The Gallows of Grace
A Harry Potter FanFiction Piece
Genre: Romance/Angst
Summary:
The Gallows of Grace, evil as they seem, bear no hatred for thou lover's scream.
Rating: T for teen (due to author paranoia and violence)
A/N: I promised myself I wasn't going to write one of those Dumbledore's daughter/Sirius's sister/Bellatrix's daughter/ Voldermort's-Secret –Spawn- Goes- to-Hogwarts FanFiction pieces, but, alas, here I am. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: JUST in case you live under a rock or something and didn'tknow, I'm notthe super amazing awesome multiplied by infinity JKR, who owns all creative rights of the Harry Potter series. Also, I do not make any profit off of this story, etc. etc.
Foreword/Prologue/Whatever-it-is called-that's-not-the-actual-story-but-is-still-relevant-to-the-plot
The Gallows of Grace swung in the wind
Hallows of the Heart flung from thy love
Grander than it be, love undefined
For as the Gallows hang from above
Thy Love is Thy Grace dear hallows see,
Keep thy thoughts near, for may it be,
The Gallows of Grace revered by thee,
The Gallows of Grace save thy lover's face
Merciful rope unbounded by hope,
Wizards and Muggles cannot understand,
The inner workings of the Gallows of Grace,
How can they work without a man's hand?
It comes from the Hallows of the place,
For the place of magic unbeknownst by many,
Is also a place of tragic experienced by plenty.
The Gallows of Grace, evil as they seem,
Bear no hatred for thou lover's scream.
Chapter One
WARNING: This chapter is violent, it deals with Voldermort cruelly torturing a cat, and stealing an unborn baby from its mother. You have been warned. Read at your own risk. Note: I promise the other chapters won't be this violent, minus any battle scenes….so I guess that means I don't promise that.
YELLOW SQUARES OF LIGHT glowed in the windows of the house. Sitting atop the hill, its old frame stood out against the starry black sky. The blue shutters creaked and the tall grass whispered in the wind, mingling with the tree leaves that shuffled like paper.
A girl of seventeen or so was crouched on the sagging porch step, with her knees pulled up to her chest; she tucked her head into her pale arms, so that only the top of her head was visible. The wind whisked by and played with her bitter brown hair, sending wisps fluttering into the air.
Silently, she murmured a prayer into her arms, her voice barely audible. A starving, filthy cat wormed itself out from under the porch, and sat at her feet, tail swishing.
"Lena?" A small boy cautiously poked his head through the screen door, his face streaked with dirt, worn trousers sagging on his narrow waist. "Can we have something to eat?"
"There's nothing, Noah. I've told you that." She wiped her hands on her apron and staggered to her feet, supporting her rounded stomach. Her pale skin was luminous in the moonlight, her light blue eyes wide and frightened. She placed one hand tenderly on the boy's feathery brown hair; he leaned against her and clutched her apron. With her other, she splayed her ebony fingers across the tight material of her dress, bracing the baby.
A sharp pain, pierced her abdomen, and she tensed, clutching her stomach.
"Whatsa the matter?" Noah glanced up at her.
Lena blinked, startled, and held him a little tighter, ran her fingers across her protruding stomach. Her eyes swept across the rutted dirt lane weaving in and out of the valleys and hills.
"Noah." She gasped breathlessly. "I think I need a doctor."
The boy's eyes grew wide. "It's time?"
Lena moaned softly and lowered herself down onto the porch steps, trying to ignore the pain shooting through her. In between the waves of pain, she cried, "Yes. Get the doctor."
Noah scurried inside, his bare feet swishing soundlessly against the porch steps. She winced as another cramp hit her.
The mother and her oncoming baby made a dark silhouette against the evening sky, collapsed on the sagging porch steps of the old home. A flash of lightning, and a hooded figure appeared in the distance on the dirt lane, cloak billowing behind him as he walked briskly and purposefully towards the house.
She inhaled sharply. Her watchful eyes never left the approaching figure.
"Hello, Lena." The man spoke, his face hooded by the dark material. She saw his tongue flicker out of the shadow of his hood as he said her name.
"On thank goodness, you're here, Tom. She gasped in between breaths. The baby is coming!" She replied shakily. She clutched the porch beam for support, digging her weathered fingers into the rotting wood.
Slowly, the man lifted the cloak shrouding his face. Lena gasped involuntarily at the sight. Gone was the handsome, pale-faced young man with striking features. In its place, stood a pallid man, waxy, sickly skin accenting his almost snake-like features.
"Tom? What happened to you?" She cradled her stomach, willing the stabbing pain to go away.
She knew it was silly to ask, but her mind couldn't find another reason for his sickly appearance. "Are- are you drunk?"
Tom laughed harshly, his black laughter cutting through the calm of the night. "You stupid muggle girl, I'mnotdrunk."
Lena's frazzled mind frowned at the strange words coming from his mouth. "Then…what is wrong, Tom? Whoareyou?" Another stab, this time harder. She held her breath and squeezed her eyes shut.
"I am no longer Tom. I am Lord Voldermort."
Lena laughed nervously, pretending she wasn't in labor. Maybe then he would help her, if she played along with his stupid game. "LordVoldermort? If were you slurring, I would have sworn you were drunk."
The man reached into his cloak and pulled out his wand. Lena seemed to regain some confidence at the man's bizarre behavior. "Honestly, Tom, are you sure you're not drunk? Astick?"
"Ahh!" She screamed, as a convulsion ripped through her abdomen.
"Pathetic muggle." He hissed, infuriated at her ignorance and stupidity. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a flash of brown. Pointing his wand at the creature, he shouted.
"CRUCIO!" The cat contorted instantly, his limbs writhing in an unnatural way, all the while making a hideous noise and twitching violently.
Lena's eyes widened in fright, her mouth opened in fear and pain as another contraction tore through her. Voldemort looked at her expression, so weak and vulnerable, and laughed manically; twisting his wand and contorting the cat further, relished the animal's screams and howls of pain.
"Tom, no, stop! What are you doing? Where is the man I once loved?" She rocked back and forth, clutching her swollen, stabbing stomach. Tears streaked down her filthy face.
Upon hearing her dramatic words, Voldemort aimed his wand at the girl. She stood, paralyzed with fear. When his spoke, his voice sent shivers running through her veins. "Iwantthechild."
Lena's mothering instinct snapped into place, and she scooted away from the man, holding her bulging stomach. "No! NO! NOT ABIGAIL!"
"Abigail?" He sneered."What a nasty muggle name."
Another brilliant flash of lightning eerily illuminated the scene atop the hill. Voldemort's shadow towered over the young girl, a look of malice on his face, Lena's pale face trembling in terror. Her mouth fluttered open silently, and she whispered softly. "Abigail Jane. Her name is Abigail Jane."
"Givemethechild." Stepping up onto the cracking porch step, he lowered the wand until it was aiming at the unborn baby. Lena frantically covered it with her hands, desperately protecting her baby. A sharp pain tore through her, and she screamed in agony. The baby was coming, fast.
He used a birthing spell to deliver the crying child. Moments later, he left the girl, battered and broken like a cracked porcelain doll on the porch steps. Voldemort walked away, holding the small girl in his vise- like arms, screaming for the mother's arms she had never felt.