[SSHP] End of life

Dark trees towered toward the sky.The wind passed through the gaps between the trees, making mysterious sounds.

There is a two-story wooden house near the edge of the forest.The windows were cross-nailed from the inside by someone, and the eaves were covered with cobwebs.Several black figures suddenly appeared in the forest, and they pointed their wands at each other until they recognized each other. "Come on," said one, and they hurried into the cabin, closing the crumbling door.The dilapidated condition of the wooden house made people worry that they would be smashed to death inside by the sudden collapse of the wooden boards.

Snape strode into the cabin, the stairs creaking under his feet, and a handful of dust fell from the ceiling every now and then.He arrived late, the room was already full of black cloaks, Voldemort sat in an armchair in the corner, facing the stairs, the only light source on the entire second floor was a candlestick under the window, on which only two candles were lit.He walked over and bowed slightly to salute.

"It's all here, so let's get started," said Voldemort, his voice like the hiss of a cold snake, and his red eyes seemed to glow in the dark.

"Perhaps some of you will wonder, where is Walton? Where is Selwyn? They won't come again, they're dead. Our dear friend Dolphin Rolle died just the day before yesterday."

Voldemort paused for a moment.His eyes seemed to scan all the Death Eaters present, Snape still bowed his head respectfully.There are 23 people on the left and fifteen on the right.If you pay attention, there is a snake coiled under Voldemort's chair - that damned Nagini.It stood upright, with its head at the same height as the armrest, and Voldemort stroked that head from time to time.Snape believed that no one on the right had noticed the snake, which was just lurking in the shadows, as if melting into the darkness.It was different for those on the left, however, with Peter Pettigrew standing on the side of Voldemort's chair, facing them.The glory of standing beside the Dark Lord did not make him hold his head high. He trembled and tried his best to stay away from the snake. If he wanted to retreat further, he might have to choose to break the wooden boards in the corner of the room.His apparent fear made it possible for anyone on the left to spot the cold, spitting thing.

"Severus, do you have anything to say?" Voldemort said coldly.

finally come.I knew I would be asked this question——

"I'm sorry for their deaths, Master." Snape stepped forward, "I tried to find out about the actions of the Order of the Phoenix, but there was no sign of their actions, and there was no list. I believe this is the result of the Ministry of Magic's investigation ——Rohr and the others were caught with clues, and then the Aurors came to the door."

There was a small commotion in the ranks on the right as a small Death Eater screamed, "The Aurors won't know where they are! That's where three are! You're the traitor!"

Snape turned to the team on the right, with a smooth voice: "In fact, it was because I heard that Black's dog sniffed Gagson's residence that Gagson was able to escape under the siege of the Order of the Phoenix. And the owner is placed in the Ministry of Magic. You, Nott, failed to stop a single Auror." He met Nott's twinkling eyes and whispered a threat: "If we want to—then we all know where they live. All of us."

"I have no intention of questioning my master's judgment!" Nott said tremblingly, whether it was fear or anger, "but master, Snape has stayed at Hogwarts for so many years, it's hard to guarantee that he didn't join Dumbledore— "

"I think we discussed this issue at the meeting of the Master's return," said Snape, feeling Voldemort's gaze, resisting the urge to fold his arms in self-defense. "I made them trust me so that I could I can still get timely and reliable first-hand information after the master returns," he turned to Voldemort and raised his voice, "my loyalty to the master is testable! If the master orders, I can poison the little Harry Potter at any time." Bastard!"

None of the Death Eaters laughed or accused, not even Bellatrix.The candles flickered, and the wind shrieked terribly across the roofs.

"Dereliction of duty, serious dereliction of duty." After a long time, Voldemort hissed, "We put two people on the other side. Not only did your information not overlap, but you blamed each other and attacked each other! Cruciatus!"

Snape thought the Unforgivable Curse would fall on him, but it didn't.Knott rolled on the ground, screaming and admitting his mistake, and he had no doubts that he would be next.He didn't even think about it, and immediately knelt at Voldemort's feet.When the pain really fell on his body in the next second, he clenched his fist tightly, nails digging into his palm.Voldemort was growling, and he wondered if kneeling early was a measure of dignity.

"In less than half a year since I returned, we lost three people!" Voldemort roared angrily above his head, and he saw the big snake's tail suddenly shortened in front of him, and it seemed to stand upright.Memories began to flow like a flood.

There was a sharp pain, and Snape realized that Voldemort was waving the wand in his hand, and the air whipped his body like a whip.With each swipe, the flood of memories gets more chaotic.He pressed his forehead to the floor, endured the dizziness from the pain, and sent the imaginary memory to Voldemort.Fictional memories are not the hardest, but faking them into forcibly extracted fragments is the hardest.The physical pain had been going on for a long time, and he was already numb, but the torture caused by Cruciatus became more and more intensified as time went by.He felt that his enduring limit was approaching.

