Author Name: Saerry Snape
Rating: PG-13, may be R in later chapters
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Inspired by Lady Erised's wonderful Snapefics (specifically The Prince Returns, When the Past Comes Back, and Betrayal), Constantine1453's Harry Potter and the Trials and of His Life, and my Snapefic Nothing But the Rain. The Dark Prince officially belongs to Lady Erised; I use him with her permission. Lady of the Night is the sequel to my fic The Dark Prince.
Summary: Sixteen years after Hermione Granger gave birth to a dark-haired, green-eyed little girl, the past has returned to haunt the victims of a time in September of 2002. The year is 2019 and The Dark Prince has been released…
Did you happen to catch
Or did it happen so fast
What you thought would always last
Has passed you by
Is everything speeding up
Or am I slowing down
Just spinning around
And I don't know why
Nine Inch Nails – Where is Everybody?
Chapter 23
…always last…
"Professor! Professor!"
Dumbledore turned in the hallway he was walking down to see Evan rushing towards him. The boy was wearing what appeared to be an oversized dark robe of dubious origin and had a scowling Professor McGonagall at his heels.
"Explain, Albus," she hissed as they stopped.
"Explain what, my dear?"
"Why this boy is wearing the robes of a Death Eater."
Dumbledore looked at Evan. The young Metamorphmagus was panting, his tawny hair matted with sweat and slime. A streak of black dirt was across his cheek and he held a familiar looking bag clenched in his right hand.
The old wizard, of course, knew that bag. He had cast the spells upon it himself, at Severus' behest.
"What happened?" he asked.
"We Apparated there," replied Evan, "and we started to move down the corridors. When we found this robe, Professor Snape told me to put it on and pull the cowl over my head. I did and then we were there."
"Where?" asked Dumbledore, ignoring McGonagall hissing at him for allowing a sixteen-year-old to venture into a Death Eater fortress.
"A meeting. A Death Eater meeting. Voldemort was there…and the Prince. But…not the Prince."
Evan looked at Dumbledore in confusion and asked, "Did you know, sir? About Professor Snape?"
Dumbledore nodded solemnly and Evan sighed.
"I figured."
"Continue, Evan, please. What happened next?"
"We saw Helena. She…she was dressed in these black fighting leathers and she was kneeling before Voldemort. He…he…" Tears gathered in the teenager's yellow eyes and he looked up at Dumbledore as he sobbed, "He Marked her! He Marked her!"
"Minerva, take him to Poppy. Have him give him a Calming Draught and then take him to my office. Wait there with him until I return."
"Albus," said McGonagall warningly as the old wizard took the bag from Evan's now limp fingers.
"I must help Severus. In any way I can."
Bright blue eyes stared into dark brown for a moment then McGonagall nodded.
"Good luck, Albus."
Dumbledore smiled, his eyes twinkling. Then he tapped the bag with his wand and was gone, simply as that.
McGonagall looked at the spot where he had been for a long moment before she laid her hands on Evan's shoulders and said gently, "Come, Mister Longbottom. Let's get you out of those robes."
"Comburo!"
"Praecipito!"
"Is that all you have?" snarled the Lady as she rose to her knees.
"Hardly," snarled the Prince in response as he smothered the fire that was burning up his robes.
"Fervidus Ictus!" shouted the Lady, driving her wand forward towards him like she was going to throw it.
The Prince hissed as the wounds all over his body burst anew with pain. His nerves screamed in agony as he forced himself to his feet despite the pain.
"Caecus!"
"Fuck!" bellowed the Lady as her eyesight when blank. She pointed her wand blindly and shouted, "Commoveo!"
The Prince couldn't dodge the spell in time and was thrown back against the wall. He heard something snap and groaned.
This was how he had nearly died sixteen years ago.
It wouldn't be repeated.
Muttering a healing charm, he heaved himself back to his feet and snarled, "Expelliarmus!"
The Lady's wand snapped out of her hand and the Prince caught it.
Then he hit his knees in pain.
Voldemort was on his feet, his yew wand out and his red eyes gleaming.
"A good performance, Severus," he sneered as he stepped down from the dais. "Very good. One of your best, I believe. Unfortunately, it shall be your last. Come and finish him, my child."
"Point me in his direction, my Lord," said Helena coldly. "Point my hand and I will kill him."
"Of course, child. On your feet."
