Chapter 2
Severus watched as the torture session progressed, grateful for the mask covering his face so no one could see him. McNair had brought in three muggles the day before, two were dead and the last was rapidly going insane under the kind attentions of the cruciatus curse. He was sitting on Voldemorts left, the dark lord was seated in his high black stone throne, and Severus was seated beside him in a tall backed wooden chair. His recent rise to being among the Inner Circle, and Voldemort's favorite, had made his spying job much easier. He was no longer expected to do the sort of jobs that might end with Voldemort cursing him repeatedly. Plus he was privy to more useful information and almost all of Voldemorts plans.
"Enjoying this Severus?" Voldemort asked him quietly, Severus, knowing that this was dangerous ground, formed a quick answer he knew the dark wizard would like.
"Yes indeed master, that muggle will be too far gone to feel pain soon though. Might I ask what will be done with him then master?" He asked, hinting that if Voldemort wanted the man dead he'd like to kill him.
"Yes you may ask, I was trying to think of something suitably devious to do with him, I don't think we'll kill this one, no doubt you have a plan in mind?" Severus relaxed a little, it was always dangerous to ask questions of Voldemort.
"Well master if we you want a real reaction from the wizarding world, and muggle world.perhaps leaving him in a muggle school for the students to find?" Severus said, careful to add just enough maliciousness to his voice. Leaving the man in a school, while it would horrify the students, would also mean that he would get help much more quickly.
"Ah, a very nice plan, yes I think that would be.interesting indeed. McNair!" McNair looked up, pausing the curse for a moment.
"Yes master?"
"How much longer do you think it will be before he looses the ability to scream?"
"Ah.five minutes at the most."
"Enough then, Severus has come up with the excellent idea of leaving him in a muggle school. McNair, will you please do this? Somewhere where it is sure to cause a reaction." McNair shot Severus a look of hatred as Voldemort turned to speak with another death eater, Avery. Voldemort had told them who had devised the plan, and Severus was his favorite, a position long sought after by McNair. McNair beckoned another death eater, not one of the ones in the Inner Circle, and they both apparated away. Voldemort return to his throne.
Just then someone apparated into the clearing with a pop, it was a member of the Inner Circle, easily recognized such by the silver sash they all wore. The regular death eaters wore a black sash, the ones in training a red. As he got closer Severus identified him as Lucius Malfoy by the fact that he had a shiny dark mark on the upper sleeves of each arm, facing outwards, done in silk. Severus was the only other death eater with those, showing that they were second only to Voldemort himself.
"Lucius you are late." Said Voldemort in a cold dangerous voice, Lucius knelt briefly to kiss his master robes then straightened.
"My Lord I apologize, I have found a book I believe you may find interesting, I was attempting to treat the burns on it." He said, holding out a small brown leather journal, badly burned. Severus's eyes narrowed, he could sense the darkness oozing form the journal. Severus had always been very perceptive of dark magics, and he had felt few things as potent and evil as whatever that journal was, or what spells it had on it. And he knew instantly that it was very dangerous.
"Don't touch it!" he said quickly, standing as Voldemort reached out, everyone turned to look at him. "My Lord the dark magics on that book are incredibly dangerous, I'm surprised Lucius is still alive after even looking at it." Voldemort paused, he knew just how perceptive the potions master was. Then he looked back to Lucius, still holding the book, and reached out, a dark glow emanating form his fingertips. As he was about to touch the book he flicked his fingers and whispered softly.
"Reveal All." There was a flash of light, followed by Lucius's agonized scream. Voldemort moved back, dark red tendrils were creeping up Lucius's arm.under the skin, the flesh hissing and dissolving, the book glowed dark red, blood began to run down Lucius's arm as he screamed, his hand muscles clenched so he was unable to let go of the book. Severus stepped forward and with one blow struck the book form Lucius's hand, sending it falling to the ground, Lucius collapsed, his face contorted in agony, whimpering, holding his arm.
Voldemort moved to stand over the journal, which looked perfectly harmless, then glanced at Lucius, who was on his knees, shaking with pain.
"Interesting, indeed, very dark magic. Severus!" Severus moved to stand beside him.
"Yes Lord?"
