As he had warned at the Welcoming Feast, Severus had assigned one of the Dark Lord's minions to monitor each family whose child was leaving. Most of the spies were either minor Death Eaters or vocal sympathizers. Severus had instructed them not to be too transparent, but he suspected that some were going to reveal themselves unwittingly, due to not having enough grey matter to facilitate subtlety.
Those who did stay at Hogwarts would be well-looked after, as nearly the entire staff was spending Christmas at the school. Severus thought that they were not only safeguarding the remaining children, but also trying to prevent the building from being annihilated by Death Eaters over the break.
As for the Severus himself, he intended to spend the holidays alternately pacing in his office, probably whilst ranting to Dumbledore, and passed out on the floor from drinking too much Firewhisky. He expected that there would be a Death Eater meeting or two thrown into the mix to keep things from getting monotonous.
True to form, the Dark Lord called his inner circle together late into Christmas Eve. Severus was indulging in a rare episode of sleep when an excruciating pain woke him up. The sensation began in his left forearm and quickly spread up to his shoulder, and the agony seemed to be intensifying by the second.
"Shit," he swore out loud. He followed that up with several more colourful oaths as he scrambled to put on his Death Eater robes. Fantasies about burning the bloody uniform streamed through his head as he rushed away from the mute, shadowed castle. He felt a nervous tingle in his stomach; the Dark Lord was apparently very, very upset. The Mark hadn't burned so ferociously in a while.
The Malfoys, the Lestranges, and Selwyn were already seated at the long stone table in the meeting chamber when Severus arrived. The Dark Lord stood at a tall window behind the chair at the head of the table, and Severus promptly lowered himself to kneel at the wizard's feet.
"My Lord."
Only his honed self-control stopped him from exhaling loudly in relief when the Dark Lord ordered him to him to stand within a reasonable time frame.
"Severus. Rise. Be seated."
He sat in the chair to the Dark Lord's left, directly across from Bellatrix, bowing his head in reverence like the others. Out of his peripheral vision, he could see Draco giving him an award-worthy scowl. The boy was still in a snit.
Then again, Draco was usually in a snit. Ever since he arrived at Hogwarts, Draco had possessed the same aristocratic arrogance as his father, thinking that he was entitled to whatever he wanted, purely because he was a Malfoy. "My father will hear about this" seemed to be a favourite phrase. Unfortunately for him, Severus was not intimidated by self-righteous children.
More Death Eaters began to filter in at a rapid pace. Severus noted that the Dark Lord didn't make anybody kneel for prolonged periods of time. Insofar, it didn't seem to be their fault that their master was in such a temper, although he knew that the Dark Lord would have punished his followers because the sun did not revolve around the earth, if that angered him so, no matter that the Death Eaters did not control the workings of the universe.
When all but two were assembled, the Dark Lord stood behind the head chair and glanced at the empty seats further down.
"We are missing the Carrows," he hissed, quite literally. "When they do see fit to make an appearance…." he left the threat dangling, and several of the Death Eaters shuddered.
It was another couple minutes before Alecto and Amycus came stumbling in: They looked dreadfully unkempt and reeked of alcohol; they had been celebrating a bit too hard, apparently. If Severus weren't so focused on Occluding, he would have smirked, content with this further proof that he was of superior mind to the Carrows. At least he had the sense to take a sobering potion if summoned while intoxicated.
The two idiots collapsed in a graceless heap in front of the unamused Dark Lord. "My Lord," they both slurred, not quite together. If possible, the Dark Lord's contempt seemed to triple. The length of the silence in itself was painful.
"Crucio," he said at last, neatly stepping around the twins' flailing limbs and seating himself at the table, staring stoically ahead as if bored, as if the two were not worth his attention.
The Death Eaters followed their master's example and turned away from the display. Their expressions ranged from disturbed—like Draco—to madly ecstatic—like Bellatrix. Severus felt a grim pleasure that the Carrows were on the receiving end of their favourite spell.
Brother and sister remained on the floor once the Dark Lord felt that they were sufficiently punished, too out of sorts to join the rest of the gathering. The Dark Lord continued to ignored them and launched into the reason for the meeting: "Harry Potter and his Mudblood were in Godric's Hollow earlier this evening."
Severus felt his shoulders tense ever so slightly. A few of the other Death Eaters exchanged glances.
Bellatrix was quick to say, "My Lord, let me go to him, let me bring him to you."
She was practically begging, her voice laden with worship of an inordinate degree. Severus thought that the Dark Lord fanatic might be the only person whom he loathed more than James Potter and Sirius Black, not counting the Dark Lord himself.
"While I appreciate your enthusiasm, Bella," the Dark Lord said, petting the witch on the head with a skeletal hand, as though she were a deranged puppy, "alas, it is too late. Harry Potter has evaded my clutches once again."
