Enduring Survival

Chapter 2

\"No,\" she whispered, a hint of despair and confusion tingeing her voice.
 

Snape tilted his head to the side and regarded her with curiousity.  \"No,
Miss Granger?\" he asked, his voice soft and mocking.

\"No,\" she repeated, much more vehemently this time.  \"You-you\'re
not really a Death Eater.  You are-you just-spy-pretend-\" she sputtered,
struggling to find the words, raising both hands to brush back the snarl
of thick, bushy hair from her face.

Snape continued to study her, his ears still straining to hear the sound
of any movement from the area of the window and noting, at the edge of
his peripheral vision, the exact position of her wand upon the floor.

\"Dumbledore trusts you!\" she finally shouted, her hands dropping away
from her face and clenching into fists.  \"I\'ve told Harry and Ron that-\"

\"Oh, yes, I am sure that you have,\" he snarled.  \"In fact, you\'ve
probably told them that dozens of times haven\'t you?\"

He leaned towards her n, cn, causing her to instinctively draw away from
him.  

\"Oh, boys, you\'re wrong!\" he mimicked, in a high and bossy tone.
 \"Dumbledore trusts Snape, so you\'re wrong to be suspicious of
him!\"  

She winced slightly and drew further away.  Snape\'s lip curled triumphantly
upward, certain that his barb had struck a sensitive point.

\"I thought you had finally realized that Dumbledore was not quite as infallible
as you thought; that upon occasion the old fool allows sentiment to mislead
him into believing that what he wishes to be real is true.\"

\"No, you\'re lying!\" she shouted.

\"Yes, perhaps I am,\" he agreed, his smile widening even more.  \"Perhaps
he truly did know that I was not to be trusted, but he was using me to achieve
his own ends?  Rather a Slytherinish maneuver for such an exemplary
Gryffindor, don\'t you think?\"

\"Please,\" she moaned softly, closing her eyes as her shoulders sagged
tiredly.

\"But, of course what is condemned as deceit in a Slytherin is applauded
as resourcefulness in a Gryffindor, isn\'t it?\" he jeered.   

\"Please stop!\" she whispered, shivering slightly as she kept her eyes
shut.

\"Oh, dear me, have I tarnished some of your quaint, childish perceptions
of your world?  Not quite ready to have some of your safe, misguided
illusions of the world shattered?\"

\"Look, \" she began, opening her eyes and brushing her hair back once more,
\"There may be a way out of this-if we work together we can-\"

\"Work together?\" he repeated, rising to his feet and staring down at her
in amazement.  \"Do you really have no idea what my opinion of you and
your abilities are?\"  He laughed shortly before bending down to loom
over her.  \"Do you really not know how distasteful it has been to endure
your presence in my classroom for the past seven years?\"

She stared up at him, her head shaking slightly as her eyes implored him
to stop.

\"Dear Merlin, you are such an annoying little Mudblood,\" he hissed.  \"So
damned confident, so eager to share your vast knowledge with us lesser
mortals.\"  Pulling himself backfullfull height, he glared down at her
and continued:  \"Such a self-satisfied little prig of a bluestocking,
so certain that all the answers to life\'s problems are buried in the pages
of some dusty old tome or written upon an ancient piece of parchment.  That
all the solutions are waiting there for the dedicated and industrious Miss
Granger to find them.\"

It was hard to tell between the streaks of blood, but it looked as if
a faint blush had appeared upon her pallid cheeks.

\"You have always been an infuriating know-it-all, so very sure of what
is right and wrong, of what is good or evil,\" he continued, sneering down
at her and pleased to see that her eyes were beginning to fill with tears.

\"You are about to find out that very little in life is as black or white
as it appears upon the printed page.  Most of us live out our lives
in varying shades of grey.\"  A short, barking laugh issued from between
his thin lips.  \"Some, admittedly, darker than others,\" he added,
holding out his left hand.

For the briefest of moments, she stared at him in disbelief, as if wondering
why, after such a diatribe, he should be offering to help her to her feet.

