Title - To Consort With The Devil 7 of ?

Rating - Back to PG-13/T

Disclaimer - I own none of this, it all belongs to Rowling. I just have the honor of using her creations in my humble story. No sex, slash or profanity.

Summary - Revenge is a dish best served cold.

A/N - More sincere apologies for the long delays in updating, I hope some of you are still reading. I have recently given my muse a hard kick to the arse and she's giving me all sorts of new material and inspiration. All reviews, questions, corrections and suggestions are welcome. Read and enjoy.

To Consort With The Devil

Chapter 7

Wearily rubbing his temples, Dumbledore listened to the heated arguing among various members of the Order and suppressed a frustrated sigh. The arguments had been raging for a good twenty minutes and showed no signs of slowing down.

"I knew all along Snape was nothin' more than a lying murderer and now I have the proof!" Moody growled, his magical eye spinning in agitation.

"We don't know for certain Severus harmed those children. This could be a trick to turn us against him." Remus Lupin responded calmly.

"What more proof do you need Lupin? That boy and girl were murdered by a vampire! We know a vampire master just visited Malfoy Manor, where we think Snape is being held. Put two and two together people! If that isn't enough to convince you that Snape has been turned and seduced by You-Know-Who, then I don't know what is!"

"First of all, we don't know for certain Severus has been turned into a vampire, let alone that he drained anyone." Lupin pointed out, "It could've been Strix acting on Voldemort's orders. Second, I just don't believe Severus would commit such an act, especially given what we know of his past."

"Open your eyes Lupin!" Moody exclaimed and pounded a fist on the rough kitchen tabletop, "Snape has killed before in the name of his Lord and is clearly capable of doing it again! Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater and now he's a Death Eater with fangs and thirst for human blood!"

The kitchen erupted again into heated arguing and, quite uncharacteristically, Dumbledore turned a deaf ear to them. He needed time to process everything that had happened this evening and come to his own conclusions.

It had all started with Hagrid bursting into his office shouting something about dark marks. The gamekeeper was very upset and it had taken Dumbledore a few minutes to calm Hagrid and hear his news completely. Hagrid had been on patrol of the grounds with Fang when the Dark Mark had been cast into the sky, green and menacing. Suitably alarmed, Hagrid had made his way quickly back to the castle and up to the Headmaster's office to report this.

Dumbledore had felt no other signs of Dark magic in or near the castle proper, but had summoned Minerva McGonagall anyway to inform her of the situation. He bid her to maintain the watch on the castle while he and Hagrid went down to the front gates to investigate. The Dark Mark hung heavily in the night sky, then vanished as they came closer. Suspecting some kind of assault, it had been a surprise for them to discover two small bodies left at the gates. A sense of foreboding had overcome the Headmaster as he had gazed at the drained bodies of the dark-haired boy and girl. The fang marks in their throats was evidence of a gruesome demise and a sign that Voldemort now had a vampire in his ranks.

Clearly left at Hogwarts as a message, Dumbledore had called an emergency meeting of the Order to discuss what the apparent murders of the muggle children meant for the war and for Severus.

Bringing himself back to the present, Dumbledore abruptly rose from his chair and the room fell quiet.

"As it appears nothing will be accomplished tonight other than this pointless bickering, I think we should adjourn this meeting and return when we can discuss this situation like mature witches and wizards, for Severus's sake at least."

The Headmaster stalked up the steps from the kitchen, ignoring the apologies and pleas for his return, and was almost to the front door when he heard someone following him.

"Headmaster! Albus, wait!"

Dumbledore stopped and turned to wait for Lupin.

"Yes, Remus? Can it wait until morning?"

"Actually no, Headmaster. Do you really think Severus murdered those children?"

Dumbledore studied Lupin over the rim of his glasses and was satisfied the werewolf had only honest intentions about helping Severus.

"Let's talk somewhere more private." He said and led Lupin into a small sitting room. When the room was warded he continued, "Unfortunately yes, I believe Severus harmed those children, but I don't believe for one second that he did it willingly. I fear the worst has happened; Tom turned a vampire's bloodlust against Severus, causing him to do things he would never do."

Lupin nodded in understanding; he was very intimate with the notion of a supernatural craving driving you to do something you would never do otherwise. He felt the wolf's bloodlust at every full moon and found himself sympathizing with Snape. Looking a bit sad, Lupin asked,

"Is there any hope for Severus?"

Dumbledore looked down at his shoes for several, long moments before sighing.

"I like to think hope can be found in any situation."

"But you don't have any faith that we will find Severus. Alive I mean." Lupin countered.

"On the contrary Remus, I sense we will see Severus again. But I do not hope to find him the same wizard he was before he was captured."

&--&--&

There was something special about breaking a man's spirit, something very satisfying, thought Lord Voldemort as he watched the broken man at his feet. Snape had been chained to his throne and now sat staring desolately at the floor. The new vampire had not shown any sign of leaving this empty state of being, a state he had been in since draining the muggle children.

