Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

"Lost Bastion" (2/?)
by Christine Anderson
aka Lilly Malfoy

Hermione Granger held the watch when they Apparated back to Hogsmeade. She sat in a chair in a corner of the basement of The Three Broomsticks, playing Wizards' Chess against herself on a small table.

"Got something coming in," said a rough voice from her right.

Alastor Moody had never been officially assigned a watch hour, unlike the others, but he was always there, no matter who held the official duty. He claimed to rest in what they'd come to, somewhat mockingly, call the Apparating Hall during the light of day, but he did it so lightly that it seemed his eyes were hardly closed, and he stirred at the slightest sound. In the nights, he arose and stood guard beside the Aurors who watched the gateway by which many of their agents and allies came and went. He never truly slept, and he often paced, wooden leg thumping against the floor again and again in a rhythm that had driven several of the others to fits of screaming.

Hermione, though, had grown used to it, and had even managed to befriend the infamous ex-Auror, so much as anyone ever did.

She turned in her chair and nodded once. She was already working the Identifire spell on the candles scattered around her table.

Two of the flames grew brighter. One flared into the Hogwarts coat of arms, then an Auror's medallion. The second flashed through the same signs, followed by a Dark Mark over which a phoenix was superimposed.

"Two staff marks and an Auror," Moody muttered. "And- a Dark Mark?" He sounded more suspicious than usual, if that were possible.

"With a phoenix," Hermione said. "McGonagall and Snape."

"'Bout time," said Moody, but, being Moody, he pulled his wand out and aimed it at the cleared center of the basement.

---

They came in together, with one quiet 'pop' to announce their arrival.

"Password?" Hermione asked. They'd had some troubles involving imposters and Polyjuice Potions that extended past Barty Crouch, Jr. playing Alastor Moody for a full term, and were no longer taking any chances.

"Vulture feathers," the pair said, Minerva quite amused; Snape, rather annoyed.

"Lupin and I are going to have words about that," Snape muttered.

Mad-Eye Moody put away his wand. "It's him, alright. You've heard, Snape?"

"About Dumbledore, yes," Snape said.

"I told him," Minerva said. "There was nothing he could have done. Voldemort was..." She shook her head.

"Not fooled for as long, or nearly as well, as I had hoped."

It was only as he spoke the words that Snape truly realized what they meant. One way or another, it's over.

Minerva had obviously caught some sign of his sudden realization, and she looked at him curiously. Snape shook his head and waved a hand at her, a gesture he'd have used what felt like ages ago when they'd been students, breaking the rules under Dumbledore's crooked, several times broken nose. It was part of an extensive code of expressions and gestures with which they had communicated in silence: Tell you later.

She nodded, turning her head just a bit. Right.

"Still," Moody said. "Had a good run, didn't you? Priceless, some of the stuff you learned."

"Pity I can't say how accurate it was, least of all the most recent bits," Snape replied dryly.

"That has always been a risk," Minerva said. "Most of our plans are contingent on one thing or another, anyway. The information you brought us has done a lot of good, Severus."

"Not enough," he said quietly. "Not enough."

"I'll tell you something," said Moody. "It's never enough, no matter what you do. You'll always think you could have done more, done it sooner, made more of a difference. But you do what you can, and it's a hell of a lot more than most people would do, or even could."

"Alastor's got the right of it, you know," Minerva said. "And Albus would have told you the same thing."

"Speaking of," Hermione said, "some of the students have been asking if we'll be having a memorial service for Professor Dumbledore."

"We certainly will be," Minerva said, "but I think we'll be settling up with Voldemort a bit first."

"Right," said Moody. "It's going to cost them a bit, I hope?"

"Two of their best and brightest," Minerva said, her expression almost savage.

"Just for starts, I hope?" Moody asked.

Snape nodded. "Are Black and Lupin still around?"

"Upstairs," Hermione said.

"Thank you, Miss Granger." Snape turned towards Minerva. "With your permission, Headmistress-"

She gave a jerky nod, lacing and unlacing her fingers, then twisting them about; Arrogant bastard. Minerva rested her fingers on his shoulder for just a moment, tapping the first, third, and fourth once each; Be careful. "Go," she said.

