Thanks as always to Verity Brown for being my most excellent beta.
Chapter 3: Final Exam
The next time they met, they didn't stay long on the school grounds. Bellatrix brought a Portkey and had Severus activate it with her. When the rushing sensation and whirling colors had passed, Severus dropped a small distance onto his feet and looked around. They were in a rural setting, a bit further to the south, judging by the way the sun had jumped in the sky. Probably in England. He looked inquiringly at Bellatrix.
"We're on one of the Malfoy estates. No one will bother us here."
Severus raised his eyebrows, impressed. He remembered then that Bellatrix's older sister was married to Lucius Malfoy, so she probably had the run of the place. Not a bad life.
"Ok, what now?" Severus asked.
Bellatrix looked around, there were any number of rabbit and woodchuck holes and other signs of wild fauna around them. Overhead, a squirrel started chattering at them, berating them for standing too close to his tree. Bellatrix looked up at him with a cruel smile.
"Watch me, then you try it." She moved her wand in a subtle pattern then aimed at the squirrel and said, "Avada Kedavra." Emerald green light flashed from her wand, and the creature toppled off the branch to the ground.
Severus walked over to examine the corpse. He turned it over with the toe of his boot. It bore no marks, except from where it had landed in the dirt. No muss, no fuss, just sudden death in a flash of bright green. Severus was reminded of Evans' eyes. She probably wouldn't care for the comparison, he thought snidely.
"Your turn," Bellatrix said, pointing to a woodchuck peeping out of its hole.
Severus targeted the woodchuck and concentrated. He imitated Bella's wand motion, took aim and cried, "Avada Kedavra!" A burst of green fire flew from his wand and hit the animal square between the eyes. It leaped into the air and fell to the ground, but before Severus could get closer, it staggered to its paws and flew down its burrow.
"It's like the Cruciatus, Severus. You have to mean it. If you don't really want the fuzzy thing to drop dead, it won't," Bella told him scathingly.
Embarrassed, Severus blasted the woodchuck hole into a small crater.
Bellatrix's voice took on an impatient tone. "Leave the landscape alone, Severus, just try again."
Severus thought about the cool way Bella had dropped the squirrel from the tree. He wanted to have that kind of power for himself. Briefly, he thought back to his boyhood, all the times he'd watched his father beat his mother, and he'd been powerless. He had wished then, desperately, that he could have done anything to hurt his father. He would have killed him if he could. He'd studied hexes and curses on the sly, but had never been strong enough to harm the old man. The best he'd managed was to anger him enough to break Severus' arm. Thankfully, his father had usually forgotten his wand and used his fists when enraged. If Severus had known then half of what he knew now, his mother would still be alive.
Burning with the memory , Severus cast around for his next victim. Nothing that fluffy deserves to live, he thought as he cursed a nearby rabbit "Avada Kedavra!" This time, when the light flashed, there was no jump. The rabbit simply slumped onto its splayed paws, dead.
Severus felt an incredible rush with the successful casting of the Killing Curse. He felt filled with dangerous secrets, hidden from mere mortals. Having the power of life or death over other creatures made him feel special and important; he had craved such a feeling all his life. Now, as he felt that power rushing through his body, he felt taller, broader. Not just magically, but physically powerful. Potent. Aroused.
He'd felt a shadow of this feeling whenever he'd cast a Dark spell. Just the hint of it had been enough to keep him studying and practicing. Nothing, not even the Imperius or Cruciatus curses compared to how this felt! He looked at Bellatrix and found her watching him. She knew, of course, what he was feeling. She'd learned it a long time ago, now.
He gave Bellatrix a long speculative look. He'd never bested her when she was prepared, but now he felt as if nothing could stop him. Holding her eyes with his, he drew his wand and stepped back. Bellatrix's lips curved in a wicked smile, and she she dropped gracefully into a fighting stance. Severus bowed and saluted her with his wand.
Spells flew in flashes of multicolored light and fire. No more wildlife remained to be seen; they had all run for cover to escape the noise and flame. The birdsong which had surrounded them was silenced. The very scenery around them held its breath as the wizards dueled.
At different times, each was thrown back to land on the ground, but each recovered instantly and came back for more. Hexes and curses were thrown and blocked; the nearby ground and trees bore scorch-marks, and both combatants had strange wheals from near misses.
Dodging a Stunner, Severus tripped over a rock and fell sideways. Twisting in the air, he sent a blasting hex at the tree-branch above Bella before hitting the ground. Watching his wand hand, she wasn't looking above her, and was knocked down by the falling branch. Seizing the moment, Severus aimed and cried, "Imperio!" Bellatrix, recovering from the blow, dropped her wand and stood, awaiting orders.
Severus panted while he caught his breath and slowly stood. His lank hair dripped with sweat, and his clothes were torn. He smelled earth, human sweat and ozone.
