[HP]Timepiece Countdown

VOL.2

顽冬

DIE HARD WINTER

Harry had planned to pass the soul mate thing as a fart.

Until he inexplicably became irritable and had trouble sleeping all night long.

Before the issue completely spiraled out of control, secret agreements came into being.

The real reason for Voldemort's nod, however, was—

"Kill Dumbledore."

----------------

"He can't go on like this."

Snape looked up.

In the dim candlelight a frayed sofa, an old armchair and a rickety table huddled close together.It is said to be a living room, but the walls are full of bookshelves, and even the door is so thin that it is almost non-existent.The windows were boarded up, and he doubted that there would be enough gaps to see the middle finger of the mill chimney outside, even if it was Dumbledore.

The gray-haired wizard was standing in front of the window at this moment. "It's clear that the soul connection that exists between them is far stronger than average. He's not yet an adult, he can't take it. If this goes on, his body and spirit will be worn down alive."

Snape said nothing.He pondered Dumbledore's words, trying to understand Dumbledore's meaning - stating an obvious cruel fact, but his tone was terrifyingly calm.

"—and I can't just sit idly by," Dumbledore went on. "I need you to tell Tom what I mean, Severus."

"You... what?" Even though he had expected it, Snape was still shocked. "Are you asking me to seek a private meeting with the Dark Lord for them—" The reference to "them" caused his sallow face and internal organs to contort for a moment at the same time, "—to seek a private meeting with the Dark Lord, or something similar that can be physically carried out. Contact thing?"

"I can't say your understanding is wrong." Dumbledore replied quietly, still facing the crucified window.

"But that's extremely stupid!" Snape's voice rose involuntarily, and his body tensed from the sofa, "The soul connection between the two of them is stronger than any documented record, and we don't even know it. How the hell did it all happen! If the Dark Lord takes this opportunity to exert his omnipresent influence on Potter, then we've got no chance!"

Dumbledore finally turned to look at him. "Are you concerned for the boy's safety, Severus?"

Snape wanted to growl something, but froze. "I—no! Of course not!" he denied angrily. "If you've listened to me, you'll see that my real fear is that this move will take away the key to our victory, Dumbledore." !"

The question cut the air between them sharply, and Dumbledore sighed imperceptibly. "Your concerns may be justified, but we have no other choice."

Knowing this was the case, Snape choked immediately. "I don't...I mean..." He cut himself off twice, and finally wiped his face forcefully and desperately, "So you asked me to do this? It's been half a year since the Dark Lord returned, and you're treating me The only request is that I be a pimp bitch?"

If anyone would have cringed at such a pointed question, it would not have been Dumbledore. "Calm down, Severus. This is what we have to do if we don't want to see Harry suffer further, irreversible damage from being too estranged from his soul mate."

Snape did understand the irreplaceability of soul mates and, as Dumbledore mentioned, the dire consequences of separation.Harry will break down, in fact he is already on the verge of breaking down, Snape heard that Umbridge taught the boy a deep lesson because he was contradicted many times; the Dark Lord's temper has also grown day by day in the past six months , but no Death Eater was suspicious, considering he hadn't been known for being amiable.

"I didn't expect this when I promised you." Snape leaned back violently, and the old sofa creaked unbearably, "You asked me to swear to protect him with my life, but What you want me to do now is to put him in danger - the Dark Lord would not be so foolish as to let a pig be sent to him for slaughter!"

Dumbledore could hear the disgust in the gnashing of sarcasm, either or both of them. "That's why we can't talk about it at Hogwarts, or Black's House," he said.

There was dead silence in the room, and Snape glared at him.

"At least Tom's current performance has confirmed that he will no longer make unnecessary attempts to kill Harry. As for the other parts besides being alive..." Dumbledore paused for a moment, "It depends on whether Harry can defeat him." His fate is over."

—and I can't even do anything about it.

Dumbledore turned his head again, and no one saw a trace of deep sorrow flash across his weather-beaten face.

**

It was late at night when Voldemort heard the proposal, and his first reaction was to squint his eyes. "Really, Severus?" he asked slowly, word for word, "you did hear Dumbledore say that he suggested that the boy and I meet alone at Christmas, without spying on each other, Didn't hurt each other?"

Snape almost trembled when he heard the accented "alone".But he controlled his physical reaction, and did not reveal the slightest inner thoughts.The Dark Lord was indeed interested, he told himself, otherwise he wouldn't have been allowed to teleport to the Dark Lord at this late hour. "Judging from what I overheard, yes, master."

The empty room was quite quiet for a while.

"To be honest, I'm not that surprised," Voldemort said softly, almost smugly.He sounded like a great thing had finally happened these days.

Snape bit his lip indistinctly.Looking at it now, he thought sarcastically, who would have thought that the Dark Lord would cast several Cruciatus in a fit of rage at the Death Eaters' meeting just a few hours ago?

After another silence, Voldemort spoke again: "To whom did Dumbledore advise that, Severus?"

"Of course the boy, my lord."

"Oh—" Voldemort blinked with interest, and leaned forward a little, quite curiously, "How did he react? Was he furious?"

In fact, Snape had no idea how Harry would react to the offer.He didn't see it with his own eyes, but he felt that Dumbledore could definitely handle Harry. "Personally, I don't think Potter is very happy," he replied thoughtfully.

Voldemort apparently took the hesitant reaction here as a euphemism for Snape. "To be honest, I'm also not that surprised." He chuckled again, his red eyes shining in the dim light, "but it's really too funny, I don't think I can say no."

Snape wisely refrained from commenting on this.He knew that the Dark Lord and the Savior were soul mates, and the Dark Lord didn't know that he knew - just as the Dark Lord still didn't know that he had long since broken his allegiance. "I think Dumbledore will try to contact you soon, Master."

Voldemort nodded in response.

Snape waited until he was sure Voldemort had no other orders.But just as he turned and was about to leave, a sentence popped up from behind him: "Does Dumbledore still trust you, Severus?"

There was no particular tone in the words, but Snape's heart was beating wildly.He turned his body around again, carefully staring at the place a few inches in front of his feet, seemingly respectful, but in fact he was trying to avoid any unnecessary eye contact. "I think so, my lord. Dumbledore has always been easy enough to believe that people are willing to change."

The Dark Lord snorted in half approval, half disdain. "I can see it. This is the place to take advantage of."

"You mean...?" Snape tried to ask, instinctively feeling that something bad was happening right under his nose.

"What Voldemort means is that if Dumbledore really trusts you, then you have an advantage that other Death Eaters don't have." Voldemort smiled, but the smile only floated on the corner of his lips, "You can complete other food An honorable task that not even the Dead Apostles can complete, Severus."

... an honorable mission?What task could the Dark Lord call honor?

The danger-sensing nerve in Snape's brain tightened even more, and his throat began to feel dry and tight. "Forgive me for not understanding you, master."

"Oh, Severus, my dear Severus," Voldemort's voice was almost an aria now.He even stood up, from his black carved high-backed chair that was supposed to be his throne. "With your ingenuity, you should have guessed it."

Snape had to look up at the pale, flat face from below the steps. "Master, are you saying..."

Voldemort didn't seem to mind how dry his voice sounded or how hollow his eyes looked. "You can remove the useless obstacles ahead of us, Severus. The Death Eaters will thank you for everything you have done for them, and Voldemort will thank you for everything you have done for him." The Dark Lord said so, revealing Smile like victory is within reach—

"Kill Dumbledore."