Metanoia - The Conversion of Severus Snape

In the months since Evan's death, Snape existed in a sort of fog. His days went by, routinely. He barely noticed what he was doing at work, just churning out the potions by rote, his motions mechanical. Yesterday, he spilled the cauldron at his elbow, and stared at it stupidly. The house-elf Deeno (or was it Teemo? They looked so similar) eyed him worriedly while cleaning it up. There were more burns on his hands than usual, the shiny patches of pink skin showing up starkly against the pale white of his usually dexterous appendages. Snape had his own workbench, and the others ignored him. Rosier had taken an unnecessary risk, it was true, but the reality of his being brought down by Aurors was...sobering. Wilkes' death had been his own stupid fault. Others had been captured, and imprisoned in Azkaban. The space next to him at Death Eater meetings was now empty. But Evan was not locked away in a cell - he was dead, his mangled body buried in his father's burial plot. Snape was no longer playing a game, toying with the Dark Lord's victims. This battle was real, and he would be damned if he would let them take him. He had too much to avenge. Moody and Larson were still at large, and he knew who was in the Order.

They'd been classmates at school. Potter and Black, the shining stars of Gryffindor. Then, they had had the advantage - the teachers always believed their stories, and they seemed impervious to detentions. Granted, Filch had made those detentions as unpleasant as possible, and he always accepted Snape's story. And he himself tended to avoid detentions - he just could not avoid the Gryffindors. But now...things were different. Now, they could come across one another at any time, and in this duel, Snape would have the advantage. Death Eaters only lost when they were hopelessly outnumbered by trained Aurors. Potter and Black were amateurs when it came to the Dark Magic he had mastered...and with Lucius or Rabastan at his back, there was little question who would win.

He felt an odd thrill thinking about how things had changed from childish games to this life-or-death fight in earnest. A twinge of guilt threatened to dampen the mood, but he quashed it quickly. After all, it was Black who had changed the game to killing first. It was only luck (and Potter's guilty conscience) that had saved him from death at the jaws of the werewolf. He would not let such thoughts stop him; given the chance, he would sic a werewolf on either of those men and watch the outcome with satisfaction.

***

"I don't see what the big deal is," Rodolphus remarked. "It's not as if we've never taken on anyone with a guard before."

"These guards are not Aurors," Lucius said impatiently. "They're from Dumbledore's Order, the one that doesn't exist."

"So if we attack them, they get counted as civilian casualties. What's the problem with that?" Bellatrix asked. "It's not like we haven't had that happen before, either," she added, twirling her wand to emphasise her point.

"What you did to Fenwick won't cut it this time. The Dark Lord wishes for us to terrorise the Order, but not engage them. We have to...neutralise them, not kill them," Lucius responded.

"Fair enough," said Rabastan. "He will not be displeased if we maim them, though, will he?"

"No, no, we're allowed to do whatever we please, so long as they are able to repeat the story afterwards," Lucius reassured him, glad for some support.

Bellatrix looked pleased. "So that's why he wanted all of us on board. This should be fun."

"It's not a game, Bella," Snape said quietly. The Lestranges were overwhelming all together, but he wasn't going to walk into a bloodbath with them if he could help it.

"Why so sour, Snape? Don't want us along this time?" Regulus asked.

"If it were just the Minister, I wouldn't mind at all," he said patronisingly. "But if we're to take out the Senior Undersecretary as well as a respected member of the Wizengamot at the same time, then I want to be sure we're all taking this seriously. It's not some lark!"

"We know you never enjoy anything, Snape, but some of us can do our jobs very effectively...and still have a bit of fun." Bellatrix looked put upon, but continued. "It will be nice to torture some decent wizards for a change, rather than just Muggles." She waved her hand dismissively. "If anyone should be left out of this, it's you." She turned to her brother-in-law. "So, Lucius, what's the plan?"

"The plan is for each of us to work together on this," he said pointedly, his eyes icy. "I am not taking anyone along who will not watch my back. We know we'll have to deal with Ogden's personal guards. While they could be Aurors, we expect to find they are Order members, since this is after hours. The Undersecretary always has at least one Auror with him, but we do not know what additional security precautions he plans to take for his guest. Also, from all accounts, his wife is rather timid, terrified of Death Eaters (at this, several in the group smiled), so we suspect she has warded the house fairly well - changing the protections frequently."

"A regular case of paranoia, that one," Rodolphus interrupted.

"Her father worked with Moody from the beginning, so it's no surprise," Rabastan added.

