I wish I truly owned Cedar, Alexander and Paladin, but alas, I couldn't fit them into my apartment unnoticed. So the idea of these beings belongs to me! Anything you recognize by contrast is not mine!
Yay! 22 reviews in less than 24 hours! I am psyched! Here's Chapter 3.
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Chapter 3: Fun and Games and Death
A white Muggle rook slid silently and without visible motivation across a chess board. The same invisible hand also moved the black pawn that had set there off to the side. Voldemort smiled at his protégé and said, "Your turn, Silver."
The boy frowned at the alignment of his own black pieces and gently gestured through the air with his right hand. A knight moved its two blocks forward, but then stopped and stubbornly refused to move right or left. The teen's frown increased, and he finally moved his hand violently, and the knight flew through the air, caught deftly in his Master's left hand.
"Gently."
"You were holding it there. Don't think I didn't notice, father," he said, rubbing his forehead.
"You have learned much these past two months, my ward. But patience is not a virtue that you know well," Voldemort replied, sighing heavily. "Our adversaries will fight you every step of the way. And you must understand how to fight their power, to loose their control of the situation, as you wish to loose my hold on this knight," he added, replacing the black piece on the intended square.
"How can I be patient when they fight me at every turn, even when I try to accomplish my goals gently?" the boy asked, thinking of his time in Azkaban with a shudder.
"You lost your patience during your time in that place. Allow me to explain how you must think of it. You expect a tree to stand even a strong wind because of the roots, correct?"
The boy nodded.
"Then you must be patient as you remove each root from the dirt or you kill the tree. Fighting my power over the chess piece is in the same way. Try again to move it."
The boy concentrated on the chess piece, visualizing his Master's energy cloud that surrounded the piece. He then launched a multi-pronged attack against the red cloud, finally piercing the barrier as his Master smiled, and the chess piece moved freely.
"That took you five minutes. You must always attack with patience, my heir. Patience will see you farther than brute strength some times," Voldemort explained, seeing the fatigue resting on his protégé's shoulders. "Perhaps we should call it a night. You have a visit to Hogsmeade tomorrow, correct?"
"Yes, milord," the boy nodded.
"Well, I would like to speak to you in the morning when you awake. Sleep well, my student," he said, standing from the table and moving out the door, then closing it.
The boy stood as well, carefully peeling the jumper over his head, and taking the black trousers off, wandlessly summoning a short sleeve t-shirt and pajama pants. He moved to his bed, as the winter air still chilled the bedroom, to find his serpents already laying on his duvet. "Ready to sleep already, I see?" he said, reaching out both hands for the snakes to curl up on his forearms, and smiling as one slithered farther up his shoulder to the place on his neck that that one snake always slept. One was completely black, the other was green, and the third (shoulder snake) was white with red eyes. The boy lay face down in the soft pillows and surprised as always by the added warmth of the reptiles, he sighed. The albino snake gently contracted its coils, massaging his shoulders lightly and relaxing him to the point of unconsciousness.
If one was watching at this point, one might have almost heard one of the serpents whisper, "All is well and safe, my Lord. Rest now."
Severus knocked softly on the boy's door the next morning. He had often come by to check on the boy, feeling an obligation to the young Death Eater that he could neither explain nor deny.
"Come in."
He opened the door to see the boy still lying in bed, with the serpents coiled around his arms. "Milord, I'm sorry for interrupting…"
"Severus, you need not apologize. I was awake. Have you met my servants?" he asked, playfully.
"No, milord."
"Ah. This is Alexander," he said, pointing to the black one. "This is Cedar, and this one is Paladin," he said, pointing to the green and white ones respectively. "They guard me while I sleep."
"I was unaware of that, milord. Have you ever needed them?"
"Luckily, no. The wards are more than enough to protect me. But their companionship is appreciated just the same," he replied, then hissing softly to the snakes, causing Snape to raise his right eyebrow.
"Milord, you are a Parselmouth?"
He smiled broadly. "What gifts of Slytherin did you think that Lord Voldemort was referring to? The pewter goblet set?"
Severus smiled in return. "I stand corrected, Milord. I came by to check on you, to make sure that you are feeling well."
"Yes. And ready for today's mission," he replied, not dislodging the snakes, but still standing. "Let us pray that we do not need your services as medi-wizard."
"Where do you go today?"
