19. Night of the truth
Paradoxically, the behemots thanks to which the Azkaban walls had been destroyed, caused finally the defeat of the Death Eaters. Frantic and burning, the huge creatures trampled mainly the Voldemorts' soldiers who were just closer to them. Aurors used the commotion to their advantage and drove the Death Eaters to defensive. Some of them disapparated from the battle field but most were fighting to the end. They knew how the Dark Lord punished cowards.
Nevertheless, Voldemort's plan was quite successful. Dozen of prisoners had escaped and among them the most dangerous ones, the Lestranges.
The battle came to an end. Vega was supervising teleportation of the wounded Aurors. The ministry megaports were already operating and the most badly injured were sent from the temporary portal straight to the St. Mungo Hospital. There weren't many of them, however. From the sixty members of the Special Forces only fifteen survived and only a few could keep on their feet. Mad-Eye Moody was alive but he lost his second leg and three fingers of the left palm. Arabella Figg went blind. There was nobody who wouldn't be injured.
Vega adjusted a bandage on her burnt cheek and pushed aside short, matted wisps that remained from her beautiful long hair. The last Auror has just disapparated. Vega cast a dark glance at the battle field, she transformed into the goshawk and flew towards Hogwart.
She knew that something was wrong as early as she saw the outline of the castle. It was completely dark. No light could be seen in the windows. Strange, depressing silence reigned around, broken only by a rustle of the wind.
Vega passed Hogsmead. The village looked as if a powerful whirlwind rolled over it. All buildings were ruined, trees had been uprooted and scattered within a radius of several dozens meters. On the ground, among the crumbled walls, tiny, motionless shapes were looming. Vega didn't have to lower her flight to check what was it. She knew she wouldn't find anybody alive in Hogsmead.
She passed a sandy road that bordered Hogwart's grounds and she realised at once that the Dark Arts Detection System wasn't working. She sped up, full of bad feelings. Moon appeared from behind the clouds and cast a misty ray of a pale light on the ground. Vega saw several huge white mounds scattered under the castle's walls. She flew closer and understood what had happened. Dead behemots were lying under the heaps of the stone pieces. Somebody destroyed, probably on purpose, three high towers of the castle and falling bricks made what the magic couldn't.
Vega landed on the yard and transformed into human form. She pulled out her wand and fixed her eyes on the broken gates of the castle, hanging sadly on their torn out hinges. Dark corridor seemed to be empty but Vega didn't trust the silence. She moved towards the stairs, stealing up like a cat, staring piercingly at the darkness.
Suddenly her foot met something soft and sticky. She looked down and she almost screamed. Hagrid was lying on the grass, mangled and almost completely treaded in into the ground. He was still holding a lily bulb in his hand.
Vega moved further with effort. She climbed up the stairs silently and passed the door. She was enclosed in gloom but she didn't turn on the light. She could see in the darkness like a cat.
At the foot of the stairs she found two massacred bodies in the white masks. The next one was lying near the entrance to the dungeons. Vega got to conclusion that the Death Eaters had to have reasons to attack in that direction. She entered the dungeons carefully and then she felt that she was being observed by somebody's watchful eyes. She immediately waved her wand and in the same second someone cried shrilly:
'No!!!'
Vega recognised the voice and in the last moment she changed a trajectory of the curse.
'Minerva, is that you?' she asked in a whizzing whisper.
A bright light shone several steps in front of her and it illuminated a grey face of professor McGonagall, stiffened in pain and despair.
'Yes, that's me...' she said dully approaching Vega 'I was afraid it was again one of them...'
She paused when the light of her wand fell on Vega. She was looking horribly. She was covered with dry blood of Bill Weasly, of her own, of Aurors and Death Eaters. Her hair has been burned by a blast of a Fire Wall. Grey eyes were gleaming in her dirty face like two cold stars.
'What happened here?' she asked silently, feeling an icy shudder of a dreadful foreboding.
Minerva fixed empty, depressed eyes on her.
'Albus is dead...' she said in a flat voice 'He's dead...'
Vega was staring at the witch as if she didn't understand her words.
'Dumbledore is dead,' repeated Minerva silently and started to sob.
Vega staggered and leant heavily against the wall. She turned ghastly pale.
'It's impossible...' she whispered 'I don't believe it... How did it happen?!' she yelled widely, sticking her fingers on a shoulder of sobbing McGonagall.
'I don't know...on the corridor... it was him...' the witch was mumbling disconnectedly, not controlling herself any longer.
