Harry Potter & The Black Sacrifice
Post 13: Snape's Assignment
Chapter 11
Snape's Assignment
After Ginny had said goodbye to Harry (with Ron staring alternately at the clock and the ceiling the entire time), she and Ron jumped in to the fireplace and went home. Harry looked over at Hermione. "Can you stay for a bit? I have to work tomorrow, and I don't have a day off for another week."
"Sure," she said.
"Ok," Harry said. "What all were you able to grab from the library?"
Hermione laid 7 books out on the table for Harry. Harry surveyed them all. Each book sounded more sinister than the last. "How many of these were from the Restricted section?" he asked.
"6 of them. And I think Hexes Most Heinous might have been misfiled; it was in with some books on how to make water dance."
Harry grabbed the first title he had seen, Advanced Curse Breaking Volume 3 – Hiccups through Narcilepsy, and started thumbing through it. "So I guess I'll read 4, including the potions book, and you'll read 4, and hope that if there is a curse on the cup, we'll have already seen the cure in one of them?"
"Don't be silly," Hermione said. "Even if you weren't working, I could get through these books faster than you. I'll read through them all this week, and we'll try to destroy the cup on your next day off."
Harry nodded. "Okay then…"
Hermione was on her way out the door to apparate home, but something in Harry's voice stopped her. "What's wrong?"
"I was just thinking… It won't take Voldemort too long to figure out why I was in his father's house. I'd say my cover will be blown by my next day off."
"So?"
"So… maybe it's time I come out of hiding."
Hermione considered this for a moment. "Maybe… soon. But not quite. Let's get the cup business out of the way and then we'll decide on our next step"
"The cup is the main reason though," Harry said. "What if those books aren't enough? I'd feel much better destroying this thing in a room full of adult wizards then with just you and those seven books…. No offense!" he added, as she began to scowl.
She sighed, and nodded. "I agree.. to an extent. I will tell you what. We'll tell one more person, an adult, and they can be here when you…"
"Lupin," Harry interrupted. "Of the adults I trust, he's the least likely to be put in danger by the knowledge we'll have to give him."
"Agreed. What should I tell him though? He's too busy for an afternoon field trip to Godric's Hollow..""
Harry considered this. "He won't believe the truth, that's for sure." He looked up at her. "I guess I'll just have to come with you."
…
Excerpt – THE DAILY PROPHET
September 16th, 1997 – Front Page Headline
PETTIGREW TO BE TRANSFERRED TO AZKABAN
By Jean Nilor Wong
Peter Pettigrew, alleged Death Eater recently captured in Ireland, will be moved this afternoon from his comfy cell in the ministry to the minimum security wing of Azkaban prison.
Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour made a brief statement to the press, then handed the microphone over to Auror Kinglsey Shacklebolt for any further questions.
"The memory and confusion charms placed on Pettigrew were simply too powerful for any of us to penetrate," said Scrimgeour. "He has no idea who he is, or what he has done to deserve his punishment. As such, he has obviously not been able to give us any information as to You-Know-Who's whereabouts. For all practical purposes, Peter Pettigrew doesn't even exist anymore. Thank you."
When asked to run down the list of counter-charms that had been attempted on Pettigrew, Shacklebolt would only state that they had exhausted every possibility available to them. "Ironically, the only known expert on memory charms who might have a chance at restoring Pettigrew's memory is currently in St. Mungo's for the very same malady."
Erased memory or no, this reporter will be back tomorrow with an exclusive interview with Pettigrew himself…
…
"How many so far, Severus?"
"Macnair has reported 37 my Lord. Not even half the number you have requested."
From his newly acquired balcony, Voldemort surveyed the hillside below him, where the majority of Hogwarts' unicorns were now roaming. "No matter. We have plenty of time. If we have to breed them ourselves, so be it."
"Breeding unicorns is no small feat my Lord," said Snape, who was at Voldemort's side. "I don't think Macnair is up to the challenge. He's a male, for starters…"
"I have no intention of putting Macnair in charge of this," Voldemort said sharply. "I have someone else in mind. Though he will take convincing…"
Snape raised one eyebrow, but did not inquire further. "The unicorns themselves, my Lord…"
Voldemort cut him off. "In time Severus, all in good time. Be patient, and all will be revealed to you." Voldemort brought out his wand, conjured up two firewhiskys, and handed one to Snape. "I have a job for you, my friend."
