Chapter 16 - Snape the imperative
Okay, title chapter names are getting weirder by the moment, but remember, this IS Xandra the blue, so please be gentle. I also get to introduce my favourite 'new' character. He's mine, so please don't steal, but all you need to know is that he is a/ slightly mad, b/ very mad and c/ extremely slashy.
I'm not going to go into anything bad without warning you, but please understand that this is my own, odd interpretation, and I do believe that Voldermort would want a lover. More on how they met later, as it is very important in understanding them.
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"Are you sure?" asked Tom, as Avekai led him up the hill.
"I'm certain its here!" he said, brushing a long strand of silver hair out of his face, "I know that no one thought of taking the old place down here!"
Tom looked at the silver haired boy, his red eyes gleaming with sentimentality. Avekai placed his hands on his hips, and gave him a quick kiss. "The Riddle manor." He said simply, "It's all yours."
"Avekai, I can't believe you....." Tom burst out with, excited, his thin, snake-like mouth wide open with a grin. His fork-like tongue shot out for a moment, as he tasted the air, and then he hugged Avekai. "It's going to be like the way it was!" Tom said, "The time before mud bloods and muggles ruled the world!"
"Hmm....." Avekai looked thoughtful, "Why are the lights on?"
"I dunno, maybe the gardener still lives there?" Said Tom, "He was accused of killing my father and his bastard parents, y'know. Maybe he got off."
"Maybe," replied Avekai uncertainly.
"You never know, Avekai, it could be the perfect ending to a perfect night? " Tom grinned to himself, red eyes flashing.
"Those Morturie should have been here earlier....."Worried Avekai, "I know they should have been."
"Ave, we should have sent dementors!"
"But Tom, dementors don't know when to stop! They might have brought him to us dead, and what use would that have been?"
"A lot."
"But Tom, think about it, if they got the other Snape alive, think about it! They wouldn't have ever seen anything like that before! They would be defenceless! There would be nothing he could do! And think about his living blood....." Avekai went' misty eyed at the thought, "Alive, you could have double the power, my sweet, double! - The very God's would worship you! And all for a little extra effort!"
Avekai, resting his head on Tom's shoulder as he whispered these words into his ear, kissed him, the very act making the air around them become warm and comforting.
Tom, seeming undistracted by Avekai's interference said, "Ave, I think that there might be someone in my house."
"Why do you think that, my darling, "Avekai purred, kissing him again.
"Because I can see someone moving in the lights." He finished.
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"Stop complaining Lucius!" rasped Lord Voldermort, "You are out of Azkaban, and there are those who'd kill for the pleasure."
"Dark Lord, I was not complaining!" said Lucious Malfoy, limping, "Just wish to return to my own home...."
"Quiet! Or I will set the dementors on you!" snapped Lord Voldermort. Lucius Malfoy shut up like a clam. There was a moment of quiet satisfaction before Lord Voldermort whispered, "Good. Now, Wormtail, what was I saying before Lucius interrupted me?"
"You were discussing what we should do, how we should lure Harry Potter out of Hogwart's and how to punish the enemies and.....traitors."
Voldermort felt his lips curl ever so slightly at the hesitation Wormtail used on the word traitors. He looked at his watery eyes, and smiling like a ventriloquists dummy, exclaimed, "yes!" the seven or so death-eaters assembled looked rather nervous as the Dark Lord, sitting on one of the half-rotting armchairs, eye's lit up and his long, claw-like hands dig into the arms of the chair. "First to go, after Harry Potter, will be his little friends, then that Idiot Dumbledore, then I'll kill the teachers and pupils of Hogwarts....except, of course, those who either join or have already joined our cause....." Voldermort gave Lucius Malfoy a questioning glance, "Like Mr Malfoy's son." Lucius looked uncomfortable, but didn't question what the Dark Lord had said, "but I want my traitor to suffer. Remember, those who catch Severus Snape alive with have an extra reward when we rule. I want to torture him, I want him to learn what really pain is like."
"And then, after Hogwarts?" asked Peter smugly, his silver hand curling up into a joyous fist.
"After Hogwarts, we will kill the muggles, then the mudbloods, every single on of them, after that, we shall kill all the traitors...."
"Traitors!" giggles Wormtail, as if he were a little child, "Traitors to the Dark Lord."
"Yes, wormtail, you were my faithful servant." humoured Voldermort, sitting up, "we shall kill all those who opposed me, all those who are traitors to our cause. Then, when we are free of the scourge......"
"Scourge!" repeated Wormtail.
".....To our society, then, we shall create a utopia. A Utopia of pure blood. We won't have to hide what we really are any more! And let it be known that I shall never humour a muggle, or a mudblood! I will never compromise and I shall never dirty the pure with the impure! Fudge, that silly little man, he put his own fear and hatred before the good of the public!" the other death eaters laughed, "yes, he buried his head in the sand because of his weakness! He denied my very existence!" Voldermort joined in laughing, "his foolishness allowed me to gain the strength that I need to destroy him!" he cackled, "He is an idiot!"
