Of Reckoning and Ruin (10585 words) by half_light
Fandom: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Characters: Severus Snape, Albus Dumbledore. Gen.
Warnings: Angst, Grief, Suicidal Thoughts, creature fic.
Community: hp_creatures
Summary: "And it is the eternal rule that drops of blood spilled on the ground demand yet more blood." One year after Lily Potter's death, Severus Snape's Dark Mark comes to life. Caught between a creature that wants him dead, and a Headmaster who needs him alive, the young Hogwarts professor is forced to reckon with his past and negotiate his future.

So... I signed up for the HP Creatures fest, despite almost never reading creature!fic, because I fell in love with this prompt. It was a difficult story to write (it's pretty heavy on the angst), but after lots of help from three absolutely wonderful beta readers, antuhsa acid and perverse_idyll, I ended up quite happy with the result.
It was my first ever fest entry, so I hope you enjoy it! ♥