Post by Catwoman99 on Nov 26, 2005 2:40:12 GMT -5
My inspiration for this largely came from the X-men's Dark Phoenix Saga, with some help from an episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer", and a tiny bit of Lord of the Rings.
This was supposed to be a one-shot, but I'm posting it in parts now.
Hope you like!
- April :-)
Title: Dark Phoenix
Rating: 14+
Summary: After Voldemort falls, Minerva finds herself face to face with the one who killed the man she loved most.
* * * *
Prologue
In the darkness of space, it watches -
patient and steadfast.
An unmistakable sadness in her eyes.
In the darkness of space, it listens -
careful and attentive.
An irrefutable sorrow in her cries.
In the darkness of space, it hungers -
greedy and desperate.
As her pain becomes ripe and firm.
In the darkness of space, it wakes -
rested and reborn.
As her rage begins to burn.
**********
Part One
It was over. Minerva had just witnessed the final blow that proved to be Voldemort's downfall. Harry Potter, who looked nothing like the fresh faced boy that first stepped into Hogwarts seven years earlier, had done just as the prophecy demanded and killed the evil wizard. As the Dark Lord fell, many of his followers began to retreat, knowing that their time was nigh. The Minister had given the order that all Death Eaters were to be captured, or if it came down to it, killed. He did not want any stragglers to follow in Voldemort's footsteps.
Minerva had just incapacitated a Death Eater when another one ran past her, darting into the dark forest. She turned to give chase, ignoring her body's protests. The Death Eater sent stunners at her and she weaved in and out of the brush to avoid them. Once the woods thinned out she had a clear shot and sent a stunner of her own that threw the Death Eater against a tree. They stayed motionless on the ground for a few seconds as Minerva crept up to inspect her work. The silver mask had fallen off and she found herself staring into the black eyes of Severus Snape.
She felt time slow. The only sound audible to her ears was the pounding of her heart. Images flashed before her mind's eye, rising unbidden from the farthest reaches of her subconscious. Images that she had tucked away in order to ease the pain. Albus' body, illuminated in green light, being hurled over the battlements of the tower, just as Harry had described. She saw Hagrid placing Albus' body, bundled in a bag, upon the slab of white marble. Once again, she saw Albus flying backwards off the tower. A voice was saying something, the words echoing in her head. A deep, rich voice that she'd heard a thousand times before – taking points away from her house and needling her after his Slytherins won a Quidditch match against her Gryffindors - now, saying those awful words that made her skin crawl.
Avada Kedavra.
Avada Kedavra.
Avada Kedavra.
Minerva looked down at him, her wand pointed at his face. Muscles locked, she could do nothing more than stare at the man who had taken the one person in the world she loved most and, to add salt to the wound, she had never told him. Snape looked up at her with a somewhat bemused expression upon his face. “Fancy meeting you here, Professor McGonagall.”
Still she didn't budge. Her eyes remained locked with his, her breaths coming at short intervals. Bind him and send him off to Azkaban, her conscience told her.
But something else was fighting for dominance...
Avada Kedavra.
...showing her Albus bathed in green light, flying backwards off the tower...
Avada Kedavra.
...Severus Snape's wand emitting a sickening green light...
Avada Kedavra.
Minerva looked at her wand, now visibly shaking as she gripped it, still pointing solidly at Snape's nose. Bind him and make him feel all the pain you've been feeling this past year, said a new voice.
Snape recognized her inner turmoil and pounced like a hunter on its prey. “What are you going to with me, Minerva? I can see it in your eyes that you're planning something, but are unsure.” His voice dripped of malice and goading. “Cat got your tongue?”
“Shut up!” she whispered harshly, the words barely registering on the night air.
He stood up, Minerva's wand never wavering from its target. Snape chuckled. “Do you really think you can take me without a fight? Do you honestly think you'd win?”
“Shut up!” she said again. Her breathing was becoming erratic and her heart rate went up. “Or I swear I'll...”
