Much thanks to all of my reviewers; your kind words inspire me to continue writing.
* * * *
Voldemort paced impatiently in front of Snape, his long robes trailing fluidly on the ground behind him, and he pressed his fingers together tightly. He was not happy. Word had reached him only moments ago that Draco Malfoy's body had been discovered in the front hall, his life extinguished by the unforgivable killing curse. Lucius had gone into near hysterics and had fled the dungeons, leaving Snape unguarded and alone. He had not been able to escape, not while his body was still tortured by the remains of the curses that had been put on him, but Voldemort was not pleased by Lucius' absence.
"Where is he?" he hissed angrily, pressing his fingers together even more tightly.
One of the Death Eaters who had been called to the room swept into a low bow. "We do not know, My Lord."
"His son is dead," another said. "Perhaps we should be more lenient of his failures."
If Snape had enough energy to smile, he would have. Some Death Eaters could be so ridiculously stupid at times.
"Crucio," Voldemort said lazily, pointing the wand at the offending Death Eater. A scream pierced the dungeon and for the first time in hours, it was not Snape's.
"So, they've killed Draco, have they?" Voldemort murmured, almost to himself. "Clever children. I wonder how one so inexperienced managed to use the killing curse. Any ideas Severus?"
Snape rolled over onto the floor so that he could see Voldemort's lean shape. "Talent," he murmured dryly.
"If I wasn't so annoyed, I might still find you funny," the Dark Lord said. "But really Severus, you should know better by now. Don't you ever learn?"
Snape's dark eyes flickered up to meet the blood red gaze. With the last bit of energy he possessed, Snape let the corners of his mouth twitch up into a smile as dry as his tone.
"I never learn," he said.
Voldemort leaned down and his wand touched Snape's forehead, directly between his eyes. "Acus arista," he said.
Snape opened his mouth to scream as a blinding pain shot through his left ear and into his temple, but all that came out was a hoarse moan. It felt like a red-hot poker was being twisted into his head and he blacked out from the pain, his limbs going limp on the dirty stone floor.
"Pity," Voldemort murmured. "I had hoped he would have lasted longer than that."
Turning toward the Death Eaters that crowded his dungeons, Voldemort's eyes fell on the man still lying on the floor.
"Get up," he ordered. "It couldn't possibly have been that bad."
The young Death Eater slowly got to his feet, shaking unsteadily. His gaze was swimming and his head pounded, but he remained on his feet. He had to, or he would face worse torture than he had just been put through.
"Find them," Voldemort ordered. "There are five little children running around this mansion. Find them and bring them to me. Keep them alive, if possible, but if they start throwing around the killing curse, do not hesitate to do the same." He motioned to the door. "Do not disappoint me."
The Death Eaters filed out of the room, leaving Voldemort alone with Snape's unconscious form. He stared at the Potions Master in undisguised hatred, wondering what exactly it was about the man that brought his students to his rescue. Voldemort knew Severus Snape, he knew the things Snape had done during his time as a Death Eater and yet these students, knowing what they did about their professor, still came to save his life when they knew it meant risking theirs.
Voldemort shook his head, smiling grimly. "You are one piece of work Severus, I will give you that." He paced the dungeons, determined to wait until Snape woke up so he could continue torturing him. It gave him great pleasure to fill the traitor with such pain.
"Never have I met a man quite like you," he murmured. "You were so willing to give up everything for me and do you know why? It was because you had nothing to give up Severus, you had nothing to lose. Your life was hell on earth, so being a murderer couldn't have made it that much worse." He stopped pacing and stared at Snape for a long moment. "So many of my followers came to me for power, so many of them thought that I would win the war and when I was defeated they went running back to Dumbledore, only to be thrown in Azkaban. But you . . ." he grinned again, a truly frightening smile, "you came to me because you had no where else to go. Lucius led you in the right direction and you became one of my most faithful followers." His smile transformed into a bitter frown. "How was I to know that you still had a conscience? How was I to know that you would turn on me and become a spy for that wretched Dumbledore?"
Voldemort growled angrily and kicked Snape in the ribs. His body jerked, but no cry of pain came from his lips.
"Wake up, damn you," Voldemort hissed. "Wake up so I can make you pay for what you did to me."
No reply came from the unconscious Potions Master and Voldemort clenched his fists tightly in his rage. It was so tempting to just point his wand and say the words that had become second nature . . . the most powerful killing curse ever to be uttered was his. His dark magic and powerful nature propelled the curse like no other could. The only one ever to escape was Harry Potter.
"Soon enough, he'll be dead too," Voldemort said, then turned to glance at Snape. He drew his wand, pointed it and muttered, "Crucio."
Snape's body jerked again and began to writhe on the floor. His eyes fluttered open suddenly and he drew in a sharp breath before collapsing completely. He wouldn't fight the curse, he would just let it run its course.
Voldemort stared and for a moment, he was almost sad. He hated seeing the wasted talent that lay within Snape, but there was nothing he could do. He would just have to wait and see what the lives of his students meant to him.
