Ashes of Armageddon

Severus was still stunned when the guards came to lead him out of his cell. He felt ridiculously out of place when, still wearing his thin, drab prison robe, he was brought to a brightly-lit conference room, where Harry Potter was waiting for him, along with several others. All were formally dressed. Severus saw Kingsley Shacklebolt, Percy Weasley, Amos Diggory, and, to his surprise, a young woman whom he instantly recognized as Hermione Granger.



“Professor,” she said quietly, not meeting his eyes.



He nodded to her slightly.



“Shall we get started?” Harry said calmly, in a voice that was almost friendly. “Have a seat, please, Severus.”



Severus sat down automatically, lifting his eyes.



“The purpose of this meeting is to explain the details of your bond,” Harry said peacefully. “This meeting will give you an opportunity to ask any questions you might have.”



“Very well,” Severus said, keeping his voice absolutely impassive. “Though I fail to see the purpose of this charade. It is what it is, and you have made it abundantly clear that I have no say in the matter.”



“True,” Harry agreed with a wry smile. “However, I thought you might be interested in hearing the details before ... diving into this new adventure.”



Severus had to admit that Harry Potter had a point, and nodded again.



“The slave-bond is based on an ancient law, known as Sub Corona Vendere,” Kingsley Shacklebolt spoke tensely, and almost apologetically. “Do you know the meaning of it?”



“Yes,” Severus said instantly. “It applies to the prisoners of war. The literal translation is Sold Beneath the Crown, referring to...”



Percy Weasley waved him off in a dismissive manner. “No need to recite an entire encyclopedia, Severus. As long as you understand your position...”



Severus shut his mouth dutifully, but watched Hermione Granger with fascination, as red blotches appeared on her face. She bit her lip furiously, but made no sound. A brief silence followed, and then Kingsley continued impatiently, as if eager to get it over with:



“This particular slave-bond is of a permanent nature, and not transferable. You cannot be sold, given away, or released. Additionally, there will be a mark of ownership placed on your person, that will be permanent as well.”



“A brand,” Severus said bluntly, having no tolerance for euphemisms. He was going to be branded like ... well, even cattle did not get branded in the wizarding world, most animal owners relied on tracking spells and identification charms.



“Yes,” Kingsley confirmed. “For everyone\'s safety, including your own, you will be required to remain in your owner\'s household, under his supervision. Your wand has been burned, and you will not acquire another under any circumstances. Finally, the slave-bond will ensure your owner\'s safety, by ... dissuading you from causing him any harm.”



Severus fought to conceal his amusement at the statement. “That is fine, although unnecessary. I mean my owner no harm.”



“Then we have nothing to worry about,” Harry said serenely. “Any questions, Severus?”



“Yes,” Severus said firmly. “What are my rights?”



A long pause followed. Hermione Granger looked like she was wishing for the ground to swallow her whole. Kingsley Shacklebolt was studying the surface of the conference table as if it was the most amazing and fascinating thing on the face of the earth. Percy Weasley was smirking, just a little bit. Eventually, Harry broke the silence:



“Your rights will be defined by me. We can discuss your needs in private. However, you can relax a bit, knowing that your life, while technically at my mercy, in no danger. After all, my Vow protects me from causing you deadly harm.”



“How incredibly comforting,” Severus said dryly.



Harry issued an amicable chuckle. “Well then. Now that your peace of mind is assured, let\'s proceed with the mark of ownership.”



Percy Weasley nodded standing up, and motioning for Severus to do the same. Severus complied instantly.



“Where?” Percy asked.



“On his forehead,” Harry said firmly.



“Harry!” Hermione snapped. “It shouldn\'t be on his face.”



“Where else would I put it?” Harry asked with a casual shrug. “It needs to be prominent, and not easily concealed.”



“A hand will do just fine,” Hermione advised him in an icy voice.



“Too easily concealed by wearing gloves,” Harry countered. “Hermione, don\'t make this any more difficult than it needs to be.”



“How could it be any more difficult?” Hermione inquired bitterly. “Please tell me, Harry, I would really like to know.”



“Enough,” Severus said suddenly, surprising himself, and it seemed, the others as well. He was already nauseated beyond words, and he couldn\'t stand another second of Granger-Potter ethical debate. “It doesn\'t make any difference to me where you put it.” He pulled his hair back, baring his forehead. Percy\'s wand pointed to it, and Severus felt a faint, discomforting sensation, as a trace of energy parted his skin and bound itself to it. Percy surveyed the image with satisfaction and stepped back. Severus resisted the urge to touch it and guess at what the image was.



“All done,” Harry said with surprising softness in his voice. “Well, this wasn\'t so bad, was it?”



“No,” Severus said, not permitting his face to betray any expression. Just lovely - if you don\'t mind parading around with a slave-brand on your forehead, that is, he thought with disdain, but kept his mouth shut. He did not survive two decades of spying on the Dark Lord by picking fights over irrelevant details in situations where he was clearly at a tactical disadvantage.



“Well then,” Harry said, standing up. “Unless there is anything else, I am ready to take him home.”



