Chronicles of the Order of Light

Chronicles of the Order of Light

Author: ligs

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and all related material are not and will never be mine.

Chronicles of the Order of Light

An Account of the 20-year war

Volume I

Eyes of the Snake

Chapter 1

A lone figure quietly made his way through the dank passage. The only source of light came from the tip of a wand he held high above his head. A look of annoyance clearly etched upon his face.

Severus Snape is not, by any means, a man easily perturbed. However, this night was an exception. Only days have passed when `the-boy-who-lived', Harry Potter, successfully banished the Dark Lord from this reality. How then is it possible that he's now on his way to answer the summons of his former master?

Everyone in the wizarding world is still caught up in a festive mood. Rather stupid of the lot. The head may have been cut but the limbs are much alive. Death Eaters remain free and so long as they are the battle is far from over. Potter may have earned his rest but there was no excuse for the Order to be lax, especially with the Ministry reeling from the events.

If only the headmaster had stayed in Hogwarts, then he would have been able to advise Albus of the summoning. Luck would have it he be alone in this one, with no way to alert the Order of his whereabouts should they be needed.

He had been walking for the better part of an hour and he still has no inkling where this tunnel was taking him. The tunnel was, in all actuality, a sewer of unmistakable muggle construct. If his hunch is right, he is now traversing the underground section of London. He had grown used to the stench by now and ignored the rats and insects that scurried on the wet stone floor. He stopped only to check if he was being followed.

Looking at the inner part of his left arm, Severus frowned for the umpteenth time as the dark mark still pricked with the ferocity of a fire poker. How he'd wished numerous times to forget this part of him, branded like an animal, but for now this mark has its uses, one of which is to keep him alive.

Cursing as he made his way through the filth, an unholy concoction of waste and who knows what, he forced himself to stop. Spattering footsteps echoed through the passageway from whence he came. Holding his breath, he strained his ear to hear more. At least three people, he surmised, all in extreme haste.

For a brief moment he considered that he may have been followed by aurors. No. If the summons was this strong then all Death Eaters in the immediate area would have felt it and will no doubt answer it. Even so, he refused to take the risk. “Nox,” he whispered, and quickly pressed himself on a depression in the wall and used his black cloak to hide behind. With any chance he will be passed by unnoticed.

A gaunt looking semblance of a man came running past him chased by two aurors, one holding small hooded lantern. He watched as the pursuers caught up with their quarry a dozen feet away. A short scuffle ensued, knocking out the lantern. “Stupefy!” shouted one of them. A loud `thunk' followed. Snape listened intently as an auror, presumably, spoke.

“Quite a merry run, wouldn't you say Burke?” the man said panting.

“I'll say. Didn't know the li'l bugger could run so fast.”

“Well he ain't runnin' now. C'mon and we'll -”

“Shhh! What was that?” One of them apparently heard something, a faint creaking sound coming from above.

“Pipes, Burke.”

“Lumos.” Just as the magical light flickered to life, nothing could have prepared the two for what was now right in front of them. A giant snake, the size that could swallow a man whole, coiled and ready to strike atop them, its eyes staring coldly, a deadly glint of red evident with such malice.

What may have passed in the minds of the two aurors right then Severus would never know. What he would remember, however, would haunt his dreams forever. Wise men have spoken of this. The eye of a serpent held an irresistible power, they had said. The ability to draw their victim forward in spite of his will, to perish miserably by the creature's bite.

Severus watched as the two just stood there, unmoving, their captive all but forgotten. The creature, the snake, whatever it was, merely held them in its penetrating gaze. Snape saw in vivid detail how the serpent positioned itself and consumed its victims; as bones were crushed producing a hellish sound.

In the darkness, Snape could still see two small points of light, about an inch apart, a glow of faint crimson. He did a doubletake, those two small points appear to be getting larger. Was it coming nearer? He held his breath and clung to his cloak, determined to make the creature not find him. His heart pounded, deafening his ears. So entranced was Severus that he failed to notice a man arrive beside the creature. He also failed to note the light now permeating through the passage. With a final regard, the creature broke its gaze and disappeared into the shadows. Only then did Snape regain his bearing.

