This Chapter: Hadrian reveals some new things going on in Forks and the wolves and vampires work out a plan. And warning: there is torture! Poor Adsila is being mistreated by another inquisition. Adsila's brother and Angela reluctantly team up with the wolves.
To Emrys Myrdin: Ne vous inquiétez pas, il ne sera pas là pour longtemps! Eh bien, pouvez-vous blâmer le fait que les sorciers sont humains? Et d'ailleurs ils avaient des substituts pour le sang humain, comme le sang de dragon, et même la sucette dans Honeydukes. Non, les Cullen n'en auraient pas entendu parler, mais alors que Jasper et Carlisle avaient été forcés de blesser des humains - sorciers pour Carlisle quand il était encore humain - et Rosalie avait ses raisons, Edward connaissait déjà un régime végétarien parce qu'il avait Carlisle. Au lieu de cela il a choisi de se rebeller. C'était un meurtre prémédité, même si les victimes le méritent.
To Paula: Oh, I'm sure you'll be very interested in what she's planning!
As for Edward, don't worry about him, they didn't punish him severely, and he did have his excuses. But did he really think that he could brush it aside and move on with his life without paying the price just because he was the vampire version of Dexter? The thing about him is that he is a very judgemental person. Everything is in black and white for him: like in Eclipse, when Bella mentions she feels sorry for Leah's pain, he said Leah didn't deserve any sympathy because she made everyone feel bad. That incensed me- how would he feel if his heart had been broken and he was forced to hang around hearing her thoughts about her new man, with no chance of moving on? As for Nessie, what I meant was that he knew the risks of being with Bella- it was careless. To MACUSA it was similar to assisting and encouraging someone who wants to commit suicide, like giving them a murder weapon. Remember, he isn't stupid.
Thanks! Xoxoxo!
To NicoleR85: Thank you!
Disclaimer: I do NOT own anything from Harry Potter or Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them- that's J.K Rowling. Or the Twilight series- that's Stephanie Meyer.
"You are a fool," Hadrian stated bluntly. "This is the best anyone can do for you. Did you really think they would brush things aside?"
Edward hung his head and said nothing.
"Carlisle and even Jasper will receive a lighter sentence than you- Rosalie, far lighter. In fact, she might get away with one night in prison and a heavy fine. Carlisle and Jasper for a small while, but you? The least I can do is minimise your sentence as much as possible. Bella too."
Edward sighed. "I know… I guess…"
"At least you showed remorse." Hadrian said softly. "They've kept that in consideration. This isn't a show trial, Edward. Samuel G. Quahog is known to be a fair man."
"I know," Edward repeated. He took a deep breath. "I… I guess it's fairer than any trial I would have received by the Volturi."
Hadrian paused. "Your friends," he said. "Have you kept in contact with them? Do you know where they are at now?"
"Tanya, Kate, Garrett, Carmen and Eleazar are in Denali," Edward replied.
"I'm not sure if they'll ever look for them," Hadrian said quietly. "You can't warn them." He threw a subtle glance at Esmé that humans would have missed.
"As for the others…" He looked uneasy.
"We haven't kept in contact with Peter and Charlotte, they are nomads after all." Jasper replied.
Hadrian sighed. "I can't promise anything." He gave them a look.
"Tomorrow is your sentencing." The sentenced vampires were led to another cell- again reinforced with magic.
"Hadrian," Bella said desperately. "Could you tell us… What's going on with Adsila's search?"
Hadrian sighed and shook his head. "They're tracking them south but they haven't got much hope." He said shortly.
He turned and ushered the other vampires away.
Bella's heart sunk as she realised what she did to Seth's imprint.
Then Hadrian paused and turned around. "As for the canine marks found on the dead bodies littered throughout Forks… We do have a lead."
They stared at him, waiting.
"It's fake," he stated bluntly. "The tooth marks… They were all placed there, I think, to frame you guys. But I don't think the ones that killed those people were framed.
