Snape had just finished with his last lesson with Harry when he felt the searing pain in his left forearm. He knew Harry had seen him grab his arm because the young man had flinched. Neither said anything as Snape apparated away. The last thing Snape saw was the sadness in Harry's eyes.

"Ah, my favorite, how are things at Hogwarts?"

Snape suppressed a chill at the sound of the Dark Lord's voice. He instantly fell to his knees, though, and bowed. He smoothly pushed all of his sessions with Harry in the farthest recesses of his mind before answering.

"As well as to be expected, my Lord. The staff continues to rebel, but it is nothing that I cannot handle. However, there is one issue that I've been dealing with."

"Is there, my most faithful servant? What is this issue?"

"Amycus Carrow, my lord," Snape responded coolly. "But as I said, it is nothing that I cannot handle." He then felt Voldemort's cold fingers run down the side of his face. He suppressed another urge to shake at the feeling. "However, I have brought you news of the boy, though, my lord."

"So you say, Severus," Voldemort replied with a chuckle. "And what is this news?"

"The boy has been seen near Hogwarts. He's looking for the last of your Horcruxes."

"Is that right? And…has Harry found it?"

"He believes he has. According to his letter that I intercepted, he is planning on arriving at Hogwarts on Halloween." Snape instantly saw the Dark Lord's eyes light up with anticipation.

"Excellent, Severus, excellent," Voldemort said smirking. "It is time for you to be rewarded, I think, my sweet Severus."

"I am most grateful, my lord," Snape responded.

"I regret that Amycus has lost favor with me as has his sister. I just cannot tolerate his terrorizing our children any longer. After all, it does not favor me to have my followers think that I am harming their children. Therefore, my dear Severus, whichever one you chose for death I will be most grateful for." Voldemort then leaned in to Snape's ear. "Of course, I have learned that he has taken an unhealthy interest in a Muggle girl, and we just can't have that. Now, can we, Severus? I mean, what would the papers say if they learned that my followers were Muggle lovers?"

Snape wisely remained quiet, but only because he was planning what he'd do to Carrow once he got his hands on him. When he felt the Dark Lord move away from him, he glanced at him. He perhaps should have been paying attention then.

"Rise, Death Eater, and return to your castle. After all, you do have to get it ready for my arrival, don't you?" Voldemort said chuckling.

Snape took his cue and quickly apparated away. He had to admit that he liked it better when he could leave without having to drag himself to the castle. However, he knew it wouldn't be long before he could breathe in the fresh air and not ever have to worry about killing another person again. Carrow wasn't a person, though, so he didn't count in Snape's mind.

"Hey, Snape, what was the meeting all about?"

"Amycus," Snape said with a smirk as he turned around. "I had thought you were there."

"Well, I tried, but Bella kept me away."

"Then I shall inform you. Walk with me, Amycus." Snape remained quiet throughout their entire walk through the Forbidden Forest. He took Carrow deep within it so that no one would hear his screams. Snape had thought for a moment that he should perhaps leave Carrow to the Dementors, but that would have been showing Carrow mercy when the man never showed any to the staff or students.

"Jeez, how much longer, Snape?" grumbled Amycus.

Snape then stopped, deciding it was far enough. He tightened his grip on his thin ebony wand that he concealed under his robes. He glanced at the man before nodding slowly. He could see the confusion before Amycus glanced around.

"Well, come on, Snape. I don't have all day. I got stuff to do." Within seconds, Snape casted his famous Sectumsempra and hit the man square in the chest. However, he had controlled his casting just enough to make Amycus slowly bleed. He then allowed his entire feelings of hatred wash over him before yanking the burly man to his feet and slamming him against a tree.

"Did it make you feel like a man to slap her, Amycus?" Snape growled. "Or how about when you pushed her down the staircase? When you saw her lying at the bottom, did you think that it was laughable to hear her moaning in pain? Tell me, Carrow," Snape snarled as he shook the man.

