Summary: Potion trial

A/N: Warning: This chapter includes violence, torture, and suicide.

Chapter 20

Albus had gathered them once again in his office. He looked at all four of the students sitting in front of him.

"My spy has advised that since the Horcrux was destroyed, Tom has been acting more unhinged than normal. He fears that he will move earlier than we anticipate."

"Draco has been nagging me about the potion, too," Severus advised.

"But we can't have this battle until the snake is dead," Ron countered.

"We may have to improvise," Dumbledore said.

"Should the spy perhaps administer another dose of the poison?" Severus asked.

"I have asked him to do so, which will kill the snake a week earlier, but if Tom decides to attack in the next few days, we will have to kill it ourselves, and before Harry is struck down. Hermione, how is your research coming?"

"I created a spell that should isolate the Horcrux in Harry's scar so when Voldemort strikes, he will kill it, but leave Harry alive."

"Well done, Hermione! Have you tested it?" Dumbledore asked as he grinned at her.

She looked over at Severus. "I have, but I'd like to test it more. I think it needs some tweaking."

Dumbledore nodded. "Please finish your testing in the next couple of days. We need that spell to keep Harry alive."

"I know, Headmaster. I will make sure it works."

"All right. Please prepare as you see fit. We could be in battle in a matter of days," Dumbledore advised.

Everyone stood up. Severus leaned in and whispered to Hermione.

"I need to talk to Dumbledore about something."

Hermione nodded. "I'll wait for you out in the hall downstairs."

Severus nodded and watched her leave. He turned back to Dumbledore.

"What can I do for you, Severus?" the old wizard asked.

"Is Lucius all right?" Severus asked, his voice tinged with worry.

"He's fine. Tom suspects nothing, thankfully."

Severus sighed. "Good." He frowned before saying anything else. "I don't think I can stall the potion anymore. I have most of it ready. My tests have affected the mice correctly, driving them insane in about forty minutes. My one test on the truth serum was inconclusive, but per Draco, the Dark Lord is anxious to have it."

Albus stroked his beard and thought for a little bit. Severus patiently waited for him to decide how to proceed. Finally, the wizard looked back at him.

"Do it. You'll deliver this in person, correct?"

Severus nodded.

"Good. This will give you a chance to see what Voldemort is thinking and maybe even when he will attack."

Severus bowed his head slightly. "I will tell Draco I am ready. I'm sure the Dark Lord will want to see me as soon as possible. Possibly even tonight."

"Yes, those Portkeys he's fashioned for you to leave the castle are interesting. I would love to know how Tom was able to get past our wards."

"Draco doesn't know. He just knows they work, and as you know, I've experienced them, too."

Albus nodded. "Good luck, Severus. Let me know how it goes."

Severus nodded and left the Headmaster's office. He descended the stairs and found Hermione waiting right where she said she would be.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi."

"What's going on?"

Severus cast a quick Muffliato.

"I wanted to talk to Dumbledore about the potion. We both think that we need to offer what I've done to the Dark Lord. I can't hold it back any longer."

Hermione grasped his arm and squeezed it. "Are you sure?"

"He is hounding Draco. The potion at least works to cause insanity. I'm just not sure about the Veritaserum part."

She squeezed his arm again. "Be careful, Severus."

"I will be. I'll let you know when I'm going to deliver it."

She nodded and leaned in, kissing him sweetly.

"I need to talk to Draco. Let's meet back in the Room of Requirement in an hour."

"Okay."

She gave him a worried look before walking off. He descended the stairs quickly and was soon at Draco's door. Knocking, he was bid to enter and opened the door.

Susan Bones was seated across from Draco. He nodded to both of them.

"Am I interrupting?" he said.

Draco looked from Susan to Severus. "We were just finishing up, right Susan?"

"Yeah," she said. "Weekly meeting about the Prefects."

She stood. "I'll talk to the Hufflepuffs and the Gryffindors, you take the Slytherins and Ravenclaws."

"Sounds great," Draco answered as he stood and walked her to the door.

Seeing her out, he turned back to Severus and motioned for him to take a seat. He sat in one of the reading chairs near the Fireplace. Draco sat across from him.