\"Accio wand!\" he called, and she gasped as her wand sprang up
from the floor and directly to his outstretched fingers.  \"Thank you,
Miss Granger\" he said, shrugging his shoulders, \"Being careless enough
to drop your wand made it much easier than having to disarm you,\" he drawled,
pointing his own wand directly at her face.

\"Are you going to kill me?\" she asked, her eyes staring up at him defiantly.

\"Oh, dear, time for the much-vaunted Gryffindor courage to evince itself,\"
he mocked.  \"Of course not, you stupid girl, you are much too valuable
a pawn for me to throw away just yet.  I need you very much alive...for
now.\"

\"This way!\"

The shout had come from the area of the broken window, and both of them
turned their heads in the direction of the sound. Although the black smoke
had almost completely receded there was no sign of either the dementors or
the Death Eaters.

\"But I am afraid,\" Snape said, turning back to face her and taking careful
aim, \"That neither can I afford to leaou cou conscious at the moment.\"

She continued to glare up at him mutinously, refusing to look away.  Behind
him, his ears discerned the sound of brooms speeding through the air and
knew that he had at best only seconds until someone would burst in upon
them.  He had really intended to use just a simply stunning spell upoer, er, to make sure that she would not be awake to contradict whatever story
he would concoct to explain his actions to Voldemort.  But he suddenly
realized that stronger measures were required.

\"Crucio!\" he whispered, his voice soft but steady.  

She was in such a weakened state that she collapsed almost immediately,
her brief shriek of agonizing pain fading away even as her body continued
to twitch spasmodically under the effects of the spell.  He kept his
wand trained upon her, only ending the curse as he heard the thud of boots
hitting the floor as a lone rider came swooping in through the window.

\"Ah, there you are, Severus!\"

\"Yes, Lucius,\" he answered, abruptly lowering his wand, \"Here I am.\"
Turning to face the new arrival he clasped his hands in front of him, but
kept his wand tightly clenched in his fingers as he watched the wizard
alight from his broom.  \"Have you been looking for me?\"

Malfoy had already raised his Death Eater mask away form his face and
was peering curiously at the still figures on the other side of the sofa.

\"Not particularly,\" he drawled, bending down to examine Hermione\'s body
more closely, using the tip of his boot to nudge her onto her back.  \"Though
we were rather surprised not to find you in the dungeons.\"  Glancing
up, he threw Snape a cold smile.  \"And then the dementors came fleeing
out of this tower, apparently driven away by a Patronus in the shape of a
Thestral.\" Straightening up, he casually threw back his long blond hair and
raised his eyebrows.  \"I knew you had produced it, of course, though
it did seem rather out of character for you.\"

\"Really, Lucius?\" he answered, frowning slightly as he crossed his arms
over his chest.  \"Do you doubt my ability to produce a patronus?  Or
are you under the mistaken belief that I am particularly fond of the company
of dementors?\"

\"Oh, of course not,\" replied the other wizard, stepping forward.  \"But
you must have realized that-\"

Both men turned to the window as a new pair of Death Eaters flew into
the room.  Although the breadth of the aperture was sizable, the sheer
bulk of the riders made it a difficult maneuver, and they collided in midair,
both of the men falling to the ground with a crash.

\"I see Crabbe and Goyle have decided to join us,\" noted Snape dryly as
the hefty figures struggled to free themselves from the tangle of robes and
broomsticks.  \"How convenient.\"

\"Convenient?\" echoed Malfoy, grimacing contemptuously at the duo before
returning his attention to Snape.  \"How so?\"

\"Three trophies to be carried to the Dark Lord, and three wizards with
brooms to deliver them,\" he answered.

\"Ah, yes, but I would not be so certain that our leader will be pleased
with such a present,\" warned Malfoy, a small smile curling up the corners
of his mouth.

