A Living Secret ~ COMPLETED

Chapter 39 ~ Into the Dark Lord’s Domain

Severus apparated to Godric’s Hallow and entered the house.

Harry was standing in the middle of the living room, wearing the Death Eater robes, the half-skull mask crumpled on his head like a misshapened hat. Hermione was standing a few feet away from him, her amber eyes dark as the Potions Master strode into the room.

He walked around Harry then stopped in front of him.

“Pull down the mask,” he said to the wizard who did so.

Yes, Harry made a passable Death Eater. Severus turned to Dobby.

“Bring me a long piece of thread,” he said to the elf imperiously.

”Yes sir,” Dobby replied, winking out. He returned with a spool of black thread.

Severus took it from him and wound out about eight feet’s worth. He held one end out to Harry.

“Take this and stand a distance from me. We will apparate into the stronghold together but you will appear far enough away from me to seem as if you arrived alone. All eyes will be on me and Miss Granger,” he said.

Harry silently walked over and took the end of the thread, walking back a ways. Severus sat down in an armchair.

“We need to wait at least twenty minutes,” he said.

”But…but they have Ron…twenty minutes might be too late,” Harry argued, afraid for his friend.

“I can’t just instantly return with Miss Granger. There has to be some time lapse,” the Potions Master replied, “The Dark Lord promised to withhold the worst of his tortures until my return.”

”The worst. Any torture can be the worst. What’s that mean?” Harry asked the wizard.

“He won’t be scourged or cut,” Severus said, “Yet.”

They all waited in silence for more than twenty minutes, Harry starting to pace, holding on to the thread like a lead. Presently Severus stood up and offered his hand to Hermione.

“Come witch. It’s time,” he said softly.

Hermione walked up to him and took his hand. The Potions Master suddenly pulled her back against him, wrapping one arm around her throat tightly. Hermione began to struggle.

“We must be convincing,” he said, loosening his grip a little, “Now remember to stay back, Mr. Potter. When I bring Miss Granger to Voldemort and he speaks to her, you make your way to Nagini’s quarters. Now, give me your wand, Hermione.”

Hermione reached into her pocket and handed her wand to Severus, who placed it in his pocket with Ron’s.

”Are you wearing your signature stones?” the wizard asked her.

Hermione shook her head and pointed to a small table next to one of the armchairs. It rested there, glowing. She took it off because she knew the stones might have attracted attention.

”Good. I will return your wand and Mr. Weasley’s wand to you. I want you to cut him down as soon as you are able. Hopefully he will realize that this was all a plot and join in with us, rather than attempting to punish me,” the Potions Master said.

Harry’s heart was pounding. Professor Snape looked at him.

“Wipe the sweat from your chin, boy,” he hissed, “Be strong. Be determined. This is our only chance at this. Stay focused. Kill Nagini then head for Voldemort.”

Harry nodded, unable to speak. Severus hesitated for a moment, collecting himself as well. This was the moment of truth.

“We go,” he said, disapparating with Harry and Hermione.

“The gods go with you, Harry Potter,” Dobby breathed, his eyes wet.

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Ron swung back and forth between the Death Eaters, pummeled from both sides as he came in contact with the shouting, cheering, jeering group. Already his nose was busted, his lip split and one eye swollen shut as fist after fist came in contact with his face and body. A sickening crunch sounded when one burly Death Eater hit him in the ribs. Ron groaned, his tongue pushing against his loosened front teeth. Blood ran out of his nose and mouth, flowing down his chin as he swung back, blows raining down on him from behind.

“Easy now,” Voldemort said, once again seated on his throne, “Save some of him for the lash.”

Ron was becoming numbed to the pain, his body going into shock at the brutal treatment. They had stripped him down to his boxers, Voldemort scourgifying the refuse from his body before setting his Death Eaters on the young wizard.

