A Relative Challenge

Chapter 3: Black Robes and White Sheets

Severus didn't know how long he could keep going. Black robes were everywhere, curses were everywhere, and he was right in the middle. A few Cruciatus curses had seeped through the barrier spells he had raised. Hot pain roared through his body causing him to collapse to his knees. A spell hit him directly in his chest sending him back sprawling on the ground. He moved to get up as quickly as he could, but the robes were on him, blocking out any light that could possibly aid him. Voices filled his ears. Combined with the grunts of effort were fragments of comments from the men pinning Severus to the ground.

" . . . traitor!"

"Master will be very upset to know you are the spy. He's going to . . ."

"You protected him! You protected the brat that . . ."

" . . . thought you were on our side. "

Then they stopped, and the weight crushing Severus disappeared as the men started to disentangle themselves. He tried to get up, but his head swam horribly. He was hurt, and hurt badly. Hands reached under his arms lifting him up to hang limply between the two men. What thoughts he was able to process made him cringe inside as a figured stood in front of him. Most likely, this robed figure was Lord Voldemort. Snape's cover had been blown the moment he had cast the disarming spells to protect Harry.

He was going to be killed . . . no, Voldemort would want to make him suffer before sending him into the peaceful darkness. After all, there were other things worse than death.

"Severus, Severus ..." came a lilting tone. "Can it be that /you/ are the one that leaks our dear Dark Lord's secrets?" continued the lilt.

The man in question could barely keep his eyes open for fatigue was setting in on top of his injuries. Severus was vaguely aware of a hand lifting his head back forcing him to look up at a sneering Lucius.

The blonde haired man leaned down and whispered to Severus. "Always wanting the glory aren't you?" A wicked grin seeped across Lucius' face as he leaned away from the captured Snape. "Tonight, however, will be your last chance to have it." Lucius raised his wand as he curtly said the words "Avada Kedavra."

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Black. That's all he saw. He tried to move his arm for some idea of what was before him but found it bound behind his back. Senses started returning to his numb body. Feeling returned to his hands and his hearing sharpened just enough to make out faint noises close by. When a few moments passed he soon realized he was gagged and blindfolded. Panicking he started to struggle, trying to somehow free his hands until he heard an all too familiar voice hiss above him.

"Ah, Mr. Potter. You are awake finally. I was afraid my loyal subjects were a little too . . . adamant, about bringing you to me."

Harry forced down the scream that had been building from the moment he had awoken. What had happened? One moment he and Mr. Weasley were leaving and the next . . . he was here. Wherever that may be. Harry winced at the thought of the red haired man. Was Mr. Weasley dead? Had another name been added to that dreadful list?

"Well, now . . . it wasn't too long ago that you were in this same position, was it?" The blindfold was removed in one quick motion, allowing the captured boy to take in his surroundings. "Do you remember this place?" Voldemort asked when he watched Harry's eyes widen in recognition. "You should. It is the same place that you came to during the tournament."

Harry forced himself to calm down as memories of that night started to flash before his eyes. The remains of Voldemort being lifted and settled into the cauldron ... the pain that shot through his arm when it was sliced with the dagger ... the duel he had with the new, complete Voldemort ... the sight of his parents' souls oozing out the end of the evil one's wand ... standing helplessly as Cedric fell next to him.

"Don't worry my dear 'Boy-Who-Lived,' I am not going to kill you." The snake-like man allowed himself a low chuckle at the look of confusion on his captive's face that quickly turned to hold a small amount of horror. No doubt, the horror was from thoughts of things that might happen to him other than death. "On the contrary. I'm letting you live. I need you to live. For you alone, boy, will bring me ultimate power."

Harry said something in retort that wasn't understandable do to the gag in his mouth, but the glare he gave the smirking Voldemort had sent the message clearly.

Voldemort looked from Harry to the rest of the encircled Death Eaters. "Let me translate for you. Mr. Potter would rather die than give me more power." He stopped then glanced back at Harry as if he was making sure that was correct. Then, with a smile, turned back to his followers, "And that, my loyal friends, will cause him the greatest pain. To know that /he/ the 'Boy-Who-Lived' would be accredited as the 'Boy-Who-Killed.'"He turned back to Harry. "That he, the one who is famous for defeating me, would be the cause of my return." He took a step towards Harry. "That he will be the reason for countless years of suffering to come." Another step and he leaned down close to Harry. The next words were spoken quietly and slowly so that the boy could grasp every meaning of every word. "That he, would be /my/ source of unlimited power."