The Deatheaters continued to laugh, not wanting to be the first one to stop. Then, Voldermort's smile disappeared, and was replaced with a dark look. The deatheaters stopped laughing immediately. "But you see, I cannot be a weak man. If I am to ignore what comes to me for my own pleasure, then I am as weak as him. But I do not, and shall not. I rate him now! Whoever places a friend above the good of our cause, that man is nothing!"
It was at this point that a sound was heard from downstairs, like one of the windows being opened. "That is why I insist that all people who feel that something is stopping them from doing what I command, what is right, that they should destroy their weakness, or the person who brings it out. Then, and only then, will he know his true colours: traitor, or loyal hero."
The deatheater's didn't know whether to clap, or to cry as the words, echoing in their ears, and the red eyes examined them, as if trying to see all the blemishes in their souls. There was the sound of heavy footsteps on the floor below. One deatheater emitted a squeak, sweat running down his face, behind the mask. Voldermort immediately turned on him. "So, Lynch, are you weak or strong?"
Voldermort leaned towards him, so close to his face that their eyes met and their noses were but millimetres away from each other. "weakness, other people's weakness brought me down before. Are you weak Lynch?"
There was no other noise in the room except the soft thud of feet on the rickety stair to the room.
The deatheater tried to look away as Voldermort backed him against a wall. "Are you Lynch, " he sneered, "are you?" His red eyes burned with angry madness.
"N-n-n-n...." he stuttered, the panic in his eyes visible behind the mask.
"If you can't tell me, then you must be lying. Good bye Lynch." Voldermort smiled. Lynch whimpered, his whole body shaking. He let out a gasp of fear as Voldermort calmly lifted his wand. " Adava, " he said so slowly that everyone in the room felt themselves go weak at the knees, " Kedavr - "
The doors behind them opened. "Stop!" demanded a powerful voice.
All the death eaters scurried out of the light of the gas-lamp the other one had broken off the wall like cockroaches. Voldermort swivelled around as Lynch, half relieve, half about to die from shock, fell to the ground.
"Get OUT OF MY HOUSE!" yelled Tom before he realised who he was staring at.
"TREASON!" roared Voldermort as he rounded on the terrified death eaters, "WHO DID THIS! ANSWER ME NOW!"
The deatheaters lie on the floor, but found that they couldn't talk. They tried to scream, but their throats were frozen, with fear and magic. Wormtail tried to speak, he tried to cough, but he rived on the floor like a beetle that had been placed on it's back in the mid-day sun, trying to scream.
"Who did this!" raged Voldermort, "I want to know, right now!"
"They can't speak, " purred Tom, "I've taken their voice away."
"Who are you?" hissed Voldermort.
"I am, " said Tom ominously, "Lord Voldermort."
"Liar!" hiss Voldermort again, "I am Lord Voldermort! Attack them!" Voldermort shouted in desperation. Avekai looked him in the eye, and before even the first death eater had walked a step he hissed "perfectelous totalis." Ever death eater in the room, except Wormtail fell to the floor, as if they had all been tied.
Tom was about to raise his wand, but Avekai put his gentle hand on Tom's, and whispered in his ear, "No, we can work this to our advantage."
Voldermort pointed his wand at Tom's head. "Adava....." he started. Avekai, with reflects like a snake, pushed his wand away and before Voldermort knew what had happened, Avekai had managed to put him into a headlock.
"Don't fire until you know what you're dealing with." He whispered, purring the warning into Voldermort's ear, "you might lose out on something."
"What do you want!" spat Voldermort as he began to get ready to kill the man holding him.
"We want to rule again, Voldermort." Said Tom, "We want power. We want to punish the traitorous and to kill the mudblood and muggles. We want the same as you. "
Avekai loosened his grip, but only a little. "We have two choices. " he smiled, his voice like honey dripping on toast, "you can either talk this through, without using power to beat us, so we can come to an, how should I put it...arrangement, or I can snap your spine in half."
"You haven't got the magic!" gasped Voldermort. It was at this point that Avekai squeezed. Voldermort let out a loud groan of pain. He could feel his vertebrae being crushed as the fey young man squeezed, he could hear the bones cracking and collapsing under the sheer physical strength. Or was it? It felt like strength, but something about it told him that it was not just muscles crushing him. It felt like the cosmos was trying to compact his spine. Voldermort let out a small shriek of pain, and then Avekai dropped him to the floor.
"You have the power, my darling, but we have the key." Avekai dropped to the floor, next to him and whispered angrily "I know what it is like to suffer forever to get what you want. I know what it is like to be failed every time you get close. I know what it is like when your heritage stops people from showing even the smallest amount of humanity towards you." Then, stroking his heads as if it were a precious gem," Son of Slytherin, get up. We speak sense. Do not let your pride get before your own great wisdom."
Voldermort, using Avekai's shoulder to help his stand up straight said, "I will talk." Tom gave Avekai an angry look, but Avekai mouthed something to him that Voldermort couldn't make out. Tom still looked angry, but as they went over to the chairs, sat opposite him, eyeing his double with hatred.
Wormtail, panicking, ran over to his Lord and started to try and shout, but not words came out of his mouth as he cried and screamed for his Lord.