Bellatrix was also breathing hard from the exertion. Her skirt was shredded, the hem was burnt and there was a bleeding cut on her face from where she'd hit the ground hard. She was also flushed with exertion and glowing. She'd never looked lovelier.
He remembered that he'd never seen Bella nude by daylight. She'd only come to him naked the once, that first night, and it had been dark. "Strip," he told her, then stood back, smiling triumphantly, to watch.
Bellatrix gave Severus an enigmatic glance, then unhooked her gown and stepped out of it. Standing in her shift, she removed her shoes and stockings.
Now she wore only the long-sleeved linen shift. It was soaked with sweat and clung to her body, semi-transparent. Severus waited while she pulled it up over her head and dropped it on the ground on top of her other clothes. She stood proudly before him now with the sunlight glinting off the sweat-sheen on her body and her glossy black hair. He drank in the view appreciatively, until his eyes were caught by something red on her left arm.
"Let me see your arm, Bella," Severus ordered her.
With a mocking smile she turned her arm so the inside faced him and stepped forward. An image drawn in ugly red lines, shaped like a snake slithering out of a skull, marred her perfect skin.
"What is that?" he asked her curiously.
"It is the Dark Mark, Severus. By this, my Master has marked me for his own. I bear it proudly, but until he has conquered, I must keep it hidden from unworthy eyes."
"So, I'd be worthy then?" Snape inquired smugly.
"You forced me to show it. Q.E.D."
Severus smiled. With Bellatrix, power was everything.
Reveling in his mastery of the Killing Curse and of Bellatrix, Severus took her there in the field. Exultantly, he made her get on her hands and knees, and entered her swiftly from behind. He didn't pay much attention to pleasuring her; he thought he'd done enough of that over the last months to keep her for a while. This time was his, he had won her and he would claim her as crudely as he chose. Judging by her wild cries and thrashing movements, that was how she liked it best anyway. He smiled to himself.
Sticky and spent, Severus released Bella from the Imperius Curse. She smirked at him like a cat in a dairy as she picked up her clothes and her wand. He didn't worry, he knew her now. He'd won by her rules and she wouldn't be seeking vengeance.
Severus cleaned himself with a quick spell and Apparated back to Hogwarts, appearing just outside Hogsmeade and walking back up the road to the castle. If anyone asked, he could claim to have been in the village. He arrived just in time for dinner and mingled with the other students. He walked a little straighter now, and moved with more grace. He'd left his adolescent slouch behind with the sniveling boy he'd been. The other Slytherins no longer jostled or tripped him; they gave him a wide berth at the table. Slytherins didn't need to be told when someone was possessed of deadly power; they sensed it, and they cowered.
In the last few weeks before exams, Severus practiced his new skill along with his N.E.W.T. subjects. He moved from small creatures to larger ones: foxes, then deer and even cattle. He left the grounds for this practice; it was not wise to anger the centaurs in the Forbidden Forest. Each time he moved to a larger creature, the rush of power he felt at killing grew stronger. Each time, it grew easier to muster the will and desire necessary to make the animal die. He no longer needed to draw on his hatred for his father; he simply wished for death, and it happened.
His exams went smoothly. Severus had always been a careful student. He was confident he'd done well in Transfiguration, Charms and Arithmancy. Potions, he knew he aced. Even though he found the subject somewhat dull, he had a natural talent for it. His methodical, orderly mind made it easy to brew the potions accurately, and he found the manual tasks soothing. Of course, he had scored perfectly in Defense Against the Dark Arts. He had been glad to hear the examiner would only need to spend the one night in St. Mungo's.
The afternoon after his last N.E.W.T. Severus spent honing his stealth skills. It was much harder to hold an effective Disillusion in bright daylight than at night, so of course Severus had to try it. He wandered the gardens in near-invisibility, until he heard a familiar pair of voices:
"How soon do you think we can have the wedding, James?"
That was Lily Evans' voice! Severus oozed into the shadow of a large hydrangea and eavesdropped shamelessly.
"Any time is fine with me. How big should it be?"
"I think we should keep it small, just our parents and best friends. Petunia wouldn't come even if we asked her; anyway, it just feels wrong to have a big splashy party when so many people are grieving."
"You're right of course, Lily. You always know the right thing to do."
Eeeuuuuwwwwww, Severus gagged silently in the bushes.
"I don't know, James, sometimes I'm not sure about things. I'd really like to have a baby soon. Is it right, though, to bring a helpless creature into the world, when so many horrible things are happening? What kind of life would he have?"
"He'd have two parents who loved him more than anything. What else does a child need to grow up strong and happy?" James leaned over and kissed Lily; she laid her head on his shoulder.
"It sounds so easy when you say it, James."
