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PATH to DARKNESS by Tyde
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Chapter Fifteen – I Don't Know You Anymore
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Author's note: I took Chapter Fifteen down for a little while this morning if you didn't catch my earlier note. Sorry if you clicked then expecting to find more Snape evilness. I needed to re-write it cause I was getting impatient with the story and just wanted to skip ahead to more interesting (albeit evil) things and the last year of Hogwarts was standing in the way of it. But I've decided that the seventh year will feature a bit. So for all those of you that have already read the original Chapter Fifteen – rewind and slog through it again! I'm a little distracted by the terrorist attacks in Bali at the moment and it's really hard to write evil stuff that involves blowing things up even if the HP universe is so different from our own. I'm also going on holidays next Saturday for a week so I probably won't update the story for a week or so. But I promise I'll leave you with another chapter at least before I go away. Hey, maybe my holiday will inspire me and Snape will be going to live on a tropical island somewhere...yeah right! :o)
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Most of the former sixth year students spent their summers watching local Quidditch games or studying for their impending N.E.W.Ts. Severus Snape spent it Apparating all over Great Britain testing himself. To his immense pride he had not once splinched himself (Goyle and Macnair had both done it twice) and Voldemort seemed pleased he had mastered it. It didn't do to have to zoom towards Voldemort's location on his broom every time his tattoo burned – not only was it highly inconvenient time-wise it was also dangerous lest Muggles should catch him zooming across the London sky at lunch time. His father was positively bursting with pride when Severus Apparated into the lounge room one evening with is Apparation license clutched in his hand.
After she spent half the summer huffing at him whenever he was near her Narcissa eventually let Severus back into her bed. She'd picked up with Lucius in the meantime but dropped him like a hot potato when Severus held her in his arms again, aide of course by the flick of a wand. He was slowly mastering the Imperious curse and didn't doubt that he'd have half of Britain eating out of his hand before long.
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Dancing around in front of the magical blackboard at the back of the Great Hall an over-excited Peter Pettigrew let out a whoop. A whoop worthy of A's in all subjects but James noticed with a smile that Peter had scraped a pass in all classes. 'Good on you Pettigrew' the Head Boy clapped him on the shoulder and moved forward to find his marks. There it glimmered at the top of the board in magical purple chalk James Potter and Lily Evans Joint Dux of Hogwarts 1977. Further down the list he saw their A+ marks for all subjects. He turned around to look for Lily but she wasn't anywhere in sight, his eyes however locked on a sour looking Severus Snape.
'Move it Potter, some of us would like to get a look in if you don't mind' he stepped up shoving a hapless Quirrell aside.
'Sure Snape. Hope you did well' he said with a note of sincerity which only got him a glare from the black haired boy. James backed off and walked towards the Gryffindor table thinking maybe Lily was already hoeing into a hearty breakfast. Snape didn't hear Lily come up behind him eager for her marks. Raising his arm up to trace over from his name to the mark allocated the sleeve of his robe slid down to his elbow and for a brief second Lily glimpsed what she could only describe as a black smudge near the inside crease of his elbow. With an unnatural speed Snape whipped up the sleeve of his robes and looked around straight into the eyes of Lily Evans whose face was formed into one of confusion. His look could only be described as bewildered and he stormed past her and straight out the door towards the dungeons. A dark brown owl fluttered after him with a piece of black parchment attached to it's leg.
He didn't even reach the common room before the owl had landed on his shoulder and was holding it's leg out in front of his eyes. Unravelling the piece of paper quickly, eager for a personal message from his master, to his disappointment he found only a standard letter that told of his master's return to England after a long journey in Europe. He'd told his followers in their last meeting that he would be going to the forests of Bundesrepublic Deutschland in search of darker magicks, ones that could sustain his life and make him resistant to death. Voldemort had been drinking potions (prepared by Severus of course) of Dementor bile which made him stronger and gave his glares a withering power none had thought possible, but it did not give him the immortal factor he craved. The letter finished off with a location and a time. Stand tall and proud until I come. Do not talk, do not move. It is time to bring all of my Death Eaters together.
