More Important Than Any Broomstick [Harmione]

27. Missions

The pathetic, hideous, tiny form that was Tom Marvolo Riddle was sitting in a chair in his room at Riddle Manor. His faithful servant had just finished milking Nagini and feeding his master. This servant was now asleep. Voldemort heard the stairs of the manor creaking, indicating someone was approaching. He hoped that it was his other servant, the one that he didn't trust as much as the other. If he was back from his mission, then Voldemort would finally have a healthy body that doesn't need to be nursed. Whoever was on the other side of the door knocked. "Who dares disturb Lord Voldemort?"

"It is your servant, Severus Snape, master," came the voice from the other side of the door.

"Enter."

The door opened and Voldemort saw a man with two black eyes and a hastily-set nose. He bowed before Voldemort, not saying anything.

"Did you retrieve the boy's blood?" he asked coldly.

"No, my master, I..."

"Crucio," said Voldemort, pointing his wand at the writhing figure in front of him. After about a minute, the Dark Lord released the spell. "Why?"

"I used Sectumsempra on him, but it didn't hurt him. Then I dropped my wand and he..."

"Crucio." While Snape was still writhing in agony, Voldemort yelled, "You clumsily dropped your wand, and then the boy beat you up like a common muggle! You, who call yourself the 'Half-Blood Prince?'"

"Y-Y-Yes M-M-My L-L-L-Lord," said Snape, still under the curse.

He released Snape, who lay panting on the floor. "The boy has no talent, you said. It will be easy, you bragged. Obviously you overestimated your pathetic abilities! You will try again, with a better plan, and will find allies to join you!"

"Yes my lord," said Snape, as he got up off the floor and turned to leave.

"By the way Snape," said Voldemort, causing Snape to turn, "CRUCIO!!!!"

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Harry woke up, clutching his slightly irritated scar. This was the first Voldemort dream that Harry almost enjoyed. He knew he should have strengthened his occlumency shields before bed, but he didn't. Part of him was actually hoping to see Voldemort's punishment of Snape for failing in his mission. He was as mad at Snape as Voldemort was, albeit for different reasons. At least Dumbledore finally admitted that he had been wrong about Snape rejecting Voldemort. He remembered the conversation they'd had about ten minutes after Snape had escaped.

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"I'm sure that Severus was simply trying to give us a message about Voldemort."

"He snuck up and sent a spell that sounded like 'secumsepra' at me that cut through my robes. He was shocked when it didn't cut me!" shouted Harry. He, Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, Tonks, and Hermione were in Dumbledore's office.

Dumbledore's expression turned grave. "Do you mean sectumsempra?"

"Yeah, that's it!" said Harry. "I'll bet it would've killed me if I weren't wearing my armor."

"Yes Harry," said Dumbledore, "If it's not properly treated within a minute, the victim bleeds to death. There are very few people who know how to heal someone who's been attacked with that curse. You see, Severus Snape invented it. What exactly did he say when he was leaving?"

"The Dark Lord will have your blood," said Tonks.

Dumbledore's eyes widened. "Your blood? He must know that your protection is in your blood! Probably because of your encounter with Professor Quirrel. There are many dark spells that require blood, and I'll bet that there is a spell for rejuvenating a body that involves blood, although I haven't studied many of those. I'll have to research that."