A thick silence fell over the area. Harry's glare had dwindled down to nothing with every sentence Voldemort spoke. The evil wizard had been telling the truth. Harry, no matter on which side, would be the cause of deaths. Now, the boy stared quietly at a pebble in front of him hoping that somehow he could will the tiny rock to take him away from everything..

Voldemort was thrilled by this. It seemed he had hit the spot he was hoping to have struck. The boy obviously felt guilt for his friends' deaths. "It seems I was correct in my translation then." Another grin seeped from his lips.

A small, quivering voice broke through the air. "S-sir ... I-I have s-some infor-information-"

"Spit it out Wormtail. My patience grows thin with your inability to speak."

"Yes, Master!" The short man squeaked. "We caught the s-spy." The man fidgeted for a moment.

Harry felt his heart sink even lower. As much as he disliked the Potions professor, Snape had still been protecting him. Now, he was probably going to be killed. Another name to add.

"Get on with it!" Voldemort raised his voice just enough to cause Wormtail to jump back, which hadn't been that much.

"He-he . . ." The man swallowed compulsively. "He escaped. Someone rescued him." It was amazing the man had gotten that much out before his voice had cracked.

Needless to say, Harry felt relief wash over him.

Voldemort had been standing there, staring calmly at the cowering servant before him. He almost looked like a statue he was so still. The surrounding Death Eaters shifted uncomfortably. Obviously, they didn't like the site either. Then with a silent motion the Dark Lord brandished his wand and muttered "Crucio" almost as if it were something to help him think.

Wormtail unceremoniously collapsed to the floor in screaming convulsions. The spell was lifted as soon as it had been cast.

"Who was it? This time speak clearly."

"Severus Snape."

Crucio was heard again, but this time it had been out of anger from the Dark Lord. When he lifted the curse once more, Voldemort glared at Harry. "My closest Death Eater was my enemy, was he?"

Harry didn't know if the man was asking him or just talking, but Harry remained quiet none the less.

"He has been betraying me for all this time . . . " A smile replaced the scowl. "Well then, this will be entertaining, indeed. He will have no choice but to come to me now that I have Mr. Potter here. Yes." The 's' was slurred into a hiss as Voldemort grinned evilly.

Harry closed his eyes. He couldn't believe he was thinking this, but he wished he could still be sitting on that swing next to Uncle Vernon.

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Light assaulted Severus' eyes as he shifted to sit up. His head still ached but he quickly dismissed the pain as he looked around him. How had he gotten to Hogwarts? That's obviously where he was do to the hideous amount of white in the room. Either it was Hogwarts or Heaven, and, given his life's history, it had to be Hogwarts. He blinked a few times then winced as he remembered the madness of the previous night. He lay back down slowly with a soft sigh. No matter how he had gotten back, Potter was safe. The plan, although seriously gone wrong, had worked. He had seen Weasley and Potter duck around the corner in escape to safety. At /least/ Weasley managed to carry the rest of the plan out without any more mistakes.

"So the fighting wonder has awakened." a voice, that could only belong to Madam Pomfrey, chided.

Snape rolled his eyes.

"Now, now Professor. You took a few nasty hits and will be staying in bed for a while."

"Poppy-"

"Nope. I don't want to hear one thing. Even the Headmaster himself commented on the poor condition you were in when Professor Lupin appeared with you slung over his shoulder."

Severus started. Not only was he fighting his emotions of embarrassment for having the werewolf carrying him in over a shoulder, but was also biting back his complete surprise that Lupin was here.

"I'm sure, Poppy, you could have spared Severus the details of his arrival." A new voice said from the doorway.

Both Snape and Pomfrey turned to look at the Headmaster himself standing in the entrance with that ever-present twinkle in his eyes.

"I'm sure he isn't too happy with the thought of someone having to carry him anywhere." Dumbledore added. "Now, if you would excuse us Remus and I have a few things we need to discuss with Severus."

"Headmaster, he needs-" She was cut off by a raised hand from Albus.

"I assure you I will make him go to sleep as soon as we are done."

Snape snorted at this. If anything ,he was going to go to sleep in his own dungeons, not the ever-so-cheerful hospital wing that allowed too much light in to possibly exist.

Pomfrey looked from her patient to the headmaster and sighed. "Of course, Albus. I am leaving the responsibility up to you to make him sleep though."

Dumbledore smiled his agreement. With that the nurse left.

Severus looked around Dumbledore as he approached. "I thought you said 'Remus and I' had to talk to me."

"I did."

"Then where is Lupin?"

A silence followed as Dumbledore leveled his gaze with the Potions professor. "He'll be here shortly. He is running a small errand for me."

"I know all about your 'errands,' Headmaster, so get on with what you have to tell me." Dumbledore simply chalked up the man's attitude to the amount of sunlight in the room. Severus was never too cheerful when he was forced out of his dungeons for long periods of time.

