Lily walked over to the Portrait Hole. Talee came stumbling in.
"HELP! Please.....Dalyce is under the Imperious Curse."
"What?!" yelled James
"Who did it?" demanded Lily
"I—I think it was Lucius Malfoy..."
"I'll kill that scum..." said James viciously. Even though he didn't know Dalyce that well he still felt that anyone who hurt a Gryffindor is in biggggg trouble
"Where is she?" asked Lily swiftly
"Common Room...."
Lily and James barged out with Talee following on their heels.
"Do you know how to reverse the spell?" asked Lily
"Yes....my fathers an auror you know." Said James
Lily breathed in relief. It was good to know that someone was in charge. Talee ran ahead of them. She said the password and they walked up to Dalyce.
"Stupefy..." muttered James
"What was that for?" asked Talee
"She might resist if she's awake." Said James concentrating
He kept muttering under his breath. Then he touched her with his wand.
"Hopefully this works." Said Lily with bated breath. Dalyce coughed and her eyes fluttered open.
Dalyce felt like her mind was on fire. For a few seconds it was as if two different people were fighting inside of it... with her brain as the battle ground. She let out a yell of pain as she sprang back into concioussness.
"Wow... pain... hurting!" she grabbed her head and squeezed it with both hands. It was as if an invisible hand was still holding onto her mind. She closed her eyes and tried to shut out everyone.
"Dal? DAL?!" Talee asked, "You o.k.?"
"What. You. Think. Talee? Some. Thing. Grabbing. My. Mind!" she choked out.
Lily sighed in relief. James knelt beside Dalyce and said
"Who did this?"
"Lucius....Malfoy I think." Said Dalyce as if all words cost her an effort
James looked outraged and for a moment Dalyce felt a certain fondness in herself. She shook her head...she couldn't like James Potter....he was going out with Lily....but a girl can fantasize. James looked at her concerned
"Are you ok?"
"I-I think so."
"Good....hey why don't you guys come to the Heads Room for the night?"
"Are you serious? Of course we will." Said Talee happily
"Great come there with sleeping bags and pajama's at 7 ok?"
Talee nodded. James and Lily walked out talking in low voices
"We should tell Dumbledore." Said Lily
"It's ok....I'll kill Malfoy. That'll be better than expelling him anyday."
Lily laughed and James felt a fluttering in his stomach. They arrived at the Heads Room. Kal and Remus looked up, Sirius however didn't...he just stared into the fire.
"She's ok." Said Lily
Sirius finally looked up and said
"Great." Then so nobody could hear him he said "Wish Tera could come back that easily."
Tera looked out of a window from the house on the hill. Would she ever get to see her friends again? Already she was beginning to doubt it. Tom had left her again... then she thought for a moment as she suddenly stiffened. Who said that he wasn't going off to hurt her friends? But then she shook her head. She couldn't just make assumptions like that all of the time. But then, just to be sure, she dissaperated with a loud crack! and came onto the platform where students got off at to get into the carriages to head for Hogwarts at the beginning of the year. She looked up through the darkness to see the castle in the not-so-far distance. Then it started to rain, and not just any rain, but a thick sheet of rain that could soak you instantly.
"Oh great," mumbled Tera before walking towards the school. She looked up through the rain and could see a light on in one of the towers. She was sure that it was the Head's room. She hadn't ever been any good at flying spells... She was now standing right beneath the tower. She grabbed one of the stones in the wall and her hand didn't slip. She put up another hand and it didn't slip. She slowly climbed up the tower hoping to be able to save her friends. Behind her she didn't see a shadow slowly rising as she did until she looked around.
"Tom?" she asked, her teeth chattering with the cold. There was a short silence. "Is that you?"
"Yes... At least for now," he replied.
"Oh Tom, I've missed you so much!" Tera said, still clutching to the stones.
"Yes... but I need to tell you something."
"Alright..." she said, wondering what he was going to say.
"No matter what Lord Voldemort does do... I, Tom, will always love you. And a part of Voldemort is Tom. But you can't mistake Me for Him, got it? If you even suspect him being around do some thing alright? Use a spell! But he was setting a trap... he's trying to get you back and make you kill your friends in the process Tera. I think he's gonna do it soon..." then he looked hesitantly back at Tera and kissed her on the mouth.(for goodebye's sake) "G' Bye!" he said and with that he sped off in the other direction.
