Chapter 26 Book of Souls



Felicity groaned, and looked into the eyes of her very angry, and very pregnant mother. Cate's eyes were narrowed at her, and they flashed gold. "Crime and Punishment, Felicity." She said softly.

Felicity clenched her teeth. She still had to clean the whole attic, because of her fun at Christmas. "You never had a punishment." She hissed at her mother. Cate's eyes flashed dangerously again, but she said nothing. "You should have gone to Azkaban. But you didn't. Grandfather was able to worm your way out of it, working up that STUPID story! You? Taken prisoner? Yeah, sure."

Cate bit her lip. She pointed to the pearly marble stairs, and grabbed Felicity hard by the arm. "You're to clean our attic, Felicity." Cate pushed her towards the stairs, and Felicity stumbled. "And once you've finished that, you can clean the Black attic too. I'm sure Sirius would be happy to have such an eager participant." Cate usually didn't refer to Sirius as her father. She considered herself to have no parents, because they had never been parents to her. They were just Sirius and Lizzie.

Felicity muttered foul words under her breath, and started up the stairs. Why were there so many stairs in the mansion, and why was she walking up them? Shaking her head at herself, she disappeared, and with a small 'pop' she appeared in the cluttered attic.

"Would it kill any of them to be neat?" She sighed, looking at the mess. There were prank goods of every sort. She wrinkled her nose. Those sort of things didn't interest her in the slightest, and she thought it was all a waste of time.

"Start now!" Cate yelled from outside the door. "Or you'll be here the rest of your life!" Felicity made a face. She highly doubted that. She knew one thing for certain... she wasn't even going to stay with her family the rest of her life. As soon as possible, she was going to get away from them all...

~*~

Paige yawned. It was too early for her to be awake. Yes, it was noon. But she couldn't fall back asleep. The light was shining through her window, and it irritated her.

But it wasn't enough to get her out of bed. Pulling the covers over her head, she began to drift off again... Dreaming of peaceful things. Dreaming of how her life could be better... If she could only have Nita as a friend that was accepted by her mother...

~*~

"Ahhh!" Brynn shrieked, as a snowball hit her in the face. "Bryce Black, you're DEAD!" She yelled, packing a snowball with her hands. Without Bryce's knowing, she quickly whispered, "Soilidius," and chucked it at him. It hit him hard in the face, and he fell over, screaming about his nose being broken.

"Brynn!" Lizzie shouted, from her chair of snow. She glared at Brynn, but behind her, Sirius was dancing around madly, giving her thumbs up. His dancing was disrupted shortly after; when Bridgett hit him in the face with a very well aimed throw.

"Take that, dad!" She shouted, dancing around like he had been. "Bridgett Black, folks! Thrower of balled snow!"

Hiding out in his own fort, not missed by any of the others, was Brian. He had about 50 snowballs, and little Brooke giggling at his side. "Hey, Brookie," he said. "You ready for this?" Brooke giggled, shouting nonsense words at him, waving her little arms about.

Brian grinned, his eyes flashing gold. "Nah... We aren't ready. We need more snowballs. He pulled out his wand, and in a few minutes, there seemed to be about 300 snowballs. "Perfect!" He said happily, and rolled his eyes at Brooke, who was eating handfuls of snow.

"Prepare to be amazed, pathetic family members!" He yelled, standing up and getting the rest of his family's attention. Brynn was trying to roll Bryce into a giant snowball, and Sirius had Lizzie pinned to the ground. On top of Sirius was Bridgett, who was shoving snow down his back. They all stared at him.

Brian waved his arms, and added a flourish of his wand and... All of Hell seemed to have been let loose on the members of the Black family, as some odd hundred snowballs started to fly towards them. Sirius gave a scream, and rolled behind Lizzie. It didn't matter. Snowballs still flew towards him.

Brynn had unrolled Bryce, and was using him as a shield, as he fought to get away, failing miserably, and getting hit in odd places as he squirmed. But Brynn gave a shriek, and pushed him forward. His face fell in the snow, and he didn't bother getting up. It wasn't worth it.

"I am the Snowball KING!" Brian yelled, standing on the top of his fort. "MWAHHAHAHAHAH-- ahhh!!" He screamed, as the well caved in, and he landed on the soft snow. "Feel my wrath!" He screamed, sitting on the ground. Brooke giggled, and threw a small bit of snow at him. Brian sighed.

As the barrage of snow ceased, five angry Blacks turned towards Brian and Brooke. Brian was still laughing insanely, while Brooke climbed behind the fallen snow fort. Brian didn't notice his huddled family was devising a plan against him, casting angry glances in his direction.

After he was done laughing, he noticed the silence. Silence was eerie to him. His house was never silent, and his friends were never silent. The only sound was that of the snowman moving quickly toward him.

Wait... It was MOVING? Brian shook his head and blinked, to make sure his eyes were working properly. Yup, it was moving towards him. For a few short moments, he sat there completely bewildered. Then the impulse to run grew, and he stood up and took off in a dead sprint.

Sirius cackled, and gave Bridgett and Lizzie high fives. "Okay, Brinny and Bryce! Your turn with the little rascal!" Two pairs of eyes glinted gold, and the twins pulled out their wands. An assortment of oddly shaped snowballs appeared, and Sirius gave them an odd look.

"We though it'd be fun to make them shaped. I can imagine the look on Brian's face when he's pelted with this here pretty daisy shaped snowball..." Bryce grinned, and with a flourish of his wand, the first batch of snowballs took off after Brian, who was already being chased by the Snowman.

"I'm sorry!" He screamed, as he saw the snowballs flying in his direction. "Sorry!" It wasn't long until the snowballs caught up with him, and he was being pelted from behind. He could hear his family laughing.

"You're only getting what you asked for!" Lizzie said.

"Are you mental, mum?!" He screamed, dodging the snowman, and rolling on the ground. He picked himself up, and shouted back, "I didn't ask for this! If you cared to notice, my Christmas Wish List was completely different!"

In the end, the snowman caught Brian. It had the advantage of not running out of breath. After being smothered by snow, and acquiring a case of frostbite... his family took the curse off, and they all went inside, with the disgruntled Brian...

~*~

"So... um," Alex started. "Where's your friend Brian?" She looked around the house. She heard someone yelling, and two people laughing. She assumed this was the Twins going after Nita again. She had learned all the Potter names, and was proud of herself.

"At his house." Crystal answered. "He doesn't live here, or I think we'd all be insane." She paused for a moment. "I take that statement back. We all are insane. It'd just be even worse if Brian lived here."

Alex and Aaron stared at Crystal. She had said that rather fast, and she grinned at the two of them. This was the strangest visit the two young American Muggles had even gone on. Aaron looked at Alex, and they shuddered.

"Are we going to get to see him?" Alex asked, laughing shortly at the face Crystal made.

"It would be nice if I weren't the only boy," added Aaron.

"Sure." Crystal shrugged. "If you really wanna see Brian, it can be arranged..." She paused for a moment. She smiled, and said as knowledgeably as she possibly could, "I'll call him up. Wait here a second!"

"Uh..." Was all Alex and Aaron could say before Crystal ran to another room. Neither had seen a telephone yet in the house. They still remembered the conversation they had overheard in America... But they didn't follow Crystal. They decided that they'd rather not know what she was really doing.

