Prolouge: The Meaning Of Pain
Plot summary: A muggle-born witch who was forced to watch her parents and little brother tortured for days by the Cruciatus Curse then was forced to watch as they got the Dementor's Kiss. The muggle-born (Gemma Menai) survives the war, but decides to take revenge. She proceeds to start attacking and killing off any former Death Eaters regardless of whether they were innocent or not. She is willing to attack and kill their family members; man, woman, and child; each murder more gruesome then the last. Even those people who sympathized or publicly spoke of a Death Eater in a positive manner find themselves targeted. At the height of these brutal murders; on the night that Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter both give speeches at a gala in honor of Severus Snape; the two rivals are attacked. The former enemies now find themselves entangled in a game of cat and mouse. A game where everything is at stake even their newly formed families. It's a race against death as they find themselves marked for slaughter by the relentless Gemini Killer.
"Crucio!"
A single word. By itself it was meaningless and ineffective. Alone it held no power, alone it failed to incite even flinch, to one who did not know it's significance it meant nothing. A single word that held no threat...until paired with a wand.
"Crucio"
A single word, backed with the power of wand. Once a powerless, and meaningless word. The added presence of a wand, a means of focus that now transformed the formerly powerless word into the power to spark pain. Perhaps not life endangering pain, but pain nonetheless. Comparatively it was like touching a hot stove, and burning oneself. Pure raw pain, albeit a pain that quickly fades. The word, and the wand. Together they were enough to create pain, but not enough pain to last. The word and the wand seemingly weak...until paired with the wizard or witch and their intent to cause pain.
"Crucio!"
The word, the wand, the wizard or witch. Together they became agents of destruction, breakers of once powerful men, purveyors of pain. The wizard and witch focus their desire to cause pain, siphoning their hatred into their magic. Using their wands, giving their intention is focus. Suddenly the word that had previously no power became an instrument of true pain. Suddenly the word had the power to incite fear, to inflict measurable pain; to break. This time the pain was not like a hot stove, this time the pain was brutal and lasting. Now the word was backed by the intentions of Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. Fueled by their hatred for muggles, concentrated with their enjoyment of the muggles suffering, the Cruciatus Cursed focused solely on fulling the intentions of it's castors; to utterly break the muggles that lay beneath them writhing in agony.
Yes, the intentions of the pair had given the word power. They gave the word meaning. Like the pain it caused, the word's meaning was harsh and everlasting. For Gemma Menai, it became a meaning she would never forget for as long as she lived.
...
"Crucio!" shouted Bellatrix Lestrange, greedily relishing in the screams of the muggles who currently lay writhing at her feet.
The muggles consisted of man and his wife, along with their young son.
"Please, sto-stop this we've done nothing deserve this..." the male muggle said weakly.
Bellatrix kicked the man hard in the face, then grinded her heels into the chest of his wife for good measure.
"You filthy muggles dare talk to me? Your existence alone is enough to deserve this!" Bellatrix spat, aiming another kick at the husband. "Crucio!"
The muggles were wracked with another bout of unimaginable pain. When the pain stopped the man weakly grabbed the robes of Lucius Malfoy.
"Please h-have mercy.." he said weakly.
Lucius shook the muggle off his robes and gave him another hard kick.
"Spare me, you filthy muggles stir no sympathies with me," he said coldly. "Crucio!"
After the three muggles stopped twitching, Lucius brought himself down to the man's level and roughly pulled the man to him by his hair.
"This is what you deserve muggle. This is your punishment for producing that filthy creature over there," he said, pointing to a young girl of seventeen who was tied up in the corner.
The girl was named Gemma Menai and she was roughed up badly. Physically and mentally she was beat down, forced for the past three days to watch the relentless torture of her family. Bellatrix took notice and walked over to the girl. She ran her hand greedily down the girl's face.
"You know Lucius I've had so much fun torturing these filthy muggles, I almost forgot about our sweet little guest. I bet by now you're enjoying the show. Aren't you? You disgusting mudblood," said Bellatrix digging her nails deeply into the girl's face and drawing blood. "Shall we continue the show or is time we ended it?"
Gemma returned Bellatrix's look of hatred with one of her own.
"Bite me!" she shouted angrily.
Bellatrix's face contorted into fury as she curled her fist and slammed it into Gemma's jaw knocking out one of her teeth. She swung back her fist, about to deliver another blow, when she was abruptly interrupted by Severus Snape gliding into the room. Snape took a moment to survey the scene before turning to his comrades.
"Bellatrix, Lucuis, what are you doing? The Dark Lord is waiting," said Snape authoritatively.
"I don't take orders from you Snape!" said Bellatrix with a sneer. "Me and Lucius were having a bit of fun."
"That fun has consumed three days of your time; time that otherwise could have been occupied doing something useful for the Dark Lord!" barked Snape.
"Piss off Snape, don't be mad because you weren't invited. You know it's not too late to take a turn!' Bellatrix said sweetly, she simultaneously gave Gemma's brother a kick in the stomach.
