Alecto Carrow
"Amycus," I whispered softly trying to get his attention and see if he were still awake. "Are you awake Amycus?" I gently nudged him and he groaned unhappily into his pillow.
"What are you doing out of bed Alecto?" he sighed annoyed as he forced his eyes open.
The sentence that made me want to cry in fear was spit from my lips, "Mama is gone." I whispered afraid. "She's not in her room."
"What do you mean?" he looked worried all the sudden. "Did you check the house?"
"Mmhmm." I nodded hurriedly in dread. "I don't know where she is."
He got up then and took my hand reassuringly, "She's probably just gone to get something Alecto."
"Are you sure?" I whispered again hugging onto my older brother nervously.
"Positive." he nodded. "But let's go and check again just to be sure. I'm sure she's around here somewhere."
And off we went down the dark stairwell. Everything was so scary in the dark. I didn't know what to make of it. I shivered feeling like I was walking through a giant spider web. Amycus rubbed my back supportively as we continued the descent down the murky stairwell.
"Why is everything so scary at night?" I whispered softly. "Why does our home look like a scary movie when darkness comes?"
"Don't be afraid Alect." he picked me up and pulled me onto his back for a piggyback ride. "We'll find Mum. I'm sure she's around here."
We were silent as we finished our descent down the gloomy staircase. I made my eyes focus in the dimness as I tried to look for Mama again. Unfortunately, they weren't providing any clarity for me to make sense of anything.
"Mum?" Amycus called softly. "Are you here?"
It felt oddly silent. Almost too silent. A deadly silent that brought not only chills, but spasms to my spine. I huddled into Amycus' neck and groaned as the nervous feeling began to overtake my heart rate. He gently shhed me, "It's alright. She's around here somewhere Alect."
"But where?" I cried softly. "I want Mama."
"Don't fear Sweetheart." he said with slight heartbroken tones to it. "Mum's here somewhere. And even if we can't find her, I'm sure she just went out to get milk or something."
I was quiet, unable to come up with an answer and I assumed he just took that as he had reassured me that everything was okay. But I knew it wasn't. Mama wouldn't of left us alone without telling us before she was gone. Mama cares about us. She wouldn't of left. She wouldn't of! She's our Mama! She loves us! She wouldn't make us worry like this! That's why I know something's amiss!
"Mum?!" Amycus actually called now and it honestly surprised me out of my skin. "Mum?! Where are you?!" he called again as we walked into the living room. Like the staircase, everything was so incredibly darkened. The only light that we had to guide us was the dim eerie light of the slivered moon coming from our enormous window.
Amycus walked us over to the window and looked out it obviously looking for Mama. "Don't see her out there." he whispered to himself. "Maybe she's in the front."
Everything felt impossibly calm at the moment. Not us of course, but our surroundings. It felt like the breath before the plunge. Everything around us was taunting us with it's tranquil nature. That just made everything all the more terrifying.
Pictures were staring at us with smiles. They laughed at us as we walked into the front hall. Everything around us had some sort of way to look intimidating. Especially to a little girl like me. If I'm not careful, the world could swallow me up whole.
Startling my entire self, Amycus gently lowered me to the ground and turned so he could see my face. I just wanted to grab a hold of him again. He was my safety blanket. My teddy bear when I was afraid. Without him, I don't know what I'll do with myself.
I tried to hug him, but he held my arms tenderly as he kneeled to my eye level, "Stay here, okay? I'm going outside to check."
"No!" I said with fear hitting my chest as if a bolt of lightning had just struck through me. "No Amycus! I'm not letting go outside by yourself! You could get lost! I don't want to lose Mama and you! Pl-please don't leave me here! Pl-pleas-se Am-Amycus! So-Some-one c-could -" I was crying and I couldn't think straight, let alone talk like a normal human being.
His eyes widened as he saw the tears fly down my cheeks, "Alecto," he whispered comfortingly. "Shh. I'll be okay. I'm just going to look for Mum. I'll be back in a minute at most!"
"No!" I cried hugging onto him. "I-I'm not lo-losing my bro-ther!"
