40. The Dark Side

 

Deliver me into my Fate
I never claimed to be a Saint...

My heart is just too dark to care.
I can't destroy what isn't there.

Ooh, my smile was taken long ago,
If I can change I hope I never know.*

 

Potter was trembling and moaning excruciatingly under the sharp thrusts. His bare back was glistening with sweat, and his slender hands clung to the back of the chair. Slim hips bounced, colliding with the black fabric of his pants. Each subsequent thrust sent the entire tiny body into convulsions and uncontrollable spasms. The shiny cock plunged into the tiny, reddened hole again and again, pushing it open and brutally making its way through the boy's interior. Long fingers gripped the pale skin of his buttocks, digging into the soft flesh and leaving brown marks on it. Potter whimpered and writhed, his throaty scream only making his thrusts quicken.

But amid the deafening cacophony of screams of pleasure and pain, there was a completely different sound.

Laughter.

High, icy, digging into the mind and tearing away all its shields. Any resistance to it would only result in madness.

The laughter intensified. When it reached its breaking point, it sounded as if it had turned into millions of tiny, sharp needles, piercing every nerve in the body and paralyzing it.

And then he began to weaken. The waves of pain slowly ebbed away and the shields rose again.

Severus Snape opened his eyes. The only noticeable reaction to what he had just experienced was his eyes clenching several times and a vein pulsating in his temple.

Lord Voldemort was standing a few steps in front of him and smiling broadly, which in this case did not mean happily. His smile was more like a shark lurking just under the surface of the water, ready to attack at any moment and crush the victim with its powerful jaws.

"Ssseverus..." he began, slowly approaching the Death Eater standing in front of him, whose robe was still stained with the blood of muggles murdered two hours earlier during one of many similar actions. The white mask the man held in his hand had red and black streaks left by now dried drops of blood. His motionless face, staring into the distance, resembled the same mask. "You gave me such a pleasure today. You deserve a reward. "

Severus bowed his head submissively.

"The joy of being able to show you this again is a reward in itself, my Lord."

"I'm not used to make empty promises. As a reward, you will go with Bellatrix to Grenualda Thumb to extract information that interests me and find something that should belong to me. Bella knows the details, so check in with her later."

Snape nodded. "Thank you very much, my Lord. That will be an honor for me. "

"Has this old fool noticed anything?"

Cold satisfaction flashed in Snape's eyes. He shook his head. "Everything goes according to plan. Dumbledore is so absorbed in planning, gathering strength and preparing for war that he wouldn't notice a rotten egg in his nest even if it was held under his chin. These actions do a great job of distracting him from the most important things. From a boy."

"Excellent." Voldemort grinned again with his yellowish, fang-like teeth. "But just in case, we need to completely lower his vigilance. You'll tell him that we are preparing an attack on the headquarters of the International Quidditch Federation.

"Are we preparing?" Severus asked with polite interest.

"We will prepare. You need to give him some tasty treat. We will sacrifice Legerpholt and Adraught. They're of no use to me anymore anyway. But what does this mean compared to what I will receive in return?" Cold sparks flashed in his red eyes. "Just a little over a month and a half more, Severus, and I will have it." Voldemort's long clawed fingers clenched into a fist. "Potter's blood. His power. His strength. And then the whole world will fall at my feet and Albus Dumbledore will no longer pose any threat to me. I will wipe him out with just a look." His voice hung in the air, flashing with angry power as he became more and more absorbed in his visions.

Snape waited patiently with a crooked but devoid of his usual sneer smile. It was more like the smile of someone who was happy with a job well done.

"When will we 'carry out' this attack?" he asked after a while.

"The day after tomorrow at midnight. I will send someone there whose loss will not be too painful for us. They will enter through the main entrance. I'm sure you'll come up with some explanation for this old fool yourself. He's already so puzzled that he might even think I'm going to steal a batch of brooms. You have to convince him and take part in the fight, standing on his side. And you will ensure that Legerpholt and Adraught die. We can't let the Aurors get the better of them, even if the Veritaserum you're brewing for them is half as strong. They can always use Legilimens Evocis on them, and we wouldn't want that.

