A/N: Er…yes, it really has been only a tiny but less than six months since I last posted. Not much of an explanation to give you guys. Sorry about that! And I will try to post the next chapter soon, since I leave this at a bit of a cliffie.

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Severus and Tallis walked through the hallways and toward the front gates of Hogwarts. They stood in front of them for a moment, not moving.

"Are you ready?" Severus asked quietly.

Silence.

"No."

The two stood in silence for a few moments. Severus did not bother to offer empty words of comfort or platitudes. Both Snapes knew how useless they would be right now.

"Are you ready?" he asked again, his intonation the same.

Silence.

"Yes."

Severus reached out and opened the gate.

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Chapter 70

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Severus pushed the gate open, the hinge creaking with the weight of the ancient door. Both Snapes stepped through as one, allowing the gate to swing shut behind them. It locked itself automatically with an ominous clank.

Severus looked down at his son, and both of them lifted their hoods simultaneously, making it impossible to make out their faces.

"Get ready," Tallis said quietly.

Severus pulled out a pair of thin, black leather gloves, pulling them on his left hand and then his right hand. He carefully smoothed out the supple leather and adjusted his cuffs so that every inch of his hands and wrists were covered. His hands restlessly moved up to his throat, ensuring that his robes were fully fastened. His hands rested at his side again, ready to continue.

Tallis eyed his father's movements carefully, ensuring that he was completely protected. With a grim nod, he muttered a long string of parseltongue.

Severus lifted his hand to shield his eyes for a moment from the blinding silver light. "Shall we?" he asked quietly, looking at his son once more.

Tallis nodded and stepped closer to his father, who automatically wrapped his arms around his son's shoulders. Tallis hugged him close, burying his face in his chest. With a brief thought, he tucked one leg around his father's as well, seeking to eliminate any possible space between the two of them.

"Are you ready?" Tallis asked.

Severus rested his head on top of his son's dark hair. "Yes," he said, grasping his son more tightly. This was in some ways the riskiest aspect of their plan.

Without another word, Tallis concentrated his magic and apparated both of them through the unbreakable wards of Hogwarts and into the equally unbreakable wards of his enemy.

The two clutched each other for a brief moment, neither one of them quite able to believe that they had made it safely. With a shuddering breath, Tallis loosened his hold on his father and stepped back.

Both men turned toward the mansion that Voldemort had assumed as his seat of power. The building itself reeked of black magic and the Dark Arts. Now they had but two options. They prayed that the first plan would work, and were fully resigned to the fact that they might need to implement the second plan. They were now far beyond the point of no return. There was no undoing this now, no going back. They must move forward, one way or another.

A dark form approached them at a quick pace. Severus took a half step behind his son, ready for either one of their prepared scenarios.

"Identify yourself," the Death Eater shouted as he drew closer.

Tallis spoke, his voice silky and calm. "Lord Voldemort is expecting me. We are old friends, and I have come to his aid."

"Give me your name and I will see if the master wishes to grant you an audience."

"He has been awaiting my presence for nearly sixteen years," Tallis said smoothly. "He will be ill pleased with an additional delay."

"Who is that with you?" he asked, squinting into the darkness.

"My companion," Tallis replied. "You will let us through now." He released one of the holds on his powers, allowing the Death Eater to feel his magic roiling beneath the surface, barely restrained.

"Yes sir," he stuttered. "Right away."

The Death Eater escorted the two of them into the house and through dim hallways before being confronted by two more Death Eaters.

"Who do you have there?" one of the new arrivals asked.

"Someone to see the master," he replied.

"And do these gentlemen have names?" the third Death Eater asked, reaching for his wand. Severus immediately recognized Lucius's voice.

"The master is expecting them, they said."

"And you brought them into our stronghold on their word alone?" Lucius asked incredulously.

Three wands were instantly trained on the two Snapes. Tallis narrowed his eyes at the irritation. No less than he expected though. He reached out a single hand and stunned one of them before he could even blink.

Severus immediately enganged one of the other Death Eaters, leaving Lucius for Tallis to deal with. Severus killed his opponent with a quick killing curse, and watched in silence as his son stopped Lucius' heart with a wandless, silent spell.

"That was easy," Severus remarked in a low voice. "Too easy."

"It was fortuitous," Tallis remarked calmly. "It would not do to murder my own soldiers."

Severus looked around himself for a moment and nodded his understanding.