"Hey Brian!" Crystal mind-waved him in the other room. "Remember our Muggle Friends from the United States?"

"Uh..." Brian replied, as if this was very sudden, which it was. "Alex and Aaron? Why?"

"Yup, yup, yup! They're here at my house!" Crystal chirped. "And they want to see you! Can't imagine why, but they do!"

"Er..."

"So you're going to come to my house."

"I am?"

"Yes. You are." Crystal ordered. "And no magic. We have to pretend we're Muggles too. I'm supposed to be calling you on the phone... So I locked myself in this here bathroom, so I could tell you to come over. Now- be at the door in 10 minutes. Knock. I'll answer. You come in. No magic."

"Yes, Crystal, I know how to arrive at someone's house. I know how to knock. I can pretend to be a Muggle." Brian said irritably.

"Well, you never can be to sure. See ya in a few!"

~*~

"Hey Brynn, what's our agenda when we go back to Hogwarts?" Bryce asked. The whole Black family was sitting in the large living room reading, talking, and carrying out their usual daily business, with the exception of Brian. He was on one of the upper floors nursing his frostbite.

"Um... Lemme check." Brynn said, narrowing her eyebrows at the homework that sat on her lap. She grabbed her bag quickly, and started to dig through it. She pulled out a Dungbomb and shrugged. "So that's where that went!"

"You stole my Dungbomb!" Bryce cut it. "That's mine!"

"No, you threw yours in the Dungeons that time in Potions..." Brynn protested.

"Oh... that's right." Bryce said, scratching his head.

Brynn pulled out a black leather book, which seemed to be an assignment book or a day planner. She paged through it, and looked up at the rest of the family. "Wow! We've got a busy first week back!" She proclaimed. All of the family looked up at her. "First Monday back... Detention with Professor Snape!"

"We really worked hard for that, dad." Bryce smiled. The twins enjoyed going to detentions. It was one of their hobbies, along with Mac and Ethan. But more than going to detention, they liked causing trouble to get there.

"Tuesday... Detention with Snape!" Brynn squealed, delighted. "We just love that ugly old bat! Nothing delights us all more than the stench of the dungeons and the look of Snape's greasy hair on days when we could be running amuck, blissfully insane!"

"I'm proud of you, children." Sirius said, patting Bryce on the back and grinning. Lizzie stared at him. "You learned well."

"Wednesday!" Bryce said, hopping up and down. "What do we have Wednesday?!"

"Wow! Extra Special! We have TWO detentions with Snape! One in the morning, and on in the late afternoon! He told us we get to clean the shelves! Then we get to scour rats' brains off the ceiling!"

"Thursday?" Bridgett asked, eager for the time when she'd get her first detention with her least favorite Professor.

"Hm..." Brynn said, reading off her planner again. "It seems that Snape and Trelawney will have to fight over who gets us for our 7:00 detention. We're doubled up. Or Mac and me can go to Trelawney, and Bryce and Eath can go to Snape. Or vice versa."

"Nah. I'd rather we just let em' duke it out." Bryce said.

"Friday!" Brynn squealed. "Is EXTRA special! We have a detention with McGonagall! Oh, how Lady Luck has graced us with her presence! McGonagall! We can get her to turn into a cat, and we'll have so much FUN! Maybe we can spend the night in her classroom, copying verses off the board and-"

"McGonagall won't even bring you back to a detention once she's gone through one with you." Sirius laughed.

"How do you know?" Bryce asked, his happy face falling. "We've REALLY been looking forward to it!"

"Trust me. I went through something similar in my youth. McGonagall won't bring back obnoxious teenagers for a detention." Sirius nodded knowledgably.

"Muuuuuummm!! DAAAAAAAD!" Brian yelling, sliding down the banister. "Can I go to Crystal's house? The Americans are there and they want me to come over."

"Uh, sure Brian." Lizzie said. Sirius cackled behind her back.

"Briiiiiiiiiian and the snowman, were jolly happy souls!" Sirius sang, to the tune of Frosty the Snowman. "The snowman chased him down and covered him with snow, and Brian got a frostbite!" It didn't rhyme, and was very badly put together, but Sirius didn't think that quickly. Apparently, he couldn't think of any words that rhymed with snow, so he substituted frostbite in instead.

"Shut up, dad." Brian muttered. "You were the most scared when all the snowballs were coming after you."

"Well... I'm going to go and chum around with the foreigners, thank you very much." Brian said, sticking his nose in the air. His face was entirely red, from the frostbite. So were his hands, his feet, his ears, his nose, his arms, and his butt. The bewitched snowman had put snow down the back of his pants. It wasn't pleasant.

~*~

Brian grumbled to himself, and knocked on the front door to the Potter house. He crossed his arms and waited for Crystal to answer the door. Getting impatient, he knocked again. Then he saw the doorbell...

DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! DING! Brian pressed it over and over again, hearing the noise inside, but not fully understanding the concept of a doorbell.

"Brian Black!" Crystal yelled, her hands over her ears, as Alex pulled the door open. Brian stopped pressing the doorbell, and looked at Crystal. Crystal looked at him, and fell over laughing. Alex and Aaron were fighting a laugh themselves. "Who tried to turn you into a living hot dog?"

"Very funny." Brian muttered. "Blame my family. And for your information... it's frostbite. I am not a hot dog. Nor do I like to think I look like one."

After a while, Aaron pulled Crystal off the floor, and Brian shook his head. "You're pathetic. It isn't that funny." He sighed. "It was just about five against me an' Brooke in a giant snowball fight! And-"

"Okie dokie, Brian!" Crystal said quickly, not wanting him to spill the magic bens. She knew he would have said something that obviously would not exist in the Muggle world. Such as living snowmen.

The look that Crystal threw at Brian would have made him blush, but that was virtually impossible since he was already a brilliant reddish pink color. He rolled his eyes and shook his head, then smiled at the Muggles.

"So Aaron and Alex!" He said, clapping his hands together, and wincing in pain. "Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow! OW!" He paused, and took a breath as they stared at him. "So how are you two? School going well? Did you take the yellow bread loaf to get there?"

"Uh. The school bus. Yes." Alex answered. "You British have an interesting vocabulary." She looked at Aaron, pretending not to know exactly how weird she knew Crystal and Brian were.

"Oh look," Crystal said. "Brian's Blushing! I think he likes you, Alex!" Brian gave Crystal his best 'Death Glare' and refrained himself from hitting her. It would cause him more pain than it would her.

"Let's go do something." Brian sighed. "I'm sick of standing here."

"Yeah, maybe we should." Crystal said, a serious look returning to her face. "Or our radish might grow roots."

"Not funny, Crys!" Brian stuck his tongue out at her, and Crystal laughed, leading them off to do something a little more entertaining for all four of them.

~*~

"Happy Anniversary." Cate whispered to Bellum. "Seventeen years, and we love each other more each day." Cate smiled, and let her eyes shine. The candlelight wasn't as bright as the light she seemed to be giving off. Her upper back length hair fanned out behind her as she looked at Bellum.

"Seems like seven seconds." Bellum said, smiling back at his wife. Life goes quickly when you're with those that you love." Both Cate and Bellum sighed.