"Ah, Severus, you know that no one is told who does not go. Your duties to Hogwarts keep you there today. I cannot tell you where Lord Voldemort sends me," he sighed.
"Well, milord, I wish you the best of luck, and hope that you will tell me what transpires after you return," Snape said, respectfully bowing, and heading to the door.
"Have fun at school, Professor," the teen said, placing sarcastic emphasis on certain words. He knew the man too well to tell him to have fun with a straight face.
He hissed at the albino snake and watched it slither down to his left wrist to join the black one. Once free of the snakes, he dressed in a long sleeved black t-shirt, trousers and boots and went to find his Master, before a sharp hiss brought him back to his bed. "All right, Paladin, you can come too."
He leaned down and picked up the albino before striding from the room. The serpent coiled around the teen's arm and no one in the halls gave him a second look.
He knocked on a large door. "Good morning, My Lord."
"Ah, Serpent, come in," his surrogate father replied. He waited as the boy entered the room and sat down. "Are you ready to lead this attack?"
The boy hesitated. "My Lord, I…"
"Serpent, you spend all your time by my side, which is understandable as you are my pupil. But you stand as head of my elite Death Eaters now," Voldemort said.
The boy lowered his head. "I understand what you require of me, milord. It is just that I do not wish to disappoint you."
Voldemort smiled, calling the boy's attention by hissing at the snake to leave the boy's shoulder. "I know what you are capable of. You will not disappoint me. In fact, I have a gift for you, my son."
The boy's face lifted in curiosity. "Father, I deserve no such gift…"
The older man held up his hand for silence. "I give this to you so that others may know you." He summoned a large box wrapped in black, green and silver, the colors of his old House.
The teen opened it carefully, to find a dragon-hide floor-length trench coat with a silver snake embossed on the leather of the right arm. He stroked the material with a tremulous hand and looked at his Master. "It is truly exquisite, milord."
"Put it on," Voldemort urged.
The boy stood, and with Voldemort's assistance, shrugged on the jacket. It fit perfectly, and flowed almost identical to most black robes.
Voldemort stepped back and sat down as the boy considered the gift. "You told me once that you could feel nothing. My actions have given you pain, but for now I wish you to ignore that pain and tell me how you are feeling, right now."
The teen thought for a moment. "Accepted, respected and extremely grateful, milord."
"Excellent," Voldemort said with a broad smile. "Come, let's finish planning the revels in Hogsmeade today.
As the Death Eaters no doubt knew because of his absence, it was a Hogsmeade weekend and Severus managed to pull chaperone duty. It was near the end of the day, without a report of any attack elsewhere in the country, and Snape was getting anxious. Surely his Master was not planning to attack Hogsmeade itself today. He began shepherding errant Hufflepuffs back toward the castle, when the Three Broomsticks exploded.
As everyone was thrown from their feet, nearly 20 men in dark cloaks and masks Apparated in. A few seconds later, the teen appeared, walking through the flaming wreckage of the pub, wearing his new jacket, and the albino snake on his left wrist. He nodded his head approvingly as the Death Eaters started grabbing townspeople for their targets. "Good people of Hogsmeade, if I may have your attention?" He commanded in a dark voice as the screams subsided. "I am the Silver Serpent, lieutenant to Voldemort, who has indeed returned from the dead. Welcome to our time now. The time of chaos, of anarchy, moving toward a more perfect order than the one that the Ministry promises you."
Snape got to his feet and the Silver Serpent smiled, holding up his hand in a gesture that froze Snape's movement. "You wish to defend these children from the future, Snape?"
"Leave the children alone, Death Eater," he growled as his colleagues in black began hexing those targets they picked.
"You'll note that the innocent have been left alone. And I couldn't deprive my Death Eaters of their fun. Tell you what, Snape. Either you name the ones to die, or I do," the Serpent replied, twirling his wand.
Snape knew that he was seriously outgunned and needed the Aurors. He had to stall if he was going to preserve lives today.
"No ideas?" the teen asked impatiently. "Fine. All right." He pointed to at least 4 victims, who cowered in fear. "Your choice, or should I say hesitation, has condemned them, Snape. Remember that."
In the moment that the boy pointed, he released Snape from the spot where he had been held wandlessly. Snape pulled his wand in anger, but the Serpent was faster. "Don't even think it, Professor. Drop the wand or I will drop you and your students."
Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger seethed angrily as the Death Eaters held them from behind. Snape let his wand fall to the ground. The head Death Eater smiled. "Good." He moved closer to the Gryffindors that were being held. "Such a beautiful face. You see, in Azkaban, beauty is destroyed. Of course there is no ugliness either. There is only death, and barely living." He inhaled deeply. "I had forgotten what such a face could look like," he said, gently brushing the back of his hand against her cheek.
Ron tensed; evidently he was her boyfriend. "You don't approve?" he asked the redhead, flexing his fingers, then punching the student in the solar plexus. He dropped to his knees, gasping for breath.
"Why are you doing this?" the rational Gryffindor prefect asked him.
"You shouldn't ask questions to which you don't want the real answers. Each person here deserves death for supporting the people who sent us to Azkaban," he said, watching her eyes open wide. "Yes, us. The Ministry refused to give me a trial, just gave me life for a crime that I didn't commit. My Master understands how badly the system needs change, even though you do not believe his return," his face went into a dangerous smile, and he drew his wand, watching her flinch. "I wouldn't dream of hurting you, divine girl," he whispered. He moved away from the students as another Death Eater punched a struggling Ron in the kidneys. "Morsmordre!" he shouted, casting the Dark Mark into the sky.
"Aurors, milord!" one yelled.
"Apparate," he said firmly. "Believe me, we have only just begun the fight!" the Silver Serpent said as he walked away, Apparating in mid-step.
True enough, the Aurors Apparated in, to examine the wreckage and help clean up. Snape rubbed his forehead. Great. Another report to make to Albus.
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A/N and thanks!
Snape coolgirl- Um… thanks, I think. I got your review for chapter one literally a minute after the 2nd chapter was posted. But in response, I like 'weird' and I am…
Kiri- remember that in the second scene in Azkaban, Voldemort comments on how much better the teen's original eye color was. So if that was changed, what else could be? :P
ame_chan- Why he got thrown into Azkaban comes out in later chapters and the sequel (although neither of them have been totally finished yet)
Kaat ShadowLover- Thanks! I've never gotten that particular compliment before, but I like it.
Steena- I already did. As with Snape coolgirl, I got your review for ch. 1 after I posted ch. 2. Sorry J
UniversalStar87- as I said, this story is completely done, unless I decide to tweak it or someone wants to beta it. Yes, this is an UNBETA-ed fic! More will come when I get enough reviews, and/or time to post. College sucks sometimes.
Xikum- lots of great questions. The only question is, do you want me to tell you, or do you want to read the later chapters? Your choice, but I won't post the answers here.
Jewelclaw Lady of Wind- Interesting handle. Thanks. I hate accidentally repeating plotlines from other stories, and will continue to post my other stories only so long as they are original ideas off the HP universe.
Wittchway- Wow! Man, I have to say it was good to find out you read my story! I have read First Kill, and Taste, and I am just starting Because I Said. You're awesome, and it's cool to know that you know I exist. I was working on something a bit the reverse of Taste… reversing who turned who, because I thought it would be fun. I forget who recommended me to you on a list of Dark!Harry stories.
UniversalStar87- Déjà vu! You just read ch. 3!
RaistlinofMetallica- Maybe, maybe not. Only I and my computer… and my best friend know. But that's because she read it and told me to post. I agree… there is no way that you can paint a character like him so one-dimensionally, and I hate it when people do that.
IMPORTANT A/N!!! I wanted to gauge interest for a Yahoo e-group for all my fics. Would need suggestion on the name, and what you think… because I don't want to do this if you don't want it! Other fics up now include Fire and Ice (a Slashfic), Tears of the Wolf (Lupin-centric), and Nepenthes. I also have a couple of AUs to toss up. I think I have at least 10 stories, in various states of completion… mostly in my head. You have no idea how much it sucks to be me right now. As if 3 upperlevel biology courses, a biochemistry and an upcoming MCAT weren't enough! I have HP fanfic swirling around in my cranium nearly 24/7. And I read enough on this site to go insane, were it not for TV :P At any rate, leave suggestions on this in a review, and I will post the decision with ch4!
Well, Ch4 will have explanations, Cruciatus, heavy sedatives, chains, more explanations and the true identity of the Silver Serpent revealed.
Be kind, review (oh wait, that doesn't rhyme, does it?)