\"Why would he not be pleased that I have captured the famous Harry Potter\'s
little mudblood friend?\"

\"Because obviously, Severus,\" said Malfoy, tilting his nose upward, \"The
Dark Lord sent the dementors here with specific orders to deliver a kiss
to her.\"

\"Then he should be quite grateful that I intervened,\"  he replied
airily.  \"For it would been a regrettable error had they succeeded in
carrying out his wishes.\"

\"Do you intend to tell him that?\" challenged Malfoy, frank incredulity
in his voice.

\"As a matter of fact, I do,\" he answered calmly.  \"But I will need
your help in transporting them.  If you would be so kind?\" he asked,
gesturing towards the girl\'s immobile form.

\"I\'ll not soil my broomstick carrying a damned Mudblood,\" he protested,
the nostrils of long, aristocratic nose flaring in disdain.

\"Very well,\" answered Snape, his voice still implacably composed.  \"Why
don\'t you take her instead?\" he asked, pointing toward Ginny Weasley\'s
body.

\"Arthur Weasley\'s little brat?\" he said, advancing upon her with some
interest.  \"Very well,\" he said, sighing and reaching into the pocket
of his robe for his wand.  A moment later the girl\'s slight frame had
risen from the floor and was floating through the air.  \"But who is
the third one?\" he asked, frowning down at Parvati.

\"No one of any consequence,\" Snape answered, shrugging.  \"But she
is a considerable beauty.  It would be a shame for her to die so
quickly when the Death Eaters might be allowed to play with her awhile.  I
daresay she could provide some very interesting sport.\"

\"Why, Severus,\" Malfoy said, affecting a shocked tone as he aimed his
wand towards his broomstick and caught it with his other hand as it sprang
up into the air.  \"I thought that as a teacher you were impervious to
the physical charms of your female students.\"

\"Impervious, Lucius?\" he replied, shrugging his shoulders.  \"I assure
you that, as I am neither blind nor a eunuch, I cannot claim that the close
proximity to a bevy of nubile young women has been without its temptations.
 However, it was hardly prudent to succumb to such an enticement with
Dumbledore observing my every action.\"

\"That impediment appears to have been removed,\" Malfoy observed, positioning
himself on the broom with Ginny\'s body in front of him.

\"Indeed,\" he replied shortly.  With a wave of his wand, the bodies
of both Parvati and Hermione went wafting through the air over to where
Crabbe and Goyle were standing, having finally managed to disentangle themselves.

\"I thought I already saw her downstairs,\" murmured Crabbe, his thick brow
furrowed in confusion as he stared at Parvati.

\"She is a twin,\" hissed Snape, shaking his head in irritation.

\"Ah,\" he said, nodding up and down and reaching out to grasp the girl\'s
arm and pull her toward his broom.  As she slumped towards him, Snape
noticed with slight revulsion that his hands were roaming over the girls
small but firm breasts.  \"That leaves the other one for you, eh?\" he
called over to Goyle.

The other wizard was staring at Hermione as she continued to hang, suspended
in midair before him.  \"But, Malfoy says the Dark Lord doesn\'t want
her alive,\" he protested, refusing to reach out for her.

\"Take her, you idiot!\" thundered Snape, completely losing patience with
the thick-witted oaf.

\"Go on, Goyle,\" murmured Malfoy, who was idly drawing his fingers through
Ginny\'s blood-stained tresses as he hovered upon his broom near the window.
 \"I assure that Severus has every intention of accompanying us on our
journey and that our Lord will be much more interested in hearing his explanations
as to why he kept the bitch alive than in punishing you for delivering her
in such a condition.\"

\"Absolutely,\" replied Snape, a grim smile appearing upon his face.

Goyle reluctantly mounted his broom but continued to stare at the girl\'s
body as if reluctant to touch her.  

