With the fall of The Dark Lord came the long awaited peace. Then two lone servants of Voldemort came forth to extract revenge…Slowly and painfully. Again opposition is needed. Again they must fight for their lives. Again Severus Snape comes forth along side the one Harry Potter.
Pairing: HPSS
Rating: M
Warning: There will be SLASH! (as the pairing states above) If you do not like then please DO NOT read! If you come crying to me about attempting to harm your delicate eyes, I will chuckle to oneself and place you in my "Do Not Care" outbox. Swearing will be found and if there is to be any other Warnings I will place them in the Chapters as necessary.
Updates: I'm going to be updating maybe every two days now sometimes every day. Depending on how long it takes me to write a chapter…
Disclaimer: These characters do not, I repeat, do not belong to me. JKR is the lone soldier who owns these beautiful people. The plot is mine with the exception of the parts that I have burrowed from "The Queen Of The Damned" Oh how I love playing with these precious souls...
Thank you Tori for being the beautiful person and Beta that you are KISSLES AND HUGGLES
Erroneous Shadow
Chapter 3: Moping Obedience
By dinner time, Ron and Hermione were beginning to over react, as they usually did when they thought Harry was in trouble. The fact that Ron hadn't seen Harry since Dumbledore had invited him for tea, and as Hermione hadn't seen him since Breakfast, their worries were just a smidgen too much for everyone sitting around them. Therefore things began to get out of hand.
"Look mate, I understand how you feel…" Dean started, while trying to control his moving plate.
Ron snarled over his goblet, "You don't understand shit!"
Dean continued as though Ron wasn't about to throw himself over the table with his fork aimed at his head. "…but Harry's taken out three fully grown wizards…"
Everyone watched as Ron began to turn a shade redder than his hair.
"…while injuring two…"
Some of the younger years found refuge under the trembling table when his left eye began to twitch.
"…with the one spell, so I'm thinking that you two are just a bit…"
When Ron's hand began to tighten on the fork while the other pulled out his wand, Ron and Hermione were suddenly the only people on their side of the table.
"…overprotective when Harry's concerned. Now I will say this once and only once…"
The table continued shaking, although by now it was more of a rocking motion.
"…if you do NOT find a way to make Hermione snap out of her Harry-worrying-research and in doing so make her quit bouncing her leg against the underside of the table, therefore putting a stop to the swaying table, then I will quite gladly throw my uneaten food onto your senseless head!"
Ron was taking deep breaths as he slid his wand back into his sleeve. He nodded towards Dean, snapped shut Hermione's 'Harry-worrying-research' in her face, grabbed her hand and stood up taking a bewildered Hermione with him.
"Ronald Weasley, what do you think…"
crack
Everyone, including the other tables, was silent as they watched the fork shudder in Dean's plate.
Ron looked calmly at a pale Dean, "As I said, you don't understand shit."
As Ron took a clearly stunned Hermione out through the Great Hall's doors, Dean slowly reached out for the fork. Everyone chuckled nervously as they watched Dean try to pull the fork out from his plate, as well as the now unwavering table.
Harry
Harry was sitting on the ledge of one of the higher windows, in one of the many corridors found on the second floor. When his meeting with the Headmaster had come to an end he had walked out calmly without saying any goodbyes to the two men he had wanted nothing to do with at the time. Of course once he'd calmed down he had begun to see things the way the Headmaster seemed to see them. Considering he hadn't wanted to look at the situation as Dumbledore would, he had progressed from a fuming tantrum to a good old sulk. Now he was contemplating what Dumbledore had told him, and what he now expected the Potions Master and himself to accomplish.
xXx
After Dumbledore had spoken to Harry about the latest developments concerning the Ministry and the uncaught Death Eaters, Snape had walked through the door. Harry realised that if Snape was involved then obviously this was going to be something he wouldn't want any part of. Yes, him and Snape had come to a truce of sorts, but that still didn't mean he 'enjoyed' being in the man's company. Just his luck Dumbledore thought otherwise. At that moment, while watching the old man's eyes glisten like pale blue sapphires, Harry decided he would strengthen his will to defy Albus Dumbledore's wishes. After that thought, he also decided he would begin decision number one once he'd finished completing another unwanted task given to him by his Grandfather figure. Harry couldn't help the sigh that escaped his frowning mouth.