* * * *
"Lumos," Ron whispered in the dark and a moment later, the tip of his wand began to glow softly. It wasn't much, but it was better than what they had been attempting since the stairs, which was walking in the perfect dark. Harry's head had hit three torches on the wall and Hermione had slammed her knee into a rock statue that they hadn't been able to see.
"What are we looking for?" Hermione asked, rubbing her knee gently.
"Doors . . . more stairs even," Kendra replied. "The scream sounded far away, really far away. He could be even deeper in the house."
"Dungeons, maybe?" Parvati suggested.
Kendra nodded. "That's a good thought. Who knows what this house was originally built for."
As The Five stood in the faint glow of Ron's wand and debated whether to keep going down the basement hall, or try the main floor again, there was a faint pop from somewhere behind them.
Harry's hand tightened painfully on Kendra's shoulder and she had to grit her teeth to prevent herself from saying something particularly nasty to him.
"Didn't you hear that?" he whispered.
"Hear what?" she asked.
"Shush!" Harry demanded in a quiet voice. "It sounded like someone Apparated down here."
They all fell silent and listened to what they could in the dark basement. Somewhere in front of them there was the sound of dripping water and from further below they could hear the thumping of footsteps and muffled voices. Behind them the hall was completely silent.
"Someone's down here with us," Harry murmured. "I can feel it."
Ron stepped forward with his hand held out and called, "Lumos magnus!"
The tip of his wand flared, lighting up the entire hall. Ron was almost dropped his wand, he was so startled by what he saw.
Lucius Malfoy was standing there, holding Draco's body in his arms. His face was streaked with tears and his blue eyes were mad with rage. The light from Ron's wand cast deep shadows under his eyes and as he glared up at them he looked like a madman out of a Muggle horror story. Swarms of Death Eaters stood behind him, their wands poised and ready for battle.
Lucius grinned and Harry unconsciously took a step back. He'd never seen a smile so full of rage and grief and insanity, all mixed together to form a terrifying combination. Lucius Malfoy had truly gone mad and for their part in his son's death, he would not let them leave the hall alive.
His arms relaxed and Draco's corpse slid from them, falling to the floor with a nauseating crunch. Kendra winced at the noise and tightened her grip on her wand.
Lucius' eyes met hers and she realized that she was more frightened staring into his anguished eyes than she had been when Snape had met Voldemort's fiery gaze. He smiled again, his lips twisting into an undisguised look of malice. His wand slid from his robes and it pointed at The Five, unwavering in his determination.
Lucius' nostril flared and he laughed madly, the sound ripping from his throat.
"Your turn" he whispered, then took a step toward them.
* * * *
* * * *
Voldemort paced impatiently in front of Snape, his long robes trailing fluidly on the ground behind him, and he pressed his fingers together tightly. He was not happy. Word had reached him only moments ago that Draco Malfoy's body had been discovered in the front hall, his life extinguished by the unforgivable killing curse. Lucius had gone into near hysterics and had fled the dungeons, leaving Snape unguarded and alone. He had not been able to escape, not while his body was still tortured by the remains of the curses that had been put on him, but Voldemort was not pleased by Lucius' absence.
"Where is he?" he hissed angrily, pressing his fingers together even more tightly.
One of the Death Eaters who had been called to the room swept into a low bow. "We do not know, My Lord."
"His son is dead," another said. "Perhaps we should be more lenient of his failures."
If Snape had enough energy to smile, he would have. Some Death Eaters could be so ridiculously stupid at times.
"Crucio," Voldemort said lazily, pointing the wand at the offending Death Eater. A scream pierced the dungeon and for the first time in hours, it was not Snape's.
"So, they've killed Draco, have they?" Voldemort murmured, almost to himself. "Clever children. I wonder how one so inexperienced managed to use the killing curse. Any ideas Severus?"
Snape rolled over onto the floor so that he could see Voldemort's lean shape. "Talent," he murmured dryly.
"If I wasn't so annoyed, I might still find you funny," the Dark Lord said. "But really Severus, you should know better by now. Don't you ever learn?"
Snape's dark eyes flickered up to meet the blood red gaze. With the last bit of energy he possessed, Snape let the corners of his mouth twitch up into a smile as dry as his tone.
"I never learn," he said.
Voldemort leaned down and his wand touched Snape's forehead, directly between his eyes. "Acus arista," he said.
Snape opened his mouth to scream as a blinding pain shot through his left ear and into his temple, but all that came out was a hoarse moan. It felt like a red-hot poker was being twisted into his head and he blacked out from the pain, his limbs going limp on the dirty stone floor.
"Pity," Voldemort murmured. "I had hoped he would have lasted longer than that."
Turning toward the Death Eaters that crowded his dungeons, Voldemort's eyes fell on the man still lying on the floor.
"Get up," he ordered. "It couldn't possibly have been that bad."
The young Death Eater slowly got to his feet, shaking unsteadily. His gaze was swimming and his head pounded, but he remained on his feet. He had to, or he would face worse torture than he had just been put through.