"You're crazy, Snape! That witch had it—"

A fist to the mouth cut off his words. Soon, a fury of hard punches landed all over his body and he groaned and cried out. However, the punches continued, and more blood poured out of his body. Soon, Carrow started to lose consciousness. However, Snape roughly shook him back awake.

"You think I'm crazy, Carrow?" Snape hissed. "You nearly killed someone I work with because she had the nerve to stand against the Dark Lord!" Snape then swung another punch at Carrow, which hit him in the jaw. A loud crack echoed in the night. "She had the courage we didn't, and you think it was fun to try to harass her and abuse her under my nose? Do you know what the Dark Lord rewarded me with tonight? He told me that if I wanted to kill you I could. What do you think about your Dark Lord now, Carrow?" Snape could see the fear in the man's eyes. "You know, I never understood why we use the Killing Curse. It ends lives in seconds. It's not very evil because they don't suffer." Snape then pulled Carrow closer to him. "Luckily for you, Amycus, I know just how to make a person suffer the most without having to cast an Unforgivable." His dark eyes glistened in the moonlight. Carrow whimpered like a baby before Snape released him. "If you can outrun my spell, then I'll let you live."

Snape then slowly backed up from the man. He watched Carrow slowly get to his feet before glancing around. He knew Carrow couldn't apparate yet. The end of the wards was still a hundred feet away yet. However, he knew Carrow would try to run. The man wouldn't be able to help himself.

"One, two, three," Snape counted. He nearly chuckled when Carrow took the hint and ran. "Four, five, six," Snape said as Carrow ran faster and faster for the tree line. "Seven, eight, nine," he whispered as his wand slowly rose and pointed at the burly wizard's back. "Ten," he drawled before smiling as the spell shot out of the ebony wand and hit Carrow. Amycus instantly fell to his knees with a strangled yelp before gasping. Snape watched the man writhed on the ground before finally stilling. Snape then whirled around and headed to the castle, not giving his actions a second thought as Amycus Carrow lie dead.

Meanwhile, up in the castle, another death took place. Bellatrix LeStrange snuck in with Alecto Carrow who had just returned from the Death Eater meeting herself. The two witches quietly headed up to her quarters for a drink, or at least that was what Bella had said. As soon as the door shut behind Bella, though, Alecto Carrow was dead.

Bella smiled down at the lifeless body of the Carrow sister. She knew the Dark Lord would reward her favorably for the witch's death. After all, she had listened to him rant about the siblings and their idiocy for nearly five months. She could not wait to inform the Dark Lord.

Twirling her wand in her long curly brown hair, Bella looked around the rooms. She had to admit that the staff did have some nice quarters. She walked over to the mirror before drawing a crimson smiley face on it. She then stood back and appreciated her artwork. She could only imagine how the staff would take this death.

Bella then whirled around and happily skipped towards the door and left the rooms. She quickly ran down the moving staircases loudly laughing and carrying on like the lunatic she was. Her smile widened when she came face to face with three of Hogwarts finest.

"Just passing through, don't mind me," Bella said laughing as she caught all three wands pointed at her. She was itching to hex the three, but she knew that wouldn't impress her Dark Lord much. So she decided to play nice with the three Heads of Houses. "Hmm…two blood traitors and a half-breed, ooh, we do have a party here," Bella sung in her typical crazy singsong voice. "Sorry to disappoint, but I've got another appointment to make so until next time." She then leapt from the side of the moving staircase down to the lowest level of the staircases just before three spells would have hit her. She quickly skipped away towards the entrance hall and disappeared.

Bella did hope the Dark Lord rewarded her for not injuring any of his poor pets. She hated it when she disappointed him. It always followed a terrible pain that she knew she just couldn't bear to have any longer. She then laughed manically as she remembered the looks on McGonagall's, Sprout's, and Flitwick's faces. That was truly too funny. However, she had accomplished her mission. Alecto Carrow was no more, and the entire staff would know it tomorrow. It wouldn't be long now.