Chapter 12: Over, and Over, and Over Again

"I thought it would be something more difficult than putting on a hat."

Harry looked down at Iris. Her face was wondering.

"Well, they wouldn't make children fight things or run through dangerous traps," Draco said, sitting in front of them. "Especially untaught first years."

Iris gave him a flat look.

…already know that…

Harry smiled. A fragment of Iris's thought has been spoken in his head, like someone whispering in another room. It happened whenever she felt something strongly. The horcrux bond was feeding him her emotions and thoughts more clearly ever since he'd reabsorbed the Diadem.

"Yes, Draco's right," Harry said. "It would be terrible for the school if they injured young children. A Sorting Hat saves time."

"How does it work, Harry?" Iris said, looking up at him. "Do you just put it on and it knows what's in your head?"

"Something like that. There are certain limitations. The hat can't tell other people what it sees, for example, even if it sees something alarming. It was not designed to judge people, only place them in houses."

"Yeah. I'm going into Slytherin," Draco said. "You should come too, Iris. Slytherin is the best house."

Iris didn't glance at him. She kept looking at Harry, and her expression became worried.

She's afraid she won't get into Slytherin, Harry thought. He didn't need the horcrux bond to tell that much.

"Harry, what if the Sorting Hat puts me into another house? Even if I tell it I want to be with you?"

"Do you want to be in Slytherin, Iris?" Harry asked.

"Yes," she said, looking genuine. The truth, however, was that Slytherin was a terrible fit for her. Iris was not a leader; she was a follower. She had intelligence, but it was dwarfed by her loyalty and determined nature. Hufflepuff was a better house for her.

"You'll be in Slytherin, then," he said. "Don't worry, Iris."

She nodded. "Okay." She snuggled into his shoulder, relaxing on the cushions they were sitting on. Iris's pet Siril laid curled up far to her mistress's right. Ever since that night Harry had threatened her, she stayed away from him.

Harry didn't tell his sister about what he'd threatened to do if the Sorting Hat didn't put her in the same house as him.

Later that night, Voldemort was pacing in Bella's room. It was time to do something he'd been meaning for a long time.

Bella sat on the bed, swinging her legs back and forth. Lucius and Narcissa were here as well this time. Lucius leaned against the desk with his arms crossed, and Narcissa sat on a chair next to him.

Bella had gestured for her sister to come sit next to her, but Narcissa very pointedly ignored her.

"Severus is so reclusive I doubt anyone would notice if he were gone for a week or two," Lucius said. "They'd probably think he was out getting potion ingredients."

"A week or two?" Bellatrix giggled. "I could break him in one day."

"He is tougher than you think, Bella," Voldemort said. His voice stood in stark difference to the three others in the room. He sounded low, metallic, almost inhuman.

"Could you summon him with the dark mark, my lord?" Narcissa said. "Would he answer your call?"

"I'm sure he would, after telling Dumbledore first," Voldemort said. "Severus is crafty, as well you know."

"That won't save him. I'll show him what I do with traitors when I see him," Bella said.

Voldemort stopped pacing. He took a deep breath. "Do nothing till we return, Bella." He turned to Lucius. "Lucius. Make sure the dungeon is ready."

Malfoy nodded. Voldemort looked at Bella, then nodded towards the window. She got up from the bed, holding out her arms widely as if to stretch, and followed him.

Voldemort opened the window, taking Bella by the shoulder, and disappeared in a rush of black smoke through it. The black smoke moved to the far edge of the garden, where the both of them reappeared; Voldemort took Bella's forearm, and they both apparated with a crack.

The streets of Spinner's End were dark. The lamps had been turned off, and there were barely any sounds. Distantly, some cats hissed as they fought. A newspaper slid with the wind across the ground.

A boy in a sweater and trousers walked down the street. A woman followed him, wearing black robes with a hood that hid her face.

They found a certain door. The boy pulled out his wand, and tapped the doorknob. There was a click, and he twisted the knob, pushing the door open.

The home's insides were dark. Harry closed the door after Bella came in. The woman took her hood off, and wrinkled her nose.

"This place is a muggle dunghill," she said.

Harry chuckled and went to the living room, Bella trailing behind. It was a small house; the hallways were tiny and cramped. In the living room, bookshelves lined the walls from floor to ceiling.

