Serenity
Hey guys! Sorry for the long wait for a new chapter. I originally did have this one written, but it got lost when my computer got hacked. Been bummed out about that.
Anyway, I got back into the mood of writing and got this one done. It will be short, so enjoy it for what it's worth.
Enjoy reading Chapter 3!
Chapter Three:
Advice From A Stranger
Despite how late it was, Aurors were swarming the Malfoy Manor, continuing their tasks that were assigned to them by their superiors. Mad-Eye was there, including the new member of the department, Frank Longbottom, trying to keep things under control at such a madhouse. Aurors and other Ministry employees were running around, trying to handle so much with what was considered so little help.
The moment Mad-Eye had put together a team, after being informed of the Dark Lord's location by the mysterious elf who had appeared before him, he wasted no time in searching for the Malfoy Manor. What should have been almost impossible to find, was found within a short amount of time, thanks to the info by the elf. Finding the incapacitated Death Eaters and Lucius Malfoy himself, was a very rare surprise for the old Auror. It felt like Christmas had come early. But it was what he and the others found outside that truly shocked him to his core.
Laying on the ground of a destroyed garden, with a stone knife in his chest, was He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named...
The Dark Lord, Voldemort!
Not since his youth, however long ago that was, had Mad-Eye felt so dumbfounded. But until like his youth, his instincts were kicking in as he began giving orders.
They had managed to discover that nearly seventy-two percent of the guests inside the Manor had the Dark Mark on them, making it easy to place them under arrest, even if they were out cold. Tests were done to determine what had put them into such a deep sleep, including who was behind it.
It wasn't long before the Minister of Magic showed up, despite how late it was to see it for himself. Once he had seen the body of the Dark Lord, he immediately left to make an important visit.
Even before he arrived, Mad-Eye knew exactly who the Minster would send.
But the one question on everyone's mind was the same...
Who had killed the Dark Lord?
Mad-Eye had no answer, but he was determined to find out who and why. Theories and scenarios ran through his mind as he stared down at the body of the Dark Lord, his mechanical eye studying the dead figure. Despite the overload of questions, he couldn't help but smile a little.
Not long after the Minster had left, Headmaster Albus Dumbledore arrived by Appatiting just on the outskirts of the Manor's defenses, which were already disabled, most likely by the Dark Lord's slayer. Walking his way through the Manor, with a tired face, he passed each Ministry employee as they looked at him with awe and wonder, eventually arriving at the garden.
"Good to see you again, Alastor."
Mad-Eye turned around to face him, "Figures you would be here to witness this."
Turning his attention to the body that Mad-Eye was looking at, Dumbledore's eyes twinkled a little at the sight. His mouth nearly fell open from the shock within but quickly recovered. He moved forward, passing his old friend as he approached the body of Tom Riddle, the boy who grew up to become the worst Dark Lord in wizard history.
"So, the rumors are true," Dumbledore declared. "The Dark Lord is dead."
"Yes, but the question remains of who killed him and why?"
"I believe the why is easy to figure out."
"Depends on who the person is."
Dumbledore kept his attention on the deceased Dark Lord, "The Minsiter has requested for my assistance in this investigation."
"By all means, you're more than welcome to help us, Albus."
"How do you plan to tell the Wizarding World around this?"
Mad-Eye used his staff to point towards Frank Longbottom, "My newest recruit will handle that. Already got the best people working on his lines to feed the press."
Dumbledore nodded, "Then let's get started."
Mad-Eye smiled, "No need to tell me twice... old friend."
"If you think killing me will make them accept you, you're sadly mistaken!" taunted a dark figure as Severus dodged his attacks, barely managing to stay alive. "For as long as you're a Slytherin, they'll never give you a chance!"
He battled the figure with all of his strength, deflecting more of his attacks.
"This is where it ends for you, Snape! Once I've killed you and your friends, I'll create more Horcruxes to replace the ones you've destroyed!"
Stepping into the light of the darkness that surrounded them both, the Dark Lord prepared to deliver the finishing blow, only to stop, "But I am curious... how did you find out about them in the first place?"
Suddenly, a wave of darkness rushed forward and engulfed the Dark Lord, being replaced by a mysterious person who stood before him. It was hard to make out the person's face, but his voice was clear.
"What I'm about to tell you must never be repeated to anyone else," the person spoke with a worried but confident tone. "While I may not be able to help you directly, I can give you the knowledge to defeat him... if that is truly your mission now."
A few seconds passed before Severus felt his own mouth move against his will, "It is..."
