"Renaissance"
Ten years later, Hecate now twenty-seven, Snape forty, the Death Eaters are
making a comeback. Voldemort has already been destroyed during the historic duel between him and Harry Potter, but someone else has taken his
place.
Severus Snape sat at his desk in silence, grading the latest batch of papers from his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. He would have to grade the Potions papers after this, something he was not looking forward to; he should have thought of that, though, before he took on both classes. Someone knocked on his door, and he looked up to see Dumbledore standing there, not looking a day older than he had ten, fifteen years ago. "Hello, Severus," he said, approaching his desk, "how are you holding up?" "Fine," said Snape, "just fine."
Dumbledore sat down in the chair opposite Snape, "Tomorrow is the ten year anniversary of her disappearance." 'I know that, for Christ's sake,' thought Snape angrily, "I know," he said aloud. "And after ten years, it's still not your fault," added Dumbledore. Snape, however, knew this as a lie, but said nothing; Dumbledore never conceded that to him whenever he argued. "There was nothing you could have done, Severus," he said quietly, "there was no way you could have known." Snape was silent, then suddenly he slammed his fist down on the desk, "Goddammit Albus! If I had been a hair quicker I would have stopped that psychotic witch from taking her! She was my responsibility and I let her go!"
Dumbledore said nothing, then, "She could still be alive somewhere. Anywhere. The Earth is a large place." "We would have heard by now," said Snape, "we would have heard. That godless woman Lestrange probably killed her five minutes after they Apparated. If I ever see her again." "You will take her to Azkaban where she will await trial," said Dumbledore. "No I won't," warned Snape, "I'll kill her. I'll use the Cruciatus Curse on her. I'll kill her. She has no right to live." "Neither you a right to kill," said Dumbledore shortly, "don't sink to her level, Severus." "I did that a long time ago so there's no point in worrying about it now!" shouted Snape.
The twinkle disappeared from Dumbledore's eyes, "Never say that again, Severus. You are such a good man, but you're so proud that you're kicking yourself in the ass about nothing." Snape blinked; he had never heard Dumbledore curse before. Dumbledore smiled, "I am human, you know." Snape almost smiled back, then refrained, "But I promised her. I promised." Dumbledore nodded, "But sometimes there are promises no one can keep, no matter what they do." For a few moments they were both silent, then Dumbledore said, "Let's go eat dinner, Severus. This is no time for you to be locked up in your office."
Snape nodded, "I know. But I'm going into Hogsmeade; I need some more Potions ingredients, and I thought I'd just eat at the Hog's Head." Dumbledore nodded, then got up, "Then I will see you tonight at headquarters. Remember what time the meeting starts." Snape nodded, "I will. Good evening, Albus." Dumbledore nodded, then left. Snape put his head back against the chair, sinking into it slightly.
It was still his fault.
* * *
Later that evening, Snape was sitting in a dark corner at the Hog's Head, drinking a Dwarven Stout, when some shifty-looking person sat down at his table. "Are you Severus Snape?" rasped the old man, coughing wetly. Snape blanched upon hearing the coughing, said, "Who's asking?" "A friend," he replied, pulling out a very dirty handkerchief and wiping his filthy face, "a very old friend." "Heca-!" Snape stopped himself. No. He mustn't do that to himself. "Who?" he asked calmly, "I have very few old friends." "An old school chum," said the man, coughing into the handkerchief. Snape's heart sank; one of his old crowd. Suddenly there was a cry of warning in his heart; it could be one of the New Death Eaters, part of the New Dark Order. "What's to say that my safety is guaranteed if I go with you?" said Snape. "The honor of your friend," replied the old man, "your friend guarantees your safety."
Snape's head was booming with thought; he could risk it, but who knows whom this 'old friend' might turn out to be? Snape finally reached a decision, "You have me for ten minutes, then I'm gone." The old man nodded, stuffing away the handkerchief, "Alright then. Let's go outside where we can Apparate in privacy." They left without further ado, then the old man reached up and clasped Snape's shoulder, and the world suddenly spun madly about them.
Snape only hoped it wasn't to his doom.
* * *
When the world finally stopped spinning, Snape realized he was inside an old house, somewhat reminiscent of the old Riddle house before it had been destroyed. The old man hacked out another series of coughs, then said, "This way." He followed the stooped-over old man to a large room with a fireplace, green flames crackling in it quietly. "Wait here," said the old man, leaving the room silently. Snape stood firm; ten minutes were slowly passing when a voice spoke from across the room. "Now is the winter of our discontent," said the voice, female. 'Lestrange,' he thought with rising anger, 'Lestrange.' Sure enough, she appeared from the shadows of the room; the years had not been kind to her, as her face was scarred and horrible, and one leg seemed gimp.