Snape nodded once. Yes. "As you command," he said with an almost-mocking bow, before turning for the stairs.

He forced himself to keep his gaze straight ahead. Knowing she was there made not looking back difficult, but he did his best to concentrate on what needed to be done.

His shoulder tingled where she had touched it, and he tried to shake the thought of that aside as well, but the warmth lingered.

Snape stepped from the basement into the nearly empty pub. He glanced once about the room, and spied Remus Lupin and Sirius Black sitting at the bar, bottles of butterbeer before them. He dropped down onto the stool beside Black.

"What the hell happened to you?" the other man asked by way of greeting.

"The reason I was late for this little party- Voldemort and my former colleagues," Snape snapped.

"Lucky you," Black replied.

Lupin leaned over the bar to fetch himself another butterbeer. "Like one?" he asked politely.

Snape shook his head. "No, thank you. Actually," he said, stroking his chin, "I was thinking of paying a visit to an old school friend or two."

"Anyone we know?" Lupin asked.

"Malfoy and Pettigrew," Snape replied. "At least to start with."

"I did notice that they'd missed the class reunion," said Black.

"You, of course, stayed only long enough to sample the beer," Snape said.

"And as I recall, I met you at the bar, Sev old pal," Sirius replied.

Lupin sighed and shook his head. "With that crowd, and the memories they stirred up, we all could've used a drink that day." He looked at Snape and Black for a moment. "At least one."

Black shrugged. "I suppose." He shoved his empty butterbeer bottle away from him. "Do you have any idea where they are, Snape?"

"No," Snape said. "I know exactly where they are."

"Perfect," Black said. "Provided Minerva doesn't need us for something else?"

"I asked," Snape told them, "and she said not."

"Right then," said Black. "Let's go."

---

The road to Malfoy Manor was not one that could be found by most, and even could it have been stumbled upon by chance, it was not a road on which any sane person would wish to linger.

Which, of course, Snape thought, did not say much for his own sanity, or that of his companions.

"Paranoid bastard, isn't he?" Sirius asked as they skirted another Spike-Tossing Spell.

"He should be," Lupin replied. "How many of those does that make?"

"Twenty-five," Snape replied. "Perhaps he's gotten creative, and we'll find something new soon."

"I was just getting to know these guys," Sirius replied. He took another step forward.

Snape grabbed his arm and jerked him back. "Wait."

"What?" Sirius asked, trying to shake him off.

Snape shook his head. "Shut up a minute, let me think."

"Oh, yes," said Sirius. "I'll just break out the camping gear, shall I? Have you got the marshmallows, Remus?"

Lupin might have answered, but Snape ignored them. Alright. If that wasn't the last of the spikes, it's close. After that would be...

"Quicksand," he snapped, pointing to the road directly in front of them. "There. Right there. To the shoulder, now."

"And I thought," Sirius said as they moved to hug the side of the road, "he was a nasty little shit in school."

"Oh, he was," Snape replied. "He was indeed." Then, "I wouldn't step there, Lupin. That's druidsbane. A plant so dangerous that one touch is death."

"I know what it is," Lupin sighed. Then, "Thank you."

They continued along with Snape in the lead.

"You know," Sirius said quietly, "It occurs to me that you've been here before, Snape."

Snape held back the sarcastic retort that sprang first to mind. "Yes."

"Suppose you were late for a Death Eater tent revival meeting," Sirius said, looking thoughtful.

"It's...inadvisable to be late," Snape replied. His expression must have shown some sign of the memory; Sirius shuddered.

"My point being- Is there a short-cut?"

"Not that gets us in the way I'd like to go," Snape replied.

"Right. Well, we seem to be heading for the front door..."

Lupin peered up the road. "He's right, you know."

"Yes."

"I don't suppose you'd care to enlighten us as to what the hell you're planning?" Lupin asked.

"No," Snape told him. "I wouldn't." He hopped easily over a small, sizzling puddle of acid. "I'll make the two of you a deal, though."

"I'm listening," Sirius said.

"Pettigrew is yours to do with as you please. In exchange, I want Malfoy."