“Who's there?” a familiar voice shouted.

“Dolohov, it's me, Snape.”

“Snape?”

“Yes.”

“What are you dong there? Let's hurry. The master awaits. Oh and would you mind bringing Ellman down there?” motioning at the stunned man on the floor. Dolohov spun around and began to lead the way.

Snape could only nod his head in affirmation. Pointing his wand at Ellman, “Mobilicorpus,” he muttered and treaded after Dolohov to a destination he still knew not.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Welcome to the Sanctuary of Masks, Severus!”

The potions master could only gape at Lucius Malfoy's revelation. The Sanctuary of Masks was thought of only as a myth. If the stories were to be taken as true, this chamber served as the burial grounds for dark wizards since the time of Merlin. Over those years, these catacombs have been expanded to become quite extensive.

The middle of the chamber had a huge engraved circle with runes covering its circumference. Within the circle were four lines creating the imbalanced star of the hunter. Snape recognized this from the writings of Al Hazred, the prophet of the dead. Four smaller circles rounded the edge of the central ring, each flanked by two lit candles. Purple threads of energy swirled inside the inner circle. About twenty Death Eaters were present.

“I assume all of you are wondering what we are doing here?” asked Malfoy, addressing the crowd.

“Where is the master, Lucius?” Bellatrix shouted amidst the murmuring crowd.

“I am right here Bella,” a hissing voice filled the room, instantly quieting everyone. Snape's eyes widened as he recognized the serpent slithering from the entryway accompanied by Wormtail.

Everybody had a shocked look on their faces, except for a few who bowed their heads in reverence. The snake moved itself closer to the group, its massive body grinding on the stone slabs.

“That foolish boy Potter thinks he'd won. And that geezer Dumbledore is more foolish to think I'd be defeated so easily.” It was a voice that rang inside one's mind. The creature barely opened its mouth but to slip out its forked tongue. All present now knelt in front of the snake in veneration.

“My Lord, is it really you? But how?” Snape hazarded a question. He had to know. He had to report this back to the Order before things become complicated.

“Such little faith, Severus. Do you doubt my power?”

“No my Lord! I quake in anticipation of your plans, master.”

“A wise answer,” the snake's head now eye-level with his. “Take heed, all of you. A task will be given to each of you. Failure will not be tolerated!”

A chorus of voices answered. “We live to serve, master!”

“The gall of that impudent boy! To seek and destroy me! But I outsmarted him, I outsmarted them all! Before that whelp swung Godric's sword to deal a final blow, I removed my consciousness unto this body you now see.”

The snake, Voldemort, slithered towards the central circle, eyeing the swirls of energy within.

“For this humiliation, none of them shall escape my wrath,” a thin sheet of sweat formed on Snape's brow at hearing this, “but I will need my old body, if not a better one before I exact my vengeance.”

The voice in Snape's mind quieted, a sign that his `master' was now giving orders to the other Death Eaters. What could the Dark Lord mean, he thought with trepidation. Surely Voldemort isn't planning on taking one of the bodies in here, by Potter's account there was nothing left of the Dark Lord, no body to show. A dull pain suddenly pierced his head, making him clutch it in vain.

“To say I am disappointed in you is a gross understatement, Severus. But I shall give you the opportunity to amend your past actions if you carry out this small errand. Do you accept?”

“Yes my Lord,” Snape replied despite the anguish, a hollow feeling forming at the pit of his stomach as he listened.

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Author's Note

Just a prep for the Eyes of the Snake story line. Kind of like a prologue for it but isn't.

I've been promoted, means more work and less time to write. Don't worry though, I'm thinking of getting a laptop next week so I can write whenever I want plus with my excellent slacking skills, my boss won't know a thing.

Thank you for the reviews. Concerns on whether I can stay focused to finish this fic can be discarded. I'm devoted to this work 100%. Though, I am looking for writers who might want to add to the lore of this epic, perhaps stories happening at a specific time so long as it fits the general description of the outline as seen on the prologue. It'll be more fun that way.