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Harry Potter and all of its characters belong to J.K Rowling.
I own nothing but the original characters I make.
"Dialogue"
'Thoughts'
-Author notes-
Chapter 379: Tonight We Hunt
The Portkey they'd left with him could only be activated from the other side when his presence was explicitly required. Snape didn't even know where it pointed to.
After reappearing, the professor regained his composure and looked around. It was the same cemetery where he'd been called last time.
'It seems he doesn't trust me with a Portkey that leads directly to the house' Snape thought.
Voldemort had always been cautious, and it appeared that becoming even more monstrous had done nothing to change that.
Hearing footsteps, he assumed it was another of the Dark Lord's minions sent to fetch him.
"Well, who do we have here?" A middle-aged woman with a cruel smile appeared from behind a large tombstone and began to approach him.
"Alecto…" Snape muttered. This was one of the infamous Carrow twins and one of the few women who he feared. She has also been the talk of the public very recently so it was easy to recognize her. This is the one who took over Dumbledore's position as Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot.
He hadn't seen her during his last visit. But then again, there had been so many people, that it was easy to miss someone. And his attention had been somewhere else on that day.
Two more figures stepped into the open area, becoming visible in the moonlight.
Unsurprisingly, Amycus Carrow was also present. The twins were inseparable.
"Severus, how have you been?" the lanky man with long, black hair and an unkempt beard sneered. Amycus usually had a jovial attitude that was completely opposite to his sister's no-nonsense one.
"I'm fine…" Snape replied, he never liked this man... always making light of every situation. Instead, he focused his eyes on the last person. Who was no other than his Godson.
But Draco Malfoy barely acknowledged him, seeming preoccupied with something else.
"Don't mind him," Amycus said with a smirk. "He's just nervous about tonight's hunt."
Snape's eyes widened slightly. "Hunt?"
"Hey, I'm not nervous!" Draco retorted, feeling obviously offended by the comment.
"You weren't even told the reason for this meeting? Seems like you've really fallen out of the Dark Lord's favor," Alecto said with a somber tone.
Amycus was about to add something when the ground shook violently.
Snape looked up as something massive blocked the faint light, casting a huge shadow.
The giant, who must have been lying behind the graves, had somehow gone unnoticed until he stood up. He let out a loud grunt, sounding displeased.
Even by giant standards, this one was particularly tall.
"What's wrong, Grunt? Did we wake you from your nap?" Amycus chuckled. "Don't mind him, Severus. He's always a bit grumpy."
Snape did his best to appear impassive. "Tell me about this hunt…"
"Oh, don't be in such a hurry. You'll find out soon enough. The rest should be arriving any moment," Amycus replied.
As if on cue, they began hearing sounds of Apparition and Portkeys activating.
Within moments, a large group of Death Eaters assembled in the old graveyard. But there was no sign of the Dark Lord.
"Alright, seems like we're all here." Bellatrix took charge, and nobody objected.
Snape didn't know much about her relationship with her husband, but considering that he stood silently at her side, it was obvious who held the higher rank.
"The night is young, so let's not waste it. You know your targets and what you're to do," Bellatrix commanded.
"I expect each of you to report back to me before dawn. Give them the ultimatum, and if they refuse… show no mercy."
Snape remained puzzled, having been given no explanation of the night's objective.
'Are we raiding Muggles… or is this something else?' This seemed like an odd time for a Muggle raid. As far as he knew, there hadn't been a single attack on Muggle territory since the Dark Lord's return.
"Severus, come here." Bellatrix waved him over.
While the others prepared to depart, she was left mostly alone, with only an older wizard, Corban Yaxley, by her side.
She pulled something small from her pocket and handed it to him.
"I assume you didn't bring a broom, so you can use this one."
Snape looked down and saw a tiny broom.
"We're flying?" he asked.
Yaxley had already removed the shrinking spell on his broom, and Bellatrix was doing the same.
"Yes, and you're coming with me." Her yellow eyes gleamed under the moonlight. "Listen, Severus. You're on thin ice right now, and I'm sure you're aware of that. Tonight, I'll be watching your performance."
'So, that's what this is…' Snape realized. This was likely a test of his loyalty. If he showed even a hint of hesitation, he'd likely be eliminated.
That would explain why Bellatrix was with him. She seemed to be the Dark Lord's most trusted, and perhaps his most powerful follower.
Snape watched as the other groups mounted their brooms and took off toward… somewhere. The homes of some unfortunate people, no doubt.
He glanced toward the Carrow twins, curious about the giant's mode of transport.
To his surprise, the giant clasped his iron bracelets together, shrinking from a towering colossus to something resembling a very tall, very ugly human. He was still unable to fly on a broom, but at this size, he could ride as a passenger on Amycus's latest model Comet broom.
"Let's go," Bellatrix said coldly. She was always like this when her beloved Dark Lord was absent.
Snape mounted his broom and followed her without delay.
His stomach churned, and he felt nauseated. Tonight, there was a very real chance he would have to kill someone.
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