Disclaimer: I don't own this stuff, I am borrowing characters from Harry Potter by JK Rowling, please no sue me, I have no money! Honest! I'm unemployed, really, no money at all... *cries*
Author's Note: Next chapter, thanks for all the reviews! I'm so happy! You all make me really happy, so again, I'm going to name you all... *insane laughter to be inserted here*
So from the beginning then...
LoPotter: That's okay, you can go psycho if you want to... I mean this next chapter does kinda suck a bit. I think I went a little over the top. But then I'll let you be the judge of that. Feel free to yell at me, because I am a loser and this chapter is... well I like it but, I have my reservations. That and you have to be sure to read the opening lines and take them quite seriously. They do actually have meaning this time, and are there to make you think. But you always seem to be the first to read it, and review... you're great, thank you!
Lyansidde: Thank you for the comments. I will change the spelling mistakes when I get time. Prolly this weekend. I know it was a horrible place to leave the story but I didn't really want to go over eleven pages, I may start to bore you all with about half an hour to read one chapter - you gotta agree with me on that one. That and I wanted to leave a nice juicy cliff-hanger since I haven't had one of those in a while.
Sweet Audrina: Wanna know something naughty? I'd written chapter 18 when I posted 17 and had already written 19 when I posted 18. Is that bad of me, only chapter 20 is a bit of a bitch to write, Quentus is either the most annoying man on the planet of an unbelievable piece of ass. I don't really know. Anyway, thank you for reviewing. I'm still trying to get chapter 20 right though I am so confused.
Pinkpanther: The sword? Hmm interesting theory, nice to see you thinking. ^_^ however, you see what happens, I don't even know what is going on really. I tend to write on the spur of the moment, kinda like if it feels right, type. Thanks for reviewing!
Gagou: I tried to read your story, only I'm illiterate when it comes to French, I did German you see, and now I'm trying to teach myself Japanese. Anyway thanks for the really flattering review!
Sarah Black: I talk to you a lot anyway, but thanks for reviewing this one, and I'm glad to see you like it! Severus drunk, is yes, very, very amusing. Lets see what you think of this chapter anyhoo! Thank you!
Chisa: Thanks for reviewing, I'm glad to see someone who likes a bit of healthy violence, I mean, doesn't everyone?! I know I do. Anyway, I shall be sure to try not to say my punctuation etc is bad though Marie Goos tells me I suck at it, and I am inclined to agree with her. ^_^
potionsmaster: So what it I were to sent in the ATC? Bet you don't know who they are! We are indeed prone to ruthless efficiency! You better believe it! I agree! Quentus must die! Down with Q! No wait, I'm not sure what I think of him... as for that rubber chicken... QUA! No! thanks for the review! Me likes! Some nice entertainment to read there, and we keep missing each other on AIM! I have some more doodles I have so got to show you! ^_^
Christine: I was working on more dramatic, but I thought the whole situation it was going into was stressful enough... I should try to rewrite that bit at some point. But I have so many other stories its getting difficult to follow everything. Thank you!
imix9sib: Glad to see you liked it! Thanks for the review... and well don't you just hate the PC mouse? I hate mine, it started to stick, it's really annoying. Don't mind me... ^_^
Rose Flame: Yes we all know you've read this chapter! lol! Thanks for the nice review! You helped me on my quest for 200 reviews! But yes, I now have a new quest... Over 200 reviews... can I do it? God knows, prolly... but then maybe not. How I hate fate. But thanks again star sister!
() : I'm going to have to call you Bracket dude, cause I have no idea about your name, but thanks for the review, and it's nice to see you came back to review, I'm really flattered. My fingers are stating to ache from typing so much... anyway! Thanks again and I hope you enjoy this!
Marie Goos: You're a little behind again, take your sweet time if you must, but I wanna know what ya think. I think I have a posting this story bug up my ass, I can't stop myself! Someone stop me! No wait, I'll be okay. Thanks anyway Marie!
Lelio: I know her character is a little strange, I hope I proved you wrong and you're not just saying that. But anyway, thank you! And JAM! Cause it's funky! LOL!