"What do you mean?"
The wolves repeated that question when Hadrian told them.
"I mean someone's been meddling to get you guys in trouble," he responded. "This was no incident."
Jacob's sole case had been reviewed- again. He had indeed been guilty of one thing: attempted murder of a child- a half-human child, the legilimens had told them, before he imprinted on her. His sentence would be comparatively light, though.
"The marks melted away along with a great chunk of skin and flesh. It turns out it was just an illusion, a spell cast on the dead bodies covering them for some time before they melt away. In its place was something… Quite gruesome."
He pulled out some photographs from his pocket and handed it to Sam.
Sam recoiled as he saw those pictures. So did the others.
"What are they?" Embry gasped.
"This wasn't the work of someone like you or an animal." Hadrian stated.
"This was, again, an Obscurus."
They stared at him. "A what?" Leah asked.
"An Obscurus. Long before wizardkind went into hiding, as you all know, they were hunted by Mug- No-Majes. Flogged, drowned, hanged or burnt at the stake. The children, like Claire, were the most vulnerable because they were so young and therefore, did not yet know how to channel and control their own abilities properly."
He paused.
"Mug- I mean, No-Maj-born children were the most vulnerable. Anyone living in close proximity with No-Majes. Because of the attitude the non-magical had towards the magical, the children tried everything to suppress their magical abilities, out of fear and terror. Sometimes they were even caught and if they weren't killed straight away, they would be locked up, starved, tortured and treated worse than animals."
Emily recoiled at this statement.
"Because of this, those children sought to suppress or get rid of their magic. They wouldn't use it. But they couldn't get rid of it, because they were born with it. At times, they would not only be terrified of what could and would happen to them, they would be tortured, abused, starved… All of these things created enormous trauma, and a fragile mental state, if any still remained. Because their emotions are connected to their magic- such as the case with accidental magic- all those negative feelings; fear, panic, terror, pain, desperation, rage and hatred… They developed into something else entirely. A force of magic that they could never dream of controlling. A dark, parasitical magical force that inhabits and occasionally possesses the child, known as an Obscurus. The energy is so dark, so powerful, so malignant, it eats the child from the inside out; their will, their control, their mentality- everything. It is unleashed when the child reaches an emotional or mental breaking point. A dark energy that destroys everything in its path, including living beings."
Hadrian took a shaky breath. "Because the Obscurus eats its host- an Obscurial- from the inside out, children like them rarely live past their tenth birthday, to be able to go to school and learn to channel and control it properly. However, this is not always the case. Based on what I've researched there was an Obscurial that lasted longer than that, here in New York. He was a teenager. That's why it's vital to find children, especially in times like this, when wizards and witches are being hunted, to keep them from developing an Obscurus of their own. But it may be too late." He finished.
"Wait, so this… What killed them is…" Jared choked.
"A child, yes."
Hadrian regarded them. "There is an Obscurus loose in Forks," he said quietly. "They suspected it was inside Claire. But they've found nothing. However, it might have been just what drew the NSPS to Forks in the first place rather than you or any Sasquatch. Or maybe a combination of these things. All I'm saying is… Just keep a close watch. You won't be able to bring Claire home if MACUSA thinks there may be danger or anyone suppressing magic in a child.
"Speaking of which, if you wish to fight for custody of Claire-"
"We do," Emily interrupted. Hadrian bit his lip.
"She is with her grandparents right now." He stated. "First- deal with the Obscurus; find its host- report to MACUSA- do NOT engage it, it's more powerful than you can imagine. Only wizards who have been trained to handle these things can. Second… Work out a compromise, and try to show that you aren't endangering or affecting Claire's development in any way. The trial has already shown that, but she has two grandparents who may not be happy that she has found a soulmate at such a young age. And there's the fact that they are still searching for a way to reverse your… Imprinting."
Several wolves spluttered in protest.
