Letterorum Incedet
by Angelis Raye
Chapter 6:
None Other Than Death
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As the figure in the black robes turned, Luke dawned upon knowledge of who this truly was.
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He didn't know what to do now! This man... this man wasn't who he was expecting to show up at the moment!
"Ah, Lucius, how pleasant it is to see you again," he whispered, much like a hiss. His face was hidden in the folds of his cloak, but Luke was very able to tell who he was.
"My Lord," he uttered, falling to his knees, breathless. Letting his head contact the floor, he groveled at the man's feet, weeping for a reason he couldn't comprehend. "Please forgive me for destroying that part of you. I beg for you mercy and forgiveness."
Crouching down, the man removed his hood, and pulled Luke into a position where they could look eye-to-eye. "Please, Lucius... I've already forgiven you. All I want you to do now, is become my heir. I realise that we all make mistakes; even I have made plenty of them." There was a deep chuckle that sounded through the room, warming the younger Snape to his core.
Soon, he felt light, like he was floating – a very wonderful sensation, within itself. Then he felt long hands wrap around him, caressing him, soothing his sore muscles into a state of relaxation.
"Thank you, master," he uttered slowly, leaning into the hands.
!-!
When he woke, he was in his father's room with said father watching over him from a high-backed chair in the corner. When he shifted to get up, Severus shook his head.
"No, it's best that you stay in bed for a while," he said soothingly. "Don't worry about anything for now. Just go back to sleep. You'll need it..."
Soon, he drifted back to sleep again, the comforting darkness sweeping through his conscience.
!-!
The Dark Lord was standing over him this time. He had a smile on his face – not a cold or harsh one, but serene and sincere. His eyes were no longer so red, but dark brown in colour. The face that had once been waxy and snake like was no longer, but a smooth, natural-looking pale. He did look a lot like Luke had when he was Harry.
"Did you sleep well?" he inquired. "I hope so, since I'm going to mark you now. Not as my servant, but my Heir. I see that Severus has trained you very well."
That was another thing that he remembered. All of those spells that he'd worked so well. The Unforgivable Curses had been the last that he'd learned after months and months of training in the lower-level curses and hexes. He and his father both were amazed at the sheer power he possessed.
It looked like the Dark Lord was also very pleased with this increase as well. Perhaps there was a reason for all of this happening now, instead of before.
What were they going to do about Dumbledore, though? The old man was going to get in their way again, soon. How else would the once "Harry Potter" join the dark easily otherwise? There was also the question as why he was still a Gryffindor. That's what he should ask the Dark Lord, he realized.
"Sir? I was wondering," he began sullenly. "I was wondering why I was still in Gryffindor rather than Slytherin. I mean, father was in Slytherin, and I act a lot like him as well..."
"That's actually easier to explain than you'd think." He swiftly sat down in the chair next to the bed. "The reason is that Severus himself is Godric Gryffindor – a reincarnation, of course. He used to be beaten by his father when he was younger. His father was a muggle, much like you know. But he believed that if Severus didn't live up to his mother's (Eileen Prince's) ideals, that his son was not worth anything. Being the only child, Severus was forced to be in Slytherin by his father.
"When Severus was sorted for the first time, he was a Gryffindor through and through. Once his father found out, he was beaten and returned to the Headmaster, demanding that he be sorted into Slytherin. At once, Dumbledore placed your father there." Sighing, the Dark Lord ran a hand through Luke's hair gently. "It was tough for him to do as such. To get used to being in Slytherin. Your mother, however had remained friends with him. She was second only to your father in Potions but wonderful in Charms.
"Ah.. Lily was a splendidly good, intelligent girl for her age." He said, smiling fondly at the memories. "Did I tell you that she would have been in Slytherin if it hadn't been for Severus being so Gryffindor -ish when they first met?" he chuckled. "Yes, there's another simple explanation for that as well.
"You see, Lily was adopted by her muggle parents. They were unable to give birth to another after their first, so they decided to adopt. Lily had been abandoned by a woman that was running away from many key Light authorities. I was saddened to see my wife leave me when she was about to give birth. There was nothing that either of us could do, so she had to flee and hide in a muggle town. While she was there, she gave birth. However, she'd died giving birth, much like my own mother. This time, the child was adopted and raised in a good home.
"I'm glad that Lily grew up in a better environment than myself and you. I was very displeased with Dumbledore when he placed you with those muggles, though. They aren't even remotely related to you!"
All of this information at once... Luke was a bit dizzy from the vast explanation that he hadn't been expecting. He was the grandson of the Dark Lord, who was going to train him to be his heir. But he was also the Heir to both Gryffindor and Slytherin lines!
No wonder Dumbledore had told him that only a "true Gryffindor could have pulled the sword from the hat". Then, Hermione would also be right as well, that Salazar Slytherin was his great ancestor. After all, it had been thousands of years since...
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To be Continued...
Well, that's the end of the explanations!
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