Vega shook her roughly with a growing fury.
'Damn!' she growled 'Cool down! And speak clearly!'
Minerva breathed heavily and wiped her face with a sleeve.
'We have been attacked an hour after you had gone' she said, trying to keep calm 'They had planned it well. All Aurors were at Azkaban and the castle had to rely only on the teachers and on the DADS. At first they let behemots on the school grounds. The system hadn't influence on them. They reached the walls and started to roar. Hagrid...' she whimpered 'He wanted to tranquillize them. He believed they would recognise him...' the words stuck in her throat.
'I saw...' Vega whispered dully.
'We hid the students in the dungeons,' proceeded Minerva 'They are still there. Albus, me and several other colleagues went on the walls. Roaring of behemots has already begun to crush them, so we destroyed the towers. Poor animals...' she whispered sadly 'But we had no choice. Then we dealt with the Death Eaters. Only a few of them appeared. They didn't want to take the castle. Behemots were only to divert our attention. They came here for other purpose...'
Vega understood at once.
'Harry Potter,' she whispered.
'Yes,' nodded Minerva gloomily 'Albus sent him to the dungeons together with the others. Sirius was with him. I thought the boy was safe.'
'What happened then?' asked Vega.
The witch shook her head.
'I don't know. He didn't reach the dungeons. Sirius also disappeared. And in the corridor I found this.'
She took out something black and shaggy from her pocket. Vega felt her heart in her throat. Minerva was holding a torn off dog's ear.
'What the hell happened?!' cried Vega 'Who did it?!'
Minerva rose her head. Her eyes were full of hatred and utmost contempt.
'SNAPE!' she spat 'It was him who betrayed us. He disconnected the DADS. And he killed Albus !'
Vega stood petrified with a horror on her face.
'What are you talking about?!' she yelled desperately, clenching her fists 'It's impossible!'
'I SAW HIM!' howled Minerva hysterically 'Right after the action on the walls Albus disappeared somewhere and Severus wasn't with us at all. I checked what was going on in the dungeons and I went to look for them. I found Sirius' ear and the...' her words turned into a hoarse moan.
'What then?!' hissed Vega.
Minerva hid her face in the hands.
'I saw Albus...' she whispered 'He was lying on the floor. He was motionless. Somebody was bending over him...It was SNAPE!' she cried 'I recognised him! I would recognise him in hell! Lousy traitor!'
She slumped on her knees and choked with hysterical sob.
Vega was pale as a ghost.
'I don't believe...' she moaned desperately 'He couldn't...'
She felt her heart beating frantically, bright circles were flickering in front of her eyes. She leant on the wall breathing heavily. Suddenly she saw a shaggy ear lying on the floor. She was staring at it for a while, concentrating all her mind on that one object. She rose her head. Her eyes were cold and dark, full of hatred and greedy of revenge.
'I'm going to bring Harry back,' she said dryly.
McGonagall looked at her thoroughly shocked.
'At least him I will save. I owe it to him...' continued Vega not paying attention to Minerva 'And then...' her lips twisted in a devilish smile 'I will pay the traitor. And the one who he serves.'
And not looking back she ran up the corridor. McGonagall followed her with the eyes full of grief and strange apprehension.
'Go...' she said softly 'You are the only one who can do that...'
. . .
The Dark Lord's abode seemed to be empty and deserted. Vega wrapped herself tight in the Invisibility Cloak, once more cast a watchful glance at the yard and she crossed the bridge. Nothing happened. She climbed up the stone steps. Iron door creaked and opened. Vega entered the castle.
A long corridor has been lit by two rows of white-blue torches. The Auror smiled gloomily. They must have been expecting guests from Azkaban. She moved towards the stair looming in the end of the corridor. Snape had described her once the castle so she knew where to look for.
She reached the stairs and went down, to the dark, gloomy, damp dungeons. If Harry was at Voldemort's castle, there was the place they kept him. Vega moved along two rows of the cells, looking inside each of them.
A door of the left side was closed. Vega approached it, pulled out her wand and said silently:
'Alohomora.'
The door opened. Under the opposite wall Harry was standing, pale and with ruffled hair, clutching his broken glass in his hand. He was staring at the door with widened eyes. He couldn't see anybody.
'It's me, Vega' whispered the witch, coming closer to the boy and taking off the Invisibility Cloak 'Are you ok.?'
Harry was looking at her thoroughly shocked.
'Professor...' he mumbled 'What happened to you?'
