Suicide Solution.
Notes: this is a Severitus Challenge; go to his bio 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), any spells, curses hexes etc, unless stated otherwise, will
belong to the wondrous Saerry Snape (userid=74156) and her characters Lord and
Lady Hex.
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)
AN: If you receive any emails from me the subject will be Suicide solution, they may be from either:
Ladysnake13@hotmail.com
OrST28015K@ccb.ac.uk
Chapter 41
The weeks leading up to the Christmas holiday's passed quickly for Cercis. He was being trained daily by Narcissa and Campaspe. When Narcissa found out that it was her aunt that Cercis spent most of his free time talking too she was more than pleased to allow her to help train him.
Ever since the day of Hermione's death and the conversation he had had with him afterwards Lucius had been avoiding Cercis. Cercis always knew where Lucius was but he didn't care about the man anymore. Not after what he had been told by him.
~S~Flashback~S~
It's been two days since Hermione died.
Two long days.
Her body was returned to Hogwarts this morning; her death hasn't reached wizarding paper yet. Dumbledore will be keeping quiet.
Life for me is so strange now, she was my last link to the life of Harry James Potter and now she is gone. Ron was a link but that was before I learnt of my true heritage.
Before I learnt the truth.
Now he is nothing more than a worthless rat that is waiting to be killed. Just like another rat whose life shall belong to me.
Lucius sent the owl and then vanished to his office – he hasn't left it since. But now I think I shall go pay him a little visit.
Cercis shut the little diary that he had started to keep the year before. He locked it, charmed it and then hid it away before leaving his room and making his way to Lucius' study the next floor up.
He moved swiftly through the corridors of the mansion, it wasn't as big as their main manor where they spent the summers but it was a lot bigger than their mansion in Wales and the same can be said of the one in Ireland. Still Cercis learnt the winding passageways easily and now he moved around the manor with as much ease as Lady Narcissa did.
Climbing the set of stairs at the end of one of the corridors he walked soundlessly to the door at the end of the floor.
He knocked once, Lucius bid him enter. Cercis opened the door walked inside then locked and warded the door instantly.
"Good evening Lucius." He said to the older blonde man calmly.
"Evening Cercis." Lucius replied, the Death Eater mask coming into place.
"Lucius, I want to talk to you about something" Cercis said as he moved across to the black leather chair that was almost opposite the desk where Lucius sat.
Lucius watched the younger Snape move through his study, walking calmly as if he had every right to be there. Which, his subconscious whispered to him, he did.
"Tell me Lucius, did you intend to kill me two days ago? Or was that just an accident?" Cercis was leaning back into the chair and was resting each of his arms on the arms of the chair.
Lucius was quiet for a moment then he answered in a sneer. "I had not intended to kill Granger."
"No, but that curse was aimed at me, if she hadn't stepped in would it have killed me like it did her?" Cercis replied, still talking calmly
"No, it would not have killed you." Lucius answered.
Cercis sat up, "Then why did it kill her?" he hissed quietly.
Lucius looked over to where Cercis sat and studied him in silence. Cercis didn't move under the man's critical eye. Finally after what seemed like an age to Cercis, Lucius answered.
"She is," he began in his silky voice, "– sorry, was, a mudblood and you are a pure blood the curse would not have killed you."
Cercis glared at the man, "Purity of blood does not make me stronger than her!" he hissed venomously.
Lucius sat back in his chair again, "Oh but it does," he said calmly. "You are the son of Severus Snape, our Lord's most beloved Death Eater, and Lily Evans, the strongest Dark Arts witch within the last few generations."
Cercis contemplated this quietly for a while to himself, before asking in a tightly clipped voice, "How did father become our Lord's most beloved Death Eater?"
He didn't look up at Lucius; he didn't need to. He could see the man's reaction to his question in his head, and he did not want it confirmed.
"Both your father and I are linked to our Lord. More so than just the Dark Mark." Cercis still didn't look up. "We were two of his first Death Eaters to join after he revealed his true motives to the world. We both proved ourselves over and over to him. Severus and I are joined by blood. He is my brother by blood and by oath." Lucius stopped talking, Cercis was staring at the blonde man, and his eyes were widened in shock.
