CHAPTER 28 - Blood Will Have Blood
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Dumbledore knew within seconds of landing that something was wrong.
Raven stumbled only slightly and soon righted herself, but even without her empathic abilities, she could sense Albus' sudden apprehension.
Harry could detect no such disturbance and patiently waited for the rest of the crew to arrive as he anxiously scanned the Malfoy property, still shrouded in early morning darkness. He shivered slightly, glad to have grabbed his thick jacket before he and the DA members (or at least the ones who were awake and responded to his last-minute Galleon summons) rushed after Dumbledore.
Waving a wrinkled hand at the iron gates, Dumbledore muttered a spell of sorts under his breath and took stock of the situation. Things weren't looking good, and they'd only just arrived.
Speaking of, the sound of whirling wind announced the presence of the other Portkey teams.
Sirius brushed his leather trench coat off and sized up the iron gates of Malfoy Manor. "Right then!" he said good-naturedly, "I call dibs on Bellatrix."
"You'll have to wait in line," Neville answered darkly.
The Headmaster cut in. "Alas, I fear this mission is forfeit before it begins."
The others turned to him in confusion. "Why do you say that?" asked Hermione.
"The defensive measures placed on the Malfoy estate is, regrettably, of a sort that would make our infiltration unnaturally dangerous, if not entirely impassable. The wards erected are none other than a very powerful and complex form of Impotentia cast on a massive, location-based scale."
The Order members who actually knew what that was looked between themselves with deep concern.
At Raven's sarcastic raised eyebrow, as if to say 'elaborate for the rest of us,' Albus obliged. "It is a Dark spell outlawed in the magical world except by the use of Magical law enforcement officials. Normally cast on a witch or wizard, the effect is only temporary...but can be devastating depending on the situation. Impotentia strips a witch or wizard of their ability to perform magic. They become utterly helpless like a Muggle. The fact that the Dark Lord was even able to reconstruct the spell to blanket an entire estate is...impressive, to say the least. And it has created the desired effect...essentially stopping any attack in its tracks."
"Can't you take it down?" Tonks asked.
"No. At least, not in the amount of time required to proceed with the operation. It would take me...hours...days, even."
Frowning slightly, Raven wondered out loud. "Are they immune to the effects, then?"
The old man shook his head. "No. Anyone within the boundaries of the wards will have been affected as well. The only exception is the caster himself - and the only one capable of casting such a powerful ward has to be Tom. He will be free to use magic as he wishes. I suggest we return to headquarters and begin defensive preparations for the worst case scenarios."
"No, wait," Raven interjected. "I'm not leaving without..." him "...at least trying."
"It's a suicide mission," Remus stressed to her.
"It always was for me!" she shot back tersely, triggering gasps and silence in the group.
Blushing at their aghast expressions, Raven offered a more subdued explanation. "Seriously, what did you guys think I'd do once I reclaimed Trigon inside me... Now that I've had a taste of freedom, do you really think I can go back to that?" Embarrassed by the sympathetic, but still horrified looks she was receiving, the Azthranian raised her hood to cover her face. "Trust me," she added darkly, "I'll be doing everyone a favor."
The morale, what was left of it, was officially in the gutter after her morbid revelation. Pressing her lips together, she turned back to Dumbledore, who was looking at her sadly. She resented pity.
"Albus," she used his first name to his surprise, "let me go in. Believe it or not, these wards actually benefit me. At least now I'm on a more even footing. Not to mention that the Dark Lord can't use magic on me... The only one who could curse me dead can't lift a wand against me."
"As far as we know, there could be a dozen Death Eaters crawling around in there and they'd physically restrain you. You wouldn't get very far, darlin'." That, from Sirius.
Suddenly, Hermione brightened and shot a tiny smile at Raven. "Then let us go, too."
"Whot you on about?" Tonks exclaimed in shock.
"Out of the question," Remus declared.
Ron also piped up. "No, seriously you guys! Let the DA go in with her! She's been teaching us Muggle fighting moves. They'd never expect it. If they can't use spells against us, they'd have no idea how to fight or defend themselves."
"You had one lesson," Raven scoffed.
"One lesson," a dreamy voice - Luna's - floated through the group, "but much practicing. We've been spending a lot of time on our own since then."
"We may not be polished, or good, or anywhere near your level, but I bet it's a damn sight better than anything they've learned," Neville contributed. "I've been practicing in my room at night!"
