By Angelina Johnson
BlewGoo2@aol.com
Angst/Dark Fic
Descendants of Harry and Co.
PoA
PG
Summary- In a fight for good and evil, someone must lose. What will the future hold for those affected?
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.
"You will live in a magnificent castle, far, far away........ Away from danger, away from all harm, away from You-Know-Who....."
Mary Graham's continuous giggles ceased, and Olivia's smile faded. It was as though the two year old was able to sense Olivia's fears, and she felt horrible just mentioning him, but she felt triply awful mentioning him to her baby daughter. She hated the thought, but she knew that she could not avoid the subject forever,because Lord Voldemort was her biggest fear. Olivia Lupin and her husband Zachary had much to fear of Lord Voldemort.
"Why don't you just say it? Voldemort. See? It's not hard," Gemma Black said.
"Gemma, you're a Squib," Olivia said softly, then added, "No offense. But honestly, he has no point in killing you."
"I'm a Black. That's reason enough for that monster. He's out to conquer the world, Olivia, and you know that no one is safe, not even Muggles."
"I wish that he hadn't survived. I wish that that monster would just leave everyone alone."
"Unfortunately, that's not going to happen anytime soon, and you know it as well as I do, Olivia. We're in danger, and the world may very well come to an end at his will."
"I'm frightened, but not just for myself. I'm scared for Zach, and even more, I'm scared for Mary Graham. I'd give her the world if I could, but I can't, and I have no chance of saving her if Voldemort sets out to kill her."
"You said it, Olivia. You said Voldemort."
"I suppose I did, didn't I, Gemma? I guess you're right, it's not so terribly bad, but I get this weird feeling whenever it's said. It's like if you say his name you're somehow summoning him to you, and I don't like that feeling."
"If that's how you feel, then I'll try to respect that and not say it. But Olivia, you can't avoid the name forever, and you most certainly can not avoid him forever. He'll come to haunt you, Olivia. And it's not just you, either. It's all of us, pretty much. Quinn, Claire, and Holly, you, Zach, and Mary Graham, and not to mention the Potter's. If we're in danger, think about them, those who brought about his original down fall."
"It did us no good, he's still a major threat two hundred years later."
"It's awful, isn't it? He's made himself so inhuman that he seems almost immortal."
"He's not as horrifying as he was two hundred years ago. I'd hate to be Lily Potter that Halloween night when she was murdered- the thought makes me shudder. He's a monster, and he could very well destroy the world as we know it. I don't want that to happen."
Olivia's fear of the Dark Lord was not uncommon; many of the greatest witches and wizards ever feared the name so much they called him You-Know-Who. Zach Lupin was not among them.
Zach was Remus Lupin's great-great-grandson, and obviously had gotten his bravery from there. Remus had to have been brave; he not only was a werewolf but lived in Voldemort's time of greatest power, and he and his best friends had been a great threat to Voldemort.
Zach's best friends were Quinn Black and John Potter. The threesome had followed the path of the great threesome before them, James Potter, Sirius Black, and Remus Lupin, the great mischief makers of their day. Remus, the werewolf, had given the other two reason to become unregistered Animagi, and their craziness only grew from there. They had pulled pranks and landed themselves in detention every other night by tossing Dungbombs and Fireworks about the magical school they had attended, Hogwarts. They were some of the most loyal people ever to be on the side that was opposed to Voldemort. Voldemort had the advantage over them, though, because their supposed friend, Peter Pettigrew, had been a servant to the Dark Lord himself. Peter Pettigrew had handed Lily and James Potter to Lord Voldemort, and he had made Sirius Black appear the guilty one. Sirius was sent to Azkaban, the most horrible wizard prison ever, but he escaped because he was an Animagus, and had snuck by the Dementor's when they opened his cell to feed him. Sirius had been an innocent man, but had been given a Dementor's Kiss anyway. However, Sirius had been on the run long enough to give birth to a son, and the Black family line had continued for 200 years since then. Claire and Holly would not be the last of the Black's, however, for Gemma was pregnant with a son.
Though Voldemort had affected their ancestors in many ways, he had not yet made any attempts to hurt the present day Lupin's, Potter's, and Black's, and Olivia was hoping, praying, that maybe, just maybe, the attack wouldn't come.
The first one came three days later.
It was a dark and stormy night, flashes of lighting and claps of thunder coming frequently during the storm. The small two year olds, Claire Black and Mary Graham Lupin, sat in a small corner of the Lupin house, away from windows. The eight year old Will Hellerton, Claire's half brother, was attempting to frighten five year old Holly Black, and sixteen year old Becky Hellerton was telling Will off.
Olivia and Gemma were sitting together, waiting for any word from their husbands. They were frightened, becuase often dark and stormy nights were the ones when Voldemort struck. How right they were, that awful night.
Meanwhile, six miles away at the Black residence, there was a sharp knock at the door. Zachary Lupin, who had excused himself and was now in the bathroom, looking for Muggle aspirin for his headache, heard the knock come again. And again. He wondered why on earth Quinn wasn't answering the door; the knocking was making his headache worse.
As for Quinn, he was ignoring the door, wanting only to fall asleep and let the storm end so that he could get back to his wife. He wasn't up to Apparating at the moment, and was planning on going the Muggle way.
But the knocking persisted, until the person at the door lost his patience. He heard the door crack, and a moment later a sound erupted that sounded like it was being thrown against the wall.
Quinn jumped to his feet.
"Hey! You're gonna have to pay for that!" Quinn yelled at the intruder.
"I will, will I?" came a high, cruel voice. Quinn gasped, seeing the face of Lord Voldemort. So the time had come.
"Serve me, Quinn, you would be of great use."