"Can you still sense anything?" Severus looked hard at the book, and then he bent, and reached out, and withdrew his hand quickly as he felt the power grow darker and twisted again.
"It appears to only reveal it true secrets to those powerful enough to master it, and no one else can touch it. Apparently it has chosen you Master, I dare not touch it now." He backed away to show his point, then turned to look at Malfoy, blood was running all over with arm the air stank of charred flesh, the formerly dark red tendrils were black/maroon now, and slowly withdrawing down Lucius's arm. The blood flowing form his hand, the top few layers of skin had been ripped off, was an ugly blackish red and stank. He looked back to Voldemort, who suddenly seemed to make up his mind and picked up the book, which didn't seem to care at all. He flipped it open to the table of contents.
"What was it you wanted to show me Lucius?"
"Ch-Chapter 8 L-Lord." Lucius said, biting his lip and looking at his arm in a panicked sort of way. Voldemort flipped through the pages, then stopped, as he read his red eyes widened, then he suddenly shut the journal.
"Well done Lucius, well done indeed, this is most useful. Severus do you think you can cure that?" He asked, nodding to Lucius's arm, Severus thought as he examined it, that had to be one of the nastiest curses he'd ever heard of or seen.
"I don't know, pain relief potion, and a spell to draw this.stuff.out of his arm quicker and stop the flesh rotting, but that's all. I couldn't heal it, I don't know what the reaction might be, I have never seen anything like this. *And hope to never again*
"Do that then. Avery, Crabbe, Goyle, Artemis, come here." The four stepped forward, Avery of the Inner circle the other three regular death eaters, "I have a little task for you." Voldemort said, leading them away. The rest of the death eaters watched Severus and Lucius.
Severus apparated to his Potions Lab at Hogwarts and got some potion to stop the pain and swelling. Then he looked up the spell for draining fluid from a wound, or poison in an old book form his private library.
Severus Snape wasn't Voldemort's favorite for nothing, Voldemort might want Lucius around for his torturing abilities, rank in the Ministry, status, and connections, but he wanted Severus for his brains, cunning, and potions. And because Severus never whimpered in fear of him, he was loyal almost to a fault, brilliant in potions and the dark arts, he was aloof from the other death eaters, and his kept a mental file on each. All of the opinions objective, and he could usually point out the useless ones or traitors quickly enough. He didn't cringe in fear of Voldemort's pet snakes and other dark creatures. He'd carry messages to the dementors, werewolves, or vampires without flinching, Albus Dumbledore trusted him, he was head of Slytherin house, form which most of the death eaters came, he was powerful, and he could sense dark magics.
Severus apparated back to the clearing and went to work, administering the pain relief potion first then draining the dark fluid, which he could guess was just blood that had been contaminated by the curse, from Lucius's arm. Voldemort returned a few minutes later, the other four had apparated away on some mission or other.
"Death eaters we've had our fun, go now, Inner Circle stay behind." In seconds only ten death eaters remained, including Severus. And Wormtail, always present as Voldemort's servant, sat off to one side in the shadows.
"Now, we are not finished yet, there is more to do tonight. Severus bring them out." Severus got up and walked across the clearing and to the large stone house, he went into the large stone garage/prison, and came out a few minutes later, a stunned manticore floating beside him.
The huge beast, the head of a human with a lions mane, a human/lion body, dragon wings and scaled tail tipped with a scorpion's sting was out cold, but once awakened it would undoubtedly be in rage.
"Now, Severus, McNair, Nott, Avery, Selul, take this creature to Saint Mungo's and leave it in the entrance room, be sure to wake it up as you leave. Then you may go." The five bowed and apparated away.
Severus stumbled as he hit the ground again; he was back in the Valley of the War Mages. He straightened, ignoring the persistent pain in his arm. They had not been able to leave the manticore, and had been stopped by the guards, who called in aurors. Selul had been captured, the others had escaped. Needless to say Voldemort had been ticked. Fortunately he'd had to leave before being able to give them a full round of the cruciatus curse, which would usually last for an hour. In addition to the pain inflicted by Voldemort Severus's arm had been wrenched in the struggle with the awakened manticore and the aurors.
