For Auria, the ensuing silence seemed to last forever. She could feel
Sirius' and Dumbledore's eyes boring into the top of her lowered head.
Every single portrait on the wall was staring at her, and all the whirling
silver machines had stopped ticking. It was Sirius who finally broke the
oppressing silence.
"You can't have her sent to Azkaban. She did it in self defense" he said looking at Dumbledore.
"It wasn't exactly self defense Sirius," she whispered.
"What?" he said turning to her. "You mean you killed a woman in cold blood? How could you?" His voice was beginning to rise.
"Now, now Mr. Black" said Dumbledore. "No accusations can be made until the full story is heard. Auria, could you please explain to us what happened that night?"
Auria sighed and closed her eyes. "The Death Eater wounded my father so badly that he died. I stayed with him until the end. A few minutes after that I spotted the Death Eater that had murdered him nearby. I purposely picked up my father's wand instead of mine, since I'm underage and the Ministry would know if I did magic. I stood up and walked over to her, I wanted revenge. She turned and looked at me. "You killed my father" I said to her, and then I killed her. I just said those two words, there was a flash of green light and she fell to the ground. Then I ran away into the woods."
"Are you sure she was dead. I mean if you're not powerful enough it can just knock someone out," suggested Sirius quietly.
"She lay on the ground with her eyes open in this look of shock. I'm sure she was dead" Auria replied now beginning to cry. "I did really mean to do it. But at the same time I guess I truly must have, or else the spell wouldn't have worked. No wonder Voldemort wants me to become a Death Eater. I'm evil, and I do deserve to be sent to Azkaban."
There was a long silence in which Dumbledore seemed to be calmly digesting this information.
Finally he spoke, "Well that explains a lot."
Auria looked up at him, utterly distressed. That was not the answer she was hoping to hear.
"Firstly" Dumbledore continued, speaking it seemed completely to himself. "That explains why the Ministry could not find that Death Eater's murderer. They would never think to look for a child. Do you know the name of the person you killed?" he asked focusing his eyes on Auria.
"Maria Avery" she replied. Dumbledore nodded and leaned across the desk towards Auria. "Your story also explains why Voldemort has been trying so hard to recruit you. You are the youngest student at this school since Lord Voldemort to be able to complete that spell."
"Then why hasn't he had one of his Death Eaters tell the Ministry and had me thrown into Azkaban?" she asked.
"Because you are of no use to him locked up in jail" Dumbledore replied with a slight smile.
Auria stared at the ground. Dumbledore seemed to know what she was thinking.
"I know you think you're an evil dark wizard but you're not," he said. "An evil wizard would have not already twice denied Voldemort."
"Twice?" exclaimed Sirius.
"I saw you sneak out the morning you went to look at the snow. Once you had gone in side I went and had a look myself," Dumbledore explained. "Do you know what made those tracks?"
"A snake" Auria replied in a tone that made Sirius realize that she had just come to that conclusion.
Dumbledore nodded. "I do wonder though, how did he contact you?"
Auria pulled the cryptic letter out of her pocket and handed it to him.
Dumbledore quickly read it over and then handed it back.
"The fact that Avery's murder has been weighing heavily upon your mind just proves that you know the difference between good and evil. Auria" Dumbledore said getting up and placing his arm on her shoulder. "You are not evil, anger and hate are powerful emotions, but so is guilt."
Auria smiled weakly at him. She felt much better to hear Dumbledore say that, but she still had a final nagging question to ask.
"Are you going to send me to Azkaban?"
"No" Dumbledore replied kindly. "I think the guilt has been punishment enough. Tonight, by not killing those Death Eaters, you have proven to me that you have learned your lesson."
"Thank you Professor" she replied, she eyes filling with tears.
"Come" he said. "I think it is time we visited Alexia in the hospital wing."
As Auria stood up to leave she saw a red flash out of the corner of her eye.
"Is that a phoenix?" she asked excitedly, making her way towards Fawkes.
"Yes" replied Dumbledore, slightly surprised.
"Beautiful, amazing creatures aren't they" she said stroking Fawkes.
"Yes they are" said Dumbledore with an air of suspicion.
Auria left Fawkes and began walking towards the exit. Just as she reached the door something heavy landed on her shoulder. It was Fawkes. He hopped down onto the desk, twisted around and pulled out a tail feather. The phoenix held it up to Auria and their eyes met. She took the feather gently in her hand and bowed her head silently in thanks, grinning every so slightly.
"May I keep it?" she asked turning to Dumbledore.
"Of course" he replied smiling, but his eyes had a look of both confusion and surprise.
