Chapter 7: Hero's Fall
{A/N: Here's Another Update...}
My Thanks To All My Readers and Reviewers...Enjoy S.S.
{"So take all you can from an open hand...The hope of the dying...To save your disease...You're an empty breed...Your love of this lifetime...So cry if you feel...That the tears you shed will make you feel better...See I'm just critical of living like a criminal...While you become a royalty hiding...I wonder how you'll justify the lies, the lies, the lies..."}Justice, Rev Theory
The Grounds, Hogwarts Castle, Wizarding World...
Clutching her wand tightly in her trembling hand, a battle weary Hermione Granger moved across the grounds as she caught sight of her best friend Harry Potter and the despot Voldemort. The Order of Phoenix out numbered the death eaters 3 to one and the odds were seemingly well in their favor as the ground became littered with more and more of the despots faithful. Sadly, it wouldn't be enough to fill the enormous whole left in the shaken witch's heart as she stood over the downed form of Ronald Weasley. He had taken the brunt of a wayward killing curse meant for her. It struck him and killed him instantly, the only boon being that he felt little to no pain from it. His lifeless blue eyes had still been fixed on her and his very Weasley red hair a splattered with mud and soot.
Having no time for tears, Hermione went about hexing and cursing death eaters as they crossed her path. She cared not if they were retreating or throwing their hands up in surrender. Ron was dead and for that they would all pay. As the enraged young Gryffindor witch littered the grounds with more death eaters in the wake of her fury, Harry battled with the despot atop the rubble from the in fighting.
Hermione made it a point to get as close to Harry as possible not wishing to lose him as well in this Merlin forsaken war. Professor McGonagall had been turning the tide of battle with her own magical in put given that she had been the last remaining magical instructor with enough power to rival that of Voldemort even at half strength.
Snape had been declared dead for a little over a month given no sign of him was reported on either end of the battle. The dark lord had been rather furious that a witch of the likes of McGonagall had the nerve to dispatch his second in command so easily. Her outright brashness served to catapult this battle into play, as Voldemort's fury following Snape's apparent death led him to launch an attack on the school directly.
Harry Potter valiantly struggled against the despot's impressive powers but it seemed being the heir of Slytherin and returned to his ancestor's rightful place only served to make him even more powerful.
Hermione had witness all too soon the tragic outcome of Harry's duel with Voldemort.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" shouted the despot catching Harry off guard despite everyone making valiant attempts to save him.
The spell struck the green eyed wizard in the chest immediately stopping his heart. Voldemort didn't have much to celebrate as he was suddenly seized with agony beyond words akin to what he felt the day he inadvertently killed himself at the Potter residence. His red eyes widened in panic as he collapsed onto the ground a few feet from Harry Potter's lifeless body.
Harry's death had been painless as if all of his pain was transferred to Voldemort.
The sound of the despot's hoarse cries seemed to be the retreat call for his lingering forces as they swept out of Hogwarts almost as quickly as they had arrived. The Order had won the day despite the high casualties in the form of truly close friends and formidable warriors. Harry Potter, the boy who lived through Voldemort's first reign of terror being the highest paid casualty of this war next to Dumbledore.
Minerva McGonagall saw the downed despot taking no chance of him escaping into the night to start another war in the next few years, she set upon him almost immediately.
Everyone of the survivors found themselves only moments from this horrid wars end.
All they needed was for Minerva to deliver the decisive killing blow.
As she readied her wand, there was a loud crash getting everyone's attention. The site of the crash had been where Voldemort's downed body lay paralyzed by pain. When the dust settled, a lone death eater stood between the Headmistress of Hogwarts and the despot who referred to himself as "the dark lord."
The death eater had been cloaked in ebony attire and wore a silver mask over his face. His eyes apparently obsidian in color showed merely a flicker of malice. An ebony hood covering the rest of his face and head typical of the death eaters. Despite him resembling death's depiction coming for the despot than a loyal follower.
Minerva not wishing to let this chance slip away, immediately started unleashing a flourish of hexes and curses in the direction of both the downed despot and the death eater. Much to everyone's shock the death eater deflected the spells with relative ease. Saving the despot and himself in the process. The Gryffindor witch had more to go casting spell after spell in the hopes of finally hitting the death eater.
Once more he deflected her spells as if there had been mere drops of water in the air at the start of a rain. The formidable witch had been caught off guard by this strange death eater and his apparent grace and speed. Hermione Granger's eyes widened as she recalled only one wizard whom had grace and speed of that caliber.
"Professor Snape." she said stunned getting Minerva's attention.