"What does your rat want?" asked Tom.
"I think he wants his voice back, " replied Avekai, his hands on Tom's shoulders, "Don't worry, I'll let him speak again." Avekai brought out a wand, and without a word lifted the curse he'd out on them.
".....Sir, Lord, master!" shouted Wormtrail, his voice choked with hysterical sobs, "It's a trap, I'm sure of it!"
"Quiet Wormtail!" snapped Voldermort, "or I shall shut your mouth permanently."
Wormtail instantly fell quiet, except for his irregular sobs as he fell to the ground, muttering quietly to himself how this all looked bad.
"I will not bore you with the details of how we got here, and I know you already know what we want, " spat Tom curtly, "But we wish to offer your services to you, in exchange for a few that we feel you can offer us."
"Speak." Said Voldermort, " and shut up Wormtail!" he raged at the sobbing, broken man on the carpet.
"First of all, when we all take over... " Said Tom.
"Wait, I haven't said that you're a part of this, I don't know why I shouldn't kill you already!" shouted Voldermort.
"Because you're interested, " said Avekai, his voice as gentle as a summer breeze, "and we will tell you why you should be. You have in your ranks, men of my own kind. But, as you should already know, that is like the sword of Damocles, at least with your thoughts at the moment. If you do not treat them fairly, they will kill you without a moment's thought. They want the same as you, dear Voldermort, but if you betray them, you might as well kill yourself now. " Avekai raised a silver eyebrow, "The first thing our people want is to live freely. I have decided. When we take over, you can have the entire earth, except for America, North America, when it has been freed of the human pestilence. We want to live there, and not be disturbed. You have the rest of the world for your own, and we shall never disturb you. Do you agree that this is a fair term?"
"Just North America?" laughed Voldermort, "why not just take the shirt off my back!"
"No, you do not understand!" said Avekai, "my people will be very useful, once I weed out the traitors, and the weakbloods!" We could do all your fighting for you; the ministry won't know what hit them! We can get into Hogwarts unnoticed, because Dumbledore does not see what a threat we truly are! Don't you understand? There would be no losses amongst death eaters! And all for one hot country...."
"With fertile soil." Growled Voldermort.
"But Lord, " said Avekai, genuflecting in front of Lord Voldermort, placing his head at his feet, "You have Europe! You have Africa! You have all the wonders of the world in exchange for one country! It makes sense!"
Avekai looked up at him, black eyes shinning at him. Voldermort looked away, and after the longest minute in history whispered, "I agree...."
"LORD!" Exclaimed Wormtail, jumping up, "He's tricking you!"
Voldermort stood up and shouted, "For the last time, be quiet!" and raising his hand, hit him across the face, Voldemort's claw-like fingernails ripping into the flesh across his face. "BE QUIET!" he yelled again, as if trying to make a point.
Wormtail, his face bleeding, let out a sob and tried to cover his face with the cloth of his robe, stifling his cries.
Avekai walked over to Tom and said, "Go on, my Lord, I have spoken enough."
Tom, his eyes burning red said, "I want equal power."
"No!" hissed Voldermort.
"I WILL have it!" repeated Tom, "If I don't have equal power, I will withdraw my help, and I shall tell the ministry everything. I shall go to the ministry and let them know everything about you, everything you've done, what you are going to do and how you can die."
"You wouldn't." snarled Lord Voldermort, "They would kill you."
Tom smiled, "But it would stop you from getting power. You see, I want this to work. I would even sacrifice everything I believe in for this to work."
Voldermort smiled. "I see. But do I still have ultimate power in the event of crisis?"
Tom looked at Avekai, who nodded in such a way that it made Voldermort uncomfortable. "I agree to your terms, but my own power shall never be revoked."
"Except in the event of death." Said Avekai, "Only death can do your power pack apart, my lord."
"I agree as well." Said Voldermort.
"Our last condition is that we have Snape for ourselves."
"WHAT!" shouted lord Voldermort.
"What's wrong with that?" asked Avekai, "he is nothing to you, but to me.....to me he is necessary."
"He betrayed me! He must be punished!"
"We need him!" shouted Tom, "I need him!"
"He is a disgrace to the pureblood, a disgrace to the deatheaters, and finally he is to be tortured for what he did!" shouted Voldermort.
Tom and Voldermort pulled out their wands. "I'll kill you for him!" shouted Tom, "I'LL KILL YOU AND EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM FOR HIM!"
"YOU ARE WEAK! HE IS MINE!" screamed Lord Voldermort. Wormtail placed his hands over his ears and began to rock on the floor, whimpering like a kicked puppy.
"HE'S MINE!" shouted Tom, so loud that even Avekai shivered.
"HE IS MY TROPHY!" yelled Voldermort, as if trying to out-so him.
"STOP!" shouted Avekai, shaken. They both stared at him. Voldermort had obviously never told what to do before, while Tom looked shocked that Avekai had the strength to shout. Avakai shook as if he were in shock, and sighed before he said, shivering, "Please, my Lord.....he ran over to Voldermort, and did a very strange thing. He knelt down, and holding onto one knee and bowing his head to the ground he said, "please stop and consider my love, please think my Gallant one, I supplicate you.....yes, I supplicate you, please do not raise wands to each other. "
"What shall you do in response?" asked Lord Voldermort.
