The Dark Gryffindor

Please review! I’m sorry it’s been awhile, but I hadn’t planned this new element to the plot in great detail. I needed time to think it through and it didn’t help that the holidays distracted me. I guarantee that I will finish this story within the next few months.

LancesPet: Hey, thanks so much for reviewing. I knew I might get someone begging not to kill him off...I won't be pursuaded. Please come back and review another time.


Sjauthor: Thanks. This really is meant to be a sad story and Snape dies like he did in canon.


Chapter Forty-two: A ‘Final Solution’


Six cloaked figures silently moved up twisting flights of stairs. So long was the staircase it took them several minutes to reach the top. They were several stories high in the air, yet the screams from those down below still pierced their eardrums. Courtrooms were visible from below, part of the same towering structure. It was dark, the warm fireplaces weren’t used anymore, and many of the beautiful tapestries of the courts were destroyed.

The air was icy cold, with the perpetual stench of death everywhere, and what was more, it was a constant draft of foggy air. It was freezing like a morgue. Circling the stairs were dementors, nearly a thousand of them circling the towering structure.

It was the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic. The courtrooms were being used as death camps and it certainly was a place for death. It was Sunday and fortunately all the employees, except for those working the Death Camps were gone. Voldemort had no reason to worry about being seen unless by his forces.

Soon they reached the end of the stairs and came to a simple floor with a high vantage point, which showed everything going on down below. The top room had a glass circular ceiling, depicting the ministry’s current artificial weather. It was a clear night with thousands of stars glowing on the glass. The artificial night cast an ethereal blue light onto the room. Down below, every chamber inside the Department of Mysteries was visible. This was just one department of the ministry, all located thousands of feet under the city of London, shrouded from the muggles.

“Hail the Dark Lord,” the six cloaked figures said solemnly. Like they were robots their arms were raised, and the sleeves of the black robes fell back to reveal skull and serpent of their Dark Marks.

Voldemort was sitting with that enigmatic quality about his presence. He did not answer their greeting, but motioned silently for them to come forward. The Death Eaters gathered around Voldemort’s table, finding stools for them to sit on whilst Voldemort lay back in a reclining leather armchair, provided from the ministry.

It was a secret meeting and nobody knew where any of them were. There sat the Dark Lord, Headmaster Snape, Professor Amycus Carrow, Professor Alecto Carrow, Yaxley, the Head of Magical Law Enforcement, Selwyn another employee from the ministry, and Scabior both Death Eater and Chief Snatcher. Gold medallions gleamed on every one of their chests, donning Death Eater Ceremonial robes. They were followers of what Voldemort considered a high rank and thus meaning they held some significance to him.

Suddenly the men and lone woman stiffened in their seats. Involuntarily, most of them shivered. Except Voldemort who merely tightened his cloak around his broad, yet bony shoulders.
A host of dementors was flying towards them eagerly.

Voldemort raised his wand and with a simple flick drove the dementors away. From his wand was shooting clouds of black vapor. They were gnarled and twisted gossamer strands like deadened pensieve memories. They were thoughts for the dementors to consume. Voldemort had concentrated on communicating to them that more victims for them to devour would be coming soon. It was the only way to control them besides the Patronus Charm.

The group of dementors floated away without hesitation, obeying their master. Now that they were gone it would be much easier for his Death Eaters to focus on the meeting.

“Severus I have scheduled this meeting for you and also for the benefit of the rest of you. The purpose could not be more clear: we are going to exterminate the last resisters….And we shall do it with both the Carrows and the ministry’s help,” Voldemort had inclined his head to both Carrows and then at once to Yaxley and Selwyn.

Yaxley grunted appreciatively.

But before Voldemort could continue Alecto asked, “Where is Bellatrix and Lucius my Lord?’

