A woman with long silky straight red hair stood clasping hands with a messy raven haired man who was holding hands with a curly brunette woman who clasped the hand of a man with shaggy red hair. They stood, hands gripped tightly together, looking at the forest in front of them. This was it, this was what they were fated for, slated, for trained for, and damned for. If they could make it into the forest, retrieve all the horcruxes and get back out alive- the Wizarding World would be saved from Lord Voldemort.
But back it up a second. You need the full story. Lord Voldemort reigned in a world post-Dumbledore. He continued to make horcruxes to ensure his eternal life. The Wizarding World lived in terror, as it had when Grindelwald reigned. Four Hogwarts students exceeded the Headmaster's academic and magic expectations. So these four were slated to die, lest one become the next Dumbledore and dethrone Lord Voldemort. So he made a game of it, as do all evil and corrupt leaders. In Nazi times, prisoners were given a head start. In colonial wars, non-natives played a deadly game of hide and scalp. In European muggle wartimes, people played a deadly came of dodge the landmines. Now, Lord Voldemort played a game of Russian roulette with these threats. The horcruxes were the bullets. Their wands were taken and placed somewhere inside the forest, a humorous addition to the game, Voldemort chuckled.
"We can do this" came the shaky brunette's voice. "We have to do this" came the redhead beside her. "We're about to die" came the steely voice of the silky red tresses. "No, we will do this" the raven haired man demanded of the group. Just getting into the forest was a problem. "There is a shield covering the entire forest" came the brunette as she threw a pebble at the forest. It exploded into thousands of pieces. "Yes, but what are the perimeters?" came the logical redhaired man "through and over aren't options" he continued "but under…" "Yes!" cried the redhaired woman "The shield doesn't go into the earth!" "So we dig and fast, they'll let loose the fog any minute now" the raven haired man concluded. So they dug, deep and deep and deeper, taking no chances of accidentally touching the shield. The hole was almost finished, leaving a thick bridge of earth between the shield and their crawling space. A hissing noise began and gradually became louder. The fog. No one knew the properties of the fog, it was a sick invention by a mad witch. She was proud of her concoction and its lethal death score. No survivors to date. "Hurry!" they all shouted, yanking each other throw the tunnel. But not before the fog had begun to seep into their handiwork. "Put dirt back in it!" cried the redhaired man. They yanked the redhaired woman out of the tunnel and began to shove anything in sight to clog the tunnel. "I breathed it in!" screamed the redhaired woman. "Keep jamming the tunnel!" replied the raven haired man. But by the time the tunnel was sufficiently jammed, the redheaded woman was deathly quiet. "What do you feel? What's happening to you? Talk to us!" cried the redhaired man's frantic plea. "Don't touch her!" yelled the brunette "She could infect you!" The redhaired woman simply looked at the trio watching her and smiled slowly. "I'm fine" she said in a sugary sweet voice "I was…mistaken. It didn't get me." The raven haired man breathed a sigh of relief and pulled her into a hug, "Oh thank Merlin, I was so scared- there's a zero survival rate with the poison, you realize that? Right? Gods, we have to be more careful." "Come on, let's find weapons" said the brunette woman. "Find? I don't think Voldie will make it that easy- we'll have to fashion some out of sticks" came the redhaired man's reply.
An hour later, the foursome sat back to back to back whittling knives out of wood. "Which way do we head first?" asked the raven man. "I think- "Sense it" interrupted the red haired woman. The trio shifted to look at the woman. "Right" the brunette nodded, understanding "sense where the magic is coming from." The all got very quiet, very still, and slowly each student turned their head in the direction of the lake. "You've got to be kidding me" moaned the raven man "Gods, anywhere but there" agreed the red haired man. The two women said nothing, but stood and began cautiously making their way towards the lake. The foursome started to strip down to essentials. "Maybe two of us should stay back?" suggested the red haired woman. "Good idea, you women stay behind and we'll retrieve the horcrux" replied the raven man. The red haired woman smiled, "sounds like a plan". She and the other woman watched at the raven haired man and the red haired man walked slowly into the lake. And continued watching as they disappeared under the water.