"I shall show you my gratitude?" asked Avekai.
"I concede, " said the Lord, who returned to his chair. Avekai went over to Tom, and kissed his hand before vaguely massaging his hand, looking into Tom's face. Tom smiled back, and with his free hand ruffled Avekai's long, silver hair. Avakai smiled like a child who's just been told he was good, and turned around to Voldermort. He walked over to his chair, and sitting on the arm leaned over and whispered to his, "My Lord, what do you want most of all in the world?"
The voice, so childlike, yet with wisdom beyond his years, like silk in his ear, but also like the roar of a big cat made Voldermort reply truthfully. "I want Harry Potter dead."
Avekai sat quietly for a moment, unmoving, as if he had temporally stopped moving to give his brain extra power to solve a problem. Then, moving like water Avekai swung himself to the other side of the chair, and breathed in his ear, "I can get you Harry Potter, but you must trust me...." Voldermort looked into Avekai's face. He looked into the black eyes, and tried to find a lie in them. He found none. Voldermort smiled. Avekai smiled back, a proper, adult smile of simple pleasure.
"Ah, it sounds like our visitor has come, with a guest of my own. " he said as he heard footsteps on the stairs, "I didn't know we'd find you here, Dark Lord, so I didn't think not to invite her." There was a knock at the door. Avekai leapt from the chair to the door. "Come in.," he said in a singsong manner.
When the blonde haired girl walked in alone he said in a sickly sweet voice, "Ah, Ysabelle, nice to see you, I think you have a prize for me? But you're still in uniform, sit down....." The little Slytherin girl sat down, shamefaced.
"Now, you should have a present for me...." Said Avekai hopefully, a smile plastered over his face.
The girl, looking him in the face with equanimity, shook her head.
Avekai's smile crumbled. "But surely, he couldn't have....he's just a boy....."
Ysabelle nodded her head.
He looked at her with hatred and hissed, "I will speak to you later." Before he turned around, his face a picture of embarrassed politeness. "I'm sorry, my Lords, that there is a slight clog in the works, but be certain that I can get you what you both want. " Avekai smiled like a cockney store- holder, and then, licking his top lip nervously said, "I am certain that I can get you both Snape, and Harry Potter."
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Notes? Yeah, well, y'know....
1/ Mmmm.....I'm getting too fond of traitors, I've decided that Wormtongue was cool in LOTR, and now wormtail? I love the way I've done him, people will disagree with me on him, but...but I love it. I kinda see him as childlike, like a child suffering with Stockholm syndrome, but knows they should know better. But here I think you can see a side that isn't seen very often in the books in Wormtails character. I think if I ever get the inspiration, it would be a good idea to do a one of wormtail fic.
2/ I'm am so pretentious. I quote from an edition of Antigone. Man, I love that play. 'I rate him now! Whoever places a friend above the good of our cause, that man is nothing!' was taken from Creon's speech and was closely modelled of it. I loved the energy of that darn speech (I'm talking of the Sophocles version, sorry!)
3/ I don't know why, but when Tom is about to raise his wand, and Avekai whispers to him, I see that as so sweet and loving.
4/The physical overcomes the magical in this chapter. Strangely philosophical, and says more about myself than I dare to mention.
5/ Avekai calls everyone darling, I don't know why. He just popped into my head and smoking a cigarette he said, 'hello Darling, you're not getting rid of me you know.' It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the thousand other characters doing that :P
6/The voice I used for this chapter is somewhere between Tolkien and translated greek plays, but for the life of me, I don't know why.
7/ Now, when I say North America, I don't just say that to try any annoy anyone in North America. I was thinking what place Avekai would want to have, fertile land and trees wise. I first of all considered England, but Avekai would want more land. Trust me, it was a toss up between America and Norway. I chose America to make him seem more of a threat. Anything else you can see in this is for you to make up your minds about.
8/ Supplication. Again, I seem pretentious, but I promise I try not to be. If you ever Read Euripides's Medea, there is a very touching scene where Medea supplicates the king of Corinth to think of a place to go after exile. Trust me, it all ends in tears.
9/ yes, she was in Slytherin. And yes, this is part of the more there is to her. Even more will be added, over time, but I think that worm tongue would be very interesting to add to. But as I said, I will explain as I go on why she sort of gets important (she has a few tasks, nothing very big, plot- wise, all that stuff lies with Severus Snape and Harry Potter.)
As you can tell by the sheer volume of notes and the chapter itself, I found this most enjoyable to write. It was a nice chance, and by heck I'll take us back here. I think Voldermort is rather underused in a few fanfics, but as I said, I probably won't do much better, but I will try. Oh yeah, Voldermort, Wormtongue and Snape, why can't I just like a character like Neville? XP
Only Kidding. I hope you enjoy this chapter at least as much as I did writing it, but hopefully more. And if you want to leave a review, well, that would be great. (Passes a cup of tea to all those who leave reviews) I'll just get a pot going. :S
Okay, title chapter names are getting weirder by the moment, but remember, this IS Xandra the blue, so please be gentle. I also get to introduce my favourite 'new' character. He's mine, so please don't steal, but all you need to know is that he is a/ slightly mad, b/ very mad and c/ extremely slashy.
