ehmaz (ehmaz) wrote in lupin_snape, @ 2008-07-30 09:16:00 |
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Entry tags: | fic: r, prompt: fantasy fest 08 |
Fantasy Fest: Long Fic Prompt #31
Title: The Child Relic, 1&2 of 7
Author: ehmaz
Rating: NC-17
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters.
Prompt: 31 -- NoMagicAU, epic type adventure with sword fighting and ancient enemies fighting the stereotypical battle of good vs evil
Notes: My heartfelt thanks to boogabooga and goldenpaw for beta'ing.
Chapter 1: The Knights of Walpurgis
There was no doubt that Lord Riddle had an extensive library. The Province of Voldemort, ruled by the Riddles for some five centuries, had at one time been very small. Over the past three decades, Tom Riddle had stretched the borders of his lands considerably, and acquired several large libraries in addition to the Riddle Manor archive. There were, in fact, so many volumes that Riddle had not yet gone through everything. His keen eye could detect useful tomes within the new collections fairly quickly, though, and Lord Riddle was confident that it was merely a matter of time before he found the references he was seeking.
Five of the seven Dark Relics, known as Horcruxes to those in the know, were already safely ensconced within the dungeons of Riddle Manor. The sixth Horcrux's location was not only known but plans were already underway to procure the priceless relic. The current problem was that Riddle neither knew what the last Horcux was, nor where it might be. There were obscure references to it, of course, but nothing concrete enough to even begin a search. His personal army, the Knights of Walpurgis, was a lethal and well trained brigade of the finest swordsmen in Voldemort Province. They were not, however, scholars. They were of little help to their Lord in finding the relics. And find them, Riddle was determined to do. Long had it been a legend that he who held all seven of the powerful dark relics would gain magical powers and become a sorcerer of incredible power -- terrible -- but wondrous.
"My Lord," came a high-pitched voice. In years past it had been pleasant to the ear, but Riddle found it scratching his eardrum these days. The raids had not been kind to his chief confidante, Baroness Bellatrix Lestrange, who was increasingly savage and irregular in her duties to her Lord. She was brilliant and decisive, and therefore important to Lord Riddle, who indulged the woman's presence so long as she was useful to him. And she had been -- especially in the past few years, when Riddle had procured an incredible three of the seven Horcruxes.
"Yes?" Riddle answered, turning sideways in his lavish desk chair to regard her. Bedecked in an elegant tunic, breeches and stockings of varying shades of green, Riddle was a stark contrast to the Baroness, who wore battle-scarred black leathers over her crimson gown.
"Mister Snape has reported back from his latest mission," she said dutifully as she made her way into the room to sit across from her Lord.
"I see. And what has Snape reported this time? Good news, I hope."
Bellatrix sneered inelegantly and helped herself to some of Riddle's scotch. "He's demanding twice the original agreement for his information. He says he’s mapped out the guard patrols and the castle’s weakest points."
"I find that highly unlikely," Riddle said quietly, mind already considering the possibilities of whether the mercenary actually had the information he said he did.
After a moment of quiet deliberation, Bellatrix set her tumbler aside and locked eyes with Riddle. "I believe he does, though his price is outrageous."
Riddle considered the Baroness. "Why do you believe him?"
"There are... rumors, my Lord, of Snape's methods. They say he is some kind of witch or warlock--"
"Bella, I am not interested in gossip or the heresy of gossipmongers. Tell me what you believe."
"He is merciless. While he rarely fights unless absolutely necessary, I have seen him twice now in combat. His opponents, worthy in their own right, had not a chance, my Lord. He used techniques not seen in these lands. He also manages to get information and intelligence that should not be obtainable. He has proven himself in the past, and seems loyal to your cause."
Riddle stood and paced three times in front of the hearth before stopping and motioning elegantly towards the door. "Show him in. Tell him I agree to his terms, if he does indeed have the information."
With a nod, she quickly stepped from the room.
~
It was truly amazing how easy espionage was. People were not only gullible, ignorant and unobservant, but also highly predictable. Severus Snape took a lazy glance around the room before fully opening the foyer dresser drawer. He pulled a small tin from one of his pockets and grinned to himself.