"We have more important things to do, as I've already stated the Dark Lord requests our prese-" said Snape before Bellatrix silenced him with a wave of her hand.
"Typical Snape, too weak to actually get his hands dirty. I don't know what value the Dark Lord sees in you, but your nothing but a coward," she said.
Snape flinched slightly at the word coward.
"OY!" shouted Lucius
While Bellatrix and Snape had bantered back and forth, Gemma's little brother has slowly crawled towards his sister. Almost an arms length away, he was halted by Lucius' yell. Bellatrix furiously walked over to the boy and kicked him hard in the stomach.
"You filthy muggle, is the pain worth it to be with this mudblood bitch!" she said furiously "Crucio!"
The boy twitched almost endlessly, screaming in a pain, not understanding why this torture was being bestowed on him and his family. Snape shuddered in revulsion watching with the barest, most undetected traces of pity on his face.
"Cold Severus?" asked Lucius, in a concerned voice.
Snape quickly composed himself, immediately occluding the disgust he felt at the situation.
"It is a bit chilly in here," said Snape tonelessly.
"Understandable, we have a dementor over there to keep them docile," said Lucius lazily, as if he didn't have a care in the world.
At the word dementor Bellatrix's face lit up in excitement.
"I've always wanted to see it up close," she said breathing heavily, her chest heaving in excitement.
"See what?" asked Snape slowly.
"The Kiss..." she responded.
Before anyone could do anything Bellatrix snapped her fingers and ordered the dementor to grab Mrs. Menai.
Gemma realized what was going on and immediately went into panic mode, struggling desperately against her restraints.
"PLEASE! PLEASE! DON'T DO THIS! I BEG OF YOU!" she screamed.
Bellatrix walked over to Gemma and backhanded her.
"Shut up you stupid mudblood, this is what your existence deserves!" she said, spitting in Gemma's face.
Bellatrix turned to the dementor.
"Do it!" she ordered.
The dementor removed it's hood and clamped it's mouth onto that of Mrs. Menai. Her empty body dropped to the floor, now devoid of any sense of self; a fate worse then death. The dementor glided over next to her father, who like his wife was unable to see the impending doom that stood before him, in an instant the dementor sucked the soul from his body, Mr. Menai was no more. Gemma's brother, so close to his sister but unable to reach her, looked at Gemma the fear plain in his eyes.
"Gem, will it hurt?" he asked weakly.
"No," she lied, as tears streamed down her face. "It's quicker and easier than falling asleep."
Her little brother smiled for the first time in a long time; a genuine smile. Then the dementor picked him up and he was no more. Snape turned away in disgust unable to watch. Even Lucius shuddered a bit.
Bellatrix leaned in close to Gemma's tear stained face, licking her own lips in satisfaction.
"Do you see now you deserve this," she said softly "You're next."
But before she could order the dementor to do anything, the three Death Eater's marks burned simultaneously. They could each feel Voldemort's impatience at being kept waiting.
"You see, I told we have to go now," snapped Snape.
"Alright, alright Snape..keep your greasy hair on, I've had my fun," she said.
She kicked the now empty body of Gemma's brother. It was at that moment that Gemma temporarily came out of her stupor. She raged; she frenzied.
"YOU STUPID BITCH! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL ALL OF YOU!" she screamed in fury.
Bellatrix's eyes flashed dangerously as she made to attack the girl, only to find herself restrained by Snape.
"We don't have time! Go to the Dark Lord, make your excuses! I will-dispose of the girl," said Snape.
Bellatrix stuck her nose in the air.
"Whatever Snape, just give it to her good!" she said before dissapparating to join Voldemort.
There was a second crack as Lucius joined his step-sister and did the same.
Finally it was just the Snape, the girl and the dementor.
"Expecto Patronum!"
A silver doe burst from the tip of Snape's wand and sent the single dementor fleeing.
Immediately Snape took Gemma into his arms.
"Girl are you okay?" he asked.
But Gemma was no longer comprehending what was going on as her body started to violently convulse. Snape quickly pulled a small vial from his robes, a potion that healed the nerve damage caused by the Cruciatus. He poured the vial down her throat and almost immediately her body began to relax. He took out a second vial, a Dreamless Sleeping Draught and poured it down her throat as well. The girl for all she had suffered deserved one night away from the nightmares that would surely follow her for the rest of her life. Snape cast a few more protective spells around the girl and then placed her wand that lay on the table in her sleeping hands. Snape flinched as he felt the Dark Mark burn once more. He took one last look of pity before turning on the spot and disapparating.
Yes, on that night Gemma learned a valuable lesson. She learned the true meaning of pain, she understood the teachings of suffering. She would carry those lessons with her for the rest of her life. A life she swore on her own blood to dedicate to revenge on those who taught her that lesson to begin with. Yes, it was on that night the Gemini Killer teacher of pain, was born.
A/N: This story is going to be a side project of mine as such I'm not sure how often it will be updated yet. At any rate hope you enjoy.
