A/N: see! I told you it would be up asap!
Chapter 5: Three Doors; Three Destinies
Percy Weasley ran through the halls of the train carriage. He'd been able to apperate(sp? How do you spell that??) when the alarm had gone off. He'd seen the list of who was in each carriage and paled. Ginny was in the last carriage on the first part of the train!
He reached the carriage in time to see a brilliant flash of white light, blinfing him temporarily. He looked inside to see the entire other side of the carriage completely melted, the twisted metal on the edge bubbling and shrinking. Ginny lay unconscious on the floor, alive. Ivy was nowhere to be seen....
*****
The white clouds drifted by, or maybe she was the one drifting. It didn't seem to matter, nothing did here. She reached out and ran her hand through a particular cloud; it was light and fluffy, and looked as though it was a nice, soft bed, waiting to be slept in. Not that she was sleepy or anything....
She continued on her journey, or whatever she was doing, and found herself face-to-face with three doors. As she watched, three names scrawled on the face of each door.
Ivy.
Harry.
Ginny.
A low voice, sounding like nothing she'd ever heard before, spoke her name, causing her to turn around. No one was there. It spoke again.
"Ginny. You will not see me, for in reality, I do not exist. In front of you are three doors, three destinies. You will know one of these destinies before you leave here. It is your own choice which destiny you learn, but be warned: you may only see one. Choose your own door, and see what you become. Choose your friend Ivy's, and see what she really is. Or choose your boyfriend Harry's door, and see if his quest is successful. Choose carefully, for you will not be able to change what you learn. Whose destiny are you able to deal with?"
Ginny looked at the doors. They seemed to grow, extending above her head, and yet they seemed to shrink, lower and lower, under the clouds.
She looked straight ahead and walked slowly towards the door she'd chosen.
*****
The quads, all four of them - Kirsty, Danielle, Jade, and Lynette - stood in a circle around their younger sister. They laughed. Kirsty spoke,
"You are not fit to carry father's name. How can you be, when you were *chosen* for Griffindor, and yet we had to rely on father's magic to be split through the houses? We were born for the sole purpose to carry on father's legacy, to return him from the dead, to piece back together his broken body. Father knew, when we were born, that Potter would eventually stop him, and that is *why* we were born." She stopped speaking, and Danielle took over.
"You displayed magic from when you were born. You shed the room in red light when you were upset. Blue light when you were happy. You would happily shrink mother for a new toy to play with. We were lucky to have our magic show itself when you arrived... if it hadn't... I shudder to think what father would have done."
Lynette, looking towards the almost dismembered train, grinned. "We know what father is looking for, and we know how to give it to him. Your power exceeds us individually, but with a little help, our's can succeed you...."
Jade, the quietest of the quads, stepped forwards with a small dagger.
"Your friend, the *boy-who-lived*, Potter, looks for the mystical potions that will destroy father forever. We cannot let that happen."
She took her sister's trembling hand, flipped it to reveal the pale skin of the wrist, and let the dagger slide from her grasp. It pierced the skin, slid straight through and appeared on the other side.
Ivy screamed, the quads laughed. Jade caught the blood as it wound its way around the edge of the dagger, pooling at the tip until it dropped; once, twice, three times, four. She dropped the hand, dagger still in place, and held up her palm. The four dots of red shimmered, and each remaining quad touched one. Danielle whispered, "Soon, we shall be as one...."
*****
Draco looked from Hermione's terrified face to his father's cold, sneering one. Hatred against his father took up an enormous space inside him, leaving little room for anything else. He took a step forwards, and Lucious grinned.
"What? You move? Is it for the better, or the worse? Tell me, and I'll let *you* kill this mudblood." He sneered.
Draco reached into his back pocket, feeling for the small muggle handgun he usually kept on him. It was a necessity in the shop, what with all kinds of people trying to rob him. His father, the man who hated all muggle objects, would know what it was, but not what it did.
He pulled the gun out, and pointed it at his father. Lucious looked surprised. "You use muggle weapon's against me? It is an insult to your heritage!"
Draco didn't say anything, just pointed the gun and fired. Lucious Malfoy spun around, releasing Hermione as he did so. She fell towards Draco, who pulled her into a hug. "C'mon, we've got to get away before he heals himself...."
Hermione pulled out her wand, whispered a few words under her breath, and drew a circle in the air. A black hole appeared and she pushed both herself and Draco into the opening.
They appeared next to a railway line, with a stopped train. Draco looked incredulous. "What was that spell? I don't remember learning one like that at school...." Hermione shook her head. "That's because we *didn't* learn it at school. I've been... experimenting... and I came up with this one. It opens a doorway between where you are, and a place where there are people you trust. Ginny Weasley is here, somewhere, and Harry's not far away. I didn't want to disturb Ron... you know how much he hates you...."
Behind her, she felt Draco nod. Even though they were currently out of danger, he hadn't released his hold on her, and for some reason, she didn't care.