Inside the drawer were several sets of keys, all carefully labeled with stiff pieces of parchment. Severus palmed the key ring labeled "Outside Doors" and silently popped the lid on the nondescript tin, revealing a spongy surface. He quickly made an impression of the three keys on the ring that looked the most used, and replaced them in their drawer. True, he was technically working for Riddle and would likely never need keys for the Lord's Manor, but if there was one life lesson that Severus had learned, it was to be ready for anything. Voldemort Province was currently the most powerful in the region, and Riddle wasn't known for his kindness. There could easily come a day when the Lord no longer needed his mercenary.
Severus had just moved on to snoop around the umbrella stand when a door opened quietly down the hall. He turned in time to see Bellatrix Lestrange walking towards him purposefully, and Severus quirked an eyebrow. The woman really was unsettling. Severus hoped there never came a time when he would have to cross blades with the famous landowner.
"Mister Snape, if you would follow me?" Lestrange paused only long enough to see Snape begin to follow before she turned and strode back from whence she came. "Lord Riddle agreed to your terms, assuming you really do have what you say you have," she informed him over her shoulder as they walked.
He didn't bother answering her. While he usually preferred working with middle men rather than dealing with his employers directly, in this circumstance it was a waste of time. He would be seeing Riddle in a few moments anyway. Lestrange gave him an irritated look for his silence before opening the door at the end of the hall and motioning him in. Lestrange closed the door behind him, and Severus found himself facing Lord Riddle's back. His employer turned slowly and offered a vague smile, saluting him with a tumbler full of dark liquid. "Mister Snape. Would you care for a drink?
"No, thank you," he answered simply before moving forward. He glanced briefly at the man and inwardly chuckled. Tom Riddle was the epitome of wealth from his expensive clothes to his shaved head -- currently all the fashion for men in the big cities. Severus' own long, lanky hair was not only unbecoming but seen as representative of a serf or lower-class merchant. Severus wore the clothing of a merchant as well: black wool trousers that rested too-long over scuffed leather boots, shapeless green shirt and black traveling cloak. All of his clothing was highly specialized for his profession but looked normal -- even boring -- and helped others underestimate the man who was wearing them.
Severus put thought into everything he said, how he spoke and how he was perceived. It was all part of his job, and Severus prided himself on his professionalism. He was nearly forty now and had been playing the field of espionage and mercenaries for half that time. He had yet to fail on any mission, and the drab clothing others saw spoke little of the fortune Severus had secreted away.
Riddle looked the mercenary over briefly, deciding not to offer him a seat. "Bella told you I would agree to the terms?"
"Of course. You need not worry. It would be foolish of me to promise information I do not have." Severus folded his arms across his chest and waited.
After a short staring contest, Riddle chuckled and set his tumbler down. He moved toward the hearth and picked up a small leather bag waiting on the mantle, he turned and tossed it to Severus.
He caught it and heard the unmistakable sound of coins. "This is the original amount," said Severus, weighing the pouch in his hand.
"Yes. You could not have expected me to have the rest ready on such short notice? I will have it put together... after you show me what you have."
Severus barely managed to keep the glare from his face as he stepped forward. In one seamless movement, he hid the pouch of coins inside his cloak and pulled out a large black candle, easily two hands tall. He set the candle on the short table between the armchairs, and sat down without invitation. Eying the candle suspiciously, Lord Riddle moved closer and looked down at Severus before picking the candle up and examining it. He ran one long finger across the felt covered bottom and raised a pencil-thin eyebrow at Snape. Severus raised his eyebrows mockingly before pulling out a thin needle and tipping the candle so he could slide the needle into a nearly invisible hole in the felt lining, releasing a hidden flap.
Inside the hollowed out candle were several rolls of new parchment. Riddle's eyes shown with interest as he pulled the papers out, quickly sitting on the settee and spreading them out, eyes roving over what was unmistakably the defenses of Hogwarts Castle. "Perfect," Riddle murmured, the tip of his finger trailing along a list of guard rotations. "And this is all accurate?" he asked, raising his gaze to the mercenary.
"Of course. Down to the pubs the guards go to after their shift. There is even a missive on scheduled shipments for the week. Nothing should come up for which you could not be prepared. It's foolproof." Severus crossed his legs at the knees and straightened a few wrinkles over his thigh, glancing at the room insouciantly.
