Chapter 27: Knowing Thy Enemy

{A/N: Here's Another Update...}

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Headmaster's Office,Gryffindor Tower, Hogwarts Castle, Scotland, Wizarding World...

Eyes of obsidian opened in the semi-darkened room as the pale wizard found himself face to face with the green eyed elder witch, Minerva McGonagall and once more within the confines of the Headmaster's office back at Hogwarts. Snape said nothing as she continued to stare at him as if she were attempting to peer into his very soul. He knew all too well that they had taken the liberty of binding him again as his body hung vertically from the ceiling clad in little more than his ebony trousers.

"Is there something you want, Minerva?" asked Snape when he'd finally had enough of the silent examination.

"Severus...?" she said with a hint of confusion filed across her face.

Snape met her inquisitive gaze with the cold gaze of his own.

"Why are you here?" he asked, his deep baritone voice seemed to be as cold as his gaze had been. "Don't you have more pressing matters that could use your concern?"

"Not after what you've done." replied Minerva glaring at him.

"Do yourself a favor and move on." said Snape not actually wishing to be anywhere near her. "What's done is done and the children need you to see after them."

"Severus..." she began again.

He knew all too well the question that had been in the back of her mind itching to come forward and put an end to their discussion.

"I want to hear it from you..." began Minerva not at all about to back down despite his apparent warning.

"No." he replied meeting her gaze full on. "You don't."

"I do." replied the headstrong elder witch keeping up her glare. "Severus...was it you...that day...before everything went to hell here at Hogwarts or was it...that creature that controls you and makes you do unspeakable things?"

Snape remained silent despite the elder witch's apparent plea for understanding to reconcile the boy who's memories she held dear and the monster that held her captive for so long.

"ANSWER ME DAMMIT!" hissed The elder witch as she narrowed her eyes at the captive pale wizard before him.

"You do not get to demand a damn thing from me." hissed Snape in annoyance.

Minerva had been so enraged that she struck the rather difficult wizard across the face, getting his undivided attention.

"I said answer me." she demanded not in the least playing his game.

"Yes." he hissed without emotion. "It was my doing that day not the will of the creature."

Minerva couldn't believe what she had been hearing.

"Are you satisfied?" asked Snape with an arched brow.

The elder witch took a moment to compose herself. Ever since Dumbledore admitted to causing the younger wizard to evolve into an all consuming monster driven by hate, she had held out hope that the worst memory of her life had merely been the side effect of something that had nothing to do with the boy she once loved as a mother would a son and later respected as a fellow college.

Snape waited patiently as Minerva's hand approached him, he believed he was in for another slap across the face only to find her hand softly stroking his cheek where she struck him before.

"I've hated you for so long." she said in something of a weary tone. "It was no wonder that fiend decided to keep me around...and what you did to Miss Weasley...Merlin knows she's never going to be the same."

The former Headmaster said nothing as he continued to watch her.

"Is there a point to this...stroll down memory lane or are you just biding your time before you crush every bone in my body with your magical sledge hammer again?" he said narrowing his eyes at the elder witch.

Professor McGonagall sighed recalling the events that lead to their battle within the Great Hall.

"Severus..." she began only to be interrupted once the door opened and Hermione Granger came stepping inside.

His attention had been diverted to the amber eyed witch as she approached them the look on her face had been one of innate curiosity.

"And what has the little know it all discovered this time I wonder." he said eyeing her rather suspiciously.

"How long have you been fighting this?" asked Hermione with an arched brow.

Snape rolled his eyes before turning his attention to the portrait of one Albus Dumbledore.

"Since the night that idiotic sod set the curse loose on me to begin with." he replied. "Living with the creature has afforded me some time to study it's nature but one can only do so much when under the direct influence of something so wretched...from what I gathered it use to be the essence of a wizard who's ambitions and profound losses had lead to his downfall."

Hermione seemed to have been in agreement nodding to confirm his rather far fetched theory much to the initial shock of Minerva McGonagall.

"How is that even possible?" she asked in confusion.

"No idea." replied Snape as casually as he had when Umbridge asked him whom "Padfoot" had been during her well documented reign of terror at Hogwarts, although it had been nothing when compared to his own.

"The creature's name is Ardyn." Hermione informed her former Head of House. "Only one with a pure heart can banish it even temporarily by saying his name."

Snape smirked as he looked her over.

"Very good, Miss Granger." he said in something akin to mock approval. "Now tell us something we don't know...like how to get this son of a bitch out of my body."

"Knock it off Severus." said McGonagall recognizing his sarcasm.

