Chapter 2
Chapter Two
THE DAY BEFORE
It was the thirtieth of July. Longbottom's birthday grimaced Severus. Tomorrow would be Potter's birthday if damn Petunia hadn't got him killed. There was no other explanation even if Lupin and Black were happy to live in the Land of Denial. Not that he said anything. He may hate them but he felt that to mock them for Lily's son's abandonment and death would be going to far even for Severus. Plus he was Lily's son and so easily it could have been him. Luckily his mother had loved him and had always stopped Tobias from going too far.
Severus was currently working on burn cream for Madam Pomfrey. He smirked slightly wondering how many times the birthday boy would be using his vat of burn cream this year. Severus swore that Longbottom used up more of his potions than the rest of the school put together. If it wasn't falling off his broomstick it was blowing up his fiftieth cauldron or wherever they were at now. Still at least the clumsy oath would be out of his hair by this time next year. It wasn't like Neville Longbottom could ever achieve an Outstanding in anything but Herbology! And Severus refused to allow anyone but the best back into his classroom once he had a choice to wave them goodbye or at least scare them away. Severus didn't wave at anyone!
That was when Severus felt his thrice damned mark burn. If Severus hadn't stupidly sworn to serve Dumbledore until either he died, Voldemort discovered his treachery (which was really the same thing) or Voldemort died Severus would be long gone. The only reason he switched sides was for Lily. Now Lily was dead. He stayed for the son she had performed Dark magic for and sacrificed herself and her husband for. But now the boy was dead too! And it was all Dumbledore 's fault. Severus wasn't an idiot he knew the old man had to have been perfectly aware of Potter's less than star quality upbringing yet had ignored. That's was what had nagged at his mind since Rita spoke about Potter's life. Why was Dumbledore glad the boy was dead?
Severus quickly placed his cream coloured potion under a stasis charm not wanting it to explode or go off for however long he was gone for this time. Severus then summoned his Death Eater robes replacing his teacher's robes with them and placed himself under a disillusion charm so he didn't have to answer any awkward questions with the few teachers and their families who remained behind over the holidays.
Severus arrived promptly at Malfoy Manor where the Dark Lord had taken up residence. Nodding at Draco who looked pale and scared as he was sent upstairs he was too young for Death Eater meetings. But unless Voldemort was somehow miraculously defeated within the next two years that was about of change for the young Malfoy as he would come of age in two Junes' time.
Narcissa wore a blank face as he and she met eyes. But Severus knew her disgust at having her husband offering up their supposedly safe home to the monster. Not that she was stupid enough to say to either her husband or her Master.
Severus walked into what one of the Dining Rooms in Malfoy Manor that was commonly used as the meeting place for the Death Eaters. There was only he and MacNair from the Inner Circle and twenty from the outer circle.
Severus knew that whatever they were doing was going to be dangerous and would involve sacrifices. By the looks of it those involved were expendable apart from himself and Lucius. Severus gathered by this that the Outer Circle were to fight whilst the Lucius and he were there to make sure the task was done.
'My loyal followers,' a sibilant voice approached.
In the doorway stood a tall, slender, dark haired man with chiselled cheekbones and a petite nose. He wore robes of the finest silk in emerald green with silver snakes sewed onto the hems and a red glowing stone hung on a golden chain around his neck. The man would have been handsome if it had not been for his eyes that were glowing red slits in the darkened dining room; eyes that matches his pendant perfectly.
'We have much to discuss,' Voldemort hissed out. 'The Vampires have once again rejected swearing their allegiance to me.'
That didn't surprise Severus. Vampires didn't trust humans on principle – and for good reason considering how they were treated. They had allied themselves to Dark and Light Lords before only to be betrayed after their Overlord won or being reviled after their Overlord lost.
'I wish to make an example of them,' the Dark Lord said.
Severus wished this was a dream but knew it wasn't. It seemed the Dark Lord had forgotten what had happened last time around. The vampires had rejected Voldemort then as well so Voldemort had sent a troop of ten Outer Circle members to slaughter the MacDonald Clan. The vampires had thought back and the Outer Circle members slaughtered them.
