Disclaimer: JK Rowling is the master of the universe and I bow down before her infinite wisdom. She and her various publishers and Warner Bros. own everything. Also, I do not own REM, the song "It's the End of the World As We Know It" or the titles of any of the chapters. Each belongs to their respective songwriter/recording artist/record label. All I own is my pride (and that's open to negotiation.)
Pairings: Harry/Severus and some others are mentioned
Rating: R
Spoilers: All five books
Warning: This is a Snarry fan fic and is therefore, SLASH. If you don't like slash, feel free not to read any further. This scene has graphic description of torture. If you don't think you can handle this, please do not read.
A/N: Anything in italics denotes thought.
Chapter 3 -- We Don't Need Another Hero
Once the blasted feast was over Severus Snape stalked back to his rooms to think. He had spent many years trying to forget about that horrible night, but with Harry back he was going to have to face his memories.
Harry's Final Year at Hogwarts
Ever since learning that his memory in the diary had possessed Ginny Weasley, Voldemort had spent years trying to reconnect with her mind. Four weeks before Harry's graduation, he succeeded. He spent those four weeks developing a plan.
Severus watched the End of Year Feast with carefully concealed glee. After tonight, Harry Potter would no longer be a problem. The boy would be out of the school for good and Severus would finally be able to relax. Of course, he'd still have to see him at Order meetings, but since Potter would no longer be at Hogwarts, they most likely wouldn't have any missions together. Yes, he thought, things are definitely looking up.
He surveyed the House Tables and noticed his godson, Draco, glowering across the room. Severus followed Draco's gaze and realized he was glowering at the sight of Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter chatting and laughing.
Severus smirked. Draco and Ginny had been desperately trying to hide their illicit relationship from everyone in the school. They were truly horrible at it and the staff was taking bets on how long it would be before one of the students figured it out. Fortunately for them, the students were too wrapped up in their own problems and affairs and had no idea. The students are so dense that they could probably start snogging in the middle of the Great Hall before anyone figures it out.
Suddenly, Ginny stood up, took Harry's hand and led a very surprised looking Harry out of the room. Severus watched as a series of emotions flickered across Draco's face: surprise, confusion, hurt, and finally anger. He quickly got up and stormed out after them. Most of the students were too absorbed in their own conversations to even notice anything had happened.
Severus was a little puzzled, Ginny had been acting strangely all day. She's probably just upset because her friends and brother are leaving. She'll be the only Weasley left in the school, he reasoned and turned back to his meal.
A couple of minutes later Draco ran back into the Hall looking frightened. "Professor Snape!" he shouted. "You have to help me! They're gone! I have to find them. They disappeared!"
Draco now had the attention of the entire Hall. Severus thought he'd better get Draco out of the room before he caused a riot. "Mister Malfoy," he replied, "Cut the hysterics and I'll speak with you outside."
"But-"
"-Outside. Now, Mister Malfoy."
Though he couldn't show it, Severus was concerned. A Malfoy does not act like this. Draco knew better than to call attention to himself in such a way. Something was very wrong. As soon as they were outside the Great Hall Severus held up a hand to silence Draco and said "Calm down, and tell me exactly what you saw. Leave no detail out, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Also, do not embellish or draw any conclusions. Simply tell me what happened."
"Well," Draco began, "I saw Potter and Ginny talking together in the Great Hall and I was getting a little sick of it. Then Ginny took Potter by the hand to go somewhere more 'private'," he spat out the word. "I'd had as much of that crap as I was going to take. I followed them out to see what the hell was going on. Ginny is mine, and I'll be damned if Potter is going to take her from me!"
"Get back on topic, Mr. Malfoy."
"Well when I came out, Ginny and Potter were standing really close together and talking, but Ginny wasn't acting like herself."
"How so?" Severus asked. Though his facial expression remained the same, he was beginning to get a bad feeling.
"She was talking in a very low voice and then she showed Potter a bracelet that I've never seen her wear before. When he touched it they both disappeared! Sir, I think it was a portkey," Draco finished.
Shit! was the only thing Severus could think of. It had to be the Dark Lord. Why wasn't I informed of what was to happen? Just then, the mark on his arm began to burn. FUCK! He had to tell Dumbledore what had happened, but there wasn't time. He'd have to get Draco to do it, but could he trust him? He obviously had feelings for the girl, but his father was one of the Dark Lord's most trusted followers.
