Suicide Solution.

Notes: this is a Severitus Challenge, go to www.geocities.com\challengefics\thechallenge.htm To find out the 'rules' for a Severitus Challenge piece.

Disclaimer: I do not own anything that is recognisably harry potter-ish, and the Severitus challenge-ness belongs to the writer Severitus, userid=123967

Summary: A Severitus challenge, [Snape is Harry's father] Story begins at 11.59pm on July 30th. It's the summer before Harry's 6th year, and Harry's changing . . . (A Dark Harry fic)

Chapter 19

Tanathos had spent almost the entire time in the bathroom getting ready. He'd had a bath washed his hair, brushed his teeth, dried off, put his boxers on, began to comb his hair then stopped

'It'll change when the potion wears off, I'll do it then'

It was nearing 11pm when Tanathos pulled on the dark green velvet robe, he was standing in front of the mirror, doing up the clasp when he began to feel the potion wear off.

His entire body was tingling; the change was so much nicer than the ones he received at night. The sensation washed over his whole body, and when Tanathos looked back up into the mirror he gasped.

He now stood at least 5' 9" his hair was flat and hung just above his chin, the long locks completely covering his scar, his face was sharpened his nose longer. He still had his mums emerald eyes but their shape was slightly different. As Tanathos examined his body he noted that his fingers were longer, thinner and more precise. His shoulders were broader and his arms longer. Luckily the robe he was wearing was enchanted to fit the wearer perfectly.

Tanathos picked up the comb and ran it through his hair twice before leaving the bathroom and getting his cloak out of his wardrobe. It was the same one he had worn when he went back into Knockturn alley during the summer.

"You look absolutely stunning Tanathos"

He looked over to where the voice came from and spotted Lady Campaspe sitting in her frame watching him.

He smiled at her

"Thank you milady."

"Where are you going?"

"The all hallows eve party of course" he replied with a smile

"But Severus said you wouldn't be ready" she responded

Tanathos walked over to her and picked the frame up

"Well I guess I am, he said it would be a risk, but that's fine by me."

"Well have fun Tanathos."

"Don't you wish to come with me?" he asked her quietly

She laughed lightly

"Oh no, this party is for you and your father"

"And Blaise"

She smiled "Yes and Blaise, he is a very lovely young man, such a shame I am no longer alive"

She smiled at Tanathos again

"Are you sure you do not wish to come us?" he asked again

"Yes I am quiet sure, after all a mother shouldn't impose upon her sons life"

"But a father can?" he asked quickly, his heart had lifted, she thought of him as her son.

"Yes, a father can. But not in all circumstances, some only a mother can face with her son. Some only a father can"

She was still smiling at him, and Tanathos smiled back

"All of you go to your dormitories immediately!" Tanathos looked up, that was his father's voice.

"I have to go."

"Have fun, tell me all about it tomorrow"

"I will! I promise. Good night." He paused, before adding "mother."

"Goodnight Tanathos, child."

He closed the frame and pulled back into the shadows of the room just as the other gryffindors entered. He stayed silent and still until they had all sat on two beds, evidently to talk about why Snape had just ordered them to go to bed at 11pm.

Tanathos waited until there was no sound from the common room before silently slipping out onto the staircase.

Upon entering the common room Tanathos immediately noticed his father standing by the entrance. He was wearing his Death Eater robes and so he stood out a mile in the red common room. Luckily one would only know they were DE robes if one knew what they looked like. Once he reached him Tanathos opened his black cloak so his father could see his robe.

"Good enough father?" he asked

Severus' eyes scanned him, before he gave his nod of approval

"Come the others are waiting" he swept out of the Gryffindor common room and down the corridor, Tanathos pulled his hood back up over his face and followed his father down the stairs to the main entrance.

When they reached it, Blaise stepped out first, he was wearing a long dark purple robe, rimmed in black.

"Ah, how good of you to join us Tanathos." He smirked at Tanathos, who mimicked the look back.

"Well, well, well." Came Draco Malfoy's voice from behind Blaise "Tanathos Guerra. You didn't say you attended Hogwarts." His tone was suspicious. Draco was dressed in what looked very similar to Death Eater robes.