The Prince lifted his head and saw, through the red haze slowly taking over his vision, Helena standing on her feet. Voldemort's right arm was about her waist as his left pressed his wand into her hand.
So it is here that I die, he thought. At the hand of my godchild.
He lowered his head then snarled a curse under his breath.
No! He would not allow this to happen!
Helena would not become a murderer!
Not now! Not ever!
"Say the spell, my child," urged Voldemort.
"Avada…"
"Perlustro," hissed the Prince, his wand pointed at his own chest. He could only pray this would work. And through the pain racing through his body, he prayed.
"Kedavra!"
The green light of the Killing Curse filled the room and the bent body of the Prince was outlined in its light for a few moments before it was blotted out.
When the light faded, the Lady collapsed, freed from Voldemort's grasp. She slumped to the ground onto her knees, eyes wide upon the still body of the Prince. His mask had fallen off as he fell and lay beside him, his gloved hand lying beside it. His dark hair, which had only just begun to gray during the Christmas holidays, fell over his pale face.
To all outward appearances, Severus Snape was dead.
"No…" whispered the Lady. Her fingers clenched and dug her nails into her palms. "No…"
Voldemort looked down at her with a cold smile on his face.
"Yes, child. Now you too are a murderer. Just like your dear godfather and your father."
"No…"
"Yes."
"NO!" shouted the Lady. She reached up and grabbed her mask, pulling it off. The dark face was hurled away from her, landing with a gentle splat in her father's blood.
"You cannot deny me now, child. Not now when you have sworn your soul to me."
"I swore nothing of my own will!" snarled Helena, rage and pain mixing in her eyes. Tears sprang forth and ran down her cheeks as she rose to her feet. "I am and never will be yours!"
"The Mark on your arm says otherwise," said Voldemort with a smirk. "As does that over your eye."
Helena sneered and lifted her hand to shout out the Killing Curse but Voldemort moved quicker than she. His wand was at her throat in an instant and his face close enough to her own that she could feel his breath on her cheek.
"I do not like traitors, my sweet," he purred. "For that, you will die."
"I'd be glad to," spat Helena. "At least then I'll be with those who love me."
Voldemort smiled cruelly and said, "Very well then. Avada Kedavra!"
Helena was surprised to find in the next moment that she still lived. She looked up and followed the line of Voldemort's arm to a slumped figure across the room. Her eyes widened with realization as she recognized the man's distinctive robes.
"Uncle Albus!"
"Albus Dumbledore has finally fallen," sneered Voldemort.
"You bastard!" shouted Helena. She brought her knee up into Voldemort's groin, causing him to stumble back in shock.
"You little bitch," he snarled, pinning her with his scarlet eyes. "I'll send you to join your precious headmaster soon enough."
"Avada Kedavra!"
Voldemort's body slumped back against the dais, eyes blank. The moment it hit the stone steps that led up onto the small platform, the body of the Dark Lord disintegrated, leaving only his robes. His wand clattered to the stone floor, now without a hand to wield it.
Helena lowered her hand and said to the ashes, "Kill or be killed, my Lord. Kill or be killed…"
Turning away from the ashes, she slowly made her way over to her godfather's body. Sinking to her knees beside it, she threw herself onto the body, sobbing.
"Forgive me, Uncle. Please forgive me…"
Tears spilled down her cheeks and she sobbed herself into the arms of Morpheus.
After that, all was still in the Death Eater fortress except for the slowly trickle of blood among the dank stones.
Home is behind, the world ahead
And there are many paths to tread
Through shadow, to the edge of night
Until the stars are all alight
Mist and shadow, cloud and shade
All shall fade
All shall…fade
The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King Soundtrack – The Steward of Gondor
Chapter 24
…the world ahead…
"Hel? Hel, please wake up?"
"Wha…"
Helena's eyelids fluttered and she opened her eyes to see Evan's worried face above her. A smile spread across his features as her eyes opened and he hauled her half out of her bed, hugging her tightly.
"Thank Merlin," he breathed. "I thought you would never wake up."
"Ev," gasped Helena as her memories came back. "Please don't."
"Don't what?" asked Evan, pulling back from her. "Hel, I love you. More than anything in the world."
"Don't say that!" shouted Helena, shoving him away from her. "I don't deserve it!"
"What…?"
"I killed, Ev! I murdered my own godfather! And look at me! LOOK!"
She jerked the piece of cloth taped on her left arm away, revealing the Dark Mark.
