Chapter 25
November 9, 1981, The Crystal Cave
Severus Snape was desperately trying to calm his breathing. What the fuck was that?! The sight that had unfolded before his eyes defied imagination. Did I just see what I think I saw?
The Dark Lord had risen the dead. He had stood there and he summoned them. And they answered. The thought that those… things… had slumbered beneath the surface of the water just a few feet below him made him shudder. He forced himself to swallow the stab of pain the movement brought and cleared his mind.
Severus' eyes found the wand that lay on the lake's shore. He gulped. Merlin alone knew what had driven Lucius to do what he did… but Snape was not one to frown to opportunity when it found him. A few hours ago he was a dead man. Now he stood a chance. At least if I can get to the bloody wand.
He took a breath and focused his gaze on the wand. Slowly, fighting the pain with every breath, he shifted his body inside the crow cage and squeezed an arm through the iron bars. Now, Snivellus. And don't you fucking dare drop it in the water.
"Accio my wand!" he muttered, his voice coarse from thirst and screaming.
For half a heartbeat the wand didn't move. Then it shot itself forth, flying over the lake and landing into his outstretched palm. Severus quickly coiled his bony fingers around the smooth black wood, gasping in triumph. I'm free.
Well, almost free. He pulled his arm back into the cage and took as deep a breath as his frayed lungs allowed, trying to think of the best way to escape the cage. He had the means now, it was just a matter of finding the right approach. Not with a Blasting Curse, he decided. It was going to do the trick, but he wasn't convinced his body could withstand the shockwave, what with the pitiful condition he was in. He took a few seconds to compose himself, then scooted as far from one of the sides if the crow cage as he could and sent a weak Reducto towards the bars.
Nothing happened.
"Fuck!" Severus growled, suddenly frustrated. He should have thought of this. Of course it won't be so easy. The cage was likely created with the aid of a spell. The Dark Lord, apparently, had not forgotten to jinx it against an attempt of escape.
Think, Snivellus, think! He remembered Slughorn's lessons back in his 6th year and uttered Scarpin's Revelaspell. A faint, ghostly haze danced in front of Severus' eyes and he noticed the magic seams that were holding the iron cage together. Surprisingly, it was a rather simple spell that he managed to unravel in just a few attempts. The Dark Lord underestimated me, Snape sneered inwardly as he sent a second Reductor Curse at the bars.
As the metal sizzled and evaporated away, Severus could almost feel the elation coursing through his veins, invigorating his spirit. Now, to get to the shore. The distance was not great, but with his broken leg Severus doubted he could swim. And it would be rather pathetic to drown now that I'm so close. Face it, you miserable bastard, you can't afford any failures now. It's do or die.
He eyed the stony shore, then took a deep breath and apparated, bracing himself for the bodily impact with the rocks.
It worked… or nearly. In the dark, weakened by pain and alternating bouts of unconsciousness and torture, Severus had slightly misjudged the distance. He found himself knee-deep into the lake, just a few feet from the brink. His broken leg twitched, he collapsed forward and splashed into the water. The only thing that made him resist the urge to scream from the pained shock as the cold liquid embraced him was the sheer disgust he felt for the lake ever since he saw the dead climbing from its bottom. The last thing he wanted was to get that water into his mouth.
Squeezing his jaw shut he quickly splashed and scrambled towards the shore. Faintly, he wondered whether someone might hear him but if his guess was correct, the Dark Lord and most of the Death Eaters had probably left. Otherwise, why call forth those creatures?
Suddenly something hard and cold clutched at Severus' ankle.
He turned his head and his heart froze. A skeletal, pale arm rose from the water, the hand holding to Severus' leg with thin fingers that squeezed like steel pincers. A gargled cry of panic escaped past Snape's lips as the rest of the creature emerged dripping from the lake. He kicked feebly, but it was to no avail.
The dead thing was stronger than him. Much stronger.
Hit it! Kill it! Kill it! Kill it now!
Severus sent a shot of the Sectusempra at the monster's face. A black gash appeared across its rotten features… but nothing happened. The dead feel no pain, Severus thought dimly as his heart beat madly and his uninjured leg was splashing and kicking in the water. Apparently, they did not bleed either.
