-------------------> THE WALK TO THE DUNGEONS WAS LONG, but it felt even longer that day.
Severus had been in Hogwarts for only three months, but he knew for a fact that the route that they were going on was the longest way to go to the Slytherin Common Room.
Patrick Parkinson calmly walked two paces ahead of Severus. His neatly combed blonde hair, emotionless brown eyes and regal features made him look like a statue.
Severus walked behind him quietly. He had shot an Entail-Expelling curse at Black, something that he had heard Thomas Nott bragging about knowing how to do. It was a very dangerous curse.
"You do realise that Sirius Black might die, right?" Patrick Parkinson asked casually.
"Yes." Severus Snape replied promptly.
Patrick Parkinson gave him a side glance. "Hasn't the consequences het you yet? His chances of survival is very less. You killed somebody at the age of eleven."
Severus stayed silent.
"Speak when you are spoken to." Parkinson told him cooly. "Has your action been understood by your brain yet?"
Severus continued to stay silent.
Parkinson stopped in his steps in front of him, turned around and looked at Severus with a sneer. "I said," he said sternly. "Do you fucking understand what you did?"
"No." Severus replied lowly. He was being honest. The impact of what he had just done hadn't been caught up by his brain yet.
Parkinson laughed mirthlessly. "Well then, let me educate you on what you just did." Patrick Parkinson mocked. "You just killed the bloody Heir to the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. Congratulations, you are the most stupidest person I have ever come across."
"He insulted me!" Severus snapped. "He spoke ill of me. He called me names in front of Lily. He and Potter keep pushing my books down and purposefully bumping into me."
"And so you exploded his body organs." Patrick Parkinson deadpanned. "Excellently, well thought-out, logical move by you. It truly deserves applauds." He said dryly. "Did you ever considered to bring up this matter with us?"
"You wouldn't have done anything." Severus said. "You only care about purebloods, and I am not-"
"We would have." Parkinson cut in, his voice frosty. "We did, actually. The last time the two boys did such a thing, we spoke to them. The reason they came to you today was to apologise. Did you let them?"
Severus opened his mouth to retort, but no words came out. It was true that Black and Potter had singled him out, but he had assumed that they were going to make fun of him again. That is why he started insulting them first, so that he would have the upper hand in their banters.
"No. I thought-"
"Exactly." Parkinson interrupted. "You 'thought'. You assumed. Did you pay attention to anything we told you on day one? Never assume. Always check for facts. You are such a fucking idiot."
Severus felt angry. "I am not a-"
"Yes, you are." Parkinson said, seemingly determined to not let Severus get a word in. "You are a fucking idiot. Do you know why? You killed a classmate -in school with many witnesses- because you were petty. Ever heard of the word 'discreet'?"
'I didn't mean to!' Severus wanted to shout. But he couldn't, because he did. Some part of him wanted them to be hurt.
"Which spell did you use?" Parkinson asked.
"The entail expelling curse." Severus replied quietly.
Patrick shook his head. "Couldn't be it. That's not how it's supposed to look. How many times have you done this before?"
"My first."
"Well then, this just keeps getting better and better!" Parkinson said cheerfully. "You did it wrong, you cretin. Doing a spell wrong is always more dangerous than doing the spell right. Black was unmoving. He might actually be dead." Parkinson mused, now continuing to walk. Severus obediently followed behind him. Parkinson chuckled. "Lyra's going to be on a warpath, and Bellatrix might actually kill you. Both of them have always held a little bit of a bloodlust." He cheerfully explained, not caring that Severus was turning greener by each word that escaped his mouth. "I've heard the Black family library has many... interesting curses. In fact, Lyra once told me about this spell -I'm not sure I remember the wordings properly- but it's supposed to cause every single one of your skin cells to individually die a microsecond apart from each other. While this is happening, blood loss will start to occur simultaneously as well and you would die within twenty to thirty minutes. Not to mention the fact that -much like a snake- you will be alive just enough to see your skin shed right in front of you." Patrick Parkinson explained happily, a glint in his eyes.
Severus felt like throwing up. "They wouldn't do that on me." He insisted. "It's a dark curse, and I am well within school grounds. They can't do that, they will be expelled."
Parkinson tilted his head as he analysed Severus. "Rather hypocritical of you to say that, isn't it?" He asked, his tone light and mocking. "You put a dark curse on school grounds, which means you should probably be expelled as well. Then you are free game."
"Probably?"
"There are other ways to make someone's life hell, you know..." Parkinson said knowingly. "Being expelled is the least of your worries at the moment. There are a couple of different ways the situation can escalade. No way better than the last."
