A Living Secret ~ COMPLETED

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 3 ~ A New Assignment

Severus had prepared for this day, reducing all his beloved books to an extremely miniscule size and leaving an illusion up in his study at Hogwarts that made the shelves look full. He had also collected and stored all of his research as well as samples of potions he was working on.

Upon discovering that it was the Potions Master who killed Albus, Voldemort, to Severus’ surprise, had been extremely generous. Using the wizard’s memories, the despot recreated Severus’ private rooms at Hogwarts and gave him a lab that exactly mirrored his own, completely stocked with ingredients and utensils. He also granted Severus a boon, anything he asked of him.

The Dark Lord and several hundred of his Death Eater were gathered in the throne room of his stronghold. Voldemort was going to grant Severus’ boon publicly to show his followers how generous he could be to loyal followers. This great event was to be followed by Draco Malfoy’s execution for his cowardice in hesitating to kill the Headmaster. Narcissa Malfoy was there, sobbing quietly. There was no hope for her son. Severus had failed her.

Voldemort’s red eyes shifted to Severus, who stood before his throne, his head bowed.

”Severus Snape, faithful follower and killer of Dumbledore, your excellent service is to be rewarded. You are the finest example of a loyal servant within my ranks. You are to be respected and praised above all other Death Eaters,” the Dark Lord lisped.

“Thank you, my Lord,” Severus replied, bowing.

“Thank you, loyal servant for ridding me of that insufferable Albus Dumbledore. With his death, my success is assured. I will grant you a boon…all you need do is request it,” Voldemort hissed. “Anything within my power.”

The room went silent as everyone waited to see what the Potions Master asked for. Diamonds, riches, power…what?

The Potions Master drew in a deep breath as if needing extra strength to reply. Voldemort watched him, hoping he didn’t ask for anything ridiculous, such as to rule beside him. He would grant it…but then he would kill him afterwards, claiming him to be a rival. Severus was not that stupid.

“My Lord, my boon is that you do not kill Draco Malfoy,” the Potions Master said silkily.

Narcissa let out a small sob in the background.

Voldemort looked at Draco, who stood restrained between two burly minions, his face badly bruised. Then his eyes shifted back to Severus. They were narrowed with displeasure.

“You would waste your boon on this…this coward, Severus?” Voldemort asked in his high-pitched voice, “Why?”

”Because he is young my Lord, and to be honest…should be commended that he got as far as he did. It was Draco who disarmed Dumbledore, and Draco who figured out a way to get Fenrir, Amycus, Alecto and the rest of the Death Eaters into the castle without setting off the wards. True, he did hedge when it came to the actual killing…but Albus is dead, and the boy did try,” Severus said to the despot.

Voldemort considered this, his red eyes shifting back toward Draco, who seemed resigned to his fate. The Dark Lord’s eyes shifted back toward Severus and he scowled. After a minute or two of silence the despot spoke.

“Release the boy!” Voldemort hissed, “Severus, I hope you at least get a ‘thank-you‘ fuck out of Narcissa for saving her worthless son’s life.”

Narcissa’s ice blue eyes fell on Severus gratefully. If Severus wanted that type payment for his act, she would pay willingly. But Severus wanted nothing from her but to be left alone from this point forward.

The two Death Eaters pushed Draco forward to the floor. Slowly he raised his head and looked up at Severus thankfully. The Potions Master stared down at him without emotion. He had fulfilled his Unbreakable Vow to Narcissa. Draco was safe.

“Go to your mother, boy,” Voldemort hissed at him, “And be grateful for your miserable life!”

”Thank you my Lord. You are most merciful,” Draco said, rising to his feet and half running into the crowd of Death Eaters and falling into his mother’s arms.

Voldemort scowled. He hated displays of true affection. Well, Severus had managed to throw a damper on the night’s fun with his request. He carelessly waved his hand at the group assembled before him.

“You all may go!” he snarled, “Now. Stragglers will be Crucio’d”

There was a huge mass disapparation and only Severus and Peter Pettigrew remained. Peter looked a bit nervous. When Voldemort’s fun was thwarted, he usually amused himself by casting the Imperio curse on the squat little wizard and making him do all types of things his body wasn’t meant to do.

“I will retire to my rooms, my Lord,” Severus said bowing.

