Severus's heart stopped, Harry's words echoing inside of his head. I killed Ginny. The possibility of it made his blood run cold. He pulled Harry off of him quickly, but gently. He didn't want to scare him. He stared at him blankly.
"What do you mean you killed Ginny?" he asked. His expression remained blank, but inside he was worried...really worried.
Harry took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He wiped the tears from his face. "I killed her," he clarified. "I was too late to save her. It's all my fault."
Relief washed over him. He hadn't killed her. He only blamed himself for her death. "It's not your fault, Harry."
"I was too late."
"You can't save everyone."
He twisted his hands nervously. "Ron is going to hate me. And Fred and George." His voice was starting to crack. "But I tried. I gave it my best."
Severus took him by the shoulders as tears started rolling down his face. He knew how Harry was feeling. No, he didn't have friends he had to worry about, but for the longest time he had blamed himself for Lily's death. His attempts to protect her hadn't worked. In the end, she still died. He exhaled slowly, contemplating on telling him the story. It was something that would be beneficial for him to hear, but he thought better of it. Now was not the time. Maybe down the road if he had trouble getting over it...
"If they hate you because you tried to save her and failed, then that is their mistake, Harry. If they are truly your friends, they will understand that you tried. You're not superhuman. You could have died down here. You risked your own life to save her. You've done nothing wrong."
Harry shook his head, sadness washing over him. "I didn't expect it. He got the best of me and I didn't see it coming."
Severus raised an eyebrow at him. He was finally going to know where the laugh had come from, who had been with him inside the chamber. "Who, Harry?"
More tears fell from his eyes and the same fear he had felt inside the chamber resurfaced again. "He's back, Professor Snape. Voldemort is back."
~ * ~
About half an our later when Severus, Harry, Ron, and a newly awakened Lockhart found an outside exit to the chamber, they went immediately to Dumbledore's office. Severus steered them there. He figured that since Minerva was acting as Head Mistress in Dumbledore's absence that she should know what had happened. He was surprised to find that Minerva wasn't there when they arrived. Albus Dumbledore had returned and was sitting in his own chair. Dumbledore dismissed Lockhart and relieved him of his job immediately after Severus told him what he had heard him saying to the boys. The arrogant blonde man never said one word as he left the office. Severus suspected he was just glad to be alive. Dumbledore's attention then returned to the rest of his company.
"I suppose you all have something else to tell me," Albus concluded. Why else would they be there?
Severus nodded. "Harry does. He found the entrance to the Chamber of Secrets."
Dumbledore's eyebrows raised in surprise as he eyes fell on Harry. "You did?"
Harry wouldn't meet his eyes. "Yes, sir."
"Well, I have to say that doesn't surprise me. I suppose you have been inside?"
He nodded.
Severus rested his hand on Harry's shoulder. "Don't be afraid to tell him everything. He needs to know, Harry."
Harry took a deep breath. He started with the most horrible thing and worked his way to the rest. "Ginny is dead."
Ron's eyes widened. "What?"
He turned to face his friend, tears starting to stream down his face again. "I'm sorry, Ron. I didn't make it. I didn't kill the Basilisk in time."
Ron's face fell. His sister was gone and his best friend was apologizing to him for it. It wasn't right. "It wasn't your fault, mate. I know you tried. I know you."
"So you're not angry with me?"
He shook his head. "No."
"What about Fred and George?"
"We'll all be sad for a long time, but I don't blame you and I'm sure my family won't either."
Harry closed his eyes for a second and exhaled slowly. He was relieved.
"Mr. Weasley, I think you should go back to the dormitory and tell your siblings," Dumbledore suggested. "I will write to your parents and get them here as soon as possible."
Ron nodded. He walked over to Harry and hugged him briefly before running out of the office.
"Harry, you did a noble thing by going in that chamber," Dumbledore told him. "But I sense that there is still something that's troubling you."
Harry swallowed hard. "There is, sir. I wasn't alone down there." He explained about the diary and everything that he learned. "I didn't realize what was happening, that the diary was the source of his power until it was too late. I tried to reach for it, but I blacked out."
"From the poison," Severus stated.
He nodded.
Albus frowned. "But how did you survive it?"
Harry pointed to the stand that Fawkes was sitting on. "Fawkes' tears healed me."
He smiled. "You must have been extremely loyal to me down in the chamber, Harry. Only that could have called him to you. Thank you."
"You're welcome, sir." He looked down to the floor. "But I'm afraid that isn't all I have to tell you."
"Oh?"
"Voldemort. H-He-"
Severus tightened his grip on Harry's shoulder. He knew this was hard for him, that he was afraid. Harry looked up at him and he knew that he couldn't bring himself to say it again. So Severus said the words he could not.
"The Dark Lord has returned."
"Voldemort has returned?" Albus repeated in disbelief.
"Yes."
"Are you sure?" He looked to Harry.
"I-I'm pretty sure," Harry answered. "But I don't know for sure. I didn't see the transformation take place."
"What transformation?"
"Voldemort said that time would catch up with him."
Dumbledore looked worriedly at Severus and his expression mirrored his own. "Well, Harry. I will see that you get a special award for services to the school. I will gather some help and go get Ginny out of the chamber. I'm sure Severus can show me where the entrance is?" Severus nodded. "Good. I want you to go to your dormitory and get cleaned up. Get some sleep if you can. The mandrake draft is almost ready. As early as tomorrow you should have Ms. Granger and your mother back as good as new."
This news brightened Harry's face a little and Severus's too.
"Yes, sir," Harry said. He walked slowly out of the office and shut the door behind him.
"Now," Dumbledore said once Harry was gone, "do you really think he has returned? That he's alive?"
"I don't know what to think, Albus. I know Harry wouldn't lie about it."