'It's nothing ' Vega waved her hand impatiently 'Better tell me, how did you get here. And hurry up !' she urged him, peeping out at the corridor 'We have to get out of here.'
Harry breathed deeply.
'We were going to the dungeons,' he said 'Terrible confusion, people were pushing themselves and crying. Suddenly Sirius growled and pulled my sleeve, as if he felt a danger. I looked down to check what was it about and then...' he swallowed ' I saw that Snape...professor Snape was looking at me in a very strange ...horrible way...' he shuddered at the very memory 'Sirius was pulling me backwards. I followed him. We were running through the corridors and suddenly I heard that somebody was pursuing us. A white light flashed and Sirius howled. A curse had torn his ear. He transformed into the human form and then Snape rushed out from behind the corner. Sirius pushed me away and pulled out his wand pointing at him. They shot in the same moment and then I saw the Death Eaters running from the other side of the corridor. They stunned me and I remember nothing more,' he looked anxiously at Vega 'What about Sirius ?! Professor, is he...'
'I don't know,' Vega said briefly 'He wasn't at Hogwart.'
Hatred gleamed in Harry's green eyes.
'It was Snape!' he cried loosing his nerves 'He betrayed us ! He killed Sirius!'
'Be quiet!' hissed Vega 'Do you want to attract the Death Eaters? Put on the Invisibility Cloak. We have to go.'
Harry cooled down. He obediently did what the Auror told him.
'Now listen to me,' said Vega sternly 'We will try to get out of here. If we are attacked I will try to stop then and you run to the gate. They won't see you in the Cloak. Your Firebolt is on the bridge. Mount it and fly to Hogwart.'
'But...' Harry wanted to protest.
'Don't discuss with me!' cut Vega 'You will do what I told you. And when I'm sure that you are safe I will pay back the traitor' her grey eyes flashed vindictively.
They entered the corridor and silently climbed up the slippery steps. The castle was silent but the years of experience told Vega that it didn't mean anything good. She was looking watchfully left and right, with her wand risen, ready to attack in any moment.
Suddenly a horrible hiss cut the silence and in the corridor in front of them an outline of a giant snake loomed. Its yellow eyes glittered rapaciously. Vega stopped.
'Nagini welcome you in the Palace of Darkness' hissed the snake 'The Dark Lord is expecting you.'
Enormous body was spreading from wall to wall completely barring the way. Harry stood petrified hardly daring to breath.
'Really?' Vega smiled coldly, looking piercingly in the cruel eyes of the beast. In the same moment she gave Harry sign to retreat 'Show me the way, then.'
Nagini hissed sinisterly, the huge rings of her body shuddered. Her head swang as if the snake was going to attack, yellow eyes were at the height of Vega's face. The witch didn't move. Nagini was staring at her piercingly, sharp fangs emerged from the half-opened mouth.
Slowly, noiselessly, Harry took tree steps backwards. And suddenly he stood motionless, shocked, looking at the Auror with an inexpressible bewilderment. Only now he realised he could understand her conversation with the snake. Vega was speaking Parseltongue.
But he hadn't time to consider it closer. Steps rumbled in the corridor and two groups of the Death Eaters came from the both sides. They didn't wear their masks any longer and Harry at once recognised a man who was leading on of the squads.
'Traitor !' he screamed forgetting about Vega's order 'Where is Sirius !!!'
In the same moment a green light shot and one of the Death Eaters fell on the floor, dead. It was Vega who attacked. Curses whizzed. Harry jumped for the wand of a killed man, the Cloak slipped from his face...
'I've got you !' a voice, full of hatred, hissed to his ear and he felt an iron grip of Snape.
'Starlight!' somebody called triumphantly 'Surrender or we will kill Potter!'
Harry noticed that Vega stopped with a risen hand. Her face twisted in the expression of helpless fury. She spat and threw her wand on the floor.
It has been picked up by the man who had called a while ago. Now Harry could see him more clearly and guessed at once that must have been one of the prisoners from Azkaban. He was wearing old, shaggy robes of the sort that Sirius had when Harry had seen him for the first time. In his pale, sunken face blues eyes were burning, full of hatred and cruel satisfaction.
He waved his wand and white ropes tied Vega's hands. The wizard approached her with a vindictive smile and punched her in the face with all his strength. The Auror fell on the wall. Harry felt Snape's fingers sticking in his arm.
The Death Eater approached Vega lazily.
'So many years, Starlight,' he drawled 'I've been waiting thirteen years.'
