A/N: Yada, yada, yada, nothing is mine, etc, etc. Many Thanks to Jo Rowling. Also, many thanks to Thomas Harris, the writer of the exquisitely written Hannibal books, for giving me something to base Azkaban on in the Hospital at Baltimore. Can't say much for the film, mind, but the books are well worth the read.
Many apologies again for the time this has taken me, but I have the most phenomenal writer's block with this story! I do not know how long it will take me to get the next chapter up, but if it isn't by Thursday then it won't be until at least the 22^nd, because I'm off to Italy for a week. With a bit of luck I'll come back with some inspiration!
This Chapter is dedicated to Professor Spike of Slytherin house. ; o)
The Azkaban Labyrinth
They walked up to the Gate, which was followed a few feet along by a large black Portcullis, which clanked and slammed whenever it was moved. The Dementors let them in as soon as they saw them, because they knew who Severus was. The Dementors made a move to grab Rene by the arms as if she were a prisoner, but Severus and Ed were either side of her blocking their path before they had taken more than one step.
"She's not a prisoner, she's one of us. I advise you treat her with respect." Severus snarled at them, to the extent that it was hard to see who was the more dangerous. Ed looped his arm through hers, and walked on, at a considerably faster pace than before. Rene felt a little bit put-down by the implication that she needed to be protected, and it showed. Ed read her mind.
"I'm not protecting you; you could handle them better than me any day; but no one would ever march in here with a Prisoner like this. They're usually tied and dragged in, but if they see you like this they know you're different."
"I thought Dementors were blind..." She questioned
"Blind, but not half as stupid as they look. They can tell when a prisoner is being brought in and when a civilian is."
The further they walked, the more Azkaban myths were confirmed. There were corridors that wound on for what seemed like miles, each criss-crossing one another at regular intervals. The cells were tiny, with the bare essentials for life in them: A sink, a toilet, a bed and, oddly enough, Bibles. Why was a question Rene could find no answer to. Bible or not, this place was not a place for hope to be nurtured. She saw few prisoners, as most of them resigned themselves to the shadows of their confinement, but a few were in plain sight. All were devilishly thin, and shared the gaunt look that was as good as the Azkaban logo. Some were crying, some were shaking, some were asleep, and some were doing all three. In a place that is itself a nightmare, peaceful slumber is seldom found. After she had seen the fifth, she looked no longer at them; they did not deserve the pity she could not quell.
Instead, she turned her attention again to the cells themselves. On closer inspection of the dank, light-starved walls, they all bore the names of the occupants of the nearest cell, their age, their sentence and some other notes.
Marianne Goldhag, 31, 15 years, use of unforgivable curse, 1 daughter (Meredith) visits on 24^th March. No other visitors permitted.
Mostyn Merlindo, 27, 5 years, attempted robbery of Gringott's and use of adverse charm on magical creatures. No visitors permitted.
Octavion Juliusson, 45, Life, Murder and Rape, former Death Eater, will not repent. No visitors permitted. To be interrogated on the Dark arts, specifically charms.
The time seemed to fly when she read these, and then looked on at the sorry excuses for people that cowered in the corners of their cells. They came to the end of the labyrinthine maze, and walked through a large wooden door, into a wide, open office where Cornelius Fudge was waiting. He looked rather nervous, and was holding his hat at his waist in both hands, twisting it over uncomfortably.
"Ah! You're here at last!" He jumped up and walked over to them, nodding politely at the two men. "Severus, Edward." He offered Rene a shaky hand. "Lady Bolovnik! It is a pleasure to meet you at last. Did you have a safe journey?"
"Yes, thank you Mr Fudge. Please, call me Rene." And they sat down around a roaring fire. They made small talk for some time, and Fudge talked her through some rather insignificant details of the place, while Severus and Ed just sat there and looked uneasy, eyeing the door with suspicion. Finally, the clock above the fireplace chimed 6 o'clock, and they both rose to leave.
"Sir, we must leave now. There is an expected meeting in 2 hours... we cannot risk being late." Severus muttered, visibly paling at the last five words.
"Yes, yes of course." Fudge answered, rising to bid them farewell. "Best of British, boys. You're in for great rewards for this!"
"We'll see you soon, Rene. Look after yourself, and let us know if there are any problems." Severus smiled weakly, his mind evidently still with his earlier words. Ed shot him a look that Rene didn't see, and he understood at once. "Uh...Mr Fudge, would you mind walking with us to the boat? There are some... things I have t discuss with you."
"Certainly!" he said, relieved, as if glad to be out of the gloomy place, even if not much and for little time. He stopped and turned at the door. "Edward, are you coming?"
"I'll be out in a moment, Sir. I just want to check some things over."
"Very good. Don't be long now, you-know-who is not a man of patience."
They left, with Severus jabbering on about some inconsequential ministry business, and their voices gradually became muffled beyond the point of comprehension. Ed turned to Rene and walked over to her.
"Are you going to be alright here?" He asked, in a voice that was close to a whisper, slipping her pianist-perfect hands into his own.
"I'll be fine, I promise. You know I will." She said, looking away at the floor, her pale cheeks gaining the faintest rose. He freed his right hand and gently tilted her head back up to his level, so her eyes could not escape his.
"I know, I just can't believe it until I hear it from you. Look after yourself, and I'll see you soon, alright?"
"Alright. You too."