Several minutes later, the men emerged gasping for air and dived back under, ignoring the brunette's questions. A few moments later, they resurfaced- but this time with another person between them. A small girl of about nine, her eyes black and smoke escaping her mouth when she opened it. "Bloody hell" screamed the brunette and she and the red haired woman scrambled back. The men dragged the girl onto the shore. And the foursome huddled together, keeping an eye on the girl. "She's the horcrux. We have to kill her" the raven man explained. "She's just a child! Maybe it's a trick or something" the brunette trailed off. "No" reassured the red haired woman "she's the horcrux alright, we have to kill her." "Who" came the red haired man's question, a question that no one wanted to ask and no one wanted to answer. There was a long pause before the brunette spoke. "I'll do it. I can be the most compassionate, I love children. I…" she began to choke up. The remaining three watched as the brunette made her way to the young girl, still sitting in the same spot, eyes black and intermittently blowing puffs of smoke. "I'm so sorry, I really am. I…" but the girl screeched and lunged at the startled brunette. She began choking her and trying to bite her face. The trio jumped into action and dashed for the brunette. The brunette grabbed the dropped handmade knife and stabbed the horcrux in the face and chest. The horcrux began to cry softly and retreated, black oozing out of the stab wounds. Slowly, the horcrux morphed into the original version of the child. "No" breathed out the brunette as she looked down at the face of her younger sister. She felt dizzy, her baby sister. The brunette collapsed and a ringing began in her ears. She was hauled up by her male companions as the red haired woman retrieved the brunette's wand from the child's pale hand. "No" moaned the brunette "No, I…no…I…can't…" "Let's get her somewhere hidden, somewhere safe" suggested the raven haired man. They crept into some nearby bushes. The red haired woman climbing the tree to keep lookout. "Is she going mad?" whispered the red haired man to the raven man. "Maybe it's residue from the horcrux?" came his reply. They watched as the brunette curled into a ball, muttering nonsense. "You guys" called the red haired woman "I found the next horcrux" came her warning. The men jumped up and began climbing the tree and saw she was pointing at a tornado in the distance. It screeched and thundered as it slowly made its way toward their direction. "Get down!" yelled the raven man. "How do we kill a tornado?" cried the red haired man frantically. Maniacal laughter came from the brunette "kill it with my stick" she began laughing in earnest. The other three looked at each other in panic, great! A tornado AND a woman gone mad. "Brilliant!" cried the red haired woman "Yessss" the brunette hissed suddenly grabbing the red haired woman by her forearms "a simple stick" and then began laughing uncontrollably. The brunette stopped laughing suddenly and slapped the red haired woman "The bloody stick you idiot!" The red haired woman suddenly gasped- the stick! The wand! She had the wand! The red haired woman drew the wand and pointed it at the now-near tornado "Immobilus!" she screamed. The tornado stood perfectly still and the foursome could make out there were windows and a door on the tornado. Making it appear to be a funnel-shaped house. The foursome made their way to the door and the raven man slowly opened it. "Come in! Come in!" came a creaky voice. They entered the unmoving tornado and found the inside hollow. "Come closer" came the voice again. "Who are you?" demanded the red haired man. "I am Truth" answered the voice. "Would you like to hear some Truth?" it asked. "No!" cried the red haired woman. "Yes" answered the raven man, shaking his head at the red haired woman, silencing her. "Please" he tried again "tell us the Truth". The voice laughed. "There is an imposter among you. One who does not belong. One who is unequal and undeserving. One who is impure, a fake, a fraud, a liar, a…mudblood." The voice stopped directly in front of the women. A muggle book shelf full of muggle books appeared in front of the foursome. Then muggle furniture, then muggle pictures, then a middle-aged muggle couple. They looked terrified "Please!" they began to plead "Please don't! He- "Shut up!" Don't you dare! Don't even say my name!" And the witch drew the wand and reversed the immobilus charm. The foursome dashed out of the tornado, watching helplessly as the muggle family was caught up in its deadly twist. The earth opened and devoured the tornado. A wand was spit out of the earth as it began to close and flew right into the witch's hand. Her three companions looked at her, disgusted. After a long moment of silence the red haired man urged "come on. Let's finish up. I think we're getting the hang of this sick game. It's his turn and mine to kill someone we love." The foursome began trudging wordlessly towards the darker part of the forest. It was humming. It called to their already tired souls to come closer.