Bella went over to the shelves and began picking through books. Harry looked thoughtfully at the walls and ceiling.

It wasn't long before someone came down the stairs, steps quiet. He was dressed in simple dark nightclothes, and was pointing his wand at them.

"You have four seconds to explain who you are before I start shooting curses," he said. It was the familiar, drawling tone of Severus Snape.

Harry turned around, hands clasped behind his back. He channeled a bit of dark magic, just enough to change his appearance a little.

Severus first felt confusion. The last person he'd expected to see in his living room in the dead of night was Harry Potter. But then, he felt a nagging dread; Potter didn't look right. His eyes, his smile… they looked uncomfortably familiar. How could a little boy look so frightening?

Then, something strange happened. The skin around Potter's eyes turned pale, as if he were suffering some illness. The air around him seemed to darken a little.

And then, his green eyes—the green eyes that reminded him of a woman and life long lost—shifted colors. They darkened, and Severus thought they were turning black. But no. They were turning red. And in the darkness, they were faintly glowing.

"Hello, Severus," Harry said, his voice speaking in double. There was a child's voice, and layered beneath it was the terrifying tone of something inhuman. "It's been a long time. I think it's about time you rejoined the fold."

Severus's hand shook. He forgot about his wand. All he could think was, no, this isn't right, this isn't how things are supposed to be happening, this is wrong.

Something pulled at him. Severus yelped, and was thrown over the banister, flipping, and pulled forward. His wand clattered out of his hand.

He landed hard on his back in the living room. His eyes went wide, and all air left his lungs. He scrambled, gasping for breath. But he couldn't move. He was pinned down by an invisible force.

He realized Potter was standing over him. But it wasn't Potter. His face looked faintly skull-like, and his eyes were glowing red. His skin was deathly pale, even paler than it usually was.

Someone came up next to him. They were far taller, and their slender form indicated a woman. Severus didn't see the face at first, but then his vision focused, and he saw something impossible.

Bellatrix Lestrange was standing next to Potter. She was wearing black robes. Her hood was down, and her face had on an amused smirk. Her eyes were wide and unhinged looking.

"Hello, Severus," she said, voice in sing-song. Her smile became wider. "I'm going to hurt you a lot."

Potter pulled out a wand. He pointed it at Severus's face, and the last thing he saw was a flash of red light.

When Severus next awoke, he was completely out of breath. His arms were held above him in cold metal clasps. He blinked rapidly, looking around. Everything was dark. He was in a rectangular room with a stone floor and brick walls. There were bars in front of him, and a light came from far down the hallway.

He tried moving, only to feel a stinging pain in his chest. He looked down, gasping. Were his ribs broken? His saw that his chest was bare—he was wearing only pants—and it didn't seem like it.

Someone came down the hall. They came into view, and it turned out to be a woman.

"Awake, Severus?" she said. It was Bellatrix. "Good. Our lord wants to see you. I'll go and tell him."

"N-No!" Severus managed to get out. His voice was hoarse. He looked at Bellatrix, eyes watering as he tried to focus in the dark.

He remembered the living room. He remembered Potter smiling that psychopath's smile, his eyes glowing red, his skin turning pale. All he could say was, "How? How? How is he…"

"He's more brilliant than you could imagine," Bella said, cocking her head to the side. "Did you really think he was gone, Severus? That he would just go out on a mission one night and die? No. That's not how it works. He's the dark lord."

She turned and left. Her footfalls echoed in the dark. A door closed far away, taking away the little light that had been here in the first place.

Severus was left shivering in the dark, feeling the cold metal of his chains above him. Somehow, he knew he was in deep trouble. How had this happened?

Out in Malfoy Manor's garden, Harry stood with Lucius. The moon was high in the sky tonight, and no clouds obscured it. White light shone down on them.

There was a crack. A man appeared in front of them. He was wearing a ragged looking jacket, with trousers and shoes. He rubbed his hands on his abdomen and came towards them.

"My lord?" he said. "Is that you?"

"It's me, Barty," Harry said.

Barty Crouch Jr. came up to them, grinning widely. "My goodness, you've grown up. My lord…" He looked to Lucius. "And there you are, Malfoy. How does it feel to return to our lord's service?"

