Disclaimer: Still not mine. Everything you recognize belongs to JKR

Author's Note: Hehe, see? A REALLY quick update! There's more action in this chapter than there has been in any of the others. Hope you enjoy!

Heart's Desire

Chapter 9

-----Harry's Point of View-----

Severus and I were sitting in the library about a week before Christmas break when, out of the blue, he asked, "What are you doing for Christmas?" I shrugged.

"Probably staying here. Why?"

"You and your sister are welcome to spend the holidays at my house."

"I'll have to check with Felicia, but otherwise I'd love to."

"What will you have to check with me?" Felicia asked. Neither boy had seen her enter the library, must less approach the table.

"Do you want to spend the holidays at Sev's house?" I asked. Or clarified. Whatever. I also ignored the death glare from Severus. It isn't nearly as scary when you're the same age.

"Sure!" she grinned. With that out of the way, we continued working on our essays.

The rest of the term flew by, and soon we were boarding the Hogwarts Express. As we arrived at Kings Cross Station, Ron pulled me aside.

"Are you sure you'll be alright?" he asked, for at least the 100th time.

"We'll be fine," I answered, rolling my eyes. Again. I swear, we had went through the same routine ten times a day since Hermione and I agreed to go. It wasn't Severus that Ron didn't trust, in theory, it was the rest of his family, and who might be there. Ron nodded uneasily before turning to follow the rest of our group over to where James's parents were standing. My grandparents. It hadn't really hit me until now.

"Are you alright?" Hermione whispered, startling me out of my daze.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I grinned. "Let's go."

The ride to Snape Manor was very quiet. Deathly quiet, in fact. We finally arrived at the front gates. It was definitely none to soon. As we climbed out of the car, Mrs. Snape appeared in the door.

"Did you have a nice trip?" she asked. She wore a lost look on her face, as if she didn't really know where she was or what she was doing. 'Kinda like Luna before you get to know her,' I decided. "The two of you must be the special guests for tonight," she continued, leading us into the house.

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked uneasily. Apparently Ron had taken her aside a few times, too.

"Severus's initiation to the Death Eaters will be tonight. You're going to be the task."

There was a gasp from behind me. I didn't have to turn around to know it was Severus. His face was paler than I have ever seen it, including the time he got back to Headquarters over the summer after suffering through five Cruciatus Curses.

"Boy, you are very lucky your father wasn't here to see such a display. Those two didn't flinch, and they're mudbloods, not to mention facing extreme pain and death."

"Is there any other kind of death?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"Crucio!" she said coldly. "You should have learned to hold your tongue."

I watched the curse come speeding towards me. I'm sure that, from my expression, Mrs. Snape thought I didn't know what it did. I decided to play towards that aspect. When it hit me, I instantly fell to the floor, writhing in pain, although I really couldn't feel it. After all, it makes most people at least twinge, right?

Mrs. Snape laughed, lifting the curse. She left the three of us in the hallway, still laughing as if she had gone insane. She sounded a little like what I always thought Bellatrix Lestrange must have sounded like when she tortured people.

"She's gone," Hermione said once she was sure Mrs. Snape was out of hearing distance.

"Well, lets get going," I said, standing up. Severus had quite a few emotions playing across his face, the least of which most certainly weren't shock and fear.

"Where?" he asked, glancing around as if afraid one of his parents would jump out from somewhere.

"To somewhere we can put our trunks. Never mind. We'll shrink them. It'll make getting away easier," I said as if it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"You mean we aren't going to leave?" Severus asked, wide-eyed.

"I would assume the exits are warded," Hermione responded. She stalked over to the door, eyeing it warily. She apparently decided there wasn't anything dangerous on it, because she turned the knob. When that didn't work, she tried a few unlocking charms. None of those worked either. "See, no escape. We might as well be comfortable."

"You're certainly taking this awfully calmly," one of the portraits remarked. The three turned, not having noticed them before. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were a direct descendant of Gryffindor. The man always did have more courage than sense."

"Did you know him?" Harry asked incredulously. "And, just out of curiosity, who are?"

"I'm not old enough to know him when he was alive, thank you very much. I've talked with his portrait; I'm basing it off the stories he likes to tell. I believe he once faced a basilisk to save one of his friends. His direct descendants are the Potter family."

I found this hilarious. I did have enough reserve, however, to not laugh out loud. Hermione was practically rolling on the floor. Some control she has.

