Hidden Riddle

Chapter 64: Remorse

Snape was about to go into the Shrieking Shak, where Voldemort had summoned him. Harry, Hermione and Ron had followed him, hoping to find out something important. "Ah Severus.. " A cold voice drawled as Snape entered the room. "I was beginning to wonder if you had lost your way." Snape hid it well, but inside he was shaking like a drunk Trelawny, "No my lord.. there were complications." 

"Well let us put those complications away, and discuss far more important matters." Voldemort said calmly stroking Nagini as she slithered past. Nagini wrapped herself around Snape's leg, before slithering to the other side of the room. Snape held in his shudder. Voldemort pulled out the elder wand from his pocket. "Why does it not work for me, Severus?"

"Pardon?" Snape frowned. "The wand" Voldemort said. "It holds the upmost high power, yet it doesn't work too its potential."

"I think it is a very fine wand" Snape said fearfully of Voldemort. Voldemort eyed him, making Snape flinch slightly. "Do you know why the wand doesn't work for me, Severus?" Voldemort questioned.  Severus swallowed, "Um.."

"A wand is owned when the opponent disarms its first master, correct?"

"Correct,.." Snape relied. "That is why it doesn't work for me, as I didn't kill it's master" Voldemort spoke coldly.  Snape swallowed again. Voldemort knew Snape killed Dumbledore, so he believed Snape was the owner of the wand. However, Snape and Harry Potter knew that even though Snape did kill Dumbledore, Draco Malfoy disarmed Dumbledore, so Draco Malfoy was the true owner of the Elder Wand. But Voldemort didn't know this.  Severus swallowed. He knew he made the unbreakable vow to Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother, so he couldn't tell Voldemort. He knew his was going to die. "My Lord, my allegiance to you has been incredible" Snape said almost begging. "I do suggest you rethink th.." 

"There is nothing to re-think Severus" Voldemort hissed. "EXPELLIARMUS" Voldemort shouted. Voldemort disarmed Snape, and didn't feel any sense of remorse, "Severus you have been a faithful servant... and I do regret your death. But there really is no other way to defeat Harry Potter." Nagini slithered towards Snape, with her head held up high.  "Nagini feast.." Voldemort ordered before he walked out of the Shak.  Nagini instantly attacked Snape; sinking her poisonous fangs into his neck. Snape yelled out in pain, making Hermione cry into Ron's shoulder. The poison spread through his body rapidly so he could no longer yell.  Nagini slithered away and Snape saw a blurry image of Harry Potter next to him.  "Professor.." Harry said crying. "Professor I.."

Snape cried such much, pouring all his emotions out of his system. "Take them.." Snape murmured. Harry nodded and conjured up a small flask to put them in. Snape then closed his eyes and lay there quiet.  Harry than leapt up and ran in search of Dumbledore's Pensive. Hermione and Ron followed.

...

The young wizard ran into the house and stopped cold as he saw the body of James Potter sprawled across the stairs, his wand next to him and his glasses askew. He was dead, eyes open staring up at the ceiling. Snape stared down at him, not feeling the gratification he thought he would, he had always wanted him dead, but now seeing him dead made him rethink his past thoughts. He then heard Lily scream, "No not my baby!" and bolted up the stairs, just to see a green light flash from a bedroom to the left of the stairs. "Nooo!" He cried running in to find Lily dead on the floor, and her baby boy in the cot next to her, crying as he saw Snape.

Snape stared at Lily's lifeless body feeling like his entire world was falling down around him. He'd killed her. He lied to him. Snape staggered over to Lily's corpse and held her closely. "I'm so sorry Lily," He said softly, tears rolling down his cheeks. "I believed him, I believed his lies when he intended to kill you from the very beginning." Little Harry Potter crawled over to his mother and pulled at her pitifully, then looked at Snape. A nasty, jagged cut in the shape of a lightening scar was on his forehead. The Slytherin looked down at the baby. He couldn't leave him there. He'd be certain to die.

Baby Harry howled and cried as Snape ran around the side of the house and disapparated. "That's Lily's baby" Hagrid bellowed. He was in the area looking for the breeder's house of a similar species of spider for his friend Aragog. He just couldn't remember where their house was. His memory then came back when he saw Godrick's Hollow up in flames. "Voldemort" Snape said who was wiping his eyes. "Poor little fella, he'll be an orphan now." "No one could've survived tha' I better take yer to Dumbledore." "He'd know wha' er do with yer."

Hagrid then took the baby Harry from Snape's arms. Huge tears fell from Hagrid's eyes as he went to find Dumbledore.

...

Then the peinseve went foggy and dark again as another memory appeared. "We both know Lord Voldemort has ordered the Malfoy boy to murder me. But should he fail, I should presume the Dark Lord will turn to you. You must be the one to kill me, Severus. It is the only way. Only then will the Dark Lord trust you completely." Dumbledore spoke softly. "There will come a time when Harry Potter must be told something. But you must wait until Voldemort is at his most vulnerable." Dumbledore said breaking the silence.

"Must be told what?"

"On the night Lord Voldemort went to Godric's Hollow to kill Harry, and Lily Potter cast herself between them, the curse rebounded. When that happened, a part of Voldemort's soul lached itself onto the only living thing it could find. Harry himself. There's a reason Harry can speak with snakes. There's a reason he can look into Lord Voldemort's mind."

"A part of Voldemort lives inside him. He too is a horcrux like Delphini."

"Do they know?" Snape asked confused. "No, and I thought it would be best if it was kept that way, until now." Dumbledore replied. "So when the time comes... the boy must die?" Snape said looking glumly at the floor. "Yes. Yes... he must die." Dumbledore said showing no sympathy.  [Shot of Snape collapsing at the sight of Lily's dead body] There was a long pause, and slowly Snape regained control of himself, mastered his own breathing.  "I have spied for you and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to keep Lily Potter's son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter!" Snape yelled. "Lily... after all this time?

[Shot of Snape holding Lily's body in his arms while crying]

"Always." At last he said, 'Very well. Very well. But never – never tell, Dumbledore! This must be between us! Swear it! I cannot bear... especially Potter's son... I want your word!" "My word, Severus, that I shall never reveal the best of you?" Dumbledore sighed, looking down into Snape's ferocious, anguished face. "If you insist Severus." The memory then ended.