Dumbledore looked to Harry, as though he'd only believe this rubbish if the DA's leader confirmed it.
With a tight, slightly awkward grin, Harry nodded his verification. "It's true, Professor. When she first introduced us to Muggle street fighting techniques, I sort of... well, I sort of became obsessed with it. Guess I'm glad I did now."
"I'm sorry Harry, but I won't sanction anything like that. While Miss Roth may be exempt from Tom's curses, none of you are. Even assuming the fact you could fight hand-to-hand and overpower fully grown wizards, you would all be executed the moment you came in contact with the Dark Lord. The answer is no."
"But sir," Hermione pushed doggedly. "All we really need to do is keep the Death Eaters off Raven long enough for her to confront You-Know-Who and take back the soul piece. With her powers restored, she'll destroy him once and for all, or at least weaken him enough for Harry to finish him off like the prophecy said!"
"Keep them off...?" Sirius repeated with a sour look on his face.
Hermione's face grew serious, and to Raven, she could truly see why this brilliant witch had been sorted into Gryffindor. "You know the stakes. The only true objective is to defeat You-Know-Who...to that end, each one of us is expendable. We buy her time, even if that means...well...how long do you think someone like Luna could fight off Greyback..."
An involuntary shiver ran down Remus' spine.
"No worries on that count," Raven muttered. "He's not there."
"How do you know?" Sirius asked skeptically.
Raven sent him a meaningful, don't-press-it look. "He's not there."
"Well I can tell you all one thing right now," Tonks offered. "I'm not lettin' any o' you kids in there without backup. I may not be trained in the fancy Muggle art of hand fighting, but I'll give 'em hell nonetheless."
"You know I'll be there," Sirius agreed.
Remus nodded in support.
For the first time, Dumbledore seemed to be at a complete loss for words.
The Trio glanced between themselves nervously. "Please sir." It was Ron who spoke up first. "We all know and accept the risks. And like you said, if we lose today, then we all might as well be dead anyway. Allow us to at least put up a fight, yeah?"
With a heavy sigh, the Headmaster looked thoroughly dejected and defeated. "You realize that I'll be unable to come with you. Under the strength of such a ward as this, I'll literally be nothing more than a 116 year-old man."
Harry touched his arm reassuringly. "It's OK, Professor. You're the leader of the Order - the headmaster at Hogwarts! Your job isn't to storm the gates anymore. Yours is more strategic and we need you in charge to run things. If we win, we win. And if we lose... well, it wouldn't have made a difference if you'd been there, you know?"
The old wizard nodded slowly, trying to come to terms with what he was being forced to agree with. "Very well," he said at last. "Try to use what's left of the darkness to your advantage. Dawn is almost upon us, and you don't want to forsake any surprise you can muster. The teams shall need to be rearranged somewhat now that I'm out of the mix. Raven, you'll be assigned to Sirius and Harry with Tonks. You mustn't be seen by Tom until Raven has accomplished the first task and weakened him significantly. Mister Longbottom and Miss Granger, do join with Remus's team."
The teens shuffled places. Now the groups were slightly larger, with Sirius only having Raven to escort, but the Azthranian girl preferred it that way. There was safety in numbers, and she really wouldn't be able to forgive herself if any of her friends were injured, or worse...
Dumbledore then assigned them positions of entry and a synchronized time they would all breach the boundaries and break inside the chateau. Now that Patronuses were out of the question, they quickly established and rehearsed vocal signals for things such as "Found Voldemort," "Mission accomplished," and even "Abort mission."
With a POP of Side-Along Apparation, Raven and Sirius Black arrived at the east side of the Manor.
At exactly 0455, they forced themselves through the tall hedge acting as a border fence and stealthily charged up the lawn, running from one swan-shaped bush to the next for cover in the early morning darkness.
Raven nearly slipped on the wet grass, and Sirius uttered a muffled curse as he stepped directly in what appeared to be a puddle of feces. "Damn peacocks." He picked up a stone from the landscaped rock garden without stopping and carried it with him to the mansion.
Reaching the side of the house, they hid beneath a window as they caught their breath and waited for the signal from Dumbledore so their assault was timed the same.
Padfoot gave her a devilishly handsome wink as he tossed the rock up and down while they waited. "For the window."
She smirked at him. "I've noticed that wizards are prone to underestimating Muggles." She whispered, looking closer at the window and merely sliding it up an inch. "They didn't even lock it." Then, shrugging in a mock apology: "I'd still keep the stone if I were you. Might come in handy when you meet Bellatrix."