"Thanks for the information," I grinned. "We really should be going, though."

"Not planning on hiding, are you?" the portrait asked.

"Not really," I replied.

"Good, good, take it like a man, I always say," another portrait chimed in. This one had obviously been beheaded.

"You aughta know," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "Can we go? I'd rather not stand in the hallway."

"Sure," Severus said, eyeing us as if he really wanted to take us to the Closed Ward at St. Mungo's, but was stopped only by the warded doors.

We spent the rest of the evening in Severus's room, awaiting the summons to join the adults downstairs. Severus was summoned first. He left looking deathly pale.

"We need to do some new glamours, or Voldemort will see through us in a second," I said to Hermione. She nodded, and automatically straightened and lightened her hair. I made mine lay down a little flatter, and made my eyes a less vivid shade of green. Then, we were summoned.

We walked downstairs, trying to look as scared and insignificant as possible. For Hermione, it was no hard task. I, however, was tempted to start firing curses at Voldemort as soon as I got in the door. I knew, however, that Hermione and I were greatly outnumbered, and most probably wouldn't make it out alive.

"About time you decided to make your appearance," someone snarled as we walked in. Glancing up, I saw a Voldemort that looked much more like his sixteen-year-old self than the one I was used to. I noticed the one from my time off to the side, surrounded by whom I assumed to be the Death Eaters who had traveled back with him. Yup, they were. I could see Wormtail's silver hand.

I bit back a response, and tried to look appropriately fearful. Really, that Voldemort wasn't too bad. After all, I can beat Dumbledore, who has done nothing but grow in power. If he has always been a fairly even match for Voldemort, I don't really have too much to worry about with this one. It's the one that's skulking in the shadows that I'm worried about. Next to me, Hermione was trembling. I keep telling her that if she acts like she can definitely do a spell before she tries, her power will increase much faster. That's how mine's increased so fast. That's partly why Voldemort is so strong. Of course, you can do it the hard way, like Dumbledore, believing that you have to have a significant amount of power already to be able to perform a spell.

"It's time for the initiation to begin," Voldemort snarled. "Step forward." Severus did, too afraid to protest. "Hold out your arm. Mordsmorde!" Slowly, before our very eyes, the Dark Mark etched itself on Severus's arm. His face was visibly screwed up against the pain, but he knew as well as Hermione and I that if any noise was made, it only went on longer. Unfortunately, it looked as if he were going to break. Suddenly, I got an idea.

Moving slowly to not attract unnecessary attention, which probably wasn't necessary as everyone who wasn't in on the plan was either a Death Eater watching their favorite sport or being the sport, I moved so that I could use Legilimency on Severus.

'Send me part of the pain,' I sent. He looked up, shocked to hear someone talking inside his head. I'm sure he thought he was going insane. 'Seriously, send as much of it as you can.'

'Why?' he broke off with a scream.

'That's why.'

'Fine.' With that, he pushed as much of what he was feeling through the link. Now, I had all kinds of left over pain I needed an outlet for.

Most people would have been on their knees in pain from just the little bit I was getting. It was a sign of the will power of the members of the Death Eaters that they could all stand there. It was only the fact that I had become immune to the Cruciatus Curse, and, in turn, most pain, over the summer that I was able to stand it.

In an obsolete text Hermione had found in the Black library, it said that, if exposed to the Unforgivables enough, you would become immune to them. That didn't mean that you could sit under the Cruciatus for an hour and become immune; you'd just be insane. It meant that if you're under it briefly once a day, your pain tolerance will build up. Eventually, you just couldn't feel it anymore. The only thing that might possibly hurt was another Killing Curse. We hadn't got a chance to test that, for as willing as Snape is to throw Cruciatus at me, he refuses to use the Killing Curse. I am immune, though. At least if the book is correct. Since I had enough power to survive it the first time, it wouldn't matter if I were a squib the next time I'm hit, I'll survive.

"I must say I'm very impressed," Voldemort was hissing at Severus. "Even, or maybe I should say especially, with your father's glowing approval, I never expected you to last this long." He waited for Severus to say something. "Answer me when I talk to you!"

'Tell him yes, master,' I hissed through the link. Severus repeated it out loud. Voldemort seemed pleased.

"You have trained him well," he said, turning to Mr. Snape, who I actually hadn't noticed before now.

