Author Notes: OK, somepoints to make:
I will update every Friday. It might take 24 hours for it to actually get on the site. So you'll be safe if you check on Saturdays.
The insane part at the end of last chapter: When starting to gain power, Voldemort went after his ex-girl friend who had escaped to the muggle world. He becomes fond of Angel and as time passes, this fondness turns into fatherly love, or the closest thing he has to that. He is rather insane, so he kills his son (or tries to do so) when he confronts him openly. But afterwards, he deludes himself and refuses to accept that anything had happened.
As usual, many thanks goes to Tantz, my precious BETA and co-writer whose part in this chapter is as important as the others.
Enough rambling. On with the story!
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Chapter Eight:
When Severus Snape arrived at Hogwarts it was almost morning. He hesitated for a moment in the Entrance Hall.
'Should I go tell Albus first?' he thought. The old man had most probably stayed awake all night. He shook his head and headed toward the dungeons.
He slammed the door to his private quarters open and threw the white mask to the floor, not feeling like hiding it carefully in its place. He walked to the shelves at the opposite side of the room where he kept necessary potions and slammed it open. Rummaging through it, he picked up three vials and drank them one after another. The pain in his stomach diverted his attention from the meeting. He looked at the empty vials.
'Shouldn't be drank with empty stomach,' he thought. 'Damn!'
He summoned a House Elf and barked orders at it. The intimidated creature stuttered its, " yes Professor Snape, sir," and bowed twice before popping away. Snape shut his eyes and tried to think about anything but the boy he had tortured.
'Why did the House Elf bow twice?'
It seemed an incredibly ridiculous thought, but he stuck to it nonetheless. He realized the cause after a moment. He turned abruptly, wand in hand, ready to curse anybody who had dared to invade the solitary of his chambers to an inch of their life, or beyond. But sitting there on the leather sofa was a very somber looking Albus Dumbledore.
"I should have guessed Albus," he lowered his wand, " that only you might dare to be so… amusing."
"Good morning Severus." The pained taint in the headmaster's voice made Snape forget his anger, temporarily. He walked up to the old man.
"What's wrong this time?"
"I thought you may want to share something with me."
"What?"
Albus wordlessly handed him a scrap of parchment. Snape looked at him skeptically before unfolding it. It was written hastily, in an untidy handwriting he only knew too well. Snape scowled as he read the letter.
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
I just had one of my crazy dreams. It was about a boy, about my age, that Voldemort called "son." He tortured him a lot and then disowned him and cast a curse on him that I had never heard before. Does Voldemort have a son?
I thought you might know about it as Professor Snape was there too. But Voldemort was awfully furious and I just thought I may write it to you in case Snape couldn't come back.
Harry
PS: I know you trust him but are you sure? He took part in the torture, you know. Gave the boy some strange potion and cursed him.
Snape felt relieved and angry at the same time. The brat hadn't managed to mind his own business yet again and proved to be in a higher level of idiocy than Snape had imagined. At least he wouldn't have to be the one to give the news to Albus. He looked up at the old man, the muscle in his cheek twitching both from the after effect of the Cruciatus curse and irritation.
"Well, you have your information don't you? And I managed to come back, much to Potter's chagrin, and yours probably." He regretted the comment as soon as it left his lips. The old man rarely looked so tired and worried, he didn't wish to do more hurt. He was thinking about something else to make for that comment when Albus started to talk.
"That's not all," he said, looking as old as his age. Snape felt nervous; he always did when Albus switched to his old man persona from the intolerable jolly one he usually was. He raised a questioning eyebrow.
"The boy is found." Snape felt all blood leave his face. "Hagrid found him in the forest last night. Fortunately, he was just on time to save him from the acromantula's web," Albus continued.
"Where is he now?" Severus heard himself ask.
"In the hospital wing. Poppy has done an excellent job, but I'm afraid that he will suffer from different injuries when he wakes up."
Severus collapsed on a nearby sofa and shut his eyes.
"Poppy says he will wake up by noon. You'd better get some rest if you will meet him."
Severus made no reaction as Albus stood up, squeezed his shoulder for a moment and walked out, shutting the door gently behind. Memories of the last night replayed in his head.
'…I WON'T…'
The scream sounded so real that he opened his eyes, wondering for a moment whether he was still in the torture room. He sighed with relief when he found out he wasn't. He shut his eyes again.
'The boy is definitely a Gryffindor,' he thought. He just sat there for a long time, eventually falling to a restless sleep.
'Why couldn't the boy just die,' was his last thought, ' it would be easier for everyone.'