Their brief interlude was interrupted by distant shouting somewhere on another side of the house.
The two glanced at each other in worry. It seemed the arrival of at least one of the teams had been noticed. Raven desperately tried to bury the fear and guilt she felt for the danger and harm they were putting themselves through on her account and forced herself to turn to her partner. "Element of surprise is gone...the most we can hope for now is using that team as a distraction while we go in. Give me a boost."
Shoving the window up as high as it could go, the Azthranian scrambled through with the help of Sirius. A man in his shape needed no assistance to leap and pull himself up and inside.
Quickly getting their bearings, Raven noted they were inside one of the many guest bedrooms a chateau of this size no doubt offered. She also noticed that this room, although presently empty, was in use. The bed was messy and there were personal items strewn about - robes hanging off the back of a vanity chair, an overnight bag on the dresser, and a pair of shoes haphazardly tossed to the side. She wondered if those shoes meant a Death Eater was roaming the house barefoot (a useful tidbit to know), or whether they were a second pair and its owner was on night patrol.
With great caution, they slowly cracked the door open and peered down a bright hallway. Without magic to keep the house illuminated, the old fashioned gas lamps adorning the walls had to have been manually lit.
Doors lined the hallway, presumably more bedrooms and shared guest baths. At the very end was a sharp turn that must lead to the rest of the house.
Both she and Sirius froze when, about two doors down, a large beefy man with a bald spot - she barely heard Sirius breathe "Goyle" - exited a bathroom and ran down the hall away from them, still zipping up his fly.
Raven took this opportunity to leave their room and follow at a distance, masking her soft footsteps in time with his clodding boots. Her companion hesitated, but followed.
Rounding the corner, she came face to face with another man - salt and pepper hair, shrewd, wrinkled eyes, about 5'8". Raven's instincts from years spent fighting crime in Jump City took over...rather than abruptly halting or hesitating in shock, she instead maintained her momentum and vaulted up, grabbing his shoulders and using them to pull herself up and wrapping her thighs around his neck, twisting as she did. Yaxley hit the ground faster than he could even register what had happened.
She followed up with two powerful punches to his face, stood up, and resumed jogging through the halls. Behind her, Yaxley's pained groans were cut short by a kick to the head from Sirius.
The back of Goyle's back was still visible each time he made a turn, and she used him to guide her way out of the maze of halls. Coming to a large entry way, she saw three other men rushing to the grand front entrance. The enormous doors were slightly ajar, and she could hear the sounds of a massive brawl outside.
Sirius caught up with her and registered what was happening. He made a move to attack the four Death Eaters as they quickly trotted toward the ruckus on the front lawn, but she held him back with an arm, shaking her head. "Not our fight," she whispered, sharing his pained expression as they prayed for their friends.
They waited until the four had passed and left the mansion before risking exposure and leaving the hall. As they did, more people rushed into the foyer.
Raven breathed a sigh of relief when she recognized Remus, Neville, and Hermione. The two teams acknowledged one another just as they heard the screeching voice of an angry Lord Voldemort from somewhere upstairs. "GO! SSSTOP THEM!"
Thinking quickly, Raven grabbed Sirius and Neville by the wrists and quickly dragged them beneath the elaborate, curved staircases that faced the front entryway, motioning for Remus and Hermione to join her. All of them managed to duck into hiding before four more Death Eaters ran down the stairs.
One of them, she noticed, was the black-haired crazy bitch she'd seen here the other day chatting up Voldemort. Apparently, the others also recognized her, and before she could stop him, Neville charged out of his alcove in fury.
"BELLATRIX!" he shouted.
Remus closed his eyes in horror before leaving his concealed position and joining his charge.
All four Death Eaters stopped their track to the door and turned to face the two interlopers.
"Baby Longbottom! And Greyback Junior!" she cackled, though her tone wasn't enough to hide her genuine surprise.
Lupin's head twitched slightly.
"Come to join the fun, have you?" she asked giddily.
Neville glared. "Oh I'll have fun...just as soon as I get my hands around your throat!"
"Oooh," Bellatrix licked her lips wantonly. "You'll have to buy me dinner first..."
"All right cousin, that's enough crazy for today."
Sirius left Raven's side and confronted his relative.
With the odds suddenly a little more even, Lestrange's eyes widened and she screamed "GET THEM!"
