Lily's Charm: The Gift

Chapter 34: Sins of the Father

1996

"Harry!" Severus lunged toward his son, but captured only empty air as Harry disappeared. "No!" He caught himself, only just, on one of the shop's shelves, and spun around sharply, his wand already drawn by the time he was facing the shopkeeper.

Rene backed up a step, his mouth slack with shock. "Sev...Severus," he stammered. Severus grabbed the other man's arm roughly, and with a single word, Lily's doe erupted from the tip of his wand and cantered out of the shop at a breakneck speed.

"Do not move!" Severus' snarl petered out as panic seized his mind. Harry! He had no idea if he meant to call out to Harry through their connection, but the hurtled response, made his heart seize.

Bellatrix! And over and over the name streamed through Harry's wisp as if that was the only thought occupying his mind.

Severus' grip lost its tension on Rene's arm. "No," he whispered as his legs went boneless beneath him and he crumpled to his knees. No...Bellatrix was dead. She had been Kissed by Dementors--pictures of her soulless body had been splashed across the front page of the Prophet-

Dad! Harry's silent voice forced Severus to focus again, and in the next instant, he had roughly plunged his terror down through his shields and buried it there. He grasped at the only connection he had with his son and projected calm toward Harry's storm--it was almost impossible; his arms trembled as he held himself up with his palms.

Where are you? he asked silently.

Confusion filled Severus' mind. A field. And Severus could see it--an image projected through their connection. And empty field, the grass brown and cold. And familiar...somehow familiar...

Severus closed his eyes, as the terror tried to push its way up past his shields.

"Severus!"

Severus' eyes came blearily open as Remus, with both Tonks and Black right behind him, crashed through the Apothecary door. Without even coming to a full stop, Remus fell to his knees; he gripped both of Severus' arms, bringing Severus up a little.

"What's happened?" Remus demanded, his voice higher than Severus ever recalled it being.

"Harry," Severus said, his voice so raspy it was unrecognizable as his own. "Bellatrix..." He couldn't finish the sentence. And then Black's face was in front of his own as well.

"She's dead," he said, his own voice filled with panic equal to Remus'.

"Harry," Severus moaned as fear spiked through Harry's storm.

"Can you hear him?" Remus asked breathlessly.

"Yes..."

"Find out where he is." Remus' fingers tightened painfully, bringing Severus sharply back to reality.

He pulled roughly away from Remus' grip, shutting out his surroundings as he focused on the pulse of his son's wisp. Where are you? he asked again. He closed his eyes. What do you see?

--

"Dad," Harry whispered as his father's voice filled his mind. He tried once more to concentrate on his surroundings; it was difficult as he kept his eyes on Bellatrix.

Bellatrix shook her head, the twisted smile still playing on her lips. "Not yet, Harry," she told him, her voice soft and silken. She reached a hand out, as though to caress his cheek, but she curled her fingers away as Harry jerked out of reach. "Soon, though, I promise...soon."

Harry had no idea what she was talking about, only realizing belatedly that he had spoken out loud when he'd heard his father's silent questions.

Bellatrix's gaze flicked to Harry's hand, clenched fiercely around his wand. "Go ahead," she encouraged, her eyes widening just a little in gleeful challenge, "try a spell..."

"What do you want?" Harry asked, grateful that his voice remained level, even as he ignored her taunting. It went against all his instincts to keep his wand still, but now was not the time to act rashly...

"Accio Harry's wand," she called lazily, but Harry had included that possibility in the essay his father had set him. And thanks to the spell Severus had put on Harry's wand, Bellatrix's command was ignored.

Bellatrix's face darkened. And then she simply leaned forward and snatched it from Harry's hand. Harry frowned at her in surprise. Obviously, they'd need to re-address that part of the plan--Harry sucked in a gasp of surprise as Bellatrix backhanded him as hard as she could, it seemed. Harry stumbled back. Bellatrix assisted him to the ground, pushing him. He stared up at her, flat on his back now.