"Leave it to me, Lord," Snape replied.

"What about the Sharpening Potion?"

"I'm missing one ingredient. A decoction of the necrophages. I think I'll definitely find it on Knockturn Alley. I'll go there right after our meeting."

"Perfect, perfect. If that's all, you can go away and send Malfoy to me."

"Yes, Lord." Severus bowed and withdrew from the chamber. Once he was through the door, he straightened up and walked purposefully down the long, dark corridor, seeming to blend into the thick darkness around him.

 

***

He apparated straight in front of the store he was going to. Behind the dirty, tarnished display window there were all kinds of dusty jars and bottles filled with unspecified substances. He looked inquisitively at the dark alley where some wizard dressed in rags huddled against the wall, mumbling to himself, and the stench of urine and other excrement wafting around him. It was already dark. Being on Knockturn Alley at this time was tantamount to suicide, if only someone unsuitable was there. But the man standing in front of the shop selling the most forbidden and deadly potion ingredients, dressed in the blood-stained robe of a Death Eater, looked so familiar with this place and so self-confident, as if he knew that there would undoubtedly be no one more dangerous than himself here.

He looked around the completely deserted, dark and dirty alleys, stinking with feces, through which a shadow that certainly did not belong to any human being slipped from time to time, and then he went inside.

A short man with a very long, thinning gray beard, that stood behind the counter, looked up impassively, and the moment he did so, his eyes widened rapidly, as if he had just seen Lord Voldemort himself.

"Oh, Mr. Snape," he croaked hoarsely. "What an honor it is for us. Cooper! Come here immediately!" he shouted towards the back room. Almost at the same moment, a hunched, completely bald person with the appearance of a limping lizard appeared in the doorway.

"Oh, Mr. Snape." He clapped his hands as big as shovels, leaning so low that his nose almost touched the floor. "What do you need this time?"

"I need a decoction of the necrophages," the man replied in a dispassionate tone, looking around at the shelves covered with cobwebs, stretching up to the ceiling, and filled with jars. Eyeballs, fingers and even tongues were the most pleasant objects floating in them.

"Of course. We brought it in for another client, but under these circumstances..." The man stopped under Snape's torpedoing gaze. "I'll bring it right now." He turned on his heel and ran towards the back, looking a bit like a spider moving without a few torn legs.

"Is there anything else you would like?" the little man asked, walking up to Severus and bowing low. "We have a new collection--"

"No, I just came for the potion," Severus replied in a dispassionate tone, looking down at the old man bowing before him.

"Of course, everything for you," the person croaked, but he neither raised his head nor his eyes, stubbornly staring at the black shoes of the tall Death Eater standing in front of him, which were sticking out from under his long robe.
Snape looked at the door leading to the back room, as if considering something, then leaned down abruptly and grabbed the little man by the chin, pulling him towards him and whispering directly into his ear: "You will bring me the skin and heart of a grindylow, of the Pyrenean variety, as young as possible. In pristine condition. Delivery in two days, exactly at the same time and place as always. You know what will happen to you if you mess up or utter a single word."

The old man nodded, his eyes so wide that they seemed ready to fall out of his emaciated skull and roll across the floor, joining the ones in some of the jars.

Severus released him and pushed him away, straightened up and put his indifferent mask back on his face.

"Here it is!" Cooper emerged from the back room, clutching a small black bottle. "Top quality, especially--"

Severus took it from him roughly and glared, making the man bite his tongue. Without a word, the Potions Master put the bottle into one of the pockets in his robes and looked once again at the people bowing to him, almost sweeping the floor with their noses, trembling with fear. And he seemed to be having fun watching their horror and the respect they showed him as one of Lord Voldemort's most trusted companions. The Potions Master looked as if he was enjoying this fear, feeding on it. He smiled wryly, then turned and marched out of the store with a flap of his cloak, without a single word.