You're all fantastic! Yippee for you guys!
::~::~::~::
The deep velvet folds are where we find our sanctuary,
The blue is where the wild meets reality,
Venom in your soul like static down your spine,
You say this isn't you,
This isn't what wanted, what you expected,
Yet you follow,
Walk blindly on.
The Blue Phoenix
Electro static blue waves of lightning seemed to fill the room, as a blue flaming bird, erupted from Raine, causing the two Death Eaters holding her to drop her sharply, as she was no longer herself but something completely different rising from the floor. What seemed like waves of electricity was streaming from the floor to the ceiling as the creature took flight burring Raine deep within the depths of it's swan like head as it's eyes flashed silver and filled the room with blazing blue-silver flames.
Snape looked up from where he had been lying unable to comprehend what he saw as he felt like he too was burning within, a rage like something he couldn't understand, know, or value, had been lost or stolen without his knowledge. He watched in amazement as the ceiling began to erupt into bright blue flames like the sapphire of the sword, before panning out from one area like a shock wave - the light caused him to blink, look away as if it were too much. There was a light hum in the room, like the tops of crystal glasses singing - it was making him feel light-headed. The bird then flew wildly at Voldemort, who was screaming at the top of his lungs his robes ripping out around him as the undefined elegant creature took a second pass.
"This is impossible, the blue phoenix of legend is always a man, and never a woman... this isn't right!" It wasn't very often the Dark Lord got his facts wrong, he didn't think he was wrong this time... he flashed his dark blood red eyes on Snape who was lying, screaming in agony worse than any curse as the light began to engulf him.
"Make it stop!" Severus begged wishing deep down it was either, Voldemort's punishment, or that he were truly dead after all the effort he had made.
"This isn't over yet;" Voldemort hissed, his eye's taking the shade of blood lacking haemoglobin, before he disapparated followed by the Death Eater's - still able to see their master.
The lightning blue phoenix swooped at Severus diving round him lifting him from the ground in a whirlwind centrifuge.
All of a sudden everything got lighter. The pain seemed to be lifting but the heat was intense, so much so he could actually feel his robes burning over his flesh. He knew it hurt. Something deep within him was screaming out his discomfort but he made no sound; just allowed it to happen like it were nothing before he was dropped into something cold - freezing even - he didn't know where he was, it was like the reverse of hell - it was so cold it burned. He howled in pain before he realised he was in the lake outside Hogwarts, the blue light was fading above him, and nothing was happening - nothing at all... it was as if the whole evenings horror had evaporated. The light transfixed his eyes until he could feel the cold of the water seep over him. He was lying flat on the water until he could feel himself fold in two and sink beneath the it... he wanted to give up. Let it take you... no one will care.
::~::~::~::
Dumbledore sat in his office thinking about the things that had been happening. Severus had gone to face Voldemort, but was there anything specific about that? It was midnight and he had yet to return, he was a Death Eater not a small boy or a pupil but the old wizard couldn't help but worry - it seemed inbuilt to do so.
Kratts was behaving in a very strange way, and he wasn't sure why but, there was something about her that made him think they had met before.
He tapped his wand to his right temple taking a misty thought from his mind and placing it into the pensive and looking back over some of the events of the year he had been a witness to.
There were flashes of the start of the year when he had first introduced Raine as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. She seemed like the kind of woman that didn't just give up, and she even appeared to offer some resistance to Snape, as well as keep his mind from a lot of things that otherwise would have started to destroy him. Kung fu was interesting as the old Headmaster noticed something strange happening to Severus, he was watching things more carefully.
He was had been watching Raine, more than anything though - at first, Dumbledore had thought nothing of it. Not a lot of what had transpired that year made any sense. He hadn't a clue what had driven her insane, Raine was not the kind of person to just tell anyone there was something wrong.
Had he known what had happened on that cold night in November he may not have tried to force her to make more contact with Severus. But he had been kept in the dark until the December and by then she was on the edge and trying to kill a man that he could only assume was her brother, until she told him otherwise. She wasn't who she said she was, he knew that... and her so called family were no more than a collection of people with specific skills ready to kill and clean up the Ministry's mistakes.
