CHAPTER 18: Golden Death Upon Evil
"Artemis!" The pale immortal nodded and seemingly understood their surprise.
"I'm not that foolish mortal girl," she said in her calm tone of voice. "She is merely my namesake, though I fear I may have made an error in allowing sucha flimsy creature bare my title. But it is tool late to fix that currently, perhaps later, but then, she might turn out better the next time, who know?" Hermione stared blankly, vaguely getting it and only comprehending that this was not Artemis Potter. Severus, on the other hand, understood as much as he could, not everything she was implying had arrived yet in his time, thus causing communication difficulties. Though Severus did wonder if causing confusion was what these immortals intended.
"What are we to see tonight," Severus asked.
"Not what had been first intended, indeed, not what you will have suspected at all," Artemis replied. Why do these immortals insist on having such a moronic quality to them that they feel the need to speak "mysteriously", Severus thought irritably. Honestly!
"Tonight you shall not only see, but feel as well," Artemis continued. "Tonight you shall exist. Tonight you will accomplish the task you were brought here for; you shall vanquish the dark." In a quieter voice she said, "Tonight shall be the last time either of you shall see an immortal or the hall until another end, but I wouldn't dwell on this. My people are far from over with yours, this was just a…test run, as you might call it." She smiled at this, an immortal's odd, emotionless smile and everything around them dissolved into a black. Then, as if someone had taken a gigantic paintbrush and painstaking begun to paint a huge landscape, a new place appeared around them. Dead trees, some even blackened to the core, surrounded them to the back endlessly and were splashed to their sides as well. Grass, dry and brown and brittle appeared all under foot as their weight began to rest on it. A lake could be seen, its waters a murky green shade, and lastly was a building, a castle full of dark. Then Severus realized around them was not so new…it was Hogwarts of the future, the Dark Palace.
Salazar watched as they appeared and he saw the shock, horror, and disgust painted on their features. He steeled himself, knowing once he showed himself all that along with disappointment, which stung the worst, would be directed at him. He gave them time to fully materialize and get another short moment to look at their surroundings completely. But time was short so he came out from the dead forest and tapped Hermione on the shoulder, knowing that to do so to Severus was as good as asking for nothing more than death and nothing less than being stunned.
She whipped around, her wand out. Severus, seeing her movement, did likewise.
"It's me," he said quietly. Hermione lowered her wand but Severus kept his raised.
"I knew there was something wrong with you, and not that shitty act you were putting on," Severus snarled. Salazar expected no less.
"You saw right through me, then," Salazar said, lowering his head in shame.
"Of course, but I didn't say anything because I'd hoped you'd turn out to have a good reason. However, you're nothing more than Voldemort's spy," Severus spat, making sure to keep his voice low. Salazar tried to ignore the shocked look on his future mother's face.
"I had a good reason for that," Salazar hissed. "He promised to keep Selina safe but he went back on his word and now I'm here to help you. He must be destroyed tonight, we don't have anymore time." Hermione looked both frightened and horrified at the same time, making Salazar feel terrible though he did his best to quell his emotions.
"How can I be sure you're sincere," Severus asked fiercely, his voice still quiet. "I know that people, spies especially, will say anything to get someone to believe them."
"Voldemort captured and tortured Selina," Salazar said tonelessly, but his eyes burned with an unquenchable anger. "And Stacy killed her." Hermione let out a little gasp.
"Will it be enough for you if I swear upon the soul of my sister that I mean to help you?" Salazar asked, his voice even.
"How can you get us in?" Severus answered and Salazar knew his father well enough to take it as a yes.
"Through the front door," Salazar answered seriously. "At night there is absolutely no security, all the death eaters are either fast asleep or away on a mission."
"Then why has no one tried to kill Voldemort before?" Severus snapped.
"You mean after the Order fell? Because there was security when the Order still had fifty people, we posed some threat. But after the disastrous attack and our numbers cut down so drastically Voldemort knew no security was necessary since he knew we weren't powerful enough to defeat him and he knew where 4PD was. He held every card. No worried you see," Salazar explained with a definite trace of bitterness.
"What about Stacy?" Hermione questioned. "Isn't she dangerous as well? I think Severus would agree with me that we'd like to know how you plan to kill Voldemort and Stacy before we rush in."
"I can't," Salazar said, thinking because I don't want to be the one to tell you who the real bad guys are, the really bad ones. "I can't tell you right, not right now. You might not like me, but you must trust me right now. You'll understand when the need arises."
