"Professor?"
Potter's voice made Severus recoil. His eyes twinkled as he looked at the desolate lands around him. The white picketed fence that was half broken last time he was here, was now a track of white powdery dust. The stones that Severus was thrown across were now pulverized and the gravel path was nowhere to be seen. The only thing that remained untouched was the blood stains. The girl's whose throat was slit open, a little ways off Garret's and somewhere in the back was his own blood. The only one he didn't care about.
He took a few wobbly steps towards the dried pool of blood that belonged to the girl. He knelt and when his fingertips touched the sticky surface his forearm muscles tensed.
"So this is the crime scene." Potter said.
Snape's nod was barely seen.
"Those are the only traces that were spared from the eruption you caused?" Potter came over and knelt next to him.
"Yes." He said dryly.
Harry signaled towards his Aurors and two of them came over in order to take samples from the blood and the ground around it. "Did you see where the hooded man go?"
Severus' eyes lifted up and he gazed at the desolate land around him. "No."
Harry pressed his lips and averted his eyes.
Severus felt the demanding silence around him. He looked at Harry above his shoulder. "I…I was wounded…"
"No need to excuse yourself Sir. We all saw the condition you were in when you returned." Harry made an effort to smile.
"Does he look like he is in a better condition now?" Oliver Kirke, the last Keeper crossed his arms irritably.
"No one needs your disruptive opinion Mister Kirke." Severus pushed himself up with noticeable difficulty. He almost lost his balance. Oliver tried to steady him, but one austere gaze from the Professor's hard eyes was enough to stop him.
Harry exchanged a careful look with one of his Aurors and then turned to Snape. "There are no footprints left around. No other kind of magical traces that we can see. Is there any way to find where he went?"
"I hope there is." Severus forced himself to remove his eyes from Garett's blood and straightened himself. The dizziness that swirled in his head was a slight nuisance when compared to the excruciating pain that came from his shoulder. He cradled his arm close to his body and frowned towards the horizon.
Oliver looked at his boss. "I know what you are thinking Professor. You are in no condition to activate such intricate magic. Especially since you are already using your Eleventh Key for the protection of the whole group. Let me try."
"Try what?" Potter scowled.
Oliver pulled out a silver Potions bottle and lifted it up. "Lucid Trail. Vision enhancement Potion. It shows any imprints that are too tricky to trace with a naked eye or with plain spells."
"Why cannot try it? You can guide me." Harry's face lit up.
"This is the wrong time to experiment Mister Potter, either with your obvious incompetence inside this environment or Mister Kirke's little to no experience with this potion." Severus scowled sternly.
Oliver pressed his lips and averted his eyes from Snape. He turned to Harry. "He is right. This Potion works only with Wizards who already have potent vision of the veiled Magical World around us. The Professor has an inner Eye that is uniquely powerful. A mystic ability to see that which none of us can, inside other people's minds and also all around us. The Potion may make me see some of those hidden elements. The same Potion will make the Professor see all." Oliver said quietly.
"His exceptional ability in Occlumency?" Harry frowned.
"More like Legilimency." –Oliver tilted his head- "His Inner Eye enhances his ability to navigate the Underworld so well. He can see the danger before it comes. He can feel it waking up ….if I am making any sense to you. None of the other Keepers are able to do that."
Harry turned to the Professor who was observing the skyline. "He is barely able to stand. Will he be able to do it?"
Oliver's lips turned down and he looked at the bottle just as it got magically snatched out of his hand. It reappeared in Severus' gloved palm. He took the stopper off and a crimson mist cascaded from the sides.
"Severus your health is already burdened…" Oliver warned.
The potion was already gone. Severus closed his eyes and tightened his fingers around the bottle. The heat that filled his throat quickly transformed into a bitterness that made him gag. Then a burning wave spread from his throat, down to his chest, then stomach and ended up in his loins. So warm it was that he felt as if his bladder had just let go. He resisted the urge to look, for he had taken this brew before. He knew the side-effects and that heat was only the beginning.
