Author's Note: Well, why I chose this title for this chapter should be
fairly obvious. (If it isn't, then here's explanation: Beauty and the
Beast, Morag's beautiful, Voldemort's pretty damn ugly. Beastly.) I think
the story might be moving a bit fast, and I have missed out a few things
(mostly relating to Morganna Snape's family), but they weren't really
important, just things to make the story longer. I'm planning to use them
in a different plot, set in France in the summer. Won't be starting that
until I've completed this though.
Thanks to: Neshomeh, for reviewing my story and for liking it. To muggle(some numbers I can't remember which), for being my first reviewer.
Dedicated to: Everyone I've ever role-played Hogwarts with.
-
Chapter Eight: Beauty and the Beast
-
Morganna was in that blissful ignorance and blind obedience of the Imperio curse, but Morag was coerced with other means – no one under the Imperio curse can summon the Keeper, an ancient defense mechanism.
So Morag watched her mother do exactly as she was told, walk where she was told, sit down, stand up. Occasionally Lucius Malfoy would poke her, just because he could. (Years ago, Severus had said to Malfoy 'Touch her and die'. Malfoy was the petty sort who would go and poke her and say something like 'I'm still alive').
Frightened of what would happen to her if she rebelled, Morag did as she was told as well, in the hopes that perhaps they'd last longer if she didn't anger anyone.
She had been afraid of what might happen if she summoned the Keeper.
Now she was afraid of what would happen if she didn't.
-
Harry watched as Professor Snape paced, and Dumbledore attempted to calm the distraught professor. Hermione approached the professors.
"Professors?" she asked hesitantly. "May I say something? I think it's important."
"Go ahead, Miss Granger." Dumbledore said, giving Snape a warning look.
"It was Thamala." She blurted. "Thamala Blake. She was the one who told Voldemort that Morag could summon the Keeper of Secrets. And we think she knew about something else as well…" Hermione faltered, unsure of whether or not they were right. Harry, Ron, and she believed that Snape was a spy among the Death Eaters, and everything they'd seen and heard validated that. But what if they were wrong?
"Go on, Miss Granger." Snape said as levelly as he could. "What did Miss Blake know?"
"Well, we thought you might be a spy in the Death Eaters, and we know Thamala is one, or her family, or whatever, and that Voldemort had to have found that out, otherwise wouldn't he just have you get Morag to summon the Keeper, rather than go to all this trouble? So we thought that Thamala must have found that out and told Voldemort." It all came out rather fast, and Hermione was fairly flustered by the time she'd finished.
Snape looked thunderstruck. "How did you know?" he managed.
"You mean we're right? Well, actually Harry worked it out. Morag was really nice to us in Diagon Alley – where there was nobody around to see. But when we got back to Hogwarts – surrounded by children of the Death Eaters – she acted like we were lower than dirt. There had to be a reason. And we'd already had our suspicions." Hermione looked proud that they'd been correct. Harry and Ron were still a bit thunderstruck themselves.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, go to my office and wait for me there." Dumbledore instructed. "Severus, go with them."
Startled, they all complied. Harry glanced at Professor Snape every now and again, to see the professor looking a whole lot like death warmed up.
-
Draco sat up in the Hospital Wing. He'd been taken with the other injured students, and now he was frantic. Where was Morag?
"Madam Pomfrey," he asked, "where is Morag?"
The mediwitch sighed and her eyes softened. "You wouldn't know, would you? Poor dear."
"What wouldn't I know?" he demanded impatiently, not liking the sound of that.
"Morag and her mother were taken by You-Know-Who." Madam Pomfrey told him with another sigh. "From what I hear, she hit a wall and fell onto a table. Professor Snape tried to protect her, but You-Know-Who used the Cruciatus curse and that poor man went down. You-Know-Who took Morag and Mrs. Snape."
Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing. Morag – taken? Impossible! She…her father was a Death Eater! Wasn't he…? "That's impossible." He said flatly.
"I'm afraid it isn't. Now, you get some rest. I'll check on you later." And Madam Pomfrey went off to see to the other students.
Thamala Blake walked in, looking smug. "It was your father that carried off Mrs. Snape, you know. Didn't you know? The Snapes were traitors. The 'good' professor was a spy, and his family was in on the ruse. Morag was just trying to get close to you to bring you over to their side. You were manipulated, Malfoy."
He shook his head, not believing this either. "She wouldn't do that. Not to me."
"She would and she did. It didn't take long to convince her stupid owl to tell me what I wanted to know. They were spies all along, and she was using you. She never cared about you, Draco. She just needed to get close to you, so that you'd betray your family. The way she and her family betrayed the Dark Lord. I will be rewarded for my loyalty, and you will be punished for your blindness." Thamala sneered. "She has the power our master needs, you know. She can summon and most likely control the Keeper of Secrets. Maybe she will prove useful."