"Of course I have," Mr. Snape had the nerve to say back. That was going to cost him.

"Crucio!" Voldemort hissed. "I don't appreciate back talk." Mr. Snape was on the floor, howling in seconds. He obviously hadn't taken the Dark Mark.

My eyes flickered around the room. How the hell were the three of us supposed to get out of here with Severus still having enough standing to be able to become a spy?

"You," Voldemort snarled, turning back to Severus. "Perform your initiation. Kill your friends."

'Hermione, we've got to get out of here,' I sent through our bond.

'No shit, Harry. How?'

'We duel. Then, after we've stunned Severus, we run out the door, casting as many jinxes to get in their way as we can get out. After we get out the door, we disillusion ourselves, and slam the front door. If any are chasing, which most probably will be, they'll run that way. Then we can sneak back in and grab him. After we get to Hogwarts, we write a note and alter it so it's in his handwriting. We explain that he didn't want to go back to Hogwarts, but we practically kidnapped him. Of course, he'll have to be conscious enough to sign it, as that part can't be altered by a charm.' Hermione nodded slightly just as I was hit with a spell. It was the Imperious Curse. From Voldemort's wand.

Shit. This did make things just a little more difficult. I scanned the room. There sat Severus, bound and gagged. Now how the hell did I miss that? I ignored Voldemort's orders to kill Hermione, making everyone but Hermione surprised that the curse hadn't worked. What can I say, there's no way to fake killing someone.

"Well, well, well, that one sure is strong," Voldemort said, sounding pleased. It was not a pleasant sound. He still had his wand pointed at Severus. This was definitely getting confusing.

"You have no idea just how powerful," a voice hissed from the corner. The same voice that had sent the Imperious curse at me; an all-to-familiar voice. Voldemort stepped from the shadows and threw off his mask. "Finite Incantatuem!" It was like cold water had been poured on me as all of my facial features moved to how they were supposed to be. "Potter, it's so nice you could join us."

"The pleasure's all yours."

-----Severus's Point of View-----

Fuck. Yes, I do believe that accurately describes the current situation.

The pain from the Mark ended. Well, it still hurt. A lot. But it was less than what it had hurt.

"I must say I'm very impressed. Even, or should I say especially, with your father's glowing approval, I never expected you to last this long." He was waiting for something. "Answer me when I talk to you!" Oh, so that's what he was waiting for.

'Tell him yes, master,' Harry sent through the link he had formed.

"Yes, master," I repeated.

"You have trained him well," he said, turning to my father.

"Of course I have," he replied.

"Crucio!" Voldemort hissed. "I don't appreciate back talk." My father was on the floor almost before the curse hit, howling in pain.

"You," Voldemort snarled, turning back to me. "Perform your initiation. Kill your friends."

I turned to face them, my wand raised. Neither was paying any attention to me. I hesitated. This was the absolute last thing I wanted to do. This was the first time I had real friends, not just friends because of my name, gold, or social status. I hesitated too long.

The next thing I knew, I was bound and gagged on the sidelines. Voldemort was about to curse me when the Imperious curse flew from one of the Death Eaters that had been lurking in the shadows and hit Harry. He didn't seem affected at all.

"Well, well, well, that one sure is strong," Voldemort said, sounding pleased. His wand was still pointed at me.

"You have no idea just how powerful," came the voice from the corner. The most horrible looking man I had ever seen threw off his mask as he stepped forward. "Finite Incantatuem! Potter, it's so nice you could join us."

"The pleasure's all yours," the almost carbon copy of James Potter said. The only immediately noticeable differences were the eyes and the odd scar.

"Here to change the past, are we?" Voldemort sneered. What the hell was he talking about?

"For the better, I'm sure."

"I doubt that."

"I'd ask for a show of hands, but I really don't think I'd win the majority vote," Potter snarled.

"You don't seem surprised to see me here." I heard an almost inaudible intake of breath, one that would have been inaudible from anywhere else in the room.

"Of course not. You may be a genius in Legilimency; even I'll admit that. But you absolutely suck at Occlumency. I felt you arrive through my scar."

"I don't believe you! Wormtail, come forward!" I let out a gasp that went ignored as Peter Pettigrew, granted more than twenty years older than he had been the last time I had seen him, stepped forward. "Were you the one who betrayed me? Betrayal certainly seems to be your strong point."