"Too quickly." Cate said. "I'm glad though, that you're here for our Anniversary. If you weren't here, I doubt I'd be alive still. But I wish I could touch you one last time. That would be better than any gift in the world. When I got your package, I knew all you wanted was for me to be happy. But I can't be happy without you. Your gifts were amazing, but all I wanted at that moment was you. I suppose I wanted myself too. When you died, you took my heart with you."

"You kept mine." Bellum said. "From the moment I first saw you, my heart belonged to you. I was afraid you'd take it far away and never return it to me." He paused, and looked into Cate's eyes. He could see his own reflection, and nothing else was reflected. "But that's a risk you have to take when you love someone. It can either be the best thing that ever happened, or it can scar you for life."

"But the scars heal." Cate added. "They heal, yet they're still there. I'll never forget losing you. Everything inside me shattered, like delicate glass. But it's been put back together. Together again, but the cracks still show. Our kids will never lead normal lives. Neither will we. But as long as we've got each other, we'll be happy."

"When I was alive..." Bellum trailed off. But he started again, "I'd stay awake just to hear you breathe. I'd watch your chest rise and fall, and it was so peaceful. I always wondered what you dreamt about. Every so often, you'd smile. I hoped I was the cause of that smile. I hoped that I was in your dreams, when you weren't awake. I'd stay up for hours upon hours, while you slept, just watching you. I didn't want to miss anything. You're so beautiful, Cate. I can still watch you for hours, just like when I first met you."

"Sometimes I'd do the same," confessed Cate softly. "I'd never even loved anyone before. It's a strong emotion. I also expected you to leave me alone. That's what everyone did. Left me."

"Even if I wanted to, I could never leave you." Bellum floated closer to her. The golden necklace around her neck caught his eye and he smiled again. "I'm glad to see you've been wearing it. It belonged to my mother. It's the only thing I have that belonged to her. But I love to see you wearing it..."

Cate looked at him, hoping he'd tell her more. He'd never told her how his parents died, or even their names. Cate had a strong feeling that it was somehow too painful for him to recall, so she didn't put him through the stress of telling her. She didn't need to know. She watched as a sad look crossed his face, but when he looked at her again, the happiness returned.

"I love you." Cate said softly. "With all my heart and soul. So now I'll give you my gift. It's all I could do, Bellum. You gave me something close to you, and in return I'm giving you part of me.

Opening the drawer in the nightstand, Cate pulled out the jewelry box he had given her. For a few moments, she held it, looking at the beautiful polished wooden frame, then she opened it. Soft music played, and a mist floated around them both. Cate's eyes closed, and she seemed to go into a trance.

Bellum felt differently immediately. He saw color returning to his body, and his clothes... But he was still a ghost. But now he was a transparent colored ghost. Cate opened her eyes and looked at him. She glowed brighter, and smiled.

"Your eyes are deep brown again." She breathed, watching him closely. "Your hair is dark again..."

"And my white robes are stained with red blood." Bellum noticed.

"It doesn't matter." Cate smiled. "You seem more real. It's a comfort to me that I just didn't dream you came back."

Bellum smiled too. He felt better now. He saw his reflection again in Cate's eyes and this time he looked like himself. "How'd you conjure this?" He asked.

"I found a Potion in an old forgotten book. It was simple enough to make, but I had to part with a part of my soul. So if you have a sudden desire to play Quidditch, you can blame that on the part of me that's just in you now." Cate paused. "Which reminds me... Quidditch. I'm not going to play anymore. I'm going to raise my family now, and make sure nothing happens. I just want to be with all of you now. That's more important to me than Quidditch."

"But Cate you-"

"No. I don't want to play. I've had a good career. The whole world knows who I am, and that's more than enough. Besides, the press will lay off a bit more on us. Now what was that French phrase you always used to use before we went to sleep?"

"Je t'aime." Bellum smiled. "I love you."

"Je t'aime," Cate repeated, not pronouncing the French correctly.

"Bonne nuit." Bellum said in French. "That means goodnight."

~*~

A young man and a young woman sat at a small dinner table with their young son. The woman had long wavy brown hair that shone against the light. She was pretty, and her hazel green eyes gazed lovingly at her husband and son.

Her husband held their son in his lap. His hair was such a dark brown that it was almost black, and his eyes were deep brown, like polished wood. He looked like he was Italian and German, mixed together. The little boy had brown hair too, but his wasn't as dark as his father's or as light as his mother's. His eyes were deep brown, and they were full of delight as he waved his father's wand, which was emitting red sparks.

The husband took his wife's hand and kissed it, saying something to her in a foreign language, and she responded with more soft words, though she sounded different than he did speaking it, as if it were not her native language.

"He'll have someone to play with." The woman smiled, switching to English. Her voice had a strong British accent, and it was soft and soothing.

"Which iz great, since there iz no one for him around 'ere. Ze little girl at ze bottom of zey hill can't play wiz im'." The man's accent was definitely French, there was no doubt about that. But he didn't look French at all.

"Do you hope we have a boy or girl?" The woman asked eagerly. Her eyes were full of happiness, and she squeezed his hand, watching the child they already had.

"Either iz fine wiz me," said the man, grinning. "But I 'ope for both."

He kissed her hand again, and let it go. His wife took a bite of her dinner, and suddenly her eyes closed, and the fork dropped to the wooden floor, clattering. The man's face suddenly fell, and he looked at her with worry. A few seconds later, her eyes fluttered open, and she gasped.

"They are coming." Was all she said. He husband stood up, picking the boy up with him. He looked out the window, at an American sunset, which was nearly behind the hills and the trees. "They are coming."

"Take 'im!" The man said, handing her the boy. "Zey can't kill you, I won't let zem! Not wiz a baby on ze way! Tiira, listen to me. Run. Take ze boy and run."

"But I can't let them kill you!" Tiira, his wife, protested. "No! They want me, and if they get me, they'll leave you alone! You go! All I want is for you and our son to be safe."

The man looked desperately around. "No." He said firmly. "You're responsible for more zan one person now. Prenezle garcon et allez, je t'aime!"

Tiira closed her eyes for a few seconds and when she opened them, they were full of tears. "You're right. I love you, Venire." She said. "Remember that. Never forget it. I love you, Venire. I married you 5 years ago, and nothing has changed." She leaned forward and kissed him. Their young son, who looked about four years old, was rested on her hip, and he seemed to feel something going on. As his parents pulled away from each other, letting go, he began to cry. "Shush!" His mother said softly. Tell daddy you love him."

"I love you daddy!" He said, with no certain accent of his own. With that, his mother fled out the back door, running down the hill... The man watched her for a moment, and wiped a tear from his eye. Then he closed his eyes, and his form slowly melted into that of his wife. He'd transformed himself into her.

The door broke down, and he faced seven men and women. A blonde man with bright light blue eyes that darted around the room led them. At his side stood a woman with white-blonde hair. She was tall, and her eyes were a stunning green. All of the seven faced Venire, not knowing who he was.

"Tiira," said the man in front. His accent sounded French as well, but it wasn't as heavy as Vernire's. His lips had formed a scowl. "I've waited forever for this. You're cornered, and you can't get yourself out of this. Tonight you die. Ten long years of hunting you down, and now I've got you. Not only that, but I know how to kill you."

