AN: SO This chapter I've had lined up for a while now - and I couldn't help myself when my internet died for 4 hours and left me unable to access my practice exam materials that my professor sent to me. Thus... this insanity ensued. Please do enjoy, I really hope it makes up for the slightly uneventful last chapter. =D
Enjoy. (evil grin)
The Price of Knowledge; the Price of Power
Chapter 52
And so at eight O'clock I found myself moodily leaning against the high stone walls of Hogwarts' east wing, I glaring out at the evening sky. How did you manage to get yourself here? Why in the hell are you listening to Kevin... he doesn't ever do anything unless he wants something in return... and why in Phantom can't you just trust Jason? "Oh," I growled at myself. "Shut up!"
"Talking to ourselves now are we?"
I sighed heavily, great. Now there was no turning back, and please don't get me wrong in my context; it wasn't a good 'past the point of no return' moment either... no jittery, dancing feelings. It was just an abyss of bleak annoyance! "Well, if you don't like it, please just let me know," I said in a sickeningly cheery. "And I'll be sure to do it more often," I muttered under my breath, scowling.
He just stood there for a moment, sceptically looking me over.
"Well..?" I asked expectantly. "You better have actually gotten me out here to see this 'conspiracy theory' you think you've cracked. Or else I'll just go back and find a way into the castle."
He grinned and pulled my textbook out from his bag, shoving it into my arms. "You dropped that earlier, thought I should return it to you."
"You little-"
"Coming?" he asked as he stalked off ahead of me.
Oh, this was such a mistake! I can't stand this pompous, grimy, stupid, conniving, cocky git! Why oh Phantom why did I let him talk me into this!
Muttering and growling under my breath I stumbled after him through the darkness. Ahead of me all I could hear was him snickering at my protests... the thought of chucking my book at him again crossed my mind many times, but it seemed unfair to my book... poor booky.
As we reached the forbidden forest, my brow furrowed and I shot him a suspicious glare. I'd never been in them without Jason before and I wasn't sure if I trusted following a 'vampire' into them now. "Jason's not in there," I protested, putting my hands up in a surrendering gesture and nodding towards the thick and twisted darkness ahead of us. "He's in the castle... with Snape; its called detention, I'm nearly positive you've heard of it."
He shook his head, giving me a sad look. "No Liz," he said. "Your precious Slytherin is not in detention with Snape don't remember what he said at the end of all his classes today, or did he not tell you fourth years?"
I felt my stomach plummet like a thousand stones, crashing down a sheer cliff edge. "Teachers meeting with Dumbledore..." I echoed stonily.
"Aha!" He said triumphantly. "So you see, so he did lie about detention tonight and is either off with the other Slytherins whom I know you both hate with a burning passion... or he's where I say he is. Just trust me this once, would you please?"
I couldn't respond. My fingers twisted into each other; wringing my hands.
"Come on, if I'm not right now I'll never ask again. I promise I'll never even look at you again," he reached out, placing his cold hand on my shoulder... I didn't flinch away. My eyes slowly turned to glance up at his. "I just want you to be happy Liz."
"Yeah," I said, my voice didn't feel quite like my own as I stared on into the thick forest. "Okay."
"So we've practiced two of the three curses," Moody said as I greeted him under the darkening sky. "Do you wish to learn the third?"
I froze up for a moment, my muscles stiffening under the thought. "On what," I asked slightly bewildered. I could hardly practice this spell on him, and was unsure if I could see myself using it on any of the animals he'd brought to practice on previously.
"Ah," he said, setting down his satchel by the old tree stump. "I thought you might ask."
Well, wouldn't anyone have?
"So," he continued, rummaging through it. "I brought something that doesn't matter very much, but will have the same basic idea of taking a life from something you can... relate to."
"Excuse me?"
"You see," Moody said. Giving me a stony stare with his one good eye... the other swivelling around the clearing. "The hardest part about taking a life is that you can understand the other person – they're your species and you can communicate with one another, the same types of blood and DNA make up your bodies."