"Right. So, we have some inside information on the house, but we have to be prepared for surprises. Dolohov will be there to set up the Anti-Apparition Jinxes as soon as we arrive. That should keep everybody put, but they do have a Floo connection. So, our first task will be to neutralise that; we don't want anyone slipping out the back door and warning the authorities."

Lucius went on to outline the plan, including several back-up plans. This raid was ambitious, no mistaking it. But how many Death Eaters would it take? Surely six (and Dolohov!) were enough for anything.

***

The evening was misty, so the house loomed up in front of them. It was large, with many lights lit, but also near to its neighbours. They would have to be quick and discreet. Lucius saw a figure standing under a large tree, and motioned to him. With a faint glow, the Anti-Apparition ward went up. Now for it! Rodolphus and Rabastan ran for the back door, while Bellatrix and Lucius went to the front steps. Regulus and Severus were left with the windows. Lucius rapped on the door imperiously. "Open, in the name of the Dark Lord!" Not surprisingly, there was no response to this, so Bellatrix blasted the lock. When that didn't work, Lucius blew the door in.

That set off whatever alarms these people had, so Regulus broke the window. "Idiot!" Snape spat. "How are we going to crawl through broken glass?" He quickly Vanished it, and ignored Regulus' snort. He hefted Regulus through the window, and then Regulus turned and pulled him into the house. They found themselves in an unused and unlit sitting room. The Floo should be in the next room...

They rushed through the door to find someone there ahead of them. A frightened woman looked up and screamed, fleeing the room before they could hex her. "She left the Floo powder," Regulus remarked, picking up a tin on the mantle.

"Stand back, Black!" Snape snarled. Regulus jumped away from the fireplace, and Snape blasted it.

Bricks caved in, and the metal melted. "You think that will make it inoperative?" Regulus asked.

"Do you want to stand here and guard it all night?" Snape retorted.

"Of course not!" Regulus scowled. He then set up an invisible barrier. "No Aurors will get through that, though!" They listened, but it was hard to tell where in the large house people were. "Let's find that woman," Regulus said, and they were off. Cautiously checking hallways, they made their way to the back of the house. When they stepped into the kitchen, something came flying towards them. Instinctively, Regulus sent it ricocheting back in the direction it came with his wand. There was a blood-curdling scream from under the table. A young child was there, with an entire block of kitchen knives. Regulus stopped cold when he saw what he had done.

"Nice shot," Snape said, hoping to hide how shaken he was. The child was not dead...yet. He cast a Silencio so they would not have to listen to its screams. "How many children do they have?"

Regulus glared at him - his eyes were the only part of his face visible through the mask. "Two." The table showed an interrupted meal with plastic plates set for three.

"Are you sure?" Snape asked, doubtful.

"Maybe they had a friend over!" Regulus called in exasperation. "Now, come on! I want to find the others." At that moment, thumps were heard as someone ran heavily down the stairs. They trained their wands on the doorway and stood well back from it. A large shadow loomed in the doorway - Rabastan.

"Who have you seen?" he asked tersely when he saw his fellow Death Eaters waiting for him in the kitchen.

"Just a woman and this child," Snape answered, gesturing under the table with the toe of his boot.

Rabastan looked at the child in surprise, but then asked, "Where did the woman go?"

"We lost her when we disabled the Floo," Regulus answered.

"Never mind then. The Undersecretary's barricaded himself in a room upstairs. I left Rodolphus to guard him, but he could probably use some back-up. Let's go!"

All three of them rushed up the stairs, wands out, and found Rodolphus waiting for them. "He's got a devilishly tricky lock - nothing works on it."

"Password protected," Snape said with disgust.

"Probably," Rodolphus agreed.

Regulus was studying the door hinges. "The pins aren't protected." He tapped each one with his wand and they flew out. "Now try it!" Rabastan blew the door in. As the dust and smoke cleared, bolts of light came from within the room. One hit Rodolphus in the shoulder, and he cursed. They fell back on either side of the door.

"How many do you reckon are in there?" Regulus whispered.

"The Secretary and an Auror, I think," Rabastan answered. "We can take them."

"Expelliarmus!" Snape shouted, guessing at the location of his adversaries. A shout from the other men suggested his aim was true.

Regulus pointed at the ceiling, and a rain of plaster fell on those within the room. "Now!" he shouted.

All four rushed in, quickly ducking behind furniture. It was a study, with one large desk and panelled wood walls hung with portraits. Rabastan was right; only two men were in this room, and they were both trapped. One was disarmed; his wand lay uselessly in the middle of the floor amidst chunks of fallen plaster. There was one window, but neither of them would reach it unmarked. The man behind the desk let off a Stunner; it bounced uselessly off the wall two feet from Rabastan's head. Rodolphus turned on the unarmed man and shouted, "Crucio!" The spell only clipped him, but the man fell out from behind a chair, exposed - the Undersecretary. Then the man behind the desk Stunned Rodolphus, who slumped over. Before the Secretary could get away, though, Regulus had him bound with ropes. Now it was three Death Eaters vs. one Auror. Snape set the desk on fire - greedy purple flames shot up to the ceiling. The Auror was forced to retreat, exposing him to Rabastan's wand.