The death eater removed the hood and mask to reveal that he had indeed been Severus Snape. He had somehow survived the battle he had with her and his subsequent drowning in the angry sea. His obsidian eyes flickered with malice as he levitated the downed despot and carried him from the field of battle to fight another day.
Minerva had been fuming recalling how close she had been to ending this war once and for all but the interference of Severus Snape destroyed all hopes of a peaceful future. He had survived just like the soulless cockroach Sirius Black always said he was. Now there was no dispute about which side he had been on given his timely rescue of the despot in front of everyone.
Hermione rushed over toward her former Head of House.
"What do we do?" she asked.
Minerva stared rather bitterly at the spot in which Snape had been with Voldemort.
"Prepare for war." she replied in an emotionless tone.
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The Fortress of Solitude...
Snape brought the dark lord to a lengthy table and lied his battered body out flat. The despot had been as weak as a newborn in the wake of Potter's death and it was all too clear that the only reason he still drew breath was because of Nagini's survival. Apparently, Harry Potter and his friends managed to destroy all of the other seven horcruxes he had created without his notice. Crippled and stricken by terror, Voldemort leaned on Snape as his sole companion given the wizard had come back from the brink of death and saved his life in the wake of all the other death eaters abandoning him. Those that weren't dead that was.
"S-S-S-everus-s-s." hissed Voldemort marveling at the Potions Master's survival. "You've returned."
Snape smirked rather wickedly in response.
"I have." he replied.
"Welcome home." said the despot affectionately running his trembling hideous hand across Snape's sallow pale cheek.
"Indeed." replied The Potions Master. "I am finally where I belong."
The despot smiled knowing all too well that with Snape in his corner this war was far from over, especially given the Order of Phoenix had lost both Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore in the wake of last few battles. They believed they had taken out Snape and found themselves to be sorely mistaken. He didn't doubt that they were kicking themselves for such a costly blunder. His victory was at last assured.
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Hogwarts Castle Battlements, Wizarding World...
The sound of wands clashing via well placed magical spells had echoed through out the school. Minerva McGonagall had issued an evacuation order for the safety of the students and other staff as she dueled Snape on top the battlements. The cocky dark wizard arrived at the front gate with no harm from the wards protecting the school given his status as Headmaster. He manipulated the grounds and forced a school wide lock in as he took on the acting Headmistress.
"This is my school old woman." he hissed rather enraged. "I will run it as I see fit."
"I'll not let you harm these children Severus." said Minerva as their spelled weapons clashed. "They've seen enough monsters like you to last a life time."
Snape smirked.
"Oh it's monster now is it?" he asked as if surprised by her choice of words. "And here I thought it was coward."
"You are a coward." said Minerva defiantly.
The word seemed to have lost it's effect on the Potions Master as he seemed merely amused by it.
"Yet here I am." he replied with a wicked grin. "A living counter-productive use of the term wouldn't you agree?"
"Wrong." said Minerva gritting her teeth as they continued to clash. "You are the very definition of the word coward Severus Snape, given all that you've done and the lives you've ruined!"
"I believe you are confusing me with your precious Gryffindors: Potter Sr., Black, Lupin, and Pettigrew...I seem to recall the four of them loved to jump me from behind then use the force of their numbers as a means of intimidation..." said Snape with a flicker of rage behind his obsidian eyes. "I did what was asked of me...by your precious Dumbledore...if you don't like the outcome take it up with him...I'm sure you and his portrait will have quite the conversation."
"Liar." said Minerva. "Albus trusted you, he treated you like a son and you betrayed him the first chance you got."
Snape rolled his eyes. She had sounded just as exasperating and brainless as Potter.
"Clearly, this self important process of excluding information is a Gryffindor thing." he said annoyed. "I was not the one that betrayed your precious Albus Dumbledore, he betrayed me...as you have and everyone else in this Merlin forsaken castle."
Minerva had no interest in hearing any more of Snape's words and attempted to end this battle once and for all.
Knowing all too well what she had planned. Snape easily cast aside her spells showing her once and for all he had been more than capable of destroying her. In one fluent motion, Snape sidestepped her and landed an open palm physical blow in the witch's back causing her to crumble to the ground and gasp for breath.
A smirk spread across his sallow pale face as she met his gaze.
"You cannot best me old woman." he said. "As I've told you...this is my school and I will run it as I see fit."
A loud crack of thunder had been the final sound anyone had heard of the battle atop of the castle when the dust settled, Severus Snape had been victorious and the defacto Headmaster of Hogwarts Castle.