He gently hugged me into his chest consolingly, "Alecto, calm. You're alright. We're alright. Mum's alright. We're all going to be alright my Dear. We're going make it through this."
"Promise?" I sighed as the tears leaked from my eyelids.
"I won't promise." he whispered. "But I'll do my damn hardest to make sure that we're going to be okay. I'm almost one hundred percent sure Mum's okay, but I don't know for sure. What I will promise though is that I'll do everything in my power to make sure that we'll be okay. No matter the stakes. You understand?"
I nodded understanding his meaning and then hugging him tighter, "Don't go outside by yourself. Let me come with you."
He nodded and sighed softly, "Fine. But you gotta listen to me out there okay?"
I nodded feeling my chest booming with fear, "I will."
"Just for precaution though." he insisted. "I'm sure that nothing's going to happen, but still. You need to listen to every word I say."
"I will Amycus." I promised.
"Alright, now," he gently let go of me and turned himself so I could climb onto his back again. I did that exactly and huddled closely into his shoulder for both the comfort and protection.
We stepped outside into the July night. Unlike the average person would suppose, it was oddly chilly out for a summer night. Again…it just made tonight all the more scary. Another contributing factor to making the night more terrifying was like inside, it was eerily calm.
There was no wind blowing the trees or a cloud in the sky. Just the unnaturally ghostly moon peeking out at us as if he were stalking us in the night. I huddled into Amycus' shoulder and hid my eyes. I'd had enough tonight. I don't want to do this anymore. I just wish Mama would come out and stop playing this cruel game.
"Lumos." Amycus stated simply. I looked up to see a soft blue angelic light omit from the tip of his oak wand. The light didn't help much, but he kept it on anyway. It was a little comforting actually and I think that's why he kept it on.
It felt like we were walking for ages around the property, just searching for a glimpse of our Mama, but nothing popped up. I think Amycus thought I was sleeping to be honest, but there was no way I could be sleeping right now. Not without knowing what happened to Mama.
"Hey," Amycus stated to himself after a while. "Alecto, are you awake?"
I nodded against his shoulder, "Yeah."
"Look," he pointed out into the distance where the forest began. A person was emerging out from the forest. They looked a little frantic to be honest. He or she was running around unsure of what to do with themselves slouched and stomping. "Muggles!" shouted a masculine voice so incredibly angry. "Murder! The filth! The absolute scum!" the man hissed as if he were right next to us sending trembles down my back.
I hid in Amycus' neck and whispered desperately trying to remain quiet "What should we do?"
"I don't know." he sighed back.
"THE SHAME!" cried the man. "TO KILL A HUMAN OF MAGIC AND DISREGARD HER IN SUCH A WAY!" he spat onto the ground. "At least I avenged her though." he said as if he were speaking to someone else. "The poor witch deserved better. We all deserve better! This is why we're fighting for our domination. It's because we are better than muggles. They'll destroy our magical blood because they are afraid of such power that they cannot possess! Muggles are shameful. Muggles are dim. Muggles are the murderers of magical blood! This is why we must destroy them!"
A crowd cheered surprising both Amycus and I out of our skins. I whimpered softly and he kissed my arm in comfort. He sighed softly referring to the forest, "I think someone's hosting a party."
"Who?"
"I have no clue Alecto. But I don't like the sound of it. It sounds like someone got killed. We're leaving."
"Bu-but what if it's Mama?!" I cried.
"It's not Mum!" Amycus insisted harshly. "It's not!"
Fear was overtaking my entire system now. What if the witch that killed was Mama?! I mean, where else could she be?! In that party?! I can't see that! Mama! Where are you?!
I felt myself convulsing with silent sobs, "Please Amycus! What if that's Mama?! What if she's dead?! What will we do?!"
"She's not dead Alecto!" he shook his head shaking that thought from his mind. "She's not dead."
"But what if she is?!" I yelped.
"She's not dead!"
"Well, well, well," a smooth, cool voice approached us with his mini army of people clothed in black behind him. It was that man with his party. He'd found us.
I yelped in fear as I hid into Amycus' neck. I wanted him to run and find a place to hide, but he stood there holding his ground. I thought he said that he'd make sure we'd be safe! He promised me! I was bawling now and he shhed me tenderly.