Death Eaters never paid for anything.

 

***

"The Dark Lord is planning an attack on the headquarters of the International Quidditch Federation," Severus said, looking straight into the faded blue eyes of the old wizard sitting across the desk. "I don't know the main purpose or motives for this attack, but I suspect it must have to do something with his prejudices."

Dumbledore nodded. "Tom doesn't need any reason to attack everything we have left. Quidditch connects the entire wizarding world and is the last bastion of honor, will to fight and the community we've built. Attacking it is like hitting straight into our hearts. This must not be allowed to happen, Severus. When does he plan to attack?"

"The day after tomorrow at midnight. I propose to increase the number of Aurors patrolling the building and its surroundings."

"We will, Severus. But to keep up appearances, we will also increase their number in other institutions. We can't let Voldemort know that someone has warned us."

Not a single muscle moved on the Potions Master's face.

"If you think it's necessary, Headmaster. And before you say anything, I would like to state that this time I want to take part in the battle. I'll use Polyjuice Potion so that any Death Eaters who might escape us won't recognize me."

Dumbledore stared at him thoughtfully. The wrinkles on his forehead deepened.

"All right," he said after a moment. "But you must be extremely careful, Severus. You are currently our most important source of information. We can't lose you."

"Please don't worry, Headmaster. I can take care of myself."

"I know," the old wizard sighed and lowered his head, clasping his hands together on the desk. "I'm worried about us."

For a split second, something icy flashed in the black eyes, but the Headmaster couldn't see it because he was staring at his wrinkled hands, his mind wandering somewhere far away.

"Nott and Avery remain elusive at this time. They are trying to gain the support of the peoples living in the northern part of Scandinavia," Severus continued, looking at the gray, bowed head of the old wizard. "Bellatrix performs side tasks, collecting information for the Dark Lord. Unfortunately, I don't know a single name of her nearest victims."

Dumbledore shook his head.

"Climming, Abigail, Longphort... who's next?" He looked up, straight into the motionless eyes of the man sitting on the other side of the desk, still dressed in the black, blood-stained Death Eater robes. "You have to get these names out of her. We cannot afford any more losses, Severus. There are fewer and fewer of us. Despite the strongest security and every precaution, Voldemort always knows where to look for them and how to get to them, and I need to know how he manages to do this. If you find out anything about his source... It must be someone from Hogwarts or from the Order. I would prefer that this... 'rotten egg' turned out to be a member of the Order. I wouldn't want anyone playing both sides around Harry, if you know what I mean, Severus..."

The Potions Master nodded with understanding and a completely indifferent expression on his face.

"If I find out anything, I will inform you immediately, Headmaster. Unfortunately, the Dark Lord doesn't trust me enough yet to let me in on his greatest secrets. And it seems that he trusts me even less than I thought, since he is hiding this 'source' from me..."

Dumbledore nodded.

"You have to earn his trust, Severus." You must get close to him at all costs, even if it requires..." his blue eyes fell on the man's blood-stained robe, "some sacrifice on your part."

The only noticeable reaction from the Potions Master was the tightening of his thin lips.

"I will do everything in my power, Headmaster," Snape replied in a low, dark whisper.

"What about the boy?" Dumbledore asked suddenly, changing the subject. "Did Voldemort mention anything about him or any plans for him?"

The man shook his head slightly, looking straight into the old man's twinkling blue eyes.

"Not a word. He's too busy planning attacks and organizing his forces to bother with it right now."

Dumbledore looked into his eyes for a while longer, then relaxed and sighed heavily, turning his head away.

"It's good to hear at least one good news. I know you've been spending a lot of time with Harry lately. You did the right thing by taking the task of giving him all these detentions. Let it be. Protect him, Severus. You know how important he is to us."

The man nodded, pursing his lips again. "If that's all, Headmaster, I'd like to go back to my chamber and rest."