"You swear that you will do everything you need to do to defeat him?" the person asked, taking a step closer to him. "That you will not turn around and join him or run away from this?"
"I swear!" he cried, feeling a wave of determination fill his heart and soul. A wave of newfound anger for vengeance that he never felt before. Not even for the Marauders had he felt this way.
The person nodded, a small smile forming, "Then you are indeed a better man than I ever could be."
Severus's eyes narrowed.
"The Dard Lord has created five objects known as Horcruxes. I know where they all are hidden, but it has to be you. You must get to them, destroy them and then kill him. After this, I can no longer help you."
Swallowing, he forced himself to reply, "Tell me!"
A second later, the same figure was reaching inside of his robes and taking out something that Severus had never seen before. In the palms of his two hands, a glowing orb lit up the darkness around them. Speaking in a language that was unknown to him, the orb reacted and suddenly began to dissolve the man before him, his flesh disappearing into nothingness. And the orb unleashed a wave of energy, flying up into the darkness above as it began to float in midair before dissolving itself into nothing as well.
Next, he came face to face with the Dark Lord again. This time they were on their knees, staring into each other's eyes as Voldemort coughed up blood, revealing a stone knife deep into his heart as he drew his last breath.
"You may think... that this will change everything... but you will find... that they will never... accept you..."
Suddenly, he was no longer looking at Voldemort, but rather James Potter as he smiled at him and declared, "It's more of the fact that he exists if you know what I mean."
Then Sirius Black appeared, "You're nothing more than a slimy snake!"
A random Ravenclaw girl, "Look at him, he's so pathetic."
The previous DADA Professor during his sixth year, "Even a blind man can tell that he's going to be a Death Eater."
And finally, a redhead girl, with green eyes, appeared before him, staring deep into his eyes as she said, "Just leave me alone, Snape! I've already told you, we're done! Just because we were partners just this one time doesn't change anything! Go away!"
Feeling tears run down his cheeks as she disappeared, he saw the body of Voldemort before him, blooding soaking the dirt as he supported himself on his knees and palms. His heart was racing as realization slowly sank in for him, making his heart twist and turn at understanding his actions. But then the body of the Dark Lord began to move in such an unnatural way, leaning up without the use of his arms. As the two met eye contact, he stared into his red eyes and felt fear creep into his heart.
"Murderer!" the mouth of Voldemort move on its own, almost as if it was being controlled from beyond its physical existence. "Murderer! Murderer! MURDERER!"
The high-pitch voice pierced his heart and echoed through his ears. He felt the darkness rush forward, overtaking him as he tried to call out for help, only for his own voice to betray him.
Severus cried out as he shot up from the bed he slept on, breathing heavily as he stared at the wall with wide eyes, sweat running down his forehead and face, soaking his shirt. Lowering his head into his hands, he closed his eyes and attempted to get his breathing under control by focusing on his Occlumency training, taking control of his emotions that had awoken within him. He could feel them running free, having suppressed them for the majority of the night until now.
Looking around, he saw Regulus and Gideon sleeping in beds of their own, having not heard his sudden awakening, which he was grateful for.
Gideon snored as he laid on his stomach, while Regulus moaned and whispered in his sleep, saying the name of some witch named Juliet a couple of times. The sight made Severus roll his eyes as he pulled the covers off of him and got up, looking out the window towards the sky. He could see the sun beginning to rise, sunlight slowly peaking over the horizon of London.
Deciding to begin the day ahead of the others, he left the bedroom that the three of them were sharing and went straight to the bathroom, taking a quick shower and redressing in his wizard robes as he walked down to the first floor. He entered the kitchen to make himself some tea, finding the right ingredients he needed. Though he had once paid no mind to tea, he had recently come to love it. Discovering that it helped in calming his mind and nerves whenever he was unstable with his emotions. As such, he made it a new tradition to have it every morning to begin the day.
Sitting down at the table, he sipped his cup and enjoyed the peace he was experiencing.
A few moments later, he heard a small noise coming from the front door, forcing him to get up and see what it was warning him about. The moment he opened the door, he caught a glimpse of an owl flying off in the distance, disappearing over the trees in front of the neighborhood. Looking down, he saw a copy of the Daily Prophet, which he picked up and closed the door.
Returning to the table and his tea, he set the paper down and made a mental note to inform Regulus of it. However, his eye caught the main headline and he was reminded of what it would be about, peaking his curiosity.
