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"Why didn't you tell us? We could've talked you out of it."
A nineteen-year-old Severus turned around at the harsh voice, and he found himself facing the two people he least wanted to see. Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore. They looked angry, saddened, and ashamed. As if their only son had accepted the Dark Mark. And in a way, that was exactly what had happened.
"We told you how dangerous he was," Albus said slowly, the usual twinkling gone from his blue eyes. "We thought that after what we said, it would've been enough to diminish that foolish idea to join his ranks."
Severus didn't respond. He knew this wasn't real. This was merely a nightmare. One of his many nightmares that plagued his life. But, oh, how he hated this particular nightmare. He couldn't stand the disappointment and disgust in Minerva's voice. The monotone voice Albus donned on those special occasions where Severus fucked up.
"You've ruined your life, Severus. You had a bright and promising future until you decided to accept that blasted mark!" Minerva said, her Scottish accent growing stronger as she got angrier.
Angry at herself, at Albus, but most importantly, angry at Severus for throwing his life down the drain. When she first heard from Lily Potter, that Severus had accepted the Dark Mark, she didn't want to believe it. Her son, her son, for lord's sake! Part of Voldermort's army! A man they were fighting against, a man who thought Purebloods were above all, a man whose followers murdered people for fun, and all of a sudden, her son goes and joins them.
She had laughed at Lily and called her insane. She had said Severus wouldn't ever want to join Voldermort. That just like them, he was disgusted by everything that was happening. She hadn't believed it. Not until Albus had confirmed that what Lily was saying was indeed true.
"You don't understand!" Severus found himself saying.
Weird. This never happened. Usually, Severus stayed quiet, and Minerva and Albus would tell him how much of a disappointment he was. How utterly useless he was. And how they were disgusted with him. The nightmare would normally end with him being kicked out of the house, and a stream of curse words being sent towards him. He would see his parent's green and blue eyes bubbling with fury, for one last time, before the darkness took over, and he would wake up and would lose control of his emotions.
Minerva narrowed her green eyes, dangerously close to losing her temper. "Don't understand what, Severus?"
"I.." Severus wasn't sure what he was trying to say. He just wanted it all to be over. "I did it for us.." He paused, rapidly thinking of a possible explanation of why this version of himself, who lived with Minerva and Albus, had accepted the mark. "I thought that if the Order had a spy on the inside, the Light would have an advantage, and we could win the war."
There was silence. If there was something Severus hated more than himself and the dunderheads he had to teach, it was the silence that came before something bad happened.
"Lies," Albus hissed, sounding surprisingly a lot like Voldermort.
Severus' already pale face turned paler than normal. Surely...it wouldn't?
In only mere moments, the figures of Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall turned into Voldermort and Bellatrix Black Lestrange.
"Don't lie to me, Severus. The Dark Lord always knows the truth." Voldermort hissed, his red eyes glinting maliciously.
Severus noticed that he was no longer nineteen. He was back to his original age, and Voldermort looked the same as he did all those years ago before he killed Lily and James Potter. He supposed with him (his spirit, Severus had decided) hiding in Albania, his consciousness couldn't give him a new appearance. Bellatrix, on the other hand, looked more deranged than she usually did, and was wearing one of Azakaban's prison suits.
"My Lord?" Severus whispered. His eyes never left Voldermort's. He wasn't sure why he didn't just leave. After all, this was just a nightmare....right?
"You think I wouldn't find out about your treachery, Severus? You went to that muggle-loving fool and started spying for him! You used the information you had gathered here and betrayed us! YOU COST US MY LIFE AND THE WAR!" Voldermort yelled the last sentence, taking pleasure in seeing Severus cower before him.
"Filthy Half-Blood." Bellatrix spat out. "Master was kind enough in allowing you to join his ranks, his inner-circle, sparing that filthy little Mudblood and this is how you repay him!?"
"My Lord...it's not true." Severus paused and took a deep breath. "You know my loyalty lies with you."
"LIAR!" Voldermort hissed loudly. He raised his wand, and horrible smiles appeared on Voldermort's and Bellatrix's faces.
Severus flinched. He was done for. The Dark Lord somehow had found out that he was working for Dumbledore, not for him. Someone had ratted him out that he was the spy for the Order of the Phoneix. But who? No one that wasn't part of the Order knew he was working for them...
"Our dear friend, Wormtail, told us that you were the traitor," Voldermort said calmly, his eyes glinting hungrily.
Wormtail? .... Wormtail, also known as Peter Pettigrew, the Marauder that betrayed the Potters and sent them to their doom. Severus knew he was as guilty as Peter was, maybe even more, in the events that sent the Potters to their deaths. How the blasted rat found out he was the spy was beyond him. Perhaps Black told Pettigrew? It didn't matter anymore. He was soon to be killed, and the Dark Lord would rise, and Dumbledore would fall.
Voldermort raised his wand and yelled out "CRUCIO". Severus was surprised. He was sure that the Dark Lord would have killed him on sight, but he supposed making him suffer for a few minutes and then killing him would be fun to Voldemort. He might have been used to the pain, but it didn't mean he was immune to it. This spell was used on him so many times in the past, and just like always, he started screaming in pain.
Bellatrix started laughing, her cold maniacal shriek sending shivers down his spine. He hated that woman with all his heart. How he could have been friends with her when he was younger, he had no idea. Severus looked up at Voldermort and pleaded with him.
"Just finish me already. Please, I beg you, just kill me now." He said through his muffled screams of pain.
"Pathetic," Voldermort sneered. "Look at you, a shadow of the great and powerful man you once used to be. Nevertheless, I should give you your wish. Soon you'll join your filthy mudblood friend and your blood traitor of a mother!"
And he released Severus from the pain curse. And as suddenly as the pain curse was lifted, Voldermort yelled out Avada Kedavra. The last thing Severus saw before death claimed him was Voldermort and Bellatrix laughing at him, insulting him, mocking him. A green light hit Severus in the chest, and his body dropped to the ground, his body lifeless.
And then, Severus awoke, and he noticed, he wasn't in his quarters at Hogwarts. But instead, in the infirmary.
"Everything will be alright, Severus." The voice of Minerva McGonagall said. It sounded...broken, and sad. And he didn't like it at all.
"I know, Minne. I know."
He saw her smile, and he felt himself relax. And with that, he drifted back to sleep.