"Yes that's all. Good night, then," the old wizard replied, leaning back in his throne-like chair and trying to put on an uplifting smile, but it seemed as pale as his blue gaze. There was much more concern in it than support.

Severus stood up and nodded at him.

"Headmaster," he said politely, then turned and left.

He was walking through the dark, deserted corridors of Hogwarts with even, measured steps that echoed off the walls of the sleeping castle. A black cloak was fluttering behind him, and the shadow of his proud, upright figure was gliding across the stones between one torch and another, placed on the wall.

At one point the man stopped suddenly. The footsteps stopped, and there was only a thick silence in the air, in which the silent crackling of burning torches was the only moving element of reality.

Severus slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a green stone. A stone that was currently glowing with a golden light. He held it up to the shadowed face and read the bright inscription:

Goodnight, Severus.

The silence grew stronger. It seemed to absorb all sounds.

A barely visible smile appeared on the man's lips. The eyes hidden in the darkness flashed with something indefinable. Anxiety and relief seemed one and the same in that moment. The shadows falling on the stern face drew their own stories on it. And only the man staring at the stone and clenching it in his hand knew which of them were real.

 

***

"Crucio!" Bellatrix's voice seemed higher as she inflicted suffering. It was inhuman, devoid of any signs of emotion. As if she was driven by cruelty personified and she was nothing more but its puppet.

The older witch's body began to convulse, her scattered limbs hit the floor, twisting at unnatural angles, and a hoarse, unstoppable scream escaped her mouth, drilling into the mind and remaining there for a long time.

Severus was standing to the side, watching the scene with a blank expression. He gave the impression of someone who had seen similar scenes too many times for them to make any impression on him.

"Don't waste all your power on her. I won't apparate you back to headquarters later, like the last time," he muttered quietly, looking around the room.

Bellatrix broke the spell, breathing heavily, and turned her flushed face towards him. There was such excitement in her eyes, as if she was close to orgasm.

"Oh, stop whining, Sevy... I can have some fun if I want. Maybe thanks to this she's gonna tell us something more."

"I doubt it," the man snorted, looking at the writhing figure curled up on the floor. Blood was flowing from the woman's nose, and her wide eyes were staring at him with such intensity as if she wanted to tell him something but was no longer able to do so. It certainly wasn't anything pleasant, though. The remnant of her personality that still smoldered in her empty eyes breathed with hatred and resentment. Betrayal. "Legilimens Evocis has already gotten everything we need out of her, but if you want to continue playing with her like a cat with a caught mouse, that's up to you. I'm going to look for what the Dark Lord sent us here for." After these words, he turned on his heel and headed out of the completely demolished living room.

"Oh, Sevy... There's no fun with you," Bellatrix snorted, then looked at the woman lying at her feet and thoughtfully began tapping her open hand with her wand, as if contemplating something. After a moment, her lips stretched into a ghastly parody of a smile. She pointed her wand down and opened her mouth to cast one of the most painful, torturous spells that made the victim suffer for a very long time in terrible agony, when she heard the words spoken in a determined tone behind her:

"Avada Kedavra!"

A green flame whizzed past her shoulder, hitting the old woman, whose eyes widened for a moment and then extinguished for an eternity.

Bellatrix turned furiously towards the man standing at the exit.

"What's that supposed to mean! I supposed to kill her!"

"I wasn't going to listen to her constant screams while searching the house, especially since it might take a long time. I have a headache," Severus replied calmly, lowering his wand.

"I could have silenced her!"

"We both know you wouldn't do that, Bella. But I promise I will provide you with other entertainment."

The woman's eyes immediately narrowed and a predatory smile appeared on her lips.

"Yes? I'm dying of curiosity," she murmured, walking up to Snape, who pushed open the door that had been torn off its hinges and stepped out into the equally devastated corridor. He headed up the stairs to the first floor, carefully avoiding the holes in the steps. "Let me guess..." she continued, climbing up after him. "Would you like to share with me your progress on this brat," she giggled. Severus turned his head to the woman following him. There was a sneer on his lips. "Ha! I knew it!" Bellatrix laughed. "How are you doing, Sevy? I heard that this mangy mixed breed follows you around like a mongrel and even licks your shoes..." Her sonorous laugh bounced off the walls and caused a piece of plaster to fall off the ceiling.

