His Final Riddle

17. House elf spies

Snape looks up at me a deep frown on his face "perhaps I was not clear enough. Tell me what's wrong or get out."

I roll my eyes and fall into the chair across from him.

"Mean but whatever." I cross my arms and stare down at my feet "Draco has pissed me off."

Snape sighs "seriously? A pathetic argument with the Malfoy boy? That's why you're here?"

I shake my head "it's not a pathetic argument. I know what his task is this year, and judging from your conversation with him I heard at Christmas I'm guessing you do as well?" I look to Snape with my eyebrows raised.

He nods slowly "yes I do know about it."

"Right. Well I want to help him, in fact I want to do it myself."

"Why?" Snape tilts his head "why do you want to kill Dumbledore?"

"I don't want to" I shrug "but I know that if Draco does it then it will destroy him. He's too good, even if he doesn't seem it all the time. Doing this will tear him apart." I stand up annoyed and begin to pace the small office "I should be the one to do it."

A heavy silence falls between us both for several seconds before Snape speaks.

"I agree."

I tilt my head up looking at him me eyes wide "huh?"

Snape sighs as he turns to face me fully "I said I agree. You should be the one to do it."

I lower myself back into the chair slowly "I'm surprised you agree, I thought you'd tell me that I shouldn't."

"Is that what you wanted to hear?" He rolls his eyes "I can lie to you if that's what you want."

"No" I shake my head "it's not what I wanted to hear at all. I'm just surprised." I lean back in the chair as I let out a long breath "why do you think I should be the one to do it?"

Snape shifts in his seat "it's your burden to pay Angelica."

"What?"

Snape clasps his hands together on top of the desk "there's a reason Draco is the one who was tasked with this. Why didn't your father make me? I would be better and quicker that's for sure. However Draco is the one being made to do it."

"So what?" I shrug "what's my father trying to prove? That Draco is weak?"

Snape tilts his head "it's a punishment of two blows. Firstly it's a punishment for Lucius for getting caught, he knows Draco is suffering and he knows this will cause a lasting impression if he does succeed. Lucius will have to see his son become a murderer, but more than that he will see his son as a broken man."

I clench my fists in anger "and the second part?"

"Like I said if Draco succeeds he will be broken, he will change and he will become a person who lost a part of his soul." Snape sighs "that's if he succeeds. If he doesn't he will most likely be killed himself, either by a member of the Order or by Dumbledore himself."

"So what one does my father want?"

"I don't think he truthfully cares. I think his end goal is to have Draco taken away from you."

"Away from me?" I unclench my sweaty fists as a cold feeling comes over me "I thought it was a punishment to Lucius?"

Snape shakes his head "you may have been unaware of how you felt about Draco but it was clear to everyone else around you. Your father saw deep inside your head, of course he saw your love for Draco. He saw that you would do anything for him even so many months ago. However he also knows that he can't be the one to kill Draco, if he is to do that then you would never stand by his side. He needs Draco to die at another's hand and having him kill the most powerful wizard of all time is the perfect way to do it."