When All is Lost, One is Found
Author: Rinoaebastel
Chapter 19: Back to a Double Life: Part 1
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. Harry Potter is owned by JK Rowling.
AN: This story may contain scenes taken from the Harry Potter movies and books, but it's not exact dialogue, just rewording of dialogue or omission. It is not marked.
June 1995
The sweat fell from his neck and his bones ached from the need to maintain a stiff, strict posture. He couldn't deny that he'd felt the desire to run away like Karkaroff at the first itch. At how he felt the need to grab his arm and scream.
He needed to check it, but couldn't since they were still in the middle of the blasted challenge and Potter was still inside the labyrinth. He had to make sure he was safe. Dumbledore was here, but he wasn't a Potion's master and potions were usually needed during this event.
He locked his knees at the first sign of weakening legs, but couldn't contain a growl. Albus took his blue gaze away from their focus on the labyrinth. "Severus?"
The mark felt like it was going to rip through his skin and melt his arm. The only time it'd ever hurt this much was when the Dark Lord had disappeared. He opened his trembling hand, and he forced it to still.
"The mark it's--"
A scream of joy interrupted his words. They turned their focus on the couple that appeared at the labyrinth's exit. But one body was too pale. It was too quiet and still.
He looked at the other boy, bloodied and bruised. In an instant, he knew that everyone had been deceived. He knew that today one student had died and a monster had risen. It was just as Dumbledore predicted years ago when he asked for his aid. His time to protect the boy from the Dark Lord had come.
The joy turned into mournful and terrified screams the second people realized what had happened.
All this year had been a plot under their noses. But who? No teacher from this place would harm Potter and no one reeked of being under control of someone.
When he looked again, the majority of the students were crying and trying to comfort each other. The teachers tried to calm them down and get them to the castle in an orderly manner.
This was madness.
He couldn't find Potter among the chaos, and Albus was distracted with consoling Diggory's father. That young man didn't deserve this. That family didn't deserve to be ripped apart the way it was.
Another innocent victim.
And Potter was in the middle of it. The prophecy was right, and that was why Potter always was involved with something related to the Dark Lord.
He needed to find the boy because whoever did this wouldn't stop now that their master was alive. The fanaticism of the old Death Eaters was too high to ignore. So he tried to walk to Dumbledore, ignoring the burn on his arm. He paused when blue eyes met his, an understanding crossing between them saying that he too had noticed Potter wasn't there.
Dumbledore started to walk towards him. Snape turned toward the castle and moved, walking slowly until the headmaster caught up to him.
"Alastor Moody took Potter. He might not be what we thought, Severus. Go get some veritaserum and join me in Alastor's office with the minister as fast as you can. I'll go with Minerva and keep him from hurting Potter."
He inclined his head. "If you're sure."
"I can handle it, Severus, but if things get messy I will need your wand there too."
They parted ways and broke into elegant runs with their robes flying behind them.
-/-/-
The first thing he did was to send the message to the minister by flue. While the man came, he went to his stores and picked up the veritaserum vial without taking the time to read the label. It was the privilege of being an organized man. He made it back to Dumbledore's fireplace in time to see the minister cleaning his robes.
"Professor Snape, I was expecting Dumbledore to give the prize to the winner."
"There is no time for that. Accompany me, sir, if you please. Dumbledore and Potter are in danger." He didn't wait to see if the man would give him a word back and headed towards the Dark Arts Office. He heard the minister following behind him as he took his wand out of his sleeve.
When he slammed open the door, he saw the headmaster immobilizing Moody against the seat and Potter in a half-conscious state at the side. With his wand up, he rushed towards them. He uncorked the vial in his other hand before Dumbledore could claim his attention.
He forced the man to open his mouth, poured the transparent liquid inside it, and then held it shut.
He smirked when he felt the man swallow, and saw Minerva's ropes tying him tighter against the chair.
The minister came to their side.
"What is the meaning of this, headmaster?"
Albus turned to look at the minister.
"With the goblet's odd behavior we've suspected someone was involved with it. We'll know who it is in a moment."
Severus took the man's flask and smelled it. "This is polyjuice," he muttered and raised his wand towards "Moody". "Revelio!" A gold light erupted from his wand and hit the man.
Barty Crouch. How is it possible?" Dumbledore asked.
"Wasn't this man at Azkaban? Perhaps Black wasn't the only one to escape last year," the minister said.
"My father freed me because of my mother's plea. He hated me, but he did it for her. He left her in Azkaban and used polyjuice until she died to keep the disguise." Crouch licked his lips, a bit of spit coming out of the corner of his mouth with the actions. "Then I killed him. I put Potter's name in the goblet. I serve the Dark Lord and helped him return." He looked at Snape. "I'm not a traitor like you that scurried away. I gave glory to the Dark Lord and almost did what no other could. I almost killed that pathetic boy that stole our lord's power. You did nothing when you could have."
