The jet of red light from Harry’s wand went wide and missed as the front door was blasted in; it hit one of the bookcases lining the room, sending books toppling to the floor. Harry whirled around and was struck squarely in the chest by a stream of blue light; he was flung onto the sofa, and fell to the floor, winded. His wand flew out of his hand, and landed under a rickety chair.
Three Death Eaters strode in through the wreckage of the door, including the enormous blond man who had fought the Order at Hogwarts. Snape faced them, his wand leveled. For a brief moment Harry thought Snape was going to fight them, but then he saw Snape’s face pale; the former potions master lowered his wand, and bowed.
Voldemort had arrived.
He strode through the ruined door, his robes billowing darkly, an air of menace swirling about him like a black cloud. Bellatrix Lestrange walked just behind him, her hood pulled up, her eyes downcast; Harry could see the smallest sneer on her lips. He remembered her from the battle at the Ministry of Magic. She had been dueling Sirius, and it had been her curse that had sent his godfather through the veil. Harry had often thought about how it would feel to meet her again, what he would do. He was not prepared for the intense pain he felt, the sorrow in his heart that threatened to overwhelm him as he watched her enter the tiny, crowded sitting room. The pain of loss was followed by anger, and with an almost inhuman snarl he launched himself off floor toward her.
He was stopped in midair, frozen in place over a small coffee table by a lazy wave from the bony hand that slipped from beneath Voldemort’s black robes. The Dark Lord, however, did not even look at Harry. “I’ll deal with you shortly,” he said softly, striding past Harry. Bellatrix Lestrange leered at him, though Harry thought he saw a flicker of fear in her eyes as well.
“Severus,” Voldemort said almost conversationally as he walked up to the pale Hogwarts professor. “I was expecting you some time ago. Why the delay?”
Harry noticed that while Snape looked at Voldemort, he avoided direct eye contact. “My Lord,” replied the greasy-haired man, bowing again, “I was just about to Apparate to headquarters when you arrived, I had only to - ”
“Liar,” hissed Voldemort, cutting him off with a wave of his arm. “Chatting up Mr. Potter, were you? I know how much you enjoy teaching the Chosen One, but surely this is beyond the call of instructional duties?” Voldemort turned toward Harry, his red eyes narrowing to thin slits. Harry stared back defiantly from where he still hung in midair. He felt Voldemort brush up against his mind, and recoil. He knew that after possessing him at the Ministry of Magic the night Sirius had died, Voldemort would not try again. It had been too painful for the Dark Lord: the love Harry felt for Sirius had driven Voldemort out of his mind. Harry concentrated on that feeling to keep Voldemort out once more.
With another lazy flick of his wand, Voldemort sent Harry crashing into a bookcase instead. Harry hit his head hard, and slid down to the floor as books crashed down around him. He felt blood trickle down the side of his head.
“Keep an eye on him,” snapped Voldemort to the closest Death Eater, the large blond man who had escaped from Hogwarts. “I want him for later.” The Death Eater motioned Harry up with his wand and placed the tip at his throat. Harry could only watch helplessly as Voldemort advanced on Snape until they were face to face. The former potions master stood his ground.
“Severus, Severus,” said Voldemort, clicking his tongue and smiling darkly. “My Death Eaters have brought me good news. Albus Dumbledore is dead. Did you know that?”
Snape raised his eyebrows. “I did,” he replied, his voice level.
“It was a rather unexpected end, I admit. Do you know how it happened?” Voldemort was staring at Snape, baiting him with narrowed eyes. Harry hardly breathed as he watched the two men confront each other.
“I do,” replied Snape evenly. Harry instinctively knew that if Snape lied, he was dead; only the truth might save them both from Voldemort’s fury.
“Draco Malfoy succeeded in his task.” Voldemort turned to his followers in the room and threw his hands wide. “Against all odds, our youngest Death Eater managed to destroy one of the most powerful headmasters Hogwarts has ever seen!” He spun around suddenly to face Snape again. “Do you know how he did it?”