The anguish that tore every cell in his body apart made him hiss. He grumbled incoherently and wrapped his free arm around his stomach. The bottle fell next to his boot and he counted inwards as the Potion rushed through his veins, making them clearly visible under his skin. Transforming his face into a nightmarish mask for a few moments before the pain slowly withdrew its claws from him.
He inhaled deeply and opened his eyes.
It never failed to surprise him…how vivid the world was after taking this concoction. He could always see the threads of people's thoughts and where they led…to whom they were directed…their intensity. He could perceive their auras and the strength of their energies. Some days his visions became overwhelming and the he withdrew from a world that was too vibrant…too busy…bustling with myriads of colorful threads asking for his attention.
Some of his coworkers in Hogwarts knew of his extraordinary abilities. Dumbledore, Hagrid and –surprisingly- Trelawney who one day informed him that she knew how painful it was to see all.
Trelawney though didn't understand everything that was going on in his mind. He couldn't only see people's thoughts, he couldn't just read their minds without using any spells. He could also see emotional and physical threads. Causes and intents from one to the other. Millions of threads mingling and creating complicated webs of intrigue. If he allowed his inner Eye to run rampart he could go crazy. Dumbledore recognized when things became too hard for Severus. He would isolate himself for days on end and he would be especially snappish towards his students.
Dumbledore, despite how brilliant he was, was not residing in Severus' head though. He couldn't understand how hectic a combined class of Gryffindor and Slytherin could be with all those hormonal threads running rampart alongside angry thoughts, aggressive intents and even sexual pulls overflowing the classrooms.
However Severus was able to control his inner Eye most of the time and allowed it to be used only when it was useful for his work. Like it was needed right now.
With this Potion his already maddening ability to see the world teeming with threads of all kinds, became even more astute. This brew was able to drive him mad, but it was the only thing that would enable him to catch any trails he had already missed in this weakened condition. He couldn't fail again…he wouldn't fail again.
Two people died because of him down there and he wasn't able to rest until he found out why….just why…would anyone bring a Muggleborn in this hell. How that hooded figure was so adept in Wand combat that he killed Garret, a very experience keeper, with a single curse. So much was he riddled in guilt that he couldn't see anything else in front of him. Neither the serious condition of his health nor the concern of those he left behind.
Inside this world there was usually one single thread that went on forever. A pulsating blackness that led under the ground and straight into the sky. However today it was different. Between the thick blackness that moved sluggishly upon the ground was the fading traces of the girl's burgundy life force, lingering like a misty vapor above the pool of her blood. Garret's life force was more vibrant somehow. As if his soul was trying to cling onto something in order to come back to them. Severus walked towards Garret's vapory traces and his veins pulsated visibly under his skin.
He reached out and when his fingers twisted around the bright yellow threads he felt Garret's heartbeat throbbing under his palm. His eyes burned and his throat tightened against a sudden surge of desperation.
There next to this vibrant cord was another, which was almost invisible. As if tries had been made to erase it. It was thin and dull …a wishy-washy thread tarnished with brownish spots. It lead away towards the North…close to the borders with the Sixth Level, which hid behind the mountains of destiny.
He reached out and inside his mind he wrapped his fingers around the thread. Instantly the whole group disappeared with a whooshing sound, leaving behind it a trail of dust. They reappeared where the thread led him and the first one who talked was one of Harry's Aurors.
"I don't appreciate being force-apparated."
"Silence Abbott." –Harry scowled and turned to Snape who was doubling over in agony- "Professor are you alright?"
Severus pushed away Kirke who was trying to engage his elbow. "No…let me go." He spat.
Kirke frowned listen. "Master you don't look good." He gazed worriedly at the veins on Snape's face which were etched under an almost translucent skin.
Severus knew he looked like death, because he felt like it also. His shoulder wound was plain torture, his head was swirling and he was riddled with tremors. "Now silence all of you. We don't want to wake up the Darkness." He said with a wavering breath.