"As it always did," Lucius said.

"So not all that pleasant," Harry said, giving a scoff. "Welcome back, Barty. I dearly apologize for the decade you spent in isolation—that's over now. Things are going back to the way they were."

"Yes, I see," Barty said.

"We have another guest tonight," Harry said. "Come."

Harry turned, leading Barty back to the manor. Lucius walked at his side, face impassive. The poor man always became so grim whenever Harry did late-night work.

They went into the Manor, and descended down the stairs into the dungeon.

They found Bella hanging outside Severus's cell, kicking at the ground as she paced back and forth. She smiled when she saw them.

"Barty Crouch? Merlin, all the old friends are coming back tonight!" she said.

"Hello, Bella," Barty said. "You look well, for someone who spent a decade in Azkaban."

Bella crossed her arms. "My sister takes good care of me."

"What did he say when he was awake?" Harry asked, looking inside the cell. Severus was hanging against the wall, his hands held above him in chains.

"He wanted to know how you were still alive." Bella looked at Severus and smirked. "I think he's scared, my lord."

Harry opened the door to the cell. The clang of the lock and the following creak as the door opened made Severus jump. He looked around wildly, and saw him. His eyes widened.

"P-Potter. You… you…"

"I feel like I should thank you," Harry said, going into the cell. Bella followed, but Lucius and Barty stayed outside, watching. "You led me to a most wonderful discovery, Severus." He put his hand on Severus's head, palm on forehead. He pushed his head up.

"You made me realize how far I could reach, if everyone trusted me. And how could they not? Harry Potter, brother of Iris Potter. A good student, friendly to talk to. I can get to people's hearts in a way Voldemort never could."

The Potions Master let out a small whimper upon hearing the dark lord's name.

"Yes. How wonderful that discovery was," Harry said. He let go of Severus's head, letting it loll. "It's time to come back to the fold, Severus. And this time, for good. Bella and Barty will make sure you don't harbor any loyalties to Dumbledore."

He walked out of the cell. Bella lingered for a moment. A sick thump sounded, followed by a pained grunt. Bella had kicked Severus.

Harry went to the dungeon's entrance. Lucius, Barty, and Bella followed him.

"You'll stay down here, Barty," Harry said. "You're to become my jailer."

Barty nodded, grinning. "Okay, my lord."

"Bella and you will take turns with Severus. Peel his every defense back. I will come at night to check on your progress."

Barty nodded, and opened his mouth to say something. He stopped, however, as footsteps came down the dungeon's staircase. The door opened, and Narcissa came through.

She raised her eyebrows, like she hadn't expected to find so many people. She gave Barty a wary look before going to Lucius's side.

"Barty," Bellatrix said, "are you aware of the 'good auror, bad auror' routine?"

"Yes," Barty said.

Bella's eyes became predatory. She gave a thin smile, and said, "Well, I think you should be the good auror, and I'll be the bad. I haven't tortured someone in so long, and there's so many curses I want to try out…"

"A good strategy," Harry said. If Bella was the tormentor, then Severus would more readily accept Barty as a friend.

"There are some rules here, Bartemius," Narcissa said. "Do not come out during the day. My son should not see you."

Barty raised an eyebrow. "Really," he said, looking to Harry.

Harry nodded. "The manor should maintain an air of normalcy. Bella stays out of Draco and Iris's way, and so should you, Barty."

Crouch looked on in wonder. "Iris is here?" he said. "How is she, my lord?"

"Fine. She's a very sweet girl."

Barty smiled fondly. "She was just a baby when I saw her last. She'd be all grown up, now…"

"I'll let you meet her eventually. For now, focus on Severus."

"Okay, my lord."

"Good. Have a good night, Barty," Harry said. He turned to leave, Lucius and Narcissa at his side.

"Let's start, Barty," Bella said from behind them. Harry glanced over his shoulder to see her brandishing her wand. "You wake him up and do your good auror thing. I'll come in and introduce myself after."

Both Death Eaters went down the dungeon, towards Severus's cell. Harry began going up the stairs.

"Oh, Narcissa!" came Barty's voice from down the hall.

Narcissa turned around, eyebrows raised.

"Please don't call me Bartemius!" he called, voice echoing. "It reminds me of my idiot father."

