Chapter 3: The Death Eaters

With a soft pop, Snape appeared on a thickly wooded hillside. The light of moon and stars did not penetrate the interlaced branches of the trees, but he could see the two sisters and Draco awaiting him, their glowing wand tips barely affecting the surrounding gloom. Down slope, a light glimmered between the trunks of the trees. Together, the foursome walked downhill, picking their way through the snarled undergrowth. As they neared the light, they could see its source was a ruined old stone chapel. Magical lanterns hung at intervals above the jagged remnants of the walls, which were liberally defaced by assorted Muggle graffiti. They walked in silence, for which Snape was grateful. He rehearsed his story, willing himself to ignore the sick feeling in the pit of his stomach as he relived the events of the night once more.

Voldemort stood on a dais elevated a couple of feet above the broken remnants of the stone floor, at the far end of the chapel. He was talking with Peter Pettigrew, instantly recognizable by his silver right hand, which he caressed lovingly as he listened, his small, watery eyes fixed attentively on his master. The rat had left Spinner’s End ahead of the Aurors, then, Snape realized, with a twinge of regret. Beside Voldemort lay Nagini, her thick body coiled beneath her triangular head as she dozed. Several Death Eaters, hooded and cloaked like Bella, stood to one side. Snape deduced that Alecto was one of them; she always stood out among the others due to her diminutive stature. Perhaps another score of Death Eaters stood arrayed in a rough semicircle around their leader.

As Snape, Draco, and Bellatrix approached, with Narcissa following, the others shifted and murmured among themselves.

“Ah, now all are here,” announced Voldemort. “I would hear how the mission I assigned to young Malfoy fared.”

Snape stepped forward.

“It is done, My Lord,” he said, inclining his head respectfully. “Young Malfoy’s plan worked perfectly. He lured the old fool to the Astronomy Tower and disarmed him. The Death Eaters he smuggled into the school,” said Snape, bowing politely in the direction of the others, “prevented his escape, and also held off Order members who were patrolling the school.”

“Do not play games with me, Snape!” said Voldemort in a high cold voice. “I know who it was that killed Dumbledore!” Beside him, the great snake stirred and lifted her head to gaze at the man who had angered her master.

Snape dropped to a knee.

“Yes, Master, it was I. The boy set it up; he was readying himself, hesitating before his first kill. I had just run onto the tower, so that only I among your followers there knew that the tide of the battle raging below had turned. It seemed urgent that your will be carried out, before help could arrive for the old man from below. I regret if my precipitate action has displeased you.”

He raised his black eyes to Voldemort’s, keeping his face still and calling to mind his memory of running through the chaotic scene at the foot of the stairs. As Voldemort’s red eyes met his, he braced himself mentally in preparation for the ghastly touch of Voldemort’s mind rummaging through his own. Apparently satisfied by what he found, Voldemort withdrew from Snape’s mind and spoke. “No, Severus, I approve your decision.”

Snape bowed his head low over his knee. “Thank you, My Lord,” he said, and rose smoothly to his feet.

Voldemort looked over at the group of Death Eaters to his right, and back to Snape and Draco. “But this is not quite how I heard the story. These other Death Eaters were there longer. The boy did indeed contrive a means to bring my servants into Hogwarts Castle, and further caught Dumbledore alone and unarmed. However, he failed to act, despite more than one reminder to carry out my orders. I think young Malfoy needs some further encouragement.”

He turned to Draco.

“Step forward, boy. I have heard that you disobeyed my orders.”

Draco took a couple of hesitant steps forward, until he stood shoulder to shoulder with Snape. He was trembling visibly, and his face had turned nearly as pale as his silver-blond hair.

Voldemort raised his wand, aiming it squarely at Draco’s chest.

Snape restrained an urge to swear viciously. Damn Alecto and the others, for getting to the Dark Lord first. And the fool boy, for not telling him a blasted thing. He should have known the rendezvous point, to get there first and forestall just this. Well, he had vowed to protect the boy, which made him the bigger fool. A foolish act for which he was about to pay. He wondered what the price would be, this time.

“Crucio!” shouted Voldemort in his high, cold voice, as Snape stepped in front of Draco.

As the spell hit him, he fell to the floor, screaming with the pain. As always, before the waves of fiery agony swept all rational thought from his mind, he marveled how familiarity with the effects of the Cruciatus Curse could never render it a whit more bearable. It was equally intolerable, every time.

After what seemed an eternity, the pain receded. Snape found himself lying on his stomach. From the intensity of the tremors that still shook his body, Snape judged that he had been under the curse for quite some time. Any surprise Voldemort may have felt at his reaction had not been sufficient to distract him from the curse.

“What is the meaning of this?” asked Voldemort, his eyes glowing redly. Nagini was now fully awake, her long, powerful body circling Voldemort’s dark robes, her eyes alert.

Stiffly Snape fought his way up onto his hands and knees. He sat back, head bowed.

“Look at me!” commanded Voldemort. “Why did you do this?”

It was not a question he could refuse to answer. If he did, the Dark Lord would seek the answer in his mind. Moreover, if, for the first time, he did not find an answer there, the Dark Lord would know that he had been deceived. Snape had no illusions about his own ability to resist the prolonged and invasive Legilimency that would ensue. The Vow would certainly come to light, and along with it, matters of far greater importance.

That thought was bringing certain memories too close to the surface, Snape realized. As he raised his eyes to meet Voldemort’s, he pushed down these memories of Dumbledore: discussing with him the Riddle diary, seeking his aid with the cursed ring, and especially the memory he had shared about Potter just before his death. Snape faced Voldemort, his stomach writhing at the thought of what he was about to do.