"Avad-"

"Avada Kedavra!" With a beam of green light, the Auror's body fell to the ground, lifeless. Rabastan had been a split second faster.

Regulus turned to Rennervate Rodolphus, who came to with a snarl. "Why, that little...."

"Relax, he's dead," his brother reassured him.

"That's not enough!" he said, leaping up. Seeing the cheerfully burning desk, he quickly levitated the man's body onto it. The stench of burning hair and clothes filled the room, causing the Undersecretary to choke on the black smoke.

"Finish the bloodtraitor, Regulus," Rabastan said, turning to leave the room. Another bolt of green, and the man's coughing fit ended abruptly. "The others must be near the front door - let's go relieve them." They left the room on fire. The plan had been for Lucius and Bellatrix to draw the main fire to distract from the multiple break-ins. But the venerable member of the Wizengamot and his Order lackeys hadn't been seen yet; they were largely an unknown.

Back on the first level, they heard shouts and chaos. Hurrying towards the front of the house, they found Lucius holding the door himself, trying to prevent a breakout. Hearing more Death Eaters approach, the defenders made one last desperate attempt to open a way of escape. Simultaneously, three wands pointed at Lucius and shouted the Blasting Curse. His shield proved too weak to block it, and he was sent flying through the ruined door, across the steps, and out onto the dim lawn. Ogden leaped out the door, but the other two did not follow him. They immediately started firing off curses at the four Death Eaters who had just joined the fray, effectively guarding Ogden's exit. These two were not Aurors; they weren't wearing any uniforms. Rather, they were two youngish men, tall and thin, with matching red hair. The Order. Snape cursed; they'd have to bring them down without killing them. But they were outnumbered two to one; slowly, they drove the young men out of the foyer and into the adjoining room.

"We've got them for now!" Rabastan shouted over the din of curses. "Expelliarmus!" It went wide, ricocheting uselessly off the wall. He looked to see who was nearest to the door. "Snape, get Lucius!"

Cautiously, Snape stepped out onto the front step. The fog had not lifted. He saw an inert form lying on the grass nearby. Quickly, he crossed over and stooped down. It was Lucius; he was out cold, and his arm was at a strange angle. His robes smelt burnt. Alarmed, Snape checked for a pulse. He let out a breath shakily; he lived. Quickly, he Rennervated him. Lucius gasped in pain, and clutched at Snape's robes with his good arm. He seemed disoriented. "You're alright; we're still at the Secretary's. Ogden got away."

"Blast! Where's Dolohov? He was supposed to have the grounds covered." His sudden move to sit up caused him to wince and suck in his breath. "My arm...."

"It's broken, but it will mend. How is everything else? Can you stand?"

Lucius seemed clearer now. He made a motion to sit up, but winced again. "No, there's something wrong with my leg."

"Hang on, I'll levitate you." Slowly, he got Lucius up, and made for the tree Dolohov had been standing under. Dolohov had brought a cache of brooms, in case they would need them to escape. A good thing, too, because Lucius was in no shape to Disapparate. "As soon as we disarm those two Order members, we'll be back, and get you out of here..."

"No! Get the others and leave now. Ogden will be sure to raise the alarm any minute. Now go!"

Snape hurried back to the ruined front door, when another figure melted from the trees. He trained his wand on the man, only to see Dolohov. He wasted no words in his report. "Lucius is injured, and Ogden got away. The Secretary and his Auror are dead."

"Old Tiberius didn't get far," Dolohov replied. "I nicked him on his way out. But what of his guards?"

"Two Order members; Rabastan, Rodolphus and Regulus are fighting them now."

"And Bellatrix?"

"Haven't seen her."

Dolohov growled. "Let's get in there and finish this, boy."

Snape bristled. "But Lucius said to get the others and go..."

"Lucius isn't in charge any more. We'll go when I say."

They re-entered the smoky entrance foyer to find the two Order men shoulder to shoulder in a doorway, deflecting everything the Death Eaters tried to hit them with.

"No more messing around - I want their heads!" Dolohov announced.

"But the Dark Lord wanted them alive, to send a message," Regulus said in surprise.

"We've sent plenty of messages tonight; I want them dead before the Hit Wizards arrive."