"And then, there's the fact that wizards are trying to cover this up." Hadrian continued. "An Obscurial can't control his or her magic. So I'm guessing that a wizard or a witch, maybe a group of them, knows about this Obscurus in Forks and wants it to run wild, destroying anyone and anything in its path. A Pure-Blood Supremacist, I bet."
"A what?" Emily, Quil and Embry asked at the exact same time.
"Pure-Bloods," Hadrian replied patiently. "There are three kinds of wizards. First, there are the Pure-Bloods who come from all magical-families and ancestries. Second are the Half-Bloods who has one Pure-Blood parent and one Muggle- or No-Maj, or at least a No-Maj-born or Muggle-born as the other. Third, are No-Maj-borns as you call it in the United States. But because of the hatred that lingers between the magical and non-magical worlds- the fact that wizards were hunted, tortured and killed, and then forced underground, this hatred, this resentment was passed down from generation to generation, because wizards typically live longer lives and have longer memories. As such, some Pure-Bloods and the occasional Half-Bloods believe that anyone with Muggle- No-Maj- blood are dirt-veined and are not worthy to be called witches and wizards. They even call M- No-Maj-borns 'Mudbloods' meaning 'Dirty Blood'."
"That's disgusting." Leah recoiled. Hadrian inclined his head. "Muggle-borns- that's the term I grew up with- are particularly vulnerable from fanatics at either end. No one trusted them because they did not know where they stand. Now, of course, they know better. But racism in the wizarding world has never been about skin colour."
He gave them a look. "I'll be staying in America for a while," he said. "But soon I'll go back to Britain."
He turned around.
The wolves looked at each other.
"Wow," Embry muttered. "We have so many problems, we don't even know where to start."
"How about…" Sam winced. "Emily. Can you and Sue stay in New York for a while, figure out a way to get shared custody of Claire. Seth… I know that you and Leah will want to find Adsila, and I think you should. I'm not sure if the wizards will let you, I think they still don't trust us and don't want us to get anywhere near their investigation, so you, Quil, Embry and Jacob once he's out… You guys can find a way to track her down. Jared, I and the rest of us will need to return to Forks, keep an eye out for things and keep our place safe. We need to find the child and anyone who might be provoking it, or trying to catch it."
"Sounds like a good plan," Quil agreed.
"I know you want to stay and find a way to get Claire back, but we have to face it, they aren't going to be happy Claire has a soulmate at her age. Her grandparents will want proof that Claire will not be rushing into a romantic relationship or attachment to anybody, Emily and Sue will have a better chance of bringing her home and working things out with her grandparents than with you hovering over them." Sam said as gently as he could. Quil bit his lip and looked down, nodding reluctantly.
Two wizards stood on the lookout.
The aurors, wearing long trench coats and trilby hats, had their wands concealed in case of emergency.
A whispery sound was heard in the distance, in the wind. One auror stiffened, slowly, but steadily drawing his wand, ready for an attack.
The other, seeing his comrade's reactions, began to do the same.
A louder rustling sound resounded, making both men jump to the right, wands at the ready.
Their eyes wide, the men slowly stepped forwards, only for something to leap out of the shadows.
The first man didn't have time to scream as he was bitten and his throat was drained.
The second man bellowed and prepared to cast a hex.
Only for the creature- whatever it was- to leap at him and he was silenced.
"Satisfied?" The witch smiled at the crouching vampiress who was finishing off her meal.
The vampire looked up only once she had been sated. "Immensely," her musical voice replied, as she looked up at the witch, her eyes slowly turning back to its normal red behind the blue lenses, causing it to turn a violet colour.
"I told you, didn't I?" The witch replied. "Corin and Chelsea…. Really? Your own coven mates… A pity you didn't find a mate, you could have escaped easily."
She growled. "I'm still not saying I believe you."
"You don't believe that your coven mates are dead?" The witch dared. "That the charges against them, Noela in particular, were trumped-up? Or that Edward Cullen and his damned wife were responsible for Victoria's death."