No one spoke, but no one moved either. Severus understood why…since no one could see what he could. The vague shape of the old building was only seen by him. The corners between the walls and the edges of the doors and broken windows were laminated a little brighter than the rest of the ruins. The deadly thread that killed his comrade was getting lost behind these obscure walls.
"What is he doing?" Auror Fletcher asked.
"He is seeing that which we cannot." Kirke rejoined dryly.
"Professor?" Harry came over quietly.
Severus closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. Then he directed a very intricate and difficult spell towards the hidden church. Instantly the building lit up with his blinding blue force and the veil disappeared, allowing everyone to see it.
"What in the name of Merlin?" Auror Abbott murmured and walked towards the crumbled entrance.
"Was that here all along?" Harry asked and followed foot.
Severus doubled down in agony.
"You found the missing thread, didn't you?" Kirke asked quietly and engaged his arm, pulling him up.
Severus nodded. "Yes. It is getting lost in there. Between the ruins."
"I thought the Underworld didn't have any buildings in it. "Harry passed under the tall archway and looked around him mystified.
"They are ghost buildings, left here by Dark Wizards who tried to inhabit this accursed land in the past. They are nothing more than well-hidden skeletons." Severus took a trembling step forth.
Kirke helped him. "Master, can you do it?"
Severus looked at Kirke and shook his head. "I am fine."
"We can return tomorrow. Now that you found the thread we won't be able to lose it. Potter will be more than willing to come down here and investigate with me. You need to leave…you look awful." Kirke looked at Severus' face that was drenched in sweat.
Severus' jawline tensed and he pushed Kirke away. "There is no tomorrow…We will do this now." His voice was decisive, but his steps towards the entrance were unstable.
Harry turned to the Professor as the later entered the ruins. "The trails you saw led you here?"
Severus nodded and grasped the back of a pew in order to hold himself up. The charred floor crumbled under his heavy boots. "Yes" He whispered and walked past Harry.
He squinted towards the distance that could be seen behind the ruined walls of the church. The tall mountain range that hid behind it all the wicked despair of the Sixth Level was towering over these lands. The Sixth Level…the world which made even the Keepers jitter in fear. Had you been cursed to enter that world, you should tread with care, be silent…try to be invisible. No wizard was powerful enough to fiddle with the Sixth Level. There slept the worst nightmares of mankind and no one wished to awaken them.
"Is the trace going any further, or does it remain inside this church?" Harry interrupted his thoughts.
Severus inhaled deeply and with one last look towards the black sky he followed the thread with shaking legs. He pushed the burnt seats aside and navigated with difficulty as his head became heavier by the minute. When he passed the main body of the church and reached the chancel he felt his body failing once more. A strong shudder made his knees weak and he would have collapsed hadn't it been for Potter's strong hands keeping him aloft. He turned and looked at the young man. He tilted his head. "Thank you."
Harry smiled. "I am here Professor. Don't worry. However you don't look good. Hermione was right. I shouldn't have brought you down here."
"I would have come down here with or without your assistance." Severus frowned.
Harry pressed his lips. "I know. Let me help you. Show me where the trail leads."
Severus pointed towards the sanctuary and Harry led him there slowly. With each step his breath was becoming more strained and his balance even more precarious. They both stepped behind the altar and looked at the floor. "It stops here." The Professor frowned.
"There is nothing here." Harry scowled towards the wooden floorboards.
"And yet it stops here." Severus rejoined and looked around him. He shook his head in order to clear the haziness in his eyes and another tremble overpowered his body.
Harry kneeled and outlined the floorboards with his fingers. "I don't see anything underneath."
"We are missing something." Severus murmured and looked around.
"Come help me!" Harry commanded and his four companions came over and started mapping out every crevice around the altar.
Severus took a step back and leaned against the wall. His chest was constricting, not allowing him to draw enough air. The dizziness worsened.
Harry pulled out his wand and cast several tracing spells around the altar, but no hidden lines were activated. "Does your Inner Eye see anything?" He turned to the Professor.