He leant down and kissed her lovingly, and then left without another word. She thanked heaven for small mercies, and pondered what was to come next, when Fudge returned. She had many, many questions to ask, and expected he had many things to tell her.
Many apologies again for the time this has taken me, but I have the most phenomenal writer's block with this story! I do not know how long it will take me to get the next chapter up, but if it isn't by Thursday then it won't be until at least the 22^nd, because I'm off to Italy for a week. With a bit of luck I'll come back with some inspiration!
This Chapter is dedicated to Professor Spike of Slytherin house. ; o)
The Azkaban Labyrinth
They walked up to the Gate, which was followed a few feet along by a large black Portcullis, which clanked and slammed whenever it was moved. The Dementors let them in as soon as they saw them, because they knew who Severus was. The Dementors made a move to grab Rene by the arms as if she were a prisoner, but Severus and Ed were either side of her blocking their path before they had taken more than one step.
"She's not a prisoner, she's one of us. I advise you treat her with respect." Severus snarled at them, to the extent that it was hard to see who was the more dangerous. Ed looped his arm through hers, and walked on, at a considerably faster pace than before. Rene felt a little bit put-down by the implication that she needed to be protected, and it showed. Ed read her mind.
"I'm not protecting you; you could handle them better than me any day; but no one would ever march in here with a Prisoner like this. They're usually tied and dragged in, but if they see you like this they know you're different."
"I thought Dementors were blind..." She questioned
"Blind, but not half as stupid as they look. They can tell when a prisoner is being brought in and when a civilian is."
The further they walked, the more Azkaban myths were confirmed. There were corridors that wound on for what seemed like miles, each criss-crossing one another at regular intervals. The cells were tiny, with the bare essentials for life in them: A sink, a toilet, a bed and, oddly enough, Bibles. Why was a question Rene could find no answer to. Bible or not, this place was not a place for hope to be nurtured. She saw few prisoners, as most of them resigned themselves to the shadows of their confinement, but a few were in plain sight. All were devilishly thin, and shared the gaunt look that was as good as the Azkaban logo. Some were crying, some were shaking, some were asleep, and some were doing all three. In a place that is itself a nightmare, peaceful slumber is seldom found. After she had seen the fifth, she looked no longer at them; they did not deserve the pity she could not quell.
Instead, she turned her attention again to the cells themselves. On closer inspection of the dank, light-starved walls, they all bore the names of the occupants of the nearest cell, their age, their sentence and some other notes.
Marianne Goldhag, 31, 15 years, use of unforgivable curse, 1 daughter (Meredith) visits on 24^th March. No other visitors permitted.
Mostyn Merlindo, 27, 5 years, attempted robbery of Gringott's and use of adverse charm on magical creatures. No visitors permitted.
Octavion Juliusson, 45, Life, Murder and Rape, former Death Eater, will not repent. No visitors permitted. To be interrogated on the Dark arts, specifically charms.
The time seemed to fly when she read these, and then looked on at the sorry excuses for people that cowered in the corners of their cells. They came to the end of the labyrinthine maze, and walked through a large wooden door, into a wide, open office where Cornelius Fudge was waiting. He looked rather nervous, and was holding his hat at his waist in both hands, twisting it over uncomfortably.
"Ah! You're here at last!" He jumped up and walked over to them, nodding politely at the two men. "Severus, Edward." He offered Rene a shaky hand. "Lady Bolovnik! It is a pleasure to meet you at last. Did you have a safe journey?"
"Yes, thank you Mr Fudge. Please, call me Rene." And they sat down around a roaring fire. They made small talk for some time, and Fudge talked her through some rather insignificant details of the place, while Severus and Ed just sat there and looked uneasy, eyeing the door with suspicion. Finally, the clock above the fireplace chimed 6 o'clock, and they both rose to leave.
"Sir, we must leave now. There is an expected meeting in 2 hours... we cannot risk being late." Severus muttered, visibly paling at the last five words.
"Yes, yes of course." Fudge answered, rising to bid them farewell. "Best of British, boys. You're in for great rewards for this!"
"We'll see you soon, Rene. Look after yourself, and let us know if there are any problems." Severus smiled weakly, his mind evidently still with his earlier words. Ed shot him a look that Rene didn't see, and he understood at once. "Uh...Mr Fudge, would you mind walking with us to the boat? There are some... things I have t discuss with you."
"Certainly!" he said, relieved, as if glad to be out of the gloomy place, even if not much and for little time. He stopped and turned at the door. "Edward, are you coming?"
"I'll be out in a moment, Sir. I just want to check some things over."
"Very good. Don't be long now, you-know-who is not a man of patience."
They left, with Severus jabbering on about some inconsequential ministry business, and their voices gradually became muffled beyond the point of comprehension. Ed turned to Rene and walked over to her.
"Are you going to be alright here?" He asked, in a voice that was close to a whisper, slipping her pianist-perfect hands into his own.
"I'll be fine, I promise. You know I will." She said, looking away at the floor, her pale cheeks gaining the faintest rose. He freed his right hand and gently tilted her head back up to his level, so her eyes could not escape his.
"I know, I just can't believe it until I hear it from you. Look after yourself, and I'll see you soon, alright?"
"Alright. You too."
He leant down and kissed her lovingly, and then left without another word. She thanked heaven for small mercies, and pondered what was to come next, when Fudge returned. She had many, many questions to ask, and expected he had many things to tell her.