Snape sipped his Firewhisky and waited.
"I have recently discovered the lifeless body of my beloved Nagini," Voldemort said. "This alone would be enough to disturb me…" Voldemort became lost in his thoughts and suspicions for a moment. Snape knew better than to interrupt, and simply waited.
Voldemort finally snapped back to himself. "Nagini was guarding a family heirloom which I hold very dear. Whoever her murderer was, they took this treasure for themselves.
"I'm going to send you to check on some of my other possessions," he continued. "Chances are I am worried for nothing and this murderer and thief did not know this item's true value." Snape nodded. "But if they did, they may know of the existence of other… hidden possessions of mine."
Snape kept his mouth, and his mind, shut.
Voldemort stared down at the unicorns running freely on the hillside, still getting used to their new home. "It is my hope that none of these other objects have been disturbed. I need you to go and make sure of this."
Snape knew for a fact that two others had been disturbed; he had seen one of them, with his own eyes, resting on Dumbledore's finger. The other he knew about from an accidental image that Potter had let slip from his mind while chasing Snape from Hogwarts.
He did not dare reveal this though, of course. To reveal this would mean revealing his knowledge of the Dark Lord's immortality. Even someone as trusted as Snape could not be allowed to live with that knowledge.
Voldemort chuckled menacingly, bringing Snape back to reality. "It does not really matter though," he said, mostly to himself. He was back in his own thoughts and seemed to have forgotten that Snape was there for the moment. "Nobody would dare destroy the last one. Dumbledore proved that to me at the ministry."
Once again, Snape knew not to comment.
After a moment, Voldemort once again returned to his senses. "Severus my friend, the first object will be found in the house of my mother and her father. It is a ring that my grandfather owned. If you find it, leave it where it is; I merely wish to have confirmation that it is still there and undisturbed…"
"As you wish, my Lord," Snape said quietly.
Over the next 10 minutes, Voldemort divulged the identities and locations of the remaining Horcruxes to Snape.
"This third one will be a little tricky," Voldemort said. "You'll need to get to a basin in the middle of the underwater lake. Once there, you'll find the basin full of a noxious green liquid." Voldemort looked around to make sure they were alone. "Simply stick your head into the liquid and pull the locket out with your teeth. Be careful though, do not drink or inhale the liquid."
"That is all then? Just those three items my Lord?"
"Just those three. If all three of them are safe, I may decide to move them. I'll decide once I've heard your report. You'll leave in the morning."
Snape breathed a sigh. He would need to cast some powerful memory charms on himself during his trip; the Dark Lord would perform Legilimency on him upon his return, and Snape needed the Dark Lord to believe that all of these objects were still safe and undisturbed.
As Snape got up to go to bed, a question formed in his mind that he did not quite dare ask the Dark Lord. None of the objects that Voldemort had revealed to him were items that nobody would "dare destroy" , as he had put it. None of them had been anywhere near the Ministry when Dumbledore had confronted Voldemort there. So what was this final object that Voldemort wasn't telling him about?
"Don't worry about it Snape," Voldemort said coldly from behind him. Snape silently cursed himself; his Occlumens wall had let that little bit slip. "Greater men than you would probably die in the attempt to retrieve the locket, but the protection on the last object is 100 times as great. Believe me when I say that nobody would dare destroy it. This final object does not need checking up on."
Voldemort said no more, which meant Snape was dismissed. Snape fell asleep minutes laters with visions in his head not unlike the ones Harry Potter had been dreaming about for the past two months.
…
"I thought he'd never go to bed," said a silky voice from behind where Voldemort stood on the balcony.
Voldemort turned his head and smirked. "Good evening, my love. Are you feeling well?"
Narcissa Black (as she had recently re-named herself) wrapped her arms around Voldemort's neck. "Feeling wonderful. The healer at St. Mungos has given me a due date of May 20th."
Voldemort smiled and put his hand on her abdomen. "This will be the most powerful child this world has ever seen. His name will be spoken in hushed voices centuries from now."
Narcissa looked into his eyes, not fully understanding what he meant, but she smiled just the same. "And what will that name be, my Lord?"
Voldemort looked at her as if the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.
"My love… it will be Salazar, of course."
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