* * * *
Snape's eyes fluttered open slowly, filtering in the little bit of light that had been allowed in the dungeon. His head throbbed and a sharp pain sliced through the hazy semi-consciousness he'd been in. A low moan escaped his lips before he realized what he was doing and within seconds he was surrounded by Death Eaters, each with their wand drawn to thwart his escape if he tried.
Blood was drying on his chin and he lifted a shaking hand to scratch at it. He touched his lip and found that it was split. He wondered if it had happened while he was awake or during an attack on him after he had passed out. It wouldn't have surprised him to wake up and find a boot aimed at his face.
"He's awake," one of them whispered.
Snape closed his eyes again, wishing he could drift off into the safe and peaceful unconsciousness that he had come from. He knew what would be coming. Questions about The Five, torture when he wouldn't answer, more pain. He would be told information that was false, The Five were dead, slaughtered before they could even get near him. He would be told anything to get him to talk.
"Lucius found them," Voldemort said, leaning over Snape's beaten form. "They were close, you know, closer than I thought they'd ever get. But Lucius has come across them and he has about fifty Death Eaters behind him." A sadistic smile crossed his thin, colourless lips. "They won't be alive much longer."
Snape forced himself to roll onto his back, to meet Voldemort's eye. "That is what you think," he murmured, pain still coursing through his body in lazy waves.
"That is what I know Severus," Voldemort said, standing once more. "They can't possibly hold their own against that many Death Eaters. Not on their own, they need all the help they can get."
Snape's black eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as his lips twisted upward, mimicking the smile Voldemort had given him only moments before. It was strange to see such a monstrous smile on the lips of a man so beaten and battered, a man who could barely move.
"Now, Voldemort, I thought you knew Albus better than that," Snape murmured, a dangerous glint in his eye.
"What are you talking about, Severus?"
Snape closed his eyes and laughed. "Whatever made you think they would have to face your Death Eaters on their own? What made you think they wouldn't have help?"
Voldemort turned toward Snape, his eyes narrowed and his lips pinched into a tight line. He opened his mouth to ask Snape what he meant, but before any words could come out, the deep voice of Albus Dumbledore sounded from somewhere above them.
Voldemort's head turned toward the voice and he dropped away from Snape, whispering orders to his Death Eaters.
Snape smiled grimly. "Good luck, Albus," he murmured before dropping back into unconsciousness.
* * * *
Ron took a step away from Lucius, his wand trembling and throwing the light and shadows around the hall. The sick smile on the man's face made him shake with fear and it took all the strength of character Ron had to not turn and run down the hall. It took all the memories of Draco making fun of his family to prevent his feet from moving on their own.
"Did you think you could get away with this?" Lucius asked, advancing on them. With every step he took, the Death Eaters took one as well. The sound of their collective footsteps echoed loudly in the basement hall and it was an eerie noise, the sound of an army marching off to war.
"Did you think I wouldn't find you and make you pay?" Lucius asked, his voice dripping with hatred. "Draco is dead!" he screamed, the words filling their ears. "He is dead and nothing you do now will save your own lives."
He rushed at them, his wand drawn and pointed at them. He would go for nothing less than the best, his spells would knock them off their feet and they would die. It was a simple fact that they were willing to accept; Lucius Malfoy was far stronger than they were and they were about to die. They wouldn't make it to Voldemort, they would never find Snape because they wouldn't make it out of this hall alive.
Ron dropped his wand and turned to run, but before he could make it very far, a voice behind them called out, "Confuto!"
The Death Eaters stopped suddenly, anger flickering across their faces. They could move backward, they could move their limbs and their heads, but if they tried to step forward or raise their wands, something stopped them.
"Professor!" Harry exclaimed, seeing Dumbledore standing behind them.
"Dumbledore," Lucius hissed angrily, seeing the Headmaster behind The Five. "I should have known you would have to come to their rescue."
"I came simply to deliver something to them," Dumbledore said. "I cannot stay away from Hogwarts for long."
"Professor, you have to help us," Kendra said. "Voldemort has Snape and he's going to kill him. We'll never be able to get to him."
