Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter stories, but the fic below is mine.

Chapter 4: The Punishment

"You mean to tell me that he didn't get ONE scrap of information out of the boy?" hissed a pallid skinned man as he spun around and faced a blond haired wizard in front of him. His eyes scarlet red, burned like fire with hatred bore into the man.

"W-well…no, Master….He tried…b-but the boy, he wouldn't speak…." the man said groveling on the ground and kissing the hems of his master's robes.

"Stand up you FOOL! You're on the edge of my patience!" He said kicking the man in the face. The man whimpered and covered his mouth, but stood up quickly. Blood trickled, like rivers of red, from his nose and lips. "Bring him to me."

"Y-yes, my Lord….Straight away…." said the pale wizard as he bowed down, his long hair covering his pointed chin slightly. He left the room hastily and came back a few seconds later with the body of a man floating three feet in front of him. The man was dressed in all black robes, and his greasy hair hung loosely behind his head.

"Fetch the potion, I want him awake." the white skinned wizard in a voice harder than steel, colder than ice. Lucius Malfoy let the body of Snape drop with a thud onto the wooden floor and scuttled obediently out of the room. Within seconds he entered again holding a small vile containing a black liquid that foamed and bubbled. He pulled Snape's head back by his hair and poured the concoction down his throat. Snape's beady eyes shot open immediately and he began coughing and sputtering.

"Leave us, Lucius." the man said with pure hatred pouring from his voice.

"Yes, Master..." he said and again he bowed down and kissed the hems of his Master's robes before hurrying out of the room.

"Do you know why you're here, Severus?" The man asked as though speaking to a child, but his tone was mocking and cold. Snape sat up quickly and not reply at once. Then he said:

"T-to serve you, my Lord…." his voice was uneasy and his eyes were fixed on the wooden floor.

"To serve me….Yes. Did you do that, Severus? Did you serve me? Where you serving me when I sent you to collect that retched Potter boy? Where u serving me when all you did was question that vile plague of a creature with the simplest of questions?"

"M-my Lord, I- I assure you, I had no other intentions but following you're orders….And I was doing so….w-when I seemed to have lost conciousness….I beg you, please forgive me…" Snape pleaded, rolling onto his knees and touching his forehead to the ground.

"No, Fool, you were not serving me. I could not depend on you. I had to depend on more LOYAL, obedient servants. Do you know what happened to you, when you lost all consciousness?" he said as though Snape had never spoke. Then he walked slowly, maniacally, to Snape and grabbed him by the hair forcing Snape to look into his eyes. They were filled with hatred and loathing and an evil that none could fully describe. "Answer me, Severus…" he said letting Snape's head drop.

"No, Master...I do not know..."

"Oh, I'm sure you can guess, being that you are SOMEWHAT learned in Occlumency. Enough to teach that disgrace to the wizard race….Even the most bludgerantfool could guess."

"...I-I am not sure, my Lord...." he hesitated.

"Answer me you, blundering IDIOT!" Voldemort hissed as he grabbed Snape by the hair once again and snapped his neck back so that his crooked nose was pointed at the ceiling.

"O-one would think, my L-lord, that One was possessed...." Snape said in a pained voice barely above whisper.

A bitter smile played on Voldemorts thin lips, and his eyes looked colder than ice.

"Possessed you say? You surprise me. I would have guessed that someone with your intelligence would have taken at least five guesses before coming up with correct answer." he ridiculed, opening his mouth and letting harsh laughter escape and fill the room. Suddenly he stopped laughing and pulled out his wand. His snake eyes were gleaming as they looked at Snape. "CRUCCIO!" he bellowed and this time it was Snape's screams that filled the room.


Author's note: Most people are going to get confused by this chapter, but don't worry, I'll explain it.