“My Lord…” he said. “I…have sworn an Unbreakable Vow to protect the boy from harm.”

“And just whose idea was that?” asked Voldemort dangerously.

There was no way to hide that fact, either. He had warned her, he had tried to warn them both.

“His mother’s. She was worried about the dangers of the mission. Bellatrix here can confirm my story, she was our Bonder,” Snape added.

Better to increase the number of targets for the Dark Lord’s anger. He pictured Narcissa for a moment as she had been that night at his house, her tearstained, but still beautiful, blue eyes gazing into his as she had seized the front of his robes.

Voldemort’s high, cold laugh rang in the room. “Still an eye for the ladies, Severus? And always, ones who choose other men…” The watching Death Eaters laughed appreciatively. Snape noticed Peter snickering, as he looked avidly from Narcissa to Voldemort.

Snape fought to keep his face neutral, and focused on a memory of kneeling with Narcissa as Bellatrix performed the Vow.

“Well, Narcissa” said Voldemort softly, “come to me and explain why you have interfered in the affairs of my Death Eaters.”

As Voldemort spoke, Snape rose to his feet. He staggered as his right knee nearly gave under his weight. He must have bruised it on one of the many stone fragments that littered the floor when he fell, he realized. Regaining his balance, he took his place next to Draco. Narcissa ran forward. Her body folded gracefully on itself as she fell prostrate before Voldemort, her long blond hair sweeping the floor. Nagini, attracted by all the activity, circled Voldemort a final time and slithered down the pair of crumbling steps to the floor.

As Narcissa raised her head to speak, she found herself face to face with the enormous snake, its head raised and its forked tongue flicking out. She gave a little shriek and flinched back, a reaction which met with raucous laughter from the surrounding Death Eaters. With a calm in complete contradiction to a snake’s natural instinct to strike, Nagini ignored her sudden movement and coiled herself comfortably at the foot of the platform.

“I am sorry!” Narcissa began, struggling to compose herself. “My Lord, I only wished your plan to prosper, and to safeguard my son from the Aurors. I know I have done wrong. Please, forgive me…” she said, her words tumbling from her mouth in desperation.

Voldemort smiled a cruel, cold smile and pointed his wand downward. As Snape had anticipated, Draco started forward. Snape grabbed his arm and whispered vehemently, “Stay, Draco, or you’ll be the death of us all!”

“Crucio!” shouted Voldemort, and Narcissa writhed on the floor at his feet, howling with the pain.

It was obscene, Snape thought, to see her cold, pale beauty so hideously transformed. Killing an unarmed old man, giving a woman up to torture in front of her son…what would find himself doing next, tonight?

He looked aside for a moment at Draco. He had ceased struggling, but had tears running down his face. Snape wished savagely that somewhere in the depths of her black heart Bellatrix, who was standing behind him, was pained by the sight of her sister’s agony. He looked back, schooling his face into blank indifference. He should watch what he had wrought.

Voldemort raised his wand and Narcissa’s cries subsided to quiet sobs. “I’m sorry…sorry…”

“You live only because your son has helped to secure us a victory, woman!” he declared. “I do not want to be further inconvenienced by your meddling.”

“Oh, thank you, My Lord, thank you,” she sobbed.

“Get her out of my sight!” ordered Voldemort.

Draco wrenched his arm free of Snape’s hold and ran to his mother, helping her to her feet as Voldemort looked on, a contemptuous smile playing across his snakelike features. As Narcissa staggered, Draco swept her up and carried her away into the darkness, throwing an angry look in the direction of Snape and Bellatrix as he passed.

“Bella, come forward,” said Voldemort sternly.

She swept past Snape in her long cloak, and dropped to her knees a cautious several feet away from Nagini. Her eyes were fixed on Voldemort.

“I have accepted your sister’s apology for the foolish behavior of you both. As the mission is a success, I suppose that you trained the boy adequately. But you would do well, in the future, not to permit your enthusiasm for the cause to override your good sense.”

Bellatrix bowed her head to the floor, and replied, “Thank you. My Lord, I live to serve you!” Her eyes shone fervidly as she looked again upon her Master.

“Then go to Draco, and wait there for Severus. He will be sharing your accommodation, for the time being.”

“Yes, Master,” she said. Still on her knees, she approached Voldemort to kiss the hem of his robe. Then she backed off the raised area of the floor and turned to join Draco in the dark forest.

“Well, now that we have that little matter out of the way,” said Voldemort turning to the group who had participated in the raid, “I congratulate you on your successful mission. You all have served me well tonight. The world will tremble with fear when the news gets out. The ineffectiveness of the Ministry is established beyond a doubt. All will know that they proved unable to protect even Hogwarts from my Death Eaters, despite its vaunted ancient protections, even with the aid of Dumbledore and his so-called Order of the Phoenix. They will know that the Death Eaters can strike anywhere.”

A cheer erupted among the crowd of Death Eaters. Voldemort paused for it to subside.

“Further, the Order has lost its leader and most powerful wizard in Dumbledore. It is a great victory for our cause.”

Shouts of “Victory!” rang out from all directions. Voldemort raised his hands for silence.

“My plans can now move into a new phase. Expect to receive new orders soon. You may go now, my friends.”

As the assembled Death Eaters bowed to their master, Voldemort spoke again. ”Severus, stay a moment. I would hear more of the evening’s events, and discuss your reward. You have served me faithfully this night, and Lord Voldemort rewards his helpers.”