The Dark Lord looked up from his pleasant musings and summoned Wormtail over from where he was waiting fearfully in the shadows in a vast hall of Malfoy Manor.

"How may I be of service Master?" groveled Wormtail.

"Did our esteemed Headmaster receive Severus' gifts?" Voldemort asked.

"Yes, Master. I left the bodies at the gates as you instructed and cast your Mark over the school. I'm sure Dumbledore has discovered them by now."

"Good, good. Let's see how he deals with them." Voldemort murmured and gazed down at the traitor, "I don't think they will be too pleased with you Severus."

Snape did not reply, but he did flinch when Voldemort reached out a pale hand and patted his head like a parent would a silly child or how one would greet a pet.

The Dark Lord smiled. Snape really was coming along according to his plans and for a moment he had second thoughts about the final step of the traitor's punishment. It would be amusing to keep Snape in his service forever, a tame vampire to use as entertainment and as a tool of torture. But the desire to fulfill his promise of encompassing revenge was too strong and Voldemort abandoned his wishful thinking.

Chanting the necessary spell, Voldemort called his Death Eaters to him for the final goodbye. While he waited, he tugged on the chain binding Snape until the vampire was looking at him with those dead black eyes. He used legilimancy to enter Snape's troubled mind, not for any real reason, but just because he could. For years this particular mind had been an enigma to him and had always been heavily guarded and nearly inaccessible. It was a pleasure for Voldemort to finally be able to enter and see what had been hidden from him for so long and so well. Snape's mindscape hesitantly opened up for him like a flower in bloom, the normal defenses all but gone.

Voldemort casually shifted through Snape's thoughts and feelings, but as he drifted deeper he encountered an impenetrable wall. He could sense this wall was the last defense, protecting the core of Snape's mind and all of his most precious memories and secrets. To break through this wall would certainly push Snape into permanent insanity and it would likely take an enormous amount of magic that Voldemort had no desire to use. Snape was well on his way to working himself insane without help from anyone else.

A series of popping noises indicated the arrival of the Death Eaters and Voldemort withdrew from Snape's mind to greet them. Only when the Inner Circle was fully assembled did he begin to speak.

"My loyal Death Eaters, I have called you tonight to say our final farewells to Severus, our wayward son. He has suffered through the punishments rightfully due to a traitor and soon my revenge will be complete. But Severus has also betrayed this Inner Circle. He has betrayed you and the work you have accomplished in my name. It is only fair that each of you should be able to seek some measure of revenge against him. Punish Severus for deceiving you and daring to turn his back on our ideals and goals."

"May I go first Master?" asked Bellatrix Lestrange eagerly. Even though she had had her fun with Snape earlier in the sunlight, she never turned down an opportunity to please her Lord and inflict more pain.

"You may Bella. Let Severus feel your anger and displeasure." hissed Voldemort.

Snape was unchained and dragged to the center of the circle. Bellatrix stepped forward, a maniacal gleam in her eyes. She smiled and raised her wand.

"Crucio!"

Voldemort reclined in his throne and watched as Snape writhed and screamed under the wands of his enraged ex-comrades. He was intrigued when Snape appeared to perk up out of his lethargy as Lucius Malfoy crouched down to whisper a few words for Snape's ears alone. Then Malfoy cast a particularly nasty bone breaker jinx and turned his back on his former friend and ally.

When all of the Death Eaters had taken their turn and inflicted their wrath upon the traitor, Voldemort rose and approached Snape. The vampire was unconscious and bleeding heavily from several nasty wounds, his breathing weak and ragged. Several bones also looked broken and twisted out of place and only Snape's new healing powers were keeping him alive.

"Ennervate."

Snape slowly opened the one eye not swollen shut and stared up blankly at the Dark Lord. Nothing but misery and hopelessness shined from the murky black depths. Although there was no other outward sign of awareness, Voldemort sensed that the true Snape was watching and listening from behind that impenetrable wall in his mind.

"Death is too good for a worthless monster like you Severus. You no doubt crave for me to release you from this hellish existence and send you to a peaceful eternal rest. That is not my plan, however. I want you to remember my acts of revenge forever, to live life as your own worst nightmare, locked in a world of suffering and prejudice you cannot escape. I want everyone to know no one betrays or deceives Lord Voldemort.

"That is why I am releasing you. You will be taken to the Forbidden Forest, where dear Albus will find you and likely take pity upon your hideous soul. You shall live the rest of your life as a monster, hated and feared. Farewell, my Severus."

Voldemort laughed at the look of shocked horror that slowly dawned on Snape's face as Wormtail bound and apparated him back to Hogwarts.

Back to Albus.

Alive.

TBC

Next Chapter - Snape is found by the Order. But does he want to be saved?