Suddenly Severus appeared, his arm wrapped tightly around Hermione’s neck, the witch struggling for air. Every eye was on him as Harry also appeared several feet away, virtually unnoticed as he dropped the thread. No wards sounded. Apparently Severus had been right. The wards acknowledged Voldemort’s signature.

Voldemort stood up.

“Is that who I think it is, Severus?” he asked, quickly walking down the dais.

The Death Eaters stopped their attack on Ron, who swung limply. Hermione looked at his bruised body and beaten face, tears falling from her eyes.

“Yes, my Lord. Hermione Granger,” the wizard said, exclamations sounding all around him. This was quite a coup. Both of Harry Potter’s best friends were at the mercy of the Dark Lord.

And there would be no mercy.

Hermione froze as the Dark Lord walked up to her. Severus released the witch and she looked up at the despot, her lip trembling.

“So you are the pride of Gryffindor House, are you Miss Granger?” Voldemort purred at her.

Hermione didn’t answer him.

Voldemort studied her, walking around the witch.

“You are quite small to have such a large brain. Tell me witch, are you also under an oath not to reveal Harry Potter’s whereabouts?” he asked Hermione, who nodded.

“I see,” the despot replied, looking her over.

She wasn’t a beauty, but fair enough.

Harry began to walk toward the third door purposely. Snape said he wasn’t to hesitate but seem as if he had a reason to go into the back rooms. No one paid attention to him. Every eye was hungrily resting on Hermione.

Voldemort pulled out his wand and began to pop the fasteners off of Hermione’s robes, his red eyes intense.

”As you see, Mr. Weasley has already joined our party,” the Dark Lord said, enjoying the pain he saw in the witch’s eyes as she looked at the suspended, bloodied wizard. Ron was groaning in agony,

“He is being warmed up for torture,” Voldemort continued, pulling Hermione’s robes apart and looking at her t-shirt and jeans. She was quite curvaceous for her size. Voldemort’s forked tongue flicked out and touched her cheek. Hermione recoiled.

”You will also be tortured and summarily killed. You should have chosen someone other than Harry Potter to befriend,” Voldemort said, “However, your torture will be a different sort than that of Mr. Weasley’s. Tell me girl, are you a virgin?”

Hermione stared at him. Suddenly Voldemort slapped her, the witch shrieking in pain. He caught her by the chin.

“Are you a virgin?” Voldemort demanded, his face contorted.

“N-n-n-ooo,” she replied.

“Slut,” Voldemort hissed at her, releasing her face.

Damn it. He had hoped she was untouched. It would have made raping her so much more enjoyable

“Who was it? Potter?” the wizard demanded.

Hermione shook her head and shifted her eyes toward Severus who nodded slightly.

“It was Professor Snape,” she said her voice quaking.

It was no act. She was scared to death.

Voldemort’s eyes snapped toward the wizard.

Severus was quick on the uptake.

“It took some convincing to get the witch here, my Lord. I was aware she lusted after me and I used her lust to gain her trust. I didn’t know you wanted her pristine, my Lord,” Severus said apologetically, “I led her to believe I was a spy and working for the Order. She wanted to believe I was some kind of tragic hero and who doesn’t want to fuck a hero, my Lord?”

Voldemort stared at Severus, then burst out in laughter as did the other Death Eaters.

“Severus, your betrayal knows no bounds. First you kill that bastard Dumbledore, then you fuck this witch and hand her over to me? You are more dastardly than I gave you credit for,” the wizard said, “I am disappointed I will not be her first, but considering how calculatingly she was defiled…I’ll get over it. However, I don’t want to follow you, Severus. I’ll take a blow job then hand her over to my minions. Now, get down on your knees witch.”

The crimson robes in front of the wizard’s loins began to ripple unnaturally.

Hermione shook her head, tears flowing freely, Voldemort’s face twisting into a frown. Gods what was she going to do?

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Harry walked down the long corridor swiftly, stopping in front of the last room on the right.

Nagini’s room.

He drew his wand and opened the door carefully. It was a large, square room, lit by a single torch. Cushions were strewn about and it smelled close and damp. There was a movement in the corner.