Venire glared at the man. The man truly believed he was his wife. "You'll never win, Vir." He said. His French accent was gone, and he sounded exactly like Tiira.

Vir, the blonde man, grinned. He put his arm around the blonde woman at his side and grinned a nasty grin. "I'll admit that I'll never have power like yours. You'll always be greater. But I know how to get rid of you. Then I'll get rid of your family."

It began to rain. Thunder was heard, and there was a visible crack of lightning. The group shifted uncomfortably, with the exception of Vir and his blonde wife. Vir stared at Venire with a disgusted look on his face.

Venire had never taken the form of his wife often, and he wasn't used to it. He flexed his fingers, moving them around, as if controlling something. He looked at the group facing him, and the windows suddenly shattered.

"I'm not going to play games. I'll just kill you quickly, Tiira." Vir said. "Or you can give yourself up and join us."

"Never!" Venire shouted. He raised his arms, and a blast of lightning shot through the broken windows, striking a few members of the group. Three of them fell to a heap on the floor, dead. Venire bit his lip (or rather, Tiira's lip).

Vir's eyes flashed suddenly, and he spat on the ground. "I should have seen that coming. I've got to quit the small talk." His wife was shaking nervously at his side, and clutching his sleeve.

Quicker than Venire could act, Vir pulled a gun from his pocket, and shot it quickly at him. The bullet made contact with Venire, hitting him in the stomach. He coughed up a bit of blood, and started to fade back into himself.

"Venire!" Vir spat. "You damn shape-shifters!" He shot the gun again, and Venire, now completely in his own form again, fell to the floor. Venire scowled, and kicked him hard. "All I wanted was your wife."

Struggling to keep alive, Venire raised a hand, and lightning flashed again. But before he could open his hand, Vir took a final shot at him with his gun, and watched as Venire's hand dropped, and his eyes rolled to the back of his head and his breathing ceased.

"He's dead." Vir announced to the remaining members of the group. Spitting on Venire's body, and giving it one last kick, he tucked the gun away. "Now we have to find the wife and their boy."

He looked at the other three with him, and wrinkled his nose at the dead ones. Shaking his head, the small group parted as he walked between them, and out the door. They followed him hastily, in search of Tiira and the little boy...

~*~

The small boy watched, as his mother moaned in pain. She fell to her knees, as if she had been shot. "Mummy?" The boy asked, looking at her in desperate wonder. They were both soaking wet.

Tiira closed her eyes, and stood up. Her eyes filled with tears, and she took her son in her arms and started to run again. "Mummy, where's daddy?" The boy asked her.

"Daddy's gone to Heaven, honey." She said. "But he still loves you very much." Deciding the little boy was too heavy to carry, she set him down on the ground, and kneeled down by him. "Do you understand? We're in danger. They're trying to get mummy. They've got your daddy. We have to run. Can you run fast?"

The boy nodded, not fully understanding. He was only four, and this seemed like a game of hide and seek to him. But his mother took his hand, and they ran down the big hill that they had climbed.

Tiira stopped suddenly again, only to close her eyes. Her son tugged at her robes, and she opened her eyes again, looking around desperately. Her eyes rested on a large rock in the trees, and she pulled her son towards it.

"Honey, can you hide here?" She asked. The boy nodded again. "Stay behind the rock. They're coming. Listen, baby. Mummy loves you, and she needs you to hide here. You'll be safe. Whatever happens, don't come out from behind here. I love you sweetheart." She gathered her son in her arms, and kissed his forehead, her eyes filling with tears. Smoothing out his dark brown hair, and kissed him again, then she left him.

The little boy sat down on the ground, and brought his knees to his chest, crying silently. His mother and father had just gone away. Didn't they love him? They were going to have a new baby. Didn't they want him anymore?

It had stopped raining. He stood up, and peered around the rock. His mother looked ready, and she was looking around frantically. Then she focused her gaze on a group of people moving towards her. They were huddled together, discussing something.

Atop the hill, Tiira stood, awaiting her fate. Slowly, the people moved closer and closer, until they were facing her. Like he'd done earlier, Vir grinned his wiry evil grin, staring at her.

"Finally, Tiira." He said. "I killed your husband. Now I finish you off, and take your son. Mors Vox wants him. The boy is special to him. So are you. He needs someone with such power. You've got the power, and you can control it. Join us, Tiira. You'll be great. Again."

"Never." Tiira hissed. Her hazel green eyes were looking directly into Vir's light blue ones, telling him quite plainly he could never convince her to join him. "I'd die, rather than join you."

"Then so be it. You'll die." Vir shouted. There was screaming in the background, from someplace else. "Just like your husband. You'll take your death like he did."

Tiira's eyes flashed. She pointed a finger at his wife, and the woman screamed, twitching violently. Still pointing a finger, Tiira raised her eyebrows and looked at Vir. "Leave now, or I'll kill her."

Vir seemed torn between saving his wife, and leaving his enemy behind, alive. He looked back and forth between the two. No answer came to him, and he pulled the gun. But Tiira was quicker than he was. The gun flew to her free hand as soon as Vir had pulled it out.

"Then I take it that was your decision." Tiira said, and she suddenly pointed the finger pointed at his wife to the ground. The screaming woman fell down, dead. Tiira cast a sharp gaze towards Vir and the others. "I think this is between me and you." She said, looking at him.

She tucked the gun into her pocket, and looked at the three that remained of the Seven original. Two men stood behind Vir, as if trying to take shelter. "Between me and you." Tiira reappeared. Holding up both her hands, and moving her fingers ever so slightly, she forced the two men to step forward.

"Aren't you going to try and stop me, Vir?" She asked. Vir was shaking in rage. "Or can't you? Have you no power?" Though she didn't show it, Tiira was afraid. She knew that not all of them would live. She had to narrow the chances to between she and Vir.

Bringing her hands together, a bright light shot out, and the two men fell dead at Vir's side. "Now the fight's a little more fair." She said. "Just you and me."

"The way it was 11 years ago." Vir said softly. He didn't dare move. He had two options. He could defend himself or kill Tiira. He couldn't do both. He had not the power to do both.

Tiira couldn't do both, either. But Vir didn't know this. He flicked his wand, and the gun flew to his hand. This time he was quicker than Tiira. Or was he? Tiira had her hands raised, and a gold light was moving towards Vir. Both were going to die.

"Nooooooooooooooooooooo!!" The little boy shouted, closing his eyes, and standing up. "Mummy! NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" He wailed, rushing to the hill as fast as he possibly could.



As the boy looked around, he found that nothing was moving. His mother was frozen in midair, falling backwards. The bullet had hit her chest, and there was splattering blood that was also frozen in mid air. He looked around again.

Vir was also frozen, his mouth open in the middle of a scream. His hair was standing on end, and the light around him was still just like the rest of the scenery. He looked totally petrified; afraid to die. His mother, however, looked ready for it.

The boy was the only thing moving. Had he done his? Had he put a stopper in time? He was crying loudly, sniffling. He looked at the frozen figures in the air again, and time unfroze. Both Tiira and Vir fell to the ground, lifeless.

"Mummy," the boy cried, hurrying over to his mother's body. He dropped to his knees at her side. She was still alive. She smiled at him. With the little strength she had left, she put something golden in his hand. Then her eyes rolled back, and closed. Her hand fell limp, and the boy stared at her, tucking his gift in his pocket.

