Chapter 2: The Headmaster's Office
He waved away Dumbledore's offer of sugar, and stirred his tea with his wand, changing it into something a bit more drinkable, for him, at least. He'd just taken a sip, and was savoring the complex mixture of salt, metal, and sweetness, when the world as he knew it ended forever.
Dumbledore smiled broadly, showing those teeth that were white and perfect despite near continual immersion in sugar over the past half-century. "What would you say, Severus, if I were to offer you the Defense Against Dark Arts Post this year?"
The teacup fell to the floor, its contents red as Phoenix feathers spreading in a pool at Snape's feet. Fawkes made a sweet warbling noise of sympathy.
"Reparo," Dumbledore said serenely, and held out the cup to Snape, who sat staring at him as if he'd grown a second head. "Severus?"
"You can't possibly be serious, Albus. Now?" The younger wizard's eyes flickered to the blackened withered hand of his mentor. Fawkes warbled what sounded like emphatic agreement. The job was cursed. Taking it meant his final year at Hogwarts. "You're firing me."
"Don't think of it like that, Severus. Think of it as a parting gift. You've always wanted the job, haven't you?" Snape looked at his feet.
The snowy brows knit sternly. "Harry is sixteen, Severus. If not now, when?"
Never, might be a good time, he thought sourly. Out loud he said. "Potter is not ready. And…I've rebuilt my position with the Dark Lord, but..." "Spying" on you has kept me from having to torture, or kill, or hurt any of the others. I am not ready for it to end…
The blue eyes filled with sorrow. "You've had two years to prepare, Severus. We must have a man on the inside. One who can lead Harry into it unawares. You know how the boy feels about you. You have managed that quite well. We will have to use that. It's all we have left."
Snape nodded. "It could work. You know that as yet, he could not cast the killing curse if his life depended on it. Which I'm afraid it does. " His eyes lingered on the older wizard's useless left hand, again.
"I'm aware of that, Severus. If anyone but Harry could do it, you know I would have already have done so. But I'm sure by the fall he'll be able to do it as well as you can. I only wish I could be there to make sure you don't botch the timing of it. Timing was never your strongest suit."
Snape's eyes glittered like scarabs.
"Headmaster. I regret the Occlumency lessons were a failure, but we would still be forced into….changing…Potter…even if I had succeeded." He had to choose his words with care. Pettigrew could be under the floorboards again…..
Dumbledore was suddenly all business. "We have a very short time in which to get rid of all of the horcruxes, or the killing curse will have no effect. Two are already gone, and, thanks to you, I know the nature and locations of the other four. I believe we must concentrate on the lakebound horcrux, as it will be the most difficult."
"Guarded by Inferi, and if that weren't enough, it's guarded by the Tenfold Potion. I would not recommend it to my worst enemy. The potion is not merely deadly. It turns the drinker into a vessel for the Dark Lord's will, a living dead servant. After a few hours the killing curse has no effect on the drinker. If I were to drink it, the danger to all of you would be inestimable." To say nothing, he thought, of the hideous torture of drinking it. I thought I'd be pouring it down Voldemort's throat. I had no idea of a real human being drinking it.
"I'm not asking you to drink it, Severus. Just take me there."
Snape sighed. Once the old man got an idea into his head, there was no getting rid of it.
"When are you going to see Madame Pomfrey about that hand? If she can't break the curse, it ought to be removed before it infects the rest of you."
Albus simply looked at him mildly, his slothlike expression unchanged. Clearly he had no intention of telling Poppy Pomfrey any of what they had done that summer.
"I contained the curse in vain, then. You're going to make no attempt to save yourself?"
Again the sweet, vacuous stare. Albus Dumbledore as rag doll.
Snape scowled as he stored all his memory of this conversation and Voldemort's ring, in Albus Dumbledore's Penseive.