"Severus Snape," hissed Bellatrix Lestrange with shaking fury, "the traitor in our midst." "I should have guessed it was you," snapped Snape angrily, "should have known you were still alive after all these years. You always had more brains than Malfoy; it only makes sense that you would start the New Dark Order after the destruction of him and Voldemort." "Me?" she whispered, "Me? If it had been me, if only it had been." Concern etched Snape's face, "It's not you? You're not the leader?" Bellatrix Lestrange laughed a dry, reedy laugh, "Of course not! Not me! Never me! It's-" "Let me handle this, Bella," said another voice from the other corner of the room. "Of course," said Lestrange, stepping aside. "Leave, Bella," said the voice, "I want to speak with him alone." Lestrange left, muttering bitterly under her breath, dragging her gimp leg behind her.
Snape stood stilly erect, hearing the other person in the room approaching slowly. "My dear old friend," said the voice; it sounded so familiar, yet came from what seemed to him to be a person of dementia. Suddenly they stepped into the light of the dancing green flames, features alight, and Snape's breath caught.
"Hecate?" he stuttered, "It's-it's you." "It's me," she said, raising her chin slightly. The room seemed to spin slightly, then Snape felt it right itself. It was none other than Hecate Winter, his long lost friend, his only friend, the only person who had ever joked with him, treated him as an equal. "It's been a long time, Severus. Exactly ten years tonight," she said, "and you've changed. And so have I." He stared at her, aware that she was currently the most dangerous person on the planet, and also the most wanted.yet she did not look ferocious to him at all. "Whoever would have thought I would end up starting Voldemort's work all over again?" she said rhetorically, smiling at him.
Snape felt as if he were about to be sick; this was his fault, all his fault. She only continued to smile a sickeningly happy smile, "You haven't aged a day, do you know that? And I feel as if I haven't either. Perhaps we're both happy with our work; maybe that keeps us from aging." Snape felt his stomach flip-flop irregularly at the statement of, 'Happy with our work.' "What happened to you?" he said drily, "Killing Muggles wasn't the sport of the old Hecate I once knew." "You still do know me," she said, "I've just taken on a new sport, a new set of robes, and." she lifted up her sleeve, ".a new tattoo."
The Dark Mark was gone from her arm; instead it was replaced with the symbol of the New Dark Order, a black phoenix rising with spread wings. "The phoenix," she said, "is quite possibly my favorite animal. Dumbledore has one, do you know? Fawkes. And the organization, the Order of the Phoenix.they're all over the place. But I like the phoenix because of what it symbolizes; rebirth.
"Because, Severus, dearest friend, this is a time of renaissance for our world. The New Dark Order grows stronger every day, and with each day we near the renaissance of modern times, when the world will enter a rebirth unlike anything ever seen on this planet." Snape shuddered as she spoke, "A rebirth?" "Yes," she said, extending a hand to him; he took it hesitantly, "And I want you to be there when it happens." His blood turned to ice, "How do you mean?" Her smile disappeared slowly, "I have no friends amongst this crowd, Severus. But even after ten years, I still feel that no matter what, we are bound to each other forever by the friendship that neither you nor I were likely to give to each other. But we were friends, and you made a promise to me." His mind shook upon the mention of the promise, "I broke that promise," he said steadily.
"But by no will of your own," she said, "if it had been your way, I'd probably be teaching at Hogwarts right now. But instead I'm bringing the next revolution to this world, and I want you with me, as a friend." She turned away and snapped her fingers; instantly a couch appeared in front of the flames, and she turned him toward it, made him sit down with her. She put her arms around him, head on his shoulder, then said, "Stay, Severus. What have you to gain by going back to Dumbledore? More papers to grade? Another year of going through it all alone? Just stay. Talk. Like how it once was."
Snape felt as if this entire situation were a nightmare; his best friend and his worst enemy all at once, begging him to stay and be her friend forever, the other half of him begging for him to kill her and rid the world of a madwoman. But she seemed so.docile; this couldn't possibly be the same woman that killed Muggles, that tortured Aurors, that dispelled of Harry Potter.
"I'll stay."
To Be Continued.