"We are also joined to the Dark Lord in this way, we cannot betray him, if we ever did the blood join and wizards oath would drain us of our magic and of our life."
Cercis was now staring in open shock to Lucius. "Is that why you follow him?" he hissed, suddenly in anger, "Because you don't want to lose your precious life!"
Lucius stood up and replied in a harsh voice filled with anger, "How dare you!" Cercis stood and glared at him, not backing down. "How dare you say that? I would never betray him!" Lucius moved towards Cercis, "I would never betray my own flesh and blood!"
Cercis raised an eyebrow, "Flesh and blood?"
"Fuck." Lucius cursed sitting down again, "Severus is related to our lord, he should have told you." He muttered to himself.
"Told me what?" Cercis hissed again. Lucius didn't look like he was going to tell Cercis what he wanted to know. Glaring at the man he muttered, "Imperio. Okay Lucius tell me, what you meant." The spell washed over Lucius and he answered Cercis in a dull tone.
"The Dark Lord or rather Tom Riddle is Severus' uncle. Severus's dad was brother to Tom. It's how we found out about him so fast."
Cercis collapsed back into the chair. Lucius sat back down as Cercis released him from Imperio.
"Get out." Lucius hissed. "Get out!"
Cercis stood and left the study. Returning to his room and his diary.
~S~End Flashback~S~
"You will be here in 4 days father, then you will have to answer to me." He whispered to himself. He was standing on the balcony that he had added to his room the week before, looking out over the grounds of the estate. The full moon shone brightly over head and he looked up to it thinking of Remus, curled up in his office like a tame wolf.
He hardly ever thought of his old friends that were still at Hogwarts, they didn't matter to him anymore, and in a way they never did. Only his Lord mattered to him now and he was very pleased with Cercis, giving him the nick name of, Veneficus, after one of the Death Eater groups brought back the 8-year-old sister of Dean Thomas and left her as a gift to Cercis. They hadn't expected Cercis to rape her and then send her to insanity before sending her back to Dean at Hogwarts. They had thought that he would keep as he did Hermione. Ever since the death of Hermione, Cercis had not kept another pet, he fooled around, then tortured and killed them after wards but he never kept one no one could figure out why.
He looked out to the black sky again. He could see the stars; it was a very clear night. Scowling at the air Cercis hissed a weather spell he had discovered the week before, "Glacials Expugro!" the sky immediately clouded over and thick clouds rolled across it before clashing together. A dull thunder rumbled through the night and Cercis smiled. "This is how winter is supposed to be." He said to himself as large balls of snow began to fall to the ground, quilting it in a thick white blanket.
"Cercis? Cercis?" He looked down towards the voice of Lady Narcissa; she was standing on the ground underneath his balcony. "Cercis I found a new spell that I think you will like immensely."
He smirked, "I'll be right down." He called back to her before disappearing back into his room; he muttered a drying spell as he shut the glass doors and his cloak steamed as he moved quickly across the room. He left his room and headed down to the training room Lady Narcissa and Lady Campaspe had set up for him.
"Good evening Cercis." Narcissa greeted him as he shut the door. "That's a good storm, yours I presume?"
"Of course." He replied smiling as he moved over to kiss her on the cheek. "Now what's this spell you found?"
She sat down on her chair and Cercis sat opposite her. The room was simple. It had two chairs, one for Cercis one for Narcissa. A table with the books that they were working through on it, an extensive bookcase that held almost every spell book that had ever been created. Another set of shelves this one containing items which could be used as transfiguration practice or target practice, and a set of cages which contained different dark creatures and just normal muggle animals to practice the Dark Arts on.
"It's a silver art. So quiet complicated." Cercis nodded, he had been introduced to the Silver Arts a few days ago. They are based on the person casting the spell and they only worked on the person that cast them. They are called the Silver Arts because every time the caster uses them a single strand of their hair turned silver/grey. Also when cast the spells encase the caster in a swirl of silver mist. The spells themselves rely on the complete concentration of the caster. One has to be completely calm, and ready to perform the spell, otherwise it will not work.
