A/N: Ok so this is a bit graphic, so if you don't want to read anything like that sorry. Secondly I want to thank a reviewer for helping me with the title of the story… unfortunatly I accendently erasied the story and the reviews so I don't know who it was…but thank you anyway. well enjoy
~ Ophelia's Ghost
************************* Severus Snape ***************************
It's once white paint was all but chipped off, tattered red drapes flickered ominously out of the shattered bay windows, the expansive gardens could no longer be distinguished from a desert waste land, it had been 20 years since anything but dust had grown. Indeed, the mansion made the house of usher look like a marvel of architectural beauty. A chill ran down Snape's spine as arrived at the rusted lion-headed iron front gates. Wrapping his cloak tighter around him he pushed them open and stalked slowly to the front doors. Snape knocked and waited. After about a minute he heard something.
"South of the sun the raven flies,
Only the serpent knows the truth to come" wheezed a small voice
" At the time when the darkness will rise
and all will be under the power of the one." Snape snapped back.
The heavy oak door swung opened and Snape was sickened to see that the owner of the voice was a small boy of no more than 12 with a horrible burn scarring half his face. A slave, Voldemort is starting fresh he thought to himself.
"Well boy?" He hissed
"Sir?" The boy coughed
"Where is it?"
"Sir it is in the last room after the stairs."
Snape grunted in response, but didn't move. The boys frightened eyes darted wildly around the hall and then they looked pleadingly into Snape's cold black eyes.
"Please, please could you just give me something to eat, please sir. It's been five days, and I dare not ask the Great Lord. Sir just a crumb."
The skeletal boy was now pawing at Snape's robes. Snape looked down at him horrified. Suddenly from the shadows came a harsh drawling voice.
"Crucio"
The boy began convulsing as he feel shrieking to the cold splintered floor. From admits screams came a low laugh.
"Lucius." Snape sneered.
Into the light stepped the lean and piercing figure of Lucius Malfoy. With a twisted smile he pointed his wand closer to the tormented boy causing his screams to amplify. Snape retrieved his wand and pointed it at the pitiful creature.
"Avada Kedavra."
"Oh come now Severus, you've ruined my fun." Lucius said as he kicked at the dead boy.
"His screams grew tiresome." Snape replied
Lucius smiled and called out,
"Simmons, Wathers. Get this filthy muggle body out of my sight."
Two burly men stalked over and with the air of someone moving a sack of potatoes picked up the staving boy and passed through the open doors.
"Ah now that the scenery is more pleasant." Began Lucius in a sneering smile, "You have been summoned for the trial?"
"Just as you have." Grunted Snape
"I was summoned earlier this afternoon."
"I take it that you passed."
"Of course I passed!" Lucius rose his wand to Snape's forehead "Do you doubt my loyalty?" he hissed
Snape smirked "I don't think any one could doubt your loyalty Malfoy."
Lucius lowered his wand and clapped Snape on the shoulder. "You best be going, he's expecting you."
The room was large and much to the deception of the exterior of the mansion, lavishly furnished. There were four grand fire places, a long table was stationed along a back wall. On the opposite end was a large and high backed black chair. Wizards in long hooded capes lined the walls and a short, quivering balding wizard stood in front of the large chair holding a scroll.
"Peter." Snape muttered to himself as he walked the length of the room.
"Severus Snape, my lord." Peter announced as Snape stopped in front of him
"Ah yes." A cold voice answered from the in front of the fireplace.
A tall robed wizard slowly turned to face Snape. The wizard lifted black gloved hands to his hood and pushed it back revealing a face enclosed by a black iron mask carved with the unmistakable features of Lord Voldemort . Snape feel immediately to one knee.
"Severus Snape." he began slowly, "yes, yes. I was most surprised to hear of your allegiance with Albus Dumbledore." Voldemort practically spat these last words.
It was sickening to watch the dark lord speak. For he didn't actually speak. Sounds came from him, words, thoughts, and they filled the room but never did the lips of the iron mask move.
"My Lord, I only hoped that by doing so I could provide you with valuable information about the resistance."
"We shall see." Voldemort motioned to Peter. "Bring the Veritaserum."
The fat wizard entered from behind the chair with a crystal vile filled with a clear liquid. He walked over to were Snape was still kneeling.
"Rise." Voldemort commanded
Snape got to his feet and before Peter could undo the stopper of the bottle he grabbed it from his hands.
"I have and always will swear my allegiance to the one and true lord."
Snape stated as he uncorked the vile and drained it of it's contents. Voldemort cocked his head and sat with a flourish of robe on his black throne. It happened almost instantly. The cold Veritaserum coursed through Snape's veins causing his every muscle to relax and slip into a state of dreary disillusion. Snape's eyes slid in and out of focus and he could feel his mind become lighter and lighter his consciousness getting cloudier and cloudier. For a horrible minute he thought the Latidum had failed. But then a burst of heat, the likes of which he had never felt coursed from the veins in his neck through every capillary in his brain. Suddenly his consciousness cleared and his mind was his once again. It had worked.
"Tell me, Severus Snape," Voldemort began "Why did you betray your sworn Lord?"
"Betray Lord Voldemort, I?" Snape laughed darkly "No I never betrayed the great Lord. I tricked Albus Dumbledore into thinking that I had turned. He is so keen to give those he knows second chances. I stayed by his side gathering information to present my lord when he needed me."
"What information?"
"I learned of the army massing in the east that was to try and attack Lord Voldemort and his followers. They were being held in secrete locations trained with the newest state of the art defenses."
"What locations?"
"Bulgaria, and some in the Ukraine."
"Continue."