He screamed and aimed an Expulso at the thing. The right side of its upper torso split open in the small explosion, sending a cloud of liquefied flesh and water vapor into the still air. The dead creature released Severus, thrown back from the shockwave. It fell with a splash into the lake.
Severus scrambled up and climbed on the shore. So great was his hurry to get as far from the cursed water as possible, that he didn't even feel his broken leg anymore. As he drew himself up and crawled away from the lake, he turned his head and, to his horror, he saw the dead thing emerging once again from the surface. Half its chest and its whole right arm were missing, but it still advanced, relentless and silent. And quick.
Severus weighted his chances. He either had to act now or to risk another tumble with the thing. He knew that his body was in no condition to fight the construct of a dark spell such as this… but if the Dark Lord had left any sentries around, what he was about to do might alert them.
And then there was no more time for hesitation. The dead creature climbed on the shore, its pale eyes focused on Severus and it shot itself at him.
Snape couldn't help himself. He screamed, and as he did so, he sent a jet of Incendio right at the thing. The flames bathed the cave in a flickering, orange glow. As the fire licked at the creature's pale, rotten skin, Severus vaguely wondered whether those rocks had ever seen true light. The dead thing writhed and stumbled back, retreating towards the cold water.
"Oh no, you don't," Severus growled and showered it with another stream of fire, melting away reanimated flesh and fell enchantments alike until nothing remained but a pile of twitching, formless sludge that blazed hot and gleaming on the black lake's shore.
Severus took a deep breath, then collapsed on his back, his chest heaving and sweat beading on his brow.
No time to waste, Snivellus. He forced himself to raise his torso up. Still clutching his wand, he pointed it at his shattered leg and mended his bones. He bit his tongue and tasted coppery blood inside his mouth as he fought not to cry out.
When he finally managed hobble out of the dark tunnel that led out of the underground cavern, Severus was almost blinded by the night sky. Everything looked brighter after the blackness of the lake. He edged closer to the opening of the cave, from where the thundering of the sea echoed on. Apparently the Dark Lord left no one to watch over me. Well, at least if he didn't count the thing in the water.
He forced down the memory and focused on getting out.
With a faint crack! he apparated into the grounds outside Hogwarts. He blinked a few times until he could adjust his vision. He could see the black shape of Hagrid's hut in the distance. I must be careful. The Dark Lord could attack any moment and it wouldn't do to attract attention. He wondered if the castle expected the incoming assault. Dumbledore is no fool. As much as Snape wanted to run forward to Lily, he couldn't, and not only because he still couldn't walk properly on his recently healed leg. If they are nearby, I can't risk to reveal myself. Severus was not sure how he could tip the scales in what was to come, but getting caught again was certainly not in his plans.
He cast silently the Disillusionment Charm on himself and moved through the grass, towards the hut where the gatekeeper dwelt. Since it was his duty to assume the worst, he decided that Hogwarts did not expect the Dark Lord's attack and that the best course of action would be to warn Hagrid.
Suddenly, Severus stopped and stared into the night in front of him. He thought he glimpsed a movement, but it was gone. Then it was back again, a dark ripple on the edge of his vision. He made a step forward and finally saw it, a black silhouette crouching in the grass, looking at Hagrid's hut. It turned its head and Severus noticed the reflection of the starlight on a metallic, skull-shaped mask. A Death Eater.
A sentry, perhaps, on lookout for Hagrid? Severus' heart began to beat faster. He could feel his tongue dry and swollen inside his mouth. Should I take him out or does he have friends nearby? Snape cursed silently. He couldn't see a fucking thing in the dark, and using a spell for light was out of the question.
And as he hesitated, something else demanded his attention. For a heartbeat it was just a pale flicker, but then it swooshed up, glowing and hungry against the night sky. A fire. They lit the Forbidden Forest on fire. A few seconds later, Hagrid's hut went up in flames in the distance, hues of white, yellow and orange swirling up in the black night.
The grass rustled and Severus turned his head to notice the sentry slinking towards the edge of the forest that was closest to them and still unaffected by the fire. Snape stood there, immobile and invisible, cursing himself. The attack has started. I am too late.
The battle for Hogwarts had begun.