Shattered Surrender
by sick-atxxheart
Chapter Eleven

--

All the color drained out of Severus' face immediately as he stared at the fearful man in front of him. He couldn't deny that he himself was afraid, now; despite the fact that Voldemort had been in a surprisingly good mood lately, that meant nothing when it came to Dumbledore; it was quite obvious to most that Voldemort didn't share well. Dumbledore had nearly equal power to the Dark Lord, if in different forms, and it obviously drove Voldemort crazy. Letting him know that Dumbledore had contacted him about the Boy-Who-Lived couldn't be good.

Taking what was meant to be a deep, calming breath, Severus eyed Pettigrew with disdain and brought his emotions back in to check. It wouldn't do to have the rat think he was... weak. After all, the small man could be quite an enemy when it came to blackmail and betrayal. Severus really had no desire to have to deal with that type of thing right now.

Breaking the smaller man out of this thoughts (and his shuddering, thank Merlin), Severus abruptly said, "Bring it here." With a squeak, Pettigrew shuffled away as fast as his little legs would carry him.

Severus couldn't help but smirking and sighing. Pathetic. Even during their school days, Pettigrew had always been squirrely and weak, choosing to follow whoever would give him power and the time of day; it really was a shame. Severus hated the man, first and foremost because he betrayed Lily; and secondly, simply because he was a disgrace of a man.

Shaking his head abruptly to clear his mind of anything other than the situation at hand, Severus quickly concentrated on exactly what he should do. If Pettigrew was back, it was obvious that the Dark Lord would be too, unless he had taken some of the other Death Eaters on a raid; but Severus almost thought that would be unlikely. With the new development of Harry being at headquarters, along with him being a Protector- Severus could only assume that Voldemort would be preoccupied enough to not leave headquarters.

Hoping he was right, Severus sighed deeply. He wasn't exactly sure why he had volunteered to take the letter to the Dark Lord; the man wouldn't be happy at all, and surely punishment would be given just for the hell of it. Why he would want to subject himself to that, Severus wasn't quite positive; but his mind almost told him that perhaps he could present the letter in a better light than Pettigrew would. In fact, he was positive he could.

Taking another steadying breath, Severus stood up straighter as Pettigrew came scurrying back in to the room and handed him a rolled-up scroll of parchment. Cursing inwardly, Severus waved absent-mindedly for Pettigrew to leave. He had to make a decision, and fast.

His mind was screaming for him to dispose of the evidence; it said to destroy the letter; it was crying out for him to run away. Severus stoically ignored those thoughts, and instead rushed back to his room, scroll still in hand, to think of something else.

It only took him the lesser part of half an hour to decide what he was going to do- and that very ingenious plan was, he would do nothing. No- Severus had decided that creating an elaborate scheme to make the Dark Lord not as enraged would only be a bad idea. Despite how strong of an Occlumens Severus was, Voldemort was still better; no matter how hard he tried to hide things from the Dark Lord, it didn't always work. Of course, Severus could hide his personal thoughts and feelings well enough, only because he had the drive to do it. Severus valued privacy above all else, and for that reason he was hesitant to delve into the Dark Lord's reactions.

Trying desperately not to let his mind stray, Severus shook his head softly and began the long trek down to the Dark Lord's chambers. He absolutely abhorred having to interrupt the man when it was his own, personal time; the reactions were normally not pleasant, and it just left a person with an unsettled feeling.

Severus cursed Dumbledore under his breath as he walked, subtly adjusting his mask as he went. He hated the mask almost as much as he hated… well, just about anything; wearing it reminded him of the fact that Lily had been practically killed because of his own selfishness. He knew that Dumbledore believed him to be a double agent, working for both the Light and Dark sides; but if Severus had to be truthful, he was growing tired of the job. He would admit in a heartbeat that lying to two masters you had sworn loyalty to really took a toll on him. He knew soon he would have to make a final decision on where his loyalties truly laid.

Severus had a sinking suspicion he already knew; and he hated himself for it, but he couldn't deny it. His true heart rested with the Dark, and with Voldemort, and with the Death Eaters; and as much as he claimed to hate everything about the cause, most of it had been lies. His own personal manipulation had already been laid, and despite himself Severus smirked when thinking on it.

It only added fuel to flame that Dumbledore had so foolishly condemned Harry to an undeserved hell. How could the man, who claimed to be grandfatherly and working only for the greater good, just throw away his precious Boy-Who-Lived so easily?

Severus hated that he knew the answer. Dumbledore had been conditioning the boy- get used to pain, and you'll survive later on. What a cruel lesson to teach; and Severus almost laughed out loud as he thought on how the old man's plan had completely backfired on him. Harry was in the hands of the enemy now, and if everything went right, Harry would grow up stronger than Dumbledore could have ever imagined- and on the opposite side.

