A.N. To Katara Melody Cullen for their continued support, you're the best =D

54 The beginning of the end

The clothed figure halted mid-steep when the old door's groan resounded on the empty bathroom, the tensed form relaxed when, after a couple of stress-filled moments, the dark chamber fell into silence once again. Shutting the door behind, the shadow advanced to the large sink at the far end of the bathroom. Apart from the steeps echoing on the paved floor the sound of a dripping tap sounding from somewhere in the chamber was the only noise heard. A grating sound was enough to make the figure spun around, wand raised defensively. A sigh escaped the shadowed form, what was about to happen making the figure excessively skittish.

#Open,# the form ordered after turning over again making the, until now, seemingly vulgar sink open with a click to reveal a hidden entrance. Without any kind of doubt the shadow jumped into the darkness enveloping the passageway with the confidence of someone who knew their way. Waiting a few minutes to get used to the little light, the figure advanced forward carefully, knowing how slippery the path could become. The tunnel lead to an ample hall where a massive carcass that surely had belonged to a very impressive beast could be seen lying in its very centre. Lunging forward the clothed person searched for the carcass skull where a single dagger-like fang shinned ominously in the weak light. The person put on a pair of dragon-skin gloves that had taken from some hidden place inside the cloak before taking the dammed object from its resting place. It's time to finish this, once and for all,the figure thought contemplating the dangerous object.

…...

Serena advanced forward, her small form being shaken by countless shivers every time the freezing wind made itself known. Even half-starved and reaching a state of total and complete exhaustion she stubbornly wade through the inhospitable surroundings. She would escape and be reunited with her love ones, Harry would jump at her and kiss her until she would be out of breath, Ron and Hermione would smile knowingly before following their example, her father would envelop her in a tight bear hug and Mrs Weasley would criticize the way 'those awful Death Eaters' had feed her insisting she was too thin (even if that wasn't true) and not resting until making her enough food to feed the whole Order as the rest of the Weasley divided themselves between making sure she was in one piece and promising to never let her out of their sight again. These loving thoughts were what kept her going against all odds or reason. Her head, that had been hanging, rose briskly when after two very debilitating days she saw what she had been so desperately searching for, the garden's end. Joy flowed in her chest as she shove her pain away from her mind and lunge forward. The moment she reached the wall separating her from the outside world, she saw helpless as the area around her twirled and shifted until she found herself in a new location, one she recalled to have passed through the day before. The young Gryffindor blinked, her mind still at a loss to what just happened, but such reprieve soon ended when the true significance of what just happened downed on her. #No no no. NO!# She must have set off some ward ending up being transported half-way through the garden. She let her cold body drop to the ground as the first signs of snow started falling around her, too exhausted to even move to search for any kind of shelter, she sniggered darkly as she came across with the ironic epitaph that after months being hold by a sadistic homicidal loony bin of a wizard she would end up dying by consequence of her ill-orchestrated plans. The last though on her mind before she started to dose off as the cold wrapped itself around her apathetic body a spiteful one as she wondered if Voldemort's head would pop off when he would find her as nothing more than a meat popsicle, not more a toy in his hands for him to play.

…...

Greyback raised his head to the azure sky and took a deep breath filling his lungs with fresh air, something he had longed almost as much as running free in a moonlighted night, but he had been deprived of doing such things for months. His imprisonment due to his failure had been near torture. In his completely sealed off cell, no light or sound ever graced him. As darkness so thick made him question if he had his eyes open or closed and total silence made him unsure if he was screaming out loud or in his own head, he had lost track of time ending up even asking himself if he was alive or dead. After all, in all the time he had been rotting in that hell-hole, he hadn't been feed one single time, not one fucking time, but although not having any kind of nourishment in all that time he hadn't felt himself weakening. But the pain, oh the pain, it had become his constant companion through-out his captivity, it didn't let his side and not even sleep came to give him some kind of reprieve from his constant torment. In the end, he wasn't more than a ball of stressed nerves when a door opened in the darkness overpowering all his senses with all the signs he had been cut off for so long as light finally entered that dark abyss.

"Come Greyback, I have a work for you," the words fell over the werewolf's head as blesses and the broken wizard crawled to his Master's feet. He kissed the disgusted wizard's boots enthusiastically to give thanks for the chance his Master was granting him so he could redeem himself for his grave mistake.