Heidi hissed.
"I want proof of either of them."
"You never thought to ask the ones that travelled all the way to America," the witch sighed. "Very well. And if I give you the proof… Where does Aro, Caius and the rest of the guard think you are at, now?"
"They won't need to feed for one more week," Heidi replied. "So I told them I was scouting and searching for a way to bring new victims."
Slowly, gracefully, Heidi stood.
"I warn you," she said dangerously. "If this is some kind of hoax or trap…"
"I understand," the witch replied. "But you and I both want the same thing."
"And what is that?" Heidi scoffed.
"Vengeance," the witch answered, her eyes glinting.
A shocking dark force flew south from Forks, along with the child it was carrying.
In an apartment, Claire had had soup. She had talked and laughed with her family late into the night. She missed Aunt Emily, Uncle Sam, Quil and the others, but she was happy.
And then she went to bed.
Further south, a motionless witch was still unconscious. She had been beaten, bruised and more.
Water splashed on her face.
Adsila gasped, struggling.
"Wake up, witch!" a voice snarled.
Her eyes blinking away the water droplets, Adsila saw that she was in some kind of room- a cellar or a basement.
And in front of her was a man in white robes, with strange symbols.
The NSPS.
"W-who are you?" She struggled.
"Enough games, witch." The man spat. "I know you are one of them. You rescued the little girl. And took down several of my brothers. They are now rotting away in prison, with little chances of being freed. Some of them are even on Death Row."
He glared at her. "Where you will soon be," he said with a terrible finality.
"Where is your wand?"
Adsila said nothing.
For all she wanted the Cullens to pay, they did not deserve exposure. And the whole magical world was at risk.
The man grabbed her hair roughly and yanked her back, slamming her head against the wall. Adsila cried out.
He slammed her head again on the floor, which was quite dusty.
"I asked you a question, witch." The man spat. "You unnatural, devil's harlot. Where is your wand?"
"Gone." She gritted out. "I dropped it where you took me."
The man cursed.
Hopefully the wolves will get a trespasser.
"Fine. Well, at least you're useless." He dragged her to the other side of the room.
"I'm giving you this one chance, witch." He hissed. "Tell me: where is the girl? Where are the others who practice evil arts as you do?"
Adsila gritted her teeth and strained.
The man harshly pulled her to something that resembled the gallows.
"Going to hang me?" She mocked.
"You wish," he snarled. He dragged her there and shoved her to her knees. Adsila's hands were bound behind her back.
The man pulled some ropes from the framework above. He looped and tied it around Adsila's hands, and shoved her to her feet again.
"Now, I'm asking you again, you unnatural, demon woman," he glared loathsomely at Adsila. "Where is the rest of your kind? I heard there was a school? And a headquarters somewhere? Where are you teaching children your unnatural, corrupting dark arts?"
Adsila glared at him.
In response, the man heaved and pulled the ropes, hoisting Adsila high into the air. It had been tied around her fingers. She barely stopped herself from screaming. It was agony.
"Where are they?" The man bellowed.
"GO TO HELL!" She screamed.
"No, but you will," he snarled in response. After several repetitions, she blacked out from the pain.
The man splashed water on her to wake her up, and hauled her to a table.
He strapped her to a chair. Her head was tied with to a strap. A vice was behind it.
"Where are they?" His breath heaved.
She said nothing.
He grabbed the vice and began turning and turning it. Adsila screamed.
The sentencing was done.
Carlisle and Rosalie had it light. They would not remain imprisoned for more than a week, after several negotiations. They did, however, receive a heavy fine. They had No-Maj money so they had to change it to Dragots. Same with Jasper, though they agreed on hours of community service.
Edward and Bella had it rougher. Bella was in a cell away from Edward, but eventually, Hadrian did persuade them to allow her to do community service instead, in some workshop. The Cullens who got such a sentence relished the opportunity. They did have feelings of guilt, after all.