"Very well, very well..." Lord Riddle spoke to himself, seeming reluctant to put away the precious new information. Eventually he rolled it back up and placed it into the secret compartment of the candle, clicking the trick bottom back into place. "If you will wait a moment, Mister Snape, I shall arrange your additional payment. Help yourself to the scotch." He grinned momentarily before gliding out the single door to the room.
Severus was out of his chair like a lightning bolt as soon as he heard the snick of the door closing. He hurried over to what looked like a typical work desk in a corner of the bookshelf-lined room and scanned through the papers lying there. It looked as if Voldemort Province was doing even better than regional outsiders had thought. Two new libraries had been added to the Manor collection this week alone. Severus nearly salivated at the rare books sitting out on the desk, from which it was obvious research was being done. Severus could only imagine what kinds of additional texts were locked away in secure rooms.
About to return to his seat, Severus' attention was caught by an open book seated next to freshly used parchment. The ink was still wet, indicating these were Riddle's most recent notes. Severus glanced up at the still closed door before digging around in one of the hidden pockets of his robe to pull out a greenish, extremely thin piece of pulpy paper. He spread it across the page of notes and took out a tiny bottle of clear liquid. Severus unscrewed the phial and pulled out a lid with an attached brush. He ran the clear liquid quickly across the green paper. Within moments, the ink on the page of notes below seeped up into the pulpy paper dully but still legibly. Severus screwed the lid back onto the bottle and blew across the green page to hasten its drying. Right before the door reopened, Severus rolled it up and slipped it back into his pocket.
"Here you are, Mister Snape: your payment, as promised."
Severus gave Lord Riddle a genuine smile.
Chapter 2: The Order of the Phoenix
Remus Lupin looked dubiously at his childhood friend, Sirius Black. Sirius, eyes and mouth both open wide and hands spread in supplication, made a sputtering noise. Remus folded his arms over his chest and let out a heavy sigh.
"I'm sorry, Remus, but it's a stupid idea!" Sirius moved his hands to his hips and raised both eyebrows. Remus shook his head and turned partially away, not wanting to face the man right now. Remus often had good ideas, original ideas, but he rarely voiced them for this particular reason. He loved Sirius like a brother, but the other man always thought that his own ideas were the best without exception. While it usually didn't bother Remus, for something this important, it certainly did.
"Look, Sirius, just drop it. I shouldn't have said anything." Remus began to turn away but felt a strong hand grip his arm.
"C'mon. Don't be like that, Moony," Sirius pleaded, using Remus' childhood nickname. Shorter only by a small matter, Remus turned his golden-brown eyes up to Sirius' light brown. He hated when Sirius called him Moony -- not because he didn't like the name, but because it reminded Remus of a time when he thought his friend might have the same sinful inclinations as he did. Ah, the folly of adolescence. Sirius with his wavy black hair, roguish stubble, sauntering walk and playful attitude. He was nothing like Remus. Those who didn't know the boys had grown up together would hardly think them capable of being such good friends. Remus was very plain, boring even, in comparison. His light brown hair was longer in front than was stylish and was always falling in his eyes; he had scars across his face and body from his many sword fights in the name of the Order of the Phoenix, and his clothes always looked mismatched and patched together, nothing more than varying shades of brown.
"Fine. But why do you think it's so stupid?" Remus asked, sighing again and turning back towards the taller man.
Sirius chuckled and gave Remus a chastising look. "Try and get one of Riddle's own to help us? It's absurd!" He threw his hands up to emphasize his point.
"But we're running out of time, Sirius! It's hardly a secret that Voldemort Province is run with an iron fist, Lord Riddle's Knights of Walpurgis are offered little beyond pay for their allegiance, commanders who run their troops on fear and punishment do not loyalty endear."
"What do you mean we're running out of time? Riddle's been collecting dark relics for years now." Sirius rolled his eyes.
"That's just the point, isn't it? He's collected three this past year alone. Either he's stepping up his agenda, or there is some new urgency. I doubt it's sheer luck. Look, Sirius," Remus said, seeing that he was losing his friend's attention, "You know that's Riddle has five of the seven relics. There are rumors that he already knows where the sixth is, and then it's only a matter of time before he has the seventh. Do you know what happens then?"