"You'll always find a fitting comparison, Bella," Severus replied, entering the hall at the top of the stairs and heading into the first room on the left. "Yes, in this case 'mongrel' is the perfect term. As you can see, some family traits cannot be eradicated."

Bellatrix's laughter intensified even more.

"What's it like to fuck such a butthead?" she asked, searching through the cabinets and chests of drawers in the room while Severus checked the walls with his wand. "How can you not be disgusted to even touch him?"

"You know that I'm always given the most ungrateful tasks," the man snorted, kicking an overturned chair in his way. "But at least I have the satisfaction of imagining what his filthy father would do if he saw me having fun with his only son."

"Or that miserable godfather of his. Oh, I can already imagine his face if he saw that his godson had turned into such a little whore," the woman continued giggling, throwing the drawers on the floor.

"Do you regret killing him?" Severus asked mockingly, pointing his wand towards the floor.

"Never!" Bellatrix snorted. "Never, even just for the sight of this little shit, crushed and trampled to the ground. I still remember how he chased me all over the Ministry to avenge the death of his lovely mongrel. The poor hurt boy who lost his beloved uncle... And what? And he could only afford some regrettable parody of Cruciatus curse," she snorted, opening the wardrobe that had fallen on the wall and looking through its contents.

The man looked at her with an ironic smile on his thin lips. "It has long been known that Potter is an imbecile. I always thought he was completely devoid of any talent, but recently I had to verify my opinion..."

"Yes?" the woman asked curiously, turning her head towards him.

"Potter has an unrivaled talent for blowjobs."

This remark led Bellatrix to burst into another burst of sonorous laughter.

"Oh, Sevy, Sevy... Give me one more juicy detail. You know how I love hearing about the humiliation of that lousy half-breed. Tell me..." She stopped searching through the closet and stood still, staring at the man with narrowed eyes and a smile full of cruel joy on her red lips. "Tell me how loudly he moans and whimpers for more, writhing on his knees in front of you..".

This time it was Severus who laughed.

"You already know almost everything, Bella. Yes, Potter on his knees is a wonderful sight. That's where he belongs. At my feet, whining and whimpering like a bitch in heat." His black eyes sparkled as he said this. Bellatrix gave him a meaningful smile.

"I see that our little Golden Boy has turned into a real trollop by his professor's side," she snorted, returning to searching the wardrobe and the trunks and suitcases inside. "You've probably already trained him very well, Sevy. Will he follow you without hesitation?"

The man gave her a 'who do you think I am, woman?' look.

"I suspect that Potter would even be able to attack one of his dear friends at this moment, if I only told him to do in proper way."

Bellatrix looked at him carefully.

"It must be a great feeling. To have such power over him... Over your greatest enemy. It's actually not that bad of a task, Sevy. You shouldn't complain like that."

"I've never complained about it, Bella," the man replied smoothly, searching the ceiling with his wand. "Its only drawback is the fact that it concerns Potter."

"I found it!" the woman suddenly shouted, taking out a small bundle from one of the suitcases. She glanced inside and smiled broadly. "Task completed. We can get out of here."

Severus nodded, put his wand in his robe pocket, and walked over to her. After a moment, two silhouettes dressed in Death Eater robes disappeared with a loud bang, and in the demolished house all that remained was dust floating in the air and the body of a dead woman lying on the floor below, staring at the ceiling with wide, empty eyes.

 

***

The Potions Master's chamber was dark and completely silent. There seemed to be no one in the cool, damp rooms. However, it just looked like it.

Behind the wall of one of the shelves, in a laboratory filled with vials, bottles and smoke, Severus Snape was leaning over a dark green substance in a cauldron, stirring it from time to time and carefully studying an old book lying on the table with pages densely covered with runes and engravings.

