December 18, 1976 – Serena Pov
It was Hogsmeade weekend, a few days before we were allowed out for the Christmas holidays, at this moment I was on an unbearable double date with Lucius and Narcissa, my date forced by Narcissa, obviously with Bellatrix by my side, I sighed and simply surrendered to my fate.
"Can you stop looking like you're dying, our dates are coming up soon." Lucius nudged me, I rolled my eyes and pulled out a couple of cigarettes, placing one on my lips and offering him the other "thanks." snap Lucius seemed to have gotten used to my way of lighting cigarettes because he didn't flinch when I did it anymore, too bad.
"Lucy!" I heard Narcissa before I saw her, I saw her arrive quickly with a smile on her face, she seemed happy as she dragged her sister by the arm, Bellatrix seemed more resigned than anything else.
"Cissa, my dear, you look stunning." Lucius smiled gallantly, Narcissa giggled and kissed Lucius on the cheek, I rolled my eyes at the same time as Bellatrix, it seemed that she couldn't stand Lucius's cheesiness either. Lucius hit me with his shoulder again and pointed his eyes at Bellatrix, I sighed tiredly, how the hell had I ended up here, oh yes, an incessant begging from Narcissa.
"Bella, you look beautiful." I said honestly, and I wasn't lying, she was wearing normal, warm clothes, it was December so it was awfully cold, but she still looked good, it was a welcome change from the ever present school uniform.
"You too Sera." Bellatrix purred as she walked over and wrapped her arm around my arm, I rolled my eyes.
"Well, let's go to Hogsmeade and get into some business, you must be cold," I said simply.
"And you don't?" Narcissa asked curiously.
"Brass, it stores heat, I can increase my body temperature." The trio looked at me with a dirty look, I rolled my eyes "You can take out the corresponding metals, there are several." I replied, even so I spoke with more force, enough to emit heat around me, the trio looked at me surprised but they snuggled closer to me, Bellatrix practically stuck to my body while Lucius and Narcissa got as close as they could without looking weird.
"You're burning up." Bellatrix grabbed my hand and felt my body heat, I nodded.
"I know." I smiled arrogantly at her, Bellatrix rolled her eyes amusedly, I chuckled "I'm resistant to temperatures generated by my metals, even fire in general, with a few tricks I can even resist lower or higher temperatures, especially higher ones." We started walking in the direction of Hogsmeade "What's the plan?" I hadn't prepared at all.
" We can go to Madam Puddifoot's." Narcissa squealed in excitement, all three of us shuddering at the thought. "It'll be very romantic!" I grimaced as Bellatrix glared at me falsely accusing me of this failure.
"Actually, I was thinking of stopping by the shops, I have some things to buy, you can go with Lucius, it might take me a while." I smiled awkwardly.
"NO!" Lucius yelled, it clearly wasn't a screech, he cleared his throat "I mean, this is a double date, it wouldn't be fair for us to split up, Narcissa was expecting this." He looked at me with pleading eyes as if begging me not to abandon him, I'm sorry Lucius, our friendship only goes as far as Puddifoot's door, friendships are broken the moment you step inside.
"Lucy's right! It's a double date! " I wanted to moan in frustration, I grimaced when I felt Bellatrix digging her nails into me.
"Now sister, Sera said she has some things to buy, I don't want to stop her from doing her shopping." Bellatrix smiled softly "we can go later, or another day." she comforted her "or never." she muttered only audible to me, I snorted.
"...okay, but we'll go with you, it is a double date after all." Narcissa huffed reluctantly, the three of us letting out a collective sigh as we avoided the hideous pink tent, I didn't mind the pink, in fact, it's a nice color, I like pink, but there was a point where the pink was just too much and it became painful to look at, well, Puddifoot took that level up a notch and it was practically torture to be inside.
The rest of the day was enjoyable, we ended up talking about everything and nothing, just wandering from store to store doing missing Christmas shopping, although I couldn't really see anything I could gift to the group next to me or that I would buy in full view of them, it would ruin the whole surprise, so I just filed the ideas away for later.
We were nearing the end of the day, close to time to return to the castle when an explosion caught our attention and a group of hooded people, Death Eaters.
My eyes opened wide, I had no recollection from Severus that a Death Eater attack would occur around this time, I looked at Lucius who looked at me and quickly realized what I wanted to ask without speaking, he shook his head immediately.