Tanathos could tell that both Blaise and his father had tensed slightly, and he faced Malfoy before sneering at him

"You didn't ask." He replied slyly.

"Which house are you in Tanathos? I've never seen you around the castle."

Tanathos didn't answer, his father did however

"Mr Guerra is in private training, as he is slightly behind the 6th years syllabus. Though I have no doubt that he will join classes with the rest of his year, later on. Now unless you want us to be later than we already are I suggest that stop questioning him Draco and let him tell you what he wants, when he wants."

"Yes sir" Draco replied

"Now come on, we can portkey from outside the grounds." Severus pulled his hood over his head, as did Blaise and Draco. Tanathos followed his father out of the castle and he felt Blaise come up behind him. Then behind them Draco was with Crabbe, Goyle; both dressed in black robes, Nott who was in a deep red robe, Parkinson wearing the brightest colour of the group; pink and 2 7th year Slytherins who he didn't know, and 5 other students.

'Who else is here?'

He asked Blaise as they walked

'Besides Draco you've got Gregory and Vincent. Then there's Theodore Nott, Philip Montague, Pansy and Casca Warrington from Slytherin. The other Slytherins going who can apperate have already left. Then there's 2 7th year Hufflepuff's, Mathitta Parkinson, Pansy's older sister, in the blue robe and Dominic Davids, the one in the grey and silver robes. The 2 7th year Ravenclaw's, Xiao Zheng, in the dark yellow and Meilan Chen, in the merging blue-purple robe, both from China, Zheng's mother is Nott's aunt and Chen's mother is Warrington's cousin or something. They grew up in china and have a lot of contacts over there for the Dark Lord.'

'What about the 5th person? Who is that you didn't say.'

Blaise looked at Severus, he had stopped walking and was holding out an old copy of the Daily Prophet.

"All of you grab hold! Hurry up now!" He barked, all thirteen students, moved forward to grab hold of the paper.

"Three. Two. One" Severus was counting down. Then all fourteen people were portkeyed away from Hogwarts and they landed outside what looked to be a smaller version of Hogwarts. Severus dropped the paper into a bin that was obviously for used Portkeys. Out of the corner of his eye Tanathos saw Draco walk forwards before turning to the group.

"Welcome, to my Cleveland Manor." He was smiling smugly at the group.

'I thought the Malfoy's manor was in Wiltshire?' Tanathos asked Blaise

'They do have one there yes, but that's not their only manor. This one is used mostly for meetings that shouldn't be advertised.'

'Death eater stuff?'

Blaise smirked at Tanathos

'The grounds are warded so that you can use as much Dark Arts as you like, underage or not, and the ministry wouldn't have a clue.'

"Well, Severus, it's about time you showed up." Came a silky voice from the shadows.

"Evening Lucius" He replied smoothly. Lucius Malfoy's eyes were scanning the group that Severus had brought with him. Lucius, like Severus, was dressed in his Death Eater robes.

"13. That's one more. Who's new?"

"Tanathos Guerra. He is at Hogwarts in private tutoring."

Lucius' eyes had lit up at Tanathos' surname

"Guerra? Step forward boy." He commanded

Tanathos did so, trying to calm the hatred he contained for the man standing in front of him.

'Don't attack him. Don't attack him. You're way out numbered, no one knows you're here, and it would blow your cover. Don't attack him.' Tanathos' head chanted to himself

"Good evening sir." He said politely, bowing his head slightly 'Stupid, disgusting Death eater I hate you!'

Lucius smirked at him "The boy knows how to great his superior that's for certain."

'Superior my foot! I hate you! You will never be my superior! NEVER!'

"Now I have to go greet the others. A very important guest shall be arriving later in the evening. Draco"

Draco stepped forward "Yes father"

"Show them room 17, they can leave their cloaks there."

"Yes father"

Lucius the disappeared and the group followed Draco.

He led them through the extensive garden, up an auxenite staircase that led to the main doors, which were made of a dark mahogany wood. As the group neared them they opened and allowed the group to pass through.