"Draco, listen very carefully. I need you to go and tell Professor Dumbledore exactly what you told me. Then tell him that 'It has begun'," and with that, Severus was off and running for the apparation point off grounds.
Draco stood there dumbstruck for a few moments. Go to Dumbledore? Not a chance. Father would disown me. But what can I do? He looked around feeling helpless before he remembered The necklace!
For Christmas last year, Draco had given Ginny a necklace. He had charmed it so that he could find her when ever he needed to talk to her. He quickly pulled out his own chain "Find Ginny!" he barked. The pendant pointed in a south westerly direction. He ran as fast as he could down to the dungeons, grabbed his broom, raced outside and took off to find Ginny.
Severus reached the apparation point, threw on his Death Eater mask and apparated to Voldemort. As we walked toward the clearing, he felt a strange tension in the air. Something's wrong. Only Voldemort and Lucius were present. Where are the rest of the Death Eaters?
Ginny was unconscious on the ground and Harry was standing of the side, obviously under the influence of the Petrificus Toatalus curse. His eyes though, seemed to be looking through Severus' mask, as if he knew who was underneath and was trying to warn him. Of what? After kissing the hem of Voldemort's robe, he straightened and walked to where he would normally stand in the Death Eater circle.
"Ah, the last member of our little group is here," hissed the Dark Lord.
"My Lord-" Severus began, but his question was cut off, left unasked.
"CRUCIO!"
Excruciating pain ripped through his body. The world around him exploded into flashes of colour behind his eyelids. It was so painful just to breath… maybe it would be better if he didn't breath anymore… and then the pain subsided.
"Stand up." He heard the order dimly, through a fog. He struggled to his knees and stayed there a moment, his vision winking in and out of blackness. After what seemed like hours, but could only have been a few seconds, he made it to his feet and tried desperately to blink away the blackness that was trying to overwhelm him once more.
"My Lord-" he tried again.
"Petrificus Totalus!" the Dark Lord shouted. "You betrayed me, Snape. You spied on me to help the muggle-loving fool! And so I think you shall suffer most of all. You will watch as your hero is broken. You will watch him weep and beg for death. You will watch as all of your hopes for salvation die with him. And then, you will die. Slowly. Knowing that you have failed and the world is now mine.
"But how will he be broken, you wonder?" he turned to face Harry. "He will watch as his friend is tortured over and over again. I will play with her until I am bored. Then she will be given to Lucius, to do as he pleases. When he is done with her she will be given to each Death Eater that I deem worthy. One by one they will be summoned and they shall each have their turn to enjoy her body, or to inflict pain. As you know Severus, some of my followers have some rather twisted appetites. But first, she is mine."
Severus watched as Ginny began to stir, trying to regain consciousness. Please, he thought, Fall unconscious again. Don't wake up. But his pleas were useless. He saw a single tear run down Harry's cheek. Be strong boy, he tried to will to Harry. This is only the beginning and you will have to witness so much more.
Voldemort took Ginny's hand and one by one bent each finger back until popped and then made a small crunching sound. Ginny screamed in pain at each break. He then looked up at Severus and smiled coldly. "I think you'll enjoy this one, Snape. It was one of your favourites, I believe."
"VOMICA!"
The end of his wand glowed red. He ran his wand along Ginny's arms and the skin began to blister and create boils. If he paused on a certain spot, the blisters popped and blood oozed out. Ginny's eyes searched the world around her in terror, but couldn't seem to focus on anything. She was pleading for help and begging for mercy, but there was no one who could help.
This went on for an hour, Voldemort alternated between the Cruciatus and some of the more imaginative curses he could come up with. Every time Ginny drifted into unconsciousness, Voldemort whispered an incantation to wake her up again.
Finally, Voldemort grew tired of his game. He turned to Lucius, "Would you like a turn?"
"You honour me, my Lord," Lucius replied.
Out of the corner of his eye, Severus thought he saw movement, like something falling out of the sky. Or someone landing their broom? No, it's hopeless. All is lost and no one is coming to help.
