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PATH to DARKNESS by Tyde
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Chapter Thirteen – The Summer of Hate
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Severus sat propped up in bed by several pillows and a Tales of Talon book clutched in his hand. Quirrell slept noiselessly on the other side of their chamber and he sighed. He was tired but not tired enough to sleep. A thought was moving around in his brain, like he'd forgotten something, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
He didn't know how she managed it, but Lily Evans had just slithered in through the tiny porthole in the wall of his room and was now sitting on his lap and running her delicate fingers over his cheek. Light touches that were starting to drive his crazy. She leaned in towards his lips and he almost passed out from excitement. Finally he had her. He didn't even think about how absurd the entire scene was, all he knew was that the love of his life had straddled his lap and was about to descend her pink lips upon his. As she came closer he closed his eyes, wanting to savour every millisecond of it when she suddenly licked his nose. His eyes flicked open in confusion only to realise that while reading his book he'd fallen asleep. There was no Lily but there was a dark green serpent curled up on his chest that seemed to be staring at him. It opened its mouth wide, exposing it's fangs as if to strike but he did not flinch. It froze in that mode and he looked puzzled at the left fang which seemed as if it had a thick black stripe around the middle of it. On closer inspection it proved to be a tiny roll of black parchment secured around the fang with magic. Severus slid the parchment piece off and unrolled it carefully.
Midnight – July 18 – 44 Emerald Court, Paddlebury – Alone
Turning it over he was rewarded with a slightly cryptic phrase.
It begins.
Snape nodded to the snake and it slithered up the wall and out of the room through the porthole. Severus tossed up whether or not to discuss this with anybody. The note had said alone, and for some reason he didn't want to risk getting another note with simply the words 'It ends' before he'd gotten the chance to find out what begins.
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Severus slapped his owl alarm into submission and got out of bed. It was 11.30pm and he had to hurry if he was to make it on time. Mounting his broom he sped off into the night towards Paddlebury. A few villages away an excited Lucius Malfoy climbed out of his third storey window of the manor and jumped on his awaiting broom. A few other Slytherin students dotted around the country were either in the air or already standing outside of 44 Emerald Court. Scrambling off his broom Severus raced towards the door of the cottage just as the time ticked over to 11.59pm. He noticed Lucius's broom leaning up against the wall along with several others he vaguely recognised. Had Lucius sent me those messages? Snape was puzzled. Why not just tell me about it? Perhaps he's having a party. He'd never been to Malfoy's house but he sensed this wasn't it. This seemed too temporary, like you could just pack the cottage up into a suitcase and move it around when it suited you. Leaving his broom next to Lucius's he entered the opened door. The door slammed behind him as the clock showed midnight.
The lounge room of 44 Emerald Court was full of people just standing around looking uncertain. Some Snape recognised from school and others that had long left school behind. He looked over to see Lucius gesturing for him to come over. He was aware of his shoes clattering loudly on the bare wooden floors as he made his way across the room. Severus whispered 'Do you know what's going on?'
'Not entirely. I kept getting these notes and the last one said to come here' So Malfoy hadn't sent them...it was somebody else that had called these people together. On the other side of Malfoy was Narcissa Canicula a Slytherin girl in their year that he'd never really thought about before. She smiled at Snape and he was surprised about how much a smile could change one's face. She was really quite pretty. He returned the smile and looked her up and down appreciatively. He was just about to open his mouth when a dark green flash illuminated the room and smoke dispersed from the unused fireplace. A tall man with sleeked back black hair stood in front of the fireplace with his arms folded across his chest.
'I see you all decided to turn up' his voice was somewhere between a growl and a hiss. It sent chills down Snape's spine. There was something inherently sexy about the man that stood before them and Snape saw Narcissa's eyes light up. The man did not introduce himself but starting pacing around the room with his hands behind his back and looking all of them in the eye individually.
'If you are smart you will know why you are here. If you pay attention to whispers and stirrings you will know who I am.' The Hogwarts students looked at each other with looks of confusion on their faces. 'If you are a student then that old crackpot fool Dumbledore will have kept you shaded from the outside world and what is really going on' They visibly relaxed at this statement. The man cracked his knuckles and looked directly at Lucius.
'I am Lord Voldemort and I am recruiting.' His eyes seemed to be full of crimson fire. 'Some of you will pass my tests, though many of you won't.' He swished his cloak around as he changed direction and was now just a foot away from Snape. 'I have been watching you all for a long time and I must say I'm quite satisfied with your progress.' Voldemort walked away and settled himself in an armchair. 'I wish to put together a group of wizards, and witches' he noted looking at Narcissa, 'that will serve me in my work.' A man named Travers looked at him with disbelief. Why would we wanna do that? What made him so great? Talk doesn't convince me.