"I say, Gideon, you'd think we weren't here."

"Yes, for them to be discussing our deaths like that."

"But I suppose it's better they talk about it."

"As long as they don't do anything about it, Fabian!"

Dolohov raised his wand. "Avada Kedav-" he shouted, but before the words were out of his mouth, both young men were through the doorway and into the next room.

"Run, miss!" was heard, but they could not see their quarry.

Dolohov motioned for Rabastan and Rodolphus to go around and try to get at the other doorway. "Well don't just stand there - take down these walls!" he growled.

Regulus and Snape cut and blasted until there were several gaping holes in the wall; meanwhile Dolohov continued to fire curses into the room, so that the young men could not escape. A curse came back through one of the holes, barely missing Regulus. Dolohov immediately began to fire in that direction, until a satisfying oof was heard. Regulus ran up to the wall and peered through. "You've got him!" he called excitedly.

"Now for the other," Dolohov muttered.

Regulus cried out and fell back, clawing his face. "My eyes!"

Impatiently, Dolohov rushed through the doorway. "Avada Kedavra!" This time, he got the spell off, and there was a thud.

Snape came through, and found one man slumped motionless on the floor, while the other was clutching his stomach in pain. "That'll teach you to hex Lucius Malfoy!" The man's eyes flew open, and he attempted to lift a hand that still held a wand. Snape killed him with a slash to the heart.

There was a third body in the room - Bellatrix. Snape went to her, and Rennervated her as he had Lucius. "Where are the bastards who got me?" she snarled.

"Dead or gone," he answered; "sorry you've missed it."

"Where are Rabastan and Rodolphus?" Dolohov asked impatiently. "We need to leave this place!"

"Here!" they called, from back in the house. "We've found the Undersecretary's wife, but she's barricaded herself in a room pretty good."

"No time! Leave her and get yourselves out here!"

They re-emerged into the foyer, and grabbed Regulus (whose eyes were still smarting). Rodolphus and Rabastan came running up. "Get to the brooms! I'll fire the Dark Mark," Dolohov ordered.

They fled into the night, the eerie green glow of the Dark Mark behind them. Rodolphus kept trying to see after Bellatrix, who insisted she was fine. Regulus could barely see, and kept rubbing at his eyes. Lucius was in bad shape, though - Rabastan held him on his broom.

***

"Does anyone have any Pain Number?" Rabastan asked, his voice laced with worry. In the light of the house, Lucius looked poorly.

"We have to take him to St. Mungo's," Regulus said, pale as a ghost.

"Fool!" Bellatrix bit out. "They'll recognize a Blasting Curse, and news of our exploits have doubtless leaked out by now. He wouldn't want to be caught!" Dolohov had already left. Someone turned on the Wireless.

"We're reporting live from Pembroke, where there are reports of a Death Eater break-in earlier this evening. The Dark Mark was seen, but at this point, we do not know if anyone has died..."

The seven of them were reporting to the Dark Lord, who was not pleased with their bungled attack. "Why was Lucius left to hold the door by himself?" he asked in that high cold voice.

"He had Bellatrix with him, and I was backup outside the house," Dolohov responded. "The others were busy with the Undersecretary..."

"Though we have confirmed that the house belonged to recently-appointed Senior Undersecretary Haliway, an out-spoken supporter of Muggleborns and loner in the Ministry."

"One of those Order boys caught me off guard, and before I knew what had happened, I had a half-dozen bats in my face," Bellatrix continued, suitably chagrined by her uncharacteristic weakness.

He was twelve. The usually aloof Black girl was uncharacteristically enthusiastic. "A Bat-Bogey Hex? That's really cool! Mine never last..."

"We found her next to the entranceway, out cold," Regulus put in. "They must have Stunned her."

"I knew Ogden would be in no condition to talk after he ran off, so I decided it only appropriate to retaliate by taking out his guards," Dolohov continued, ignoring the interruptions.

"St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies refuses to comment, but an unnamed witch in the Emergency Department says they've had one man come in who was there. At this time, we do not know what condition he is in, or even who he is. Aurors are on standby, in case he is one of ...of them, You-Know-Who's supporters. Reporting live, this is Smith."

"I specifically instructed you to leave the Order members alive," the Dark Lord said quietly, but impatiently. "Anyone else in the house was fair game, but not them!"

"Don't worry, the message will get out. No one will forget this one," Dolohov assured him. The others did not dare to cross their Master.

"You had better be right, Dolohov. I would hate to lose confidence in you." He turned away from the seasoned Death Eater. "Now, about Lucius..."