"You cannot best me, Harry," she whispered as she bent down. She pierced Harry's throat with his own holly. "Even with your wand," she said mockingly. She imparted just enough pressure against Harry's windpipe that he struggled for breath, and then she released his wand abruptly. It crossed his throat as it stilled.

Bellatrix fingered her wand lovingly as she stared at Harry with crystal blue eyes. "I want justice," she said, finally answering Harry's earlier question. She smiled again. "You and Severus...Severus murdered my Lord," she continued on softly, her eyes glassy and distant as she watched a spot past Harry's shoulder. "And now, Severus will pay for what he's done..." She focused once more on Harry's face. "...You as well," she amended, the backs of her fingers curling close to Harry's cheek, only millimeters of air between the two. Harry tried to pull his head back, but Bellatrix's hand simply moved with him this time.

She brushed her first finger over his lips as she whispered, "It will hurt you to see your father suffering, won't it, Harry?"

Harry didn't answer, sensing it would only fuel her quietly simmering mania; besides, he was concentrating too fiercely on the details of the tall trees surrounding them--they seemed much too familiar to him.

"To see him forced to watch as I torture you?" Bellatrix pressed, her eyes almost eager now. She caught Harry's chin in her hand now, but Harry gazed back at her, keeping his face still to look unimpressed by her tactics. The words sent thrills of fear down his spine, but he gave nothing away. Anger danced through the mad woman's eyes now as she peered into Harry's stony face.

"No?" she questioned, her fingers tightening a little. "You care nothing for your father's pain?" she demanded. "You'll have no objections if I play with him a little bit first, then, Harry? Something a little more painful than Cruciatus..."

"Let go of me," Harry growled, trying without success to wrench his chin away from her bruising fingers as her voice changed to something more menacing. Bellatrix laughed.

"Enough of this, Bella," a deep voice interrupted. Bellatrix's fingers slid off Harry's chin as Bavister Simon stepped out from the trees. "You can do what you like to Severus, but I need Harry." He smiled at Harry. "It won't do to hurt him too much."

Bellatrix stepped away from Harry, gliding and dipping her shoulders in a servile manner; Harry scrambled back to his feet, clutching his wand in his hand again.

"Have you dispatched your bird?" she asked, her eyes glued to Harry. Simon smiled, in a manner so condescending, that Harry felt a ludicrous pity for Bellatrix.

"In a moment, Bella. He's ready, but I will need a few moments alone with Harry before we ask Severus to join us." He patted her arm, and Harry all but screamed the warning to his father through his wisp. They want you to come! But there was no answering panic from his father--simply calm projected back, and another request for Harry to concentrate on his surroundings. Harry immediately discarded his knee-jerk plea for his father to stay away--it would be ignored.

"You really have nothing else to do now," Simon was saying to Bellatrix, "so if you will allow me-" Simon's face began to turn red, and then quickly darkened to purple as Bellatrix smiled. Simon's fingers tore at his own throat, his eyes bulging grotesquely out of their sockets.

Bellatrix waved her wand lazily, and Harry stared, speechless, as Simon rose into the air. Another flick of Bellatrix's wrist and the tall man was tossed across the clearing, to land near the trees on the opposite side, where he struggled for only a moment, and then fell silent.

Bellatrix turned back to Harry, her expression serene. "What was that, Harry?" she asked, tilting her head curiously as incoherent syllables rushed from Harry's lips.

"But...what..."

Bellatrix waved her hand dismissively toward Simon. "He was useful for awhile," she explained. "He wanted to be the next Minister...wanted you to help him..." She smiled again. "But I could not allow that, you understand. Not when you and Severus have so much to atone for..."

Harry shook his head, still staring at the human lump under the trees. His knees felt weak as he turned back to Bellatrix. He almost gasped when he saw the towering manor for the first time...in the distance--the light of the moon flickering eerily against its sharply slanted spires.

He had to clamp down the impulse to push the image below his shields to hide it from his father--and an instant later, relief flooded his mind. I am coming, his father's flame promised. Harry's teeth began to chatter then.