A scream from someone brought her back to reality, and she saw a group of five girls not far away....
*****
Ginny looked around her. The voice was gone, she was sure of that. She clutched the door handle and turned it sharply. At once, the room dissolved into a bright blue light, blinding her. She raised her hands in a self-defense move, but the light engulfed her completely.
Blinking, she looked up into the eyes of her brother, Percy, who'd laid her out on the floor.
"Wha...? What happened? Where's Ivy?" She struggled to sit up, but Percy held her down. "Lay down, Ginny. You're not going to be any help the way you are at the moment."
Ginny glared at her brother. "You *don't* understand. Her sisters did this... they took her. The... the ones who came to the train... they looked... *evil*!!"
Percy sat back, a little shaken. "But... they're only over there..." he said, pointing out the side of the carriage.
Ginny sat up, saw the dagger slice through Ivy's wrist and screamed. Percy grabbed Ginny's wrist and they ran for the five girls.
*****
Draco and Hermione ran towards the scream, almost colliding with Ginny and Percy as they did so. They matched paces, Ginny and Hermione out front.
"What's happening?" Draco asked Percy, breathlessly. Percy continued to run, but answered anyway. "Apparently... the quads... are evil...."
Draco sighed inwardly. Why did he have to run into so much evil now that he'd decided to *leave* that scene?
*****
Harry lowered the broom's flight so he was just above the ground. The train was stopped, and so was the blue dot on the parchment. He guessed that whatever the potion was, it was on the train.
Movement to one side of the train caught his eye, and he raised the broom to head over the engine. He saw Ginny, Percy, Hermione, and Draco running towards a group of girls, who looked vaguely familiar.
He paused midair, looking at the parchment to see the whereabouts of the last potion. The blue dot was not moving; rather, it was growing lighter. He looked at the girl in the center of the circle, and saw for the first time that she had a dagger through her wrist. He paled, and almost fell off his broom. It couldn't be! He looked at the parchment again. There was no mistaking it - the last potion was from a human!
*****
A/N: I'm leaving it there for now. I'm guessing you all know what, or rather *who* the final potion is, but, remember what happened to the snake?? Hehe, I'm cruel, aren't I? Will the *potion* survive? Or will Voldemort rise again? And what about Lucious Malfoy? You don't really think a *Muggle* weapon would kill *him*, do you? I'm trying to put a happy ending in here somewhere, so any ideas would be appreciated... I don't want to finish my story just yet!
Chapter 5: Three Doors; Three Destinies
Percy Weasley ran through the halls of the train carriage. He'd been able to apperate(sp? How do you spell that??) when the alarm had gone off. He'd seen the list of who was in each carriage and paled. Ginny was in the last carriage on the first part of the train!
He reached the carriage in time to see a brilliant flash of white light, blinfing him temporarily. He looked inside to see the entire other side of the carriage completely melted, the twisted metal on the edge bubbling and shrinking. Ginny lay unconscious on the floor, alive. Ivy was nowhere to be seen....
*****
The white clouds drifted by, or maybe she was the one drifting. It didn't seem to matter, nothing did here. She reached out and ran her hand through a particular cloud; it was light and fluffy, and looked as though it was a nice, soft bed, waiting to be slept in. Not that she was sleepy or anything....
She continued on her journey, or whatever she was doing, and found herself face-to-face with three doors. As she watched, three names scrawled on the face of each door.
Ivy.
Harry.
Ginny.
A low voice, sounding like nothing she'd ever heard before, spoke her name, causing her to turn around. No one was there. It spoke again.
"Ginny. You will not see me, for in reality, I do not exist. In front of you are three doors, three destinies. You will know one of these destinies before you leave here. It is your own choice which destiny you learn, but be warned: you may only see one. Choose your own door, and see what you become. Choose your friend Ivy's, and see what she really is. Or choose your boyfriend Harry's door, and see if his quest is successful. Choose carefully, for you will not be able to change what you learn. Whose destiny are you able to deal with?"
Ginny looked at the doors. They seemed to grow, extending above her head, and yet they seemed to shrink, lower and lower, under the clouds.
She looked straight ahead and walked slowly towards the door she'd chosen.
*****
The quads, all four of them - Kirsty, Danielle, Jade, and Lynette - stood in a circle around their younger sister. They laughed. Kirsty spoke,
"You are not fit to carry father's name. How can you be, when you were *chosen* for Griffindor, and yet we had to rely on father's magic to be split through the houses? We were born for the sole purpose to carry on father's legacy, to return him from the dead, to piece back together his broken body. Father knew, when we were born, that Potter would eventually stop him, and that is *why* we were born." She stopped speaking, and Danielle took over.
"You displayed magic from when you were born. You shed the room in red light when you were upset. Blue light when you were happy. You would happily shrink mother for a new toy to play with. We were lucky to have our magic show itself when you arrived... if it hadn't... I shudder to think what father would have done."