"Here at the Haliway house, the big question is "why?" We know the Undersecretary's politics were unpopular in some quarters, but his wife and children did not deserve to be subjected to this. I can confirm that two bodies were removed from the house, but MLE won't identify them yet. Hopefully, we'll have some answers soon. Julia?"

Lucius collapsed back on the pillows after they gave him the potion; his face, usually pale, had taken on a greyish hue, and his breathing was shallow. Narcissa was frantic. Rabastan stabilized the broken arm, and started to mend it. Bellatrix feverishly flipped through a mediwitch textbook, trying to figure out what to do about his leg. Two of the blasts had hit the same spot; luckily, only one had hit his chest. But the leg was a nasty bit of work, badly burned. Rodolphus had applied a salve to it, to no effect.

That was when they got their Master's call. "What about Lucius?" Regulus asked worriedly.

"Bring him," said Rabastan shortly.

"He can't Apparate, but we can bring him Side-Along," Bellatrix assured her sister, who had started to whimper. She looked worried, though.

Two years ago, Lucius had teased Wilkes when he came back from a raid with singed hair and a black eye. Mulciber, one of the senior Death Eaters, had rebuked him. "Lucius, we cannot all fight as prettily as you." The others had laughed.

"What is the problem with him?" the Dark Lord asked with distaste, after he had finished questioning them.

"Two blasts to his leg, sir, one to his chest, and a broken arm from the fall," Regulus answered miserably.

"No need to look so concerned, Bella, your sister will not be a widow tonight." He pointed his wand, and with three quick flicks, Lucius suddenly relaxed.

"Th-thank you, m'lord," he muttered, almost inaudibly.

"Take better care of yourself," the Dark Lord sneered at him. "I do not like cleaning up after your messes. Dismissed."

***

He was in a darkened house, and he was searching for something. He had his wand out, and it was lit, but it only illuminated empty rooms. Then, slowly, he noticed a whimpering sound. He become impatient - he had to find it now. The whimpering got louder, turning into screams and pleas. He could not hear the words. He rushed headlong down the steps. "Please..." he heard. "...Please, help me." The pitiful whimpering continued, driving him to distraction. Finally, he reached the last room - he flung open the door, and there on the floor he saw the huddled form of a child. The young girl looked at him pleadingly, her burned face grotesque in the dim light. "You have to help me!" she whimpered, but as he raised his wand, she screamed and flinched, recoiling from him.

The room dissolved, and Snape woke with her screams ringing in his ears. He tried to put the dream out of his mind, and did not dwell on it. He found himself haunted by the young girl's green eyes, though.

***

DEADLY ATTACK - A dinner party ends in tragedy
A Daily Prophet Exclusive
Last night, the Wizarding World suffered another fatal Death Eater attack. Early in the evening, an unknown number of supporters of You Know Who broke into the Pembroke house of Senior Undersecretary Haliway. Paul Puterbaugh, originally of Pangburn, is a neighbour of the Haliways. "Thankfully, I was away from home last evening. I returned to find the place in chaos - fire and screaming, and the Dark Mark." Haliway's widow has told our reporter that she was in the kitchen with her two children when the attack occurred. "We had guests, and I had just stopped in to see that they were alright when there was a horrible noise in the front of the house. I rushed into the parlour, only to find two of those..of those...Death Eaters. I panicked and ran." Their guests were Tiberius Ogden of the Wizengamot, and Gideon and Fabian Prewett, two young brothers who work at the Ministry as well. Haliway and William Beckley, the Auror assigned to him, were found dead in the upstairs study. Beckley's body was badly charred; the Death Eaters had set the room on fire. The Prewetts were found near the front door, victims of very Dark Magic. Ogden was able to flee the house, but was injured before he escaped. This morning, he had recovered from his wounds enough to speak. From his hospital bed, he has told us, "Gideon and Fabian saved my life. They held off the Death Eaters who tried to pursue me as I left." Amanda Haliway also hails the brothers as heroes. "If they had not held the attackers off as long as they did...I don't know if I would have survived. My daughter and I are alive today because the Death Eaters left before...before..." She was unable to continue, overcome by tears. Her son, young Nathan Haliway, was badly injured during the attack. The Death Eaters stabbed him with a knife and left him for dead. He was rushed to St. Mungo's, but did not survive the night. This brutal attack is thought to be in retaliation for a recent Wizengamot decision, vocally supported by Haliway, that guaranteed protections to Muggleborns. Rufus Scrimgeour, head of the Aurors, has promised to extend greater protection to Ministry officials. After last night's attack, it is clear that more protection is needed.

***

The article was accompanied by a picture of the Dark Mark over the house and another of the woman and her surviving child. It was on the front page; the news of the passing of Adalbert Waffling in his sleep was relegated to page 4, though on any other day, that would have been headline news.

