The Necromancer Amulet

Author's Notes: Thanks so much to my excellent and very thorough beta readers Lady Revenant and Amelie, and thanks to my proof-reading beta Aly (both Amelie and Aly are from perfectimagination.co.uk)!

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Chapter Fifteen - Repayment of a Debt

Now that her only friend was gone, Secessa had no choice but to break her solitude; she began by taking her meals at regular times again. As it was now two weeks since her supposed recovery, her fellow teachers welcomed her back kindly, and Professor Flitwick even gave her a pat on the back when she sat down for lunch in the staff room for the first time in ages. Snape, of course, greeted her with his usual curt indifference.

She decided during the next couple of days that owing a life-debt to the Potions master was not pleasant. He snarled at her on a daily basis, and obviously thought she owed him immense displays of gratitude. When she brought him the lesson plan for the spring term Duelling classes, he rudely told her it was about time and sent it back promptly the next day cluttered with comments in black ink. As she sat down to look it through, she noticed with exasperation that he had taken extra care to underline the more offensive words, reckless and imprudent being two of them.

She was hardly the type to ignore a debt, however disagreeable, and so spent a lot of time thinking about how best to repay him for grudgingly saving her skin. After discarding her initial plans to place a hurling hex on the dungeon staircase, blame it on the Gryffindors, and then dramatically save him, she finally decided to resort to her knowledge of the Dark Arts to rid herself of the uncomfortable obligation of saving his life. Hence, a few days before the start of term, she went down to Hogsmeade in search for some magical supplies.

The grounds were deserted, as not very many students stayed at Hogwarts for Christmas, and she was happy to have the day to herself. She walked quietly down the path leading to the village. It was a bright, sunny day, and the air was fresh. Aurors constantly guarded the grounds now that Dumbledore feared an attack from Death Eaters, and the one on duty, a cheerful girl with bright blue hair, gave her a wave.

The village was bustling as usual, and many of its inhabitants had decided to spend their day on the High Street, window-shopping and chatting to shop-owners. Having just started down the street, she couldn't avoid bumping into Minerva McGonagall as she came out of Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop. The older lady told her it was nice to have her up and about, but kept her distance. Of course, she knew what really had happened that day before Christmas, and Secessa did not blame her for being wary. However, she was surprised at the sadness the incident awoke inside her: never before had she cared about what her fellow teachers thought of her. The day suddenly became duller, as if somehow the small scene had dimmed its brightness.

After morosely browsing through several shops, Secessa found a small, half-hidden door next to the Hog's Head marked with a large solitary eye, and out of curiosity, she walked into the shop. A sickly smell of herbs and incense met her as she entered the small room, and she realised she had found a Divination store. The walls were packed with odd items such as malagnite amulets "to clear the mind" and dubious-looking necklaces "that opened the Inner Eye". Secessa was about to turn around and leave when she spotted a collection of crystals on a shelf behind the counter. Ignoring the witch behind the counter, who was chattering about a new shipment of incense with someone seemed to be a regular customer (a strange woman who had her upper body completely covered in various shawls, necklaces, bangles and beads), Secessa slipped up to the stones and examined them. Immediately, she found what she sought: a lump of black obsidian, a crystal that could store dark magic; and her heart jumped with jubilation. After presenting it to the witch, who absent-mindedly charged her a Sickle for it, she left the shop quietly, wanting as few people as possible to see her.

Back in her rooms at Hogwarts, she carefully set up an intricate web of wards that would cover all traces of the magic she was about to perform. Then, she took out a small bowl, put it onto her desk and calmly cut her left index finger deeply with a knife, gritting her teeth at the sting. By gently massaging her finger, she filled the bowl with blood, and whispered a blood-stemming charm, pointing her wand at her injured finger. The wound closed, but the throbbing pain stayed, as a reminder of her sacrifice. Briefly closing her eyes, she brought her mind into focus.

After this she brought out the piece of obsidian, and with a tap of her wand transfigured it into a circlet the size of her palm. It gleamed coldly where it lay on her desk, and her insides fluttered.

It is only a flame, she told herself reassuringly. I can control it. The amulet has nothing to do with this.

Taking a deep breath, she flicked her wand in a sharp movement above the bowl, and a cold, green flame, its core a black void, replaced the warm blood. Immediately, the area around the desk grew cold and still, as the flame sucked the very life out of the air around it. Faint whispers danced in the room, and Secessa's body grew colder, her energy slowly seeping through the rift that she had created between life and death. Undeterred, she began her spell-weaving, infusing the flame little by little into the circlet, muttering words of a forgotten language.

When there was only a small twinkle of the flame left, Secessa, frozen down to the bone and dizzy with the effort, brought out two golden guineas from her desk drawer. Swiftly, she transfigured them into two golden snakes, which on her command slithered around the circlet, head to tail.

With a final flick of her wand, she guided the last of the flame into the snakes, whispering, "Animant Excitabunt," followed by "Obsigna." The amulet rattled on the table, and then lay still; the magical rift was no more.

Exhausted, she leaned forward, and, resting her head on the desk, fell asleep instantly.

*

She woke up with a start a few hours later, having dreamt of fire and death. The amulet lay before her on the desk, surrounded by a pale green glow. She had succeeded.