Severus woke up with a start, panting for breath. He could feel cold sweat on his forehead. He leaned back when he understood that he was safe in his rooms and not in Azkaban and that the Damned Lord was no where to be seen. He never forgot to take the dreamless sleep potion when he slept, if he slept.
'Why did I forget? Oh yes.' He looked at the clock on the mantle piece, which showed ten minutes to eleven. He got up tiredly and peeled off his cloak and hid the mask, which was dropped on the floor, safely in its place. His stomach was still aching but he refused to relieve the pain by eating the breakfast that was put on a nearby table. Pain is always helpful when you want to divert your attention.
'Besides, it's nothing in comparison to what you did to the boy professor,' his inner voice chided.
He headed to the bathroom; if anything could help, it would be a long cold shower. Severus gazed at himself in the mirror. His reflection scowled back at him with the same contempt that he always reserved for himself.
'Working for the light, indeed. An outstanding display of light behavior, remarkable, Severus. I bet the boy thanks you for all the damage you felt "necessary"' Snape scowled and splashed water to his face. It was the next best thing to spitting at the sneering image in the mirror, but Severus had overcome such dramatic overreactions long ago. The boy's despaired wails still haunted his ears. He still felt the younger Riddle's eyes locked with his, painful, accusing, not understanding…
'I should have kept him here. I should have come up with some excuse. But I still took him there. I have made it a habit, leading people to their doom….'
… "You are one of my most loyal servants Severusss, I hope those you have brought along will be as loyal."
"They are, my lord. They are ready to die for you," Snape answered, his voice full of respect and awe.
"Are they? How can you be sure, then?"
"We have been close friends for seven years, my lord. I know them quite well."
" I'm impressed," the Dark Lord said, his mocking tone lost on the young souls kneeling in front of him as a result of the awe that filled their egos.
"What is your name?" he addressed the only woman between them who was bowing lowest to the ground.
"My name is your servitude, my lord," she said, not even rising her head. Voldemort laughed.
"Intelligent, I see. But I meant the name you were christened."
"Lavinia, my lord. Lavinia Adams."…
He snorted and forced himself to snap out of his ruminations. He had more important things to focus on right now. He stormed out of the room, the boy had to be awake by now.
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Finally, the suffocating darkness started dissolving. With the pain that rushed to engulf him, words filtered through Angel's awareness.
"…Exactly happened?"
"…Potter…."
"…Remember…has enough on his mind already…."
"Yes, and I don't, do I?"
" …Visions…only a child…."
"…Kill…crying…something about a memory charm…refused…."
He could hear the sounds of his surroundings like a maladjusted wireless set. But he could make out two men talking; he recognized one of them as Severus. The other was familiar but he couldn't exactly remember where he had heard it.
'Where am I?' he tried to open his eyes but failed.
'Body bind?' He remembered last night's events. The last thing he remembered was darkness and an animal snarling.
'I'm dead then.' But he didn't remember what the animal was, nor did he remember being ripped.
'Who cares?' But he had always thought that your soul got free when you died. It probably wasn't the case though.
'Should I remain like this until…forever? Oh, well.'
"…There is absolutely no humanity left in Tom Riddle then." Someone was insulting his father. He was angry. Who was it who had dared to…
' I don't think it's any of your business anymore,' said the annoying voice in his head. ' He is no longer your father, you know.'
'He is!'
'Is he? I was under the impression that he –disowned- you.'
'No! He is still my dad. He had to…keep up appearances.'
'I don't think I even need to say anything.'
A mixture of different emotions welled up in him, but above all: anger. Angel was very angry. Angry at the voice in his head for being right, angry at himself for agreeing with it, angry at his father for…for not having any humanity left in him, angry at the man who had voiced it, angry at Severus for not strangling any body it was, and again angry at himself for not being able to move as much as a finger. He heard several sounds of glass shattering and a short scream from a woman.
'It can't be another torture session can it?'
"…He is awake." He heard Severus' angry voice. He realized that breathing had suddenly became impossible.
'I'm not dead then.'
'No, but you will be soon.'
He heard a choking sound from his own throat and felt the acrid taste of blood in his mouth. Somebody gently turned him to his side. He coughed blood forcefully and opened his eyes, squinting at the light. All he could see was a lot of white in a background of purple. He blinked and looked up to see Albus Dumbledore's eyes shining behind half moon spectacles.
"You are awake," he said kindly. Angel wanted to comment on the Old Fool's outstanding talent in pointing out the obvious but couldn't muster enough energy. Nor did he have enough time as a gray haired woman came forward.