“Good night, my most faithful servant,” Voldemort said, giving the wizard a lipless smile. Severus backed away until he was far enough to turn his back on the wizard without causing offense, then went to his rooms.

Voldemort had been delighted to find out Severus was the one who killed Dumbledore. The Potions Master’s treachery put all doubts about the wizard’s loyalty completely to rest. Imagine, after all those years of torture, Severus believed in him and his cause to the point of becoming the instrument of Albus Dumbledore’s demise. That was true dedication. If Voldemort was sure of anything, it was that Severus Snape was as true as true could be. In fact…

The Dark Lord looked thoughtful. For the longest time he had wanted to use one of his Death Eaters for a service, a very important service…but found no one strong or trustworthy enough to provide that service. Until now.

Voldemort believed Severus Snape could be the one he had been looking for. He was his most trusted servant and had proven himself beyond a doubt.

Yes, he would be perfect.

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Severus let himself into his rooms, warded the door and walked over to his liquor cabinet. He poured himself a firewhiskey and sat down in front of the fireplace. It was no longer a floo. Despite his surroundings, he was no longer at Hogwarts…and he would never go back, not even when all this madness ended. He’d had enough of teaching and trying to mold young minds that had about as much give as stone. He had other things to think about now, like finding out where Voldemort’s Horcruxes were hidden, and worse than that, finding a way to let that thick-brained Potter boy know the locations without being discovered.

Severus sighed. It would have been so much better if Albus had lived to orchestrate this. Now he was alone and the fate of the wizarding world rested in his pale hands. Yes, Harry Potter was destined to destroy Voldemort, but the boy wouldn’t be able to do it without Severus’ help. All the Horcruxes had to be found and destroyed before they faced off, otherwise the Dark Lord would continue to exist in spirit form until he could create another body or find a host…like he had in Quirrel.

Severus finished his drink and sat staring morosely into the flames. He had nothing to do. No papers to mark, or halls to check for shagging students.

The wizard sighed. Well, he did have his labs. Maybe he would start brewing again. Do some research. But, it would be rather empty as well, since he couldn’t market anything he created. He smirked as he imagined what the reactions would be if he walked into the Ministry with a potion to patent. It would be the equivalent of a small war. His smirk faded.

He had killed Dumbledore. Killed him.

Severus swallowed and blinked several times. If his heart hadn’t already been shattered by the type of life he had lived up to this point…it would surely be breaking now.

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The next morning while Severus was eating breakfast in his study, a timid knock sounded on his door. The wizard put down his fork and knife, wiped his mouth and answered it. Peter Pettigrew stood on the other side. Severus scowled at him. He hated Peter with a passion. It was Peter who threw salted water over his wounds after the tortures, and the fat little wizard was always at the forefront when the other Death Eaters had mocked and spit on him.

“What do you want?” Severus snarled at him.

Peter cringed a little. Severus was now the Dark Lord’s most favored servant, and as such could get away with murder if he wanted to. Gods knew he had enough reason to murder him. He had treated Severus like shit on numerous occasions.

”The Dark Lord wishes to see you,” Peter squeaked.

“Fine. Now get the fuck out of here, you fat little bastard,” Snape growled, his dark eyes full of hate.

Peter scampered away as fast as he could, Severus striding behind him. The wizard entered the throne room, lowered his eyes and approached the throne.

“You asked to see me, my Lord?” he said to the Dark Lord, who smiled at him.

“You may raise your eyes, Severus,” the wizard said, standing up and walking down the dais. He placed one scaly hand on the Potions Master’s shoulder.

“Come. I wish to talk to you, Severus,” he said, waving his wand and creating two soft, comfortable armchairs and a small table between them.

He and Severus walked over and Voldemort waited for the wizard to be seated, before sitting himself…a grand gesture indeed, and one that was not lost on the Potions Master. Two house elves appeared with tea and cakes, setting them down on the table and winking out swiftly. House elves moved very quickly in the stronghold. To be slow was to be hexed.

Neither Severus nor Voldemort made any move to consume them. Voldemort stared at the wizard for a long moment.

“Severus, I am very impressed by your service to me as you know,” the wizard began.

“Yes my Lord. Thank you,” Severus replied.