The other two men traded looks.

"Done," Lupin said. "We really don't need them for anything, do we?"

"Not really," Snape replied.

"Of course," Lupin said. "It's revenge, isn't it?"

"Call it what you want," Sirius said. "It needs to be done. I think the fact that we'll enjoy it is only a fringe benefit."

"Agreed," Snape said, wondering if his sharing an opinion with Sirius Black wasn't one of the signs that the end of the world couldn't be far off. "Pull your hoods up. We're nearly there."

The trio raised the hoods of their cloaks, and the others fell into step behind Snape, their heads slightly bowed. Snape still had his mask, and others could have been conjured for his companions, but Snape had shuddered at the very suggestion, and Sirius and Lupin had let it go. In the darkness they could pass as Death Eaters, at least for a few moments.

Those few moments were all Snape planned to need.

He raised his hand to grasp the door knocker. "Steady, gentlemen," he said quietly, and let the knocker fall.

The pale, blonde-haired figure of Narcissa Malfoy drew open the door. "What-?" she started to ask. Snape brushed back his hood. "You. Lucius told me-"

"I'm sure he's told you a great many things," Snape said, "and I, frankly, will sleep better at night not knowing what they are. I won't be explaining myself, not to you or Lucius or anyone else. I did what I felt was necessary."

She shrugged. "That's not for me to say. He's in the study."

"Thank you," Snape replied. "Is your son home?"

"Why?" Narcissa seemed suddenly suspicious, as if whatever reason Snape was asking after her son couldn't be a good one.

"He neglected to turn in his homework."

"Draco's in his room."

"Advise him to stay there." Snape swept past her into the entryway, with Lupin and Sirius following along behind.

"What was that all about?" Sirius asked quietly after they had gained some distance from Narcissa Malfoy.

"I'm not a monster, Black," Snape hissed under his breath. "I don't want the boy to see what we are about to do."

It seemed to him that a look of shame crossed Sirius's face, but it did not remain very long.

The study was some distance away, up the stairs to the second floor and along a twisting bit of hallway, but Snape knew his way about the Manor, and guided them carefully to it. He placed a hand on the doorknob, drew a deep breath, and pulled his wand out. Snape waited until the others had armed themselves before opening the door.

Lucius Malfoy sat in a stuffed leather armchair, his hand raised in a gesture which emphasized what he was saying. "I tell you, it won't be long now, my friend-"

"You're right about that," Snape said as he pushed the door open.

Sirius and Lupin followed him into the room, and the latter shoved the door closed behind them. Snape kept his eyes fixed on Lucius, but the other two were gazing keenly towards the figure shifting nervously in the room's other chair, a slim, little man with a bald spot in the middle of his unkempt hair, and a silver hand.

"What's the meaning of this, Severus?" Lucius Malfoy demanded.

Lupin and Sirius drew back their hoods. The little man gasped, and seemed suddenly to be trying to crawl up the back of his chair.

"My friends and I thought we'd come to visit," Snape replied. "Since we haven't all seen each other in such a long time. Hold still, Pettigrew," he added, aiming his wand at the man most of the wizarding world believed to be dead.

"I've got it," Sirius snarled. "Locomotor Mortis. You're not going anywhere, Peter."

"I won't stand for this, Severus!" Malfoy exclaimed, springing to his feet.

"As you wish," Snape said easily. "Expelliarmus!"

Lucius flew back into his chair, and his wand sailed into Snape's hand. He tucked it into his belt and brushed a strand of hair out of his eyes.

Lucius made as if to get up again, and Snape shook his head. "I don't think so," he said. The ropes of a Binding Spell flew from his wand and wrapped about the chair and the Death Eater seated in it.

Lupin was kneeling beside Pettigrew, fumbling through the little man's robes. He came up with a wand and a small knife. "You trim your nails with this, Peter?" he asked. Pettigrew, frozen with terror, made no reply.

"Snape, you traitor," Lucius hissed. "The Dark Lord will have his revenge. You'll pay for this."

"I have been paying for longer than you know," Snape replied. "I no longer fear Voldemort's wrath."