“I do,” answered Snape again.
“Tell me,” said Voldemort, and the friendly malice was gone from his voice; his tone implied that anything but the truth was unacceptable. Harry stared, terrified and mesmerized at the same time.
“Draco was able to sneak several Death Eaters into the castle, using a pair of Vanishing Cabinets,” answered Snape coolly. “It was very clever. I found him on the Astronomy Tower with Dumbledore, defeated and wandless.” He paused, and Harry thought he saw the professor take a breath. “But I was the one who performed the Killing Curse.”
“Ah,” said Voldemort, who did not seem at all surprised. “So Draco failed after all. You killed Dumbledore.”
“I did.” The rage Harry had been feeling all night returned with Snape’s guilty admission, and Harry heard a low snarl escape his own mouth. The Death Eater guarding him laughed and jabbed Harry harder with his wand.
“He was injured, weak, and cornered,” continued Snape. “It was a perfect opportunity.”
“Of course it was “ and now the great Albus Dumbledore is dead! Headmaster of Hogwarts, Leader of the Order of the Phoenix - who will defy us now? A mere boy of sixteen?” Voldemort laughed cruelly, and eyed Harry, who braced himself for another attack; Voldemort ignored him and took a step closer to Snape. “But it was also Draco’s task.”
Without warning Voldemort lashed out, crying “Crucio!” and Snape was hit with the torture curse. He fell to the ground, dropping his wand and writhing in agony, but making no sound as his face screwed up in pain. Harry made a motion toward him, horrified to see anyone inflicted with the curse, and felt the wand at his throat dig tighter.
“Move and you’re next,” snarled the blond Death Eater who was his guard.
Voldemort lowered his wand, and Snape lay on the floor, panting. The Dark Lord looked down almost sadly on his Death Eater. “Thank you for telling me the truth, Severus. Now tell me more. Why did you take an Unbreakable Vow?”
It took Snape a moment to answer as he recovered from the torture curse. He stood up slowly, and faced Voldemort once again. “I only wished to protect the boy, nothing more. I meant no offense, my Lord.”
Voldemort raised his eyebrows. “But offense was taken, Severus. I am disappointed that you did not trust me.” Once more he aimed his wand at Snape, and the greasy-haired man fell to the ground a second time. This time he could not stop the screams from escaping as he thrashed on the floor in pain; Harry looked away. He saw Bellatrix Lestrange watching the scene with an evil smirk.
“Where is Draco now?” demanded Voldemort, lifting the curse.
“I don’t know,” replied Snape, lying on the floor gasping for breath.
“Wrong answer!” hissed Voldemort, and he forced Snape to his feet. He glared at the greasy haired man, his eyes red slits as they bored into Snape’s black eyes. Harry guessed that the Dark Lord was trying to break into Snape’s mind; but he knew that Snape was an accomplished Occlumens. The potions master’s face showed the strain of maintaining his defenses against Voldemort; he broke out in a sweat. But he did not look away, and it was finally Voldemort who broke eye contact.
“Never mind,” said the Dark Lord with a wave of his arm, and Snape was thrown to the floor. “He was easy enough to find, and he will give me answers. Wormtail!” Voldemort shouted suddenly, and moving away from Snape he turned toward the front door. “Bring in our guests.” Harry watched as two bound figures floated into the small
It was Draco Malfoy, and his mother.
Harry saw Snape stand and make the smallest movement toward the two captives; he thought a look of fear crossed Snape’s face, but if so it was immediately suppressed. The former potions master stood quietly, hands at his side, as Wormtail directed the Malfoys to the center of the room. But Harry sensed that Snape was deeply distressed.
Narcissa was weeping; Draco had pressed his lips together so hard they were pale, but he made no sound. The two captives were stopped in front of Voldemort, who walked slowly around them, like a predator circling his prey. They watched him with fear etched in every line of their ashen faces.