Dumbledore smiled gently. "You must give yourselves more credit Miss Rayne. After all, Professor Snape is counting on you."
She squeezed her eyes shut. "Don't say that."
Behind them, Lucius fought against the charm and took a step forward. The Death Eaters mimicked his movement.
"They're going to kill us," Hermione said. "You have to do something. You have to help us."
Dumbledore shook his head. "This is not my task Miss Granger. I cannot help you with anything except this." He opened his hand and showed them a shining necklace, a golden rope with a single, shimmering pearl.
"What is it?" Ron asked, sounding breathless.
"The pearl of Cassandra," Parvati answered, sounding almost as shocked. "It once belonged to the prophetess Cassandra. The myth tells that when she died, the pearl in her necklace inherited strong magical powers and held her ability to see the future." Her eyes met Dumbledore's. "Is that right?"
He nodded, as Lucius battled to take another step toward them. "That is correct Miss Patil. The pearl is considered a very rare and very powerful magical tool, only to be used in extreme circumstances." He paused, then said, "It has only been used once before."
"We have to use it against Voldemort," Harry murmured, finally understanding.
"When all of you touch it at the same time, anything in the area with evil intentions will be destroyed," Dumbledore said.
"They we risk destroying others," Hermione stated.
Dumbledore nodded. "It is a risk you will have to decide if you're ready to take." He reached out and puddled the necklace into Parvati's hand. She looked shocked for a moment, then sad, but she lowered her eyes to the pearl and nodded slowly.
"It must be always held by the one with the gift of sight," Dumbledore explained. "Please be careful children, Cassandra's myth always ended in tragedy. Let's not follow her example."
With a gentle smile on his face, Dumbledore Disapparated from the hall, leaving The Five alone one more.
Kendra turned back toward Lucius and the Death Eaters to see them preparing their wands once more. She raised her wand without thinking and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
Death Eaters went stumbling backward, their wands flying from their hands and scattering on the floor. Lucius Malfoy was blown against a wall with a loud crack and his wand flew from his hand, disappearing into the shadows. Kendra stared at the aftermath of her spell with wide eyes, then turned to find Harry with his wand drawn as well.
He shrugged and grinned. "Great minds think alike."
Ron looked confused, but Kendra smiled at him. "It's a Muggle expression."
"Less talking, more running," Hermione said, grabbing Kendra's arm and pulling her down the hall. "The disarming charm will only affect them for so long and we have to find Snape."
"Yes," a weak voice murmured from the floor. They turned to see Lucius staring up at them with bloodshot eyes. "Go find your precious professor, he's in the hands of Voldemort now. Walk right into his trap and see what happens." He grinned once more. "Go on."
"Don't listen to him," Parvati said, her voice much stronger than before. She clenched the pearl of Cassandra tightly in her left hand, her wand pointed at Lucius in her right. "He has no idea what we are together. No idea."
"You're a group of scared little children," he growled, regaining some strength. "You will fail."
Parvati smiled. "We will not fail." She turned back to the others. "Let's go."
They started down the hall quickly, not speaking of anything that had happened so far. They were far too concerned with what lay ahead of them in the dark corridors of the Malfoy home. But how much longer would it be the Malfoy home, Hermione wondered. Narcissa was dead, murdered by the hands of her only family, Draco was dead by the hands of his fellow students and Lucius would probably not last much longer. The legacy of the Malfoys was nearing an end and as she thought about that, Hermione couldn't help but smile, just a little. It was wrong and she knew it, but in her heart it felt good to know that after all their years of power and torture, they would get what they deserve.
"Down there," Kendra said suddenly, pointing to a set of stairs that curled up from the depths of the earth. "The dungeons."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
She nodded. "Snape is down there. He's unconscious, but he's alive."
"How do you know?" Ron asked.
Kendra shrugged. "How does Parvati know we won't fail?" She paused for a long moment, then shook her head. "I just know."
Ron was the first on the stairs leading downward, his wand once more the only source of light The Five had to follow.
