I do not own Harry Potter or How To Train Your Dragon or The Inheritance Cycle.

WARNING: Character death, and some torture. And James Potter bashing.

Words - 1,465

Published - October 22, 2017

He didn't know how long he had been running; all he wanted was to get away from the boy who had tormented him since first year. He continued into the Forbidden Forest, hoping that it could save him, but knew it was all for naught.

The forest darkened as he ran deeper into it. The twisted tree limbs seemed to reach out to him, preparing to snatch him off the ground and choke him. Tree roots were coming in and out of the forest floor like snakes, covered by dead leaves and dead branches, making the forest more ominous. The white moon was high in the sky, and its light was blocked by the highest of tree limbs.

"Just give up, Snivellus!" a mocking voice shouted from behind him. "I am going to get you sooner or later, so why don't you just help yourself and shorten your time of misery?!"

Even though he couldn't see the speaker, Snivellus, as he was called, continued to run, not wanting to waste a second. But he knew that his bully had the advantage of being able to riding a broom, well enough that he became a chaser for the Gryffindor quidditch team.

Though his energy had left him long ago, the boy kept running, while pain radiated from his legs through the rest of his body. The scrapes and bruises he had gotten from tripping and running into branches were also hindering him. Blood dripped from his temple to his cheek, continuing down to his neck and into his already torn, dirty black robes. As minutes passed by, different forms of injuries only made him weaker. Soon enough, his robes felt heavy, and his body wanted to collapse, but he still bolted through the forest; prey escaping from a predator.

"Expelliarmus!" shouted the bully with full force, making the already exhausted and battered body of his prey fall to the forest floor. He felt weak, and he knew that his bully had already catched up to him with his expensive broom.

"So does the greasy Severus Tobias Snape give up now? Or will he die a cowards death?" taunted the bully, with a grin on his face and circle-lenses behind which hazel eyes gleamed.

"Unlike you, Potter, at least I only fight back when I have to defend myself. You, on the other hand, are the coward; you always start the fight, trying to win it before it even starts. One day, you may as well be remembered as James Potter the Stupid, the one who always initiates the fights, not studying the weaknesses of his opponent and questions never asked," Severus retorted.

"If you really think that," James snapped back, beet red, "then where is your wand? Lift it up so we can have a proper duel."

"People would think that you are smart with those glasses of yours, but you just proved your stupidity. Do you not remember? You took it away and snapped it in half!" Severus reminded the other 15 year old boy.

"Oh that's right, right now I remember. I took it away so I could figure out what to do with you. But now I know. Crucio!" James shouted.

Severus painfully tried to keep in his screams, not wanting to give his bully of 5 years the satisfaction of being the stronger one. He thrashed around at the base of an elder tree, which seemed to cry, with its lower branches hanging very closely to the ground. When this didn't satisfy James, he then used a spell of Severus' own creation against him.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!"

Deadlier cuts appeared on Severus' already tormented body. In only a few seconds, blood pooled around his form, soaking the dead leaves between him and the forest floor. Severus started to shiver, his body already giving up in the empty meadow except for a flowering elder tree. He saw his enemy grin wickedly; this moment seemed too planned to be anything but.

"Let's see how you like that, Snivellus. You will lie here 'till you die, and you will wish that you would've taken my advice from before. But before I part, I shall leave you a present, one that shows you were treated as the evil wizard you are."

James then started to take off Severus' shirt, his chest bare except for the blood that was leaving the body of the bullied boy. Severus could do nothing but see what his tormentor had planned for him. He knew it would not be enjoyable.

James then took out a knife, sharp and gleaming in the faint moonlight that shone through gaps in the tree branches. Slowly, painfully, he dragged it along Severus' chest, making two letters that Severus recognized immediately even without looking. Soon enough, Severus started to grind his teeth together; in order to keep the screams from coming out, though his body was too weak to produce any. James sported an evil smile by the time he finished, nodding in satisfaction, murmured a few words while waving his wand.

Severus knew he didn't have to ask what spell he cast; it was one of those charm spells, one of those spells that hide the true looks of a person. And in this case… no one would ever know that the initials of one of his bully's had been the one that killed him. A secret he would have to take to the grave because of course no one could know that perfect little Potter was a murderer, or a user of unforgivable curses at that.

"This is all for stealing Lily from me, Snivellus. She is mine and mine only. So now that you have called her Mudblood, and with death coming upon you, I won't need to worry about anything anymore. She will just run into my arms for comfort, cursing you, knowing that she made a mistake trusting you." James then turned around, mounted his broom, but before he completely left, he faced him, and said in a falsely sweet voice, "See you later, Snivellus." Then, he raced back on his broom to the castle, before anyone woke up to find him missing.

Severus didn't move, he was too weak to do anything at all. He was covered in dirt and blood, his already old, and now tattered robes on top of his chest. The boy became pale, paler than he was before, his hair surrounded his head, showing a contrast of white and black. His hands were clenching the dry leaves and grass beneath him, but he slowly released them from his grasp. Severus could feel his heart slowing down, along with his breathing.

He saw the stars through the high branches of the old elder tree, whose branches slowly swung from side to side, following a calming lullaby. As the moon seemed to grow larger, he felt a warm comfort calling him to the dark depths of sleep. The last thing he remembered was a dark shadow with green eyes. Severus smiled slowly, as the dark shadow covered him with its wing, giving him the warmth that he had craved long ago; he closed his onyx eyes.

And like that he fell asleep, with no plans of waking up anytime soon.

It was the centaurs who found him during a patrol, lying on the forest floor, covered in his own blood along with dirt and leaves. He looked as if he was sleeping peacefully, but with the coldness of his body, they knew that this was not true.

The headmaster of the magical school nearby came, after receiving a message, along with the four Heads of Houses. They received a notice from the Slytherin students that one of their own was missing, but they did not think that it would lead them to the Forbidden Forest.

As to not alarm the rest of the Wizarding community, they put him to rest in the very same spot that he passed away. The only thing they did to the poor boy was making him presentable for a proper burial and placing his wand between his thin fingers. Something such as this though would eventually spread like fire soon enough, and in their minds, it would be better to leave this dilemma to rest than to face it now.

The centaurs on the other hand looked restless, and when questioned, the tiniest of murmurs were made. But they wouldn't explain, and stood silent, from time to time looking to the sky in wonder.

The entire student population heard rumors throughout the day, but it wasn't until dinner that they learned what had happened.

Gasps were heard in the Great Hall.

The Slytherins just sat still.

Three out of the four Marauders' eyes widened.

James concealed an evil grin.

Lily didn't show anyone her tears.