“You have proven your loyalty to me beyond a doubt, and I must tell you that you are the only one of my followers I feel worthy to be in my stronghold. Oh yes, there is Peter…but let us face it…he’s a toady,” the despot said with a slight frown. “Absolutely worthless except for the fact he gives me my elixir and is too cowardly to even dream of attacking me when I am at my weakest. He has no dreams of greatness.”

He looked at Severus.

“Do you have dreams of greatness, Severus?” he asked, lisping.

”No my Lord. I only seek to live in the shadow of your greatness and to follow you wherever you lead me…even to death,” Severus replied smoothly.

“Ah Severus, you are a loyal servant. And that is why I am giving you an assignment, a service that is very important to me. One that my very survival depends upon. Have you ever heard of a Horcrux, Severus?” the Dark Lord asked him.

“There are some very old texts on the subject. Actually, they sound like something out of a fairy tale. I’ve never been much on fairy tales,” the wizard replied.

Voldemort chuckled.

”Ah, but they are not fairy tales, Severus. Horcruxes actually exist,” he said, noting the look of surprise on the wizard’s face, followed by a hint of disbelief.

“A Horcrux is a receptacle that houses a fragment of a wizard’s soul so that he can attain immortality. The receptacle can be inanimate or living,” Voldemort explained.

Severus listened attentively. Of course, he knew what a Horcrux was. Albus had schooled him on them quite thoroughly.

” The purpose of a Horcrux is to protect the soul fragment from anything that might happen to the body of the person to whom the soul belongs. While the Horcrux is kept safe, the person will continue to exist even if his or her body is damaged or destroyed,” Voldemort continued.

Severus wondered why the wizard was telling him this…but he began to hope there was some purpose behind it…something he could use.

Voldemort leaned in toward Severus, dropping his voice a bit.

”I created several Horcruxes in my youth, Severus. Even then I was thinking of immortality. The first was a diary. It was destroyed by Harry Potter,” the wizard hissed, hatred on his face, “That was my first attempt at being restored to the physical body. Damn the boy. The second was my grandfather’s ring which I ‘acquired’ from his son Morfin. I had magically hidden it in the ruins of the Gaunt house, but Dumbledore found it and released the fragment. The old bastard had the nerve to wear my ring for a time, adding insult to injury.”

Voldemort’s face contorted for a moment, then he continued.

”The third was a locket which carries Salazar Slytherin’s mark that belonged to my mother. I have hidden it away in a cave. As far as I know, it is still there,” the wizard said, “The fourth, oh that was a stroke of genius. No one would suspect Helga Hufflepuff’s cup to be a Horcrux for a Slytherin. That too is intact as far as I know.”

Severus listened closely, hardly believing his good fortune. Voldemort was telling him what items held his soul fragments.

”Ah, and the fifth, Severus…was right under Albus’ crooked nose and rests on the head of every student that enters Hogwarts,” Voldemort hissed delightedly.

“The…the Sorting Hat?” Severus asked incredulously.

“Yesssss,” Voldemort replied, his tongue flicking out in pleasure at his own cleverness. “Even that ratty hat has no idea what it holds.”

Good gods. If the Sorting Hat was destroyed, there would be no way to place students in the proper houses. It would be a fiasco.

“The sixth Horcrux is my own beloved Nagini. It is one of the reasons she has lived so long…and of course I retain the seventh fragment since I need it to live, Severus,” the wizard said to the Potions Master who nodded.

“Now, I suppose you are wondering why I have shared such intimate and secret knowledge with you,” the Dark Lord said, eyeing Severus speculatively.

“Yes, my Lord,” Severus replied.

“It is because I need to know the status of the remaining Horcruxes…to find out if they are still intact and in place. I cannot feel when they are destroyed since they are in effect, separate from me and only come into play if I lose this body. I cannot check them myself, Severus because coming in contact with them weakens me since they are drawn to the source and it is quite a painful ordeal. Until this point in time there was no I trusted enough to do this for me,” the Dark Lord said.

Severus stared at the scaly despot, his entire body tense. Dare he hope.?

“But I believe you are the man for the job.”

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A/N: How fortuitous for Severus. Lol. So, Voldie wants him to check the Horcruxes to see if they are still functional. Ooh…what an opportunity. This story might not be too long. Lol. Thanks for reading.