The only problem was, she had made the biggest mistake, and was paying for it with her life. Severus hadn't a clue... perhaps it was for the best. No one wants to be told they raped someone in the cruellest way, without knowing they had done it. The problem with her no longer around, was how much longer could it be kept a secret?
He placed his wand down and looked around the room at the portraits, what was he to do? It seemed strange to Dumbledore, no matter how wise he was, to ask advice of the previous Heads of the school. Talking to pictures wasn't really his cup of tea.
There was a sound of footsteps, careful and silent creeping up the corridor to his office. Dumbledore picked up his wand and looked to the door as the handle slowly turned with a hurried click - he was poised to throw a spell on the sneaking incomer. Black robes paced round the door, Dumbledore looked from the floor past the lean figure and up to the well aged, distinguished face of a man with short, unnaturally white hair.
"Professor Wise?" Dumbledore said slightly confused.
"Good evening Professor Dumbledore, sorry to intrude - but I have a matter of utmost importance I must discuss with you," Astix said pulling his robes about himself and looking behind himself to check he hadn't been followed.
"Well of course," Dumbledore pointed to the seat opposite the desk, and looked at his former student who was now in his early seventies and disappeared when he was fourteen until recently when he was given the job of Potions Professor at the University not many people knew existed.
"And Raine, I need to talk to her as well... do you know where I might find her... I'll be back as soon as I have got her." Dumbledore looked at Astix sadly.
"I am afraid that Professor Stark is no longer working at this school. She disappeared about two months ago," Astix looked blankly at Dumbledore as if someone had jumped on his chest and forced all the air out of him.
"But she can't be... she has been sending me owls since she got here, I got one only this morning, she said there was something wrong and that... it isn't important, how can she not have been here. It isn't like you could miss her, she can't speak German to save her life!" Astix shrank back as Dumbledore slowly got out of his chair.
"What?" He said in a harsh tone, the twinkle fading in his sapphire eyes.
"Didn't she tell you?" Astix piped, he almost feared the older wizard, the fact that Raine had left him with something rather complex to explain, was almost too much.
"Tell me what, Mr. Wise?"
"Oh," he squeaked. "What a strange situation, hmm... in order to keep the students from finding out she was... umm... I don't think I should be saying any of this." He sat down and shut up abruptly.
"She wanted to keep them from finding out she was pregnant by acting as a different woman but one that looked more heavily pregnant than she did thus making everyone think it was someone else. And why was I not informed of this?" Dumbledore said finally piecing all the parts together so that Astix, didn't need to explain to him what had been going on under his nose for the past few months.
"I could have sworn I told her to tell you... to make sure that..." Astix's nose began to twitch, "she just doesn't take any notice does she!"
"Clearly not."
"Have you any idea where she is?"
"Kratts said she was feeling ill, and needed a lie down," Dumbledore began to suspect that there was something more about this evening. "We should try looking for her in her office, that is normally where she goes when she doesn't want to be found, there is a certain drawer that she likes to hide in before throwing herself out the window."
"The window?!" Before Dumbledore could say anything else Astix was running down the stairs as fast as he could.
"Here we go..." Dumbledore said before striding after him like he were a young man again, no longer showing age that he had often displayed.
::~::~::~::
"I will not tolerate this any longer! We will go to that school tonight... she will not outwit me. She'll never forget this evening... and Snape, he'll be killed if it is that last thing I do!" Voldemort ordered - the group of Death Eaters around him muttered amongst themselves. "Well go!" He hissed. One of the Death Eaters stepped out of the crowd.
"I do not believe a frontal assault on Hogwarts is a good idea my Lord. Surely it would better to lure them out where we can get at them more easily rather than where they know escapes. Surely it would be wiser to keep go where Dumbledore is nowhere near to protect them," Quentus looked at Voldemort, who was looking more and more livid the longer he stood out from the others trying to outsmart him.
"I will not stand for your cowardice! This is not a democracy! I am in charge and while I live my authority is absolute, you will not question me in future you worthless maggot! Crucio!" Quentus hit the floor screaming like an idiot, he should fight it but lost the will...
