Chapter 7 – Red Cord
Snape walked from the Governors House to his office in the main prison. He had to give the Guild Master her due she had been correct at their first meeting in saying that she knew her stuff when it came to prison management. In eight short weeks she had dragged the regime at Azkaban from the medieval into the 21st Century. He was impressed at her insight into the wizarding world and her acceptance of the differences in attitudes to crime and punishment between wizard and muggle. She had somehow been able to reconcile these differences into a modern and humane regime for the inmates whilst still maintaining security for all. He was even quietly pleased that the new regime that they had implemented had been accepted and even lauded by some in the wizarding world.
Their working relationship was cool but professional and no further mention was made by either to the events of his first night at Azkaban, but Severus was aware sometimes of her assessing gaze especially when he crossed the main yard or toured the prison wings. Each night he fought his demons alone in his charmed room and whilst he accepted that this seemingly peaceful and productive period was bound to end at some time he was still unprepared for the manner in which it finally did.
As he entered his office Snape nodded to Senior Warden Cole who waited for him with the morning dispatches from the Ministry. Snape produced his wand and removed the magical wards from the dispatch bag before emptying the contents and returning the bag to Cole with a nod of dismissal. It was not until Cole had left the room, the door clicking quietly closed behind him that he realised that one of the letters in the pile on his desk was enclosed in a black envelope. Snape sat heavily at his desk and picked up the letter turning it over in his hands to examine the ministry seal. This was the moment he had been dreading. He had hoped that the new Penal Reform Bill would have prevented this moment from ever happening but the wizarding world had decided that the new reforms would not apply to the 10 ex-Death Eaters currently residing on Azkaban's Death Row. The letter in his hands was the first death warrant – the honeymoon such as it was, was now definitely over.
***
Alexandra looked up as Snape stood almost hesitantly in the doorway to her office. She did not need to see the black envelope to know the purpose of his visit, as executioner she had been the first to be informed of its contents via the Guild.
"I see the first one has arrived then", she commented quietly.
Snape nodded laying the letter still unopened on her desk.
"I am familiar with the arrangements which need to be made so you may leave things to me on this occasion. You will have to attend to read sentence though", she continued ignoring the letter laying between them and watching Snape consideringly.
Snape nodded turning to leave with a muttered thank you almost lost in the rustling of his robes.
"Governor", the Guild Masters voice paused his hasty exit. "You might wish to reconsider discussing personal issues after the execution."
***
The execution square lay just off the prison yard and almost adjacent to the main Guardhouse. It was only a small hollow courtyard in the fortress that was Azkaban, yet it was desolate unlike anywhere else on the island. In the centre of the yard was a wooden platform raised barely a foot from the ground, but a stage for all that took place in that melancholy place.
Snape had not seen the Guild Master since the delivery of the warrant but true to her word all the arrangements for the execution had been efficiently made and he now stood ready to carry out his role in this drama. He looked around but could see no sight of her with the other Guild Warders present and was surprised at his disappointment at this first evidence of squeamishness. Then the final player entered the theatre, Red Cord, the wizard executioner. Snape's throat dried as he realised who Red Cord was.
On the morning of the execution Alexandra walked out into the yard for the first time dressed not as the Chief Warder in functional black overalls, but in the full regalia of the Red Cord. She was magnificent and terrible to behold. A tall figure in flowing black silk robes, a red gold girdle hanging around her hips with a Ruby encrusted clasp, and hanging from the belt a knotted red silk cord. Beneath her wide sleeves lay deep gold and ruby armlets and over the whole a black velvet cloak clasped at her neck by a large gem encrusted brooch. The hood of the cloak shadowed her face, yet she did not wear a mask. The Red Cord hid in shadows not anonymity.
The single condemned prisoner was brought onto the platform dressed in a plain black prison shift. The Auror in attendance cast a binding spell and forced the prisoner into a kneeling position.
Snape felt his mouth dry as he prepared to read the sentence. "Narcissa Malfoy you have been found guilty by a court of your peers of lethal use of the Unforgivable Curses. The sentence for this crime is death and we are gathered here today to see sentence served. May the gods have mercy on your soul."
Severus watched as Alexandra stepped forward to Narcissa and then closed his eyes, he could not watch. He knew what would happen next, he saw it in his minds eye. The red silk cord around her neck; the knot positioned on her windpipe; the executioner taking up the slack in the cord around her gloved hands. Then the quick cruel tightening of the cord and the shifting of hands as the prisoner's neck was twisted just as the windpipe was crushed. Finally the sharp snap as the neck was broken. To carry out such executions quickly and successfully required practice – Alexandra was obviously practiced. Severus opened his eyes and saw a slumped body staring sightlessly up with empty silver eyes at a cold blue sky. Only the attending Mediwitch, Guild Warders and the Auror remained in the yard with him. The witnesses for the Ministry and the plaintive had returned to the warmth and security of the main prison building and he was left undisturbed to contemplate the body of a woman he had known intimately and frequently. The Mediwitch examined the corpse and pronounced death closing the sightless eyes with a swift movement. His duties done Snape turned swiftly on his heel and returned to the Governers House and once safe in his private bathroom he was physically and violently sick.
Thank you Albus was his thought as he retched miserably, yet another set of happy memories to add to my collection.
