Ignis

A SS/HG fanfic by Severus Sortiarius

A/N:I OWN NOTHING, This is for my amusement and others if you feel so incline to venture with me...The Characters and all rights Belong to J.K. Rowling, but I like to venture into her playground...particularly when it comes to a certain Potions Master...No Money is being made off this...and I'm quite alright with that...Stress relief and letting my imagination run wild is all I care about here...and of course Reviews...I'll try and watch my spelling but it does tend to go awry in the heat of the moment when typing so bare with me...RATED M and it's not changing...I won't be as descriptive as some out of respect to the characters, but I will make them HUMAN.

WARNING: Contains: References to Alcohol, Smoking, Language, Sexual content, Violence, Torture, Abuse, References to Child Abuse, References to Nudity...Again RATED M for a reason...

Story is AU with a few compliant book/movie choices...Snape Lives of course. I have a couple characters from a beloved show tailored to the Fanfic and I don't claim them either...ALL Rights belong to respective OWNERS...If it helps just picture Alan Rickman Snape (younger) I will try to be as close as possible to Snape's original nature but bare in mind that I am not Rowling nor Alan Rickman...ENJOY...and Thank you for your interest.-Severus Sortiarius

{"You look at me but you don't see...Understand that I'm a Sinner...Don't corner me...Don't lecture me..."}-Drowning Pool, Sinner

Prologue: Sinner's Plight

Some Uncharted Plains...

Severus Snape had been unconscious as his broken and battered body remained sprawled out on the cold hard ground. The darkness that surrounded him had been nothing compared to the blackness that stained his immortal soul. Deep crimson spilled from gashes and cuts amid pale mangled flesh and grit. The once formidable Potions Master of Hogwarts; school of Witchcraft and Wizardry, could not even so much as flex his little finger. The only mercy granted to him had been the inability to feel the pain that would have no doubt consumed him. The chest of Severus Snape rose and fell with slow hinged breaths as his mind closed in on itself in the wake of an unfortunate incident. Beside him lay his rather ordinary looking wand, mahogany; painted black with dragon-heart string and phoenix core. The infamous sword of Gryffindor a ways away from the tip of his right boot. He had nothing left, his body refused to bend to his will and his mind had been in shambles. On the brink of death for what could very well be the final time...Snape half wanted to just give in...give in and just drift...To what?...it's not like you'd be better off in the afterlife...not with the blackness in your soul...more punishment...perhaps endless punishment would be your just reward...at least here you can have something of a reprieve before they torment you again.

As he layed there contemplating in the darkest recesses of his mind, the image of a young girl came to him. Her emerald green eyes bright and full of life. Her red hair at length down her small back. Her complexion had been healthy despite her average upbringing. She wore a green cotton dress dotted rather mercilessly with small white and blue flowers that spanned the entire fabric. She reached out a hand to him as he found himself reaching out to her with a hand of his own.

"Come on Sev." she said pleasantly. "What are you waiting for?"

His mouth opened as his breath came back then sharp and uneven.

"Sev...come on." continued the red haired girl.

Something snapped as a single tear escaped the hard hearted professor and ran down his dirt covered right cheek.

"L...i...ly. he managed still reaching out for her.

"You have to get up now." she said serious.

"L...i...ly..w-w..wa..it..." he forced out.

"He's coming Sev." she continued. "You have to go."

Snape groaned starting to rouse from his forced slumber.

"D-Don't leave...Lily...please." he said finding his voice to be louder than he remembered.

"You're going to be fine." she said with a warm smile. "You can do this Sev...I know you can."

Severus Snape's obsidian black eyes sprang open rather violently as she faded from him. The sallow, pale face of the usually dour Potions Master had been half covered in blood and dried dirt. The lines in his grim disposition stretched in reaction to the pain as he tried to sit up and found that it had not been as easy as he thought. The Potions Master gritted his teeth and lifted his body despite the white-hot pain that shot through him. He found himself in a sitting position unable to do much more as he tried to gauge his last thing he remembered was acquiring the sword of Gryffindor, a necessary weapon for Potter to combat the Dark lord. Snape rolled his eyes painstakingly at the thought of Harry James Potter. The son of my enemy.

Snape had held the impressive looking blade in his hands and examined it carefully. The irony, a Slytherin Head of house was holding the blade belonging to the rival house's founder was not lost on him. It didn't appear to be lost on the blade as well as he could have sworn the thing glowed in his possession and before he could react the ground suddenly gave way beneath him and he found himself tumbling into the abyss below him not able to see his hand in front of his face as he desperately searched for his wand to make light and pull himself out of the cavern.

Needless to say the decent was not fun by any means.