“You'll what?” he cut in. “Will you kill me? I'm sorry, Minerva, but, pardon the expression, you don't have the balls for it.” His arm came up and suddenly his wand was pointed at her stomach. “Lower your wand, Professor, and we can both be on our way. Let's face it, I know a dozen dark spells that would have your insides spilling out onto the ground in seconds. Lower it!”
Her conscience and the other presence in her mind were struggling for control of her body. Finally she felt her arm lower and her head bowed in defeat. She didn't have to see his face to know that he was smiling. A single tear escaped and fell slowly to the ground.
“How could you?” She sounded weak, even to herself, but she couldn't stop herself from asking. “He trusted you, Severus. He took you in and he was your friend! How could betray him like that?”
“He was an old fool who trusted far too easily,” was the only reply she received.
“That's not true!” she shot back.
“Still his lapdog, even after his death. Do you want to know what his last words were? He said, 'Severus, please.' The great and powerful sorcerer who defeated Grindelwald was begging for his life. How pathetic.”
An emotion so strong that it filled her entire being surged through her veins in an instant leaving her trembling. It was rage. Pure, unadulterated rage. Her conscience tried to regain control but it was too late. Minerva's hand twitched and a bold of bright red shot out of the end, landing squarely in Snape's chest.
“Accio wand,” she muttered before Snape could regain his senses. She caught it in midair and, with a strength some would call unnatural, promptly snapped it in two.
Snape stood dumbfounded, his mouth agape. This was not the Minerva McGonagall that he was used to. Something had happened. Her eyes were a mixture of green, orange, and red. What sort of magic is this? Even her hair, which had long since come loose from its confining bun, glowed with an otherworldly flame and Snape thought he heard the distant cry of a phoenix.
“Minerva?” he ventured.
“Silence!” Minerva's Scottish brogue was filled with anger and power. She flicked her wand and Snape found himself suspended between two trees, ropes attached to his wrists and ankles. Minerva pointed her wand at his feet and the ropes began to pull. She felt a twinge of satisfaction as she watched his face grimace in pain as his legs were being pulled beyond their natural limits. She released the tension on the ropes and he panted heavily, trying to gain some semblance of control.
“Perhaps, I was wrong about you, Minerva, you seem to have a knack for torture,” he said. “A pity the Dark Lord never tried to recruit you.”
The color in her eyes and hair intensified, extending now down her arms. “I am not one of you! I only want you to suffer as I have! Do you have any idea of the pain you've caused me? What you took from me when you murdered him?”
Snape, in spite of his current situation, couldn't resist taunting her. “I would have thought you would be happy. You've finally got Hogwarts to yourself now. You can run it the way you want. No staff Christmas parties or canceled exams!” She made a small motion with her wand and all four ropes pulled at his limbs. He winced in pain, but surprised her by laughing when she let up. It was maniacal. “I see, Minerva. The is revenge for killing a lover, isn't it? I didn't think the old man had it in him.”
Minerva's anger rose to new heights. She wanted him to suffer – to beg her for mercy. She needed to wipe that smug look from his face. She needed something more tangible. Moving closer to him, she now appeared to be engulfed in flames from the waist up. His eyes widened as she inched closer. Suddenly, her hand raised up and she smacked him solidly across the face. It did much more than sting - it burned. His cheek reddened and he could feel blisters forming on his skin. He knew she wasn't done.
Minerva discarded her wand, tossing it carelessly behind her. The voice of rage told her that she no longer needed it. She waved both arms in front of his chest and his robes were ripped apart, exposing the flesh of his torso to the night air. The hiss of pain that erupted from his throat as her nails dug into his skin made her smile. Her nails left deep lines of blood from his shoulders on down. She stepped back to survey the damage.
“What are you?” he asked meekly.
“I am that which is drawn to pain, anguish, and despair,” Minerva said in an ethereal voice that was not all her own. “I am rage. I am vengeance. I am fire and life incarnate. I am a Dark Phoenix born out of the ashes by the suffering you have caused this woman. She gave me life and I will destroy you for what you have done to her.”
