It was carnage.

Complete and utter carnage.

Bodies lay everywhere, strewn across the hallways and corridors that were once filled with laughter and excitement, but now held nothing but silence. Blood smeared the walls, and students no older than twelve were curled up, their eyes wide open, staring without seeing at the half-blown off roof of the castle.

The Entrance Hall was no different, bodies lay here, too. Only difference was their numbers out massed the ones upstairs. Fighters from all walks of life lay side-by-side - Luna Lovegood, Cho Chang, Draco Malfoy, and Cassius Warrington among the dead - other bodies, like Colin and Dennis Creevey were on the Marble Staircase, the fear in their eyes frozen as their bodies crumpled against the banisters.

They were just children, but whatever had occurred here hadn't discriminated against young or old, adult or child, Good or Evil. Bodies of all shapes, sizes, genders, and species littered the floor. She stepped over a body, her foot nudging its arm, which fell away and revealed its face to her gaze.

Marcus Flint stared back at her, his usual dark eyes a faded grey. His wand rolled from his fingers, and she stopped it with her boot, bending to pick it up and roll it between her fingers.

Before her, on the opposite side of the Hall, the Great Oak doors had been blown off their hinges. Wood splintered the ground and the rough stone of the castle walls had two large holes in them. Bodies lay on the threshold, and beyond in the courtyard, too.

Both Hogwartians and Death Eater alike.

It was a bloodbath.

An absolute, nightmarish bloodbath.

What the hell had happened to cause this much death?

"There she is," said a familiar voice. She turned, her hand going for her own wand beneath her jacket sleeve. "The emerging victor. Congratulations."

She turned and found herself face-to-face with Avery Sutherland, a victorious grin on her face. She gripped her shoulder, fingernails digging into the skin beneath her robes so sharply she was sure they drew blood.

"I did this?" she asked. It took her a second to realise that the voice wasn't her own.

Avery's grin widened. "Don't worry, pet, the act of killing gets easier each time. Before long, you won't even care."

"But how?"

"It's what happens when you're trapped for sixteen years," Avery answered. "When you're taken away and forbidden to use your magic or told only to use it in defence of someone. You're a weapon, pet, you powers were meant to be used like this. Embrace it, learn from it, become the killer you were born to be."

She looked down at her hands, they were stained with blood. But beneath the marks she could feel a warmth, and it was spreading, coiling its way through her bloodstream.

It was powerful, and she liked it.

As a sinister grin crept its way onto her own lips. Faye looked up; her eyes almost as black as the sky outside. "What do we do now?" she asked.

"Now we regroup," said Avery, her grip loosening. "The battle isn't over yet. We may have dominated here, but the rest of the Wizarding World is waiting for us. The war continues out there…" she motioned to the open world beyond Hogwarts' gates.

Faye drew her own wand, all the while tossing aside Flint's. It clattered uselessly against the marble floor. "Then what are we standing around here for?" she asked. "Let's finish what we started. Tonight we extinguish the light, once and for all."

"Yes," Avery agreed. "Long live the darkness."

Faye chuckled and set her sights on the outside world. If only they knew what was coming.

~X~

Teddie gasped and sat up in her chair. Her heartbeat abnormally fast in her chest, and for a split second she was sure that it would burst right out. Her hands clenched the arm rests, her knuckles turning white under the pressure as her gaze swept around the room, searching for anyone that shouldn't have been there.

There was a scuffle from all sides, and hands gripped at her arms, shoulders, and even her face. They were pulling her in several different directions, and she just wanted them to stop. She twisted and kicked at her assailants, shouting at them to leave her.

They didn't. She wasn't sure if they couldn't hear her over the din of their own voices - voices that had melded into one so she couldn't distinguish them or decipher what they were saying.

"LET ME GO!" Teddie screamed; her eyes squeezed closed. She felt a ripple of power and her shield exploded from her body, slamming into assailants around her. They were thrown backward, one or two collided with the walls, another two disappeared behind furniture, and the last was thrown backwards, crumpling into a heap on the hearth in front of the fireplace.