{Something's here...It appears...Mortal..."} Something was beginning to stir in the darkness.

The stubborn Potions Professor looked around treated to a low glowing giving him just enough light to consider his options. He needed two things if he was going to survive in this place long enough to return to Hogwarts, his wand being one, and the blasted Sword of Gryffindor being the other. After a moment of becoming much more aware Snape was bombarded with the heavy scent of earth and something else. Something not at all pleasant after some careful consideration, he identified the scent as decaying flesh.

{Dying...must find a way...must find...not much time now.} Whatever it was thought.

It became thicker the longer he sat there and nearly overwhelmed him in seconds. Snape painstakingly brought himself to his feet leaning against unseen jagged rocks in the process. He had been careful not to further injure himself as he did; but the pointed edges dug into the thin layer of skin covering his rather large palms just the same. In full standing position; Snape's robes and notorious black cape draped of him in a haphazard fashion, they had been horribly mangled with more dirt covering his usually immaculate attire. Snape's keen eyes once again caught the low glow. There was something about it. He decided. If he later recounted the tale of it he would have to suggest that it was beckoning to him.

Against his better judgement and as if under the Imperio curse, Snape found himself moving toward the strange glow. His lengthy legs heavy from both pain and fatigue. His steps had been uncertain but his stride quickened despite his reservations. He had not known why but something seemed to be commanding his presence.

{Yes...come closer...come to me Mortal...} Something commanded.

What is happening? Why am I going toward the place of wrongness? What the hell is...? Thought Snape.

{Quiet!...Mortal...Your mind is as thick as this cavern!...} Something commanded again.

What are you doing in my mind? How the hell are you...? Replied Snape in his mind.

{I sss-said Q-Q-Quiet!} Hissed the commanding voice.

Snape let out an agonized groan feeling something force itself into his private thoughts probing them and devouring them hungrily one after an other. Whatever it had been was no more gentle rooting around in his mind than the dark lord had been when obtaining information from him in this manner. An eerie chill went down his spine. He continued to walk all of his instincts fighting against the hold of whatever commanded his presence in this strange place. Before he knew it he had been in a much larger part of the cavern bathed in total darkness. The low glow from before long gone but the compulsion to this strange place still strong as well as the hold on his mind.

"You are Sortiarius?" said a thunderous voice filled with a great deal of sorrow and misery.

Snape blinked trying to picture what had made such a sound then decided against it.

"I am a Wizard." he said not at all knowing what it was that whom or whatever this was spoke of.

Something like wind gushed at him blowing over his clothes and body making his cape fly tattered behind him. The it whooshed back in pulling his cape forward . Snape realized whatever had been in the cavern was rather large and had just breathed in his scent. He had hoped whatever it was had not been hungry as the thick putrid scent of decayed flesh hit him full force once more.

"You...You ARE Severus Snape, Potions Master of Hogwarts." boomed the thunderous voice once more. "And YOU ARE...SORTIARIUS."

Snape had found himself becoming annoyed by whatever this creature was. He had told him he had been a wizard and it proceeded to tell him that he was a "Sortiarius". He made a mental note to decipher what that had been when he returned to Hogwarts...if he returned that was.

"What is it that you want creature?" asked Snape emotionless.

A bellow of laughter came in the form of thunderous ruckus and more wind gushing in and out around Snape as he stood before whatever it was. The glow came back full force and the dour Potions Master could see two large purple glowing orbs before him. He had never seen anything like it before but he could swear they had been the exact position apart from each other...like they had been...Eyes? Those ARE it's EYES!

Finally caught on I see." said the thunderous voice. "Yes, these are my eyes...Sortiarius."

"If you're going to eat me...I suggest you get this over with." said Snape finding himself enraged. After all he had done to stop Voldemort, he was going to be eaten in a cavern by a dragon all because of Potter. The image of Potter getting a good laugh at this only served to fuel his aggression.

"I have no desire to consume you Sortiarius!" thundered the voice once more. "You are here because I summoned you."

Snape did not like the idea of being summoned by Voldemort or Albus Dumbledore now he had a dragon to contend with. A Dragon? was that what it was? of course it had to be.

"I know not of this Voldemort and even less of this Dumbledore...Sortiarius and they are not in line with what is in store for you." Replied the thunderous voice. "And...Yes...I am what your kind refers to as a Dragon...for however long that maybe."

"W-What do you want with me?" asked Snape curious as to this creatures motives.

Very few dragons resided in England and even fewer had been in Scotland since the beasts were hunted for sport some centuries ago. Those that managed to slip through the clutches of would be poacher or their former slayers were never sentient and at the very least no had been capable of powers such as this.

