Part 22 : Fighting
The doors were locked and guarded by two Death Eaters. The students nearest to the doors were looking frightfully at the dreadful masks under the wizards' cloak. Dumbledore was still frozen, under Willow's spell, and the rest of the teachers' were helpless, tied up and hung in the air. Most of the Slytherins had satisfied looks, but some of them still looked like someone had killed their dog. As for the rest of the students, they were frightened. Only, Draco, Hermione, Ron and Harry stood still, glaring in defiance at the Death Eaters.
Voldemort sat down in Dumbledore's chair and sighed. On his right sat Lucius, on his left, Willow. The black haired girl grinned evilly at her fellow classmates. The dark lord chuckled. "Now, now, Willow. Don't you see you're scaring them?"
She laughed coldly and Draco shivered. "That's exactly the point. If the doors weren't guarded, I think some of them would actually try to run just to get away from me." She glanced toward the Hufflepuff table. The students gasped when her eyes went jet black. "What's the matter? Do I have something on my face?" she asked in a mocking voice.
"Willow," Lucius started, smiling. "Stop scaring the children."
"But I want to play," she answered in a childish voice. Senior Malfoy almost laughed when she pouted like a petulent child.
"Willow, stop it!"
Her eyes narrowed when she recognized the voice. "And why should I? What's the matter, Draco? Don't you love me anymore?"
"You are a monster! You're not Willow!"
"Oh but I am and you know it." She stood up and walked to the Slytherin table. She cocked her head. "You know it. and it scares you, doesn't it?" She smiled coldly. "You deny it, but you always knew I had this much darkness inside of me. You knew exactly the potential I had for the Dark Arts. You try to be strong, but you're not sure you can be. You know I'm stronger than you. You know I'm darker than you. You know I'm crueller than you." She turned to look at the rest of the Great Hall. "Should I prove it?"
"No!" Draco cried. "No proof is necessary. I know what you are. I've always known your potential for darkness."
"Good for you," Willow replied.
"But I know your potential for good also." Willow froze. "Your soul is much brighter than any I've ever met and it surpasses even the darkness inside of you. What do you say to that?" His cocky tone had returned.
Lucius stood up quickly. "You fool! I don't know what possessed me to let you live to this point. You should join force with the greatest dark sorceress, not go against her! You don't'know what she's capable of."
But Lucius wasn't so sure anymore when he saw the cruel grin on his son's face. "No, father. *You* can't begin to imagine the real extent of her power."
A cold silence filled the Great Hall as father and son began a glaring contest. until Willow cleared her throat. "Down, boys. No need for your little display of testosterone."
Lucius knew his son wasn't bluffing. Draco was many things, but no matter how much he hated him, he couldn't lie to his father. If he tried, he would have known. Like father like son. He could recognize the 'lying face' of his son, because he had the same one.
He wouldn't admit it, but he was scared. Scared of Willow. What Draco said was right. He didn't know the true extent of the girl's power. Did his son knew? Was it a warning or just a guess? Ever since Willow had been in his presence, something had been bothering him. Something was definitly wrong. The girl was hidding something, but what?
"Willow, I know you're much better than this."
Voldemort hissed. "Gryffindor." Hermione had stood up and was looking straight at her friend, no matter how scared she might be. Her fear didn't show. She *would* be strong.
"You can fight it, Willow, I know you can. Don't let it swallow you whole."
Lucius sneered. "Don't listen to her, sweet. She's so 'good', she couldn't understand the pull, the darkness, the power."
"Willow, believe me! I'm your friend. Just look at me. Would I really say something if I didn't think it true? If I wasn't sure of what I was saying?"
"Shut up, mudblood!" she screamed in rage.
Hermione's face hardened. "You're one too, remember?"
Silence. Noone moved. Noone talked. Something in Willow snapped. [In your blood lies the truth.] Her eyes glanced quickly at Snape hanging in the air. [I'm not a mudblood! She has no rights to say that to me!]
Draco looked curiously at Willow. [It's working! She knows her true heritage. The fact that her father chose the good side is working her up, confusing her.] His silver eyes widened when he saw his father point his wand at the Gryffindor.
"Crucio!"
Hermione screamed in pain and collapsed on the floor. She held on her sides, hoping for the pain to fade. Lucius laughed. "Regretting your words, mudblood? You're lucky Willow didn't rip your skin right on the spot." He turned to his master. "My Lord, is it time to deal with the unworthy? I think the traitor's screams would sound good with the mudblood's ones."
Willow eyes widened. [Traitor? Surely he isn't thinking of.?] Her eyes snapped to Severus. The Potions Master had hidden his emotions behind a cold mask and he glared at senior Malfoy. [Oh God! He is!]
The stone wall erected around her heart started to crumble. The black eyes changed back to green. The coldness didn't reach her eyes anymore. She squeezed them shut. [No. I won't let them hurt him.] When she opened her eyes again, there was an unbelievable calmness surrounding her.
