14. Cursed vault of ice.

# Hogwarts #

# Headmaster's Office #

*3rd POV*

"How could you allow the use of truth serum, Albus?" Fleamont potter shouts at Dumbledore.

"It was not authorized by Ministry, you shouldn't have allowed a teacher to question my son and certainly not in front of all of the student body"

Euphemia potter points out with seriousness.

Having her son humiliated in front of the whole school, she didn't want to let this issue go easily.

"Why have you called us here, Dumbledore? That boy has already chosen the people he would rather live with. What he does isn't of our corner anymore."

Orion Black, the father of Sirius Black, was still angry at his son, who ran away from the house to the potters.

"He disgraced the family. I am glad that I burned his name off the family tapestry" Walburga Black stated coldly.

"Albus, you know that my son would never do something like that." Lyall Lupin says.

He was a good man who loved his child and knew that his child wouldn't do what Albus just reported to them.

"Please tell me it is a lie, headmaster. My son, Peter, wouldn't have done that." Stephen Pettigrew asked.

Dumbledore looks at the parents in front of him, they arrived an hour before.

They reacted the way he expected.

They denied their child's behavior.

He was feeling heavy since he thought he could have stopped it from coming to this, but there needs to be repercussions for their action.

On reading the minds of Marauders, he found out that only Peter Pettigrew spied on girls.

That too happened only a few times, and his friends didn't know about their friend's activity but James and Sirius weren't innocent either.

Only Remus was the one with the least blame, his only fault was going along with whatever his friends did to preserve his friendship,

'Sigh, I hoped they would have turned out better. They had the spirit but they are too childish" Dumbledore thought to himself.

"The accusations weren't easy ones to ignore, Fleamont. They were accused of spying on girls while they bathed, and it turned out to be true. Why did you allow your son to bring an invisibility cloak to Hogwarts, Fleamont? What were you thinking when you allowed your son to bring it to Hogwarts? As for why I allowed them to be tested? because I believed in my students. I thought that they wouldn't have done what they were accused of, but I was proven wrong."

Albus explained calmly, his patience with the parents was running thin due to their constant insults at his administration.

He allowed it because he was disgusted by the act that one of them committed.

He didn't want to believe that some of his students can do that yet he was proven wrong.

"Accusations were true?" Fleamont questioned in shock.

"Yes, but only one of them peeked at the girls but others shared other accusations that were thrown at them, they bullied students in the name of pranks, and two of them harbor hatred towards a particular house. They are to blame for their transgressions." Albus explained.

"What are we going to do now? I don't want to take James away from the school" Fleamont asked with shock.

If this matter went public, it would damage their reputation and he didn't want to transfer his son from Hogwarts.

After a long discussion, Stephen decided to take peter out of Hogwarts, since his son was the one who peeked at girls, and transfer him to Durmstrang while giving him the punishment he deserved.

All the parents were able to convince Albus not to punish them severely.

Albus, himself didn't want to punish them severely.

Albus decided to suspend James, Sirius, and Remus for three weeks and calm the situation down.

He knew his words carried power.

He would use his authority to calm the anger of students before he brings these three back.

All of the parents left after deciding to discipline their children.

Dumbledore didn't notice a small rat that heard the whole conversation, emerging back into the shadows.

# Gryffindor Tower #

James follows Lily Evans around, trying to explain that he didn't look at her.

"Stop following me, I will curse you if come near me"

Lily shouts at him, she was disgusted by being in James's presence.

"Believe me, Evans, I didn't use my map and cloak to look at you. I just wanted to keep an eye on snivellus, I didn't want him to hurt you"

James tried to push the blame onto Severus, making it look like he was trying to protect her.

"DON'T CALL HIM THAT, I may have broken my friendship with him, if you ever called him that again, believe me, you won't like what will happen to you. I am not who you think I am, I can use my wand quite efficiently and make you look like the disfigured donkey, and for your information, Severus never hurt me."

Lily shouts with anger, she might be angry at her best friend but she wasn't having James Potter badmouthing him.

"What about the time he called you Mudblood?"

James was trying to turn this on Severus, he was delusional if thought that it would get him the girl's attention.

"What happened between us, is mine and Severus's to deal with. It isn't your problem to think about. I was not a good friend to him as well. Never come near me ever again if you do I would rather go to Azkaban after putting you in the Hospital Wing, am I understood? and I make sure that your family line ends with you, you disgusting swine."

