Distant thunder rumbled over the land. The new year's second night was rainy and a thunderstorm approached from the south - crawled over the land like a giant snake - powerful and inexorable. Not long until it would be here. I felt how Severus longed to carry out their task before the inevitable shower of rain poured down on them. All the more excited and full of thrilled anticipation was Lucius, whom we met halfway towards Hogsmeade.
Of course, Severus had no idea I was there. I had a vivid picture of his face, had he known about my father's old Invisibility Cloak, which I had never used until today. Invisible and silent as I was, I followed the young Professor when he stepped towards Lucius and they shook hands.
"This is just the perfect weather," Lucius shouted, the wind deadening half of his words. "Thunderstorms are convenient when it comes to Dark Magic. Helpful even, especially for Avada Kedavra!"
He did not have to fear someone might hear him. No sensible person would spend a night like this outside on their own free will, although there were only a few drops here and there just yet. The wind and thunder created an ominous magical mood everywhere, which I was sure even Muggles were bound to sense.
I followed them from a little distance, because I was not too sure if my Cleansweep would disappear completely under the Invisibility Cloak. The darkness, however, seemed to take care of that problem. Neither Lucius nor Severus even glanced in my direction.
"We're late!" Lucius shouted through the roaring gale and they mounted their brooms without losing any more time.
"The couple won't mind," Severus shouted back, adding "They aren't likely to sue us!" as an afterthought.
Lucius laughed at that comment and did a high-spirited somersault with his broom. "Of course not," he replied and shot away, giving Severus and myself enormous difficulties to follow him.
I grabbed my broom tightly and put every effort in keeping up. I could not lose them! Not now. We had to be close. In the distance I could see the lights of Hogsmeade already - time had passed quickly.
Severus and Lucius landed in front of a small farmhouse, whereas I arrived a couple of yards behind them, carefully wrapping the Invisibility Cloak around my broom and myself.
"I know this place," I thought, taking a closer look at the old, refurbished cottage, which seemed to accommodate no living soul at the present. "I know it well."
Severus seemed to have come to the same conclusion, because he stopped and thought for a while before suddenly expressing his concern. "Lucius, you cannot be -"
Lucius shut him up with a wave of his hand. He stared incessantly at the cottage's windows in which a feeble gleam of light had appeared, ignoring the concern in Severus's voice.
"Edgar and Mary-Ann Bones," he whispered. "Rather old, but a tough lot, nevertheless. That's what he said, anyway. That's why he got us to do the job."
"Let's not waste any more time then," Severus replied after a moment's hesitation. "I want to finish this quickly."
I was not sure if I wanted to see it. Something told me that what was about to happen was wrong. That you could not just stand and watch an old couple being murdered. On the other hand, I was not even sure if Severus was capable of such a thing. I could see quite clearly what must have happened. Lucius must have covered up for Severus once, who consequently now felt indebted towards him. And now Severus was a puppet. Slave to his former classmate who unscrupulously exercised dark magic. He had, of course, always been very interested in the dark arts, but I was well aware that he had never dared translate his knowledge into action - until he had met Lucius Malfoy.
In fact, Severus was rather good-natured. However, he tended towards impulsive reactions and was all too often carried away by his powerful emotions rather than using his intellect. Ever since he had met Lucius this had been his tragedy. It must have been during my third or fourth year at Hogwarts when Severus suddenly made friends with people I did not want to get involved with, so I told him he would have to choose. And so he had. Our ways had parted.
I shook my head to get rid of this particular unpleasant memory and forced a silent laugh. How young we had been... how naïve. And how many couples did maintain their relationship once both partners had left school anyway? I had brooded all too long over this, I decided.
My string of thoughts was interrupted by another clap of thunder. I watched Severus and Lucius walking towards the farmhouse and saw first movements behind its windows.
"Your end is near," I thought and shuddered. "Death comes surreptitiously... on silent feet."
Severus and Lucius looked at each other and raised their wands. Blue flames emerged from their edges, which immediately set fire to the house's straw-thatched roof. Standing in the yellow light of the first flickering flames I could not help admiring the magnetic fascination and horrible beauty that came along with death. It was only now I realised, though, that tonight I would witness Severus kill. My heart started pounding and I felt sick all of a sudden.
"They kill and torture," Professor Moody, our Defence Against The Dark Arts teacher in year three had always said. "Constant Vigilance! When treading around a potentially dark wizard." The thought of Severus being one of Moody's enemies made me close my eyes for a moment, trying not to think of what they could do to one another.
"He is one of them!" I whispered to myself. "Did you think he was any different?"
The answer was yes. I had to admit that I had never seen more in him than a silent witness. I had made myself believe that Severus Snape would never take part in the Dark Lord's atrocities, because he was too clever, perhaps. Because I had considered him above all this.
Both eyes wide open I watched the scene before me, which was suddenly becoming shocking reality. Lucius' expression had turned stiff, as well as Severus's, whose face seemed to consist of no more than a pair of merciless black eyes now. They were staring at the front door, through which three people burst in blind horror.