"I believe I have succeeded with the potion. The only thing not fully tested is the truth part of it, but I know that the Dark Lord is anxious to have this, so I would like to offer it to him sooner rather than later."

"That's great, Severus. I will reach out to our Lord and see when he wants to meet with you." Draco thought for a minute. "I'll get back to you at dinner. He may want to meet with you tonight."

"I understand," Severus advised.

"Oh, and by the way, Snape. Good work."

"Thank you, Malfoy."

Severus rose and left Draco's room. Now he just needed to play the waiting game to see when he would meet with Voldemort and give him the potion.

Severus sat with his friends at dinner. His eyes were drawn to Draco, sitting at the Slytherin table. Draco gave a quick nod to Severus. Severus quickly looked away so no one would see them communicating. His lips thinned.

"What's up, mate?" Ron asked.

Severus spoke quietly so no one else could hear. "Tom wants his potion tonight."

Hermione frowned. "Be careful, Severus."

"What do you think he'll say?" Ron asked.

Severus shrugged. "I'm not sure what to expect. He'll probably want to test it on something."

"Mate, if he's gonna test it, it's gonna be on someone, not something," Ron countered.

Severus gave a quick nod. "I know. Hopefully, he won't have a chance to use it more than once."

"Good luck, Severus," Harry said.

Severus nodded. "I should go."

He rose and bid his friends goodbye. As he made his way to his room, he felt nervous. Would the Dark Lord be pleased with him or would he punish him for some unknown reason?

He sighed. It didn't matter. He had to go. Pocketing a couple of bottles of the potion, he hurried out of the Dungeons and quickly let the Headmaster know what was going on.

"Be careful, Severus. Come back here to my office when you get back."

Severus nodded and left the Headmaster. He moved back down to the dungeons and knocked on Draco's door.

"Come in," he heard and opened the door.

"Severus." Draco acknowledged.

"I take it the Dark Lord is anxious to get his potion."

Draco nodded and walked up to him, extending a broken pencil to Severus. Without preamble, Severus touched it, and they were both transported to Malfoy Manor. Draco pocketed the pencil for their return trip and made his way to the main ballroom. Inside, Voldemort sat on a large throne.

Severus and Draco came up to the throne and bowed low to Voldemort.

"Rise," he demanded.

They stood but did not make eye contact.

"Severus, Draco tells me you have the potion."

"I do, my Lord."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out the two vials of green potion, handing them to Voldemort.

The Dark Lord grasped them and picked one of them up into the light, turning it back and forth, looking at the green color.

"And it works?"

"It does, my Lord."

"Perfect. Draco, go find your father and tell him to bring in the subject."

Severus' heart was in his throat. He had hoped they would be dismissed and the Dark Lord would try the potion without them being present, but deep down, he had known that wouldn't be the case.

Draco disappeared and soon came back followed by his father, who was dragging a woman behind him. His eyes met Severus' briefly, but he quickly looked away. Lucius cast the woman to the ground before Voldemort.

"My Lord, we found her in London. She'd been hiding at a local bar, pretending to be a Muggle," he advised.

"Well, she's close enough, aren't you, Mudblood?" Voldemort crooned as he leaned forward and looked into the woman's face, which was tracked with tears.

"Don't fret. You won't be around for long," he told her.

He stood before the woman and unstoppered the potion. Reaching down, he grabbed her hair and pulled her head back. She struggled so he grasped her throat instead. Pushing his finger into her jaw, he forced her mouth open, pouring the potion into it. She coughed and sputtered, but could do nothing about the potion that had been poured down her throat.

The Dark Lord looked up at Severus.

"How long?"

"It should be immediate, my Lord," Severus advised, referring to when the truth serum effect would begin.

"Ah, wonderful."

He tilted his head as he looked at the woman.

"Tell me, Mudblood, where are your filthy friends hiding?"

She tried to keep her mouth shut, but the potion loosened her tongue and compelled her to answer.

"Please…" she panted.

"Tell me, now!" the Dark Lord demanded.

"They are in the basement of St Matthews church on Baker Street."

"And how many are there?" the monster asked, his eyes gleaming.

"There are… ten… of… us."

