Chapter Seventeen Snape

Harry almost stepped off the edge of the steps leading up to the doors of Azkaban and that would have been a disaster; it was a long way down. He was startled when they arrived at the doors and the guards stopped them, just in time for the massive door to swing open and for the Minister of Magic, Scrimgeour to come stumbling out with Lucius Malfoy just behind him.

Scrimgeour was shouting and waving a black ebony cane at Malfoy. "You cannot execute those people!" he shouted. "I swear Malfoy, if I have to round up everyone I know and show up here at midnight, I will do it!"

Lucius noticed Snape's appearance and blinked once before returning his sour gaze to Scrimgeour. "And what would that do, Rufus? You couldn't lay siege to this fortress if you had a hundred thousand wizards at your back. It is impenetrable. I will do the Dark Lord's bidding, as you will and we will not talk about it further." His jaw was set and he waited until Scrimgeour shoved a rumpled hat on his head and disapparated from the spot.

The pale eyes turned to Snape. "Where have you been?" he asked coldly, "And where is Potter? You were suppose to signal when you arrived."

Snape did not cower before the look. "Shall we talk inside, Lucius?" He glanced at the two wizards who stood guard.

Harry waltzed around the two men reclling a set of dance steps he had used once a long time before at the Triwizard Ball. They all moved at the same time and it took this fancy footwork for him to enter the prison ahead of both of them.

"You had better have a good reason why he is not with you, Severus," Lucius snapped. "Bella is upstairs and you know how I hate it when she hangs around to gloat about something. She always puts me in a foul mood."

"The boy is on the island," Snape said.

Harry waited just long enough to hear them continue the conversation while he studied the walls for signs. He saw the hallway leading off the black marbled entryway and started for it.

"So why isn't he with you?" Lucius asked, continuing through the foyer towards a set of winding steps. "We're up in the north tower. Follow me," he continued. "And where the devil have you been for the last week?!" It was clear Lucius was in a distinctly poisonous mood.

"I was followed by several Aurors trying to complete the task you assigned me," Snape answered and stopped. He went on when Malfoy turned back to listen with one foot on one stair and the other on the one below it. "Potter is in his invisibility cloak and hidden on the beach. He is waiting for me to signal him..." Snape was saying.

"It's time to drop the pretense you are helping him..." Lucius remarked and then with more interest, "Did you bring it with you?" He turned to continue the climb without waiting for a reply.

Harry was beyond their words as he sped down the tunnel-like hall and took a set of stone stairs leading downward that hugged the wall as it curved into the downward into the dark.

Hermione and Ron were on a direct collision course with Malfoy and Snape and came around the corner of the stairway as the two were going up. It was Snape who saw them first and suddenly pulled at Malfoy's arm to turn him away. "Lucius, did you know why the Dark Lord wanted the locket?!"

Malfoy pulled his arm free. "What has gotten into you, Severus? You know I don't know. Did you learn something from Bird? Why do you suppose he wants the locket?" Malfoy was now very interested.

Hermione pulled Ron into a small niche that had a large hole in the center and only enough room at the edges to press up against the wall and not fall in. The niche was completely void of light except for what flooded in from the doorway.

"The Dark Lord made a Horcrux," Snape said calmly. Ron gritted his teeth in fury and Hermione shook her head at him. They were wedged just inside the door and standing precariously on the edge of the hole.

Malfoy seemed to be stunned by the news. "What? What are you saying?"

Snape glanced up the stairs and nodded and proceeded ahead of Malfoy who followed immediately. Snape moved him past the door of the niche, speaking all the while. "That's right. I learned a great deal from Potter while I've been with him."

They continued talking as they climbed.

"He made more than one Lucius..." Snape continued. Once past the door he waved at them from behind his back. It was a signal to move on.

"Did you hear that?!" Ron asked rhetorically in a raspy whisper. "He's just spilling the whole thing out to that...that...to Malfoy. Bloody git!" He moved to step around her and she grabbed his cloak.

She kept him from falling into an immense hole that filled the entire space. They had barely saved themselves from falling into it in the dark in the first place.

He looked down at his feet that were very near the edge. "What is this place anyway?"

"It's called a murderers hole, Ron. A convenient way to get rid of unwanted visitors," she whispered. "Come on. There are probably all kinds of traps in this place. Do you smell that?" she gasped and covered her mouth and nose.

He nodded as they moved down the stairs. "Yeah. The place is a nightmare. Imagine being sent here as a prisoner?" He shook his head and took her hand. "What about that Snape? What'd you think?"

"He could've given us away, Ron and he didn't. He was distracting Malfoy." She pulled him out into the dim light of the corridor and started down the stairs once again. "We can't worry about it now."