"Severus! What happened?" Albus asked in shock as the potions master entered the building. Severus's robes were torn and he had a burn on the side of his face, he was walking carefully, and only moving one arm.
"A little trouble with the death eaters." Albus raised an eyebrow but didn't ask anything else; he led Severus to the infirmary, and then sent Cho to get Harry before taking down some ointment to treat the burn.
"Just a little trouble? Care to elaborate?" He asked as Harry strode in, Severus began to explain what had happened, trying not to wince when Harry examined his arm.
"A manticore huh? Well your arm should be fine, just some severe wrenching." Harry took Severus's arm at the shoulder and wrist and made an odd motion over the skin with his fingers, instantly Severus began to get a gray glow, and slivery lines appeared all over his arm.
"What's that?" Albus asked curiously.
"The War Mage method of healing, watch." Harry ran his fingers over some fo the silvery lines near Severus's wrist, then flicked his finger skillfully about them, instantly they began to change, vibrating and shifting, then they went still, all the pain from his wrist was gone. "The lines have a pattern that they should be in, if they're not it shows where the injury is, by adjusting the lines the injury is cured." He explained as he rubbed one of the silvery lines, sending a tingle all the way up Severus's arm, the line changed, and settled into a more natural place among the rest, and most of the pain vanished. A few more minutes and all the liens had fallen back to where they should be, his arm was healed, and infact that arm felt far better than the rest of him. Apparently whatever changing the positioning of the lines did it cured the after affects of the cruciatus curse as well.
"Interesting, could you teach us?" Albus asked curiously.
"Yes, but it takes a long time to learn, and you have to have a natural feel for it, the more you practice it the better though." Harry said, moving his finger to Severus's temples, the gray glow and silvery liens suddenly covered him completely, Albus noted that there were many more lines around Severus's temples, and that all of the lines were connected like the roots of a tree all over Severus's body. Harry shifted a few of the line sat his temples, and all of the pain from the cruciatus curse slowly vanished.
"You'll be fine, what else happened at this meeting?" Harry asked, stepping back and making a gesture, the silver lines and glow disappeared. He sat down in a chair that flew across the room on its own, Albus sat on the next bed over as Severus began to talk. When he got to the part about the journal Harry looked very interested and asked a few questions about it, what it looked like, what exactly the curse did to Lucius etc.
"I've never heard of such a curse, it must be a form of strong dark magic." Albus said when he was done, Harry snorted.
"Albus there is no such thing as dark magic, there is no such thing as good magic. There is only magic, which has a certain effect depending on how you use it. It is the user who makes it "good or bad" but even that is false. For the user doesn't think it dark at all. Remember, the person who uses the magic thinks that THEY are in the right, no matter what anyone else thinks. Voldemort thinks that he is in the right, that curse was not dark, there is no such thing as dark the way you mean it, it was simply a spell to prevent anyone besides Voldemort from mastering the journal's secrets." Albus nodded slowly.
"You have given this a great deal of thought."
"A war mage spend hours in meditation over such a subject like good and evil, or magic, you'll find yourself doing it more and more, following a single thought like that until you understand it form al angles."
"You think that the person who cast the spell meant for Voldemort to master the journal?" Albus asked Harry, his gaze very intense, Harry returned the look without changing expression.
"Yes, perhaps they did. Now we should go, it's time to eat and the others will be wondering what happened to you Severus, as Cho will have told them."
Severus and Albus went down to dinner; Harry hurried up to his rooms to put away his weapons and staff. He had just returned from his hunt, having used the Ways to make it seem to his apprentices that he had only been gone for a few hours instead of nearly two weeks.
Harry tossed his things at the rack in his rooms, they hung themselves up and the staff leaped to its place leaning against the wall, as Harry turned to go back downstairs the evening sunlight reflecting off the diamond ob blinded him briefly and a vision appeared in the bright light. It was a dark gloomy cave, a small one, only a dozen feet into the mountainside and about seven feet high. There was someone lying on the ground.no an elf lying on the ground.in a pool of blood. The vision vanished as Xenrose flew in, blocking the light form hitting the orb for a few seconds, which was al it took to stop the vision. Harry paused, thinking, then turned and went down to dinner. The reason for the vision would become clearer in its own time.
Please review! How long is Hogwarts summer break?
