HP: Those Years Sleeping with the Half-Blood Prince

In the old room on the second floor of the Pighead Bar, Dumbledore sat calmly watching Ian, as if he had long anticipated that this meeting would be unusual.

"Mr. Burke," he began, his voice calm, "the Guardian's message was brief. You said there was something extremely important, a matter of life and death, that required a face-to-face meeting."

Ian didn't sit down. He took a deep breath and uttered a single word: "Horde."

"Horregularities." The old man repeated slowly, his voice devoid of surprise, but rather filled with understanding and solemnity. "Are you sure, Mr. Burke? Do you know the exact meaning of this term?"

"To split the soul and hide it in a container in order to achieve immortality." Ian's voice was unusually clear. "The source... is absolutely reliable. One of the storage locations is a cave somewhere, protected by powerful dark magic. It requires a price to reach it. Inside is a locket belonging to Salazar Slytherin, and there is likely more than one Horcrux."

"I see," Dumbledore said softly, almost to himself. "This explains many things—why he was so reckless, why his power growth was so...abnormal. Immortality, indeed, was something he would pursue, in this way..."

He looked at Ian, his eyes devoid of their usual gentleness. "Tell me, Mr. Burke, tell me everything—about the cave, about the locket, about your…every detail your sources can provide, don't leave out a single thing, even if it seems insignificant."

Ian told Dumbledore all the details, including the information they had gathered and Slughorn's unusual reaction to it.

"Now, he's pressuring Severus to complete the Soul Relief Agent within three months," Ian concluded.

"I understand," Dumbledore said, his voice regaining a certain calm strength. "Thank you for the news. I will begin the investigation, starting with the known clues—Salazar Slytherin's belongings, things he may have cherished during his student days, key locations in his rise to power…"

"This will take time, and it will require absolute caution. Any misstep could alert him and cause him to move the Horcrux, or make him realize that the secret has been exposed, which would be a catastrophe for you."

Ian's heart sank, but at the same time, a sense of determination rose within him.

At least, the heaviest burden has been taken over, and the only one who is capable of shouldering it.

"We understand. We will continue to keep an eye out for any related information, especially about his past and what he values, but actively investigating Horcruxes... is too dangerous."

"Your primary task is to protect yourselves and to complete the 'task' he assigned to Severus."

Dumbledore sighed. "Three months... time is tight. The Soul Reliever, whether real or fake, is an extremely sensitive signal. Once he concludes that Severus's value is limited to this, or begins to have doubts..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was clear.

"My plan with Severus still needs the cooperation of the Order of the Phoenix."

Dumbledore listened to Ian's plan and nodded. "I'll make arrangements. That's enough for tonight."

He walked to the door and opened it for Ian.

Take care, Ian.

……

The "final" version of the Soul Reliever was handed over by Severus at the end of the second month.

When Lucius took it, the smile on his face finally became more genuine. "Very good, Severus, I will present it to my master immediately. You have certainly not disappointed him."

He left the lab with a lighter step.

When Severus returned to the Cotswolds, it was already dark. He didn't turn on the light and sat in the darkness for a long time until Ian came back, bringing with him the chill of the outdoors, and hugged him from behind.

"Did you pay?"

"Um."

"Didn't he suspect anything?"

"Not yet, at least not now," Severus said softly. "Now, we just have to wait and see."

The waiting period was particularly agonizing.

Severus was allowed a few days of "rest," but he and Ian both knew it was the calm before the storm.

A month later, the news came.

Instead of Lucius, a Death Eater in disguise appeared directly at the door of their stone house and succinctly conveyed the order: "The master summons you, now."

In Riddle Hall, Voldemort stood in the empty hall, his back to them, while Lucius stood beside him, his head slightly bowed.

Several figures stood in the shadows. Severus recognized Bellatrix Lestrange's fanatical gaze and Barty Crouch Jr.'s young face, already filled with twisted excitement.

"Severus." Voldemort didn't turn around; his cold voice echoed in the hall. "Lucius has already given me a detailed report on your findings. Very good. The theory is perfect, and the data is impressive, but the value of potions lies in their application."

He slowly turned around, his scarlet eyes locking onto Severus.

"Here is a small opportunity to prove your loyalty and your talent."

With a wave of his hand, two Death Eaters dragged a magically bound and struggling figure into the room through a side door and threw it onto the cold floor.

It was a male witch whose age was unknown. His face was covered in blood, his eyes were filled with fear, and his mouth was sealed with magic, so he could only make muffled noises.

"An insignificant traitor attempted to leak the itinerary of one of our friends to the Ministry of Magic."

Voldemort spoke casually, as if he were talking about what he had for dinner that night, "He suffered a little... a minor punishment, and his soul is a bit unstable. Perfect, it can be used to test whether your soul soothing agent can heal this... trauma."

The air froze instantly.

This wasn't used on Voldemort himself, nor on any important Death Eater, but rather on a "traitor" to test the drug.

Success proved the potion's effectiveness, and also demonstrated Severus's value and "loyalty"—he was willing to use his meticulously crafted potion to deal with a traitor.

If he failed, or if the traitor died for some other reason, then it was either Severus's incompetence or... his ulterior motives.

Regardless of the choice, Voldemort was invincible. What he wanted to see was Severus's choice: obedience or hesitation.

"Of course," Voldemort seemed to see through his momentary stiffness, his voice tinged with amusement, "you can refuse. After all, this is your precious research result, and using it on such a piece of trash might be a waste."

The pressure felt real, pressing in from all directions.

Lucius's eyes were lowered, making his expression unreadable.

Bellatrix let out a short, excited chuckle.

Severus lowered his eyes, concealing all the emotions within them.

"It is my honor to be able to share your burdens." His voice was calm and composed.

He took the potion from the levitation spell, squatted down in front of the wizard, and poured the potion down his throat without hesitation.

Voldemort watched the wizard's transformation. After a moment, he raised his hand, and a thin green light flashed—Avada Kedavra.

"The effect is good," Voldemort commented, his tone unreadable.

His crimson eyes turned to Severus again, this time with something more substantial in them, as if evaluating a tool that had finally met the expected standards.

"Your potion can bring about a peaceful death... isn't that a form of mercy?"

"All for the great cause of the Lord," Severus replied softly.

"Very good." Voldemort seemed satisfied. "You have proven your worth, Severus Snape. From today onward, you will have more important responsibilities. Lucius will tell you what to do, and as for you..."

For the first time, his gaze truly fell upon Ian, scrutinizing him. "Bork boy, I've heard you're doing well with Borgin. Keep it up; useful loyalty always pays off."

He did not suggest a marker.

Perhaps he felt Severus's value lay more in his intellect, while Ian... wasn't quite up to the task, or perhaps having a "clean" partner raised in a Ministry of Magic employee's family would be more useful at times.

"Go back and await your new mission." Voldemort waved his hand, as if shooing away flies.