The witch rose her head and spat with blood.
'You haven't changed at all, Lestrange' she hissed venomously 'You still like to torment the ones who cannot defend.'
Lestrnge's eyes flashed murderously. He kicked Vega in stomach with fury and with the next punch he knocked her down to the ground.
'Enough!' growled Snape 'I don't suppose Lord told you to kill her.'
Lestrange was boiling with rage but he came to his senses.
'I will be even with you yet!' he hisses ominously to Vega and beckoned to his men.
The Auror stood up with effort. The Death Eaters surrounded her and the whole group disappeared behind the corner of the corridor. Lestrange looked at Snape.
'What about the boy?' he asked pointing at Harry 'Lord want to see him, too.'
'We will join you in a moment,' said Snape dryly 'I want to chatter with Potter...in private.'
Lestranges laughed and followed his squad. Snape fixed his black eyes on Harry.
'Potter, Potter...he said softly 'So our fates meet again. Isn't it strange?' his eyes flashed 'Whether I want it or not, you are at the end of every path.'
Harry was silent. He felt very uneasy. Snape's words seemed very queer and obscure. Severus smiled vaguely.
'This is night of the truth, Potter,' he whispered 'Everybody take off his mask...'
'You have already taken off yours!' cried Harry feeling the overcoming rage 'You are a traitor! Dumbledore trusted you and you betrayed him! You sold me to Voldemort! And all because you didn't like my father!'
A strange, painful grimace appeared on Snape's face.
'Do you know why I hated James Potter so much?' he asked quietly looking piercingly at Harry.
The boy laughed sneeringly.
'You told me this yourself. It was because my dad and Sirius played a stupid trick on you!
Severus' black eyes flashed.
'How little you know...' he said bitterly 'The truth is much more painful,' he started at him firmly 'Your grandfather, Perseus Potter, was my father.'
Harry was thunderstruck. He couldn't believe his ears.
'It means...you and my dad...were brothers?' he mumbled.
'Half-brothers,' specified Snape 'Perseus Potter had a love-affair with my mother. He promised he would marry her but then he left her though she was pregnant.' hatred twinkled in his black eyes 'James had everything I never had: home, family, friends. And any time I looked at him, I could see Perseus Potter and I hated him more and more. I feel the same when I look at you...'
Harry was shocked.
'Why Sirius has never told me about it?' he whispered.
Snape smiled sadly.
'He had no idea of it. Except me only Vega knows the truth. James has never found out he had a brother.'
'Who was your mother?' asked Harry; curiosity was stronger that his rage 'It means...was she a witch?'
Snape nodded.
'Yes, she was. Her name was Hekate Evans.'
At the sound of that surname Harry jumped up.
'Evans?!' he repeated 'But not...'
'Yes,' said Snape 'My grandmother was a Muggle. Her brother, Scott, was a grandfather of your mother, Lily Evans.'
Harry rendered speechless. It was beyond his imagination ! He was closely related to Snape! In two different ways!
'It's time for us. Lord is waiting.' sad Snape dully and pushed Harry towards the stairs.
They climbed up the marble steps and stopped in front of the high, black door. Nagini was lying curled up on the floor under it. When she saw them she rose her head and touched a red eye of an incrusted basilisk with her nostrils. The door opened noiselessly and Snape and Harry entered inside.
The great hall was lit by the same pale-blue light that brightened up the corridors. Lord Voldemort was sitting on his dark, obsidian throne and was looking at Harry with burning eyes. At the foot of the marble platform Vega was standing, Lestrange and the other Death Eaters several steps behind her. Only now Harry recognised among them short, balding Peter Pettrigiew.
'Harry Potter...' said Voldemort lengthily when Snape and the boy approached the throne 'Nobody more is missing, then.'
He laughed icily with the same cruel, ruthless laugher that Harry used to hear in his nightmares.
'It's time you get to know the one who had organised your visit in my castle tonight.' said the Dark Lord 'My most faithful servant, Impostor.'
A tall man in long, black cloak emerged from behind the throne, his face hidden in the shadow of the hood. Harry was staring at him astounded, wondering who could it be. He was completely confused. It was Snape who was pursuing him, wasn't he? He was a traitor!
Vega gasped and over Harry's head she looked piercingly at Severus who was staring at Impostor with a sneering grimace, as if he knew very well whose face is hidden under the black hood.
Voldemort smiled with a devilish satisfaction.
'The time of truth...' he said ominously and beckoned to the masked servant.
