Thanks once again to everyone who reviewed.
Pure Black- Thanks!
Hakkai - Gojyo - Goku - Sanzo- She got hit by a bludger during Quidditch practice. Thanks!
Nerfi-Tiri- lol, sorry! Thanks!
Padawan Jan-AQ- Yep! Pansy can be trusted! I haven't really read many fanfics with Pansy turning good but.......I wanted it to be a kinda non-cliche (if I spelled that right). Thanks!
Lady Lily3- Well......it will probably dissapear when Voldemort dies (it may not be at the end of the year though). Thanks!
Makalani Astral- Thanks!
SheWolfe7- Thanks! I'm trying to make there be some action but I don't know if I'm doing very good #grins#. And also Pansy will not run to Voldemort and tell.
Anarane Anwamane- Thanks!
RandiWeasley- No Voldemort doesn't know that Damien is really Harry Potter. He is just hard on him because I think he is naturally that hard on his Death Eaters and also because he thought Damien didn't have any manners. Thanks for the review!
charlie-potter1- Yep and it's finally happened! Thanks!
HecateDeMort- Thanks!
Catti- Thanks!
sum1strange- #blushes# Thanks! Hope you like the chapter!
Bruja-Boricua- Thanks! I'll try to but like I said, I don't have much time on the internet. I just got my computer back and it's really slow :(
Nadezhda- Yeah, Damien has it bad but it won't last, don't worry! Thanks!
Charmed-103- They might in the later chapters. Thanks!
starangel2106- Thanks!
athenakitty- Let's see. They might find out who poisoned Damien in later chapters, the Dark Mark will dissapear after Voldemort dies (which I think will happen in the books to), Voldemort will die eventually but it might not even be at the end of the year (I have yet to decide if I will go on to his seventh year), and no, the Dursley's haven't been taken care of..........yet.... Thanks!
Okay, sorry for the small delay, I've been having a bit of writer's block (for the first time with this story).
Here's the chapter!
Chapter twenty one- The Heir of Slytherin
Draco walked briskly into the Great Hall the next moring, his pale face paler then usual as he passed by his table without a second glance and walked over to the Gryffindor table with a look of determination.
He hadn't sat at the Gryffindor table since Damien had made him.
The blonde easily spotted the two redheads and the bushy, brown hair immediatley and hurried over to the three, sitting down beside Ginny without a moments hesitation.
"Have you seen Damien this morning?" Ginny asked quickly, just as he opened his mouth to ask the same thing.
"No...I was hoping you could tell me..." he muttered, taking a moment to glare at the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs, and Ravenclaws who were staring at him. "He might be in the Hospital Wing...." Draco said quietly.
"But....you didn't have to go to the Hospital Wing when you got back from the DE meeting..." Ginny whispered though it was obvious that she was merely trying to convince herself.
Draco sneered, though it wasn't directed at any of the three before him, "I was lucky....my father told me that that was the first Death Eater meeting that Vol...I mean....the Dark Lord didn't cast a Cruciatus on more then one person...."
"He must be getting desperate for followers..." Hermione said quietly, aware of some of the Gryffindors that were still staring at Draco. "He probably didn't want to risk loosing any..."
"Then why would he hurt Damien!" Ginny exclaimed shrilly and the others shushed her as quite a few students stared.
"I don't know...." Draco said quietly, glancing briefly at Pansy Parkinson, who had just entered the Great Hall. "I'll be right back..." The Malfoy stood up and hurried over to the girl.
"Hey, Pansy!" he shouted to her and she turned.
"Was Damien in the Hospital Wing?" he asked her quietly, students were still staring. She nodded slowly, "He looked and his arm bleeding....I dont get it, you weren't injured so why was he?"
Draco shivered but said nothing as he headed back to the Gryffindor table.
"Hey, wait! Where are you going?" Pansy called after him. He shrugged and gestured to the Gryffindor table before continuing.
"He is in the Hospital Wing..." Draco told Ron, Hermione, and Ginny quietly as he sat back down.
"Alright, you are going to tell me what is going on Draco Malfoy or I WILL hex you!" Pansy snapped as she marched over to him. Ron sniggered and Hermione and Ginny exchanged amused glances.
Draco glared at them.
"Why are you over here with the Gryffindors?" Pansy asked as she eyed the three. "And why are you all suddenly best friends!"
"For one thing, Parkinson.." Draco started, "...we are NOT best friends, we aren't even friends! The only reason why I even put up with them is because of Damien!" He paused for a moment to eye Ginny and added, "Except her, she's not as annoying as the other two..."