"Then you are a fool. You know we'll win in the end," Lucius said. "Lord Voldemort killed Albus Dumbledore. Do you think that he cannot destroy you?"

"I'm so glad you brought that up, Lucius," Snape said. "That's one of the things we came to speak with you about." He held up a hand, and Lupin tossed him Pettigrew's knife. "Useless," Snape said, and snapped the blade in half.

"Yes, they are, aren't they?" Sirius agreed.

Snape pulled a gleaming dagger from his belt. An emerald was set in it, the eye of the snake that wound its way up along the hilt. "Fitting, I suppose... You still have yours, don't you, Lucius?"

The other man glared at him but didn't answer.

"Accio," Snape said softly, and from a shelf directly behind Lucius an identical dagger rose up and came to his hand. "Exquisite, isn't it?" he asked, holding it up to the light. "The tokens of our friendship, forged at your father's command all those years ago," he continued. "That, too, is a double- edged sword, Lucius. I'm afraid you will feel its sharp bite now." He examined the daggers in his hands, and set aside the one with the "S.S." of his initials acid-etched into the blade. "I'll return yours when I'm done, of course," he added, tracing the "L.M." upon the other blade with a small smile.

"You're keeping sad company these days, old friend," Lucius said with a sneer. "These two- Gryffindors. Cowards, fools-"

"They were brave enough to come here with me," Snape replied, suddenly moved to defend his allies. He had never been particularly fond of them- had rather hated them, in fact, but now- Now it stood before him as a choice between the Death Eater in front of him and the former Gryffindors willing to stand beside him. Not much of a choice, really. "And as for fools- No. No, they are not. The only foolish thing they've done is to let that wretched excuse for a wizard over there live so long as they have."

Lucius waved a hand. "Kill him, I don't care. He was useful twenty years ago; now he's just an outdated annoyance. But you and I... Have we fallen so far, Severus? You know what you have to do. Do as I asked, and I will persuade the Dark Lord to let you live."

"I would rather die," Snape said.

"What's he talking about?" Lupin asked.

"It's quite simple, really," said Lucius. "Severus here kills the Gryffindor bitch who leads Dumbledore's rabble, and all is forgiven."

Bastard! I should kill you now, just for that... Snape shook his head. Not yet, though. Not just yet.

"Speaking for Voldemort now, are we, Lucius?" Sirius asked. "Figures. You always did think a little too much of yourself... And I suppose you haven't got any opinions of your own, so you'll just keep parroting Voldemort's."

"Indeed," Snape said. "But that does remind me. Minerva McGonagall sends her dearest wishes, Lucius. She wanted you to know, I think, that we are here with her blessing."

He could hear Pettigrew babbling in the background, pleading with Sirius and Lupin to spare his life. One of them swore, aimed his wand, and muttered, "Stupefy." Pettigrew fell to the floor with a clunk.

Sirius and Lupin had a brief, whispered conference, occasionally glancing at Pettigrew as they spoke.

Snape tuned them out. "You really should have left Dumbledore alone, you know," he told Lucius. "Minerva was rather fond of the old man. If you hadn't killed him, I don't know that we'd be here tonight."

"So," Lucius sneered, "you're her creature now, are you? And yet you won't betray her as you have your old friends."

"I have always been loyal to my friends, Lucius. Always."

Lucius scowled at him. "You certainly weren't loyal to me."

"Had you been a true friend, that might have been different," Snape replied coolly.

"Amazing," Lucius said. "Truly amazing. I thought you'd gotten over that nonsense years ago." He shook his head. "All of this effort, for one Gryffindor whore who'll never love you-"

Snape's arm shot out in a vicious backhand. The slap hit Lucius and sent him tumbling, chair and all, head over feet.

Lucius laughed. "So. It's true then. Is she really that good, Severus? Is screwing Minerva McGonagall really enough of a tradeoff to justify selling me out?"

Snape strode forward, righting the chair with a snarl of fury. "Shut up," he snapped.

"Or was it just pity?" Lucius went on. "Because she felt sorry for you? Was that it? Was that the only reason your precious Minerva would give you the time of day?"

