Voldemort's Apprentice

Chapter Four: Lily's Fourth Hour

The Black family were furious. Narcissa refused to even mention Andromeda's name. The whole family were pretending that Andromeda had never existed. Only Sirius Black in Gryffindor refused to dishonour her and the clash of opinions had led to him running away. Narcissa claimed she thought she would faint from the betrayal.

Being seventh-year or in love with Lily had not stopped Riddle's lessons, all though Snape noticed that he was never taught Occulmency, probably because Riddle was worried that Snape would conceal thoughts about Lily from him. Snape couldn't completely stop thinking about her all though it was less. He wouldn't admit, but he was waiting for the day when Lily would confess her undying love for him. Maybe they could run away or go into hiding on account of her parentage.

Riddle had changed. He was taller all though he had not grown in three years and thinner, all though he was well fed. His facial features had sunk into his skin and he was now known as Lord Voldemort. Nobody Snape knew could bring themselves to say it. He was simply known as the 'Dark Lord' or 'Master'.

Every lesson, Snape would be told a little of Voldemort's plans. Snape knew that as soon as he left school, he would enter Voldemort's employ. It was then that Voldemort would begin to mould the world into his idea of what it should be. Snape was glad. After Hogwarts, he would have nowhere to go. His father was dead; his mother was serving life in Azkaban for his murder. The house had been destroyed by Dementors who had arrived after Eileen had put herself under house arrest, refusing to move.

But Snape hadn't yet encountered the worst moment of his school career.

~*~

Everyone had been looking forward to the Quidditch final for months now.

There wasn't a professor in the staffroom who didn't have money on either Gryffindor or Slytherin. Slughorn seemed especially confident of Slytherin's victory and Potter and Black even had a bookmakers going (odds that Slytherin will win, 1 000-1. Odds that the Slytherin Beaters will fall off their brooms, 2-1. Odds that Snivellius will wash his hair before the match, impossible).

It was with excitement that Lucius, Narcissa and Snape ran to the Quidditch pitch and took their seats. They cheered on the boys in green and booed the Gryffindors (especially Potter).

The game was not worth the wait. Three hours later, no goals had been scored, the snitch had not been seen, all though both Porter and Smith had knocked themselves out with their bats and fallen off their brooms which forced Potter and Black to go round the seats to collect and give out money.

Suddenly, in the fourth hour of play, Potter dived to the ground. The students stood up to see any flash of gold and many did. Before they knew it, Potter was streaking through the sky, the Snitch clasped in his hand and the Gryffindors were roaring their heads off like the lion that was their banner.

Snape was one of the last to leave the pitch. He despondently meandered his way back to the castle. Narcissa and Lucius had already gone ahead.

He was surprised to see the object of his thoughts in front of him. The flash of red hurried past the lake to behind the gamekeeper's hut. Snape followed her, but stood in front of the house so he couldn't be seen.

"That was a good game," Snape heard Evans say.

"You're being kind," a boy said. "Nothing happened until the snitch."

"Yes, but it happened," Lily said. "And you caught it."

"I wouldn't have seen it at all if it hadn't fallen in front of me."

"It's not the only thing that fell," Lily whispered.

Snape didn't hear anything then. He waited a few seconds before peeking round. What he saw nearly made him drop dead on the spot.

Lily had fallen- in love with someone who wasn't Snape.

She was kissing James Potter.

~*~

Snape ran into the Astronomy Tower and slammed the door shut.

"What is it?" Voldemort snapped.

"That little-" Snape stopped, trying to make sense of the thoughts whirling through his mind.

How dare Lily like someone else? How dare she look even once at that creepy show-off? Didn't Potter know she was muggle-born? Or didn't he care? No witch with good blood would go near that stupid Seeker, so maybe that was why he was so willing to have a Mudblood anywhere near him.

Snape turned around to see Voldemort looking at him intently.

The Dark Lord nodded in satisfaction as though Snape had passed a test.

"You are loyal to me again," he breathed. "The Mudblood now truly does mean nothing to you."

Snape smiled as they proceeded with their lesson. He was learning Occulmency. He now truly was forgiven.

~*~

He was nervous, it was true. His heart was as still as the wind tousling his hair.

He was excited too. His teenage years had led to this very moment. This was his destiny.

He stepped inside the circle. Tall black hoods surrounded him. Bellatrix came forward and hung a robe round his shoulders before resuming her place in the perimeter.

Snape knelt down. Voldemort came forward. The Dark Lord took Snape's arm and waved his wand over it. A red mark burned into his skin, reminding Snape of the spell he had cast in his first lesson with Voldemort. The red of the mark reminded Snape of Lily's hair and he knew he was doing the right thing. He had to get rid of Lily and her kind.

Voldemort pointed his wand into the sky.

"Mosmordre!"

~*~

Lily could never quite abandon her Muggle background. She didn't want her little boy or girl to grow up ignorant of life without magic. Lily and James made toast with a toaster, used a car instead of brooms and had a telephone in sitting room. They needed magic for most things, including security- Voldemort's power had made security imperative- but not for mundane tasks.

The phone rang. Lily picked it up, expecting it to be her parents. They had been phoning a lot since Lily announced she was pregnant.

"Hello?"

There was no sound. Lily called louder through the mouthpiece.

"Hello Lily."

Lily tried to place the voice. It sounded familiar.

"This is a lover you spurned. I know you're expecting. Be careful for the child's sake."

Lily tried to put the phone down or call for James. She couldn't.

"Very careful."

~*~

On the other end of the line, Severus Snape put the phone down.

Had he known that he would never speak to her again- that she would be dead within a year- would he have said something more to the woman he loved?

~*~

Lily finally found enough air to scream for James. Tearfully, she described the phone call. They both assumed she had been threatened.

She hadn't.

She had been warned.