The End of the Beginning-Draco's Betrayal
Harry can tell when Snape loses some sort of fight against Voldemort.
His first clue is that the overwhelming pain stops.
Then Snape falls to his knees on the floor, face screwed up with pain, and to Harry it looks as if Voldemort is ravaging Snape's mind.
Voldemort jumps out of his chair, glee replaced with maniacal anger on his face. Harry scrambles to his feet, ignoring his trembling and sore muscles as Voldemort stalks toward Snape.
Voldemort seizes a handful of Snape's hair and turns him to face the Death-Eaters. Snape seems to come back to himself and starts to struggle fiercely, but Voldemort has his hair wrapped around his and so tightly that Snape seems unable to gain any ground.
Voldemort thrusts Snape's head forward. "You see before you a traitor!" Voldemort snarls, and disbelieving murmurs rise up from the Death-Eaters.
Voldemort turns half-way towards Snape, and his voice lowers, until it's almost seductive, but the rage concealed within it sends shivers down Harry's spine.
"Severusss, my little ssssnake, little traitor. How long have you been playing at being the double sspy, I wonder? You know what I do to traitorsss, don't you? I think we'll change it a bit tonight, though. By the time we're done with you, you'll be begging for the punishment traitorsss usually get. Tonight, little Ssseveruss, you will share the same punishment as the 'Boy Who Lived.' Consssider it an honor, Severusss. I could have killed you outright."
It is odd for Severus to realize that he no longer has to bow and thank the Dark Lord for the "honor." It has become ingrained as a habit. Severus has the ridiculous thought—obviously brought on by pain—that if it weren't for the Dark Lord's hand in his hair he would bow and thank him anyway.
Which would definitely be humiliating.
A traitor's punishment is usually a curse designed by the Dark Lord himself. It cuts away layers of skin one by one, leaving the victim incoherent with the pain all over their body. If the Dark Lord is feeling particularly merciful he will stop the curse after his amusement fades somewhat, and he will cut off the victim's limbs, and then let the victim bleed to death.
Severus has seen it happen. Images of those times haunt his nightmares.
His fellow Death-Eaters are angry, jeering at him, all except Draco Malfoy, who is staring at him, wide-eyed and pale.
Severus' mind is working in over-drive, trying desperately to think of a way to escape. He can feel the devastation the Dark Lord has left of his shields, and a head-ache that had formed as soon as the Dark Lord broke into his mind keeps getting worse. He can't rely on Albus to get him through, considering how long it has apparently taken him to get through even the preliminary wards.
Severus has the uncomfortable feeling that he's out of luck, and is going to fail.
But he dismisses it.
Harry has no idea of what's going on. Voldemort is talking, clearly angry at Snape, but Harry doesn't hear the words. He finds that he was less afraid before, when he knew what to expect (face Voldemort, probably get hurt, almost die, but find a miraculous escape plan—with luck.) Now Harry can't even be angry at Snape for torturing him. It is sort of pointless, being angry at a guy who is likely to die any moment. Harry supposes this puts an end to all his debates about Snape's loyalties.
Voldemort pushes Snape so that he falls to the floor, facing Harry. As Voldemort strides back to his chair Snape looks up. Snape's face is carefully guarded, but when he meets Harry's eyes his mask trembles, just for a second, but long enough for Harry to see the pain and grim resolve in his eyes. Voldemort speaks, and Snape's walls come up once again.
"My loyal servantsss," Voldemort says, standing in front of his throne and spreading his arms like a benevolent king. "I shall give you a chance to torture the traitor in your midst."
Harry tries to find something to say, but his cheekiness and foolhardiness seems to have left with Snape's cover.
"Avery, Crucio Potter. Lucius, Snape."
The two Death-Eaters walk forward, Avery's face alight vindictive glee, Lucius Malfoy's impassive.
Voldemort sits back to enjoy the show.
Albus Dumbleore isn't a man given to excessive bragging, but he has to admit that he is a very gifted wizard. One of his (many) specialties is wards – both their making, and their dismantling.
One learnt things during a war, after all.
Albus hadn't been expecting much of a hardship getting into Malfoy Manor. He had expected Voldemort to be too sure of himself to consider putting many wards up.
He had underestimated Voldemort's strength and paranoia.
Lucius' Crucio is weaker than what Severus knows he can produce, but he's hardly going to complain. Avery's Crucio is very strong, according to Potter's screams, stronger and more desperate than they had been towards the end of his torture under Severus' wand.
