Fire and Ice

By Slovinglecter

Chapter One

Dumbledore sat quietly, his half moon spectacles balanced on the end of his crooked nose as he appeared to stare intently at the ancient wood of his desk. He remained like this for some time, simply waiting. Something was coming, he could feel it his magic, in the magic that surrounded him. Almost as if on cue the stone of his staircase began turning, admitting the person who would change the fate of the war.

"Headmaster, it is done!" Snape stumbled through the large door and into the office, his hair swinging around his gaunt face as he gazed up at the headmaster, his eyes full of triumph. "He knows that the rider has been born."

The Headmaster looked down at the man before him with hard blue eyes, disgust lined his features as he spoke. "You delivered the prophecy as we discussed?"

Snape flinched but nodded, his eyes dropping to the floor. "Yes Headmaster, but forgive me… Why are we forsaking another child when the Dark Lord already-"

"Already believes that Harry Potter will be his undoing?" Dumbledore asked, his tone as icy as his eyes. "Because Harry Potter must survive, in forsaking this child we have saved him. In engineering their friendship I can ensure that he will be protected, and Voldemort will be distracted."

Snape flinched as the mark on his arm burned fiercely at the mention of the Dark Lords name, satisfaction lit in the Headmasters eyes as he watched the man before him squirm uncomfortably.

"Why Snape? Do you feel remorse for condemning a child you do not know, a child which you have no connection to? After all you were so very keen to condemn Harry Potter, to lead Lily's son to slaughter at the hands of your master." Dumbledore advanced on the man cowering on the stone floor, his disgust for him evident in his tone.

"I didn't know… I didn't know!" Snape sobbed, his shoulders heaving.

"Now you have the chance to atone for your sins Severus Snape. You will protect Harry Potter until your dying day, you will sacrifice the rest of your life to ensure that boy survives. For Lily." The Headmaster intoned, watching Snape carefully.

The man on the floor nodded, his stringy hair moving very little. "For Lily." He agreed and the magic swirled around them, sealing him in a debt that he knew would not be paid until he breathed his last.

"Show me." Dumbledore demanded, waving his hand so magic forced Snape's face upward until their eyes met. "Legilimens."

The room was dark, lit only by a few torches that burned upon the walls of the large hall. At the end was where the darkness was its deepest, from these depths came whispers, softly hissed words that only a parseltongue would have understood.

Suddenly a door bangs and the whispers stop, from the end of the hall hurried footsteps make their way across to the darkness, only faltering slightly before kneeling upon its very edge. The mans shoes are the only thing visible and they shine in the firelight of the torches.

"Ssstand, Severus." The voice whispers, and the man does so but still his head remains bowed. Almost as though the man feared to look into the darkness, to look at the voice he was speaking with.

"I come bearing news my lord. A second prophecy made by the same seer, moments before I overheard the first." The man steels himself and raises his eyes, his voice defiant when he speaks again. "That fool Dumbledore trusts me, believes I came to him to beg for the mudblood's protection. He told me of the prophecy."

"Show me." The voice whispered, it didn't escape Snape how alike his two masters really were as he prepared his mind. "No Sseverus, project it. I am preserving my strength for Godrics Hollow. I attack tonight."

Snape raised his wand to his head and pulled out a silvery strand, letting it float in the air before he whispered an incantation and suddenly they were watching a memory within a memory.

"Born in fire but charmed by ice,
The child will defy him thrice,
The blood will sing, the heart will call,
To her Drákōn the Dark Lord will fall,
Their bond will turn the tide of the fight,
For without fire,
Darkness will extinguish the light."

Suddenly the memory swirled and stopped before returning to Snape's head, the silvery glow flaring against his face before disappearing altogether.

"So, a child of Dragon blood has been born. Dumbledore thinks to distract me by believing a mere babe can best me? A potter no less? No… Now I know the truth. We must find this child of fire Severus, they will be a powerful ally for your Lord."

The man bowed lowly, his tension seemingly seeping from him as relief coloured his tone. "Yes, Master."

"Now leave, I must prepare for the hollow." Snape straightened suddenly, his black eyes glinting with fear. "My Lord? I thought the boy was of no consequence to you now? Surely the Potters can be-"

"NO SEVERUS, A PROPHECY HAS BEEN MADE AND I HAVE BEEN PERCEIVED AS WEAK. Dumbledore wants me to believe his story and so I shall, I will kill the child and anyone who stands in my way. This is Dumbledores wish after all." The voice stopped, seeming to consider something for a moment. "I will spare your mudblood if she steps aside Severus, your lord is a merciful one and you have bought me valuable information."

The young man bowed and shuffled backwards "Thank you, my lord."

Dumbledore withdrew from Snape's mind sharply and turned to his desk as the man scrabbled to his feet and followed. "He is attacking tonight Headmaster, you must save them!"

"They are well protected, the charm-" Snape interrupted, almost screaming as spittle flew from his mouth. "HE KNOWS WHERE THEY ARE, KNOWS THEY ARE HIDDEN IN GODRICS HOLLOW. THE KEEPER OF THE SECRET HAS BETRAYED THEM DUMBLEDORE YOU MUST GET THEM OUT!"

"Do not presume to tell me what to do, Death Eater." Dumbledore span on his heel, his eyes alight with fury as power swirled around him. "Everything is happening as it must, you knew the moment you discovered who that prophecy was about that Lily would not survive. May this be a lesson to you Snape. Your job is to protect the boy. Leave."

As though magic compelled him Snape swept from the room and the door slammed behind him. Moments later Dumbledore watched from the tower as the dark form of his Potions Master swept across the grounds. It did not matter, he had felt the magic shift as they spoke. He had kept him there long enough to prevent him doing anything reckless and ruining the plan. It did not matter that he was on his way to Godrics Hollow, Lily Potter was already dead.