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It was getting very late and everyone at Hogwarts, professors and students alike had long turned in for the night…all except one. His night was just beginning. Snape had been summoned by the Dark Lord a half an hour ago and he was currently on his way to Azkaban. These kind of meetings always made him feel uneasy, these unscheduled meetings. Any time he walked into one the thought always crossed Snape's mind. Had someone figured out what he was really up to? Was he heading to his death? He had always tried to be as elusive as possible but the fear was always there, even if he never showed it.

Upon entering the room the Dark Lord was staying in, standing in the middle of the room apparently waiting for him, Snape bowed his head respectively before addressing his master.

"You wished to see me, my lord?"

"Yes, Severus." Voldemort hissed. "What can you tell me about Dumbledore, as far as the boy goes? What has he done for far?"

"He is having me train him so that Potter will be ready when it is time to face you."

Voldemort smirked.

"And what have you taught him so far?"

"I've attempted dark arts, but the boy rejects them. He feels that using them would only bring him down to your level, so tonight we began on light arts."

"And how has he done?"

"He learns the spells rather quickly, but nothing I've seen would even come close to causing a threat to you, my lord."

"Don't understatement the enemy, Severus. There is a reason why the prophecy spoke of him."

"I don't, my lord. I just know of your power and how it cannot be matched by any other wizard alive."

Snape wanted to roll his eyes after saying that but knew of the Dark Lord's ego and how to inflate it. Walking to the back of the room, Voldemort bent down to pet the head of Nagini who was slithering around the floor. Snape could only watch and wonder what the true reason was for being called here.

"You are rather slippery, my friend." Voldemort began as he straightened up to look Snape in the eye. "Dumbledore has complete faith in you. So much so, that he even trusts you to be the one to train Harry Potter to fight me. Very slippery indeed."

Where was he going with this? Deep down, Snape had to admit he was nervous but wouldn't, or rather couldn't break face. He then answered;

"Deceiving people is something I'm very good at."

A cold, wicked laugh then echoed throughout the room as Voldemort rubbed his chin, in agreement with his servant.

"The real reason you're here tonight, Severus is to inform you of the plan to finally kill Dumbledore."

"I don't know much." Snape responded. "I've only heard that the vanishing cabinets may be used-"

"They are to be used."

"Will I be the one-"

"No. Percy Weasley will arrive at Hogwarts on the pretense of ministry business. He will be the one to get them in. I'm sending Bellatrix, McNair, Avery, Rodolphus, and Greyback. That should be enough just in case something goes wrong. But nothing should go wrong, Severus. Not if it happens like it should."

Snape raised his chin as he continued to listen.

"They will strike after the students and professors retire for the night to not risk any interference."

"Will I stay in cover when they arrive?"

"No, I will have no need for you as a spy when the old fool is dead."

"I still don't understand going to this much trouble to get rid of Dumbledore." Snape stated. "Why not use the cabinets to get rid of the boy?"

"Because it is Dumbledore that is responsible for thwarting my plans in the past." Voldemort explained. "If it wasn't for him, Potter would be dead by now. Once he is gone, the boy will have no one to protect him anymore. Once you kill the brain, the body will die."

Voldemort then turned his back to him and picked up his wand. He lightly began to stroke it has Snape looked down at his feet. It sounded like there was no way out of this, either he would go along with the plan and Dumbledore would be dead, or he would blow his actual cover as a spy and be the Dark Lord's new target. He didn't know what would happen, and he would go along with whatever the headmaster wanted.

"I do have a question for you, Severus."

"Yes, my lord."

Turning back around with wand in hand, Voldemort began to slowly walk towards him.

"You've been spying for me since my return. Yet the idea of using the vanishing cabinets to get my Death Eaters into Hogwarts never occurred to you. The idea came from a twenty-year old boy."

Fighting the urge to remind him that he himself never thought of it either, Snape had to be respectful with his answer.

"Well, I am human after all. Perhaps I just made a mistake."

"You don't strike me as a man who makes very many mistakes."

"I'm sorry if I don't have your full confidence anymore, my lord."

That caused another short laugh from the dark wizard which made Snape's blood curdle.

"Oh no, you misunderstand me my friend. In fact, I plan on rewarding you greatly for your service."

Snape then looked down as Nagini had slithered her way over here and was now around his ankles. Looking back up in the Dark Lord's eyes, he continued to smile as he then said;

"I think it's only appropriate for you to be the one to kill Dumbledore."

He didn't even hesitate with his answer.

"Of course I accept, I'm flattered."

"I knew you would be."

Turning back around and slowly walking over to the barred window of his prison, Voldemort looked out at the black sky and spoke up again;

"I do require one thing, Severus."

"What is that?"

"His wand...the elder wand. Bring it to me. For when I have possession of it, victory is guaranteed."

He was dismissed after that and Snape hurried from the prison as quick as he could without looking suspicious to the other Death Eaters using it as a safe haven. He needed to alert Dumbledore of the plan, no way could they go along with it, no way could he sacrifice himself which was what he was ready to do if needed. The cabinet at Hogwarts would have to be destroyed, he would have to let it known that Percy Weasley had joined the Dark Lord, even if it put Snape at great personal jeopardy in the end, this couldn't go down.

Dumbledore couldn't die, and Voldemort could not gain that wand, the most powerful wand ever created. For it would as the Dark Lord put it, guarantee their victory.