"Oh, are you cold, Harry?" Bellatrix asked, in a voice meant to pretend care, but she simply sounded even more deranged than she had a moment ago. "We can start the fire now, if you like." And with that, a ball of flame was dancing in her palm.

Before Harry could react, Bellatrix's free hand shot out and grabbed the back of Harry's head. She pulled his face close to the crackling flames. "I wanted to wait for Severus," she told him, her own face very close to Harry's. "I should wait..."

She blew a gentle breath into the sphere, and though no fire touched Harry, he cried out as heat seared his entire body.

--

"Damn it," Sirius growled as he stumbled over a root. Remus, grabbed at his arm impatiently, and pulled him for a few steps until he had his footing again.

Snape was practically flying through the dense forest; he'd shed his robes right before they'd Apparated to Riddle Manor--Sirius kept his eyes focused on Snape's long black trouser legs as he tried to keep up. Remus was having just as much trouble it seemed, though at least he hadn't lost his footing as many times as Sirius had. Tonks was moving almost as quickly as Snape, her own purple robes having long since vanished in a puff of violet smoke.

Every sound of the rapidly darkening forest grated at Sirius' nerves. It was worse--many, many times worse than it had been when he'd gone after Harry at the Ministry. They'd known just where to find him then, although Snape had said that he could see where Harry's was--not that Sirius could claim to understand exactly what that meant.

A clearing...on a hill, was all Snape had gasped out, and Remus and Tonks had understood immediately.

"It's just ahead."

Both Sirius and Remus began running faster at Tonks whispered call. And yes, Sirius could see the forest thinning. And he could hear Bella's low familiar laugh; it sent chills down Sirius' spine. And then Snape was slipping past the trees at the edge of the forest, as though made of liquid instead of flesh, and moving so fast that Sirius could barely track him; Tonks was right on his heels.

Snape and Tonks were wound around a huge trunk as Sirius and Remus finally caught up with them; they dropped to their knees in silence, with Sirius wondering if Snape had already told Harry they were so close. And hoped that if he had, Harry would be able to keep from giving them away.

Sirius managed not to gasp as his eyes found Bella across the clearing--she was holding a limp and panting Harry close to her side, the two of them facing a roaring fire. And oddly, an austere, long-beaked hawk was perched on Bella's arm.

"Shall we release him, Harry?" Bella was asking, her smile mocking and eager all at once, but Harry shook his head--jerkily it seemed to Sirius. Bella eyed him curiously. "No?" she asked softly. "Is that fear, I see in your lovely eyes, Harry? Your mother's eyes..."

Snape's fingernails were digging into the solid bark as he stared.

"Now," he whispered hoarsely to Tonks. Tonks, with a quick nod, stood, still concealed behind the towering trunk. She spun sharply and without even the smallest of cracks, she was gone.

The crystal hanging from a chain around Snape's neck began glowing a soft green.

Bella lifted her arm, and the giant hawk took off. It's bleak cawing made Sirius cringe, until he realized that the hawk was diving right toward them, its glowing yellow eyes hungry. All three men moved back as the regal bird began beating its wings and screaming as it hung above them.

"What's this?" Bella wondered, stepping toward the other end of the clearing and letting go of Harry's arm as she did. Harry sagged when she released him, holding himself up with a low-hanging branch of one of the nearby trees. Bella's blue eyes were focused on the hysterical bird.

Snape took the opportunity he was given and grasped the crystal. And then he stood up fluidly and stepped into the clearing.

Bella halted, her confusion quickly turning to drunken glee. Her body curved, and her head dipped as she gazed at Snape. "Severus," she breathed, "we've been waiting for you."

Sirius, holding his breath, watched as Tonks slipped past the cover of trees on the other side, and reached Harry's side. But instead of going with her, as would have been both prudent--and very unlike his godson, Harry shook his head, still supporting himself with the branch.

But it wouldn't have mattered anyway, as Bellatrix hadn't lost track of Harry as it had seemed.

"Of course he won't leave with you, Dora," Bella said softly, though she was still gazing at Snape. "He wants to make sure daddy is safe...don't you, Harry?"