"Now, Albus, give him some room. Let me please. Thank you." She huffed, pushing the headmaster away.
"You are awake then." It seemed to be fairly common in the light side. But Angel couldn't glare as the matron started examining his eyes. He tried to push her back, but she was far too strong.
'She isn't strong idiot, YOU are weak!'
She measured a light colored liquid and poured it in a goblet.
"Here, drink this." As soon as he took the first gulp of the potion, his stomach curled and he threw it up, along with some blood. He gritted his teeth in pain.
"I TOLD you the potion is too heavy for him," Severus snapped, "now use what I have already given you woman!" The matron huffed and cleaned the sheets with a wave of her wand.
"Oh my! All right, all right lie back. There. I'll bring you something else." The woman left to take another bottle from her shelves. "I'm afraid that even the potion you gave me isn't appropriate Severus. Can you please brew another batch of intravenous potions? Mr. Riddle here has almost emptied my supply of them. It seems that he can't keep anything in his stomach. I wonder what curse could have such an effect. Even more so, what curse could last so long."
Angel stared at the pale tall man, who stared back for a few seconds before the matron came back and blocked his vision, carefully applying a blue paste on his chest. He raised his head to look behind the bending form of the matron, who was muttering under her breath about the atrocity it took to torture a child. Severus had turned around and was looking out of the window; the permanent scowl fixed on his face. The matron straightened and pointed her wand at his chest.
"Venubra," she muttered. He hissed from the acidic sensation of the potion being absorbed into his veins.
"Honestly Pomfrey," Severus said irritably, " even you with your questionable degree of skill and intelligence should know that you shouldn't apply the potion on already injured skin."
"Honestly Severus," she answered with matching irritation, "there is no such a place on the boy's body. His chest is the least injured and most healed part. And please note that I'm NOT one of your unfortunate students. If you have doubts about my skill and intelligence, you'd better pray I will feel like helping you next time you came back at some ungodly hour, hardly able to breathe." Snape sneered and turned back again. Angel turned his attention to the headmaster whose lips were pursed in a hard line. He looked quite intimidating when glaring, Angel thought absently as he felt he was now watching the powerful player at last. The old man's expression softened as he realized that Angel was watching him.
"It's alright my boy," he said kindly, " you have done nothing wrong. It's others who did this to you that I'm angry at. Relax, you are safe among friends here." The old man smiled kindly. Angel pursed his lips both from the stinging sensation of the potion and the anger and indigence that filled his mind. The Old Fool was abysmally wrong if he thought he would tolerate being pitied. He pushed the woman's hand away with more force than necessary and buttoned the shirt himself. It took him a good bit of time to finish the seemingly simple task as his hands were shaking violently, but he refused to accept the woman's help.
"How are you feeling Angel?" The Old Fool again.
"Just ecstatic," he snapped, but the old man seemed immune to it, as he neither flinched nor showed any other sign of being snapped at.
'He is playing with me again.' Angel was at the edge of getting up from the bed and giving the old man a black eye when he caught sight of the Potions Master who was staring at him again, a strange expression on his face. He followed the black eyes and saw the crisscrossing lines from whips and knives on his chest and a big healing bruise near his collarbone, showing as the loose buttons had come undone again. A thought suddenly crossed his mind. Severus had been there when Dumbledore had insulted his father. He had told the Old Fool what had happened last night. He had informed others from Angel being awake and had sounded quite less than pleased about it. The potion…Angel remembered. Severus had given him a potion. To shield him from as much pain as possible. He had refused to really torture him last night, well almost. No other…Angel's eyes widened as more pieces kept completing a picture he had never imagined could exist about the Potions Master. Dumbledore seemed to trust him quite, at least more than Nott. And what was this thing he remembered about him being saved from Azkaban by Dumbledore himself? Was it possible that…he remembered his talk with his father,
"…I don't believe all that Lucius tells about him but his faith might be wavering…"
He felt he was now shaking all over.
"Alright Angel, lie down a bit." He barely heard Dumbledore. The Potions Master seemed to be getting more and more uneasy under his accusing gaze. Angel gritted his teeth and activated the Dark Mark, as painfully as he could. Severus hissed and bent over his arm, then straightened painfully. Dumbledore made a sudden movement, as if to get to the man's side but stopped abruptly, staring at Angel. He didn't need anymore proof.
"Traitor," Angel snarled, taking no notice of the shock this single word brought to the three adults in the room.
