The chill of the night whipped around the dark man, the wind blowing his robes closer around him. Although there were four people around him, crowding the small tower with their presences, all but one had seemed to fade from existence.

 

Everyone but the man defenseless before him, the man who had for so long been his master, his leader. Deep inside himself, somewhere beneath the walls that protected his innermost secrets, Severus Snape laughed, a cold bitter laugh that possessed no shred of humor.

 

He was no Trelawney, but he could see things clearly now, the future laying itself out before him in a shaky chain. Eventually, someone would find out about Dumbledore’s orders, find out that what he was about to do was little more than assisted suicide, with a few benefits for the greater good attached alongside. They would call him a hero, say that he only killed the old man because he was following a string of orders set down for him. But as always, they would be wrong about him, knowing only half truths and twisted perceptions of Severus’ true self

 

Because now, when it came down to it, in these last few pivotal moments when black eyes met blue, Severus wanted nothing more than to kill the man, to extinguish the light behind those damned ever-twinkling eyes. Hatred filled every fiber of his being, traveling outward from his heart until it possessed him completely. The old man’s manipulation and control would end now, and Severus would be the one to end it.

                        *****************************************

 

The night was dark, and shadows were dancing across the floor of the Headmaster’s office.

 

“Harry must not know, not until the last moment, not until it is necessary, otherwise, how could he have the strength to do what must be done?”

 

Severus narrowed his eyes; the headmaster was dancing around actually giving him any information, and Severus was becoming aggravated.

 

“But what must he do?” Severus snapped; even though he didn’t actually think Dumbledore would reveal any more than he had to, he still wanted to make a visible effort to find out what was being kept from him.

 

Confirming his suspicions, Dumbledore said, “That is between Harry and me.”

Severus rolled his eyes, but Dumbledore apparently didn’t notice.

           

“Now, listen closely, Severus. There will come a time – after my death – do not argue, do not interrupt!”

 

Severus’ mouth snapped shut, and a dark scowl spread across it, as he was obviously about to do just that.

 

           
            “There will come a time when Lord Voldemort will seem to fear for the life of his snake.”

 

            “For Nagini?” Severus was surprised, which annoyed him greatly; he didn’t’ enjoy being caught off guard.

           

            “Precisely. If there comes a time when Lord Voldemort stops sending that snake forth to do his bidding, but keeps it safe beside him under magical protection, then, I think, it will be safe to tell Harry.”

 

            “Tell him what?” Severus asked scathingly, quite tired of the headmaster’s tendency to speak in riddles and dance around what he was trying to say

 

            The headmaster took a deep breath, and for a moment he looked older than Severus had ever seen him. Then he began to speak once more.

           

            “Tell him that on the night Lord Voldemort tried to kill him,” the man began, “when Lily cast her own life between them as a shield, the Killing Curse rebounded upon Lord Voldemort, and a fragment of Voldemort’s soul was blasted apart from the whole, and latched itself onto the only living soul left inside that collapsing building”

 

            Severus had already begun to form a conclusion as to what Dumbledore was attempting to say, but kept it to himself for the moment, to wait, and, for the only time he could remember, hope that his conclusions were wrong.

           

            “Part of Lord Voldemort lives inside Harry, and it is that part which gives him the power of speech with snakes, and a connection with Lord Voldemort’s mind that he has never understood. And while that fragment of soul, unmissed by Voldemort, remains attached to and protected by Harry, Voldemort cannot die.”

 

            The headmaster looked up at Severus, his face blank, and looked directly into his eyes.

 

            Through a cloud of anger and bitter understanding, Severus realized that the headmaster was not going to articulate that which was the inevitable conclusion of his explanation. Like always, Severus took the unpleasant burden onto himself.

 

            “So the boy…the boy must die?” Severus said coldly, phrasing it as a question even though he already knew the answer. Only because of his years of acting as a spy was Severus able to keep his voice low and mask the immense anger which lay just beneath it.

           

            “And Voldemort himself must do it, Severus. That is essential”

           

For a long moment that seemed to stretch on lifetimes, neither man spoke.

And then Snape began to speak, and his voice was unsteady, not his usual cool, composed, and haughty tones. “I thought…all these years…that we were protecting him for her. For Lily.”

 

            At this, Severus stopped speaking abruptly, because he no longer trusted his voice not to convey his emotions, and he knew instinctively that showing another one’s emotions was giving them a valuable weapon.

 

All these years, the one motivation that had kept him fighting through the living hell that came from being a double agent was that in doing so, he could somehow fulfill the his obligation to his oldest friend.

 

All those years ago, when Severus had been a broken man, filled with guilt, he had made a promise. He had made a promise to Lily, to her memory, that he would protect her son from harm.

 

He had wronged her so horrendously, and he had sworn that he would keep safe the object of her sacrifice, that he would ensure her death to protect the boy would not be in vain. Severus had given his word, and, Slytherin or no, he always kept his word. ‘ And now, this man tells me that all these years have been leading up to his death? That everything I have worked for has been a farce?”

 

            Severus was ripped from his turmoil of thoughts in time to catch the headmaster’s last words.

 

            “If I know him, he will have arranged matters so that when he does set out to meet his death, it will truly mean the end of Voldemort.”

 

            His mask slipped, and a look of horror spread across Severus’ face. He cursed inwardly for this mistake.

 

            “You have kept him alive so that he can die at the right moment?” Once, many years ago, Dumbledore had said that Severus disgusted him. Now, for the first time, Severus could return the sentiment.

 

            “Don’t be shocked, Severus, how many men and women have you watched die?” the headmaster asked sharply.

 

            “Lately, only those whom I could not save,” Severus retorted, just as sharply. He stood up, casting a shadow into the already dim room. “You have used me!” he spat, making his disdain evident on his face.

 

            “Meaning?”

           

            This infuriating man knew exactly what Severus meant, but if it was an explanation he wanted, than an explanation he would receive.

 

            “ I have spied for you and lied for you, put myself in mortal danger for you. Everything was supposed to be to keep Lily Potter’s son safe. Now you tell me you have been raising him like a pig for slaughter”

           

            The old man had used him, in the basest and most dishonorable way possible. He had taken advantage of Severus’ remorse and his desire to right his past wrongs, and twisted Severus’ deeds to fit his own plan, a plan opposite to Severus’ own wishes.

 

The last sixteen years of his life had been a lie, and he had been nothing more than a pawn on this man’s chess board, oblivious to his role in the grand plan until it was too late. Now Severus knew, and now he was angry.

**************************

 

 

“Severus..please..” That voice pleaded, the voice that for so many years been his only constant, the voice that had for so long been his lifeline, as he had pulled himself back from the edge of hell towards some semblance of himself.

 

The old man thought he was having doubts, Severus realized. He thought that Severus was reluctant to kill him, perhaps that Severus was even afraid to do it! How dare he believe that after all he had done, Severus could feel any compassion for the man!

 

Severus’ lips curled into the ever familiar sneer, and hatred and disgust filled his countenance, hatred for the man who had so easily controlled so many lives, all without anyone ever truly knowing. Knowing that the man was doubtless using Legilimency, even now, Severus lowered his shields and let Dumbledore see the one thought that was consuming his mind.

 

“With pleasure”

 

For a split second, so quickly that Severus only noticed the subtle reaction because he was looking for it, horror and dawning comprehension flashed across the wrinkled face. It didn’t last for long.

 

Raising his wand, Severus roared “Avada Kedavra!” Green light sped from his wand and hit the old man square in the chest, tossing him over the ramparts like a ragdoll. Severus Snape was tired of playing chess.