A Song for Severus ~ (Not Update, but Edit)

Chapter 63 ~ Voltaire Takes the Anti-Elixir

Lord Pumbleberry had to be taken to St. Mungos. The wizard was badly beaten, both his eyes swollen shut, his fingers all broken and most of his teeth knocked out.

“Circe! What happened to him, Draco?” Kingsley Shacklebolt asked the blonde wizard. Draco was the one who hauled him into the Ministry, dragging him by ropes tied tightly around his bulk.

“I don’t know,” Draco lied, “He was like that when I found him.”

Kingsley noticed the wizard’s red and bruised knuckles, but just shook his head. If Draco beat the wizard this badly, he must have deserved it for something he’d done.

“Oh and Kingsley,” Draco said to the black Auror before he left.

“Yes, Draco?” Kingsley answered as Pumbleberry was loaded on to a gurney by two more Aurors.

“When you write down his list of offenses, add Practicing Pedophile to the list. I will provide the proof at his trial,” the young wizard said, glowering at the broken wizard as if he wished he could beat him a bit more.

Kingsley nodded. Now he understood.

”Will do, Draco,” the Auror replied.

Draco walked out of the Ministry into the night air and stopped on the steps, watching as bound Death Eaters were led inside by Order members and Aurors. He took a deep breath.

It was finally over. No more revels, no more weeks spent spying.

It would have all been so perfect if Malina was still alive. He could have focused on really courting the witch, convincing her to be his wife, his lover for the rest of their lives.

His gray eyes went a bit moist as his dream slowly faded.

It was not going to happen now. He could spend the rest of his life mourning or living.

although it’s said that every breath draws us closer to our death
the final breath I ever take will never shatter never break my love for you

Draco looked up at the night sky a moment, then wiped his eyes.

He knew Malina would have wanted him to live, to find joy and to eventually…find love.

He wouldn't disappoint her.

***********************************************

Albus, Severus and Voltaire apparated outside of Hogwarts, then the Headmaster linked arms with the Potions Master and they were transported to the dungeons. They arrived in Severus’ bedroom.

Voltaire glanced about before he was roughly pushed into the study by Severus, who made sure Albus didn’t see him manhandling the boy but allowing the Headmaster to exit first. Severus let out a little sigh when he saw Hermione standing in the study, staring at the hooded young man with wide eyes.

“Is this him? Voltaire?” she asked in a small voice.

“Yes, it is. We collected him without injury,” Albus said to the witch with a smile, turning to look at the boy.

Hermione walked up to him, peering into his hood.

“Hello Voltaire. My name is Hermione Granger and I…” she began.

Suddenly Voltaire’s head jerked and a gob of mucousy spit hit Hermione in her eye and slowly dripped down her face.

“Get away from me you filthy mudblood!” Voltaire hissed.

Severus tore off the boy’s hood and was about to beat him to a pulp when he found he couldn’t move. Enraged, his eyes shifted toward Albus, who was shaking his head sadly as he handed Hermione a handkerchief. Her face red, Hermione wiped the spit off her face.

”Voltaire, Miss Granger is my only ally concerning you being helped and rehabilitated. She has spent weeks working on a way to do this. She believes you deserve a second chance at life…don’t make her change her mind, my boy…or you may wind up some place you don’t want to be,” Albus said evenly.

“She is filth. I can smell her taint,” the wizard said in his high-pitched voice, “I would rather be tended by house elves than have a muggle-born touch my person.”

Hermione, standing back a distance now said, “Why do you hate muggle-borns so much, Voltaire…what have they ever done to you?”

Voltaire refused to even answer the witch. It was beneath him.

Severus looked at Albus murderously, unable to even speak.

Albus decided another tack.

“Voltaire, this witch is very special to Severus,” he said to the scaly little tyrant, “And what you have done is very offensive to him.”

”It figures that traitorous sack of dragon dung would bed a mudblood,” Voltaire hissed.

Severus’ eyes went wide and insane, and he began to shudder. Albus quickly took hold of Voltaire and pulled him toward him.

