Chapter 111: When Cores Go Rotten
{A/N: Here's Another Update...late post...forgive the mistakes if there are any...}
My Thanks To All My Readers And Reviewers...Enjoy-S.S
{"Let everybody see...The future here in me...Just watch the wheels go round...I'll tear his ego down!...Woah, you're only smoke and mirrors! Woah, you're only smoke and mirrors to me!...I know less is more...But with you...The stupid never understand...Empty words you said so much
Without a plan...Let everybody see...The future here in me...Just watch the wheels go round...I'll tear his ego down!...Woah, you're only smoke and mirrors! Woah, you're only smoke and mirrors to me!...Can't take it anymore...I heard it all before...I think the whole world knows...It's time for you to go...But you can't read the signs...Maybe you can't tell time...I'll promise you can't stay, I'll make you go away!..."} Smoke And Mirrors, Cody Rhodes WWE Theme
The Grounds, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
Phaeron Severus Sebastian Snape smirked rather wickedly as he stood atop the battlements looking down at the courtyard. Thick clouds of heavy gray fog had been over head along with the occasional cool breeze. His obsidian eyes focused intently on the eldest son of Harry James Potter as he exited the Quidditch field. Ursula smirked as she stroked Phaeron's cheek affectionately. His lengthy raven hair had been at is shoulders and his well maintained goatee had been equally astounding. He had looked the spitting image of his father in his youth except he preferred to wear all black attire with his collar opened about the chest with fewer buttons than his father had on his trade mark frock coat. The gleam behind the obsidian eyes of Phaeron Snape had been enough to suggest ill will and for the most part everyone steered clear of him and his new found dark side. His closest friends exercised caution when dealing with him noting all the while his serpent like tendency to strike on a whim.
Everyone had guessed it had something to do with Ursula's return to his life. At first it had been his relative concern over her well being since his father had apparently attacked her one night, though Snape had denied attacking his son's girl friend on more than one occasion. He inisted his altercation had been with an old acquaintance from his death eater days that threatened his wife and children.
Phaeron had initially believed his father's version of things and accepted that Ursula might have been confused or someone had used polyjuice potion to portray his father in an unflattering light. He dismissed the incident without second thought. Ursula had been bitter for a time but continued to see each other right under the headmaster's nose with her being on the outskirts of the forbidden forest and meeting Phaeron in Hogsmeade village whenever he had been there.
The more the younger Snape had taken his girlfriend to bed, the stranger he seemed to become in the wake of his dealings with her. Snape had thwarted Bellatrix in her attempt to vilify him in his son's eyes and never actively pursued her in view of Phaeron or left viable evidence to support her attempts to drive a wedge between them. Hermione had been out of the loop when It came to knowing about Phaeron and Bellatrix having a physical relationship. Snape had been determined to play all his cards close to his chest when it came to the deranged witch. He didn't want to risk Hermione coming into contact with her, especially not this late in her pregnancy.
Sidney had been safe from the evil witch's clutches as he posed no benefit to Bellatrix or her plans against Snape and Hermione out side of petty revenge play but it would alienate Phaeron from what her true plan had been for him. A plan Snape got a glimpse of too late. Reports of Phaeron's strange behavior had gotten back to the dour wizard and he had no doubt in his mind that Bellatrix LeStrange had been behind it.
Phaeron's obsidian gaze fell on James Potter II as his precious Marauders gathered around him just outside the Quidditch field.
"Wish me luck love." he said with another smirk in Ursula's direction before he lept off the battlements and landed onto the grounds.
James Potter II had caught sight of Phaeron and his arrogant expression.
The elder Potter child had long suspected there was something not quite right about Phaeron since the truth about what Harry Potter had done to his father during the second wizarding war.
"I know it was you Snape!" shouted James pushing passed the group of Gryffindors. "All those recent "accidents"...you may have Dumbledore and the other's fooled but I know who you really are."
Phaeron's obsidian eyes seemed to heat up at the prospect of a challenge from his most hated enemy.
"Just because your father is a hypocritical murdering son of a whore...that does not give you the right to be my judge." he replied viciously.
That comment was all it took was for James II to launch himself into a physical attack directed at Phaeron.
The crowd swelled rather quickly as both James II and Phaeron traded blows.
The raven haired wizard got a few shots in on James II busting the overzealous Potter's nose effectively.
The Grounds, Hogwarts Castle, Scotland...
Snape arrived as the tell tale crack of thunder announced his landing. His dragon hide boots touched down on Hogwarts grounds. He had to get Bellatrix away from his son before she did anything to him. Her disguise as "Ursula Black" had been more for Phaeron's benefit than a way to weasel passed him. The Potions Master had been contacted by Dumbledore in regards to Phaeron's recent scandalous behavior. Snape had no doubt in his mind that Phaeron had indeed been behind the series of "accidents" and unfortunate events concerning other fellow students in the passed month and a half.
It had been Snape himself that happened upon the scene taking in the crowd of students and gathered on the grounds. He knew instinctively that his son had been in the middle of the skirmish. He parted the crowd and drew his wand aiming carefully at the quarreling teenage wizards.
