A.N.: thank you to all who reviewed my last chapter, and I am very honored
by you reading this now too Ash. Sorry it has taken so long for this
chapter, it got stuck when my computer caught a virus and then I posted it
& remembered another paragraph I needed to put on. But hopefully, with the
holidays now, a few more chapters shall magically appear. Thanx for
sticking with me.
Disclaimer: usual
Secrets in the Dark
- Part 8
Snape calmly strode up the flagstone street of Diagon Alley. His robes were filmy pulled around his body so that the little brats who were enthusiastically running around didn't some how contaminate him, they always seemed to have something sticky or dirty on their little grubby hands and face, how anyone could stand young children he'd never know, having to teach those small minded students was bad enough. As he expeditiously made his way through the shadows and past cramped stores, Snape thought he felt someone watching him. He glanced around in all directions, thoroughly studying all the faces he could see for someone facing his direction, but, finding no one to match his criteria, he continued of his way. A chill ran down Snape's spine as he realised he no longer needed to stay close to the buildings and shops to be shrouded by shadow, he had entered Knockturn Ally and he recognized most of the shops here, being where he had been sent to obtain rare an dark equipment for the Dark Lord. This cold, damp place was oozing with sin, and it made Snape feel apprehensive. He sneered hatefully at two old witched who were selling old skulls and glaring suspiciously at him. He wanted to get away from this place as quickly as possibly, and he could have sworn there was someone following him, but every time he spun around viciously to check, al he could see were the rickety shop façades and a couple of ragged looking sales people standing behind there stores on the stone lane. Snape discerned the particular shop he needed to seek assistance from squashed between the 'Shoppe of Grind' where you could buy anything which was ground, fro ground pepper to ground bones and more, and an old shop which sold rare and harmful potions, most of which had actually been banned from use in any respectable area. Snape slowly and cautiously pushed open the dusty glass door which was now rather discoloured. Behind the wooden counter was a dark hall, which, when Snape looked closely, he could distinguish a pair of eyes staring out blankly, not seeming at al to look like a pair. Standing in front of the counter defiantly, looking almost as if he belonged, Snape ran a long, dresden finger along the bench before tracing it up to the top of a small brass bell and tapping it so that the ringing resounded through out the small room. The two eyes moved forward and emerged from the darkness. Snape found himself standing face to face with an elderly man who possessed one glass eye, and Snape realised that this man was no stranger to him.
"My my my, well if it isn't Vitrum* Oculus*, I weren't aware you were still alive" Snape announced, trying to sound as sincere as was possible for a Snape.
"And who may you be to know my name, sir" Vitrum replied with the same forced civility.
"Who I am is of no concern to you at present," came Snape's icy reply. "I am here to inquire whether you have possession on any hentilated meind?"
"Hentilated meind hey? Yeah, we, have a bit, but it'll cost you".
"Name your price Oculus" Snape commanded coolly.
"300 galleons!"
"Done"
Vitrum glared suspiciously at the tall, dark robed man standing before him before bustling off back into the dark room. He returned some minutes later with a block of hentilated miend the size of his fist.
"Here you are sir, now, I must ask you to pay in cash of course" Vitrum instructed, intending to flaw the ark, greasy haired stranger as he handed over the miend.
Snape's slender hand extended from his pocket to not only reveal the hearty sum of 300 Galleons, but also the Dark Mark.
This observation caused Vitrum to realise to whom he was speaking. "Severus. I never thought I would be seeing you again," cam the cold and nasty voice. "I would have thought The Dark Lord would have disposed of you by now, you traitor! Look at you; look at what you've become! Nothing! You could have stayed with us, my friend, we could have ruled, we could have had power beyond our dreams!"
"Vitrum," interupted the quiet, but deadly hiss of the Professor's silky voice. "Look at yourself, you never had power! You were ruled by some one else! You have no idea how pathetic you really are, you are worse than a sniveling child, always hiding behind your master's cloak, well he's not here anymore, and now you are nothing. I would rather spend time with Potter than with you!"
"SANGUIS*!!!" Vitrum called as Snape tried to evade the magical blow which was emitted for Vitrum Oculus's wand before stumbling out the door, hentilated meind firmly grasped in his hand.
