After spending the entire day in Severus Snape's residence (no, she didn't think he lived there permanently considering there were spider webs at the corner of the rooms), Francesca Zabini returned to her home and frowned at the letter on her desk. Blinking warily at the item, she then casted multiple inspection charms onto it and when nothing came out, she opened the envelope and read the received letter.
It was from Professor Horace Slughorn, informing that she would replace him to teach Potions for all years in Hogwarts next term to which Francesca grumbled in slight annoyance. Why couldn't he discuss the matter with her before school ended a month ago? The more she read the letter, she could only deduce that the old professor was getting worried of the escalating war and wanted to hide or run away. But wasn't Hogwarts the safest place one could be in the trying times? The ancient castle was previously a fortress, after all.
Sighing at the prospect of the future, Francesca went to bathe, eat her dinner and sleep. She would tell Severus of it when they go shopping for their wedding dress robes on the upcoming weekend. Perhaps she could also convince him to be the Head of Slytherin House, seeing that it was a tradition to have a male taking the position since Salazar Slytherin's time.
It was mid-August, and Bellatrix Black-Lestrange led her husband and brother-in-law to Malfoy Manor to give their reports about the task given by Lord Voldemort months ago. The sniveling house-elf led them to the ballroom and was greeted by the Dark Lord who was sitting in his throne.
"My Lord," Bellatrix spoke with a smile before bowing down and kissed the hem of his robes. Her husband and his brother followed suit.
"It's been quite some time," Lord Voldemort spoke, "What news do you have for me today?"
"The Longbottoms have been staying in their house for almost a week now, my Lord," Rodolphus informed. "We also only see the Auror's old mother coming to visit."
The Dark Lord raised his eyebrows at the statement. Indeed, as much as the Lestranges wanted to attack the Auror family, they waited patiently for their Lord's orders. It wouldn't do to go against his words especially with the tension about the Ministry also joining in to search for those with the Dark Marks on their forearms.
Bellatrix loathed the time when she had to thank a poor half-blood wizard of all people for the suggestion to obscure their movements.
"Keep watching them for now," Lord Voldemort's voice rang in her ears, "But on Halloween, you may kill them."
Bellatrix blinked while Rabastan spoke of their confusion, "My Lord?"
"The Longbottoms have been a thorn for our side, not to mention they have lasted four years within Dumbledore's army. Those who newly join the Order will have high hopes when seeing the… veterans of this war still alive. We must send them all a message, that our victory is drawing near and their resistance will be futile in the end."
Someone knocked on the doors and they turned to see who it was after Lord Voldemort gave his permission.
Bellatrix's mood went sour immediately upon seeing it was Severus Snape.
"Ah, Severus," the Dark Lord said, and Bellatrix inwardly scowled when noticing his mirthful red eyes. "How's your day with your future wife?"
Snape blushed, avoiding his gaze. "It was alright, my Lord. Just… we had encountered the Mudblood on our way home."
Lord Voldemort narrowed his eyes as if he was let into a secret only two of them knew about. "There's over two months left, Severus." He then waved his hand at the Lestranges, signaling their dismissal and Bellatrix bit her lower lip as they walked out of the ballroom, telling Rodolphus and Rabastan to continue spying on the Longbottoms while she would have a few words with Snape after the Dark Lord was done with him.
About ten minutes later, Snape opened the mahogany doors. "Bellatrix," he said with a raised eyebrow.
She scoffed, "Don't think I don't know what you're planning, Snape. You're seducing the Dark Lord into lowering his guard before going for the kill yourself! Still craving that redhead Mudblood after all these years? I will put a stop to it now!" She pulled out her walnut wand which sparked out some red lights, the Cruciatus Curse's incantation at the tip of her tongue.
The man immediately grimaced and Bellatrix was taken aback by the sudden flare of magic in the air.
"The Dark Lord saved me," Snape's disguised eyes were steely at her, "I owe him my life. What makes you think I'm willing to fool him?" Then he shook his head, face pale as if his magical illness struck him. "We both have the Dark Lord's best interests at heart, the least we can do is to not fail him."