Snape fought against the rage building within him. Losing control now could very well mean the end of all of them, and he wasn't quite so far gone as to let that happen. Still, it had been years since he'd felt his temper this close to the breaking point, and it was only with a great deal of effort that he pushed it back. Snape had to remind himself more than once that if he couldn't keep this situation under control, Narcissa would realize something was wrong, the other Death Eaters would be called, and it was very likely he, Black, and Lupin wouldn't survive the experience.

And so when Snape spoke his voice was icily calm. "Hold your foul tongue, or you will have no further need of it. You don't even deserve to speak her name."

"Severus." A hand rested on his arm, oddly reassuring. He turned his head.

It was Sirius. "I'm alright," he said quietly.

"He's not worth it, Severus."

"No," Snape agreed. "He's not. But I will do what I came to do."

Sirius nodded.

"And you?" he asked. "Have you decided?"

"Yes," Sirius said. "It's more than he deserves, but Remus and I will take Peter back with us. He'll have the trial I never did, and I'll be there when he's sentenced. Because death is too quick- and because we are better than he is."

Snape nodded. "Yes," he said, surprised at how easily the words came to him. Surprised, too, at the truth of them. "You are. Are you going now?"

"We can," Lupin said, coming up behind them. "But we don't have to, if you'd like us to stay."

"Do you know," Lucius said suddenly, "how your precious friend Potter screamed when he died? How he begged and pleaded for the lives of his wife and child? Do you know what a coward he was?"

"You know something?" Sirius asked. "I'm getting really tired of this git. I don't think I have a friend in the world he hasn't insulted in some way."

"More than once," Lupin added.

"He," Snape said to Lupin, with a nod towards Sirius, "has a point."

"Why, thank you, Severus. That's really sporting of you to say so," Sirius replied.

"He begged for his life," Lucius said, "just as all of you will before it's done. The wonderful Harry Potter... those suicidal fools who call themselves your Aurors' Circle..."

"Enough," Snape whispered. He had been able to reign in his temper once before, but he knew that he could not do it a second time, not so soon. And not after this. Lucius's final words seemed to have been the last straw. Snape could tolerate no more.

"Enough!" he screamed. "All these years I have stood by and listened, listened as you maligned and defamed everyone I have ever cared for. I endured it because I had to, but no more. No more! It stops now, Lucius. I have had enough!" Snape leveled his wand at his former friend. "I don't expect you to understand," he said quietly. "You've never cared for or about anything save yourself. And power, I suppose. The old gods know you have always craved and loved power. You must have thought that you had me fooled. All those Quidditch games you threw stones at the Gryffindors, and the others laughed. The girls who told you 'no', the ones you wouldn't let refuse you. Those charming term breaks here at the Manor, where your father taught us how to hate... Was I to think these were games, Lucius? I knew better. I did not want to, but I knew better."

Lucius almost had to strain to hear him, and Snape's whispers were more terrifying than his thundering rage ever had been. Still the other man seemed determined to carry on much as he had been doing all along, however unwise that might have been.

"There's a point somewhere in this, I assume," said Lucius. "I suppose it was the Quidditch bit, wasn't it? Did I hurt her? Break her glasses? Poor thing...but I'm sure you were there to...comfort her, weren't you?"

"By all the old gods," Lupin muttered, "Lucius, do you have a death wish? Hold your tongue, you idiot."

"I knew the truth a long time ago, Lucius," Snape went on. "You, I'm sorry to say, did not. Foolishly you came to me when Voldemort was rising, and asked me to join you and the others. It was an opportunity I could not afford to pass up."

Snape's words at last seemed to truly reach the Death Eater. "You bastard," Lucius Malfoy snarled. "You were working for them from the very beginning!"

"Of course I was," Snape told him, as he might have explained something to a very slow pupil. "I have made mistakes in my life, and perhaps joining the Death Eaters was the worst of them. But it had to be done by one of us, and you- You trusted me, you fool. I knew you would."

"Why?" Lucius asked.

