Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any character thereof.

Chapter 17

Severus was only summoned twice more before school started, but both times were just for meeting purposes.

Once September began, life returned to semi-normalcy for him. After he had gotten the hang of teaching last year, he discovered that he actually liked it. Granted, he liked his personal research more, but it was nice to share his love of potions with everyone else, even if he did put the fear of Merlin's Ghost into every student that walked into his class room.

At the end of September, James, Lily, and Harry visited Dumbledore to let him know that they were ready to go under the charm. Albus distracted James long enough to let Lily and Severus smile and nod at each other discreetly.

Albus had offered to be their secret keeper, but James swore that Sirius would die rather than betray them. What James never told anyone is that he and Sirius had talked privately and had agreed to switch it over to Peter, as no one would ever suspect him. Lily was even kept in the dark until after it was done.

After Albus had set the date and time with the Potters that they were to activate the charm, he and Severus had worked out a plan to deal with Voldemort.

After making sure that everything was on schedule, Severus waited until it was 20 minutes before the charm was to take place. He then sprinted from the castle to where he could apparate.

Severus appeared in Voldemort's throne room huffing, puffing, and clutching his side as if in pain from running a marathon. When he looked up, he realized that he had interrupted something between the Dark Lord and Bella. His stomach clenched in disgust.

"My Lord. I'm sorry for the intrusion," Severus gasped for breath again, "but it is imperative that I speak with you, now."

Voldemort eyed him. As he read Snape's mind, he saw that it was filled with urgency. He quickly sent Bella away.

"My Lord, I cannot stay long. If it is discovered that I am away I'll be in trouble, especially with the news that I bring you. Dumbledore will no doubt know it was me who told you, but ... if I'm at the castle when he searches, I won't be suspected."

The Dark Lord eyed one of his most faithful servants. He had never seen him so ... disheveled before. He wasn't even wearing the proper attire (death eater robes and mask). "Go on."

"I overheard Dumbledore and McGonagall talking. The Potter's are to be placed under the Fidelius Charm tonight, but I am unsure as to which house they will be staying in." (He had previously supplied the Dark Lord with the three houses that the Potter's had owned.)

"WHAT?"

"All I know is that it takes place sometime tonight, at least according to what I overheard in the staff room. I'm sorry I don't know more, My Lord."

Voldemort fumed. "Very well, Severus. Go back to the castle. Find out all you can. I'll summon everyone and we'll hit all three places at once. With any luck, we'll be able to catch them before the charm is active. Oh ... and Severus ... tell no one what you saw when you apparated in."

"I'm afraid I do not know what you're talking about, My Lord. I saw nothing."

Voldemort nodded then dismissed him.

Severus bowed, dis-apparated, and sprinted back toward the castle. After all, he did not want to be caught out by Dumbledore.

Voldemort was obviously unsuccessful and everybody that had went with him was punished severely. Every two days, around midnight, Severus was summoned to give any information he might have. When there was none, he was placed under multiple curses.

During the middle two weeks in October, no one was summoned. It seemed that the Dark Lord was off doing his own thing. What he was doing was trying to track down each of Potters friends, including his turncoat spy. (He had always been wary of those not in his inner circle.)

It turned out that he need not have bothered looking for anyone. Four days before Halloween, Peter Pettigrew appeared at the Dark Lord's feet.

"My Lord, I beg your forgiveness for not coming sooner, but I have important news."

The Dark Lord tortured Pettigrew for hours before letting him speak. He had thought the rat was a coward. Him returning meant that he was a stupid coward.

"My Lord! Please stop! I beg you! I was being guarded by Black. This was the first time I was able to escape." He huffed and winced from the pain. "I am the Potters secret keeper, my Lord. I can tell you where to find them!"

Voldemort let out the most evil laugh anyone had ever heard. It was chilling right down to the bone. He then turned his wand back on Pettigrew and said, "Crucio!"

He let up after a minute. "You know that I have been looking for them for almost a month and here you just happen to pop up and tell me that they let you be their secret keeper? I would have expected Black to be trusted with that information." That is who the Dark Lord had been mainly searching for during the past fortnight.

"It was a ruse. Not even Dumbledore knows of the switch."

Voldemort considered the huddled lump of a man in front of him. After going over the names of the members of the Order that Severus had managed to identify, Peter Pettigrew was by far the one that was most easily corruptible. He knew that before he even met the man. And then, of course, the fact that he was one of Potter's friends from Hogwarts held a great deal of sway over who he chose to bring over to his way of thinking.

In reality, the only reason that he needed him was because Snape had told him that Dumbledore had not let him join the Order of the Phoenix and that he was reduced to listening in at doorways. He wanted someone in the actual meetings in case something was said that Snape could not hear.

Voldemort did not want to risk Marking him in case the meeting's were in held in a warded location so that if anyone had the Dark Mark, they would not be able to enter. Because of this, he had to rely on Pettigrew to just appear twice a month when no one was around to give him updates and other information on the Potter's.

He had proceeded to do so right up until the Potter's went into hiding. And now, here was the person he thought was a traitor offering up his so called 'friends' on a silver platter.

"I have three questions for you, Pettigrew. Lie, just once, and you shall die and I will be able to tell if you are lying."

Peter squeaked but nodded.

"Why did you not inform me of the Potters going into hiding before hand? Why did you not tell me that you were their secret keeper until now? Any why have you not brought me the child if you have access to their house?" With each question, Voldemort's anger rose but his voice grew softer and deadlier.

"I did not know that they were even considering going into hiding, My Lord, until about 5 minutes before they went under the charm. Black and Potter called for me and said they wanted to see me. I was told then. I had no idea before hand."

He winced in pain from the earlier torture.

"As I said before, My Lord, Black was with me the entire time. Today was the first time he left my side. He said he had to make some preparations of his own so that he, too, could vanish. As for the child, it is the same reason. I was never alone with him. I would have been k ... killed before I got out of the house."

"Crucio!" Voldemort let the curse up after only 30 seconds. Pettigrew was telling the truth.

"Coward though you may seem, not many would return to me after missing for a month. You are to be Marked for this."

He looked up at his master and bowed the best that he could through the pain.

Taking Pettigrew's left arm, he pulled it toward him and whispered the incantation in parseltongue. He watched with satisfaction while the man whimpered in pain as it burned into his flesh.

"Now, you are to go back to whatever hiding place you have been in, then on Halloween I will summon you back to me. Rest assured, the burning that you will feel in your arm will not stop until you come to me. You are to act as normal as possible, for you anyway. Now go!"

Pettigrew squeaked again as he dis-apparated back to his safe house.

Voldemort sighed. The only reason he did not want to know the address now was because he knew that if he took it, he'd not be able to resist going straight there. As it was, he had plans to make before he killed the boy. He had been looking for a meaningful death to use and, in his mind, there was no death more meaningful than killing the boy that was prophesied to be his downfall.

With a semblance of a smile on His face, he got up to head to his chamber's to retrieve a very special item.

A/N: 7/29/11 - Edited words and such ...