Picking it up, he began to read:
July 21st, 1977
THE DAILY PROPHET
:
MAIN HEADLINES
:
'HE WHO SHALL NOT BE NAMED'
IS DEAD
/
MALFOY MANOR RAIDED BY AURORS LATE INTO THE NIGHT
/
HIGH-RANKING DEATH EATERS DISCOVERED INCAPACITATED AND ARRESTED
/
AUROR MAD-EYE ISSUES AN INVESTIGATION INTO DISCOVERING THE IDENTITY OF THE DARK LORD'S SLAYER
:
'In a shocking development that had occurred last night, on July 20th of 1977, Head Auror Mad-Eye was approached by an unknown elf, claiming to know of the whereabouts of the most wanted fugitive in the entire Wizarding World... 'He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named'! Though skeptical, Mad-Eye had chosen to lead a small force to investigate the location that the unknown elf gave him... the Malfoy Manor. However, once arriving and managing to break through the protective barriers, they discovered Lucius Malfoy, his newlywed wife and tons of guests all unconscious (For the full story of the wedding and further information of the new Mrs. Malfoy, please turn to Page 3).
'Determined to be the cause of a powerful sleep potion (For further info, please turn to Page 8), the Aurors turned the Manor into a crime scene and began an investigation. Signs of a struggle and duel were discovered in the ballroom, where the unconscious were found, including in the gardens located outside of the Manor (For the history of the Malfoy Manor, please turn to Page 3). Who had been fighting and caused the destruction is still under investigation, though sources say that the Dark Lord was involved.
'Press conference with Auror Frank Longbottom offered this to say early this morning (For further information of Mr. Longbottom, please turn to Page 8): "After further investigation, we have concluded that a fight did indeed break out within and continued outside the Malfoy Manor. Who was involved remains to be seen, though we are confident that the Dark Lord was one of them."
'But that wasn't all they found.
'While searching the grounds of the Manor, several Aurors discovered the deceased body of the Dark Lord (For further information on the Dark Wizard and his campaign, please turn to Page 2).
'Press conference with Auror Frank Longbottom had this to say about the discovery: "On behave of the Auror Department and the Ministry, we can confirm that on July 21st, sometime after midnight, the body of the Dark Lord had been discovered in the gardens of the Malfoy Manor. From what we were able to gather, he was stabbed through the heart with a stone knife, taken from a statue that was from the scene. Who killed him remains unknown at this time, but an investigation has been ordered by Head Auror Alastor Moody to find out who is responsible and bring him or her in for questioning. I repeat my previous statement, 'the Dark Lord is dead and is no longer an active threat to the Wizarding World'."
'As for the Dark Lord's followers, known as the Death Eaters, Aurors discovered the infamous 'Dark Mark' on several of the guests, including Lucius Malfoy (For further information on the Dark Mark, please see Page 2). Some have been confirmed to be high-ranking members, including official Ministry members.
'Press conference with Auror Frank Longbottom had this to say: "Thanks to the discovery of the Dark Mark on several guests who were at the Malfoy Manor, we have taken them into custody and will wait to be tried in court. Among those found with the Mark are Lucius Malfoy, Augustus Avery, Alecto Carrow, Amycus Carrow, Bellatrix Lestrange, Rodolphus Lestrange, Godric Nott, Igor Karkaroff, and several more whose names will be released as soon as a full investigation is completed. I can confirm that among those found with the Dark Mark was Unspeakable Augustus Rookwood, who worked in the Department of Mysteries. Due to this, we have placed him in custody and stripped him of his status as an Unspeakable. That is all we can give you until further investigation is completed."
'Though it has been long suspected that Lucius Malfoy was among those who supported the Dark Lord, the news of Unspeakable Augustus Rookwood shook the Ministry to its core. With many wondering who else was discovered at the Manor, many officials are beginning to consider that there needs to be a full investigation into every Department of the Ministry itself, in order to flush out any last remaining Death Eater moles.
'Despite an issued investigation and warrant for the Dark Lord's killer by Auror Alastor Moody, or Mad-Eye as others like to call him, the Minister of Magic, Harold Minchum has offered a reward and thank you to the mystery slayer of the Dark Wizard, even asking for the person responsible to turn themselves in, promising to drop all charges if they do (For more information on Alastor 'Mad-Eye' Moody and Harold Minchum, please turn to Page 9).
'While the investigation is still on-going at the moment, today marks a turning point for all Wizardkind. Though it remains to be seen, the Death Eater campaign has seemingly come to a swift end. With the death of the Dard Lord and the arrest of multiple Death Eaters, including those within the Ministry, it seems as though the future is looking brighter for some.
'Here's an interview with low-level Ministry employee who had this to say: "I don't know how this happened. It's all so... surreal to me. For far too long had we live in fear of these people. I'm just happy I can look forward to waking up tomorrow and feeling safe in my own home."