"I won't be tricked by your words, half-blood!"
"The Dark Lord is in danger!" Snape snarled. "Why else do you think he has you to spy on the Longbottoms? They… no, their child will be the bane of our Lord! That boy will somehow vanquish him! Doesn't that warrant us to protect our Lord?"
Bellatrix blinked in disbelief. After all, she had seen the Longbottom child who resembled the mother. How would that squirming weak boy defeat the Dark Lord? "You're lying!" she roared.
"You can take my words or not," Snape said. "There was a prophecy and the Dark Lord himself had heard it. It's up to you if you want to believe it but either way, the Longbottoms must be killed on Halloween. Not before, and not after."
When the man in black left, Bellatrix huffed; conflicted with believing Severus Snape's words or following her obligations to serve the Dark Lord.
On 29th August 1981, Severus accompanied Francesca to the Hogwarts' entrance gates with her suitcases floating behind them. The sunrise shining against the ancient castle was supposed to be beautiful and serene, yet for him the magical school only brought out painful memories. Of his younger self desperately wishing the place would be his solace but the opposite had happened instead.
"Still not interested with Hogwarts?" she asked softly.
Severus grimaced before shaking his head, "Too many bad memories."
"I'm sorry."
"It's not your fault."
There was a beat of silence, and he blinked when Francesca entered his vision. "That boy you mentioned… when are you going to kill him?" she said as if they were discussing about the weather.
"On Halloween," was his answer. It would be the sacred time where Death roamed over the world and he would personally do the deed of killing Harry Potter in case his original plan got compromised by unexpected circumstances. He would have to get Peter Pettigrew for more information from the Order of the Phoenix and execute his plan with minimal error.
She smiled, "Good luck."
"You too, Professor Zabini," he mused.
"Not for long; I'll be Professor Snape soon," she grinned and they schooled their expressions when Rubeus Hagrid came to unlock the gates before entering the school grounds with a goodbye and Severus watched her until her figure disappeared from his sight, wondering if he should tell her of his name change and ancestral manor.
Albus Dumbledore was immensely worried.
As the passage of time went by and the war continued to claim lives here and there, he was researching protection spells and charms for the Longbottoms and the Potters to use so that they could protect their children from Lord Voldemort and the mysterious Rogue Prince; the latter much to his dismay he was still clueless of who it could be. Yet those that he found would never last long, at most it would be a month before having to be applied again.
The old wizard shook his head defiantly. No, he would not give up. Lord Voldemort – Tom Riddle – would be predictable, choosing Harry Potter rather than Neville Longbottom, but the idea that the powerful Dark Lord had found the one variable that would tip the tides into his favor was frightening.
What could the Rogue Prince do? Even as he led the Order of the Phoenix to the battleground, there was no sight of the elusive figure. But he was also dangerous enough to be included in the prophecy and Albus could not take the risk of ignoring him. Perhaps after the prophesized children's families were safe, he would search for the Prince's identity.
Sighing, he flicked his wand toward the pile of books and casted them to the other side of the room before bringing another set of tomes.
It was almost three in the morning and Albus was ready to call quits for the time when his gaze fell onto something interesting. His blue eyes gradually glinted in utmost delight and relief upon reading the description of the spell he found.
The Fidelius Charm.
September nearly came to an end, and Peter Pettigrew narrowed his eyes as he appeared from behind a nearby building in the middle of the night before heading to the cottage behind the British Library.
He knocked on the wooden door three times and waited until it was swung open, to which a man's pale visage greeted him.
"Ah, Pettigrew," Severus Snape spoke; his disguised black eyes briefly scanned him from head to toe. "Got any information from them?"
At that, Peter smirked, "Oh, I have a feeling you will like this." He knew enough by now that even though Severus Snape was quite respected in the wizarding community, the fact that he had had connections with the Death Eaters cemented the fact that the Dark Lord was to be feared and revered, and with the man's help he would be safe from this damned war.