There is no way to tell how long they are under the Curse, because even ten seconds under it feels like an eternity, but eventually the Dark Lord tells the two torturers to stop and switch victims.
If nothing else, Severus has to get the boy out. The dunderhead is important to Albus' plan.
Lord Voldemort is angry.
To think that Severus had been the spy...
He would pay. The Dark Lord looked forward to it. He would show his followers what happened when Lord Voldemort was betrayed.
It would be very nice to see Severus beg.
Harry is no longer aware of who is torturing him, only the breaks in between the bouts of intense pain. He suddenly becomes aware that not surviving this encounter with Voldemort is more than a mere possibility. It is now a very real probability.
"Enough," Voldemort says, and Harry becomes aware of how cold the marble floor is under his twitching limbs.
"Severusss. I have decided on another punishment for you. Would you like to hear it?"
Snape doesn't move, but Voldemort carries on regardless. "First, I shall tie up the boy," Voldemort turns to Harry, flicks his wand, and Harry is suddenly thrust against the wall, hands and feet manacled to the marble as though crucified. Voldemort turns back to Snape and continues. "And then, I thought, I will take advantage of the fact that I have already broken your mental shieldssss. Do you know how much pain I can cause you ussing only my mind, Severusss? After that we shall move onto more...hands on formsss of torture. After all, we musst pleasse my followersss, and Crucio engagess only one of the watcher's sensess. They boy can watch it all, and know what shall happen to him once you are dead."
Severus knows what he has to do: Stay alive until Albus makes it through the wards. That should ensure the boy's life.
Severus finds that he is not afraid of the prospect of his own demise. He faces the possibility of death very time he answers the Dark Lord's call, after all. Now, facing Death straight on, he does not feel fear, or anger. It is often the unknown people fear, or leaving their loved ones, when they think about death. Severus has faced the unknown daily, never knowing if it would be the day of his death. He has no loved ones, and he has been prepared for death ever since he joined the Death-Eaters.
There are things he wishes he could have done, wrongs he feels he hasn't atoned for, but maybe by dying to save Potter (and thereby—according to Albus—the whole world-as-they-knew-it) he could absolve a bit more of his guilt.
Harry watches in horror as Voldemort turns his wand upon Snape, whom Voldemort has spelled to make him kneel, and say clearly "Legilimens."
For a moment nothing happens, but then Snape's mask crumbles in pain. Snape screams, and to Harry it is one of the worst sounds he has ever heard. His scream is hoarse, depserate, and pain-filled, and it sounds as though it was wrenched from the depths of his soul. It goes on, and on, and on.
Harry struggles futilely, looking around desperately for help, but the occupants of the room are all focused on the terrible violation of the man in front of them, all except one. Draco Malfoy's eyes meet Harry's, filled with revulsion, horror and panic.
Harry takes a chance and mouths "Help me get him out" to the blond boy. For a second it looks as though Malfoy will ignore him, and Snape's scream continues to rend the air. The sound seems to decide for Malfoy, and he nods sharply in Harry's direction.
If Harry wasn't tied up watching a mass murderer torture his teacher he might have been surprised at Malfoy's help. As it is, he can only feel a grudging feeling of thankfulness.
Draco has absolutely no idea what he's doing. He just knows that it feels right. Later he will think of consequences. Later he will question his actions. Right now, he flicks his wand and releases Potter from his bindings, spells a fire to life in the ancient, priceless tapestries behind the Dark Lord, then pretends to be just as panicked as everyone else. Right now, he only feels determination.
Albus had expected to see many things when they finally broke through the wards, but the Death-Eaters in uproar, Harry crouched over Severus' form laying on the ground, and various black-clothed figures trying to put out a large fire in the tapestries was not one of them.
"Stun anyone you can get!" he tells the Head Auror, who nods and passes it along.
Harry crouches over his Professor. "Sir? Can you hear me? You need to get up, Professor! Oh God. Please, Professor. Can you hear me?"
Snape doesn't respond, even when Harry touches his shoulder. "Please, Professor." Harry's embarrassed to hear his voice break. "Professor, come on. Dumbledore's here now. Dumbledore'll get you out. You're safe, Voldemort ran away, you're safe. Please respond."
Author's Note: You know that somewhere, deep, deep down inside yourself, you really want to review this. I think this is the last chapter where the POVs will change every other paragraph... in fact I believe the next chapter is purely Harry. I'm still looking for suggestions of sites that are NOT insanejournal or livejournal where I can post this with quotes.