::~::
Leave her alone... please Dad! Don't hurt her... she hasn't done anything... you're drunk, think, think! Please...
Harrowing screams into the night, as everything fades.
Please... let me out... what have you done? I can't hear you... I can't hear myself.
Screaming echoes.
I beg you, let me go! I swear I won't tell... I'm a good boy... I'll never tell...
Silence follows. The door opens...
I'm free...
Cacophony of screams as a force of thousands follow. Broken.
You will never hurt anyone again...
Blissful silence as trickery and innocence breaks into song.
Never again... just a push and it's all over. Anything to say?
The snores.
I thought not... Good bye.
Never wakes, gone forever.
It felt good, I won't deny, but when they ask you to stop all you say is: Why?
::~::
"Finite Incantatem!" Voldemort screeched, Quentus looked up blindly.
"Do it again!" He said in an insane tone. "Punish me!" He breathed in a husky tone - there was a wild look in his eyes, as if some unknown ecstasy had taken over - snaring his senses and driving him insane with a lust to kill.
"Go to the school, you pathetic fool!" Voldemort ordered Quentus remained on the floor.
"Hurt me! Break me! Punish me! I deserve it!" He screamed going into spasms on the floor. "No father! I didn't mean it! She was wrong - always wrong! You were right to kill her..." Voldemort looked down at him a confused look on his face - it was quite quizzical to see the master of evil contemplating why this man was going crazy at his feet.
"Where the bloody hell are you Maytricks? Wake up!"
"Oh I'll get you... and then others shall follow until I feel the power you had at your finger tips in those seconds as you snapped her neck... clumsy fool!" Quentus' eyes were closed and he stopped moving altogether. "I'm frightened of the dark... please don't leave me here... let me out... please... I beg you let me go..." his voice trailed into echoes as he lie. The other Death Eaters looked to Voldemort, it was like on of them as spooked the entire lot - a bit like spooking sheep.
"Go to the school," he hissed... the remaining Death Eaters didn't argue. "Lucius, take him with you... find Stark - and kill her."
"My Lord," he said calmly hoisting Quentus up by the collar of his robes and pointing his wand at the dead weight in his grasp. "Enervate!" He commanded as Quentus again snapped into life.
"Very good Lucius... you are becoming most useful to me... as your father was. Now go and don't disappoint me as he did."
"My Lord," he uttered disapparating.
::~::~::~::
"There is no one here!" Astix shouted as he headed back towards Dumbledore. "Where could she be! I trust you know the importance of finding her... if anything happens! If Voldemort gets that child! We must find her!"
"Let us be calm Astix, would you be willing to head to the Ministry with me, I don't believe there is anything else that we can do here."
"I have to find her Albus, if anything happened to her I'd never forgive myself... all this was possibly part of my doing, I need to be sure she's safe. She's like my sister... please, we must find her." Dumbledore looked at the other wizard sadly.
"But Astix, I haven't a clue where she is. Unless you have any other ideas I believe she has gone to Voldemort, to try to make him believe she is faithful to him. How long do you think she can keep it up. I know she is quite corrupt, I haven't any idea how much until tonight but I think even she will crack soon. Any woman that is pregnant is likely to end up with their hormones out of sync." Astix looked down the corridor, his eyebrow twitching.
"I don't think we have any time for that..." Astix said drawing his wand and starting to head towards the entrance hall.
"What do you mean?"
"There is something coming... it's very cold around here. Can you hear anything, I can't hear it but I can sense it."
"It's like a strange hissing sound rising through the school. Quickly we had better get to the source of it before the students start to go wild," Dumbledore strode out in front of Astix heading towards the entrance of the school. He was right, something was coming, he wasn't sure what but it was big and was going to be dangerous.
::~::~::~::
"I don't think we should be here," Quentus mumbled looking around like a frightened child his eyes wide and his entire body shaking.
