Chapter Ten: Evil Incarnate:

Severus Snape was in a relatively good mood as he headed to Hogsmead. He had just finished the practical exams for the fifth year OWL exams and knew that he would be seeing Harry, Granger Draco and the youngest Weasley boy in his NEWT classes next year. He of course had scowled when he took their samples refusing to let them know as he still had to fully grade them. He was a strict though very good teacher, he would not accept any slacking off in his classes. He terrified most of the first years and it was true he did favor his house a bit more than others but that was to be expected from him. He could be a hard man but no-one could accuse him of not caring about the students, even Gryffindors who seemed to get into more trouble than the other three houses combined!

Yet the black clad potions master was not dwelling on that, no he was thinking on several ingredients he needed for his latest experiments as he headed into Hogsmeade. As he stepped into the village he heard several cracks from Apparation and had his wand out at once. He ordered the villagers into the buildings as they, like those in Diagon Alley were warded against Apparation directly into them. A chill came over him as he saw at least ten death eaters in black robes and hoods and bone white masks appear and he hoped one of them was not his good friend Lucius Malfoy. It took him a split second to realize they were after him and he started to fight back. He could not recall doing anything publicly to tick off the dark lord, unless you counted refusing to join him and this could not bode well for him at all.

"Well, well the ickle potions master can fight back can he?" Came the cold cruel voice of Bellatrix Lestrange freshly escaped from Azkaban.

"Should have known you would come after me Bellatrix." Severus said blocking a curse she sent his way. "Really now Voldemort should have sent more of you, only ten?"

"We don't need more." Came a less familiar voice. "He wants you and he will get you."

"I am not his, I am my own man!" Severus snarled casting a blasting charm so powerful he knocked several death eaters off their feet but not so powerful it damaged the street. "Leave now and tell Voldemort to sod off!"

"Filthy little brat!" Bellatrix screamed casting a spell at him. "How dare you speak his name!"

"Because unlike you I can." Severus taunted, "what don't like the fact the slave-mark you bare has made you mute to mention his name? Want me to use his real name? Tom Riddle? Supposed heir of Slytherin that has made my job as head of that much more difficult as everyone is blaming my house for his evil?"

"How dare you!" Bellatrix screamed.

"Insane as ever my dear." Severus snarled.

He did not see the small rat scurry from the pocket of a death eater behind Bellatrix. He did not see said rat turn to the human form of Wormtail and take out his wand and aim it at the back of Severus. It was a cowardly act and as such very evil as he set a stunner and watched with glee as Severus slumped to the ground in a heap of black robes. The death eaters were on him at once and two grabbed him and Apparated away with him along with the other death eaters. All this took less than five minutes, far too short a time for any rescue to come for the well respected potions master. The villagers now released from the power that came with the order from Severus came out of their homes and shops just as several teachers came into the village headed by McGonagall. They of course were far, far too late to offer any help to the now prisoner of Voldemort.

Meantime Severus had been deposited in one of the many dungeon prisons of Voldemort and his nightmare was just beginning. He was woke up as the death eaters here want him awake for the bit of fun they were going to have with him. He tried to fight back as he realized just what they were doing but got hit and kicked for it as they quickly stripped him naked. This was done for several reasons, the two main were to humiliate him as he was a potions master and very skilled wizard and they had to take anything away from him that would allow him to defend himself. He was a very modest man and this very nearly drove him over the edge, he knew there were witches here and he curled up trying to both protect himself and preserve any dignity he might have left. The death eaters jeered at him and he was hit and kicked several times.

"That is for insulting our master!" Bellatrix screamed getting him with a Crucio curse causing him to moan in pain.

"Enough, the dark lord wants him unharmed." Came the same voice Severus knew from somewhere, then it clicked, of course, Rudolphus Lestrange. "First get him up, he wants this done."

"Get the hell away from me!" Severus snarled even as several hands seized him and drug him to his knees forcing his hands behind him, he saw the vial and clenched his jaw shut.

"Now don't be difficult boy, just take it like a good little boy and we will not hurt you see?" That voice belonged to Avery, his son was a star Quidditch player and his father was one of these?

Severus ducked his head away from the vial but of course he knew he would be forced to take the potion and he knew what it was, a purging draught.

"You like pain? Keep this up and you will be in pain see?" Avery said and Severus knew what he would do, he took the potion and the death eaters stepped back in a hurry. "Good boy, see you can do as you are told."