"Shit." He also had no memory of any Death Eater attack, I grabbed Cia who was on my shoulder and placed her inside my clothes letting the warm feeling reach my entire body until a hand grabbed my wrist "Bella?" I looked at Bellatrix confused, she had a crazed look, almost as if she was holding back with all her strength, she seemed anxious as she looked at me almost pleadingly while her eyes deviated to the hooded people, I sighed "Go, don't let anyone see you, and for Morgana's love, only the Death Eaters." I gave her the green light, Bellatrix's smile grew more sadistic before disappearing in front of me.
"Are you sure that was a good idea?" Lucius asked with a grimace, I replied the same.
"Not really, but if I didn't let her go, she was going to do it herself," I said honestly, it was the first time Bellatrix was going to look for souls to consume, I didn't know if she could really control herself or not.
"Bella's going to be okay, she can take care of herself," Narcissa said, I nodded, it was the least of my worries, unless Voldemort himself came, there really was nothing to worry about.
"Very well, we have to go to the castle." Maybe help one or two people or students, I don't think they would be so bold as to kill right next to Hogwarts, to send a message? Maybe, but killing at this stage of the war? To a student? it was drawing too much unwanted attention.
"Now, now, Snape, why would you want to leave?" I clenched my fingers together about to snap them to burn away the new voice that had just interrupted me, I turned around and saw a hooded wizard with a white mask, I quickly scanned the place, we were in a not so secluded place, but there were little to no other people around and they never looked in our direction, I gulped, it wasn't an ability I used very often, but I could immediately hear the magical pulses like a drum in my head.
First I felt the wards above us, there were several, I guess anti-apparition was one of them, then I heard the people around me, Bellatrix was the most obvious, even from a distance, her sound was a very loud and very deep drum, dangerous, that seemed to engulf everything.
Next was Lupin who wasn't far from where I was, Lupin's sound seemed normal, like the rest around me, but his sound was corrupted, as if it had a slight distortion, lycanthropy I realized, that distortion was the curse.
"Rabastan, do we have to do this?" Lucius asked impassively as he immediately recognized the person under the mask, Lestrange's noise was almost normal, but beneath it there was a small noise, dangerous almost a hiss because it was so weak, that noise made me shudder more than those of the werewolves, Voldemort, the noise came from Rabastan's dark mark.
I could feel that same hissing sound spread throughout Hogsmeade, there were several marked Death Eaters.
"Lucius." Rodolphus spat, "the dark lord believes you're on our side thanks to your father, a traitor is all I see." he hissed as he removed his mask, "but I'm not here for you, or for your sister, Narcissa, for breaking the engagement-" Narcissa growled, "I'm here for you, Snape." she hissed hatefully as she glared at me, "now where's my brother?!" she exclaimed loudly and I grimaced, of course it was about Rabastan.
"No idea Lestrange, I thought she crawled back to you to suck your cock again when she disappeared from Hogwarts." I slurred my words slowly as I looked at Rodolphus.
" How dare you!" Lestrange hissed, "tell me where my brother is, or else!" Rabastan raised his wand and sent up a red flare. The change was immediate. A group of Death Eaters seemed to have been waiting for the signal and surrounded us. There were at least a dozen of them.
"Now Rodolphus, this is not necessary," Lucius interjected on guard, I could see him scanning all the Death Eaters, "you know better than to trust Rosier's information."
"I didn't say anything about Rosier," Lestrange growled, Lucius rolled his eyes and pointed at one of the Death Eaters.
"Do you really think a mask would fool me? Please, I could see your incompetence from afar." Lucius chided condescendingly. "Besides… the Dark Lord is aware of this… incursion? You don't want to upset him Rodolphus, I hear he… doesn't take kindly to those who anger him." Lucius drawled slowly, causing Lestrange to shudder slightly.
"Don't listen to him! It's his fault! She made it disappear! She must have used a Portkey! " the Death Eater who Lucius said was Rosier shouted.
"Shut up Rosier!" growled Lestrange, his wand gripped tightly, "The Dark Lord is aware of this attack! I had his permission and he gave me the necessary assistance! I can't do anything with you Malfoy! But Snape is fair game! He's going to tell me where my brother is, even if I have to rip it from him! One Cruciatus Curse and his tongue will loosen! " Lestrange's crazed look as he pointed his wand at me was telling, he really was no bargaining partner at this point, I sighed and saw Lucius looking at me as he shrugged having come to the same conclusion.
snap I snapped my fingers as Lestrange began to move his wand.
