Snape strode up to the castle gates after having cast a disillusionment charm on himself and Peter. The last time he had passed through those doors he had been running to get away from the Order. The memory still haunted him. He hated helping Voldemort in any way, but he couldn't let that show. He couldn't believe he had been about to tell Pettigrew what his aims were… "Assuming that it wasn't a jealous death eater who wanted to overthrow their master and gain a bit more power"… How could he have been so careless as to nearly give away his secret without being sure of where Peter's loyalties lay?
"How are we going to get in?" the little voice at his side piped up. He had been wondering that himself, but he wasn't about to tell Pettigrew that. He was toying with the idea of getting Pettigrew to go in in his rat form, but he thought that Dumbledore would have put up defences after Black had managed to get a few years ago. He thought about sending him anyway, after all Pettigrew was getting on his nerves. Suddenly he remembered something about the defences around Hogwarts.
The previous year, the magical enchantments around the castle had been strong, but then so was Voldemort. Dumbledore had been casting the spells around it every month to make sure there wouldn't be any way of the protection being broken. However, his frequent absences meant that Dumbledore had enlisted Snape's help to cast the spells when he wasn't there. That meant that Snape had a good knowledge of the spells around the school. And if he knew what the protection was, then he could get past it.
Snape wondered whether it would be worth risking everything for this task. If he was caught no one would believe his story, and he would end up in Azkaban. He saw Pettigrew looking up at him expectantly. He realised that he had probably made a mistake when he thought he could trust his former bully, for the simple reason that Peter followed people. He didn't think for himself and would never rise up against anyone, because that would mean he had to rely on himself. Even when he seemed to have betrayed his friends, he was running to Voldemort. It was clear that if Snape wanted his support he had to gain Pettigrew's trust.
Snape made his decision. He had come this far already, he might as well break into Hogwarts. Raising his wand, he began the spells that would leave Hogwarts temporarily unarmed. It was a complicated charm which involved lots of concentration over a long time. Ten minutes in, Snape had barely made an impact on the defences when he heard a loud pop and saw Bellatrix apparate next to him. His concentration was broken and he turned to her.
"Yes?"
"I thought you'd be here, but you don't have any chance of getting in. Not if those defences were put up by Dumbledore."
"Not any more I don't" Bellatrix looked confused but carried on.
"I have a bit of a problem, Hufflepuff's cup is gone."
"So? Look for it! That's what we're doing for the locket"
"You wouldn't have any idea who took it?"
"Why would I? It almost sounds like you're implying I'm the one who took it!"
"Look, I just still don't trust you! You've spent too much time around Dumbledore! All I'm saying is we should swap places. You weren't so close to Dumbledore when the locket was taken but you could have taken the cup. It won't make a difference to you which horcrux you're looking for and it will put my mind at ease."
Snape was furious at her suggestion. He hated her being in charge of this mission and thinking that he was only there to do her bidding. However, he knew better than to let his emotions show on his face. Besides, he knew where the cup was after all, and it would look good for him if he could return quickly while Bellatrix, their leader, was still searching fruitlessly for the horcrux.
"Of course. Your trust is so important to me" Snape didn't realise that next to him, Peter had picked up on the hint of sarcasm in his voice as the two carried on the conversation. Peter began to wonder about Snape. He began to recall his behaviour, how he had seemed on edge and jumpy ever since they had began the task. He was also remembering Snape's strange attitude towards Peter himself. After years of them working together hating each other, Snape seemed, well, civil, which made a change. Peter could only think it had something to do with the secret Snape knew about him, and if it did, well, that couldn't be good. Peter felt a sense of foreboding. Whatever happened next, he was going to have to be on his guard.
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