"What it does is." Narcissa continued, "Is increases your minds memory, and makes it photogenic." Cercis nodded again. "In other words you could use this spell then combine it with your Transfi spell. Allowing you to remember every single spell, curse, hex, charm, and potion perfectly." She smiled brightly at him and he grinned back.
"Whats the incantation?" he asked her eagerly.
She laughed, "It's Commoneo Aegretudo. You have to focus your mind on the words and the words on your mind. Once you've done that you can call your little notebook and then merge it with your mind."
"That's where the Transfi spell comes in, right?" he asked, and she nodded. "Right well lets do it." He stood up and moved to the centre of the room. He closed his eyes and held his hands out in front of him, palms facing upwards. Quietly he began to chant the spell. A faint silver glow stretched out from his palms and wormed its way up his arms and began to swirl. One strand flowing one-way, the other flowing the other; around his head. Cercis' long sleek black hair moved with the currents of the mist and he continued to chant, his deep voice growing louder and louder. Lady Narcissa stood to the side watching him. Silver chants were a long process and the caster couldn't rush them. The mist continued to swirl encasing his entire body. Then finally after about 15 minutes he stopped chanting and the mist was absorbed into his mind. He collapsed back into his chair and sat there breathing heavily.
Lady Narcissa sat down again and watched him recover.
"Well, I'm not as tired as the last time I performed a Silver chant. They must get easier the more you do." He panted, sitting up in the chair. Narcissa smiled.
"That's true. Well I'm assuming it worked."
Cercis nodded, "Yeah it did. But lets wait a while before I do the next part."
She laughed and lifted her wand to summon a house elf. One arrived with a small 'pop'.
"What would sir and miss like?" the little thing squeaked, Cercis sneered at it, he had never gotten over his hatred of the things.
"A late meal, Cercis what do you want?" she added looking away from the elf.
"Steak, rare, with mayonnaise and chips." He replied licking his lips.
Narcissa laughed, "I don't think I ever will get over your strange taste in meals."
He grinned, "Well hurry it up then!" he snapped to the elf. Which disappeared with another 'pop'.
The meal arrived a minute later and Cercis ate it quickly.
"Well let's finish this spell." He said as the now empty plate vanished. "Accio notebook." The little notebook flew into his hand and Cercis flicked through the pages. "This little book has the content of every book in the Hogwarts library and the Malfoy libraries, and all of that information will be going into here." He tapped the side of his head with the corner of the book. He grinned again. "I can't wait."
"Right" Narcissa said, taking control of the situation. "Place the book on the table." Cercis did so. "Place both of your hands on top of the book. Focus on the book and on your mind. Then say the spell. Do not take your hands off the book until I say so." Cercis nodded and shut his eyes.
"Plenus Transfi!" he commanded. His eyes flew open and both them and the notebook glowed purple. As Narcissa looked into his eyes, she saw every word and diagram within the notebook flashing in black text over his eyes.
The purple glow dimmed and the spell was completed. Cercis focused on Narcissa and she nodded, slowly he took his hands off the notebook and he rubbed them together.
"Oh sweet Merlin!" he whispered.
"It worked." Narcissa commented.
"Yes it did. Bloody hell it did."
"Good, now get to bed, the Silver chant has drained you. You need to recover your magics before tomorrow."
"Ah yes, our Lord is coming tomorrow with his lady is he not?" Cercis asked her. The meeting that Lady Virginia attended with her mistress Luna back in November was as fresh in his mind as the spell he had just performed.
~S~Flashback~S~
Cercis apperated to his Lord as the Dark Mark burned on his arm. The room was once again dim and only a few scant candles, which were scattered over the walls, gave off the faint light. Cercis walked swiftly to the Dark Lord, and stood before him while the others bowed.
"Good evening my lord." He greeted him politely.
"Cercisss" he hissed in acknowledgment. "How isss your training going?"
"Lady Narcissa and Lady Campaspe are teaching me all they know and now they have begun to research into the Silver Arts for me." Cercis replied calmly.