Snape once more rolled his eyes.

"I don't have long before..." he began before an intense onset of pain swept over him causing him to attempt to double over only to be denied this sought out attempt at relief before his eyes took on a faint dark glow. "How very clever Severus...I shall endeavor to do away with you indefinitely."

McGonagall felt a chill trail down her spine as she recognized the return of the haunting creature that had plagued her life ever since the final battle on the very battlements that loomed above them.

"Did you miss me love?" he taunted with his dark gaze falling on the elder witch as she did her best to get control over her trembling.

"Leave her alone." demanded Hermione narrowing her eyes at the darkness embedded fiend before her. "Ardyn."

Snape growled struggling against the magical binds that held him at bay and the force of control being pulled from his grasp as Severus Snape's consciousness began to take over once more.

"Keep yourself calm." Hermione instructed him knowing all too well that he'd lose control again if his emotions got the better of him.

Snape looked at her panting in the wake of his minor power struggle.

"He has no motivation aside from causing as much chaos as possible." he said meeting the girl's amber gaze. "I...I apologize for the pain he's caused you."

Hermione treated the weary wizard to a small sorrowful smile before turning her attention to Dumbledore's portrait.

"You set all of this in motion...now how do we go about undoing it?" she asked rather determined.

The twinkling blue eyes of the former Headmaster shifted from the understandably upset young witch to the weary pale wizard behind her.

"Severus." he said in a sorrowful father like tone.

"Save your apologies for someone who cares old man." grumbled the former Potions Professor.

Dumbledore sighed turning his attention back to Hermione.

"You can't blame him for resenting you Albus...given the nature of this situation and your direct intention of bringing it about." said Minerva narrowing her own green orbs at the former Headmaster.

"I'm afraid in my haste to ensure nothing stopped my planning to take on the dark lord, I had not anticipated Severus even surviving the second wizarding war." he admitted.

Snape rolled his eyes once more not all appearing to have been surprised by such a callous revelation from his former employer.

"T-That's a terrible thing to say." said Hermione outraged. "After everything he's done to assist you and Harry, you were rooting for him to be killed?"

Even Minerva's eyes widened in horror at the callous words of her former employer and dearest friend. He had been of the mind that his spell would only last until Severus Snape met his end which she had brought about that fateful day in the great hall.

"Well...you got it half right old man." said Snape turning his attention to the blue eyed elder wizard. "It's nice to know just how expendable I was to you despite my loyalty...Minerva apparently your actions were expected."

"Albus how could you?" asked Minerva further horrified at being used to tie up the loose end that had been a possible rampaging darkness possessed Severus Snape without knowledge of it.

"You have to understand...during that time I was prepared to ensure the best possible out come for all..." began Dumbledore.

"You mean for everyone except Professor Snape." said Hermione in a rather embittered tone. "You were only using him...you didn't care for him at all."

"Stop wasting time." said Snape fed up with the very Gryffindor conversation. "What's done is done...the only issue here is that the idiotic old sod didn't anticipate Potter's failure and that the creature's thriving on hatred would keep me alive...I suggest we find out if there is a way to destroy this fucking thing once and for all...if there is any chance that I may be required to meet my just end...so be it."

"How can you say that?!" she asked turning her attention back to the magically bound Severus Snape. "You didn't deserve to be cursed let alone used a pawn in a war you had no chance of seeing the end of despite your efforts for the Order."

"It doesn't matter." replied Snape in a cold tone. "Focus on the task at hand."

Tears began to stream down the cheeks of the vastly upset young witch as she turned away from the bound pale wizard and glared rather murderously at the former Headmaster's portrait before taking her leave of everyone much too overcome with emotion to think properly let alone plan.

Snape turned his attention to the still very shocked Minerva McGonagall as she stood in relative silence given this newest revelation of Atrocities committed by the man she once respected and held in the highest of regards.

"If there is to be a killing blow needed to be struck to end this madness, I'd like for you to be the one to do it." said Snape meeting her green eyed gaze.

"Severus..." began the elder witch only to be cut off.

"It's only fitting given the horrors I've put you through." replied Snape. "Wouldn't you say so?"

Against her better judgement, Minerva nodded knowing all too well that it had been no different than when she'd elected to take his life in the name of vengeance for events he had been doomed to set into motion.

Snape settled into his chains content to have at least some measure of peace to look forward to even if his approach had caused a good deal of distress to the young witch that had been his former student. He had been confident that in time she'd adhere to logic and see that his continued survival in a world gone man would not be good for any of them no matter how she felt about him.