* * * *
Snape's eyes fluttered open slowly, filtering in the little bit of light that had been allowed in the dungeon. His head throbbed and a sharp pain sliced through the hazy semi-consciousness he'd been in. A low moan escaped his lips before he realized what he was doing and within seconds he was surrounded by Death Eaters, each with their wand drawn to thwart his escape if he tried.
Blood was drying on his chin and he lifted a shaking hand to scratch at it. He touched his lip and found that it was split. He wondered if it had happened while he was awake or during an attack on him after he had passed out. It wouldn't have surprised him to wake up and find a boot aimed at his face.
"He's awake," one of them whispered.
Snape closed his eyes again, wishing he could drift off into the safe and peaceful unconsciousness that he had come from. He knew what would be coming. Questions about The Five, torture when he wouldn't answer, more pain. He would be told information that was false, The Five were dead, slaughtered before they could even get near him. He would be told anything to get him to talk.
"Lucius found them," Voldemort said, leaning over Snape's beaten form. "They were close, you know, closer than I thought they'd ever get. But Lucius has come across them and he has about fifty Death Eaters behind him." A sadistic smile crossed his thin, colourless lips. "They won't be alive much longer."
Snape forced himself to roll onto his back, to meet Voldemort's eye. "That is what you think," he murmured, pain still coursing through his body in lazy waves.
"That is what I know Severus," Voldemort said, standing once more. "They can't possibly hold their own against that many Death Eaters. Not on their own, they need all the help they can get."
Snape's black eyes crinkled slightly at the corners as his lips twisted upward, mimicking the smile Voldemort had given him only moments before. It was strange to see such a monstrous smile on the lips of a man so beaten and battered, a man who could barely move.
"Now, Voldemort, I thought you knew Albus better than that," Snape murmured, a dangerous glint in his eye.
"What are you talking about, Severus?"
Snape closed his eyes and laughed. "Whatever made you think they would have to face your Death Eaters on their own? What made you think they wouldn't have help?"
Voldemort turned toward Snape, his eyes narrowed and his lips pinched into a tight line. He opened his mouth to ask Snape what he meant, but before any words could come out, the deep voice of Albus Dumbledore sounded from somewhere above them.
Voldemort's head turned toward the voice and he dropped away from Snape, whispering orders to his Death Eaters.
Snape smiled grimly. "Good luck, Albus," he murmured before dropping back into unconsciousness.
* * * *
Ron took a step away from Lucius, his wand trembling and throwing the light and shadows around the hall. The sick smile on the man's face made him shake with fear and it took all the strength of character Ron had to not turn and run down the hall. It took all the memories of Draco making fun of his family to prevent his feet from moving on their own.
"Did you think you could get away with this?" Lucius asked, advancing on them. With every step he took, the Death Eaters took one as well. The sound of their collective footsteps echoed loudly in the basement hall and it was an eerie noise, the sound of an army marching off to war.
"Did you think I wouldn't find you and make you pay?" Lucius asked, his voice dripping with hatred. "Draco is dead!" he screamed, the words filling their ears. "He is dead and nothing you do now will save your own lives."
He rushed at them, his wand drawn and pointed at them. He would go for nothing less than the best, his spells would knock them off their feet and they would die. It was a simple fact that they were willing to accept; Lucius Malfoy was far stronger than they were and they were about to die. They wouldn't make it to Voldemort, they would never find Snape because they wouldn't make it out of this hall alive.
Ron dropped his wand and turned to run, but before he could make it very far, a voice behind them called out, "Confuto!"
The Death Eaters stopped suddenly, anger flickering across their faces. They could move backward, they could move their limbs and their heads, but if they tried to step forward or raise their wands, something stopped them.
"Professor!" Harry exclaimed, seeing Dumbledore standing behind them.
"Dumbledore," Lucius hissed angrily, seeing the Headmaster behind The Five. "I should have known you would have to come to their rescue."
"I came simply to deliver something to them," Dumbledore said. "I cannot stay away from Hogwarts for long."
"Professor, you have to help us," Kendra said. "Voldemort has Snape and he's going to kill him. We'll never be able to get to him."