\"Oh, for Merlin\'s sake,\" muttered Snape, moving forward and pointing his
wand toward the handle of Goyle\'s broomstick.  A long, thick rope appeared,
one end winding around the broomstick as the other knotted itself around
the girl\'s waist.  \"There,\" he said, stepping back slightly and placing
his wand back in his pocket.  \"You may pull her along behind you rather
than hold her if it will make you feel more secure.\"

A moment later, he had transformed back into his animagus form, and there
was no further conversation as the group flew out through the window and
slowly began their descent.  As Malfoy led them around the remains of
the tower and down to the ground floor, Snape noted that while the damage
to the castle had not been extensive, the targeted areas had been quite effectively
devastated.  As they neared the front doors, he saw that the thick and
ancient doors had been blown off of their hinges, allowing them to fly directly
into the entry hall.  Outside of the Great Hall, however, they slowed
and the other men dismounted from their brooms as Snape swiftly transfigured
himself once more.  

The crowd of Death Eaters inside the hall were celebrating loudly, but
a hush quickly fell over them as the strange procession came down the narrow
aisle that remained in the center of the room between the large house tables.
Snape led the way, followed by Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle, the girls\' bodies
bobbing gently in front of them as they made their way to the other side of
the room.  As they reached the ends of the house tables the other men
stopped, leaving Snape to continue on alone.

The large staff table that usually occupied the front of the room had disappeared,
but the podium it had stood upon was still standing.  It had been magically
elevated, however, hanging several feet above the ground now as if suspen
by
by invisible wires from the ceiling.  In the very middle of the dais
stood Dumbledore\'s chair, and ensconced upon its worn but comfortable cushions
was Lord Voldemort, his red eyes blazing with triumph as he surveyed the chamber.
 

Standing on either side of Voldemort, and clearly reveling in their positions
of favor were Pettigrew and Filch.  Both men had wide, almost manic
grins plastered upon their faces as they watched the tall, dark figure approach
the platform.

\"My Lord!\" he cried, gracefully falling down to his knees for a moment
before moving to prostrate himself on the ground directly beneath Voldemort\'s
feet as they hung in midair over the edge of the dais.

\"Severus!\"  The Dark Lord\'s voice was soft but carried clearly across
the whole chamber.  \"My faithful servant.\"

\"Yes, my Lord,\" murmured Snape into the dust of the floor.

\"You have served me well for a long time from within these walls, have
you not?\"

\"Yes, my Lord.\"

\"Rise, Severus.\"

Snape waited a few more moments, and then cautiously rose to his knees.

\"I do hope that you are not angry with me for not giving your forewarning
of the attack?\" whispered Voldemort, a grotesque approximation of a smile
flitting across his face as he continued to stare down at the dark-robed
figure before him.  \"But the opportunity to exploit a weakness in this
considerable fortress came about so unexpectedly that I had no time to inform
you of my plans.\"

\"I only wish I could have been of more help to you, my Lord.\" answered
Snape, finally daring to raise gaz gaze to Voldemort\'s face.  

\"Really, Severus?\"  There was a definite coldness to his tone now
and Snape found himself having to fight back a shiver as he continued to
stare up into those strange, snakelike eyes.  \"Then why, if your only
wish is to serve me, did your intervene when I sent the dementors to deliver
their kiss?\"

\"Because, my Lord, it would have been a mistake.\"

The crowd took in a loud, collective gasp and then there were several long
moments of silence.

\"A mistake, Severus?  Do you not think Potter would have been devastated
to learn of her condition?\"

\"Of course, my Lord,\" he answered, dropping his gaze back down to the floor
again, but keeping his voice strong and steady.  \"But you have already
accomplished that by attacking McGonagall, a person that both Potter and
the Headmaster hold in high regard.  I am sure that, upon learning of
her fate, Albus will berate himself for allowing her to suffer in
his place, and Potter himself will be dminemined to avenge the fallen head
of his house.\"

\"Then why not double their anguish by delivering two victims instead of
one?\"

\"Because my Lord, Potter is surrounded by too many people, who would take
great care to ensure that he did not act upon his impulse to try and exact
his revenge immediately.  In time, Albus would be able to persuade
him that in order to defeat you, he must act slowly and deliberately.\"

Voldemort shrugged.  \"Will he not try to do so anyway?\"

Of cOf course, my Lord, but you see-\"  Snape paused and took in a deep
breath before continuing.  \"You found yourself two years ago that the
best way to ensure that Potter acts recklessly and impulsively is to have
him believe he must act in order to prevent an injury from befalling
one whom he loves.\"  His dark eyes slowly swept back up to Voldemort\'s
face.  \"Had you sent him Sirius Black\'s head on a platter, you would
have dealt him a painful blow, but you would never have lured him into the
Ministry of Magic.\"

\"Hmm.\"  

Snape kept his eyes trained on Voldemort\'s face as he slowly began to rise
to his feet.