She shouts with venom licking in her voice.

Lily realized her mistakes a long time ago but she couldn't get over the fact that Severus wanted to be a death eater.

She didn't want him to become like those she read about in the Daily Prophet.

She didn't know how to confront him about their fight that happened at the end of the fifth year.

She wanted to talk to him but her guilt and his company kept her away.

"Evans…."

Before he can complete, Lily casts Jelly legs jinx, and leaves from there.

Lily went back to her room, she took a photo of her and Severus, and she shed a few tears about what happened between them.

She never meant to push him like that.

She was deeply hurt by the way Severus was behaving.

He was calling her friends, Mudbloods.

Their talks became a blame game, he would always turn the arguments about Potter's gang when she confronts him about his behavior towards muggle-borns.

When she went to help him up after Potter released him, he called her a mudblood, and she got angry and refused to talk to him again.

She hoped he would deny wanting to become a death eater when he returned to apologize but when he didn't deny it, it broke her.

It broke her heart to know that the boy who said blood didn't matter would start hunting people of her birth.

She valued their friendship but she can't be by his side and watch him kill others, so she chose to distance herself.

She cried herself to sleep that night holding their photo.

(A/n: Death eaters kill/ torture people who are muggles and muggle-borns, now just think how would have Lily felt when Severus wanted to be a death eater.)

-Next Day-

# Severus's POV #

I saw the whole conversation that went on in the headmaster's office through my shadow rat that was planted in Dumbledore's shadow when I arrived at Hogwarts after the holidays.

I came to the great hall for my breakfast.

While I was having breakfast, I saw Narcissa making her way toward me.

She was looking beautiful as always.

Since I had to attend Slughorn's Party, I need to bring a date along with me.

I have never asked anyone out before.

I didn't know how to ask her.

I decided just to ask her, if she says no, then no it is.

I can find someone else to go with.

Narcissa sat beside me, she looked at me and asked "I thought you would be in a good mood after what happened to them last night, but you seem occupied with something"

I took a deep breath and asked her "you know about Slughorn's party right."

"Yes, I can't say I'm invited. I'm not one of his favorites after all."

She replied with a bored expression.

She didn't particularly like Slughorn's parties.

"I was actually planning on attending this year, and I need someone to go with," I asked,

"Why don't you take Regulus then?"

she was smirking as she asked.

She definitely knew what I wanted to ask her.

"I want you to come to the party as my date, will you?" I finally asked.

"Yes" "what?" "I said yes," she replied with a big smile.

"Thank you"

"Don't thank me, I am not going with you just because of some party. I want you to take me on a real date, and you better make it worth it."

She said with a smirk.

She got up and kissed my cheek.

Kissing my cheek, she whispered in my ear "I will be waiting for my date, surprise me, Mr. Prince." and left with a big grin on her face.

I was beyond shocked.

She just asked me out on a real date, well technically I did, but I just meant for the party, not a real one.

I looked at the retreating figure of Narcissa, she was beautiful and talented, and she cared for me

Why shouldn't I allow myself to love her?

I decided to try this, if she wanted a real date then she will have the best date of her life.

I still loved Lily, a part of me does but it wasn't going to stop me from pursuing the happiness that came knocking on my door.

Narcissa had a big place in my heart.

I started realizing that I like her, ever since my return.

I should give myself a chance to love someone and be loved by them.

(A/n: people will complain about why he is still stuck on lily, but you forgot she was a big part of his life, his first love. It doesn't go away easily. She wasn't some toxic ex, they had a wonderful bond for many years to just forget about their friendship and the love he felt)

I looked around finding students around were looking at me

I looked at Regulus, who was having a complicated expression.

He saw me looking at him, he said "Nah, still not calling you brother-in-law."

"Why do you keep insisting that I will be your brother-in-law?" I asked in confusion.

"You must be pretty dense to not notice the signs, Severus. You two keep looking at each other and keep forgetting that you are both surrounded by people all the time. Narcissa only lets you call her Cissy apart from her sisters and I am her cousin, that says a lot about how much she likes you. She will fight for what she wants. I know she likes you, so she will get you, simple. To me, it is awkward to call you, brother-in-law, and you are not cool enough to be my brother-in-law since you hate Quidditch." said Regulus.