Paradoxically, the behemots thanks to which the Azkaban walls had been destroyed, caused finally the defeat of the Death Eaters. Frantic and burning, the huge creatures trampled mainly the Voldemorts' soldiers who were just closer to them. Aurors used the commotion to their advantage and drove the Death Eaters to defensive. Some of them disapparated from the battle field but most were fighting to the end. They knew how the Dark Lord punished cowards.
Nevertheless, Voldemort's plan was quite successful. Dozen of prisoners had escaped and among them the most dangerous ones, the Lestranges.
The battle came to an end. Vega was supervising teleportation of the wounded Aurors. The ministry megaports were already operating and the most badly injured were sent from the temporary portal straight to the St. Mungo Hospital. There weren't many of them, however. From the sixty members of the Special Forces only fifteen survived and only a few could keep on their feet. Mad-Eye Moody was alive but he lost his second leg and three fingers of the left palm. Arabella Figg went blind. There was nobody who wouldn't be injured.
Vega adjusted a bandage on her burnt cheek and pushed aside short, matted wisps that remained from her beautiful long hair. The last Auror has just disapparated. Vega cast a dark glance at the battle field, she transformed into the goshawk and flew towards Hogwart.
She knew that something was wrong as early as she saw the outline of the castle. It was completely dark. No light could be seen in the windows. Strange, depressing silence reigned around, broken only by a rustle of the wind.
Vega passed Hogsmead. The village looked as if a powerful whirlwind rolled over it. All buildings were ruined, trees had been uprooted and scattered within a radius of several dozens meters. On the ground, among the crumbled walls, tiny, motionless shapes were looming. Vega didn't have to lower her flight to check what was it. She knew she wouldn't find anybody alive in Hogsmead.
She passed a sandy road that bordered Hogwart's grounds and she realised at once that the Dark Arts Detection System wasn't working. She sped up, full of bad feelings. Moon appeared from behind the clouds and cast a misty ray of a pale light on the ground. Vega saw several huge white mounds scattered under the castle's walls. She flew closer and understood what had happened. Dead behemots were lying under the heaps of the stone pieces. Somebody destroyed, probably on purpose, three high towers of the castle and falling bricks made what the magic couldn't.
Vega landed on the yard and transformed into human form. She pulled out her wand and fixed her eyes on the broken gates of the castle, hanging sadly on their torn out hinges. Dark corridor seemed to be empty but Vega didn't trust the silence. She moved towards the stairs, stealing up like a cat, staring piercingly at the darkness.
Suddenly her foot met something soft and sticky. She looked down and she almost screamed. Hagrid was lying on the grass, mangled and almost completely treaded in into the ground. He was still holding a lily bulb in his hand.
Vega moved further with effort. She climbed up the stairs silently and passed the door. She was enclosed in gloom but she didn't turn on the light. She could see in the darkness like a cat.
At the foot of the stairs she found two massacred bodies in the white masks. The next one was lying near the entrance to the dungeons. Vega got to conclusion that the Death Eaters had to have reasons to attack in that direction. She entered the dungeons carefully and then she felt that she was being observed by somebody's watchful eyes. She immediately waved her wand and in the same second someone cried shrilly:
'No!!!'
Vega recognised the voice and in the last moment she changed a trajectory of the curse.
'Minerva, is that you?' she asked in a whizzing whisper.
A bright light shone several steps in front of her and it illuminated a grey face of professor McGonagall, stiffened in pain and despair.
'Yes, that's me...' she said dully approaching Vega 'I was afraid it was again one of them...'
She paused when the light of her wand fell on Vega. She was looking horribly. She was covered with dry blood of Bill Weasly, of her own, of Aurors and Death Eaters. Her hair has been burned by a blast of a Fire Wall. Grey eyes were gleaming in her dirty face like two cold stars.
'What happened here?' she asked silently, feeling an icy shudder of a dreadful foreboding.
Minerva fixed empty, depressed eyes on her.
'Albus is dead...' she said in a flat voice 'He's dead...'
Vega was staring at the witch as if she didn't understand her words.
'Dumbledore is dead,' repeated Minerva silently and started to sob.
Vega staggered and leant heavily against the wall. She turned ghastly pale.
'It's impossible...' she whispered 'I don't believe it... How did it happen?!' she yelled widely, sticking her fingers on a shoulder of sobbing McGonagall.
'I don't know...on the corridor... it was him...' the witch was mumbling disconnectedly, not controlling herself any longer.
