Half-Blood Princess Book Seven

Chapter 18 - I Am Death

Third-Person POV

14th February 1998

After two long weeks of work, Snape has started to look like his old self. He's started taking care of his body again and helping the students little by little. Tilly has managed to stay out of trouble with the Carrows' for the most part, only having a few bruises and scars due to defending younger students. Draco had tried to keep his distance with Tilly, not wanting to get attached, knowing that Tilly rarely lied to him, so if she said she may not live through this, he had to take it as an obvious possibility. Neville, Ginny, Luna, and many more had been helping Tilly out by sticking their necks out, so she got less punishment, but no matter what anyone did, she seemed to always get the worst of it. Until now, Snape was back to being himself and ready to act against The Carrows'.

The Headmaster stood in front of his mirror, looking into his own dark obsidian eyes that stare back at him without a quiver of fear. Only determination grew behind Snape's eyes, brewing of the past weeks. Snape is doing this for Hogwarts, for the students and teachers, for Tilly, and for himself. He fell into a pit that felt unable to escape; he thought all was lost for him, but Tilly made him see he had to keep going, and not just for her, or anyone else, but also himself. He's grown more confident and stronger-willed and was tired of seeing Tilly take the heat from the villains who'd taken over the school. He is the Headmaster, and even if he doesn't believe he should stand where Albus Dumbledore once stood, the burden has been placed on his shoulder, and in doing so, he's come to realise the weight laying on Tilly. His own daughter had been carrying such hardship since she was 11. It is time he became the man he is. Not the little boy his father abused and mother neglected. Not the shy, weak boy James Potter and Sirius Black bullied. Not the broken man who turned to the dark. No, he needs to be the man he became when Matilda Potter became Matilda Snape. A Father, a protector, who he truly is.

Snape glided down the corridors of Hogwarts, his cape floating along behind him, and his feet landed heavily on the stone floors. Snape had asked Tilly to get all the house to the Great Hall just before dinner was scheduled to start; he wanted to make a show of this. And now was the time; time for The Carrows' to be put in their place. And time for Severus Snape to take charge.

Tilly and the silver Trio had brought all the students and teachers, in the school, into the hall before the Carrows' arrived. Still, Tilly knew it wouldn't be easy to hold off the terror twins from terrorising other students. So she's drawn a target on her back, she stands in the centre of the teacher's area, behind the podium where the Headmaster or Headmistress would address the students. The two twins walk into the Great Hall, and both show a face of shock in an instance. Both have frowns etched into the forehead and clenched fists on either side of their bodies. They turn to the girl in the middle of it all, knowing she had everything to do with this.

"All students and staff who aren't in Slytherin are to leave immediately or will suffer the consequences!" Alecto shouted, causing fear to spread through almost all students, even Slytherin's.

"You've forgotten something vital, Alecto," Tilly says with a sinister smirk gracing her lips.

"And what's that?" The Dark witch asks, her voice laced with venom and power as her brother gets ready to strike. "I am a Slytherin. I am the Half-Blood Princess. I'm The Chosen One." Tilly starts to lightly laugh, scaring not only the Carrows' with how deranged it sounds. "I am Death."

"Are you saying you'll be the death of us?" Amycus laughs. "I'd like to see you try, Princess." Tilly clenches her jaw at the name Draco used to call her, the name that holds so much baggage and pain but also happiness. She has her emotions together; she knows she can see Draco later.