"AAAHHH!!" Lestrange's scream filled the village as his arms and wand suddenly caught fire. I didn't really think it would work, Rosier was with them, I should have warned him about my fire, it was disappointing, my eyes moved to those who raised their wand but I decided not to risk it, I was increasing my speed of thought so the calculations came to me easily.
snap Fire erupted and burned the arms and wands of all the Death Eaters, a cacophony of screams immediately arose as the Death Eaters tried to put out the fire on their arms to no avail, I looked dispassionately at the nearly dozen people writhing on the ground crying and moaning in pain, I looked at Lucius and Narcissa, both of them were staring at the group as if they were a group of insects, I wasn't even surprised by their reaction anymore, I simply shrugged my shoulders and fired a Stunning Charm at each of them before beginning to walk over the bodies.
I paused momentarily, with a wave of my hand everyone's masks slipped off their faces and I quickly looked at them… bingo.
There was no reason to waste this opportunity to get more credits, I only knew 4 of them, Rodolphus Lestrange, Rosier's snitch, and to my surprise, Goyle Sr. and Crabbe Sr., the rest seem like run-of-the-mill recruits, people without canon history or at least some relevant history would not generate me any credit, so I quickly summoned my seal and pressed it on the four relevant people.
"What the -!! Snape!!" Why me? I groaned frustratedly as I put the seal away, just as I had finished sealing everyone, and looked at Black who had screamed with his wand in hand, he seems somewhat battered just like the rest of the marauders, Lily and her friends.
"Black, what a surprise."
"What happened?! What did you do?! " he asked forcefully as he looked at the unconscious bodies of the Death Eaters.
"noth-"
"Aurors! Stop! " I looked away from Black towards the new group that began to arrive, Moody was the first to approach us.
"Auror Moody, it's a pleasure to see you." Lucius said cordially, Moody grunted.
"Yeah, sure, Malfoy." Moody's voice was dripping with sarcasm. "Now talk! What the hell happened here!? " he exclaimed as he looked around before snorting. "Though it seems they had a last minute upgrade, HA!"
"We were on our way back to the castle when we saw them," Lucius said simply, "we were avoiding everyone when we came across these people with their arms burned, we have no idea who it was."
"And you clearly knew nothing of this, did you Malfoy?" Moody asked suspiciously, his magical eye darting around, Lucius raised an eyebrow.
"Are you, Auror Moody, implying that I'm involved in this, or am I misunderstanding?" Lucius asked lazily, Moody snorted.
"If the mask fits you," Moody growled and Lucius narrowed his eyes.
"I don't like what Auror Moody is implying, I'll be sure to tell my father and file a complaint with the Auror office for defamation and prejudice."
"Your father? Yes, of course! I'm sure he was present at this attack!" Moody exclaimed and Lucius rolled his eyes. "I can tell you things about your father that would horrify you, boy! Now, start talking! "
"Now Auror Moody, I feel insulted, even discriminated against." Lucius said with a hurt expression "you accuse me of terrorism and being affiliated with a hate group against muggle-borns when you are doing the same thing, believing that, because I am a pureblood, I have to do with all this-"Lucius pointed to the area"-absurdity, I feel hurt, who is discriminating against whom? " He put a hand on his chest and smirked.
"You little shit !"
" Alastor !" I grimaced, Dumbledore had arrived, and Moody knew better than anyone to remain silent as the Headmaster looked around, his gaze focused on Evan Rosier and then his arms and the ash around him, there was a strong smell of burnt flesh, his gaze shifted to me without hesitation, there was a clear look of disapproval on his face, I raised an eyebrow in his direction, really? I raised an eyebrow and reached for my right arm, he frowned before looking at Moody, "I'm sure Alastor , they will answer any questions you Aurors have, but you are still my students and will be respected as such." he said firmly, Moody clicked his tongue.
"Of course Albus." he said reluctantly as he clicked his tongue and started walking "Black! Potter! You guys go first! " he pointed at the marauders.
"Now, Miss Snape, I believe we need to have a conversation." Dumbledore's gaze focused on me once again.