I swallowed hard, "Okay, so... what you're saying is what exactly?"
He smirked ruefully, a dark impression began to seep into my mind... what did he want me to do? "Well boy," he said gruffly. "only the weak are stopped by those thoughts – and if you want to fight an enemy who isn't weak you can't be weak either."
"I understand that," I said; how many times did we have to cover that little detail? "After all, that's the reason we're here; to learn how to fight properly, not how our classes teach us to."
"So, after what you'd said the other evening about being able to talk to snakes I thought; at least there is something realistic that we can use."
"You want me to kill a snake?" I asked taken aback.
Nodding he pulled out a cobra from his bag, and held it up to my eye line. I furrowed my brow, glancing between him and the serpent. "I..." I said, unsure of what to do.
"It's a snake boy; nothing more than a common garden pest." He tossed it to the forest floor where it slithered its way through the grass.
"I don't know if..." My eyes were locked on the creature in front of me, it began to make its way towards me. "If I can..."
"Of course you can!" he said sharply. "But before you do you're going to meet its eyes'. You're going to communicate; learn what's in its mind, relate to it – or whatever you parselmouth's do."
"But-" I began to protest, my eyes frantically searching his for some sign that he was joking... not that that'd ever happened before.
"No 'buts'," he snapped. "Do you want to become a great wizard or one that is frightened away by the death of a snake?"
I was about to protest before I heard the hiss from around my feet, my eyes reluctantly traveled down to meet those of the regal looking serpent's. What was I supposed to say to the thing? That it shouldn't feel too much pain or that I was going to practice taking a life on it? This was absurdity!
"Yeah," I called after Kevin. "You can totally glide all mystically ahead of me like there is nothing to trip over, don't you worry at all about me 'oh mister prince charming of darkness'; I won't get lost or anything. You moonlight prick!"
He chuckled again. "See," he said, turning back to me. "This is just like a date!"
"Wow there batman," I said annoyed. "If all your dates go like this then you've got a serious problem buddy!"
He grinned again, sauntering back to me. "Are you admitting it's a-"
I shoved him back; he stumbled and fell in into a puddle of thick mud and rotting leaves. "Oh," I said pouting overdramatically. "Not so graceful after all are you?" Smirking happily I jumped over him, making sure to land in the puddle and splash mud all over him as I continued on without my guide into the denser areas ahead.
I could hear him swearing moodily behind me and found I was fairly overjoyed with the outcome of the puddle situation. He'd said to travel due north and so I figured I could manage that without him just fine, thank you!
"That which you seek cannot be found in darkness, light or in between..."
"Excuse me?" I asked in bewilderment staring into the depths of the pale yellow eyes in front of me. I was crouched down on my knees, the snake coiled in front of me.
"Blurred dreams will wilt and turn to sand; else lightning strike and turn to glass... The path shall fork; choices one and two different, same; seeker of answers never to tell, darkness, light churn and mix, a choice he has but two and only one to follow. Who are you Jason Alexzander Frost?"
I was baffled, what was it saying? "I have no choice – if that's what you mean. I have to do this, I'm sorry about it... really. A rat, even a bird I could deal with without much second thought... but you hold some connection beyond communication with me. Is this what it means to be a Parselmouth?"
"You travel a road of riddles soon to unfold – a man who seeks you and one you seek too. Not knowing who either might be corruption rages, seeping in between the lines... drinking foul things, becoming others inside out it may seem but round the bend you shall understand."
"Are you a mental snake?"
It actually laughed at me... "No my friend, simply a passing stranger looking upon a twisted fate."
"I'm sorry," I said. "I haven't a clue what you've said up until now."
"It is not yet time to find out... in time though, I think you shall see."
I jumped back when a hand landed roughly on my shoulder, yanking me to my feet. I stumbled and turned around.
"Watch your step!"
"Sorry, sorry!" I said back to the serpent as my eyes met Moody's rather than the Snakes.
"Times up," he said, handing me back my wand – he'd taken it prior to the... conversation.
I fumbled with the slender wooden stick. "I don't think I can," I protested, staring into the engraved handle.