I'm not going to go into anything bad without warning you, but please understand that this is my own, odd interpretation, and I do believe that Voldermort would want a lover. More on how they met later, as it is very important in understanding them.
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"Are you sure?" asked Tom, as Avekai led him up the hill.
"I'm certain its here!" he said, brushing a long strand of silver hair out of his face, "I know that no one thought of taking the old place down here!"
Tom looked at the silver haired boy, his red eyes gleaming with sentimentality. Avekai placed his hands on his hips, and gave him a quick kiss. "The Riddle manor." He said simply, "It's all yours."
"Avekai, I can't believe you....." Tom burst out with, excited, his thin, snake-like mouth wide open with a grin. His fork-like tongue shot out for a moment, as he tasted the air, and then he hugged Avekai. "It's going to be like the way it was!" Tom said, "The time before mud bloods and muggles ruled the world!"
"Hmm....." Avekai looked thoughtful, "Why are the lights on?"
"I dunno, maybe the gardener still lives there?" Said Tom, "He was accused of killing my father and his bastard parents, y'know. Maybe he got off."
"Maybe," replied Avekai uncertainly.
"You never know, Avekai, it could be the perfect ending to a perfect night? " Tom grinned to himself, red eyes flashing.
"Those Morturie should have been here earlier....."Worried Avekai, "I know they should have been."
"Ave, we should have sent dementors!"
"But Tom, dementors don't know when to stop! They might have brought him to us dead, and what use would that have been?"
"A lot."
"But Tom, think about it, if they got the other Snape alive, think about it! They wouldn't have ever seen anything like that before! They would be defenceless! There would be nothing he could do! And think about his living blood....." Avekai went' misty eyed at the thought, "Alive, you could have double the power, my sweet, double! - The very God's would worship you! And all for a little extra effort!"
Avekai, resting his head on Tom's shoulder as he whispered these words into his ear, kissed him, the very act making the air around them become warm and comforting.
Tom, seeming undistracted by Avekai's interference said, "Ave, I think that there might be someone in my house."
"Why do you think that, my darling, "Avekai purred, kissing him again.
"Because I can see someone moving in the lights." He finished.
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"Stop complaining Lucius!" rasped Lord Voldermort, "You are out of Azkaban, and there are those who'd kill for the pleasure."
"Dark Lord, I was not complaining!" said Lucious Malfoy, limping, "Just wish to return to my own home...."
"Quiet! Or I will set the dementors on you!" snapped Lord Voldermort. Lucius Malfoy shut up like a clam. There was a moment of quiet satisfaction before Lord Voldermort whispered, "Good. Now, Wormtail, what was I saying before Lucius interrupted me?"
"You were discussing what we should do, how we should lure Harry Potter out of Hogwart's and how to punish the enemies and.....traitors."
Voldermort felt his lips curl ever so slightly at the hesitation Wormtail used on the word traitors. He looked at his watery eyes, and smiling like a ventriloquists dummy, exclaimed, "yes!" the seven or so death-eaters assembled looked rather nervous as the Dark Lord, sitting on one of the half-rotting armchairs, eye's lit up and his long, claw-like hands dig into the arms of the chair. "First to go, after Harry Potter, will be his little friends, then that Idiot Dumbledore, then I'll kill the teachers and pupils of Hogwarts....except, of course, those who either join or have already joined our cause....." Voldermort gave Lucius Malfoy a questioning glance, "Like Mr Malfoy's son." Lucius looked uncomfortable, but didn't question what the Dark Lord had said, "but I want my traitor to suffer. Remember, those who catch Severus Snape alive with have an extra reward when we rule. I want to torture him, I want him to learn what really pain is like."
"And then, after Hogwarts?" asked Peter smugly, his silver hand curling up into a joyous fist.
"After Hogwarts, we will kill the muggles, then the mudbloods, every single on of them, after that, we shall kill all the traitors...."
"Traitors!" giggles Wormtail, as if he were a little child, "Traitors to the Dark Lord."
"Yes, wormtail, you were my faithful servant." humoured Voldermort, sitting up, "we shall kill all those who opposed me, all those who are traitors to our cause. Then, when we are free of the scourge......"
"Scourge!" repeated Wormtail.
".....To our society, then, we shall create a utopia. A Utopia of pure blood. We won't have to hide what we really are any more! And let it be known that I shall never humour a muggle, or a mudblood! I will never compromise and I shall never dirty the pure with the impure! Fudge, that silly little man, he put his own fear and hatred before the good of the public!" the other death eaters laughed, "yes, he buried his head in the sand because of his weakness! He denied my very existence!" Voldermort joined in laughing, "his foolishness allowed me to gain the strength that I need to destroy him!" he cackled, "He is an idiot!"