The Dragon's eyes glowed even brighter emitting a soft purple glow to the entire cave. Snape's eyes took in the sight of a rather lengthy and powerful looking Black Dragon with sharp claws and sharper teeth. Obsidian black eyes ran over the beast in great detail committing it to memory as if it had been the formula for a rare potion.

"I do not expect a mortal like you to comprehend the might of a dragon such as myself, nor do I expect you to understand your role that is yet to come...for now I will simply enlighten you as to whom you speak...I am called Hiei, Severus Snape; Dragon of The Darkness Flame." Thundered the black lizard. "Bane of light, hunter of men, king of dragons, and master of what your kind refer to as The Ancient Dark Arts...I have been here...trapped withing these walls...waiting centuries for YOU to return...Sortiarius."

Snape looked at the creature in disbelief.

"You expect me to believe that you have been waiting centuries for ME?" he asked trying to muster annoyance in the wake of his disbelief. "And why do you refer to me in that name?"

"I have been awaiting the day that you return...so that I my bestow a gift onto you...a gift you granted me long ago." replied the black lizard in his thundering tone. "You are Sortiarius...Severus Snape...master of the ancient dark arts and King of Dragons."

"I believe all those years of waiting in a cavern have gotten to you." sneered Snape not at all fearful of the dragon. "I am not a...Sortiarius...nor am I a so-called King of Dragons...I think I would have known if I were such a thing...I AM Potions Master of Hogwarts and I AM on a very important mission...so if you are not interested in eating me beast...I suggest you let me go...I will not tolerate more delays."

The Eyes of the beast glowed immensely now. Snape felt the sudden and violent pull as the dragon grasped him into his claws. Pain surged through The Potions Master's body. Blood dripped onto the ground as the enraged beast held him up in the air getting a better view of him. Frantic and with a firm grip on the sword of Gryffindor he slashed at the beast. It proved as ineffective as muggle spitting on a wild fire. The black dragon shook him causing the sword to fall onto the ground below. Snape's wand remained secured within the pocket of his robes currently compressed by the attacking dragon.

"INSOLENT MORTAL!" it thundered angrily. "YOU WILL ACCEPT MY GIFT WEITHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!...I HAVE NOT WAITED ALL THIS TIME TO FAIL...YOU WILL FACE YOUR DESTINY AND I WILL HAVE MY REST!"

Snape struggled in the clutches of the giant lizard. He had been powerless against it's strength and even more weak from the seering pain. The blood continued to fall from him onto the floor of the cavern.

"TENEBRE FLAMMA EXIBT!" shouted the thunderous Lizard. "REVERTANTUR AB UNO QUAM VENISTI LINGARE NOCTIS AETERNAE OBRUAT FLAMMA!"

At these words Snape suddenly stopped struggling as his obsidian eyes began to glow as the dragon's had with a black flame highlighted by a purple aura. It seemed to emerge from within the depths of the black lizard and flew into the chest of The Potions Master. The ears, nose and mouth of Snape seemed to drown in it's effects. There was no breath that came from The Potions Master as his body convulsed in the lessening grasp of the fading black dragon of flame. Snape yelled out in agony as the blackened flames spread around his lean form and subsequently engulfed him. After the seemingly long and painful process ended...Snape collapsed onto the ground fallen from yet another steep drop.

"Farewell, Sortiarius...Severus Snape." said the fading voice of the black dragon. "May your enemies fall and your friends prosper..."

Once more Severus Snape found himself a broken mess on the cold hard cavern floor. His blood pooled for a moment and then ceased to leak from his body. The aches and pains persisted further aggravated by his second fall. The sword of Gryffindor and his wand had been sprawled out on the floor a ways from his battered body. Despite the agony he had no doubt endured, Severus Snape opened his eyes to find the black lizard gone. Surprising as it was to find that not a trace of the enormous creature remained, a small flood of relief coursed through him as he struggled once more to his feet. He staggered some using sheer will to keep himself upright.

The pain from both falls had still been felt in great magnitude but the dour Potions Professor knew he had to keep going. After a moment or two to compose himself he held out his hand.

"Accio Wand" he said in a thunderous tone of his own.

No sooner had he finished the words his wand came at the ready and appeared in his hand.

"Lumos." he said and a glow sprang from the wand.

He took a quick look around and saw that there had truly been no remains of the black dragon, known as Hiei. After a minute or two he made his way back to where he had entered this place and stood directly beneath where he had fallen. He retrieved the blasted sword of Gryffindor and launched himself out of the cavern. He had decided what happened with that dragon was simply a waste of time and he pushed it out of his mind. There were pressing matters to attend to.