Severus utterly humiliated began to react to the potion and he got violently sick as the potion worked its way through his system. Someone cleaned up the mess and him and he saw an opening to try and get as far from his tormenters as this vast chamber would allow. He found the darkest corner he could and huddled up in it shivering and humiliated he knew the worst was to come. At least these death eaters seemed to have bored of their sport with him as they left him in the corner their work done for now. Rudolphus gathered up with his wand Severus's clothing and put it in a box to be delivered with his master's letter to the headmaster of Hogwarts. He wished he could be there to see the look of despair and horror on the aged headmaster's face when he realized his prized pet was a captive of the dark lord…

Hogwarts:

Dumbledore felt so very old as the news of his potions master was conveyed to him, several witness saw him taking on ten death eaters by himself very well thank you until Wormtail had stunned him. His command to the villagers had been his undoing but then really he did not want them hurt so what could one expect? Dumbledore had called an emergency meeting and was about to start when an unknown owl came through the window. It dropped a box on his desk and flew out not waiting for an answer, Dumbledore took out his wand and cast a few spells. He was worried there were no spells on the box and he took the letter tied to the top of it and unrolled it and read it looking very grave.

To Headmaster Albus Dumbledore,

Greetings from Lord Voldemort, I have a certain young potions master and young wizard I am sure you would be most anxious to get back. Seems you claimed him long before I ever could and corrupted him from his true calling, no matter the boy is with me. Your pet will be returned you unharmed fear not! As long as you give me the prophecy.

I have returned a few things of your pet to you, to show I am in earnest and will if you do not meet my demands return your pet to you piece by piece. I will give you until tomorrow evening to meet my demands and then you will start receiving your potions master back in pieces starting with his fingers. Do not doubt I will do this.

Signed

The Dark Lord Voldemort.

"What is it Albus?" McGonagall asked at the pale look on the headmaster's face.

"Voldemort, he has made a request." Dumbledore said looking careworn and very old now. "He wants the prophecy or he will send back Severus, piece by piece until I give it to him, he gave me Severus's robes to show he meant what he said."

"This is horrible!" Sprout said looking so upset now. "How could he, Severus is such a good boy!"

"If he harms him I will use the very worse charms I can on him." Flitwick added.

"You have to give it to him." McGonagall said, "Severus is worth far more than that prophecy!"

"I know but we do not have assurance he will give Severus back even if we do give it to him." Dumbledore said.

"You cannot leave him with that monster!" Sprout said looking outraged.

"I don't plan on doing that but finding him is going to be hard at the moment." Dumbledore replied, "do you realize what I must do to Harry?"

"He already knows what it contains!" McGonagall said. "I don't want to have him go and, and get it but if it saves Severus and you know how Harry cares about him."

"Oh dear Gryffindors." Flitwick muttered shaking his head. "Am I correct in stating that Harry has an open connection to Voldemort?" At the startled look from Dumbledore and McGonagall, "I am Ravenclaw you know and we see more than you would think, I may not be in your order officially Albus but I do know things."

"It's a trap then." Dumbledore said wearily.

"We could turn it on Voldemort." Sprout said carefully, "I don't like using students but well it's not as if Harry will stick around once he find out will he?"

"Let him go there are you mad Pomona ?" McGonagall said sharply.

"Well we will not be far behind, in fact we could get there before he does and well hide, then take down a few death eaters ourselves," here Sprout gave out a nervous giggle, "oh dear now I sound like a Gryffindor!"

"Very well, no doubt my brother will have something to say about this." Dumbledore said regarding how his brother was meddling in his life so much now. "We will rescue him this way.

The other professors agreed though they did not want to have to rely on a fifteen year old boy to save Severus what choice did they have? It was not as if they could walk into the dungeon that Severus was in and rescue him as they would have no were to start with that. All they could do was pray and wait and hope this turn out well in the end…

Voldemort's Dungeon:

Voldemort walked into the vast chamber where his death eaters he had assigned to this task had deposited the potions master. The chamber was like a hall, built in ancient times for some long forgotten purpose it served Voldemort well. There were columns of black marble that held up the ceiling and a gray-white marble floor. Lamps hovered over head lighting up the space all but the farthest corners. He saw a figure huddled up in the corner and over him was Wormtail. He had his wand out but was not using it against the wizard on the floor, Voldemort would have to hex him if he did. No he was just taunting him trying to rile him up and that would not do at all. He walked up and looked down at the boy before him and saw there was not much to him, he was pale, almost too thin and with his dark brooding eyes and long black hair he was not much to look at either.