The Deatheaters continued to laugh, not wanting to be the first one to stop. Then, Voldermort's smile disappeared, and was replaced with a dark look. The deatheaters stopped laughing immediately. "But you see, I cannot be a weak man. If I am to ignore what comes to me for my own pleasure, then I am as weak as him. But I do not, and shall not. I rate him now! Whoever places a friend above the good of our cause, that man is nothing!"
It was at this point that a sound was heard from downstairs, like one of the windows being opened. "That is why I insist that all people who feel that something is stopping them from doing what I command, what is right, that they should destroy their weakness, or the person who brings it out. Then, and only then, will he know his true colours: traitor, or loyal hero."
The deatheater's didn't know whether to clap, or to cry as the words, echoing in their ears, and the red eyes examined them, as if trying to see all the blemishes in their souls. There was the sound of heavy footsteps on the floor below. One deatheater emitted a squeak, sweat running down his face, behind the mask. Voldermort immediately turned on him. "So, Lynch, are you weak or strong?"
Voldermort leaned towards him, so close to his face that their eyes met and their noses were but millimetres away from each other. "weakness, other people's weakness brought me down before. Are you weak Lynch?"
There was no other noise in the room except the soft thud of feet on the rickety stair to the room.
The deatheater tried to look away as Voldermort backed him against a wall. "Are you Lynch, " he sneered, "are you?" His red eyes burned with angry madness.
"N-n-n-n...." he stuttered, the panic in his eyes visible behind the mask.
"If you can't tell me, then you must be lying. Good bye Lynch." Voldermort smiled. Lynch whimpered, his whole body shaking. He let out a gasp of fear as Voldermort calmly lifted his wand. " Adava, " he said so slowly that everyone in the room felt themselves go weak at the knees, " Kedavr - "
The doors behind them opened. "Stop!" demanded a powerful voice.
All the death eaters scurried out of the light of the gas-lamp the other one had broken off the wall like cockroaches. Voldermort swivelled around as Lynch, half relieve, half about to die from shock, fell to the ground.
"Get OUT OF MY HOUSE!" yelled Tom before he realised who he was staring at.
"TREASON!" roared Voldermort as he rounded on the terrified death eaters, "WHO DID THIS! ANSWER ME NOW!"
The deatheaters lie on the floor, but found that they couldn't talk. They tried to scream, but their throats were frozen, with fear and magic. Wormtail tried to speak, he tried to cough, but he rived on the floor like a beetle that had been placed on it's back in the mid-day sun, trying to scream.
"Who did this!" raged Voldermort, "I want to know, right now!"
"They can't speak, " purred Tom, "I've taken their voice away."
"Who are you?" hissed Voldermort.
"I am, " said Tom ominously, "Lord Voldermort."
"Liar!" hiss Voldermort again, "I am Lord Voldermort! Attack them!" Voldermort shouted in desperation. Avekai looked him in the eye, and before even the first death eater had walked a step he hissed "perfectelous totalis." Ever death eater in the room, except Wormtail fell to the floor, as if they had all been tied.
Tom was about to raise his wand, but Avekai put his gentle hand on Tom's, and whispered in his ear, "No, we can work this to our advantage."
Voldermort pointed his wand at Tom's head. "Adava....." he started. Avekai, with reflects like a snake, pushed his wand away and before Voldermort knew what had happened, Avekai had managed to put him into a headlock.
"Don't fire until you know what you're dealing with." He whispered, purring the warning into Voldermort's ear, "you might lose out on something."
"What do you want!" spat Voldermort as he began to get ready to kill the man holding him.
"We want to rule again, Voldermort." Said Tom, "We want power. We want to punish the traitorous and to kill the mudblood and muggles. We want the same as you. "
Avekai loosened his grip, but only a little. "We have two choices. " he smiled, his voice like honey dripping on toast, "you can either talk this through, without using power to beat us, so we can come to an, how should I put it...arrangement, or I can snap your spine in half."
"You haven't got the magic!" gasped Voldermort. It was at this point that Avekai squeezed. Voldermort let out a loud groan of pain. He could feel his vertebrae being crushed as the fey young man squeezed, he could hear the bones cracking and collapsing under the sheer physical strength. Or was it? It felt like strength, but something about it told him that it was not just muscles crushing him. It felt like the cosmos was trying to compact his spine. Voldermort let out a small shriek of pain, and then Avekai dropped him to the floor.
"You have the power, my darling, but we have the key." Avekai dropped to the floor, next to him and whispered angrily "I know what it is like to suffer forever to get what you want. I know what it is like to be failed every time you get close. I know what it is like when your heritage stops people from showing even the smallest amount of humanity towards you." Then, stroking his heads as if it were a precious gem," Son of Slytherin, get up. We speak sense. Do not let your pride get before your own great wisdom."
Voldermort, using Avekai's shoulder to help his stand up straight said, "I will talk." Tom gave Avekai an angry look, but Avekai mouthed something to him that Voldermort couldn't make out. Tom still looked angry, but as they went over to the chairs, sat opposite him, eyeing his double with hatred.
Wormtail, panicking, ran over to his Lord and started to try and shout, but not words came out of his mouth as he cried and screamed for his Lord.
