Well, the reviews are there, but I know there are more people reading. I have one request. If you are reading leave one review. I feel like I'm on a public T.V. fundraising marathon.
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Interlude: Christening of the Fallen Angel
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Fallible. He only had failed to bring his gift to the Dark Lord. Dumbledore had calculated on his targeting of the two public heads. Dopplegangers. Magically created doubles, filling the exact physical description and mental capacity of the target. He lost that game. He won't loose the next.
But he hadn't planned his next move.
Not yet.
Let Dumbledore think he was contemplating his set back. When Dumbledore makes his next move, he would be ready. He would be sure Dumbledore was proved just as fallible.
The Headmaster had been proven so years ago when the Prince was just emerging as a threat. When the entire world knew nothing of his origins. When everyone thought the Dark Prince to have been one of their own. Before they regulated him to a specter, a ghost terrifying the masses.
When they christened him the Fallen Angel.
Being 'Fallen' indicates that you had to be at an elevated state to begin with. And to be an 'Angel,' well, the connotations were all wrong.
But should the suspected position be the converse, perhaps he was the Fallen Angel.
It first showed in the Daily Prophet. A testament to some Mudblood Christian. It was because of that zealot that he bore such a title.
"LIKE A FALLEN ANGEL DEATH STRIKES AGAIN"
Most wizard never recognized the relation. They just called the phantom of death the Fallen Angel because it sounded appropriate. That was when there were speculations as to his identity. Ranging from students dropping out of the Auror cadet training to current Aurors dissatisfied with the way the government regulated their ranks. And it hadn't stopped there. Thoughts of low level enforcers sprung up without warning. Even speculation on civilians.
After each new attack, each variation of the death spectacle, guesses were revised, thrown out, or vindicated. Only to be revised again, picked out of the bins, put into question.
They could have been correct. They might have discovered. But they were looking in the wrong direction. They were looking for someone who turned from their way of life to a path of carnage and evil. Someone who could have "fallen."
Severus Snape had never fallen from grace. He had never been in their grace ever in his short battered life. Nor had he ever sought grace. It wasn't tempting. He had been satisfied with where he was, even if it appeared to be the bottom. Most of the time it was unnoticed. Those few times when he was isolated into public spectacle, he took it. Tried to retaliate. But nothing really worked. But that was a beginning.
A beginning for his self. A building of jealousy. A burning for revenge. He had fulfilled his desires. Found his place. And withdrew from their pleasant, ignorant, self-centered little world.
He joined with their world's forenamed Devil.
In which case that Mudblood zealot was wrong. The Christian Devil had been the Fallen Angel, not the Devil's closest servant.
But neither he nor his Dark Lord had ever fallen from grace, from that perfect, imperfect, world of theirs. No. They had never been part of that. Never tried to belong.
The only thing his Lord or his self had in common with that Devil was the tendency to cause trouble. And the only reason they were likened to that Devil was they were despised. And what is despised by a populous was immediately regulated to the lowest reaches of the dominant religion. Pity it had to be Christianity. He would have preferred the Norse Pantheon. They were much more like Loki and his sister Hel.
Loki had failed. But he had succeeded. Ragnarok took place and those destined to die did, and those destined to live did.
But he was the Devil's Advocate. And he relished it.
Severus Snape knew. Of course he would know. But it wasn't Severus Snape who was the Dark Prince. At least not at that time. No, Severus Snape was a pawn. Someone to be used and discarded. But there was a part of Severus Snape that did not want be discarded. The part that wanted to control. To be part of the game as a player not a piece.
That was who became the Fallen Angel to the pristine world of the Gryffindors. That was who took the reigns of terror for his Lord and cut loose the dogs of war.
No one knew who the Fallen Angel was. No one suspected. Not any more.
They stopped when the death count rose to great. They stopped when they refused to admit one man could do such an atrocity. They stopped when they refused to admit a MAN could do such things. They stopped.
Now it didn't matter.
Now he returned and they would not begin. Not now.
Dumbledore knew. But Dumbledore wanted his Severus Snape back.
But now Severus Snape was the Fallen Angel.
Not him. Not any longer. Not in the true sense of the word.
That was strange, was it not? That the man who never would want to be became so?
They were the same now. The same and the Dark Prince of the Dark Lord. And what did Severus think of this all? Or did he have such a dominance over Severus that it did not really matter. But it wasn't really dominance. No. He shared too many beliefs that originated with Severus.