He put down the ladle and took a small bundle from his robe pocket. Inside was a piece of still bloody skin and what looked like a small, fleshy heart with stumps of veins still sticking out of it. He cast a cleaning spell on both objects, then spread the skin on a board and began to cut it into even half-centimeter-wide strips. When he was finished, he arranged the strips into a small pile and began to shred them with skillful movements.

His face was focused, as if every move was precious and one careless step could ruin everything.

When he had finished chopping up the pieces of leather, he pulled the scale towards him and measured out exactly two and three-quarters of an ounce, and then, very carefully, staring at the potion like a hawk, he dropped the chopped ingredient into the mixture. A skull-shaped stain appeared on the surface for a second, but it quickly blurred and the potion turned an even darker green.

A faint smile appeared on the Potions Master's face, but something about the relaxation of his shoulders and his entire posture suggested that the smile seemed merely a distant reflection of the tension raging within the man.

He reached for the ladle and stirred the brew twenty times clockwise and twice counterclockwise. When he finished, he moved on to the heart still lying on the board. He poured previously boiled water over it and waited until it stopped steaming. He put on black dragonskin gloves, took out the heart and placed it back on the board, where he carefully cut out any protruding veins and any impurities, then he placed it in the mortar and began to grind it, being careful not to spill a single drop of the blood gushing out of it. When all that was left was a thick, bloody pulp, he poured it into a tiny cauldron and heated it over a low flame until it boiled. Then he quickly took it off the heat and placed it over the cauldron, ready to pour it.

But then something seemed to stop him. He lowered the pot a little and reached into his pocket with his free hand. A green stone flashed in his hand. He brought it to his eyes and read the message inside:

Could I come to you now, Severus?

His eyes narrowed suddenly, and something... angry burned in them. He clenched the stone in his hand and quickly sent back:

I don't have time now, Potter. Do not bother me.

He lowered his hand to put the jewel back into his pocket, but before he could, the stone glowed again. The man looked down at the green light clutched between his fingers and, with an unreadable expression on his face, brought the gem to his eyes again. But this time with a much slower movement, as if something was holding him back. As if he wanted to push it away at all costs, but he was unable to do so.

It's... too bad... I just... miss you so much and I thought... I'd like to cuddle with you. But it doesn't matter anymore. Sorry.

Severus frowned, the anger in his eyes heating up even more. He lowered his hand, looked at the pot in his hand, and began to tilt it again. The black irises carefully followed the path of the thick goo flowing slowly down the side of the vessel, but before the first drop overflowed the edge and fell into the cauldron, Severus withdrew his hand and squeezed his eyes shut.

The vein in his temple throbbed, and the hand holding the stone gripped it so tightly that his knuckles turned white.

After a moment, he threw a stone into the very corner of the room in one angry movement. There was still some agitation in the Potions Master's gaze as he looked back at the red goo. However, it was overshadowed by determination when Severus quickly tilted the vessel and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment as the first drop hit the dark green potion. A soft sigh escaped his lips, but this time there was no trace of a smile on his pinched face.

The potion bubbled and black smoke rose from it, traveling up to the ceiling in sparkling spirals. The man stirred the broth three more times counterclockwise at even five-second intervals and finally placed the ladle on the table, lowered the flame with his wand and covered the cauldron, then stepped back and leaned against the counter behind him filled with jars and vials. He lowered his head and remained there for a moment, completely still, his thoughts wandering to places that only he knew the way to.

After a while, he moved and straightened up, casting an unreadable glance around the room. At the other end of the table, another potion was brewing, and next to it was the black bottle that Severus had received a few days ago on Knockturn Alley. He walked over to the cauldron and looked critically at its contents, then took a ladle and stirred it twice.

When he turned away from the table, he froze for a moment, staring at the corner of the room where something green gleamed. He slowly approached the spot and picked up a stone that glowed almost white from the floor.

