Of The Serpent House

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Disclaimer: Harry Potter and the characters are J.K. Rowling's. I do not own them nor ever claimed to. I am not making any money on this, just doing it for pleasure. Please don't sue cause I ain't got no money anyway.

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Pain. That was all there was. It filled vision and mind even as he vaguely recalled his body was twitching in agony somewhere in the background. Through the haze of torment, Snape heard the laughter of his once Master. The words 'Crucio' echoed again and again. With each new chant, Severus opened his mouth in a soundless scream even as he felt himself edge closer and closer to the limits of his sanity while another detached part of his mind called him to fight it. But it was so comforting, so inviting, far away from the pain that blossomed when Severus's attention returned to the surface.

The curse continued to assault him; not that he was expecting any mercy from the monster before him. Voldemort has always been very generous in handing out pain even when it was less than deserving. Hell would freeze over before he allow Snape, a confirmed spy of Dumbledore to leave this place alive. In fact, Severus was very sure that after Voldemort takes his sadistic pleasure with tormenting him, the Dark Lord would kill him and feed his corpse to Nagini. That would explain the hungry gaze the snake kept fixed on him since his arrival.

Trying to ignore the pain, Snape stared across the glade where the rest of the Death Eaters were huddled and spotted Lucius. If Snape's mouth wasn't already raw from screaming, he would have laughed. How very like Lucius- his old friend has come to see him off, Snape knew without a doubt that Lucius would watch till the end even if he had to see Nagini eat Snape's corpse. Cause that was what Severus would have done if it was the other way round.

Despite what the other Houses think and say, Slytherins do have honour among those rare few they consider friends. Considering the violent past of the Salazar's House, it was expected. They were not the Gryffindors who would throw themselves into danger's path in a touching display of comradeship; no, the Slytherins reasoned that it would just be another dead body and one loses the advantage of surprise. A true Slytherin would bid his time, waiting in the shadows for a chance at revenge. One that must surely prove fatal to the foe. And if that was not possible (as in this case), they would watch. In the past it has always been this way, they would watch as bloodthirsty mobs tied their friends, families to the stake. They would watch as their screams got louder and louder, together with the flames that soared higher and higher. They would watch, never turning away, flesh melt and bones blacken, till there the flames eventually burn themselves out. Till there was nothing left, for this was all they could do for their love ones as a mark of respect(To collect the corpse would mark themselves as witches and wizards).

In Slytherin where most are from families of witches and wizards whose lineage cross decades even centuries, some of these tragic traditions continue to live with them. The Malfoys and the Snapes were among them. Lucius had known Severus as what passed for Slytherins as friend, so he would watch. Severus has never gave any discriminating evidence against Lucius to Dumbledore just as Lucius had never voice his suspicions of Severus being a spy to Voldemort. So Lucius would watch burning the image in his skull, probably to tell Draco later who would go on to tell Severus's precious young Slytherins. Severus knew he could trust Lucius not to evade his eyes no matter how repulse, as surely as they were Slytherins, cause it was Severus's due, this last mark of respect and friendship. Through the eyeholes of the white porcelain mask, Severus spotted the twin gray orbs already turning hazily with steel. Severus almost gave a bitter smile at this for he understood what Lucius has seen. It won't be long now.

In a haze, Severus raised his head, not much but enough to peer into the hellish face of Voldemort. Insanity painted with evil stared back at him. And with a stroke of horror, Severus suddenly had a vision of the dark future, realising that he would be handling them to this madman. No one left to protect them

Opening his mouth, Severus finally screamed out loud. Screaming for the children, his precious, precious Slytherins. The fact holding him back from the boundaries of delirium yet, refusing to let him to yield into the sweet comfort of Death. If there was a hell on Earth, Snape was sure he was now in it. The pain intensified, the Dark Lord's glee increasing with each new outburst, Severus's mind whirled, faster and faster, losing conscious thoughts, only the words remained like a chant continued to torment him. 'Slytherins. Slytherins. Must save them. The Slytherins, the Slytherins….the children….MY SLYTHERINS!!!'

And then, there was an explosion of silver light and the pain vanished along with the rest of the world.

***

Lucius rubbed his eyes trying to clear his vision, which had been temporality disabled by the sudden burst of silver light. At first he thought it was an Auror attack and blindly reached for his wand. When his sight cleared he was surprise to see everything remain unchanged. A gentle wind blew through the shadowy glade, ruffling the clocks of some of the Death Eaters. But other then themselves, there wasn't anyone else. An angry hiss from Nagini drew his attention back to the front and that was when he realised it.

Snape was gone.