"Let me guess Headmaster, Professor Snape and I are to somehow find the Lestrange's…"
"Of course not my dear boy, I already have their location at hand."
Harry groaned.
"Right, of course you do. Fine, we're to go after those two, with your location, and somehow stop them from attempting to resurrect the dear old 'Dark Lord' we hated and never learned to love. From what I've read Professor, resurrection is not stable unless the soul is still intact within the land of the living, much like Voldemort's re-rising that led to his second reign of failure. We all made quite sure that could never happen again. How can these two Death Eaters bring him back when his soul has been sent from this realm?"
"Dear Merlin Potter! Did I just hear you utter words that could be considered, dare I say it, intelligent?"
Dumbledore chuckled as Harry immaturely stuck his tongue out at Snape who still had his hand pressed to his heart in a dramatic fashion.
"Now now boys. I hear the elves are going to outdo themselves tonight and I for one wish to be there to sample some of the new varieties they will be serving. So let's continue shall we?"
Once both of the men in front of him had nodded reluctantly, he started a considerably worn, ancient story.
"In the days when Wizards, Muggles, and every creature alike stood on equal footing amongst one another, there were the few who kept to themselves. The practice of security and concealing oneself is still used among one species we in the Wizarding World have the, not quite accepted, pleasure of knowing. Vampires will always be seen as dark, corrupt, and an unnecessary pain to this world. For centuries they have hidden themselves, only coming out when the blood lust is too much. They do not kill if they can help it, but the fact that they drink our blood is enough to condemn them.
In the younger days of this world, Vampires were seen as Godly creatures. They had powers that many didn't, and quite a few humans became something they called 'Blood Letters'. They willingly allowed the Vampires to suck their blood. In return the Vampire race never killed anyone by the means of their fangs. The old worlds are considered a fabrication and when recalled to memory or read from the old texts are overlooked. The Godly creatures once known were forgotten when Akasha became thirsty for more than willing blood.
Alongside her husband, the King of the Undead, Akasha was his Queen and was expected to follow his lead. The King's name has long been forgotten. The Queen of the Damned she is known as now. With the thirst came the belief that all Vampires were better than mere humans. Wizards and Witches were also considered humane in her eyes. She killed many innocents on her rampages, mortal and immortal alike; none were a match for her cravings. The lands were scattered with blood-dry bodies. There were many Vampires who agreed with Akasha's dealings to obtain fresh blood, but when the King began to frown heavily upon her activities, Akasha lost all that she lived for.
By putting himself to sleep, his Queen could no longer bring havoc among the once peaceful lives of the innocents, for she was to follow along in his slumber. There, in stone, they have slept since the beginning of the end of an old world; of a peace long lost."
The fascination in Harry's voice when he spoke next was not lost on either of his Professors.
"So basically when The Queen of the Damned went ballistic, the Vampires lost the respect they once held. Where is the 'There' that you mentioned? The place that they have slept in as stone."
Uneasiness seemed to settle across Harry's face as he gazed at the Headmaster.
"That's the location isn't it? That's where Bella's going to go. To bring Him back. What has The Queen of the Damned got to do with Voldemort being brought back?"
Harry was beginning to lose the fascination he had first felt when Dumbledore had began reciting the story. Harry's head snapped up quickly and before Dumbledore could answer his first questions he began his next round.
"How do we know these aren't tales, Professor? For all we know Vampires ARE dark and all that. How has it been proven that they aren't? Has it been proven that they were Godly in another time or that Akasha ever existed?"
Harry realised Dumbledore was watching him as he tried to control his breathing. He thought his questions had been valid, Snape even looked half impressed. Of course the look he was giving Harry could also be mistaken for someone who had just swallowed a badly gone wrong love potion; you could never tell if the man had a stick up his arse or if he could be, Merlin forbid, anything other then a prejudiced, insulting, prickly, snarling, sallow skinned bat.
"This place where they have slumbered is to found only by those who wish to find it. Who truly believe that it does exist. Believing is seeing my dear boys. As for your questions on whether you shouldn't or should believe in these tales, that is up to you both. Everything has been proven Harry, it's just a matter of whether you wish to ignore the proof or believe."
