Disclaimer: The characters and settings, including any sentences taken directly or partly from the books or movies, of Harry Potter are the property of J. K. Rowling, Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Publishing, AOL Time Link and Warner Brothers. I do not make money from publishing my story.

A man appeared out of nowhere in the dark and cold lane. It was a moonless night, a time for new beginnings some would say. This man, dark haired and clad in equally dark clothes, did not care for such trivial foretelling. Divination, to him, had always been for people one knut short of a sickle.

The man turned right, striding in a particularly fast pace, it made his heavy cloak billow after him, sometimes making a whooshing sound in the silent night. He walked into a large driveway, stopping only momentarily to wait for the pair of wrought-iron gates to shimmer slightly before walking straight trough as if they were smoke.

Back to his fast and long strides, Severus Snape, walked alongside the yew hedges to the majestic mansion up ahead. The gravel under his feet was the only sound to be heard, as if someone had tuned out everything else. The windows of the large house, twinkled in the light of the candles lid inside.

Long, but even, strides up the steps brought him to the front door, which swung open as he approached, while no one visibly opened it. He continued his walk towards the stairs, while the eyes of the people inside the portraits, that lined the walls of the dimly lit hallway, followed him as he strode past.

He halted momentarily in the hallway upstairs. Taking a breath in front of a large wooden door, before steadily turning the bronze handle, his head held high, as he pushed the door open. He was met with a room full of people, sitting quietly at a large wooden table, while candles flickered giving the room an eerie glow, that even the handsome marble mantelpiece, in which the fireplace lay roaring could not undo.

'Severus', said a high and clear voice, belonging to the person sitting at the head of the table, 'How nice of you to join us.' Wand in hand the man indicated for Severus to take the seat closest to the fireplace, currently occupied by a balding small man, who went by the name of Wormtail.

The man scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping over his them in the process of making his way to stand next to the door. Severus paid him no attention as he took the seat and looked up at his master, not a single emotion displayed on his face.

The man seated at the head of the table lowered his hand, skin shining strangely in the candlelight as if emitting a pearly glow. His face hair-less, snake-like and with slits for nostrils turned towards Lucius.

'How is your son, Lucius?', his tone revealing, he was mocking and not the least bit interested in the boy, 'I hear he is as great of a disappointment as his father.' Lucius' face revealed the fear and humiliation he felt at the comment, but decided not to speak up.

'Do not worry, my friend, he will be punished accordingly when he fails', something like a smile formed on Voldemort's lipless face, while fear shone clearly in both Lucius' and Narcissa's eyes.

'I have confidence that Draco, will succeed, he is currently working on the Vanish…' Lucius began, his tone had none of that usual air of arrogance, while he spoke, just that bit of nervousness, that gave a slight tremor in his voice.

'I have no interest in your boy's repeatedly failing attempts', the Dark Lord said harshly ,'I want a way into Hogwarts, I want Dumbledore's head on a silver platter by the end of term.' Without even raising his voice, Voldemort managed to get Lucius quivering in his chair, while the rest of the company was glad they weren't in his place. '

'Fenrir, have you succeeded in creating an alliance with the werewolf packs?', the Dark Lord asked suddenly. Greyback's face seemed to lose some of its color when Voldemort directed his attention towards him, but managed to not stumble on his sentence.

'My Lord, the pack of western Wales, has agreed to our conditions, I have jet to form an alliance with the eastern pack,… they seem - unconvinced..' Fenrir began, quickly making excuses, 'I will go back tomor-….tonight to further convince them.' He hastily concluded his report, averting his eyes from his master

While the rest of the Death Eaters gave their report, Snape focused on the snake, currently laying her head on Voldemort's lap, while he stroked her back. It was an unusual sight, to see the Dark Lord give something that resembled comfort so closely.

He had known the snake, Nagini, since Voldemort's first reign. Still as frightening as 16 years ago and seemingly not aged a day. Could it be that the snake too, was a horcrux, containing a part of the Dark Lord's soul?

'Severus', his master said, shaking the potions master from his musings, 'have you any news?' Voldemort's full attention was on him now, something that no one enjoyed, except for maybe Bellatrix, but that woman was insane for a reason.

'The Order has caught wind of your plans to infiltrate the Ministry, my Lord, but I have assured them that you have not planned to. They doubted me at first, but the Headmaster places his trust in me as blindly as the Order follows him. It should pose no problem.'

Voldemort chuckled darkly at the way he thought his spy had deceived Dumbledore, while Snape was actually deceiving both of them. Severus has only ever served in Lily's best interests and now in her son's.

'My Lord, I have discovered some sensitive information about Dumbledore. If you would allow me to give you the rest of my report in private.' Intrigued by the thought of having information to use against his arch nemesis, he dismissed the rest of the company quickly.

The Dark Lord rose from his chair, while Nagini followed him towards the adjourning room, he motioned for Severus too to join him.

The room was as eerie as the previous, candles lit the room and paintings of elderly people filled the walls. With some quick wand movements, the dark and heavy curtains closed, a dust cloud following the motion, and every person was banished from his painting.

The Dark Lord sat down in one of the white leather chairs, motioning for Severus to seat himself in the chair opposite to him. The snake cuddled up in front of the burning fireplace, enjoying the heath of the flames.

'My Lord, recently it has come to my attention that the Headmaster has no intention of keeping the Potter boy alive, not forever at least. He needs you to kill the boy, so that when the time comes he will be able to kill you, my Lord, he needs you mortal.'

By now Voldemort had surely realized that they were talking about his horcruxes, even though he visibly gave no sign, he was surely startled. 'You musn't kill the boy –' Severus continued, but was harshly cut off by Voldemort.

'And why ever not, my dear Severus. Why should I not kill the one destined to end my rein?' Nagini slowly slithered towards her master, to offer him comfort, for she could feel his distress.

'My Lord, he has a piece of your soul, according to the Headmaster, that is why the boy is a Parselmouth, it is also the reason why you can look into his mind and he into yours', Severus was doing his best to assure Voldemort that it wouldn't be good, for him to kill a piece of his own soul.

'It would be unwise, my Lord, to destroy a piece of your own soul. It is not necessary to do so. Perhaps Potter can be turned towards our cause. It is Dumbledore who has lied to him all this time, who has been raising him like a pig for slaughter.'

Something of a smile made its way onto the Dark Lord's face, a maniacal grin would be a better way to describe it, but he was pleased nonetheless. 'Severus, you have served me well, but you too are a true Slytherin at heart, what would you require in return?'

Second chapter done, I never imagined this story to write itself like this. Ok, I have done some characterstudy by reading some particular parts of the books again. I would hate to portray Voldemort wrong. So I hope I did alright and that you enjoyed this chapter.