Love Potion HP

Chapter Twenty-One: The Binding

Impossible! thought Severus, now completely free of the Imperius Curse. How can this be happening? It is Sirius and I who have brother wands-

Then realization struck.

"Potter's wand!" he screamed, enraged. "You gave me Harry Potter's wand!"

"Of course, I did!" Voldemort declared maliciously. "I knew you might break the curse and turn on me- not through the strength of your own character, of course, but that of your Aphrodilus!"

Severus felt sick. In his hand, Potter's wand vibrated painfully. From the center, where the two threads of gold crossed, beams began to shoot off in all directions, enclosing them in a radiant cage. A strange melody, ethereal with tragic beauty- a phoenix's song, Fawkes's song- overwhelmed his senses; beneath it, he thought he could hear the muffled sound of a dragon's roar.

"The beads!" Potter cried from somewhere in the distance. "Force the beads back!"

Severus looked at the aureate strings. Traveling along each were large spheres of light, sliding towards Sirius's wand, towards Potter's own in his hand, which began to throb as intensely as the Mark on his arm...

Stop, he ordered it. Stop, go back.

Gritting his teeth and placing his other hand upon the wand, he squeezed it in a death grip and devoted his brain to forming a clear, precise mental image of the beads sliding away from him, towards Voldemort, until the ghosts of spells screamed from his wand. The Dark Mark flared in protest at his rebellion. The nearest of the beads hesitated in its place, then continued towards him.

Stop! he snapped, feeling desperate as the sphere approached the intersection of the two main threads of light. The wand was not his. It would not obey him; it would shatter into fragments of wood and phoenix fire...

The bead met in the middle with another, the product of a dragon's pure heart, a Priori Incantatem firmly controlled by Sirius. Neither would budge; the other beads from both connections bunched behind them. Voldemort roared in fury but could do nothing; Severus's wand was just as unresponsive to him as Potter's was to the Potions Master. The beads continued to grind against each other and then into each other. One by one, they combined, forming a single ball of blinding light that began to hum-

Voldemort whipped both wands in his hands upwards. The threads snapped, the cage disappeared, and Sirius and Severus were blasted backwards by the sudden surge of magic. Potter's wand flew from his hand and he landed on his back with a thud. Stars filled his eyes; when they cleared, Lord Voldemort towered above him, with his wand aimed at his throat.

"Avada-" he began, then stopped. "No. I think you deserve to die last." Severus slowly rolled onto his knees, as Voldemort continued. "I'll let you choose who goes first, Snape: your ward or your lover."

Severus turned and looked deeply into Sirius's eyes. He knew what he was thinking; he could almost hear him say, Me. Choose me, so that Harry has at least a chance to escape.

He had never before loved Sirius so deeply and so fiercely as he did in that instant and his heart shattered for it. None of what he felt was real. It was all the Aphrodilus. It was all illusion, and it was better this way, because he no longer wanted to live.

Better for me- but for them?

"Wait..." he pleaded desperately. "Oh, please wait, please, Ma-" He gritted his teeth, then forced himself to spit out the vile word. "Master."

Voldemort sneered. "You pathetic little worm! Do you really think you can move me?"

There had to be something, something he could say, but...

It rolled off his tongue before he could stop himself. "But I know the location of the Philosopher's Stone!"

"What game are you trying to play?" Voldemort demanded contemptuously. "The Stone was destroyed four years ago by Albus Dumbledore."

"No, it wasn't!" Severus exclaimed earnestly. "You only think that because he hid it again with the Fidelius Charm."

"And how would you know this?"

Severus took a deep breath. He was quivering. He could scarcely believe his own words. "Because I am its Secret-Keeper. I was your servant- I'm the last person anyone would think of. That's why Dumbledore chose me- the same reason the Potters chose Pettigrew."

"And I suppose," said Voldemort coolly, "you offer this knowledge in exchange for their lives?"

Severus bowed his head. "I ask for a year. If you will bind yourself not to harm either Black or Potter for a year, I will bind myself to tell you the location of the Philosopher's Stone."

"Severus, no!" Sirius suddenly cried. "He'll be immortal! It's not worth it!"

Severus trembled greater than before. "Do what you will with me afterwards, Master. I don't care. Just let them go."

"I shall kill you then..."

He shook his head forlornly. "I don't care. I want to die."

"Then that mercy, far too good for you, will be your reward."

* * *

"Severus, NO!" Sirius screamed again.

Panic rushed through his veins. I'm not worth it. Severus, I'm not worth it. I don't know if Harry's worth it!

"I agree!" Voldemort announced. "They shall have their year. A year is nothing to what I shall have. Stand up, Snape, if there is any spine left in you to do so!"

Dutifully, Severus rose to his feet. Voldemort held up his spider-like hand and he clasped it. A strange silver light emanated from their palms. Together, they began to chant in a tongue Sirius did not understand, the same language as written on the Aphrodilus. The glow between their hands flared into a bright blinding flash. A silver aura enveloped them and remained even as they released each other and stepped away.

"Your loved ones are safe until this time next year," Voldemort affirmed. "Now, reveal the location of the Philosopher's Stone."

Severus took a deep breath. "The Stone is-"

"Severus, you CAN'T!" Sirius screamed.

Severus turned and gave a sorrowful look to Sirius. "I must... I am bound."

Voldemort smiled and rubbed his fingers together expectantly.

"The Philosopher's Stone..." Severus began. Then suddenly his lips curved into a foul sneer, "...is nowhere, you fool!"

The silver light suddenly left Severus as Voldemort's smirk went flat and his eyes wide with rage. "WHAT?!"

"I lied!" Severus declared. "Dumbledore did destroy the Stone- but I only bound myself to tell you the location, not the truth of that! And I have! Nowhere, Voldemort! NOWHERE!"

Voldemort's next breath was a hiss. "You have earned yourself a slow death! Crucio!"

Severus fell at Voldemort's feet. His body writhed in pain.

"Crucio!"

"Severus!" Sirius cried, rising to his feet.

"Crucio!"

"Sirius, get out of here!" Severus yelled.

"Crucio!"

Sirius dashed to his wand and snatched it off the ground.

"Crucio!"

"Sirius, did you here me?!" Severus screamed. "GO!"

"Crucio!"

Severus was curled into a tight ball. He raised his head only to scream, "SIRIUS, LEAVE ME! I WANT TO DIE!"

Sirius ran forward. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Harry take up his wand and follow.

"Cru-"

Sirius and Harry darted directly between Severus and Voldemort.

"-cio!" Voldemort finished.

The blast never hit them. The silver light still emanating from Voldemort suddenly flared and snuffed out the sparks of his wand.

"Out of my way!" the Dark Lord commanded. "Avada-"

His wand responded with a small puff of smoke. Voldemort's eyes widened.

"You can't hurt us," Harry ventured boldly. "You bound yourself not to."

"Yes," Sirius added, "but we can hurt you!"

No thought was necessary. They both lunged at Voldemort. The Dark Lord cried in surprise as he was knocked to the ground. As Sirius's hand began to close around his wrist, Voldemort uttered a single, foul syllable of the Dark Tongue- then vanished.