When Voldemort's wand was pulled back, and his grip released, Harry toppled to his side. He cradled his arm in an attempt to control his shaky hand. He clenched his jaw and tried to contain the whines of pain. He wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of hearing him suffer.
"Now. It's almost dawn, why don't we all get ready for the start of the day and then you, Harry, can once more continue your education." Voldemort said calmly.
Harry struggled to even muster the will to get up off the floor. He let go of his arm and pushed himself up, glaring up at the Dark Lord. "Yes."
The back of Voldemort's hand smacked him across the face. "Do not glare at me boy. And I rather enjoy you calling me master."
Harry sneered in disgust. He couldn't stop glaring so he just stared at the ground. "Yes, master."
The four deatheaters, including Snape had already followed the Dark Lord's order, leaving Harry alone.
"To think the great Harry Potter has fallen so low."
Harry held the arm that bared the dark mark close to himself and kept his eyes fixed on the ground. Still, Voldemort clearly wanted his full attention so he grabbed him by the jaw, fingers digging in painfully as he was forced to look at the utter look of disgust the snake-like monster gave him.
"What would your parents say if they knew what you've become? Would they save you a second time? I doubt it. I will improve you, make you worthy. And not the disgusting little catamite you currently are." Then the pale hand released him and walked out. Harry just stood there, watching him go.
He didn't even understand what catamite meant. But being looked at with that raw revulsion by the darkest of all wizards made him feel… dirty.
oOoOoOo oOoOoOo oOoOoOo
Severus looked at the potion. Then at the instructions. Last step was to keep it out of the sun. He could tamper with it, leave the windows open… but he had no way of knowing what that would do to the boy.
It was over. He couldn't get Potter out. He had to find out what Dumbledore had planned. If anything. One thing was for sure… the boy was now branded. As a Death Eater. He can deny it, everyone could stand by his side. But the doubt will always remain in the back of people's minds.
"Lily… give me a sign… I beg you…" He whispered and closed the blinds to the window. He paused at what he saw. Just outside, he caught glimpse of a doe, grazing on the meadow. A small fawn ran up behind her, coming from the forest, staying close by her.
Severus shook his head. "Too subtle Lily, of course the Malfoys have deer on their backyard." He mumbled to himself. He only then noticed the rays of sun. He hadn't noticed the sun rising in the few minutes he took to watch. He glanced back at the potion. A few rays of sunshine were touching the cauldron but hadn't yet reached the potion. With a flick of his wand the blinds closed and the light was cut out. The potion gave a faint, silvery glow to the room. He would trust Dumbledore. He had to. He had to see what he had planned.
oOoOoOo oOoOoOo oOoOoOo
Bellatrix limped her way to Snape's lab. She'd seen him floo away. She was no fool. She knew that rat was working for Dumbledore. But such accusations were overlooked by anyone else. Still… he would make Snape pay and he would make Potter suffer.
She looked at the instructions discarded by Snape in his hurry. She smirked and pointed her wand at the blinds, opening them wide, the sun light piercing the glittering potion, changing it from silver to a rose gold. She leaned against the cane she was using, as her wound was taking time to heal.
"Let's see what happens when a potions master destroys a potion by Salazar Slytherin himself." She turned away from the lab with a satisfied feeling in her chest. She hoped whatever the damage, it serves to make Potter feel pain.
oOoOoOo oOoOoOo oOoOoOo
Dumbledore had gathered the Order. When Severus entered, the yelling, questions and demands were all he could hear.
"How's Harry?"
"What's happening?"
"What's this about a ritual?"
"Snape! Why haven't you done anything?"
"Be quiet." Snape said through a clenched jaw.
"What has happened Severus?" Dumbledore asked. Severus heard the faint ring of worry at the base of the headmaster's tone of voice.
"Potter seems to have come to his senses. The Dark Lord has now given Potter the Dark Mark after threatening him." He said slowly. "He seems fully intent on performing the ritual tonight. The mark is either a way to humiliate Potter or to better control him once the ritual is complete."
"What kind of ritual is it?" Tonks asked and Severus looked at Dumbledore, leaving him the choice of answering that question.
"What's important… is rescuing Harry today. Before the moon rises on the horizon." That was all that the headmaster revealed.
"Is he doing it in Malfoy Manor?" Molly Weasley asked.
"I'm not sure… The way he spoke about it, about preparing the location, could mean he planned to do it somewhere specific." Severus said.
"Albus… if it truly is a ritual invented by Salazar Slytherin, it's likely to be something related to the moon. All I ever read about Slytherin was that they tended to be connected strongly to nature and moon phases." Lupin said. Tonks perked up as if she could see where he was going with this.
