In Every Darkness
Chapter Forty Six: Caducus
3.9.1996
The Dark Lord had said 'my loyal friend,' Severus noted. That meant that he wasn't going to like what would come next. It meant that the Dark Lord had a task for him, a big task, one that a normal Death Eater would be honoured to be given. But then, Severus wasn't a normal Death Eater.
"I am at my lords disposal, of course," Severus said, bowing deeply.
"You will find and make the potion called Caducus," Voldemort ordered him. "Go, begin now."
Severus nearly chocked, and in his mind, Lupin expressed his own shock. "Bu- Immediately, more lord," he said, biting back his protests at the near impossible.
"You nearly questioned my orders, Severus," the dark lords voice was colder than ice and dangerously low.
Severus, knowing what was to come, braced himself as best he could. "I do not appreciate being questioned. Crucio."
White hot pain blazed. Severus was not aware of screaming, but he must have. He knew that he must have. After what seemed like years, but in reality must have been only seconds, the pain was gone, almost as if it had never been.
"I am sorry master. I will not question you again," Snape gasped out, trying to get air into his lungs after screaming it away.
"You are right, you will not question me again. If you do…" Voldemort did not finish the threat – he didn't need to.
Shaking from the pain, legs hardly managing to keep him upright, Severus Snape dragged himself from Voldemorts lair, back towards his room.
His mind, normally sharp, was dulled by the pain and he needed all of Lupin's help to find his way back to his small room. Once there, he collapsed on his back on the bed, eyes closing as he tried to regain his strength.
For a dead man, you can find yourself around a place easily, Snape grumbled.
I can sense the world around me, even though I cannot truly see, Lupin replied easily. Lucky for you that I can, too, otherwise you'd be hopelessly lost instead of resting.
It's a good thing that I didn't hope for you to be changed by dying, Severus responded darkly. I'd have been very disappointed.
A very good thing, Lupin agreed brightly.
Just my luck. I have a sarcastic, idiot DEAD PERSON inside my head, Severus snarled in his mind, and dragged himself up from the bed, a effort of will that left him gasping.
Is he like this every time to you almost question his orders? Lupin asked, now allowing a slight amount of concern to enter his voice.
Worse, usually, Severus replied. He likes me, as much as he likes anyone. He doesn't trust me, because he's not sure if I'm with him or against him yet, but I was one of his first supporters.
That's liking? Lupin sounded a little surprised. Well, I've seen what he did to people he didn't like … I shouldn't be as surprised as I am. You aren't surprised though.
Of course not. I've been in this game for years, now shut up and leave me alone … I have a potion to research.
You actually have to research it? What is it? Caducus?
Will you shut up? Clearly not. Caducus is a poison, it kills slowly and painfully, there isn't any remedy that is known, a single drop is fatal, over a prolonged period of time, Snape responded, thoughts dark.
How is it administratored? Lupin wanted to know.
Any way possible, Snape replied. Touch, ingestion, even smell can be deadly, once the potions power has been awoken.
Once its power has been awoken? Lupin repeated, somewhat confused.
Its power is awoken at a key phrase from the creator, this makes it possible to be brewed, Severus replied. Even I know little about this potion, but what I do know … It is a potion to feared.
Lupin was silent after that, for which Severus was glad. He had very little information on the potion, but he would have to do his best to find out anything that he could – Voldemort would not tolerate waiting for too long.
He had very little with him. Once he'd woken most of the school, he'd gone and packed as many Potions books as he could quickly grab and gone out to join the Death Eaters.
Unpacking these books now, Severus settled himself in front of his desk and put a sheaf of parchment, quill and ink beside him, then opened the first book that he thought might have the information he had to find.
Later that night, Severus Snape massaged his temples wearily. His eyes were blurred and his head ached fiercely. He'd done what he could for tonight, he would have to visit Voldemorts extensive archive of Dark Magic and potions tomorrow.
There was a pitifully small amount of information to reward his troubles, Severus noted wearily. He would just have to hope that the Dark Lord was in a good mood when Severus next reported to him. The Potions Master did not expect to find much information at all, which could prove more than a little painful for him.
Severus pushed himself up from the desk, cursing aloud when his legs nearly gave way. He managed to make it – with difficulty – to his bed, where sleep claimed him almost immediately.
He was standing in the now familiar Department of Mysteries. He knew what was coming now, and resigned himself to it. Sirius Black. That little bastard, why couldn't have stayed dead? Severus wanted to know. It wasn't like it was his fault the imbecile had died, so why did he spend night after night trapped in nightmares?
He saw Sirius Black striding towards him, robes still around the other man's strong form, eyes blazing with hate, fury and contempt.
Suddenly, Remus Lupin was standing there too, misty in appearance. "Sirius!" the other man called. "I can't stay here long!"
Suddenly, both of them were gone, leaving Severus alone and wondering what was going on. This wasn't what he expected, after several months of dreams.
Suddenly his mind lost it's grip on the place that the dreams were held, and he drifted into more pleasant dreams of torturing the Hogwarts students.