Vega shook her roughly with a growing fury.
'Damn!' she growled 'Cool down! And speak clearly!'
Minerva breathed heavily and wiped her face with a sleeve.
'We have been attacked an hour after you had gone' she said, trying to keep calm 'They had planned it well. All Aurors were at Azkaban and the castle had to rely only on the teachers and on the DADS. At first they let behemots on the school grounds. The system hadn't influence on them. They reached the walls and started to roar. Hagrid...' she whimpered 'He wanted to tranquillize them. He believed they would recognise him...' the words stuck in her throat.
'I saw...' Vega whispered dully.
'We hid the students in the dungeons,' proceeded Minerva 'They are still there. Albus, me and several other colleagues went on the walls. Roaring of behemots has already begun to crush them, so we destroyed the towers. Poor animals...' she whispered sadly 'But we had no choice. Then we dealt with the Death Eaters. Only a few of them appeared. They didn't want to take the castle. Behemots were only to divert our attention. They came here for other purpose...'
Vega understood at once.
'Harry Potter,' she whispered.
'Yes,' nodded Minerva gloomily 'Albus sent him to the dungeons together with the others. Sirius was with him. I thought the boy was safe.'
'What happened then?' asked Vega.
The witch shook her head.
'I don't know. He didn't reach the dungeons. Sirius also disappeared. And in the corridor I found this.'
She took out something black and shaggy from her pocket. Vega felt her heart in her throat. Minerva was holding a torn off dog's ear.
'What the hell happened?!' cried Vega 'Who did it?!'
Minerva rose her head. Her eyes were full of hatred and utmost contempt.
'SNAPE!' she spat 'It was him who betrayed us. He disconnected the DADS. And he killed Albus !'
Vega stood petrified with a horror on her face.
'What are you talking about?!' she yelled desperately, clenching her fists 'It's impossible!'
'I SAW HIM!' howled Minerva hysterically 'Right after the action on the walls Albus disappeared somewhere and Severus wasn't with us at all. I checked what was going on in the dungeons and I went to look for them. I found Sirius' ear and the...' her words turned into a hoarse moan.
'What then?!' hissed Vega.
Minerva hid her face in the hands.
'I saw Albus...' she whispered 'He was lying on the floor. He was motionless. Somebody was bending over him...It was SNAPE!' she cried 'I recognised him! I would recognise him in hell! Lousy traitor!'
She slumped on her knees and choked with hysterical sob.
Vega was pale as a ghost.
'I don't believe...' she moaned desperately 'He couldn't...'
She felt her heart beating frantically, bright circles were flickering in front of her eyes. She leant on the wall breathing heavily. Suddenly she saw a shaggy ear lying on the floor. She was staring at it for a while, concentrating all her mind on that one object. She rose her head. Her eyes were cold and dark, full of hatred and greedy of revenge.
'I'm going to bring Harry back,' she said dryly.
McGonagall looked at her thoroughly shocked.
'At least him I will save. I owe it to him...' continued Vega not paying attention to Minerva 'And then...' her lips twisted in a devilish smile 'I will pay the traitor. And the one who he serves.'
And not looking back she ran up the corridor. McGonagall followed her with the eyes full of grief and strange apprehension.
'Go...' she said softly 'You are the only one who can do that...'
The Dark Lord's abode seemed to be empty and deserted. Vega wrapped herself tight in the Invisibility Cloak, once more cast a watchful glance at the yard and she crossed the bridge. Nothing happened. She climbed up the stone steps. Iron door creaked and opened. Vega entered the castle.
A long corridor has been lit by two rows of white-blue torches. The Auror smiled gloomily. They must have been expecting guests from Azkaban. She moved towards the stair looming in the end of the corridor. Snape had described her once the castle so she knew where to look for.
She reached the stairs and went down, to the dark, gloomy, damp dungeons. If Harry was at Voldemort's castle, there was the place they kept him. Vega moved along two rows of the cells, looking inside each of them.
A door of the left side was closed. Vega approached it, pulled out her wand and said silently:
'Alohomora.'
The door opened. Under the opposite wall Harry was standing, pale and with ruffled hair, clutching his broken glass in his hand. He was staring at the door with widened eyes. He couldn't see anybody.
'It's me, Vega' whispered the witch, coming closer to the boy and taking off the Invisibility Cloak 'Are you ok.?'
Harry was looking at her thoroughly shocked.
'Professor...' he mumbled 'What happened to you?'
