Sweet Misery

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Near the end of the summer holidays, Lauren sat in her room with Gwynn, who had been spending the past two weeks there; the two of them were chatting as they packed their trunks for tomorrow. They couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts and see their other friends again.

"So you're a seer?" Gwynn asked in amazement.

"Yep!" replied Lauren. "It's like the coolest thing ever."

"So is that how you found out about me and Remus?"

"Yep. That was the first one actually."

"Lily's going to freak when she finds out."

"Speaking of finding out, does the school know now?"

"Yeah. The moment my mom found out that the school didn't know that I was a werewolf, she immediately owled them telling them the whole story I had told them."

"So your parents know about—"

"No, not at all. I wouldn't out him."

"That's good to know. What classes did you sign up for this—Gwynn what's wrong?" Lauren stared curiously at Gwynn, who was staring at something in scared silence. Lauren turned around slowly and saw a man in a hooded cloak standing in the corner. "Who are you?!" Lauren shouted. The man quickly grabbed Lauren and covered her mouth to muffle her screams.

"Ren!" Gwynn shouted jumping up and grabbing at the man. "Let her go!" she yelled trying to pull his arms off of Lauren and hitting him. The man threw Gwynn across the room and into Lauren's mirror. Gwynn laid motionless on the ground with shards of the mirror around her. Lauren struggled even harder to get away.

"Petrificus totalus!" he hissed, binding Lauren. Tears flowed down her cheeks as he apparated them out of her room. They appeared in some sort of dungeon. The cloaked man put her in a cell and locked the door before unfreezing her. Lauren quickly backed into a corner of the cell. The man let out a small laugh when she did so. Another person appeared next to him.

"This her?" he asked.

"Yeah," the other replied.

"Kinda young for a seer, don't you think?" The first man peered through the bars at her. "I mean, normally they've at least made it through school."

"Lord Voldemort wanted her for some reason. It was hell getting her."

"Capturing a little kid too hard for you, eh Hicks?"

"I'm just glad her family wasn't home. The two of them wouldn't stop screaming and shouting."

"Lord Voldemort should be glad to know that his seer is here."

"Yes, I'll go inform him." The man known as Hicks started to walk away but then turned back. "And Doldecork?"

"What?"

"No torturing the prisoner."

"I wasn't going to."

"I know what goes on in that mind of yours." Hicks turned and started up the corridor towards the exit of the dungeon. Doldecork took a seat in a chair right in front of Lauren's cell.

"So you're the seer," he said. He looked over his shoulder at Lauren, who pushed further back into the corner. "Some seer. Don't see why the Master wanted this one." Lauren looked around for some way to get out of her prison as Doldecork mumble to himself. There were no windows and the only way out seemed to be through the door. She spotted the keys hanging from the pocket of Doldecork's pocket. She crawled cautiously towards the bars and as quietly as she could manage, lifted the keys from his pocket. Doldecork seemed to be in his own world at the moment. Lauren slipped a bronze key into the lock, but it didn't work. She kept trying keys, checking in between tries to see if Doldecork was still mumbling to himself. After ten tries, she had found the key. The lock clicked rather loudly, snapping Doldecork out of his trance.

"Hey!" He jumped out of his chair to shut the door before she could escape. Lauren threw all her weight into opening the door and slammed it into Doldecork. He stumbled back in pain and confusion. Lauren ran down the corridor she had seen the first man go down. She had no idea where she was going, but she knew she had to escape. She had to get to Hogwarts. It was probably the safest place from these people, who ever they were. But where was she anyway? She would find out when she got out of this place. She ran up a flight of stairs and cautiously opened the door to see if anyone was coming. No one. She ran out of the dungeons and down a corridor. Whenever she heard someone coming, she'd jump behind a suit of armor or a pillar. After running aimlessly down corridors, she finally spotted a set of doors she believed were the exit. She ran towards them when they started to open. She gasped and looked for something to hide behind, but there was nothing. Lauren slipped into a room close to the entrance and watched through the ajar door.

"I'm surprised you got this far with out being caught, Lauren," someone said. Lauren jumped and turned around, the door shutting behind her. "Not many people can get past Death Eaters."

"Sirius?" Lauren said. She ran over to him. "Wh-what are you doing here?"

"To talk some sense into you," he replied. "They're searching for you. If you run, they will find you. If they catch you outside these castle walls, you'll wish they'd kill you. Just turn yourself in now."

"Sirius, what's wrong with you? Let's get out of here, we'll run to Hogwarts and escape them."

"I don't think so. You see, I enjoy it here. Why would I run to Dumbledore when I can live under the protection of the greatest wizard ever?"

"Sirius! Are you mad?"

"No, Voldemort's given me everything."

"You're not Sirius..." Lauren backed towards the doors. "Sirius wouldn't join the Death Eaters..."

"Aww, Ren, you're hurting my feelings. You can't accept what one of your best friends has become." Sirius pulled out his wand. "Take one more step towards that door and I'll be forced to hurt you." Lauren stopped and was shaking with a mix of fear and anger. "Come on Ren, join me as a spy for the Deatheaters. It's way more fun than pulling pranks of the Slytherins and professors."

"No!"

"It's not like we'll be hurting anyone. Well, directly, I mean. We'll rid that school of ours of the filth and it'll be perfect."

"Filth?"

"Yes, the mudbloods and muggle borns." Sirius walked quickly over to Lauren and took her arm. "They're ruining Hogwarts."

Lauren pulled her arm out of his grasp. "My one of my best friends is a muggle born." She said.

"You have Gwynn! We don't need those filthy mudbloods destroying the wizarding world! The Death Eaters will rid the world of them."

"Sirius, you've gone mad! You're talking about killing half the people at Hogwarts!"

"And?"

