A Christmas Carol For A Spy.
Disclaimer: All characters in this story belong to J.K.Rowling and I don't think she's gonna give one of them to me at this Christmas. I've borrowed a piece of Carol from the very old movie named "Meet me in St. Louis".
Timeline: Christmas Eve during the 1st War against Voldemort.
He knew it was a bad idea. He wouldn't take this way after the meeting at Knockturn Alley. Some sort of sixth sense told him does not walk the short way. But he was tired and irresponsible. He took the short way and they got him.
Three aurors in "master" rank, it meant they had the use of the Unforgivable Curses. Perfect, just perfect. 'You're an idiot, Severus!'
"Gentlemen, whoever you're seeking, it's not me. I guess you're going to make a big mistake".
"Really?" asked one of them. He was young, maybe even younger than Snape himself and his unfriendly face looked familiar. Perhaps, he was at Hogwarts with him.
"What can I see with my owns eyes? Severus Snape…" said the auror in a low mean voice. "Can't say it's very unpredictable from your Hogwarts' history".
So, he indeed was at Hogwarts at Snape's time. Severus interrogated his memory.
"Bones…Edward? Hufflpuff? Sorry, I didn't recognize you at first. You had spending most of time at the hospital wing after each Potions class".
The auror turned red.
"My name is Edgar".
"Whatever. How did you get this job? I thought only the best students become aurors. 'Cos, with your father's job in the Ministry…"
He hit him. Snape never was a fighter type. He fell, feeling his own blood's taste in the mouth.
"Bones, that's enough", said another auror. He was tall, dark-skinned and at least forty years old. He looked calm and professional.
Bones stepped back.
"Severus Snape", said the older auror. "You are under arrest on suspicion as a Death Eater".
Snape made his best "shocked" face.
"Who? Me?"
"Please show your left arm", said the auror and Snape saw his eyes – black and empty, it was the eyes of a man who had nothing to lose.
Severus cleared his throat.
"I don't understand".
Bones laughed.
"Your arm", said the older auror in a dead voice.
Severus sighed. Of cause He could show the parchment, but it would kill his cover.
He reached the arm.
The auror took the wand and murmured a few words.
A pain struck him suddenly. Snape gasped and seized his left forearm with his right hand, but it was too late. The Dark Mark had slowly appeared
"I knew it!" said Bones excitedly.
The third auror stepped out of the shadow and Severus saw that it was a girl. She would be lovely, apart from an ugly grimace of pure hatred on her face.
"Murderer!" shouted the girl.
Snape watched as she pointed the wand right at his chest. Her eyes glittered.
"No!" said the older auror and quickly grabbed her hand. "No, Marlene. Don't do it".
"Why did you stop me, Carados?" cried the girl. "He killed him! He's a killer!"
"Because I don't want you to become a murderer, Marlene", said the older auror.
Snape took a breath.
"If someone must do it, it'd better be me".
He turned to Snape.
"I'll ask you a question and don't try to lie me. I'll know the truth".
"Ask".
"Were you there when Death Eaters took Benjy Fenwick?"
He did.
Snape tried to hide his thoughts, but the face betrayed him.
"I didn't kill him", said Severus quietly.
"Liar!" hissed Marlene.
Carados picked his wand up.
"He was fighting", said the auror in a cold calm voice. "Tried to run away".
Bones jerked.
"Carados, you don't… you are not gonna kill him, are you?" asked Bones in terror.
"Yes, Edgar. I'm gonna kill the bastard, who killed Benjy", said the older auror.
"I didn't kill him!" shouted Snape.
"If you didn't kill this one then you killed someone else, Death Eater", said the auror.
His wand pointed at Severus.
"Avada…"
"No! Stop! I'm not a Death Eater, I swear. I can approve it! Please!"
Perhaps there was something in his voice that had stopped the wizard. The auror put the wand down.
"Yes?"
Snape drew a little peace of a parchment out of his inside pocket.
"Take it, please. It will explain everything", said he.
Carados glanced distantly.
"What is it?" asked he.
"Be careful, Carados. That parchment may be full of dark magic!" said Bones nervously.
Snape still stood reaching the parchment to him.
Carados took it and got a look in.
"It's empty", said the auror.
"Kill him! The bastard is trying to save his neck!" yelled Marlene.
"Yes" echoed Edgar. "It's may be very dangerous".
"Stupid idiots!" roared Snape loosing his temper. "It was bewitched to be secret! Point your wand to the parchment and say…"
"Say what?"
"Lemon drop", said Snape.
"Kill him!" begged Marlene.
"It's maybe a trick", said Edgar. "The evil trick, kinda".
"Lemon drop…" mumbled Carados. "Lemon drop… why does it sounds so familiar?"
He picked the wand at the parchment. Severus held his breath. A few seconds and he will be saved… and dead as a spy. Snape remembered the day when that parchment was made.
"The power of Lord Voldemort is high as never before", said the headmaster of Hogwarts. "He killed every person, which we tried to infiltrate in his Inner Circle".