Breathing heavy, Teddie opened her eyes a second time and looked around. Her shield disappeared and she was able to take in the ruckus she had caused. Her heart dropped as her eyes widened.

Mo Flint was picking himself up from the floor, dusting off coal from his robes. Her looked at her fearfully, and she for a split second she thought he was going to shout. Instead, he held up his hands in a defensive position, and motioned for her to calm down.

"You're okay, Teddie," Mo said, his voice gentle. "We're not going to hurt you."

We? Teddie glanced around, her mouth drying up as she spotted Theo and Marcus rising from their places at the base of the nearest wall. She felt instant guilt for her actions, guilt that must've reflected on her face because the minute he met her gaze, Theo's face softened.

"It's not your fault," Theo said. "You didn't know."

"Teddie?"

Her head swung around and saw Mason and Ursula rounding the sofa. Mason looked scared, his eyes were wide and fearful, and Ursula was holding him back from getting to close.

"I'm… sorry," Teddie said, her voice thick. "I didn't…"

Wrangling himself free from Ursula, Mason rushed across the room and threw his arms around his sister. "We're sorry," he said. "We didn't know what was happening. You were muttering and whimpering while you were under, then you gasped as you woke up. We panicked and wanted to make sure you were okay."

"There's a reason you don't wake sleep walking people," said Marcus. "Guess this is why."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, a light chuckle rippled around the room.

"Are you okay?" Ursula asked, gently resting a hand on Teddie's shoulder.

Teddie looked up and hesitated. Her vision… dream? She wasn't entirely sure, was still vivid in her mind's eye. "I … don't know," she admitted.

"What did you see?" Marcus asked.

"Nothing good," said Teddie. "I saw… me, but it wasn't me. It was Faye. We… she… she gave into the darkness. She became what they wanted her to become. A weapon… she killed everyone. She killed…"

Teddie swallowed as she met Marcus' gaze.

"What?" Marcus asked.

Tears crested Teddie's eyes and she shook her head. "Avery was there, too," she continued. "She killed…" again, she broke off, glancing this time at Mason. She couldn't tell him what she had saw, she didn't want to frighten him any more than he already was.

Noticing her hesitation, Mo looked to his wife and nodded.

"How about we leave you alone for a few?" Ursula suggested. She turned to Marcus, Theo, and Mason. "Boys…"

"I want to stay," said Mason, clinging firmly to Teddie's arm.

Teddie swallowed and squeezed his hand. "It's okay, Mason," she said, softly. "Go help Ursula. I'll meet you in the library later."

"Promise?"

Teddie nodded.

Mason sighed and hugged Teddie again. "Okay," he said, withdrawing. He filed out of the room with Theo and Marcus.

Once they were gone, Mo met Teddie's gaze. "Now, why don't you tell me everything?" he asked.

Taking a deep breath, Teddie relayed everything she had seen. When she finished, the room was silent. The only sound being the fire crackling in the grate.

"What does it mean?" Teddie asked. "Is it as bad as I think?"

"Worse, actually," Mo admitted. "It is what will happen if you don't say yes."

Teddie swallowed. "Why do I have to say yes?" she asked. "Why can't she?"

"Because Faye is the power," Mo explained. "You are just the vessel. Without you, Faye is a nuclear reactor with a leak. You bring stability. Without you, everyone dies."

Drawing her knees up to her chest, Teddie wrapped her arms around them and buried her head in the top. She didn't want anyone to get hurt because of her, but if what Mo said was right, a lot of innocent lives were going to be lost. Including her friends.

"What do I do?" Teddie asked, raising her head, and meeting his gaze.

"There is only one thing you can do," said Mo. "You have to meet Faye and convince her that she needs you to survive this war."

Teddie furrowed her brow. "How do I do that?" she asked.

"I don't know," Mo answered, honestly. "There are a number of ways to access the unconscious levels of the mind, none of which are proven to work. It's going to take time; how much time depends on you."

Teddie was quiet for a moment. She then dropped her feet back to the floor and sat up straighter in her chair. "Then let's do it," she said.

"I'll need a few days to prepare everything," said Mo.

"That's fine," said Teddie.

Mo nodded and dismissed her.