HP: The Last Death Eater Trial (OC son of Bellatrix)

Part 13

The potions master of Hogwarts found himself sitting infront of the Headmaster once again. The number of times they had met over the course of this year had lessened significantly as both of them became busy with their own duties.

The Tri-wizard Tournament had been brought back this year through much effort on Albus's part, but the whole thing had been plagued from the start. Since the start of the year, the underbelly of the wizarding world rumbled as the scum of the wizarding world recoiled from the tragedy that had happened in the World Cup.

The attack had shaken up the whole wizarding world, and though people maintained the façade of normalcy, doubt and questions wrung up in everyone's mind.

"The mark grows stronger every day. You know what this means, right," Severus probed, and the man nodded, his blue eyes lacking his usual glint as he looked at him with tired eyes.

"Yes, I do," Albus answered, making him chew his lips as he snarled angrily.

"Then why do you refuse to do anything? Take the boy of this damn tournament. You and I both know that it is not a coincidence that boy's name came out of that Goblet," he snarled, and Albus shook his head.

"I cannot do that. The Goblet is an ancient artifact. Trying to break the magical contract between it and a contestant is not wise," Albus answered and Severus shook his head.

"The boy's name was put in the Goblet deliberately. They wanted him to be chosen. Letting him participate in the Tournament is like handing the boy to the preparator," Severus chastised angrily.

"I am taking precautions, Severus," that was a lie. He didn't have the time.

"I have asked Alastor to help me find the perpetrator," and Severus shook his head.

Alastor Moody had once been a feared Auror, yet the years had not been kind to the man. And the man who had come to Hogwarts was nothing but a shell of the man who had once faced an entire squad of death eaters.

"Age has made the man senile, let me find whomever did this," he offered, as the Dark mark seared yet he pushed down the pain.

"No," Albus shook his head.

"You have your own duties," and he knew of what duty he spoke of. For almost a year now, Severus's nights had been spent tutoring one of his snakes. Crovus Lestrange's strange deal with Albus had made it so that the boy would be joining the Dark Lord's ranks if he were to rise again, essentially becoming a spy.

Severus had been hesitant at first and had refused to entertain Albus until he had learned of the specifics of their deal. And in the end, he had agreed, reminded of the time he had found himself, pleading to the very man sitting opposite to him for a life much like the boy.

"How is his progress?" Albus questioned, and Severus replied in an even tone.

"Adequate," and saw Albus raise a brow at that. Those blue eyes glinted with curiosity.

"Adequate. That is high praise coming from you," the man added with a hint of amusement, and Severus didn't bother to comment.

What was he to do if all of his students behaved as bafoons? It wasn't his fault that none could even manage a semblance of mediocrity in his subject.

"I still believe this arrangement of yours to be too cruel, no matter how skilled or useful Crovus is, just a child," Severus added and saw Albus sigh.

"I know, yet we have no choice. Voldemort had become suspicious of you during the end of his life. I doubt he would trust you explicitly again, and while Crovus is young, I believe that Tom would jump at the chance to add him to his inner circle," and Severus frowned at those words.