Chapter 4

After the practice with Potter, Severus went back to his chambers for the Dark Lord told him to brew potions. As Severus was preparing the cauldrons and the ingredients, the Dark Mark on his arm suddenly burned, indicating that the Dark Lord was calling his followers.

Snape pulled on his Death Eater robes and mask, and exited the dungeons and the Hogwarts Grounds. He Apparated to the Malfoy Manor, where Lucius led him in to the main room. The Dark Lord was sitting in his throne made of skulls and bones. He was watching as the Inner Circle gathered, then he opened his mouth and hissed,

"My servants, I called for you, because we have a sirious problem," his gaze turned to Severus for a moment and his heart stopped beating. He knew that he was risking his life and at any moment somone could curse him to death. The Dark Lord continued "Someone betrayed me. He will suffer for what he'd done, and I will kill him in the end."

Severus was holding his breath by now and his heart was beating his my ears. It was the end.

"Do any of you know who he is? No? It will only be worse if the traitor refuses to admit his sins."

Voldemort smirked cruelly and laughed unearthly.

"Severus?"

-----

The black cloaked figure writhed on the floor as another curse hit him. The snake-faced man's servants were taking rounds in torturing him. Some only used a curse with the incantation of Crucio, some used other Dark spells, and some were being more sadistic. A man, for example, who had long nails and a wolfish smile mauled the cloaked man's upper body with his claws.

The snake-faced man turned to the last two servants and hissed, "Bella, Lucius, it's your turn. Entertain me."

The crazy-looking woman chuckled shrilly and raised her hand to her waist and drew out a dagger from her belt.

"Of Course, my Lord."

The woman named Bella walked over to the cloacked figure. She raised the dagger to his face and pushed it to his mouth. A lone blooddrop fell.

"I always knew you couldn't be trusted. I'm glad that I have the opportunity to punish you."

She pushed the dagger further into his skin and slashed it across his face to make a grotesque half-smile. She did the same on the other side of his face. Bella chuckled madly. She lowered her hand to his left arm, where a snake and a skull was tattooed in black ink, and cut it. It seemed she was overexcited because she cut it again and again and again until the snake-faced man raised his hand to stop her.

"Leave some joy for Lucius, too, Bella."

Bella unheartedly dropped her hand, and turned to the aristocratic man who, in response, smirked and walked over to the cloaked man and crouched beside him and he grasped the man's dark hair roughly to wisper in his ear. He stayed for a few seconds, then stood up and snarled,

"For every bad thing you ever caused me and my family."

He raised his wand and said a long chain of Latin words and there was a burst of white light which blinded everyone.

-----

Harry woke panting and screaming, and he rolled over and retched on the floor. Snape was discovered.

Fortunately, he always used Silencing charms when he was sleeping, tough it sometimes occured that he was too tired to cast them. He cleared the mess with a silent flick of his hand and got off the bed to run to Dumbledore's office. The gargoyles argued with him about waking the Headmaster at such and early hour, but they could do nothing because he had the password. The gargoyles slipped aside, and Harry rushed in the office to find the Headmaster already in a yellow nightgown.

"Harry, my bo - ?"

"Snape is captured - he'd been tortured for hours - we have to find him!"

Harry managed to spit out as he gasped for air after running to the office. The twinkle in the old man's eye slowly faded, and so did his smile.

"Sit down, I'll call the Order."