The Potion Mistress & the Half-Blood Prince

Chapter 21: The Gathering

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the people or places that belong to the wonderful world of Harry Potter, as they belong to J.K. Rowling. The OC (Katherine) is entirely my own.

With a loud crack, Severus and Katherine apparated before the gates of Malfoy Manor. Several other loud cracks sounded behind them, and Severus spun around with raised wand.

"Relax Snape," Yaxley laughed, as he approached the. Three other brutish Death Eaters followed in his wake, while Avery brought up the rear.

"Tent working out?" Avery questioned Severus and Katherine, as the three of them made their way across the grounds towards the manor.

"Fine," Katherine grumbled. "But you could have at least told me that you put a charm on your furnishings."

"Forgot about that," Avery chuckled. "Bloody nephews used it once, and all I found when I got it back was a pile of rocks, and no furniture."

"Rocks?" Severus muttered, raising an eyebrow in Avery's direction.

"They were drunk Severus," Avery smirked. "I was just glad it was rocks and not something else, like Cornish pixies." Katherine chuckled as she walked between the two men. As the small group neared the house, Severus' eyes narrowed.

"Looks a bit more lit up than usual," Severus commented, as they saw the windows from the old ballroom glowing bright from within.

"Wonder why we were called?" Katherine mused as they reached the front door.

"Don't know," Avery shrugged. "But it must be something big. Those three following Yaxley are not a part of the inner circle."

Katherine and Severus glanced at one another, before following Avery through the front door. The hallway was dim as always, but the sounds of laughter could be heard coming from the door to the ballroom.

Avery threw open the French doors to reveal an almost blinding light, one that spilled out into the hall and changing the atmosphere of the old house all together. Severus let his eyes adjust to the light, only to find himself growing sick at what he saw.

"Dumbledore!" a rough voice shouted. Severus watched as Rabastan Lestrange wrapped an arm around Katherine and led her towards his brother, Rodolphus, and the rest of their former Quidditch team.

'Azkaban,' Severus thought. 'They're suppose to be in Azkaban.'

"Snape!" Rabastan shouted again. "Join us!" The dark man thrust a glass of Firewhiskey into Severus' hand and pulled him over to the group. Severus glanced around from behind his glass.

Goyle. Crabbe. The Lestrange brothers. Travers. Dolohov. Macnair. Rookwood. They were there. They were all there. And so many more. All of those who had been imprisoned after the Department of Mysteries fiasco were now standing in Malfoy's old ballroom.

They were drinking. Laughing. Boasting about their great escape from Azkaban, and raising their glasses to the Dark Lord. Severus had to fight the bile that was threatening to rise up his throat. Seeing all of these men, and so many more that had become involved made him slightly nervous. But it was seeing Katherine, who was now drinking and laughing amongst these men, made him feel like he was failing her all over again.

"Welcome my friends!" the voice of the Dark Lord, quieted the hall, and all those who were present, turned and knelt before him. "Tonight, we not only welcome back all those who were released from Azkaban, but we will be initiating four young followers into our mist. Come forward."

Four young men rose and approached the Dark Lord. Severus couldn't see their faces, but he knew the boys well enough, for all four of them had been in his house last year, all former seventh years.