Chapter 6- The tasks
The dark mark burned his skin, startling him out of a sound sleep. He dressed quickly and ran off the grounds to apparate. Where he was going, he didn't know. But he got there quickly. There was a fire burning in the middle, a huge fire, towering at least six feet into the air. All the death- eaters were standing around, hoods obscuring their faces, but he could pick out most of them. There was Lucius, his blonde hair visible out of the side of his robe. The monstrous shapes of Crabbe and Goyle were behind him. Then there was McNair, his body never quite fit his robe properly. And in the front, short and rather weasel-ly looking, was Peter Pettigrew.
Bile rose in Snape's throat as he caught sight of the wimpy little rat who'd snitched on his friends, simply to get the protection of the bigger bully. People like Peter, who traded their loyalties so easily made him more nervous than all the Lucius Malfoys ever could. People like Peter just weren't predictable, or stable enough.
They milled around for a minute or two, the Lord Voldemort descended up them. He hovered slightly, just high enough to be seen by all. Just high enough to inspire awe in his insipid followers.
Rather than give in to the awe that seeing a man floating and nearly glowing, could do to anyone, Snape cataloged in his head the spells and potions necessary for Voldemort to retain his levitation and appearance.
The Dark Lord greeted all his followers with their traditional welcome, a prayer that had been used in dark ceremonies for centuries. Snape mumbled the appropriate phrases at the right time, and tried very hard to seem excited.
"My loyal followers." The voice of Voldemort boomed. "It has come to my attention that we have once again in within our reach, a most powerful addition to our cause." There was a murmur from the crowd as each death- eater expressed confusion. All except Malfoy, Snape noticed. The thought made him swallow hard. Surely not even Lucius was so heartless. "A young woman, sister to one of my best. She is an animagi of unlimited ability, able to change at will, into what ever she wishes."
"Severus, Lucius, come forward." Snape swallowed nervously, but he entered the inner ring, standing at corners with Lucius and Voldemort so they formed a triangle. "Lucius tells me that his sister is now teaching at Hogwarts?"
"Yes Lord Voldemort." Snape managed to choke out.
"Excellent. I want her brought to me, by the new year." Snape merely bowed in supposed acquiescence.
"Lucius you will give Severus all the assistance he requires."
Snape felt a twinge of smugness, imagining the choked look on Malfoy's face, after knowing that he'd have to play second fiddle to a boy he'd recruited. But Malfoy was to smart to protest so he merely bowed as well. "As you wish Milord."
A smile graced Voldemort's face. At least, Snape thought it was a smile. It looked so cruel and out of place on the other man's face, that he could only hazard a guess. But he thought that was what it was supposed to be. Voldemort instructed Malfoy to begin the revels, but then he took Snape aside, close to the cover of the trees. The trust Voldemort was placing in him by keeping secret council was surprising. And he suspected the other man knew it. "You were once one of my best men Severus." The dark lord started. "I'm beginning to believe what you told me about the trial even. But the reason you are over here is that I have a task I believe you to be uniquely suited for."
Curiosity burned but Snape kept quiet, wanting like hell to know what he was being entrusted with. Knowing that Voldemort would string him along for quite a while before actually telling him anything. "You and I have something in common. We both know what it is like to have the only woman we could ever love turn from us, try to make us feel guilty for being powerful." Snape drew a hissing breath. He shouldn't be surprised that the wizard knew about his feelings for Isis, but it was everything he could do not to demand the name of the rat. Fortunately Voldemort misinterpreted the sound. "Yes, still a sore subject I see. Well, I tell you what. I will give you Isis, if you will bring me back my love. Once she is with me, I can bind her to me forever."
"Who is this woman Lord Voldemort?" Snape asked, dreading the answer and fearing for the unknown woman.
"Excellent! Always to the point Severus. That it one of the things I like about you. You know her well I believe. You see Severus. She and I went to school together. I loved her even then, but she always thought she was better than me. Damn Gryffindors."
Snape was trying to do the math in his head. As the picture became clear, his eyes widened. "McGonagall. You're talking about Professor McGonagall aren't you?"
"Yes. Minerva McGonagall. It's funny. She knew even back in school that I'd never "be any good" as she told me time and time again. I can't wait to break her to me." Suddenly, Voldemort seemed to see the man in front of him again. "Go back to the school, Severus. I want them to me by the new year."
Snape bowed again and backed away from the revels. Worry added a large boulder to his stomach as he apparated home.
