The Mind Is An Open Book

I'd like to thank all of you who have taken the time to read this story and review it. All of your comments mean a lot to me.

All canon characters belong to JKR.

Thanks to June for all of her help and suggestions, and also the title to this chapter.

Chapter 13 – The Mind Is An Open Book

Voldemort-as-Severus stared at Lucius, the cold black eyes assessing his servant. It had shocked Voldemort when he'd heard the man across from him refer to him as "my Lord." Severus' lips curled up into a sinister smile.

"You always were so very smart, weren't you?" Voldemort leaned back, still trying to keep himself from falling. He felt dazed, no doubt due to all of the alcohol he'd consumed here at the Three Broomsticks. Severus may have been a drinker, but it had been many years since he'd had this much. It was no wonder his body wasn't doing well.

"Surely you also remember my impatience, my Lord," said Lucius, as he rolled his sleeve back down. "I saw you die. Why did you not contact me once Severus awoke?"

Voldemort shook his head. "I...I tried. When I was in your presence, I wanted to tell you, but the time was never right."

"It rarely ever is right for these sorts of things," Lucius said smoothly, as he took a sip of his lager. He maintained the bored expression on his face, and never took his eyes from Severus' face.

"Severus betrayed me, Lucius. Are you a turncoat as well?" Voldemort wondered now if Lucius had also been working as a spy. After all, he'd never suspected Severus of such a thing, so who was to say that Lucius hadn't turned on him as well. The two wizards had always been good friends and were often seen together.

His expression blank, Lucius looked into Severus' eyes. "I assure you, my lord, I have always been your faithful servant."

Lucius knew that he needed to be very convincing. Voldemort needed Severus' body, but the blond wizard could very easily be killed by the man now sitting across from him if the Dark Lord thought for a moment Lucius had also betrayed him.

Voldemort snorted. "I certainly hope you are being truthful, Lucius. I would hate to have to kill my only surviving Death Eater," he said as he smiled. "Severus no longer counts, and besides, he will die soon anyway."

Lucius took hold of his cane, which he'd been keeping between his knees. He wrapped one hand around the snakehead top, just in case.

"How is he to die?" asked Lucius.

"When I become stronger, I will be able to keep his soul trapped within this body. It was the contact with those fools at Hogwarts that kept him alive all these years. Instead of letting his soul wither away, they kept him grounded. But soon, I will be able to permanently keep him from surfacing. I am devoid of compassion or human kindness. I do not feed on it like the rest of you."

Lucius furrowed his brow.

"I care nothing for love. I do not need it nor do I want it." Now Voldemort's eyes took on a faint red glow. "What I want now is power. I want what was taken from me. I have a body with which to gain this power back. My Death Eaters are all gone, but I do not need them – I can gain new followers. You say this world has changed, Lucius, but I doubt that. I can feel the hate that surrounds us. The ground trembles from it, the air stinks of it. Potter did me a favor, Lucius. This...this is my time."

'He's stark raving mad,' thought Lucius. "What will you have me do then?" he asked, trying his best to keep his voice from trembling.

"First and foremost, I want Potter dead. I cannot take the chance that the infernal prophecy can still be carried out." Voldemort began to stand, then felt the room spinning. He dropped back down on his chair and held his head for a moment. "I want you to kill Potter. If you do this, then I will know for certain that you have never betrayed me and that you still remain faithful."

This time, when he stood, even though he swayed slightly he was able to keep himself from falling back down. Voldemort looked down at Lucius, whose face throughout their entire conversation had remained impassive.

Lucius knew that he couldn't let him out of his sight, as long as he remained Voldemort and not Severus.

"I'm going back to Hogwarts, Lucius. I can't think straight. I need something for this headache I'm getting." He started to walk away when Lucius stood and grabbed him by the arm.

"Let me accompany you, my Lord. If you try to Apparate you'll splinch yourself." Lucius was relieved when the other man nodded. The blond wizard paid for their drinks.

They walked out of the Three Broomsticks together and down the street. Lucius placed his hand on Voldemort's shoulder and they Apparated.

~*~

Back at Malfoy Manor, Ginny had woken up from her nap and joined Hermione in the library. Even with two of them looking through the books, nothing they came across helped them find the answer to Severus' dilemma.

As they both sat at the table next to the window, Ginny saw the green flames of the Floo come to life.

"Lucius? Ginny?" called out Arthur Weasley, the Minister of Magic.

"Lucius isn't here. Daddy, what's wrong?" Ginny asked as she walked to the Floo. She had noticed a slight tone of nervousness in her father's voice.

"Oh, Ginny, thank goodness you're there. I think I've found something, but..." Arthur hesitated.

"But what, Arthur?" Hermione walked over and stood next to Ginny.

"Hermione, oh dear, you're there as well."

"Daddy, what's going on? What did you find?" asked Ginny.

"Whatever it is, I hope it's not the answer we're looking for," said Arthur sadly. "Ron helped me most of this morning and afternoon. We think we've found something, but it's very old and dark, and must remain here at the Ministry."

Ginny and Hermione looked at one another. "I should stay here at the house, in case Severus shows up. You go, Hermione."

"I'm coming through, Arthur," said Hermione.

Hermione walked through and appeared in Arthur's office at the Ministry.