Dumbledore led the way to the hospital wing. Auria and Sirius walked side by side in silence. Once again Sirius took her hand in his, and Auria knew that he still liked her, despite all that had happened.
"You can't have her sent to Azkaban. She did it in self defense" he said looking at Dumbledore.
"It wasn't exactly self defense Sirius," she whispered.
"What?" he said turning to her. "You mean you killed a woman in cold blood? How could you?" His voice was beginning to rise.
"Now, now Mr. Black" said Dumbledore. "No accusations can be made until the full story is heard. Auria, could you please explain to us what happened that night?"
Auria sighed and closed her eyes. "The Death Eater wounded my father so badly that he died. I stayed with him until the end. A few minutes after that I spotted the Death Eater that had murdered him nearby. I purposely picked up my father's wand instead of mine, since I'm underage and the Ministry would know if I did magic. I stood up and walked over to her, I wanted revenge. She turned and looked at me. "You killed my father" I said to her, and then I killed her. I just said those two words, there was a flash of green light and she fell to the ground. Then I ran away into the woods."
"Are you sure she was dead. I mean if you're not powerful enough it can just knock someone out," suggested Sirius quietly.
"She lay on the ground with her eyes open in this look of shock. I'm sure she was dead" Auria replied now beginning to cry. "I did really mean to do it. But at the same time I guess I truly must have, or else the spell wouldn't have worked. No wonder Voldemort wants me to become a Death Eater. I'm evil, and I do deserve to be sent to Azkaban."
There was a long silence in which Dumbledore seemed to be calmly digesting this information.
Finally he spoke, "Well that explains a lot."
Auria looked up at him, utterly distressed. That was not the answer she was hoping to hear.
"Firstly" Dumbledore continued, speaking it seemed completely to himself. "That explains why the Ministry could not find that Death Eater's murderer. They would never think to look for a child. Do you know the name of the person you killed?" he asked focusing his eyes on Auria.
"Maria Avery" she replied. Dumbledore nodded and leaned across the desk towards Auria. "Your story also explains why Voldemort has been trying so hard to recruit you. You are the youngest student at this school since Lord Voldemort to be able to complete that spell."
"Then why hasn't he had one of his Death Eaters tell the Ministry and had me thrown into Azkaban?" she asked.
"Because you are of no use to him locked up in jail" Dumbledore replied with a slight smile.
Auria stared at the ground. Dumbledore seemed to know what she was thinking.
"I know you think you're an evil dark wizard but you're not," he said. "An evil wizard would have not already twice denied Voldemort."
"Twice?" exclaimed Sirius.
"I saw you sneak out the morning you went to look at the snow. Once you had gone in side I went and had a look myself," Dumbledore explained. "Do you know what made those tracks?"
"A snake" Auria replied in a tone that made Sirius realize that she had just come to that conclusion.
Dumbledore nodded. "I do wonder though, how did he contact you?"
Auria pulled the cryptic letter out of her pocket and handed it to him.
Dumbledore quickly read it over and then handed it back.
"The fact that Avery's murder has been weighing heavily upon your mind just proves that you know the difference between good and evil. Auria" Dumbledore said getting up and placing his arm on her shoulder. "You are not evil, anger and hate are powerful emotions, but so is guilt."
Auria smiled weakly at him. She felt much better to hear Dumbledore say that, but she still had a final nagging question to ask.
"Are you going to send me to Azkaban?"
"No" Dumbledore replied kindly. "I think the guilt has been punishment enough. Tonight, by not killing those Death Eaters, you have proven to me that you have learned your lesson."
"Thank you Professor" she replied, she eyes filling with tears.
"Come" he said. "I think it is time we visited Alexia in the hospital wing."
As Auria stood up to leave she saw a red flash out of the corner of her eye.
"Is that a phoenix?" she asked excitedly, making her way towards Fawkes.
"Yes" replied Dumbledore, slightly surprised.
"Beautiful, amazing creatures aren't they" she said stroking Fawkes.
"Yes they are" said Dumbledore with an air of suspicion.
Auria left Fawkes and began walking towards the exit. Just as she reached the door something heavy landed on her shoulder. It was Fawkes. He hopped down onto the desk, twisted around and pulled out a tail feather. The phoenix held it up to Auria and their eyes met. She took the feather gently in her hand and bowed her head silently in thanks, grinning every so slightly.
"May I keep it?" she asked turning to Dumbledore.
"Of course" he replied smiling, but his eyes had a look of both confusion and surprise.
Dumbledore led the way to the hospital wing. Auria and Sirius walked side by side in silence. Once again Sirius took her hand in his, and Auria knew that he still liked her, despite all that had happened.