Chapter 37
Pain. That was all he registered at the moment. Severus tried to get his mind to work on why he felt this. His throat felt swollen as he swallowed the potion that was given to him. Bits and pieces started to flash inside his mind as the pain slowly ebbed away. The Duke coming into the potion lab. His royal ancestor had no problems opening and closing doors. Then something had come over him and took control, but the flashes of his memory made no sense, there had been nothing in the room other than himself and the Duke. There was only one flash of memory, picking up a black cloaked figure with bright flaming green eyes. That was all he remembered, that was all he could get to connect.
"Severus," He heard the worried voice of his Grandfather.
He opened his eyes slowly, he was in the lab on the floor, the caring dark black eyes of his Grandfather looked down on him.
"Easy my boy," he felt those caring hands sooth his temple on the right side of his head and realized they were applying paste to his temple.
"What do you remember? You were knocked out and from the looks of it disarmed."
Disarmed? Severus fought to remember but the only thing that kept coming was the sheer amount of pain. From his left forearm. He lifted his head enough to see Master Balin working on his arm. What he saw was a ravaged mess as black and blue ooze mingled with blood as it flowed. His eyes connected with Master Balin's and the Goblin snarled a grin.
"There is no more mark upon your arm." Master Balin said. "Everything is almost gone from it and I will close the wound."
Severus lay his head back and laughed. He had no master. That feeling that something had always been with him, always watching was completely gone. The freedom by far overwhelmed the pain that had been inflicted upon him. He searched and he could not feel the connection that had always been there, Master Balin was right, the Dark Mark was gone. The Dark Lord had no more control over him and he wouldn't have to do anything the Headmaster would ever ask him to do. In one fail swoop he had been freed from two masters. The freedom of knowing he now controlled himself and no one had the right to control him gave him an intense sense of power he had lost. It was like part of his magic had been consumed and continued to be consumed upon him daily, it was totally gone. The magical surge of his own core he could feel once more as it swelled and took hold of him. Oh how he had forgotten this feeling, the feeling of his magic that now once more belonged only to him. The heady feeling of it gave him a euphoric high as the power surged through his body.
"I do believe he is drunk off of his own magic." Lord Wilkvine Prince said.
"Nothing wrong with that," Master Balin said. "He hasn't had a good drink of it in a long time in my opinion. I'm closing his wounds now. Give him an hour or so and his arm should be usable again, it will take an hour for it to fully heal."
"If I didn't know any better I would say that was Goblin magic upon his arm." Lord Wilkvine Prince said.
Severus snorted with laughter, his Grandfather was accusing Master Balin for damage done to him. It was so laughable. "His eyes don't glow with green flame. It wasn't him."
"Blue avenging angels with green flaming eyes. What cup have you and the Duke been drinking from?" Lord Wilkvine Prince asked.
"I would say the cup of freedom." Master Balin said. "His wounds are closed."
Severus sat up and wobbled for a moment till his Grandfather balanced him. He looked at his left forearm. Two long jagged lines ran down the center of his forearm. Out of all the scars he had on his body these would be the two he would cherish the most. He ran his fingers softly down the abraded skin there was no black magic that marred his arm, only two lines of jagged indented flesh that had flames of blue running around them. He looked up at Master Balin and met his coal black eyes.
"Blue flames are the hottest when they burn, the same is said for healing magic. What was once cursed is now healed." Master Balin said.
Severus retraced his fingers over his left forearm again, he did feel healed and whole for the first time in a long time. "Thank you Master Balin."
"I only closed the wound Master Severus. I have to finish the wards." Master Balin stood and then left the room.
Severus stood slowly with the help of his Grandfather, he body shuttered as his core started to settle. He never realized how much power the Dark Lord had actually taken from him. It had felt the other way around when he had the Dark Mark placed upon his forearm, now he knew the truth. The Dark Lord had been siphoning off their magic. He wondered how many Death Eaters had this effect upon them like he had.
"Are you okay Severus?" Lord Wilkvine Prince asked.
"I've never felt better Grandfather." Severus turned to look at him, he could still the concern and worry in his eyes. "I assure you, I haven't felt like this in a long time. I'm fine."
He watched as his Grandfather turned to the Duke. "Keep watch over him. If he needs me, I'll be outside watching over the wards."
The Duke bowed his head. "I'll shall not leave him unless he commands it."
He felt a reassuring squeeze from his Grandfather's hand on his shoulder. "Don't frighten me anymore like that if you can help it Severus."
"I'll try not to." Severus told him as he watched as his Grandfather started out of the potions lab and stopped before the table at the door and looked down upon it. "Your wand is here Severus." He looked back at him. "Whatever disarmed you returned it. It was not there when we came in." Then he walked out of the lab.
Severus walked over and retrieved his wand. He said a priory spell over it. Two spells showed up before a third. The third he remembered casting, but the last two he didn't. Both of those were his severing charm he had created, to cause mortal bleeding of the wounds. He looked at the Duke.
"I don't remember casting two spells. You were in here, did they connect." Severus asked.