"Harry did not kill him, Bella," Snape said quietly, his voice perfectly smooth and even, showing no trace of his earlier panicked frenzy.

"How many others did you bring, Severus?" Bellatrix asked, ignoring Snape's plea. "Only you and Harry were invited," she scolded, her eyes glinting as her voice grew dangerously softer. "Tell the others to leave, or Harry will disappear again." She waved her wand in suggestion. "I single word to activate the spell once more, Severus..."

"Tonks!" Snape called out harshly. Tonks clenched her jaw, but withdrew back into the trees. Sirius could see Harry straightening up, his fingers gripping his wand; his eyes connected with Snape's as if they were sharing something through their connection; Harry nodded just slightly, his grip loosening a little on his holly, though he didn't let his arm relax any more than that.

Sirius' own wand was suddenly heavier as Bella's magic dampened the stray magic in the area; her hatred fueling her power as revenge drew closer.

Bellatrix smiled. "I think," she said slowly, her words clearly musing, "that you are wrong though, Severus." She gestured for Harry to come closer. Harry hesitated, seeking out Snape's eyes again. And even as stony as Snape's face was, Sirius could see that he was telling Harry not to obey. Bellatrix's features darkened. "Harry did kill him," she went on anyway, her fingers running up and down the smooth wood of her wand. "And to think I was going to punish you, Severus..."

She laughed, low and deep as Severus stiffened. "Oh, don't worry, Severus, Harry will be quite safe." She angled her head so that she could see both of them. "I can see now, that I was mistaken," she said calmly. She smiled widely enough so that Sirius could see her glistening teeth. "Watch daddy, Harry, as I watched my beloved lord... Watch daddy as he dies."

"No!" Harry cried, lunging toward Bellatrix and Snape, his wand ready, but it was too late.

Bellatrix flung her arm out.

Harry flew backward as Bellatrix raised her wand toward Snape.

As Harry sailed through the air and crashed against a tall tree, his eyes never left Snape's face, and time was suddenly frozen for Sirius.

In that instant he saw as clearly as he'd ever seen anything... every nuance, every emotion in Harry's face. Harry's deep love for Snape--and more importantly, his terror at the thought of losing his father. And what Sirius did, he did without pausing, without thinking it through. He did it for Harry.

"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix cried.

Sirius launched himself at Snape, roughly pushing the other man aside, and then he stared down, in open-mouthed wonder, at the jet of green light piercing his chest.

Sirius fell.

Harry stared from across the clearing, unwilling to believe.

And then there was fury--white and hot, chilling him to his very core.

Harry snarled as he stalked forward, his wand aimed straight at Bellatrix's heart.

Severus shouted, "Avada Kedavra!" only one second before the words formed on Harry's tongue. And the deadly green light burst from his father's wand, enveloping Bellatrix, just as it had Sirius. But Harry didn't wait to see her fall.

"No!" The word burst from Harry's lips, high and enraged. He launched himself at Severus, his fists beating wildly against his father's chest.

"You killed her!" he screamed, lost to the livid hatred boiling inside him, and ignoring the pressure as Severus tried to pull him closer, but Harry yanked himself backward. Severus held tightly to his arms as Harry continued to scream, "She was mine and you killed her! She killed Sirius. I wanted to kill her, and you took it from me. I hate you!" he shouted hoarsely, the terrible words shriveling Severus as he stood helplessly in front of his son. "I wanted to kill her! I would have-"

"I know," Severus finally interrupted quietly, his fingers slackening their grip on Harry's arms, "but she is dead now."

And somehow the deep, familiar cadence choked off most of Harry's rage, but even so he still tore himself away from Severus' grip. He stumbled as he turned away, and there was Sirius--lying in the frozen grass, his eyes glazed in death.

Harry's knees buckled as the anger, the hurt--as everything drained away, and he felt his body crumpling.

But his father was still there, by his side.

Severus caught Harry as he fell, only just, and the two of them collapsed in the cold, wet grass. Severus held Harry tightly as he stared at Black's lifeless face.