The accusation cut right to the core. But it was not as if the Dark Lord was wrong. Severus had lied, for more than a decade, now he was worthless for Dumbledore and Voldemort both since he had been discovered. As a half-blood in Slytherin, he had never amounted to much. His only saving grace had been the friendship with a muggleborn girl. A friendship he had lost, thanks to his pride. He had tried, so hard to protect her from afar. But in the end, had not even managed that. Had he been less of a coward, he might have found a way to finish off Voldemort before, maybe poison him, but ...