Catch Me If You Can
Chapter Thirty Three ll Hello Wyntone, Goodbye Di
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By the next morning, things were a bit... odd.
"Ah geez, what is wrong with everyone?" Sirius said a bit anxiously, as they walked into the Hall of Regals.
It was completely silent; the only noises being the creepy flicker of everyone blinking at the same time, and the incessant clanking of spoon against bowl.
No one was talking. Not even the teachers. Madame Lafille was eating her cereal so robotically that she didn't even seem to be human anymore.
The only ones that were normal were the Hogwarts transfers.
"It's like... everyone's been hypnotized," Anna said testily, looking nervous.
"This isn't right... there's gotta be magic going on around here," Lily said, edging away from a boy that was buttering his toast over and over and over, that he didn't seem to notice that it was being over-buttered.
"Dark magic, at that," Remus said, shivering, "Why...? And how come we aren't infected?!"
"This is creepy, let's find someone who's still us-us," Paige suggested, "Or... we might need to try and reach Dumbledore."
"Could this be a trick?" James asked, glancing nervously at the sea of students, still eating mechanically.
"No..."
"I can get us out of here, and find the source of this trouble."
Everyone turned to look at Di, who hadn't said much in days.
"And how would that be?" Sirius demanded.
Di said nothing; just guided her hand to her neck and grabbed onto something around it.
None of them could see what she was holding, but suddenly, a portal appeared just beside them.
"Merlin's beard, how did you do that?!" Lily and Anna gasped.
Di shrugged, glancing at James and Sirius, "Ask no questions and I'll tell no lies. Go in that portal, and I guarantee you will find your answer to this--" she gestured at the hypnotized people.
Lily peered at the portal cautiously; it was purple and blue with white swirls.
James walked up to her, "This doesn't look too good... It could lead to anywhere," he murmured into her ear.
"I trust her," the redhead said confidently, taking a step forward.
"Lily--"
But she had already disappeared.
Well that did it for James; he also took a step forward and disappeared into the portal.
"Oh, what idiots," Sirius murmured, with a sideways glance at Di. He went in as well.
"Go Peter," Paige commanded, pushing the oblivious boy forward.
Anna glanced at her nervously, grabbing her hand, "Come on Paige..."
The brunette nodded uncertainly, "Here goes nothing..."
They both disappeared into the swirling blue portal.
With a sigh, Di finally stepped in. It disappeared just as she went.
---
"Alright, one thing; where the hell are we?!" Lily asked testily, looking around nervously. The portal had led the eight outside what seemed to be a volcano.
Di went to the front, "See that thing up there?"
She pointed through two sort of volcanoes, and they saw a rockety path that led to--
"Is that a castle?" Paige asked, squinting.
"Yup. And in there's your answer."
They were all very skeptical about this; even Lily, who trusted Di the most out of them.
"What, are you saying we have to go in the castle?!" James exclaimed, "Listen, you just lead to us to -- to nowhere, and now you actually want us to swim through two volcanoes and go into some random castle?!"
"Listen Di, this isn't a movie," Sirius said seriously, "We could end up dead. I think it's best just for you to create that thing again and send us back to Beauxbatons."
"No, you listen. I know what lies in there, and I swear, you are completely safe," Di looked at them wide, dark eyes.
And everyone turned to Lily.
"What?! I don't know what to do! It's like -- AHHHHH!"
She screamed and dived away as a whirl of lava fell on her.
"Hurry up and follow me!" Di yelled, ducking as some volcanic rocks began to shower down on them.
James and Sirius glanced at each other, and shrugged. They followed the girls who had ran ahead on the rockety path.
They reached the enormous wooden doors of the castle, gasping.
Di wretched them open, "Inside!" she yelled, as the volcano let out a flood of lava.
They had no choice but to follow her into the castle.
Remus and Sirius both threw themselves against the doors to close them tightly behind them. Then they looked around.
Some castle.
It was made out of stone, grey stone. The room they were in... wasn't a room. But a sort of tunnel. They could only see darkness ahead of them.
"Di--" Lily began.
"Shh! Just follow me, and keep your voices down," Di hissed. The others glanced at each other nervously. They had never seen her this angry and anxious.
They tiptoed, or at least tried to, as Di insisted on going quickly.
They had been walking for at least ten minutes, when she suddenly halted in the middle of nowhere and yelled at them to stop.
"So much for keeping our voices down," Sirius muttered to James.
Di reached over to the stonewall and took the flaming torch. They watched as she threw it at the spot in front of them.
The girls yelled and shrieked as there was an explosion.
