Voldemort's Apprentice

Chapter Three: The Poisonous Power

Snape liked being in the fifth year. He liked the fact that there were students younger than him. He liked the fact that their work was getting more advanced, particularly in Defence- all though Snape already knew it.

He also liked the first conversation he and Riddle had had, after the Welcoming Feast.

"I have a plan, Severus. And you feature in it. Think of the Chamber of Secrets, but on a larger scale. I want to teach you, teach you things that the teachers would never dream of us knowing."

The first lesson took place in the Astronomy tower.

"What can you do?" Riddle asked. "Show me."

Snape pointed his wand out of the Astronomy Tower.

"Over there," Riddle said, "Next to the pumpkin patch."

Snape aimed. "Serpentikanum!"

There was a scream as a poor first-year girl suddenly found snakes slithering out of her mouth and ears. She whimpered as the snakes slithered down her body into the grass.

Riddle looked pleased. "I'll have to remember that one."

Snape blushed. "I invented it myself."

Over the next few lessons, Snape demonstrated the Unforgivable curses- which he could do aged eight- and then Riddle taught him some of his own curses. They practised mainly on bugs, but occasionally, they would aim out of the Astronomy Tower- always at some Muggle-born.

Riddle had left school a few years ago. Some expressed disappointment that he wasn't working at the ministry. Snape and his friends knew better. They knew he was planning something that would change the world and they all wanted to be a part of it. They knew that he wanted to work at Hogwarts and they looked forward to it. Only Andromeda refused to discuss Riddle's plans.

Rosier had left too, along with Bellatrix- who had married when she was barely a year out of Hogwarts. It wasn't too lonely at the Slytherin table, Narcissa, a guy called Lucius and Andromeda were still there all though Andromeda was spending less and less time with them. There were rumours she was spending her time with a Hufflepuff called Tonks- something she furiously denied whenever she was questioned.

"She has been paying better attention to her appearance though," Narcissa mused. "My mother and aunt are going to be very mad..."

Still Snape tried to resist thinking of Lily. He would go a month without thinking about her, then suddenly an image of her would ease its way into his mind and he wouldn't stop thinking of her.

James and his gang were making his life miserable, picking on him at every possible moment. Snape wished that someone would tell them to stop- maybe Lupin who never seemed entertained by the humiliation Snape went though, but he never did. The last time it had happened, he had shouted at Lily. His heart broke as she walked away from him, towards the castle. He thought that would make it easier to fall out of love with her, but he couldn't. How could he have called her a Mudblood? How could he have thought that Lily was in any way inferior to him?

Later that day he went up to the Tower again. Riddle was waiting there. His eyes narrowed.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Snape sighed. "I just had my Defence OWL today and I don't think I did so good..."

"Liar," Riddle breathed. "I can tell. You're thinking about someone- a girl. You've thought about her before. I'll admit I'm still a beginner in Leglimency, however..."

Snape turned away as Riddle's high, cold voice pierced the air.

"Crucio!"

Snape was involuntarily thrown onto the floor. Pain seemed to be partying in his body. He tried to point it to a specific part of his body but he couldn't. It was everywhere. Every ounce of his mass was screaming for relief from the burning agony. It was only when he realised that it was very quiet, he knew he had been screaming.

Riddled lifted Snape up a little by his hair.

"You're almost as bad as that fool teacher of yours, Dumbledore." Riddle spat the name out as though it was a maggot that had taken the apple he was chewing as his home. "Mudblood lover. I knew you were half blood but I didn't think it would be a problem."

"No! She means nothing to me!" Snape cried.

"She means everything to you!" Riddle screeched. "You love her! You are using that poisonous power, love, for a Mudblood!"

"Bellatrix is married! She's in love!" Snape retorted, the wished he hadn't as he was cursed again.

"Lestrange is pure blood!" Riddle roared. "Bella isn't fantasising about witches with dirty veins!"

"I'm sorry," Snape whispered, trying not to weep. "I can't help it. If I had a choice she'd be dead."

Riddle put Snape down.

"Do you want me to kill her?" Snape said, "Because I will. Your plans mean more to me than any Mudblood."

"No," Riddle replied. "Let her live. I don't want you murdering whilst Dumbledore is sniffing around. But I want you to forget her."

Snape nodded.

~*~

He went home, that summer to a house full of shouting. Ever since his father had lost his job, he'd taken more to drinking and was trying to persuade his mother to sell a story of being a witch to the muggle magazines.

"They'd pay a fortune, babe!" Tobias pleaded.

Snape heard his mother shout back, all though he couldn't make out her exact words. He carried on lying on his bed, killing the flies that had congregated on his ceiling, trying to pretend the shouting downstairs were lullabies his parents had never sung to him when he was little. In fact, he didn't move off the bed until he heard a shriek from downstairs.

"Avada Kedavra!"