"It's gonna be impossible to find our way around in here." They both searched the walls for signs. There were none. "We need to get off these stairs before we run into someone else. I don't think there are many more of those...murderers holes." He gulped. "Least, I hope not."

She nodded in agreement and winced as they heard noise from above and below. They moved quickly and yet stealthily. The last encounter had been very close.

Once down on the main floor and the foyer of the prison, they circled it. Gotta go down, Hermione thought and then found the dank hallway leading downwards. She pulled at Ron's robes and together began the descent into Azkaban's hell.

...

Harry was not moving as quickly. Spider webs covered the walls and hung like shrouds from the ceiling. He knew what that meant and he was glad he could save Ron from this particular terror.

...

Voldemort sat in his chair as the evening light faded. The house elf, one of few who remained in Hogwarts, was standing before him.

"What is your name elf?" he hissed.

"Kreacher, master. We are called Kreacher."

"Who do you serve?" Voldemort asked.

"We serve the master of Hogwarts," Kreacher cried and pulled at his ears anxiously.

Voldemort smiled with what was left of his slanted reptilian mouth. He was pleased with the answer. "Show Mr. Slughorn in, Kreacher. He is a guest and we do not wish to leave him waiting in the hallway."

Kreacher bowed in small jerky convulsive moves as he back-walked to the door.

Horace Slughorn waddled into the room. A pleasant smile was frozen on his face as if he had pasted it there just before entering the room and was using all his will to keep it in place.

"Hello my friend," Voldemort said and gestured to a chair nearby. "Sit. We have much to discuss."

Slughorn, who had made it a habit of befriending people in high places was now and had been contemplating the error of his ways. He studied the ruins of the man before him and shook as he lowered himself into the chair. He could not keep the look of terror from his bleeding into his face.

"I have brought you your special treats you care for so much," Voldemort said and gestured to a golden plate covered with sugared pineapple. "Please help yourself."

Slughorn put out a shaky hand and retrieved a small morsel. He did not want it and was not hungry, but dared not refuse.

"Did you find Severus?" Voldemort asked clasping his hands together. The hands were now quite deformed and were small, shapeless mitts. They were retreating into his body and would soon not be necessary.

"Yes...yes, I did," Slughorn stuttered. "I gave him the object you told me to give him. I...I also met with him just the other evening. Just before...before the raid at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place."

"Really?" Voldemort's slanted, unblinking eyes narrowed even further. "Where was he?"

"He was going to see Lucius."

"Oh, yes?" Voldemort studied the fleshy man and felt a sudden hunger stirring. He wondered what it would be like to unhinge his jaw and swallow the man whole as he had seen Nagini do to rodents. He wondered what it would feel like to know the man was being digested whole and alive inside his own body. He patted his belly and forced himself to concentrate.

Slughorn was now sweating profusely. "Tom..."

Voldemort struck so fast the fat man had barely chosen his next word before the Dark Lord was before him, inches away and the long yellow fangs from the open mouth swam before his eyes.

"What did you call me?" Voldemort asked, swaying hypnotically on his feet.

"LORD!" Slughorn whispered in terror. "Your Lordship... your Majesty...spare me, I beg."

"Yes?" Voldemort pulled his cape around him and stood looking down at the man. "Really, you are a foolish man. You would not now be alive Horace if I didn't need you. Stop your gibbering. I've had the papers and books that were taken in the raid brought to the library. I believe they are the same documents you used the first time. I suggest you go down and read them again. We have work to do. I believe the Potter boy will be in my hands by nightfall."

"Lord," Slughorn began, shivering and sweating in fear. " I...I don't believe it will be of any use. We barely succeeded the first time in creating the six Horcruxes...I..." he left off as he looked up once again into the yellow-green eyes. They were not the eyes of a sane human, or for that matter a sane non-human. "Yes...yes I believe the answer lies in the books," he muttered and shrank back against the chair. There was no dealing any longer with the creature before him.

"I shall want to make the transformation as soon as possible," Voldemort said and returned leisurely to his throne. "We have the necessary victims all neatly tucked into the cells at Azkaban. I'll be going there as soon as I receive word and you shall need to be prepared to join me. Now, I suggest you go to work." The small malformed hand waved a dismissal and Slughorn slipped out of the chair and hurried to the door.

He did not turn to look back. The Dark Lord had pronounced his death sentence. There was no way he could do what he was asking and there was no escape. Horace Slughorn found himself biting voraciously into the sugared pineapple he still held in his hand, wolfing it down and wishing it would stick in his throat and choke him to death. The thought of that kind of death was welcoming in comparison to the one awaiting him with the creature in that room.

