Chapter 125: A Daunting Task
{A/N: Here's Another Update...}
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("And I've bundled up all these fears inside...And I've bottled up all of this pain...And no one or nothing can take this away...But I won't let it happen again...Never again...Maybe I'm just crazy or the devil got inside...But either way my soul is gone,...And I'll end this all tonight...The one hand throws the whiskey,And the other throws the gun...As he cries out to the heavens...I am not my father's son..."} Father's Son,3 Doors Down
Outskirts Of The Prince Estate, Unknown Location, Unknown World...
Icy wind chilled the already weakened Potions Professor's bones as he stood before the large black door that lead to the entrance of The Gauntlet chambers located at the Prince Family Crypt. He looked down at the ring his wayward mother had worn most of his life noting the design and the markings. It had not been a bad piece of jewlery close up, more functional than he remembered. Eileen had been quite protective of it as memory had dictated but only now did the rather disgruntled Snape realize that it was in a bid to keep Abraxas locked away. Snape had not particularly liked dealing with Tobias and his drunken tirades. What little he saw of an embittered Abraxas had been even less appealing in terms of memory but making Eileen pay for her twisted crimes against him and his family had been at the forefront of his mind. She had taken it upon herself to endanger his wife and children simply due to their association with him and that he could not allow to stand. She had crossed a line invading his mind and locking away his reason as she had his father all those years ago.
Lucius for his part, had been livid and it was quite understandable given what he endured after losing his mother at a young age and then finally his father at Eileen's hands.
Having noted the detail in the contraption, he had a brief recollection of Eileen's memory.
She had placed the ring in the center of her palm and let the design cut into her hand before drawing a few drops of blood powering the enchantment on the ring. It had been enough to activate the door and awaken the guardians for an audiance at least. The Gauntlet would come next and quite possibly certian death that the hands of the former members of the Prince line.
Snape briefly reflected on how close he had come to losing Hermione and immediately proceeded to follow his mother's mental instuction. He had been none too pleased about the flesh of his palm being sliced but stood firm despite his previous injuries.
As it had in the memory, the ring began to glow and hum with a sense of magic as the massive black door seemed to respond, shifting and clicking in the wake of activation.
Snape studied it for a few moments before taking note of two large gargoyles shifting from their stone perches to face him. The black door began to glow as a beam of white hot light pulsed from the ring and aimed at the door's center slot.
It had been quite a sight as the door continued to shift before sliding out of view and a clear path had been exposed through the darkness of the newly opened crypt. It was apparent that his blood had indeed been of the Prince family line despite his lack of upbringing within the wizarding world.
Snape took his time as he entered the darkened doorway, his keen eyes making note of the two traps that had been set for anyone whom had entered unannounced.
"Welcome, young Severus." said a voice behind him.
Snape found himself face to face with a stone figure with similar features to himself.
"Potions Master of Hogwarts, and son of Eileen and a Malfoy." said the figure with something of a wicked smirk filed across it's stone face. "You are indeed of the Prince blood...but you are by no means worthy to enter our sacred crypt."
Snape had only moments to react before he found himself dodging a stone sword that cut through one of the walls like a hot knife through butter.
The sudden impact seemed to disturb another stone figure that awakened on the outskirts of the crypt.
It had not taken the Potions Master long to figure that Eileen had laid quite the trap for him.
Despite his lack of awareness before hand, Snape managed to avoid a second attack forgoing the pain from his previous condition in favor of self preservation.
"We've been waiting for you." hissed the second stone figure in the shape of a man of refined wealthy and taste.
Thinking quickly, Snape once more dodged another attack via the figures with swords slipping barely to the side as they ran into each other before summoning a sword of his own.
"If it's a fight you want." he said staring them down. "It's a fight you'll get."
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Moments Later...
Lucius Malfoy had arrived shortly after Severus Snape had gotten the crypt open with Hermione Granger having tagged along. She had been frantic in her search for her ailing husband knowing how weak the venom had left him and worried for just how determined he had been to find this place.
"Any sign of him?" asked Lucius struggling to keep his eyes open in the wake of the ocean spray that hit them.
"No." replied Hermione as she began to survey the area. "He must be further down."
Lucius had feared as much as they found themselves moving toward the stone figures after catching a glimpse of an opened doorway.
"He's got to be here somewhere." said the Senior Malfoy in annoyance.
Hermione quickly noted the signs of struggle left behind after her husband's encounter with the stone figures.
Piles of stone cut in rather large chunks resembling parts of a human body had been all she could see along with a trail of blood and foot prints, heavily dragged in the direction of the opened doorway.
"Perhaps he's already gone inside." she insisted rushing toward the door with Lucius not far behind, he pulled her out of harms way in the niche of time as a stone blade nearly sliced her in half before coming into contact with a certian silver serpent cane.
Hermione had been startled by the sight of one stone figure with it's arm cut to pieces on the ground and it's legs for stone stumps.
"What...what is that?" she asked terrified to look upon the strange creature.
"Guardian stones." replied Lucius with a determined look behind his silvery gray eyes. "Meant more to keep something in than to keep something out."
"You're father?" asked Hermione understanding why Severus had chosen this place.
"It looks that way." replied Lucius before swiftly making short work of the figure that had been before them with a quick flick of his wand.
The cripped figure had been obliterated into dust before them as they made up their minds to press on, coming to the conclusion that Severus Snape had done the same.
