Chapter 9 - The Girl
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An emergency meeting of Death Eaters was called that very night.
Severus sat next to the Dark Lord at the Malfoys’ elegant dining table.
Lucius sat beside him with Narcissa missing, recovering in bed from the birth of their son, Draco, a week earlier.
Bellatrix and many others of the Dark Lord’s most high-ranking officials had gathered, but the eager, greedy smiles on their faces irritated their leader beyond measure.
“The next burst of laughter I hear will earn the culprit a single blast to the grave!” Voldemort hissed as he stood from his seat and pointed his wand around the table, as if he intended to accuse every single witch and wizard present of mockery.
Conversations ceased.
Those pesky smiles faded.
As Lucius shifted nervously in his seat, Severus kept his usual stoic look on his pale face.
“This very day, it has been foretold that a wizard will be born into this world who may have the audacity to challenge me!” Voldemort snarled, “And some of you find humor in that notion?!”
A tall wizard dressed in heavy, dark robes bravely opened his mouth to chuckle, “Well, no, my lord, you see, it’s-“
That chuckle was an awful mistake.
“AVADA KEDAVRA!” Voldemort bellowed.
Shock and tension manifested in the room as a burst of green light exploded from the white tip of Voldemort’s wand and smashed directly into the chuckling wizard’s chest, sending him flying backwards to crash onto the floor, dead.
“Are my commands not absolute?” Voldemort asked quickly, as if voicing the question was a burdensome chore, “Is there anyone else here tonight who will show me disloyalty?”
“Of course not, my lord.” Lucius groveled, eager to secure his and his family’s survival.
Severus shook his head with the others as Voldemort’s red eyes darted around the table.
“Then let us decide how it may be that we handle this news.” Voldemort growled, “Retrieving the prophecy from the Ministry itself may prove useful, it will surely be in their possession within a day or two.” He mused out loud.
Many who followed him blinked as they sat content, eager to let others contribute better ideas then they could ever fathom.
As Voldemort turned his eyes onto Severus, Severus thrust himself into action, so close to winning Voldemort’s lasting admiration that he could taste victory.
“Perhaps the words themselves may be analyzed, my lord.” Severus nodded, “If we are to discover the parentage of this individual, the child could become a resource, not a threat. A weapon we may use.”
Voldemort gazed at Severus for a long moment before a gleeful smile illuminated his pale face.
He let out a sound between a laugh and a choked breath as he stared at Severus while he began, “Ah, Severus……my loyal and brilliant friend, what wise words indeed from a wizard your age! The parentage is indeed exactly what I had in mind. Let us discover where and when we may find this unwanted intruder and our worries will be no more.”
As everyone at the table cheered around him, Severus felt as helpless as the dead man in spite of Voldemort’s acceptance of his idea.
His own lust had temporarily blinded him to the unavoidable consequences.
Voldemort felt no empathy.
Voldemort did not comprehend mercy.
The baby would not be the only target, but the mother as well, along with the father, and anyone nearby……
Not only would Severus have to maintain his ruse as a Death Eater, he would have to discover a way to keep Voldemort happy while helping the innocent family, whoever they were, escape certain death.
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Days passed.
Letters were exchanged.
Classes were taught.
Severus raced against Voldemort to search for how he may discover exactly where to find his Dark Master’s oncoming enemy.
If Severus could find them first, they would have a far better chance of survival.
Late one evening, he perused yet another ancient text book in hopes of finding a spell, potion, charm, or any other magical tool that could send him on a fruitful search based only on Trelawney’s vague words.
The candle flickered on the desk as a familiar tingling echoed through his marked forearm.
Severus grit his teeth as that sensation soon turned into a burning pain.
Not willing to risk the Dark Lord’s anger by refusing his call, Severus rose from his seat and quickly journeyed to meet his Dark Master.
His frown never faltered, not even while he whizzed through the air during his accelerated travel.
His only hope was that he had not lost the race to Voldemort.
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It surprised Severus that he landed not in Malfoy Manor’s elegant dining room or foyer, but instead in front of a tiny little cottage, deep in some distant part of a forest close to Hogwarts.
No aura of dark creatures lingered in the air, yet as Severus squinted over the treetops, he realized he could see the tip of the castle’s turret.
He began to wonder if he had made some sort of mistake in his destination until a familiar, eerie voice called behind him, “Severus, so good of you to have come…..so quickly……to my side.”
Severus turned with a frown and found himself facing Voldemort, who approached from the shadows with his arms spread wide and a sly, evil grin on his scarred face.
“May I ask the meaning of this meeting’s location, my lord?” Severus blinked.
Severus had always hated surprises, but he hated them even more when they came from Voldemort.
“Finally, Severus, I am able to give you your reward.” Voldemort sneered, “......After which, you will of course, give me mine.”
Severus narrowed his eyes as Voldemort raised a hand and snapped his pale fingers.
Out of the darkness zoomed a levitating witch, bound at the ankles, wrists, and mouth by tight bonds of dark magic, unable to speak or move although she wriggled furiously against her restraints.
Severus’s heart skipped a beat.
His mouth dropped.
His black eyes widened as he called out before he stopped himself, “LILY……!”
“The girl you desire, yes.” Voldemort chuckled, “Were you frightened to tell me, Severus? She is a Mudblood, but we all have our vices, don’t we? Besides, the mother is missing the father……Without your want of her, I would have to rethink my entire plan.”
Lily gasped at Severus, wide-eyed while she fought to speak through her magical gag.
Severus’s black eyes darted to Voldemort as he repeated, “The mother and the father, my lord?”
“I have indeed discovered the parentage of this would-be destroyer destined to come forth.” Voldemort hissed at Severus. He glanced hatefully at Lily before he shot his most trusted servant a smile as he ordered, “Go on, then……..Take her, mate her, coax the child from her womb so that I may use him for my gain and my gain alone.”
Severus’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head as Voldemort repeated the truth he could not believe, “Go on, then, father…..Take mother.”