'Here's another interview with a second low-level Ministry employee we managed to catch: "I don't know who did this or why, but I just want to say... thank you."
'Catch tomorrow's paper to find out more and what the Ministry plans to do next! This is Daily Prophet and may you have a good day reading what we have to offer!'
:
IN OTHER NEWS
/
A SMALL WILDFIRE DISCOVERED IN A FOREST NEAR THE VILLAGE OF LITTLE HANGLETON LEADS INVESTIGATORS TO BELIEVE THAT THE FIENDFYRE CURSE WAS RESPONSIBLE
(See Page 10)
/
HEADMASTER DUMBLEDORE IS CALLED UPON BY THE MINISTER OF MAGIC TO HELP IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE DARK LORD'S DEATH
(See Page 11)
/
RUMORS OF A NEW HEIR TO THE PRINCE FAMILY CONTINUE TO SURFACE
(See Page 12)
/
WITNESSES CLAIM OF SEEING MYSTERIOUS INTRUDERS ENTERING GRINGOTTS BANK, FORCING A LOCKDOWN TO INVESTIGATE
(See Page 13)
/
LADY ARTORIA NOTT ISSUES AN AWARD FOR THE WHEREABOUTS AND RETURN OF HER FAMILY'S MISSING CHILDREN
(See Page 14)
/
KNOWN DEATH EATERS PRISCILLA AND ARCHER GORE REMAIN AT LARGE
(See Page 15)
/
NEW WEREWOLF LAWS ARE CIRCLING THE MINISTRY FOR APPROVAL
(See Page 16)
Severus shook his head as he read through the newspaper and finished his tea. Setting the paper aside, he let the moment sink in for him, folding his hands together on the surface of the table. He closed his eyes and took a breath.
Looking over his shoulder to see if he was truly alone, he reached into his robes and pulled out a muggle device of some sort. Its surface was silver, reflecting everything around it, and flat like a square.
suddenly appeared as it moved an inch into the device, forming around his thumb. A little needle pierced his skin from under the circle, drawing blood. The device lit red for a few seconds before turning green.
Removing his thumb, he watched as the silver surface of the flat device opened up, a series of mechanics within working as to their design, stopping as a white light appeared above it, taking the form of a man.
Severus instantly recognized him.
"Severus," the figure spoke. "If you've activated this, then I am right to assume you have succeeded."
Severus studied the tiny man of light, searching for something to recognize, but only could find his voice to be the only that stood out to him.
"While I am sure congratulations are in order, I will not have such a luxury."
He frowned.
"Because of your actions, the future will change. Events will either alter or cease to exist. Meaning, I can never go home..."
The man paused.
"I know you have questions, but to ensure this knowledge doesn't end up in the hands of the Forsaken, I cannot answer them. The power I used to grant you the freedom to change your fate will attract attention you do not want. But I can promise you this... your life is now unwritten."
Severus stared into his eyes, despite knowing he couldn't really see him.
"Which is why I must advise you to do one last thing."
His eyes narrowed.
"Leave!"
The word echoed in his ears before realizing what he had meant.
"Leave Hogwarts and Britain behind. I can promise you that in a world with or without the Dark Lord, you will find that nothing will change for you. You won't find happiness or the respect you've wasted your life away trying to achieve. Take the fortune I've helped you gain and live your life somewhere else. Even if it means leaving 'her' behind forever."
His heart sank at the mention of her. A tight grip that always made him vulnerable.
"Take my advice and leave it all behind. I would hate for my sacrifice to be in vain if you were to waste your life away again."
Severus fought back the tears.
"If I may... I want to offer you another choice, a new beginning in a new world. In my journeys across the Megaverse, I've encountered different realities and a lot of friends along the way. One such friend has granted me permission to allow for you and your friends to start new lives there. If you wish to start anew, then meet me at the Tower Bridge tonight at nine.
'X' will mark the spot."
Severus raised
Take care... Severus."
As the device powered down, Severus continued to stare down at it, letting everything sink in for him as he processed it all. He closed his eyes and sighed. Opening them again, he heard footsteps from above and prepared himself for the day ahead, knowing that the others would need to discuss their plans for what was to come now.
How did you enjoy the chapter?
I won't reveal who the mystery person is, because leaving certain things for the audience/readers to think about on their own is just so much more fun to do. Leave your thoughts as to who the mysterious person is in the review section.
As you've noticed, I changed a few things in my rewrites.
Thank you to everyone who has left a review. I love them! :)
See you guys in Chapter 4!