Ginny smiled and Ron and Hermione glared at Draco as he smirked cheekily at them.
"What is going on?" Pansy asked, hands on her hips as she noticed the almost playful exchange. The bell rang to signal the first class, Draco glanced briefly at the three Gryffindors before he stood up and grabbed Pansy's arm, "I'll tell you in class...." he said quietly and the five headed down to Charms, which they all, except Ginny, had together.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"So.....you and Damien are going to spy?" Pansy whispered to Draco as they passed in their homework. He nodded.
Ron and Hermione exchanged nervous glances from their seats in front of the two. "Are you sure she won't tell anyone?" Hermione whispered to Draco as she glanced at Pansy uneasily.
The blonde nodded, "No matter what you bloody Gryffindor's might think, not all Slytherins support the Dark Lord...."
"Well you sure as hell act like it..." Ron muttered and Pansy rolled her eyes, "If we don't act like Death Eater's children then we'll be hated by all the houses, including ours...."
"No you wouldn't!" Ron protested, "If you would just act human every once and a while...."
"Oh, Ron!" Hermione huffed, "You should really be talking when you are the most prejudice person on earth when it comes to Slytherins.......no offense..." she added to Draco and Pansy.
"None taken..." they murmured in unison, eyeing the homework that Professor Flitwick had just passed back.
"Well if you ask me, I think Gryffindors just follow their older classmates instead of really getting to know us......" Pansy said quietly as she tucked her report on the bubble-head charm away (she had gotten an 'O'), "I mean, foolishness is one of their traits...no offense....." she added to Ron and Hermione.
"None taken..." the two lions murmured in unison, both engrossed in their own recently passed back homework.
"An 'E'!!" Ron exclaimed, but in a quiet voice. "Hey! I got an 'E'!!"
"You see what happens when you actually use the books in the library?" Hermione smiled as she put her homework in her bag (she had also gotten an 'O').
"Why didn't you tell me that it was as easy as that, instead of watching Harry and I beg all through our years here for you to check over our papers!" Ron said heatidly and Hermione gave a frustrated shriek.
"I swear, you can be so shallow minded, Ronald Weasley!" she snapped, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
"But that's why you love me, right?" Ron smiled charmingly and Hermione glowered before giving in and kissing him on the cheek, "Yes....as strange and abnormal as it is..."
Pansy and Draco watched the scene with amusement, the later rolling his eyes in disgust and Pansy looking at them with sparkling eyes, "How romantic..." she exclaimed overdramatically.
She turned to him, "Don't you think, Drake?" she asked, smiling at him.
Draco gulped audibly and turned back to his notes, trying to ignore Ron's sniggering.
&&&&&&&&&&&&
Damien groaned as he opened his eyes. He glanced around the sterile, white room with disgust.
Great.......he was in the Hospital Wing.......again... 'This is really getting old...' he thought to himself as he willed his sore body to sit up. He spotted his father in a chair beside his bed, sleeping. For some reason he felt a warmth in the pit of his stomach as he stared at the sleeping man.
"Good to see you up, Damien!" came the headmaster's cheery voice as he strolled into the Hospital Wing. "You gave your father quite a scare...." the old man smiled at Severus' sleeping form.
"Good morning, professor...." Damien said quietly as to not wake his father.
"And good morning to you to, Damien!" Dumbledore said cheerfully. "Christmas is in a couple of weeks! You will be staying with your father won't you? No doubt Severus needs someone in his life, especially to share Christmas with...."
Damien smiled, he had almost completely forgotten about Christmas and the fact that he would be with his family for the first time.
At that precise moment Severus stirred slightly as he awoke. He stretched and glanced around, his gaze landing on Dumbledore, "Can't a man get a little sleep!" he snapped to the old man. "Or do I need to do something else for you before the holidays!"
Dumbledore chuckled, "Good morning to you too, Severus...."
Severus turned to Damien, his glare softening, "How are you feeling?" he asked almost cautiously.
"I've been better.....just a little sore..." Damien mumbled, rubbing his left forearm.
"Let me see..." Dumbledore said gently and Damien grimaced before slowly extending his arm. Dumbledore took the arm and gently pulled up the sleeve to reveal an ugle black mark, that was clearly the Dark Mark.
Dumbledore frowned as he stared at the skull with the snake coming out of it's mouth. Beside him, Severus grimaced and put a hand on his son's shoulder. The headmaster continued to frown as he eyed the ugly mark closely before drawing back with an odd expression on his face.
