Chapter 35
Sitting on the sofa, Severus smiled and twirled the necklace around his finger, while his other hand stroked the head of a very displeased Nagini.
"Why do you need this trinket?"
"This is not just a trinket. It is a rather interesting artifact." Severus squeezed the black crystal attached to it in his fist, and dark miasma burst out between his fingers, followed by a crack.
"An artifact?" Nagini blinked, watching in amazement as black dust spilled from his hand, only to be swallowed by a tongue of flame a few seconds later.
"An artifact of trust. It is a useful thing if you want to make friends, but if you wear it for too long, the wearer becomes dependent on the person it is tuned to. The effect is weak, but over a long period it is as effective as any brainwashing slave seal."
"So that is madness too?"
"No. Madness is a natural trait in the Black family, a kind of curse. Remember those moments when Regulus seemed to forget my strength and gave in to anger. That is what madness looks like." Severus rose from the sofa, lifted a slightly surprised Nagini onto his shoulders, then pulled a dark cloak over her, hiding them both completely, and headed for the exit.
"Where are we going so late?"
"To finish one important matter." Severus said with a mysterious smile. He snapped his fingers, turned off all the lights, left the house, and headed straight for the Leaky Cauldron.
At that moment, several wizards who were lurking in the alleys and drifting around the area followed him, keeping their distance.
"Snape."
"I know," Severus replied calmly, pretending he had not noticed the surveillance. "They are not planning to attack us, they are just watching. And judging by how they move, they are not from the same group, so they are trying to keep their distance from each other. interesting."
A few minutes later, he reached the pub, stepped into a lively room, and quickly vanished into the crowd of cheerful wizards, while leaving his illusion sitting at the bar.
Of course, the bartender did not miss the trick. He said nothing, only watched Severus's back as he left. He also did not forget the Galleon that had appeared in front of the illusion, which then disappeared just as mysteriously.
Once among the Muggles, Severus cast a distraction charm and looked straight into the eyes of the man stepping out of the car.
A few seconds later, a cheerful smile appeared on his lips, and when a dozen wizards burst out of the pub, he was already gone without a trace.
Yorkshire Dales National Park.
On a small hill surrounded by endless, lush green wastelands, hills, and rivers, space rippled, and Severus emerged from the void.
"It is so nice to be able to use space travel again. How are you? I usually get motion sickness the first time."
"I am fine, but you should have warned me first." Nagini said in a slightly drooping voice, feeling a little seasick.
"I am sorry."
"It is nothing. Did you figure out who it was?"
"Hmm. I am sure Lucius had men among them. The rest. I have no idea, but maybe it has something to do with the exam. This is the only thing out of the ordinary, and judging by Slughorn's reaction, it is entirely possible," Severus said, scanning the surroundings and lifting his gaze to the cliff where the cave entrance lay below. "This place will do. There is not a soul around."
"You still have not explained what you are going to do."
"To be reborn, like a phoenix."
"So. did the basilisk hit you on the head?" Nagini asked, worried, pressing her tail to Severus's forehead. "You do not seem to have a fever."
"Instead of joking, get ready to protect me until I finish."
Nagini fell silent for a few seconds, but Severus could easily feel her unease through the link.
"Is it dangerous?"
"No. I am fully prepared for this, even for unforeseen situations, so stop worrying about me."
"When you say that, I get even more worried."
"Do not you believe in me?! Oh! My heart is broken! Cry. cry. cry."
"Stop playing the fool," Nagini hissed indignantly, poking his cheek with her tail.
"Okay, okay, but do not worry for no reason. I am one hundred percent sure everything will work out, and worrying will only get in my way," Severus said, stopping at the entrance that led down. He raised his hand. A few seconds later, light flashed over the rock and a barrier formed across the opening. "This will take about an hour, so you do not have to worry about anyone breaking through, but I will add a couple more. There is also quite dense magical energy here, which means it will hold for a long time, even under a hail of attacks from a dozen Masters."
"I am sorry."