The remaining rationality told him that under the current situation where it was difficult to attract new members, Voldemort would not be so crazy that he would kill the few remaining Death Eaters by himself.Nott's brain was like a cauldron with its mouth wide open, and it wouldn't take Voldemort even a minute longer.Well, maybe Cruciatus didn't stop because the Dark Lord needed a reason to stop punishing.

"In memory of our three companions," Snape said, writhing in agony, perfectly making his voice full of anguish and just the right amount of ecstasy, but without screaming - Severus Snape never would Screaming from physical pain, "They sacrificed their lives for glory, and more and stronger people will join you in the future. The Dark Lord will live forever, and I swear my loyalty to you!"

As he expected, in about ten seconds, Voldemort flicked his wand to break the spell.Snape continued to lie prone on the ground, panting, until the illusion of blackened and shining stars faded from his eyes, and his vision returned.He saw a few drops of blood dripping from the thick dust on the floor, and he bit his lip without knowing it.

The Dark Lord likes to see the miserable appearance of his subordinates being tortured, which will make him feel the thrill of being in control.But taking it too far would make him sick - wizards should be powerful.The stronger a person is at his feet, the happier he is.Snape licked his lower lip to keep the blood off his lips.Then he took a deep breath, deliberately inhaling some dust, and coughed weakly.

"Thank you master." He coughed and said.Nott was lying on his side very close to him, probably rolled over in a struggle just now.His eyes were bloodshot and he was crying, tears mixed with dust, leaving mottled marks on his face.

"Severus, I never doubted your loyalty," said Voldemort, putting his hand lightly on Snape's shoulder. "Where there is punishment, there is reward. I hope—" He looked up at everyone, "betrayal It's not going to happen to any of you. You guys need to be better at protecting yourselves. I'm disappointed because of Knott."

Nott shuddered beside Snape.Snape lifted Voldemort's robe, kissed it lightly, resisted the pain that made him want to bend down, got up, and stood up slowly.Voldemort gave him an appreciative look.

Snape closed his eyes, and the familiar smell around him confirmed that he was in his own cellar.It's safe here.My heart still hurts, but it's much better.After the Cruciatus Curse last night, Voldemort quickly concluded the meeting without any additional useful information.Fortunately, he once again succeeded in proving his loyalty.He apparated to Spider's End, which could be invaded at any moment so there were no potions - he needed to use the fireplace to Floo to the Hogwarts potions office.But his memory cut off.When he regained consciousness, it was Potter's face that he saw.

He ordered Potter to go to sleep and clear his mind.But Potter would never learn to obey.

He opened his eyes wearily, and his head was aching, which was the result of resisting Legilimency too many times under Cruciatus.Voldemort was afraid of Dumbledore, he only dared to do something outside the school.The tentacles were cut off one by one, which made him very angry-someone had to bear this anger.

Snape frowned.Last night's rally was the closest he'd been to death in years.But he didn't feel scared at all.This torture wasn't the first and it wouldn't be the last, in fact Voldemort had already subjected him to several Cruciatus during the Christmas holidays when Voldemort suspected him because he could no longer connect to Potter's brain.He was just tired of it.He is not afraid of death, but pain is not always a comfortable thing.

He sat up, propping his forehead due to slight dizziness.When he opened his eyes again, he finally found that there were things in his bedroom that shouldn't be there.

At the foot of his bed was a smaller single cot that looked hard and rickety, as far as its occupant's poor Transfiguration skills could go.The person on the bed was Harry Potter, his messy hair was exposed outside the thin sheet, and judging from the bulge of the sheet, the Savior was curled up in a ball.

This is a very insecure position.Before the age of twenty-five, Snape himself could not get out of this position.He remembered a long time ago, when the portrait of the Fat Lady was destroyed, and when all the students were made to sleep in the hall to defend against the attack of the fugitive Sirius Black, Potter was also curled up in a sleeping bag.Every time Snape walked past his sleeping bag during the night, the sleeping bag only bulged a little in the center.Only when he opened his eyes did he turn into the brash, arrogant Potter who craved all the attention and always wanted to prove himself unique and indispensable.

And that Potter hasn't appeared again for a long time.The Savior became sad, silent, quit Quidditch, and rarely even flew.In addition to attending classes, eating, sleeping, reading, practicing spells, and forcing himself more and more tightly, his daily life is just a long-term daze.Snape hated the arrogant and rude Potter, but he also didn't like this Potter who was struggling with the countless losses brought by fate.

He watched the boy huddled up in silence for a while, and was about to get out of bed to wash.When he moved to the side of the bed, the slight sound of the quilt rubbing made the black head move slightly.The next second, the black head looked up at him, and then the vigilant and terrified expression disappeared.Potter grinned. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"If you didn't wake up and find a Potter in the room," Snape said coldly.