Bella also got a fine, but eventually they were freed on bail. They were required to stay in New York, but Nessie came to visit. Not so much Edward. He was imprisoned for a two months-and-a-half before any chance of parole, on the grounds that he had no idea that there were witches and wizards in the world and anything about their wands, and that he did show remorse and try to turn over a new leaf. His visitation times came once a week.
That was the sentence.
Meanwhile, the wolves assigned to Adsila set out and began tracking her down. Jacob was still in prison, due to his attempted murder of Baby Renesmee- a half-human Dhampir, before imprinting on her. But eventually after hours of community service- and a heavy fine which Billy borrowed from the Cullens- he was set free.
He joined them in tracking Adsila and her kidnappers.
Emily and Sue worked out a plan with Sam over the phone, to obtain a way for joint custody, persuading Claire's grandparents to let her stay with them for part of the year.
The remaining wolves returned to Forks. But found nothing.
Adsila was weak. She had not eaten for days, except a few scraps of mouldy bread and mustard. She had to rip off the mouldy bit and eat with her hands. Her only drink was a bowl of stale water.
She began to plan a way out.
They thought that iron would hurt her. They were wrong. She smirked inwardly. She put on a show of being cowed and weakened. And she worked out a way.
It would be difficult without a wand, but Native Americans and other cultures outside of Europe and pre-settler America and Africa, had never used wands before meeting Europeans. As a result, things like cooking, fetching clothes and shoes, firewood and gathering or hunting food couldn't be done by magic, unless you wanted to endanger yourself. That sort of magic done without wandwork was like walking on a tightrope from somewhere extremely high. So no, not that sort of magic.
And therefore picking locks would be hard. But attacking others and shielding yourself would be easy. She just needed to get to that phase.
And boy, did those Cullens have hell to pay.
"Well?" Keme barked.
Adsila's older brother was not a person you wanted to anger.
"Sir, please." The man in front of him sighed. "We are doing everything we can. And the expert potioneers are searching for a way-"
Keme cursed.
"Look," he said threateningly. "I don't like or trust those wolves. They've already landed my sister in that much trouble as it is, and now one of them have some sick, twisted, magical soul-ritual claim over her? This was not done with her consent, I can tell you that. I know my sister well enough. She would never allow herself to go out with a guy she doesn't trust, much less be magically bound to them."
He shot a glare at the wolves.
"And now they're sending out their own to find her?" He demanded.
"Whoa, we're only trying to help," Embry muttered.
Keme turned on them. "What kind of people are you?" He spat. "My sister?"
And there it went.
The wolves had been dragged back by MACUSA aurors when they learnt what they were doing.
Keme was furious.
"Mr. Sizemore, please." The wizard sighed. He whirled to face him. "Are you even doing enough?" He spat. "To find her? I have no doubt they're torturing her! Maybe she's dead by now!"
Seth froze.
"Keme," his grandfather's voice sounded from behind him. "I know you're upset. We all are but…" He sighed.
Keme glared at the wolves. "Stay away from her."
Embry glared back. "Do you think only you guys could find her? Whoever it is, they're clever enough to bring her down several states and fast- without magic. Do you think that you can bring her back using only one method of tracking- even if it is magic?"
He had a valid point.
Keme didn't back down. "You aren't the only ones who can turn into animals." He stated. "I've been an animagus for years. And somehow, I get the feeling that a group of horse-sized wolves on land will be a lot more conspicuous than an eagle high in the air."
Now that was surprising, Leah admitted to herself. Adsila had a brother who could turn into an eagle. She wondered if Adsila could do the same.