He wanted to punch the man in the face, but held his temper in check. He held the eyes without changing his expression at all. He felt the eyes of the minister and Minerva on him, doubting him.
"Where is Alastor Moody? Did you kill him too?" Dumbledore asked.
"No, he is alive in the trunk. I needed a fresh supplement for the Polyjuice potion. I took the other ingredients from Snape's stores. It was easy since he tends to blame Potter for everything."
Dumbledore moved over to the trunk and opened it.
"Minerva, stay with Severus. Minister, I assume you want to take this man into custody and to interrogate him further. He is our proof that the Dark Lord came back and that he'd used Harry Potter. Alastor and Harry will come with me to the infirmary. They need attention," Dumbledore ordered in his characteristically subtle way and everyone agreed.
Then, he was alone with Minerva and the Death Eater. A long night was ahead of them.
"You feel it, right?" Crouch said. "The Dark Lord is calling us and you know what happens when you don't come. Don't you."
He gripped his wand tighter. Yes. Yes, he knew what happened.
"Severus?" He ignored Minerva's worried call and pressed his wand further into their prisoner's skin.
"You don't know me."
The door opened again. Their skin prickled and spikes of cold shot down every nerve ending in him. His pulse quickened and he took a step back from his position when he saw the cause.
Neither Minerva nor he could move when the black mass flew at their side and bent toward Crouch's face.
-/-/-
Anger festered in the room. Crouch was soulless and being dragged to Azkaban as nothing more than a lump of flesh. Now they were there in the infirmary around Potter, his friends, and even the blasted mutt. The rage was tangible.
And for once, he shared the same feelings that the majority of the room felt. They were still discussing the decision to give Crouch the kiss of death with Fudge. It took all of his restraint not to wrap his hands around Fudge's neck and choke him in muggle fashion. He could see how it would release some hostility.
The bloody bastard was denying it! He was denying the Dark Lord was back. Even with all the evidence presented. It was tempting to press his still burning mark against the minister's face and brand him to the point it would be obvious to everyone that the Dark Lord had returned.
After the lull in the discussion, he stepped forward. He had to do this. They couldn't fight the Dark Lord alone. He pulled up his sleeve, letting his secret out in front of the children that already distrusted him.
His Dark Mark, alive and as fiery as the first time he took it, was exposed to all.
"Look at this if you don't believe," he snapped, barely holding in an insult toward Fudge. "It makes me want to rip off my arm. The Dark Lord calls his servants through this mark. He's calling for them even now." The minster trembled and took a step back as if he were going to run. "You have to do something!"
The minister looked away, fear and disgust on his face. "I don't know what you all are up to, but he's dead. No one comes back from the dead." He tossed Potter a bag, then, as if their downfall hadn't been revealed, put on his hat, and left the infirmary.
He let his sleeve fall back to cover the mark. "Coward."
"Severus, he's a scared man. His reaction is normal."
"So you aren't going to run?" Minerva asked.
"I am not like that man or Karkaroff. I am not a coward."
"I expect no less from you, Severus. I have faith in you," Dumbledore said and gave a smile that both irritated and calmed him.
"Before you go, I want you to know. We have to work together. Keep the grudges at bay. At least until this is all over. We have to be strong and trust each other."
What in the...Was he talking about Potter? Was he going to inform him of his work as a double spy? Putting that kind of faith in that weak child was risking not only him, but also the entire wizarding world.
He opened his mouth with the intention to protest, but the Headmaster turned his eyes from him to Potter's bed.
Was that man really going to...?
"Come, Sirius. It's time to let the old grudges be buried."
He meant Black? He couldn't be asking him to play friend with someone whose tormenting still haunted him. The dog moved from Potter's bed and narrowed his eyes.
The dog took the human form of a man he despised with his whole heart. He was less decrepit as he had remembered, but it was still the same face.
"Now, both of you shake hands to start a new beginning. We need both of you to trust each other as allies." Dumbledore's order made him ill. He could see equal disgust in Sirius eyes.
He extended his hand. This meant nothing to him, but he'd do it to placate Dumbledore. Fortunately, he worked alone so the contact with the mutt would be at a minimum.
Sirius took it. They squeezed each other's hands as hard as they could. They kept their gazes locked and didn't give up the grasp until the headmaster cleared his throat.
"All right. Now, Severus. I ask you again, are you still willing to do what you must do? I know you'll be in more danger than almost any of us, but you're the only one that can do it."
He'd told the man a thousand times that he was sure. He wasn't a kid making a decision on what flavour ice cream he wanted. "I am."
"Then, good luck tonight, Severus."
He turned and felt everyone's eyes following him as if he were going to his execution.
And he just might be.
AN: Heh... Hope you liked it. This is another one of my faves of the past. How he show the mark, how his fears come, how his pain returns... Our Severus, under that stoic face is human. I hope you liked it and tell me what you think if you can. I will post the second part in a couple of hours :*