Not wanting to waste a wand blast, Harry waited.

Nagini was aware of Harry entering the room, but felt her master’s signature. Yet something was off. The huge snake slowly moved forward. Like most snakes, Nagini couldn’t see well and counted on her sense of smell and body heat to identify friend or food...most things were food.

She weaved closer to the robed figure, then rose a full five feet off the floor, hood spread and hissing as she realized this was not her master, but someone unfamiliar. Only Peter Pettigrew entered these quarters. Nagini flung herself at Harry, her fangs extended.

Harry leapt aside, trying to get a bead on the snake’s shifting coils as she pulled back to make a second strike.

“Oh no you don’t!” Harry hissed as Nagini struck at him again, the boy leaping aside once more. Since Nagini was over eighteen feet long, she wasn’t as quick as a smaller snake.

She struck a third time, Harry barely managing to slip out of the way as she tried to drive him into a corner. Harry thrust his wand at the cobra, who was waving directly in front of him, almost eye level.

”Avada Kedavra!” he cried, pouring all his hatred of Voldemort into the spell, bathing Nagini in the dread green light of the killing curse.

Nagini didn’t react the same way as a human, who would be caught frozen in the spell, then drop. Instead her great body lashed about in its death throes, knocking Harry to the ground, almost stunning him with the impact. Then the snake fell still and began to glow as a great wind rose, pulling at Harry, catching him and lifting him in its spin as Voldemort’s soul fragment was released from Nagini’s body.

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Voldemort was unbuttoning his robes, Hermione on her knees before him, two Death Eaters holding her by her arms when he stiffened.

“Nagini! Something is wrong with Nagini!” he cried, “I can’t feel her! Peter, go see what is wrong!”

”Yes my Lord,” Peter said, hurrying toward the third door. He pulled it open and ran through. Voldemort stopped unbuttoning his robes.

Severus stared down at Hermione caught between the two Death Eaters, his belly tight. Watching her forced to her knees before the Dark Lord caused a powerful reaction in the wizard, but he held his peace. He had to for the sake of the Greater Good. The Potions Master fervently hoped Harry had accomplished his mission. Everything…absolutely everything was riding on the boy.

His hopes were answered.

Peter was blasted out of the corridor, flying across the throne room and landing in a heap on the hard floor, out cold.

“What is this?” Voldemort cried as the Death Eaters pulled their wands and charged the door. A powerful light burst from it, blasting them away and Harry emerged, his hair writhing and crackling, tendrils of light whirling around him looking for all the world as if he were caught in the center of a glowing cyclone.

“Harry Potter!” Voldemort cried, then he jerked and spasmed, screaming in pain as several sparks of light flew from Harry and struck him.

”Nooooooo!” the despot screamed, attempting to run. He didn’t know what kind of magic this was, but it was terribly painful. Voldemort wasn’t used to receiving pain, only dishing it out.

Harry’s eyes were blazing as he stalked toward the wizard. His steps were slow, unhurried, as if he had all the time in the world and nothing to fear.

”Time to die, Voldemort,” he intoned in a hollow, unearthly voice as the wizard ran.

Severus stunned the two Death Eaters holding Hermione and hurriedly handed over her and Ron’s wands.

“Get Mr. Weasley down,” he hissed at her, turning and charging the recovering Death Eaters, whirling his wand around his head and casting a powerful blast that sent about twenty of them flying.

Hermione lowered Ron with her wand, then released the manacles.

”Ron. Ron we have you! Harry is fighting Voldemort and Severus is battling the Death Eaters! We have to help him!” she said to the wizard. But Ron was too badly beaten to be of much help. He couldn’t get up.

“Give me my wand,” he gasped, “I’ll do what I can from the floor.”

Hermione gave Ron his wand then ran to join Severus, her wand blasting as she quickly cast hex after hex, then covered Severus with a repelling spell and herself.