Harry and Snape both snorted, then proceeded to glare at each other. Dumbledore coughed lightly.
"Before I said that Vampires had many powers that other mortals did not. The royal Vampires, the King and the Queen, were two that held the Earth's magic in their sculptured hands. It is said that the Queen could bring souls back from the dead. The Lestrange's seem to believe this whole heartedly and are determined to find The Queen of the Damned and awaken her. To bring back their deceased Lord, they will ask for her aid once she has been awoken."
"Albus, am I mistaken to believe that the Queen only brought the once departed back to become slaves for her kingdom? Wouldn't that make the once dead a zombie of sorts?"
Harry jumped slightly. Snape hadn't uttered a word since the comment about Harry's intelligence.
"That is why we have the upper hand where Bella and Rodolph are concerned. They do not wish to know the true tales behind the reasons of Akasha's practices with the dead. They're minds have disintegrated, I believe, since Voldemort was taken down. And not knowing the results of said practices is quite a mistake on their behalf."
The Headmaster looked seriously at Harry and Snape. Harry could already feel the anger at another finely worded order being thrown in his face without the given choice of a yes or no bubbling inside him.
"You both have been chosen to take on the duty of getting to Akasha's stone prison before they do. You will not prevent them from awakening Voldemort's soul, for that is not the purpose of your journey. You must stop them from awakening Akasha. The results if you do not succeed will be dire. Voldemort is not a worry to us. Even if he is awoken, as you said Severus, he will be nothing more then a zombie. If The Queen of the Damned is to rise again, spilt blood will flow once again like rivers; we do not have the forces to overpower an Ancient One. You may report here tomorrow morning between eight and nine to give me your answer, be it yes or no. Think heavily on this my dear children."
Harry was out of the room before Dumbledore had finished the last sentence.
xXx
Harry rubbed his face tiredly and floated down softly to the stone corridor on his broom. He had skipped dinner and had a feeling that Ron and Hermione wouldn't be happy with him for not informing them of where he was, what had happened, making them worry, and of course, for not eating. Great, just what he needed right now, his best friends chewing his ear out. He would of course have to tell them everything. If Dumbledore had said he was forbidden to inform his friends of his new 'choice', he would have ignored the old fool and told them anyway. Sometimes he wondered why the old man even tried.
Silence hit him when he cautiously stepped through the Fat Lady's Portrait. He winced when he realised everyone who occupied the common room was either glaring at him or looking around nervously. He sighed. Looks as though his absence hadn't been taken too kindly by Ron and Hermione. Dean got up from his sprawled position in front of the fire and headed over towards Harry.
"You looking for those two lunatics you call your best friends?" Without waiting for a response Dean kept waving his hands around while he raved. "They're probably in Dumbledore's office, pacing and ranting how they're sure some of the remaining Death Eaters who aren't in Azkaban have captured you and are performing a ritual to bring Voldemort back. Or they're running around the castle screaming your name into every nook and cranny while trying to control the urge to maim an…"
"Dean shut-up would you! Merlin you're unbelievable. As for you Harry, next time you decide to run off could you please inform those two where you are, saving us the trouble of a painful dinner. I believe they're in your secret hide-away or whatever you want to call it."
Rolling his eyes at Seamus who was blowing bubbles from his nose in an attempt to make Dean smile, Harry grinned at Ginny and said he would see her later. Walking back out through the portrait he headed towards the statues of the four founders on the fourth floor.
When Harry muttered the password to Godric Gryffindor's carved features, he waited for the statue to creak past him before he stepped up into the short hallway. He walked up to the portrait of a beautiful lion and waited to be asked for the password. When he was allowed entrance he looked in hesitantly, preparing himself for the upcoming explosion. Walking into the decorated chambers he saw Ron and Hermione sitting by the windows talking softly. When the portrait snapped shut they both jumped slightly and spun around to face him. Wincing at the expressions on their faces he held his hands up and walked slowly towards them.
"Right, before you both go rank at me, let me first explain what happened in Dumbledore's office, why what happened there made me sulk off alone, and why I'm now going to be gone for who knows how long to stop some ancient Vampire Queen from being awakened and sucking us all dry."