“There is something else,” Hermione said absently. “I should complete full medical scans on him, and ensure he is not contaminated, before I release him into the outside world.”



“Contaminated,” Harry repeated, clearly amused. “You are such a paranoid nut, Hermione.”



“I know,” she said contritely, with a small smile on her lips. “However as the Assistant Secretary of Public Health and Safety, I would be derelict in my duty if I allowed him out without full precautions. Not with the recent breakout of blood-tainting fungus in Azkaban – I am not too keen on trying to treat the entire Muggle population of Gordic\'s Hollow if he is a carrier.”



“Very well,” Harry said. “Do what you need to do. I\'ll wait here. This meeting is adjourned.”



Kingsley, Percy and Amos left promptly. Hermione nodded to Severus and led the way, and he followed her absently.



She brought him to a smaller room that looked like it was set up for medical examinations. Severus sat up on the medical cot, and she stood right in front of him, gazing at him with her eyes wide open. She had not moved to reach for her wand and perform any scans on him.



“There is no breakout of blood-tainting fungus in Azkaban, is there, Miss Granger?” he asked wryly..



“Of course there is,” she said very quietly. “At least, on record. I made sure of it before I spoke.”



His lips twitched into a faint resemblance of a smile. “It just occurred to me, Miss Granger. Five years is an unusually long time to spend in a coma,” Severus said, very casually.



“It is,” she agreed. “In fact, had you stayed in a coma any longer, there might have been an investigation... focused on the person who was coming to visit you once a month, over the past four and a half years.”



“You kept me in a coma,” Severus said, astounded by her admission. “How? Why?”



“Discreet spells... untraceable potions...” she whispered meekly. “Some that I myself developed.... As for why: I was terrified for what would happen to you when you woke... and, I was looking for proof. Both me and Ron. Something concrete; something – anything, other than the Pensive. Anything that Dumbledore might have left behind. I was also looking for ... alternatives to ... this...”



“Ah yes. This.” Severus thought it was amusing how she refused to use the word slavery. “I am surprised you found Sub Corona Vendere in the first place. It is a rather obscure law.”



She shook her head. “I didn\'t find it. At least, not on my own. When we... cleared out Dumbledore\'s... personal quarters following his death, we found an old book sitting out. It had a page on Sub Corona Vendere marked. We didn\'t understand why – then. But then, afterwards... we understood. He must have foreseen something like this, and left a way for you to stay alive. Well, at least Ron and I understood.... We also understood that it meant you were acting on Dumbledore\'s orders. But Harry... he...”



“He doesn\'t believe me,” Severus said bluntly. “I am not surprised.”



“You should be,” she said tersely. “He did at one point. He went to the Forbidden Forest to die, based on nothing but your memory that you had shared with him.”



“Really? He did?” Severus gasped in astonishment. “But then... what happened?”



“Voldemort struck him with the Killing Curse. And then – he remembers nothing after that, until he awoke with Narcissa Malfoy checking on him. After the war was over, everything was well... He ended up the Master of the Elder Wand. So at the end of it all, he placed the Elder Wand in Dumbledore\'s Tomb. He didn\'t want to have this much power, you know. All he ever wanted was just to be ... normal. For a while, he was so happy. We all were.... for about a month or so.”



“What happened then?” Severus asked.



“Then... he started... brooding. Thinking. Trying to figure it all out... Like, if what you had conveyed to him was true, why he didn\'t die, but Voldemort was defeated anyways. Mind you, we all tried to figure it out as well... but we have no idea. Even now we don\'t know what happened. Eventually... he decided that... you just... faked your memories, and sent him to die because you hated him...” She sniffled miserably, in a way that was almost childish. “Then..... he was really angry. He withdrew... he started going back to the Forbidden Forest, day after day. Looking for it... trying to find it again....”



“Find what, Miss Granger?”



“The Resurrection Stone,” she said with a stifled sob. “It took him three months to find it... Then... another month later, he went to Dumbledore\'s tomb, and retrieved the Elder Wand...” she caught her breath and whispered. “And that\'s when I got really scared for you... for what would happen if you were to wake.... that\'s when I decided to buy us some time...” She cast him a plaintive look. “I never thought it would get worse...”



Severus shrugged. “Not to sound trite, but power changes people, Miss Granger.”



He knew that all too well, and so did Albus, and he must have foreseen this turn of events. And still, with his careful manipulation, Albus all but bequeathed Severus Snape to the Savior of the Wizarding World, to become his personal property – and Severus knew all too well, why.



Hermione saw the expression on his face and said weakly: “I know this isn\'t the greatest way to live. But... Dumbledore did save you, in his own way.”



“Ah,” Severus mused. “You misunderstand, Miss Granger. This bond is not to my salvation.”



She gazed at him speechlessly.



“It is my penance,” he said softly.



He stared into her eyes deeply, seeing his own reflection in them, sharp and clear, even the brand on his forehead. Three dark stylized lines were clearly marked, merging together to form an unmistakable shape: the image of the Phoenix.



...To Be Continued...