It seems I am dense to not notice the signs.

I decided to talk to regulus before I take Cissy on a date.

-That Night-

I made my way to the location that was written in the journal.

The first vault is located at the east end of the fifth floor of the castle.

I reached the location but I didn't see any stairs that were noted in the journals.

I looked around and found a single door in the corridor.

I cast a 'Alohomora' on the door.

When I went inside, I felt cold creeping onto me.

I looked around myself, the room was covered in ice.

I felt my legs freeze up and ice forming around them.

I cast 'Incendio' on the ice that was formed on my legs.

I cast a warming-up spell on myself to keep the cold away.

The map showed that there was a door in the room but I just saw a large chunk of ice in its place. It must have been covered with ice.

I cast 'Incendio' on the ice that covered the door, and it melted.

I pulled the door but it was not opening.

It wasn't locked but rather stuck due to the ice.

I pulled it with a bit more strength, the door was broken from the hinges.

I underestimated my strength, it has been increasing since the potion I took.

Upon entering the room, I walk into another corridor the map suggested that there were stairs here so I cast a revelio spell.

I found a staircase, it had the same feeling as that room I just walked out of.

I slowly walked up the staircase.

I can feel the coldness around me increase and the ice surrounding the walls spread wider.

I finally stood in a hallway that was covered in Ice.

I cast an 'incendio' with more power behind it, nonverbally.

Each day, I find the use of a wand ess important as I cast more spells wandlessly.

I can concentrate on my magic with no problem.

The only thing that wand can provide me now is accuracy.

With a wand, I can cast spells in a particular direction and some complex spells require wands to concentrate like Fiendfrye.

I am working on casting complex spells wandless.

In the future, I won't be needing a wand to perform any kind of magic.

As soon as the Ice was cleared, I saw a large door that was covered in ice as well, but the ice covering the door was different, it appeared as if it was crafted delicately.

As soon as I stepped towards the door, I saw an ice rock being thrown at me.

I dodged it by jumping to the side.

As I got up, I saw a lot of ice rocks being thrown in my direction.

In this scenario, it was useless to use the fire-making spell as some rocks would still hit me.

I used my telekinetic ability to stop all the rocks in mid-air.

I slowly closed my fingers, making a first, crushing the rock into dust.

Before the door starts throwing rocks at me again, I cast a Fire-making spell along with a knocking-back spell.

The ice covering the wall crumbles and the door opens.

As soon as the door opened, two giant ice golems came toward me with a sword and shields.

Ice golems were at least 15 feet in height and had sharp spikes extending out of their body.

One of the Ice golems swings his sword at me, I ducked while casting a fire spell at the golem but it covered itself with the shield.

Before I can think of anything, the other golem blasts a way of ice toward me while a sword is swung in my direction by the other golem.

I jumped away from my position to avoid the swing but I was still hit by the blast of ice.

The ice blast stuck me to the wall, leaving me motionless.

Almost all of my body was covered in ice.

My wand hand was covered by the ice so I used my increased strength and broke the ice covering my body.

I moved away from the incoming blast from the golem at the last second.

Even though I avoided the full onslaught of the blast, some spike made of ice made my face and shoulder.

I was moving at an increased speed that was more than I normally used.

I cast another set of spells simultaneously to push the golems back.

The knocking-back spell worked in pushing them away.

I thought about using 'Fiendfrye' but decided not to as it would be disastrous to use it in this cramped room.

Jumping above the golem, at least 13 feet high in the air, I cast a shielding charm around myself, wandlessly, as I was falling on it with the full force of my body.

The golem blasts ice toward me but the blast doesn't make it past the shield.

The golem covers itself with the shield to avoid the strike

I made a fist and hit the shield with all of my strength and descended on the shield with my full force.

*Crack!!*

On hearing a loud crack sound, I saw that the crack formed on the shield, and the golem dropping to its keens.

I saw the other golem starting to move toward me with increased agility.

Using telekinesis, I pushed the incoming golem away, pinning it to the ground.

Joining my hand together and raising them high above my head, I brought them down on the cracked shield with full force breaking it completely.

*Thud!!*

I jumped away from the golems, whose shield had just broken into hundreds of pieces.

It started moving again.

It got up and used the sword with both hands now.

It swung at me with more power and aggression. The other golem, that was pinned to the ground, started blasting ice at me.

