Unleashed shadows. Third chapter

NOTE: It's longer!

Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yet. Not until I take over the world. :P

Okay, okay. I know I've been slacking off, like REALLY slacking off. But I have a reason!! I've just finished my exams and now you can expect more chapters from me! Also, it's the holidays here in Aust, Sydney, so that might even it out a bit. I might be going somewhere. I'll see.

Um. Thanks to: kat, Smart Ash, Lauren, WhiteLion, Setsuri, Jester, izean, Pheonix Flight, jayjay, Aztec, Chrisie, the angelic vampire (cute name!), Wormtail's worst enemy (I HATE wormtail :P), The Kuro no Tenshi, shinigami5218, AtieJen, S, Mel and some anonomous person.

Thank you sOOO much for reviewing!

*



"So that's it, isn't it? That's all you intend on providing?" A shrill voice whispered coldly into the silence of the graveyard.

"No. . . master. . . o. . . of...course not. Ne. . . never. . . would I"

"Never would you what?" Voldermort screeched piercingly, "You promised to stay true. You have failed me. You are of no use to me."

"Please. . . master. . . I haven't. . . I am against them. . . I am I spy."

"A spy, you say?" He hissed, "For whom?"

"Lord. . . for. . . you. . . only. . . you."

"We shall see," he whispered, "Then do, you should, what a spy does. And if, if your loyalties waver again, you will not slip away unnoticed."

"Master . . . master . . . y. . . you are merciless, thank you . . . thank . . . "

"But you will be punished all the same. And may you learn from your failures."

"No m . . . master . . . I mean . . . yes . . . master . . . yes."

Voldermort looked at him, his face spreading into an evil smile, "If you insist."

'Crucio'

The yells were instantaneous.

They shattered the night and pierced the stars. Shriek after shriek, they would not stop. What seemed like hours of horrible, terrible screaming. Screams of pain and hurt. They tore at the very hearts of those who heard it. Even those around him flinched. The ones cloaked in black, the ones who tortured and killed for pleasure. The ones who called themselves Death Eaters.

At long last, the yelling ceased. The man still writhed, like an insect that had been stepped on. The pain did not seem to go away. It remained, like an echo, and kept returning with every breath he took. He shook with fright and terror, a terror that would forever haunt him. Finally, he stood up shakily, then fell again, onto his knees.

"Get up," he ordered, "You are not worthy enough to be at my feet."

But he couldn't. He tried to stand, but his ankles shook under the weight and pressure.

"I said, get up," the voice hissed with more menace than before.

Severus Snape stood, knees shaking. "My Lord."

*

The Potion's Professor woke. His head spun. These dreams he'd been experiencing had obviously meant something. He just couldn't figure out what.

The hourglass on the table read three am. Severus sighed and lay back down.

*

"Lily! Wait!"

"Wait, what? You lying . . ."

The young man quickened his pace to catch up with her. "It was wrong. I know that now."

"Now? What does it matter /now/, Severus?"

Severus grabbed her arm, but she pulled away. Then she grasped his arm, twisting it he could see his forearm. She pulled up the sleeve of his robe.

"Do you see this?" She whispered, silently sobbing inside. "Do you see it? This is /our/ end."

"No." he said fiercely. "I turned away from that. Two years ago."

"Then why does it still burn? /Why/ do you still answer to its call?" She growled, anger shining in the glistening tears.

"I'm a spy, Lily." He whispered, "On Dumbledore's request. You have to believe me."

"Why should I believe anymore? Everything you've said and everything you've done. It's all a lie!" The hall turned to stare at whom was screaming, but she had already run out, tears falling freely.

Severus looked on helplessly as she disappeared from the hall, and, from his life.

"But everything I said, and everything I did. It was for you."

*

Severus swallowed. Why wouldn't the past leave him alone? Why did it still haunt him, after all these years?

\Because you loved her\

Severus closed his eyes.

\Blinded by ambition. Blinded by the greed for power. Blinded by love.\

For all these years, that's what he told himself. That's what kept him alive. Or he would have died of grief, of depression. For Lily, it had all been for Lily. Everything he had did. But what happened, what came of his actions?

\A child\

His whispers of thoughts brought chills down his spine.

He had loved her. Just finishing school, their plans had been wonderful, if not a fantasy. She had loved him. He never thought this would have happened. It had been one night. One night and two choices, it had ruined everything.

He became a Death Eater.

And she discovered she was pregnant.



* ** *** ** *

"Hermione?" Harry said, blinking his eyes.

The girl next to his bed gave a small scream as she leapt up and held Harry in a tight hug. "Madame Pomfrey! Madame -"

"Child! Stop yelling. This /is/ a hospital ward. For those sick and unwell. We do not need your screams to make them feel any better." Madame Pomfrey strode swiftly to Harry's side and helped him sit up.

"How do you feel?" She asked softly.

"Fine, Madame Pomfrey. Why am I here?"

"What?" Madame Pomfrey suddenly stopped, "You don't remember anything?"

From the sidelines, Hermione looked on anxiously, "What's wrong, Harry?"

"Nothing." He replied quickly, "It's just . . ." Harry trailed off, his mind frantically searching.

"I remember," Harry begun again, "being in Transfiguration Class last . . . no, wait . . . I remember /finishing/ Transfiguration Class and going to Care of Magical Creatures . . . then, then I forget."

Hermione's eyes widened. "But that was a week ago when had those two classes in a row! And you've only been here for . . . for three days! Four, including the day you went delu - you acted strangely," Hermione didn't dare look up into Harry's eyes.

Harry's face registered the same shock and confusion on Hermione's. "But. Then what happened before that?"

"It's not as bad as you may think, Miss Granger," Madame Pomfrey interrupted. Hermione jumped, she had forgotten the teacher was there. "Six days ago, two days of free classes were issued to students because of the lessened holidays. Mr Potter could have simply forgotten what he did, in the excitement of the following days."

Both Hermione and Harry relaxed, then tensed again. "Then what about the day before that? Exactly a week ago?"

Madame Pomfrey blinked, "That. I do not know. Only Harry and those who saw him on that day could've known."

Hermione slumped into the seat behind me. "A week ago," Harry heard her mumble, "A week ago . . . "

Harry himself closed his eyes, trying to remember. He had been unconscious for three days and he didn't even know why. Four days ago, he 'went strange'. Harry frowned. It wasn't like Hermione to lie to him, or even to twist the truth. Five days ago, he couldn't remember. Six days ago he couldn't remember either. Seven days ago, the strangest feeling . . .

"Harry!" Hermione suddenly bolted up. "First lesson had been Potion's class. Do you remember that?"

Harry thought. Then nodded slowly.

"Then. You got detention with Snape - Professor Snape." Hermione shot a glance up at Madame Pomfrey. "Do you remember anything after that?"

Harry shook his head.

"Because the rest of the day, we didn't see you. Snape took you for detention right after his class, and we didn't see you until the next day!" Hermione eyes were shining with triumph.

Harry's brain finally clicked. "That means, this has something to do with Professor Snape!"

"Yes?"

The voice in the doorway broke the jubilant spirit. Severus Snape's face was one of pure hatred.

*

Was it longer? I hope it was. I can never really tell. :P Please review! I love your comments, and I really want criticism. Please? (No, im not strange. I just need some advice)

AND, hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. In a few days probably. Thanks.