Morning came, and with it the burn of the dark mark on his skin. Severus, feeling somewhat refreshed after several hours of nightmare free dreams, stood up with a slight groan. He hoped it was a full Death Eater meeting, which would mean that the Dark Lord wouldn't be concentrating on him alone.
He made his way swiftly through the warren of passageways, finding his way to the Dark Lords chamber. He noted more activity than he'd seen before; black robed figures prowled every corridor, headed in the same direction he was.
Good. A full meeting – he wouldn't be alone after all.
He reached the black, snake-engraved door at the same time as another three or so Death Eaters. Severus did not greet them, not wanting to associate with these people any more than necessary. He didn't want to betray his nature as a spy by killing one of them.
Pettigrew, Lupin snarled, noticing the silver-handed figure standing just inside the door to the chambers. That little … he didn't finish the thought, but Severus knew that there would be enough unpleasant plans raging through Lupin's mind. The Marauders had always had interesting punishments, as he knew only to well, having been on the receiving end of the said punishments on more than one occasion.
Severus shook his mind free of those thoughs, and told Lupin, coldly, to "shut up" so he could keep his mind on the Death Eaters and Voldemort.
The Death Eaters were congruating in a circle around the dark lord. The circle now had two ranks, one, a smaller rank which Severus joined, and another, larger outer rank.
He remembered, shortly before Voldemorts fall, when there had been seven ranks, as more and more wizards and witches joined Voldemort, either from fear of him, or because they now knew he would deliver what he'd said.
Those had been very dark times.
"My loyal Death Eaters," Voldemort spoke, his voice, though very soft, cutting through every sound that was made. No Death Eater spoke, but the swish of robes had been on the air, and soft sound of footsteps.
As one, the Death Eaters knelt. All knew the penalties for remaining standing after Voldemort spoken – Voldemort was a harsh master, but to those who believed as he did, he was the means to a very important end, and they were completely loyal to him now.
Severus felt Voldemort's passing, but he did not look up or move in any way. He did not want to be singled out, because, with no successes to report, being singled out would most likely be a painful process.
"You have joined me … All of those who were with me before are either here, or dead. Those of you who are here are completely loyal to me," within his mind, Snape scoffed. "You will be asked to prove this loyalty, and all of you who fail the test … will die."
Duh, thought Severus. You'd think they knew this by now.
It's a dangerous game you play here, Lupin remarked.
I know. But it's my only way to right past wrongs. Shut up, Lupin, and let me concentrate. I want to live through this.
Thankfully, the ex-werewolf did as he was asked.
"Soon, I will launch an attack against the Wizarding World. With their so called 'victory' against us, they have allowed themselves to become complacent."
No one asked the dark lord to explain why he'd said 'so called' – no one dared – but he explained anyway, as he did, on occasion. "I say so called because they did not defeat us, my Death Eaters, we left, having achieved what we wished to do."
Voldemort might be a cruel master, but he did manage to keep his followers believing in their cause, Severus noted with an almost detatched feeling.
"All of you will work towards our goal: Getting rid of defilements to our race. The Muggles must all die, and the Muggle borns and halfbloods. The Muggle lovers must be imprisoned, until they are turned to the true way of thinking."
Does he know how clichéd he sounds? Lupin wondered.
Lupin, how many times must I tell you? Shut up!
"You, my Death Eaters, will hold the power once the Muggle loving fools are brought down. You hold the future of wizarding kind upon your shoulders, together we will take over the world and remould it to our will. Go now, and know that everything you do works towards that goal. Severus, remain."
He sounds a lot like Dumbledore, Lupin remarked. I mean, coming from the opposite side of the argument, but apart from that, they do sound remarkably alike.
Lupin, if you must speak to me, do so after I've been dissmissed from here. A careless word will mean my death, Severus growled. How many times must he tell the man?
"Severus," the dark lord almost purred. "How goes the research I asked you to begin yesterday?"
"As well as can be expected, lord," Severus replied, bowing. "It is a potion that little is known about, my own archives have little that will be of use to me. May I ask permission to use your own library?"
"So cautious, Severus?" The dark lord's face contracted in something that might be deemed a smile in any other man. "Yes, you have permission to use the library. Wormtail! Take my loyal servant here to the library, and see to it he know's the way."
Snape knew he was dismissed, but, before he could help himself he asked, "Lord, may I enquire as to who you wish to use the potion on?"
"I don't like questions to my orders, Severus," the dark lords voice was dangerously low.
"Lord, never would I presume so much as to question you, for you know far more than I. There are different ways to make the Caducus potion, depending on the way that it intends to be administratored. Also, if you wish to use it on a single person, I could key the potion to that person alone."
"Crucio," the dark lord whispered, catching Severus by surprise. He screamed, loud and long, until the dark lord lifted the curse. "That was for coming too close to questioning me, Severus. But the potion … the potion is for two men, Severus."
The names he spoke next chilled Severus to the bone.
***
*grins* you hate me, don't you? Oh well, you're allowed to. Just remember, if you kill me, you'll never figure it out.
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