"What is it?" Severus asked, noting the troubled expression on the man's face. "What's wrong?"
"This one's different...." he said quietly and Severus stared at him, "What do you mean?"
"The mark....it's different....look..."
Severus peered at the mark, grimacing at the raw flesh that surronded it. At first, it looked normal, just like his but he looked more closer and studied the snake, he noticed that unlike his, it's mouth was opened.
He pulled up his own sleeve and glanced from his own Dark Mark to Damien's. The two snakes were different. He glanced from the one on his arm, which had it's mouth closed, to the one on Damien's arm, which had it's mouth opened, it's fangs bared menacingly.
"I don't understand...." he said almost fearfully, "Why would he single Damien out like this? Why is his Dark Mark different from everyone else's?"
He looked to Dumbledore for answers but the older man looked almost helpless, which really wasn't a good look on Albus Dumbledore's face.
"Was Draco's Dark Mark like mine?" Damien asked, praying that he hadn't been the only one to receive this kind of mark.
Dumbledore shook his head, "No.....I saw his after he got back from being marked, his is exactly like Severus's and Lucius's." He looked very troubled, "You said Tom was very interested in Damien?" he asked Severus quietly.
The Potion's Master nodded, looking rather forlorn.
Dumbledore sighed, "The only thing we can do is wait and see what this particular mark is meant for...."
"But what if Voldemort has some kind of controll over me?!" Damien exclaimed and Severus flinched.
"We will just have to wait and see, my child...."
Damien nodded but couldn't help but feel rather worried.......I mean, who wouldn't be?
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
The answer came a week and a half later, during Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Damien had been paired up with Draco and Pansy (there was an odd number in their class) when reviewing the 'ridikulus' spell. He had been taking his turn on their boggart when a burning pain shot up his left arm, it felt as if he were being marked again except worse, so much worse.
He had dropped his wand to grasp his left arm, eyes clenched tightly shut as he hissed in pain. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Draco do the same.
Luckily everyone was having to much fun with their boggarts to pay any attention. So after hurridly asking Remus if they could be dismissed (he knew of Damien and Draco's marking) they made their way to the Snake Pit to put on their Death Eater robes before meeting with Severus in the Entrance Hall.
Severus slipped on his white mask and waited until Draco and Damien had done the same before they set out across the grounds. Severus handed Damien his potion.
"Isn't it a bit odd for Vold....I mean the Dark Lord to have a Death Eater meeting during the day?" Draco asked as he watched Damien down the potion with a look of curiousity written on his face.
Severus nodded, "Yes.......he rarely calls us during the day. He usually stops calling us from the middle of December to the beganing of January.....he must need to tell us something important, it is already the ninteenth which is rather late for him to be calling us...."
"What is that potion you are taking?" Draco asked, eyeing the vial it had been in.
Damien glanced at Severus.
"It is a medication, Mr. Malfoy, not that it is any of your business..." his father said curtly.
Draco still looked rather curious but said nothing as Severus took out the quill-portkey.
"What if someone saw us?" Damien asked as he glanced at the castle. Severus shook his head, "Everyone is in classes, quit worrying."
Draco smirked, "Yeah really, loosen up!"
Damien snorted, "As if I'm supposed to 'loosen up' when we are about to go to a monster who is going to crucify us just because we forgot to say 'my lord'.....not to mention the small fact that we're really on his enemies' side and we are spying on him!"
"Hey, you're the one who chose to do this so stop complaining!" Draco said with a shrug as he grabbed the portkey.
"I'm not complaining, I am just telling you why I shouldn't 'loosen up' when we're going to-"
"Do all teenagers talk this much when they think a teacher isn't around? Or are you two just special?" Severus said in a slight annoyed voice though it was obvious that he really wasn't mad.
"We are just special," Damien said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world before Draco could open his mouth to say the same. He grabbed the middle part of the quill and felt the familiar tug behind his naval before the three dissapeared.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&
"Hurry we'll be late!" Severus hissed to the two boys who were still trying to shake off the wooziness from the portkey.
The three cloaked and masked figures quickly made their way into the Riddle House. Damien occluded his mind as they stepped up to the Dark Lord and bowed, kissing the hem of his robes, before taking their place in the circle around the Dark Lord.
Damien fought down the sudden urge to vomit as the monster turned around and looked at them all, a smirk playing on his lips as he eyed Damien. Said boy shifted slightly, keeping his eyes downcast as Voldemort walked up to him.
"Damien Snape..." his voice was raspy, the hisses that Damien had heard before were absent.
That fact brought some comfort to the boy for some reason.