"TRAITOR!" he yelled. Angel faltered. He repeated the word, but averted his eyes from Snape and Dumbledore. His lips moved weakly, as he continued talking, and every word hurt more than Malfoy's whip or Avery's curses.
"You sold me away…" he said, almost to himself. He didn't exactly make out Severus' reaction, as his vision was blurry.
'I'm probably putting too much energy in this,' said the logical part of his mind, but its voice was stifled under the waves of anger.
"You sold me away for your social status." He realized he was repeating his father's words. "You did. Dad was right." He was stunned; it was exactly what dad had done himself, wasn't it? He couldn't move, couldn't talk either, and he didn't want to think; but the thoughts kept coming, relentlessly revealing to him what he did not want to know.
'No, no, NO.' He realized he had said the last one aloud.
"He knows then," he heard Severus' voice. He looked up to the Potions Master.
"W-what?" Pomfrey put a hand on Severus' arm but he shrugged it away angrily.
"I said your father knows about my…"
"…treachery," he said. Severus almost flinched but Angel didn't notice. He hadn't meant Severus…or had he? He felt confused. He had meant it, initially… but what Snape was or wasn't, was unimportant now and he was not the traitor that Angel had been thinking about…not really, not in the end. He had meant another treachery, another traitor. He shook his head to get rid of the black spots dancing in front of his eyes.
"Why?" he said in a wavering voice.
"You don't understand," Severus said in an oddly quiet voice.
"Do you?" There was a pause during which all eyes in the room were turned to the tall man.
"I think so," he said at last, his lips barely moving.
"Tell me then."
"I said you won't understand." Severus slammed his hand on the bedside table.
"Severus. Control yourself. Anger is not the …" Dumbledore said, but Angel interrupted.
"I have every right to know," he said in a weak tone that was meant to be a yell. "What wrong had I done? Just because a foolish hat felt like putting me into Gryffindor?"
"What are you talking about?" Severus' voice wasn't as angry anymore, if a bit confused.
"Why? Why did he betray me? I loved him, why did he hate me back?" he shouted helplessly. He felt there was something amiss in the room's atmosphere but couldn't put his finger on it. He could hardly make out things any more.
"Lie back child." A voice said as a purple figure neared. He slapped away the hand that was put on his shoulder. But it came back again and pushed him down.
"Lie. Back." The voice said clearly and firmly.
He obeyed.
To Be Continued…
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Reviews! Reviews! Reviews!
Preciousgirl: *waves* I knew you wouldn't leave. As for update schedule, I think I put it in last chap's A/N. Anyway, I'll update every Friday. It can take 24 hours for it to actually get on the site though so I guess you'd be safe if you checked on Saturdays, if you can use the library then. Oh and thanks for the 9. I'm beside myself that you found no other fault worth point taking than the delay. :D. Good luck in college!
Shadowycat: LOL! Hee hee! Sorry, I just had this mental image of Voldie pulling Crabbe and Goyle Snr. in a la Molly fashion hug. Heh. Seriously though, his love (or the closest thing he has to that) is not something that he gives every one. Angel is the only person who has ever had it, along with another certain individual who will be introduced in the next chapter. And yes, he is mad. Hagrid to the rescue :D Glad you liked it.
Meneharma: *flush* Err…well I needed to keep Angel alive, and making him survive daddy's AK would be just pushing it too far. As for the insane part at the end of last chapter, see the A/N. Glad you liked it. :) Hope you liked this one better. As for not being afraid of saying Voldemort's name: [teasing]you might note that all people we know that can say his name are Gryffs. In other words, no Slyths, not even Snape *grins more evilly than any decent Huffle should be allowed to do* [/teasing]
RobinoftheForest: Man, I didn't think it could be that touching. Here's your update. And thank you for the "brilliant." Hope you liked this bit too. =)
AuroraRose : YAY! Thanks! And yes, Voldemort isn't sane one bit. And Angel IS good, as for forgetting his father…I think this chapter gave you a clue. *hint hint* ;)
rayvern : Short and straight to the point. Are you a Slytherin? ;) Thank you. I was very worried about the torture scene. I read torture but can't write it really well. Glad you liked it.
Gracie Lou : Thank you! Here's your update. Hope you'll like it. =)
kurokioku : Many words: Single brain cell out for repair. Can't think of something appropriate to say. So I'll just say thank you. Here's your update. ;)
Tantz: *shakes Snape's hand warmly* I just wanted to express my gratitude, professor. Heaven knows what else she would have given out hadn't it been for you. Can we have a drink? :D