Snape quirked his eyebrow and let him in. Within the cottage, Peter saw Snape's friend Mortimer was in the living room, sipping on a cup of coffee whilst reading a book. The two shared a nod upon making eye contact before Snape gestured at him to sit at the coffee table.
"Well?"
"Dumbledore's planning to use the Fidelius Charm to the Potters," Peter could barely contain his wide grin, "It can hide people anywhere as long as there is someone to keep the secret of their whereabouts."
He knew he had struck the jackpot when he heard Mortimer's book fell onto his lap. Meanwhile, Snape stared at him with a calculating gaze.
"Have they casted the spell yet?"
"Not to my knowledge; I mean Dumbledore only told James the gist of it, so…" Peter waved his wand carelessly, letting the man knew he used his Animagus form to listen in to the conversation a few days ago while also acting as the good friend to get the confirmation of the protection charm.
"What about the Longbottoms?"
Peter frowned; what caused Snape to be interested with them? "I don't think Dumbledore had said anything about the spell to them."
Snape remained silent and Peter wondered if he had underestimated his eagerness to have the information delivered. "Keep up acting the good friend," the man finally drawled, eyes glittering. "They bound to be desperate enough to need your help soon, and I want you to wait until the time is right."
Peter blinked curiously, "Wait for what?"
"Patience, Pettigrew. The fact that you're willing to sell your friend for your own safety… it will be your revenge to Potter. I knew you, yearning for their approval and praise only to be let down. It hurts, doesn't it? Potter's arrogance and naivety will be his downfall and we both will relish on it."
Peter snickered in attempt to smother his guilt of the possible betrayal to the only other member of the Marauders. "I- I just… I want to live," he stammered, "I want to be strong. The Dark Lord… he protected you, yes? D- Do you think he will have me too?"
Snape hummed as he leant against his seat, looking strangely satisfied. "You know what? Come back here tomorrow, and I will see to it that the Dark Lord will reward you well. Thank you for the information." He then took out his usual pouch of wizarding coins and handed it to Peter, who only bowed down and scurried away to avoid any further interrogations.
The next day, he returned to the cottage but much to his puzzlement, only Snape was there.
"The Dark Lord is attending a few things, so I suggest you follow me and not making a fool of yourself," the man informed before transporting him to a huge manor Peter only had associated them with rich influential Slytherin families. The house-elf greeting them was also dressed sharply and Peter couldn't hold his excitement of what he would receive soon.
"This way," Snape said as they headed toward a large room and after knocking on the mahogany doors three times, someone from inside spoke for them to come in.
Peter nearly petrified in his place as he finally met the bogeyman of the wizarding world.
The great Lord Voldemort was sitting regally on a throne, red eyes glinting like rubies. Peter knew he should be afraid of the man especially of his serpentine visage, yet all he could do was to bask in the powerful wizard's magic that circulated inside the room.
"So this is Peter Pettigrew," the Dark Lord spoke.
"Y- Yes, my L- Lord," Peter stuttered, body shaking as he bowed down and kissed the hem of the wizard's robes.
"I've heard many things about you. Had seen of what you did, even. Someone neglected by his talented friends and seek protection from the strong ones? Everyone is welcomed here, as long as you give your words to be at my service and will remain loyal to me. If not…" Lord Voldemort caressed his wand lovingly and Peter swore right there he did not want to be at the mercy of the weapon that had taken countless lives before.
"Hold out your left arm. Say your pledge and I will Mark you, Pettigrew."
Peter looked up to see Snape standing behind the Dark Lord, disguised eyes were emotionless and he gulped before rolling the sleeve of his robes up and said his promises.
The pain caused by the Dark Mark was indescribable, but Peter did not dare succumb to his weakness out of fright that Lord Voldemort would reject him. It lasted for perhaps two minutes at most, but for him it was an eternity for the sharp prickling sensation to subdue.
As he gasped for breath, Peter looked down to his left forearm and saw the black skull and the long serpent imprinted to his skin, waves of Dark Magic emitting from it.
"Welcome to the dark side, Peter Pettigrew."