Through the pulled curtains the light of the moon made the traces of unicorn horn powder glimmer over the potion's bubbling surface. Severus left it to brew and walked out of the potions lab. The corridor was silent and as he walked closer to the parlour he heard Bellatrix giggling. Through the open doors he could see the Dark Lord pointing his wand directly at Harry.
"Crucio!"
Severus clenched his hands into tight fists as the curse struck the boy. Despite the stoic expression, his lips parted slightly, letting out a small gasp and his knees gave under the pain that coursed through him.
"How interesting… Perhaps in your current state of mind it is harder for you to feel when casting or receiving the curse." The Dark Lord said calmly.
There was nothing Severus could do. He could only hope that being in the Dark Lord's presence meant Potter wasn't conscious of what was happening to him.
He looked away and went to Lucius' study. Surely the Dark Lord left the book within. He checked the door for any detection spells before allowing himself in. The book was indeed there. It was on Lucius Malfoy's desk but the blonde was also there, reading his own book and absently passing through pages.
"I hear Potter is to be punished." Lucius said after glancing up in his direction.
"He is. He cannot muster enough will to perform the unforgivables." Severus said, coming over to his side.
"As if that puppet has any will left inside him." Lucius said.
"How interesting Lucius, it almost sounds like you're reproachful of the Dark Lord's ways." Severus said. Malfoy stared at the book but his eyes were unmoving.
"It's unnerving… I've heard that Potter can break out of the imperius curse. This has to be something… something even more powerful." He said softly.
Severus said nothing. He himself didn't know what it was. Did it even have a name? When one party occludes so thickly that they become an empty vessel for possession. Has it even been thought of before? If it had it would have definitely been classed off as dark magic.
"It unsettles you too. I can imagine. Does it also please you? To see James Potter's doppelgänger as the Dark Lord's pet?"
No it did not. It made him sick to the core just thinking about it. Harry was not James. Harry was Lily's son.
"It's certainly amusing." Severus replied. "Draco performed his mission remarkably well, too bad it was unnecessary in the end."
"I wouldn't say that. He provided the Dark Lord with valuable information about Potter's home life."
"Yes, I heard something about that." He glanced at the Salazar Slytherin's book as Lucius put down his own to stand and look out the window, his back to Severus. Severus didn't hesitate and opened the book, flicking through the pages while Lucius remained oblivious to his actions.
"The world the Dark Lord has promised us. Is it still as appealing as it once was?" Lucius wondered out loud. Severus glanced for a moment at him. He found the potion. What ritual did it…?
"No…" Severus whispered.
"No?" Lucius turned. Severus was frozen, staring at the ritual stated under the potion. "What are you doing? That's the Dark Lord's book!" Lucius hissed coming over to take it from him. Severus reflexively shoved the hands away as he read the ritual over again.
"This… can't be…" Severus whispered.
Lucius took out his wand and pointed it at him. "What is it Severus? Could it actually be true what Bellatrix says?" Lucius covered the writing on the book and pulled it closer to him. Severus calmly took out his own wand and pointed it back at the blonde.
"I don't know what she says but unless you put that down the Dark Lord will hear all about how Draco got you out of the department of mysteries." Lucius was shocked. Of course he was. No one but Draco should have known about that. But Severus was Draco's godfather and the boy trusted him enough to tell him the truth after Potter had been taken.
Lucius put down his wand and looked down at the book himself. The image of a dementor moved slightly in a haunting fashion across the page. "What in Merlin's name is this?" He whispered. "Dementors can't be… made… can they?"
"It doesn't call them a dementor, it calls them a Shade." Severus said.
"How to make a mortal into a non-being nonetheless." Lucius muttered passing the page. He chuckled but it was a laugh born from nervousness and fear. "He plans to make Potter amortal but controllable. Why?"
Severus couldn't make sense of this. He had to tell Dumbledore immediately. "The potion will be ready in a day. The reason he wants Potter to learn the dark arts is to corrupt him enough for the darkness to consume him… and turn him into that." He whispered.
Lucius closed the book and carefully put it back where it was originally. "He is learning well from me. He may not be able to perform a crucio but… everything else has been easy to teach him. He is quite powerful." Lucius muttered. "That said, I don't know how much he can be corrupted when he has no emotions."
"Yes…" Yet he couldn't forget the way the boy reached out to hold onto him. "I must check on the potion."
"Hmm… I must write to my son." Lucius said. Severus hoped that his belief was correct. That Lucius would not put his family in further jeopardy even to help the Dark Lord.