There was a flicker of anger in Voldemort’s red eyes. “They disobeyed me. Lucius and Bellatrix called me back last week with false hope. They believed they had caught Potter, which turned out to be true. He managed to escape out from under them….As of this moment they are suffering greatly for their mistake. The Malfoys along with Bellatrix have been incarcerated in their own home.”

Amycus looked interested as well. He suddenly spoke, “And what of Pettigrew my Lord? He also lives at the Malfoy’s does he not?”

“Wormtail committed suicide, or at least that is what appears to be so,” said Voldemort carelessly.

The six Death Eaters were a bit taken aback at Voldemort’s nonchalance. He returned to his agenda at once, barely recognizing their disturbance. “For two years the Wizarding world of Great Britain has been at war…One I have waged.”

They nodded knowingly. It was all they could do without interrupting their master.

“During the past several months we have succeeded at killing nearly all ninety-seven Undesirables…Of course, Undesirable Number One awaits to be killed at my hands…But before this may happen, I have drawn up a new scheme. It shall be implemented at both Hogwarts and the ministry.”

Voldemort waited. His men shifted in their seats. Yaxley and the Chief Snatcher, Scabior were eyeing Voldemort with definite interest now.

“A brilliant sorcerer, one even more brilliant than Dumbledore finds a solution to fighting endless wars. This more brilliant man is myself, of course. Avoiding a battle is what I intend. And being as brilliant as myself, I shall do it!”

Most of the Death Eaters nodded. But Snape was watching Voldemort closely. “How do you plan to accomplish this my Lord?” he asked.

“It concerns those resisters in your school, Severus…the leaders that call themselves members of the so-called ‘Dumbledore’s Army’ shall all die. But not just through any method. I have drawn up the scheme and it shall be done as I see fit.”

At this the Carrows drew in an interested breath and leaned in closer towards Voldemort. “Amycus and Alecto…You will poison the leaders of the organization. Whoever those leaders are, I want them dead. I do not care for their names. But it must be done through poison, not the Killing Curse.”

The Death Eaters couldn’t help but give Voldemort a questioning look. Since when had their master advised against Avada Kedavra?

“It is a cautionary mechanism,” said Voldemort, justifying his rationale. “And this operation shall serve to be implemented at the ministry. Yaxley and Selwyn shall poison several ministry employees, especially Aurors and former Aurors such as Shacklebolt. Doing so at both Hogwarts and the Ministry will serve as potent examples…The public shall react to the deaths and it serves for the example of what could happen to those who continue to resist my power. However it shall be subtle, for I do not desire them to know I had a hand in this. But mark my words…The public shall know… whomever continues to oppose Lord Voldemort will surely die.”

Snape looked concerned, his brow furrowing. “Shall we…After it is done warn the students and faculty?”

“Yes. They will be told. More deaths will surely follow if they continue to resister the headmaster’s regime…or in other words, my institution. But that is unlikely…For given the brilliance of this little scheme…It shall end the war once it succeeds at both the ministry and Hogwarts. For the last of the Undesirables will be squashed!”

Meanwhile, the Carrows both had a far away look on their faces. Both were fantasying about torturing and killing the members of the D.A. of which they had a personal venomous disposition.

Finally Amycus posed an intelligent question, “But my Lord…How are we to go about capturing and poisoning the leaders?”

“I do not care how it is done,” retorted Voldemort tenaciously. “But be warned if you fail at this endeavor you will sorely regret it!”

The Carrows shivered as one. And Yaxley bit his lip. “Do you want myself and Selwyn to progress with the plan immediately?”

“Not until the Carrows have succeeded, Yaxley,” answered Voldemort decisively. And Voldemort continued, “It is important to note to you, Yaxley and you, Selwyn… your involvement in the deaths at Hogwarts is crucial to succeeding in making my message clear. The ministry’s cooperation is an imperative. When ministry officials arrive to investigate the deaths, they shall not discover the true meaning behind the event. It shall be clear the dead students were poisoned and indeed that will be a fact. You will both make sure that it is devoid of it in the reports.”

