"You have your orders," Voldemort purred in his sickly, snake-like hiss of a voice.
Lucius Malfoy nodded and turned to the small group of death eaters. "Everyone knows the target for tonight, so let's get moving."
In the darkness of the night, the group of six death eaters arrived at a small flat just a few miles from Hogsmeade.
Seventeen-year-old Severus Snape did not have a good feeling about this. He was not yet graduated from Hogwarts, though he would be in just a few months, but he had been a death eater for nearly a year. The cruelty sickened him, and he longed to recoil away from the group, to correct his mistake.
Lord Voldemort would never have that of course. Severus knew he would be killed, more likely tortured and killed, should his feelings of doubt and disgust become known. Thankfully, he was extraordinarily talented at blocking others from reading his thoughts.
He noticed Lucius glaring at him. "Are you… repulsed Severus? How weak."
"Of course not," he snapped back.
"Good; I'd so hate to give a bad report of you back to our lord. He really never has been thrilled with that Gryffindor slut of yours," Lucius stated.
Snape fought from tensing at Lucius' words. Ariel Shelby was not a slut, but she could be in very real danger if he wasn't careful. That he would not allow that to happen, he loved her too much.
Lucius gave the signal and a moment later the group was inside the flat. Five young girls were inside and screaming. One of them drew her wand while the others tried to run.
The death eaters raised their wands and blinding green lights filled the room, spilling out the windows. The girls fell and all was silent.
"Our work here is done. I'll report to Lord Voldemort on our success, the rest of you make yourselves scarce."
The group disapparated from the ruined house and dead bodies. Only… one death eater returned a few moments later.
Snape picked his way through the debris, checking the pulse of each person to see if any of them were possibly alive. He heard a soft moan, and followed the noise until he found its creator. Crushed under another body and a fallen bookshelf was a girl, still alive. Barely alive, but there might still be hope.
Snape quickly freed the teenage girl and picked her up as carefully as he could. She was very badly hurt, moaning in pain, making him wish he had some potions with him to help her.
Instead, he did all he could. He apparated them both to St. Mungo's, arriving in the front lawn with a crack. Pulling his cloak tighter around him, Snape carried the girl to the entrance of the hospital.
"I'll make sure someone comes out to find you very quickly," he whispered. The girl barely nodded in response as Snape set her on the ground just outside the door. He raised his wand and shot red sparks into the air, before moving away from the door.
Snape watched in the shadows for just a few moments; sure enough a hospital worker found the girl and took her inside, yelling for a mediwitch or mediwizard.
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Tirza felt fierce pride flow through her when Albus told her how her father had brought that girl to the hospital. She knew he was endangering himself by doing so, but he did it anyway.
"So grandpa, how did you know it was dad that did that? Did he tell you?"
Albus gave a sad sigh. "Not right away. See, the girl he brought to St. Mungo's was my great-niece, her grandmother was my sister. I went to see her, I was the only family she had left then…"
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Albus apparated to St. Mungo's as soon as he was notified. "How is she?"
The mediwitch's eyes were filled with sadness as she answered. "We've done all that we can for her. There is nothing else that could possibly heal her; she was missed very narrowly by the curse, but caught enough of the force of it to injure her very gravely. Your niece will not make the night, and I suggest you go in quickly and say your goodbyes."
Gravely, Albus entered the small room and headed to the bed. "Analicia," he said gently, taking her hand. "I'm here child."
His niece was nearly unrecognizable, her body bruised and battered from the falling furniture and bodies falling on top of her. She looked up at him through sad eyes, knowing her family was dead and that she soon would be too. "Uncle Albus."
Albus kissed her forehead. "Tell me who did this, Analicia."
"Death eaters. One… one came back," she told him slowly, sounding weak.
"I don't understand."
Analicia tried again. "One came back; he brought me here and made noise so they would find me."
Dumbledore was stunned. "Did he tell you his name?"
"No," she whispered.
"What did he look like? I would like to repay him by helping him, if he will accept it."
Analicia thought for a moment. "Very pale, very young, not too much older then me. His eyes were black as currents and his hair was longer, it tickled me when he picked me up. His clothing smelled like plants or herbs."
Instantly, Dumbledore knew whom she meant and he was oddly relieved. Snape had never been a popular student, but he was very bright and Albus knew that despite the show he put up for the other Slytherins and in spite of his home life that Severus Snape was a good fellow deep down.
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Tirza snuggled close to Albus. "Did she really die grandpa?"
With a sad sigh, Dumbledore nodded. "She did. She didn't suffer though like she would have had your father not brought her to St. Mungo's."
"Dad's a really good guy," she said softly. "I'm glad he did that. He wasn't meant to be evil."
"He certainly was not," Albus agreed, "Though he had many things stacked against him being good."
Both were quiet for a moment, helping themselves to more lemon drops.
"When did daddy become a spy for the good side? Was it real soon after that?"
