"It is a power stronger than will. Could a stone escape from the laws of
gravity? Impossible. Impossible, for evil to form an alliance with good.
__ Isidore Ducasse Lautreamont"
Chapter 6: Fatal Decision
Dumbledore could feel the eyes of everyone in the room focused on him. They were staring at him in expectation, waiting to hear some word of guidance. He tried to think, slowing his breath, and forcing himself to remain calm and rationally. He didn't take his eyes off the girl child. She had curled up, tucking her knees under her chin. She looked so innocent lying there. He couldn't imagine her any other way then that sleeping juvenile he saw now. Such a young creature, Gideon couldn't be right about her, he couldn't be. She couldn't be the evil he swore she was.
A memory stirred. Dumbledore saw a night years old. He was fighting for his life against a seventh year student. The boy had been both talented and hateful, skilled and vengeful. He could still see the boy and hear his voice shouting at him insanely.
"I'm unbeatable." The boy's face was twisted in rage as he swore. "Soon everyone will know my name!"
Dumbledore had beaten Tom Riddle but allowed him to live. He had believed that none of his ranting would amount to anything. He had believed that Riddle would snap out of it. He had hesitated then and hundreds had died for it. Could he afford to make that mistake again? Was he even willing to make that mistake again?
"I heard a story once, from Mad-Eye." Dumbledore realized that Gideon had ushered everyone out of the room leaving them alone. He closed and locked the door and began to inch closer to the bed. "The Ministry has safe houses for Aurors around the country. Places we can go to sleep, eat and get medical help and feel safe." He sat on the bed. "It was All Saint's Day- I was in Belfast with the Longbottoms, and Clare...you remember my wife don't you?" His face darkened. "My God, I'll never forget that night. It'll be five years this year. The Death Eaters struck. We never will know how many of them attacked but the damage was extensive. Countless Aurors were attacked and killed, our entire force was cut in half. Spies in the Ministry sprang up all over...one of them, Liam Kent was with us in Belfast. Clare never stood a chance, nor did the baby boy she carried." Gideon's face darkened as he struggled to control his features. "But it was Moody that suffered the blunt end. He was
in the Ministry when they attacked. Hundreds of innocents were killed and tortured. Moody struggled to remain conscience...that is when he saw him. A boy, barely eight or nine, was walking through the Ministry's corridors. Moody said the boy didn't say anything and at first he though he was a kid of one of the workers. Then the boy moved. No Auror stood a chance against this boy...he was ruthless, refusing to use magic when swords and daggers he carried laced with poison would do. Moody said that as the boy took his eye, he whispered something to him. `Don't forget me,' he said, `I am Coven.' And then the little brat tried to kill him." Gideon leaned forward and touched the child's jet black hair. "Don't forget her face, Albus. She is Coven."
"Not anymore."
Gideon frowned. He stood and turned away to exit the room."Let us pray you are right."
They heard a scream downstairs. Both ran to stairway and called down.
"Lily screamed." James explained. "Drucilla's gone."
Gideon ran down, followed close by Dumbledore. "You were suppose to be watching her!"
"I turned my back for a second." Lily explained. "She couldn't have gone far..."
"I know where she went." Dumbledore said wearily. "To retrieve Snape."
"Calm down!" Snape ordered but his hands wouldn't obey. He was fumbling for his wand. He had to remain calm and focused. He thought of Drucilla and Alchemy, they needed him. He had to help them, like he failed to do with Melanie. "I swear Melanie...this will work."
"It will."
Severus turned, his wand drawn but he was totally unprepared for what he saw. He tried not to smile but failed as a wave of joy flooded him. Drucilla was running towards and he took her into his arms tightly. She was crying and gingerly he kissed each and every tear away. She began to speak but he placed a icy finger on her lips.
"I kiss you now because I long too." His mind was racing. He had never felt this way about anyone before, not even Melanie. It was something in the depths of his heart he longed to discover a name for. "Drucilla..."
She smiled knowingly. "Come on."
Snape shook his head and turned back to the body, he gripped his wand tightly and muttered the curse. The boy's body morphed into the image of a small, raven haired girl. Alchemy. Then, he muttered another word and the body caught fire. He sighed heavily. Alistair would see the fire, he would come and see the remains and know Alchemy was dead. He stepped forward, looking deep into the flames. He smiled, relieved. "It's over, Drucilla...it's going to work. I know it...it's going to work." He felt light and free and he could have laughed out of delight. "It's going to be okay."
"Severus."
He turned. Drucilla was standing stiffly, her eyes dull. It took a moment to understand what was going on. Then, from the shadows, Alistair stepped towards the fire. He looked down at the charring bone. "What happened?"
"She killed the Coven child." Snape explained, keeping his voice cool. He had to remain steady. "I was just about to do the same..."
Alistair glanced to him, amused. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you Severus." He turned to Drucilla. "Cruico!"
Drucilla's scream erupted through the forest as she writhed in pain. Severus studied the scene like he had times before, cursing himself for the void of pity and sorrow he felt. He desperately wanted to feel something towards the scene, anything except what he was feeling now. In his stomach churned hatred. Simple, pure hatred towards Drucilla and her foolishness. She should have never came back... His hand found his wand and he pulled it.