Impatiently, Snape threw the paper down, and stood up to pace. What is wrong with me? he wondered. This wasn't like the numbness after Rosier's death, nor the nervous energy before his first raid. It was...a disconnect. He couldn't think. He couldn't do anything. He was angry, but he didn't know why. At first, Lucius had been a distraction. They had got him stabilised, eventually. And then there was the report to the Dark Lord. That had passed in a blur; he did not recall speaking at all. But now, that was all over. Lucius would survive. The Dark Lord would hold Dolohov responsible. There was nothing to keep him from thinking of what had happened now. When he thought of the Order members, the Prewetts...he felt icy cold. There was something about having to work with Regulus, about losing Lucius as leader, about the eyes of... no. He would not think of it! He grabbed a glass and threw it against the wall, getting no satisfaction from the sound of it shattering. With a wave of his wand, the glass was cleared away. He had to get out of this house.

***

He arrived at work, even though it was his day off. The house-elves let him in, but the place was empty and eerie. Disregarding that, he started on a new potion, one of the special orders that was waiting to be filled. After awhile, he was able to forget what he'd been thinking of and just focus on what he was doing. He did not hear anyone enter, so was a bit surprised to look up and see Gamp watching him.

"Dedicated to your work, as always, I see," his boss remarked. "Do you often come in on your day off?"

"No, I just wanted to get started on some of our backlog," Snape lied smoothly. His boss couldn't really complain; he was even in proper uniform (since he would not risk ruining any of his other robes).

"Have you ever considered running your own potions business?" Gamp asked with some curiosity.

"No," Snape replied. "Too much work." Not that Gamp would know about that. Snape had never seen him brew anything himself.

"Good, I don't want to lose you," he quipped. "There's a new publication from the Potioneers Society in my office, if you are interested. Have a good afternoon," he called, and left.

When Snape finished all his chopping, and had the potion safely simmering for awhile, he got restless again. He needed something to do with his fingers, or else they'd just rap the table repeatedly. He poked his head into Gamp's office, looking for the periodical he'd mentioned.

It was on the desk, in the midst of a mess of papers. Snape gingerly extracted it, then returned to his bench. He opened it up at random and tried his best to read an article while his potion was brewing. It was about foreign supplies of ingredients or exotic potions. Something like that. He flipped a page, and laughed. The next article was written by none other than a G. Gamp. No wonder the old man had offered to let him read it! He skimmed through it. The examples were all potions that they brewed regularly. What caught his attention, though, was the short biographical blurb at the end. Gamp had become no less mysterious in the time he had worked for him, so he was interested to find out that he was a supporter of the Committee on Experimental Charms and charter member of the S.S.S. society, whatever that was.

***

It was almost quiet in the empty hall. The gold sconces of Malfoy Manor illuminated the polished floor, making the room seem sterile and empty. Snape had wandered out into the hall, pretending to observe the paintings. He was staring at a rather bland landscape unseeingly. The sounds of that infernal Muggle music reached him even out here. He sighed, exasperated. At least it was fainter, muffled. But then the door opened, and the strains could be heard more clearly. "You better stay away from him. He'll rip your lungs out, Jim." He grimaced, and turned to see Regulus Black stepping out into the hall with a slight shudder. Regulus offered him a lopsided grin, reminding Snape strongly of his older brother Sirius. The grimace settled into a sneer.

"Had enough of the werewolf's music, have you?"

"Well, I saw you'd escaped," Regulus shot back. "At least Lucius only invites him to these things, though I wish he wouldn't."

"If this were a purely social gathering, I am sure he wouldn't, but he must impress the Dark Lord's supporters," Snape answered.

"Intimidate them, you mean. I don't care who his family is, he's just a werewolf." Regulus brushed off his robes disdainfully.

"There's nothing quite as uncouth as a pureblood werewolf with a taste for Muggle music," Snape agreed. "But then, only a pureblood would be amused by it."

"What do you mean?" Regulus asked, suspicious but curious.

"Have you ever seen a Mudblood brag about his heritage?" Snape replied. "Muggles just aren't that interesting." He paused, then added quietly, "Nothing is, actually."

Regulus looked at him carefully. "You're right," he agreed, just as quietly. "Nothing...nothing really matters."

"No, they matter," Snape disagreed. "It's full moon next week. Would you like to meet Greyback then?"

"Of course not! Though it would be nice if Lucius planned his parties then." He smiled apologetically, a half-hearted attempt that did not reach his eyes. "It's just...recently...oh, what's the point?" he said in frustration. "I don't know what's wrong with me. But I can't go back in there."