Severus watched as the torture session progressed, grateful for the mask covering his face so no one could see him. McNair had brought in three muggles the day before, two were dead and the last was rapidly going insane under the kind attentions of the cruciatus curse. He was sitting on Voldemorts left, the dark lord was seated in his high black stone throne, and Severus was seated beside him in a tall backed wooden chair. His recent rise to being among the Inner Circle, and Voldemort's favorite, had made his spying job much easier. He was no longer expected to do the sort of jobs that might end with Voldemort cursing him repeatedly. Plus he was privy to more useful information and almost all of Voldemorts plans.
"Enjoying this Severus?" Voldemort asked him quietly, Severus, knowing that this was dangerous ground, formed a quick answer he knew the dark wizard would like.
"Yes indeed master, that muggle will be too far gone to feel pain soon though. Might I ask what will be done with him then master?" He asked, hinting that if Voldemort wanted the man dead he'd like to kill him.
"Yes you may ask, I was trying to think of something suitably devious to do with him, I don't think we'll kill this one, no doubt you have a plan in mind?" Severus relaxed a little, it was always dangerous to ask questions of Voldemort.
"Well master if we you want a real reaction from the wizarding world, and muggle world.perhaps leaving him in a muggle school for the students to find?" Severus said, careful to add just enough maliciousness to his voice. Leaving the man in a school, while it would horrify the students, would also mean that he would get help much more quickly.
"Ah, a very nice plan, yes I think that would be.interesting indeed. McNair!" McNair looked up, pausing the curse for a moment.
"Yes master?"
"How much longer do you think it will be before he looses the ability to scream?"
"Ah.five minutes at the most."
"Enough then, Severus has come up with the excellent idea of leaving him in a muggle school. McNair, will you please do this? Somewhere where it is sure to cause a reaction." McNair shot Severus a look of hatred as Voldemort turned to speak with another death eater, Avery. Voldemort had told them who had devised the plan, and Severus was his favorite, a position long sought after by McNair. McNair beckoned another death eater, not one of the ones in the Inner Circle, and they both apparated away. Voldemort return to his throne.
Just then someone apparated into the clearing with a pop, it was a member of the Inner Circle, easily recognized such by the silver sash they all wore. The regular death eaters wore a black sash, the ones in training a red. As he got closer Severus identified him as Lucius Malfoy by the fact that he had a shiny dark mark on the upper sleeves of each arm, facing outwards, done in silk. Severus was the only other death eater with those, showing that they were second only to Voldemort himself.
"Lucius you are late." Said Voldemort in a cold dangerous voice, Lucius knelt briefly to kiss his master robes then straightened.
"My Lord I apologize, I have found a book I believe you may find interesting, I was attempting to treat the burns on it." He said, holding out a small brown leather journal, badly burned. Severus's eyes narrowed, he could sense the darkness oozing form the journal. Severus had always been very perceptive of dark magics, and he had felt few things as potent and evil as whatever that journal was, or what spells it had on it. And he knew instantly that it was very dangerous.
"Don't touch it!" he said quickly, standing as Voldemort reached out, everyone turned to look at him. "My Lord the dark magics on that book are incredibly dangerous, I'm surprised Lucius is still alive after even looking at it." Voldemort paused, he knew just how perceptive the potions master was. Then he looked back to Lucius, still holding the book, and reached out, a dark glow emanating form his fingertips. As he was about to touch the book he flicked his fingers and whispered softly.
"Reveal All." There was a flash of light, followed by Lucius's agonized scream. Voldemort moved back, dark red tendrils were creeping up Lucius's arm.under the skin, the flesh hissing and dissolving, the book glowed dark red, blood began to run down Lucius's arm as he screamed, his hand muscles clenched so he was unable to let go of the book. Severus stepped forward and with one blow struck the book form Lucius's hand, sending it falling to the ground, Lucius collapsed, his face contorted in agony, whimpering, holding his arm.
Voldemort moved to stand over the journal, which looked perfectly harmless, then glanced at Lucius, who was on his knees, shaking with pain.
"Interesting, indeed, very dark magic. Severus!" Severus moved to stand beside him.
"Yes Lord?"