Greyback had released a sharp yelp as one of said boots connected painfully with his jaw making him fall back, his head colliding heavily with the rock-hard floor. The wizard raised his head fearfully, afraid his demonstration of subservience had only made matters worse for him, what if .. the Dark Lord decided to deliver whatever mission he had been about to charging him of doing to any other of his minions and let him in that shit-hole to die. Fear like no other made him scamper to rise from his awkward position to go prostrating himself in front of the annoyed wizard," My Lord, Master, I beg your forgiveness. Please Master; let me show you my devotion to the cause. Your word his law, order and it will be done," he stammered.

"Stop your grovel mongrel, I have no time for such pitiful things as this. Get up," Voldemort demanded throwing him his wand, "find her before the end of the day, or you will wish I had kil you the first time you failed me."

Voldemort's voice bounced on the bare walls just as he disappeared from the werewolf's sight.

Not wishful of facing his Lord and his wrath any time soon Greyback had rushed off that dammed place pledging to never come back again.

The sound of a group of Death Eaters made him return to the present, they passed beside him giving him pointy looks or eyeing him over their stuck up noses. He snarled at them snapping his jaw at the nearest one, the little sissy cried out as if he had just rip one of his limbs off, the cry-baby.

"Come on Lester and don't pay attention to the flea-bag. Or Lord have him on a tight leash, he would never let him touch a proper pure-blood like ourselves." A smugly blond wizard said. "Let's continue, I bet we will be the ones to find our Lord's white serpent," he finished as the group disappeared into a corner.

The half-age wizard cocked a brow at their departing words, a white serpent? He had thought the 'she' the Dark Lord had spoken of was that little spiteful bitch that his Master was so found of. He had assumed she had tried another escape attempt, but it seemed he had been wrong. He frowned, his highlighted senses were a more than huge advantage into such a hunt, but they wouldn't worth shit if he couldn't find the smell of his prey and he had never been around his Lord's new pet to recognise its particular smell between all the others! His Master knew that, why hadn't he... The werewolf stop in his musings as a thought crossed his mind, a devilish smile played in his lips. It seemed he hadn't been the only one being punished for her first escape try. Raising his nose into the breeze he sniffed. Chuckling darkly as his nose caught a particular odour, he hunched in his heels before sprinting forward. The hunt was on and he had a tasty morsel to catch.

…...

Against all his basic instincts, Greyback forced himself to continue in his path. He hurried his steeps, the distance separating him from his mark lessening considerably as he made use of his faster reflexes. Better end it quickly, he wouldn't win nothing postponing the inevitable and besides, maybe something could still be done. The appearance of a door, before his very eyes, on what had been solid wall until moments ago couldn't mean anything else more than his Lord's assent to his unspoken request. The werewolf entered the dismal office nervously, his Lord's dark aura making him fall to his knees. He kept his eyes glued to the Persian rugs, not wanting for his Master to misinterpret a direct look as a sigh of disrespect, something that could very well cost him his life, especially since he was bearer of such bad news. "My Lord," he started tentatively trying to feel the ground he was stepping.

"Prey tell me Greyback," a narrow eyed Voldemort glared at the prostrated wizard at his feet, "why did you came back without her," a deceivingly calm voice asked a gulping bulged eyed Greyback by the sight of Voldemort's wand appearing in his hand from thin air."

"NO my Lord. I did as you have instructed me," Greyback rushed to tell as he promptly presented a bad omen in the form of an unmoving small white snake from somewhere inside his dirty robes.

Voldemort jolted forward at such view, the werewolf shrunk even more into the ground as he wished with all his might to disappear into it.

"GIVE HER TO ME," he behowled at the frightened wizard, his outstretched hand demanding her immediate delivering.

Greyback delivered his precious cargo into his Mater's hands carefully, not wanting to stir up his Lord further than what he already was.

"GET OUT," he finalised.

The werewolf couldn't have been happier to oblige such orders, in a heartbeat Greyback turn in his heels and left, wanting to put as much distance between himself and the dark wizard as he possibly could.