Lynette, looking towards the almost dismembered train, grinned. "We know what father is looking for, and we know how to give it to him. Your power exceeds us individually, but with a little help, our's can succeed you...."
Jade, the quietest of the quads, stepped forwards with a small dagger.
"Your friend, the *boy-who-lived*, Potter, looks for the mystical potions that will destroy father forever. We cannot let that happen."
She took her sister's trembling hand, flipped it to reveal the pale skin of the wrist, and let the dagger slide from her grasp. It pierced the skin, slid straight through and appeared on the other side.
Ivy screamed, the quads laughed. Jade caught the blood as it wound its way around the edge of the dagger, pooling at the tip until it dropped; once, twice, three times, four. She dropped the hand, dagger still in place, and held up her palm. The four dots of red shimmered, and each remaining quad touched one. Danielle whispered, "Soon, we shall be as one...."
*****
Draco looked from Hermione's terrified face to his father's cold, sneering one. Hatred against his father took up an enormous space inside him, leaving little room for anything else. He took a step forwards, and Lucious grinned.
"What? You move? Is it for the better, or the worse? Tell me, and I'll let *you* kill this mudblood." He sneered.
Draco reached into his back pocket, feeling for the small muggle handgun he usually kept on him. It was a necessity in the shop, what with all kinds of people trying to rob him. His father, the man who hated all muggle objects, would know what it was, but not what it did.
He pulled the gun out, and pointed it at his father. Lucious looked surprised. "You use muggle weapon's against me? It is an insult to your heritage!"
Draco didn't say anything, just pointed the gun and fired. Lucious Malfoy spun around, releasing Hermione as he did so. She fell towards Draco, who pulled her into a hug. "C'mon, we've got to get away before he heals himself...."
Hermione pulled out her wand, whispered a few words under her breath, and drew a circle in the air. A black hole appeared and she pushed both herself and Draco into the opening.
They appeared next to a railway line, with a stopped train. Draco looked incredulous. "What was that spell? I don't remember learning one like that at school...." Hermione shook her head. "That's because we *didn't* learn it at school. I've been... experimenting... and I came up with this one. It opens a doorway between where you are, and a place where there are people you trust. Ginny Weasley is here, somewhere, and Harry's not far away. I didn't want to disturb Ron... you know how much he hates you...."
Behind her, she felt Draco nod. Even though they were currently out of danger, he hadn't released his hold on her, and for some reason, she didn't care.
A scream from someone brought her back to reality, and she saw a group of five girls not far away....
*****
Ginny looked around her. The voice was gone, she was sure of that. She clutched the door handle and turned it sharply. At once, the room dissolved into a bright blue light, blinding her. She raised her hands in a self-defense move, but the light engulfed her completely.
Blinking, she looked up into the eyes of her brother, Percy, who'd laid her out on the floor.
"Wha...? What happened? Where's Ivy?" She struggled to sit up, but Percy held her down. "Lay down, Ginny. You're not going to be any help the way you are at the moment."
Ginny glared at her brother. "You *don't* understand. Her sisters did this... they took her. The... the ones who came to the train... they looked... *evil*!!"
Percy sat back, a little shaken. "But... they're only over there..." he said, pointing out the side of the carriage.
Ginny sat up, saw the dagger slice through Ivy's wrist and screamed. Percy grabbed Ginny's wrist and they ran for the five girls.
*****
Draco and Hermione ran towards the scream, almost colliding with Ginny and Percy as they did so. They matched paces, Ginny and Hermione out front.
"What's happening?" Draco asked Percy, breathlessly. Percy continued to run, but answered anyway. "Apparently... the quads... are evil...."
Draco sighed inwardly. Why did he have to run into so much evil now that he'd decided to *leave* that scene?
*****
Harry lowered the broom's flight so he was just above the ground. The train was stopped, and so was the blue dot on the parchment. He guessed that whatever the potion was, it was on the train.
Movement to one side of the train caught his eye, and he raised the broom to head over the engine. He saw Ginny, Percy, Hermione, and Draco running towards a group of girls, who looked vaguely familiar.
He paused midair, looking at the parchment to see the whereabouts of the last potion. The blue dot was not moving; rather, it was growing lighter. He looked at the girl in the center of the circle, and saw for the first time that she had a dagger through her wrist. He paled, and almost fell off his broom. It couldn't be! He looked at the parchment again. There was no mistaking it - the last potion was from a human!
*****
A/N: I'm leaving it there for now. I'm guessing you all know what, or rather *who* the final potion is, but, remember what happened to the snake?? Hehe, I'm cruel, aren't I? Will the *potion* survive? Or will Voldemort rise again? And what about Lucious Malfoy? You don't really think a *Muggle* weapon would kill *him*, do you? I'm trying to put a happy ending in here somewhere, so any ideas would be appreciated... I don't want to finish my story just yet!