"Alex…wake up." Jamie whispered. "Wake up,"

The fourteen year old stirred and opened his eyes. He smiled at Jamie who was lying on top of him, as always. She had been sharing his bed ever since first year, much to the enjoyment of his dirty-minded suitemates. "What?"

She pointed to one star, standing alone in the purple-blue sky. "That's you, Severus."

"No, that Venus." He whispered. "We learned it in Astronomy, remember?"

"No, Muggles call it the Morning Star. In Judeo-Christian religions it was said to be an angel, the angel who wanted to be most like God because he was so good at what he did. He was one of the highest-ranking angels in heaven and he could make anyone love him. It's said that one-third of the angels followed him in rebellion against God."

"Sounds like a smart angel. What happened to him?"

"He lost his war, he was banished from heaven."

Severus was watching the Star. "Then what?"

"He became the Prince of Darkness." Jamie looked down at his face again, her dark blond hair forming a curtain. "They called him Lucifer, son of the morning."

He looked at her. "But his mistake was he lost. I won't make that same mistake."

"Come on, Morning Star. Lets go get breakfast. Besides you said Babbitt was supposed to write today."

It was their fourth year at Hogwarts and Severus had grown into his introverted personality. Brown hair became ebony as muscles began to form and harden under his slender build and pale skin. Some considered him handsome, especially Amethyst Connor who had instantly and unofficially claimed him in the "Marriage Mart." During his second year, Severus was chosen for the Quidditch team and played as Keeper. He had also death experience with Sirius Black that he never talked about. Walking into the Great Hall with Jamie on his arm always caused rumors and envious glares.

Jamie Kahle was prefect in everyway. She had curves in all the right places and a smile that lit up the room. Bright eyes, clear and intelligent looked at you and made you feel you were the most important thing in the room. When you talked to Jamie, there was nothing else in the world that mattered to her, only you and getting you to smile. Her hair was always messy and her robes always torn from nightly excursions into the Forbidden Forest to talk to the Centaurs about Astronomy. Indeed, she was at her best when she was plotting the stars.

The rest of Severus' friendships were the high brows from the Hogwarts Illuminatti. In the beginning, he allied himself with them because it was expected of him to do so but by his fourth year, his loyalty to them was sincere. They were his people, his family that he had never had. And what a family:

Amethyst Conner was the exact opposite of Jamie. Her robes were always crisp and immaculate. Dainty and cultured, Amethyst adorned Severus' arm at social events during the summer and when they traveled to Hogsmeade. Severus, ever the gentleman, never tried to relieve himself of her although he would have been too pleased to do so. Her twin in fashion sense and beauty was Mirabelle Fluette, the gracious French flower whose virtue was comprised early on by Silas Malfoy.

The Malfoy brothers, Silas and his younger brother Lucius were classic aristocrats, making up for what they lacked in true skill and talent with charm and manners that the Malfoy clan had years to prefect. Lucius was cunning and vicious and Severus didn't trust the boy. The blond always seemed to have something hidden just under the surface of his schemes and his words dripped with ambition. It wasn't that he viewed Lucius as competition; it was that Lucius was eager for power and someone crafty could easily manipulate that.

But Silas was something different. Silas was charming, funny and made you believe he was sincere. Severus liked Silas' wit and good nature and of all the Illuminatti, Silas was easily his favorite. More then that, Silas was his true friend, almost a brother.

Then there were the triplets, people called them: Avery, Wilkes and Rosier. Each of them enjoyed life and had no other ambition then to continue to do so. Power and friends came naturally to them, as long as they had the money to keep the party going and each had no problem keeping up the party. In time they would all marry some beautiful debutant to be unhappy with and take a mistress and go through life producing the next Illuminatti generation. They were content with that and Severus enjoyed their foolishness. With them, he could be foolish too. And innocent.

Love existed in the Illuminatti too. Unlike the constant and very amusing fights between Silas and Mirabelle (and indeed it was a daily pot going on how long the fights would last and where) or the classic Illuminatti practice of one-night stands and cheap relationships that never lasted, be it homo or heterosexual. The Illuminatti simply didn't seem to have the fidelity other houses had. The golden couple of Hogwarts was Lily and James whom seemed to be sickly in love and the Slytherin counter to them were the Lestranges. They weren't married yet but it was given that Adrien Lestrange would take Natalie Sandell to his wife and would never part from her.