"Look! I swore I'd never wear this! I swore! Now look! Look!"
She broke down into sobs and thrust her face into her hands. Her fingertips brushed the three vertical scars over her left eye and she jerked back.
"How can you love me?" she asked, staring down at her hands. "I'm no better than my father."
"Don't say that!" shouted Evan, grabbing her arms. "You're better than him!"
"I killed! I'm just the same!"
"Killed who, I dare ask?" came a voice from the door of the hospital wing. "Voldemort? Ah, he has not been classified as a person for a long while."
Helena lifted her head and stared with wide eyes across the wing. It took her several moments to find her voice.
"U-uncle?"
"In the flesh, child," said Severus. He strode across the hospital wing and pulled his goddaughter into a tight embrace. "I'm here."
"I-I killed y-you," stammered Helena, clutching at his robes. "I-I saw y-you die!"
"Lena, my Lena," said Severus, taking her face in his hands. "I simply appeared dead."
"But…the Killing Curse…"
"Cannot be blocked, yes. But I did not block it. I cast the Perlustrous Charm, which allows one thing to pass through whatever it is cast on. Of course, I did not know if it would work but it did and now I am here." He smiled down at her and added, "So, you see, you are not a killer."
"I killed Voldemort…"
"As I said, he has not been classified as a person for a long time."
Helena nodded then gasped, "Uncle Albus! He…"
Severus frowned and said, "Sadly, he is gone. The school board has not yet named a replacement."
"How long has it been?"
"Two days," replied Evan. "You've been asleep the whole time."
"But…no one knew where we were," said Helena in confusion. "How did we get back?"
"Albus contacted Moody," explained Severus. "He, apparently, had a feeling he was not going to come back to the school. So he ordered Moody to bring a battalion of Aurors after him and if you and I were found alive, to bring us back to the school. He did as he was ordered."
"Now," he continued, "I think you should get some more rest."
Helena allowed herself to be laid back onto her bed then she grasped her godfather's sleeve.
"What…what about my father? What about his body?"
"He's to be buried," replied Severus. "Dark Prince he may have been, but he was still the Boy-Who-Lived. I daresay the Ministry now knows that you are his daughter. By now your birth certificate has been changed to show as such." He frowned at her as he added, "You did you that your mother had your father listed as 'Unknown' on your birth certificate, did you not?"
Helena shook her head slowly. She had known that only a few knew who her father was but she hadn't known that her mother had not placed him as such on her birth certificate.
"They may have changed your last name as well," said Severus. "Of course, I could remedy that with a simple Floo conversation, if you wished."
"No," said Helena, closing her eyes. She felt the skin around the three scars over her left eye pull taut as she did so. "I have to acknowledge what I am. I am the Dark Prince's daughter."
"And his goddaughter," purred Severus as he bent to kiss her forehead. His hand brushed her hair back from her face then pulled the blankets up to her chin, carefully tucking them in. Helena felt like she was five again and he was tucking her into bed. "Sleep now, Lena."
"Okay," mumbled Helena. As Severus began to draw Evan away from her bed, she called, "Ev?"
The tawny-haired boy turned, yellow eyes bright.
"Yes, Hel?"
"Love you too."
Evan just smiled and allowed Severus to pull him away. Helena watched them until the door shut behind them before she allowed herself to fall back into the arms of Morpheus.
"Do you, Evan Thomas Longbottom, take this woman to be your wife?"
"Yes."
"And do you, Helena Lillianne Potter, take this man to be your husband?"
"I do."
"Till death do you part?"
"Yes."
The priest smiled and closed his book, looking at the young couple before him.
"The rings."
Evan smiled goofily as he slipped the simple silver band onto Helena's finger and she did the same to him.
"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride, Mister Longbottom."
"Gladly," said Evan with a grin. He pulled his new wife against him and kissed her long and hard, leaving her breathless.
"Why, Mister Longbottom," purred Helena, "I might say that you've been waiting a long time to do that."
"Three years, Hel," said Evan as they walked past the rows of people who had come for their wedding. "Three years to be able to call you mine for ever and ever."
Helena laughed as she looped her arm about his waist, her emerald eyes shining.
"You could have called me that three years ago."
"Yes, I know, but now its official."
"True."
"Congratulations!" said Natasha Weasley loudly as she came up to them. She hugged both of them tightly then held Helena at arms length. "I can't believe that you're all grown up. Your mother would have been proud."