"Dumbledore was also planning some melding of powers between strong young wizards such as the Blacks. But my Lord got to them first killing the woman. I tried in vain to locate Sirius but…
It went on like that for the better part of an hour when Lord Voldemort at last held up his gloved hand.
"Enough! One last question," Voldemort stood "Severus Snape, whom do you swear to serve?"
"I Serve the one true Lord. Lord Voldemort."
Voldemort nodded, satisfied. He had passed the test. It was over. All he had to do now was complete a task to prove his loyalty. Peter walked again to Snape, this time carrying a steaming goblet.
"Drink." he said and Snape obeyed
As the hot drink filled his stomach he felt the strength return to his muscles and he knew that the Veritaserum had been reversed.
"And now for your task." Voldemort seemed to be thinking, "as I remember, you always had a rather ravenous taste Severus. I command you to take this wretch-" He snapped his fingers and a horrified naked woman of about 19 appeared from the floor. "out side and kill her."
At this the woman shrieked for help but Voldemort and Snape just laughed.
"You will fill these two goblets with her blood and tonight we shall toast to my rule with them."
Peter handed Snape the goblets. Taking his cue Snape roughly pulled his arm around the woman throat and began to drag her kicking and screaming for mercy out of the room.
"Oh and Severus," Voldemort said with a sick laugh "What you do with her before you kill her is up to you. But I do advise you to have a little fun."
Snape smiled sadistically and nodded as he continued out of the room.
"Bring in who ever is next." Voldemort hissed.
*************************Arabella Figg****************************
"Well I dunno what they'll do. Here you go Denis" the curvy witch said as she handed the wizard at the end of the bar his tankard of ale.
"I can tell you this, Rosemerta," Denis began between chugs of his fourth Albert's Choice Malt "I have never had to work such a funeral since the dark times."
"And to think," piped up a rather haggard warlock "the school will be opening again in just a few weeks time!"
"Those poor kids"
Rosemerta shook her head as she restocked some of the glasses. The door to the Three Broomsticks swung open and a witch of about thirty walked in. She took a moment to look around the establishment.
"Can I help you Ms?" Rosemerta smiled.
"Ah…yes… I am supposed to meet someone here, Albus Dumbledore. He is the headmaster a-"
Denis let out a short laugh, "We all know who he is!"
"Oh, of course," mutter the witch, "he hasn't been in has he?"
"No, not today" Rosemerta answered, "But I wouldn't worry, he's probably been held up with some business at the school. Won't you come and have a drink, ms -?"
"Figg, Arabella" she said as she sat on one of the stools surrounding the bar, "I would love a slow comfortable screw."
"I am sure you would." huffed Denis.
Arabella smiled coyly and took a sip of the drink. she was one of those women who could blend into to a crowd. She was athletically built and was a bit on the tall side. She had never really enjoyed the spoils of young love, but was by no means a blushing flower. She could be considered "pretty" if it were not for the dark bags under her eyes, and the ever present absence of a smile on her blank face
"So what are you meeting Dumbledore for?" Rosemerta pried
The sudden jangling of bells above the entrance of the pub saved Arabella from answering. A very old and very wizened wizard walked to the bar.
"Morin Albus!" Rosemerta said pleasantly, "drink?"
"I could do for a blue moon daiquiri, Rosemerta, thank you" he answered with a smile. "I am sorry that I am late, Ms. Figg but an urgent owl arrived just before I left."
"Perhaps, we could move to a more private table." Arabella offered.
"Excellent Idea! Rosemerta just bring my drink over when its ready."
Dumbledore nodded to Denis and the other wizard at the bar and followed Arabella to a corner table in the back. She took a long sip of her vodka and whiskey as she felt Dumbledore's piercing eyes searching her.
"I am sorry, but like I said before, I have a job, and I don't think the ministry would be to happy if I just skipped out on it." She said
"Ah yes, of course you are part of what department again?"
"Department of International Finance." She said quickly as she took a gulp of her drink.
"Now I remember. Thank you Rosemerta," Dumbledore look at her with almost burning insistence. "I hope you don't mind but I have taken the liberty to speak to the Mr. Dodge, the head of your department." He paused to sample his drink "Excellent!" he proclaimed "I assured him of the how desperate the situation is, yes I must say it is quite desperate." He added as Arabella raised an eyebrow, "And he assured me that it would not be a problem for you to take a leave of absence."
Arabella gave Dumbledore a sidelong glance
"So the decision is yours."
She drained the last of her drink and put down the empty glass. Suddenly her eyes didn't look as tired and her muscles looked a bit more imposing then before.
"I'll do it," she said "if I have your word that I can take what ever time I need off to attend to my duties at the Department for International Finances, no questions asked."
Dumbledore began to nod his head
"And I'll do it for no less than seventy-thousand gallons."
There was a moment of silence and then,
"Excellent," Dumbledore smiled "How about three days to gather your things. I'll meet you in my office on the 29th then?"
Arabella nodded. Dumbledore slurped up the last of his drink and then with a bow to Arabella he walked out of the pub.
"Rosemerta!" She cried "Vodka, no ice."
What the hell had she gotten herself into?
A/N: For any who are interested:
Slow Comfortable Screw = Vodka, Southern Comfort, Sole Gin, Ice, Orange Juice.
Blue Moon Daiquiri = Rum, Sugar, Blue Curacao, lime juice, ice
Ale = you know what it is…
And just for fun because they are sooooo goood….but soooo girly
Witch of Salem = Vodka, Raspberry Schnapps, Midori Mellon Liqueur, Lime Juice, Grenadine, Soda Water, Sour Mix
~ Please Review ~