'It's nothing ' Vega waved her hand impatiently 'Better tell me, how did you get here. And hurry up !' she urged him, peeping out at the corridor 'We have to get out of here.'
Harry breathed deeply.
'We were going to the dungeons,' he said 'Terrible confusion, people were pushing themselves and crying. Suddenly Sirius growled and pulled my sleeve, as if he felt a danger. I looked down to check what was it about and then...' he swallowed ' I saw that Snape...professor Snape was looking at me in a very strange ...horrible way...' he shuddered at the very memory 'Sirius was pulling me backwards. I followed him. We were running through the corridors and suddenly I heard that somebody was pursuing us. A white light flashed and Sirius howled. A curse had torn his ear. He transformed into the human form and then Snape rushed out from behind the corner. Sirius pushed me away and pulled out his wand pointing at him. They shot in the same moment and then I saw the Death Eaters running from the other side of the corridor. They stunned me and I remember nothing more,' he looked anxiously at Vega 'What about Sirius ?! Professor, is he...'
'I don't know,' Vega said briefly 'He wasn't at Hogwart.'
Hatred gleamed in Harry's green eyes.
'It was Snape!' he cried loosing his nerves 'He betrayed us ! He killed Sirius!'
'Be quiet!' hissed Vega 'Do you want to attract the Death Eaters? Put on the Invisibility Cloak. We have to go.'
Harry cooled down. He obediently did what the Auror told him.
'Now listen to me,' said Vega sternly 'We will try to get out of here. If we are attacked I will try to stop then and you run to the gate. They won't see you in the Cloak. Your Firebolt is on the bridge. Mount it and fly to Hogwart.'
'But...' Harry wanted to protest.
'Don't discuss with me!' cut Vega 'You will do what I told you. And when I'm sure that you are safe I will pay back the traitor' her grey eyes flashed vindictively.
They entered the corridor and silently climbed up the slippery steps. The castle was silent but the years of experience told Vega that it didn't mean anything good. She was looking watchfully left and right, with her wand risen, ready to attack in any moment.
Suddenly a horrible hiss cut the silence and in the corridor in front of them an outline of a giant snake loomed. Its yellow eyes glittered rapaciously. Vega stopped.
'Nagini welcome you in the Palace of Darkness' hissed the snake 'The Dark Lord is expecting you.'
Enormous body was spreading from wall to wall completely barring the way. Harry stood petrified hardly daring to breath.
'Really?' Vega smiled coldly, looking piercingly in the cruel eyes of the beast. In the same moment she gave Harry sign to retreat 'Show me the way, then.'
Nagini hissed sinisterly, the huge rings of her body shuddered. Her head swang as if the snake was going to attack, yellow eyes were at the height of Vega's face. The witch didn't move. Nagini was staring at her piercingly, sharp fangs emerged from the half-opened mouth.
Slowly, noiselessly, Harry took tree steps backwards. And suddenly he stood motionless, shocked, looking at the Auror with an inexpressible bewilderment. Only now he realised he could understand her conversation with the snake. Vega was speaking Parseltongue.
But he hadn't time to consider it closer. Steps rumbled in the corridor and two groups of the Death Eaters came from the both sides. They didn't wear their masks any longer and Harry at once recognised a man who was leading on of the squads.
'Traitor !' he screamed forgetting about Vega's order 'Where is Sirius !!!'
In the same moment a green light shot and one of the Death Eaters fell on the floor, dead. It was Vega who attacked. Curses whizzed. Harry jumped for the wand of a killed man, the Cloak slipped from his face...
'I've got you !' a voice, full of hatred, hissed to his ear and he felt an iron grip of Snape.
'Starlight!' somebody called triumphantly 'Surrender or we will kill Potter!'
Harry noticed that Vega stopped with a risen hand. Her face twisted in the expression of helpless fury. She spat and threw her wand on the floor.
It has been picked up by the man who had called a while ago. Now Harry could see him more clearly and guessed at once that must have been one of the prisoners from Azkaban. He was wearing old, shaggy robes of the sort that Sirius had when Harry had seen him for the first time. In his pale, sunken face blues eyes were burning, full of hatred and cruel satisfaction.
He waved his wand and white ropes tied Vega's hands. The wizard approached her with a vindictive smile and punched her in the face with all his strength. The Auror fell on the wall. Harry felt Snape's fingers sticking in his arm.
The Death Eater approached Vega lazily.
'So many years, Starlight,' he drawled 'I've been waiting thirteen years.'