"N-n-no my lord," Pettigrew said, seeming terrified at the very suggestion. "I have sacrificed everything to s-s-serve you. W-why would I turn back now?"

"Wouldn't you?" Voldemort must had seen Harry and Felicia moving out of the corner of his eye, because they were suddenly bound just like I was. He turned his attention back to Pettigrew, as did everyone else in the room. "After all, the boy is your last link to your former friends. Although, I must wonder if they were your friends, or if you were only an ego stroker." What on earth had Pettigrew done that was so bad? It must have been something absolutely terrible, judging by the look on Harry's face.

"You!" Voldemort snapped at another Death Eater that had been hiding in the shadows. "Why didn't you inform me of this turn of events?"

"I honestly don't recall them. This has been much different than I remember it, my lord." It was my own voice. So I was still alive in twenty years. That seemed to be better than most life expectancies. Unfortunately, I was probably going to be tortured.

"I guess you have a point. I must say, I myself remember it differently. They really are changing the future," Voldemort said. The last part sounded bitter. He turned to interrogate another Death Eater when the front door slammed. Everyone jumped. 'Very alert,' I thought sarcastically.

"They're gone!" one of the more astute Death Eaters exclaimed, staring wide-eyed at the ropes that had bound the pair.

"Crucio!" Voldemort snarled. "After them!" The room cleared quicker than I'd ever seen a room clear before, leaving me on the ground for obvious reasons. Suddenly, there was a hand on my shoulder. I opened my mouth to scream, but another hand covered my mouth before I could.

"Shh. I'm trying to untie you, and they aren't far enough away for you to scream and them not hear you." It was Harry, apparently under an Invisibility charm. Nope, a cloak.

"Just what are you doing back here?" I hissed.

"Getting you out of here," Harry replied.

"Why aren't you running a few steps ahead of the Death Eaters?"

"Because 'Mione and I hadn't left yet. We just opened the door and created a wind." He finally had me out of the ropes, and handed me my wand.

"Don't you need your wand?" I asked, looking at him in slight shock. He shook his head.

"It's in my trunk, where it can't get taken away."

"Then how did you get out of the ropes? And make the door slam closed without touching it?"

"Wandless magic," Harry replied simply.

"Are you two about done? Voldemort isn't going to follow a fake trail for long," Felicia said, entering the room. "Crabbe and Goyle are guarding the door."

"That's almost insulting," Harry said, off-handedly. A pain shot through my arm where the Dark Mark was now etched into my skin. I flinched, which is understandable when your arm feels like someone is carving a large chunk of skin out of it.

"The pain charm wore off," Felicia muttered. She hurriedly ran her hand over the Dark Mark, and instantly the pain disappeared.

"How did you do that?" I asked. At the exact same moment, Harry said, "I didn't know you could do that."

"What, did you think you were the only one who could do wandless magic?" Felicia asked innocently.

"From that distance," Harry shrugged.

"You really should be getting out of here," a voice said. I glanced up. It was me again. Goodness that's a weird thing to think.

"Yeah, I know. We're going," Harry said, somewhat distractedly.

"Well hurry. The Dark Lord is coming back, fully aware that you tricked him. He is not happy, to say the least."

"I take it that's an understatement. Alright, lets go," Harry said. He nodded to Felicia, before they both grabbed my arms, pulling me out of the room after them. Instead of going out the door, however, we went up the stairs.

"Just why are we going this way?" I hissed.

"Because there are guards the other way," Felicia pointed out.

"And even if they are only Crabbe and Goyle, the rest are coming back soon. Besides, we need to get your stuff. You'll have to have your broom so we can get out of here. Yes, 'Mione, you have to fly," Harry said, not even needing to look at 'Mione' to know she was pouting.

"'Mione?" I questioned.

"We'll explain later," she said, smiling apologetically. "We're going to have a long flight." She didn't look very happy at all at the thought of that prospect.

Finally we reached my room. While Harry was digging through his newly enlarged trunk, 'Felicia' and I were going through mine, searching for my broom. We finally found it at the bottom, at the same time that Harry emerged from his, clutching another two.

"Well, lets go," he said after both trunks had been shrunk. He vanished the window, and we each kicked off, shooting through the now open space.

Author's Note: Well, how did you like it? Now that you've been spoiled,it will probably take me a while to update chapter 10, simply because, while I have an idea for what is to happen, I don't have anything written. Review, and tell me how you liked it!