The Tale of the Black Knight: The Mark

The Lesson

Having a ward was an utter surprise to Severus in the first place.

All due to Dumbledore's guidance.

*

Little did he suspect that Lily's own protection had an effect on him as well, on that horrid night, when he discovered the worst possible outcome had come to fruition.

At first, life meant nothing to him at that point.

That was until he looked upon the babe in the crib, lying on her back, screaming in pain.

There was a gruesome burn over her right side as if acid was poured over her.

Severus was shaken with sobs as he softly shut Lily's eyes.

Someone much mightier than the wizard had entered the scene, eavesdropping on the poor wizard's pleas.

"Lily... Lily —" Severus outright sobbed, barely able to refill his own lungs.

It was a love so powerful that it passed onto him, and he felt it...

He remembered the sudden rush in his heart, unable to stand to see the child alone and in so much pain.

She had somehow survived the magical assault, even he was in the brunt shock of it all. Quickly taking a blanket thrown onto the floor, Severus (in the way he was, in the most harshest grief) came to the little one. He stood over the crib, soon needing to looking into the child's eyes. The young wizard hovered for a moment when the babe's faded green eyes connected with his, it was as though time had ceased. For a time, the grief stopped... as this new life was replacing all of his pain with hope. It all made him truly confused, in that moment, but he recieved the blanket and bundled the baby girl up. As he studied her injury, tears cascaded down his cheeks as he held her close... He had no care that the overbearing presence had come over with eyes twinkling with grief and despair, just the same.

"Se-Severus...? sputtered the Half Giant as if in utter surprise. "I~"

Severus seethed, knowing his own voice would be too wavered for him to control. "How I wish this was never the truth..."

"We were wonderin' what happened to ya..."

"I near believed it was just a nightmare. Now I will never forgive myself..."

"Y'can't say that! Please — this isn't your fault! Ye was Imp—"

"Do Not. Say it!"

It was his greatest sin that led him to trust someone he never should have trusted... The very same one who Lily and James had trusted. Peter Pettigrew. The former Maurader dared to used one of the most unforgivable curses over him.

"I will take her."

"Sev. Lily's sister, Petunia, is her only fam'ly. She coul' be —"

"I shun that option. If I know that woman well enough, she would butcher this child long before she would be old enough."

"Well, that about does it," Hagrid grumbled with a nod, fighting back a choking sob.

"We must make haste, or else we'll all be lost..." the heartbreak in Snape's voice was a sharp as needles.

Hagrid was a half giant and was the groundskeeper of Hogwarts for, what it seemed like, forever. As to how the young wizard came to Godric's Hallow was puzzling. At first, it was self apparation, as he would believe but he least expected him to carefully tread through the brush behind the thrashed and destroyed home. With the child in hand, Severus held his wand high after muttering Lumos! into the chilled air. Hagrid heard a CRACK and a SNAP in the trees before a great winged beast galloped worriedly towards the Professor.