When he read the message on it, a faint smile appeared on his lips, but it disappeared as quickly as it appeared. Black eyes involuntarily wandered towards the table, but Severus didn't let them. He turned abruptly and quickly left the room.

Only slowly spiraling clouds of black smoke remained in the air.

 

***

Blackwood's incendiary curse hit the man as he ran, throwing him into the hedge, which burst into flame like a torch in a split second. Screams of pain seemed to be heard throughout the area, and the stench of burning skin made even Severus wince slightly.

"I've hit!" a tall, muscular man with curly mane falling over his mask-covered face laughed. A squeal was heard from inside one of the attacked houses. In the cacophony of explosions, screams and spells coming from everywhere, it was hard to tell whether it was the death sound of a woman or a child, but Severus would rather bet on the latter. A moment later, both men standing on the burning lawn heard Bellatrix's ecstatic laughter coming from the ruined house. It wasn't the only ruined building in the area, though. Several buildings on the other side of the road had huge holes in their walls and collapsed roofs. The ones on this side were burning. A few more terrified people were running on the asphalt, dressed only in pajamas or nightgowns, and right behind them some tall figures in black robes were pacing, playing cruel games with their victims, to whom their slow march gave a false hope of escape. Every now and then, another scream of suffering and fading life cut through the space. In the distance, one of the dark, tall figures was dragging a young, struggling woman by her long hair. The girl, in turn, was holding a small, two- or three-year-old dead child by the leg, dragging him along the ground and wailing desperately.

Death Eaters rarely resorted to using the Killing Curse. Compared to Muggles, they preferred much more effective methods of killing, because the victims had no way to defend themselves. Boiling blood, cutting off pieces of flesh, or tearing off skin were the most popular, but there were Death Eaters who mastered this art to perfection and kept surprising people with new methods. Just like Bellatrix or Blackwood.

"Helpaaaarrrggghhh!"

Severus turned around just as a young boy with messy black hair crushed right on him. His blood sprayed the white mask and the robe of the man. The Potions Master caught him involuntarily, even though there was no life left in his light blue eyes and black smoke was rising from his back, and when Severus looked there, he saw a large, black hole in his back. Pieces of a broken spine were embedded in the bloody muscles.

"Leave that scoundrel!" Blackwood snorted, looking away from the Death Eater who had just killed the boy and was already heading towards another Muggle. "I really feel like I will never get rid of their overwhelming stench. They breed like cockroaches, they're everywhere," the man muttered, clutching his wand and looking around for a potential target.

Severus tossed the limp body aside and straightened, his fingers tightening around his wand. His hands were clad in black gloves covered with blood stains.

His eyes, hidden behind the Death Eater's mask, were caught by a young woman who ran past them on the lawn. Her long hair was on fire, and her scream was already attracting the attention of the Dark Lord's supporter, who was looking for the next victim.

"Your turn, Severus," Blackwood said politely, pointing his wand at the woman.

Snape's hand rose without hesitation.

"Sectumsempra!"

The spell hit the running woman in the back. She fell on her face and began to roll convulsively on the grass, throwing lumps of grass a considerable distance. Her skin was opening as if it had been cut by a scalpel, and blood from the wounds gushed out even further than the tufts of grass and dirt. Several of them settled on the robes of the men who were watching her, motionless.

"I must admit, Severus, that this is an extremely spectacular spell. Maybe you'll finally reveal me its secret? Have you known it for a long time?"

"For a very long time," the man replied in a dispassionate tone, lowering his wand and taking his eyes off the figure lying on the grass, trembling weaker and weaker. The fire from the hair spread to the face and slowly took over the already motionless body.