"I could never live with that."

"You stupid mudblood loving tosser!" Lauren punched Sirius, sending him to the ground. Sirius shook his head and was holding his cheek when he looked up.

"Lauren? What happened?" He asked.

"I punched you," she replied, angrily. "And if you ever, ever talk to me like that again, I'll kick your arse!"

"Like what?"

"You... don't remember?"

"No. I don't even remember coming here."

"Oh... Oh Merlin! Siri, I'm so sorry I punched you!"

"I'm sure I deserved it."

"Come on, let's get out of here." Lauren and Sirius walked over to the door and pressed their ears to the door to listen for anyone. Once they were sure there wasn't anything out there. They slipped out.

"This isn't where I came in... I don't think it's anywhere near there!" Lauren said looking around.

"The rooms must move around," said Sirius.

The two looked up when they heard voices from down the hall.

"That seer's around here some where..."

"Quick, back into the library!" Sirius whispered. They turned to head back in, but the door had disappeared. "Great, now what? They're coming right at us!"

"Stay here," Lauren said.

"Lauren what are you going to do?"

"Just stay here. Promise me you'll get out. If I don't make it out, don't come back for me." Sirius nodded. Lauren ran down a smaller corridor intersecting the main corridor. She picked up a vase on a table and threw it at the ground. The Death Eaters heard the noise and ran down that corridor not noticing Sirius. Sirius stared in amazement as Lauren ran off down the corridor. She was risking getting caught for him. He snapped to his senses and ran down the main corridor looking for the main stairs. Lauren ran down the corridor with two Death Eaters close behind. She turned down a corner and ran into another Death Eater who grabbed her.

"Let me go!" she shouted struggling to escape.

"Lord Voldemort's been waiting for you," he hissed.

"I said, let me go!" Lauren kicked him hard in the shin. He shouted in pain and grabbed his shin. Lauren ran off, but not before kicking him from behind, sending him to the ground. The two Death Eaters that were following her nearly tripped over the fallen man.

"I don't care what Lord Voldemort says," said one, pulling out his wand. "Crucio!" Lauren screamed when the spell hit her. She dropped to her hands and knees fighting back more screams. The Death Eater who was performing the spell walked up beside her and removed the spell.

"That's what you get for slamming that door into my face," he hissed. He grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her down the corridor. The other Death Eaters followed close behind just in case she tried to escape again. Lauren stumbled slightly behind Doldecork, still suffering from the pain of the Cruciatus curse. When they reached a door with a large serpent engraved on it, Doldecork stepped forward and knocked on the door.

"Send her in," someone said from within.

"Have fun speaking with Lord Voldemort," sneered Doldecork, opening the door and shoving Lauren in. Lauren stumbled for a few steps before regaining her balance.

"I hear you caused quite a scene, escaping from your cell, and running around the castle," Voldemort said.

"Wh-what do you want with me?" Lauren asked, staying close to the doors.

"I sense fear… that's good. Do you fear me child?"

"Y-yes."

Voldemort then started to hiss. Lauren stepped back, but found a snake right behind her. Lauren yelped and moved more towards the center of the room. The snake followed her until she was standing right in front of Voldemort.

"Hmm, you're younger than I expected," he said. "But oh well, you must have a strong power to be picked up on my radars."

"Ra-radars?" Lauren stammered.

"They locate divinatory powers. The stronger the signal, the stronger the seer. Now, you, Seer, will tell me the future of my empire."

"Wh-what? I don't know how to do them on command!"

"What?" Voldemort's eyes seemed to flash red.

"I-I-I…"

"You'd better learn quick Seer!"

Lauren cowered in fear. Voldemort rose out of his chair and advanced on her. Lauren pleaded for him to give her some time. Voldemort's hand shot out and grabbed her throat. There was a bright flash and Lauren found herself in another part of a castle. She saw herself and a girl younger than herself. She could see her future-self whispering something to the girl.

"Has she told you the prophecy yet?" Voldemort shouted, bursting in through the door.

"No," Lauren replied. "She's scared and wants to go home."

"I don't care what she wants, I need that prophecy!" The girl burst into tears. Lauren started to comfort her immediately. "Get that prophecy out of her seer, or else neither of you will be leaving here with your lives!"

The scene faded away, and Lauren returned to the present time where she found herself running low on oxygen. She clawed at Voldemort's hand and gasped for air. "Pro-prophecy!" she said hoarsely. Voldemort loosened his grasp.

"What?" he snapped.

"A prophecy," she repeated. "Th-there's a pr-prophecy involved, I-I couldn't get more."

"What is the prophecy?"

"I don't know..."

"You don't know?"

"There was another girl... I-I think she w-would know..."

"What was her name?"

"I don't know, but I can describe her!"

"Tell me."

"She had short brown hair, brown eyes, she wore glasses with black frames, she's around nine or ten, and, umm, she has a tattoo. It looks like a serpent curling around her wrist."

"Good job Seer." Voldemort sneered at her. "Hicks!" A Death Eater entered. "I want you to find a prophet. She—Seer, describe her." Lauren repeated the description of the girl and Voldemort sent Hicks out to find her. "Well, Seer," Voldemort said after Hicks had left, "aren't you going to ask if you can go?"

"No," she replied softly.

"How peculiar, not asking to return to your life."

"You wouldn't have let me go anyway."

"Smart child. Doldecork!" The Death Eater entered the room. "Take the seer back down to her cell, and don't let her escape this time!" Doldecork nodded and dragged Lauren out of the room. He threw her back into the cell where she started and looked for his keys to lock the door. After searching his pockets, he glared at Lauren. Lauren sighed and handed over the keys.

"Try that again, and you'll suffer." Lauren nodded and moved back into a corner of the cell where she sat hugging her knees close to her chest.

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