Chapter 80
/Prof! Voldemort's people were in the forest heading toward the school! I could sense them close but not in sight,/
/Good to know,/ Severus thought back, sprinting up the wide front stairs of Adler Manor to the door. /I suspected as much which is why I flew away in the opposite direction from the forest just in case...to avoid being seen./
They'd come too far to ruin it over something stupid and careless like being seen not directly joining Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Wolfgang's Kobold opened at once to Severus's pounding on the door. He'd meant to knock in a dignified fashion as was his way, but when his hand grasped the knocker it just kept letting it fall as hard as possible. He was feeling more frantic and hurried than he'd expected, but this was the only true magic TRICK he'd ever play in his life and it was time to pull the Severus shaped rabbit out of the magic wizard's hat...The big switch as he'd just begun to think of it.
/Good imagery. I approve,/ Nightshade thought.
When the Kobold led them into the library, Mag was there with Regulus, Kreacher and Wolfgang. Having someone to help him the way she had, to gather everyone else swiftly so that all would be ready, it meant a lot and it had helped a lot. Albus always insisted that no man was an island, but Severus had tried very hard to become one anyway. Somehow Mag and Nightshade had moved onto said island, and Severus discovered he could enjoy having a roommate or two.
As soon as he'd entered the room, Severus's eyes met Mag's, and the flood of relief on her face made him smile. Though they still had a bit of work to do, he could feel every tense muscle in his own body relaxing when she rushed across the room to throw her arms around him. In his heart, he was home safe.
"We need to act fast," Severus said, dark gaze moving between Wolfgang and Regulus. "Where is he?"
"Sleeping in my guest room," Wolfgang said, understanding at once that Severus referred to Bane. "We leave him sedated when he's not eating. It keeps him from building up more memories that we would have to bother with removing, and a sleeping guest is no trouble." The half giant gave an amused smile at his own words. Severus nodded in agreement before turning to Kreacher.
"Kreacher, I need you to unfreeze his mark now. Bramble froze it, you can unfreeze it, can you not?"
Kreacher nodded. "Yes...Bramble showed Kreacher what he did, and it is a simple process to reverse. Should Kreacher do it while Boris Bane is still sleeping?"
Severus nodded. "Please."
"It's the fourth guest room on the right," Wolfgang told Kreacher. The elf nodded and apparated upstairs.
"Thank you again for keeping him here," Severus said. "I realize I owe you for this...If there is anything you ever need, please don't hesitate to ask."
Wolfgang gave a warm smile. "We're all here to help one another. It's not about keeping score for me. It is about having a group of people who can count on one another and do what needs to get done. If I need anything, I know all of you will be there for me."
Severus nodded. The man inspired loyalty and he certainly would be there for him if Wolfgang ever needed anything. Grindelwald would as well, for it was Wolfgang who found the scroll with the formula and instructions that restored the man's youth along with the draft of life. A basic do-over of one's life was a huge gift, and if Wolfgang ever needed to cash in big with Grindelwald, Severus was certain that he could. Months ago he and Wolfgang had decided that it was best to keep Grindelwald out of the fight in case Potter lost. Potter wasn't supposed to lose and if Grindelwald became involved when it was unnecessary...Well one never knew how bad things could get if a prophecy was disrupted. Gellert was likely in bed asleep right now at the Zabinis', and that's where he would stay. If Voldemort won the world could learn of Grindelwald's return to wizarding society. If Voldemort won the world would be wise to help Grindelwald to take him down in any way necessary. For now, though, Potter was up and Grindelwald was at home in bed.
Kreacher was back in less than a minute, and Severus thanked him again before turning to Regulus.
"Now I need Bane to think he experienced the fight at the school that I did. Once we get those memories into his head we can send him off to meet Voldemort in the forest."
Regulus nodded, then turned to Wolfgang who was already across the room lifting Albus's pensieve from his desk. "Kreacher and I can place the memories into Bane's head then perform the empathic link while he is still sleeping."
Severus nodded his thanks to the vampire and took the pensieve from Wolfgang. He removed his memories of the Hogwarts battle with the professors. Regulus duplicated them the way Grindelwald had earlier. Severus replaced his own memories back into his head while Kreacher and Regulus apparated upstairs with the copies. Regulus and Kreacher were back downstairs in less than three minutes.
"It's done," Regulus said. "I gave him a vampiric suggestion to apparate to Voldemort in the forest. He thinks he came directly from Hogwarts so no one will be able to track him to this manor," Regulus reassured. "I even made him believe he flew off the grounds, then Apparated to the forest, so there will be no flaws in his memory."
Kreacher beamed proudly. "Master Regulus is a most brilliant and wonderful wizard."
"And Kreacher is the most brilliant and skilled of elves," Regulus said, slipping an arm around the elf and drawing him close.
"Today I must agree that you're both marvelous," Severus said, with only a slight hint of dryness in his tone. "Thank you again, Regulus...and you as well, Kreacher." He chuckled. "I didn't even have to see the other me. That's good, because it surely would've been disconcerting."