Snape thought of several clever barbs to send Regulus on his way, or at least shut him up, but he could not muster the strength to care enough to execute them. He merely turned away and hoped the younger Black would do his soul searching elsewhere.

But apparently Regulus took the silence as an invitation. "You see," he began awkwardly. "I...went home recently. I couldn't stand it. Mother is impossible - she kept calling me her only son. I couldn't take that anymore, so I went to visit Sirius." Snape turned around slowly, his dark eyes burning.

"How is the cur?" His lip curled. "Living in a filthy den bemoaning his fate?"

"No, he's fine," Regulus said impatiently.

"Is fraternising with Order members...wise?"

"Snape, he's my brother. He wasn't going to kill me in his living room."

"That happy to see you, was he?"

"Surprised, yes."

"Don't kid yourself. He would kill you if he met you wearing your mask."

"I know," Regulus said quietly, his face troubled. "And certainly I would do the same. But I just wanted to see... to see if he was still the same old Sirius, or if he had changed. There was a time when...when he was just my brother, not my brother the Gryffindor, my brother the rebel."

"He won't change," Snape said, almost vehemently. "And if you want to be rid of him, just say the word and Lucius will arrange for our friend the werewolf to pay him a visit next week."

Regulus waved his hand impatiently. "I've had enough of intrigue. If I want him dead, I'll do it myself."

"Intrigue?" Snape asked, eyebrow raised.

"You needn't worry, we didn't discuss business. He wanted to know how people were, and I asked after his friends. His godson, the little Potter boy, is one, and they just celebrated the birthday last week. He's so proud of the little kid, you'd think he was the father. He went on about how he's sure to be a great Quidditch player, and terribly clever, just because he can roll over and babble. Weird." He shook his head. "But then he teased about how he'll be youngest in his class, probably, just like me, and that was like old times. Sirius always said August was a funny time for a birthday, because nothing else happens then. Though his godson's born in July, it's at the tail end, so near enough."

Snape went very still, his usually pale face clammy white. Regulus was lost in thought, and didn't notice. "Of course, we had some heated words, too."

At that moment, the door swung open again, and this time Lucius himself stepped into the hall. The man managed to look regal, even with his arm in a sling and his weight resting on a cane. "Ah, there you are...."

"We just stepped out for some fresh air - it was getting stuffy in there," Regulus quickly made their excuse. "But I could use another drink," he added, returning to the door. Snape followed, wordlessly. The werewolf's song was over, at least, and he didn't seem to have another on hand.

Lucius didn't make it far. He was immediately accosted by a simpering Ministry lackey. "Oh, Mr. Malfoy, what happened? Your arm...your leg?" He smiled faintly, but the look of long-suffering probably had more to do with the question than the injury. "A riding accident. My father raises Abraxans in Normandy, perhaps you knew that?" The listener nodded, but with a vacant expression suggesting otherwise. "He's having trouble breaking one, and when I tried to ride it, the blasted creature took off and rolled." His questioner looked sympathetic. "I've always preferred Aethonons, fewer tricks out of them." Lucius nodded. "Quite," he said, and gripped the head of his cane.

Regulus disappeared in the direction of the drinks, and Snape found himself standing idly by himself for a moment.

"Have you tried any of the soup?" asked a voice at his side, causing him to start. "It's very good - spicy."

"No, I have not, and I do not care to," Snape said. He was not certain if his voice sounded tired or annoyed, but he wished Avery would go away. This wish, like so many others, was not granted.

"Since you're skulking over here, I suppose you haven't seen Bellatrix?" Avery asked, clearly relishing whatever news he was about to impart.

"No, I haven't, why?" Snape asked, irritated. He turned his back to the other man and scanned the crowd, hoping Avery would take the hint.

"Her dress has no sleeves. Or at least, just some filmy gauze ones."

"I don't see why you should be so interested in that." Snape certainly wasn't.

"Oh, it's nothing...just...her forearm is visible."

Snape realised what he was saying, and looked back in some surprise. "Really? I've always said she was crazy."

Avery lowered his voice, as if telling a secret. "Well, as far as I know, she is the only one who's willingly given our Lord some of her blood. Offered it to him, even."

"She what?" Snape spun, and looked the man in the eyes, to see if he were somehow joking. But no, Avery was as serious as ever.

"Gave him her blood. For what purpose, I'm sure I don't know, but...her brazenness isn't an act."

Snape just shook his head. He couldn't deal with all of this information right now, so he just stored it away for future reference. But he was sure of one thing - only a complete fool would do something like that. Or a fanatic. He had not thought Bellatrix was the former, so she must be the latter. But then again - was there really any difference?

