Disclaimer: Full credit to JKR.

You Could

By WittchWay

Lord Voldemort clasped his hands behind his back, his long dark robes billowing in the slight breeze of the autumn day. Cold red eye's glisten from beneath the hooded cloak, his faithful Death Eaters stood behind him, masked and silently waiting, their wands not yet pulled. They were as anonymous as the night settling around them.

He smirked at the stunned crowd of Hogsmeade, all foolish and trusting in the newly bound to keep them safe. As if simply because they had completed the bond the war was over. He smirked wider, revealing several yellowing teeth and a split serpent tongue. He let the tip taste the air… fear.

"Headmaster Snape...quite a turn out you've amassed my precious traitor…" Lord Voldemort hissed.

He moved closer, seemingly toying with the Auror's that stepped back in fear. Their wand hands twitching.

"Do you request that I to bow before you?" his tone was mockingly curt, as if the thought of bowing before Snape was repulsive.

The crowd trilled and grew restless, an uneasiness raced through the crowd as wizard and witches alike tried to move away with out drawing attention to themselves.

Severus Snape didn't answer, his back rigid, his eyes still locked with those of the Dark Lord. Potter was kneeling again, rubbing at his head, the scar was red and throbbing. He clasped one hand in the hem of Snape's robes. Leaning into the man besides him. Snape wanted to reach down and pet his head but he didn't. He couldn't risk taking his eyes off the Dark Lord.

Lord Voldemort cocked his head to one side, he was waiting for an answer.

Snape knew no matter what his answer was that it was the wrong one. If he told the Dark Lord that he didn't have to bow it would show Potter and his own weakness. That the honor the community had bestowed upon them was wrongly given. He had to keep control.

But if he requested that the Dark Lord bow and show his respect and honor, then he, Lord Voldemort, could challenge either Snape or Potter to a duel.

And if Lord Voldemort won…. The one who had lost the duel would relinquish his cloak and his bond.

Snape reached out automatically to touch the top of Potter's head.

There were to many things against them, they hadn't tested the magic yet, they were overly tired from the pervious days events and then today.

Snape watched as the community slowly backed away, he watched as several tried to casually go for their own wands as a safeguard. Mothers picked up children who did not protest. Auror's littered among them nodded to one another with assurance.

This would not be a fair fight. Not in anyway. There were Death Eaters littered among the masses. To many people in the crowd he did not know and with questionable loyalty.

Harry stood suddenly, stumbling into Snape. Any animosity they had felt earlier was gone. Snape grabbed his elbow steadying him.

Harry rubbed at his head again, his eyes watering. "What are we going to do?" he muttered under his breath.

Snape ignored him and stepped forward, Potter fell into his back, pressing his lean body along his. Snape could feel the puffs of breath hit his neck, a hand slinked around his waist as Potter held onto him from behind. The warmth along his back felt good, Snape could feel their combined magic crackle around them.

He surveyed the crowd, several of the Auror's among them caught his eye. He wished he could convey to them a message, to protect Potter should he be the one to duel. Potter had to be the one to destroy Lord Voldemort in the end. He looked back to the Dark Lord who seemed to be waiting patiently, he arched his eyebrows once as if say well headmaster.

Snape spoke slowly, calmly like he had seen Dumbledore do whenever he address Voldemort, "I request that you honor tradition with a bow... -Tom Riddle". He was proud his voice didn't break.

Lord Voldemort smiled, nearly laughed.

"He's pleased, " Harry muttered behind him. "He's very pleased."

Voldemort stepped forward and made a half gesture as if he meant to kneel. Then stopped... "I think Headmaster Snape… that I shall request the duel instead... If you will honor me with such."

Snape sneered and then nodded.

There was nothing he could do. There was no sense in showing fear. It simply was not an option. Traditions must be followed and honored.

He turned to Potter, his raven hair falling into his green eyes. "Be prepared… but don't do anything foolish, don't jump in just let me deal with this, " Snape eyed him, brushing the fringe back off Harry's young face.

Harry looked at him, attempting to smirk, "You know me..." he breathed heavily, leaning into Snape.

Snape turned as Harry tugging on his robes pulling him forward, "I..." he started

Snape pulled back, "Don't Potter," he touched the boys hand. Snape pulled at the collar of his shirt, undoing the top two buttons.

