1 Chapter 13 – Snape's Disappearance
11 O'clock took ages to arrive. When it did come and Karen was ready to confess all to Snape. The castle was deserted as she made her way down to Snape's dungeons.
She knocked on the door of his office and it opened slightly. She pushed the door a little and stuck her head round the corner.
'Hello?' She said. Then she opened the door fully. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. She stood silently in shock. There were books scattered, upturned cauldrons and bottles smashed with their contents all over the floor. But Snape was nowhere to be seen. It looked like he'd been in a massive fight. She probably should have gone and alerted Dumbledore but not thinking straight she rushed out of the room and out of the dungeons. In a panic she looked sharply around for any sort of clues to help her solve Snape's disappearance. Finding nothing she stood still then suddenly she felt a breeze pass over her. She turned the corner and the huge front doors to Hogwarts were open. Without thinking she rushed out and down towards the Forbidden Forest. It was raining heavily. Karen sprinted across the open grounds, getting soaked she looked into the forest; it was impossible to see anything, as the trees were so dense. She slowed and came to a stop at the edge of the trees. She looked and listened for any sounds coming from inside the forest, hearing nothing but the rain she edged forwards. Suddenly what little of the forest she could see, disappeared. Someone had their hand over her face, then an arm came across her chest and she found herself being dragged through the forest. Her shouts were muffled and her wriggling restrained. After a few minutes she came to a stop and could hear a fire crackling. Her hands were pulled behind her back and she felt them being tied, the hand blocking her vision was removed. In front of her was a frightening scene. She was in a clearing in the forest and was part of a circle of people all dressed in black robes to the floor with their hoods up so their faces were hidden. She could only imagine these were Death-Eaters. In the middle of the circle was the fire. The trees formed a canopy above them so the rain didn't extinguish the fire. Everyone was silent then Karen heard a muffled noise and glimpsed someone struggling,
'Severus!' She screamed and tried to lunge forward to him but she was pulled back.
Snape was being held by one of death-eaters. There was a piece of black material tied across his mouth so he couldn't speak. 'What the hell is going on?!' Karen yelled. She looked around for an answer, but everyone remained silent. This silence lasted for quite some time. Karen and Snape exchanged nervous glances when two of the death-eaters who were standing side by side parted. All the death-eaters turned and faced the gap they had made and all bowed their heads. Into the circle walked a tall figure, face hidden and dressed the same as the others except with blood red trimmings on the black robes. Karen could only assume that this was the dreaded Lord Voldemort. Behind him walked a smaller death-eater who joined the circle making it complete again. Voldemort stood next to the fire, raised his arms and everyone got to their knees and lowered their foreheads to the floor. Even Snape had been forced to the ground. Karen didn't budge. Voldemort spun around and looked straight at her. He moved slowly towards her, his movement so smooth it was as if he wasn't walking but floating to her. As he got closer Karen could see the face under the hood and it wasn't a pretty sight. Voldemort stopped in front of Karen and she grimaced at his ugly, deformed wrinkled up face.
'Bow,' he hissed at her.
Karen tried to think of something clever to say back but ended up with,
'No,'
'Bow before Lord Voldemort,' he said this time with some force in his voice. But Karen simply replied,
'No,'
Snape looked up and tried to warn Karen but out came a muffled noise. Voldemort spun on his heel and stared at Snape.
'SILENCE!' Voldemort boomed and he reached for his wand, but Snape took the hint and looked at the ground once again. Voldemort turned back to Karen. She didn't smile because even she didn't like cockiness, she tilted her head forward slightly and looked at him through her eyebrows. 'You will bow before Lord VOLDEMORT!' Now he was angry. He reached for his wand and pointed it at Karen, and then sharply pointing to the floor, Karen felt her knees buckle and her head hit the ground much to hard for her liking. This was the first time she had magic performed on her. It was much like being drunk; your body does things that you're not asking it to do. 'Now,' Voldemort started, he made his way back to the fire. 'We are here for a long awaited execution and… a surprise execution,' he paused and looked around. 'I ask you all to stand,' Everyone got back to their feet. Karen's legs were a little shaky but she managed to stand ok. 'Let's begin!' Voldemort said jovially. He walked over to Snape. 'Severus, Severus, Severus,' he grabbed Snape's jaw with his bony hand. 'Whatever happened to you, Severus? You were my star, my crucial link to Dumbledore,' he ripped the gag from Snape's mouth allowing him to speak. 'Why go and destroy it all?'