Satisfied with the looks of stunned surprise on their faces Harry settled down and began to tell them what had taken place in Dumbledore's office.
xXx
"...So considering how much our dear old Headmaster is expecting me to pull off with none other then our dear old Potions Master, I decided sitting alone for a while, sulking and going over my options, seemed the better choice over going to dinner and being asked questions on why I was sulking."
He watched as Hermione frowned, going over the information in her head. Ron just looked at Harry intensely.
"Everything seems to happen to you, doesn't it mate? So are you going to go off and once again risk your life for all the narrow-minded simpletons? That's not including me and 'Mione here."
"It's not like I really have a choice. I'm scared shitless that Snape and me are going to butcher this by going at each other's throats every chance we get. I mean, yeah we don't hate eachother anymore, but we still annoy the shit out of eachother. Dumbledore said if we don't stop them from awakening Akasha then we're basically all fucked."
"Harry Potter, watch your mouth."
Harry rolled his eyes at the distracted young witch. "How can I 'Mione? I don't know about you but I sure can't see my mouth."
Hermione glared at him while he chuckled.
"Ha ha, very funny."
"Yes I thought so too."
"Okay you two stop it. Did Dumbledore tell you when you're to go off and save the world once again?"
"In two weeks. He said that'd give me and Snape ample time to go over a rough plan and prepare ourselves with the necessary equipment and whatnot. I have to go and tell him in the morning that my answer is yes, although he most likely already knew that I'd agree with his orders."
Hermione looked out the window as she spoke, "You're happy to go along with this, are you Harry? I mean what you said to Dumbledore could most likely be correct. You don't know whether this is just a load of false stories. The Lestrange's could be using this as a way to get to you and Snape. You were both the major weapons in our plans of bringing down Voldemort. Don't you think this could just be one last desperate attempt at revenge? It'll be a damn suicide mission if what I'm saying is true."
Harry smiled tightly at his two best friends.
"That's something I'm just going to have to risk."
Severus
As Severus watched the Potter boy leave Dumbledore's office he scowled at the manners he seemed to lack. He looked back at Albus and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He nodded tightly at the Headmaster.
"I'll be here at 8 to give you my answer."
As his robes twirled around him when he stalked from Albus' office, he was sure he could here that damned twinkle in the old coot's eyes.
xXx
Sitting in his rooms, with a glass and a large bottle of Whiskey, Severus decided getting drunk was the best way to spend the remainder of this miserable excuse of one more day in his miserable existence.
Dinner would have to be missed. Alcohol would settle him a lot more then a damned plate of pasta would. As he poured himself another glass of Whiskey, he sighed knowing what his answer would be at 8 tomorrow morning.
Two weeks he had to get used to the idea of another suicide mission. These missions never put him in an early grave though. He must be lucky. He snorted at the thought of him being lucky. Two weeks until once again he was in the lonely company of the 'Boy-Who-Lived'. He put his glass on the coffee table and began to drink from the bottle.
:This is the mistakeless version:
Greetings my dear readers…this will be the last chapter I will be able to post until Tuesday night or Wednesday next week…I'm working all day for the next four days and I won't be home…I've decided to crash at a mates place because me and my mum are quite close to strangling each other…if I have to stay here one more day I'll jump out my damn windows…so yes please hold on until I'm back home and ready to post Chapter 4…Nehoo my god this chapter was fun to write, hope you all like it…also my Beta went to bed early last night and is working today, so for now this chapter will be unbeta'd…I'll be at her place tonight so I'll get her to check it then, and I'll repost the mistakeless version when I can…until then I shall say Ta Ta!
im-a-daydream-believer: hmm confusion is good…lol well I can't tell you that …once Hermione's found out Harry's reason for chuckin up everywhere you'll understand…I'm not sure what chapter that'll be…but you will find out before Harry and Sev head out on their journey…just bare with me…autopsies hmm? well I have this thing against blood, I tend to faint and stuff so yeah I'm with you there
Sarah Katherine: oooo lol I was confused for a while there until I realised you had changed your name…haha well I've stayed away from SSAB, the thought just makes my stomach queasy…there was this one story I read and the pairing was Harry&Fawkes, I decided that was so wrong on the many levels of nature and SSAB is right along with that…hope you like this chapter
terri911: thank-you! I'm glad you all seem to like my style of writing…
Super-girl-straight-from: thank-you and here's the next chapter
..:Klee:..