| His dark eyes were still fixed upon the coiling serpent in its protective sphere"I sought a third wand, Severusthe Elder Wand, the Wand of Destiny, the DeathstickI took it from its previous masterI took it from the grfave of Albus Dumbledore And now Snape looked at Voldemort, and Snape's face was like a death maskit was marble white and so still that when he spoke, it was a shock to see that anyone lived behind the blank eyes"My Lord\a150\a150let me go to the boy\a150\a150" "all this long night when I am on the brink of victory, I have sat here," said Voldemort, his voice barely louder than a whisper, "wondering, wondering, why the Elder Wand refuses to be what it ought to be, refuses to perform as legend says it must perform for its rightful ownernd I think I have the answer"Perhaps you already know it? You are a clever man, after all, SeverusYou have been a good and faithful servant, and I regret what must happen "My Lord\a150\a150" "The Elder Wand cannot serve me properly, Severus, because I am not its true masterThe Elder Wand belongs to the wizard who killed its last ownerYou killed Albus DumbledoreWhile you live, Severus, the Elder Wand cannot truly be mine "My Lord!" Snape protested, raising his wand"It cannot be any other way," said Voldemort"I must master the wand, SeverusMaster the wand, and I master Potter at last And Voldemort swiped the air with the Elder WandIt did nothing dior to
Sanpe, who for a split second seemed to think he had been reprieved: but then Voldemort's intention became clearThe snake's cage was rolling through the air, and before Snape could do anything more than yell, it had encased him, head and shoulders, and Voldemort spoke in Parseltongue There was a terrible screamHarry saw Snape's face losing the little color it had left; it whitened as his black eyes widened, as the snake's fangs pierced his neck, as he failed to push the enchanted cage off himself, as his knees gave way and he fell to the floor"I regret it," said Voldemort coldlyHe turned away; there was no sadness in him, no remorseIt was time to leave this shack and take charge, with a wand that would now do his full biddingHe pointed it at the starry cage holding the snake, which drifted upward, off snape, who fell sideways onto the floor, blood gushing from the wounds in his neckVoldemort swept from the room without a backward glance, and the great serpent floated after him in its huge protective sphereBack in the tunnel and his own mind, Harry opened his eyes; He had drawn blood biting down on his knuckles in an effort not to shout outNow he was looking through the tiny crack between crate and wall, watching a foot in a black boot trembling on the floor"Harry!" breathed Hermione behind him, but he had already pointed his wand at the crate blocking his viewIt lifted an inch into the air and drifted chanel silver clutch bag sideways silentlyAs quietly as he could, he pulled himself up into the roomHe did not know why he was doing it, why he was approaching the dying man: he did not know what he felt as he saw Snape's white face, adn the fingers trying to staunch the bloody wound at his neckHarry took off the invisibility cloak and looked down upon the man he hated, whose widening black eyes found Harry as he cried to speakHarry bent over him, and Snape seized the front of his robes and pulled him closeA terrible rasping, gurgling noise issued from Snape's throat Something more than blood was leaking from SnapeSilvery blue, neither gas nor liquid, it gushed form his mouth and his ears and his eyes, and Harry knew what it was, but did not know what to do\a150\a150 A flask, conjured from thin air, was thrust into his shaking hand by HermioneHarry lfited the silvery substance into it with his wandWhen the falsk was full to the brim, and Snape looked as though there was no blood left in him, his grip on Harry's robes slackenedThe green eyes found the black, but after a second, something in
the depths of the dark pari seemed to vanish, leaving them fixed, blank, and emptyThe hand holding Harry thudded to the floor, and Snape moved no more
\p\C0="Chapter Thirty-Three: The Prince's Tale"
\bChapter Thirty-Three
\iThe Prince's Tale\i\b
Harry remained kneeling at Snape's side, simply staring down at him, until quite louis vuitton galliera pm bag suddenly a high, cold voice spoke so close to them that Harry jumped on his feet, the flask gripped tightly in his hands, thinking that Voldemort had reentered the room
Voldemort's voice reverberated from the walls and floor, and Harry realized that he was talking to Hogwarts and to all the surrounding area, that the residents of Hogsmeade and all those still fighting in the castle would hear him as clearly as if he stood beside them, his breath on the back of their necks, a deathblow away
"You have fought," said the high, cold voice, "valiantlyLord Voldemort knows how to value bravery
"Yet you have sustained heavy lossesIf you continue to resist me, you will all die, one by oneI do not wish this to happenEvery drop of magical blood spilled is a loss and a waste
"Lord Voldemort is mercifulI command my forces to retreat immediatelyDispose of your dead with dignity
"I speak now, Harry Potter, directly to youYou have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourselfI shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden ForestIf, at the end of that hour, you have not come to me, have not given yourself up, then battle recommencesThis time, I shall enter the fray myself, Harry Potter, and I shall find you, and I shall punish every last man, woman, and child who has tried to conceal you from me
Both Ron and Hermione shook their heads frantically, looking at Harry
"Don't listen to him," said Ron
"It'll gucci laptop bags be all right," said Hermione wildly"Let's - let's get back to the castle, if he's gone to the forest we'll need to think of a new plan - "
She glanced at Snape's body, then hurried back to the tunnel entranceHarry gathered up the Invisibility Cloak, then looked down at SnapeHe did not know what to feel, except shock at the way Snape had been killed, and the reason for which it had been done\a133
They crawled back through the tunnel, none of them talking, and Harry wondered whether Ron and Hermione could still hear Voldemort ringing in their heads as he could
\iYou have permitted your friends to die for you rather than face me yourselfI shall wait for one hour in the Forbidden Forest\a133One hour\a133\i
Small bundles seemed to litter the lawn at the front of the castle (?)It could only be an hour or so from dawn, yet it was pitch-blackThe three of them hurried toward the stone stepsA lone dog, the size of a small boat, lay abandoned in front of themThere was no other sign of Grawp or of his attacker
The castle was unnaturally silentThere were no flashes of light now, no bangs or screams or shoutsThe flagstones of the deserted entrance hall were stained with bloodEmeralds were still scattered all over the floor, along with pieces of marble and splintered woodPart of the banisters had been blown away
"Where is everyone?" whispered Hermione
Ron led the way to the Great HallHarry stopped in the rock of love tiffany's necklace doorw |
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