'And right it shouldn't Mr Travers.' The man being addressed snapped his head up in alarm. Could this Lord Voldemort read minds? 'It seems Mr Travers doesn't like to take things on face value. Nagini!' A large serpent slithered into the room. Voldemort emitted a series of hissing and spitting sounds and the snake reared up on it's tail and struck Nigel Travers in the eyes puncturing them with it's fangs. He started screaming in agony as the group looked on shocked. Voldemort narrowed his eyes at the sound. 'Screaming? SCREAMING?!' he yelled. 'You think you're in pain now? You know nothing, nothing about pain, boy!' The dark wizard raised his wand and pointed it at Travers. 'Crucio!' he hissed. Travers body twisted and turned in all directions as his hands tried to stay over his eyes which were dripping blood down his cheeks. He found himself without voice and his open mouth and strangled expression spoke volumes of the pain he was in. After a minute or so Voldemort flicked his wand at the jerking body of Nigel and the man lay still, albeit whimpering.
'From the looks on your faces I take it you do not need another demonstration of my power. Goyle, Robertson, Lestrange, Calcara – follow me.' Lord Voldemort swept out of the room with the four men following in his footsteps. Nobody moved to help the shaking Travers on the ground and he extracted his own wand and after pointing it at his face and blubbering 'Oculus curatio' his punctured eyes healed and the look of pain vanished from his face although it was still splattered with blood. He then promptly fainted.
The door that led into the kitchen of the cottage opened after a few minutes and Robertson and Calcara came out looking dazed. They Apparated out of the lounge room muttering something about running late for dinner.
'Must have modified their memories' a fierce looking grey-haired man standing on the other side of Snape said quietly.
For the next half hour small groups of people came in and out of the kitchen as Lord Voldemort assessed their ability at becoming one of his inner circle. Severus was surprised when Voldemort called out just his name to go into the other room.
The kitchen was covered in dust and remnants of rats and mice. Although they were in various stages of rotting, Voldemort and his snake could not have been in Paddlebury for longer than a week.
Voldemort directed him to a chair that sat in front of a large bowl that swirled with what looked like smoke. That's a Pensieve a voice in the back of his mind intoned. It seemed to be almost overflowing and Snape knew that Voldemort really had been watching them all for a long time. Voldemort stirred the contents for a while and a little scene played out before them. It was that night in the Slytherin common room when Snape had told them all that his grandmother was Miliana Joxer.
'You lie...so convincingly to your friends. That is a quality to be admired. Tell me Severus...' Voldemort held the last s of his name in the air for a while 'How do you feel about revenge?' The Pensieve swirled faster and he saw it was now playing out the events of that night when Sirius Black had tried to kill him. He watched James pulling him from the hole under the Whomping Willow and carrying him up to the castle like he were a sack of potatoes. The anger rose up inside of him and he clenched his fists. He imagined the bowl swirling once again sometime in the future and it showing Black, Potter, Lupin and Pettigrew all flat out on their backs with him administering the Cruciatus curse on them. A wicked smile crept onto the young man's face. 'There is nothing sweeter, none more delicious that revenge.'
Voldemort looked at him closely 'Then that is what I offer you. A dish of revenge served with a side order of death. Betray me and death will come so swiftly you won't have the chance to blink. Do I make myself clear?' His eyes were filled with ice.
'Yes my Lord.'
'Very well.' He grabbed Snape's left arm and pressed the tip of his wand deeply into the flesh near his elbow.
'MORSMORDRE' he growled and Severus felt pain shoot hard into his arm. His arm felt like it was being ripped apart and just when he thought he couldn't take it anymore the pain shifted over into something he'd never felt before, something beyond pain. A euphoric feeling swept over him and he fell to the ground, a dark mark now clearly imprinted on his forearm.
'It is my mark I have placed upon you now Severus Snape.' Voldemort looked down at the young man sprawled at his feet. 'When I need you it will burn and you will come straight to me. Fail this and you will suffer. I hold the very power of death in my hands and you as my follower will share a little of my glory when we bring them all to their knees.'
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Snape rolled over in bed and thought more about what Lord Voldemort had said. The very power of death in my hands. Severus knew he was a dark wizard and that excited him. Here was a wizard that was not afraid to go out there and make the world the way he wanted it to be. Something had been brewing inside of Severus Snape ever since Hortense Hamilton had called him Severarse on their very first day of school. Finally he found someone that could help him get all that hatred out into the world and make them pay for his pain. Someone that could undoubtedly lead Snape on his way to greatness. Careful not to disturb Narcissa's sleep he untangled himself from the sheets and headed to the window. The moon shone brightly (that bastard Lupin he thought with renewed hatred) and Snape looked out onto his front yard. This street is so pathetically Muggle, if given half the chance they'll act just like Hortense he thought. Severus began to imagine the street in flames, Muggles running to and fro with panic etched on their faces and he with his wand pointed in their direction. Snape felt like he'd been asleep all these years. Voldemort had opened his eyes and he couldn't have been more grateful.
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Author's note: Yay, he's gone dark! The sexy dark Snape we all love has finally arrived. Well I love the dark Snape anyway...anyone else? :o)