Lucius turned to look at Harry. "Have you ever taken a woman before? I'm betting you haven't. Watch and you might learn something. Not that you'll live long enough to use the knowledge," he sneered.
"No," came a deathly cold voice just out of Severus' sight on the left. Lucius' head whipped around to find his son stepping out of the forest, his wand pointed directly at Lucius' heart. "You will not touch her," came Draco's steely voice again.
"Son? How did you get here? What is this? Put that wand away."
"You will not touch her, Father," Draco repeated. "I love her and she is mine."
"Draco, put that wand away. We don't need another hero. We already have Dumbledore's Golden Boy over there. Stop acting like a fool. Love doesn't exist. Women are meant for our pleasure and to bear our children, nothing else." He turned back to Ginny. "You'll see that she's a whore like all the rest after the Death Eaters and I take her."
"I have no father," Draco whispered. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"
"NO!!!" Voldemort screamed in rage as Lucius was hit in the back by the green beam of light and crumpled to the ground. He whirled around to face Draco. "You cost me my best Death Eater!" he seethed.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Voldemort shouted. "You will die, but first you will see how useless your pathetic attempts to save her were." He pointed his wand at Ginny and shouted "AVADA KEDAVRA!" He twisted back to Draco "She is dead. Now you can join her. AVADA KEDAVRA!"
At this point, something inside Harry snapped. So many people had died because of this thing before him. His parents, Cedric, Sirius, Draco, Ginny…it would end now. A power began to build inside of him. It was not anger that grew, but love. Love of those who were gone, love of those left to mourn, love those yet to be born. Love of Human Life. Voldemort would not cause anymore pain.
Severus watched as Harry began to glow. Then a sphere of light burst from Harry's chest. It hurtled through the air straight at the Dark Lord. This pure and unadulterated ball of love hit Voldemort in the chest. Time slowed. There was a clap of thunder and Voldemort disappeared in a flash of darkness. It was the opposite of lightning, it was the complete absence of light. Time regained it's usual pace and Harry and Severus could move again. Harry fell to the ground exhausted.
It was then that Severus noticed that the bodies of Ginny and Draco had disappeared with Voldemort. Unbeknownst to him, all around the world, the bodies of all of the Dark Lord's victims were disappearing out of their coffins and crypts.
Harry was on the ground crying. Without thinking, Severus went over to him and held him. He rocked back and forth, murmuring soothing words until Harry calmed down. Suddenly, both of them were very aware of each other and they broke apart at the same time. Not quite able to meet Harry's eyes, Severus got up and dragged Lucius' body over to Harry and apparated them all back to Hogwarts.
When they got back they had an unspoken agreement to only tell what was necessary. The press was told only that Harry had defeated Lord Voldemort, but Ginny and Draco had fallen in the process. The order was given a brief outline of what happened. The Weasley's and Hermione were told most of it, but they left out the torture of Ginny. They told them that she had died quickly and painlessly. Dumbledore was told everything except for how Severus comforted Harry after the battle. Only Harry and Severus knew everything that happened.
Everyone tried to cope and move on with their lives as best they could. Ron and Hermione turned to each and finally admitted to their feelings for each other. Within a year they were married. Molly threw herself into the wedding preparations and forced everyone else in the family to join in. Harry withdrew from his friends. He still hung out with them, but the closeness that was once there disappeared. Severus took all of the memories from that night and locked them in a little box in the back of his mind so he wouldn't have to deal with any feelings. But now Harry was at Hogwarts, serving as a daily reminder of what really happened that night.
End Chapter 3
A/N1: I do not own Tina Turner or the song "We Don't Need Another Hero".
A/N2: Vomica -- ulcer, sore, boil /plague, curse (sorry for the really bad translations)
A/N3: Sorry this took so long! I know that you don't want to hear any excuses, but I've been crazy busy with school and work. I finally finished all of my exams yesterday, so this is the first chance I've had to work on it. At least it's longer than my other chapters, right?
A/N4: Thank you to Gin, Rachel Whitmore, jbcna, FallenPhoenix721, evilharrygoodness, Lady Jillyan Malfoy-Potter, lil-harry-hobo, Seket-Ninstuku-Anubis' Br, walker-of-the-shadow-path, Layce74, Miki23, Amanda Saitou, and drarrysev for reviewing!