"What does your rat want?" asked Tom.
"I think he wants his voice back, " replied Avekai, his hands on Tom's shoulders, "Don't worry, I'll let him speak again." Avekai brought out a wand, and without a word lifted the curse he'd out on them.
".....Sir, Lord, master!" shouted Wormtrail, his voice choked with hysterical sobs, "It's a trap, I'm sure of it!"
"Quiet Wormtail!" snapped Voldermort, "or I shall shut your mouth permanently."
Wormtail instantly fell quiet, except for his irregular sobs as he fell to the ground, muttering quietly to himself how this all looked bad.
"I will not bore you with the details of how we got here, and I know you already know what we want, " spat Tom curtly, "But we wish to offer your services to you, in exchange for a few that we feel you can offer us."
"Speak." Said Voldermort, " and shut up Wormtail!" he raged at the sobbing, broken man on the carpet.
"First of all, when we all take over... " Said Tom.
"Wait, I haven't said that you're a part of this, I don't know why I shouldn't kill you already!" shouted Voldermort.
"Because you're interested, " said Avekai, his voice as gentle as a summer breeze, "and we will tell you why you should be. You have in your ranks, men of my own kind. But, as you should already know, that is like the sword of Damocles, at least with your thoughts at the moment. If you do not treat them fairly, they will kill you without a moment's thought. They want the same as you, dear Voldermort, but if you betray them, you might as well kill yourself now. " Avekai raised a silver eyebrow, "The first thing our people want is to live freely. I have decided. When we take over, you can have the entire earth, except for America, North America, when it has been freed of the human pestilence. We want to live there, and not be disturbed. You have the rest of the world for your own, and we shall never disturb you. Do you agree that this is a fair term?"
"Just North America?" laughed Voldermort, "why not just take the shirt off my back!"
"No, you do not understand!" said Avekai, "my people will be very useful, once I weed out the traitors, and the weakbloods!" We could do all your fighting for you; the ministry won't know what hit them! We can get into Hogwarts unnoticed, because Dumbledore does not see what a threat we truly are! Don't you understand? There would be no losses amongst death eaters! And all for one hot country...."
"With fertile soil." Growled Voldermort.
"But Lord, " said Avekai, genuflecting in front of Lord Voldermort, placing his head at his feet, "You have Europe! You have Africa! You have all the wonders of the world in exchange for one country! It makes sense!"
Avekai looked up at him, black eyes shinning at him. Voldermort looked away, and after the longest minute in history whispered, "I agree...."
"LORD!" Exclaimed Wormtail, jumping up, "He's tricking you!"
Voldermort stood up and shouted, "For the last time, be quiet!" and raising his hand, hit him across the face, Voldemort's claw-like fingernails ripping into the flesh across his face. "BE QUIET!" he yelled again, as if trying to make a point.
Wormtail, his face bleeding, let out a sob and tried to cover his face with the cloth of his robe, stifling his cries.
Avekai walked over to Tom and said, "Go on, my Lord, I have spoken enough."
Tom, his eyes burning red said, "I want equal power."
"No!" hissed Voldermort.
"I WILL have it!" repeated Tom, "If I don't have equal power, I will withdraw my help, and I shall tell the ministry everything. I shall go to the ministry and let them know everything about you, everything you've done, what you are going to do and how you can die."
"You wouldn't." snarled Lord Voldermort, "They would kill you."
Tom smiled, "But it would stop you from getting power. You see, I want this to work. I would even sacrifice everything I believe in for this to work."
Voldermort smiled. "I see. But do I still have ultimate power in the event of crisis?"
Tom looked at Avekai, who nodded in such a way that it made Voldermort uncomfortable. "I agree to your terms, but my own power shall never be revoked."
"Except in the event of death." Said Avekai, "Only death can do your power pack apart, my lord."
"I agree as well." Said Voldermort.
"Our last condition is that we have Snape for ourselves."
"WHAT!" shouted lord Voldermort.
"What's wrong with that?" asked Avekai, "he is nothing to you, but to me.....to me he is necessary."
"He betrayed me! He must be punished!"
"We need him!" shouted Tom, "I need him!"
"He is a disgrace to the pureblood, a disgrace to the deatheaters, and finally he is to be tortured for what he did!" shouted Voldermort.
Tom and Voldermort pulled out their wands. "I'll kill you for him!" shouted Tom, "I'LL KILL YOU AND EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM FOR HIM!"
"YOU ARE WEAK! HE IS MINE!" screamed Lord Voldermort. Wormtail placed his hands over his ears and began to rock on the floor, whimpering like a kicked puppy.
"HE'S MINE!" shouted Tom, so loud that even Avekai shivered.
"HE IS MY TROPHY!" yelled Voldermort, as if trying to out-so him.
"STOP!" shouted Avekai, shaken. They both stared at him. Voldermort had obviously never told what to do before, while Tom looked shocked that Avekai had the strength to shout. Avakai shook as if he were in shock, and sighed before he said, shivering, "Please, my Lord.....he ran over to Voldermort, and did a very strange thing. He knelt down, and holding onto one knee and bowing his head to the ground he said, "please stop and consider my love, please think my Gallant one, I supplicate you.....yes, I supplicate you, please do not raise wands to each other. "
"What shall you do in response?" asked Lord Voldermort.
