The Burning Pen

The Ring

by Ruth Solomon

The story content is adult in nature and can contain graphic sex and violence.  Those under the age of 18 are asked to leave this site immediately.  You are not welcome here.  The author is not responsible for those under-aged who view these works.

CHAPTER 3

Disclaimer: All recognizable characters belong to JKR. All situations are mine. No $$$ is being made from this fanfic.
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Chapter 3 ~ The Sacrifice of Severus Snape

There. Hermione was out of danger. The ring would watch over her until all this madness was over. And it had what Snape needed. He only hoped this would work. If not, his final act would still be worth the sacrifice.

Taking a deep breath, Snape dashed from behind the rubble, back through the screams, hexes, smoke and flame, running low, his short sword in hand. Potter would never find Voldemort in time. He was too well hidden. The death and violence erupting from the battle would swell the Dark Lord’s power to epic proportions. He would be unstoppable, then it all would be truly over. The only one who had access to the Dark Lord’s hiding place was a high-ranking deatheater. Him.

Snape swerved around and leaped over the many bodies and body parts that littered the grounds, and ran unhindered to the point where he could apparate into the Dark Lord’s presence. There was no other way to end this. He stopped by a toppled statue, and disapparated.

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Suddenly it was quiet. The screams, cries and blasts of battle were far from this place of respite.

“How goes the battle, Severus?” a high pitch voice addressed him from the center of the room. Snape bowed low.

“It is a terrible thing, my Lord. Bodies and blood. You can smell death in the air,” Snape replied, approaching the Dark Lord’s golden throne.

It was the only object in the large circular throne room. Voldemort sat upon the seat, his wand clutched in his scaly hand. The wizard was dressed in seamless golden robes, the Morsmordre symbol embroidered down the front, diamond trim on the sleeves. His red eyes locked to Snape and the lipless mouth turned up in a snake-like smile. His tongue flickered out.

“Excssssssselent!” he hissed, “I can feel my power growing, Severus. Soon I will make my appearance and slay all living. It’s a shame about my deatheaters, but their sacrifice will ensure my victory.”

“Yes, my Lord,” Snape said moving closer to the throne. “Sacrifice can insure victory, this is true. One man’s sacrifice can save an entire world.”

“But the sacrifice of many can conquer a world, Severus,” said the Dark Lord, “Are you prepared to sacrifice your life for me?”

The Potions Master looked at the Dark Lord, his black eyes beginning to glitter.

“I am prepared to sacrifice my life if I must, my Lord, but not for you. To destroy you!” Snape said, charging the throne and hitting it and the wizard so hard, the great chair toppled, taking both wizards done with it.

“How dare you! How dare you touch me!” Voldemort screamed, rolling away from the Potions Master and leaping to his feet with surprising quickness. He pointed his wand at Snape.

“You’ll die a traitor!” he screamed at the pale wizard.

“Maybe I won’t die at all,” Snape replied, apparating to the Dark Lord instantly and wrapping his arms around the wizard arms, and trapping them and his wand at his side. Snape almost vomited at the putrid scent of Voldemort. He smelled like death and decay, the things he fed upon for strength.

“You cannot hold me,” Voldemort hissed, his tongue flickering across Snape’s cheek. Voldemort began to radiate power. Snape crushed the wizard closer to him and began to chant an incantation.

“What…what are you doing! That incantation…it will destroy us! Both of us! Where did you learn that?” the Dark Lord screamed in horror, his power receding as Snape continued to chant, a golden glow forming around his body and spreading to the Dark Lord.

His black eyes locked to Voldemort’s.

“You were right to fear me, my Lord. But for the wrong reasons. I never wanted to move up in ranks and become you. I wanted only your death. You underestimated me. My power. If you had stopped your little egocentric ravings to look around you, you would have found it strange I survived so many Cruciatus curses,” Snape said softly, as the glow increased in brightness. The two wizards began to shudder, Snape never relinquishing his hold on the Dark Lord.

“I bided my time, Voldemort. Albus wanted to do things his way, and I let him. He wanted to follow the Prophecy, and I sat back and watched everything boil towards this conclusion. You would have won, Voldemort. I can’t let that happen, even if I have to walk into that final darkness with you,” Snape breathed, clinging to the wizard as the glow around them became a great consuming flame.

“Severus! Severus! Wait. Wait! I will share my kingdom with you! We will rule side by side!” Voldemort cried, trying to break free as the flames intensified.

“A kingdom of suffering? A monarchy of corpses? An empire of death? No, my Lord, I have no desire to be a king in the kind of world you would create. I would rather serve as your attendant, your conductor, your guide…”

The flames flared dangerously. Severus grimaced, then continued, his black eyes victorious.

“and escort you back to the Hell that spawned you!” Snape cried as the flame erupted, boiling over and turning them both to steaming ash, the flame extinguishing itself immediately.

Two small, flaky mounds sat piled on the floor in the exact positions occupied by the two wizards, one black, one gray. Voldemort and Snape were no more. Snape had made the ultimate sacrifice for the wizarding world’s freedom, killing the Dark Lord and himself. And like the other services he’d selflessly rendered to protect a world that rejected him, no one would ever know.

Then a strange thing occurred. A slight stirring of magic rifled the still air. It whirled and grew in power. The pile of gray ash began to pile upon itself, forming a column, which then condensed, crushing itself into a short, thick, solid cylinder. A bright glow filled the throne room, then the pile of ash formerly known as Severus Snape, Potions Master…was gone.

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A/N: I just thought it would be good to show what happened to Severus. Please review.
 

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