"And is Jared Blakeslee one of them?"

"I don't… I… yes. He is hiding there."

Voldemort threw his head back and laughed.

"It's perfect, Severus."

The woman on the ground turned and glared at him, realizing he was the one who had made her spew her secrets. Severus remained stoic as he nodded quickly at the Dark Lord, but his insides felt like they were being torn apart by her stare.

"Thank you, my Lord."

"How long before it finishes its job?"

"About half an hour now. The first signs should start in about ten minutes."

"What!" the woman shrieked. "What more is it going to do to me? You've already pulled all my secrets from me. What more can it do?"

Voldemort leaned over her. She shrunk back from him in fear.

"You'll see."

He straightened. "We should go somewhere which will look more natural," he said, and turned and Disapparated.

Lucius and Draco grabbed their arms as their Marks burned. Lucius grabbed the woman and disappeared. Draco reached out for Severus and Apparated them both to where the Dark Lord had gone.

They appeared in a forested area in a field surrounded by pines. Lucius threw the woman back at Voldemort's feet.

"Now you will learn your fate, Mudblood. This potion will make you insane, and you will take your own life… with this."

He flicked his wand and a dagger appeared before her on the ground. She scurried away from it.

"There is no escape, Mudblood. You are dead."

"Why? Why would you do this? All we want to do is live our lives."

"Because your lives are disgusting!" the Dark Lord screamed.

The woman began to cry uncontrollably. She wrapped herself into a ball and wailed. Severus wished he could look away, but showing any weakness would invoke the Dark Lord's wrath. He suffered through the poor woman's decline.

As time went on, she rocked back and forth and began to babble to herself.

"They're watching… watching!" she cried.

Severus refrained from grimacing.

She began to pull at her hair. "Nooo, you can't!"

She lifted her head and glared at nothing.

"You do not control me!" she screamed. "I won't let you take over!"

She got to her knees and her eyes fell on the dagger. "There's only one thing to do," she said in a matter-of-fact way. "I need to get it out of me. It's filling me with despair. If I just… cut it out… I'll be fine."

She babbled on like that for fifteen minutes, slowly inching her way closer to the dagger.

"Must cut it out… must cut it out…"

Her hand fell on the dagger, and she lifted it, turning it back and forth as she studied the deadly item. The blade was scalloped and thin, coming to a hideously sharp point.

She turned her head and looked at Voldemort.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" she crooned.

His wand was pointing at her in milliseconds, making sure she wouldn't attack him.

"It will do nicely to get it out, don't you think?"

The Dark Lord smiled evilly. "Yes, you should use it to get it out," he urged.

"It's been in me for so long. I need to remove it," she muttered.

"Do it!" Voldemort demanded.

Taking the dagger, she held it with both hands and pointed it toward herself.

"It will control me no more," she shouted as she plunged the blade into her abdomen.

Pulling the dagger along, she sliced upward until she collapsed on the ground. Blood poured from her gaping wound as the color drained from her face. It didn't take long for her to bleed out, her empty eyes staring up into the sky… vacant and gone.

"My Lord," Draco said with a slight wobble in his voice. "We should go. Dumbledore may miss us."

Voldemort looked up at them and grinned maniacally.

"Well done, Severus. You should be proud. You have given me a great gift."

Severus didn't know if he could speak, he was so mortified, but he knew he had to acknowledge what the Dark Lord had said.

Bowing, he finally said something. "Thank you, my Lord."

"Go," the Dark Lord said with a wave of his hand. "We will all go, and this filth will be found eventually, a poor, disturbed woman who took her own life."

Draco was paler than usual, and Severus figured he was as well. He touched the broken pencil and they disappeared from the scene. As they appeared in Draco's quarters, they both stared at one another for several seconds before Draco spoke.

"Well…" He cleared his throat. "Good job. I'll let you know when we need you again."

Severus gave him a nod and quickly exited, rushing into the common room and down the stairs to his bathroom. Leaning over the loo, he retched for several minutes as tears fell from his eyes, dripping into the bowl.