"We'll have to leave soon," Blackwood said, stretching so hard his bones cracked. "But I want to have some more fun..." he said, glancing at the dead teenager lying next to him with a hole in his back. "Actually, this one would be suitable, if it weren't for this one small defect." He laughed hoarsely, as if he had just told a good joke that, unfortunately, only he seemed to understand. "Stop being such a stiff, Severus. I know how much you love having fun with such teenagers. Do you remember our several-hour sessions with the kids from Greenvillage before the Dark Lord sent me on that four-month mission to the dusty Balkans? Oh, I miss this so damn much..." Blackwood babbled, while Severus kept staring at the motionless, terrified face of the black-haired boy. "To this day, their screams and moans lull me to sleep at night. There is nothing more wonderful than these petite naked bodies and their tight butts." Ice burned in the sparkling hazel eyes behind the mask. "I hope that once the Dark Lord gets Potter in his hands, he'll let us have some fun with him..."

A skull-shaped mask covered in drops of blood slowly lifted and turned towards the man. Behind it, not even the smallest part of the Potions Master's face was visible, except for two black irises staring at Blackwood, who lost in his fantasies.

"Don't tell me you didn't feel like it all those years when he was just at your fingertips," the Death Eater continued. "Imagine this... to fuck their 'Golden Boy', their 'little treasure', the ?hope of the wizarding world', this lousy 'Chosen One'... To crush him into the ground, to trample him, to inflict such pain on him that he could never imagine, and then fuck him until he loses consciousness, just like we used to do... Oh, this will be something great!" Blackwood let out a guttural laugh that sounded like a wheeze.

The obsidian eyes didn't move. They stared fixedly at the man, and with each word he spoke, they became colder and colder, they seemed, like two black holes, to absorb all the heat and light, turning them into dagger-sharp icicles that could pierce through anything, even the soul.

After a moment, Severus asked a question in a thoughtful tone: "Will it be?"

Blackwood ignored it, however, completely absorbed in his thoughts.

"I'll be first in line for his virgin ass," he continued, his eyes shining with vindictive excitement.

Snape took a step towards him.

"I can't wait to see it, Blackwood," he said, something sharp and promising in his voice.

"Hey, guys!" Bellatrix's sonorous scream attracted the attention of all the Death Eaters roaming the area, including Snape and Blackwood. "They've discovered us! Hurry up!"

One by one, all the black-clad figures apparated to the sound of loud cracking noises. Among the burning ashes, only the motionless, dead bodies remained.

 

*

After the obligatory visit to Dumbledore and explaining why Severus knew nothing about the planned attack on ?those poor, unsuspecting Muggles from Hampston', after submitting a detailed report on the events (i.e. who and how many people has killed) and after listening to the old wizard's monologue regarding the Dark Lord's increasing successes and concerns about the decreasing likelihood of defeating him, the Potions Master could finally return to his chamber.

Like a ghost, he crossed the path between the headmaster's stuffy office and his cool dungeon, carrying in his hand a pearl skull-shaped mask covered with dark red stains. His robes were still stained with the blood of the muggles murdered today, even if it didn't stand out that much on the dark fabric.

The castle was completely deserted. Not only because it was already the middle of the night, but primarily because of the Christmas break and, consequently, the absence of almost all students.

The attack in which Severus took part today was ?a Christmas and New Year's gift from the Dark Lord to the entire wizarding world' and - judging by the reaction of Dumbledore and the entire Ministry of Magic, which, according to the Headmaster, immediately ordered a special meeting of all the most important people in the Ministry, bringing them back from their holidays - it seemed that the message was extremely accurate and thorough.

When Severus finally reached his chambers, he quietly muttered the password and entered the office, which he crossed in just a few steps and after saying another password, he finally found himself in the living room.

The elves lit a fire in the fireplace while he was gone. The wood crackled quietly, and the heat from the fire warmed his face, focused and deep in thought.

A quiet rustle behind him made Severus react instinctively. He turned around abruptly, reaching for his wand and pointing it in the direction the sound had come from. But as he opened his mouth to cast the stunning spell, the words stuck in his throat and he froze motionless.

Potter was standing by the door, slowly taking off his invisibility cloak and looking the man straight in the eye with a determined, confident look.

"Good evening, Severus."

 

CDN

 

* "Snuff" by Slipknot