"Can you still sense anything?" Severus looked hard at the book, and then he bent, and reached out, and withdrew his hand quickly as he felt the power grow darker and twisted again.
"It appears to only reveal it true secrets to those powerful enough to master it, and no one else can touch it. Apparently it has chosen you Master, I dare not touch it now." He backed away to show his point, then turned to look at Malfoy, blood was running all over with arm the air stank of charred flesh, the formerly dark red tendrils were black/maroon now, and slowly withdrawing down Lucius's arm. The blood flowing form his hand, the top few layers of skin had been ripped off, was an ugly blackish red and stank. He looked back to Voldemort, who suddenly seemed to make up his mind and picked up the book, which didn't seem to care at all. He flipped it open to the table of contents.
"What was it you wanted to show me Lucius?"
"Ch-Chapter 8 L-Lord." Lucius said, biting his lip and looking at his arm in a panicked sort of way. Voldemort flipped through the pages, then stopped, as he read his red eyes widened, then he suddenly shut the journal.
"Well done Lucius, well done indeed, this is most useful. Severus do you think you can cure that?" He asked, nodding to Lucius's arm, Severus thought as he examined it, that had to be one of the nastiest curses he'd ever heard of or seen.
"I don't know, pain relief potion, and a spell to draw this.stuff.out of his arm quicker and stop the flesh rotting, but that's all. I couldn't heal it, I don't know what the reaction might be, I have never seen anything like this. *And hope to never again*
"Do that then. Avery, Crabbe, Goyle, Artemis, come here." The four stepped forward, Avery of the Inner circle the other three regular death eaters, "I have a little task for you." Voldemort said, leading them away. The rest of the death eaters watched Severus and Lucius.
Severus apparated to his Potions Lab at Hogwarts and got some potion to stop the pain and swelling. Then he looked up the spell for draining fluid from a wound, or poison in an old book form his private library.
Severus Snape wasn't Voldemort's favorite for nothing, Voldemort might want Lucius around for his torturing abilities, rank in the Ministry, status, and connections, but he wanted Severus for his brains, cunning, and potions. And because Severus never whimpered in fear of him, he was loyal almost to a fault, brilliant in potions and the dark arts, he was aloof from the other death eaters, and his kept a mental file on each. All of the opinions objective, and he could usually point out the useless ones or traitors quickly enough. He didn't cringe in fear of Voldemort's pet snakes and other dark creatures. He'd carry messages to the dementors, werewolves, or vampires without flinching, Albus Dumbledore trusted him, he was head of Slytherin house, form which most of the death eaters came, he was powerful, and he could sense dark magics.
Severus apparated back to the clearing and went to work, administering the pain relief potion first then draining the dark fluid, which he could guess was just blood that had been contaminated by the curse, from Lucius's arm. Voldemort returned a few minutes later, the other four had apparated away on some mission or other.
"Death eaters we've had our fun, go now, Inner Circle stay behind." In seconds only ten death eaters remained, including Severus. And Wormtail, always present as Voldemort's servant, sat off to one side in the shadows.
"Now, we are not finished yet, there is more to do tonight. Severus bring them out." Severus got up and walked across the clearing and to the large stone house, he went into the large stone garage/prison, and came out a few minutes later, a stunned manticore floating beside him.
The huge beast, the head of a human with a lions mane, a human/lion body, dragon wings and scaled tail tipped with a scorpion's sting was out cold, but once awakened it would undoubtedly be in rage.
"Now, Severus, McNair, Nott, Avery, Selul, take this creature to Saint Mungo's and leave it in the entrance room, be sure to wake it up as you leave. Then you may go." The five bowed and apparated away.
Severus stumbled as he hit the ground again; he was back in the Valley of the War Mages. He straightened, ignoring the persistent pain in his arm. They had not been able to leave the manticore, and had been stopped by the guards, who called in aurors. Selul had been captured, the others had escaped. Needless to say Voldemort had been ticked. Fortunately he'd had to leave before being able to give them a full round of the cruciatus curse, which would usually last for an hour. In addition to the pain inflicted by Voldemort Severus's arm had been wrenched in the struggle with the awakened manticore and the aurors.