Together they were known as the Fallen Angel.
And to the Lord, he was seen as perfect in their haven. Seen to do no wrong. Seen as the perfect son.
Severus will change all that. But an hour until he spoke his side, he would remain the perfect servant.
Secretly he knew he was the Fallen Angel in truth. He knew he would denounce his Lord. He knew the Christian zealots were wrong. They were wrong in how they looked.
He knew he would betray his Lord in the end. But knowing sowed no solace. His Lord was his All. But he was willing to shy away from his Lord. Leave and never return.
Why was this?
Why was he ready to leave?
Why did he listen to Severus? He was plenty capable of subduing the other consciousness. Why didn't he? Was there something worth listening to? Or was it just another way to continue the game? One way or another he was willing to betray his Lord.
Perhaps it was just as Severus had told Dumbledore years ago. The Lord was not going with his objectives as he should and flouting his following's uses to gain nothing more than petty revenge. Revenge against who? The massed proclaimed Messiah.
Such a mockery of the religious pantheon.
He the Fallen Angel fallen from the grace of his Dark Lord who fears the Messiah of the other side.
Such a show of ignorance.
Then why did he work for this saint of whom his Lord would prefer to kill. But Dumbledore was no saint in reality, merely in reputation. Why was he falling to that side of the Holy War? Why did he not remain as he was and continue to terrorize the masses?
There were many issues he refused to ponder. Many issues he knew had no solution.
It was his choice to follow Severus and fall from the grave of his Lord. It was his choice to follow Severus and become fallible. It was his choice to become less than a god.
It was his choice.
Then why did he regret it?
Why did he refuse to believe he could be fallible?
Simple. He wanted to remain a god. He wanted to remain as he was. He wanted the thrill of being in control. And betray his Lord was the ultimate price of keeping that control.
But he wanted to remain loyal. Loyal to his Lord. And he tried to remain. He wanted to remain in grace.
He did not want the title of the Fallen Angel. To be "fallen" you had to have been in an elevated state. To be an "angel" you had to have been placed in a perfect state of grace.
He did not want to loose his state of grace.
He did not want to be his Lord's Fallen Angel.
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Did I get a rise out of any of you?
Interlude: Christening of the Fallen Angel
________________________________________________
Fallible. He only had failed to bring his gift to the Dark Lord. Dumbledore had calculated on his targeting of the two public heads. Dopplegangers. Magically created doubles, filling the exact physical description and mental capacity of the target. He lost that game. He won't loose the next.
But he hadn't planned his next move.
Not yet.
Let Dumbledore think he was contemplating his set back. When Dumbledore makes his next move, he would be ready. He would be sure Dumbledore was proved just as fallible.
The Headmaster had been proven so years ago when the Prince was just emerging as a threat. When the entire world knew nothing of his origins. When everyone thought the Dark Prince to have been one of their own. Before they regulated him to a specter, a ghost terrifying the masses.
When they christened him the Fallen Angel.
Being 'Fallen' indicates that you had to be at an elevated state to begin with. And to be an 'Angel,' well, the connotations were all wrong.
But should the suspected position be the converse, perhaps he was the Fallen Angel.
It first showed in the Daily Prophet. A testament to some Mudblood Christian. It was because of that zealot that he bore such a title.
"LIKE A FALLEN ANGEL DEATH STRIKES AGAIN"
Most wizard never recognized the relation. They just called the phantom of death the Fallen Angel because it sounded appropriate. That was when there were speculations as to his identity. Ranging from students dropping out of the Auror cadet training to current Aurors dissatisfied with the way the government regulated their ranks. And it hadn't stopped there. Thoughts of low level enforcers sprung up without warning. Even speculation on civilians.
After each new attack, each variation of the death spectacle, guesses were revised, thrown out, or vindicated. Only to be revised again, picked out of the bins, put into question.
They could have been correct. They might have discovered. But they were looking in the wrong direction. They were looking for someone who turned from their way of life to a path of carnage and evil. Someone who could have "fallen."
Severus Snape had never fallen from grace. He had never been in their grace ever in his short battered life. Nor had he ever sought grace. It wasn't tempting. He had been satisfied with where he was, even if it appeared to be the bottom. Most of the time it was unnoticed. Those few times when he was isolated into public spectacle, he took it. Tried to retaliate. But nothing really worked. But that was a beginning.