The Dark Lord did not even wait for the door to close shut and dematerialize again before spinning around and advance to his bedroom. Serena's form firmly held to his chest as his mind worked furiously to find a way out of that mess. With swift and precise wand movements the serpentine body changed and mould into a human one. The barely noticeable weak and shallow breath coming from the teenager's body, served only to tense him further. A rapid succession of wand movements showed him her seemingly irreversible state. His hand clenched around his wand, the only physical manifestation of his intern turmoil. He would be damn if he would let death win him anything. Not even Death herself would take something that was his, not even Death herself.

…...

A simple "Mr Longbottom," from the Potions Master was enough to make the easily frightened Gryffindor spill the beetle's shells entire jar into the boiling purple liquid that was supposed to be his potion project. Bugger!

The double-spy vanished the cauldron the moment the now violet potion started gurgling and bubbling, "less teen points to Gryffindor Mr Longbottom for trying to blow us all to smithereens." Snape said maliciously to the suddenly very pale wizard.

Hermione bit down her tongue to stop herself from doing something that would only make matters worse so she kept her mouth shut, but did not forgo of her right to glare daggers at the grown wizard's back. He knew very well he had been the one responsible for making Neville fumble and what was worst he had done it on propose. What kind of potions Professor creeps on someone who is brewing such a fastidious potion anyway? A ill-intentioned one, that's who.

"Is there any problem you want to share with us Miss Granger," Snape bit back turning his attention to the irate brunette who shared her desk with the unfortunate boy.

"No sir, I..." The Gryffindor princess started, but she lost track of what she was about to say the moment the Slytherin Head of House bend over her desk, his knuckles were chalk-white on his contracted fist that was now resting on the desk. Understanding washed over her before she composed her features in a stoic mask. With a rapid movement of her arm, she knocked over her on cauldron, spilling its lively orange contents all over the place.

"Miss Granger can't even the Gryffindor know-it-all make a simple potion without causing a complete meltdown in my classroom," he berated her straightening himself up.

"I'm sorry sir, I..."

"No more excuses, detention tomorrow night, nine pm."

"But..."

"Didn't I just say, no more excuses?"

"But sir."

"Out, all of you," as the students eyed him stunned instead of doing as instructed, he barked annoyed, "OUT I SAY!"

The entire class rushed to gather their belongings and hurry out, not a single one courageous enough to mention to their Professor the lesson should have lasted teen minutes more.

…...

The raven head dropped to the floor mere moments after onyx eyes shinned with bemusement at the extraordinary sight before them. After making sure his soul laid perfectly hidden beneath blankets of carefully weaved walls inside his mind, the sneaky wizard look up once again.

Black clashed with garnet as the Dark Lord seemingly pierced through Snape's mind defences and perused in a bored-like manner some random memories to see for himself how things were doing in the Order and inside Hogwarts. He left the mind of his follower as passively as he entered, the potions Master was sure he would feel the starts of a persistent migraine soon enough.

"My Lord, how can I be of service," Snape asked as he eyed the sleeping girl draped over Voldemort's lap, in a try to access the rather unusual situation. It wasn't that uncommon for Severus to end up in his knees in Voldemort's presence nor was it for the tyrant to look upon his prostate minions from above as he was comfortably seated in one of his throne-like armchairs that he so appreciated, no. None of those things had anything of new to the stoic wizard. What was... rum about that whole situation was the fact the more sadistic wizard he ever had the unpleasantness of making acquaintance with wasn't leisurely seated as he eyed him bored to death, but instead was carefully cradling the fainted witch to his chest in a vice-like grip, as if fearing she could somehow disappear from his hold. Snape's stomach knotted, what had happened to Diamond?

"Severus, stop dawdling and come forward," the Dark Lord snapped, "I am in need of your assistance. You will need to stabilise her and monitor her condition for me." Voldemort instructed the spy.