"Very well," Severus said shortly. "I'll trust you for the time being."
"As will I," Hermione said softly. Salazar looked at them in thanks.
"Then follow me, we have to do this as quick as possible. There's no turning back now."
The castle seemed much worse up close. Inside the building seemed to pulse dark energy, almost as a heart pumps blood through the body, except instead of arteries, capillaries and veins there were hallways, many hallways.
"It won't take long to find Voldemort," Salazar said. "And even if no one's here, I think it best to talk mind to mind." # The walls could be listening. #
It's the apparation charms, isn't it? Severus thought, interested. They're what let us talk this way. How does it work?
# Couldn't tell you. Ask Artemis when you get back. # Salazar replied, shrugging.
Don't you mean when we get back? Hermione thought. Salazar glanced at her exasperatedly.
# I'm not going to get my hopes up. I don't expect to come back unless something really odd happens. # Salazar thought calmly.
Especially if you think that way! Hermione protested.
Just forget it. Severus thought gently. We just have to wait and see what happens. Hermione didn't bother to argue. A few minutes later Salazar told them to stop.
He's in my father's office! Severus thought furiously.
Do you know the password? Hermione thought worriedly.
# Of course. # Salazar thought. #I didn't come unprepared. # He leaned closer to the gargoyle and whispered, "Melissa." Severus didn't pay attention to what Salazar had said, shockingly. But Hermione did. It occurred to her only now what a profound effect Melissa's sudden departure must have had on Voldemort…on her father.
The gargoyle jumped aside and for a moment Hermione saw Severus and herself walking up the staircase with McGonagall, about to receive the fateful new which seemed to almost started the entire, unbelievable something that had been and was still occurring right now. But then the moment passed on and in McGonagall's place was Salazar and where there should have been light as they trekked up the staircase was darkness. Only Severus's presence was the same, and even that was changed now, as had her (and his) feelings. Hermione prayed they both come out alive.
And suddenly the staircase ended and a scene none of them had fully expected met their eyes.
On the ground lay what Severus could only assume had been Voldemort. Now, however, it was nothing but a bloody heap of robes with remaining chunks of flesh. Sitting on the desk, her legs crossed sat Stacy Melissa. By the window stood another figure, on which appeared to be another Voldemort. And just behind the bloody heap stood Everond and the first (older) Stacy, looking expectantly at them.
"Welcome," Everond said pleasantly. "We have been wondering when you two would get here, all of your friends turned up suddenly in the middle of the night back in the present."
"We realized then that you three would be headed here," said the Stacy standing beside him. "So we headed down to Riddle Manor, captured Tom, and came back here to meet up with Melissa, who'd been doing ever so goo."
"W-what?" Severus said. "I-I'm afraid I don't understand."
"You don't?" Everond seemed somewhat surprised. 'What a shame, you usually catch on so quickly. Well then, let me clear up the situation for you. I'm the one behind all this," he waved around the room and pointed out the window to the darkness. "Well, Stace and I anyway."
"But-Voldemort?" Hermione was in shock, this was supposed to be Albus Dumbledore the greatest, kindest wizard who had ever lived, saying he was the one who had caused all the destruction and death. But there is no real Dumbledore, is there? A voice said in the back of her mind. Everond smiled gently at the young witch.
"Ah, I can understand your confusion on that, but that is easy enough to explain. During my first years a professor I met an extraordinary boy named Tom Riddle who wanted help getting revenge on his muggle father. I answered his plea in return to his services. Willingly, he obliged. So I taught him the killing curse and sent him off. He returned, sickened by the experience, realizing he had never wanted to kill anyone. But by then it was too late, the deed was done and he owed me, so I used him and tailored the Voldemort glamour, personality, everything. Tom merely became an actor, playing the role," Everond explained.
"One of the first services he paid me was to kill me daughter, Stacy Melissa since Stace had had a vision in which a woman named Melissa Rivera's spirit was trapped in our daughter's body and became our faithful servant in another time." Everond gestured to the woman on the desk. Her expression of indifference didn't change.
"But-but, we'd heard-" Hermione stammered.
"That can't be right," Salazar said dismissively. "I remember when grandfather brought her to life in 4PD. Perhaps you think you've done all this, but I think you're just a deranged old man."
"If that's what makes you happy," Everond allowed with an indulging smile.
"Children are so easily deceived," Stacy said with no little bite behind her words.
"My father and mother saw the same thing!" Salazar protested, gritting his teeth.
