Severus couldn’t help but wonder how he could have not seen the structure he was looking for the moment he had entered the boy’s disorganized mind. As he plunged deeper and deeper into the Ravenclaw’s memories, he had past through dozens of scenes and then exiting them as quickly as he entered until he ran into the obsidian block before him now.

To say the structure was impressive was a mass understatement. The smooth obsidian-like walls were not very tall – no higher then the ceiling of a home – nor was the space considerably large. If the box had not been in a 17 year old’s mind it would not be nearly as impressive; however, seeing that it was hidden under years of memories made it odd, at least.

Severus had seen repressed memories before. In fact, there was a time when he would have enjoyed ripping apart defense mechanisms around such memories just to cause people pain. This was not like anything he had ever seen before. Normally, walls around repressed memories are rough and porous, and often weak enough to be easily crushed. These walls – the ones hopefully surrounding his father and brother – were not weak; they were smooth, not unlike black glass, and would not crumble if pushed against.

Severus studied the structure without touching it, moving around looking for some kind of weakness, but could find none.

ssssssss

“Do you think they know where we are, yet?” Minerva asked, that question being the only thing she could think of at the moment in order to stop the deafening silence that encompassed the room.

“Do you want an honest answer or a lie?” Tobias replied easily. Though to Minerva he seemed uneasy. She had no doubt that was the sort of person to act not react, and to see him in nervous in such a way set her on edge even more.

Minerva glanced at him for a moment and swallowing hard she answered, “A lie.”

Tobias replied in a convincingly reassuring manner. “I’m sure they know how to get us out and are workings as…”

Suddenly the room became completely dark, surprising its occupants into silence. Before either had a chance to comment, they were blinded by a brilliant light. Instinctively, they huddled together, Tobias throwing his arm protectively over Minerva’s back, to block out the radical change.

After a moment their eyes, behind their eyelids adjusted and they drew apart to study the change in scenery.

“Sweet, Merlin…No.” Minerva’s voice was a despondent whisper and she pushed her body against the wall as though she could disappear into it.

With a furrowed brow and slightly narrowed eyes Tobias glanced between Minerva and the scene playing out before him. As realization dawned, his fingertips dug into the hard ground beneath him. “Minerva…”

Ssssssssss

Severus had found the weakness. He had no idea how long it had taken because it was far too easy to lose track of time when in another’s mind, but he had found a way to make it through the seemingly impenetrable barrier. It was overly simple, really, and he had discovered it completely by accident. Something – he doubted very much that it was the Ravenclaw whose mind he was inhabitating – had tried to push him out. Instinctively, he reached for the structure and found his hand went straight through the wall, he withdrew his hand immediately. Once he was sure he was safe from being pushed out he placed a hand on the wall again and surprisingly enough it went through.

Heaving a sigh, Severus’s eyes narrowed as he continued to study the structure. It could easily be a trap, but he didn’t have much of a choice. Taking a deep breath he braced himself and walked forward through the wall, not knowing what awaited him.

Sssssssssss

“Albus?” began the charms professor, his eyes, like everyone else’s, glued to the spot where the potions master once stood. “What just happen?”

Albus Dumbldore stood completely still, his mouth agape slightly and his hand grasping his wand. They had been waiting for Severus to end the Legilimens spell. He had entered the seventeen year olds mind sometime ago but showed no signs of coming out of his trance. Without warning, Severus had suddenly vanished, without a sound; just disappeared before their eyes.

“Professor,” a strained voice spoke up. Mallard clutched his head with his left hand and supported himself against the chair with the other. He blinked forcefully, before bringing his head up. “What happened? How did I get here?”

Sssssssssss

“Please,” the young woman’s voice cracked and strained as she pleaded, her hands bound behind her back. “Please, I’ll do anything…Just…please.”

The woman had auburn hair that had once formed a braid, but now stuck out in every direction, as though it hadn’t been cared for in days. The once elegant red robes she wore were torn and filthy, as were the bare, shapely legs that were now visible. Her face was caked in layers of dirt that smeared with each added tear. She was kneeling before an average looking man, whose face seemed to be etched out of stone, but his eyes . . . his eyes held nothing but rage. They seemed to glow with fury, shown only in the way he clenched his fist.

Surrounding the pair a dozen or more men watched with looks ranging from indifference to pleasure to anger. One of the men held the arm of a young girl who could be no more than four. Her raven black shoulder length hair was matted, and her cries for her mother muffled through her hiccupping tears.

“Please,” the woman spoke again trying not to look at the girl. She was attempting to sound more collected but only managed to sound a bit less shaky. “Lord Grindelwald…Master, please, whatever you wish…just please…let her go…she’s just a child.”

“The child of a traitorous harlot!” Grindelwald screamed,taking a step forward so there were only inches between him and the woman. “How long did you think you could get away with it? Did you truly believe I wouldn’t find out?” He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “You are not the only one with spies.”

The woman’s head jerked up and she glared through her tears.

Grindelwald drew his hand back and slapped her ferociously across the face- a bruise began to form almost immediately. He gave a single command before turning and walking away. “Kill the girl.”

“Noooo!!”

The woman’s screams reverberated throughout Tobias’s head even as the memory faded and he and Minerva were once again in the doorless room. Heart racing, he turned his head towards the woman sitting next to him on the cold floor. Minerva was sobbing, her face buried in her hands as she trembled. Wordlessly, he scooted closer to her and placed an arm around her shoulders, pulling her toward him.

Ssssssssss

As soon as Severus stepped through the wall he was blinded, by the…blackness of it. He blinked several times in an attempt to make out anything. He didn’t have long to wait, however, before there was a violently white flash. He lifted his hand to shield his eyes. After a few seconds, his eyes adjusted and he backed up in horror at the scene assaulting his senses.

Closing his eyes, he did the only thing he knew. He occluded.

He occluded as though his life were at stake.

Ssssssssss

Harry couldn’t decide if he was relieved when the room he was in began to morph into something else or petrified.

What he saw once his eyes adjusted made the decision for him. His mouth dropped open into a silent scream and he backed away as far as he could.

A much younger Severus and Lucius stood close together in a bare, dark room. Others were there with them, but engaged in their own conversations.

“Are you sure about this Lucius?” a nervous Severus asked, studying his surroundings intently.

Lucius let out a humorous chuckle, “Not having second thoughts now are we?” His voice took on a much deeper commanding quality. “Come now, Severus, you’ve come this far, there’s no backing out now.”

Severus swallowed hard, reading the underlying threat in Lucius’s tone.

Before either could say anything more, silence descended on the room as Voldemort entered with a masked servant by his side. His voice was deep and steady even though he hissed his ‘s’. “Come. It is time to continue our mission and bring new members into our growing ranks.”

Severus watched, his heart beating faster and faster as several others bared their arms to be marked. When his turn came he knew he could not escape. It was too late. If he did not kneel and take the Mark, they would kill him.

Harry covered ears and scrunched his eyes together in an attempt to block out his brother’s screams as Voldemort’s wand touched his left arm.

He jumped and opened his eyes when he felt two hands on his shoulders.