"So it can't be in the actual manor, it must be outside, in nature." Lupin simply nodded.
"Five Death Eaters will assist in the ritual… I am to use the potion and the Dark Lord will be present. He may keep Death Eaters to guard certain points in the surrounding area. Or may just place a barrier around the ritual grounds." Severus said, trying to list possibilities.
"You will have to send us a signal when you reach the place." Dumbledore looked at him. Already all the difficulties flashed in his mind.
"He will anticipate someone sending out a signal." He said.
"We'll figure out the best way… so that at least the signal gets out."
Even if Severus is discovered. It was left unsaid. Severus had a surprising difficulty accepting that decision. It wasn't that he was disloyal to saving the boy. It wasn't that. But…
What nerve did he, Severus Snape, have to worry about leaving Potter alone? He obviously wasn't alone. Though the boy clearly counted on him for things he didn't trust anyone else with.
Nonetheless… he swore to protect him. If it cost him his life… so be it.
He gave Dumbledore a simple nod. The topic quickly moved onto what would be done once the ritual site was reached.
oOoOoOo oOoOoOo oOoOoOo
Harry felt strange throughout the day. His scar ached more than usual. The more dark magic he was made to perform, the stranger he felt. At times he felt small and cold and heard voices in the distance.
"Wear me… I will bring back your parents… I will bring back your godfather, I will bring back the lost and forgotten… wear me… come find me"
Then still cold and small he heard Umbridge's voice in the distance. She was explaining in outrage what had happened to her. A rattling resembling a trapped insect echoed in his head.
"That's right… hate them all, they all think you're stupid… they want to take your place Dolores. It must have been Dumbledore's plan, Potter wanted you dead. Make him pay, tell them all, tell them how horrible they all are. Hate them!"
Harry hated that one. It made him want to pierce his own ears in the hope of never hearing it again, even if it wasn't talking directly at him.
The next two were calmer. The first was faint and only ever so often did he hear the tumbling of coins, the trickling of water. He could feel the humidity in the air and once or twice heard a dragon roar in the distance.
The second was quiet, with fluttering sounds going back and forth, the odd grumbling of a house elf and slightly calmer words. Even so, the female voice he heard was laced with a dark malice that felt very much like the darkness inside him.
"Wear me, I will help you. I will make you wiser. Come find me, I'll give you a clue, a simple clue, you know where I am, you've been here before."
The final one was one he knew well. Nagini. He felt her hissing at the back of his mind.
"Good that you're obedient, master is happy. It's good to please master. Master feeds us well, master lets us kill. Keep doing well for master and I won't eat you."
Though whenever he looked at Nagini if he heard her voice, she was quiet. Then again, often she was staring at him, as if considering eating him or not.
Harry didn't understand. He didn't want to hear those voices. He didn't want to learn dark magic. He didn't want the sun to set.
He was scared. He could feel the hairs at the back of his neck stand on end, like they often did every year, when he felt death's icy grip on his shoulder. The worst part was… he had barely seen Snape… he wanted to see him. He felt safer when he was around. Then again, maybe he didn't want to see Harry performing dark magic. Harry had seen himself in a mirror. It wasn't a pretty picture. He looked tired, with bags under his eyes, the power from the dark magic sometimes gave him shakes that would take a minute or two to stop.
He hated it. He just wanted to close his eyes and sleep for days, until his body stopped feeling tired.
"Tick-tock, the sun is setting." Bellatrix said in a sing song way at the back of the room. Harry glared at the only one in front of him, Lucius Malfoy, before poisoning the caged Cornish pixie with the poison dart Malfoy was teaching him to make. The pixie hissed and screeched and melted from the inside out. Harry stared at it. He felt queasy.
"Well done, Harry." Lucius said covering the cage and taking it away.
His scar burned a little and he could feel Voldemort approaching before the door even opened. He felt the slithering of Nagini beside him, he sensed them like they were part of him.
The two indeed walked in, followed by Narcissa Malfoy, who held white robes, and Snape who had a coil of thick golden rope.
"Now, Harry. Let's get you ready." Harry stared at them and Bellatrix giggled where she stood, barely able to contain her excitement. Everyone else was sombre and quiet. Harry stared at the book held under Voldemort's arm and stood slowly.
He didn't know how to feel. He'd partly thought he would be saved… but even with Snape standing right there, Harry was still in Voldemort's grasp. 'To be changed' into something worthy. That's what he had said. Harry felt himself run on auto-pilot as he let Narcissa take him to the next room. His mind was blank, and it wasn't because of occlusion.
Was… Severus truly not able to save him?