Sirius rolled his eyes again and shifted his weight onto his other foot, "Yeah. Right. He becomes all-powerful and chaos reigns over the world and everyone in this shitehole-of-a-house is tortured and killed. Like I really believe--"
A gasp from the doorway made both men pause and turn. Wide green eyes met them before their owner scurried out of sight. Sirius and Remus gave each other a look before darting out after the boy.
"Harry!" Sirius called out, stopping the scared child in his tracks. "Come back here, Harry."
A short youth with shiny black hair sticking up at odd angles slowly turned, looking hunched in on himself. "Yes, Godfather?" he answered meekly, looking up at Sirius.
Remus rubbed his face with his hand tiredly. "Harry, you know it's impolite to eavesdrop. What were you thinking?"
"Sorry," Harry mumbled and took a step forward. "But is it true?" The question came out in a rush, and Harry bit his lower lip.
"I suppose you're old enough to hear these things. Come with me," answered Sirius, beckoning the young man back into the den of Grimmauld Manor. "Have a seat, son."
Remus sat across from Sirius, who took a seat close to his godson. "Let's start at the beginning. You know that the Order of the Phoenix operates out of my house, yeah?" Harry nodded, and Sirius continued, "And do you know what we do?"
"You're swordsmen!" Harry replied, smiling nervously. He was always watching the fighters spar in the Grimmauld courtyard, and Remus had no doubt that the youth was looking forward to the day when he would get more than rudimentary lessons with the blade. Harry was nearly thirteen years old now, but he still seemed much younger to Remus. It truly was a shame about the boy's past, and Remus was very thankful in that moment that Sirius, despite being something of a clout, had such a large heart.
Sirius and Remus' other childhood friends had been James Potter and Peter Pettigrew. Peter was a member of the Order and lived at Grimmauld Manor with them, but James had been killed along with his wife Lily when their son, Harry, was barely a year old. As if the death of his parents wasn't enough, Harry had then been lost in the confusion as the Potter estate was burnt to the ground. It had only been two years ago that Sirius had discovered his godson was not in fact dead, but had been taken kidnapped by the Potters’ neighbors, the Dursleys. The Dursleys had always loathed the Potters for their comlete devotion to the Light. When they saw what had become of the parents, they took the son to mold into their own personal servant. Harry had grown up without knowing love, gentleness or any concern; the only lessons the Dursleys had taught were those of servitude, humiliation and pain. It was nothing short of amazing that Harry was the sweet child he was. Fortunately, Sirius had taken the boy in like his own son and tried to make up for those years of neglect.
"That's right," Sirius said, drawing Remus out of his maudlin thoughts. "We're swordsmen. But, more than that, we fight injustice and evil in the world." Harry nodded. "Tom Riddle, Lord of Voldemort, has been collecting dark relics for many years now. There's a legend, one that says if a man collects all seven of a particular sort of relic, he will become a powerful sorcerer." Harry's eyes had gone wide, and he looked to Remus for confirmation.
"It's a very old prophecy," said Remus. "I don't recall the exact wording, but it goes something like: 'He that shall possess all seven of the Horcrux shall know great power and be immortal in the magics at his command.'"
"It's all rubbish though, son. Don't you worry yourself about it none. Those old stories are just that: old stories told to scare children into going to bed on time." Sirius smiled genuinely and ruffled the already messy black hair, causing Harry to smile happily.
All three looked up as a friendly, wizened face graced the doorway. "Gentlemen? The meeting is almost ready to start, if you'd grace us." Harry jumped up from the settee and hurried towards the door as Sirius and Remus got more slowly to their feet.
Remus smiled as Harry gave Albus Dumbledore a quick hug before once again scurrying off down the hallway. "It's good to see him do that."
"Do what?" asked Sirius as he moved past Albus.
"Feel comfortable showing affection like that. Even six months ago, he wouldn't've. He's sure taken a liking to you, Albus." Remus smiled over his shoulder, as he too passed the Order leader.
The elderly swordsman laughed merrily, a soft twinkle in his eye. "I always bring sweets with me. What's not to like?"
~
"You sound as daft as Remus!" Sirius exclaimed, shoving his chair away from the uniquely long table, causing it to screech across the floor. Minerva McGonagall gave him a reproving glare.
