Rori could only gaze blankly out the cab window, fearful of what she might
find. Snape sat on the other side of the cab attempting to write a message
to Dumbledore, which was proving to be much more difficult, than it seemed
to Rori, he had wagered.
They pulled up in front of a secluded area of extremely old, and extremely dilapidated homes; Rori's former home stood in the middle.
"You live here?" Snape asked.
"Surprised, are you?" Rori said, finally looking over her shoulder at him.
They had been sitting in the cab, apparently, for a while, because the driver was becoming irate and was demanding his pay.
"You handle it," Rori said, turning her head and getting out of the cab.
She made her way toward the yellow home in the center of all the multi- colored decaying homes. The yellow paint was chipped so badly--the old salmon color showing through-that it was hard to tell what the original color was. Three of the four white shutters were still hanging on by rusty nails and the grass all around the area had been taken over by dandelions.
Snape was arguing with the cab driver about the price for the ride, but Rori couldn't hear them because of what she saw on the door of her former home: it was the dark mark.
"Oh God," Rori cried, and stopped dead in her tracks. All she could do was stare at the half-opened wooden door, its fellow screen door in pieces on the porch.
Snape finally left the cap driver, flustered, mumbling under his breath. He stopped next Rori and looked from her face to the door. He gave a heavy sigh and walked past her to the house. But she didn't move, instead, she fell to the ground on her knees.
Tears began to well up and fall down her cheeks uncontrollably. She knew the symbol, she recognized it from the night she became a member, the night when she had no other choice. It was the first time she was ever powerless, and the memories flooded back...
The insurmountable pain on her arm... "Look at it," Voldomort's piercing Voice echoed in her mind...she couldn't make out the image at first...
But now she knew, she knew the symbol perfectly. She snapped back to reality when an arm grasped her shoulder. She looked up into his eyes, and he knelt down beside her.
"I'm sorry," he said, breathless, "But they are..dead."
Rori could only shake her head. She dried her eyes and looked up at the house past his shoulder. She grasped his shoulder and helped herself up. She walked up the stairs and into the house. She floated through the living room and stopped in the kitchen, Snape followed. Rori became furious upon seeing their stiff bodies. The small circular table was overturned, as were the chairs. Rori shivered, the room was so cold and the feeling of death was suffocating. She bent down between her mother, shrouded in black, and her precious lab, Dante.
"I told you I would be back," she said, lightly stroking the black lab's forehead. "I know we didn't get along all that well," she said, turning to her pale mother, "and I'm sorry for this. I'm sorry for having been such a burden. I loved you, I did. But I'm not sorry for what happened to your husband. He wasn't good for you, or me. It is my fault that this has happened, and I will pay back the one who has done this to you."
Rori stood up and turned to the entrance to the kitchen to see Snape, and jumped.
"Sorry," she laughed uncomfortably, "I forgot you were here for a second. Well, let's go back then," she said, passing by him.
"Take all the time you--"
"What? So suddenly you're in no rush? Stay here if you wish, but you'll go up in smoke with the rest of the house."
Snape followed her out and spoke calmly but sternly, "I do not think it wise that you burn the house down."
"Why," she said, not bothering to look at him, "No one lives here anymore."
She stopped, turned and pointed her wand at the house.
"He will pay for this with his life," she spoke with a menacing tone, her eyes piercing with hatred. "SUPERIO FIERO!"
The house went up in flames like a pile of hay and Rori spun on her heels and walked away. Snape caught up with her, held her arm, and they apparated back to King's Cross Station.
They pulled up in front of a secluded area of extremely old, and extremely dilapidated homes; Rori's former home stood in the middle.
"You live here?" Snape asked.
"Surprised, are you?" Rori said, finally looking over her shoulder at him.
They had been sitting in the cab, apparently, for a while, because the driver was becoming irate and was demanding his pay.
"You handle it," Rori said, turning her head and getting out of the cab.
She made her way toward the yellow home in the center of all the multi- colored decaying homes. The yellow paint was chipped so badly--the old salmon color showing through-that it was hard to tell what the original color was. Three of the four white shutters were still hanging on by rusty nails and the grass all around the area had been taken over by dandelions.
Snape was arguing with the cab driver about the price for the ride, but Rori couldn't hear them because of what she saw on the door of her former home: it was the dark mark.
"Oh God," Rori cried, and stopped dead in her tracks. All she could do was stare at the half-opened wooden door, its fellow screen door in pieces on the porch.
Snape finally left the cap driver, flustered, mumbling under his breath. He stopped next Rori and looked from her face to the door. He gave a heavy sigh and walked past her to the house. But she didn't move, instead, she fell to the ground on her knees.
Tears began to well up and fall down her cheeks uncontrollably. She knew the symbol, she recognized it from the night she became a member, the night when she had no other choice. It was the first time she was ever powerless, and the memories flooded back...
The insurmountable pain on her arm... "Look at it," Voldomort's piercing Voice echoed in her mind...she couldn't make out the image at first...
But now she knew, she knew the symbol perfectly. She snapped back to reality when an arm grasped her shoulder. She looked up into his eyes, and he knelt down beside her.
"I'm sorry," he said, breathless, "But they are..dead."
Rori could only shake her head. She dried her eyes and looked up at the house past his shoulder. She grasped his shoulder and helped herself up. She walked up the stairs and into the house. She floated through the living room and stopped in the kitchen, Snape followed. Rori became furious upon seeing their stiff bodies. The small circular table was overturned, as were the chairs. Rori shivered, the room was so cold and the feeling of death was suffocating. She bent down between her mother, shrouded in black, and her precious lab, Dante.
"I told you I would be back," she said, lightly stroking the black lab's forehead. "I know we didn't get along all that well," she said, turning to her pale mother, "and I'm sorry for this. I'm sorry for having been such a burden. I loved you, I did. But I'm not sorry for what happened to your husband. He wasn't good for you, or me. It is my fault that this has happened, and I will pay back the one who has done this to you."
Rori stood up and turned to the entrance to the kitchen to see Snape, and jumped.
"Sorry," she laughed uncomfortably, "I forgot you were here for a second. Well, let's go back then," she said, passing by him.
"Take all the time you--"
"What? So suddenly you're in no rush? Stay here if you wish, but you'll go up in smoke with the rest of the house."
Snape followed her out and spoke calmly but sternly, "I do not think it wise that you burn the house down."
"Why," she said, not bothering to look at him, "No one lives here anymore."
She stopped, turned and pointed her wand at the house.
"He will pay for this with his life," she spoke with a menacing tone, her eyes piercing with hatred. "SUPERIO FIERO!"
The house went up in flames like a pile of hay and Rori spun on her heels and walked away. Snape caught up with her, held her arm, and they apparated back to King's Cross Station.