"Harry would be too," said Ron softly as he came up behind his wife. "Anyone would be proud to have a girl like you for a daughter, Helena."
"He just never got a chance to," said Helena softly.
Ron reached out and touched her arm gently. When she looked up at him, he said in a tight voice, "I'm sure if he had, he would have."
"Thank you," whispered Helena.
Ron just nodded and the two of them walked off, replaced by Evan's father.
"I am so very proud to have you in the family, Lena," said Neville as he hugged her.
"Thank you, sir."
"Neville, my dear. Now excuse my rudeness but I must steal your new husband for a moment."
"Quite alright," said Helena with a smile. Evan smiled at her and pecked her on the cheek before he followed his father.
Helena sighed and went to get a cup of punch before she retreated to a quiet corner, looking up at the ceiling. They had decided to have their wedding in Hogwarts, the one place where the two of them had always felt at home.
She watched dimly as the chairs were cleared back and the band set up. They began to play a slow tune and couple's drifted out onto the dance floor.
Nearly silent footsteps sounded behind her and a hand was extended towards her before she could turn to see who it was. But she only had to see that hand to know who it was.
"May I have this dance, m'lady?"
"Yes, m'lord," replied Helena, placing her hand into that calloused one. She was drawn to her feet and led out onto the dance floor, where they made several turns before either spoke.
"You look very beautiful, Lena," said Severus softly, dark eyes shining.
The young bride smiled and said, "And you look very handsome, Uncle."
Severus just chuckled.
"Contrary to popular belief, I do not always look like a 'greasy git.'"
"I should hope not," said Helena. "After all…you are the Headmaster of Hogwarts."
"Don't know why I accept the position. Minerva would have been a much wiser choice."
"Yet they chose you because Uncle Albus wanted it that way." Helena smiled reassuringly at her godfather, continuing, "He knew you could do it."
"Mmm," said Severus. "The old man had a great deal of faith in me. Too much perhaps."
"Never too much," insisted Helena. "There's Ev."
"I suppose I should turn you over to him then. After all…he shall now be the one looking after you."
Helena looked up at her godfather as they stopped dancing. She saw the sadness in his eyes at his words and smiled, standing on tiptoe so she could kiss his cheek.
"He may be the one looking after me now," she said, "but he can never take your place. You cared for me for twelve years and as far as I am concerned, you are the father I never had."
Severus smiled down at her and said, "And I am always here for you. Whether you need assistance from the Light – or the Dark –, either is at your command…my Lady of the Night."
Helena's smile was sad as she heard those words – that title that she had been given three years before.
"I will remember that…my Prince."
Severus smiled as he bent his head and kissed her forehead gently. They both bowed slightly at each other, the last members of Voldemort's dark army, then separated.
Helena went to the arms of her new husband, the Lady with her new Lord.
And Severus Snape, the Fallen Angel of the Auror's that Voldemort had molded into his Dark Prince, his Angel of Death, strode from the merry-making.
He had school-related business to attend to.
A new age had come, one where – perhaps – no new Dark Lord would rear his head.
Perhaps they could have years of peace.
Only time could tell.
Author's NoteFinished at last! Everyone like? Or did you hate it?
My muses may be planning a sequel – I dunno. Maybe. Maybe not. If there is one, it'll be during the later school year's of Hel and Ev's kids. And Sev'll still be Headmaster of course. We must have the Dark Prince in a third edition.
And to anyone who is wondering, in Chapter 22, Harry was not going to say he was sorry. He wasn't at all sorry. I'm not sure of exactly what he was going to say – as I said in the story, whatever it was died with him – but I know it wasn't "I'm sorry." Because he wasn't the least bit sorry. He turned evil and stayed that way till he died. No redemption for the Boy-Who-Lived. Sorry for anyone that thought he should be redeemed and live happily ever after with his daughter. When I was writing The Dark Prince, I considered redeeming him. But by the time I finished it, I decided I liked Evil!Harry. He was too much fun to write for me to give up. And having him ever-so-calmly kill those two Aurors…ah, priceless.
But enough about that. I hope you all enjoyed reading LotN and we'll see if there's a sequel someday. Until then, if there is such a time, go read about the original Prince by his creator, Lady Erised. I command you, my minions! Go! Read! Become as transfixed by the Prince as I am. :D
Ta ta for now and I'll see you guys in the next chapter of NM or in the sequel to this if it comes.