“Let us go,” he said to Hermione. “Severus seems on the point of breaking my spell through rage alone. I think we best get Voltaire out of here and situated in his rooms.”

“Yes sir,” Hermione replied, looking at the stricken wizard apologetically as she opened the wall.

Albus looked back at Severus.

“I will release you once we have Voltaire safely in his room, Severus. You will NOT come down there tonight. Am I understood?” the wizard said to him.

Severus glared his response and Albus nodded.

“We didn’t save him to be beaten to death by you. Exercise some discipline,” Albus chided him, walking through the wall, which slid down after him.

About ten minutes later Severus felt the spell lift, and strode angrily toward the study wall…then stopped. Albus had given him a direct order not to go down to where Voltaire’s rooms were. Severus thought them too close to Hermione’s lab.

Angrily, the wizard stalked back into his study, loosening the collar of his robes, his hand brushing his pocket. He paused then reached into it, pulling out his own wand and Voltaire’s wand as well.

Severus studied it. Twelve inches and made of yew just like his father’s wand. Severus didn’t know if it had a phoenix feather core.

Well he’d find out.

With one smooth motion he snapped the wand in two, then peered down at it.

“No, not Phoenix feather. Dragonheart string,” he said, an evil smirk on his pale face. He proceeded to break the wand into several tiny pieces, then tied it into a small bundle with the heartstring.

“Wait until they ask for his wand,” Severus grinned.

Hermione was going to be as mad as a wet kneazle. Albus would only be angry for a moment. The Headmaster might be a bleeding heart, but he wasn’t going to return Voltaire’s wand to him. It would have eventually been destroyed. Might as well be now.

The Potions Master felt a bit better after destroying something Voltaire treasured.

Severus retired to his bedroom and went to bed. Hermione wouldn’t be available for a few days, he was sure.

***********************************************

Early the next morning, Severus hurried down to the room Voltaire was being kept in. He opened the door imperiously to find the wizard bolted firmly in the restraining chair and Hermione trying to feed him some breakfast. The wizard was in a muggle sweat suit, his red eyes flashing at the witch.

“Get away from me you fucking mudblood!” he hissed, then his eyes widened as Severus strode up to him, looking ready to kill.

“Severus! Get away from him,” Hermione yelled at the wizard.

His nostrils flared, Severus looked at Hermione as if he’d like to kick her ass too. Instead, he snatched the bowl of food out of her hand and flung it across the room.

“Severus!” Hermione yelled at him, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“If he doesn’t want to eat, don’t feed him. Maybe we’ll be lucky and he’ll starve to death,” the wizard seethed.

“That’s cruel!” Hermione said, “He has to eat something. He’s…he’s just upset.”

“He’s a twisted, disrespectful piece of shit, Hermione. You’re never going to be able to help him. You and Albus should just leave him to me!” Severus said, looking at Voltaire, who paled.

Berating a little witch was one thing…dealing with the Potions Master was another.

”He hasn’t been here a full day, Severus. He needs time to adjust…to understand what we are trying to do,” Hermione said, “No one has explained it to him yet.”

”You really think that will make a difference witch?” he asked her, “Well, I’ll tell him then.”

Severus spun on Voltaire and crossed his arms, staring down at the wizard and scowling blackly. Voltaire could almost feel the dark wizard’s hatred flowing over him as those black eyes rested on him.

“Albus and Hermione have the insane idea that they can change what you are, Voltaire. They believe with love and tender treatment they can undo all that Bella has done to make you the way you are. They have an anti-elixir that will return you to your human state and take away any additional power the elixir gave you. It is their hope that you will become a proper member of wizarding society and live your miserable life idyllically and perfectly for the rest of your days,” he said sarcastically, “But we both know that won’t happen, will it? You aren’t a product of Bellatrix LeStrange but of your father’s blood. You want to rule and that’s all you want, isn’t it? You were willing to kill your own sister because she was more powerful than you…and I imagine you feel nothing about Bella’s death other than it’s an inconvenience. Personally, I think you should be destroyed like a mad animal…and if they fail in their efforts…I will be the one to kill you…I assure you, Voltaire, that you will never go to Azkaban, even if I have to go in your stead for your murder. This I vow.”