Severus didn't think his stomach could take much more of this. He had started sliding silently away, when the conversation took a turn, and he found himself rooted to the spot.
"How many students from our class do you think will join Him?"
"Too many. I'll bet that greasy slime-ball Snape will be the first in line to kiss his boots."
"James Potter! I'm sick to death of hearing you go on like that about Severus. Just give it a rest, already."
"You know it's true, Lil'."
"Maybe so, but if you and Sirius hadn't treated him so badly, maybe it wouldn't have been!"
"Lily, he was up to his ears in the Dark Arts before he even got to Hogwarts. Don't blame us that he's an evil little git. He'd have gone over to You-Know-Who in a heartbeat, even if we'd never met him."
"Well, we'll never know now, will we?" Lily responded scathingly.
This was more than Severus had wanted to hear; he made good his escape and ran down the path towards the lake. How dare that blood-traitor Potter cast judgement on him! Potter hated the Dark Arts because he was too much of a coward to grasp for its power! Him and his stupid Quidditch trophiess and his damned icky-sweet Mudblood girlfriend. No. Mudblood fiancee! Severus felt a stab in his heart that he refused to acknowledge, and stormed furiously down the path. He almost ran over Bellatrix, who was standing there waiting for him by the lake.
"Eager for your final exam, Severus?" Bellatrix asked. Severus looked startled; he hadn't gotten an owl.
"No, I didn't send a note," she answered his unspoken question. "I just figured you'd be walking down this way, but I didn't expect you to be Disillusioned. Convenient though. Come with me."
She had two brooms with her and handed him one, then cast Disillusion over herself. Severus mounted his broom. He still wasn't up to complex aerobatics, but at least he was competent to get places. He followed Bellatrix into the sky and, after a time, landed next to her in field that looked like it belonged to a Muggle farm.
Severus stood between the long rows of potato hills and looked around. They were in a rural part of Scotland, but well away from Hogwarts.
"There's your final test, Severus," Bellatrix said, pointing at a Muggle farmhand walking up a nearby road.
Severus gripped his wand; he had known it would come to this eventually, and he was ready. There was no such thing as Good and Evil. Only power, and those too weak to seek it. Still seething with anger and aching with a pain he would not admit, Severus lifted his wand, gestured with it in the subtle movement of the killing spell and aimed. "Avada Kedavra!" he said harshly. Emerald fire flashed. The man barely had time to register surprise before he dropped heavily to the ground, unmoving. Severus had expected to feel some kind of remorse, but was shocked to find he felt none -- only a kind of cold joy, buoyed by the incredible feeling of invincibility the killing spell always gave him. He lowered his wand and turned to Bellatrix.
"Excellent, Severus, I knew you would make me proud," she smiled. It was the closest thing to warmth he'd ever seen from her.
"You could be one of us, you are strong enough. Someday, He will rule the magical world, even the entire world. You are clever, Severus, you know which will be the winning side. If you join the Dark Lord, and serve him, when that day comes, he will reward you beyond your wildest dreams."
"What kind of reward?" Snape asked her speculatively. His arousal from the aftermath of the deadly magic vied with more practical ambitions.
"How does 'Lord Snape, of Snape Manor' sound to you?"
"Farfetched," Snape answered with a grin, "but I like it."
"I thought it would." Bella smiled knowingly, but then her face became serious again. "I have to warn you, though. If you take service with the Dark Lord, he will be your Master as long as you live. The only way to leave his service is through death. Be certain this is what you want, wholly and without reservation. The Dark Lord will know if you are lying. No one can lie to him undetected. This is your only chance to back out and live. Will you come?"
Severus did not hesitate. Finally he would be respected as he deserved. "Yes, I will."
"Very well, then. Take this, it's a Portkey; be sure you are touching it at midnight."
Severus took the madly whirling sneakoscope from her with a laugh and pocketed it.
That night, just before midnight, Severus sat up in his bed with the curtains closed. He was fully dressed, complete to boots and cloak. He held the sneakoscope Portkey in his hand. He was thinking about Bella's warning about lying to the Dark Lord. He didn't think he would have any particular reason to do so, but he preferred to keep his options open.
He had not wasted his time since Bellatrix had used the 'Legilimens' spell on him. Once he knew such a thing existed, he did not rest till he had learned all he could from the books available. He had discovered a few mentions of an arcane art called Occlumency in the restricted section, and he had studied them carefully. The wall he had thrown up instinctively in his mind to block Bellatrix's attack was the first and easiest step. To lie, undetected, to a skilled Legilimens was more complex. It required thinking in two layers, with the top layer in agreement with the lie, and the wizard's true thoughts underneath. Severus had been intrigued and had practiced as best he could. He hoped his skill would not be tested. If it was, he hoped that it was enough.