Severus pursed his lips and shook his head. "No…there is nothing there. Just the void."
Harry concentrated back in his work and Kirke joined him.
Severus started hearing the rushing of blood in his ears. He frowned perplexed and turned towards the Mountain Range that led to the Sixth Level. He grasped the edge of a ruined casing and felt his knees unlocking. His inhalation was long and his exhalation seemed endless.
Voices were calling out his name. Was it Potter or Kirke? He didn't have the strength to answer. His eyes met with the horizon and above the Mountain Range a sudden hazy flash tricked his eyes into seeing something that couldn't possibly be there. A huge column of dark clouds seemed to be rising from the North…reaching up to the sky as far as the eyes could see. A groan of pain escaped him and he grasped his chest tightly.
"Professor are you alright?!" Kirke's cry was coming from far away.
Severus shook his head and with one last desolate look towards the North he felt his legs giving way. With a pang of grief he abandoned himself to oblivion.
-.-
"I knew this was going to happen."
He tried to open his eyes, but even that felt excruciating.
"Hermione you don't understand. He was going down there with or without me. There was no one else able to show us the crime scene and it was important that we didn't lose any time. A moment lost, could mean another life lost." Harry replied steadily.
"Harry you accompanied a heavily wounded man inside a very dangerous world. Everything else that is coming out of your mouth is just noise." Came the heavy retort.
"You do understand the Professor is not a simple witness, right? He is the only one able to control the Underworld! The only one able to find out who killed the girl you saved." Harry rebuked with a frown.
"That was low." Hermione rejoined coldly.
"Enough Mister Potter." -Severus intervened with a hushed voice- "Anyone who thinks they can control the Underworld, is a fool."
"Welcome back Professor. You gave us quite a scare." Madame Miriam smiled.
A cool hand touched his burning brow and he sighed. "What happened?"
"You fainted at the church as we were searching for a trap door." -Harry said quietly- "How do you feel?"
Severus tried to move his arms, but they were too heavy. Also he couldn't open his eyes and his tongue felt dry as dust. "I've had better days."
He expected her to speak to him, but she didn't. He could smell her scent. A mix of chrysanthemums and vanilla. Was it her hand on his brow? Her silence felt so overwhelming at that moment.
"Did I say anything before I passed out?" Severus' hand traced the end of the bed, searching for something…anything to hold onto.
Harry frowned "Something about a column of black clouds coming from the North …"
Severus made another effort with his eyelids, which opened slightly. He saw several blurry figures looming above him. Hers felt the most intense. He swallowed heavily. "Go with Kirke to the church again. He knows the location now. Check the ground under the altar. We are missing something." His voice was barely heard. Even the effort of speaking was making him gasp for breath.
"Are you giving me control of the only Keeper still in action?" Harry scowled.
"Temporarily, of course." Severus rejoined sternly. His eyes were trying to discern Hermione's features but couldn't. She was standing above him with her arms crossed, having removed her palm from his brow. Painfully silent. This was his punishment, wasn't it?
Harry pressed his lips thoughtfully. "Thank you for the vote of trust Professor. I will do so immediately."
"Let him rest for a day. He needs to rest before he goes back. I cannot lose him too." Severus made to lift his hand, but it fell back in the bed empty and weak. He winced.
"I am honored by the trust you are showing me." Harry said solemnly.
Severus shook his head. "Go Mister Potter…"
"At your orders Sir." Harry bowed and with a long hard look towards Hermione's seething eyes, he left.
Miriam leaned over. "Professor you gave us quite a scare. You need to rest as much as possible in order to recuperate. However I don't worry since you are under the care of the most competent Healer of the Magical World. Therefore I think my presence here is not needed at this moment. Rest for a while and I shall check on you later."
Severus turned his hazy eyes to Hermione. The shadows he saw coming from her were too thick.
"Hermione dear, you know what to do." Miriam said.