Ten years later, Hecate now twenty-seven, Snape forty, the Death Eaters are
making a comeback. Voldemort has already been destroyed during the historic duel between him and Harry Potter, but someone else has taken his
place.
Severus Snape sat at his desk in silence, grading the latest batch of papers from his Defense Against the Dark Arts class. He would have to grade the Potions papers after this, something he was not looking forward to; he should have thought of that, though, before he took on both classes. Someone knocked on his door, and he looked up to see Dumbledore standing there, not looking a day older than he had ten, fifteen years ago. "Hello, Severus," he said, approaching his desk, "how are you holding up?" "Fine," said Snape, "just fine."
Dumbledore sat down in the chair opposite Snape, "Tomorrow is the ten year anniversary of her disappearance." 'I know that, for Christ's sake,' thought Snape angrily, "I know," he said aloud. "And after ten years, it's still not your fault," added Dumbledore. Snape, however, knew this as a lie, but said nothing; Dumbledore never conceded that to him whenever he argued. "There was nothing you could have done, Severus," he said quietly, "there was no way you could have known." Snape was silent, then suddenly he slammed his fist down on the desk, "Goddammit Albus! If I had been a hair quicker I would have stopped that psychotic witch from taking her! She was my responsibility and I let her go!"
Dumbledore said nothing, then, "She could still be alive somewhere. Anywhere. The Earth is a large place." "We would have heard by now," said Snape, "we would have heard. That godless woman Lestrange probably killed her five minutes after they Apparated. If I ever see her again." "You will take her to Azkaban where she will await trial," said Dumbledore. "No I won't," warned Snape, "I'll kill her. I'll use the Cruciatus Curse on her. I'll kill her. She has no right to live." "Neither you a right to kill," said Dumbledore shortly, "don't sink to her level, Severus." "I did that a long time ago so there's no point in worrying about it now!" shouted Snape.
The twinkle disappeared from Dumbledore's eyes, "Never say that again, Severus. You are such a good man, but you're so proud that you're kicking yourself in the ass about nothing." Snape blinked; he had never heard Dumbledore curse before. Dumbledore smiled, "I am human, you know." Snape almost smiled back, then refrained, "But I promised her. I promised." Dumbledore nodded, "But sometimes there are promises no one can keep, no matter what they do." For a few moments they were both silent, then Dumbledore said, "Let's go eat dinner, Severus. This is no time for you to be locked up in your office."
Snape nodded, "I know. But I'm going into Hogsmeade; I need some more Potions ingredients, and I thought I'd just eat at the Hog's Head." Dumbledore nodded, then got up, "Then I will see you tonight at headquarters. Remember what time the meeting starts." Snape nodded, "I will. Good evening, Albus." Dumbledore nodded, then left. Snape put his head back against the chair, sinking into it slightly.
It was still his fault.
* * *
Later that evening, Snape was sitting in a dark corner at the Hog's Head, drinking a Dwarven Stout, when some shifty-looking person sat down at his table. "Are you Severus Snape?" rasped the old man, coughing wetly. Snape blanched upon hearing the coughing, said, "Who's asking?" "A friend," he replied, pulling out a very dirty handkerchief and wiping his filthy face, "a very old friend." "Heca-!" Snape stopped himself. No. He mustn't do that to himself. "Who?" he asked calmly, "I have very few old friends." "An old school chum," said the man, coughing into the handkerchief. Snape's heart sank; one of his old crowd. Suddenly there was a cry of warning in his heart; it could be one of the New Death Eaters, part of the New Dark Order. "What's to say that my safety is guaranteed if I go with you?" said Snape. "The honor of your friend," replied the old man, "your friend guarantees your safety."
Snape's head was booming with thought; he could risk it, but who knows whom this 'old friend' might turn out to be? Snape finally reached a decision, "You have me for ten minutes, then I'm gone." The old man nodded, stuffing away the handkerchief, "Alright then. Let's go outside where we can Apparate in privacy." They left without further ado, then the old man reached up and clasped Snape's shoulder, and the world suddenly spun madly about them.
Snape only hoped it wasn't to his doom.
* * *
When the world finally stopped spinning, Snape realized he was inside an old house, somewhat reminiscent of the old Riddle house before it had been destroyed. The old man hacked out another series of coughs, then said, "This way." He followed the stooped-over old man to a large room with a fireplace, green flames crackling in it quietly. "Wait here," said the old man, leaving the room silently. Snape stood firm; ten minutes were slowly passing when a voice spoke from across the room. "Now is the winter of our discontent," said the voice, female. 'Lestrange,' he thought with rising anger, 'Lestrange.' Sure enough, she appeared from the shadows of the room; the years had not been kind to her, as her face was scarred and horrible, and one leg seemed gimp.