Severus brows rose to his hairline at such statement, apart from one or other question potion related the potions Master had to relent that the older wizard was more knowledgeable and powerful than him and thus most capable to care for the girl. Voldemort had already entrust him of healing her before, but back then he hadn't been around the recovering girl all that much, leaving shortly after he listen to Severus report on her status. His eyes landed briefly on Voldemort's tense stance as he started flicking and waving his wand over the sleeping Gryffindor to discover what was ailing her so, before turning his full attention to the young girl. Voldemort wasn't going anywhere any time soon, he was sure of that, so why had he summoned him in the middle of the day, when he knew he would be giving classes? The answer to his questions came in the form of the result of one of his scanner spells as a wispy flimsy silvery string appeared briefly linking Voldemort's darkish purple magic core to Diamond's shinning gold one. In a fraction of second, his control slipped and his eyes bulged before he regained his composure and resumed his work, he had recognised the spell linking both of them, it was a lightly dark spell that was able to bound two beings for some amount of time, but it needed the complete concentration from its caster to be maintained. The curse had fall into disuse a long time ago, new and better curses taking its place. Checking the rest of the spells results he understood Voldemort reasoning for using such spell in the first place, Merlin all mighty she should be dead! If Voldemort hadn't used it Dumbledore's daughter would be no more. That explained Voldemort's need for his services, if he wanted to maintain the bound he couldn't heal the girl himself, but such fact did nothing to diminish his astonishment with the situation. He knew Voldemort wasn't taking any kind of risks in using such spell, physically or magically, but still, to think he had come to such lengths to keep the girl alive. The worried wizard stifled a shudder and, not for the first time, he feared the growing attraction Voldemort showed towards the girl. Deciding to share his fears with her father as soon as he set foot in Hogwarts, he started nursing the girl back to health.

…...

As soon as the massive oak door closed shut the Golden Trio materialised on the empty circular staircase. "From all of your ideas this had to be the most stupid of them all," the brunette told the two boys surly as she crossed her arms over her chest.

Harry tucked his invisibility cloak inside his robe before ducking beside his ginger head friend and start helping him untangle the little skin-coloured tendrils, "I know Hermione, but..," the raven hair boy's shoulders slumped, he stop in his work and raised pleading eyes to the witch who had stood by him so many times before, the witch he knew had saved his reckless life so many times now. "I need something, anything, to keep me from despairing Hermione. I know, although my actions being completely irrational, you can understand me."

The Gryffindor Prefect glanced at the blue eyed wizard beside him and, after biting her lower lip, sighed, "oh okay then," she told exasperated as she untangled the extendable ears with a simple flick of her wand, "but this will prove to be just a loss of time. As if the Headmaster wouldn't have placed wards to prevent any eavesdropping," she mumbled begrudgingly. She was sure they wouldn't be able to discover anything new and would probably end up being caught.

Severus had slumped in the armchair as soon as Dumbledore told him to sit, he massaged the bridge of his nose trying to relieve himself from the killing migraine Voldemort's 'soft' perusal had caused him. The double-spy grimaced as soon as his eyes landed in the nearest reflecting surface, he looked like dragon shit and felt like it too.

"What was so important it couldn't wait until morning Severus," the Headmaster's raspy voice sounded from the desk in front of him.

Irk raised inside him and his head turned to the elderly wizard with lightning speed, but it disappeared as fast as it had appeared the moment he laid eyes on what should be Dumbledore's prone figure. His silver hair and beard were dishevelled, his wrinkled features that had always conferred him a somewhat wise appearance seemed now to only accentuated his age further and even the twinkle in his eyes seemed to have somehow disappeared from those ancient portals, the great Albus Dumbledore seemed tired. Snape realised then, that he wasn't the only one using masks to hide the pain inside. Dumbledore was suffering. He pondered if he should relay all he had learn from his last summoning, perhaps telling the old wizard what he feared Voldemort could end up doing to his daughter wasn't the best option. Bollocks!He couldn't possibly keep any information from him, nor only that could endanger all their plans, as also, he would perceive his intentions. He was a leggilimens as good as Voldemort, and even trusting him, he wouldn't blink an eye before breaking through his barriers and finding the truth and, contrary to Voldemort, he would find it because he had something not even the Dark Lord himself possessed, the key to his soul.

"I can't believe it," the Gryffindor Princess said astounded.

"Shush Mione," Ron chided, "or they will caught us red handed.

Hermione pouted at her boyfriend's scolding, but shut up nevertheless. He was right anyway, they needed to stay quiet if they didn't want to be discovered, but she couldn't stop herself from feeling a bit disappointed by the Headmaster. Four a couple of teenager students to be able to eavesdrop so easily, it made her somehow doubt the elder wizard's power. He had seem so omnipotent to her, she felt somehow betrayed. Sure, they had used the Marauders Map to know of Snape's return and had used Harry's invisibility cloak to be able to follow him to the Headmaster's office without the password, but still, to be able to hear a conversation that was supposedly top secret with a simple invention as was the extendable ears. Perhaps the Headmaster was too trusty to put heavier security around his office convinced the castle wards were enough to keep fiends at bay, but, if so, the brunette feared for Serena's father's sake, for she knew their adversaries where already among them. She leaned on Ron's shoulder, approaching her head to his as curiosity rose in her mind. She wanted to know what had been so important for Voldemort to summon their Professor in the middle of a school day.

