*
Lavender pulled her phoniest smile on Harry. "I have some ... work ... to do..." she said, and headed off into the kitchen.
Or so it appeared. Instead of entering the Kitchen she stopped in the servant quarters and opened a small, barely noticeable door, leading to a dark staircase lit only with torches. She stepped over the threshold and slowly climbed down the stairs and to a dark, dungeon-like room.
In the middle of the room was a large pit that looked as if it had once been used for a bonfire. The shadow of a man was etched against the stone dingy walls. He was hunched above the pit, his brow furrowed, a look of painstaking concentration on his face.
The cloaked man raised his arms; a small, gold flame arose from the midst of the pit . He lowered his arms, then brought them up again in a single, violent motion. The flame grew. It consumed the entire room, pushing Lavender into the walls. It resided into the pit, but was no longer fire. It had somehow changed to a boiling golden liquid.
The man, who should have been badly burnt, brought his arms down and turned to Lavender.
"Harry potter is in this house." He said, in a low hiss.
"Yes. He is here to see Hermione." Lavender replied, in a quiet, yet unconcerned voice.
"Harry potter never brings good news. I have a bad feeling about him being here."
"It's all right... Hermione isn't going to go back with him. I could convince her that her own mother never loved her, certainly i could get her to stay just a few more nights.
"A few nights is not enough. She's a tough one ... she won't give in easily. Too concerned in what she thinks is right..." The man paced around the pit. "She's noticed the scar... You must act quickly."
"Yes. I'll start tonight. It won't be that hard... Perhaps we could even involve Ron... " She replied sinking into what looked like a black velvet throne.
"We only need one more ... and Ron isn't pure enough."
"You accepted me! You said I was even less pure then Ron!"
He turned sharply at her insolent tone and grabbed her chin. "Do not talk to me in that voice." He slapped her, and she fell to the ground. "I accepted you because I knew you could recruit more. You have the seductive air that could win over strong men. You have the friendly personality that could bring me pure maidens. You, yourself, are nothing... You gave me nothing." He hissed.
"I'm. I'm sorry.... I can bring you Hermione. I know I can! She's the key... She's the last we need before we overthrow --"
WE!?" The man shouted. "It is *I* who will win ... you will be nothing."
"Please..." Lavender sobbed. "when you have Hermione... Please, let me stay! Don't cast me out. I have. .. many talents... "
I shall think about it. I cannot guarantee anything... "
thank you! Thank you!" Lavender graveled.
The man looked into the golden liquid. "Hectus Garblud Bey'oit Harem" He shouted. The pit frothed and swirled into a whirl pool; a large bubble formed and hovered over the pool. An icy wind blew through the chamber, and the bubble began to spin. it span faster, and faster until the blurred form of a girl appeared in the middle. She was on her knees, her hands chained behind her back.
The robe-clad man stretched his hand out to the bubble, touching it with his fingertips. He swirled his hand, disfiguring the girl and the dungeon she had been inside of. The wind started up again, blowing the hood of the cloak off the man's face.
It was Diego.
Lavender covered her eyes as a blinding flash was emitted from the bubble. The wind calmed, but Diego was no where to be seen. She glanced into the bubble, which had begun to spin again.
Diego was inside of the bubble, behind the girl. He put a hand on her shoulder.
"Please! let me be!" She cried, desperately. "I don't want to be part of you anymore! I DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH YOU!" she shrieked.
"Dear girl..." Diego whispered. "You are already a part of me... I have grown more powerful on your blood ... on your strength... "
"LEAVE ME ALONE!"
"There is no you. You are weak ... you are nothing. I could have used you. You could have saved yourself ... stayed alive. You fought. You brought this upon yourself." Diego took the golden knife from his belt and raised it into the air. With a mad gleam in his eye, he thrust it downward, and into the girl's back.
Parvati Patil fell dead.
Tears leaked from Lavender's eyes. She had killed her own best friend, sold her to Diego. *What have I done!? I'm a monster! * She fell to her knees and sobbed into her robes.
The wind began again; Diego appeared in the room again. Lavender looked up at him with tearstained eyes. "why did you have to kill her?" she asked, meekly.
Diego knelt down,"She was weak. There was nothing more she could do for us."
"You could have spared her!"
"No. She would have told the ministry. we can't let that happen"
"She was my best friend!"
Diego looked into her eyes. "I am your only friend now."
Lavender collapsed into his arms. He looked startled, and raised his arm to smack her, but stopped half way. For the first time in a long while, he showed some compassion.
*
AN - ... that was short ... depressing, too. I'm sooo sorry it took so long... I know, i KNOW, it took FOREVER! I forgot about ff.n for a while... wah. anyways... REVIEW REVIEW REVIEWWW! I'll only keep going if I get 50 good reviews!
Joking. Lol.. heheheheheh. evil me!