A/N: What a place to stop, I know. I'll post more soon. Promise. :-)
This was supposed to be a one-shot, but I'm posting it in parts now.
Hope you like!
- April :-)
Title: Dark Phoenix
Rating: 14+
Summary: After Voldemort falls, Minerva finds herself face to face with the one who killed the man she loved most.
* * * *
Prologue
In the darkness of space, it watches -
patient and steadfast.
An unmistakable sadness in her eyes.
In the darkness of space, it listens -
careful and attentive.
An irrefutable sorrow in her cries.
In the darkness of space, it hungers -
greedy and desperate.
As her pain becomes ripe and firm.
In the darkness of space, it wakes -
rested and reborn.
As her rage begins to burn.
**********
Part One
It was over. Minerva had just witnessed the final blow that proved to be Voldemort's downfall. Harry Potter, who looked nothing like the fresh faced boy that first stepped into Hogwarts seven years earlier, had done just as the prophecy demanded and killed the evil wizard. As the Dark Lord fell, many of his followers began to retreat, knowing that their time was nigh. The Minister had given the order that all Death Eaters were to be captured, or if it came down to it, killed. He did not want any stragglers to follow in Voldemort's footsteps.
Minerva had just incapacitated a Death Eater when another one ran past her, darting into the dark forest. She turned to give chase, ignoring her body's protests. The Death Eater sent stunners at her and she weaved in and out of the brush to avoid them. Once the woods thinned out she had a clear shot and sent a stunner of her own that threw the Death Eater against a tree. They stayed motionless on the ground for a few seconds as Minerva crept up to inspect her work. The silver mask had fallen off and she found herself staring into the black eyes of Severus Snape.
She felt time slow. The only sound audible to her ears was the pounding of her heart. Images flashed before her mind's eye, rising unbidden from the farthest reaches of her subconscious. Images that she had tucked away in order to ease the pain. Albus' body, illuminated in green light, being hurled over the battlements of the tower, just as Harry had described. She saw Hagrid placing Albus' body, bundled in a bag, upon the slab of white marble. Once again, she saw Albus flying backwards off the tower. A voice was saying something, the words echoing in her head. A deep, rich voice that she'd heard a thousand times before – taking points away from her house and needling her after his Slytherins won a Quidditch match against her Gryffindors - now, saying those awful words that made her skin crawl.
Avada Kedavra.
Avada Kedavra.
Avada Kedavra.
Minerva looked down at him, her wand pointed at his face. Muscles locked, she could do nothing more than stare at the man who had taken the one person in the world she loved most and, to add salt to the wound, she had never told him. Snape looked up at her with a somewhat bemused expression upon his face. “Fancy meeting you here, Professor McGonagall.”
Still she didn't budge. Her eyes remained locked with his, her breaths coming at short intervals. Bind him and send him off to Azkaban, her conscience told her.
But something else was fighting for dominance...
Avada Kedavra.
...showing her Albus bathed in green light, flying backwards off the tower...
Avada Kedavra.
...Severus Snape's wand emitting a sickening green light...
Avada Kedavra.
Minerva looked at her wand, now visibly shaking as she gripped it, still pointing solidly at Snape's nose. Bind him and make him feel all the pain you've been feeling this past year, said a new voice.
Snape recognized her inner turmoil and pounced like a hunter on its prey. “What are you going to with me, Minerva? I can see it in your eyes that you're planning something, but are unsure.” His voice dripped of malice and goading. “Cat got your tongue?”
“Shut up!” she whispered harshly, the words barely registering on the night air.
He stood up, Minerva's wand never wavering from its target. Snape chuckled. “Do you really think you can take me without a fight? Do you honestly think you'd win?”
“Shut up!” she said again. Her breathing was becoming erratic and her heart rate went up. “Or I swear I'll...”
“You'll what?” he cut in. “Will you kill me? I'm sorry, Minerva, but, pardon the expression, you don't have the balls for it.” His arm came up and suddenly his wand was pointed at her stomach. “Lower your wand, Professor, and we can both be on our way. Let's face it, I know a dozen dark spells that would have your insides spilling out onto the ground in seconds. Lower it!”