"Very soon after that. See, I knew perfectly well whom my niece was talking about. I knew your father better then he realized I did at that age. So I…"
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Severus Snape was not thrilled, and neither was his head of house. Potion's Master and Slytherin head of house, Damien Crumbly was not a particularly nice man. He never objected to his house being up to entirely bad things, he did mind them being caught.
Most, outside of Slytherin, had no idea how intimidating and cruel Crumbly could be. He assigned the most horrid of detentions and homework, but it was those in his own house who had to deal with his barely restrained wrath when someone else caught them.
Despite assuring Crumbly that he had not been caught doing anything, and had gone back and forth to the last Death Eater meeting without being seen, Snape knew that if Dumbledore had something on him that Severus had a painful night ahead of him.
Dumbledore of course would have had an absolute conniption fit if he had known how vigorously, frequently and severely Crumbly applied his own definition of discipline. Slytherin house had its pride of course, and so no one ever said anything about it. It was a matter of house honor to keep it secret, no matter what.
Severus was a smart young man, and knew that Dumbledore was an exceptionally powerful and intelligent wizard; he had a feeling that the old man knew exactly what was happening at all times on Hogwarts grounds, which only made him feel angry that the headmaster never intervened on their behalf with Crumbly.
"You wanted to see me, headmaster?"
Albus looked up from his desk, the lack of twinkle in his eyes making Severus uneasy.
"I do, my boy, sit down. Lemon drop? Tea? I thought not." Dumbledore answered his own questions as Snape shook his head in refusal.
Snape sat in a chair, actually he sat and slumped, feeling exhausted from the past night's events. He would have attempted catching extra sleep had he not been summoned. "Headmaster, I can assure you that…"
"You can assure me what, Mr. Snape? I believe you are mistaken about why you are here." Albus tried to keep his tone light, but it was weighed down with sadness.
A dark eyebrow rose. "Perhaps you might enlighten me then?" Snape barely kept from snapping.
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"Grandpa? Why did you let the Slytherin head of house hurt the students?" Tirza looked up at him almost accusingly.
"They always thought I didn't know Tirza, however I did know, and lobbied with the ministry to change the schools regulations of allowed discipline practices. I hadn't been headmaster of Hogwarts for even a decade yet, and the ministry found me rather annoying to put it mildly. Their thought was it would keep the Slytherins in line and their fear of retribution by Professor Crumbly would keep them from straying actively towards the Dark Arts. I never, ever approved of his methods and did my best to mitigate situations whenever possible."
Albus kissed her head, gently rubbing her back.
"Well, of course you didn't like it," Tirza admitted. "You aren't mean like that, or you wouldn't be my grandpa! The ministry is rather dumb sometimes isn't it?"
The headmaster couldn't help but chuckle. "I do believe everyone has their moments when they are not at their brightest. The ministry, however, seems to have quite a large amount of those moments."
Tirza giggled. "Dad seems a bit emo, but then he had reason to be emo. Actually he is still emo sometimes! Could I have some hot chocolate? And continue please!"
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Severus was stunned to find out that Albus knew he was a death eater; at least until the headmaster explain that the girl Snape had saved was Albus' niece.
"Why did you do it my boy?"
"I'm not your boy, headmaster," he spat out. "And do what? Save her?"
Albus, ever patient, shook his head. "No Severus. Why did you become a death eater?" After asking his question, the headmaster could practically feel the rage that vibrated off Snape.
"HOW IS THAT ANY OF YOUR CONCERN!" Severus shouted.
Dumbledore gave him a stern look, which Severus followed with a glare; both remained silent for a few moments.
"It is my concern because I know, due to your actions tonight, that you are not meant to be a death eater Severus. You are too much like your mother. However, I cannot help you unless you tell me how and why you joined them."
Severus remained silent, staring into Dumbledore's fireplace, watching the flames dance and crackle. Then, he spoke, "Headmaster… If you are so wise, then why do you not realize that I had no choice?"
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"From there my dear, I suggest you ask your father to tell you the rest. I believe that he will tell you, if you ask him and don't pressure him if he refuses at first. There are many stories your father doesn't share Tirza, just like there are stories you probably haven't shared."
Albus kissed Tirza's head. "Now, why don't you go find him, hmm? Thank you for visiting me sunshine."
Tirza hugged Albus before leaving the office and heading for her dad's chambers, wondering when would be the right time to ask for the end of the story.
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A/N: Obviously I made the name up LOL. I searched all the Harry Potter guides I could find, including the Lexicon, and could come up with no name for the head of Slytherin during any of Snape's years as a Hogwarts student.Anyway, I hope you enjoyed my alternate interpretation of Snape's joining the death eaters and then becoming a spy! Not that I went much into his actual joining, perhaps that will be told another time! Sorry for the long update time. I've had a lot of plot bunnies (hee hee) on my other story and I can't contain the bunnies! Plus finals and studying to take the Law School Admissions Test. Eeek! Thanks to all my readers for continuing to read and review! Love, Kerry