The four Death Eaters rushed at them and they dissolved into chaos.
Hermione watched fearfully and with great internal conflict from the shadows, looking to Raven. "Go!" she finally urged. "We'll keep them busy."
At that, Hermione joined the fray as Raven slunk around to one side of the staircase. As she crept along the corners to stay hidden, she saw Hermione get scratched down her face with the nails of Bellatrix, blood getting in her eye and temporarily blinding her.
She witnessed Neville tackle Lestrange to the floor, but then he was pulled back by the strong arm of a Death Eater wrapping around his neck in a headlock. She was gratified to see him turn his head as she'd taught to avoid strangulation, but the rest of the technique seemed to have been forgotten as he thrashed around.
A masked man on his back delivered what appeared to be a devastating kick up into the stomach of Sirius. And the last straw was seeing Remus pinned down as one of the Death Eaters slipped a knife from his cloak.
The Death Eater managed to puncture Lupin's chest, but that's as far as the knife went before the man was broadsided by Raven's shoulder like a freight train. She took him to the ground, and the two began to wrestle for control of the knife still in his hand.
The girl quickly put him in an arm bar and didn't stop - even after he had dropped the knife in pain - until she heard his sudden scream and felt his bones break beneath her tight grip.
She dove forward and snatched the knife, using her momentum to sweep her leg out and trip the other male Death Eater as he was pummeling Neville, sending him falling onto his back. He didn't even get a chance to land before Raven swiftly plunged the knife into his windpipe as his body made contact with the marble floor.
The gurgling, bubbling noises he made as he scratched and tore at his throat didn't even make her blink as she wrenched the knife back out and spun her arm and body around to slice at the Achilles tendon of the other male Death Eater who was kicking Sirius's protectively curled form.
The sudden scream he made as he fell forward onto Padfoot was cut short by a crunching sound as Sirius bashed his face in with the rock he'd been carrying. He used his legs to throw the limp body off him.
Hermione and Bellatrix were wrestling. Raven saw with pride that when Bellatrix grabbed a fist full of Hermione's frizzy brown hair to yank, she followed her training and instead of the natural urge to pull away, she preempted the tug and jumped in closer to attack, landing a solid punch to her jaw and sending her staggering backwards with the force of her blow.
Already behind her, Raven slipped her arm under Bellatrix's left armpit, trapping her arm vertically, and grabbed her chin as she reached around with her right hand and unflinchingly slit the witch's throat in one smooth motion.
Neville and Hermione suddenly doubled over and heaved at the sight and sound of so much blood spurting and splashing onto the smooth, shiny marble, some of it having hit them eight feet away with the force of the spray.
Expressionless, Raven let go of Lestrange and let her collapse to the floor as she bled out.
Offering a helping hand, Raven pulled Lupin to his feet and checked his stab wound, satisfied it wasn't deep enough to have hit anything major. "Go," she insisted, already moving for the stairs. "Help the others outside. I'll find Riddle."
She didn't look back as she took off up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Judging by the volume of the screams, she knew Voldemort must know the house has been breached. No element of surprise for her. She only hoped she was still in time to stop the ceremony.
Though she knew little about whatever ritual he was performing, the result was all too familiar for her. She couldn't let her new emotions affect her duty. If Severus was already dead, she couldn't afford to hesitate in her mission...no matter what she found inside.
Breathe, Raven. Slow your heart rate down.
She came to a closed pair of double doors near the landing.
Even breaths.
Despite having no demonic powers, she knew Voldemort was in there. Call it her sixth sense? There was just no mistaking that feeling that stood her hairs on end as she approached.
Focus.
An irrational, ill-timed sense of amusement surfaced as she tried the doors and found they were locked. Not magically - just the little handle lock that prevented them from being turned.
Mentally shaking herself, she took another deep breath to calm her adrenaline...and kicked the doors open.
They smashed against the walls violently as she strode in, amethyst eyes darting around the giant, carpeted room. Her quick, instinctive glances told her with great disgust that this used to be Draco Malfoy's boyhood playroom. Toy chests and a crib were pushed against the far wall, and several child-sized broomsticks leaned in the corner. A giant privacy curtain hung off to the other side of the room, in all likelihood shielding the window to prevent spying or sunlight.