"You are wasting time," someone interjected. They turned around to see Adsila and Keme's grandfather. He placed a hand on his grandson's shoulder. "If you wish to find her, and find her fast, then I suggest you put aside all differences." He looked directly at Keme. "MACUSA will not interfere as long as we both have our words in. After all, we do have rights and we do have influence as well. You may go after your sister, Keme. But take them with you." He nodded towards the wolves. "I do not approve of this imprinting method of binding two souls together without anyone's consent. But that must be dealt with after we bring your sister back. This one has a point: we need more than one way to find Adsila and bring her home. For I fear we may all be tracking blind and deaf into grave danger." He paused.
"Adsila… The Obscurus… These No-Maj hate groups… Something is far larger than it seems, especially if the dead bodies up north had been covered up by magic. No Obscurial can do that. They are just children, untrained and not in control of their powers. Something is far from right. So work together and maybe you can solve this one." He finished.
Keme ground his teeth and nodded reluctantly.
Heidi raced back to her.
"I will do it," the witch assured her. "The Cullens will be clever enough to know that there is a vampire around them. No, I can mask myself with magic. I will deliver your proof, Heidi, make no mistake. And then will you be eager for vengeance?"
Heidi bit her lip and nodded.
"Very well." But her ruby eyes- which did not have their contact lenses on- hardened. "But I want sufficient proof first. Nothing fabricated. No rumours."
The witch nodded, concealing her inner smile.
"Well?" Sam asked over the phone. "Adsila's brother is joining the search," Leah spoke. "And Angela Weber," she stated, trying to keep the frown from her voice.
"And they've agreed?"
"Yeah, otherwise they would have caught us. Apparently, her brother can turn into an eagle. So good for us." She sounded sour.
Sam sighed. "Leah, please don't-"
"I won't," she promised. "I'll keep my mouth shut, Sam. Thoughts are harder to control."
The others looked at her.
Angela Weber stood, talking with Keme. They wanted one more witch or wizard to come along.
The two were dressed in travelling clothes, durable and strong, that would blend in easily with No-Majes.
"The aurors are heading north," Angela told him. "We told them that there's an Obscurus- again."
Keme nodded, accepting this, reluctantly.
"So it's just us." He stated.
"And them," Angela nodded her head towards the wolves who stiffened. Keme wasn't happy at all they were there but he had been forced to agree with his grandfather's point.
"Let's go." He stated bluntly to the wolves.
"Where to first?" Quil asked.
"At the end of the trail. Hold onto us." Keme instructed.
"Why? What are you going to do?"
"We're going to apparate there." Angela stated shortly. "It's fast, but you could easily leave parts behind, so hold on tight." Keme stated.
The wolves looked uneasily at each other.
"Is it some form of teleportation?" Embry asked uneasily.
"Of a sort." The wolves clung to them, and with an ear-splitting crack, they disappeared.
They materialised with a whoosh of sound, another crack and a rush of swirling colours. Embry, Leah, Quil and Seth doubled over instantly and tried not to puke.
"I did say it isn't pleasant," Angela sighed. "At least you didn't splinch."
"What's that?" Embry gasped.
"Leaving your body parts behind." Keme said bluntly. He walked forwards.
It was already nightfall.
"Where is he?" Keme demanded.
"He should be here soon," Angela assured him.
"Who's he?" Quil grumbled sourly.
"Algaves," Keme replied shortly. "He should be here soon."
"He's the other guy," Angela explained.
"Where are we again?" Leah grumbled.
"Several miles south of New York."
"Quiet!" Keme hissed, putting his hand up for silence.
Slowly, Angela drew her wand.
A lumos charm was cast and suddenly she could see something: a pool of blood.
Her horrified eyes travelled further and she nearly screamed.
Yes, I admit, I saw Fantastic Beasts- and though I've already had an idea for a powerful, uncontrollable magical force in mind when I started writing fanfiction (sort of like X-Men's the Phoenix) I did not know about the Obscurus. As for my reasons (you'll see later), I thought with Anti-witchcraft sentiment on the rise with No-Majes/Muggles, so would the number of oppressed, maybe abused and murdered children who were particularly vulnerable. Don't worry, this isn't a pure copy of the movie plot.