"You are lying." Draco accused angrily.
"No, I'm not. You heard what Madam Pomfrey said – now it makes sense, doesn't it?" she taunted. "I'll be surprised if Lord Voldemort trusts you with anything after this." Thamala walked out, laughing nastily.
Draco was left to consider where his loyalties lay.
-
"Stand up." It was Lucius Malfoy. Morag struggled to her feet, and Morganna rose as if on strings. "Lord Voldemort wishes to see you."
Morag tried to keep the fear out of her eyes, her face, and her demeanor. She followed Malfoy, as did Morganna. Voldemort was the last person – thing! – she wanted to see.
They stopped in front of a door, and she was startled by his voice on the inside. "Bring them in."
"Yes, master." Malfoy pulled open the door and thrust them in. He made to follow.
"Just them, Malfoy. Go." Voldemort instructed.
"Yes, master." Malfoy didn't seem pleased with this turn of events, but he did as he was bid.
"You are Morag Snape?" Voldemort stood in front of the fire, watching her. "The clever little Slytherin who manipulated Draco Malfoy, mastered the summoning of the Keeper, kept her father's secrets, and her family mysteries. What else do you do?"
Morag stayed determinedly silent. She wasn't going to say a word to this lord of evil, she wanted to go home and forget this ever happened.
"Strong and silent, are we? You will do as I command, Miss Snape." Voldemort's voice hardened. "Or I will kill your mother."
"I could summon the Keeper and have it kill you." Morag retorted.
"We've thought of that, Miss Snape. Morganna, my dear, pick up that knife." He commanded. Morganna did as she was bid, holding up what appeared to be a sacrificial blade. "Point it at your heart."
Morag gasped as Morganna held the knife unwaveringly pointed at her heart.
"If you attempt to harm me or my Death Eaters in any way, Miss Snape, your mother will kill herself. Do we understand each other?"
"I believe so." She managed after a few moments. "What do you wish me to do?"
"You will summon the Keeper. You will command it, and I will command you. With your power, I will rule the world. In time, you and your Keeper will no longer be necessary." Voldemort told her, almost conversationally.
"The Keeper might not obey me." Morag pointed out.
"You are a very powerful little witch. It will."
"It might not."
"It will." His tone showed he would brook no argument.
She fell silent, feeling the hopelessness of her situation.
-
-
Author's Note: It's short, I know. But it does what I want it to. I'm going to take my time on chapter nine, I'm still working the kinks out of the story.
Thanks to: Neshomeh, for reviewing my story and for liking it. To muggle(some numbers I can't remember which), for being my first reviewer.
Dedicated to: Everyone I've ever role-played Hogwarts with.
-
Chapter Eight: Beauty and the Beast
-
Morganna was in that blissful ignorance and blind obedience of the Imperio curse, but Morag was coerced with other means – no one under the Imperio curse can summon the Keeper, an ancient defense mechanism.
So Morag watched her mother do exactly as she was told, walk where she was told, sit down, stand up. Occasionally Lucius Malfoy would poke her, just because he could. (Years ago, Severus had said to Malfoy 'Touch her and die'. Malfoy was the petty sort who would go and poke her and say something like 'I'm still alive').
Frightened of what would happen to her if she rebelled, Morag did as she was told as well, in the hopes that perhaps they'd last longer if she didn't anger anyone.
She had been afraid of what might happen if she summoned the Keeper.
Now she was afraid of what would happen if she didn't.
-
Harry watched as Professor Snape paced, and Dumbledore attempted to calm the distraught professor. Hermione approached the professors.
"Professors?" she asked hesitantly. "May I say something? I think it's important."
"Go ahead, Miss Granger." Dumbledore said, giving Snape a warning look.
"It was Thamala." She blurted. "Thamala Blake. She was the one who told Voldemort that Morag could summon the Keeper of Secrets. And we think she knew about something else as well…" Hermione faltered, unsure of whether or not they were right. Harry, Ron, and she believed that Snape was a spy among the Death Eaters, and everything they'd seen and heard validated that. But what if they were wrong?
"Go on, Miss Granger." Snape said as levelly as he could. "What did Miss Blake know?"
"Well, we thought you might be a spy in the Death Eaters, and we know Thamala is one, or her family, or whatever, and that Voldemort had to have found that out, otherwise wouldn't he just have you get Morag to summon the Keeper, rather than go to all this trouble? So we thought that Thamala must have found that out and told Voldemort." It all came out rather fast, and Hermione was fairly flustered by the time she'd finished.
Snape looked thunderstruck. "How did you know?" he managed.