"You're right of course. But I have to be sure."
Suddenly a burning sensation rippled across Severus's left arm. He grabbed it immediately with his right hand, his skin crawling beneath it. He raised his sleeve and his eyes widened. He showed it to Albus.
"I know he has returned," Severus declared. "This is proof."
Dumbledore stared at the Dark Mark on his arm, the one that had been faint and barely noticeable in previous years. Now it seemed as if it were alive and it was as black as night. "Quite right you are, Severus." He sighed. "I'm afraid the world is not ready for him and neither are we. Are you going to go?"
He raised his eyebrow. "I beg your pardon?"
"To Voldemort? Are you going to go?"
Severus swallowed hard. So much had changed. Could he really go and pretend nothing had? "I-I don't know."
Albus thought about it for a moment. "I think you should. Just to see what he wants. Make sure you give me a full report. And make sure that you return...safely."
He nodded in understanding. "I'm going to help you first."
"No. I can manage. Don't keep him waiting. The longer you wait, the more suspicious he will be. Go now."
Severus took a deep breath and nodded. He left the office, fear plaguing his heart. He had no idea what to expect.
~ * ~
It was familiar, the place Severus apparated to, familiar because he had been there before. It was Malfoy Manor. He drew in a sharp breath as he came upon the wrought iron gates.
Lucius, he thought bitterly. He is responsible for this. Somehow he knew it. Why else would Voldemort have summoned him there of all places?
Despite the feeling of dread in his stomach, he continued inside. He had been summoned and he knew what would happen if he didn't show. He would be added to Voldemort's hitlist and he had too much at stake. He couldn't let that happen. He waved his wand and went through the gates, climbed the steps once he was through the front door, and paused at the doorway to the dining room, a plce he had been several times in previous years. He blocked everything from his mind, took a deep breath, and went inside.
It was different than he remembered it, dark and dank, with a longer table that had been in there before. Voldemort sat at the head of it, tapping his fingers impatiently on the table. Severus tried not to stare, but he looked like he wasn't even human anymore with his bald head and the slits he had for nostrils. It reminded him of a snake.
"I called for you ten minutes ago," he called out to Severus. "I expected you to come right away."
"I was busy, my lord," Severus told him. He managed to keep his voice even. He had an uncanny ability to control his emotions that came in handy in situations such as this one. "I didn't think you would want me to blow my cover."
Voldemort stood. "So you are still at Hogwarts then?"
"Yes."
"Excellent. I assume you are still loyal to me?"
"Of course, my lord."
He sneered. "You lie well, Severus. I must commend you for it. However, I know the truth. You are no longer loyal to me. You have betrayed me."
Severus's heart hammered inside his chest. "My lord?"
"Ginny Weasley spoke, well, wrote quite highly of you. She wrote that you became sort of a father figure in young Potter's life, that you have fallen in love with his adoptive mother. She heard her youngest brother talking about it. Alaina, isn't it?" He paused, smiling. "I could have sworn I killed her. Oh well. It won't be as hard the second time around."
Severus clenched his fists at his sides. Voldemort noticed it right away. He had struck a nerve.
"Am I making you angry, Severus?"
He stared blankly at his former master. No matter what he said or what he threatened to do he had to keep calm.
Voldemort sighed. "It's too bad that I have to lose you, but traitors musn't be allowed to live. You fell in love with a Mudblood and you've been protecting the one person that caused my disappearance. That is high treason." He raised his wand. Severus closed his hand around his as well. He was ready. "Any last words?"
Severus took his wand all the way out of his robes now and pointed it forward. "Only four. I was never yours."
That angered him and Voldemort made the table disappear with a wave of his wand. Once the way was clear, he sent a curse toward Severus, but he easily deflected it. Lucius came running in from another room, his wand at the ready as soon as he saw what was happening.
"Leave him to me!" Voldemort commanded. "I will kill him just as I did Harry Potter!" He sent yet another curse and Severus blocked that one too.
Severus raised a corner of is mouth into a half smirk. "I hope you do a better job with killing me."
His eyes narrowed. "What do you mean?"
"It doesn't matter. You'll never get close enough to Hogwarts to do anything about it."
"No one knows of my return."
"You're wrong. Dumbledore knows."
"He is easily taken care of."
"I suppose that's why he's still alive?"
Angry again because of Severus's cheek, Voldemort went at him full force, slinging curses as fast as he could. Severus was a lot stronger than he had been all those years ago, having had plenty of time to practice. He was a lot stronger than Voldemort had even realized. Severus was able to hold his magical advances off easily until something out of the corner of his eye distracted him. Wormtail, a.k.a Peter Pettigrew, came into the doorway, his wand drawn. Severus's eyes widened in shock and Wormtail froze. He was supposed to be dead. It was just the opportunity Voldemort needed. He sent a strong spell and in Severus's distracted state, he could not shield himself from it in time. It hit him square in the chest and threw him had against the wall.
Ropes shot from the tip of Voldemort's wand and wrapped around Severus's unconscious form tightly. He walked calmly over to Wormtail, Lucius fast on his heels.
"Take him to the basement and I will deal with him," Voldemort barked.
Lucius took Severus's upper half and Wormtail got his feet. Together, they carried him across the room and down the stone steps to the basement. Voldemort followed close behind them.
"Go to Hogwarts, Lucius. I want to make sure Potter is dead."
"Yes, sir," Lucius said with a bow.
"Wormtail, you go back as well. I want you in position in case the boy is still alive, and when the opportunity strikes, I want you to kill him."
Peter nodded in understanding. They both disappeared up the stairs.
Voldemort circled around Severus's body like a skilled predator about to attack. He was about to teach his former servant a very hard lesson and while doing so he was going to decide just how long, and if, he was going to let him live.