The Office of Albus Dumbledore, Hogwarts...

Headmaster Dumbledore's piercing blue eyes had been filled with worry as he anxiously awaited the arrival of Severus Snape. He had sent him to find the sword just a few days ago and there had been no word from him. As the hours of this day counted down he had begun to fear the worse. The war would indeed be lost of his invaluable spy had perished on a fetch quest for the Sword of Gryffindor. After a moment of doubtful questioning, The floo flared and in walked a beaten and battered Severus Snape clutching the aforementioned Sword of Gryffindor as if it had been for dear life.

The younger wizard had faced great peril to retrieve the blade much more than he had feared when he first sent him out. It had been a great risk, but they had both determined the blade would be greatly needed if Harry Potter was going to engage the dark lord in the inevitable conclusion of this war. The headmaster sighed knowing full well that Severus was suffering, and that he would have it no other way. The young man seemed determined to punish himself for things he had no real control over. Deaths that were never on his hands. Still, he had been useful, and quiet effective as a spy, a teacher, and as added protection for Harry and his friends over the years. There was not much doubt in knowing success would not be possible without him.

His stance seemed uneasy as blood seemed to pool at his feet. The old man watched painstakingly as he shuffled to the center of the office with a smug smirk on his pale sallow face. His lank hair curtained around his cheeks but could not hide the cocky glare of utter amusement behind his obsidian black eyes. Albus had rounded the desk and made his way hastily over toward Snape as the sword met the hardwood floor in a heavy clank.

"Severus, I can take it from here go and see Poppy." said Dumbledore not at all hiding his concern. "Let her fix you up."

"I need no doting from that old crone." replied Snape rather testy. "I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself...why don't you save your concerns for that idiot Potter, reckless Weasley, and Know-it-all Granger...I'm sure it will be most effective with your precious Gryffindors."

Dumbledore just looked at the younger wizard. His trademark attire torn and tattered, the billowing cape now in shreds behind him.

"Sod off Albus." said Snape with a dark glare.

It seemed to have no effect on The Headmaster.

"You must let her take a look at you my boy." he insisted.

Snape rolled his eyes. With a single long pale finger he pointed down at the blade changing the subject for which he no longer had patience for. The headmaster's blue eyes followed his finger and fell on the sword in which so much faith had been placed.

"There!" said Snape as his anger surged to the surface igniting a flame that seem to dance in his dark eyes. "Here's your precious sodding sword of that Prat Godric Gryffindor...Sod this school...Sod your order of phoenix...Sod the dark lord...Sod this ghastly war...and fucking sod...Harry Boy-Who-Lived-To-Torment-Me James Potter!"

With the last, Snape evidently used up all the energy he had left and firmly collapsed saved from yet another crash onto a hard floor by Dumbledore catching the exhausted younger wizard before he did more damage to himself. The old man shook his head as he levitated the younger wizard toward the floo. He threw in some floo powder and waited until the flames became emerald then called out his destination.

"Infirmary." he said firmly taking a look at the unconscious Potions Master.

Infirmary, Hospital Wing, Hogwarts...

Poppy Pomfrey rushed about bandaging and waving her wand over the unconscious Potions Professor in her care. His raven hair a sea of black against the creamy white sleeve of the pillow that held his heavy head. The crisp, equally creamy white sheets had been pulled up to his pale chin and his torn, tattered blood soaked ebony robes discarded back to the dungeons as a new set had been transfigured for him and neatly folded in a nearby visitor's chair.

The old Med-witch sighed rather sorrowfully as she looked over her charge. He had been a constant guest within the walls of the hospital wing since he first arrived at Hogwarts at the age of eleven. Not much had changed over the past few years except his increasingly harsh wounds and broken bones becoming more frequent.

"You poor thing." she said sadly. "What kind of life is this for such a bright young man?"

The sentimental wave passed after she found herself on the verge of tussling his hair. He had been a grown man by all accounts but whenever she looked at him she could not help but see that small young boy who had visited her hospital wing so many times during his school days. He bore scars that no man his age should have and seemed to age ten years for every day spent fighting this war. To her he had always been a soldier without hope a sort of sentinel duty bound as if until it was the end of eternity. She could hardly remember the last time he had even smiled, a genuine smile uninhabited by sarcasm or malice of any kind.

"Severus." she said ruefully.

"I understand how you feel." said the voice of The Headmaster.

"Do you really Albus?" asked Poppy glaring at him. "Half the time it's your fault the boy ends up here."

"A fact that I am well aware of I assure you." replied Dumbledore gazing at the sleeping younger wizard. "It simply cannot be helped."