After Snape had exited the small shop in a fluster he hastily apparated back to Hogsmeade station. As he glace coldly around at a stumpy witch, he noticed that her gaze was fixed on him, and her facial expression was quite astounding! Her mouth was slightly ajar and there was a slight frown between her gray eyes, which were so wide they looked as though they might pop out at any moment. Snape glared at her for a moment before deciding to discover what it was that had the woman so horrifically captivated. What Snape saw next he wasn't prepared for. His robes were dripping and around him on the platform was a shallow pool of blood. Snape's hands shot up so he cold see what state his skin was in, and they appeared to be in exactly the same state as the rest of his body must have - the skin was not visible for all the blood, which was pulsing out through his pores, collecting on his fingertips before dropping to the ground. So, Vitrum's spell had not missed as presumed, but Snape did not worry, he had encountered such a spell before and knew that his fear would only cause his heart to pump faster, therefore causing his blood to flow out at a quicker rate. Snape calmly reached for his wand within his robe's sleeve - which he found after pushing his hand through the blood which was caught up there.
"Macula*" Snape hissed to his wand.
Instantly the blood ceased to flow from his body, but although he no longer risked bleeding to death, he was still soaked from his own blood and he felt light-headed. Snape gave a sharp nod towards the elderly woman to assure her not to be alarmed before turning to walk in the direction of the castle. He stumbled slightly, but remained his balance on the first couple of steps, but his perception was so foggy that a slight dip in the ground caused him to lose his balance and fall to the ground in a cursing heap.
"Now, now, no need for all that Severus"
Snape raised his eyes to see a blurred Dumbledore standing a few paces away. Snape grunted as if he believed Dumbledore had no right to tell him what to do, even though Snape knew he was right. Dumbledore outstretched his hand to help Snape up. Snape merely hissed at it before getting up alone. Accepting that Snape wouldn't accept physical contact if it could be helped, Dumbledore found a nearby stick about waist height and offered it to Snape as a walking aid. Snape accepted the obliging stick and leant on it heavily as they walked back to Hogwarts.
The blood loss was causing Snape to feel very dizzy and disoriented. He focused hard to compute as to where he was. Madame Pomfrey's concerned face made the fact that he had reached the infirmary clear to him. Dumbledore and Mme Pomfrey's voices were heard some distance away, she said that Snape needed a blood transfusion and the thought of blood made Snape go weak & fall slightly before being remembered by Dumbledore, who helped him over to a free bed. Snape sat down upon it, still very weak, and his thoughts were very blurred and things being said could not stay in his head longer than a few seconds.
"Lie down, Severus, you've just lost some blood, don't worry, we'll just give you a bit of a top up."
But before Mme Pomfrey had finished, Snape had pass out.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*Vitrum is Latin for 'Glass'
* Oculus is Latin for 'Eye'
*Sanguis is Latin for 'Blood'
*Macula is Latin for 'Blot' (I know it's pretty lame, but I couldn't find any of the words I originally wanted to use for this spell).
Disclaimer: usual
Secrets in the Dark
- Part 8
Snape calmly strode up the flagstone street of Diagon Alley. His robes were filmy pulled around his body so that the little brats who were enthusiastically running around didn't some how contaminate him, they always seemed to have something sticky or dirty on their little grubby hands and face, how anyone could stand young children he'd never know, having to teach those small minded students was bad enough. As he expeditiously made his way through the shadows and past cramped stores, Snape thought he felt someone watching him. He glanced around in all directions, thoroughly studying all the faces he could see for someone facing his direction, but, finding no one to match his criteria, he continued of his way. A chill ran down Snape's spine as he realised he no longer needed to stay close to the buildings and shops to be shrouded by shadow, he had entered Knockturn Ally and he recognized most of the shops here, being where he had been sent to obtain rare an dark equipment for the Dark Lord. This cold, damp place was oozing with sin, and it made Snape feel apprehensive. He sneered hatefully at two old witched who were selling old skulls and glaring suspiciously at him. He wanted to get away from this place as quickly as possibly, and he could have sworn there was someone following him, but every time he spun around viciously to check, al he could see were the rickety shop façades and a couple of ragged looking sales people standing behind there stores on the stone lane. Snape discerned the particular shop he needed to seek assistance from squashed between the 'Shoppe of Grind' where you could buy anything which was ground, fro ground pepper to ground bones and more, and an old shop which sold rare and harmful potions, most of which had actually been banned from use in any respectable area. Snape slowly and cautiously pushed open the dusty glass door which was now rather discoloured. Behind the wooden counter was a dark hall, which, when Snape looked closely, he could distinguish a pair of eyes staring out blankly, not seeming at al to look like a pair. Standing in front of the counter defiantly, looking almost as if he belonged, Snape ran a long, dresden finger along the bench before tracing it up to the top of a small brass bell and tapping it so that the ringing resounded through out the small room. The two eyes moved forward and emerged from the darkness. Snape found himself standing face to face with an elderly man who possessed one glass eye, and Snape realised that this man was no stranger to him.
"My my my, well if it isn't Vitrum* Oculus*, I weren't aware you were still alive" Snape announced, trying to sound as sincere as was possible for a Snape.