A beginning for his self. A building of jealousy. A burning for revenge. He had fulfilled his desires. Found his place. And withdrew from their pleasant, ignorant, self-centered little world.
He joined with their world's forenamed Devil.
In which case that Mudblood zealot was wrong. The Christian Devil had been the Fallen Angel, not the Devil's closest servant.
But neither he nor his Dark Lord had ever fallen from grace, from that perfect, imperfect, world of theirs. No. They had never been part of that. Never tried to belong.
The only thing his Lord or his self had in common with that Devil was the tendency to cause trouble. And the only reason they were likened to that Devil was they were despised. And what is despised by a populous was immediately regulated to the lowest reaches of the dominant religion. Pity it had to be Christianity. He would have preferred the Norse Pantheon. They were much more like Loki and his sister Hel.
Loki had failed. But he had succeeded. Ragnarok took place and those destined to die did, and those destined to live did.
But he was the Devil's Advocate. And he relished it.
Severus Snape knew. Of course he would know. But it wasn't Severus Snape who was the Dark Prince. At least not at that time. No, Severus Snape was a pawn. Someone to be used and discarded. But there was a part of Severus Snape that did not want be discarded. The part that wanted to control. To be part of the game as a player not a piece.
That was who became the Fallen Angel to the pristine world of the Gryffindors. That was who took the reigns of terror for his Lord and cut loose the dogs of war.
No one knew who the Fallen Angel was. No one suspected. Not any more.
They stopped when the death count rose to great. They stopped when they refused to admit one man could do such an atrocity. They stopped when they refused to admit a MAN could do such things. They stopped.
Now it didn't matter.
Now he returned and they would not begin. Not now.
Dumbledore knew. But Dumbledore wanted his Severus Snape back.
But now Severus Snape was the Fallen Angel.
Not him. Not any longer. Not in the true sense of the word.
That was strange, was it not? That the man who never would want to be became so?
They were the same now. The same and the Dark Prince of the Dark Lord. And what did Severus think of this all? Or did he have such a dominance over Severus that it did not really matter. But it wasn't really dominance. No. He shared too many beliefs that originated with Severus.
Together they were known as the Fallen Angel.
And to the Lord, he was seen as perfect in their haven. Seen to do no wrong. Seen as the perfect son.
Severus will change all that. But an hour until he spoke his side, he would remain the perfect servant.
Secretly he knew he was the Fallen Angel in truth. He knew he would denounce his Lord. He knew the Christian zealots were wrong. They were wrong in how they looked.
He knew he would betray his Lord in the end. But knowing sowed no solace. His Lord was his All. But he was willing to shy away from his Lord. Leave and never return.
Why was this?
Why was he ready to leave?
Why did he listen to Severus? He was plenty capable of subduing the other consciousness. Why didn't he? Was there something worth listening to? Or was it just another way to continue the game? One way or another he was willing to betray his Lord.
Perhaps it was just as Severus had told Dumbledore years ago. The Lord was not going with his objectives as he should and flouting his following's uses to gain nothing more than petty revenge. Revenge against who? The massed proclaimed Messiah.
Such a mockery of the religious pantheon.
He the Fallen Angel fallen from the grace of his Dark Lord who fears the Messiah of the other side.
Such a show of ignorance.
Then why did he work for this saint of whom his Lord would prefer to kill. But Dumbledore was no saint in reality, merely in reputation. Why was he falling to that side of the Holy War? Why did he not remain as he was and continue to terrorize the masses?
There were many issues he refused to ponder. Many issues he knew had no solution.
It was his choice to follow Severus and fall from the grave of his Lord. It was his choice to follow Severus and become fallible. It was his choice to become less than a god.
It was his choice.
Then why did he regret it?
Why did he refuse to believe he could be fallible?
Simple. He wanted to remain a god. He wanted to remain as he was. He wanted the thrill of being in control. And betray his Lord was the ultimate price of keeping that control.
But he wanted to remain loyal. Loyal to his Lord. And he tried to remain. He wanted to remain in grace.
He did not want the title of the Fallen Angel. To be "fallen" you had to have been in an elevated state. To be an "angel" you had to have been placed in a perfect state of grace.
He did not want to loose his state of grace.
He did not want to be his Lord's Fallen Angel.
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Did I get a rise out of any of you?