"A fact that I am well aware of as well." countered Poppy.

She let out a sigh and looked down at Snape one last time.

"He's never known a moment's peace." she said. "It breaks my heart to know that if the worst should come to pass...he would know nothing of how life could be...how it should have been for him..."

"You are not alone in that." replied Dumbledore sadly. "It is my hope that there would be some way to salvage him...if and when we end this blasted war."

"Well." said Poppy firmly. "I'll leave you to it then...Headmaster"

She took her leave of the headmaster and the sleeping Snape.

Dumbledore turned his attention back to Snape.

"How many close calls are too many Severus." he said softly. "If there was any other way...I am sorry my boy...Perhaps when this war is over...you will have at last found peace."

The words of both the Med-witch and The Headmaster had fallen on deaf ears as Snape found himself back at Spinner's End with a beautiful young girl with red hair and emerald eyes. She reached out her hand to him offering him a smile sweet and warm as he had ever seen one while they raced through high reeds and dandelions toward a black lake.

{ "Hurry Sev." she said cheerfully. Her eyes seemed to seep into his very soul as she giggled and ran playfully though the reeds and grasses. Dandelions blowing in the small breezes created by their shooting frames as they passed.

The sun had been warm that afternoon. He could feel the vitamin D coursing through his blood stream as he ran. She was a blur of innocence and beauty as she moved her lengthy hair swaying behind her.

"Lily wait." said Severus finding that his voice had reverted to that of a Nine year old boy right along with his body.

"Come on Sev." she insisted playfully as they continued to run.

The innocence of their afternoon seemed to make him feel at home. A warmth filled him that he had not known in many years. Snape chased after her until they reached the lake where she suddenly stopped cold and stared into the black water.

"Lily?" he said noticing her tense as coldness filled the air around them.

"He's here." she said emotionless.

"Lily who's here?" asked Snape feeling a fear he had been well acquainted with suddenly wash over him.

Lily turned to face Snape with her arms out stretched. The term Mud-blood had been etched rather painfully into her skin but she did not seem to register it as blood from the deep scratches trickled down her arms.

"Why Sev?" she asked in a terrified and hurt tone.

Severus Snape found himself holding a knife stained with her blood. It covered his hands and his shirt.

"Lily." he said unable to understand what was happening. "I...I didn't mean...I didn't mean to...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry."

The black waters of the lake bubbled like a potion in a cauldron. A deep and unmistakable hiss filled his ears as Lily collapsed onto the ground lifeless. Frantically he scrambled over toward her and held her lifeless form in his arms. Tears streamed down his pale cheeks and he found himself back at Godric's Hollow. The bedroom of Harry James Potter came into view, scattered toys and blankets on the floor amid the chaos that tainted what was once such an innocent place.

Lily had no longer been that sweet little girl that he chased playfully to the lake. His own body had been changed as well, a heart broken twenty year old clutched the lifeless body of his only friend since he had been eleven.

"LILY!" he cried with only the small boy to keep him company.

The cries of Harry Potter drowned out his own as they both participated in a symphony of sorrow.

"NO!" commanded the angry voice of Snape. "I won't go back!"

The world began to shift and suddenly shatter around him as the light of consciousness broke through the darkness. }

"NO!" shouted Severus Snape as his obsidian black eyes sprang open and he all but fell out of bed tossing the covers in his wake. He stood on wobbly legs in the darkness of the Hospital wing thankfully alone as he regained his senses. A shudder went through him as his lean pale frame reacted to the sudden change in temperature since he discarded the warmth of his blankets for the chilly cold of open morning air.

He looked around with his eyes already adjusting to the darkness of his surroundings. He grabbed the robes from the chair and a handful of floo powder. The flames became emerald and he stepped inside.

"My Quarters...Slytherin Dungeons." he said quickly.

He stepped through and was instantly through to his own fireplace. There had been some much needed sleep that he needed to catch up on. The events of the past three days had taken a lot out of him and he still had dunderheads to teach come morning. As it turned out; sleepless draught potion and numerous shots of fire whiskey had been just what the doctor ordered as he sank into the covers of his black four poster bed.

The Potions Master closed his eyes and shutting out the rest of the world and most certainly; the rest of Hogwarts as he drifted off into an uninterrupted and well deserved sleep. No more dreams plagued him that morning as he caught up on his much needed rest. Poppy had been in a panic when she noticed that the potions master had been missing but she had known him well enough to know that he never stayed for long if he could help it. No doubt he would have some words for the headmaster for his stay being as long as it was. Things seemed to simmer down a bit after that. The blissful routine of life at school washed away much of the unpleasantness of the latest endevor.