Darkness Falling

Darkness Falling

*

Bear the Mark

*

"You must be kidding." Severus stared at the Headmaster in disbelief over his teacup.

"Alas, I am not," Dumbledore sighed. "I hope I was, but it is indeed true. Cornelius Fudge is desperate to stay in his position, and to do that, he has to take extreme risks. Sadly, this includes doing very suspicious things - such as pushing this law into action."

"He must be insane," Severus muttered, shaking his head. "Completely insane. What does he think he's doing? All Dark creatures who sided with Voldemort have been executed already!"

"But he's telling everyone that the still living just didn't have the time to turn to their true Master," the Headmaster said sadly. "And Severus... That's not everything there is to it."

"What is it, then?" asked Severus sharply.

"He's also insisting that all part-Dark creatures, to the point of having only a quarter of Dark blood in one's veins, also have to bear this mark."

At this, the Potions Master dropped his cup, which shattered into thousands of pieces on the cold stone floor of the Headmaster's office. He didn't seem to even notice this, though. His even usually pale face had now become almost grey in silent horror, and his onyx eyes stared in front of him, not seeing anything.

"I'm sorry, Severus," Dumbledore said, "I truly am. But you know there's no other way. They have registries of all of you, there's no way they could miss your bloodline."

"I'll resign," the Slytherin said immediately. "I'll resign and run away, and then I'll hide somewhere. They won't find me, I can hide well enough."

"Severus, please, do not do that." Suddenly, the Headmaster looked all of his living years old, if not more. He was old, tired, and - almost fragile. "This is the only place where you can get at least some level of safety. I can take care that they won't go to too drastic measures about you. Please, my son, let me help you - if you run away, they'll take that as a sign of your guiltiness, and execute you as soon as they find you."

"They won't find me," said Severus with an almost panicked tone. "They'd execute me anyway if they knew about me."

"But it's not a way to live, hiding away - you know that. You saw how bad Sirius became in the end." Dumbledore sighed deep. "Arthur Weasley has got into a position where he can know of all of this beforehand. He'll warn us if things get too serious."

"Still, I don't want to stay here," Severus said with an almost pained voice. "You know what the students will say, Albus, what they are talking about me already. It'll be a field day to all of them if they find out what I am. I'll become a public joke!"

"No, you won't," said Dumbledore. "You know I would never allow that."

"No, Albus. I completely refuse. Let me go and give the position to another one of your strays, I'm sure there are enough of those whom you want to save from the Ministry. I don't need anyone's pity, especially not yours."

"There are no strays," the older wizard replied. "I'm already saved those whom I want to save."

"And who would those be?" asked the Slytherin sharply. "Lupin, of course, but who else? Your oh-so-precious Boy-Who-Lived doesn't happen to have some Banshee blood in his veins, does he?"

"That I won't tell you until you have accepted to stay here and bear the mark."

For a moment, their gazes fought. And, for the first time in years, it was Severus who gave up first. "Very well," he sighed in irritation. "I will stay and teach those brats. I'll even bear the Ministry's death warrant on my arm. But please, Albus, tell at least who other than Lupin is going to be here? Or are giants considered Dark creatures by Fudge?"

"No, Hagrid's not the one in danger," the Headmaster replied with a slight shake of his head. He raised the cloth he had in his hand, indicating that Severus ought to reach out his arm. The Potions Master did so with a resigned sigh, and Dumbledore fastened the cloth on a tight knot around his upper arm. The black form of a skull showed clearly against the whiteness of the cloth.

"It surely is just a coincidence that they've picked a symbol that much resembles the Dark Mark," Severus snapped dryly. "It's all playing with appearances, Albus. With some luck, they'll have angry mobs lynching all so-called 'Dark' creatures without them having to even bother. And Fudge'll get the credit for 'making the world a safer place.' A safer place, indeed."

"As much as I agree with you, I do remember you asked to know whom other than Remus I have hired to Hogwarts," Dumbledore reminded him with a slight twinkle in his eyes. Raising his eyes at a door that Severus could have sworn had not been there just a moment before, the old wizard called out, "Come in, gentlemen!"

The door opened slowly. Raising his eyes at the incomers, Severus let his jaw hang open in shock.

"Lu-Lucius?" he asked weakly, half raising from his seat.