“Keep moving!” Severus yelled at her as blasts flew all about them, “If you are standing still they can cast the Killing curse on you. Dodge!”

Witch and wizard fought valiantly, Severus finally catching Hermione by the hand and pulling her to Voldemort’s throne which he pushed over and used for cover. Now they had protection.

“Don’t let any of them flank us,” the wizard cried, “catch the ones trying to get around us first!”

There were so many Death Eaters that they were getting in the way of each other, accidentally hexing one another as they tried to hit Severus and Hermione. Friendly fire. Very convenient.

From the floor, Ron was picking off Death Eaters, barely moving so they couldn’t tell where the blasts were coming from. His bloody face in a grim, bitter grin…Ron took them out with malice.

Voldemort ran from Harry, flashes of light striking him like lightening bolts.

“These are your soul fragments, coming to claim you, Voldemort! They aren’t happy they were separated from you in such a deadly manner. The fragments you created by murder have returned that dark power on you!” Harry claimed, guided by some force other than his own mind.

“NOOO! This is impossible!” Voldemort cried, “My Horcruxes are safe!”

”Your Horcruxes are destroyed! I destroyed them. Now it’s your turn,” Harry hissed.

Voldemort cringed against the wall for a moment, then desperately cast the Killing Curse at Harry, who had his wand lowered at his side. The boy-who-lived was bathed in the dread green light, a victorious smile on Voldemort’s face, before he himself began to shudder.

The dark wizard had made a terrible mistake. His own soul fragments, in essence his own life force surrounded Harry, making a barrier and absorbing the Killing curse. It was just as effective on soul fragments as a living being. The curse flooded through each fragment, connecting them with it power before finally arcing around and enveloping Voldemort himself, the wizard screaming as his life was torn from him by his own curse.

Voldemort stiffened and fell dead, the light around Harry fading and the boy stumbling as weakness washed over him.

Suddenly screams rose from the Death Eaters, who fell writhing and clutching their arms, Severus grimacing along with them as Voldemort’s mark flared white and disappeared.

”He’s dead!” Severus said to Hermione through gritted teeth as the entire stronghold began to shake.

“Help me get to Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter,” the Potions Master said to the witch, “We’ve got to get out of here, now!”

Hermione put her wand in her pocket and half-walked, half-dragged the wizard over to Ron, then ran and got Harry, falling with him on top of Ron and Severus. They disapparated as the stronghold collapsed, reappearing outside Godric’s Hollow in full sight for a moment. Luckily, no one was about and Hermione and Harry helped Severus and Ron inside, Harry catching Ron under the shoulders and dragging him painfully.

Dobby met them at the door and levitated Ron immediately, floating his beaten body into the house, the door left open as Harry, Hermione and Severus entered, heading for the living room, each collapsing in a chair. Hermione picked up her signature stone necklace from the small table next to her chair and put it on.

Dobby situated Ron in a bedroom, placed a stasis spell on him that stopped his pain, then headed back out to close the front door. Just as he was about to close it, he looked upward. A ball of flame was approaching the Hollow at great speed. As it got closer, it took on the shape of a great bird.

”Fawkes comes!” Dobby squealed.

Severus, Hermione and Harry immediately ran for the door as the flaming Phoenix descended into the yard.

All around the wizarding world who were outside witnessed the flaming Phoenix passing overhead, wondering what was going on.

Fawkes landed in the yard and squawked at Severus pointedly.

”We must go. Catch hold of my robes, Miss Granger. Mr. Potter, grab hold of her robes,” the wizard said as Fawkes flew upward and caught Severus by the shoulders.

“Hold on!” Severus exclaimed as Fawkes took flight, lifting all three of them easily, heading for the cave of the Acromantula.

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A/N: Aaaand, Voldemort’s gone…killed by his own Killing Curse. Very fitting. Now Fawkes has our three heroes and is heading for Aragog’s cave. Cool beans. I am writing while waiting for the phone people to show up. I have lights and water…all I need is the phone and my dsl. :). Thanks for reading.