A/N: Hey, I know this is a short chapter, but I wanted to get this up, I hope you enjoy it! or rather, please don't kill me!!!
Also, in case you didn't notice, I replaced the author's note with a chapter,.
Severus rolled over on the hard concrete floor, amazed that he had actually been able to sleep. He opened his eyes, closed them, and opened them again, but it made no difference. The darkness was so complete he wouldn't be able to see a curse were it to hit him right between the eyes. It was that kind of darkness that played with a person's mind, made them think things that never would have crossed their minds otherwise. He had seen people go crazy, for people have a natural fear of the unknown, and when one is surrounded, it warps the mind. The one thing that kept Severus sane, and yet tore at his consiousness, was his son's breathing, steady and deep, assuring him of what was real, keeping his thoughts from drifting too far from reality. And that was just what he was listening to when the inevitable happened. The door slammed open with a sonorous blow, flooding the room with light and blinding its occupants. Arms roughly grabbed Severus by the arms and all but dragged him from the room. They went down several halls until they came to a large room. It was set with a large throne-like chair against the far wall, and before it was a stool made of wrought iron, and several shakles on it. Severus was shackled to a wall on the right, and left to watch the preceedings. The first to come into the room was the Dark Lord himself, who didn't so much as glance in Severus' direction. Next came a few Death Eaters, each as smug-looking as the next, all of whom sneered at Severus, making prominent the fact that they were far better off than he. Last to enter was two Death Eaters who dragged a desolute looking Harry between them. They walked up to Voldemort and bowed, bringing Harry down with them. Voldemort nodded dismissively, and the two men chained Harry to the stool. Voldemort stood and slowly walked around the boy, smirking, and upon finishing, withdrew two wands from within his robes. Harry easily recognized one of those as being his, and guessed the other belonged to Severus. Voldemort smirked at Harry's recognition and set the wands on the floor near Harry. He then stepped back and threw a curse at the wands, making them explode, and seriously hurting Harry in the process; Voldemort smiled maliciously.
"Now I will give you a taste of what I have gone through. Crucio!" the boy withered in pain, and Severus jerked against the chains holding him, he could not stand to see that snake hurt his son. Voldemort held the curse for several minutes, and finally stopped to let Harry catch his breath. Harry sat akwardly, falling from the stool, but the chains keeping him from touching the ground. There was nothing he could do, absolutely nothing. The Dark Lord once again raised his wand, still smirking, and put him under the Crucio curse several more times, keeping them long enough to knock Harry out, but not to kill him.
"What do you say we try the Killing Curse again? Now that your mother isn't here to save you." Harry glared, but that just made Voldemort laugh. He pointed his wand at Harry, who stared defiantly back. There was nothing he could do, but he refused to show Voldemort just how afraid he was, just how much he would rather be in the abusive hands of his uncle, or getting beaten by his cousin.
Voldemort smirked, "You know, I would have liked for you to join me, we could have been so powerful together, but so it turns out you are just like your father, a fool. Avad..."
As Harry heard the words, all the world seemed to slow. Voldemort's mouth moved, and Harry could see light gather at the tip of his wand, as though he were collecting the force for the curse from the world around him. To his left, Harry heard pounding, and looked, but he could not make out what it was. It was coming fast, and made the Death Eaters running after it look as though they were frozen in midair. A great green light brought Harry's attention back to Voldemort. He stared into the light, and the red eyes behind it, convinced it would be the last thing he ever saw. The curse flew towards Harry with blinding speed, and the light it cast as it hit rendered everyone in the room blind. Harry was thrown back several feet, both of his wrists being broken by the shakles that were still attached to his wrists. The room was surrounded by white light, and Harry belived he was dead, but could not figure out why he was still shakled to the chair. Slowly his head slowed to a dull ache and the light dimmed enough so that he could see. Not one of the Death Eaters stirred. Indeed, they all looked dead. Thinking perhaps the curse had, yet again, backfired, he got up and walked to the stool, intending to find a way to remove the shakles from his throbbing wrists. As he got closer, through the spots he was seeing he could make out two figures, one laying exactly where he had been mere moments before, and the other a few feet away, both as still as death. It took a minute for his head to stop swimming before he realized who they were. The first was Voldemort, feared Dark Lord of the Wizarding World, and the other, feared Potions Master of Hogwarts, Severus Snape.
We know not what it is, this sleep so deep and still;
The folded hands, the awful calm, the cheek so pale and chill;
The lids that may not lift again, though we should call and call;
The strange image of a peace that settles over all.
***
poem: The Two Mysteries by Mary Mapes Dodge
A/N: I know everyone thinks me evil, but please just wait until the next installment, and don't abandon this story, there should only be about one or two more short chapters until the end. Thanks!!!!