She nodded mutely and the older Healer closed the door behind her. Then silence fell like the heaviest blanket in the room. He averted his eyes, riddled by guilt. He knew he had been on the wrong. He left her behind with a coldness she didn't deserve. On one hand he wished for a moment of peace in order to compose himself mentally and emotionally. On the other he knew she didn't warrant this kind of distance from him.
However the pain he felt not only on his body, but also inside his very soul was too much to stomach. Whenever he closed his eyes, the eyes of the dead girl opened up inside his mind, haunting him. Whenever he closed his ears to the world, the painful words of Conroy's son came to undo him. He felt bend out of shape, wounded in body and pride, but mostly riddled with guilt for losing more people he cared about. Failing them, like he failed so many before them.
This was not the first time he was fighting with these inner ghouls. They had been consuming his very existence for ages. Yet he was dealing with them alone, secluded from the world. Now Hermione was there next to him. Demanding, strong and overpowering….making go haywire. She wasn't supposed to find him interesting enough to stick around, never mind look at him so deeply. No one was supposed to be giving him such burning attention. He had such violent emotions bottled up and this girl seemed so unafraid of them.
She was willing to make him face his inner demons, like she did inside that office. Making him lose all control. He hated what she did to him, but he also loved it. So much that it felt improper even thinking about repeating it. He shouldn't be craving to channel his inner demons through her or demand her intimacy in order to pacify his ghouls. He wished to be left alone…not endure her challenging stare.
It was easier to be alone…
He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes. "Before you start accusing me of irresponsibility and stubbornness, know that I am not in the mood to get into such a conversation." That was frigid enough to send her waltzing out of the door, wasn't it?
He didn't hear anything and his eyelids opened up slightly. She was still there.
Instead of leaving, she took a step closer and her flowery scent made his stomach burst with tension, even though his body felt defeated. Her palm covered his brow again and he sighed in relief. Relief because it felt so beautifully cool or because she didn't leave? He didn't know.
"You are burning up Severus. A hundred and four." Her voice was calm.
A shiver rushed up his spine and he closed his eyes silently. His skin felt so painful to her touch.
"We are feeding you medicinal Potions intravenously…They are quicker to react with your fever."
"My shoulder wound…." He tried to touch it, but groaned in pain.
She cupped his hand and brought it down gently. "It is clean…I have deactivated the Dark Magic that was flowing in your veins."
He scowled and opened his eyes. This time he saw her face clearly. It was lingering so close to him. "How?" He murmured overcome.
Her fingers touched his cheek softly. "You were too weak. I was able to force-activate your Eleventh Key. It worked beautifully with my Potion."
He smiled.
"A little bit of studying can go a long way." She said quietly.
Severus felt his lips curling up. "Brilliant as always." He whispered.
"Grant me points then." She said.
I faded smile formed on his pale lips.
"Had you listened to me before, none of this would have happened." Her well-formed brows met.
"Had I listened to you before I wouldn't have found the killer's trail. I needed my strength to do this Hermione. I couldn't waste it…."
She stopped him. "…on my Potion. You told me."
He closed his eyes with a hiss of pain.
Her fingers tightened around his.
"I didn't mean to worry you." He tried to sound soft.
"Of course you didn't. I'd never worry about you. I actually don't care about you at all." She scoffed, but her fingers slid between his smoothly.
"Me neither." He exhaled.
"I know." Her voice was more serious than he wished.
He hesitated. "The last thing I ever wished was for you to be entangled in my mess Hermione." This time he sounded genially regretful.
"Oh, I know….that was the last thing I wanted too. However as luck would have it, you got entangled in my mess first. So now it's my turn." She raised her brow, but he didn't see it.
He made an attempt to press her hand, but failed. "I …" He was unable to finish his thought.
"You need to sleep Professor…right now the only thing you need to do is sleep. Let everything else happen another day. Alright?" Her voice came from afar, but he still felt her touch comforting upon his brow.
He nodded softly and hoped she wouldn't let go of his hand, as his eyes closed heavily, allowing a heavy sleep to pull him in.
