Dolor Expedio

"Dolor Expedio"

By Papilio.

"Severus!"

That voice. It could only belong to him...to Lucius. A cold, aristocratic voice with a diamond hard edge. The same icy timbre has sent many a hapless muggle to a premature grave and now it is directed at me, with no less contempt and disgust as with the lowliest of muggles. It is the sound of my doom.

As I turn to face him, my death eater robes brush the autumnal forest floor emitting a soft barely audible scraping sound. The moon's rays caress his form, turning his hair to the finest white silk and his skin the purest of porcelain, he is truly ethereal in its glow. He appears to me as a higher being, an angel...a fallen angel and how often have I worshipped at his alter?

Disappointment and revulsion are visible on his delicately carved expression, a finely honed eyebrow tilted in disgust.

"Why Severus? Of all the people! I expected much better from you than filthy, underhanded treachery. I will be having your wand. Accio wand."

I watch powerless as my faithful mahogany wand flies into Lucius's hands and is quickly secreted within a fold of his robes.

"I see you are to be my judge, juror and executioner Lucius but of course you were always the dark lord's lap dog, always willing to run and do his bidding provided there was a scrap of meat or bone from off his table as a reward. You disgust me Lucius... what ever happened to the Lucius Malfoy of old? The proud heir who would not crumble to another man's will, the master of his own fate and destiny? Where did he go Lucius?"

I did not see the fist that swung through the air with out warning and struck me on the jaw. The momentum propelled me through the air to land with a sickening thud on the leave carpeted earth.

"It is you Severus that disgusts me. Where is the Severus I knew, the true Slytherin, devoted always to the cause, the faithful friend and comrade? Where is he? You have a cheek to talk Snape, you accuse me of bending to my master's will, when you have let your mind be turned by that scatter-brained, muggle-loving, old fool of a headmaster." His voice slashed the very night air around us and echoed in my pain befuddled mind.

"Who is Severus Snape? Well I will tell you, shall I? He is a miserable, weak, snivelling imbecile who cow tows to Dumbledore and his mudblood pets. He is reduced to his previous self, the Snape who was cast out and abused by his own family, the Snape no one had anything favourable to say about, the Snape no one could look at without inwardly cringing. We took you in, your house mates, your comrades. Offered you friendship and understanding where no one else would and this is how you repay our kind efforts? You are a stain on the great house that is Slytherin"

"Shall I tell you what Slytherin house is Lucius, what it always has been? A house of deceit, treachery, lies, a house that invokes fear and distrust. Every member of Slytherin can only see as far as their own ends are concerned, you did not care for me or show me kindness so let's stop it with the pretence of charity, Lucius. You did not want me...you needed me. You needed me on side because you feared me, feared my advanced magic capabilities and dark art and potions aptitude and expertise. I was a useful recruit for the cause and so you snatched me when I was but a first year, showed me false compassion and friendship so you could exploit my talents later on for your and Voldemort's own ends. God forgive me...I was weak. Young, used to abuse and disdain, I was ripe for the picking wasn't I...I was a fool and I pay for that foolishness each and every day I live when I look back at the amount of needless deaths I caused either directly or through some concoction of mine. I saw the light Lucius and you can not blind me again." My jaw throbbed with each and every word I spoke, a thin trickle of crimson blood trickled in a thin line from my mouth mixing with a lone tear with went blissfully unseen by Lucius.

Those clear blue eyes are ablaze with fury, fists clench and unclench by his sides. My time is near at hand...the torment which is my life will be over soon.

"You are right Severus; about one thing...you are a fool. A fool who will pay the ultimate price for his treachery, my Lord instructed me to dispose of you in the most painful manner I could dredge up."

I rose to my knees defiant to the last I try to convey my utter hatred for him through my eyes. A smile plays on his lips, his amusement evident.

"And to think I treated you as my brother. My own flesh and blood, I made a mistake...a mistake that is about to be forever erased from memory and my otherwise spotlessly clean record of service. Prepare to meet your doom Severus...but don't get too comfortable now, we shall be here awhile. Do you think they will hold a grand funeral for you Severus? A fitting tribute to a crafty sneak, there will be flowers I suppose, a waste of good decoration really. I wonder if there will be many tearful mourners - not likely. Well, maybe McGonagall and Dumbledore but apart form that I doubt it."

"What of Lucius Malfoy? You will give your Dementor indigestion with you unpalatable richness Lucius! Of course, they have all departed from the ministry's service but I am sure they will order one in especially for you. I wonder what it will be like for you, lying witless and wondering in the corner of your vile square of dungeon? Pity I will not live to see that day for myself...to laugh at the shell of your former self, to see you suffer a fate worse than the death you forced on countless innocents. "

"I believe I shall enjoy this greatly Severus. Prepare to die traitor."

Now it is my turn to smile...this time in victory.

I reach into a deep pocket in my robes and pull a small vile of acid red liquid from its folds.

Doubt pervades his sharp expression.

"What is that Severus? What nature of potion is that?"

My lip curls in scorn and contempt at his lack of potion skills.

"I have been saving this for such an occasion as now Lucius. I am afraid I will have to decline your kind offer and rob you of your enjoyment. This is the dolor expedio potion, a rare potion which is exceedingly difficult to brew and which has all but faded from memory. It is a quick acting poison used in medieval times by magical healers for euthanasia purposes. Needless to say it is entirely painless. It takes a potions master of great and rare ability to manufacture it."

"Accio vile!"

The vile slipped to the very edge of my fingers but I still maintained my grip on it. Without a second thought, I drank the vivid liquid. It was strangely cold and numbed a path down my throat. The look of cheated outrage on Lucius' face was priceless.

The moonlight was fading, its former glorious hue darkening as each minute passed. The night chill intensified and my body trembled at the sudden cold. Lucius stood above me watching hawk-like as the sand in my hour glass of life trickled away. He was the devil in the borrowed disguise of an angel. I wondered how I ever found him beautiful.

"See you in hell Lucius." My word emerged slurred and clumsy...pity I had aimed for finesse, but then such grace belongs to beautiful creatures and teenage heroes like Potter.

My breath ceased in my chest and the world faded to blessed blackness...

Peace at last.

Latin Translations:

Expedio: to set free, release.

Dolor: pain, suffering.