A/N: Okay, this will be a hard chapter to read for some of you, and I fully anticipate flames to warm up this cold house. If you read it, review. And MerlinHalliwell, she is joining during Harry 2nd year, but some of that will be better explained later. Or not, depends on what survives my editing sprees!
Chapter 3: Darkest Day
Millicent hurried out of her Transfiguration class. She had to hurry not to be late to Potions. She was doing exceptionally well, as all of her teachers seemed inclined to point out to the class. In the last ten days, Millicent had refused to make friends, and buried herself in her books. Her heart was heavy every time she realized that she could not put off the inevitable.
"Harry Potter must die!" Voldemort had shrieked at her before she left. Millicent buried her face deeper into her books. She did not want to do that. She had never even wanted to help her tutor suicide. Still, was it not better than letting Voldemort kill Harry slowly?
"Oof!" Millicent landed on the floor, after smacking into something soft. Her eyes widened in horror, and she scrambled to her feet.
"I am sorry, I am sorry! I should have been paying attention. I am so sorry!"
"It's all right. No harm done. You're Millicent, aren't you? Hagrid says you're very smart. I'm Harry. Harry Potter."
"O-oh. Uhm. . . Hello," Millicent said, horrified.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked. Millicent knew she no longer had a choice. She made a split second decision.
"Can we talk alone for a moment? I am worried that Lockhart will try to make something of this."
"Sure," Harry agreed, stepping under a stairway. Millicent pointed her wand at Harry.
"I am really sorry about this Harry, but, knowing Voldemort, I do think you will be happier this way."
Harry could only think, "And I was always worried about Voldemort."
"Avada Kedavra!" Harry collapsed to the ground. Millicent snapped her wand in half, thrusting it from herself. She ran away, tears racing down her cheeks.
"I just killed someone," her mind repeated over and over. Her feet led her out to the Dark Forest, the meeting place Voldemort had drilled into her mind. Millicent flung herself onto a stump and cried. Unlike most others, her sobs were silent.
"It isn't safe for students to be out in the woods alone, Millicent." Voldemort slid into view. Millicent raised her frightened face to him.
"You told me to meet you here," Millicent said, watching him closely. He was up to something, and it could not be good for her. She wiped away the traces of tears from her face hastily.
"Ah, but no one shall ever know that if you are dead. And dead you shall be. There are wolves in these forests, after all. Hungry, murderous wolves."
Millicent stood and scrambled back from Voldemort. A wolf, lean and obviously hungry, had appeared at his side. Millicent looked once into Voldemort's face. Then she turned and ran.
It took the wolf two long bounds to catch her. The scream that escaped Millicent's lips did not relieve, as she had hoped, the intense pain shooting up her leg. She kicked with her left leg as hard as she could, but the wolf continued to maul the other leg. Millicent continued screaming, praying someone could hear. The wolf released her leg and bit her upraised arms. Seizing an advantage the wolf bit deeply into Millicent's neck. She let loose a final gurgling cry, and lay still.
Blood on its muzzle, the wolf returned to Voldemort. The wolf whined. Voldemort smiled, and reached down to touch the wolf.
"Good boy. I always knew I could find a use for you. Come," he ordered. He and the wolf vanished into the mist, leaving Millicent's body mangled on the forest floor..
Chapter 3: Darkest Day
Millicent hurried out of her Transfiguration class. She had to hurry not to be late to Potions. She was doing exceptionally well, as all of her teachers seemed inclined to point out to the class. In the last ten days, Millicent had refused to make friends, and buried herself in her books. Her heart was heavy every time she realized that she could not put off the inevitable.
"Harry Potter must die!" Voldemort had shrieked at her before she left. Millicent buried her face deeper into her books. She did not want to do that. She had never even wanted to help her tutor suicide. Still, was it not better than letting Voldemort kill Harry slowly?
"Oof!" Millicent landed on the floor, after smacking into something soft. Her eyes widened in horror, and she scrambled to her feet.
"I am sorry, I am sorry! I should have been paying attention. I am so sorry!"
"It's all right. No harm done. You're Millicent, aren't you? Hagrid says you're very smart. I'm Harry. Harry Potter."
"O-oh. Uhm. . . Hello," Millicent said, horrified.
"Are you all right?" Harry asked. Millicent knew she no longer had a choice. She made a split second decision.
"Can we talk alone for a moment? I am worried that Lockhart will try to make something of this."
"Sure," Harry agreed, stepping under a stairway. Millicent pointed her wand at Harry.
"I am really sorry about this Harry, but, knowing Voldemort, I do think you will be happier this way."
Harry could only think, "And I was always worried about Voldemort."
"Avada Kedavra!" Harry collapsed to the ground. Millicent snapped her wand in half, thrusting it from herself. She ran away, tears racing down her cheeks.
"I just killed someone," her mind repeated over and over. Her feet led her out to the Dark Forest, the meeting place Voldemort had drilled into her mind. Millicent flung herself onto a stump and cried. Unlike most others, her sobs were silent.
"It isn't safe for students to be out in the woods alone, Millicent." Voldemort slid into view. Millicent raised her frightened face to him.
"You told me to meet you here," Millicent said, watching him closely. He was up to something, and it could not be good for her. She wiped away the traces of tears from her face hastily.
"Ah, but no one shall ever know that if you are dead. And dead you shall be. There are wolves in these forests, after all. Hungry, murderous wolves."
Millicent stood and scrambled back from Voldemort. A wolf, lean and obviously hungry, had appeared at his side. Millicent looked once into Voldemort's face. Then she turned and ran.
It took the wolf two long bounds to catch her. The scream that escaped Millicent's lips did not relieve, as she had hoped, the intense pain shooting up her leg. She kicked with her left leg as hard as she could, but the wolf continued to maul the other leg. Millicent continued screaming, praying someone could hear. The wolf released her leg and bit her upraised arms. Seizing an advantage the wolf bit deeply into Millicent's neck. She let loose a final gurgling cry, and lay still.
Blood on its muzzle, the wolf returned to Voldemort. The wolf whined. Voldemort smiled, and reached down to touch the wolf.
"Good boy. I always knew I could find a use for you. Come," he ordered. He and the wolf vanished into the mist, leaving Millicent's body mangled on the forest floor..