The Potions Professor cast a few hexes breaking the boys apart and thinning out the massive crowd.
He glared at Phaeron who uncharacteristically turned his wand on his own father.
"And what do you intend to do with that?" he asked not at all hiding the rage in his tone.
"I think it would be best if you return home." said Phaeron in a serious tone his obsidian gaze as cold as the elder's Snape's had been.
"I think it would be best if you didn't presume to give me orders boy." spat Snape angrily.
Phaeron kept his wand trained on Snape is expression had been one given to bitterness.
"What did she ever do to you?" asked the younger Snape glaring at his father.
"I fail to see what your so called anger has to do with the situation at hand." said Snape not lowering his wand either.
A series of gasps and shocked expressions had been all around.
"I know what you did." said Phaeron not disguising his bitterness. "I saw it."
Snape fought the urge to roll his eyes.
"What in Merlin's name are you babbling about boy?" he asked pointedly.
"Does the name Bellatrix LeStrange mean anything to you?" said Phaeron.
Snape's expression remained impassive.
"You know nothing of which you speak boy." said The Potions Professor with an air of warning in his tone.
"I know that you raped her during the war." spat Phaeron with contempt.
Before Snape could catch himself he immediately grabbed Phaeron by the collar and launched him onto the battlements. He followed behind landing a few feet from him.
"You know nothing about the war." said Snape bitterly his obsidian eyes blazing with hatred.
"I know more than you think I do." replied Phaeron scrambling to his feet.
The teenage wizard dusted off his ebony attire glaring rather murderously at his father.
"You're no better than Potter." spat Phaeron.
"Because you are my son...I will forgive this insolence...once and only once." said Snape coldly. "You know nothing about what went on during a war that you never even lived through."
Phaeron smirked as he glared into his father's obsidian eyes with as much hatred as Snape had for his own father.
"Phaeron." said The Potions Master trying to get through to his son. "What went on during that war was something I wanted none of my children to ever have to experience...I made no excuses for my actions during that time...and you knew full well about my history as a death eater."
Phaeron appeared to be struggling.
"Father." he said trying to get a hold of his evident rage. "I saw you and Ursula..."
Snape didn't understand what he was getting at.
"T-That's impossible." he said. "I was home with your mother."
Phaeron aimed his wand at Snape.
"NO MORE LIES OLD MAN!" he shouted.
Snape drew his own wand not sure his understood why his son was so confused.
"Phaeron...listen to me...she is playing with your mind." said The Potions Master. "Attacking me will only hurt you and your mother."
Unable to stand the sound of his father's voice Phaeron got ready to cast his hex. Only to be beaten to the punch by one other. As Snape began to lose consciousness his obsidian eyes barely made out the chaotic dark eyes of none other than Bellatrix LeStrange.
Elsewhere...
Severus Snape awoke to find himself confined to a strange darkened room. About the same time he came too Phaeron had been scrambling to his feet. The younger more healthy Snape immediately seized his father by the collar. Snape made an attempt to move noting that his sudden onset of agony due to his affliction was preventing much resistance on his part.
"Bring him to me." demanded the shrill voice of Bellatrix as she sat patiently in a rather large chair.
Snape looked into the tormented obsidian eyes of his elder son.
"I don't blame you for this." he said softly in a surprisingly father like tone.
It both comforted and confused Phaeron as he struggled in vain to resist Bellatrix LeStrange's orders.
"I SAID BRING HIM TO ME BOY!" she shouted impatiently.
Phaeron found himself moving against his will, gripping his father's collar roughly as he did. He seemed even more conflicted as he looked into his father's weary eyes. He registered the fleeting flicker of pain behind them not so much from emotional aspect but of physical torment. The young raven haired wizard had not known that he had caused this during their minor duel and it filled him with absolute fear despite his frozen expression.
"Phaeron...my son..." said Snape before treating his captor to a final warm fatherly smile before he silently called his wand to him.
Bellatrix and Phaeron had both been caught unawares and it was all the leverage Snape needed.
He swiftly raised his wand and silently projected the incantation.
"Sensitivi Spellus Projecto!" with the last of his strength effectively drained Snape dropped his wand as both he and Phaeron collapsed rather suddenly drawing Bellatrix LeStrange's attention.
The deranged witch let out a loud and resounding cackle. Everything had been working in her favor. Snape did exactly what she had known he was going to do and played right into her hands to save his whiny half-blood brat.
Phaeron had been nearly unconscious as the deranged witch moved swiftly toward Snape gripped his collar rather fiercely. The young wizard was treated to the sight of the witch he had been intimate with on more than one occasion groping his unconscious father and pressing her ruby red lips into his unresponsive pale ones.
This. This was her plan all along? To...To get to my father?
Unable to keep himself awake any longer Phaeron succumbed to the lull of sleep and blacked out. He new nothing of the place in which Bellatrix held his father prisoner nor did he know that she had sent him out into the wizarding world. Feeling a touch of generosity for his job well done it seemed she sent him back to Hogwarts going so far as to drop him off onto the Quidditch field that Dumbledore banned him from.
It was there that James Potter II discovered him in his unresponsive state.