The shield around me was still holding on but I knew it would break soon.

Using telekinesis, I stopped the sword that was being swung at me by the golem.

I created a flame on my hand with just intent.

I extended the fire towards the golem, which was held in its swing position due to my telekinesis.

Holding both golems with telekinesis, put a lot of toll on my body.

My shield was wearing down due to the constant blast of ice from the second golem.

The fire finally partially melts the first golem.

The sword in its hands fell to the ground, melting a bit near the handle.

The first golem crumbles to the ground.

Due to the taxation of using telekinesis on my body, I lost control over the remaining that was pinned to the ground.

The second golem increased its assault as soon as it was free from my hold.

It stops blasting ice at me and starts swinging its sword at me.

I used telekinesis to push the golem away, it worked but it got up and ran towards me.

I levitate all the broken pieces of shield and throw them at it.

It covers itself with the shield.

Taking the opportunity, I ran towards its blind spot formed due to it shielding itself.

Jumping along with the pieces I threw at the shield, I punched the shield with all the strength I could muster.

*Booooom!!*

The shield broke into a thousand with a loud boom.

Breaking the shield didn't stop me, I continued to punch the golem in the chest with a fist covered in a flame of red fire.

The red fire was a spell I created, it produces fire in my fist.

I felt my hand bleed but that didn't stop me.

I continued to be punched with all the strength I could summon from both my magic and Mana.

The golem broke into many pieces and spread around the room.

I stumbled away from the body of the broken golem, bleeding all over my body due to the cuts the golem made.

I was exhausted from the whole battle.

I was both mentally and physically strained.

Using telekinesis put a lot of mental strain on me.

Turning around, I saw a dim light glow in the eyes of the golems.

I decided to check if my powers worked on the golems or not.

Moving my bloodied hand in front of the golem's head, I commanded

"ARISE".

I felt only a small amount of resistance when I tried to use my powers on the golem, it was lower than that of the dogs I turned into my shadows.

It must be because these golems were created using magic and just pseudo-alive creatures, neither alive nor dead.

They were just magical spells that have a bare minimum conscious of their existence.

Inducing a bit more Mana into the golem, I command it again.

" ARISE!"

This time, my shadows swallowed all the broken pieces of the body, bringing them to gather into being whole again.

After a while, once a mighty ice golem stood before me as my shadow solider.

I couldn't contain my grin at the sight of a 12-foot ice golem covered in black & blue spikes, ready to serve at my command.

Expanding my shadow, I swallow the sword and broken pieces of the shield to my shadow realm.

Both the shield and sword were special.

They were enchanted to cancel spells.

I can study the enchantments on them later.

Moving towards the other golem, I turned it into my soldier as well.

In front of me stood two giant ice golems, that were under my control.

The golems were sturdier than before.

Since my powers worked on golems, I can create an area of Shadow golem soldiers.

Just the thought of 100s of golems behind made me forget the pain I was feeling.

Sending the newly formed shadow soldier into my realm, I made my way towards the room that those golems were protecting.

Inside, I saw a huge mountain covered in gold and books.

The books contained research done by wizards and witches before the establishment of Hogwarts, and even before wands were even a thing.

The books were profound and had the methods to use the raw ambient magic without the use of a wand to concentrate it.

Mountain had books on the magical techniques to create elemental constructs and use them without a wand or an incantation.

It also has books on how the duels happened before wizards and witches used a wand.

I found a broken wand and a book placed separately

I instantly knew they were the clues for the second vault.

Expanding my shadow to the whole room, I swallowed all of the contents in the room into my realm.

I walked out of the room with satisfaction.

As soon as I was out of the room, the door closed and ice started forming on it again.

I was getting drowsy due to the blood loss.

Summoning my wand, I closed all the wounds using a healing spell but the huge amount of blood was already lost.

Though I am roughened up, these injuries were worth the result.

I walked out of the room that led me to the vanished staircase, locking the door of the room as I exited.

I was not in a good shape and my clothes were torn in many spots.

I wanted to make it to the Room of Requirement before anyone finds me.

I felt my eyes closing due to exhaustion.

I was about to summon a blood replenishing potion, I saw a person with vibrant red hair running toward me.

I instantly knew who she was.

She stared at me from afar in horror and shouts "SEV".

"Ah, shit" I muttered.