Feeling much better after her nap, she removed the wards around her quarters, pocketed the amulet, and walked down toward the dungeons.

Halfway down the steps from the Main Hall, she stopped in front of the Potions master's office and knocked; there was no answer. Scrutinising the gloomy staircase, she tried to determine where Snape's quarters might be located. Probably downstairs, she decided. She walked hesitantly down the steps, suddenly reminded of her last encounter with the dungeons.

She did not need to worry, however. When she had reached the end of the stairs, she saw the Potions master himself come walking towards her in the corridor, wearing his usual black robes. He stopped in front of her, his face unreadable.

"Did you want something from me?" he asked coolly.

She could hear vague echoes of voices, probably Slytherin students on their way to their common room, but she could not ascertain from which direction they came.

"I wish to speak with you, in private."

His eyes thinned slightly. "Very well, come with me."

Turning on his heel, he led her to a door halfway down the corridor, opened it swiftly, and motioned for her to enter.

She had never been in Snape's quarters before, and looked around curiously as she stepped inside. The door led straight into his living room, which was furnished in green and black, with two leather reading-chairs and an ebony table in front of a fireplace, a matching desk covered in piles of books, and a couple of adjacent bookshelves. A large cabinet stood by another door, which she assumed led to his bedroom. Snape closed the door, but did not ask her to sit down. Instead, he crossed his arms.

"Well?"

"I came to expunge my debt," she said formally.

He lifted an eyebrow.

"I am indebted to you for giving me the potion that saved my life after the Death Eaters attacked me, in the Ural Mountains," she clarified, beginning to feel awkward.

Snape was looking at her intently, still unmoving. "That seems to be the way of things," he said calmly.

"I am here to discuss my repayment."

His lips curled in amusement. "Go on, then."

She inhaled and steadied herself. "Well, if I provided you with something that could save your life, were you mortally wounded and beyond immediate aid, would you consider this a full repayment of my debt to you?"

He stared at her, and the smirk disappeared; clearly, he had not expected this. "I suppose that would be...acceptable."

"And we need not mention anything concerning this debt again, to each other, or to anyone else?"

"I'm hardly a person who indulges in idle small talk," he replied, his eyebrow raising again.

"I would like your word on it."

He considered her sharply for a moment, his black eyes piercing. "Very well, you have my word."

She brought out the amulet from her pocket. It gleamed coldly in her hand with a soft green light. The snakes were still, and he gazed at it with a frown. "Where did you get that? It looks quite illegal."

"I made it, and it is."

Fascinated, he put his hand, very lightly, under hers, and leaned forward for a closer look, his hair almost touching her hand. She held her breath while he examined the amulet, and then he straightened to look at her again. "And what does it do?" he asked softly.

"This is a soul-bind. It will prevent your soul from leaving your body, if you are mortally injured. If your body is found, healing it will bring it back to life."

He looked at her attentively, interested now. "And if it is not found?"

"Eventually, the amulet will spend its power, and release your soul," she said, looking at the floor. "It buys time, that is all".

He paused, his attention fixed on the amulet.

"I could have you reported for making such a thing," he muttered finally.

"Yes, you could. But you gave me your word." She tried to keep the plea out of her voice.

"If I accepted it, yes." His lip curled shrewdly and her heart skipped a beat.

"I will accept your payment," he continued smoothly, after savouring her uncertainty for a few seconds, "but I will give you a word of advice."

"Yes?" she said, relieved.

"Do not, ever again, presume that I will respond well towards your little manipulative schemes. Next time I might not be so forthcoming. And, I suggest that you in the future behave a bit more appropriately towards members of your own House." There was a glint of vicious amusement in his eyes.

She stared at him. So Dumbledore has told him, then. Swallowing, she stretched out her hand, giving him the amulet. He took it, and as soon as he touched it, it shivered slightly, and the snakes came to life, stretching their bodies. Then the amulet was still again, the serpents only golden ornaments.

"Animated," he said slowly; "how interesting. For what purpose?"

She felt calmer now that he had accepted it.

"When it is in use, it will be animated and the snakes will revolve until the magic is gone. The small movement you just saw was the amulet attuning to you. It has a life of its own and will know when you need it. But for it to work, you will of course have to wear it."

"Of course."

He was examining the silent amulet in his hand. "You seemed very eager to pay off this debt," he observed. "Why?"

Because the power you hold over me is already too great, she thought, but she did not say so. Instead, she glanced casually around the room, not meeting his eyes, and spoke with a cold, frosty voice.

"I do not wish to entangle myself with you more than necessary. I know you share my sentiments."

He hesitated, very briefly, and then said, "I couldn't agree more."

"Our business is settled, then?" Secessa asked, and Snape looked up. His face set in stone, he looked first at her, and then at the amulet in his hand.

"Yes, it is settled," he muttered, and, not looking at her, he extended an arm to open the door.

With a last look at him, she swept out into the corridor, and he quietly, but firmly, shut the door behind her.

It was only when she entered her quarters that she realised that Severus Snape had behaved curiously politely towards her, and that she had been too absorbed in her own troubles to even notice.

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Author notes: Please review! All comments are welcome!