"Avada Kedreva!" He shouted.
gravity? Impossible. Impossible, for evil to form an alliance with good.
__ Isidore Ducasse Lautreamont"
Chapter 6: Fatal Decision
Dumbledore could feel the eyes of everyone in the room focused on him. They were staring at him in expectation, waiting to hear some word of guidance. He tried to think, slowing his breath, and forcing himself to remain calm and rationally. He didn't take his eyes off the girl child. She had curled up, tucking her knees under her chin. She looked so innocent lying there. He couldn't imagine her any other way then that sleeping juvenile he saw now. Such a young creature, Gideon couldn't be right about her, he couldn't be. She couldn't be the evil he swore she was.
A memory stirred. Dumbledore saw a night years old. He was fighting for his life against a seventh year student. The boy had been both talented and hateful, skilled and vengeful. He could still see the boy and hear his voice shouting at him insanely.
"I'm unbeatable." The boy's face was twisted in rage as he swore. "Soon everyone will know my name!"
Dumbledore had beaten Tom Riddle but allowed him to live. He had believed that none of his ranting would amount to anything. He had believed that Riddle would snap out of it. He had hesitated then and hundreds had died for it. Could he afford to make that mistake again? Was he even willing to make that mistake again?
"I heard a story once, from Mad-Eye." Dumbledore realized that Gideon had ushered everyone out of the room leaving them alone. He closed and locked the door and began to inch closer to the bed. "The Ministry has safe houses for Aurors around the country. Places we can go to sleep, eat and get medical help and feel safe." He sat on the bed. "It was All Saint's Day- I was in Belfast with the Longbottoms, and Clare...you remember my wife don't you?" His face darkened. "My God, I'll never forget that night. It'll be five years this year. The Death Eaters struck. We never will know how many of them attacked but the damage was extensive. Countless Aurors were attacked and killed, our entire force was cut in half. Spies in the Ministry sprang up all over...one of them, Liam Kent was with us in Belfast. Clare never stood a chance, nor did the baby boy she carried." Gideon's face darkened as he struggled to control his features. "But it was Moody that suffered the blunt end. He was
in the Ministry when they attacked. Hundreds of innocents were killed and tortured. Moody struggled to remain conscience...that is when he saw him. A boy, barely eight or nine, was walking through the Ministry's corridors. Moody said the boy didn't say anything and at first he though he was a kid of one of the workers. Then the boy moved. No Auror stood a chance against this boy...he was ruthless, refusing to use magic when swords and daggers he carried laced with poison would do. Moody said that as the boy took his eye, he whispered something to him. `Don't forget me,' he said, `I am Coven.' And then the little brat tried to kill him." Gideon leaned forward and touched the child's jet black hair. "Don't forget her face, Albus. She is Coven."
"Not anymore."
Gideon frowned. He stood and turned away to exit the room."Let us pray you are right."
They heard a scream downstairs. Both ran to stairway and called down.
"Lily screamed." James explained. "Drucilla's gone."
Gideon ran down, followed close by Dumbledore. "You were suppose to be watching her!"
"I turned my back for a second." Lily explained. "She couldn't have gone far..."
"I know where she went." Dumbledore said wearily. "To retrieve Snape."
"Calm down!" Snape ordered but his hands wouldn't obey. He was fumbling for his wand. He had to remain calm and focused. He thought of Drucilla and Alchemy, they needed him. He had to help them, like he failed to do with Melanie. "I swear Melanie...this will work."
"It will."
Severus turned, his wand drawn but he was totally unprepared for what he saw. He tried not to smile but failed as a wave of joy flooded him. Drucilla was running towards and he took her into his arms tightly. She was crying and gingerly he kissed each and every tear away. She began to speak but he placed a icy finger on her lips.
"I kiss you now because I long too." His mind was racing. He had never felt this way about anyone before, not even Melanie. It was something in the depths of his heart he longed to discover a name for. "Drucilla..."
She smiled knowingly. "Come on."
Snape shook his head and turned back to the body, he gripped his wand tightly and muttered the curse. The boy's body morphed into the image of a small, raven haired girl. Alchemy. Then, he muttered another word and the body caught fire. He sighed heavily. Alistair would see the fire, he would come and see the remains and know Alchemy was dead. He stepped forward, looking deep into the flames. He smiled, relieved. "It's over, Drucilla...it's going to work. I know it...it's going to work." He felt light and free and he could have laughed out of delight. "It's going to be okay."
"Severus."
He turned. Drucilla was standing stiffly, her eyes dull. It took a moment to understand what was going on. Then, from the shadows, Alistair stepped towards the fire. He looked down at the charring bone. "What happened?"
"She killed the Coven child." Snape explained, keeping his voice cool. He had to remain steady. "I was just about to do the same..."
Alistair glanced to him, amused. "I'm sorry I ever doubted you Severus." He turned to Drucilla. "Cruico!"
Drucilla's scream erupted through the forest as she writhed in pain. Severus studied the scene like he had times before, cursing himself for the void of pity and sorrow he felt. He desperately wanted to feel something towards the scene, anything except what he was feeling now. In his stomach churned hatred. Simple, pure hatred towards Drucilla and her foolishness. She should have never came back... His hand found his wand and he pulled it.
"Avada Kedreva!" He shouted.