"No. One hit the wall, the other I can not tell, but neither of them were harmed. Do you know who I am referring to?" The Duke asked.
Severus narrowed his eyes and began to think. His eyes went down to the flame blue scars upon his forearm. His Grandfather had said Goblin magic was upon his arm. Lily had written about swords and daggers being infused with Goblin magic. Severus grabbed a hold of the table as he put the pieces together.
"That was my son I cast that on."
"Neither of them are harmed. Though if they do this again, they will need help for the undead that is attached to another living soul." The Duke said.
Severus turned his head as the Duke came closer.
"Undead that is attached? You mean the Dark Mark has an undead being attached to it?" Severus asked. This was the first he was ever hearing about this.
"Yes, you were chained to it. I say we go find your two boys for they can walk in the realm of shadow at the same time as they walk in the realm of the living."
Severus shook his head in wonderment, he did not understand what type of magic that would allow anyone to do this. Then he remembered what Lily had written, Petunia understood this type of magic and told him to read the works of Tolkien. He replaced his wand in his holster on his right arm. He didn't bother collecting his robe he had taken off, he left the lab his black sleeves still rolled up on the button down shirt he wore. He wouldn't have to hide not showing his arms ever again. Severus started hunting his children, the boys were supposed to be outside, he headed that way first hoping they would have returned outside. He needed to check them over, he wanted to make sure he hadn't hurt his sons. He had promised them that he wouldn't hurt them.
Phoenix rocked back and forth with his arms wrapped around his legs as his head lay upon his knees. He tried to calm himself as the tears kept falling. They had taken everything back off and Kayden had replaced it all in his trunk for now. Kayden was sitting beside him, he could feel Kayden felt bad as well but not exactly what he was feeling. But close. Harry had checked on them after he got Dudley interested in doing something else near the pond.
"Was it that bad?" Harry asked.
"Pretty bad," Kayden whispered. "It was like Skeletor with snakes all over it. It was so creepy and our father was chained to it."
"Worse than the zombie movie?" Harry asked.
"It's creepy level is the same." Kayden said. "We would have been hurt bad if the Duke wasn't there. He kept Skeletor away."
"Why is Phoenix like this then?" Harry asked. "What else happened?"
"He cut our father with Gûd Deadheloth twice. Father was being controlled by it. I didn't cut father, I killed Skeletor. That still didn't stop father's screaming though." Kayden said.
Phoenix couldn't hear his brother's anymore they had gotten quiet. He looked up and rubbed his bleary tear stained eyes trying to clear his vision. He didn't get a chance to do anymore and he felt hands under each of his armpits as he was lifted up in a pair of strong arms. At first he thought it might have been Driscoll he was around with the Goblins working on the wards, but then he smelled that scent and he knew who it was. His father had picked him up.
"It's going to be okay Phoenix." Severus said as he started rubbing his back. "Come on boys, let's go inside."
"I'm sorry," Phoenix said.
"No," Severus admonished him softly. "Don't ever say that. You have nothing to be sorry for. Neither of you. We're going to go talk, I think it's time we did."
Phoenix clung to his father as he led them back inside and into a family room. Severus had sat down on a couch and he kept rubbing his back as the tears kept flowing.
Severus sat on the couch as he comforted his sons. Slowly but surely by asking the right questions he got the story out of them along with bits thrown in from the Duke as well. What he marveled at was all the planning they had put into it a lot of that had been supplied to him by Harry. So all three boys had planned this out together. He had been an impromptu foray just to see what he looked liked. Being attacked hadn't been a part of the plan for this mornings little adventure they had. From what the Duke had explained even from what Kayden had suggested was he had been controlled. Even what little bit he could remember agreed with their assessment.
"Show me what you were wearing and the daggers." Severus said.
Kayden got up off the couch and opened the wergild trunk after he resized it. When the dragon hide armor came out and the cloak that went with it Severus was more than delighted to see this. This gave his sons more protection than what he thought they would might have in that realm. This protected from quite a lot, including severing charms. He would have never forgiven himself he would have hurt one of them even if he was being controlled and couldn't help it.
Kayden handed him Gûd Deadheloth. He could already see the blue flame emanating from sheath. He looked up at the Duke who backed well away from the dagger as he pulled it out.
"So this is what cut the chains?"
He felt Phoenix nod beside him. He looked at the flames that danced around the blade to the ones on his left forearm. "Who enchanted this dagger?"
"Master Balin and my ancestors." Harry said.
Severus's brow furrowed, this was partly Master Balin's magic, no wonder he could close the wounds on his forearm. His Grandfather had been right, it was Goblin magic.
He looked at the Duke, "Where is your sword?"
"Gone," He pointed to the dagger. "It kills undead in the shadow realm. My sword was no match for the flame it possess."
This was indeed very good news. He sheathed the dagger and handed it back to Kayden. "Put everything back, take it back up to your room. I want you three to go upstairs and put your heads together and tell me what is the same and what is different. Because the next time you do this, you will have help. And no extra adventures than what is planned. I want a hug from each of you before you go."