Snape smiled, unkindly. "Why did I do it, is that what you mean? Payback, old friend. Payback." He sighed. "I did it for revenge. I did it because you'd betrayed me. And since then I have stood by and watched, the pain and the torment and the death- I have watched it happen. And I've realized that it wasn't worth it, that it never will be. I can never hope to atone for the evil I've allowed to exist in this world. But I can be certain that it will never happen again. I've endured almost three decades of this- have spent nearly thirty years seeing you get your way, and frankly I've grown a bit tired of it."

Lucius hurled himself at his former friend, and this time the ropes snapped under his weight. He shoved the chair aside and sprang forward again, snarling.

"Try it," Snape whispered. "Try it. Give me the chance to go back to them with my hands clean, you bastard. You can't know how much it means to me."

"You're dead, Snape!" Lucius cried, with another lunge forward.

"Not just yet, old friend," Snape said coldly.

The other man's body struck him, but Snape had been ready. In one hand he grasped his wand; in the other, the dagger bearing Lucius's own initials. Lucius grappled for the dagger, apparently disregarding Snape's wand, knowing that he could not use it even should he manage to take it away.

Sirius shouted a warning, too late. "Severus!"

"I told you," Snape called back, slashing Lucius across the face with the dagger. "He's mine."

He felt Lucius's hands fumbling at his belt, and realized too late that he was going after his wand, not the dagger. Lucius's hand grasped the wand-

"Crucio," the other man called out.

Snape, so accustomed to the terrible pain brought by that single word, braced himself against the agony...but it did not come. It did not come, and slowly that realization hit home. It was another moment before he understood it.

For Lucius Malfoy, understanding would take a bit more time.

Snape smiled, elated.

"You fool!" he cried, drawing back the sleeves of his robe. Upon his left arm the Dark Mark was etched like a brand. But upon the right there was something else, the star and circle of an Auror's mark in blue, and in the middle of that circle, a red phoenix. "You bloody fool," Snape said again. "I am not what I was. I bear the Mark of the Phoenix now- perhaps Albus Dumbledore's greatest work. You cannot touch me, cannot touch any of us who wear it. Try. I dare you, Lucius- try!"

Lucius was desperate. He saw his death in the other man's eyes, but Lucius knew even if he managed to survive this, he would never survive the Dark Lord. Voldemort would greet him with a death twice as horrific as even Snape, who might have hated him more, could have made it. And there was a part of Lucius Malfoy which did not truly believe the Phoenix Mark could stand against him.

"Avada Kedavra!" Lucius cried as he raised his wand, his voice perfectly steady. There was a flash of green light, which touched the Phoenix Mark...

And Lucius flew back with a scream of terrible pain.

Sirius and Lupin calmly sidestepped the flying Death Eater, who landed near Pettigrew's still form.

"Check him, would you?" Snape asked, breathing hard. The sound of his heartbeat pounded in his ears, echoing back, and his hands shook. He had been a hair's breadth away from death, and he knew it.

Sirius bent over Lucius. "He's dead," he called back.

Snape nodded, and approached Lucius's body with the dagger grasped firmly in his hand. "Hold him," he said, and Sirius nodded. He held the body steady as Snape raised the dagger and plunged it deeply into the dead man's right eye.

"Not bad," Sirius said. "But how did you know the Phoenix mark would-?"

Snape shook his head. "I didn't know anything. I only suspected." He picked up Lucius's wand, snapped it in half, and dropped the broken bits atop the body.

"Gutsy," Sirius commented. "Reckless, but gutsy. I'm sorry I didn't think of it first."

"We should probably be going." Snape put away his wand and sheathed his dagger.

"Narcissa and Draco?" Lupin asked.

"We don't want to be here when Narcissa finds this mess," Snape said. "As for Draco... I have done all that I can for the boy. He will have to make his own choices."

"Were you serious about the homework?" Sirius asked.

"Did you think I wasn't?" Snape asked. "Check the hall. We need to know if anyone heard this racket."

Lupin opened the door a crack and peered through it. "Clear," he reported.

"Good," Sirius said. "Can we Apparate from here?"

Snape nodded. "Yes."

The others hoisted Pettigrew up onto their shoulders and stood ready.

"On three?" Lupin asked. Snape and Sirius both nodded.

"Let's blow this joint, shall we?" Sirius asked. "Three."