Though the dark red pentagram with a ram's head painted on the floor was alarming, her primary attention was arrested by the sight of Severus, shirtless and strung up spread-eagle near the center of the room above the Satanic seal. He was suspended from the ceiling by what appeared to be glowing ropes... A closer inspection revealed they were simply tendrils of dark red energy. His bare feet didn't quite touch the floor, but blood was dripping steadily from his toes onto the pristine pearly carpet below. The stain had already spread in a large circle around him, indicating he'd been dangling there for some time.
The Azthranian was appalled to see sigils and runes carved into his chest and stomach - the source of the bleeding, and likely the blood used to create the pentagram.
Weak, but not yet unconscious, Severus' dark eyes widened as he registered her dramatic entrance - a delayed reaction caused by blood loss and exhaustion.
Voldemort, on the other hand, displayed no such response at her sudden arrival, delayed or otherwise. He seemed to be more irritated at the interruption than anything else as he turned to face the intruder. He too, stood inside the boundaries of the blood pentagram. And behind him, levitating above a small stone fire pedestal, was her hand mirror.
"Sssooner than I expected, I admit. But as the Muggles ssay...Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?"
Let him go, she wanted to say. This doesn't involve him. Step away from the Horcrux. None of these commands would be useful here. Despite being somewhat protected from hostile magic by him, she was under no illusions that she was in control of the situation. She needed to tread carefully.
"A wise, but false proverb." She slowly walked clockwise in the room: nearing Severus, but facing Voldemort. "You know nothing of Hell's fury."
The Dark Lord's creepishly wide smile surfaced as he refused to rotate to follow her. His head twisted like a snake's to keep her in his sights. "I've always played with fire...Playing with Hellfire is the next challenge."
"You don't play with Hellfire - it plays with you," she countered, edging closer to where Severus hung.
"Sssee, that's what most people don't comprehend about Dark Magic...power is the only thing that matters. No right or wrong...just the sstruggle to keep what you've got and always gain more. I recognize thisss. I can do business with it. I know what I want, and I know what your father wants. The two are not incompatible."
Raven raised an eyebrow cynically. "How do you claim to know what my father wants?"
"I'll indulge your curiosity. Two ways. Namely, that I assked him," he inclined his head toward the mirror.
She looked, and her father's infamous four red eyes glowed back at her menacingly. She could almost swear she heard a low, hissing sound. "You couldn't have asked him before you set our deal up, and you aren't stupid enough to trust the desperate words of a trapped animal."
Smiling even wider, Voldemort answered. "How right you are, Raven Roth." He turned his back on her to walk to the opposite side of the room.
The Azthranian took this opportunity to stride forward next to Snape and examine him closer. His dark, pained eyes glanced at her with an expression of... Sorrow? Apology? Pity? The woman cocked her head slightly in confusion. Was he apologizing for getting kidnapped and tortured? Or something else...? Vaguely, she registered hearing Voldemort's voice still across the room.
"This brings us to the ssecond way I know."
Raven's eyes jerked back up to where he was standing just as he turned back to face her. He smirked at her change of position beside Snape, but made no mention of it.
"I sseem to recall telling you once before... that I did my homework."
The Dark Lord pulled sharply on the rope hanging to the side of the privacy curtain, and it opened like she was attending a stage play in the theatre.
On the other side of the curtain were bodies. Dead bodies.
Raven's stomach suddenly twisted itself apart.
Dead bodies lined in a row on the carpet.
Four of them.
Four dead bodies lying next to each other.
She felt sick.
Bile rose in her throat and she suddenly felt sharp rug-burns on her knees.
Her arm clutched around her abdomen.
Four dead bodies. Each one no older than twenty.
She felt her breathing come in sucking breaths.
Raven was hyperventilating.
Panic attack.
Four young bodies... their faces contorted in their last moments of agony.
No.
One with long red hair. Another with black gelled hair. One with a neatly trimmed afro. And the fourth with spiky green hair.
No no no no no no no no no no.
This wasn't happening. This didn't happen. It's an illusion.
Her ragged breathing was the only sound in the room.
With another jerk of his hand, Riddle closed the curtains again.
"If it makes you feel any better, they died with a quick and, well, presumably painless Killing Cursse." He paused. "That is...after the lengthy interrogation techniques."
Raven's choked sobs were a combination of trauma and fury.
"I have to hand it to them. Your friends held out for quite a long while. Looking back, I can ssay I'm impressed. But at the time it was..." his red eyes glittered wickedly, "...enraging."
She was still on her hands and knees, but the noises had stopped and she remained there completely silent for what felt like minutes.
