Disclaimer/Author Note/Rating: Please see Chapter 1 for full disclaimers, legal info, etc.
Go raibh maith agaibh:
Lady of the Dog Star… Yes, I did mean the powder disappearing, not the tea. You'll find some answers to your other questions in this chapter. And thanks for the Polyjuice reminder. I was basing off the movie, but I appreciate the reminder.
Wiri… Welcome! I appreciate your praise, especially since you don't normally like AU stories. And I'm glad you enjoyed the suspense back in the tarot chapter.
Mercury Gray… You'll soon see what Malificus is up to. Read on!
Rushumble… I know I'm posting quickly. Mea culpa! But I have most of my chapters written and waiting, and I'm trying to pace myself but it is hard!
Wyall Jared… I thought about a longer breakup, but I like Serena and Severus together way too much to do that…
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Chapter 26: The Eyes of a Snake
Serena awoke with a start and realized she was lying on the main table at the front of her classroom. She tried to jump up but nearly fell when her right hand remained affixed to the table top. Eyes blazing, she turned towards Malificus.
"Don't try a spell, my dear," he said as he watched her. His blue eyes were cold, calculating, evaluating her the way a snake watches a fledgling bird. "You'll find the cat's got your tongue. With no wand, no voice, and no real use of your hands, you're as helpless as a Muggle."
Serena slid off the table and walked as far as she could, gauging how much range she had. While she did, Malificus walked around checking some things and obviously calculating in his head. All of the tables had been thrust to the side and piled up, some three or four high, along the walls. The students' chairs were nowhere to be seen.
"I have grand plans for this evening," he said, turning back to Serena. With one hand he smoothed his blond hair back. "And I couldn't have made them without you." He watched Serena chafe against her magical restraints.
Perfect, he thought, anger and fear are exactly what I need from you.
"I suppose," he said casually, "that you'd like to know exactly what I'm doing, but I'm not foolish enough to tell you that. But I will tell you why."
He walked up to Serena and grabbed her face, pulling her close to his own. "You are going to help me prove that I am a better wizard than my brother, because it is your fault that he treats me like I'm incompetent, like I'm still a child. And once I do that, the Dark Lord will hold me in his confidence. Me!"
Serena fought down a rising sense of panic. He watched her for a second and then snapped his fingers.
"There, your voice is restored, but trust me… the first magical word you utter will be your last."
"You miserable, son of a…" He held up a hand and she fell silent; better to bide her time than have her voice taken away again. Now there was always the opportunity to scream for help.
Malificus came up to her again and whispered, "The Death Eaters wanted you a long time ago, Serena. I know you should have been in Slytherin; I was there when you were sorted…"
Serena, tall and skinny for an 11-year old girl, sat on the stool in front of all the Hogwart's students and tried unsuccessfully not to look nervous. The tattered looking Sorting Hat was placed on her head.
I wonder what House I'll go to, she wondered.
"Hmmm," said the Hat in its gravelly voice. "Interesting possibilities. Smart, this one… Would be a good candidate for Ravenclaw. But then again, I see ambition and resourcefulness; a willingness to do what needs to be done. She would do well in Slytherin House as well."
The Hat was silent for a moment and a few of the teachers looked at each other. Most of the time, the Sorting Hat sorted quickly – and it was always accurate. It always caused a bit of a stir when the Hat had to ponder a placement like this.
"Ravenclaw or Slytherin… OH!" The Sorting Hat's voice went up and Serena looked up fearfully, wondering what it had seen to make it exclaim so loudly.
"No, no," the Sorting Hat said, "this one shall go to… GRYFFINDOR!"
"I was almost in Ravenclaw as well," she said. "That's all the Sorting Hat would say… Maybe Ravenclaw… Maybe Slytherin. When it finally shouted Gryffindor, I was surprised as any one."
"You should have been in Slytherin," he repeated. "You have all the qualities. The skill, the cunning, the drive to be pre-eminent. You're exactly like me…" He stared at her, unblinking, with is icy blue eyes.
"Except I have a conscience…"
Malificus slapped her as hard as he could, raising a red welt on her cheek.
"And that's exactly the problem," he growled. "You had all the qualities we wanted, and we wanted someone in another House who would be sympathetic to our cause. That's when Lucius told me to bring you to our side. To seduce you until you were completely our creature."
Serena felt sick. Malificus went back to the part of the table where he'd been working – well out of her reach – and continued talking.
"I was the perfect one for the job. We were in school together, we both played Quidditch, and I played the role so well. A put-upon Malfoy who didn't see eye to eye with his family. A lonely young man who told you how he thought the Sorting Hat had been wrong and that perhaps he should have been in a House other than Slytherin." He turned and laughed at her. "And you were all too willing to believe it."