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'You seem troubled Severus'
'Not at all Headmaster, merely exhausted after a tough, but rewarding year at Hogwarts. I cannot believe it is time to leave here already. Are we really all ready for the world out there?' Snape nearly busted a gut trying to be as sweet as pie as he spoke to Dumbledore. The Headmaster had called him into his office unexpectedly and he was wary that somehow the old man had cottoned onto his alternate life.
'That and many other things I assure you Mister Snape. Please take a seat. I promise this won't hurt a bit' a twinkle in Dumbledore's eye relaxed him. He doesn't know, the dottering old fool doesn't know. Of course he doesn't, how could he? A derisive laugh sounded inside his head. The Headmaster continued 'Have you thought about what it is you will do now that your time at Hogwarts is finished?' Snape almost laughed out aloud, he sounds just like my parents, what will you do with your future Sevi, darling?
The young man looked up at Dumbledore and smiled 'I really haven't thought about it. I know my potions marks are good enough to get me a job in the Ministry lab but I haven't altogether decided what it is I will do. Perhaps open an Apothocary? Professor Pomfrey said I showed promise in the healing arts.'
'And indeed you do, but your marks are also good enough for a job here as Potions Master.' Looking at Snape he answered his question before it even came about 'Professor Pomfrey is replacing Madam Ixilee as school nurse next year. We are in need of a Potions teacher and I thought you suited it to a tea, as it were.'
That statement certainly threw him for a curve. Me, Potions master? His eyes met Dumbledore's which held an expectant air. 'Er...I'll have to think about it Professor. That's certainly a big step'
'I have complete confidence in your ability Severus'
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Severus stepped out from behind the gargoyle statue that hid the entrance to Dumbledore's office. He had a frown on his face. Why would he ask me to stay on and become a teacher? Helping these mindless idiots to become pathetic Muggle-loving dunderheads, not likely. Sure my potions marks were the best the school had seen in years but I really don't think I'm teacher material – I still have so much more to learn and my master can teach it all to me and then perhaps when I know everything there is to know, then I'll come back and teach them something. He laughed out loud and was rewarded by a strange look from Lily Evans as she stood a few feet away. He glared at her. 'What do you want?'
'If you must know I'm here to see the Professor' she snapped back. 'It may be your last day here at Hogwarts Snape but I'm still Head Girl and I can still take points from Slytherin. Not that it will make a difference, you're still bottom of the cauldron in the House cup. Too many hexes and curses got you down? Maybe you should try being civil to people.'
'Trying to be civil to bloody Gryffindors and their friends that tried to kill me in fifth year? Not bloody likely Mudblood.' His lip curled at her.
'Clear off Snape!' she fingered her wand lovingly 'Or I might just hex you right here and now'
'Go on then Lily – you wouldn't have the guts! Pathetic blubbering girl you are'
She raised her hand in the air and then dropped it by her side. 'You're not worth it Severus Snape, not by a long shot. I was wrong all those years ago thinking you were worth a Knut. You're nothing but a typical Slytherin, bad inside and out. If I never see you again it'll be too soon' she flounced off down the hall forgetting entirely about her meeting with Dumbledore. Snape stalked back to the dungeons for one last look around the common room with her words burning in his ears. It shouldn't have bothered him, but it did. Through it all Severus was still in love with Lily Evans.
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Author's note: Okay so I've fixed this chapter up, finally! Sorry about the delay and thank you for being patient.
Sila-chan – Bristol is somewhere in Britain. Hagrid mentions it when he brings the baby Harry to Dumbledore and McGonagall at the Dursleys. 'The little tyke fell to sleep just as we were flying over Bristol'. It's also a paint brand hehe. As for the NakedSnape, what can I say – I like a bad boy :o) My friends think I'm nuts cause I get this 'well hello' look on my face every time I watch the movie and he comes on the screen. I think Alan Rickman is a couple of years older than my father...kinda sick huh?
Dymphna – I've made it bearable? Woohoo, kudos to me. More darkness and sexiness and all round badness for our Snapiepoos. As for Voldie – even badder. Just hope I can write it to your satisfaction and my own!