Walls of Ice

Chapter 3: Initiation

The day before Halloween, Severus was sitting on his bed studying for a Potions test. He didn't really need to study, as he already knew all the material, but he wanted to make sure that he was completely competent on all the areas the test would cover. In the first few weeks of class, he had discovered an innate skill for the precise measurements required and an easy understanding of the reactions between the various elements of a given potion. He was the only one in his class of Slytherins and Ravenclaws who was interested in how and why a potion worked, and not just in memorizing by rote the ingredients and preparation techniques. As a result, he had been reading ahead in the textbook, fascinated by the complex recipes he found. He had even done extra reading in the library, on the development of new potions. Professor Nyass, the thin, reedy man Severus had noticed at the Welcome Feast, was the Potions Master, and he had been more than happy to give Severus extra assignments and research projects.

None of the other subjects had caught his interest so deeply. History of Magic was frankly boring, taught by a ghost who never seemed to have any enthusiasm for the subject, merely droning on about endless goblin wars and other equally dry subjects. Most students used it as an extended nap period. Charms was interesting and occasionally useful, but also generally frivolous. Herbology and Transfiguration were decent and taught useful information, but Severus didn't feel the same passion towards them as he did for Potions. The only subject that came close was Defence Against the Dark Arts, and Severus felt no real need to learn Defence when he know that during the summer he would be learning the real thing from his father. What he really wanted to do was learn more about how new potions were invented, and maybe create one himself.

Currently, Severus was investigating potions that changed physical characteristics, such as the Shrinking Solution they had concocted in class the week before. He had gotten Professor Nyass to sign a note to get Moste Potente Potions out of the Restricted Section of the library, and was reading about the Polyjuice Potion when his concentration was interrupted by a knock on the door. He peered out of the green velvet curtains that he had drawn around his bed for privacy, and saw Hephaestus Rosen, a second year from Court. Hephaestus was memorable for his resemblance to his namesake, the Greek smith god. Currently he was standing in the doorway to the first-year dormitory, enduring the nervous glances of the rest of the first-years. He must have been used to the attention garnered by his overly muscled twelve-year-old self because he spoke to Severus without a trace of annoyance in his voice.

"Snape, you're to come down to Court. His Majesty wishes to discuss your initiation." Severus stood and bowed.

"Thank you, Sir Rosen. I will be there directly." Rosen left to report back to Court. Snape put away his book, carefully marking the place. Checking his appearance, he decided he was presentable enough to satisfy Lucius' desires, and strode quickly down the short corridor to the Common Room.

As usual, Lucius was holding Court in front of the large fireplace. The scene was almost ominous, with dim lighting and many figures in dark school cloaks occupying the shadows at the edges of the room, but Severus felt at home here, even after only two months. Those of Lucius' court present were lounging indolently on green cushions scattered at Lucius' feet, like dark jewels. Severus went directly to the front of the Court and knelt before Lucius.

"You requested my presence, Your Majesty?"

"Rise, Page Snape. Yes, I wished to discuss your initiation. Your service has been exemplary, and it is time to make you a full member of the Court. If you succeed, you will be made my Knight. If you fail, you will no longer be a member of Court, and you will wait until spring holidays, when we usually accept new members." Severus nodded his understanding, and Lucius continued. "Your task is this: tomorrow night, during the Halloween feast, turn the flames in all of the jack-o-lanterns green, and keep them that way for the entire feast." Lucius stopped, and Snape considered his words, his mind already considering ways to accomplish his task. When the silence continued, Lucius spoke. "Do you accept, or will you choose to leave Court?"

"I accept, and I will fulfil the task, Your Majesty."

"Very well, then you may go. I expect you have things to do to prepare." Severus rose and bowed, and backed away, waiting till he had left the circle of Court to turn and return to his room. He sat down on the plush green carpet in front of his chest, planning how to achieve his goal.

Turning the flames green was not difficult; there were any number of charms and hexes that involved colour change. The difficulty was that they had to remain green. Most of the spells Severus knew were fairly minor, and the flames would revert to their natural colour as soon as anyone cast the counterspell. Severus decided that it would require too much effort to find a way to protect one of the spells, when he could just as easily change the colour of the flame by purely chemical means. Reaching into his bookcase, Severus pulled out The Complete Encyclopaedia of Chemical Properties. Looking up the colour green, Severus found a number of substances that could be used to effect a green dye. He quickly eliminated the ones that required a liquid base, and was left with a much shorter list. Luckily, one of the elements, viridian, was one of the basic supplies in his potions kit. They used it so often in potions that he had a large supply on hand. After some experimentation with the candle on his bedside table, Severus determined that he needed 13 grams of viridian per lantern.

His second problem was getting the viridian into the flames. Obviously, he couldn't do it during the feast, so it would have to be in place beforehand. Yet, if he simply poured it onto the candle, most would likely fall off, and the flame would not remain green for the requisite length of time. After some deliberation, Severus decided to make small packets of paper that he could suspend inside the lanterns, where they would ignite as the flame touched them. Through all his experimentation, his dorm mates had been giving him curious glances, which he habitually ignored. Finally, as he was cutting paper for the packets, one of them, Duncan Baddock, got up the courage to ask a question.