Kreacher chuckled. "He was rather docile, so that made it somewhat disconcerting for Kreacher as well. At least the empathic spells should cause him to feel as properly peevish as Severus Snape does when he actually has to begin interacting with others."
"It always makes me feel loved when people know me so well," Severus said.
"What now," Mag asked, expression tense. Severus shrugged. "If Wolfgang doesn't mind us staying here...I'm feeling a bit tired. I was planning to go to bed and...you know...wake up tomorrow when it's hopefully all over." Severus knew that was rather anticlimactic after all he'd been through, but he'd paid his dues and he was literally tired. Wolfgang nodded. "That sounds like a most excellent idea. My lady is already upstairs reading, and I find myself eager to join her." So relieved was his current mood, that the prospect of Bulstrode being around didn't even annoy Severus too much.
"I suggest removing that dark mark first," Regulus said and Severus swore...mentally...a lot!
/Not bad,/ Nightshade said. /Those were some creative words... I think you just came up with a few original combinations, Prof!/
Severus may have felt proud of that but he was busy being highly vexed with himself. He'd tried so hard not to slip up or forget anything, yet feared he would nonetheless and he just had! "I'd planned to ask Kreacher to freeze it for me once Bane was gone," he said.
"You could do that, but I got my maker to cut mine out. I think you should do the same...Just in case," Regulus said. "One can never be too safe, after all. Plus it's nice to have it gone and never have to look at it again. My maker believed the vampiric transformation would remove Voldemort's power from the mark, but I just didn't want to take any risks. I had her cut very deeply into my arm to ensure all traces of the thing were gone. I will do that for you if you would like."
"Very well," Severus said. He understood Regulus's reasoning well and was eager to be rid of any reminders of the Dark Lord or any power he could have over him if Potter failed. He closed his eyes as Regulus approached him with a small slim blade of gleaming silver.
"Oh gods, I can't see this," Mag said faintly.
"How romantic," Severus said. "We've just discovered something else we have in common...Apparently both of us become ill at the sight of my blood."
"No," Mag groaned. "It's usually just my blood, but I think yours would bother me equally. Anyone else's...well that's fine."
Severus laughed. "I agree. Now that I've had to think of it, the sight of your blood would probably make me ill as well."
"You see," Regulus said, approaching Severus with the blade. "The two of you still have something in common and it's most romantic. Rest your arm on that table there, Severus."
Severus sank into the chair beside the indicated table and did as Regulus requested.
"Kreacher thinks Severus Snape should lean back in the chair and relax," Kreacher said.
"How am I going to relax while he cuts into my arm," Severus practically squawked.
"Kreacher was going to put Severus Snape to sleep," Kreacher said.
Now that was an idea. He'd not feel a thing nor would he be aware of having his arm sliced into. "Thank you," Severus said gratefully, then leaned back in the chair. When he woke it was five minutes later and his arm was bandaged.
"I didn't look until the end but there is a nice chunk missing from your arm," Mag told him with a shudder. "I just wanted you to be warned for when you have to change the bandage. I will help, of course." Severus had to look away from his arm so that his mind wouldn't begin imagining things that would disturb him.
"I was wondering if I could borrow an invisibility cloak until near sunrise," Regulus asked Wolfgang and the half giant nodded.
"Of course. I'll get it." He Apparated up stairs and Severus arched his brows at Regulus.
"Do I want to know?"
Regulus let out a breath. His earlier focused expression faded to the all too familiar one of inner torment. "I have to go help...I just have to...Kreacher is going to lead an army of house elves and I need to do something as well...for all that snake faced evil bastard did! Please understand, Severus. I promise to be careful. That's why I'm taking a cloak of invisibility. I'll be near Kreacher, helping to fight and I will keep the cloak on the entire time. I swear. You've already gotten to spend years striking back in your way, and I have not. I need this."
Severus nodded. He understood that, and he understood the need for revenge more than anyone. "Just be careful," he said, hoping that was the last time today he'd have to say that to someone he liked. As a vampire Regulus should be able to keep himself alive, and with that extra strength and speed he could easily keep Kreacher safe, Severus reminded himself.
"I will. I promise," Regulus said. He left with Kreacher, and everyone else went up to bed as planned. Severus worried that racing thoughts would keep him awake, but with Mag warm and cozy at his side, his mind was happy to let go and escape into sleep. When a knock came at his bedroom door he jolted upright. It was still dark. "What's wrong?"
"Everything is fine. It's Regulus with Kreacher. I wanted to return Wolfgang's cloak, but he's been so kind to us all I didn't want to wake him...So I thought I'd leave it with you. May we come in?"
Severus let out a sigh of relief. "Yes. Is he dead?"
Regulus opened the door. "Yes. He is."
Mag made a sound of pure, wordless delight, then laughed. "For sure?"
Regulus chuckled. "Yes! At last for sure!"
"Did Potter actually do it," Mag asked, and Severus's ears perked up in interest. Just how Potter had managed to kill a wizard probably a million times more skilled if a million times more insane, he had to know.
"Potter sort of...well he does rightfully own the wand that killed him if that counts," Regulus said.