Potter's green eyes looked at him, and the smile faded away, replaced by an ominous curl of lips, the expression that often precedes a cry.Snape suddenly realized that maybe the little bastard had used Legilimency on him while he was unconscious. "Because of me again..." Potter whispered.

"Amazing imagination, Potter," Snape denied, and moved sideways.

His head still hurts, and he doesn't want to face an emotionally broken savior at all.The Savior is too irritable, too stubborn, too easily broken.

"Severus, last night you—" The Savior got up.

Snape wanted to warn Potter not to call his name again, but before he could speak, the precarious bed shook violently and fell apart with Potter's movement.The savior finally decided to grab him by the bedpost at the last moment, any later and the boy's ass would have been poked out by an upturned pipe.

Potter scrambled onto his bed, tugging at his quilt and sheet a little.The friction of those fabrics made the opening of his already unlaced nightgown wider, exposing part of his chest.He noticed the expression of the savior, and looked down, the heart was glowing blue.Last night must have been worse than that.Potter sniffed lightly, as if he couldn't help it anymore.

"Don't cry, Potter," Snape warned.He pulled up his neckline.

"I didn't want to cry." The green eyes blinked, Potter showed a slightly surprised expression, and smiled. "I just thought we all lost almost everything in the war. I don't want to repeat that loss," he said, trembling a little. "I lost you too. Luckily I can do it all over again... Please, as Same victim, you know how painful it is, don't make me repeat all this..."

He wiped his eyes under Snape's silent gaze, looking at his liquid-stained hands in mild surprise. "I really thought I wasn't going to cry. I was just too scared..."

weak.thought Snape.Once, there will be a second time.

Then the savior's emotions really collapsed.He was curled up against the pillar in the corner of his bed, covering his face.This shameless kid was wearing his pajamas, under the oversized pajamas, his pale hands and feet made him look very immature.For a while, Potter couldn't say anything, and the room was filled with muffled sobbing.

Snape stared at the trembling black weeds for a long time, then lowered his eyes.

"Who's dead?" he asked.At the same time as he asked this sentence, he realized that he had never asked for such a long time in the past.

"Remus, Tonks, Penello, Bill, Colin, so many people whose names I can't even name—and—" The weed trembled violently, and it was about to explode howling.

"And me," Snape whispered.

Yet the wailing broke out. "I'm sorry, sir!" said Harry, sobbing, "I was wayward and I shouldn't have gone on! It's our fate - all those people - my parents, you - it's all mine WRONG! I should have ended it in our own timeline! I didn't want to lose you, but never thought what you would go through again because of what I did!"

Snape leaned against the head of the bed, quietly waiting for the burst of crying that made his eyes dazzle to stop.When the savior finally raised his head, he wanted to reprimand him, wanted to say something else, but in the end he could only utter one sentence dryly: "Since I'm back, I don't intend to commit suicide."

Then he got out of bed decisively and walked to the bathroom.Potter was really careful at times, and he arranged the slippers.

Not intending to die—that was pretty much the best consolation he could ever say.Harry thought, watching his back.

"Thank you, Severus," he called after Snape. "Thank you - you always give me more than I deserve."

ha.The boy finally realized.Snape sneered at the mirror.

"Don't apply Gryffindor heroism to me," he replied in the bathroom. "I did all this just so you wouldn't bother me."

There was silence outside for a few seconds.

Soon, the boy's voice sounded again.Potter stood at the door of the bathroom, different from the despair just now, his red eyes from crying were shining brightly.

"You care about me, sir! I know, I've got my way—you're starting to have feelings for me!"

Snape frowned, he didn't look back, the two looked at each other in the mirror. "Don't do anything stupid," he said.

"I won't." Potter said, his green eyes were clear and determined like never before, "I care about you too, very much about you. You are very important to me, and I won't let you go on like this again! "After he finished speaking, he quickly turned and ran out of the bathroom. Before Snape called him to stop, the cellar door had already heard the sound of opening and closing.

Let him have his way.Snape thought weakly, he just wanted to get his head back into a comfortable state as soon as possible.Like weakness, there is a first compromise, and there will be a second time.He could no longer frighten the boy.

The author has something to say: Actually, I also think this chapter is quite sweet... Mmm.

The plot began to completely deviate from the original.The next chapter is Draco.

I’m about to go out and update it first~ I’ve been updating the Death Curse for the past few days. My aesthetic fatigue has continued until now and I haven’t recovered from it. Don’t really have a problem that you can’t see. There are too many updates and it’s hard to change it... I looked back last night After reading the two chapters yesterday, I found faults.Well, let’s go out and come back for a fake update, laughing.