***

Snape returned to the Ministry Library, almost feverish in his impatience to confirm Regulus' story. Let the fool be mistaken...let the boy be born in August. He'd read the Prophet, hadn't he? There had been no other birth announcements in July, he would have noticed... He flipped through the records. Now he was looking at children, the students he would have had to teach, had he got the job at Hogwarts. Almost without breathing, he looked further...to the children who were born in July of last year. He found the Longbottom boy - born July 30th, as he'd remembered. But there...the very next entry:

Harry James Potter
Born July 31, 1980
To James and Lily Potter

He hit the book in his frustration. It couldn't be! They must not have announced it until August, if at all. But which one would the Dark Lord choose? Surely, either boy would work. It couldn't all depend on how many times the parents had defied Him, could it? The Longbottoms were Aurors, purebloods. He'd looked them up. They fit perfectly...it had to be them. It couldn't be the Potters. As much as he'd dreamed of revenge against him...this shouldn't be happening. He wanted to face him in battle, as a man. Not send the Dark Lord after his family because of his creeping, whispered story of some half-baked Prophecy! What sort of revenge was that? Maybe...maybe the Dark Lord would choose the Longbottoms. Maybe...after all, they were purebloods, and Lily was...a Mudblood. He grimaced. He could not call her that, not even in his mind, with no one to hear. But the Dark Lord cared about such things. Harry James Potter was a half-blooded brat, the son of a bloodtraiter and a filthy Muggle-born. Surely...he wouldn't be seen as the child of prophecy?

While he was there, he looked up groups that called themselves S.S.S. Anything to distract him. He found nothing likely, and had almost resigned himself to looking through old issues of the Prophet, when he found the Ministry's file of clubs and organisations. One word jumped out at him: Squib. Gamp was a Squib. Snape was floored. He never would have guessed it. He had just assumed...well, the man certainly could pass for a wizard! He knew all about brewing potions, he just... never brewed them himself. Bizarre....

***

The Summons came unexpectedly late one evening. Snape had been home by himself (as always), but he imagined it was a nuisance for those Death Eaters with families. Lucius had a child at home, and even old Nott did as well. Their problem; but what was this about? Was the Dark Lord going to announce his latest victim? They were meeting outside again, on a wide open expanse; downs, he thought. Very lonely and remote. Once everyone was in place, the Dark Lord came to life. Snape hadn't realised how reserved and aloof he was until he began. Then, he immediately drew all eyes to himself, quickly moving about the circle. It was so fascinating that Snape almost forgot to listen to what he was saying. But then he caught the word traitor and his attention snapped back.

"Yes, this man would betray us all. But that can never be."

With a flourish, he gestured to someone standing outside the circle; two Death Eaters dragged in an unmasked man by his arms and deposited him at their Lord's feet. They then withdrew to their places in the circle.

The man crumpled when he was dropped, but then looked up; it was Regulus Black. Snape gasped in shock, but quickly stifled his response. Regulus was clearly afraid. His face was deathly pale and his legs were too weak to hold his weight. The Dark Lord had called him a traitor, and was now enumerating his crimes, but Snape could not tear his eyes away from the doomed man.

"You cannot lie to me, but you should have been more prudent in choosing with whom to share news of your desertion. I have many eyes and ears. I always know."

The Dark Lord had his wand in his hand, and he seemed angry. He drew a noose of orange flames about Regulus' neck, but did not tighten it. "You know where I went last night. How?"

Regulus whispered a single word in reply: "Digitus."

"The Find Me spell? How...pedestrian. But such spells do not work on me, surely you knew this." He walked in a slow circle, the flames still attached to his wand. "How did you know?" he repeated, drawing the flames tighter, singeing Regulus' neck. The dark eyes stared out of the dead man's face, and his voice trembled as he answered. "It works on your robes."

"An oversight I shall correct after your death." He turned to the gathered Death Eaters. "For surely death is a fitting punishment for those who would desert us or betray our cause."

His eyes smarting with the smoke, he blinked rapidly, but there was little else he could do. "You will meet your own some day," the condemned man rasped. With that, the Dark Lord drew the noose tight, cutting off Regulus' last gasp. His head lolled at a sickening angle, and the stench of burnt flesh filled the air. Snape looked away as the body crumpled at the Dark Lord's feet, but could not help looking back when the Dark Lord spoke again. Regulus' sightless eyes were turned towards him, and that image burned itself into his mind. He did not listen to the instructions for the disposal of the body and he left as soon as the Dark Lord dismissed them. There would be no social mingling or lingering tonight.

Snape threw up what was left of his dinner when he got home.

*** *** ***