"It's okay, it was just a trap," Di said carelessly, prodding on forward, "If you guys had stepped on that, you'd all be mince meat at the moment."
"Oh yeah, really safe," Sirius said sarcastically, though he looked worried.
Di glared at him, but said nothing.
They continued to walk, with Di unsetting all the traps. Lily's trust in her began to fade away. How did Di know all the traps? It was all so confusing. And anyway, where were they going?!
"Di, where exactly are we going to?" she finally dared to ask.
"Like I said before, the answer."
"You're being vague," Paige pointed out.
"Yeah well, if I wasn't, there'd be a few disagreements," Di said haughtily, continuing to lead them.
"Far out Di, why can't you just tell us?!" Sirius shot out.
Di whirled around. She certainly looked angry.
"Because if I did, do think I'd still have you guys as friends?!" she was yelling, "It's not easy having to choose between two things that I can't both be! It's not easy betraying people! I'M TRYING, FOR GOD'S SAKE, BUT IT'S NOT EASY!"
"Di," James said calmly, as the others tried to overcome their shock and understand her outburst, "What the bloody hell are you on about?!"
She turned away from them, "Forget it," she muttered.
Just as she took a step forward, the floor that the other seven had just been standing on disappeared. They yelped and shrieked as they fell down into nothingness.
Di gasped and kneeled onto the floor, looking into the wide square hole that her friends had just fell into.
"Forgive me," she whispered, as her first tear fell from her eye. She got up and began running.
---
Lily opened her eyes... and found herself tied up with thick, heavy rope.
Blinking, she looked to her left.
A tied up Paige.
To her right.
A tied up James.
In front of her.
...
Wyntone.
Stirring a cauldron.
Good -- freaking -- Lord.
What just happened, what just happened?! she thought desperately, Alright... we were having an argument with Di... then we fell? That's all I remember... A load of blackness...
"You just fell right into my trap," Wyntone smiled at them. He looked... pure evil. A twisted grey face, with almost-slits for eyes, which were a piercing blue. His dark grey hair fell, dry and straggly, down to his waist. He was wearing heavy, dark purple cloaks and robes. A pointed black hat was perched on his head.
Lily stared at him. Then she looked at her left, past Paige, and saw Anna and Peter, also tied up. She looked past James on her left and saw Sirius.
...Di?
Where was Di?!
"Where's Di?" Lily asked, shaking with anger.
Wyntone chuckled cruelly.
"The Wiccan speaks."
It was a new person, this time. A tall lady with dark midnight blue hair spun up into a three-level bun. She was dressed in dark purple robes as well.
And she too had a cruel smile on her face.
Beside her, Lily felt James tense up a little.
"Lily--"
"Yes, as I was saying, you just fell right into my trap. Two half-Wiccans. I do not think any other wizard has ever captured Wiccans before."
"--I think--"
"Of course, I never thought that there would be four extra added to the plot. But they can be a good source of blackmail."
"--that that's Wyntone--"
"All thanks to our daughter, for luring them here."
"--and his wife, Drusilla."
Lily had already knew what James had told her; but she was trying to make sense of Wyntone's words.
She stopped.
Daughter?
Lure?
She could hear Sirius faintly cursing.
"Diana, come," Drusilla commanded curtly.
From the shadows, a girl with black hair emerged.
Di.
She looked up at Lily, who saw the tears in her eyes.
"Yes, mother," she said meekly.
"Fine job," Drusilla said softly.
Lily could not believe it.
She heard Paige and Anna gasp.
She heard James sigh.
"Claudia," Drusilla commanded, "Come."
Another girl also came from the shadows. Di's twin... her twin... she was evil... how could this happen?
Lily felt like she was going to explode. The rope on her hands and feet were hurting her.
"Claudia!" James yelled, looking shocked.
The girl looked up and smiled evilly; it contrasted with Di's tears.
Lily looked at her face -- and gasped. It was Claudia -- Kaitlin's friend from high school. Lily had met her during the summer, when they went to watch the Wizard in Oz.
"Hello James."
"Ah yes, wasn't it a fine plan?" Wyntone grinned as he walked forward, towards them, "Gain your trust the easiest way anyone could think of. Lure you right where I could get my hands on you -- and no one to hear your cries."
"Why do you even want us?" James shouted, trying to right his glasses with his nose.
"Wiccans, Mr Potter," the dark wizard's voice had gone dangerously quiet and soft, "Are very powerful creatures. You have to be born a Wiccan -- but the next best thing is stealing their powers and killing them. Drusilla, is the potion ready?'
"Almost."
Lily looked up and saw that she was stirring the cauldron now.