The Dark Lord glided back to the pentagram and regarded the girl on the floor before him dispassionately. She hadn't looked up since the curtain was lowered, but she seemed to sense his proximity and she tensed.
At last she spoke, her voice low and thick. "Let Severus go."
Voldemort snorted. "I think not. I'm honoring him for his many years of loyal service."
With trembling limbs, Raven pushed herself onto unsteady feet and faced the Dark Lord, but remained silent as she looked back angrily. Her skin was an even more sickly shade of grey than usual, and her purple eyes were bloodshot.
The Dark Lord's voice and body language shifted to a menacing tone. "Sssso, unless you are looking forward to a family reunion, I sssuggest you clear out. If you intend to make trouble, I ssuggest you think again. I may not be allowed to hex you, but I can ccertainly incapacitate you and think up very...creative ways of ccircumnavigating the Vow's wording."
With a long, drawn out blink, the young woman re-opened her eyes and met his gaze evenly, having successfully (albeit temporarily) bottled her emotions. "You don't scare me, Voldemort," her voice raspy and monotone - like her old self. "And your attempts at threatening me are just that...attempts."
He raised the scaly skin where an eyebrow should be. "You think you can sstop me? What happens if you do? Do you think you can kill me and not poor Sseverus?"
"If you think my love for him will keep you from dying at my hands today, then you are mistaken."
"Is that a threat?"
Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Better than yours, I assure you."
They stood squaring each other up for a few moments, gauging one another.
Voldemort was the first to blink. He raised his hands in the air.
"I believe you!" His voice was uncharacteristically upbeat. "Which is why I'm taking precautionary measures."
The Dark Lord snapped his skeletal fingers, and the hissing sound she'd heard earlier appeared again, only this time it was directly behind her.
Raven jerked around, but it was too late.
An enormous viper - the size of an anaconda - lashed out at an incredible speed and slithered around Raven's body, coiling her up and squeezing faster than she could react.
"Sssimply hold, my sssweet," Voldemort instructed his pet snake. "Let her watch."
Nagini slackened her hold on Raven ever so slightly, but kept the girl firmly trapped within her grip as she struggled against the serpent.
Raven shouted in disgust and frustration as she wrestled as hard as she could to free herself. It was no use. The strong bands of the viper circled and trapped her arms and legs against her body.
A small, weak voice made her stop struggling.
"Please." It cut Raven like a knife to hear him say that. "Please," Snape repeated, trying to force his voice louder. "Get her out of here."
He knew pleading would do no good. But at this point, he would do anything. Anything to get her to safety. Anything to keep her from witnessing his murder after having just seen the bodies of her friends. It was just so...hard...for him to think. To think clearly. Blood loss and lack of circulation was affecting his brain. It was almost over for him. He would finally be dead. Isn't that what he wanted? Or had wanted? Except...he wouldn't be dying with the knowledge the Dark Lord was defeated. He would die unleashing Trigon into the world.
He tried to stop the tear from leaking out of his eye, but he had no energy left.
Snape cast his eyes, almost completely out of focus now, to the girl who had dismantled his barriers and captured his heart. He suddenly didn't feel so worthless. He would die today, and not even for a good cause. But, he thought with a distant smile - one that likely didn't even reach his face...she had been worth it.
"Afraid it's too late for that," Riddle answered snidely. "We're almost ready for the grand finale!"
He resumed the ceremonial ritual, making the blood in the carpet glow, and the levitating mirror pulse.
"Stop and think what you're doing, Voldemort," Raven growled. "He can't be trusted. Whatever he promised you, he won't give you. He's the Great Deceiver - the father of lies."
"Then what does that make you?" he winked maliciously.
"You think I don't know my own father?"
"I think you'll come to appreciate him when you're older. At least, that's what my mother told me, and now look! My relationship with my father's never been better."
"Find a different tribute!"
"Sseverus is doing a remarkable job. I can think of no one better ssuited."
"Please," she blurted out before she could stop herself.
Voldemort turned to look at her gleefully.
Once it was out in the open, there was no going back. She could only go forward. "Please Tom. Use me. I'll let you out of your Vow for it. Just let Severus go."
"I'm sure if you ask Daddy very nicely when he gets here, he'll ssend you to reunite with your lover." Voldemort raised his wand at Snape. "...But he's got to get there first."
Severus let his eyes drift closed, resigned to what was about to come.
Raven's eyes widened until the whites were showing.
"NO!"
"Avada Kedavra."