"And who may you be to know my name, sir" Vitrum replied with the same forced civility.
"Who I am is of no concern to you at present," came Snape's icy reply. "I am here to inquire whether you have possession on any hentilated meind?"
"Hentilated meind hey? Yeah, we, have a bit, but it'll cost you".
"Name your price Oculus" Snape commanded coolly.
"300 galleons!"
"Done"
Vitrum glared suspiciously at the tall, dark robed man standing before him before bustling off back into the dark room. He returned some minutes later with a block of hentilated miend the size of his fist.
"Here you are sir, now, I must ask you to pay in cash of course" Vitrum instructed, intending to flaw the ark, greasy haired stranger as he handed over the miend.
Snape's slender hand extended from his pocket to not only reveal the hearty sum of 300 Galleons, but also the Dark Mark.
This observation caused Vitrum to realise to whom he was speaking. "Severus. I never thought I would be seeing you again," cam the cold and nasty voice. "I would have thought The Dark Lord would have disposed of you by now, you traitor! Look at you; look at what you've become! Nothing! You could have stayed with us, my friend, we could have ruled, we could have had power beyond our dreams!"
"Vitrum," interupted the quiet, but deadly hiss of the Professor's silky voice. "Look at yourself, you never had power! You were ruled by some one else! You have no idea how pathetic you really are, you are worse than a sniveling child, always hiding behind your master's cloak, well he's not here anymore, and now you are nothing. I would rather spend time with Potter than with you!"
"SANGUIS*!!!" Vitrum called as Snape tried to evade the magical blow which was emitted for Vitrum Oculus's wand before stumbling out the door, hentilated meind firmly grasped in his hand.
After Snape had exited the small shop in a fluster he hastily apparated back to Hogsmeade station. As he glace coldly around at a stumpy witch, he noticed that her gaze was fixed on him, and her facial expression was quite astounding! Her mouth was slightly ajar and there was a slight frown between her gray eyes, which were so wide they looked as though they might pop out at any moment. Snape glared at her for a moment before deciding to discover what it was that had the woman so horrifically captivated. What Snape saw next he wasn't prepared for. His robes were dripping and around him on the platform was a shallow pool of blood. Snape's hands shot up so he cold see what state his skin was in, and they appeared to be in exactly the same state as the rest of his body must have - the skin was not visible for all the blood, which was pulsing out through his pores, collecting on his fingertips before dropping to the ground. So, Vitrum's spell had not missed as presumed, but Snape did not worry, he had encountered such a spell before and knew that his fear would only cause his heart to pump faster, therefore causing his blood to flow out at a quicker rate. Snape calmly reached for his wand within his robe's sleeve - which he found after pushing his hand through the blood which was caught up there.
"Macula*" Snape hissed to his wand.
Instantly the blood ceased to flow from his body, but although he no longer risked bleeding to death, he was still soaked from his own blood and he felt light-headed. Snape gave a sharp nod towards the elderly woman to assure her not to be alarmed before turning to walk in the direction of the castle. He stumbled slightly, but remained his balance on the first couple of steps, but his perception was so foggy that a slight dip in the ground caused him to lose his balance and fall to the ground in a cursing heap.
"Now, now, no need for all that Severus"
Snape raised his eyes to see a blurred Dumbledore standing a few paces away. Snape grunted as if he believed Dumbledore had no right to tell him what to do, even though Snape knew he was right. Dumbledore outstretched his hand to help Snape up. Snape merely hissed at it before getting up alone. Accepting that Snape wouldn't accept physical contact if it could be helped, Dumbledore found a nearby stick about waist height and offered it to Snape as a walking aid. Snape accepted the obliging stick and leant on it heavily as they walked back to Hogwarts.
The blood loss was causing Snape to feel very dizzy and disoriented. He focused hard to compute as to where he was. Madame Pomfrey's concerned face made the fact that he had reached the infirmary clear to him. Dumbledore and Mme Pomfrey's voices were heard some distance away, she said that Snape needed a blood transfusion and the thought of blood made Snape go weak & fall slightly before being remembered by Dumbledore, who helped him over to a free bed. Snape sat down upon it, still very weak, and his thoughts were very blurred and things being said could not stay in his head longer than a few seconds.
"Lie down, Severus, you've just lost some blood, don't worry, we'll just give you a bit of a top up."
But before Mme Pomfrey had finished, Snape had pass out.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
*Vitrum is Latin for 'Glass'
* Oculus is Latin for 'Eye'
*Sanguis is Latin for 'Blood'
*Macula is Latin for 'Blot' (I know it's pretty lame, but I couldn't find any of the words I originally wanted to use for this spell).