The main entrance was a very large octagonal room with a very high ceiling. The floor was once again made of auxenite stone and as Tanathos looked around he noticed that there were 6 doors leading off from the entrance hall and directly ahead of them an auxenite staircase that led up stairs.

'They have a thing for auxinite don't they' Tanathos teased through the link the Blaise

'Don't you know anything Tanathos? Auxinite is a very magical substance'

'Really? Then why use it for flooring? I thought auxinite was just a black gem.'

'It is but it has magical properties as well'

'What?'

'Auxinite is used in Dark Arts potions. For when the owner is wanting to put a protection spell up. The potion will be made then washed over the auxinite stone, the stone is then placed around the area wished to be protected.'

'So why on the floors?'

'Maybe they just like the stone?'

Tanathos grinned and almost walked into his father, who had stopped walking. Draco as standing in front of a door and once everyone had reached it he opened it.

Inside it was an enormous cloakroom. The cloaks Tanathos noticed were all labelled and in alphabetical order.

"Malfoy, Draco." He said to one of the house elf's, that were standing in a line waiting for orders.

"Tell them your name now, and again when you want it back. I'll see you around during evening. Have fun." And with that Draco disappeared.

"Snape, Severus." Tanathos heard his father's voice.

'Come on Tanathos lets get this done then we can go have some fun!'

Blaise and Tanathos stepped forward and gave their cloaks to the elves

"Guerra, Tanathos"

"Zabini, Blaise"

The elves disappeared and so Tanathos and Blaise left the cloakroom.

"Well, where do you want to go first?" Blaise asked him

Tanathos shrugged

"I've never been to any parties like this before. What sort of stuff is there?"

Blaise smirked

"Well, there's food, but we've already eaten." Tanathos snorted, remembering the food challenge earlier

"There's the Anguish Show"

"What's that?"

"It's basically a torture show, they have muggles and muggle borns who they practice on, or take their anger out on."

Tanathos shivered

"Maybe later. What else?"

"There's the dance show, the drinks booth, the games room, the inclination room"

"Whats the inclination room?"

"Basically a pleasure room, you can choose between, muggle, Muggleborn or pureblood. There's males as well as females."

"Ah, okay. Well let's go get some drinks then head to the dance show."

"Damn, I thought you'd be up for the IR" Blaise teased. Tanathos looked confused the he realised what his friend was going on about

"Ah the inclination room, I see."

"Yeah everything is shortened. AS is the Anguish Show, IR is the Inclination room and so on and so forth."

"Right, well lets go get drinks then head to the dance show, get some more drink then I dunno."

"Once you get a glass here, it refills itself whether some is drunk. If you want a different one just tell it and it'll change."

"Ah, good to know."

The two headed off towards the room where the drinks were, neither noticing the small figure watching them from the top of the stairs. She saw them disappear from the main room, then reappear a few minutes later with drinks in their hands. They appeared to be talking about something not very important. She saw Blaise laugh lightly at his friend's expression, clearly he had just told him something about one of the activities. The figure watched them head towards the room where the dance show was being held.

"Milady?" a smooth voice asked her, the figure turned round and smiled when she saw who it was

"Good evening Tom, how have you been?" She asked politely, linking her arm with Tom.

"Wonderful so far my sweet. But now the time is nearing for us to make an appearance." He sparked his wand and instantly a house elf appeared by his side. It bowed to the ground as soon as he saw who it was and spoke in a squeaky voice that was filled with fear

"Yes master, what can smokey do for master?"

"Take milady's coat to my rooms. Make sure it is hung up!"

"Yes master! Oh course master! Smokey will take extra care of mistress cloak!"

The figure pulled off her long black cloak and handed it to the elf. You vanished with it.

"You look wonderful as always my sweet." Tom told the woman. Who now that her cloak had been removed one could see the blood red robe that contrasted magnificently with her red hair which fell down to the small of her back in wavy locks.

The two made their way slowly down the stairs and out into the garden, where all of his faithful servants will be waiting.

~S~

AN:

50 points to the readers' house if they can guess whom the woman is!

Keep reading and reviewing!

LS