Their love was a fixed as Jamie to her star maps.

Dimitri Byron seemed the only male in the group, who liked Severus, always remained stag and proudly single. Dimitri probably owed this to his father, being the Minister's son entailed no life and seldom a moment alone. Severus felt for him. They were the only two at Hogwarts that needed bodyguards to journey to the village. The Snape family still had many enemies and the Byron family was quickly getting there.

Over it all, Torin Santiago, by then the Slytherin Prefect, watched like some omnipotent god. He was there as counsel, mentor, advisor but never friend. Torin was untouchable and unobtainable. Torin had become what every Illuminatti would one day become, a leader. He wore his responsibility on his sleeve. A fatal mistake in Severus' opinion but who cared, after all, it was only school.

Rounding out the Illuminatti was Dahlia. Nothing needed to be said about Dahlia that you couldn't infer by looking into those clear blue eyes. To know Dahlia was to love her and do anything for her. She was a raven-haired beauty that loved and dared to live, regardless of her duty. She ignored her last name altogether and every burden it produced opting simply to be Dahlia. She was reckless but lovely.

Severus loved her because her love of life often got her into trouble that he would pull her out of. He liked the feeling he got when she looked into his eyes. She'd always smile and whisper. "You're too good for me."

Perhaps they weren't all the wisest or even the most cautious but none of thought they had to be. At that moment, in that time, they were just the Hogwarts Illuminatti. For them there was no future and no past, only then and there. There was only the Illuminatti and Severus was proud to belong to it. They were the best and the brightest, and just a shrewd and cunning. More importantly, they were his friends and nothing else in the world mattered.

Then, as it had happened with Torin, it happened to Severus.

Destiny and duty came in the form of a cream colored envelope, delivered by the Headmaster himself with Professor Wyvern trailing close behind. There was something odd in her eyes, usually Severus would have called them tears but Wyvern never cried.

"Professor?" Dumbledore's voice had been still and quiet. "May I speak with Master Snape?"

Severus had glanced at Jamie questioningly. He had never been addressed as Master before. If address at all by a title it was always "the Heir of Akel Dama" never the Master. He had brushed the dirt from his hands and stepped outside the green house to talk to the adults. Dumbledore kneeled to his eye level to give him the letter. He found himself staring at the scrawl, written hastily and without much care.

"To the Lord of Akel Dama, Hogwarts School…"

He looked up at Dumbledore and Wyvern. "What's this?"

"A letter from the Minister of Magical Law Enforcement, Bartemus Crouch."

He swallowed hard, not wanting to open it. He had met Crouch once, at a party. He didn't like that man. He stared at the letter in his hands. He handed it to Dumbledore. "Take it, I don't want it."

Wyvern told him to open and read it. Silently, stoically, he obeyed and read.

"Dear Severus Snape,

I regret to inform you that there was an attack on Akel Dama. We had been tracking the vampire Daniel but arrived too late to save your grandmother and aunt. Your uncle Reiner was seen along side Daniel so we can only assume that he has joined the vampire nest. It is with a sad heart I inform you this. Your family has always upheld the proud Auror tradition and England lost good people with this senseless act. Please take my sincerest condolences with you.

Sincerely, Minister Crouch."

Crouch's secretary signed it in the actual Minister's stead. Severus took a few seconds to read the letter over. He didn't breath for a whole minute while he digested the news. Then, he looked up and with an almost embarrassed look on his face. "Forgive me for being rude, Headmaster, Professor. Thank you for my letter but you didn't need to bring me it personally." He inhaled sharply. "May I ask to be excused from class?"

"Severus, you've been granted a leave from school." Wyvern said softly. "Your valet Deacon is going to be here tonight to take you home."

They turned to go but Severus called after them. He looked confused and frightened. "What am I suppose to do? What is the protocol for this?"

Dumbledore looked pained beyond words. He glanced at Wyvern. She stared at him with a gentle, motherly expression. "Go home and bury your family, Severus. Then return to us."

He watched them go. "Am I allowed to mourn?" He whispered. But no one answered.