Wyntone turned to the crying Di, "You've done an excellent job. Your mother and I were worried, however. We weren't quite sure which side you were on. We were even afraid that you might've been swayed to the other side. But I see your loyalties with your family fought to the surface."
Di said nothing.
"You will be rewarded soon."
"Forget it," she muttered, "I don't want any reward."
Beside her, Claudia smirked.
"Yes, an excellent job, sister dear," she mimicked.
Di glared at her.
"Quiet, Claudia. She has done a better job than you," Wyntone said in a dangerous tone.
"Only because you and mother chose her over me to help with the plan," Claudia retorted.
"Quiet!"
Di was still glaring at her sister, "If you wanted the job so much, then you could've bloody hell have gone and taken it! I NEVER WANTED TO DO IT IN THE FIRST PLACE!"
She stomped off.
Claudia looked confused, but smug.
"Leave her, she shall cool off soon."
Lily had surveyed this scene with interest; James, however, was desperately trying to break free.
She saw Paige sobbing quietly.
"It's okay Paige," she murmured, though she was scared herself.
"Move your hands."
Lily gasped; Di was standing right beside her.
"How did you do that?" she gasped.
"I'm the daughter of a dark, powerful wizard," Di said simply. She was holding a dagger.
Lily felt fear stab her, "What... what are you doing?"
Wyntone and the other two were too pre-occupied with the potion to realise that Di was speaking to Lily.
"Don't touch her," James said to Di through clenched teeth.
"Oh geez, as if I'm going to hurt any of you!" she said angrily, moving the dagger and cutting the thick rope that bound Lily's hands together.
"What are you doing?" Lily repeated, amazed.
"I'm helping you escape," she murmured, moving over to Paige and cutting the rope off of her.
She pushed the dagger into Lily's hands, and swiftly turned around.
She disappeared.
"What the--?"
There was a load explosion, and Wyntone looked up, looking grievely disturbed.
"Diana," Drusilla murmured. They raced out of the room and disappeared in the shadows.
Lily understood what she had to do.
With the dagger, she cut the others free.
"Okay, will someone please tell me what's happening?" Remus said desperately, shaking the rope off.
"I think she's rebelling against her parents. She's helping up escape," Lily said slowly.
"What's the point of that? She was the one who got us here," Sirius said loftily.
"Well she wouldn't free me and give me the dagger for nothing," Lily said, feeling stressed, "And anyway, I think she created a diversion so that we could escape."
They sighed.
"Okay, suppose that's true," James said, "We don't know our way out of here, anyway."
"We can't trust her," Paige said quietly, "Not after what we saw. I don't have anymore trust for her."
Lily fell silent.
"Over here."
They whirled around and saw Di beckoning them. Lily went over at once.
"Di, what's going on?" she asked anxiously.
"I don't have time to explain, you have to get out of here," Di said, taking the dagger that Lily had handed to her.
"Listen Di!" Lily said, edginess appearing in her voice, "You just cannot expect us to trust you after what we saw! You're his daughter -- we -- we can't trust anyone evil!"
"Where can I take you that's even worse than here?!" she screamed, "You heard him -- HE WANTS TO STEAL YOU AND JAMES' POWERS AND THEN KILL YOU. Are you deaf or something?!"
No one said anything.
"Just follow me, for God's sake," Di muttered, turning around and leaving.
Three seconds later, Lily followed.
And so did the others.
As soon as they left that room, they found themselves facing a huge stone bridge. But below it wasn't water; it was hot, red lava.
Di was almost at the middle of the bridge, "Come on!"
"What if the bridge crumples up?!"
"It's solid concrete, okay? Not cliched, dodgy, wood bridges."
Lily shakily took a step, and then ran over to Di. Anna and Paige followed. The boys took cautious steps.
Di turned back around and took another step, but Drusilla and Claudia suddenly appeared. So did a flock of gigantic bats.
Lily screamed as one of the bats grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her back. She looked around and saw the others were all held down by bats as well. Even Di.
"Not entirely trustworthy, are we Diana?" Drusilla said softly.
Di did nothing but glare at her. Claudia still bore a smirk.
Lily was trying her best to figure out an escape plan, but nothing seemed to work. They were captured now.
There was a cry and a thump, and everyone turned to see that Di had just punched the bat. She kicked it away.
Drusilla made no movements in restraining her.
"What's happened to you?"
"Oh, I don't know, I learnt the true meaning of friendship, maybe?!" Di said sarcastically.
"So you're going against your own family?"
"ARE YOU DEAF OR BLIND OR JUST PLAIN STUPID?! YES!"