The Weasley patriarch sat at his desk, while sadly staring down at an open book.

"Arthur?" Hermione approached him slowly. "Where's Ron?"

He looked up at her and stood.

"Hello, dear." He walked to her and kissed her cheek. Arthur ignored her question about Ron, who had decided to go visit Hagrid rather than stay around. Ron did not want to hear his father tell his best friend that she could possibly lose a man she cared very deeply for. "I, um...well, maybe you can make more sense of that. Maybe it's not what I think it is." He pointed towards the book as he led Hermione to his desk.

She looked up at him curiously, then sat down and inspected the book, which seemed to be a very old Spanish spells book. She began reading the section he'd marked.

Paz para el muerto, poder para el vivo

Hermione furrowed her brows. She'd taken Spanish her first year at the university.

"I think this says, peace for the dead, power for the living." She looked further down the page and read more.

Este hechizo uno de los más oscuro de los hechizos. Debe ser usado solamente para asumir los ejércitos de sus enemigos.

"I'm a bit rusty but I think it reads: This spell is the darkest of spells. It is to be used only to take over the armies of your enemies." Hermione looked at Arthur. "Where does this book come from?"

"It was found among Voldemort's personal effects, in his home. When he died the property was seized. Aurors spent days collecting objects and warding the place."

Hermione smiled. "Well, this is wonderful! This is probably the spell he used on Severus. We can reverse it,"

"Keep reading, Hermione," said Arthur sadly.

El alma original morirá, y el alma de usurpación gobernará el cuerpo.

"The original soul will die, and the usurping soul will rule the body," Hermione translated aloud. Her eyes became glassy as they filled with tears. She struggled to read the rest, but the book was old and half the page was faded. The few words she could decipher were just barely legible.

"It says that reversal would cause...death." Hermione felt as though she'd been kicked in the stomach. As she sat back, both she and Arthur remained quiet. What was there to say, when someone you cared about was going to die, and there wasn't anything you could do about it.

"This spell should not be allowed to exist." Hermione took hold of the page from the book and looked toward Arthur, who nodded and turned his back as she silently tore the page. Though he was the Minister of Magic, and should protect all property within the walls of the institution, there were just some things that he couldn't in good conscience allow to remain. For this reason, he turned his back and allowed Hermione to take the page. She folded the page neatly and tucked it into her bra. She needed to show it to Severus. She knew that he was to stay away from her, but she had to see him.

"I need to get back to Hogwarts," said Hermione as she rushed to the Floo.

Arthur stood and walked after her.

"Hermione, maybe it's not the right hex. Maybe..."

"No, Arthur, I have no doubt that this is the hex. Thank you for your help," she said as she grabbed a handful of powder and announced her destination. "Hogwarts, Great Hall."

As she disappeared into the flames Arthur looked after her.

"Good luck," he said softly, then turned and walked to his desk. Arthur was at the Order meeting the night Hermione had been raped, but he and the others had only been told that Voldemort had been inside of Severus all of these years he was in the coma. Arthur didn't know fully what Voldemort had done to Hermione. He didn't know that the Dark Lord was now back at Hogwarts – in partial control of Severus' body, with Severus unable to control the changes. Arthur also didn't know she was to stay away from Severus.

At Hogwarts, Hermione stepped out of the flames shakily. She decided first to go to her rooms before she went to look for Severus.

Meanwhile, as Hermione was heading to her rooms, Lucius and Voldemort were in the Potions classroom. There was no Hangover Potion in Severus' medicine cabinet, so they had to look in the small storeroom in the Potions classroom. Voldemort decided to personally inspect the stores, which were now being kept by Hermione, so Lucius paced the room, hands on his cane.

Voldemort was searching for the correct potion when he began to feel dizzy. He leaned against the counter as he fought back the urge to throw up. He mistakenly thought his sick feeling was due to the alcohol, but it was something altogether different. While he knew the hex he'd hit Severus with was meant to be a permanent one, he didn't realize that it was intended for only one soul to inhabit the host body. One of them had to go one of them had to die or vacate he body willingly. During the time Severus was in his coma, both souls were hibernating and not in conflict with one another. But now the constant struggle of both souls wanting to take over was beginning to be a strain on Severus' body. The strain was also making it near impossible for both men to keep anything secret from the other. The walls of secrecy were coming down.

Deep within his body, Severus was desperately trying to push Voldemort aside. He'd heard the entire conversation between Lucius and the Dark Lord. He'd also learned that Voldemort planned on not only taking Ginny as his lover, but he was also contemplating killing Lucius after the blond wizard killed Harry. Since Lucius would not kill Draco's lover, the Dark Lord would soon learn that Severus hadn't been the only spy in his ranks.

Severus felt a surge of anger now rumbling through his body. He then realized that Lucius was in terrible danger. Voldemort knew everything.

~*~*~*~*~*~

I'm Latin and I speak and read Spanish, but due to my spelling not being up to par I used a translator. Everything is pretty accurate, but I'm not sure about the world for 'spell.'

Sorry for another cliffy, but I should have another chapter up soon. I'm getting close to the end here.

Edited: I'd like to thank Alienor for letting me know the word for spell. I had a feeling what I had wasn't right. Thanks again for pointing out the error. Hopefully its okay now.