"Never! I will never, ever, serve you!" he yelled.
"Then you will suffer."
"Better than serving a git like you!"
"Avada Kedavra!"
A thump on the ground, and Quinn was dead.
"Avada Kedavra!" Zach heard it all from the bathroom.
"Oh, shoot," he murmured. Zach pulled out his wand quietly, and without a sound he vanished from the bathroom. Just moments later, Voldemort arrived at the spot Zach had just apparated from.
~~~
A small thud sounded from the living room of the Lupin house.
"What was that?" Gemma asked Olivia.
"I don't know. The weather's too nasty for prowlers."
"Maybe it's the boys," Gemma said. She lifted Claire from her lap (she had fallen asleep there nearly an hour ago), and placed her on the couch next to Mary Graham. Will was playing cards with Holly, and Becky was making sure that neither of the two cheated. Gemma and Olivia tiptoed out to the living room.
"Zach!" Olivia cried.
"Livvy, I am lucky to be able to see you again!"
"What are you talking about? Where's Quinn?"
"Dead! Voldemort....... Came......... Avada Kedavra....... Apparated............ Wants us next!" Zach Lupin passed out without another word. Olivia and Gemma stared at each other. The reality hadn't quite hit them yet, but it would soon enough.
Weeks went by, and Gemma refused to speak to or see the Lupin's. Finally, Olivia was able to speak to her.
Gemma was still devastated.
"Go away!" she yelled when Olivia came in.
"Gemma, you're my best friend, I can't just leave you in pain like this," Olivia said quietly.
"You only cause me more pain! I never want to see you again! Just leave me alone, won't you?" Olivia stood there in shock.
"You don't mean that!" she said.
"Leave! You heard me! Go away!" Gemma and Olivia never spoke again after she left that day, but before she left, Olivia had said, "I'm sorry."
But the Lupin's respected Gemma's wishes, and they never attempted contact again.
~~Three Years Later~~
"Claire......... Bear!" Mary Graham said, and giggled. The child was only four years old.
The child's mother did not smile. Those simple words brought her so much pain it was unbearable. Rather than smile, she frowned.
"Zach, do you think she remembers her?"
"Livvy, she's a four year old that's watching television. It's no need for alarm."
"Zach, Gemma made it clear she didn't want us having anything to do with her. She was so, so sad when Quinn died........ It was too much for her. If Mary Graham remembers Claire, there may be trouble."
"Claire won't remember Mary Graham, Livvy, not a chance. Holly was four........ She'll have moved on. Will was seven, and now he's ten........ I remember when I was ten all I cared about was Quidditch. As for Becky, she'll remember it, that horrible night when we last saw each other, but she'll keep quiet because it's what her mother wants."
"Tell me, Daddy, tell me!"
"Mary Graham, it's late. Time for bed, sweetie." It wasn't that late, for the sun was still just setting, but the child was used to this early bed time.
The child whined. She argued, saying she needed to be awake late tonight. The mother won, and tucked the small girl into her bed. She pulled the curtains down, and the setting sun was out of sight.
As Olivia closed the door to Mary Graham's room, she felt a wave of dread over her, like darkness was lurking in the house.
Olivia shook her head. No, no darkness could follow her. Olivia had suffered enough, losing her best friend, and living in fear of her own life...........................
A noise crackled around the little girl that was tucked in her bed. The girl coughed. Why was she coughing? She wasn't sick.
The child sat up in her bed and opened her eyes. She could barely see anything because there was too much smoke.
'Fire!' the alarmed little girl thought instantly. Her small body quivered with fear.
"Mommy!" cried the helpless little girl, "Mommy, mommy!"
"Mommy, I smell fire!"
"Oh, no. Mary Graham, mommy's coming." Her voice soothed the young girl. She relaxed as her mother ran into her bedroom.
"Mary Graham, we're going to have to climb out the window."
"Away from the fire?" I asked.
"Yes. Now be a good girl and go first.
"No, mommy, you go."
"No, Mary Graham. You must go first." So she did. She climbed onto the windowsill, then hesitated.
"It's too high. I can't."
"You can!" my mother assured me.
"Mommy, I'm scared."
"I know you are, Mary Graham, but it's all going to be okay."
"Promise?"
"Yes, darling."
"But what about you?"
"I'll be fine. Just go!
"But......."
"GO!" The fire raged as she climbed out the window. Mary Graham ran safely out of harms way, and found her father, waiting next to many fire fighters.
The night was cold, and the roaring fire cast an eerie glow on Zach Lupin's face. They watched the burning house in silence, hoping desperately that Olivia would come out any second now. But instead from within the flames came a high, cruel laugh.
"Voldemort," Zach whispered, tears streaming down his face now.
They waited quietly for a few more minutes before Mary Graham finally spoke.
"Where's Mommy, Dad? She is okay, isn't she? Everything's going to be okay, right?" Zach tried to think of something comforting to tell the child, but there was nothing to say.
"No, baby, nothing is gonna be okay ever again."
"Why not?" The child was crying.
"Because there is an evil in the world, an evil that will forever haunt our family until there are no longer any Lupin's left. He started that fire, and in those flames he killed your mother."
"Mommy's dead?"
"Baby, if she weren't, she'd be out by now."
"When will she come back?"
"Of course. You don't understand."
"I do! I understand! But she'll be back, she can't just leave us!"
"She wouldn't have left us by choice. It's just the way thing's are, baby. Your mother was one of the one's Voldemort felt needed to go, so he got rid of her. But we'll be all right, M. G., we'll make the best of what we've got."
"NO! She's fine, she's alive, she has to be, she has to be!"
"Mary Graham.........." Zach whispered, "You're all I've got left. I love you so much."
All the little girl could say was, "Mommy."