Severus was not having a good time of it at all, Wormtail had taken to tormenting him as much as possible and he refused to even look at him. He realized Wormtail was not to torture him so he just ignored him and wondered what was his fate here. He heard the soft footfalls of Voldemort and could smell the hint of snake about that man that was not due to Nagini around his shoulders. Severus looked up and he fought his fear down the best he could. All he could think off looking at that pale hairless nose-less face with the red eyes was he was in hell and this was the devil incarnate. Voldemort removed the hood of his robes smiled coldly at Severus and the knot of fear was twisting Severus's gut. He wanted to be sick but had nothing left in him and instantly felt shamed by that feeling.

"Wormtail leave us now." Voldemort said and Wormtail got up and scurried off. "Not much to you is there?"

"I will not join you." Severus snarled.

"You once did, once so very nearly did join me." Voldemort said softly, "yet you chose to hide the greatness you deserve and become the pet of that old fool.

"I am a respected wizard, I have money I don't need to teach I do so because I want to!" Severus said, he wanted to add unlike you but knew it would get tortured for it. "I don't need you!"

"Well if your dear little students and that old fool wish to save you they will give me the prophecy, or you will go back to the headmaster piece by piece and I promise you will suffer."

With that he left for the time being and Severus knew he was dead and he wished it would be quick. However it seemed that was not to be, he knew there was no hope of rescue, the headmaster would never give that up. Some time later Severus looked up from where he was huddled as he heard a soft growling noise. His blood froze as he knew that sound, he may have been able to be around Remus Lupin and was even a friend with him but he was deathly afraid of any other werewolf and he knew that sound! To the untrained ear it was the sound of a wolf but to him it was far, far worse. He nearly whimpered in terror as the tall stocky figure of Grayback appeared. His face was surrounded by shaggy gray hair and he was mostly unshaven. He had claws for nails and Severus saw he had wolf's teeth even in human form.

"So this is the little pet of Dumbledore." Grayback growled softly.

"L-leave me a-lone!" Severus stammered unable to hide his terror. "Get away from me!"

"What is wrong pet?" Grayback said softly walking up to the terrified man. "I have already eaten though you are a tempting morsel I could make room for."

"You foul monster you should be put down!" Severus screamed, "get the hell away from me!"

"Ah so you found my guest Fernier." Voldemort said walking up to survey the scene.

Severus was trying so hard not to show his utter terror, he was going between wanting to get sick and wanting to scream but he did neither of these things but looked from Grayback to Voldemort wondering what was going to happen. Voldemort's threat rang in his ears and he felt a scramble of panic and primal terror, he was too far gone for his terror to shame him and he huddled in the corner his hands behind him knees drawn up tight against his chest. Voldemort laughed coldly at this amusing sight before him while Grayback smiled showing his pointed teeth. Voldemort thought to add to that terror for a reason, he knew Severus was going to loose it and when he did his mind would be like a book to him to read.

"Show me your hands." Voldemort commanded.

"P-please sir n-not my hands, please don't." Severus whimpered a tear falling down his face. "I-I am the head of Slytherin you cannot treat the head of your house this way!"

"Pathetic." Grayback said, "then again I can see why Wormtail calls him Snivillus."

"Peace Fernier let me deal with him, now show me your hands child." Voldemort said raising his wand, "or shall I use an unforgivable on you?"

"Why are you doing this to me?" Severus asked still refusing to move.

"Because I can, now do as I order Severus, I have not harmed you yet but I am fast loosing my patience with you child." Severus held out his hands sure he was to loose at least a finger if not a hand out of this. "Good boy." Voldemort said then he frowned at the tattoo that Severus had on his inner left forearm, that of a crucifix.

"My true master." Severus said daring to defy Voldemort even though he was so scared.

"I see child, I see."

Voldemort shoved Severus to the wall and raised his wand causing Severus to go rigid, then he cast a silent Legilimens and as expected he got quite a fight at first. But Severus was weakened by his state of emotions and though he was one of the best at Occulumency he was no where near good enough to block Voldemort completely out of his mind. He gasped in pain and nearly blacked out, in fact he should have been driven insane by how violently Voldemort ripped through his mind. He could not even with all his skill keep him fully out and when Voldemort finally released him and let him fall to the floor Severus heard his cruel laughter ringing in his ears. Voldemort had Grayback come with him and left Severus cold, naked and humiliated on the floor behind him. Severus prayed to God to get him out of here before he was either driven insane or chopped into little pieces…

Yea Poor Severus he really gets into a bad situation doesn't he? Now him being this scared, remember he never did spy for Voldemort, never did join him so this is his first chance to see him. Of course he would be scared and his greatest fear is of Werewolves, all but Remus Lupin who ironically is a good friend. Voldemort humiliates him, torments him and threatens to take him apart. Severus has every right to be terrified out of his wits.