"Find them," Voldemort ordered. "There are five little children running around this mansion. Find them and bring them to me. Keep them alive, if possible, but if they start throwing around the killing curse, do not hesitate to do the same." He motioned to the door. "Do not disappoint me."
The Death Eaters filed out of the room, leaving Voldemort alone with Snape's unconscious form. He stared at the Potions Master in undisguised hatred, wondering what exactly it was about the man that brought his students to his rescue. Voldemort knew Severus Snape, he knew the things Snape had done during his time as a Death Eater and yet these students, knowing what they did about their professor, still came to save his life when they knew it meant risking theirs.
Voldemort shook his head, smiling grimly. "You are one piece of work Severus, I will give you that." He paced the dungeons, determined to wait until Snape woke up so he could continue torturing him. It gave him great pleasure to fill the traitor with such pain.
"Never have I met a man quite like you," he murmured. "You were so willing to give up everything for me and do you know why? It was because you had nothing to give up Severus, you had nothing to lose. Your life was hell on earth, so being a murderer couldn't have made it that much worse." He stopped pacing and stared at Snape for a long moment. "So many of my followers came to me for power, so many of them thought that I would win the war and when I was defeated they went running back to Dumbledore, only to be thrown in Azkaban. But you . . ." he grinned again, a truly frightening smile, "you came to me because you had no where else to go. Lucius led you in the right direction and you became one of my most faithful followers." His smile transformed into a bitter frown. "How was I to know that you still had a conscience? How was I to know that you would turn on me and become a spy for that wretched Dumbledore?"
Voldemort growled angrily and kicked Snape in the ribs. His body jerked, but no cry of pain came from his lips.
"Wake up, damn you," Voldemort hissed. "Wake up so I can make you pay for what you did to me."
No reply came from the unconscious Potions Master and Voldemort clenched his fists tightly in his rage. It was so tempting to just point his wand and say the words that had become second nature . . . the most powerful killing curse ever to be uttered was his. His dark magic and powerful nature propelled the curse like no other could. The only one ever to escape was Harry Potter.
"Soon enough, he'll be dead too," Voldemort said, then turned to glance at Snape. He drew his wand, pointed it and muttered, "Crucio."
Snape's body jerked again and began to writhe on the floor. His eyes fluttered open suddenly and he drew in a sharp breath before collapsing completely. He wouldn't fight the curse, he would just let it run its course.
Voldemort stared and for a moment, he was almost sad. He hated seeing the wasted talent that lay within Snape, but there was nothing he could do. He would just have to wait and see what the lives of his students meant to him.
* * * *
"Lumos," Ron whispered in the dark and a moment later, the tip of his wand began to glow softly. It wasn't much, but it was better than what they had been attempting since the stairs, which was walking in the perfect dark. Harry's head had hit three torches on the wall and Hermione had slammed her knee into a rock statue that they hadn't been able to see.
"What are we looking for?" Hermione asked, rubbing her knee gently.
"Doors . . . more stairs even," Kendra replied. "The scream sounded far away, really far away. He could be even deeper in the house."
"Dungeons, maybe?" Parvati suggested.
Kendra nodded. "That's a good thought. Who knows what this house was originally built for."
As The Five stood in the faint glow of Ron's wand and debated whether to keep going down the basement hall, or try the main floor again, there was a faint pop from somewhere behind them.
Harry's hand tightened painfully on Kendra's shoulder and she had to grit her teeth to prevent herself from saying something particularly nasty to him.
"Didn't you hear that?" he whispered.
"Hear what?" she asked.
"Shush!" Harry demanded in a quiet voice. "It sounded like someone Apparated down here."
They all fell silent and listened to what they could in the dark basement. Somewhere in front of them there was the sound of dripping water and from further below they could hear the thumping of footsteps and muffled voices. Behind them the hall was completely silent.
"Someone's down here with us," Harry murmured. "I can feel it."
Ron stepped forward with his hand held out and called, "Lumos magnus!"
The tip of his wand flared, lighting up the entire hall. Ron was almost dropped his wand, he was so startled by what he saw.
Lucius Malfoy was standing there, holding Draco's body in his arms. His face was streaked with tears and his blue eyes were mad with rage. The light from Ron's wand cast deep shadows under his eyes and as he glared up at them he looked like a madman out of a Muggle horror story. Swarms of Death Eaters stood behind him, their wands poised and ready for battle.
Lucius grinned and Harry unconsciously took a step back. He'd never seen a smile so full of rage and grief and insanity, all mixed together to form a terrifying combination. Lucius Malfoy had truly gone mad and for their part in his son's death, he would not let them leave the hall alive.
His arms relaxed and Draco's corpse slid from them, falling to the floor with a nauseating crunch. Kendra winced at the noise and tightened her grip on her wand.
Lucius' eyes met hers and she realized that she was more frightened staring into his anguished eyes than she had been when Snape had met Voldemort's fiery gaze. He smiled again, his lips twisting into an undisguised look of malice. His wand slid from his robes and it pointed at The Five, unwavering in his determination.
Lucius' nostril flared and he laughed madly, the sound ripping from his throat.
"Your turn" he whispered, then took a step toward them.
* * * *