Hermione gasped in horror as Severus’ wizarding oath took hold. He had sworn to kill Voltaire if they failed. Dear gods.

“Severus,” Hermione said, standing up and looking at the wizard in disbelief, “You just swore to kill this boy.”

“There will never be another Dark Lord as long as I live, Hermione. Never,” Severus replied. Then he exited the room, slamming the door behind him.

Hermione looked at Voltaire, who was trembling and shaking in his restraints. He had never felt such fear in his life. He had killed, but the idea of losing his own life frightened him greatly. He had a feeling not even Albus Dumbledore could protect him from Severus if the Potions Master wanted him dead. He felt naked, vulnerable…helpless. He licked his lips, his red eyes shifting toward Hermione. She was special to the wizard. He realized he really did need her as an ally if he wanted to live.

“I think I will eat something now,” Voltaire said softly to the witch.

*************************************************

Three days later, Severus, Hermione and Albus stood in Voltaire’s rooms, the wizard restrained in his chair, naked except for a towel draped across his lap, eyeing the bottle Severus held in his hand. The one that would take his power.

After Severus taking the oath to kill him, Voltaire became much more cooperative…not speaking to Hermione nastily any more and allowing her to feed him. Albus came and took him for bathroom breaks four times a day, releasing him and allowing him to go into the bathroom alone and shower as well. Voltaire went through all the cabinets thinking the running water hid the sound of his rummaging, but there was nothing in them that he could use. He would return to the bedroom and sit down obediently as the old wizard locked him back in. He had yet to sleep in the bed.

Severus uncorked the bottle.

“Open up,” he said darkly, putting the anti-elixir against the boy’s lipless mouth, “Swallow!”

Severus tilted the bottle and watched Voltaire drink it down, hoping it would be too much for his body to handle and he would die from it.

Hermione clasped her hands nervously as Severus fed Voltaire the anti-elixir. A small hand mirror rested on the nightstand next to Voltaire’s bed. The witch hoped she hadn’t inadvertently murdered the boy herself. It would be horrible. Severus stepped away from him, his eyes glittering. At least he would get to see the little bastard suffer.

He stepped back and waited. Voltaire was staring at Hermione as the shudders began, becoming more violent, the wizard gagging horribly but nothing coming out. He let out a piercing scream that made Hermione cover her ears and tears form as the young wizard continued screaming as if his insides were being torn apart. Blood dripped from beneath his black nails and on to the stone floor.

Suddenly black, stinking blood burst from his mouth, nose and even his ear holes covering his scaly body, soaking the towel, overflowing the fabric and dripping to the floor. It looked like too much blood for the wizard to contain. Voltaire fell still as if dead.

Severus felt his heart tighten. Had the anti-elixir killed him? If it had, then this madness was truly over.

Suddenly, the scales on Voltaire’s face began to shed, followed by more scales over his body. His face began to warp, twist and bubble as his features changed, lips and nostrils appearing. Ears grew on the sides of his head and a shadow of dark hair sprouted on his bald head.

“No,” Severus said to himself as Hermione smiled. It was working…Voltaire was being restored. The long black fingernails and toes lightened and drew inward, normal cuticles now showing. The boy shuddered again several more times, then fell still again.

After about half an hour, Voltaire opened his eyes. They were black and dazed.

“Did it work?” he asked in a deeper more resonant voice.

Hermione moved forward.

“Yes…yes it worked, Voltaire,” she said, picking up the hand mirror off the nightstand, walking up to him and holding up the mirror so he could see himself. Yes…he looked…normal. Like everyone else. Voltaire didn’t like it, but he smiled anyway.

”Thank you,” he said, smiling at Hermione, “Thank you for restoring me.”

Hermione smiled over at Albus, who looked triumphant. The boy appreciated what they had done. It was the first step to getting him right.

Severus scowled at him. He wasn’t fooled.

Albus scourgified the blood from him, clothed him in another sweat suit, then unlocked his restraints. Severus stared at the Headmaster.

“What are you doing, Albus?” he asked the wizard.