The dark mark burned his skin, startling him out of a sound sleep. He dressed quickly and ran off the grounds to apparate. Where he was going, he didn't know. But he got there quickly. There was a fire burning in the middle, a huge fire, towering at least six feet into the air. All the death- eaters were standing around, hoods obscuring their faces, but he could pick out most of them. There was Lucius, his blonde hair visible out of the side of his robe. The monstrous shapes of Crabbe and Goyle were behind him. Then there was McNair, his body never quite fit his robe properly. And in the front, short and rather weasel-ly looking, was Peter Pettigrew.
Bile rose in Snape's throat as he caught sight of the wimpy little rat who'd snitched on his friends, simply to get the protection of the bigger bully. People like Peter, who traded their loyalties so easily made him more nervous than all the Lucius Malfoys ever could. People like Peter just weren't predictable, or stable enough.
They milled around for a minute or two, the Lord Voldemort descended up them. He hovered slightly, just high enough to be seen by all. Just high enough to inspire awe in his insipid followers.
Rather than give in to the awe that seeing a man floating and nearly glowing, could do to anyone, Snape cataloged in his head the spells and potions necessary for Voldemort to retain his levitation and appearance.
The Dark Lord greeted all his followers with their traditional welcome, a prayer that had been used in dark ceremonies for centuries. Snape mumbled the appropriate phrases at the right time, and tried very hard to seem excited.
"My loyal followers." The voice of Voldemort boomed. "It has come to my attention that we have once again in within our reach, a most powerful addition to our cause." There was a murmur from the crowd as each death- eater expressed confusion. All except Malfoy, Snape noticed. The thought made him swallow hard. Surely not even Lucius was so heartless. "A young woman, sister to one of my best. She is an animagi of unlimited ability, able to change at will, into what ever she wishes."
"Severus, Lucius, come forward." Snape swallowed nervously, but he entered the inner ring, standing at corners with Lucius and Voldemort so they formed a triangle. "Lucius tells me that his sister is now teaching at Hogwarts?"
"Yes Lord Voldemort." Snape managed to choke out.
"Excellent. I want her brought to me, by the new year." Snape merely bowed in supposed acquiescence.
"Lucius you will give Severus all the assistance he requires."
Snape felt a twinge of smugness, imagining the choked look on Malfoy's face, after knowing that he'd have to play second fiddle to a boy he'd recruited. But Malfoy was to smart to protest so he merely bowed as well. "As you wish Milord."
A smile graced Voldemort's face. At least, Snape thought it was a smile. It looked so cruel and out of place on the other man's face, that he could only hazard a guess. But he thought that was what it was supposed to be. Voldemort instructed Malfoy to begin the revels, but then he took Snape aside, close to the cover of the trees. The trust Voldemort was placing in him by keeping secret council was surprising. And he suspected the other man knew it. "You were once one of my best men Severus." The dark lord started. "I'm beginning to believe what you told me about the trial even. But the reason you are over here is that I have a task I believe you to be uniquely suited for."
Curiosity burned but Snape kept quiet, wanting like hell to know what he was being entrusted with. Knowing that Voldemort would string him along for quite a while before actually telling him anything. "You and I have something in common. We both know what it is like to have the only woman we could ever love turn from us, try to make us feel guilty for being powerful." Snape drew a hissing breath. He shouldn't be surprised that the wizard knew about his feelings for Isis, but it was everything he could do not to demand the name of the rat. Fortunately Voldemort misinterpreted the sound. "Yes, still a sore subject I see. Well, I tell you what. I will give you Isis, if you will bring me back my love. Once she is with me, I can bind her to me forever."
"Who is this woman Lord Voldemort?" Snape asked, dreading the answer and fearing for the unknown woman.
"Excellent! Always to the point Severus. That it one of the things I like about you. You know her well I believe. You see Severus. She and I went to school together. I loved her even then, but she always thought she was better than me. Damn Gryffindors."
Snape was trying to do the math in his head. As the picture became clear, his eyes widened. "McGonagall. You're talking about Professor McGonagall aren't you?"
"Yes. Minerva McGonagall. It's funny. She knew even back in school that I'd never "be any good" as she told me time and time again. I can't wait to break her to me." Suddenly, Voldemort seemed to see the man in front of him again. "Go back to the school, Severus. I want them to me by the new year."
Snape bowed again and backed away from the revels. Worry added a large boulder to his stomach as he apparated home.