Sighing resignedly, Severus arrived at the tall door that marked the entrance to the Dark Lord's quarters. He could practically feel the magical wards surrounding it at all sides, allowing no chance of entering without permission; Severus had to admit that Voldemort was not only insanely powerful, but also remarkably adept at setting protective wards. He guessed it came along with the whole being-a-massively-powerful-Dark-Lord thing.

Smirking gently when he realized that his magical signature was intertwined in the wards' makeup, Severus walked right through them and knocked hesitantly on the door. Immediately, he backed away slightly from the door and bowed his head respectfully.

It took the man a minute or two to get to the door, in which Severus waited patiently. When the heavy piece of wood slid open, Severus looked up quickly and was surprised to see the almost shadowed quality to Voldemort's red eyes. It was a truly… disturbing sight, and one the Potions Master hoped to Merlin he would never see again. The Dark Lord's eyes were scary enough when they looked normal- this, oh, this was even worse.

Returning his gaze down to the floor, Severus waited for Voldemort to acknowledge his presence. When he noticed out of his peripheral vision the Dark Lord's slight nod, he began speaking, all the while staring at the hem of the man's ever-black robes.

"My Lord," Severus' silky smooth voice rang out over the quiet of the hall, "We have received an owl from Dumbledore."

With an uncharacteristically shaky hand, Severus reached out and handed the parchment to the Dark Lord. He was inconspicuously watching for the man's reaction; when there was none that could be seen with the bare eye, he was rather disappointed. As much as Severus didn't want to be punished, he had expected rage; he had expected anger. The Dark Lord usually never failed to deliver those emotions.

When there was no response garnered from Voldemort, Severus took his foolish chances and turned to leave. He wasn't surprised when Voldemort's cool voice interrupted his path; no, it was what he said that surprised Severus.

"Severus," the man said softly, eying the parchment in his hand with a disdain and apprehension that Severus hadn't expected to see on his face. "You are expected in the Grand Chamber in ten minutes."

Nodding, after pausing a second to comprehend his words, Severus turned once again and strode away.

--

Sirius had finally woken from his long nap; Bella couldn't deny that she herself had been exhausted, but Harry had taken the first priority. Then again, Sirius had been in Azkaban longer than she had… Perhaps that fact in itself must be taken into account.

Confirming once again that Harry was sleeping peacefully, Bellatrix slipped from the room and tiptoed across the hall. She couldn't quite shake the feeling of apprehension that something was going to happen, and soon; something that would surely change both her and Harry's fate.

Opening the door silently to Sirius' room, Bellatrix was greeted with the sight of her cousin sitting on the lone chair in the room, his head in his hands and his eyes shut. Clearing her throat quietly, Bella leaned against the wall across the room and looked at Sirius.

They had been best friends throughout Hogwarts, and their relationship had gotten even deeper when they both joined the ranks of Voldemort; they were more like friends with benefits, and had offered one another comfort in the times of dire need. Despite Bellatrix's deep loyalty to the Dark Lord, she had offered Sirius compassion and sympathy in the few days after James' and Lily's deaths, before he was sent wrongfully to Azkaban.

Their stays in Azkaban had obviously divided them now, as they both had been through more pain than they could imagine. Bella liked to forget it; she imagined Sirius did too.

She waited amazingly patiently as Sirius rubbed his tired eyes a few times more before looking up at her through hooded eyelids. His eyes were full of pain, but she could see the hope in them also.

Bellatrix stayed completely still as she watched Sirius slowly stand up, obviously struggling to stand properly. She didn't move to help him, however; if she knew him at all, she knew that he wanted to do everything on his own.

Their eyes met once again, both leaning against opposite walls, both exhausted and broken and tired and completely angry.

It only took what seemed to be a few seconds before they were entangled in one another's arms, hugging so desperately both could barely breathe. It was the first true human contact Sirius had had in almost a decade and a half; and aside from Harry, Bellatrix was in a similar situation.

It was rather heartbreaking, really; Bellatrix could almost feel tears forming at the corners of her eyes, but she quickly blinked them away. Sirius couldn't believe the feeling of having someone, anyone, in his arms again, hugging him back- and the feeling was immaculate.

They had their best friend back. Even if they were exact opposites, they didn't particularly care. Merlin knows they could use all the help they could get.

--

Bella lead Sirius into Harry's room, where he was still sleeping pretty peacefully. Despite the addiction that could come from dependency on Dreamless Sleep, Severus had thought it best that the boy have a few nights of relaxation before being forced back into the reality of nightmares. He hadn't had his dose yet, however, and was sleeping amazingly well on his own.

Bellatrix sat on the edge of the child's bed, gently waking him up with soft words and kind hands. Sirius lingered near the doorway, his face still showing signs of exhaustion, but he was excited at the same time. How would Harry react to him? Would it be different, now that Sirius was a "mentor" due to the ritual that had been performed? They were venturing into a world of unknowns, and Sirius was frankly afraid of what the consequences would be. What if they were more than he was willing to pay?