"One doesn't always make the best decisions when they're a teenager," she replied coldly. Bastard! She thought. I knew you had been toying with me in school and I hated you for that, but I never imagined the depths of your treachery. Treachery… the Seven of Swords!
"But then, then you had to be a nosey parker and feel sorry for someone. That stupid, stupid Hufflepuff girl. She was just a toy…someone to perfect my charms on so they would work on you. She carried on so much that day, and it attracted your attention. So she had to go. She was a bit of a drama queen about it…"
Serena remembered…
Maggie Mulvaney raced past her, still sobbing. Serena took a step after her and then looked back at Malificus. "What have you done?"
"Serena! It isn't what you think…"
"Isn't what I think? Maggie runs out of here sobbing, her shirt a mess, and those things that you said to her? It is exactly what I think, isn't it, Malificus Malfoy?"
Malificus bristled. There was no hiding what he'd been doing, although he was grateful that Serena only had suspicions. She couldn't prove anything that would make the Headmaster expel him. But she'd never trust him again, he knew that, and now he'd have to tell Lucius that he wasn't able to seduce her into the Death Eater fold.
"And to think that you believed I was one of those stupid, stupid girls." She pointed a warning finger at him. "Don't you ever come near me again, Malfoy, or you will live to regret it." She turned and ran out of the room, shouting for Maggie, while Malificus laughed.
As she ran, Serena found two Hufflepuff students and she sent them to fetch Professor Notlad who was the interim Head of Hufflepuff House. Serena finally found Maggie on the Quidditch pitch, standing in the Slytherin pavilion. Serena ran up the stairs as quickly as she could and as she came into the seating area, Maggie turned to look at her with sad, round eyes. Serena would swear to her dying day that she heard Maggie whisper "Help me…" before she leaped from the pavilion and plunged to the field below.
Malificus dragged her back to the present. "That was the first time I'd ever tried the Imperius Curse," he said with a low chuckle. "The sense of power is intoxicating."
Serena recoiled in horror. "You used the Imperius Curse on her? She didn't kill herself… You murdered her!"
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Well, for those of you who have asked what Malificus is up to, this should answer at least some of your questions. More to come in the next chapter. Can't wait to see what you all think of this chapter… Please read/review.
Go raibh maith agaibh:
Lady of the Dog Star… Yes, I did mean the powder disappearing, not the tea. You'll find some answers to your other questions in this chapter. And thanks for the Polyjuice reminder. I was basing off the movie, but I appreciate the reminder.
Wiri… Welcome! I appreciate your praise, especially since you don't normally like AU stories. And I'm glad you enjoyed the suspense back in the tarot chapter.
Mercury Gray… You'll soon see what Malificus is up to. Read on!
Rushumble… I know I'm posting quickly. Mea culpa! But I have most of my chapters written and waiting, and I'm trying to pace myself but it is hard!
Wyall Jared… I thought about a longer breakup, but I like Serena and Severus together way too much to do that…
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Chapter 26: The Eyes of a Snake
Serena awoke with a start and realized she was lying on the main table at the front of her classroom. She tried to jump up but nearly fell when her right hand remained affixed to the table top. Eyes blazing, she turned towards Malificus.
"Don't try a spell, my dear," he said as he watched her. His blue eyes were cold, calculating, evaluating her the way a snake watches a fledgling bird. "You'll find the cat's got your tongue. With no wand, no voice, and no real use of your hands, you're as helpless as a Muggle."
Serena slid off the table and walked as far as she could, gauging how much range she had. While she did, Malificus walked around checking some things and obviously calculating in his head. All of the tables had been thrust to the side and piled up, some three or four high, along the walls. The students' chairs were nowhere to be seen.
"I have grand plans for this evening," he said, turning back to Serena. With one hand he smoothed his blond hair back. "And I couldn't have made them without you." He watched Serena chafe against her magical restraints.
Perfect, he thought, anger and fear are exactly what I need from you.
"I suppose," he said casually, "that you'd like to know exactly what I'm doing, but I'm not foolish enough to tell you that. But I will tell you why."
He walked up to Serena and grabbed her face, pulling her close to his own. "You are going to help me prove that I am a better wizard than my brother, because it is your fault that he treats me like I'm incompetent, like I'm still a child. And once I do that, the Dark Lord will hold me in his confidence. Me!"
Serena fought down a rising sense of panic. He watched her for a second and then snapped his fingers.
"There, your voice is restored, but trust me… the first magical word you utter will be your last."