He had known all along there was going to be a price to pay for using the dark arts the night he had performed the incantations to make the seven Horcruxes seventeen years before. The man's transformation was hideous, made even more-so by the accompanying insanity and evil that emanated like poison from him.

"Horace you fool, you fool," he muttered and then sobbed. "How could you let him talk you into such a thing?" he asked himself bitterly and knew the answer even before the question had come to mind. He too, had been greedy. This was one boy I should not have added to my 'collection', he thought and laughed hysterically, pulling at his hair and running down the hall towards the library like a deranged madman.

...

Snape sat in the room at the top of the tower and watched with a veiled expression as Lucius and Bella Lestrange bickered. Lucius was now very aware the object the woman carried was a Horcrux; the Dark Lord's Horcrux. Snape also knew Malfoy wanted it, was desperate to see it. He saw the greed in the man's eyes and knew of his desires. Snape had once said there had been many people who sought to assassinate Voldemort. Lucius was at the head of the line and Snape knew it.

He had not told Malfoy about the Horcruxes out of panic that the Weasley boy and the Granger girl would be discovered. He was too controlled for such a thing. But it had been a convenient piece of information to divulge at that moment. He wanted to draw Malfoy's questions away from the Potter boy and involve his interest in something else.

He also knew Malfoy could not kill the Dark Lord and had kept that piece of information to himself. It is convenient for you to know about the Horcruxes, he decided. It will keep you occupied for a while, he thought to himself. It will be even better if you try and destroy them.

Snape was all too familiar with Malfoy's lust and greed for power and it would be his undoing. He was now feeding him information very slowly, dragging it out; enticing him to cmmit the act which would kill him.

He watched Bellatrix Lestrange. She was insanely devotion to the Dark Lord. She would fight to the death to not betray him and she stood now, holding the object to her breast, baring her teeth at her brother-in-law.

Now, all he had to do was sit back and let the two of them at each other while he remained silent. He hoped it would last long enough to give the boy a chance to find the dungeons. While he watched he allowed his mind to drift as it always did when he felt tense. He thought of Lily, with her beautiful long auburn hair.

He absentmindedly touched the small scar where she had scratched him.

...

Harry heard the footsteps and pressed himself against the wall and waited. He was cloaked in the invisibility cloak and could not be seen. However, the stairway was very narrow and there was a good chance they- or whatever it was- would bump into him when they passed. He shivered involuntarily. The spider webs reminded him of Aragog and his family and Harry did not want to 'bump' into anything with eight legs.

He was about to raise his wand when he saw the dim light of two wands and the faces that were illuminated by them. He immediately pulled off the cloak and stepped up into the light. "Hermione! Ron!"

The reunion was short but sweet. Hermione burst into tears and hugged his neck and Ron smiled and patted him on the back. The slightly irregular scratching noises that mingled with their own voices quieted them and they began the descent in haste. Ron was eyeing the cobwebs and making slight mewling noises and Hermione was moving ahead of both of them. She was whispering as she went. "I tried to memorize the way when they took us up to the tower," she was saying.

"Snape said always stay left, the right, then left at every intersection; and then you have to return the same way," Harry volunteered.

"Snape!" Ron exclaimed quietly. "Met him on the way going down the stairs. He was with Malfoy. Going on and on about the Horcruxes. Can't be trusted I say." He growled. "Always chummy with the wrong people."

Harry stopped briefly when he heard the information and frowned. He shook his head and continued, catching up with Hermione. "I think he's sacrificing himself Ron, giving us time to get out. Is everyone alright? Ginny?" he asked Hermione as they finally found level ground.

The area was like an immense honeycomb of caves, some were lit with hellfires and many were dark like a pit. She followed a dim light and they slipped by open doorways silently and then talked in hurried whispers as they entered long stony corridors. In some areas they needn't have bothered. They could hear horrific screams that seemed to rend and shred the very air.

"Everyone was fine when we were taken away," she mentioned a moment later. "Moody was hurt and we don't know how bad."

"We've only got three wands, Harry" Ron said. "Do you have a plan? Because I think its going to be a lot harder to get out then it is to get in."

Harry shook his head but had in his mind the plea he had made to Percy. Now, walking through the underground nightmare of twisted, turning corridors, he thought he had been naive. It was very unlikely the Weasley brother had made it to Azkaban let alone allowed to visit his family. Malfoy would have laughed in his face.

"Harry Potter?" a tiny voice whispered to them and they froze in place. Harry turned his dimly lit wand and saw a tiny figure cowering in the dark, its shadow reflected against the wall.

"Dobby?!" Harry gasped. He wasn't sure the house elf really was his friend, to him the house elves all looked alike. But the look of adoration and happiness that spread across his face convinced him. "Dobby, it is you. What are you doing here?"