"Severus! What happened?" Albus asked in shock as the potions master entered the building. Severus's robes were torn and he had a burn on the side of his face, he was walking carefully, and only moving one arm.
"A little trouble with the death eaters." Albus raised an eyebrow but didn't ask anything else; he led Severus to the infirmary, and then sent Cho to get Harry before taking down some ointment to treat the burn.
"Just a little trouble? Care to elaborate?" He asked as Harry strode in, Severus began to explain what had happened, trying not to wince when Harry examined his arm.
"A manticore huh? Well your arm should be fine, just some severe wrenching." Harry took Severus's arm at the shoulder and wrist and made an odd motion over the skin with his fingers, instantly Severus began to get a gray glow, and slivery lines appeared all over his arm.
"What's that?" Albus asked curiously.
"The War Mage method of healing, watch." Harry ran his fingers over some fo the silvery lines near Severus's wrist, then flicked his finger skillfully about them, instantly they began to change, vibrating and shifting, then they went still, all the pain from his wrist was gone. "The lines have a pattern that they should be in, if they're not it shows where the injury is, by adjusting the lines the injury is cured." He explained as he rubbed one of the silvery lines, sending a tingle all the way up Severus's arm, the line changed, and settled into a more natural place among the rest, and most of the pain vanished. A few more minutes and all the liens had fallen back to where they should be, his arm was healed, and infact that arm felt far better than the rest of him. Apparently whatever changing the positioning of the lines did it cured the after affects of the cruciatus curse as well.
"Interesting, could you teach us?" Albus asked curiously.
"Yes, but it takes a long time to learn, and you have to have a natural feel for it, the more you practice it the better though." Harry said, moving his finger to Severus's temples, the gray glow and silvery liens suddenly covered him completely, Albus noted that there were many more lines around Severus's temples, and that all of the lines were connected like the roots of a tree all over Severus's body. Harry shifted a few of the line sat his temples, and all of the pain from the cruciatus curse slowly vanished.
"You'll be fine, what else happened at this meeting?" Harry asked, stepping back and making a gesture, the silver lines and glow disappeared. He sat down in a chair that flew across the room on its own, Albus sat on the next bed over as Severus began to talk. When he got to the part about the journal Harry looked very interested and asked a few questions about it, what it looked like, what exactly the curse did to Lucius etc.
"I've never heard of such a curse, it must be a form of strong dark magic." Albus said when he was done, Harry snorted.
"Albus there is no such thing as dark magic, there is no such thing as good magic. There is only magic, which has a certain effect depending on how you use it. It is the user who makes it "good or bad" but even that is false. For the user doesn't think it dark at all. Remember, the person who uses the magic thinks that THEY are in the right, no matter what anyone else thinks. Voldemort thinks that he is in the right, that curse was not dark, there is no such thing as dark the way you mean it, it was simply a spell to prevent anyone besides Voldemort from mastering the journal's secrets." Albus nodded slowly.
"You have given this a great deal of thought."
"A war mage spend hours in meditation over such a subject like good and evil, or magic, you'll find yourself doing it more and more, following a single thought like that until you understand it form al angles."
"You think that the person who cast the spell meant for Voldemort to master the journal?" Albus asked Harry, his gaze very intense, Harry returned the look without changing expression.
"Yes, perhaps they did. Now we should go, it's time to eat and the others will be wondering what happened to you Severus, as Cho will have told them."
Severus and Albus went down to dinner; Harry hurried up to his rooms to put away his weapons and staff. He had just returned from his hunt, having used the Ways to make it seem to his apprentices that he had only been gone for a few hours instead of nearly two weeks.
Harry tossed his things at the rack in his rooms, they hung themselves up and the staff leaped to its place leaning against the wall, as Harry turned to go back downstairs the evening sunlight reflecting off the diamond ob blinded him briefly and a vision appeared in the bright light. It was a dark gloomy cave, a small one, only a dozen feet into the mountainside and about seven feet high. There was someone lying on the ground.no an elf lying on the ground.in a pool of blood. The vision vanished as Xenrose flew in, blocking the light form hitting the orb for a few seconds, which was al it took to stop the vision. Harry paused, thinking, then turned and went down to dinner. The reason for the vision would become clearer in its own time.
Please review! How long is Hogwarts summer break?