In the corridor everything was quiet. As he approached the parlour once more he could hear the scurrying of a house-elf in the shadows. The thick rug lining the centre of the corridor masked the sound of his steps as he checked on Potter. The Dark Lord had no intention of killing him. In fact the contrary. Nonetheless he tried to think of ways to intervene if the Dark Lord was still torturing him.
Instead the door opened to see a grinning Bellatrix, guiding the boy out. "Mmh. Snape, you take care of the darling prodigy." She said and pushed the boy roughly forwards.
The boy almost toppled over but Severus grabbed hold of him to keep him standing. Holding him roughly by one arm he led him away, while Bellatrix went in the opposite direction. He took the boy to his room. Emotionless or not, his body was still suffering with the after effects of the crucio.
"Come on." He said as he got him into the bed, taking out some potions from his robes. "Drink." He said. The boy obeyed and soon his tense body began to relax. He waited a moment before looking away from the empty vial in his hands to the boy. Potter was staring at him. "How are you?"
"I… don't feel much… I'm ok…" He mumbled. "Did you… give me a sleeping potion?" He mumbled. His eyelids were already struggling to stay open.
"Your body needs to recover." He said and reached forward, taking his glasses and putting them on the side table. He had to let Dumbledore know just what horrors the Dark Lord had planned. Did that mean that all Dementors were Salazar's failed experiments? It was too chilling to imagine.
He glanced at the boy whose eyes were closed and his breathing was relaxed and even. He reached forward and cupped the boy's cheek. He'd still had a baby face and his height difference to other boys his age made sure that he remained looking even younger. He would soon be sixteen. Even so Severus couldn't see the man he would become. To him Potter was still a child. A child in a terrible situation, with an even more deplorable past whom he needed to get to safety.
He pulled back from the boy and stood, going to the nearest fireplace and disappearing in a burst of green fire.
oOoOoOo oOoOoOo oOoOoOo
Severus could count in his hand the number of times he'd seen Albus Dumbledore genuinely shocked. So when he told him what he'd discovered, it still surprised him to see the headmaster react in such a way.
"What I don't understand… why is he so keen on keeping Potter alive?" Severus said. Dumbledore sighed and shook his head sadly.
"I had no way of knowing for sure… I didn't think he would realise it." He said.
Severus looked up at the headmaster, the leader of the light side, the man that granted him the chance of a second life. "Realise what?" he asked.
"The night James and Lily were killed, Lily's blood magic protected Harry from the killing curse."
"You've mentioned that already." Severus said. The headmaster gave a tired sigh.
"What Voldemort didn't know was that when he was destroyed, a piece of him became part of the boy. A part that is one with him and that proudly shows itself on Harry's forehead. As long as that piece resides in Harry, even if the Dark Lord were to be destroyed again, he would find a way back through him. A living, breathing Horcrux."
"…That means that the Dark Lord cannot be defeated." Severus said.
"He can… But for that Harry has to also fall."
"…Was this your plan all along? For Harry to die at the opportune time?" He could feel rage bubbling inside him.
"The Dark Lord created several Horcruxes. Until they are destroyed he will not truly become mortal. He cannot be killed."
"So Harry has to die last then. But die he must." Severus hissed. "You've played me for a fool…"
"Severus, it may seem cold and calculated… I hadn't wanted to believe it myself but…"
"I don't want to hear anything else you have to say. I'm getting him out of there." He stood but Dumbledore sat him down with a flick of his wand. Severus found himself firmly stuck on the chair despite the headmaster's loss of control of the wand, which slipped from his fingers and toppled to the ground.
Dumbledore picked it up from the floor and smiled faintly at the wand before turning his attention back to Severus. "What cannot be allowed, for sure, is for Harry to be made into a non-being. It is a fate far worse than immortality and it would secure Lord Voldemort's reign for ever."
"So let me get him out! Potter is in there! He's aware of what's going on. As long as he's away from his grasp he can return to his senses!" Severus insisted.
"Severus. Calm down. We will get him out in the next twenty four hours. I'll call the rest of the order. We will make a plan. We will be smart about this."
"I don't care anymore about your twisted wisdom. I'm getting him out now."
"Then I cannot let you go."
"Albus… for once think about the child and not the greater good!"
"That is a selfish attitude to take."
"I have always been selfish." Severus said. His arm burned. "He's calling me Albus."
The headmaster sighed and let him go. "Please do not attempt anything by yourself."
Severus didn't reply and left 12 Grimmauld place.