As they entered the inner forest, pushing this branches and stumbling over giant fallen trees, the forest grew much, much more dark. A small light appeared a distance from them. It began spelling slowly. You shall always be poor. The glowing words started to laugh and heckle. You will always struggle for your basic necessities. The laughing grew louder. You will always be second best. The laughter was deafening now. You shall bury your child. "NO!" screamed the red haired man. He lunged for the wand in the brunette's hand "Avada Kedavra" he pointed at the lit words. The laughter ceased immediately. Neither of the three seemed to understand the red haired man's frantic cursing of the words. The red haired man hunched over, panting and sobbing. "No" he cried. "No…" "He doesn't have to kill anyone now- he'll kill them later. Somehow. After the child is born. Somehow. He has blood on his hands. It will be his fault. Somehow…" came the brunette's whispered explanation. The red haired woman and the raven haired man nodded slowly, understanding. The four made their way out of the forest, again silently. The red haired man still pale and shaking from the horrific revelation.
"Up there" said the raven haired man, pointing to the top of mountain in the distance. "The last horcrux is up there." His shoulders slumped, knowing his fate. They group trekked up the mountain. They reached the top and sat down. The three sitting a bit away from the raven haired man. Nothing happened. He waiting, silently looking about and mentally organizing the surroundings. Then he heard it. Laughter. He spun around. There was the beautiful redheaded woman. She was laughing, it was the most beautiful sound he'd ever heard. She smiled at him then and reached out a hand. "I love you" she crooned "it's always been you." The raven haired man smiled back and reached out for her. He was loved. He was loved. She loved him. He kept repeating this mantra over in his head, again and again. He was filled with such happiness that he found himself laughing along with her. He stepped towards her outreached hand and a body stepped through his. He froze. Another man walk right through his body and grasped the woman in front of him. The ghostly couple held each other and turned their heads back to the raven haired man. Smiling, mocking. Angry hot tears made their way down his face. She rejected him! A bitterness tore at his soul. He would made her pay, he vowed. Angry coursed through him as the ghostly couple faded away. His three companions came running. "What happened?" asked the red haired man. "Did you kill someone?" came the brunette's eager question. "Are you alright?" the red haired woman gently asked. He fixed his steel eyes on her "Fine" came his drawled out, cold response. The foursome made their way down the mountain, past the cracked earth-grave of the muggles, past the darkened forest, past the lake, and towards the edge of the forest. Lord Voldemort himself was awaiting. The entire school awaited their return, the companions respective families waited as well. No one spoke as the group approached.
Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap. Came Lord Voldemort's slow applause. He grinned a sinister grin. "You made it out unscathed. How delightful." He lifted his hand toward the awaiting friends and families.
A tall blonde with black streaks woman came up to the brunette. "Bella, what on earth? You hair is so dark. What happened? Bella? Have you gone mad?" She cackled madly "the baby's black smoke made my hair like my heart now: black". "Merlin Bella, let's get you inside" she prodded. "Here, I'll help" offered her fiancé, Lucius.
A swarm of red haired people hurried over to their red-haired student. "Arthur, what in Merlin's name happened to sweet Bella?" Arthur watched as Bella left on the arm of a wealthy Lucius Malfoy. "Are you alright?" "Where is your wand?" Arthur looked up. "I lost it…somewhere. I'll have to buy another one." His mother scolded "we don't have money to buy you another one! Good heavens boy- what were you thinking? Losing your wand in a game like that" the mother trailed on as Arthur numbly followed her.
"Severus" called Lily "Severus, I'm so sorry. I should have told you…" He spun around "Get away from me you filthy mudblood". Her eyes instantly filled with tears, ripping at his memory of her smiling at him. "Lily" called James as he ran up to her "Are you alright?" Severus stiffened at the sight, this time in real life. The pair walked away. James saying something to try cheering her up. Her laughter tinkling in his head.
"Well, Severusss?" came Lord Voldemort's voice. "I'm ready to serve, My Lord" came Severus' reply, his eyes never leaving Lily's retreating back. "Very good, tonight you shall take the mark. Well done, my most loyal sssservant."
Lord Voldemort watched as the four went their separate ways. His game had worked. He had divided a group that could have formed an indestructible force. Could have, he smiled slowly.