"Only Lady Narcisssa and Lady Campassspe are tutoring you. What of Luciusss?" the Dark Lord questioned.
"Lucius was the cause of Hermione's death, he will not teach me and I will not allow him too." Cercis replied, his calm voice slipping slightly.
"Is that ssso?" Cercis didn't answer; it was a statement not a question. "Luciusss!" he barked suddenly. Cercis turned and saw one of the masked figures move forward and bow.
"My Lord" Lucius said through his mask.
"Cercisss, my dear Cercisss. Pay him back for the death of your pet."
Cercis inclined his head to his lord, "Thank you my lord." He turned away from the Dark Lord and raised his hand towards Lucius' still bowing figure.
"Crucio!" the curse hit his body and Lucius flinched but did not scream. "My lord, can my father add to his punishment?" he switched to Parseltongue. "They are brothers after all."
"Severus is not here." The Dark Lord replied. "He is accompanying a very important guest here later."
Cercis smirked, "Fair enough." He turned back to Lucius, who was still under the curse. "Crucio!" he hissed, increasing the curses power. Cercis continued to increase it until Lucius screamed, nearly 3 minutes later. He lifted the curse and sent him back to his place in the circle.
"Well done, my dear Veneficus." The Dark Lord praised him and Cercis bowed slightly.
A new figure appeared suddenly with two other figures with him. The tallest one bowed and Cercis recognised the man's voice as his fathers.
"My Lord." Severus then stood and took his place in the circle. One of the other figures, the taller of the two left moved towards the Dark Lord and upon reaching him held out her right hand. The Dark Lord kissed it.
"Welcome milady." Lady Virginia took off her cloak and revealed her to be wearing a long sleek black robe, which made her blood red hair stand out brightly in the dimly lit room. The remaining figure took Lady Virginia's cloak and moved to stand at her side, curtsying to the Dark Lord. The two women moved to the Dark Lord's right hand side and stood silently.
"Veneficus. Come forward." The Dark Lord commanded. Cercis moved from where he stood, off to the side, and positioned himself in front of Lady Virginia.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Ginny." He said to her smirking.
She stepped away from her lover's side and stood directly in front of Cercis.
"It's true then." She said quietly to him. Cercis nodded. Lady Virginia smiled and replied. "Good." Before flinging her arms around him and drawing him into a tight hug. "Hogwarts has been shit without you." She whispered into his ear.
"Patience, Ginny, Hogwarts will fall. I will make sure of it." Cercis whispered back.
Ginny laughed and let go of Cercis and moved back to stand next to her lover. Behind him he could feel the other Death Eaters glares on his back. No one, besides him and perhaps Severus and Lucius, could even call Lady Virginia, Ginny, let alone touch her.
"My dear Veneficus, you shall stand at my left hand side, from this moment onwards." Cercis bowed again, slightly deeper than before, but still keeping his pride, unlike all the other Death Eaters who scraped the floor. "Come, take your proper place." He switched to Parseltongue. "Take your proper place at my side. My dear Nephew." Cercis smirked and moved to stand next to his lord and great-uncle.
~S~End Flashback~S~
He laughed to himself as he headed towards his room,
'That was a good meeting.'
~S~End Chapter~S~
AN: here you go a lovely 3,000 words chapter, hope you like!!
SpellsImperio – JKR
Crucio – JKR
Accio - JKR
Glacials Expugro – Mine – Snow Storm.
Transfi – Mine – Causes whatever object the spell is cast on the copy itself onto something else.
Commoneo Aegretudo – Mine – Silver chant. Increases the minds memory and makes it photogenic.
Plenus Transfi – Mine – Causes whatever object the spell is cast on the copy itself onto something else completely. The more that is being 'copied' the longer the spell takes – good for coping lots of information in one go.
House competitionI've lost my notes with all my questions on it and scores for each house on it so the comp is going on hold – when *cough*if*cough* - I find it I will re-start the comp. But until then you're all just gonna have to put up with just having longer chapters. :P
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LS