Dumbledore smiled gently. "You must give yourselves more credit Miss Rayne. After all, Professor Snape is counting on you."
She squeezed her eyes shut. "Don't say that."
Behind them, Lucius fought against the charm and took a step forward. The Death Eaters mimicked his movement.
"They're going to kill us," Hermione said. "You have to do something. You have to help us."
Dumbledore shook his head. "This is not my task Miss Granger. I cannot help you with anything except this." He opened his hand and showed them a shining necklace, a golden rope with a single, shimmering pearl.
"What is it?" Ron asked, sounding breathless.
"The pearl of Cassandra," Parvati answered, sounding almost as shocked. "It once belonged to the prophetess Cassandra. The myth tells that when she died, the pearl in her necklace inherited strong magical powers and held her ability to see the future." Her eyes met Dumbledore's. "Is that right?"
He nodded, as Lucius battled to take another step toward them. "That is correct Miss Patil. The pearl is considered a very rare and very powerful magical tool, only to be used in extreme circumstances." He paused, then said, "It has only been used once before."
"We have to use it against Voldemort," Harry murmured, finally understanding.
"When all of you touch it at the same time, anything in the area with evil intentions will be destroyed," Dumbledore said.
"They we risk destroying others," Hermione stated.
Dumbledore nodded. "It is a risk you will have to decide if you're ready to take." He reached out and puddled the necklace into Parvati's hand. She looked shocked for a moment, then sad, but she lowered her eyes to the pearl and nodded slowly.
"It must be always held by the one with the gift of sight," Dumbledore explained. "Please be careful children, Cassandra's myth always ended in tragedy. Let's not follow her example."
With a gentle smile on his face, Dumbledore Disapparated from the hall, leaving The Five alone one more.
Kendra turned back toward Lucius and the Death Eaters to see them preparing their wands once more. She raised her wand without thinking and shouted, "Expelliarmus!"
Death Eaters went stumbling backward, their wands flying from their hands and scattering on the floor. Lucius Malfoy was blown against a wall with a loud crack and his wand flew from his hand, disappearing into the shadows. Kendra stared at the aftermath of her spell with wide eyes, then turned to find Harry with his wand drawn as well.
He shrugged and grinned. "Great minds think alike."
Ron looked confused, but Kendra smiled at him. "It's a Muggle expression."
"Less talking, more running," Hermione said, grabbing Kendra's arm and pulling her down the hall. "The disarming charm will only affect them for so long and we have to find Snape."
"Yes," a weak voice murmured from the floor. They turned to see Lucius staring up at them with bloodshot eyes. "Go find your precious professor, he's in the hands of Voldemort now. Walk right into his trap and see what happens." He grinned once more. "Go on."
"Don't listen to him," Parvati said, her voice much stronger than before. She clenched the pearl of Cassandra tightly in her left hand, her wand pointed at Lucius in her right. "He has no idea what we are together. No idea."
"You're a group of scared little children," he growled, regaining some strength. "You will fail."
Parvati smiled. "We will not fail." She turned back to the others. "Let's go."
They started down the hall quickly, not speaking of anything that had happened so far. They were far too concerned with what lay ahead of them in the dark corridors of the Malfoy home. But how much longer would it be the Malfoy home, Hermione wondered. Narcissa was dead, murdered by the hands of her only family, Draco was dead by the hands of his fellow students and Lucius would probably not last much longer. The legacy of the Malfoys was nearing an end and as she thought about that, Hermione couldn't help but smile, just a little. It was wrong and she knew it, but in her heart it felt good to know that after all their years of power and torture, they would get what they deserve.
"Down there," Kendra said suddenly, pointing to a set of stairs that curled up from the depths of the earth. "The dungeons."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked.
She nodded. "Snape is down there. He's unconscious, but he's alive."
"How do you know?" Ron asked.
Kendra shrugged. "How does Parvati know we won't fail?" She paused for a long moment, then shook her head. "I just know."
Ron was the first on the stairs leading downward, his wand once more the only source of light The Five had to follow.
* * * *