“Bellatrix told me of the Unbreakable Vow that you made,” said Voldemort, addressing Narcissa. “The Carrows told me what happened Hogwarts, and Wormtail brought me word that Draco was here in Spinner’s End. So imagine my surprise when we dropped by Malfoy Manor and found you both packing. As if to run away!”
Voldemort abruptly waved his wand and Draco fell hard to the floor; his mother cried out and sobbed harder. Harry watched as Voldemort stood over Draco, his face a mixture of hatred and cruelty. Once again Harry felt sympathy for Draco; he was about to face Voldemort’s wrath for failing to kill Dumbledore on the Tower.
“Draco, my boy,” said Voldemort, looking down at the pale-faced boy. “I gave you an assignment. It was your task to accomplish, a chance to redeem your father’s failure. Instead you have added to the Malfoy family disgrace.” He shook his head. “I am dreadfully disappointed, Draco. I had faith in you, and you failed.”
Voldemort paused, as Draco cowered on the floor. And then he raised his wand and cried “Crucio!” for the third time that night.
Draco screamed as he thrashed on the floor; Narcissa Malfoy shouted at Voldemort to stop. Harry watched, horrified again by the ghastly effects of the torture curse. He had been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse several times himself, and he knew the pain it caused. He remembered the first time he had tried to use the curse: he had tried to cast it on Bellatrix Lestrange at the Ministry of Magic, but had failed. He glanced over at her; she had turned away from the sickening scene on the floor, an expression of dread on her face now. After all he had been through with Draco Malfoy over the last six years, even after the events on the Astronomy Tower, Harry still didn’t think Draco deserved such horrible punishment. But even as he tried to move forward again, the Death Eater guarding him rammed his wand harder into his throat, and Harry gagged.
Voldemort released the curse, and Draco lay on the floor, curled in a ball and sobbing. “That’s for thinking you could run,” said Voldemort softly. He forced the boy up, holding him in the air at eye level and piercing him with his red-eyed stare. After several long, silent moments, Draco looked away, defeated; his mother let out a moan. Releasing Draco to the floor, Voldemort glared over his shoulder at Snape, and a twisted smile came over his face.
“'He can’t find you if you’re already dead.'” Voldemort mimicked Snape’s words to Draco, and Harry felt his eyes go wide. Snape’s face paled; what Voldemort had failed to retrieve from Snape he had succeeded in pulling from Draco’s mind. “So you thought to hide them? To save them?” Voldemort laughed cruelly. “You’ve just signed their death warrant.”
With a violent thrust of his wand, Narcissa was released from her ropes, and fell to the floor next to her son. She knelt beside him, and looked up at Voldemort with a desperate pleading expression. “Please,” she begged. “Spare Draco! The Vow was my idea, I made Severus make it. Draco had no part ““
“Be quiet, Narcissa,” said Voldemort softly, his voice deadly. “I am very unhappy with you. Your husband failed to retrieve the prophecy, your son failed to kill Dumbledore. Even your sister failed me when she kept the secret of your Unbreakable Vow.” Bellatrix looked up in surprise and fear. Voldemort ignored her and slowly advanced on Narcissa. “With that Vow, you failed me as well.”
Bellatrix suddenly appeared in front of Voldemort, her face alarmed, her dark eyes beseeching. “No - please, my Lord! I beg you, not Cissie - ” she began, reaching for Voldemort.
The Dark Lord threw her off, and pushed her out of the way. “Stand aside, Bellatrix. I am not happy with you either.” She backed away, shocked. Harry saw her glance wildly around the room; the other Death Eaters avoided her gaze as if they knew what was going to happen next. Only Snape met her eyes, and he gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. Bellatrix let out a sob and fell to her knees, reaching out toward her sister.
Voldemort stared down at Narcissa and Draco. His eyes narrowed cruelly, and his mouth curved into a twisted smile. “I would apologize, Narcissa, but I am not sorry.” He raised his wand. “Good-bye.”
The Dark Lord cried “Avada Kedavra!” and sent a jet of deadly green light straight at Narcissa Malfoy; without a sound she fell to the floor, dead.