Narcissa turned back, wrinkling her nose at the stairs. Lucius shook his head. Harry led them out of the dungeon, feeling very amused.

As usual, Harry spent the night with Iris. The manor was growing with guests; soon, it would resemble the old days, when the Death Eaters used Malfoy Manor as their base. Missions coming in, missions going out. Harry had commanded an army in those days. He would not need to do that again, if things went as planned.

The next day he spent normally. At night, he snuck out of bed after Iris was asleep, and went down into the dungeon.

As soon as he opened the door, he heard Severus groaning in pain. Sounds came at a rhythm, like sparks hitting flesh. Severus screamed when those sparks sounded. It seemed that it was Bella's turn to interrogate him.

Harry closed the dungeon door, and went over to the cell. Barty was sitting on a chair beside it, out of sight of Severus, reading a copy of the Daily Prophet. He put it down when he saw Harry.

"My lord. Things are going well with Severus. He's already been far more forthcoming than I thought he would be."

"He's knows his situation," Harry said. "There's little to gain by keeping quiet when he's chained inside a cell." More sounds came, like slapping, and Severus gave a horrible scream.

"How long has Bella been working?" he asked.

"Just five minutes, my lord," Barty said, looking at his wristwatch. He set his newspaper down on the floor. "She's winding up."

"Well, let me go and wind her down, then."

Harry went to the cell and opened the door. Bella was inside, wand pointed at Severus. Her face was twisted into a scowl, and her eyes were mad. She yelled, and shot a bolt of light at Severus. The man writhed and shrieked at the top of his lungs.

"Bella," Harry said. "How goes it?"

She turned to look at him, still scowling. It took her a second to recognize him, and when she did, her face turned to a picture of happiness.

"My lord! You're here. I've been making Sevvie scream. It's such a wonderful sound." She turned back, and waved her wand. A long gash appeared on Severus's chest, splitting the skin wide open. Blood squirted out onto the already stained floor.

"AHH!" Severus screamed.

"I see," Harry said. "Well, let me see if I can talk some sense into him."

Bella pouted, but put her wand down and stepped back. Severus looked up, blinking repeatedly. His eyes widened when he saw Harry.

"Hello, Severus. Good night?" Harry asked. He put his palm flat on the wall above Severus's head, and leaned over him. He channeled dark magic again, like he'd done in Severus's house. Wisps of black mist began floating around his head, and his vision darkened.

Severus whimpered. "M-My lord."

"Oh? I've become your lord, already? Do you even know who I am?"

"You're the d-dark lord. My master. I serve you."

Harry laughed. It was impossible not to. "You 'serve' me. How quaint. So when you ran to Dumbledore, begging him to save the Potter woman, you were really 'serving' me? Or had you concocted some grand scheme I was not privy to?"

Severus put his head down. He was breathing raggedly. "I… I miscalculated. I made a mistake. My lord, please forgive me."

"Forgiveness is not why I brought you here. And besides, let us not lie to ourselves, Severus. If given the chance, you would have brought me down, as long as it guaranteed Lily Potter's safety. That is something you will always harbor against me—the killing of your childhood sweetheart. Not that she returned the affection."

Severus looked up, eyes wide and hurt. This was a different kind of torture, one that neither Bella or Barty could not inflict.

"All she begged for were her children's lives," Harry said. He was grinning widely. "How she screamed when I killed James Potter. She was a blubbering mess when I reached the room. And then, when I killed her little son, her will to live left her. I saw it in her eyes. The last thing she saw was me holding her daughter. She thought I would kill the baby. That was how she went."

Severus was crying. His chest was shaking, and tears fell down his cheeks like the flow of a river.

"That was the death you gave her, Severus. You told me all about that prophecy. Do you think she looks favorably upon you now, Severus? From beyond the grave? Do you think she feels any kind of pity for you, as I'm sure you desperately believe she does? Or is the truth that she curses you, that her mind turns black when she thinks of the man who sold out her family?"

"Please…" Severus sobbed. "Please, no, stop…"

Harry giggled. The childish sound was underlaid with a dark tone, like an inhuman beast laughing in the dark. "But!" he said, clapping his hands together. "What a wonderful gift it gave. As I'm sure you can see, I've put Harry Potter's body to good use. Everyone thinks Voldemort is dead, when I'm really standing among them. I couldn't have done better if I planned it myself."

