The last bits of sunlight drifted away behind the large mountains behind the forbidden forest. The sky, a deep crimson, dissolved into purplish blue.
Why can't anyone understand? Olivia thought, her head swimming with questions but devoid of all answeres. Why can't they just accept that I'm happy for the first time in my life?
Olivia was sitting huddled by the window, her head resting on her knees and her arms wrapped around her. Her window faced the lake, and the view would have been utterly astonishing had she not been in a miserable mood.
Tears slipped down her face, building in her eyes and seeking refuge on her shirt sleeves. Why? she thought again. Why?
She buried her face in her knees and let the sobs come more prominently, shaking her but relieving her of the extra weight on her back. She could hear nothing but the tanged beat of her heart and her relentless cries of misery.
Another sound entered the room. She turned and saw a large gray rat scamper in through a hole in the wall. She would have screamed, had she been deathly afraid of rats, but this one didn't even come towards her. It instead scurried towards one of the beds and clawed it's way up onto the bedspread.
Olivia's curiosity about the rat drove her to stand up slowly, ascending over towards where the rat was now sitting promptly.
Her eyes narrowed in suspicion as the rat eyed her, it's nose busily sniffing the air. Suddenly the rat began to inflat, growing larger. It's fur began to replace itself with pale skin and it's eyes almost bulged out of it's head in concentration.
Olivia let out a scream when at the next second a fully grown man was next to her, nestled comfortably on the bed with a crooked grin on his face.
"Good evening, Miss Freeman." the man said in a squeaky and timid sounding voice.
Olivia froze. She had just seen a rat turn into a man. She knew about animagus', but she had also read up on all of the registered ones in the world. And none were able to turn into rats.
"Who...who are you?" she said finally, causing the strange man to grin even larger, making his rat like face look horrid.
"Funny you should ask...we should save the busy talk and get right to the point." the man said, snapping his fingers once. A wand appeared in his hand and he quickly lifted up his sleeve, looking at Olivia every few seconds.
Olivia gasped as she saw a large black mark on the mans arm. But it wasn't just the mark that frightened her. His hand was composed of a silver metal that glistened in the dim light in the room.
He pointed his wand at the mark on his arm and began to whisper a complex incantation into it. Swirling black smoke began the seep through the mark and form a figure standing next to him.
The smoke began to form features: hands, legs...and a face that Olivia could not see. She heard a faint cough and saw the small man stand up rigidly, bowing slightly to the figure in the smoke.
The black smoke disapeered and Olivia saw with fright a tall lean man wearing jet black robes standing by the bed. The man straightened up and cracked his neck once, twice. Then he turned on Olivia.
What she saw would damage her for the rest of her life.
~*~
Harry ran as fast as he could. His heart was aching and his breath was ragged but he kept moving. The picture of Olivia stuck permanently in his mind.
He turned a corner sharply and ran straight into Tobias.
"Hey!" Tobias yelled angerily, his eyes flashing at Harry. "Why are you running?"
"I'm sorry but Olivia's in trouble!" Harry said, turning around to run again. Tobias grabbed him painfully by the arm.
"What did you just say?"
"Olivia is in trouble! I have to go!"
"I'm coming."
"Whatever just let go of me!" Harry yelled. His face was red hot with anger and his breath was coming in ragged gasps.
Tobias let go of Harry's arm and they both sprinted quickly up the stairs and towards Gryffindor tower.
~*~
"No...it can't be..." Olivia muttered, her eyes wide in disbelief. "It's...it's you..."
"I'm not who you think I am, Olivia Freeman."
At that moment the door burst open and Tobias and Harry staggered in, both out of breath. Tobias ran straight to Olivia and was about to hug her before he saw her face.
She was staring open mouthed at the man standing in front of her. Tobias turned and saw the figure that had emerged from the smoke. His heart jumped and his mouth dropped.
"No...it can't be..." Tobias said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his half of the picture. Olivia did the same and placed her's together with his. They glanced at the picture and then at the man standing in front of them.
It was the same man.
"Father...?" Olivia said, her eyes welling in what could almost be relieved tears. Tobias clutched her hand and stared sternly at the man.
The man started laughing. A deep, merciless laugh that penetrated their ears. His laugh was raspy and evil. He reached into his robes and pulled out a long black wand and pointed it directly at them.
Harry stood frozen in the doorway. He knew exactly who the man was.
"I find it deeply amusing that you think I am of any relation to you pathetic children. I am of more relation to you then you two are to eachother, pathetic fools!"
Olivia looked at Tobias, confusion washing over her. He held his gaze directly on the man.
"Do you know who I am?" the man said, his black eyes glistening evilly in the dim light. His dark hair was combed back and he looked incredibly aged.
Harry mouthed the name, reaching for his wand inside his robes.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, Potter!" the man yelled, pointing his wand at Harry and yelling Imperius.