"Look at me when you're arguing boy!"
"I'm not arguing!" I countered. "I'm simply telling you I can't... it's... not right. There is a connection, and it's much stronger than communication. You wouldn't understand!"
He grabbed me roughly by the collar, giving me a brief and violent shake. "don't know? I've taken the lives of men you fool! Taking the life of another human being is far more drastic than a parselmouth killing off his link. You are human, would you rather test the spell on me or the snake? You're not leaving here without using it; make your choice!"
My mouth hung open, I felt like a fool... of course. He's testing me by connecting me with the animal, so I know the extent the feeling of hesitation in battle can change the outcome. "I'll do it. You're right. I will not be weak."
"Good," he said with a sideways smile as he backed away and sat back down on his log. "Try not to think about it too much; just do... you know the movements. I expect you studied them as I told you?"
"Yes sir..." I held up my want, aiming between the yellow eyes. He hissed, but I blocked out the sound.. my eardrums pounding. As I began to make the proper movement with my wand something caught my eye; something was in the woods ahead of us. "Professor..." I said in apprehension.
Moody glanced up, he nodded but didn't say anything or ask me to stop. Instead both his eyes seem to land on me for a moment. "Frost," he said gruffly, leaning forwards and motioning me over to him. I furrowed my brow but slipped past the snake, going to stand closer to my teacher. "Use Crucio first, it must be like in battle. If an enemy cracks under Crucio you need not kill them...
"Shhh..." Kevin held his hand out, pointing towards the nearest clearing. As he pulled me behind a tall rock face to our left my eyes landed upon Jason... my mouth dropped open as I let out a gasp, thankfully Kevin was quick in response and clapped his icy hand over my mouth. I glanced at Kevin giving him a nod. He dropped his hand and gave me a sad smile; mouthing something... evidently I hadn't explained to him that I was horrid at reading lips.
Our gaze turned back tot he seen at hand... He was talking to a man – but he was too hidden from our view to quite make out who it was. Instead we both watched Jason as he raised his wand, pointing it towards what appeared to be a snake.
I furrowed my brow, unsure if any of this would even truly matter.
I was appalled, but tired of fighting and wishing for the night to end. Walking back to my post, expecting my 'friend' to have slithered away in the moment I'd left I found him coiled in his previous position, staring me in the eyes. "Try it without the words boy," Moody ordered finally. I didn't spare him a glance as I moved my wand and thought the spell.
The cobra writhed and hissed and screeched under my spell, it's voice breaking into my mind... but I maintained the spell... hoping that Moody would allow me to pass on the final act.
"Now!" He ordered again.
Letting up for a moment the snake sagged, silent as the dead... And then well, he wasn't. The silent Avada Kedavra didn't work out so well, I chanced a glance at Moody, he gave me an approving nod to proceed... I could only assume that meant aloud.
"Avada Kedavra!"
As the snakes life slipped away Moody jumped up, his magic eye swivelling madly in the direction of the forest... the same place I'd earlier looked. Rustling was heard as two shadowy figures ran off, one dragging the other into the depths of the forest.
My worried eyes met Moody's as he took off after them. I too followed.
"Kevin!" I yelped as he pulled my along behind him. "What is this? What just happened? Why is Jason learning that spell! Where are you taking me!"
He just kept running, his hand clasped on mine in a deathly grip forcing me to keep up with his pace and run alongside him; away from the dark evidence which lay behind in our wake. "If they catch us there is no telling what they'll do!"
"Of course there is," I protested, tripping in some foliage. He pulled me up and we took off again. "It's Jason, he wouldn't do anything!"
"He just did do something!"
"It was a snake!" I yelled back in annoyance... sure I was all for animal rights but really Kevin, just cause he did something to a snake didn't prove that he was dangerous to people.
He huffed loudly, deaking onto a dark gravel road that seemed to suddenly appear out of nowhere to our right. "You don't understand," he said angrily. "He's a parselmouth! do you even know what that connection means to a wizard?"