For a few minutes, he rested his head on his mother's chest, crying. "Wake up mum." He said. "Mummy! Wake up!" He gave Tiira's body a shake. "I'm scared!"

There was a blood-curling scream heard from someplace else, and at the bottom of the hill, there was a flash of green light. He heard a child scream, and saw another flash. Then he heard a man's scream, and the child wailing madly.

"Wake up." He said to his mother. "I love you!" Then he realized his mother wasn't going to wake up. She was dead. He looked to his left, and saw his large gray house at the very top of the other hill, looking just as it always had. He saw his, and thought of how his parents had pushed him, and how happy it had been. He'd never be pushed on that swing set again.

So for the moment, he curled up next to his mother, and drifted lowly off to sleep....

~*~

Cate screamed, and woke with a start. She sat up quickly, breathing heavily. A candle was lit, and she faced her ghostly husband's figure in front of her.

"What is it, Cate?" He asked frantically. "Bad dream?"

Cate nodded. "Yes. This one was different. I wasn't in it. I'm sure this was a dream of the past. But all the ones I've had before have involved me. This one didn't."

Bellum bit his lip, and looked at her. "Tell me about your dream." He said. "Maybe it'll make things easier."

"Well," Cate started. "There was a man, woman, and a little boy. The man's name was Venire, and the woman's was Tiira. I don't know the little boy's name. They were eating dinner, and discussing if they wanted their new baby to be a boy or girl." Cate took a deep breath and continued on. "Then the woman closed her eyes, and said something like, 'They're coming!' and they gathered the little boy, and the woman and the boy fled. The man transformed into his wife, and Seven people broke down the door. The leader's name was Vir. The man named Venire killed three of his cohorts with a strike of lightning, and the Vir talked some, and killed him. Then the man changed back into his own form, and Vir and the remaining members of the group went looking for his wife and the boy. The woman, Tiira, hid the little boy, and fought with Vir and killed his wife and the other two men. Then they killed each other. But the little boy somehow stopped time. Everything was frozen in its place, and the little boy looked around. He looked so much like Ethan when he was little that I feel so bad for him. When time unfroze, he went to his mother, and she died. He old her to wake up, and realized she would never wake up. Then he just sat there, and he fell asleep, curled up next to her."

Cate wiped a tear from her eye, and looked at Bellum. He seemed to have faded in color, and his jaw was dropped. He didn't say anything right away, but wiped a tear from his own eye. "It was just a bad dream." He managed to say after a bit. "You don't have to worry about it."

"Yes I do!" Cate objected. "I know the place where they were killed! I know the scenery. I lived around there when I was little. I used to climb that hill when I was six or seven to escape from my life. I'd sit at that very spot, and everything felt better. That's where those people were. I know that dream's got something to do with me, but I just can't figure out what."

"Cate dear, I don't know." Bellum said. "But you should go back to sleep. I've got a feeling that getting very little sleep isn't especially good for pregnant women. We'll talk about it in the morning."

Cate nodded. "I guess you're right." She lie back down, and fell asleep almost instantly. Bellum looked around the room, and he faded out of view, as the candle went out.

~*~

'Paige!' Nita mind-waved Paige. 'I need your help.' She wandered around without her glasses. This was because of the simple fact that her glasses were tied to a string, and were dangling around in front of her, but everything was too blurry for her to see. At the top of the stairs, Jo and Jess controlled the string, and were laughing at Nita.



'I'm kinda busy now.' Paige responded. 'It's my turn to watch Jack.'



'Can't you just help me quickly?' Nita asked desperately. 'The twins have my glasses, and they won't give them back.'

"Oh... Nita." Paige sighed, and she appeared beside Nita, with Jack in her arms. Quickly, before the twins could respond, she snatched the glasses, and pulled the string down. She untied Nita's glasses and gave them back to her.

"Thanks." Nita said, putting them back on, glad to see clearly again. Paige set Jack down and glared up at the twins.

"Leave her alone, or you'll have to deal with both of us!" Paige growled at them.

"We don't care," said Jess.

"We get our powers soon anyhow." Jo finished.

"Well I've all ready got powers!" Paige said, putting her hands on her hips. "And if you tell anyone I've been here, I'll use them on you!"

The twins looked at each other, and scuttled off. Nita smiled, and looked at Paige. "Really? You've got powers?"

Paige made an interesting face. "Not really." She shrugged. "Just a few, but I don't use them. But I don't get the good ones until I'm older. At least I think that's the deal..."

"Well, I don't think the twins will say anything." Nita said. "I think you scared them."

"I hope so." Paige smiled. "But I'd better get going. Where did Jack go?"

The two girls looked at each other. "Uh oh..." They both said. Nita grabbed Paige's sleeve and led her down the hall. "How far could he have gotten?" She asked.

"Um... I don't think he could have gone too far." Paige answered. "But he never ceases to amaze me. Are your parents home?"

"No." Nita said. "I think they went someplace with Uncle Mark."

"Good. I don't want them to see me... they might mention something to my mum."

Nita really didn't think it would be good if her mother knew she was best friend's with Cate's daughter, either. She looked into the living room. Jack wasn't there. She shook her head.

Then from another room in the opposite direction, they heard a scream. It was a boy's scream. "Neil." Nita said. "I bet he's found Jack." Paige beat her to the room Neil was in, and there was Jack, sitting on the floor, tossing things at him.

"What is this little monstrosity?" He yelled, looking at Paige with interest. "And what are YOU doing here?"

"That's my brother, and that's none of your business." Paige said shortly. "And we must be going." She scooped Jack up, and disappeared with him. Neil looked at Nita.

"I'll just pretend that didn't happen. I don't want to know why she was here, and why the little baby boy was either." He walked away, rubbing his head, muttering something about being hit with a paperweight.

Nita shrugged, and went to find a hiding spot from the twins... She didn't want to get more questions about Paige. She knew for one thing that the Hall Closet was off- limits fro a hiding spot. Perhaps the food pantry would be a good spot...

~*~

"What was all that noise?" Crystal asked Nita. Her American friends had gotten hungry. "And why are you in the pantry?"

"Jo and Jess." Nita said. "Twinkie?" She handed crystal a box of Twinkies and smiled brightly at them.

Crystal sighed, and shook her head. "If you don't remember... this is Nita." Nita waved to Alex and Aaron, who looked quite befuddled. "What did you do to Neil?" She asked. "He's got a large bump on his head. He said I could ask you."

"Um... I hit him with a paperweight." She lied. "But... Oh well. He'll live. But I think I'm gonna go, and I'll leave you four to work it all out." Nita looked at Brian. "Nice frostbite, by the way." With that, she walked away, leaving Brian to grumble about it to his friends.

~*~

Cate felt especially sleepy today, so she'd gone to take a nap. Bellum floated around the room without her knowing, as if her were pacing. He wondered if Cate was having another dream.

Cate didn't know if she was dreaming or not. She was hearing voices. It was a soft voice, but it wasn't the least bit comforting. The Book of Souls is nearly full. It can hold one more. And you know what that means, Cate. Yes, you know. It means that all the souls in the book are gone. They disappear, never to be seen again. Then the book is empty again. But I can't take you. It said. No... Because YOU own the book. But I can take- -

"Bellum!" Cate yelled, jumping out of bed. Bellum stopped floating around, and flew to her side.