The man with the cool, wispy voice spoke again, "Why there's no need to cry little one. We aren't going to hurt you. I can smell the magic on you two. It's wonderful. You're from a pureblood family, aren't you? What's your surname boy?"
"C-Carrow." Amycus said shakily. "Do you know what happened to our mother?"
"Oh no!" the man said in absolute sadness as he tried to give a description to us. "That's why you two are out by yourself! Does she have long blonde hair? Is she small?"
"Yes!" I answered with tears still streaming like a river down my cheeks.
"Oh no." the man looked back at his party concerned. "These poor children…" he kneeled down to our level to reveal a snake like face with deep reddened eyes. I yelped a little in fear at this man's odd face, but Amycus kept his mouth shut. "My dears," the man spoke to us gently. "Your poor darling mother…was killed."
"NO!" I cried. "NO!" I didn't want to believe it. I won't believe it! I just sobbed into Amycus without a care in the world. The deepest sadness took my chest and throbbed. Our Mama was dead…what are we going to do without her? How are we going to survive? Mama…please. Don't be dead like Dada…we need you. We aren't going to make it without you. I love you and I don't want you to leave us! Mama please! Come back to me and Amycus! Don't be dead for me! Please! We need you! We won't live without you!
"Alecto," Amycus was choked up, but wasn't showing it on his face. He spun me around and held me to his chest for as much comfort as he could give me. "Shh. It's alright. I know it hurts Sweetheart. I know."
"My poor Dears." the man whispered. "I promise you, she was avenged. We slaughtered the men who killed her for you."
"She was killed?" Amycus said with a shaky voice.
"Yes son." the man reached out. "I'm so sorry."
I sobbed just thinking about our poor Mama and just imagining the fear she must of went through. "Mama!" I cried. "I want Mama! I want my Mama!"
"Alecto shh Sweetheart." Amycus whispered so shakily. He was desperately trying to hold back tears of his own. "I won't let anything happen to you."
"You see!" the man turned to his group of friends. "This is what Muggles do! They tear families apart! They hurt the innocence. They'll do anything to destroy us!"
"Wait," Amycus whispered to the group in surprise. "They killed Mama because she was magic?"
"Exactly son!" the man twisted to us once again. "Sure, they might not know magic exists, but Muggles sense there's a difference between us magic folk and them. They think they can overpower us…but they can't. Magic is everything son…and muggles will seek anything they don't understand and try to destroy it."
"That's why they killed our Mum?" he shook his head in disbelief. "They…wanted to kill her magic…our magic…all magic?"
"Yes son. Muggles are…evil. That's why we must stop them."
"I don't want this to happen again." he said. "What if they hurt my sister? I won't let that happen! She's the last person I have left to keep me on earth!"
The man contemplated for a second, "How old are you boy?"
"Fourteen." he said still trying to hold back his tears. I had no idea why he was giving out his personal information…but there had to be a purpose to his scheme.
"And what's your name son?"
"Amycus…Amycus Carrow sir. And this is my sister Alecto. She's nine. Please sir. I need to protect her. She's the last person I have left. I won't lose her like I lost our Mum and Dad."
"Well, Amycus," the man kneeled again to our level gently. "If you want to protect your sister, us wizards must destroy muggles before they destroy us. It's a war Son. We must keep magic alive and you two are perfect examples of what muggles can do to us wizards."
"You destroy these monsters?" I whispered softly trying to control my tears.
"Yes Deary." he gave me a genuine, yet eerie smile. "We destroy these monsters. And we need people like you two to help us eradicate these evil beings."
I huddled into Amycus' chest and wiped my tears away as I looked up at him nodding.
If these muggles didn't exist…Mama would still be here today. We could still be happy…we could still be a family. But no. These muggles destroyed our mother and our choice of living. They stole our happiness. They stole our freedoms. They stole our love…
These people need to be destroyed or else, what happened to us will happen to someone else…and that was the lesson we learned that day. We must destroy muggles before they destroy us…and that was a lesson taught by our new parent…our Lord Voldemort.