"I forgot to tell you, Harry," Hermione interrupted. "Dobby brought me Dumbledore's wand. This is it." She showed him the white ivory wand.

"Dobby can you show us where the prisoners are kept?" Harry asked quickly and the house elf nodded.

"Dobby can show you, Harry Potter." The elf was energized and hopped up and was ready to fly down the tunnel.

Harry stopped him suddenly and inexplicably apprehensive." Dobby. Is everyone ok? Is anyone hurt?"

The elf blinked nervously.

"Dobby?"

"Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter." Dobby chewed on his lip. "There is a dead wizard. He was brought by the bad man and left for his family to see."

"Who was it?" Ron asked. "Who's dead Dobby?"

Dobby whispered, "One with red hair, like you." He looked directly at Ron and then fled down the tunnel.

…...

Remus paced the floor and answered the people who spoke out periodically. First, Arthur and then Fleur and later, faintly, Tonks. He did not have the answers to questions nor did he have much left in him to provide solace. He was anxious. He could feel in his very bones something was about to happen.

The trip to the dungeons was shortened considerably by the presence of the elf and Harry, Hermione and Ron wasted no more time. They arrived in the dimly lit area and saw the figure hanging on the wall. Harry held Ron back when they saw the color of the hair. It was too dark at first to distinguish who it was and Harry feared it might be Fred or George, or Bill, or even Arthur Weasley. It was clear it was male and not female and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Ron was strong and pushed past after Hermione crept up to look into the dead man's face and then turned to him. They all saw that it was Percy.

Once again, Harry felt some relief and a little guilt. So he had made it, he thought.

"Remus?" he whispered.

"Harry!" a hand appeared through the small slit in the door. "Hurry, open the doors."

"Alohamora!" Hermione said. There was no response.

"No, that's not the spell," Harry said and waved his wand and mentally repeated the words that Snape had given him. "There is no escape, there is no return." One by one the doors began swinging open.

As planned, and to Harry's, Hermione's and Ron's surprise everyone rushed past them and towards Lupin's cell. Ginny reached Harry and hugged him and then began to pull him along.

"We've got to go now," she said. "The Triwizard's cup is here. The portkey." She shook him. He was looking back, watching Molly Weasley attempting to physically take down Percy's hanging body from the wall. Arthur had stopped to go back to help. Ginny looked back and took two steps to join them and Harry reached for her and missed.

"Ron! Harry!" Lupin shouted. He was standing in the cell of the door. At the same moment, he saw Tonks with Moody's arm around her shoulders moving slowly towards them. They were going much too slowly. He turned and looked at the small group was now standing around the Triwizard's cup. "Harry get in here!" Lupin stepped around him and shoved him towards the door. "I'll help Tonks."

Hermione had been inside the cell and was now outside following Lupin and pulling Molly Weasley away from her son's body. Arthur Weasley was on the other side of his wife who was struggling to turn back. They had not been successful in their attempts to retrieve the body.

Ron was shoved back into the cell when Lupin went by and Fred and George grabbed him and held on, they reached for Harry too and connected. Now, Molly and Arthur were stepping through.

It all happened quickly. The corridor was suddenly filled with wizards firing off spells. Dementors drifted in over their heads and the place was filled with their damp, cold essence, smoke from a fire set in the straw and sparks from the various wands.

Harry looked over his shoulder and made a turn but before he could manage to step out Fred had reached for his hand and placed it on the portkey. Arthur, Molly, Fleure, Bill, Mad-Eye Moody, Ron, Harry, Fred and George were all swept up by the cup and transported.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut in absolute disgust and horror even as they flew out and away from the island. They had left behind; Hermione, Lupin, Tonks and Ginny. Between the four left behind, they had one wand and they were facing a half dozen wizards and even more Dementors.

The other group ended up on the Quidditch pitch at Hogwarts just as the last rays of sun left them in the twilight darkness of mid summer. Harry straightened up and turned to look at Hogwarts just up the hill from where the small group stood. At the same time, Lupin stood in front of the three girls and held up his hands. His clothes were smoldering with the spells that had narrowly missed hitting vital spots and he was barely standing.

Snape stepped around the front-most figure. He and Lupin exchanged looks and then Snape turned to the wizard at his side. "Inform Mr. Malfoy you allowed the Potter boy to escape with the prisoners. I will put these four back in their cells." He stood still while all the wizards surrounding him turned away, the leader shrugged his shoulders in anger. The wizard knew he was in trouble.

Snape waited for them to leave and then waved his wand. It was clear he had performed the Patronus charm. His Patronus erupted from his wand in a wall of brilliant light driving the Dementors out of the corridor.

They were alone.

"We have very little time," Snape said calmly. "Follow me. Now is the time to escape if we can."