Poison Pen

Chapter 30: On Your Mark

"It's just as well," Severus said, holding up a bottle of Ogden's Best. "Care for a dram?"

"Severus? Are you alright? You look terrible! Perhaps a dram isn't a good idea at this point..."

"Well, it certainly can't hurt!" He snorted in disgust. "To be truthful, it feels like I'm dying Minerva. Like every last bit of energy is being sucked out of me."

The Headmistress' gasp of shock echoed in the room. "I...I'd best get Poppy..."

"No! If it's what I think, no one can help me." Gathering what strength left to him, Severus continued. "I think he's dying, Minerva. He's trying to keep himself alive by sucking the magic out of his followers. I always feared it might come to this."

A knock sounded at the door. Minerva rose shakily to answer it. "Mr. Potter? I'm afraid Professor Snape is unable to see you right now." Her quavering voice shocked Harry.

"What's wrong Professor? Is he hurt? What?"

"Not now Mr. Pott..." She was stunned when the boy in question brushed past her and hurried to the side of his weakening professor.

Severus looked up at the bane of his existence and sucked in a gasp. The boy looked terrible and yet at the same time powerful.

"I just got back from the goblins. The ritual worked," the brat was explaining. "They really wanted to keep me for a couple of days, but something told me to return here."

Then Potter plopped onto the sofa next to Minerva. Of all the gall!

"Ritual!? What are you going on about Potter!" Severus snarled. He wasn't about to spend the last moments of his life catering to this whelp!

Potter sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair. "The goblins offered, for a price, a ritual to get rid of the horcrux that ol' Tommy boy placed in my scar and to take care of any others he might have made as well. So, once I claimed the Slytherin headship by right of conquest, the Keeper, along with my advisers, informed me that I needed to cast Riddle from the family and strip him of all Potter, Gryffindor, and Slytherin family magics. He did, after all, use my blood in that disgusting ritual in my fourth year."

Both adults straightened in their seats, eyes widening in stunned awareness.

"So I did. And now, ol' Tommy boy is finding it hard to keep his patchwork body together," Harry said with a shrug. "He's relying on the connections to his followers, sucking away their magic to keep himself alive. They'll either become squibs, or die when their hearts give out."

Severus sucked in a breath, clutching his left arm. So this was it. He'd be sucked dry of his magic as a vampire drains its victim. The last moments of his life and he had to listen to this brat's prattle!

"Professor?" Potter asked, leaning forward to watch the older man closer. Severus could see the magic rippling around the boy. "Why does Dumbledore trust you so much? Why have you always protected me while I attended Hogwarts and why haven't you asked me if I could remove your Dark Mark?"

Severus scowled. How dare he! The snifter shattered in his hand as his anger powered his waning magic. "GET OUT!"

"Now Severus..." Minerva started.

The boy stood, hands on his hips. His green eyes, Lily's eyes, glaring down at him. For a moment, a brief moment, Severus saw Lily standing in front of him ready to give him one of her famous tongue lashings. "Look sir. I can help you, but I need answers to those questions first. You just have to trust me."

"I might say the same to you, Potter!"

Harry sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Fine! Be that way!" He turned to go, throwing up his hands in frustration. "Try to help the man for my mother's sake and what do I get? Well, I tried!"