"Fire!" the woman cried. "Do something, love!"
The man took out his wand from under his robes and pointed it at his house. The wind howled and I felt another shudder crawl up my back.
"You've got to help me!", the man shouted. "I can't do it by myself!"
"It is a magic fire," the third person now yelled. A woman, carrying a baby in her right and three broomsticks under her left arm. I could see that Lucius was surprised to see a third person come out of the house. He and Severus looked bewildered. They quickly exchanged looks. Then, however, they approached the small group, looking more determined than ever.
The three house-owners had now become aware of the intruders and stood, clutching their wands, like a wall in front of their cottage. The child started to cry and buried her face in the woman's robes, but the latter stared motionlessly at the approaching Death Eaters. Lucius raised his wand and grinned. He looked inexorable and their expressions were full of pure terror.
"Malfoy!" the man hissed. "I should have known!" He raised his wand and cursed. This, however, made no impression whatsoever on the taller Death Eater. With an easy gesture he summoned a massive shield of energy which made his enemies turn pale. The young woman desperately looked for help and raised her wand as well, but eventually lowered it again.
"Brand new piece of magic!" Lucius shouted through the once again upcoming wind. "The Dark Lord's personal invention! There's no counter curse as far as I know!"
I saw the two women exchanging a quick glance. Both raised their wands. The man followed their example and all three of them spoke a curse I had only ever seen in books, never in real life: "Tempestappropinqua!"
Instantly, I heard the rumbling of a storm front coming out of the distance and saw houses and farmland being lifted into the air. A cyclone of unimaginable size came towards the exact place where Lucius, Severus and I were standing now. I stepped back in panic and impulsively drew out my wand.
"Let's go!" Severus shouted. "Lucius! We won't be able to fight it!"
But Lucius did not move. "No!" he bellowed. "We'll force it back!"
Both Death Eaters took out their wands. We faced the approaching tornado with joined forces while its howling drowned out everything within ten miles of us. My gaze was fixed on the eye of the cyclone and I obstinately repeated the only words that could possibly save us now, "Tempestace! Tempestace!"
The cyclone seemed to understand. Three magicians fortunately seemed to have enough power to control it. The rain stopped and the whirlwind slowly turned to the opposite direction. Lucius gave a roar of triumph and shouted something at Severus I could not understand, because of the noise the cyclone still made. A cyclone that was now heading towards Hogsmeade.
I lowered my wand, panting of exhaustion. Severus, too, heaved a sigh of relief and, for a second, looked straight into my eyes.
"Thanks, Florence," he whispered. "Couldn't have done it without you!"
He turned again, as Lucius ran towards the house, cursing. I, on the other hand, was thunderstruck. How was it that he could see me? I looked down my body and gasped. The Invisibility Cloak had slid off my shoulders so that it now only just covered my legs and feet. The rest of me was perfectly visible. I cursed and pulled the cloak over my soaking hair again, but the damage was done. Naturally, Severus had spotted me at an instant, unlike Lucius who seemed completely blinded by blood thirst. Severus went after him when he ran towards the building and I noticed that the Malfoy looked a bit like a cracked bull. He waved his wand and eventually pointed it at Edgar Bones, forgetting all his security precautions.
"Expelliarmus!" he bellowed, and indeed succeeded in disarming his enemy. I saw Mrs. Bones pointing her wand at Lucius, but Severus was quicker. "Avada Kedavra," he said in hardly more than a whisper and the woman collapsed.
I was in a trance-like condition, watching Mr. Bones fling himself towards his wife and howl in agony. I heard his mute screams when Lucius tortured him and saw him collapse when he could not withstand any longer. He died even before Lucius had risen his wand to perform the killing curse.
"This cannot be happening," said my inner voice, but I had seen the impossible. My eyes were fixed on Severus, who was motionlessly staring at his victim, Lucius and the twitching old man.
"What did you do?" the voice whispered, not telling if those words were aimed at me or Severus. I was confused. Was this my fault, too? Hadn't I been most supportive in this matter? Hadn't I remained silent when knowing exactly what was going to happen? Through what seemed like thick, white fog I watched the two Death Eaters argue. Severus shrugged and Lucius brutally grabbed his arm. Something was wrong. I would have understood what he shouted, had I been myself. Still, I saw and heard only the outline of everything until Lucius finally fired the Dark Mark into the air and he and Severus approached the place where the three of us had left our brooms.
"To your house," Lucius yelled and had already lifted off the ground. Severus followed him, not without letting me mount his broom behind him first. He seemed aware that I was in no condition to fly.
The journey was exhausting nevertheless. Though I felt I might not have the strength to cling to a broom properly I couldn't bring myself to touch Severus either - let alone hold on to him. Deeply confused I clutched the end of his broom as tightly as possible, while trying to retain my balance with both feet outstretched. Severus's way of flying did not make things easier by any means. Lurching from side to side and changing speed every now and then he validated my suspicion that he, too, had not come through the evening untouched. I, however, did not pity him - for the first time in my life.