'I wish you to attack the Mac an Sagairt Coven in their Castle in Longford, Ireland,' the Dark Lord said. 'Leave none alive.'
Severus would have loved to point out that they were already dead. What Voldemort should have said was leave none Undead. The chances of them defeating the vampires were next to none. The Mac an Sagairt may have been one of the smaller vampire covens but they were also one of the oldest having existed right back to Celtic times whilst the MacDonalds may have been bigger they were still younger than Hogwarts.
Severus knew that there would be there would be between twenty and forty vampires present. There are only forty vampires in the whole coven but only half of them lived in the castle. Severus hadn't heard of any young vampires being born or turned recently but after the break down of relationships between Wizards and Vampires in the middle of the eighteenth century that wasn't at all surprising.
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It wasn't long after that Severus, MacNair and the twenty Outer Circle Death Eaters. Severus hadn't had an opportunity to convey to Dumbledore what was happening. Severus knew that Dumbledore wouldn't lift a finger to help dark creatures. All he wanted from the dark creatures was for them to stay out of it. Dumbledore was fine allying himself with Light creatures like the Veela and neutral creatures like the giants but for dark creatures Severus had only sent messages requesting them to stay out of the war. Most did knowing that Voldemort wouldn't offer them any better chances after the war was over.
They arrived in the day time knowing that this was when vampires were weaker. The Dark Lord was no Gryffindor or Hufflepuff he would look out for his own ends not for fairness and nobility and an equal fight.
Soon as Adulka Ales the Czech wardmaster took down the wards around the castle Severus realised they had been tricked. The first set of wards though down allowing them into the grounds of the castle but the problem was that they were now stuck in the second set of wards that were programmed for people to only get out at night. These wards cast the castle in permanent darkness; the perfect conditions for Vampires to live in. It meant that the vampires could be anywhere and numerous and humans wouldn't be able to see them.
Severus looked at Ales who was frowning and muttering whilst muttering ancient words under her breath and etching runes on the ground with her wand. None of the wards activated meaning something or someone was stopping them.
'There is another ward master here,' Ales cried in accented English.
Ales tried to Apparate but naturally the vampire's wards stopped them. Severus knew it wasn't going to be as easy as slaughter all the vampires who lived in Mac an Sagairt Castle. Severus who hadn't wanted to participate in meaningless slaughter in the first place was scared because it meant it would be them who would be slaughtered today. And he was stuck.
'Take down the wards,' Severus ordered.
Severus had decided that if they could they would retreat. The Dark Lord would torture them for their incompetence but at least they'd be alive. It was just getting out alive which would be the problem.
'They are more skilled than I,' Ales said.
'Can you tell what the wards are doing?' Severus demanded.
'Keep it dark and stop anyone leaving until night falls,' Ales explained.
'Hold up defences until night comes,' Severus ordered. 'Then we retreat.'
'The Dark Lord won't like that,' sneered MacNair.
'What would you rather displease the Dark Lord or fall at the hands of vampires?' demanded Severus. 'Look around us we can't fight them in their own territory at night. The plan relied on slaughtering them when they were weakened by the sun's rays.'
MacNair didn't look happy but nodded, 'hold up defences until night comes. Then we leave.'
It was then that a man who was obviously a vampire his deathly pale skin, blue eyes and bared fangs the only source of light in the unnaturally dark castle ground. Severus drew his wand preparing to fight if there was any sign of attack.
'There will be no leaving tonight,' the vampire said softly. 'This will serve as an example for wizards who dare to attack the Mac an Sagairt clan!'
Suddenly Severus could see about forty beings circle around them. It became obvious that every member of the Mac an Sagairt clan and their mate had been called from whichever country they lived in to confront the threat that the Dark Lord had made.
Suddenly the night was lit up with the natural fire elementalism that most vampires possessed. Severus used every form of both Light and Dark magic he possessed desperately trying to hold on until nightfall.
Severus was struggling against a vampire of the Mac an Sagairt clan. He was a vampire with fiery red hair and pale green eyes. Old eyes that had seen more years than a wizard could ever hope to understand.