"And are we to say they are not children?" Stacy replied, her words laced with malice. "After all, is Severus not our son?"
"No," Severus said, his voice tight with emotion.
"What do you mean, no," Stacy said, her voice terrible. Everond laid a hand on her shoulder, a warning in his eyes.
"Perhaps you haven't heard yet," Everond said to Severus.
"I have, no need to worry yourself about that," Severus said coldly. "But seeing who you are, and knowing you gave my up and then years later put me through so much suffering for nothing, you are no father of mine." A haunted silence followed his statement, which seemed to have put off Everond. From by the window Voldemort finally stirred.
"He is right," Voldemort said and Severus started. To hear him speak without a cold, harsh tone was shocking. In fact, he sounded almost…sad. "You willingly gave him up then had me kill his parents, who loved him more than you ever could, since love requires a heart, and then you handed him over to me for a useless spying job which has almost taken his life on several occasion. What do he owe you now?" Melissa gave a mirthless laugh at that statement.
"What did any of us owe them" she asked, a clear bitterness in her voice. "They wouldn't even let the dead stay so…"
"What really happened to you?" Hermione asked. "If everything we know is an illusion, completely fake."
"I couldn't tell you," Melissa said dully. "The illusion are implanted in my mind, just as my allegiance and false purpose is." She fingered her neck as if it pained her and suddenly it was as if an illusion had faded away. Around Melissa's neck was thin metal collar. Hermione now understood why her mother served Everond.
"Who killed him?" Salazar said abruptly, pointing to the carcass. Everond smiled and pointed to Melissa.
"Though I'll admit she fought at first about killing any form of her precious Tom, though he was dying anyway because of a magical bug I had placed in him," Everond smirked and seemed proud of his actions. "In the end she had to give in, just as she did when she killed Selina. She wasn't too thrilled about killing her own granddaughter."
"Then why did you make her do it?" Salazar said, his anger stirring inside.
"My dear boy, because it was necessary!" Everond cried. "With her help Tom could have been free and that would have ruined everything!" Hermione's mouth went dry.
"You've been keeping my parents from me all these years," Hermione whispered.
"Well," Everond appeared to be choosing his words carefully. "Not strictly. Your father was defeated by Harry when you were still a baby and your mother had died before that. But in your fourth year your father indeed came back and then in the summer after your fifth year I brought your mother back in my daughter's body, but immediately sent her to this time so I haven't really kept your blood parents from you."
"Just the knowledge of who they are," Hermione retorted quietly, a tear rolling silent down her cheek.
"So what do you want us to do?" Severus, his tone sharp. "You didn't let us live so we could have a nice little conversation." Everond looked at him approvingly.
"Correct," he agreed. "It's simple, really. We just want your help."
"Pledge allegiance to us and you'll be spared, "Stacy directed to Hermione and Severus.
"What about me?" Salazar questioned in a polite voice. "Do I have this option?"
"No," Stacy answered bluntly. Everond sighed.
"While she has no tact, the point was gotten across," Everond said.
"It's all right," Salazar said, moving closer to Severus. Severus felt something sharp being pressed gently into his hand. He took it and could tell it was a knife. "I didn't expect anything different." He moved away from Severus. The older Snape knew what to do. He rushed forward and stabbed Everond. The old wizard looked shocked, looking down at the knife. He managed one last look at Severus before the explosion rocketed through the earth. Melissa fell off the desk and Voldemort rammed into the window. Severus and Hermione held onto each other, eyes closed, while Salazar gripped the wall for support.
Then all of a sudden the shaking and noise stopped.
Severus opened his eyes and opened his mouth in surprise. He could see the moon and star outside and Voldemort was now Tom. Melissa was back in her rightful body, but seemingly still alive.
"We're back," he finally managed to say. Hermione looked at him and then kissed him, causing them both to temporarily escape from reality. And after everything, they certainly needed to.
Wow, 118 reviews! Thank you all so, so, so much! And the story had finally hit 101 pages! Awesome (for me anyway). So, what did you think? This wasn't how I had originally planned to have the story go, but the whole idea changed so much over all the time I've been writing it, I think this is rather more interesting. Don't worry, though, there's still a chapter or two left! Next Chapter: Things are explained, how did killing Everond cause them to be sent back? Why is Melissa back in her body? And on top of it, one of the people from the future comes back…just a bit smaller though! Please review!
LAST CHAPTER TO SUBMIT AN IDEA FOR A GIRL FOR HARRY!!!!!!!