Severus took quick breaths, steadying himself. He looked at Harry in the eye.

"You're a monster," he said. "You're a god damned monster. Hell is too good for you."

A bolt of light flew from behind Harry. It hit Severus in the shoulder, and immediately, the arm twisted in a complete circle.

Severus screamed so loud that he might have blown out his vocal chords. Harry watched for a few seconds, then took out his own wand and waved it at the man's shoulder. His arm went back to normal. Severus panted for breath.

"I am a monster, and now you're chained to me," Harry said. "You're going to serve me until your last breath. And this time, you're going to stay loyal. I'll make sure of it."

Harry clasped his hands behind his back. He paced slowly from side to side, just a few steps here, a few steps there. His eyes never left Severus.

"I don't need to keep you down here, Severus. I could force you to sign a contract, binding you to me for life. But I don't want you back so quick—I want you to ponder for a bit. Think about the situation you now stand in."

The man chained to the wall, black hair fallen all over his face, bared his teeth. He glared at Harry, and in that glare was pure hate. Harry had seen that face on Severus in the past, when the man had talked about James Potter.

"I won't ever serve you," Severus said. He looked beyond Harry's shoulder, to where Bella was, giving a defiant look. "You can torture me all you want, Bellatrix. Torture me until I break. Kill me after, burn me alive, I don't care." He looked back at Harry. "But I won't serve you. Not. Fucking. Ever. You monster."

Harry nodded slowly. He looked to the ground, and gave a reluctant sigh, as if he was going to do something he didn't want to.

"Okay, Severus," Harry said. "Hold out this night then, will you? I'm sure you can handle it. Tomorrow, I'll bring a pensieve, and you can watch a memory."

The rebelliousness winked out of Severus's eyes. His scowl faded, and his mouth opened a little.

"You can watch me kill Lily Potter," Harry said. He smiled. The smile was that of a child who just found out he scored top marks on a test. "And since it's a memory, you can watch it over, and over, and over again."

Severus's lips were quivering. A single tear welled in his eye, then fell down his cheek. "No," he whispered. "No. My lord, please no—"

Harry turned around. He looked at Bella, and nodded to the door. She gave another pout, but put her wand away and followed him out of the cell. Severus continued to scream.

"NO! NO, DON'T! PLEASE NO! MY LORD, PLEASE I'LL SERVE YOU, I'LL DO EVERYTHING YOU SAY, PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME WATCH THE MEMORY, PLEASE NO—"

Barty's brows were furrowed when they saw him. He was still sitting in that chair beside the cell's bars, just out of sight of Severus.

"Merlin, I didn't know he could shout like that," Barty said. "He was always so quiet."

"Quiet, and well-spoken. Not so well-spoken now," Bella said, looking back into the cell and grinning. Her voice turned breathy. "You are so devious, my lord."

Harry waved his hand in the air dismissively. Severus's pleading had turned into unintelligible screams now, and he was crying madly. It was starting to make Harry's ears hurt.

Barty tapped his wand on the wall beside him, and a glassy wave went over the bars of Severus's cell. All sound from inside cut off.

"Thank you, Barty," Harry said. "See to him after a few hours. Bella, you wait until tomorrow for your turn. In his current state, physical pain will just distract him."

"Oh, okay, my lord," the woman pouted. "But I was just getting started."

"Plenty of time, Bella," Harry said. "Plenty of time."

He nodded to Barty. The man gave a little bow, and picked up his newspaper again to read. Harry went down the dungeon's hall, Bella trailing behind him.

"Good night, Bella," Harry said when they exited the dungeon. "I'm going to bed."

"Good night, my lord," Bella said. Then, she did something that made his brain stop. She came to him with her arms outstretched, and pulled him into a hug. The scent of her perfume filled his nose as his face was buried into her dress. She squeezed him against her, holding his head below her breasts.

"Wha—Bella, let go of me."

She did not obey him immediately, holding him to her for a second longer. But then, she reluctantly let go. Harry looked up at her face, a face that had affection and love all over it. He sighed, then left her, going back to his room.

Back to his other life.