The full moon hung heavy in the night sky, a pale sentinel watching over Hogwarts with cold, indifferent light.
Deep beneath the castle, in the Slytherin dungeons, the air was thick with incense smoke and whispered incantations. The circle of students surrounded the black velvet box once more. The silver dagger gleamed wickedly, hungry for the sacrifice to come.
Lucius Malfoy stood at the center, regal and untouchable, his pale face illuminated by flickering candlelight. His eyes, sharp and calculating, scanned the room like a predator savoring the kill.
At his side, Lillian Prince moved with the cold grace of a snake, eyes fixed on a figure bound in shadows — Severus Snape. The boy's dark hair was damp with sweat, his wrists bruised from the tight ropes. His eyes, however, burned with a fierce, unyielding fire.
Bitter Chains
Lucius's voice was a low, commanding whisper, dripping with dangerous promise.
"Tonight, we shall bind the power of the serpent with blood and pain. This ritual will mark the beginning of a new era. Severus Snape, you are both sacrifice and key."
The crowd fell silent, the tension vibrating in the very stones.
Snape's gaze flicked to Lillian, and something dark and bitter passed between them — a silent war of wills beneath the bindings.
The Puppetmaster
Back in the dungeon, as the ritual began, Lillian stepped closer to Snape, voice a venomous whisper only he could hear.
"You think this pain is real? You're just a pawn, Severus. A puppet dancing on strings you can't even see."
Snape's eyes narrowed, cold and unyielding. "I'm no one's puppet."
Lillian's laugh was low, dangerous. "We'll see how long that lasts."
Just then, the shadows shifted—and from the darkness emerged a figure neither Snape nor the others expected.
A grin spread across the newcomer's face, cold and triumphant.