Potter took his hand in his, "Snape...I'm not declaring my undying love," He scoffed, "I'm just saying don't lose…" he finished lamely. It hadn't been what he meant to say at all.

Snape looked at him and nodded, "Get the students back to the school." He touched Potters scar for a quiet moment and moved slowly away. It hadn't been what he meant to say at all.

He moved quickly down the stairs to the courtyard. The Auror's broke apart to let him through, Shacklebolt grabbed his arm as he passed. "Do you have instruction Headmaster," he whispered.

Snape looked back at Potter who was still rubbing at his scar, "Don't let Potter get involved..." he knew Potter would be pissed but they would need every powerful wizard present once the duel began. Snape knew Potter would find a way to get involved anyway, he always did, it was his lack of experience he was worried about, he was barely eighteen.

"Shall we begin Headmaster?" Voldemort hissed as Snape centered himself in the square.

The Dark Lord was quite pleased with the ease that Snape had agreed to the duel. Snape was an excellent duelist, just like he was in every aspect of his life. A perfectionist to the core.

Voldemort was dependent on that fact. He had seen Snape duel many times before. He knew the mans style. His decorum. His honor to tradition. Oh, Snape was a Slytherin, sneaky and sly but he took his pride in how proper he preformed tradition.

It was his one fault… a fault Voldemort was dependent upon.

Lord Voldemort pulled his wand and gave a curt nod.

The crowd took a step back as the air crackled with energy and power. The sun had nearly set, orange and reddish colors were still visible on the horizon.

Snape slipped his hand gracefully into his cloak pulling his wand.

Only it wasn't his wand.

It was slender and whippy in style. The wood was lighter then his own ebony, from the looks of it, it was willow. He looked back quickly to Potter standing on the steps watching him.

Potter smirked and slowly bent down and slyly pulled a wand from his boot. His Auror's wand.

Snape smirked. Potter had replaced Snape's wand with his own, the one connected to Voldemort's. Clever boy.

Of course he had heard the story of how Harry's wand and the Dark Lords had linked. He had not heard the story from Dumbledore of course but from the other Death Eaters that night he returned. He had heard the story repeatedly since then. The Death Eaters had questioned Voldemort's strength as a result and Voldemort had responded by placing cruciatus curse upon each of them in anger and as a reminder of his strength.

Snape held tightly on to the wand, his mind racing with questions; if something similar could happened now, with the power and strength that he had now. Perhaps he could be the one to kill Voldemort, after all Potter and he were linked. Bound.

He would rather it be him to kill the Dark Lord, it would keep Potter safe and he felt he had knowledge that suppressed Potters when it came to dark spells.

Snape looked up at Voldemort and raised his wand a little higher.

Voldemort barely waited for Snape to rise from his bow before he cast the first hex.

But Snape was prepared, he hadn't spent years in the Dark Lord service to not have learnt something. His own hex was cast in return and was barreling down on the monster before him.

Snape's spell disintegrated before it even neared Voldemort. Just as Voldemort did so before it neared him. He knew he had to end this quickly. There were two many innocent people about, to many children…and Potter.

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the death eaters slowly disbursing through the crowd.

Except a lone death eater who remained standing behind Voldemort. His hood up, his arms crossed. Voldemort's second.

Snape wanted to watch the Death Eaters wanted to see if they were moving toward Potter. But he didn't dare take his eyes off Voldemort, he had seen better duelist then he make that mistake.

Voldemort stood before him lovingly stroking the length of his wand. Snape knew the man was toying with him. He always did that to his opponents. Voldemort wanted to lead them into a false sense of confidence and accomplishment, that perhaps they had an even footing with the mad man. It was never true.

"Imperio" hit Snape square in the chest. Snape stumbled as a warm sensation over came his body. "Come to me" tickled his ears, "Give me your wand", he felt his body prepare to do as it was told. His arm out stretched before him.

He lifted a foot to take a step forward, he stopped, foot still hanging in the air. A voice in his head whispered delicately, why give up your wand. It wasn't his wand after all. It was Potters. It would be silly to give up the wand. It would be rude to give away another's wand.

He shook his head suddenly breaking the spell. He definitely needed to end this quickly. He had barely thrown a handful of spells. He needed to finish this before Voldemort really got started.

"Expelliarmus" he shouted. Gold and red sparks flew from his wand. The rush of energy and magic felt strange as it released from his body. It felt powerful. It felt good.