The Book of Souls is nearly full... The voice said again. Then all in it shall perish. Even a GHOST!

"Do you hear it?" Cate asked Bellum.

"Hear what?" Bellum asked.

"The voice!" Cate shrieked like she was insane. "It's talking about The Book of Souls."

"Calm down, Cate." Bellum said slowly. "I can't hear it."

There was a small noise, and a large brown book with Ancient lettering appeared near the window. It read, Book of Souls on the front. Cate screamed, and made a mad grab for it, but her hand went through it. The book opened up to the very last page. Written in a thin loopy hand was, Bellum Pugnare.

Like a funnel, Bellum was being sucked towards the book. He was meeting another end. Cate shrieked loudly, screaming she loved him. Before Bellum was completely sucked it he said, "Take care of Faye, Cate. Take care of yourself. I love you!"

The book slammed shut and disappeared. Cate was breathing heavily now, and her eyes were nearly purely gold. Clenching her fists, she looked out the window, at the snow. "Dolere." She breathed. "I still haven't kept my promise to kill you."

Wiping a tear from her eye, she stormed out of the room. "Children!" She yelled loudly. She snapped her fingers, and four bewildered Pugnare kids appeared in front of her.

"Mum?" Ethan asked. "Are you okay?"

"No!" Cate hissed. "Dolere's taken your father. Are you familiar with the Book of Souls?"

Felicity and Ethan nodded. "People are kept in a book, in its pages. When it's full, the people are killed, and never seen again." Ethan explained shortly to Paige.

"I used to have one." Cate said. "It belongs to me, but Dolere's used it. Your father was taken in. The book has carried out its purpose now, and he's gone."

Everyone but Jack stared at Cate in horror. Paige began to sob, and she wrapped her arms around her mother. Ethan picked Jack off the floor, and pushed Felicity forward. Soon they were all in a big group hug, all sobbing hysterically.

"If I don't come back, avenge my death." Cate said. Ethan's jaw dropped.

"NO! You AREN'T going!"

"Yes I am." Cate said would have said this sternly, but she sniffled. "Tell you grandfather where I've gone."

The kids backed up, and Cate closed her eyes. For a few long minutes they watched her stand, with her hands together. Then she disappeared. Ethan jetted down the stairs with Jack, followed by Felicity and Paige.

"Dammit! We're going to end up orphans!" He said.

~*~

Cate was in what seemed to be a maze of tunnels. It was dark, and looked as if it were underground. This was the alternative to her appearing trick. She didn't know where Dolere was, but she did know that he hiding place blocked her powers. This was the only way for her to get there.

Muttering strange words under her breath, Cate clenched her fists as the tunnels began to spin. They span until one tunnel was directly in front of her. Cate looked around, and stepped into it.

It was the correct tunnel, and she appeared right in front of Dolere once she reach the end. Dolere's jaw dropped, and she gasped. "You aren't supposed to be able to get here!" She hissed.

"Did you really think I wasn't going to keep my promise?" Cate said. She showed no emotion. He face was stern, and her voice was cold and hard. "Of course you didn't. But all your precautions can't keep me away. You shouldn't have meddled in my affairs. You know very well that you have no amount of power that can match mine."

Dolere looked at Cate, her light blue eyes filled with fear. She pushed a strand of platinum blonde hair from her face, and looked at Cate.

"Don't even think about trying to get me with a knife." Cate said, snapping her fingers, as the knife Dolere was fingering appeared in her own hands. "You can't get me with magic, either. Tough situation, isn't it?"

Cate circled around her. "But I'm not going to talk to you. You know why I'm here. You deserve not a second more of life. But your death can't be quick and painful. You killed my husband. Now I'm going to kill you."

Dolere watched Cate sharply. Nothing in her body was working. Cate grinned a nasty grin, and waved her hand. Dolere screamed, as a long cut appeared down her arm. Cate narrowed her eyebrows, and waved her hand again.

This time, boils covered Dolere's face. With another wave of Cate's hands, Dolere fell to the ground, twitching in pain. "It doesn't even take the Crucio curse to hurt you." Cate sneered. "My magic is far beyond the mere curses. But since your specialty is PAIN... I think you deserve a little treat."

Cate snapped her fingers, and the pain was gone. "Does that feel good?" Cate asked Dolere. "It does, doesn't it?" She snapped her fingers again, and Dolere felt the pain return, and it hurt even more this time.

Cate still circled around her, like a vulture. Her eyes were still nearly gold, and they darted all around the room, watching. With every move she made, Dolere felt more pain. It was unbearable, and she wanted to die, for the first time. But such was luck for her... Cate planned on torturing her for a good while.

Dolere felt as if her skin was being peeled off, and she could see the blood that was coming from her. This was easy for Cate! It wasn't fair! Cate had been reading her thoughts.

"It's all fair in the end, Dolere." She said smoothly. "You messed with me. I let you go idle for so long. You knew it though, that you were bidding your time."

Dolere tried to reply, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out but blood. Cate grinned, and laughed aloud. Every once of her was enjoying this. All her pain and suffering was being unleashed. It felt good. It felt good to watch someone else suffer.

"I think that's enough." Cate said finally. Dolere was a bloody mess, and was unable to even move. "I'll kill you the way you killed Bellum." Cate said. She picked up the knife, and knelt down by Dolere. A bloody hand tried to grab her arm, but was too weak. Cate slashed her with the knife, and Dolere's arm fell back to her body. "This is the end." Cate said.

She slit her neck, and watched in delight as Dolere's bloodshot eyes rolled back and closed. Grinning madly, she stood up and looked at Dolere. "And so you die."

Cate watched the blood flowing out. Then she felt a cold hand on her shoulder. "You enjoyed that," said an eerie high pithed voice. "You enjoyed killing her."

Cate wheeled around, and faced Voldemort. "What's it to you?" She spat. "This was part of your plan... wasn't it!"

"Not at all, my daughter." Voldemort said. Cate winced at the word daughter. "I told her not to. But she did not heed me, and I let her die."

"I'm no one's child." Cate said. "So you sacrificed your right hand. You let her die. How kind you are to your followers."

"You're the only one I want." He said, starting to pace the room. "We can get along again. We'll rule the world."

"No." Cate said shortly. "I have no desire for that. I've got a family now."

"Ah, but that's my point." Voldemort grinned. "They're never safe there. Out in the world. I can assure their safety. I can also give you back what you want."

Cate gasped, and her eyes flashed again. He mouth was open as she looked at Voldemort in wonder. "No you can't." She said. "There's no way to get back the lost souls in the book. You can't trick me."

"But the souls go into the book have to go somewhere, don't they? I know where they go, and I know how to get them back. I have you that book. I had it for years, and I know all the secrets of it. I can get you your husband. All you have to do is join me again. This situation works all in your favor, Cate."

Cate was torn between everything at the moment. She didn't know what to do. More than anything, she wanted Bellum back. It was all he heart desired, to have her family safe. She rubbed her temples, and looked at her growing stomach.

"But I'm pregnant. You remember how the pregnant situation worked out last time." She said, more to herself than to Voldemort. "I can't handle the stress."