He dropped to one knee, murmuring in an emotionless voice, "My Lord..."
"You need not bow to me Damien..." Voldemort said quietly and the Death Eaters' shifted slightly in surprise. "You are above them," he nodded to the other Death Eaters', who were all staring.
Damien swallowed and slowly stood back up, his eyes still downcast, "And.....why, may I ask, might that be, my Lord?" he asked quietly, hoping that he didn't sound rude.
Voldemort didn't answer as he walked back up to the head of the circle, smirking at them all.
"Lucius..."
Lucius Malfoy walked up to the Dark Lord and bowed, "How may I serve you, my Lord?" he asked humbly.
Voldemort idly twirled his wand and Damien suddenly knew what the monster was going to do.
"Crucio!"
The elder Malfoy twiched on the floor but didn't cry out and Damien felt a slight respect for the man. Beside him, Draco shifted slightly and Damien threw him a warning glare.
Voldemort lifted the curse and stared down at the blonde with a sort of satisfaction. "As you were," he snapped coldly and Malfoy immediatley took his place back in line, which was on the other side of Draco.
"I have good news for us all...." the monster told them, his hands clasped behind his back as he regarded them all.
Damien could have sworn that he heard a collective sigh of relief.
Voldemort ignored it and said loudly,
"I have found the boy who is to be worthy enough to be my heir!"
Whispers and murmers of both excitment and curiousity filled the room before Bellatrix Lestrange asked, "And what has this boy done that has made him worthy enough to carry on after you, my Lord?"
"Crucio!" the curse was hissed almost lazily and Voldemort watched in sick pleasure as she squirmed on the ground before lifting the curse. Bellatrix immediatley took her place back in line.
"I have far outgrown my age for children of my own..." Voldemort said as he walked slowly around the circle of Death Eaters. "So, as you all know, I have chosen to train one of my most faithful Death Eater's son to be my heir. I had yet to come across anyone worthy or strong enough to survive the task...."
A collective shiver ran through the group.
"Until I set eyes on a particular boy.......he reminds me strongly of myself at his age and he has potential........alot of it..." the Dark Lord continued. "I have a feeling that this boy may even reach my level if given the proper training...."
Damien tensed. No.....he couldn't be talking about-
"Damien Snape..." Voldemort hissed. "Come up here, my child."
Murmurs spread through the group as Damien willed his legs to move. His heart was hammering against his ribs. Him? Voldemort was going to train him to be his heir? The heir of Slytherin? He was going to be trained by his sworn enemy.....and the monster had said that he was strong enough to survive the training.... Wait a minute.......survive?! What did he mean by survive?
Damien found himself standing in front of Lord Voldemort, on the outside he was standing there without fear, but on the inside his heart was racing as he kept on asking himself, 'Why me?' and it was all he could do to stop himself from running away in fear.
"Let me see your left arm...."
He slowly extended his arm. Voldemort grabbed it roughly and yanked his sleeve up to reveal the Dark Mark.
"You bare my mark, as does everyone else here.......but your mark is different, have you noticed?" Voldemort said quite coldly.
It took Damien a moment to realize that the quiestion was not rhetorical.
"Yes, my Lord," he whispered quietly.
Voldemort put a hand on his shoulder, "I present to you all my heir, Damien Snape..."
Whispers broke out and Damien was strongly reminded of when he had first been sorted at Hogwarts. His father shifted slightly and glanced at Draco and the elder Malfoy.
Voldemort spoke to Damien, once again ignoring the other Death Eaters, "I shall train you personally, Damien Snape until I see that you are skilled enough to carry on some minor issues.....you shall be staying with me every other week-end and during summer, you shall stay with me for a month, do I make myself clear?" he spoke quite coldly again, but his tone was more different then the one he used when he was addressing the Death Eaters.
"Y-Yes my Lord..." Damien whispered in a shaking voice.
Luckily the Dark Lord seemed to think that he was shaking with excitement rather then fear as he gave Damien a rather nasty smile and turned to the others.
"That is all.........I do not want anyone to know about my heir, including Dumbledore, Snape!" he told the Death Eaters, speaking to Severus in particular.
Each Death Eater hurried up to Voldemort to bow once more and kiss his robes before they apparated away with multitude of loud 'CRACK's.
Damien made to bow to the Dark Lord but remebered that he didn't need to, so he hurried after Draco and his father, who were waiting for him.
() Okay, I know it's kind of short...and I know there are alot of spelling mistakes so please forgive me.
I wasn't overly pleased with this chapter so tell me what you think!
Bye!