He finally was able to control his insides and put his arms around the bowl, resting his head on them, gasping for breath. He let his stomach stop roiling before straightening up and flushing the loo. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he fought to control himself. His breathing was ragged, and he needed to stabilize himself, or his Housemates would find him and ask questions. Struggling, he finally was able to wipe his eyes for the last time. He used his Occlumancy skills to calm himself and put up an air of nonchalance.

Finally, he stood. Moving to the sink, he splashed water on his face and waved his wand over himself to make the puffiness around his eyes and the redness go away. Making his way out of the bathroom, he nodded at a few of his Housemates but made his way out of the Dungeons and headed out onto the grounds. He sent his Patronus off, giving the panther instructions to only go to Hermione and have her meet him out by the lake.

Making his way to the shore, he sat down on the grass and stared out at the lake. He let his eyes unfocus and just stared, trying not to think.

Hermione found him like that. He wasn't sure how long he'd been staring blankly at the lake before he realized she was there. He felt her hand on his shoulder, and he turned toward her. She was giving him a concerned look. Reaching out to her, he pulled her to him and hugged her furiously.

"Merlin, I'm glad you're here," he sighed.

They held one another for a long time in silence. Finally, Hermione spoke.

"Are you hurt?"

He shook his head but didn't release her.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked tentatively.

He shook his head again. "Not yet."

He buried his head back in her shoulder as she rubbed his back. He squeezed her as if he was trying to take her into himself. They stayed like that until Severus heard a sniff. He pulled back and found Hermione was crying.

"What… why are you crying?"

"You're suffering, and there's nothing I can do to help."

"Hermione, you're helping right now. This…" He motioned between the two of them. "It's calming me. Truly."

She nodded her head as she wiped her eyes.

"Okay," she said.

Reaching out, she pulled him to her again, and they embraced. A long time passed before Severus pulled back again.

"Thank you."

She smiled and nodded at him but asked no questions. He appreciated her even more for her tact.

"As you can imagine, the potion worked perfectly."

"How did he test it?" she asked finally.

"They had caught a Muggle-born witch in London."

Severus looked away and gulped. Hermione placed her hand on his shoulder and squeezed.

"He poured it down her throat, and she gave up all her secrets, telling her hiding place which also hid nine others."

"I'm sorry, Severus."

"I killed her!" he cried before crashing back against her and hiding his face in her chest. "I… killed her…"

"Voldemort killed her, love. Not you."

"It was my potion. I created it. I gave it to him to use. I might as well have poured the damned thing right down her throat."

She rubbed his back. "It's not your fault. He's evil. We're in a war, and you needed to gain his confidence."

"There must have been some other way to do that. I killed her, and every time he uses that foul brew, I'll have killed another."

Hermione pulled back and grasped his face in her hands.

"Listen to me, Severus Snape. You had to create that potion. We all know what happens to people who refuse Voldemort. You can't wallow in guilt. You'll never be able to do what you need to."

"Hermione…"

"Please, Severus. Trust me. You didn't kill her."

"How can you say that? How can you be sure?"

"The only one to blame is Voldemort," she said succinctly. "Yes, you created that potion, but it was Voldemort who used it. It's just like the Unforgiveables. Someone created them, but we are the guilty ones if we use them."

Severus' lips thinned but after a while, he nodded. "You're right, but I still feel like shite."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Not your fault."

"I did help with the theory of all this."

"Yes but…"

"What's the difference, Severus?" Her eyebrows knit together as she looked at him with determination. "I had a hand in this as well. I do feel awful, but I didn't see what you did."

"Thank Merlin for that. It was… horrible."

"Hopefully we'll defeat him soon, so he won't have time to use it on anyone else," she soothed.

Leaning in, she kissed him.

"I admire you so much for how brave you were tonight. You obviously didn't crack."

He gave her a small, half-hearted smirk.

"Thank you."

"I want you to always know that I'm here for you," Hermione told him.

Reaching out to her, he pulled her to him again and hugged her.

"I do know that, and I'm here for you too."

She squeezed him then. Pulling back, he looked at her.

"We should get back," he murmured. "I need to report to Dumbledore."

"Okay," Hermione replied.

Severus stood and reached down to help Hermione stand as well. Without warning, she was hugging him to her.

"I love you," she said.

He kissed the top of her head. "I love you, too."