"Then after you have your baby!" Voldemort said. His red snake-like eyes stared at Cate. "You can join me, and I'll bring him back."

"No." Cate said. "Bring him back first. So I know you're not lying."

"Have I ever lied to you personally? I kept all my promises. I love you like my own daughter. I love you more than my own daughters. I'll keep my promise, if you keep yours."

He put out a hand, and looked Cate in the eyes. Her eyes were simply deep brown, no flecks of gold shone. "Everything you want." He repeated. "You can be happy.

Cate said nothing. Was it everything she wanted? She wouldn't spend the rest of her life alone. She'd have Bellum. She'd have her children. That was all she wanted. She had given up Quidditch to spend her life with her family. But was it worth the price?

Slowly, Cate extended her hand too, and she shook his hand. His white-ish skin was cold, and his eyes flashed in delight. "The Dark Angel of Light is back."

~*~

Felicity rubbed her temples. Her mother had come back late at night, and wasn't talking. She was silent, and sat on the couch with Sirius, shaking violently. The rest of her family was in the living room with her, along with Sirius and Lizzie.

As far as she was concerned, her mother was mad. Tossing some useless piece of junk in a box, she sighed. She had gone to clean the attic, so she could be alone. But somehow, he didn't feel alone. The attic was still too cluttered.

About to throw a small golden mirror in a box, something inscribed on the back caught her eye. It was written in a different language; Latin. Her father had taught her Latin, along with French, and a small bit of Italian and German.

"Desire to be another is shown." She translated aloud. "The Mirror Ount."

She turned it around, and rubbed the dust off it on her sweater. Looking in it, curious to see what it did, she nearly dropped it. Instead of her reflection looking back at her, she saw her mother's. It wasn't her mother now, but it was her mother when she had been evil.

Felicity looked around. She felt slightly claustrophobic with all the junk around her. "Where can I go?" She asked herself. "Hmm..." She disappeared from the attic, and appeared on a platform in the sky. There was a roof on it, but there was no railing. It was like a gazebo in the sky.

It was perfect. There was no emptier place. The clouds were around her, and she could see the stars perfectly. It would have been the best place to be alone, except for that fact that there was another person there.

The person jumped, and so did Felicity. The other person was a boy. Felicity stepped closer. He was a skinny boy, with black hair and glasses. "Neil Potter?" She said, in surprise. Felicity felt a sudden desire to push him off the edge.

"Uh..." Neil sputtered. "Felicity Pugnare?" He stepped back, nearly too far. He'd almost stepped off the edge.

Felicity walked to his other side. Neil stared at her. The moonlight bounced off her skin. She scared him. She swayed uneasily, and gave a low moan. Dropping the item she held in her hand, her eyes closed. She was going to faint!

Not thinking about who she was, he leaped forward and hooked his hands around her waist before she fell off the edge. He groaned, and dragged her to the center of the platform, where she couldn't fall off. He laid her head gently on the floor. Her hair was soft. If he woke her up, would she try to hurt him?

He found that she wasn't breathing. Looking around frantically, he realized there was no one he could call for help. Mouth to Mouth? He lifted her head up slightly and freaked out. No! He wasn't going that close to her face. He was all ready too close to Felicity for his tastes.

"Ennervate!" He said, thinking quickly. Felicity's eyes fluttered open, and she looked up at him. The back of her head was still resting on his hand. She pushed him away. "Er..." Neil sputtered. "What jut happened? You passed out."

"Stupid Founding Four!" Felicity muttered. "They have a way of making me pass out in certain situations where I'm feeling murderous, angry, sad, sometimes happy, or depressed."

"Um," Neil said stupidly. He backed away, feeling slightly uneasy. This really hadn't been his day... "What was the cause this time?"

"I was thinking about pushing you off the edge." Felicity shrugged. Neil laughed uneasily, as if it were a joke. "I was serious." She said, glaring at him.

"Oh." Neil said, wishing now that he hadn't woke her up. He could have gotten away... But now he felt the best thing he could do was make small talk or something and get her mind off the subject. Maybe she'd let him go. "So, er- what brings you here?"

"I wanted to get away from my family." She answered. "My parents brought me here once. So I figured it would be a nice escape."

"Same deal with me." Neil said. "My parents took me here when I was little. "My house is just a little too crowded now."

"Mine is too empty, but the people in it... Well, I can't take it." She burst out into tears suddenly. "My dad's gone again, and my mum's going crazy again. My older brother is trying to act like an adult, and my little sister is bawling constantly. The baby doesn't have a clue, he just knows that daddy's gone and that's a good enough reason to cry. My grandparents are over, trying to comfort everyone, but they can't!"

Neil stared at her. Felicity put her face in her hands and sobbed. Neil didn't feel like telling her about his experience earlier with her younger brother and sister. He put his arm out, as if to pat her on the back, but he drew it back. But not knowing what to do, he put his hand out again and patted her back quickly.

"It's okay." He said, feeling rather stupid. "At least there aren't a bunch of Muggles at your house, you can't do magic around them, and you don't have a large bump on your head. Your bed sheets aren't trying to smother you, and you're afraid to go to sleep at night."

Felicity looked up at him. "Get new bed sheets." She said. "Get ice for your head. You can heal those wounds." Neil sighed.

"It's not that simple, but I wish it were. Every bed I sleep in, it's there, it's like heavy velvet, trying to smother me. It feels clammy, and I can't cry for help."

"Sounds like a Lethifold." Felicity sniffled, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You can get rid of them with a Patronus. It's rather easy, actually."

"Er... Thanks." Neil said, raising his eyebrows. "How do you know, though?"

"I know a lot." Felicity shrugged, pulling her knees to her chest, and locking her hands together. "I'm a little ahead of the people in my year."

"Well, I guess that's a good thing. I'll keep your Patronus thing in mind next time I'm being smothered."

Felicity smiled at him. Neil gave a sigh of relief. He was quite sure she wasn't going to hurt him now. She was probably grateful that he had saved her life.

"So why did you save me?" She asked suddenly. "Your family hates mine, and your sister Crystal has probably warned you about me."

"Um... Well, I just couldn't let you fall off the edge." Neil said, pondering it. "Even if your family doesn't like mine. It just didn't seem right."

"I would have let you fall." Felicity shrugged. "Hell, I was even thinking about pushing you off." She paused and then said, "I guess it takes a good bit of bravery to save your friends, but even more to save your enemies."

"Um, I guess." Neil said. Did she just say something nice to him? Maybe she wasn't as bad as Crystal had always told him. She actually was starting to seem kind of nice.

"So you're the one who lives with a bunch of girls?" Felicity asked.

"Yeah."

"And then you get to school and you only friend is a girl, when there are other boys there you could be friends with?"

Neil sighed. He'd never thought of it that way. "She's not my only friend." He said. So much for Felicity being nice...

"Just asking." She shrugged.

"So you're sitting here talking to me when you could be talking to your friends?" Neil asked her.

"Well... the object of my coming here was to be alone... But now I'm talking to you. Besides... my friends aren't much for talking, you know. They're just kind of there. In fact, I think I've just told you more now then I may have ever told them in the entire time I've known them! Why?"

"Just asking." Neil smiled.