She was ready.
The doors were locked and guarded by two Death Eaters. The students nearest to the doors were looking frightfully at the dreadful masks under the wizards' cloak. Dumbledore was still frozen, under Willow's spell, and the rest of the teachers' were helpless, tied up and hung in the air. Most of the Slytherins had satisfied looks, but some of them still looked like someone had killed their dog. As for the rest of the students, they were frightened. Only, Draco, Hermione, Ron and Harry stood still, glaring in defiance at the Death Eaters.
Voldemort sat down in Dumbledore's chair and sighed. On his right sat Lucius, on his left, Willow. The black haired girl grinned evilly at her fellow classmates. The dark lord chuckled. "Now, now, Willow. Don't you see you're scaring them?"
She laughed coldly and Draco shivered. "That's exactly the point. If the doors weren't guarded, I think some of them would actually try to run just to get away from me." She glanced toward the Hufflepuff table. The students gasped when her eyes went jet black. "What's the matter? Do I have something on my face?" she asked in a mocking voice.
"Willow," Lucius started, smiling. "Stop scaring the children."
"But I want to play," she answered in a childish voice. Senior Malfoy almost laughed when she pouted like a petulent child.
"Willow, stop it!"
Her eyes narrowed when she recognized the voice. "And why should I? What's the matter, Draco? Don't you love me anymore?"
"You are a monster! You're not Willow!"
"Oh but I am and you know it." She stood up and walked to the Slytherin table. She cocked her head. "You know it. and it scares you, doesn't it?" She smiled coldly. "You deny it, but you always knew I had this much darkness inside of me. You knew exactly the potential I had for the Dark Arts. You try to be strong, but you're not sure you can be. You know I'm stronger than you. You know I'm darker than you. You know I'm crueller than you." She turned to look at the rest of the Great Hall. "Should I prove it?"
"No!" Draco cried. "No proof is necessary. I know what you are. I've always known your potential for darkness."
"Good for you," Willow replied.
"But I know your potential for good also." Willow froze. "Your soul is much brighter than any I've ever met and it surpasses even the darkness inside of you. What do you say to that?" His cocky tone had returned.
Lucius stood up quickly. "You fool! I don't know what possessed me to let you live to this point. You should join force with the greatest dark sorceress, not go against her! You don't'know what she's capable of."
But Lucius wasn't so sure anymore when he saw the cruel grin on his son's face. "No, father. *You* can't begin to imagine the real extent of her power."
A cold silence filled the Great Hall as father and son began a glaring contest. until Willow cleared her throat. "Down, boys. No need for your little display of testosterone."
Lucius knew his son wasn't bluffing. Draco was many things, but no matter how much he hated him, he couldn't lie to his father. If he tried, he would have known. Like father like son. He could recognize the 'lying face' of his son, because he had the same one.
He wouldn't admit it, but he was scared. Scared of Willow. What Draco said was right. He didn't know the true extent of the girl's power. Did his son knew? Was it a warning or just a guess? Ever since Willow had been in his presence, something had been bothering him. Something was definitly wrong. The girl was hidding something, but what?
"Willow, I know you're much better than this."
Voldemort hissed. "Gryffindor." Hermione had stood up and was looking straight at her friend, no matter how scared she might be. Her fear didn't show. She *would* be strong.
"You can fight it, Willow, I know you can. Don't let it swallow you whole."
Lucius sneered. "Don't listen to her, sweet. She's so 'good', she couldn't understand the pull, the darkness, the power."
"Willow, believe me! I'm your friend. Just look at me. Would I really say something if I didn't think it true? If I wasn't sure of what I was saying?"
"Shut up, mudblood!" she screamed in rage.
Hermione's face hardened. "You're one too, remember?"
Silence. Noone moved. Noone talked. Something in Willow snapped. [In your blood lies the truth.] Her eyes glanced quickly at Snape hanging in the air. [I'm not a mudblood! She has no rights to say that to me!]
Draco looked curiously at Willow. [It's working! She knows her true heritage. The fact that her father chose the good side is working her up, confusing her.] His silver eyes widened when he saw his father point his wand at the Gryffindor.
"Crucio!"
Hermione screamed in pain and collapsed on the floor. She held on her sides, hoping for the pain to fade. Lucius laughed. "Regretting your words, mudblood? You're lucky Willow didn't rip your skin right on the spot." He turned to his master. "My Lord, is it time to deal with the unworthy? I think the traitor's screams would sound good with the mudblood's ones."
Willow eyes widened. [Traitor? Surely he isn't thinking of.?] Her eyes snapped to Severus. The Potions Master had hidden his emotions behind a cold mask and he glared at senior Malfoy. [Oh God! He is!]
The stone wall erected around her heart started to crumble. The black eyes changed back to green. The coldness didn't reach her eyes anymore. She squeezed them shut. [No. I won't let them hurt him.] When she opened her eyes again, there was an unbelievable calmness surrounding her.
She was ready.