The vampire's physical fitness was far greater than Severus' own. Severus had tried to attack the man with legimency only to find out he was an Occlumens greater than Severus. The only thing Severus could be thankful for was the fact that the vampire was clearly no legimens. If it had been the other way round with Severus' mind being attacked when he had overpowered his invader he would have then attacked them with a legimens blow so powerful that his invade would be left no more than a vegetable.
Every spell that Severus seemed to hit the vampire with seemed to be absorbed into the vampire. Severus had heard before that some vampires had immunity to magic much like dragons, trolls and giants but as none had been documented in the last two hundred years Severus had come to the belief that it was a myth. Now he was forced to come to the conclusion that rare though it may it was very real.
Severus had begun to use the environment around him. The problem was the vampire was stronger and quicker than Severus so he flitted around everything that Severus threw at him or smashed it to pieces or simply flung it back to Severus with wordless magic.
The vampire seemed to be able to predict everything that Severus did. If it wasn't for the fact that Severus hadn't been able to sense any intrusions to his mind Severus would have been convinced that he was a legimens.
Severus had to dodge the flames that the vampire was throwing at him. The fact that the vampire was a fire elemental when Severus had never been an elemental was not good for him. Severus knew a few Death Eaters were elementals but it hadn't been in his family for many years.
Severus could feel himself tiring and knew it wouldn't be long before his strength and body gave in. Severus glanced longingly outside the wards. Once more Severus could see that it was still light outside.
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This little human was putting up a good fight considering Thiaderd was a vampire even if he wasn't one of the warriors of the clan. Thiadred hadn't been born into the Mac an Sagairt clan although he didn't know what clan he was born into. He knew he was a Born Vampire after all he had never been bitten yet he was a vampire.
Thiadred had been brought up by a local farmer who had found baby Thiadred in the burnt wreck of the local castle that had been burnt down by the witch hunters. The farmer had no idea what had happened there. They thought that he had been kidnapped and used for Black Magic.
It wasn't until after his old guardian had died and sixteen years old Thiadred had gone through his inheritance did Thiadred realise what he actually was. Thiadred had always known that he was stronger and faster than the other farm boys his age. He had a talent with fire and he was far paler than the other boys but there was a whole range of skin tones so it didn't bother them.
It wasn't until Thiadred had obtained the title of Thiadred the Bloodthirsty that he understood why. The nickname was due to the fact that a vampire child who just had undergone his Inheritance with no one to teach them how to control his or her powers was dangerous as Thiadred proved by slaughtering his village. After coming out of his bloodlust Thiadred surveyed the blood strewn village with horror.
Thiadred did the only thing he could and ran. Thiadred ran so far from the only home he had ever known chased as he was by witch hunters. It wasn't until Thiadred found his mate, the son of Lord Mac an Sagairt of Longford that Thiadred finally found a home that he had never left.
He never did find out what clan he originally belonged to although he had tried many times. The Lord after hearing Thiadred's story and had tried to find information on the executed vampires. But at that time Vampire wars were common and there was no real clan structure in many places.
Thiadred finally got an advantage over the human sinking his fangs to the human's thin neck. Thiadred had no intention of letting this human go. Thiadred hadn't had fresh human blood for too long.
Thiadred was brought up amongst non-magical humans he refused to prey on the innocent. He had no qualms draining those who attacked his clan or rapists and murderers but not the innocent. He knew that there were some who didn't see it Thiadred's way even in the clan but so long as they didn't attract unwanted attention to the clan it wasn't seen as a concern.
A little known fact about the blood letting between a human and a vampire was that the vampire received the memories of human. Thiadred had heard of intellectuals that found human intellectuals whether magical or non magical and took a sip of their blood – they didn't need to drain them dry to gain their memories – in order to increase their own knowledge.
Unsurprisingly as Thiadred began to drink Severus Tobias Snape's – for that was the human's name – blood memories began to assault Thiadred's mind. What he saw wasn't what he expected to see. Thiadred had expected to see the memories of a racist, Death Eater bastard. Severus was in no means a kind man but he did try to redeem himself from childhood mistakes despite manipulations from all sides.