Turning slightly, he pointed a fi in in Hermione\'s direction.  \"If
you send Potter that girl\'s lifeless or soulless body, you will undoubtedly
succeed in wounding him deeply.  But if instead you keep her here,
making him worry and wonder as to what has happened to her...\"

Snape smiled and pivoted back towards Voldemort.  \"You will drive
him mad.\"

Voldemort stared at him for several seconds and then began to chuckle,
his voice dry and raspy.

\"Very clever, Severus, \" he admitted, nodding his head approvingly.  

\"You could always kill her anyway and not say anything,\" said Filch, stepping
forward and suddenly breaking into the converon. on.  \"She\'s a powerful
witch, \'specially for a Mudblood,\" he added.  \"I think it\'s too dangerous
to keep her alive.\"

With difficulty, Snape suppressed a smile.  It was amazing how an
untalented Squib like Filch could be so envious of a Muggleborn.

\"If I may, my Lord?\"

This was Malfoy\'s voice now.

\"I must agree with Severus that she is worth much more to us as a hostage
than as a corpse.  As to Argus\' suggestion-\"  Malfoy\'s eyes flitted
over Filch\'s filthy clothes, his expression one of bemused contempt, \"Should
we kill her, word of her demise would undoubtedly eventually leak out.  Rumors
have such an unfortunate habit of spreading beyond these walls.\"

Snape\'s black eyes narrowed as Malfoy threw him a friendly smile.  He
didn\'t trust the blond wizard for at any time, much less when the wily wizard
appeared to be supporting him.

\"What are you suggesting, Lucius?\" asked Voldemort, his red eyes burning
with interest.

\"She is not the only girl with family and friends who will be eagerly awaiting
news of her fate,\" he said, stepping closer to the platform.  \"We also
have Arthur Weasley\'s daughter as our prisoner.\"

\"Oh, yes,\" wheezed Voldemort, \"Little Ginny, who was such a pliable accomplice
in the past,\" he chuckled.

\"But a member of \'Dumbledore\'s Army\' a few years ago,\" reminded Lucius,
a small, insincere sigh escaping from his lips.

Snape found himself scowling at the ground.  A few minutes ago Malfoy
had been ready to either hand all of the girls to the dementors or leave
them for dead.  Although it was encouraging to feel that Malfoy\'s sudden
switch in attitude was due to the fact that he felt Voldemort was beginning
to like the idea of keeping the girls alive but imprisoned, he still preferred
not to have to depend on him as an ally in this proposal.

\"This one was too!\" shouted a voice.

A moment later the figure of Luna Lovegood was thrust through the crowd
onto the flagstones of the floor near Malfoy\'s feet.

\"Ah, yes, the daughter of that crazy loon who publishes the Quibbler,\"
noted Malfoy, gazing down at her.  \"I am sure he will be most anxious
to publish the most outlandish theories as to what has befallen those who
endured the initial attack.\"

Although she bee been bound and gagged, the force of her fall had loosened
the kerchief that had been tied around her mouth.

\"You bastard!\" she shrieked, glaring at Snape, her words muffled but distinguishable.

It was quite a surprise, he admitted, to see those protruding eyes so clear
and focused and to hear that usually-dreamy voice raised and venomous

\"You tricked us,\" she screamed, as Goyle bent down and began to clumsily
try and replace the gag within her mouth.  \"You made us follow you
and then picked us off one by one!\"

Outwardly, Snape continued to sneer as Crabbe joined Goyle in securing
her bonds and dragging her back to the edge of the crowd.  But inwardly,
he heaved a sigh of relief.