Drusilla looked at her own daughter, "I always knew it was a bad idea to put you in the plan. You were always a bit strange -- too good. Claudia was the better choice."
Di was breathing heavily, "Then why didn't you assign her? Huh?!"
"Because your father and I thought you could do it. I suppose we were wrong."
"You sure were," Di said boldly.
"Well your little friends here can't escape, anyway," Drusilla said calmly, "So once your father has stolen the Wiccans' powers and have killed the lot, we'll deal with you later."
"I don't think so," Di said, just as calmly. She looked scared, though.
"What do you mean?"
Di's hand moved up to her neck, and she ripped something off. She held it up.
Lily recognised it as the Invincibility Charm the twins wore for protection.
Then she dropped it over the bridge, so it fell in the lava. Di turned back to face her mother, smirking.
Drusilla looked furious.
"There are only two Invincibility Charms left," she said heavily, trying to breathe normally, "You imbecile!"
Smiling haughtily, Di took out the dagger. She held it in front of her stomach.
Words flashed across in Lily's mind.
"One dies, they all die."
"DI, NO!" she screamed, for she had grasped onto what Di was doing.
Di looked over at her, and she was smiling. There were tears streaking down her face, however.
Claudia and Drusilla were gazing at her in horror, and so were the others that were still pinned down by the bats. Sirius was cursing again.
"You wouldn't," Claudia said, looking horrorstruck.
"Claudia, my dear sister, you wasted your life devoting your time to being evil. Having no fun. Having no friends. I pity you.
"Mother, you were always good and kind to me. I know you love me in your own, odd way. But you still chose the wrong path.
"Lily, Anna, Paige... James, Sirius, Remus and Peter. Thank you for showing me that there was more to life. Remember me for the good person I was, not for the one you just found out. When it happens, run as fast as you can. Any direction. You'll go out safely."
"Di, don't please," Anna was crying, "You don't have to do this..."
"Goodbye," Di choked.
She plunged the dagger into her stomach.
Lily let out a piercing scream. Di's body went limp and her eyes rolled back in her head.
"NO!" Drusilla screamed and ran forward to her daughter -- but it was too late. Di flopped over the bridge and flipped into the lava.
Claudia let out a shriek and fell onto the floor.
Drusilla, with tears pouring down her face, used the last of her energy to throw herself off the bridge, into the lava.
The bats immediately released them.
"Di," Lily whispered.
James moved over to her, and put his arm around her, "Remember her last request. Run."
Lily nodded slowly, mopping her eyes.
"GO!" Sirius yelled.
The castle was fall apart. Rocks and stones began to shower down on them. The lava bubbled dangerously. The floor began to shake.
They ran. Ran in any direction.
Di's words were pounding in their minds.
"When it happens, run as fast as you can. Any direction. You'll go out safely."
James just hoped she was right.
It seemed like they had been running for an hour, before they burst out into the open. They found themselves outside the wooden doors.
"Oh my God, this place is going to explode and we're all going to die," Paige said mournfully, glancing worriedly at the shaking castle. She shrieked and dived away as a huge rock came falling down.
Lily bit her tongue, trying her best not to lose her head. And to think just ten hours ago, her life was still simple.
"The portal!" Remus suddenly yelled. Their heads all snapped up at once and saw the same swirling blue portal Di had conjured up earlier.
Di...
Peter and Sirius had already raced on ahead, diving into the portal.
"Come on Lily!" James yelled, grabbing her hand and dragging her forward.
Anna cried as a stone whacked her head, and Paige helped her towards the portal. Sirius, with his hands above his head, followed.
"Lily!" James yelled again.
She blinked away a few tears, letting herself be dragged by James.
"Goodbye Di."
===
"WHOA!"
"CRAP!"
"SH--!"
"HOLY!"
They were thrown onto something hard and cold. They could hear voices all around them.
"Oh my gosh, Lily! Paige! Anna!"
It was Cloudeia.
Lily sat up slowly, watching as her friends lying around her groggily got up.
"What happened?!" Cloudeia gasped, looking at them. Almost everyone in the Hall of Regals were staring at them.
"You could tell me that," Sirius groaned, rubbing his head.
"We made it back," Anna breathed, looking relieved. She was crying in her joy.
"Made it back from where?" Cloudeia asked, looking puzzled, "You guys just suddenly appeared. This weird thing -- a bit like a portal -- appeared and next thing we know, you came flying into the hall."
Silence.
"Hey, where's Di?"
Those words set Lily off in tears.
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---->A/N: Oooh! So scary... ((hides)) --MSQ.