The Half-Blood Princess

Chapter 47- Downfall

At Lord Voldemort's request, Severus started a job at Hogwarts, replacing Horace Slughorn, who had retired, as Potions teacher.
The dark lord had wanted a spy at Hogwarts, not realising that his spy was actually betraying him to Dumbledore on a regular basis.
This meant that Sabrina wasn't able to see her brother as much, although he still tried his best to make time for her.
His visits became much more scheduled, so Sabrina always knew when he was going to turn up.
Which is why when he turned up on the 1st of November, unexpectedly, she immediately knew that something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" Questioned Sabrina, the second her brother stepped into the room.
He looked more distraught than she had ever seen him look before, and she did not know why.
"It- It's Lily" answered Severus.
"What's happened with Lily?" Asked Sabrina.
"She- She's gone" replied Severus, before he broke down and began to cry.
"No. No she's not. You're lying"
"I wish I was. The dark lord went to the Potter's house last night, intent on killing them all. Lily and James are dead, and the dark lord himself has disappeared".

"That can't be true. They had powerful protective charms around their house" reminded Sabrina.
"They did. And they could only be betrayed by one person, their secret keeper, Sirius Black. He handed them both over to the dark lord" explained Severus.
"No, that can't be right. Sirius Black would never betray James, they were like brothers. And he was Harry's godfather. He would never do anything to hurt the Potter's"
"Well he was their secret keeper. And the only way the dark lord would be able to find the Potter's, would be if the secret keeper told him".

"This, this can't be right. Lily and James cannot be dead" insisted Sabrina.
"I've seen their bodies. It's true. They are both dead" admitted Severus.
Sabrina suddenly felt a great pain in her chest, as the loss of Lily began to catch up with her.
Her very first friend in the whole world, and the one person she could completely trust, was dead.
"She- she can't be dead" whispered Sabrina, as she lent on a nearby chair for support.
"The rest of the wizarding world will know soon, but I wanted to tell you in person. I came straight from Dumbledore to see you" replied Severus.
"Wait, you only mentioned Lily and James. What happened to baby Harry?"
"The boy survived, with only a lightning bolt scar as proof of the killing curse he survived".

"How is that possible? How could a baby survive that spell?" Questioned Sabrina.
"I don't know. But for some reason the dark lord's killing curse rebounded, killing him instead of Potter's son" revealed Severus.
"Harry. His name is Harry. And he's Lily's son as well" reminded Sabrina.
"Whatever... Anyway, the curse hit the dark lord, killing him"
"That's not possible"
"Well, he is gone"
"But not dead?"
"There's no body, if that's what you mean".

"Well without a body, there is no proof that he is dead. I don't believe that the dark lord can even die" admitted Sabrina, as she thought about the Horcrux in her belt.
"Everyone and anyone can be killed" countered Severus.
Sabrina shook her head, "No. I don't believe there is enough soul in him to die. He's not human enough for that. His physical body may be gone for now, but he will find a way to come back".
"How can you be so sure?" Questioned Severus.
"Because the dark lord was always so smug. He didn't think that anything could hurt him. And someone as evil as him, would've had contingency plans, in case he was ever wounded. Trust me, this isn't over yet".

"Dumbledore wants me to protect the boy" announced Severus.
"He will need protecting from many things, including the dark lord when he eventually comes back. And with no parents, who else is going to look after him? Where is he now?" asked Sabrina.
"He's been sent to live with his aunt and uncle, the Dursley's" answered Severus.
"Surely not. Petunia was a terrible sister to Lily, and from what I heard, she married an equally awful man, and they have a disgusting child together"
"Well, they are the only family he has left, so he doesn't have anywhere else to go"
"Growing up with a family like the Dursley's, I expect Harry will have a miserable childhood, just like us"
"The boy's happiness is not my concern".

"How can you care so little? You caused the deaths of his parents. This is all your fault. You killed the woman you loved. Lily and James would still be alive right now, if it weren't for you" spat Sabrina.
"I know" mumbled Severus guiltily.
"You just had to run and tell the dark lord about that stupid prophecy. You got them killed!" Shouted Sabrina.
"I know! And if I could take it back, I would. And if I could trade my life for Lily's, I would do so in a heartbeat. I would do anything to bring her back. But there's nothing I can do. She's dead, and I can't bring her back, no matter how much I want to... I wanted to die, so that I could be with her. But Dumbledore said that I would be no use to anyone dead. So, to atone for what I did, I must stay alive and protect the boy".

Sabrina's anger vanished and she stepped forward, throwing her arms around Severus.
"Don't kill yourself. Don't leave me, please. You're the only thing I have left" she said quietly.
"What about your son?" Quizzed Severus, as he pushed his sister away.
"He's still an infant, just like Harry. He doesn't count. You are the only person I have left to talk to. So please don't leave me on my own" begged Sabrina.
"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere. I have a job to do, and a bunch of crimes to make up for"
"I too, need to atone for my sins, and maybe with the dark lord gone for the time being, I will finally be able to do some good".