"It is okay," Severus said with a warm smile. He stroked the top of her head and, passing through the barrier, began to descend.
Along the way, he continued setting up small barriers and traps for intruders until they reached the very bottom: a huge cave decorated with turquoise crystals.
"It is very beautiful here, and it feels so nice."
"Nothing surprising. These crystals contain first-class magical energy, without any impurities."
"What is the difference from the usual one?" Nagini asked, perplexed, because for her there was no difference between the magic outside and the magic inside.
"Purity. It is not just easier to use, spells become almost twice as powerful. And the fact that they are just lying here is strange, although. most likely, in this world they simply do not know what it is, or there is no method to draw it out. But it is for the best. Now I am one hundred percent sure everything will work out. That is it, I will stay here. Detain anyone who tries to get in, even though it is almost impossible, but people can do anything."
"Okay. good luck."
"I definitely will not need it. I have everything calculated. But thanks anyway."
As soon as Nagini returned to the tunnel, Severus closed the entrance and cast a Silencing Charm. Then he crouched on the floor and took out two vials: one held a liquid that shone with golden light, and the other was dark green and radiated a terrifying aura, as if it could destroy everything. After that, he took out the crystal he had received earlier.
All that is left is to hope my body can withstand the full power of the dragon crystal before it collapses. Severus took a deep breath, looked at the crystal one last time, then popped it into his mouth and swallowed.
Even so, he could not be completely sure everything would go smoothly, because no one is immune to failure. He was prepared for almost any accident, but you can never predict what will happen next unless you are a Seer. Even a plan you have checked a hundred times can still hide a barely noticeable error, and that tiny mistake can ruin the entire mission. So he did not relax for even a moment, waiting for the crystal to begin releasing its power.
It did not take long. After only a minute, his body flushed red in a matter of seconds, and a terrifying dragon roar rose from his chest, making the cave walls tremble.
Wounds began to open all over his skin, and blood flowed endlessly from them. The edges of the wounds turned black and rotted, gradually peeling away. Only because he had taken a powerful anesthetic beforehand did Severus feel little pain, only a slight burning sensation, so he could calmly observe his body.
The first stage of the ritual required him to completely drain the dragon crystal and absorb the energy it released with his core, with every negative effect being pushed onto his body. That was why he had prepared so carefully, in order to endure the trial all the way to the end.
The minutes dragged on like hours, because at a moment like this he could not afford to get distracted. It could cost him his life.
Meanwhile, outside, it felt like the end of the world for the Muggles living near the cave. The sky for ten kilometers around was covered in dark clouds, and a terrifying wind rose, followed by a thunderstorm. Naturally, such a sudden change could not help drawing the attention of the Ministry wizards assigned to the area. Within ten minutes, about thirty wizards in hooded cloaks appeared near the cave itself. In front of them stood a man in a shabby leather coat, gray hair sticking out in a shock, and a wildly moving artificial eye as he peered around.
"Find that bastard who is throwing magic around so indiscriminately and bring him to me! Obliviate team, you might have a lot of work today, get ready!" he barked in a sharp, slightly hoarse voice.
"Yes!"
"Begin the search, and do not forget: constant vigilance!"
At that very moment, the wizards scattered in different directions. The commander, touching his suddenly frozen magical eye, which was staring to the right, straight toward the cliff where the cave entrance lay, bared his teeth.
"There you are."
The cave where Severus was located was filled with a terrible stench. Rotting flesh lay around him, and he looked more like a zombie from some surreal horror film. In places, chunks of flesh were missing. His entire body was smeared with blood that still would not stop flowing, and if he had not drunk several dozen hemostatic and blood-forming potions in advance, he would have died of blood loss.
Then, at last, he opened his eyes. There was not a shadow of panic in them. He took a deep breath, and in that same second he vomited blood.
I assumed the worst, but so far everything is going according to plan, and now. Severus extended a trembling hand, took the flask of dark green liquid, and without even a moment of hesitation, poured it into his mouth. A second later, the cave filled with hissing and the smell of burnt flesh.
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