Harry fell to the floor, obviously fighting the curse. Olivia screamed and tried to run to Harry but the smaller man stopped her.
"Wormtail, wrap these two up in binds and stand back while I take care of Mr. Potter here..." the man said, moving in on Harry.
"NO!" Olivia screamed, tears falling down her face. "Take me, please...oh please take me instead...I'm not afraid of you Voldemort, I'm not afraid of you!"
Tobias grabbed her as she tried to run at Voldemort with nothing but her wand in her hand. Voldemort started to laugh again, his evil and sinister laugh.
"Well, now that we are officially aquainted, I think it is time for me to maybe explain some things...I don't think we are short on time. Besides, Mr. Potter here might enjoy feeling some pain before he dies..." Voldemort said, grinning at Olivia and turning his wand to Harry, shouting Crucio!
Harry writhed in pain and began screaming, curling up on the floor. Olivia felt fear hit her again and again, waves of neasea that hurt her to the bone. Seeing Harry in pain was worse then anything.
"Stop it!" Tobias yelled, much to Voldemort's surprise. Tobias moved forward with his wand pointed at Voldemort. "Stop it or face it."
"Your very funny, you know that?" Voldemort said, his voice a hissing rasp.
"Serpensortia!" Tobias yelled, a large bolt of light bursting out of the end of his wand.
"Repelara!" The bolt of light bounced off Voldemort and hit Tobias square in the chest. He flew back and hit the wall with a large thump. Olivia screamed again and tried to run to him, only to be body binded by Wormtail.
"You think you can stop me? I heard about your plans, how you wanted revenge on me for killing your parents...well let me say this, all four of them died painlessly."
Olivia stared up at Voldemort from the floor where she was frozen, her eyes hard on his. Tobias stirred against the wall, blood dripping from his head.
"Yes, I said that right...all four of them. You two are not related in any way, it's funny that you thought you were. It's also funny that you walked around your entire lives with a picture of ME! I'm flattered but unfortunately I don't take lightly to fanclubs."
Voldemort turned and took the spell off Harry, releasing him from the intense pain. He glanced over to Olivia and saw tears falling down her face. He saw Tobias sitting up, moving slowly towards his wand on the floor.
Voldemort's eyes currently rested on Wormtail, who was busy twirling his wand like a baton between his fingers.
"Maybe you should explain...master..." Wormtail said timidly, looking up at Voldemort with terrified eyes.
"Yes...maybe I should..." Voldemort said, his eyes shifting back to Tobias and Olivia. Tobias was now at Olivia's side, holding her in his arms. He had relieved her of the body bind and she was currently breathing heavily.
"Tell us what?" Tobias said, his eyes hard and cold.
"About what happened that night..." Voldemort said thoughtfully. "Your parents were Aurors, all FOUR of them...they snuck up on me without telling the Ministry of their actions, they only told one person, and he just happens to reside in this castle..."
"Dumbledore..." Olivia said, looking at Voldemort with utter hatred.
"But then, how did we end up with a picture of you?"
"Haha...we were friends, your parents and I...before they found out who I was. The picture you have is my school picture, and I imagine that someone tore it up after they found out and you two ended up picking up the pieces..." Voldemort said, grinning at the thought.
Olivia was absolutely stunned. Tobias was fueling with anger and deep hatred. "You fucking bastard!" he shouted, trying to stand up.
Voldemort pointed his wand at him, grinning darkly. "Stupid idiot...Avada Kedavra!"
Tobias ducked, falling on top of Olivia. A flash of green light flew through the air and hit a mirror on the wall. Harry pointed his wand at Voldemort. "Expelliarmus!" Voldemort's wand soared out of his hand and landed in Harry's.
The mirror repelled the curse and it flew back and hit Voldemort straight in the chest. He screamed a choked scream and fell to the floor, dead.
Wormtail cried out, then glanced nervously around at Harry, Olivia and Tobias, who were all glaring at him.
"Maybe I should go," he said, turning to rat form and scurrying towards the towards the door.
"I don't think so." a voice said at the doorway. Albus Dumbledore bent down and picked up the rat by his tail, clutching him firmly in his hands. He turned to Harry, Tobias and Olivia and grinned. "Brilliant. Simply brilliant."
Ron and Hermione emerged from behind him, each of them with worried expressions on their faces. They saw Harry and ran to him, Hermione throwing her arms around him and Ron patting his back.
"Good job, hero boy." Ron said, grinning at Harry.
Tobias and Olivia looked at eachother, confused but relieved. "I guess this means I don't have a brother..." she said softly, touching her hand to his cheek.
He grinned at her and ran his hand through her hair. "That's right...instead you have something better." Tobias said, leaning over and kissing her lips softly.
She felt trembles run down her arms and felt her heart soar high above her. She didn't know what she wanted from life, but she knew what she wanted from him. Love.
Even if she couldn't have a family, at least she had love.
~*~