"Like?" Severus prompted. He needed to know if there was a way to get out of this mess. He needed to know his best option here.
"You could be expelled from Hogwarts." Parkinson stated. "And if you choose to go to another school after that, then the school officials will obviously ask what made you get expelled. When they found out that you killed a classmate simply because he was coming over to apologise and over your stubborn ego combined with anger management problems, then I am sure that they will not accept you into their school. Somehow even if they do, then the Blacks will either bribe, blackmail, manipulate or threaten them to not do so. So in short, your magical education would be doomed." He said before adding, "But I am sure that that will happen now anyway, with or without the interference of the Ancient and Most Noble House of Black. In fact, the only role that the House of Black will serve in this process is to quicken it."
Severus stayed quiet for a while. "Is that my worse option?"
Parkinson let out an un-gentlemanly snort. "That's your best option." He corrected. "Although..." He added as an after thought. "The Blacks have never been known to be merciful. So, this will probably never happen." He admitted. "At least not without something worse accompanying it."
"Like what?"
"They can make your life a literal hell." Parkinson smirked. "You killed somebody-"
"-We don't know that." Severus interrupted. "He could be just gravely injured. He could be saved."
Parkinson shook his head. "Unlikely. You do realise the purpose of the entail expelling curse, right? Let me tell it slowly -so that you will understand- it is made to expel your entrails. Not to mention that you did it incorrectly, which is much more dangerous than doing it properly. The sad truth is, it will be nothing short of a miracle that will cause Sirius Black to live." Parkinson said bluntly. "Anyway, getting back to my original point, you murdered or attempted murder-"
"-I am not a murderer!"
"-so according to law," Parkinson continued, ignoring Severus's output. "You should be in Azkaban for twenty five years. More, if the Black's team of lawyers are as good as I know they are."
Severus was pale. Azkaban? With dementors? Twenty five years?
Parkinson kept talking, purposefully oblivious over Severus's inner fear. "That would most likely be your punishment. Or..."
"Or..." Severus prompted, there must be something better than this. Although, he supposes anything is better than being with those soul-sucking monsters.
"The Black's could choose to activate Meghalugues' Act." Parkinson revealed.
Severus looked confused.
"Meghalugue's Act basically is activated when somebody murders or attempts the murder of a pureblood heir." Parkinson explained. "In these conditions, the murderer is objectified, and is branded as the personal property of the victim's family. So if they choose to do this, in simple terms, you would be a servant in the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. Your status would be less than that of a common House Elf's. They can do whatever they want with you- you would be their chew-toy. And even if they kill you, they cannot be convicted, because like I said earlier, you would be objectified. The consequences of killing you would be the same as killing a House Elf, which is non-existent." Parkinson said cheerfully.
Severus felt sick. "That is barbaric."
Parkinson shrugged. "It's a law. Besides," now his eyes turned frigid. "You deserve it."
Severus opened his mouth to retort, but they were already in front of the Slytherin Common Room now.
"Scorpious." Parkinson said the password, making the door open.
All the Slytherin's were gathered there, every single one of them from his fellow first years to the seventh years. But the Blacks weren't present. Lyra, Bellatrix, Andromeda and Narcissa Black were noticeably absent from the Common Room. Lucius Malfoy and Thomas Nott were not there as well.
Everybody were glaring at him, and Severus visibly flinched under their heated glares and disgusted looks.
Dennis Yaxley sneered at him. "Excellent move, Snape. Brilliant way to showcase your Slytherin cunningness." He spat.
Severus struggled to control his tears.
"Dennis," Parkinson spoke. "Any news on Black?"
Dennis Yaxley shook his head. "No. But it's bad, really bad. Lucius isn't back yet. Slughorn came a minute ago. They are transferring Sirius Black to this hospital in France that specialises in trauma accidents. But the school's Medi-witch said that even then the chances of Black being alive are slim, at best. The Black girls along with James Potter have been given special permission to take holidays until Sirius Black's recovery. Or funeral, which ever comes first." He shrugged.
Cassandra Greengrass spoke next. "We -all of us- will be subjected to very bad response by practically the whole school for the next couple of days due to this incident." Here she glared at him again. "So every Slytherin will travel in groups of no less than five, except our dear Snape, of course." A sickly sweet smile graced her face. "Considering you were able to perform an entail expelling curse, I am sure defending yourself against other unsavoury spells will be all too easy for you."
Severus stayed silent, knowing it would only be worse for him to speak.
"Looks like he has a brain after all!" Dennis Yaxley chuckled.
"If only he could use it more often." Penelope Rowle mused, a sneer prominent on her face.
Severus continued to stay quiet as everybody laughed at him.