"First, I want you to tell me what happened last night."

Severus sighed as he rubbed between his eyes. "Fine." He snapped, not worrying about showing the Headmaster he just wanted to be left alone. After all, the rescue had worked. "The plan was going as expected until an unanticipated guest showed up. It seems Voldemort wanted to make sure Potter was brought to him without any problems, so he sent Lucius Malfoy to back me up." Snape continued with the rest of the previous evening's events, including Weasley panicking and jumping out of the brush too early. Then added that he was trying to leave after he saw Harry disappear with Weasley, but he got captured.

Dumbledore had listened to everything in silence. Then, when Severus said no more, sighed and looked at the floor in thought. "Severus ... the plan didn't go as we had hoped."

The younger man simply stared at the bearded wizard for a moment. Thoughts raced through his head as he calculated what /else/ could have possibly gone wrong.

"Against our efforts, Severus, Harry was taken captive."

Every other possibility had gone through the Potion master's mind except that. "What do you mean?"

"Arthur Weasley and Harry were attacked shortly after you joined the mess. Arthur was hurt severely, enough to make the Death Eaters think him dead in fact, but he survived. Poppy tended to him and released him yesterday."

Color had visibly drained from Severus' face but the neutral expression remained intact. Harry had been taken. Could anything possibly bet worse? He found himself staring at the sheets that covered his legs. White. Of course, they were white. Wait a minute- "Yesterday you said?"

Dumbledore nodded.

"How long have I been ..."

"Four days, Severus."

"That would mean, Harry-"

"Has been with the Dark Lord for all this time."

Silence fell as both thought the same thing. The boy had to be dead. There was no way beyond a miracle that Voldemort would let Harry Potter live for more than an hour in his captivity.

The tensed silence was broken by heavy footsteps quickly entering the Hospital Wing. "Albus! Albus! Al-" The owner of the steps came to a halt when he had spotted the Headmaster.

Snape's eyes widened slightly. So the werewolf /was/ back at Hogwarts, even after that little slip of Severus' tongue about the man's secret.

"Remus. I presume you have news since you came at a run into the room?" There was no mistaking it. There was pure hope in the old wizard's eyes.

"Harry, he-he ..." Lupin rested his hands on his knees catching his breath.

"Well?" Severus snapped. He didn't really know why he had done so. Something was tightening in him, but he didn't know what.

Remus gave him a short glare then softened his expression has he leaned back up. "He is safe headmaster. Somehow, for some reason, You-Know-Who wants him alive."

Severus felt the tightening sensation to begin to loosen. What was it? Why was he feeling this way towards that Potter, brat? "I am guessing the 'errand' Lupin was running for you were spying on Voldemort?" He had sidetracked his mind, he didn't like the emotions that had been starting to build.

The happy twinkle in Dumbledore's eyes had returned when he confirmed Severus' question.

"I have been for the past few days since ..." Remus searched for the right word, "since you were unable to."

"I'm not going to thank-you, if that is what you are waiting for." Snape didn't bother to block the annoyance in his voice.

Remus snorted, "I wasn't asking."

"Now that Remus has arrived, with such wonderful news, we should continue on to what we need to desperately discuss." Albus interjected before the two were glaring any harder at each other.

"Sir," Severus said. "If you wouldn't mind I would like to return to my-"

"You don't even care! Do you?" Remus burst out.

Snape glared at him. "What are you saying, Lupin?" He didn't know exactly /why/ the werewolf was so upset with him, besides the little incident with Severus /accidentally/ telling everyone his secret.

A small growl rumbled deep down in Remus' throat. "I am /saying/ you don't even care if Harry Potter, your /son/, lives or dies! You could care less. All you want to do is hide down in your dungeons like a vampire and forget about everything. Even your own-"

"Remus." Albus interrupted gently. He laid a gentle hand on the enraged man's shoulder. The latter relaxed down to the point of a simple glare at Severus. Albus had wished to tell Severus in a little more of an ... easier ... manner, but that was too late now.

Severus, on the other hand, had been shocked into silence. Had Lupin just sad that Harry Potter was his son? His guard had dropped. The mask of indifference had slipped completely off and pure confusion combined with shock was clearly visible. "What did you say? Potter ... is my son?" In an instant Snape replaced the mask and glared at the now calm Remus Lupin standing before him. "How dare you, joke like that. Potter is not my son, and I would think- what is that?"

Remus had held up a tattered piece of paper, obviously aged. "A letter, Severus. A letter from Lily."

Suddenly Severus knew why the werewolf was so mad at him