Davina | hp. ✓

46 | Renascitur

DAVINA CROUCHED BEHIND the stacks of boats in the shadows of the boathouse, listening as the Dark Lord and Snape conversed within. They stood in a murky, green-tinted light, with the only sounds other than their voices being the flowing water of the combine and the fighting in the distance. She sat down on the dock, out of plain sight, and fought to regain her breath as she listened in.

Voldemort circled the room as Snape stood and watched him dutifully. He extended the Elder wand and in themercurial light, it seemed as though it was alive -- humming with power. The Dark Lord's voice was low and laced with frustration. "Why doesn't it work for me?"

Davina smirked. Her exhaustion was slowly subsiding with rest. 

Snape was quick with an answer. "You have performed extraordinarymagic with this wand, my Lord. Inthe last few hours alone-"

"No! I am extraordinary!" Davina couldn't help but think that he sounded like an insecure diva, and that thought widened the smirk on her face. "But thewand resists me!"

Snape studied Voldemort in the dark lighting, his gaze shifting between him and Nagini as she circled around threateningly. He knew what was coming, but some sliver of him hoped that he could avoid it with sly words and cleverness. 

"There is no wand more powerful.Ollivander himself said it.Tonight, when the boy comes toyou, it will not fail you, I amsure. It answers to you and youonly."

The Dark Lord reared on him, narrowing his malicious red eyes. Just like that, he turned on one of his closest followers -- even if he didn't know about his duplicity. They were all disposable in the end. "Does it?"

"My Lord?"

"The wand. Does it truly answer tome?"

Snape didn't reply and for a long moment, the two men stood completely still. The sounds of the unrelenting battle hummed in the tense silence. Davina allowed herself a peek through the window, finding that Snape's calm, impassive expression was unwavering, but his concealed hand was twitching with tension.  

The Dark Lord smiled bitterly. "You're a clever man, Severus.Surely you must know."

Snape remained silent, his gaze following Nagini as she started to narrow her circle closer to him. 

"Where, Severus? Where does itsloyalty lie?" 

Snape pried his gaze away from the loathsome, deadly snake and met his master's intimidating gaze. "With you, of course, my Lord."

For a moment, Davina wondered if she looked like he did when she put up her unwavering facade of loyalty to the Dark Lord. She realized that he was putting up that front on her behalf -- to protect her -- and her stomach dropped. Bile rose in her throat. She was the true master of the Elder Wand -- the one who had disarmed Dumbledore. One slip of the mind, one second of cowardice, and she would have a bounty on her head. She had faith in him. She had to. Every single part of her plan required her to have faith in the strength of others. Severus Snape was one of the strongest.

The Dark Lord stared at his loyal lieutenant for a long time, then finally spoke. "The Elder Wand cannot serve meproperly, Severus, because I amnot its true master. The Elder Wand belongs to thewizard who killed its last owner.Ollivander was quite explicitabout that. You killedDumbledore, Severus. While youlive, the Elder Wand cannot betruly mine..."

Snape's gaze returned to the pet snake as she no longer hid her true intentions. She slithered toward him agonizingly slowly. "My Lord--"

"-You have been a good and faithfulservant, Severus." He raised his wand. His face was devoid of the emotion that he tried to convey with his words. Then he delivered the final blow. "But only I can live forever... Kill."

Davina forced herself to drop to the floor and flinched as the snake struck. Snape slammed back against the wall as the snake lunged at him over and over again, spraying blood everywhere. Davina jammed her fist into her mouth to keep herself from screaming as fresh tears streaked down her face. Then, it was over, and she heard a crack a moment later as the Dark Lord disapparated.