Shaking his head resignedly, Sirius watched with interest as Harry awakened, his childlike innocence still very much intact. It was almost ridiculous how well he was adapting to those around him; even Severus, who didn't have any connection with Harry that Sirius could name.

The more he thought about it, however, the more it made sense. Harry would most likely be comfortable and at ease around himself and Voldemort, because of the ritual; Bellatrix had been with Harry in Azkaban, comforting him and being his friend; and Severus had been the one who healed Harry from his pain. Ultimately, it did all make sense. However, Sirius would bet a lot of money that Harry would be skittish, shy, and reserved around those he was uncomfortable with or wasn't used to. That only made sense, too.

Sirius was startled out of his thoughts once again as he noticed Harry smiling broadly up at him from his bed. Out of pure instinct, Sirius walked slowly to the bed, returning the little boy's smile.

He waited hesitantly for Harry tos peak, not wanting to misinterpret the child's grin for something else- even more so, for fear. So Sirius just waited, and after what seemed to just be seconds, he was rewarded by Harry speaking to him.

"Paddy!" Harry intoned, still grinning up at his godfather. "Siri!"

Without another word, Sirius held out his arms, and the child scrambled up into them contentedly. Despite how cheesy and cliché the situations seemed, he was immensely relieved that Harry was comfortable around him.

The question now was whether Harry had reacted that way because of the bond, or because he remembered Sirius?

--

The Grand Chamber was eerily quiet and dark when Severus entered, and he carefully concealed his face in the shadows as he headed towards the lone light in the room. He knew Voldemort would be placed under that light in a single chair; but he would conjure another for Severus, once he knew he was there.

Sometimes, the Dark Lord was amazingly amicable towards Severus. He didn't quite know what to make of it.

Coming up in front of the man with a heavy step in order to warn him, Severus found his familiar chair waiting for him. These… discussions, for lack of a better term, were the only time that Severus was allowed to not only remove his mask but also speak his mind when in the Dark Lord's presence.

Oh, how he loved these moments, as rare as they were.

Voldemort was still holding the parchment in his hand, looking at it as if he was unsure of what to do about it. But beneath his seemingly weak façade, Severus could practically see the insane, gleeful Dark Lord that he knew, just waiting to come out. It was rather amusing, really, how Voldemort liked to play games every living moment of his life (if you could count his existence as living).

Severus sunk down in the chair and looked at Voldemort carefully, respect still etched in his face. He was always extremely cautious during these meetings; the Dark Lord had a temper that rivaled anyone else's, and to get on the bad side of that temper was a very bad idea indeed.

The letter was thrust at him, and Severus carefully read the lines in Dumbledore's handwriting:

Dear Tom,

It has come to my knowledge – and let me assure you, I have more than one source – that you are holding Harry Potter in captivity after your break-in to Azkaban. As Harry Potter's legal guardian, due to the facts that his parents are dead and his godfather is a convicted murderer, I demand that you return the child to me immediately. If you do not, I will not only take legal action against you (although even I have my doubts on how effective that will be,) but in addition, I will come and take him myself.

While these actions might seem foolish and even suicidal to you, let me say with the utmost sincerity that Harry is a child, and does not deserve to be tortured and treated cruelly. While it might be hopeless to appeal to your humanity, let me please try- Harry is a little boy, and he deserves a life that is worth living. Forgive my rudeness, but I do not believe that you are willing or even capable of giving Harry such a life.

You have one day.

Albus Dumbledore

Severus had to try his hardest not to actually laugh out loud at the man's letter. It was so insanely riduclous it was comical; who in their right mind, who knew Harry's story, would send him back to Dumbledore? No one, Severus guessed, not even Voldemort.

The Dark Lord was watching him intensely, waiting for his response. Severus chose to just answer truthfully, as he knew it was what mattered most in this moment.

"This is ridiculous," Severus said offhandly, returning his gaze to the decorated tiles on the floor. "Don't give Harry back."

The advice was so simple and so perfect that it completely made sense to Voldemort; and as his face broke into a rare smile, his red eyes began glittering with glee.

Voldemort stood up and walked powerfully to the lone window in the room, looking out of it with a manic face that practically scared Severus. When the Dark Lord turned back around, his eyes were ruthless.

"Oh, let him come here," Voldemort hissed, his voice full of venom. "And we- yes, we will be waiting."

--

What did you think? Yes, this is a manipulative!Dumbledore story, as demonstrated by the letter. Was Voldemort way to OOC again? Probably not, as it fits with the way I have been portraying him.

Was Harry's acceptance of Sirius too fast? I tried to make it not seem cheesy, but it kind of wrote itself.

Thanks for all your reviews. Keep them coming!