"Lemon drop", said the auror.
"No!"
Snape suddenly pulled the parchment out of Carados' hands and ripped it apart. Peaces failed dawn and Severus saw the green letters melting at it:
Severus Snape is no more a Death Eater than I am.
Albus Dumbledore.
Edgar picked up the peaces quickly, but not quickly enough.
"It's empty", said he.
"I don't know what do you think you're playing at, but it didn't work!" said Carados angrily.
"Tell us what is it was!" demanded Bones.
"My last hope", said Severus in a small voice.
"Indeed", said the older auror. "Good bye, Severus Snape".
Snape closed his eyes hoping that the death came to him painlessly and quickly. He heard a Bones' sigh and then…
"Crack!"
He opened his eyes and saw a new face in the room.
"What's going on?" asked Alastor Moody.
He saw the wand, gave a look at their faces and got everything.
"Take it away, Carados", said Moody calmly. "And get out".
Bones and Marlene obeyed in silence, but Carados stood at the door.
"You saw his body too, Alastor. He was only twenty one".
"Get. Out".
Moody closed the door after them, cast the muffled spell and turned to the spy.
"Snape", said Moody unpleasantly.
"Him", mumbled Severus. "I mean, I am".
"You chose the worst time to be nailed", said the auror.
"It wasn't my purpose", shrugged Snape.
"Why you didn't just get that stuff out of your pocket? You could save a lot of my time", said the auror.
"I did".
"They wanted to kill you even after Dumbledore's note?" wondered Moody.
"I pulled the parchment apart before they could look at it".
"Why?"
"I'm not a traitor"
"You are a traitor", said Moody. "I just don't know exactly whom you're betraying: Lord Voldemort or us. But I will".
"Dumbledore believes me", said Severus.
"Yes, he does believe in second chances. Why you didn't show the parchment? You knew, you would be free and cleaned for law".
Snape shrugged.
"You have no one in his Inner Circle right now. If my cover was blown, you couldn't know what he's up to".
Moody sneered, but say nothing.
"Well. We got a problem here. I can't just free you", said the auror.
"Yes, I suppose…"
"Take my advice, Snape. Don't be such a sarcastic arse".
"I'll do my best".
"Shut up. I'm thinking".
"I'd knock your head and run away", suggested Snape.
"And tomorrow all British aurors will be laughing at Great Moody, who had been knocked down like a muggle! No way. If something would to get me, it may be only magic. The dark one".
Moody had back a wand to the spy.
"Remember? Dark magic".
"How dark?" asked Severus.
"Something really weird. I know, Voldemort taught his supporters that stuff".
Severus took the wand. His smiled viciously.
"Petrificus Totalus!" shouted he.
The auror fail, his body slapped down with a big "boom".
"Sorry", smirked Snape. "I didn't pay attention during the Dark Lord's class.
Moody had lain like a log, only his eyes was rolling and a look which he gave Snape was promising nothing but a terrible dearth.
Severus heard knock and angry voices of aurors' trying to open the door.
"I think, it's your guys", said Snape. "I'll better go".
He apparated at the same time when aurors burst into the room.
Wizards usually apparate to some familiar place imaging this place in the mind before the apparation. But this time he hadn't got enough time and chouse the place instinctively.
Severus looked around.
"Damn!" said he.
He stood knee-deep in snow on the border of Hogwarts. Why the hell his subliminal mind had chosen this place?
He heard voices and hided behind a tree. Students from Hogwarts went by him sideways to Hogsmeade. They was laughing and speaking, talking about sweets and gifts.
Of course, it was Christmas Eve. He had nearly forgotten about Christmas in this year.
No wonder, he could hardly say that he had a real Christmas ever. In his early childhood it was the time, when his dad drank especially deadly and beat him especially badly. And now… ok, it was a silly thought.
From his place he could see the walls and towers of Hogwarts. He called to memory of the big Hall with thousands candles flying in the air, beautiful night-sky cell and long wooden tables. He pictured Hagrid dragging the huge Christmas-tree from the forest, and professor Flitwick singing under his nose, decorating that tree magically. And, of course, he imaged Albus Dumbledor, his long white bread, funny Christmas hat and gentle blue eyes glittering trough the familiar half-moon glasses. Snape felt like something clasped his throat. He suddenly wanted to walk to the castle, sit on the table with others, he wanted to eat, drink and laugh as all people. For one single Christmas dinner he wished to forget who he is, what he did, be happy, not lonely and maybe even looked at Dumbledore's face openly, without remorse and shame.
Snape shuddered. A moment of weakness was over.
"Don't be a child, Severus!" said he loudly to himself. "You have a work to do".
He got a last sight at Hodwarts' alight windows and apparated to Malfoy Manor.
Cold wind touched tops of the trees, covered Snape's footprints by snow and brought sounds of singing from Hogwarts:
Have yourself a merry little Christmas,
Let your heart be light
From now on,
Our troubles will be out of sight.