"You miserable, son of a…" He held up a hand and she fell silent; better to bide her time than have her voice taken away again. Now there was always the opportunity to scream for help.
Malificus came up to her again and whispered, "The Death Eaters wanted you a long time ago, Serena. I know you should have been in Slytherin; I was there when you were sorted…"
Serena, tall and skinny for an 11-year old girl, sat on the stool in front of all the Hogwart's students and tried unsuccessfully not to look nervous. The tattered looking Sorting Hat was placed on her head.
I wonder what House I'll go to, she wondered.
"Hmmm," said the Hat in its gravelly voice. "Interesting possibilities. Smart, this one… Would be a good candidate for Ravenclaw. But then again, I see ambition and resourcefulness; a willingness to do what needs to be done. She would do well in Slytherin House as well."
The Hat was silent for a moment and a few of the teachers looked at each other. Most of the time, the Sorting Hat sorted quickly – and it was always accurate. It always caused a bit of a stir when the Hat had to ponder a placement like this.
"Ravenclaw or Slytherin… OH!" The Sorting Hat's voice went up and Serena looked up fearfully, wondering what it had seen to make it exclaim so loudly.
"No, no," the Sorting Hat said, "this one shall go to… GRYFFINDOR!"
"I was almost in Ravenclaw as well," she said. "That's all the Sorting Hat would say… Maybe Ravenclaw… Maybe Slytherin. When it finally shouted Gryffindor, I was surprised as any one."
"You should have been in Slytherin," he repeated. "You have all the qualities. The skill, the cunning, the drive to be pre-eminent. You're exactly like me…" He stared at her, unblinking, with is icy blue eyes.
"Except I have a conscience…"
Malificus slapped her as hard as he could, raising a red welt on her cheek.
"And that's exactly the problem," he growled. "You had all the qualities we wanted, and we wanted someone in another House who would be sympathetic to our cause. That's when Lucius told me to bring you to our side. To seduce you until you were completely our creature."
Serena felt sick. Malificus went back to the part of the table where he'd been working – well out of her reach – and continued talking.
"I was the perfect one for the job. We were in school together, we both played Quidditch, and I played the role so well. A put-upon Malfoy who didn't see eye to eye with his family. A lonely young man who told you how he thought the Sorting Hat had been wrong and that perhaps he should have been in a House other than Slytherin." He turned and laughed at her. "And you were all too willing to believe it."
"One doesn't always make the best decisions when they're a teenager," she replied coldly. Bastard! She thought. I knew you had been toying with me in school and I hated you for that, but I never imagined the depths of your treachery. Treachery… the Seven of Swords!
"But then, then you had to be a nosey parker and feel sorry for someone. That stupid, stupid Hufflepuff girl. She was just a toy…someone to perfect my charms on so they would work on you. She carried on so much that day, and it attracted your attention. So she had to go. She was a bit of a drama queen about it…"
Serena remembered…
Maggie Mulvaney raced past her, still sobbing. Serena took a step after her and then looked back at Malificus. "What have you done?"
"Serena! It isn't what you think…"
"Isn't what I think? Maggie runs out of here sobbing, her shirt a mess, and those things that you said to her? It is exactly what I think, isn't it, Malificus Malfoy?"
Malificus bristled. There was no hiding what he'd been doing, although he was grateful that Serena only had suspicions. She couldn't prove anything that would make the Headmaster expel him. But she'd never trust him again, he knew that, and now he'd have to tell Lucius that he wasn't able to seduce her into the Death Eater fold.
"And to think that you believed I was one of those stupid, stupid girls." She pointed a warning finger at him. "Don't you ever come near me again, Malfoy, or you will live to regret it." She turned and ran out of the room, shouting for Maggie, while Malificus laughed.
As she ran, Serena found two Hufflepuff students and she sent them to fetch Professor Notlad who was the interim Head of Hufflepuff House. Serena finally found Maggie on the Quidditch pitch, standing in the Slytherin pavilion. Serena ran up the stairs as quickly as she could and as she came into the seating area, Maggie turned to look at her with sad, round eyes. Serena would swear to her dying day that she heard Maggie whisper "Help me…" before she leaped from the pavilion and plunged to the field below.
Malificus dragged her back to the present. "That was the first time I'd ever tried the Imperius Curse," he said with a low chuckle. "The sense of power is intoxicating."
Serena recoiled in horror. "You used the Imperius Curse on her? She didn't kill herself… You murdered her!"
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Well, for those of you who have asked what Malificus is up to, this should answer at least some of your questions. More to come in the next chapter. Can't wait to see what you all think of this chapter… Please read/review.