"Severus Snape," hissed Bellatrix Lestrange with shaking fury, "the traitor in our midst." "I should have guessed it was you," snapped Snape angrily, "should have known you were still alive after all these years. You always had more brains than Malfoy; it only makes sense that you would start the New Dark Order after the destruction of him and Voldemort." "Me?" she whispered, "Me? If it had been me, if only it had been." Concern etched Snape's face, "It's not you? You're not the leader?" Bellatrix Lestrange laughed a dry, reedy laugh, "Of course not! Not me! Never me! It's-" "Let me handle this, Bella," said another voice from the other corner of the room. "Of course," said Lestrange, stepping aside. "Leave, Bella," said the voice, "I want to speak with him alone." Lestrange left, muttering bitterly under her breath, dragging her gimp leg behind her.
Snape stood stilly erect, hearing the other person in the room approaching slowly. "My dear old friend," said the voice; it sounded so familiar, yet came from what seemed to him to be a person of dementia. Suddenly they stepped into the light of the dancing green flames, features alight, and Snape's breath caught.
"Hecate?" he stuttered, "It's-it's you." "It's me," she said, raising her chin slightly. The room seemed to spin slightly, then Snape felt it right itself. It was none other than Hecate Winter, his long lost friend, his only friend, the only person who had ever joked with him, treated him as an equal. "It's been a long time, Severus. Exactly ten years tonight," she said, "and you've changed. And so have I." He stared at her, aware that she was currently the most dangerous person on the planet, and also the most wanted.yet she did not look ferocious to him at all. "Whoever would have thought I would end up starting Voldemort's work all over again?" she said rhetorically, smiling at him.
Snape felt as if he were about to be sick; this was his fault, all his fault. She only continued to smile a sickeningly happy smile, "You haven't aged a day, do you know that? And I feel as if I haven't either. Perhaps we're both happy with our work; maybe that keeps us from aging." Snape felt his stomach flip-flop irregularly at the statement of, 'Happy with our work.' "What happened to you?" he said drily, "Killing Muggles wasn't the sport of the old Hecate I once knew." "You still do know me," she said, "I've just taken on a new sport, a new set of robes, and." she lifted up her sleeve, ".a new tattoo."
The Dark Mark was gone from her arm; instead it was replaced with the symbol of the New Dark Order, a black phoenix rising with spread wings. "The phoenix," she said, "is quite possibly my favorite animal. Dumbledore has one, do you know? Fawkes. And the organization, the Order of the Phoenix.they're all over the place. But I like the phoenix because of what it symbolizes; rebirth.
"Because, Severus, dearest friend, this is a time of renaissance for our world. The New Dark Order grows stronger every day, and with each day we near the renaissance of modern times, when the world will enter a rebirth unlike anything ever seen on this planet." Snape shuddered as she spoke, "A rebirth?" "Yes," she said, extending a hand to him; he took it hesitantly, "And I want you to be there when it happens." His blood turned to ice, "How do you mean?" Her smile disappeared slowly, "I have no friends amongst this crowd, Severus. But even after ten years, I still feel that no matter what, we are bound to each other forever by the friendship that neither you nor I were likely to give to each other. But we were friends, and you made a promise to me." His mind shook upon the mention of the promise, "I broke that promise," he said steadily.
"But by no will of your own," she said, "if it had been your way, I'd probably be teaching at Hogwarts right now. But instead I'm bringing the next revolution to this world, and I want you with me, as a friend." She turned away and snapped her fingers; instantly a couch appeared in front of the flames, and she turned him toward it, made him sit down with her. She put her arms around him, head on his shoulder, then said, "Stay, Severus. What have you to gain by going back to Dumbledore? More papers to grade? Another year of going through it all alone? Just stay. Talk. Like how it once was."
Snape felt as if this entire situation were a nightmare; his best friend and his worst enemy all at once, begging him to stay and be her friend forever, the other half of him begging for him to kill her and rid the world of a madwoman. But she seemed so.docile; this couldn't possibly be the same woman that killed Muggles, that tortured Aurors, that dispelled of Harry Potter.
"I'll stay."
To Be Continued.