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Chapter 635 – Night Interview Plea!!
Night.
A spell struck a fox. The fox fell to the ground.
A hand picked it up, and a woman said disdainfully,
"Cissy, it's just a fox. I thought it was an Auror… Honestly, are you really going to find him? I don't think he can be trusted.
Besides, that was the Dark Lord's mission, and Draco was honored to receive it!"
"Bella, if you try to stop me, I won't be polite."
The woman called Bella flew into a rage.
"Narcissa, I'm your sister!"
Narcissa snorted.
With her hood pulled low, she strode straight into a filthy, chaotic street.
She stopped in front of a house and entered without hesitation.
Bellatrix cursed under her breath and followed her inside.
"Peter Pettigrew? Why are you here?"
Bellatrix raised an eyebrow.
Severus Snape emerged from the inner room.
He glanced at Pettigrew and said coldly,
"The Dark Lord sent him to assist me. Go—make tea for our guests."
"I'm a Death Eater, not your servant!"
Pettigrew shouted angrily.
Snape sneered.
"And how exactly are you useful?"
Pettigrew stormed away furiously, then returned with two cups of tea.
"Leave," Snape said icily.
"And don't eavesdrop."
Pettigrew left—but just as Narcissa was about to speak, Snape flicked his wand toward the corridor.
A scream of pain echoed outside.
"Now you may speak,"
Snape said calmly.
"Cissy, you're really going to tell him?"
Bellatrix snapped angrily.
"And what's wrong with someone like me?"
Snape asked, lifting his eyelids lazily.
"You're unfaithful. A fence-sitter. When we were captured—"
"Yes, yes," Snape interrupted mockingly.
"I've been an undercover agent at Hogwarts for sixteen years.
What I've given the Dark Lord is sixteen years' worth of intelligence on Dumbledore.
Can you say the same?"
Bellatrix glared at him.
"Then why didn't you kill Harry Potter? For all these years you claim loyalty, yet Harry Potter—and Darren Potter—are still alive!"
Snape scoffed.
"Darren Potter is extremely powerful.
Only slightly weaker than the Dark Lord and Dumbledore themselves.
Do you think I could kill Harry Potter right under his protection?"
"I don't believe you," Bellatrix sneered.
"I heard he respects you greatly."
"I heard rumors too," Snape replied coldly.
"He's always been wary of me.
I once used Veritaserum on him. I even used Legilimency on him.
Respect? Hardly.
What he respects is my position as a Hogwarts professor.
Last year he nearly killed me in my office during a provocation arranged by the Dark Lord.
If I hadn't anticipated it and taken an antidote in advance, you'd be staring at my corpse."
"Then why weren't you present when the Dark Lord summoned the Death Eaters?"
"I've explained this many times.
My Dark Mark had been burning for hours.
I delayed deliberately to maintain Dumbledore's trust.
Had I arrived early, Dumbledore would have suspected me immediately.
Arriving late allowed the Dark Lord to exploit my position even further."
"That still doesn't prove your loyalty,"
Bellatrix hissed.
"I risked my life in that battle!"
"Risked your life?"
Snape laughed quietly.
"The only real danger was Darren Potter—and the Dark Lord restricted his strength.
All you had to do was retrieve the prophecy.
And yet you failed at that."
"Failed?" Bellatrix shouted.
"Even weakened, Darren Potter was terrifying!
He knocked Lucius unconscious with a single blow!
Which of us wasn't beaten afterward?"
Snape's voice turned sharp.
"I followed the Dark Lord's orders and stayed in the rear.
I even passed information to the Order of the Phoenix—late, as instructed.
And still, you managed to ruin everything.
If you hadn't caused Darren Potter to fall through that veil, Potter would never have believed him dead.
And he would never have smashed the prophecy."
"How was I supposed to know he'd save Sirius?"
Bellatrix shouted furiously.
"I thought he was strong enough to recover.
Who knew he'd actually fall?"
She paused, confused.
"And even so… wasn't the Dark Lord's intention to recruit the boy?"
"The Dark Lord punished everyone who participated,"
Snape said quietly.
And then he realized something.
" Dark lord had entrusted something extremely precious to Draco."
"If I were to put it bluntly—Lucius—"
"Enough!"
Narcissa cried out sharply.
She turned to Snape, her eyes filled with desperation.
"Please… please help Draco.
He's still a child.
Lucius has already been punished—why must Draco bear this mission?"
Snape hesitated.
"This is the Dark Lord's decision.
I can help Draco… but persuading the Dark Lord to change his mind is impossible."
Narcissa broke down in tears.
"He's our only son, Severus.
Lucius is in Azkaban.
The Dark Lord won't save him.
Draco… Draco is only sixteen."
Bellatrix laughed ecstatically.
"If I had a son, I'd be honored to let him die for the Dark Lord!"
"I won't!"
Narcissa sobbed.
"He's too young… Severus, please…"
She dropped to her knees, clutching Snape's hand, tears soaking his sleeve.
Snape closed his eyes.
"I can try,"
he said softly.
"I can try to help him."
Narcissa looked up, hope flickering in her eyes.
"Will you make an Unbreakable Vow?"
Snape froze.
Bellatrix laughed mockingly.
"You see, Cissy? Begging him is useless!"
"Yes,"
Snape said suddenly.
Bellatrix stiffened.
"Yes," Snape repeated.
"I will help Draco.
And I will make an Unbreakable Vow with you—
with you as witness, Bellatrix."
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