"Snape, what on earth are you doing? That can't be for a Potions project, because we all have the same homework." The boy was hovering near his left elbow, trying to get a better glimpse of what Severus was doing.

"Court business. Shut up and go away." Baddock immediately retreated. The rest of the first years had quickly learned not to interfere with Court after a session spent 'helping' the older student learn hexes. Ever since, they had left Severus, and the rest of Court, completely alone. Now, Severus was used to the isolation from his peer group, and even welcomed it, as it allowed him to work in peace.

Once everything was ready, Severus placed the packets in the hidden pocket of his school bag. Hours later, he returned to his interrupted research, content that he could fulfil the task Lucius had set him.

The next day, Severus cracked open the heavy oak door to the Great Hall, checking to make sure it was entirely empty. The afternoon sky was overcast, shrouding the Hall in a grey gloom. He slid in through the door, closing it carefully behind him and setting an Alarm Charm that he had learned from his father on the door. It would sound an alarm only he could hear if someone touched the door.

The jack-o-lanterns were spread around the outside of the hall, ready to ignite at the commencement of the feast. Severus quickly moved to the first and opened it. He used a small Sticking Charm to fasten the viridian to the lid of the pumpkin. Closing the lid, he made sure the edge of the paper touched the candlewick, so it would ignite with the candle. Severus moved quickly around the Hall, placing the rest of the viridian. When everything had been prepared, Severus made his way to the doors, again checking that he had been unobserved.

After removing the alarm, Severus slowly inched the door open, made sure that the Entrance Hall was empty, and slid out. Just as the door swung shut behind him, he heard voices growing nearing. Before he could move away, James Potter came around the corner, followed closely by Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew.

Severus felt a jolt as he met Potter's eye. He nodded in greeting, and moved off, but Black's voice stopped him before he had gone three steps.

"So, Snape, what illegal activity have you been perpetrating today? A little Muggle-baiting, perhaps? Booby trapping the Great Hall?" Severus ignored him, and kept walking, but somehow Black got in front of him, robes swirling.

"You think you're so much better than us, don't you? You and that sick little Court. Well, I have some news for you. Dumbledore knows all about you. One little error and you'll all be expelled so fast you'll get windburn." Severus merely regarded him coldly, arms crossed.

"Are you quite done?" Black looked nonplussed by Severus' calm demeanour. "I am well aware that Dumbledore knows everything that goes on within these walls, and much of what doesn't. I wouldn't be surprised if he knew about your escapades on the grounds after hours. Since he chooses not to do anything, I don't believe it is your place to reprimand us. Now, are you going to move, or am I going to have to move you?" He drew his wand as he spoke, holding it low. Black, flustered, stepped aside. Severus stalked forward, throwing a triumphant glance over his shoulder. As he did so, he caught Potter's eye again. He was astonished to see a hint of admiration in them, directed at him. Startled, he quickly looked forward again; ignoring the whispers of the little quartet he left standing in the hall.

The strange lack of animosity in Potter's eyes haunted him all the way through Transfigurations, earning him some warning looks from McGonagall, and he completely bollixed his transfiguration of a porcupine into a pincushion. Instead, it became a sea urchin. Luckily, McGonagall let him off because he had managed to do a transfiguration of one living creature into another, which was, apparently, difficult. Finally, Severus could escape. As soon as McGonagall dismissed them, he was out the door, robes flapping behind him. He wanted to catch Lucius before they entered the Great Hall

Severus didn't manage to get to Lucius before he had seated himself, but luckily, tonight Lucius felt that Severus deserved the honour of a seat near him, rather than on the very end of the table, where he usually sat. As Severus took his place at Lucius' left, he managed to give Lucius a nod, to assure him that the task was complete.

The Court sat in silence at Lucius' order, as they did at every meal, creating an eerie bubble of haughty silence among the chattering children. Lucius said it made them more superior, more in control. Severus enjoyed the quiet as a time to study the others in Court for weaknesses. For instance, he had discovered just the other day that Hadrian Dolohov, a dark, withdrawn 3^rd year, had an intense dislike of gold. He had grimaced when two silly Hufflepuffs had brushed by, one proudly displaying a new bracelet she had received for her birthday. To Severus, it had seemed strange, but he filed the information away until it could be of use.

Now, he used the silence to watch Dumbledore carefully. The timing on his work had to be perfect, or it would lose much of the effect. Dumbledore finally rose when all the students were seated at the long tables, and spread his arms, welcoming them to the Halloween feast. Severus ignored his words, gripping his wand tightly under the table, and watched Dumbledore's hands. When those hands came together, the jack-o-lanterns would spring to life, and Severus had to be ready. After maundering on for what seemed an eon to Severus, Dumbledore finally drew to a close, bringing his hands together sharply. At that instant, Severus whispered, with all the intensity he could muster,

"Candelabra Nox!" Every floating candle in the room extinguished just as the candles in the pumpkins lit, leaving the entire hall illuminated by only the green glow of the jack-o-lanterns. Severus was gratified to hear several shrieks, and the general volume of the hall went up, beginning to take on a note of panic. Severus could even hear some worried mutterings from the staff table, then Dumbledore's voice rose above the rest again.