Thiadred saw a small, scared child hiding from his father's fists. The only solace he had was a red haired witch in amidst the pain. He attempted to help his broken mother heal and took beatings for her.
Then Thiadred saw Severus' school days. Severus becoming an outcast from his own house for not being so called pure. The constant bullying from others outside Slytherin for no other reason than the fact that Severus' magic was naturally Dark or for being sorted into Slytherin House. The bullying should have been stopped by the teachers but he was repeatedly punished for the so called Marauders actions again and again and again.
Lily Evans turning her back on Severus because of a moment of anger brought about by humiliation. Lily Evans who would become mate to Severus' tormenter, James Potter, which was something Severus could never forgive.
Then there was Eileen Snape's death at the hands of his father. It was then that Severus joined forces with Lord Voldemort. A teenaged boy, hurt broken, and desperate for revenge perfect recruitment material for Voldemort.
Then there was Severus' first raid where he was expected to murder a Muggle six year old girl. Severus did not. He obliviated the Death Eaters who accompanied him to believe he had done as he had asked. Then Severus deposited her in a Muggle orphanage after ridding her of all her memories to that day in an effort to protect her.
Severus was too frightened, alone and mistrusting to go to anyone. He knew the Ministry of Magic was hopeless. They were too corrupted by rich Death Eaters to do anything but tell rich Death Eaters who would tell the Dark Lord.
It was only when he told the Dark Lord the prophecy that he didn't understand the meaning of which caused his old friend, her husband and more specifically her son that caused Severus to beg for help from Dumbledore. Dumbledore did so in return for spying for Dumbledore on Voldemort whilst Voldemort believed that he was spying on Dumbledore for him.
Severus only lived his double life for little more than a year. It ended with his best friend and husband being killed. The boy was sent to his jealous aunt, her husband and his cousin. Severus continued to work as teach.
Severus' loneliness after Lily's death was only countered by the Slytherin charges in his care. Severus looked after all the children in Hogwarts particularly in Slytherin. If there children who were abused, self harming, suicidal, drug abusing, or anything else Severus was the first one to help. Severus, also, tried to change the children who had been brought up by blood purists and Death Eaters to convince them of the fact that Muggles, Muggleborns and creatures were more just animals.
Then came the news that Harry Potter had disappeared in Alice Holt Forrest in surrey when he was seven years old. It turned out that the so called Boy Who Lived had been abused and neglected by his relatives. Dumbledore claimed to know but Severus didn't believe it in the slightest.
This made Thiadred think of something else. The Longstreak Dark Elf clan of Alice Holt Forrest in Surrey had a small child wander through the wards. Wards that disallow anyone but one of elf blood to enter or had their magical signature being registered by the Clan leader. After a blood test had been performed it was found that the child was the heir of the Shadowmage Dark Elven kingship through his father and the Dlartanseer Light Elven kingship.
The child was lost in the same forest never again to be seen by humans. Both had abusive relatives. Thiadred had never met the young King but how many seven year olds could be lost in the same forest to never be found again?
Then in 1992 Voldemort's return and Severus' return to spying whilst Severus tried to keep his students out of the Death Eater armies and away from spying from Dumbledore. He had smuggled more than one child out of the country to one of his properties that Voldemort was unaware of.
Then the planned attack on the Mac an Sagairt clan that Severus never wanted to participate in. He understood only too well what it was like to be little more than a slave under a wizard's control. Never mind Severus' natural self protection.
Thiadred looked down at the man who had fainted due to blood loss. Thiared couldn't kill a man like this no matter what the man may think of himself. Severus Tobias Snape was a lot more brave and good than Severus thought he was.
Before Thiadred even realised what he was doing Thiadred had drawn a knife across his wrist. Thiadred held his bleeding wrist to the unconscious man making the man swallow his blood turning him into what Thiadred had been born as.
