Title: Minnaloushe part 10

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Same as before.

I've never really tried to do much that was angsty, so I'm kind of new at this stuff. I hope
it doesn't come off as too melodramatic or anything.

Snape joined the circle of dark, featureless figures. They were at the graveyard again.
He hated the graveyard; it always seemed ten degrees colder there. He was the last of the
death eaters to arrive, which was not unusual, being that he was the only one that had to
navigate past apparition wards. He took his place without comment and waited for something
to happen. It wasn't a long wait.

Voldemort entered the circle with smooth, predatory strides. Everything about the dark
lord, from his swaying head which swept from left to right, taking in every detail, to his
piercing eyes which pinned each death eater to their spot, screamed hunter. Snape recognized
this side of Voldemort. This was dangerous. Someone would get hurt tonight.
"Lucius, what happened during the attack last night?" The question sounded casual
enough, but Snape knew what had happened. It was in the Daily Prophet. A potentially
devastating attack by death eaters had been prevented. Two death eaters were caught and
no one was hurt. Snape had wondered who was in charge of such a poorly planned attack.
Now he knew. Malfoy, sensing the danger he was in, made no attempt to excuse himself. It
would only make things worse, and they all knew it.

"We failed you...I failed you my lord." He bowed his head reverently and waited for the
inevitable. Voldemort smiled playfully before hissing "Crucio!"

Malfoy dropped to the ground, wailing and whimpering in pain. It was really quite pathetic,
Snape thought. He understood Malfoy's reaction. Once under the cruciatus curse there was
no more reason; no logic or pride. There was only pain. No one could be held accountable
for their retched display once cursed. The screaming and writhing were merely reflexive
reactions to the pain.

As a young death eater though, Snape had quickly learned that the pain was not the worst
part of the cruciatus curse. It was the humiliating memory burned into the minds of every person
that saw. They would remember you helpless as a child crying for it's mother. They would
remember it long after the pain went away. That was the real curse.

Voldemort soon grew tired of tormenting Malfoy, and moved on to the next death eater.
One by one he passed judgment on his faithful followers and one by one they accepted their
punishment without pleading. The still standing circle of death eaters stood with expressions
of feigned indifference as they watched their fallen comrades. Snape knew better. He knew
what they were all feeling. It was the same absolute terror that he was feeling. When will it
be my turn?> They all thought.

There were only six men left standing when Voldemort turned to Snape. It's time.> He
thought as he tried desperately to keep his face neutral. He didn't know what he could have
done to displease Voldemort, but that was hardly important.

"Severus, my old friend. How have you been at Hogwarts?"

Snape didn't quite know how to answer this question. He certainly wasn't expecting it.
"Fine, my lord." It seemed a safe, noncommittal answer.

"Good, good. Because you see, Severus, I was worried." Snape could hear the cruelty
in his voice. What kind of game was he playing this time? He pulled out a stack of small
scrolls. Snape recognized them as the communications that he had been sending regularly
to Voldemort.

The dark lord began to read aloud from the scrolls. "October 15th: Nothing to report.
October 27th: Dumbledore met with Ministry. No details were released. November 9th:
Nothing to report. November 15th: Met with Dumbledore. Discussed apparition ward.
Apparition ward still in place. November 23rd: Nothing to report. Nothing to report.
NOTHING TO REPORT!"

The stack of scrolls were thrown at Snape with great force, but they burst into flame
before they could reach him. "Since October you have been spying on me, yet you still
have NOTHING TO REPORT! Have you anything to say for yourself, Severus?"

"I failed you my lord." The response was dull and mechanical.

Voldemort smiled lazily. "Crucio!"