The Dark Lord suddenly stood up and began firing hexes, seemingly aiming for nothing in particular. Even his right hand woman ducked to avoid being caught by the onslaught.
And then he was calm again, speaking with the same cold detachment as before. He didn't offer any explanation of what exactly had transpired, and his Death Eaters valued their lives too much to ask.
"I want a guard stationed at Godric's Hollow, should Harry Potter return to the location. Perhaps"—his red-eyed gaze swept around the table—"Lucius."
Heads turned towards the man in question, who looked a bit stricken. Severus, and everybody else, knew that this was not an opportunity for redemption, but another way to make mockery of the blonde-haired wizard. Despite being moronic enough to venture there in the first place, even Potter could not be so foolish as to return after encountering the Dark Lord. In the off chance that he did show up, Lucius did not have a wand and thus could neither attack nor defend. The most he could do would be to press the Dark Mark and call for reinforcements.
"Of course I will go, if my Lord wishes it," Lucius said after swallowing several times.
Severus caught Draco directing another glower at him. He had to restrain from rolling his eyes.
Ten points from Slytherin for being an annoying, predictable little git, he thought.
Severus once again curbed a relieved breath when the Dark Lord issued a dismissal; there were some striking similarities between a Death Eater meeting and a Hogwarts Staff meeting, he thought—barring the fact that one had to closely guard one's life during the former—as both had dunderheads in attendance, and both could be exceedingly boring.
The only thing that had piqued Severus's interest was Rookwood and Macnair's report: Luna Lovegood had been successfully abducted off the Hogwarts Express, and her father was distraught. The Dark Lord intended to use the girl as incentive to stop Xenophilius from printing "support Harry Potter" articles in The Quibbler.
Although he had suspected that such a thing might happen, Severus hadn't been aware that there was a concrete plan of action. He was dubious that the Dark Lord would actually release Miss Lovegood, even if Xenophilius complied with the Dark Lord's terms, and he made a mental note to discuss the issue with Dumbledore's portrait. Likely, there was nothing that could be done, but he would think on the matter.
Aside from the Carrows, none of the Death Eaters were rendered incapacitated, which was a feat in itself. The twins were sent away after another prolonged dose of the Cruciatus and a clear warning of what would happen if they ever again arrived in such a state. Severus found himself hoping that the two got splinched while trying to Apparate back to the school.
"Severus," the Dark Lord said when the Headmaster got up. "Stay."
"Yes, my Lord." Severus sat back down, squelching the apprehension that tried to assert itself. He watched impassively as each of the Death Eaters bowed to the Dark Lord again and murmured their reverence, before making themselves scarce. Draco managed one last glare as he followed his parents from the room.
When they were alone, the Dark Lord slipped into the seat across from Severus, the one previously occupied by Bellatrix. "Legilimens," he whispered.
The Dark Lord searched for moments in which the Headmaster was disciplining students and interrogating faculty. Severus let him view those memories, carefully shielding his true thoughts and feelings and fabricating more neutral ones in their place. He also hid his conversations with Albus and the interactions with Phineas Nigellus.
When the Dark Lord withdrew from his aggressive mental probing, Severus felt the beginnings of a nasty headache. He cursed himself for not having had the foresight to bring a headache-relief potion.
"You followed my instructions," the Dark Lord said, sounding as approving as was possible for him.
"Of course, my Lord," Severus said, trying to ignore the throbbing in his temples. "My only desire is to serve you." Ugh.
"Hm. Yes." The Dark Lord gave Severus a considering look before saying, "You are permitted to enjoy yourself more, Severus."
"My Lord?" he asked with a slight, questioning lift of his eyebrows, although he wasn't particularly interested in clarification. The Dark Lord granted his Death Eaters atrociously-twisted rewards, and any activities that he permitted his followers to "enjoy" weren't activities in which Severus desired to engage.
"No one would object should you wish to use a young half-blood or two for your own gratification."
Severus had to pause for a moment, tightening his Occlumency shields, lest the strength of his revulsion cause him to vomit. There was no doubt in his mind as to what the Dark Lord meant. If any normal, sane person had made such insinuations, Severus would have hexed them on the spot. Sadly, hexing was not an option with this psychotic megalomaniac.
He grappled a bit with what to say, but he knew that showing gratitude—or begging for forgiveness, whichever the situation called for—would never go amiss.
"Thank you, my Lord. I may do that."
The Dark Lord nodded his head once. "Continue with routine staff checks," he ordered. "I do not trust any of the muggle-loving imbeciles to keep their filthy thoughts to themselves."
"Yes, my Lord."
"And if you discover Harry Potter's whereabouts…"
"I will come directly to you, my Lord."
"You are dismissed."
As he left the Manor, for the second time since the Dark Lord had appointed him as Headmaster, Severus felt like his skin was crawling. He was going to take a headache potion, and then he was going to take a very long shower.