"Don't be such a coward Maytricks, I thought you of all people would be braver than this. We are here to do the master's bidding - not the muse over things that are not concerned in this matter. We are here to kill Stark and obtain information... do all you can do to cause a ruckus, I will be looking for that stupid little witch. She will regret getting past me - she'll have a memory for her death that should send her off with a bang, if you know what I mean." Quentus looked from under his hood at the second hooded figure that was dragging him along, a drunken look on his face.
"Quite," he said shortly.
"Now then, try to stay alive Maytricks, you're kind of entertaining - in your own little way, and I'd hate to have to be the one to scrape your scattered remains from the walls of the Hogwarts castle. I mean - I am already going to be decorating one of the offices an interesting new colour, hint of brain... perhaps that Potter boy's or maybe Dumbledore's." Lucius said musing about murder, Quentus smirked.
"Just stick to what you were told Malfoy, I don't think his Lordship will be too pleased if you remove either of his wanted trophies. I however agree with you in one aspect, Dumbledore's head would look rather fetching mounted over a fireplace. Perhaps we could sell his eyes and make a profit, how much do you reckon we could get for pure sapphire?" Lucius gave a cold laugh.
"That's why I like you, your just so... disgustingly slippery," Quentus managed to carry himself along now, no holding back, as his courage began to come back.
"Thank you Lucius, but you'll understand if I don't say the same about you, I think your a spineless worm. Perhaps you had better leave Stark to me. I have more reason to go after her than you do. I could make her last moments hell. That and I know exactly how to beat her to submission, believe me, you wouldn't stand a chance against her. She'd kill you before you could whip it out."
"Who said I would touch her in that way? But I like the way you think. Make her suffer and I'll buy you a drink later."
"Very well."
::~::~::
Raine opened her eyes, she was led on her back on her desk a hazy blue light above her... what was going on? It hurt... everything was going blurry, wake up you stupid woman, don't let it beat you... going, going... it hurts, why me... why did this happen?
She tried to move but her stomach ached and everything started to go black.
::~::~::
No... don't let go.
I can't help it.
What were you taught?
Never let them take you alive.
Exactly.
And so I let go.
No.
I can't stop it.
Try.
The pain... it hurts too much.
I know.
No - you don't... you don't know, because you're dead.
What I wouldn't give to feel your pain.
Then you try holding onto life when it is that easy to let go!
It's all a question of will power.
I have none left.
Then I can't help you.
Drifting... it's beautiful.
Distressing, frightful and full of regret, run away... you know you can.
Take me...
::~::~::
"We shall meet again later my dark minded ally, I promise we shall both be happier men... and perhaps she will finally understand what I meant when I said one day I will take you somewhere beyond Elysium. It is perhaps unfortunate perhaps that, in doing so I shall have to take her to hell first," Maytricks and Malfoy stood waiting just outside the Hogwarts entrance as the rest of the Death Eaters flooded into the building.
"Who cares where you take her as long as she's dead at the end of it," Lucius closed his eyes and looked at the second man who had now completely hidden his face in his robes.
"Good bye, Lucius," he hummed sneaking into the building.
::~::~::~::
"What could possibly have sparked this?!" Astix said as he got into the entrance hall being confronted by the largest group of Death Eaters he had ever seen. Dumbledore looked outside as the entire sky outside went black and no light could be seen at all other than the torch light inside the school.
"The death of a star..."
::~::~::~::
You're my last breath, you're a breath of fresh air to me, I am empty so tell me you'll care for me, you're the first thing and the last thing on my mind, in your arms I feel - the sunshine...
('The Time is Now,' by Moloko.)
Is there nothing better than a simple and yet pure poison so sweet it takes time to recover from it's divine... The divide of life, is it broken.
Author's Note: Stratified random weirdness. I think Maybe this was a bit much, I am predicting huge flames for this chapter... please don't flame me, I know it's tempting. Anyway Please Review... and I will work on the next chapter and get it done as soon as I can. It's all so confusing, oh help me! I don't know what the hell I'm doing, but there is more to this story and well... what happened to Snape?! AAAAA! Sorry... I'm going to shut up now. I'm still hyped on the feeling of having 200 reviews for this story! WOW! Me go now.
She who is completely out of her mind...
I.C. Fire
silver_shadow54@hotmail.com