Her conscience and the other presence in her mind were struggling for control of her body. Finally she felt her arm lower and her head bowed in defeat. She didn't have to see his face to know that he was smiling. A single tear escaped and fell slowly to the ground.
“How could you?” She sounded weak, even to herself, but she couldn't stop herself from asking. “He trusted you, Severus. He took you in and he was your friend! How could betray him like that?”
“He was an old fool who trusted far too easily,” was the only reply she received.
“That's not true!” she shot back.
“Still his lapdog, even after his death. Do you want to know what his last words were? He said, 'Severus, please.' The great and powerful sorcerer who defeated Grindelwald was begging for his life. How pathetic.”
An emotion so strong that it filled her entire being surged through her veins in an instant leaving her trembling. It was rage. Pure, unadulterated rage. Her conscience tried to regain control but it was too late. Minerva's hand twitched and a bold of bright red shot out of the end, landing squarely in Snape's chest.
“Accio wand,” she muttered before Snape could regain his senses. She caught it in midair and, with a strength some would call unnatural, promptly snapped it in two.
Snape stood dumbfounded, his mouth agape. This was not the Minerva McGonagall that he was used to. Something had happened. Her eyes were a mixture of green, orange, and red. What sort of magic is this? Even her hair, which had long since come loose from its confining bun, glowed with an otherworldly flame and Snape thought he heard the distant cry of a phoenix.
“Minerva?” he ventured.
“Silence!” Minerva's Scottish brogue was filled with anger and power. She flicked her wand and Snape found himself suspended between two trees, ropes attached to his wrists and ankles. Minerva pointed her wand at his feet and the ropes began to pull. She felt a twinge of satisfaction as she watched his face grimace in pain as his legs were being pulled beyond their natural limits. She released the tension on the ropes and he panted heavily, trying to gain some semblance of control.
“Perhaps, I was wrong about you, Minerva, you seem to have a knack for torture,” he said. “A pity the Dark Lord never tried to recruit you.”
The color in her eyes and hair intensified, extending now down her arms. “I am not one of you! I only want you to suffer as I have! Do you have any idea of the pain you've caused me? What you took from me when you murdered him?”
Snape, in spite of his current situation, couldn't resist taunting her. “I would have thought you would be happy. You've finally got Hogwarts to yourself now. You can run it the way you want. No staff Christmas parties or canceled exams!” She made a small motion with her wand and all four ropes pulled at his limbs. He winced in pain, but surprised her by laughing when she let up. It was maniacal. “I see, Minerva. The is revenge for killing a lover, isn't it? I didn't think the old man had it in him.”
Minerva's anger rose to new heights. She wanted him to suffer – to beg her for mercy. She needed to wipe that smug look from his face. She needed something more tangible. Moving closer to him, she now appeared to be engulfed in flames from the waist up. His eyes widened as she inched closer. Suddenly, her hand raised up and she smacked him solidly across the face. It did much more than sting - it burned. His cheek reddened and he could feel blisters forming on his skin. He knew she wasn't done.
Minerva discarded her wand, tossing it carelessly behind her. The voice of rage told her that she no longer needed it. She waved both arms in front of his chest and his robes were ripped apart, exposing the flesh of his torso to the night air. The hiss of pain that erupted from his throat as her nails dug into his skin made her smile. Her nails left deep lines of blood from his shoulders on down. She stepped back to survey the damage.
“What are you?” he asked meekly.
“I am that which is drawn to pain, anguish, and despair,” Minerva said in an ethereal voice that was not all her own. “I am rage. I am vengeance. I am fire and life incarnate. I am a Dark Phoenix born out of the ashes by the suffering you have caused this woman. She gave me life and I will destroy you for what you have done to her.”
A/N: What a place to stop, I know. I'll post more soon. Promise. :-)
Loved you story. The ending with the ring was wonderful.