Thiadred wasn't worried. Thiadred had done this only once before and that was when he was only fifty years old. Killian had died after taking up arms against Grindelwald. Killian had been like a son to Thiadred. Thiadred had half brought up the Irish boy since he was a toddler orphaned by the repeated Viking raids.
After Thiadred was finished transferring his blood to the no longer human he picked Severus off the ground. Thiadred intended to take him back to his section of the castle. But he was stopped by his red headed Head of the Coven looking unhappily back at him.
'I am sure, Thiadred, that there is a reason that you have changed an enemy of our clan,' Ruaidri Mac an Sagairt said quietly.
'I do not believe that Severus Tobias Snape is an enemy,' Thiadred replied.
'I see,' Ruaidri said eyes giving away nothing. 'May I ask why you think that?'
Thiadred began speaking about what he had seen when he had bit Severus. His clan leader no longer looked displeased but was still frowning. Thiadred knew that there would be no trouble with what he had done. By that point it was the only just thing he could have done.
'Take him to you and Conan's wing,' ordered the Lord. 'The Dark Lord believes he is dead so to must the Light Lord.'
Conan had heard the two talking and came up to greet his mate. Thiadred was distracted by the blood that was still on his mate's fangs. Conan smirked flirtatiously at Thiadred's stare making Thiadred once more glad that he couldn't blush.
'So you saved a Death Eater's life, why?' asked Conan.
Thiadred sighed again wondering how many times he'd have to tell the story of Severus Snape before people stopped questioning why he had saved a Death Eater's life. Not that he planned to tell anyone else apart from the Lord of his clan and his mate. It was only those two who had the right to know. Not even the two Romans that Killian had turned many centuries ago.
Conan nodded by the end, 'put him in Killian's room.'
'Are you sure?' asked Thiadred.
Both of them knew how much Killian had meant to the other. They had never had children. They didn't know why. It wasn't like they were infertile and everyone knew that creatures unlike humans could conceive with another of the same sex even wizards who were so distantly descended for creatures were still capable of the same thing. But they had never been so blessed and no one could tell why especially as contraceptive potions were a very new invention.
'I'm sure,' Conan said. 'It seems Mr Snape needs it more than Killian's memory.'
Conan was right of course as he often was. That was what Conan and Thiadred spent much of the night doing preparing for Snape. They knew that Severus shouldn't be allowed to go leave the castle not until they were sure that he wouldn't loose control and attack a human. But ultimately it would be up to Severus. Thiadred had no wish to be anything like either Lord Voldemort or Albus Dumbledore. Both who had been Severus' masters for so many years.
Thiadred wasn't sure if he believed in the idea that some Turned Vampires who'd had bad lives before saw vampirism as a new life, a new birth, an escape. But for Severus Snape's sake he hoped that this would ring true.
The last thing was to fetch enough bottle human blood for Severus. As he got used to his thirst Severus could be weaned off pure human blood apart from injury and ill health and special occasions of course. Instead he would drink like most of the Mac an Sagairt clan animals blood and blood replenishing potions.
'Ruaidri says there will be a Clan Meet at midnight,' Conan said. 'He's declared war on Voldemort and Dumbledore.'
'Dumbledore?' asked Thiadred.
'He sent Dumbledore a letter saying that they know Severus is a spy and is dead,' Conan said.
'Dumbledore will assume we have sided with the Dark Lord,' Thiadred understood. 'Are we still allied with the Dark Elves, Fire Elves, Forrest Elves, Fire Sprites and Air Sprites?'
'Our alliances shall be discussed at the Meet,' Conan said.
They were interrupted by the first stirring the newly dead vampire had made since he had been almost drained by Thiadred the morning before. Thiadred could only hope that Severus would take news of his Vampirism better than some did.
'I'll go,' whispered Conan. 'This is something you should do alone.'
Thiadred nodded distracted waiting for Severus Snape to wake up. Newly Blooded vampires were always different; some took their vampirism well, some different, some were little better than beasts, others were most in control. Given Severus' magnificent control of his mind Thiadred doubted that he'd have much hardship controlling his more primal instincts. But the time for thought was over.
Severus Snape was awake and hungry.