"Not entirely," I growled as I gained better footing on the road. "But it's just... superstition; all the stuff other than the whole 'being able to talk to one another' deal!"
"No Liz," he said. "It isn't, its deep and in their blood. They may as well be related on some sick level."
Finally we came to another clearing, one which seemed like a pit, or amphitheatre of fallen tree trunks. It was low in the centre and rose up, as if the trunks acted as the seats... or steps in an intricate sequence of stairs.
When we reached the middle of the clearing, after jumping over the dark logs and root systems, we stopped. I finally had enough strength to wrench away from Kevin's grasp. "What're we doing here?"
"If you hadn't made such a fuss when he uttered that curse we could have simply snuck back the same way we came Martin."
"Oh," I scoffed. "So now it's my fault? You where the one who insisted on bringing me out here in the first place!"
"You're the one who agreed to it you fi..." he cut himself short as he'd begun to loom over me slightly. What with his fangs out and all, and his eyes glowing in the night I had to admit; I was much more frightened to be in the middle of the forbidden forest with a Vampire I hardly knew than the prospect of being found out by Jason and whomever he was with.
Pulling away he began to survey our surroundings... "We need to stay very silent now."
"I'm not sure if I feel entirely comfortable with that," I said, backing away a little. Something in my mind told me I'd gotten myself into a very bad situation.
He moved swiftly over to me, clamping a hand over my mouth as he pulled us down, and behind some thick bushes. I struggled a little, but really it was fairly hopeless so instead I permitted finally to staying silent with my guide I'd so foolishly wandered off with.
I saw only their shadows as they passed through the clearing... but I felt suspicious that something had caught sight of us. Once they'd passed, a good ten minutes or so after we stood and crept out of our bushed, I was folding down the mangled hem of my skirt, and brushing away the dirt from my knees... when I noticed far more than two shadows cast around us.
My head jerked up, my eyes wildly jumping from one dark figure to the next. "Oh my god," I whispered. "There are at least fifty of them..."
"I know," Kevin said, sounding hallow and distant.
I turned to look at him, fear evident in my eyes. Wait. My mind screamed as I noticed how his eyes glowed... and how similarly the eyes of the fifty figures glowed. "Oh my god," I breathed out again... my voice weak and shaking as I began to blindly back away.
Kevin smiled suddenly, but it was no longer the smile of a young man. As if a vale was lifted I saw what I'd been missing the entire time... "Everything comes with a price my dear," He said as he lunged at me.
I screamed, at least... I think it was me.
I stopped dead in my tracks as a blood curdling scream reached my ears. I looked to Moody, he too stopped; his eye swiveling back towards where the sound had come from... behind us.
I took off running again; I had no clue where I was running to, it was simply some form of instinct as I stumbled and tripped over branches, roots and bushes.
I knew that voice... I was sure I did... and I'd only ever heard it scream like that once before; this past summer. My eyes widened as I realised who the voice belonged to, trying to force my legs to move faster underneath me, a million horrid scenarios playing out in my mind.
Finally I came crashing into a clearing... it dipped down. In the darkness I hadn't been able to tell there was a slop until it was too late; I tripped into the pit, wand flying out of my hand as I landed in a heap at the feet of a dozen shadowy figures, all clad in black robes... which looked vaguely familiar.
Out of the dozen of cloaked figures, in the distance, through the web of legs I could see two familiar ones clad in Gryffindor socks kicking out as they were dragged away, into the darkness.
The figures around me seemed unimpressed with my rather ungraceful landing but paid little attention to me as they began to follow the direction which their captive companion was being dragged to.
"Liz!" I screamed, searching frantically in the dark for my wand.
I heard a muffled scream in return and then in the light of the moon the shadows where gone within nothing more than the blink of an eye.
"Liz!" I screamed again, only this time the only thing calling back to me was the resounding echo of my own voice in the now empty woods.
AN: Soooo, what do you think? You all have to tell me or I'll I'll... actually legitimately study for once and stop updating like a madly addicted crazed person. SO review *insert evil wicked grin here*