"Be polite, young man. Albus and I have discussed this at length, and it's really our only option at this point." Minerva shot him one last glare to make sure he was sufficiently chastised before turning her attention back to their leader, the most accomplished swordsman of their day, even at his age. Albus was looking at Sirius thoughtfully before his clear blue eyes landed on Remus, and he smiled. Remus found himself smiling back. One just couldn't help oneself when it came to Albus. There was something magical about Albus -- something that inspired trust, confidence, and the desire to please him.
"I believe that hiring this mercenary truly is our last option," said Albus, letting his gaze wander away from Remus to take in the reactions of the rest of the Order. Those in attendance at this meeting were the leaders of the Order, some dozen or so seasoned swordsmen and women. They led the small contingent of fighters that came daily to train at the Manor, Sirius' ancestral home. "While I understand some of you may have reservations about this course of action, I personally think it will turn out in our definite favor. The young man in question--"
"Who is it?" Sirius rudely interrupted, earning him another look from Minerva.
"Severus Snape," Albus admitted, but only got about halfway through the name before Sirius practically erupted.
Sirius stood so abruptly his chair fell over backwards, the dark wood of the table littered with the spittle that flew from his mouth as he yelled, "What?! You can't be serious! That black-hearted, devil-worshipping, evil-brewing war monger! I won't have his filth in my house!" Kingsley Shacklebolt, a wealthy landowner from the south stood as well, his shaved head gleaming in the candlelight. Albus calmly motioned for Kingsley to retake his seat before he addressed the room, effectively ignoring Sirius' impassioned outburst.
"Mister Snape has not only been intimately involved with the goings-on in Voldemort Province, but he has a reputation, as some of you may know--"
"Yeah, a reputation as a murderer and scoundrel! We can't trust him. This is ridiculous." Sirius looked around the table for support. The only other Order leader who looked convinced by Sirius’ words was Alastor Moody, a grizzly old fighter who'd seen more battles than all of them put together, back in the Grindelwald Witch-Hunting Wars some fifty years past. He, too, was quick to anger and even quicker to distrust. Mad-Eye, nicknamed for the milky-blue appearance of his useless and scarred right eye, was especially distrustful of anyone with potential links to witchcraft. While Remus didn't believe in such nonsense, there was still a lot of superstition these days, and not many tried to disabuse Mad-Eye of his long held beliefs.
"Mind your tongue, Mister Black," Minerva reproved. "Let Albus speak before you fly off the hilt."
"Thank you, Minerva," Albus said, folding his finely wrinkled hands before him on the table. "I know Snape has a poor reputation amongst some, but he also has a reputation for being a fore-most expert on espionage, and his position is unique amongst those on Riddle's payroll. I suggest that, if nothing else, we hear what the man has to say."
"I'm sorry," Arthur Weasley interrupted sheepishly, "But what exactly are these rumors? I, too, have heard of the 'dark mercenary' Severus Snape, but little else."
It was Kingsley who answered the kindly and mild-mannered Arthur. "They say he consorts with demons, but that's bollocks." Everyone ignored Mad-Eye's contradictory murmur at that. Kingsley continued, "They say he learned the art of healing herbs from African shamans, that he learned how to blend into the shadows from Japanese warriors, and that he learned to hear for miles and see for leagues from the natives of the Americas. They say he bows to no Lord, follows nothing but his endless thirst for riches, and cares nothing for politics. They say he is not swayed by the sweetest of drinks, nor by the most beautiful of women."
Remus' eyebrows rose at that, and a deathly silence followed Kingsley's ominous words. When Remus turned his eyes back to Albus, Albus was staring back, with that same enigmatic smile. "Remus, from what Sirius said, it sounds as if you had the same idea to get some inside information, so to speak?"
Willing a flush of embarrassment to die down before it began, Remus simply nodded. He dared not look at Sirius. He wasn't sure how his old friend would feel about this turn of events. "Something like that, though not about Mister Snape in particular. I doubt I would have come up with that idea." Perhaps that would placate Sirius some.
"Excellent, my dear boy. Well then," said Albus, standing and clapping his hands together decisively, "It looks as if we have our liaison chosen to go and meet with Mister Snape. Now then, Molly dear, how about some of that rabbit stew you mentioned earlier?" Arthur smiled proudly at his wife, and everyone began rising from their seats. Remus remained seated, staring with a stunned expression at Albus' empty chair.
Chapters 3 & 4