"But I suppose I'll go now." Felicity said, standing up. Neil didn't say anything, but he really didn't want her to go. "I feel better now. Thanks for not letting me fall."

"Er- you're welcome."

"I suppose I'll see you around school sometime." She offered a hand to help him up, and he took it. "Goodbye, Neil."

"Bye." Neil said, as he watched her disappear. He looked around, and noticed for the first time that Felicity had dropped something. It was a mirror. Much to his surprise, it wasn't shattered. There was something written on the back, but he couldn't read it. It was in another language. He looked into it. It wasn't his reflection staring back at him! He shook his head, and looked into it again. It was still someone else. It was his father. He looked around one last time and disappeared.

~*~

A quiet looking woman with long straight light brown hair and dazzling blue eyes sat in an armchair with her little daughter. The little girl had straight dark brown hair and deep brown eyes. The woman stroked her hair, and looked around nervously.

"Mommy," the little girl said quietly. "Why does daddy hit me?"

The woman sighed. She stroked the little girl's soft hair, and kissed her forehead. "He can't control himself, Catie."

"Why mommy?" Little Cate asked. The woman with her was Lizzie. Lizzie looked at her, and sighed.

"I don't know, sweetie." She lied. Something inside her wanted to tell her three year old everything, but Cate could never understand; not when she was three.

"Well, why does daddy hit you?" Cate asked.

"I don't know, honey." Lizzie responded, looking at the bruises on her arms. Every time she tried to escape, she was caught, and punished. Why did she have to go through this? It wasn't fair for Cate, either. Cate was just three; still little. "Come on Cate... We have to go. We have to leave."

Lizzie stood up, with Cate in her arms. Cate was clinging to her tightly, her small face buried in Lizzie's robes. She looked around, and opened the door. "Come on, Liz." She said to herself. "Don't get caught. Do it for Cate."

She walked quietly down the hall, looking at the pictures on the wall. This was the hall she had decorated. It held pictures of her friends, and her family. Jacob James strongly disapproved of it, but he let it stand.

Lizzie knew what was going to happen if she was caught. She knew that Jacob had found out Cate wasn't his child, though she was positive he knew all along. She knew that he was arranging to have Cate killed. This was the time she couldn't fail in her escape. Both their lives depended on it.

She crept down the stairs, glad that they were not wooden. She was glad they didn't creak. They reminded her of the stairs at her family Manor. She thought of Sirius. That was who she should have been with. Sirius. But he was in prison. She knew he was innocent, but there was no real way to prove it. There was no way for him to know he had a daughter.

She stroked Cate's soft hair, and then opened the door. It was raining outside. She took a deep breath, and closed the door quietly behind her. Cate squirmed, but didn't say anything.

The rain beat down on them, as Lizzie lifted Cate over the fence, then climbed over it herself. She picked Cate back up, and looked around. There were trees and hills. Perhaps she could hide? No. They'd find her. She was escaping, not hiding.

Where would she go? James and Lily were dead. Lily had been her best friend all through school. They had discussed everything with each other. They'd plotted out their lives, and imagined their futures. They imagined their children would play together.

But for the both of them, there was no such luck. All their dreams had been soiled as soon as they graduated. Lizzie had been a year younger than all her other friends. James, Lily, Remus, Meagan, Marykate, Sirius... Peter.

Meagan was still around. She had been close to Meagan and Marykate too. But not like she had been to Lily. If she could find Meagan, she'd be safe. There would be nothing much that Jacob James could do. Yes, she had to find someone. She could take a bus, or a plane, far, far away.

Then she'd try and start over again. No more abuse. No more pain. Cate could lead a happy life. Maybe she could get Sirius freed! She sighed, thinking about it.

But as she turned around, something popped the happy bubble she had been floating off in thought in. There was a tall black haired man facing her, looking murderous. Lizzie gasped, and took a step backwards.

Muttering something inaudible, she set Cate down, and the poor little girl ran and hid behind her. Lizzie drew her wand and looked at the man. "Please, no." She said. "I won't beg for your mercy, but I'll beg for that of my child's."

"I'm not here to kill you, Elizabeth," said the man. His voice was very low and monotone. "Just the girl. I'm paid to do my job."

"No. I won't move." Lizzie said. "I won't let you have her."

The man grimaced, and he growled. "Then I'll have to kill you too." He said. Lizzie reached behind her legs, and touched Cate's head.

The man shielded his eyes, and stared at her. "What the Hell d'you think you're doing?" He shouted at her. There was a bright light atop a hill nearby, and a man screaming. There was a child's scream and--

Everyone froze. The man was frozen still reaching into his jacket pocket for something. Cate's face was buried in Lizzie's robes, and Lizzie's jaw was dropped slightly, looking in the direction of the hill. For what seemed an eternity, they remained in those positions. Nothing moved, then--

There was another cry from a child on the hill, and they were unfrozen. The man pulled a knife, and Lizzie muttered something, and there was a flash of light green light. But nothing seemed to have happened. The man paused for a moment, before sinking the knife deep into Lizzie's chest.

Lizzie screamed loudly, and fell over, as Cate moved out of the way, and screamed. The man pulled the knife out of Lizzie's lifeless body, and turned to Cate, who was still screaming. He pulled out a wand, and grinned.

"Avada Kedavra!" He said loudly, and there was a green flash. Cate fell over, and the man screamed in shock as he realized the curse had just bounced off her. All that happened to Cate was the cut on her forehead. It was shaped like a small cloud.

Crawling over to her mother, Cate touched the blood on her chest. "Wake up." She said softly. "Please, mummy!" Cate began to cry, after she'd given Lizzie a shake. "Daddy'll hurt me!"

From that night on, Cate considered herself to have no parents. Even when they returned, she refused to accept them. Being left alone was too much for her.

The small girl curled up next to Lizzie, and cried herself to sleep. In the morning, she was found by a stunned Jacob James and a few older boys. He was angry, but didn't dare try and kill her himself. From that time on, Cate's life was a horrible mess... Until she met Bellum.

~*~

Cate woke with a start. Sirius was shaking her softly saying something. She couldn't hear what, though. Nothing anyone said to her made sense. It was all a slurred blur of words that was inaudible. She looked at her mother, who was watching her sadly.

She remembered her deal. It would soon be all better. In a few months, she'd have Bellum back... Even though she dreaded the day when she had to rejoin Voldemort, it was all going to be better. Or was it?

She'd proved to him that she still had the power to kill. Dolere couldn't bother her any longer. But she also remembered what Ravenclaw and Gryffindor had said to her. Cate was still trying to decide what to do. She could go back on her deal. Yes... she didn't have to stick with it if she didn't like it.

"Cate? CATE?!" Sirius said loudly, and Cate looked at him, hearing what he said.

"What?" She snapped. "Just leave me alone."

Sirius backed off, biting his lip. He looked at the rest of the people in the room, and turned and left. Everyone else followed, casting backwards glances at Cate. She'd made a mess of her life again. What was she getting into?

She thought of the people in her dreams. Maybe the dreams were trying to tell her something? No. As Bellum had told her, it was only a dream.

Bellum. Cate's heart ached to think of him. She wished she could tell him that the dreams were back. Every time she was pregnant, the dreams got worse. This pregnancy had been the worst. Even her life was a nightmare.