Thank you, Miss Lovegood.  How shallver ver repay you?  Those
words should ensure Voldemort that I was indeed acting on his behalf.


\"There are other hostages?\" asked Voldemort, his voice taking on a somewhat
bored tone.  \"Of more interest than that poor wretch, I hope?\"

\"Two twin sisters, my Lord,\" replied Malfoy, continuing to smile in a most
ingratiating manner.  \"Not of any particular interest, but as Severus
suggested-\"  He stepped over to Snape and clapped his hand upon his
shoulder.  \"They may provide us with some entertainment.  In fact,
my Lord,-\"  Dropping his arm he knelt down and dipped his head for an
instant.  \"I believe I have a rather amusing proposal.\"

\"And what would that be, Lucius?\"

\"Why don\'t we sell these hostages as slaves-to the highest bidder of course,\"
he said, throwing his hands out and looking quite pleased with himself.

Snape was unable to keep himself from drawing in a deep, angry breath.  Of
course the blond bastard wanted to put them up for auction.  Even a stay
in Azkaban had failed to put a dent in the substantial Malfoy fortune, so
he would have plenty of money with which to buy them all if he wanted.  And
it was imperative that Snape keep Hermione to himself if he had any hope
of remaining afloat should the tide turn to Dumbledore\'s favor in the future.

\"An excellent suggestion, Lucius,\" replied Voldemort, nodding his head in
approval.  \"Are there any objections?\"

Snape clenched his hands into angry fists and felt a muscle twitch in his
jaw as he forced himself to meet Malfoy\'s smug, self-satisfied gaze.

\"None whatsoever,\" he whispered, forcing a smile onto his own lips.  \"You
do realize, of course, that more than one of them is quite badly injured at
the moment and may not live to be sold,\" he warned.

\"Well, now, I am sure that a skilled Potions Master such as yourself will
be able to heal them in short order,\" answered Malfoy, waving his hand in
the direction of the floating bodies.  \"Surely you do not doubt your
own abilities in that area, do you, Severus?\"

\"Not at all, Lucius,\" he replied, \"However, it will be a lengthy and exhaustive
process.\"

He turned back to Voldemort and once more made another low obeisance.  \"I
humbly beseech a small favour in return for my services.\"

\"As my servant, your talents will you be used as I direct.\"  Voldemort\'s
voice was cold and menacing.

\"Yes, my Lord\" replied Snape, throwing himself onto the ground again.  \"And
I have I not proven myself to be your faithful servant?\"

\"Yes,\" he said, slowly.  \"You have.\"  Linking his long, skeletal
fingers together, he stu Sna Snape thoughtfully.  \"Just what compensation
do you seek, Severus?\"

\"Allow me first choice of those that do survive,\" he replied quietly.

\"That\'s hardly fair, Severus,\" protested Malfoy, as a general murmur of
disapproval ran through the crowd.    \"If the rest of us are willing
to pay for them-\"

He was interrupted by Voldemort\'s cold, high laugh.  \"Oh, come now,
gentlemen, surely we can compromise?\"  He was looking quite amused now,
his recent victory seeming to have put him in a much better mood than usual.
 \"Severus, I hereby give you permission to choose one of these pretty
little wenches as your own concubine.\"

\"Thank you, my Lord, I am most-\"

\"Provided that they all survive your attempts to heal them,\" he added.
 \"Fair enough?\"

Malfoy nodded his head grudgingly as Snape once again bowed down before
Voldemort.

Damn.  

Although he was not without some skill at healing, he was hardly a Mediwizard.
 And the healing process was going to be complicated by the fact that
it was to be accompanied by a complete erasure of their memories-not that
he had any intention of revealing that part of his plan as yet.  He had
rather hoped to experiment on the Patil twins first, perfecting the process
before applying the technique to Granger.  And should something go horribly
wrong, he was quite prepared to administer a little more \'medicine\' than necessary
in order to erase the consequences of his failure.  

This was going to be even more difficult than he had bargained.