Chapter 66. Bloody Christmas. Part 1. The Manor
After the "cheerful" dinner and the announcement of the train departure time, eleven in the morning as usual, the students started heading back to their common rooms to keep celebrating.
Severus did not leave. He decided to wait for Slughorn, who spent a few minutes saying goodbye to the other professors before making for the exit from the Great Hall.
"Mr. Snape, have you thought about it?" Slughorn asked with a smile, noting the calm expression on his face.
"Yes, Professor," Severus nodded, falling into step beside him as they walked down the long corridor. "I most likely will not be able to stay. There is some business I need to handle."
"I see. Well, that is a pity, but I will not force you. If you have any questions, you can always send an owl."
"No, Professor, I have another proposal." A gray mirror the size of his palm appeared in his hand, and he offered it to Slughorn. "A friend of mine made two linked artifacts. The password is the name of a potion that includes mistletoe, white nettle, and mandrake root."
"Interesting. I will remember that. Same time as usual, then, and do not you dare be late!" Slughorn said sternly, though he did not look particularly surprised by the mirror, even though something like that would normally cost a fortune.
"Of course, Professor. Have I ever been late?" Severus asked, but when he caught Slughorn's mocking look, he glanced away sheepishly. "Well, once, but I had a valid reason."
"Once?"
"Alright, twice."
"And that time you got held up in the library for two whole minutes."
"Two is not twenty!"
"You were still late," Slughorn chuckled, nodding at passing students who greeted him.
"I will try not to let it happen again."
"I am holding you to that, Mr. Snape."
They descended into the castle dungeons and, after saying goodbye, went their separate ways. Slughorn headed to his office while Severus went to prepare for tomorrow's departure.
In the Slytherin common room, the celebration was in full swing, though it was not so much a party as a networking event. Students from all years made connections and established contacts. None of it was particularly interesting to Severus, and as he entered, he had a feeling that if he had not cast a subtle aversion charm on himself beforehand, the group gathered by the entrance would have definitely pounced and started pestering him.
He reached his room without trouble, packed a few things quickly, and after calling the house-elves, Apparated home.
Diagon Alley
Appearing in the shop, Severus looked in surprise at the Christmas tree standing in the corner, and at the room itself, which had been decorated with garlands and ornaments in the best Christmas tradition.
"I will have to give him a raise," he said with a smile, eyeing the table covered in food under a stasis spell. A small note on it read: "Happy Christmas, Mr. Snape!" He glanced at Nagini. "I already ate at Hogwarts. You want some?" Nagini shook her head. "Alright, we will save it for morning. The shop is closed for the next seven days anyway." He waved a hand toward the table and reinforced the charms to hold until morning. "Tobby, Nelly, you can rest too, but if I call, you come back immediately!" he added firmly, because if he had simply said "take the day off," they would have sobbed at his feet thinking he was freeing them. House-elves.
"Yes, Master!" Both appeared in front of him, answered in unison, and vanished just as quickly.
"What should we do?"
"I am thinking a walk around London. What do you think?"
"I am all for it," Nagini said contentedly, pressing against his cheek. "Maybe the cinema?"
"Alright."
Brief Digression
When James finally woke up, he jolted upright in bed and looked around wildly, panic in his eyes. He still remembered that deer head vividly, and the memory of that voice sent goosebumps crawling across his skin. His face was an unhealthy shade of pale. But when he saw human hands, and realized he was human again and back home, a tear rolled down his cheek. Those seven days had been actual hell. It was one thing to spend a couple hours in animal form during the full moon so their werewolf friend would not be lonely, and another thing entirely to be trapped in a deer's skin for a whole week. To relieve himself he had to run outside the castle and then wipe himself on the ground, which was disgusting, an experience he would rather never repeat.
Of course, they had offered to send him home to Potter Manor, but he had refused. He did not want to leave Lily alone with that "damn crybaby" any more than necessary.
I need to talk to Father about him. This is definitely his doing. Only he had a grudge against the four of us! James thought with an anticipatory smile, and as he was about to rush out of the room, he noticed a square box with a bow on the table.
At the same time, Mrs. Potter had prepared tea and was heading toward her son's room, but she had not taken more than a couple steps when she heard an explosion from inside.
"Ah! James!" she cried out, worry flooding her face. She ran to the door, flung the tray aside, pulled out her wand, and yanked it open. Smoke billowed out immediately, and when most of it cleared, she froze, staring at a deer racing around the room, fleeing from a pair of scissors trying to get under his tail.
A few seconds later, a whimpering dog with a muzzle came up to her, but the moment it saw the horror happening in the room, it decided to get out of there before the scissors switched targets.
Of course, there was no castration. Mrs. Potter quickly destroyed the "steel guillotines." But the psychological trauma inflicted that way was impossible to heal, and James would most likely be afraid to even look at scissors for the rest of his life.
Roughly the same thing happened to Pettigrew, only with a mousetrap. Remus woke up completely naked in a women's restroom on one of the train station platforms, without his wand. He was "comforted" by a strange crystal he found with his gift.
None of the four were left out.
End of Digression
The next day was supposed to be a date with Bella, but Severus had to cancel regretfully because of important business. Bella was busy too. The Malfoys were hosting a Christmas party, and she could not miss it. On top of that, the wedding date for Lucius and Narcissa Black would be announced. Severus had been invited as well, but since he could not make it, he sent two mirrors like the one he had given Slughorn as an apology.
The mirrors were simple communication artifacts, but in this world they were a rare luxury. The method of making them had long been lost, and the ones that remained were locked away in collectors' cabinets and aristocratic family vaults.
Severus considered selling them, but ultimately abandoned the idea. He had enough Galleons already, and in a couple months he would most likely be the richest wizard in England. No need to draw extra attention.
Closer to evening, Severus Apparated before a dilapidated estate, deep in the wilderness far from civilization. Holes gaped in the walls and roof, and most of the windows were either boarded up or missing entirely. His body was hidden under a dark cloak. A cold smile touched his lips when the smell of blood hit his nose.
"Only two months was enough. Weaklings."
"Severus, why did we come here?" Nagini asked, a hint of panic in her voice. She had noticed the traces of blood near the house and the half-open, creaking door.
"To finish something," he answered calmly, heading toward the building.
Nagini raised her gaze to the intact window on the second floor and saw a bloody handprint smeared downward. With a frightened hiccup, she darted under his cloak.
Severus saw it too, but paid it no attention. He could sense there was only one living person left on the first floor, and that person was on his last breath.
"Do not worry, it is fine." Severus pushed the door fully open. His eyes immediately caught the body of a man in a brown cloak, blood staining his back, lying almost right at the entrance. Then, looking toward the living room, he saw another body, an older woman whose face was twisted in horror. A dagger had pierced her heart. "Looks like they had quite a time."
Inside, he sensed eight more bodies: two in the kitchen, three on the second floor, one near the window, two more in the basement, and one on the stairs. The house itself was in ruins, and bloodstains marked almost every wall.
"What happened here?" Nagini asked, her voice trembling as she slipped out from under the cloak and stared at the room in shock.
"Nothing special. They killed each other, apparently disagreed about something." He shrugged indifferently and crossed the living room, entering another room. In the corner sat a thin man in a white shirt, the fabric soaked with blood around his stomach.
The wounded man's face was whiter than chalk from blood loss, but he still found the strength to open his eyes and look at the uninvited guest who had entered.
"Why did we come here, and how did you find out about this?" Nagini asked in bewilderment, but the next moment she stared in surprise at the wounded wizard. He let out a hoarse chuckle and did not take his eyes off Severus's smiling face.
"Y-you."
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