"I shall show you my gratitude?" asked Avekai.
"I concede, " said the Lord, who returned to his chair. Avekai went over to Tom, and kissed his hand before vaguely massaging his hand, looking into Tom's face. Tom smiled back, and with his free hand ruffled Avekai's long, silver hair. Avakai smiled like a child who's just been told he was good, and turned around to Voldermort. He walked over to his chair, and sitting on the arm leaned over and whispered to his, "My Lord, what do you want most of all in the world?"
The voice, so childlike, yet with wisdom beyond his years, like silk in his ear, but also like the roar of a big cat made Voldermort reply truthfully. "I want Harry Potter dead."
Avekai sat quietly for a moment, unmoving, as if he had temporally stopped moving to give his brain extra power to solve a problem. Then, moving like water Avekai swung himself to the other side of the chair, and breathed in his ear, "I can get you Harry Potter, but you must trust me...." Voldermort looked into Avekai's face. He looked into the black eyes, and tried to find a lie in them. He found none. Voldermort smiled. Avekai smiled back, a proper, adult smile of simple pleasure.
"Ah, it sounds like our visitor has come, with a guest of my own. " he said as he heard footsteps on the stairs, "I didn't know we'd find you here, Dark Lord, so I didn't think not to invite her." There was a knock at the door. Avekai leapt from the chair to the door. "Come in.," he said in a singsong manner.
When the blonde haired girl walked in alone he said in a sickly sweet voice, "Ah, Ysabelle, nice to see you, I think you have a prize for me? But you're still in uniform, sit down....." The little Slytherin girl sat down, shamefaced.
"Now, you should have a present for me...." Said Avekai hopefully, a smile plastered over his face.
The girl, looking him in the face with equanimity, shook her head.
Avekai's smile crumbled. "But surely, he couldn't have....he's just a boy....."
Ysabelle nodded her head.
He looked at her with hatred and hissed, "I will speak to you later." Before he turned around, his face a picture of embarrassed politeness. "I'm sorry, my Lords, that there is a slight clog in the works, but be certain that I can get you what you both want. " Avekai smiled like a cockney store- holder, and then, licking his top lip nervously said, "I am certain that I can get you both Snape, and Harry Potter."
***********
Notes? Yeah, well, y'know....
1/ Mmmm.....I'm getting too fond of traitors, I've decided that Wormtongue was cool in LOTR, and now wormtail? I love the way I've done him, people will disagree with me on him, but...but I love it. I kinda see him as childlike, like a child suffering with Stockholm syndrome, but knows they should know better. But here I think you can see a side that isn't seen very often in the books in Wormtails character. I think if I ever get the inspiration, it would be a good idea to do a one of wormtail fic.
2/ I'm am so pretentious. I quote from an edition of Antigone. Man, I love that play. 'I rate him now! Whoever places a friend above the good of our cause, that man is nothing!' was taken from Creon's speech and was closely modelled of it. I loved the energy of that darn speech (I'm talking of the Sophocles version, sorry!)
3/ I don't know why, but when Tom is about to raise his wand, and Avekai whispers to him, I see that as so sweet and loving.
4/The physical overcomes the magical in this chapter. Strangely philosophical, and says more about myself than I dare to mention.
5/ Avekai calls everyone darling, I don't know why. He just popped into my head and smoking a cigarette he said, 'hello Darling, you're not getting rid of me you know.' It wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the thousand other characters doing that :P
6/The voice I used for this chapter is somewhere between Tolkien and translated greek plays, but for the life of me, I don't know why.
7/ Now, when I say North America, I don't just say that to try any annoy anyone in North America. I was thinking what place Avekai would want to have, fertile land and trees wise. I first of all considered England, but Avekai would want more land. Trust me, it was a toss up between America and Norway. I chose America to make him seem more of a threat. Anything else you can see in this is for you to make up your minds about.
8/ Supplication. Again, I seem pretentious, but I promise I try not to be. If you ever Read Euripides's Medea, there is a very touching scene where Medea supplicates the king of Corinth to think of a place to go after exile. Trust me, it all ends in tears.
9/ yes, she was in Slytherin. And yes, this is part of the more there is to her. Even more will be added, over time, but I think that worm tongue would be very interesting to add to. But as I said, I will explain as I go on why she sort of gets important (she has a few tasks, nothing very big, plot- wise, all that stuff lies with Severus Snape and Harry Potter.)
As you can tell by the sheer volume of notes and the chapter itself, I found this most enjoyable to write. It was a nice chance, and by heck I'll take us back here. I think Voldermort is rather underused in a few fanfics, but as I said, I probably won't do much better, but I will try. Oh yeah, Voldermort, Wormtongue and Snape, why can't I just like a character like Neville? XP
Only Kidding. I hope you enjoy this chapter at least as much as I did writing it, but hopefully more. And if you want to leave a review, well, that would be great. (Passes a cup of tea to all those who leave reviews) I'll just get a pot going. :S