“He is a normal young wizard now, Severus…and without a wand. There is no reason to restrain him now, though he will still be warded in.

“Suppose he attempts to overpower Hermione when she enters?” Severus said, glaring at Voltaire, who stood up and looked at him innocently.

”I won’t do that. I understand what she is trying to do for me,” he said to the Potions Master, then he looked at Hermione, “And I am very grateful.”

”See, Severus! He understands,” Hermione gushed.

Severus shook his head.

“And you’re both going to take the word of a boy who only three days ago wanted to rule the wizarding world with an iron rod?” he hissed at them.

“The trust must start someplace, Severus,” Albus said, smiling kindly on Voltaire.

Severus shook his head in frustration. Bloody Gryffindors. It was a wonder any of them made it past the age of fifty. Hermione and Albus were both so blind. So very, very blind. They were being manipulated.

”Beside, I can protect myself quite well, Severus. I was a member of Dumbledore’s army, remember?” Hermione reminded him. “I can hex on the fly.”

Voltaire kept his face neutral at this statement. So the witch knew defensive spells. Good thing she said something, he might have tried to get her wand from her.

“Yes, and now you’ve told him that,” Severus sneered, throwing up his hands.

”I’m not going to do anything,” Voltaire repeated, cementing the sentiment in both Hermione’s and Albus’ psyches.

”Well, I hope you do,” Severus said to him hatefully, “I sincerely hope you do, Voltaire. I’m not going to fall for this act and will have both eyes on you.”

Severus looked at Hermione, then back at Voltaire.

“If even one hair on this witch’s head gets out of place because of you, count on a very painful death, boy,” Severus snarled at him, then once again exited the room, all three looking after him.

“I’m sorry, Voltaire,” Albus said softly, “Severus has been through a lot concerning your father, and holds much bitterness. But you have nothing to fear from him as long as you conduct yourself properly.”

Voltaire nodded.

“Yes sir,” he said, using sir for the first time since being captured.

Albus beamed at his usage of the term of respect.

“This is too, too easy,” Voltaire thought, “I’ll have my wand back and my freedom in no time at this rate.”

“Is my sister here?” Voltaire asked suddenly.

Albus and Hermione looked at each other.

“Yes, she is attending classes here. But she doesn’t know you are here, Voltaire. We didn’t tell her because it would have frightened her. She believes you wanted to kill her,” Hermione said to him.

Voltaire frowned at this.

“But Volaria is my sister…my blood. I would never have hurt her. She is the only family I have,” the young wizard lied.

Albus couldn’t detect any falseness in the wizard’s statement. Bella had taught Voltaire Occlumency well, performing attack after attack on his mind, making his ability to block his true thoughts strong and since Severus’ threat, the boy kept the walls down allowing only falsified thoughts of gratefulness and happiness to seep through. Albus would never intrude in his mind with the viciousness of Bellatrix, particularly when he sensed such positive reactions in the young wizard.

Hermione and Albus looked at each other.

“Most likely she was paranoid because of Bella,” Hermione suggested.

Albus wasn’t sure. But Voltaire certainly didn’t seem to harbor any resentment against his sister.

”Can I see her?” he asked them.

“I don’t know if she’ll want to see you, Voltaire,” Hermione admitted, “But I can ask her for you.”

”Thank you, Hermione,” Voltaire replied, smiling, “That’s all I ask.”

”Well, Voltaire, we are going to ward you in now,” Albus said, “I have other duties to attend to. Hermione will bring you your dinner. I am pleased the elixir worked.”

”As am I, Headmaster,” Voltaire replied soberly.

Hermione and Albus exited the room. Voltaire heard Hermione ward the door.

He sat down on the bed, thinking. Those two idiots would be putty in his hands, but Severus? Severus was going to be a problem, the traitorous fuck. Well, he’d just have to bide his time, gain more of Hermione’s and Albus’ trust. The Headmaster was over the Potions Master and could control him to some extent. As long as Voltaire didn’t do anything overtly horrible, he was safe from the wizard.

He could wait until they released him to do something horrible.

*******************************************
A/N: Thanks for reading.