'I don't know what you mean?' Snape spluttered out.
'Oh, really?' Voldemort said, he gripped Snape's jaw harder making him wince. 'You don't know you were on a last warning? You don't know you've gone soft? You don't know you betrayed us for a last time? You don't know you were COVORTING WITH THE ENEMY?' Voldemort pointed Snape's face at Karen and held it there. His fingernails were cutting into Snape's skin. Voldemort pulled Snape's face back and looked closely at him, his voice softened. 'Our enemy, Severus. You've been messing around with our enemy!'
'I'm not messing around with her, I'm in love with her!' Snape squeezed out of his clasped jaw.
Voldemort laughed.
'In love? In LOVE? You don't know when to shut up, DO YOU?' Voldemort was fuming, he let go of Snape. 'I should just destroy you right now,' He pointed his wand at Snape ready to kill.
'WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!' Snape screamed.
'I mean…' Voldemort said '…that you are "in love" with A MUGGLE!'
Snape didn't believe Voldemort and turned sharply at Karen for defence. But she could only mouth the word "sorry". Snape was taken aback.
'You didn't know?' Voldemort asked. He started to laugh and turned to the death-eaters. 'He didn't know!' They all burst into laughter. Humiliated, Snape gave Karen an angry look and stared at the ground. Once the laughter died down Voldemort turned to Karen. 'I didn't expect you to be here tonight Miss Clark, but I'm glad you are, I want to introduce you to someone. This person has been a loyal (he turned to Snape then back to Karen) member of my followers, a huge help and I couldn't have done any of this without her help,' he stepped back and opened an arm. Behind him came the shorter death-eater he entered with. She stepped beside him and pulled back the hood she was wearing.
'YOU!' Karen shouted. 'YOU?'
11 O'clock took ages to arrive. When it did come and Karen was ready to confess all to Snape. The castle was deserted as she made her way down to Snape's dungeons.
She knocked on the door of his office and it opened slightly. She pushed the door a little and stuck her head round the corner.
'Hello?' She said. Then she opened the door fully. Something was wrong. Terribly wrong. She stood silently in shock. There were books scattered, upturned cauldrons and bottles smashed with their contents all over the floor. But Snape was nowhere to be seen. It looked like he'd been in a massive fight. She probably should have gone and alerted Dumbledore but not thinking straight she rushed out of the room and out of the dungeons. In a panic she looked sharply around for any sort of clues to help her solve Snape's disappearance. Finding nothing she stood still then suddenly she felt a breeze pass over her. She turned the corner and the huge front doors to Hogwarts were open. Without thinking she rushed out and down towards the Forbidden Forest. It was raining heavily. Karen sprinted across the open grounds, getting soaked she looked into the forest; it was impossible to see anything, as the trees were so dense. She slowed and came to a stop at the edge of the trees. She looked and listened for any sounds coming from inside the forest, hearing nothing but the rain she edged forwards. Suddenly what little of the forest she could see, disappeared. Someone had their hand over her face, then an arm came across her chest and she found herself being dragged through the forest. Her shouts were muffled and her wriggling restrained. After a few minutes she came to a stop and could hear a fire crackling. Her hands were pulled behind her back and she felt them being tied, the hand blocking her vision was removed. In front of her was a frightening scene. She was in a clearing in the forest and was part of a circle of people all dressed in black robes to the floor with their hoods up so their faces were hidden. She could only imagine these were Death-Eaters. In the middle of the circle was the fire. The trees formed a canopy above them so the rain didn't extinguish the fire. Everyone was silent then Karen heard a muffled noise and glimpsed someone struggling,
'Severus!' She screamed and tried to lunge forward to him but she was pulled back.