"You mean we're right? Well, actually Harry worked it out. Morag was really nice to us in Diagon Alley – where there was nobody around to see. But when we got back to Hogwarts – surrounded by children of the Death Eaters – she acted like we were lower than dirt. There had to be a reason. And we'd already had our suspicions." Hermione looked proud that they'd been correct. Harry and Ron were still a bit thunderstruck themselves.
"Miss Granger, Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, go to my office and wait for me there." Dumbledore instructed. "Severus, go with them."
Startled, they all complied. Harry glanced at Professor Snape every now and again, to see the professor looking a whole lot like death warmed up.
-
Draco sat up in the Hospital Wing. He'd been taken with the other injured students, and now he was frantic. Where was Morag?
"Madam Pomfrey," he asked, "where is Morag?"
The mediwitch sighed and her eyes softened. "You wouldn't know, would you? Poor dear."
"What wouldn't I know?" he demanded impatiently, not liking the sound of that.
"Morag and her mother were taken by You-Know-Who." Madam Pomfrey told him with another sigh. "From what I hear, she hit a wall and fell onto a table. Professor Snape tried to protect her, but You-Know-Who used the Cruciatus curse and that poor man went down. You-Know-Who took Morag and Mrs. Snape."
Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing. Morag – taken? Impossible! She…her father was a Death Eater! Wasn't he…? "That's impossible." He said flatly.
"I'm afraid it isn't. Now, you get some rest. I'll check on you later." And Madam Pomfrey went off to see to the other students.
Thamala Blake walked in, looking smug. "It was your father that carried off Mrs. Snape, you know. Didn't you know? The Snapes were traitors. The 'good' professor was a spy, and his family was in on the ruse. Morag was just trying to get close to you to bring you over to their side. You were manipulated, Malfoy."
He shook his head, not believing this either. "She wouldn't do that. Not to me."
"She would and she did. It didn't take long to convince her stupid owl to tell me what I wanted to know. They were spies all along, and she was using you. She never cared about you, Draco. She just needed to get close to you, so that you'd betray your family. The way she and her family betrayed the Dark Lord. I will be rewarded for my loyalty, and you will be punished for your blindness." Thamala sneered. "She has the power our master needs, you know. She can summon and most likely control the Keeper of Secrets. Maybe she will prove useful."
"You are lying." Draco accused angrily.
"No, I'm not. You heard what Madam Pomfrey said – now it makes sense, doesn't it?" she taunted. "I'll be surprised if Lord Voldemort trusts you with anything after this." Thamala walked out, laughing nastily.
Draco was left to consider where his loyalties lay.
-
"Stand up." It was Lucius Malfoy. Morag struggled to her feet, and Morganna rose as if on strings. "Lord Voldemort wishes to see you."
Morag tried to keep the fear out of her eyes, her face, and her demeanor. She followed Malfoy, as did Morganna. Voldemort was the last person – thing! – she wanted to see.
They stopped in front of a door, and she was startled by his voice on the inside. "Bring them in."
"Yes, master." Malfoy pulled open the door and thrust them in. He made to follow.
"Just them, Malfoy. Go." Voldemort instructed.
"Yes, master." Malfoy didn't seem pleased with this turn of events, but he did as he was bid.
"You are Morag Snape?" Voldemort stood in front of the fire, watching her. "The clever little Slytherin who manipulated Draco Malfoy, mastered the summoning of the Keeper, kept her father's secrets, and her family mysteries. What else do you do?"
Morag stayed determinedly silent. She wasn't going to say a word to this lord of evil, she wanted to go home and forget this ever happened.
"Strong and silent, are we? You will do as I command, Miss Snape." Voldemort's voice hardened. "Or I will kill your mother."
"I could summon the Keeper and have it kill you." Morag retorted.
"We've thought of that, Miss Snape. Morganna, my dear, pick up that knife." He commanded. Morganna did as she was bid, holding up what appeared to be a sacrificial blade. "Point it at your heart."
Morag gasped as Morganna held the knife unwaveringly pointed at her heart.
"If you attempt to harm me or my Death Eaters in any way, Miss Snape, your mother will kill herself. Do we understand each other?"
"I believe so." She managed after a few moments. "What do you wish me to do?"
"You will summon the Keeper. You will command it, and I will command you. With your power, I will rule the world. In time, you and your Keeper will no longer be necessary." Voldemort told her, almost conversationally.
"The Keeper might not obey me." Morag pointed out.
"You are a very powerful little witch. It will."
"It might not."
"It will." His tone showed he would brook no argument.
She fell silent, feeling the hopelessness of her situation.
-
-
Author's Note: It's short, I know. But it does what I want it to. I'm going to take my time on chapter nine, I'm still working the kinks out of the story.