Voldemort cast his own spell. Green and silver rushed toward the other the magic passed mid air and then seemed to shift as the powers drifted towards each other. The stars and sparks of magic circled each other creating a whirlpool effect. The magic seemed to attack each other mid air and then spun upward gaining speed and direction and then shot out over the crowd as a single shot of magic. The crowd as a whole instinctively ducked and several people disapparated.

The magic seemed to gather strength and to wage its own battle against one another. Then suddenly broke apart as all traces of it disappeared.

The remaining crowded whimpered. .

Potter came into his line of vision, cutting through the crowd, he was dragging several students along with him and several of the 6th and 7th years were following as well helping get some of the younger years together. He joined McGonagall under a clump of trees, Snape watched as she pulled a chocolate frog boxes from her robes and gave a tap with her wand making portkeys.

Snape realized suddenly he had made a potently deadly mistake taking his eyes off Voldemort.

He turned back around only to see the Dark Lord watching him. His wand was lowered down by his side.

The Dark Lord tilted his head, "Who's wand is that Severus?" his voice was low, barely a whisper.

Snape gripped his wand a little tighter. "That would be my bondmate, Tom."

Voldemort smirked, He turned and faced the lone death eater behind him, his second. He nodded once to the man who turned and confidently entered into the scurrying crowd, which automatically parted for him.

Snape looked quickly to Potter who was now tapping Chocolate frog boxes with his spare wand and shoving students into groups as he did so. He watched as one set of portkeys activated and the students disappeared.

"Shall we continue Tom," he said formally. Snape could tell by the way the man snarled that he was doing nothing but pissing the man off.

Snape gave a quick bow and took a single step to commence the dueling process.

Voldemort followed and raised his wand.

The battle truly began at this moment. Spells and hexes flew in every direction. The pace was fast and furious. Every direction was covered with spells and hex marks, the air crackled with magic and energy. They threw every spell imaginable, from the simplest schoolboy hex to the unforgivables. Anything to throw the opponent off balance.

Snape could feel the rush of magic surrounding him. With every spell thrown Snape could feel the energy rushing through him. Swarming and tickling his body. The magic and power danced around him. It was almost distracting at times. But he quickly found himself becoming addicted to the touches of magic.

He could feel essences of Potter in the magic as if rushed toward him from all directions. He swore he could smell the boy on him, his scent, his sweat, his love. The last bit was overwhelming. It was powerful, intense.

Snape lowered his arm, no longer throwing hexes, his eyes shut, just letting the feeling absorb with in him. He felt as if he was drowning with magic and power.

He could feel the hexes of Voldemort's touching him, sparks of red, green and gold blinded him as they hit. But none had an affect. He felt strong and powerful like he had never felt before. It was overwhelming the power he felt… he knew the bond was officially complete… that Potter and he had come into their magic…

Snape ignored Voldemort and turned looking for Harry, to see if he was still with the students but he didn't see him anyplace. McGonagall was in the distance holding Shacklebolt's sleeve and pulling him toward a distant clump of trees.

Shacklebolt broke free from her and ran toward Snape, whom was just now noticing Voldemort had stopped cursing him, for that matter The Dark Lord didn't seem to be anywhere around. No where at all.

The crowd had seemed to disappear as well, he saw no students in sight, a few scattered professors and Auror's but that was all. The Auror's were putting out fires and de-hexing several people who had been hit when spells had missed there intended target but everyone else was gone and the square was quiet.

Snape took a step forward and fell to his knees. His head hurt. His body hurt. He was suddenly very tired and felt vulnerable from the rush of magic.

Shacklebolt knelt next to him. Placing a hand on his back.

"Where's Harry?" Snape muttered.

"He went after Voldemort's second… into the woods. McGonagall and a couple of the other Auror's went after him."

"Did his magic… did he feel like this?"

"I have no idea."

Snape clutched the wand tighter to him, it vibrated with power. He didn't ever want to let go of this power, of this wand. The energy swimming around him was dizzying.

Shacklebolt grabbed his arm hauling him to his feet.

"We have to go after him." he stepped forward looking over his shoulder at the square. The energy was different suddenly. Something was cold and angry was stirring in the air. The square seemed to crackle with its own energy with its own fury. Something was tugging at his chest at his mind but he couldn't' place what it was he just knew he had to catch up with Harry Potter.

TBC…

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