“Yes, My Lord,” said Yaxley firmly. And Selwyn merely nodded in agreement.

Voldemort looked satisfied and eager. He glanced to Scabior and added, “And you, Scabior…Starting tomorrow I am making you and your particular unit of Snatchers permanently stationed at Hogwarts. Doing so will curb any future rebellions or dissent and you will do your utmost to preserve the state of Hogwarts as it is.”

“Yes, master. I am eager to do my best,” said the Chief Snatcher.

“For nothing has changed in the Wizarding world. It shall be clear that the state of things at both Hogwarts and the ministry is…natural. Nothing dramatic is happening… I shall simply transmit these deaths over to the ministry where they will publicize it, containing no speculation surrounding us. Thus, keeping all of you, my Death Eaters safe…”

Voldemort paused and the men laughed. They knew they had nothing to fear now. None of the Death Eaters would ever be incarcerated in Azkaban ever again!

“And after the Hogwarts resisters are exterminated…We kill the secret opponents in the government through poisoning. And additionally, if providence holds out, ALL Undesirables, including those cowards that fled and abandoned their jobs will be captured and killed. Kingsley and all the Aurors will be dead. However, we must be cautious. Killing the Aurors upsets the balance of power and stabilization I have created in the government.”

Voldemort sat back, at ease and reclined in his chair. In a sense, Voldemort had already declared the battle at Hogwarts through ordering these deaths. But it was done in a way nobody would ever know. Therefore at Voldemort’s order, the Battle of Hogwarts had technically already started.

“And now…We watch some of the filth rot,” said Voldemort softly.

Suddenly several people emerged. All of them were held in the steely grasp of slimy, cloaked figures with rattling breaths. More dementors glided in, flying up to the top floor from far below. There was an eager, hungry sense emanating from the creatures.

The men and women screamed and struggled to be free of the awful creatures. But the dementors had what appeared to be an iron grip.

The dementors closed in on the muggles, drawing their hands to the victim's mouths. The dementors were sucking the life force of them, until they reached the core of their being at the soul.

Only Voldemort still possessed the frame of mind to talk. “Ah, the dementors kiss,” he whispered indulgently.

Snape watched in horror and fascination. He had never watched someone get the Kiss this close up. The few times he’d seen it, it had been performed at a distance.

After what felt like forever, the suffering of the doomed muggles faded away, until they were lifeless, except for beating hearts and brain, their was no consciousness.

Voldemort jabbed his wand towards the remaining dementors, and told the creatures to depart. The dementors obeyed, swirling and spiraling, downward, downward and away. But the victims were still standing with blank, almost detached stares, eyes wide open. Yet they had no voices or individuality left inside them, even if they could have spoken for their minds were now demented. Voldemort rose and tread over to them, head held high.

He grasped one of the cold bodies. They weren't quite like the many corpses he'd handled over the years. These were hardly interesting to him like this though. His Death Eaters watched on the edge of their seats, incapacitated and unable to move by transfixed fascination.

With unusual strength, for a man so thin Voldemort grasped the collar of the body and flung it off the precipice. One by one, he rapidly grabbed the souless and beingless forms and knocked them to their physical deaths.

They all fell with a distant thud, hitting the hard surface, hundreds of feet below. Yet it was haunting how they had stared blankly, and without a single sound of fear all of them fell to their deaths.

Voldemort returned to his chair, where he hunched back in it once again. More awful screams were heard far below from the death chambers and the courtrooms. And then the distinct, unmistakable sound of a high, cold hiss could be heard. Voldemort was laughing. He was sure he was on the precipice of victory. He was finally going to win this war and call an end it to it…soon.


NOTE: Please review! This does pertain to something that will happen to Valerie. But now, the question is what will Snape do, knowing she is in danger? Voldemort does realize Valerie could be a leader, that the Carrows would choose to poison, but he doesn’t particularly care.