The Common Room door opened once again, revealing Lucius Malfoy. For once, the Malfoy heir didn't look as prim and proper as always. His outer black school robes were missing, and his uniform was sporadically stained red. There was even a slob of blood on his face. The King of Slytherin held a cold on his handsome face. His gaze was frigid and his face was expressionless except the sneer that was seen on his countenance. Thomas Nott slipped inside the Common Room from behind him, sneered at Severus and then proceeded to stand beside Rabastan Lestrange.
The Slytherins stood still and silent, as they expectantly waited for their King to give them orders.
"As you all know, there was an incident earlier." Lucius Malfoy spoke, his voice as cool as the artic circle. "The Blacks are taking a temporary leave from the Court, and they will not be replaced. For now, the Ruler's Voice Act will be in motion. Which means that until the Queen returns, you will all listen to me, and me only. I will dictate what you think, what you say and how you act. Go against me, and I will also decide how many limbs of your body should be torn apart and for how many days." He said coldly. "Alright?"
Everybody nodded.
"Everybody travel together, we don't want any unwanted attacks." Lucius Malfoy continued. "And a person will be assigned for each group as follow, to make sure that they do not disobey. Feel free to use force in order to implement this Act. Johnathan Flint, seventh year boys. Cassandra Greengrass, seventh year girls. Nathanial Crabbe, sixth year boys. Penelope Rowle, Sixth year girls. Theodore Nott, fifth year boys. Valarie Bulstroad, fifth year girls. Henry Flint, forth year boys. Katherine Fawley, forth year girls. Dennis Yaxley, third year boys. Septima Shafiq, third year girls. Patrick Parkinson, second year boys. Fiona Fortensque, second year girls. George Goyle, first year boys and Melanie Carmicheal, first year girls." He assigned.
Severus did not recognise any of the new names, but looking at the nodding faces, he could tell that all of them were either seventh or sixth years. George Goyle was the biggest and physically, the strongest out of all the Slytherins -and possibly Hogwarts- and was assigned to enforce the rule on the first years boys.
"They will make sure you follow the rules. Any complaints, tell the person assigned to your group and they will pass it on to me. I will also communicate to you all through them. Understood?" Lucius Malfoy said.
Everybody shouted "Yes."
Lucius Malfoy nodded curtly, before focussing his artic cool gaze on Severus. "I am saying this for your own good, stay in the common room. None of us will protect you or avenge you if you step out and somebody hurts you. You brought this upon yourself. I will ask Slughorn to send you your dinner here. If you leave this room, then I guarantee that you will be attacked."
Severus felt angry. "I thought Slytherins stick together." He spat.
Lucius Malfoy looked at him like he was dirt below his handmade, expensive, Italian leather shoes. "And I thought that Slytherins were supposed to be smart." He retorted, earning laughs from around the room. "You brought this upon yourself." He repeated. "And I am giving you the best option available, but if you want to step out of the common room, then please; Be my guest."
Severus stayed silent again.
"Pathetic." Lucius Malfoy sneered at him. "It is because of you that three-fourths of the school will now focus their eire on Slytherins. I hope your revenge was worth it." He mocked.
"It was." Severus snapped, not realising the words that had left his mouth. But at that moment, all he had wanted to do was wipe that look on Malfoy's face.
Lucius Malfoy lifted a pale eyebrow before smirking. "You know, in a couple of days, you will be called in front of the Wizengamot and as one of the many, many witnesses, I will be called forward to give my testimony. I will be sure to give them this memory during your trial." He promised, before sneering once again. "On your first day, we told you all that the Slytherin Common Room is a safe heaven for every snake and we will continue to always stand by it. But leave this safety, Snape, and I cannot assure you that I myself, would not test out some curses that I have been wanting to try." The corners of his lips curled upwards in an almost sadistic manner as he said this, making many of the snakes nod in agreement.
Severus had taken the life -or almost, nobody was sure now- of a pureblood heir whose older sister ruled the House of Slytherin and whose cousins comprised a noteworthy quantity of the Court. This action of them telling him to stay inside and providing food was probably -and most likely- the only mercy he would receive from them.
"Get out of my sight." Lucius Malfoy sneered.
Severus nodded slowly and walked towards the dorms. He was 'accidentally' tripped at least four times on his way.
The Slytherin Common Room had many books about law -which they were encouraged to learn- and Severus was happy and relieved about that. Severus needed to know more about them. He needed to see if there was any loop-hole in that Meghalugue's Act that Parkinson mentioned. He needed to see if there was any way he could get out of this.
Please Merlin, let Sirius Black be alive!
It would be his only hope, because there is no way he can expect any mercy from the ruthless, blood-thirsty family that comprised of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black.