Snape was being held by one of death-eaters. There was a piece of black material tied across his mouth so he couldn't speak. 'What the hell is going on?!' Karen yelled. She looked around for an answer, but everyone remained silent. This silence lasted for quite some time. Karen and Snape exchanged nervous glances when two of the death-eaters who were standing side by side parted. All the death-eaters turned and faced the gap they had made and all bowed their heads. Into the circle walked a tall figure, face hidden and dressed the same as the others except with blood red trimmings on the black robes. Karen could only assume that this was the dreaded Lord Voldemort. Behind him walked a smaller death-eater who joined the circle making it complete again. Voldemort stood next to the fire, raised his arms and everyone got to their knees and lowered their foreheads to the floor. Even Snape had been forced to the ground. Karen didn't budge. Voldemort spun around and looked straight at her. He moved slowly towards her, his movement so smooth it was as if he wasn't walking but floating to her. As he got closer Karen could see the face under the hood and it wasn't a pretty sight. Voldemort stopped in front of Karen and she grimaced at his ugly, deformed wrinkled up face.
'Bow,' he hissed at her.
Karen tried to think of something clever to say back but ended up with,
'No,'
'Bow before Lord Voldemort,' he said this time with some force in his voice. But Karen simply replied,
'No,'
Snape looked up and tried to warn Karen but out came a muffled noise. Voldemort spun on his heel and stared at Snape.
'SILENCE!' Voldemort boomed and he reached for his wand, but Snape took the hint and looked at the ground once again. Voldemort turned back to Karen. She didn't smile because even she didn't like cockiness, she tilted her head forward slightly and looked at him through her eyebrows. 'You will bow before Lord VOLDEMORT!' Now he was angry. He reached for his wand and pointed it at Karen, and then sharply pointing to the floor, Karen felt her knees buckle and her head hit the ground much to hard for her liking. This was the first time she had magic performed on her. It was much like being drunk; your body does things that you're not asking it to do. 'Now,' Voldemort started, he made his way back to the fire. 'We are here for a long awaited execution and… a surprise execution,' he paused and looked around. 'I ask you all to stand,' Everyone got back to their feet. Karen's legs were a little shaky but she managed to stand ok. 'Let's begin!' Voldemort said jovially. He walked over to Snape. 'Severus, Severus, Severus,' he grabbed Snape's jaw with his bony hand. 'Whatever happened to you, Severus? You were my star, my crucial link to Dumbledore,' he ripped the gag from Snape's mouth allowing him to speak. 'Why go and destroy it all?'
'I don't know what you mean?' Snape spluttered out.
'Oh, really?' Voldemort said, he gripped Snape's jaw harder making him wince. 'You don't know you were on a last warning? You don't know you've gone soft? You don't know you betrayed us for a last time? You don't know you were COVORTING WITH THE ENEMY?' Voldemort pointed Snape's face at Karen and held it there. His fingernails were cutting into Snape's skin. Voldemort pulled Snape's face back and looked closely at him, his voice softened. 'Our enemy, Severus. You've been messing around with our enemy!'
'I'm not messing around with her, I'm in love with her!' Snape squeezed out of his clasped jaw.
Voldemort laughed.
'In love? In LOVE? You don't know when to shut up, DO YOU?' Voldemort was fuming, he let go of Snape. 'I should just destroy you right now,' He pointed his wand at Snape ready to kill.
'WHAT DO YOU MEAN?!' Snape screamed.
'I mean…' Voldemort said '…that you are "in love" with A MUGGLE!'
Snape didn't believe Voldemort and turned sharply at Karen for defence. But she could only mouth the word "sorry". Snape was taken aback.
'You didn't know?' Voldemort asked. He started to laugh and turned to the death-eaters. 'He didn't know!' They all burst into laughter. Humiliated, Snape gave Karen an angry look and stared at the ground. Once the laughter died down Voldemort turned to Karen. 'I didn't expect you to be here tonight Miss Clark, but I'm glad you are, I want to introduce you to someone. This person has been a loyal (he turned to Snape then back to Karen) member of my followers, a huge help and I couldn't have done any of this without her help,' he stepped back and opened an arm. Behind him came the shorter death-eater he entered with. She stepped beside him and pulled back the hood she was wearing.
'YOU!' Karen shouted. 'YOU?'