At midnight precisely, he felt the familiar tugging at his middle and saw the whirl of colors of the Portkey transfer. When it ended, he dropped to his feet and found himself surrounded by trees. As his eyes adjusted, he saw Bellatrix was standing next to him.
Ahead, a little way through the trees, there was a clearing lit by a bonfire. A small group of figures in dark cloaks and white masks stood around the fire. Bellatrix took Severus' hand and pulled him forward into the clearing. The Death Eaters already there stepped aside to make room for him.
A new figure entered the clearing from the other side; he had glowing red eyes and mere slits for nostrils. When they saw him, the masked figures prostrated themselves on the ground. Bellatrix grabbed Severus' arm and tugged him down. He lay on his stomach in the dirt like the rest.
That unnatural and unnamed person walked forward and raised Bellatrix to her feet. "Bella, my love," the figure said caressingly in a high, sibilant voice. "I understand you have brought us a potential new member."
"Yes, My Lord."
"Has he passed all the tests?"
"Yes, Master. He passed them handily."
"Excellent. And did you tell him what would be expected?"
"Yes, My Lord."
"Then you may present him to me."
Bellatrix stepped back and signaled with her toe that Severus should rise to his knees. He did so, wisely keeping his gaze on the ground.
Voldemort strode forward and stood before Severus. "You may look at me." Severus raised his eyes curiously. The Dark Lord stood so close that he was forced to crane his head back to look into the monstrous face. Two eyes that glowed like red embers bored into his. He felt an alien touch insinuating itself into his mind. He hung onto the image of thought that he had crafted and felt it hold.
"Do you believe that Mudbloods and half-bloods have no place in our world?"
Severus knew the expected answer: "I do."
"Do you hate the blood traitors who would allow them an equal place?"
An image of Potter's face flashed across Severus' mind. "I do."
"Would you exterminate every last Mudblood from the face of the earth?"
Before Severus could answer, another image took Potter's place. A pair of startling green eyes that held kindness. Her, he would spare. He could not agree. Now he was in trouble. Too late to back out; if he lied, would he escape detection? Only one way to find out: "Yes."
"Will you serve me faithfully?" Severus heaved a great inward sigh of relief. He had lied, and the Dark Lord had not known it. That was very good to know.
"Yes."
"Give me your arm then, and receive my Mark."
Severus held out his left arm. Voldemort took it and pushed back the sleeve. Taking Severus' arm in his left hand, and his wand in his right, Voldemort touched the wand-tip to the inside of Severus' arm and hissed a spell. Severus cried out in pain as his arm burned like fire, but he did not pull it away. When the spell was complete, Voldemort stepped back with a grunt of satisfaction.
"Until I have conquered, you must keep my Mark hidden. When you feel it burn, Apparate at once. The Mark will bring you to my side."
Voldemort then spoke to the Death Eaters still prostrate on the ground. He told them all to rise and greet their new brother. They stood and removed their masks.
"These are the Death Eaters you will work with," Voldemort told Severus. "There are others, but you will not know how many or who they are. When we all gather, my servants remain masked from each other. This is to keep any from being able to betray the whole."
Severus looked around; there was Lucius Malfoy, and Rodolphus Lestrange, and another man, a foreigner, whom he did not recognize. He wondered what Rodolphus would think of what Severus had been up to with his betrothed. Severus shrugged; he guessed Rodolphus had known all about it. Anyone who got too possessive of Bella probably wouldn't live to regret it.
Severus sat among his fellow Slytherins at the Leaving Feast. Despite the warm weather, he wore long, close sleeves under his student robes. Dumbledore was making his usual foolish speech. Severus rubbed his arm idly; the fresh Mark itched annoyingly.
The House Cup was awarded to Gryffindor, naturally. Severus ignored the bright red banners and dug into the food that had appeared on the table. Roast turkey with gravy and masses of side dishes. It all smelled delicious. He heaped his plate and savored the meal. With a sigh of rare contentment, he finally looked up from his plate and around at his fellow students. He had mistakenly sat on side of the table that faced the Gryffindors. Unfortunately, it was too late now to change. Every time he looked up, he saw Potter and Evans making googly eyes at each other and feeding each other morsels from their plates. They were planning to breed, he recalled. That notion was enough to make anyone lose their appetite.
Severus turned his face from the nauseating sight and looked determinedly away. To distract himself, he fixed his gaze on the staff table. Looking up the row of teachers, he was startled to find that Dumbledore was looking straight at him. There was no shadow of a twinkle in the piercing blue eyes that bored into his own black ones. He felt, briefly, stripped bare and found sadly wanting.
Angrily, he picked up his fork, stabbed it into his food and took another bite. The roast turkey, which had been delicious until now, was suddenly dry and tasteless, and stuck in his throat.
At the head table, Dumbledore said nothing, but looked sad and deeply troubled.
-- The End --