They approached the large double doors slowly, once again preparing themselves for what lay ahead. Tallis lifted a shaking hand to the door. He closed his eyes for a brief moment, steadied his hand, and then pushed open the door.

A cold voice greeted them. "So, you have finally come to my side, my friend," Voldemort said.

Tallis nodded. "You spoke truth when last we met," Tallis said calmly.

"Yes, I did. And I started a furor unlike anything I ever could have imagined," Voldemort replied, speaking of the frenzy that followed his Halloween accusations that Harry Potter was abused by his family.

"All for the greater good," Tallis said, his voice devoid of emotion. "The muggles needed to be destroyed. You provided me the vehicle with which to do it."

"I only wish I could have brought forth the information earlier. If I had only known, I would have taken you from them earlier, and raised you myself. No wizard child should be exposed to such atrocities."

"No, they should not," Tallis agreed easily.

"When I discovered their treatment of you, I knew that you would come to my side."

Tallis dipped his head in acknowledgement.

"The Court did not punish the man appropriately. I have dealt with him for you."

"It is most kind of you to do so. Unfortunately, his very presence repels me, and I would not have wished to deal with him myself."

"As is to be expected," Voldemort said gently. "I would not have expected you to wish to punish him. Some ghosts are too difficult to fight off."

"Yes," Tallis agreed. "What of the woman and child?"

"I have my plans," Voldemort said with a small smile. "When you are ready, we will proceed with them. I believe that you might enjoy partaking in their punishments."

Tallis nodded. "Of course. You know me better than I know myself," he said, bemused.

"I had feared for a while that you would be displeased that I revealed the muggles' mistreatment of you to the world."

"I was," Tallis said candidly. "But it turned out brilliantly in the end. Punishment for the muggles. The virtual death of the one who placed me there. The ruination of Hogwarts. It will be a simple matter now to take over the Wizarding World. Who left is there to fight?"

"Precisely. Although I do regret the unfortunate murder of your dear father. You remedied that well enough though."

Tallis took a few more steps further into the room, his father following close behind him. "Yes, that was not well planned, although hardly your fault. I have already reprimanded him for you. As any proper vassal, he ought to have presented his plan to you first. You could not have known that he had a greater strategy at work. Who but Severus Snape could have brought the Boy Who Lived to the Death Eaters?"

Voldemort nodded. "You are wise, my friend."

Tallis heard a chain rattling off to the side, and he turned his head for a brief moment. The sight that met his eyes made his breath catch. "Why have you chained my lover to the floor?" he asked mildly.

"I was tired of waiting for you to come to me, so I decided to encourage your arrival. Then the irritating boy wouldn't stop fighting. Killed two of my soldiers."

"Unfortunate, that. Once again though, much of this could have been avoided by a few words. I had planned to come soon anyhow, but had preferred to complete the year at Hogwarts. There are many there who are wavering now, having been so inured with the previous Headmaster's false words. My father and I had hoped to bring some more soldiers to your side. Now we risk exposing ourselves, and losing our positions."

Voldemort sat in silence for a moment. "Did anyone see you leave?"

Tallis narrowed his eyes. "Do you think that either my father or I could be caught if we did not wish it?"

Voldemort inclined his head. "Of course not."

"Let us speak of alliance, of ending this war," Tallis said formally. He hoped that Voldemort would recognize the words of truce.

"Let us end this war," Voldemort repeated. He stepped off of the small platform and away from his throne. Tallis stepped closer, so that he was only a few feet from Voldemort. "What are your conditions?"

Tallis thought for a moment. "Very few. I care little for the world that Dumbledore created."

"And muggles?"

Tallis looked him in the eye. "Kill them."

Voldemort laughed gleefully. "We are truly kindred spirits, my dear boy. You are practically my son. I believe that I shall adopt you, and name you my heir."

Tallis' eyes glinted with repressed emotion. "My father lives yet," he reminded Voldemort mildly.

"That can be remedied," he replied, moving toward his wand.

"Touch my father and all alliances are ended," Tallis said icily. "I will serve as your heir but not as your son."

Voldemort looked from father to son for a few moments. "As you wish," he said, bowing in agreement. "Shall we end this?" he asked, stepping closer and holding out his hand.

"Yes," Tallis said firmly, meeting him step for step. "From the ashes we shall create a new world."

"So may it be," Voldemort said with a smile.