The witch rose her head and spat with blood.
'You haven't changed at all, Lestrange' she hissed venomously 'You still like to torment the ones who cannot defend.'
Lestrnge's eyes flashed murderously. He kicked Vega in stomach with fury and with the next punch he knocked her down to the ground.
'Enough!' growled Snape 'I don't suppose Lord told you to kill her.'
Lestrange was boiling with rage but he came to his senses.
'I will be even with you yet!' he hisses ominously to Vega and beckoned to his men.
The Auror stood up with effort. The Death Eaters surrounded her and the whole group disappeared behind the corner of the corridor. Lestrange looked at Snape.
'What about the boy?' he asked pointing at Harry 'Lord want to see him, too.'
'We will join you in a moment,' said Snape dryly 'I want to chatter with Potter...in private.'
Lestranges laughed and followed his squad. Snape fixed his black eyes on Harry.
'Potter, Potter...he said softly 'So our fates meet again. Isn't it strange?' his eyes flashed 'Whether I want it or not, you are at the end of every path.'
Harry was silent. He felt very uneasy. Snape's words seemed very queer and obscure. Severus smiled vaguely.
'This is night of the truth, Potter,' he whispered 'Everybody take off his mask...'
'You have already taken off yours!' cried Harry feeling the overcoming rage 'You are a traitor! Dumbledore trusted you and you betrayed him! You sold me to Voldemort! And all because you didn't like my father!'
A strange, painful grimace appeared on Snape's face.
'Do you know why I hated James Potter so much?' he asked quietly looking piercingly at Harry.
The boy laughed sneeringly.
'You told me this yourself. It was because my dad and Sirius played a stupid trick on you!
Severus' black eyes flashed.
'How little you know...' he said bitterly 'The truth is much more painful,' he started at him firmly 'Your grandfather, Perseus Potter, was my father.'
Harry was thunderstruck. He couldn't believe his ears.
'It means...you and my dad...were brothers?' he mumbled.
'Half-brothers,' specified Snape 'Perseus Potter had a love-affair with my mother. He promised he would marry her but then he left her though she was pregnant.' hatred twinkled in his black eyes 'James had everything I never had: home, family, friends. And any time I looked at him, I could see Perseus Potter and I hated him more and more. I feel the same when I look at you...'
Harry was shocked.
'Why Sirius has never told me about it?' he whispered.
Snape smiled sadly.
'He had no idea of it. Except me only Vega knows the truth. James has never found out he had a brother.'
'Who was your mother?' asked Harry; curiosity was stronger that his rage 'It means...was she a witch?'
Snape nodded.
'Yes, she was. Her name was Hekate Evans.'
At the sound of that surname Harry jumped up.
'Evans?!' he repeated 'But not...'
'Yes,' said Snape 'My grandmother was a Muggle. Her brother, Scott, was a grandfather of your mother, Lily Evans.'
Harry rendered speechless. It was beyond his imagination ! He was closely related to Snape! In two different ways!
'It's time for us. Lord is waiting.' sad Snape dully and pushed Harry towards the stairs.
They climbed up the marble steps and stopped in front of the high, black door. Nagini was lying curled up on the floor under it. When she saw them she rose her head and touched a red eye of an incrusted basilisk with her nostrils. The door opened noiselessly and Snape and Harry entered inside.
The great hall was lit by the same pale-blue light that brightened up the corridors. Lord Voldemort was sitting on his dark, obsidian throne and was looking at Harry with burning eyes. At the foot of the marble platform Vega was standing, Lestrange and the other Death Eaters several steps behind her. Only now Harry recognised among them short, balding Peter Pettrigiew.
'Harry Potter...' said Voldemort lengthily when Snape and the boy approached the throne 'Nobody more is missing, then.'
He laughed icily with the same cruel, ruthless laugher that Harry used to hear in his nightmares.
'It's time you get to know the one who had organised your visit in my castle tonight.' said the Dark Lord 'My most faithful servant, Impostor.'
A tall man in long, black cloak emerged from behind the throne, his face hidden in the shadow of the hood. Harry was staring at him astounded, wondering who could it be. He was completely confused. It was Snape who was pursuing him, wasn't he? He was a traitor!
Vega gasped and over Harry's head she looked piercingly at Severus who was staring at Impostor with a sneering grimace, as if he knew very well whose face is hidden under the black hood.
Voldemort smiled with a devilish satisfaction.
'The time of truth...' he said ominously and beckoned to the masked servant.