"Your daughter."

Those simple two words made the tired wizard fix his worried stare on the Potion Master, "what transpired Severus, is she okay, is she alright?"

Snape sighed, "she is, for now," he informed the Headmaster sharply.

"What was that supposed to mean Severus," the Gryffindor asked annoyed by the other wizard's short reply as he raised from his armchair and started pacing back and forth nervously, "just spill it out already."

"It seems she had tried to escape again and end up nearly killing herself in the process."

Dumbledore shook his head, a bitter smile playing in his lips, "she always was impossible to dissuade after she took a decision. I assume she is alright now." Albus inquired glancing at the perplexed wizard seated in front of him.

"Indeed she is, but I fear for her safety Albus."

"How so my boy," the Headmaster questioned.

"He-who-must-not-be-named..."

"Voldemort," Dumbledore paid little importance to the shudder rippling through his Professor frame, "what of him, for what you have said to me before, he means her no real harm; he wants to turn her to his side. As useless as it may be," he mumbled hid last words.

"I fear his growing obsession towards her, I never ever had saw him even remotely interested about somehow 'in that way' before. Heck before I seen him interact with her I would bet my sac as his soul wasn't the only thing he never used." Glad I never got to bet it though, he thought darkly. "I know he want for her to turn by her own free will and that any wrong from his part could severely endanger that, but by what I saw today.. I fear he won't control himself for long. He has other means to turn her if he wishes.

Dumbledore took a seat in the armchair next to Snape gloom presence, "is she been held in his quarters still?" Dumbledore asked, not looking to the grim wizard beside him.

"Yes," he responded dejectedly.

Albus closed his eyes, "I cannot do anything," he said defeated.

Snap jolted off his armchair, his robes twirling around him as he turned to the wizard he had come to respect, "WHAT, you can't be serious," he said incredulously.

"Severus I... we don't have any way of knowing what would be expecting us, no precise plans of the structure or adjacent area and, even if by some unlikely chance we managed to overcome all that with minimal losses, we would never be able to break down his wards fast enough to escape before the arrival of reinforcements. It would be a lost battle before it even started." The ancient wizard raised his hand before the Slytherin could reply. "No Severus, I know the Order members wouldn't deny their help, but I cannot in clean conscience, send them all to their deaths."

"And what you call it when they will do the same for your Golden boy," Snape asked furious.

"They will do it for Harry yes, but also for their families and their future."

Snape acid remark died in his lips as soon as he noted the droplets flowing down Dumbledore's aged face.

"Very well then as you wish Headmaster. I better return to my rooms then."

"Use my fireplace instead of walking all the way to the dungeons; you look exhausted you should rest."

Severus raised a brow at the old wizard, but preferred not to comment about hid odd behaviour, it was truth, he was tired, "if you insist." He took a pinch of floo powder and throwing it in the fireplace saying, "Slytherin Head of House quarters before steeping into the green flames.

Turning his head to the entrance to his office he saw as the skin-coloured tendril escaped through the small space beneath it. That presence through-out all his conversation with Severus hadn't passed unnoticed to him, in fact, haven't been for his light camouflaging spell he was sure the spy would had caught up the teens eavesdropping on them. And if not for his little 'suggestion', the small group wouldn't have been able to hide themselves fast enough to be off the hook either.

So the time had arrived already, he didn't know if he should be happy or not.

"Harry calm down," Hermione admonished her friend the moment Harry took off his cloak, the Gryffindor common room laid silent around them.

"Calm down, CALM DOWN, Hermione did you heard what Snape just say.

"Harry I know, but..."

"NO, no more buts we go ahead with our plans tomorrow. We only have a couple of days before the end of school year and I WILL NOT leave with Serena still in his hands was I clear."

"Harry, I just didn't want us to be caught because of your ranting. We better get some rest before we leave in the morning."

"Yeah mate, we're with you all the way."