"Illuminari totalus." The long white candles floating over the tables sprang to life again, casting a warm glow over the startled faces of the students. The feast had appeared in the darkness, and after a moment of silence, the students evidently decided it was a grand joke, and fell on the loaded golden platters, laughing and talking normally again. Unnoticed by most of the students, McGonagall moved to one of the jack-o-lanterns and busied herself trying to unenchant it. Severus watched her unobtrusively, snorting into his pumpkin juice as she grew more confused when her spells didn't work. Eventually, she went back to the High Table, shaking her head.

Severus followed her with his eyes, smirking a bit, and accidentally met Dumbledore's gaze. Dumbledore looked over his half-moon glasses solemnly, and Severus pulled his eyes away guiltily, with the odd sense that Dumbledore knew what he had done, and why. He turned away and looked to Lucius, smiling deferentially. Lucius smiled back, pleased. If Severus had not been seated with his back to the room, he would have seen Sirius Black and James Potter staring at him, and he would have wondered at the jealousy he saw in the eyes of Potter, though he wouldn't have been surprised at the hatred in Black's. However, he didn't notice, instead he spent the rest of the meal basking in the attentions of the True Court, and observing their reactions to his success. For the first time, he also noticed that Lucius did the same thing, keeping a close eye on his courtiers. Severus wondered if Lucius watched him watching the rest, then realized with some amusement that of course Lucius knew. Severus hadn't exactly been covert in his observations, although he had disguised it as first year curiosity. He resolved to be more subtle in the future.

Meanwhile, he relaxed and enjoyed the Halloween Feast, knowing that the difficult part of his initiation was over.

The clock struck 11:30. The Slytherin common room was silent, empty of all except the True Court. The lights were all out, with the exception of the green-lit fireplace and two black candles on the mantle. Lucius Malfoy stood before the fire, his white-blond hair gleaming silver in the dim light. The rest of the court, dressed in their formal green and silver Court robes, stood in a perfectly even semicircle around him.

The clock ticked slowly past the 11:45 mark. Severus, kneeling at the centre of the Court, looked up as Lucius spoke.

"This Court has been alive at Hogwarts since the days of my grandfather, Darius Malfoy. Since then, new members have been initiated on the point of his sword, which has been passed down through the generations since the time of Salazar Slytherin. Now it is the time to signal the advent of a great era, the era wherein we purebloods, the only true wizards, will finally triumph and cleanse the wizard world, with the initiation of the youngest member since the days of Lord Voldemort himself.

"Tonight, Severus Snape joins our ranks as an official member of Court. His skills will promote the superiority of pure magical blood. His intelligence will assert the benefits of clean breeding. His actions will uphold the code of behaviour followed by true wizarding families since the days of Merlin. And, in time, his work shall help bring about the triumph of Lord Voldemort and the eradication of the Mudbloods."

The minute hand of the clock reached the 10, and there was silence as Lucius turned. He raised his arms, and lifted a sword down from above the fireplace. It was a short blade, pure silver, with a green serpent made of emeralds embedded in the hilt. Lucius held the sword flat against his palms, and turned back to Severus.

"The history of this blade is complex. It is rumoured that this blade originally belonged to Salazar Slytherin. That claim cannot be either proven or disproven. What is known is that this sword came into the hands of my ancestor Azrael, who was cousin to Slytherin, at the same time that Slytherin left the school. This blade is also known to be enchanted not to draw the blood of any wizard who believes in the precepts set down by Slytherin in the days shortly before he vanished. It will merely mark them as loyal, and if their loyalties shift, show that shift by becoming a true wound."

The clock reached 11:53. Severus stared at the blade that would mark his flesh. He wasn't afraid of the blade, he knew where his loyalties lay, but even so he didn't relish the idea of the blade permanently marking his flesh.

The clock passed 11:55. Lucius gestured for him to rise. Severus smoothly stood, looking Lucius in the eye. Lucius nodded at Patrick Parkinson and Rodolphus Lestrange, and they stepped up to stand on either side of Severus. At Lucius' signal, they disrobed him, removing his outer robes and the soft white shirt he wore under it with two simple spells. They stepped back into their places in Court as Lucius paced in a circle around Severus, halting in front of him once again.

The clock reached 11:59. Lucius raised the sword, placing the point just over Severus' heart.

The clock struck twelve, and Lucius moved his wrist in a practiced circular motion, then lowered the blade, resting the point on the floor. Severus felt a burning sensation on his chest, quickly fading, but he resisted the urge to look down. Instead, he knelt before Lucius, reaching out to kiss the blade.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"Rise, Sir Severus, Knight of the True Court."