"Good bye Tom..." Tera whispered. She looked up at the tower and could see the window just a few feet above her head. She continued to climb and finally one of her hands was on the sill. She tapped at the glass but suddenly felt her fingers slipping...
Kal looked up. There was something tapping on the window. She walked over and opened it. She was about to close it when she heard a strangled shout.
"HELP!"
Kal squealed recognizing the voice. She yelled back
"Hold on Tera!"
Sirius heard Kal. In a stride he was beside Kal hoisting Tera up. Tera was wet and tired but there was a faint smile.
"Tera! You're back!" screamed Kal
"You didn't think I'd leave forever right?"
Lily looked up and screamed also. She ran up to Tera , scrambling over Remus and kicking James in the stomach.
"TERA!!"
"Here we go again." Muttered Tera but she hugged Lily back nonetheless. Sirius stood to the side...waiting to see if she would notice him. She turned from Lily and looked at Sirius
"Hi Sirius." She said quietly
"Tera."
Sirius walked away. He hadn't forgot how she had tricked him. He was still bitter that he wouldn't tell him her reasons. Tera followed Sirius and sat down on the couch beside him.
"Sirius....I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you....I still can't but just understand this...I can't be with you...or anyone else....its just to dangerous." She put her hand on his and Sirius' hand clenched around hers
"Why? Why can't you tell me? Oh sure it's your brother....but you se-seemed to be holding something back....Give me ONE good reason why you can't tell me. One thats all I ask. And don't give me all that crap about your brother...." he looked into her eyes. "Tell me....for the last time...just tell me."
Tera looked into his eyes and knew that she had to tell him.
"Because he's Lord Voldemort!" she almost shouted. She was getting frustrated that Sirius wouldn't listen to her when she said that she couldn't be with him. "And- and he said that," she tried to choke out how he was going to try and make her kill them, how he was going to turn her into a weapon. Already she could hear a stunned silence. Only Lily and Kal had heard her say those words before.
"And he said that?" asked Remus quietly. Tera looked at the ground and said,
"He said that-" then she quickly whipped her wand out and faced a blank spot on the wall. "STUPEFY!" she shouted. Instantly a form that had been hiding slipped to the floor with a small stream of blood coming out of their head. It was Voldemort. She quickly shouted, "Expelliarmus!" and took his wand away and strode over to him. She used another nifty spell to bind cords around some one as well as one to make him slient. Only then did she slowly and solemnly turn around to face the silent room.
Sirius stared in astonishment. She had just single handedly taken out Voldemort and he was her brother? Tera turned around. She was aware of everyone staring.
"And that is why." She said tearfully to Sirius. With that she strode out of the room. She was aware that she shouldn't be walking by herself but she didn't care.
Lily was staring at Voldemort. He was the one who wanted to get rid of muggle's? She shook her head and looked at Sirius who was still looking at Tera or more like the place she was before. He turned away but seemed to think better of it. He followed Tera out of the Portrait Hole.
Tera walked down the familiar passage when she felt a pull on her arm. She whipped out her wand but before she could say a word it was flying out of her hand. Tera turned around to see... Malfoy and Snape. Tera eyed her wand which was tightly clamped in Snape's fist.
"Hello Tera," came the bored drawl from Malfoy. Tera glared at him angrily.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked even though she knew the answer. This time Snape spoke.
"Kind of obvious isn't it? Lord Voldemort wants you back..." then he lazily turned around and used the disarming spell on Sirius as well as bound him in cords. "Much easier this way," he muttered.
"Back to business," said Malfoy. He and Snape each grabbed one of Tera's hands and, after silencing her, stuck to the shadows and headed silently back to where they were to meet their Lord.
Sirius was mad....Malfoy was a deatheater....he couldn't say that it surprised him...Snape too. He struggled against the bonds. Pretty damn strong he thought. Finally he remembered his knife. It could do a lot of things....including cutting these ropes. Now if only he could reach it....THERE! It was off. He wiggled out of the ropes and ran after Tera. He reached into his pocket.....was it still there? He pulled out a piece of parchment. A prototype Marauders Map. There was Tera....and Malfoy....he charged down the passageways. He grinned grimly. He was lucky he knew some cool passages. He did a quick check....wand...yes got it.....map....ok its all good. He broke into a run. He saw Snape and Malfoys backs receding. He quickly put a silencing spell on his feet and followed them.
Tera was scared. She was wandless and held by 2 powerful wizards who were her brother's lackeys oh and did we mention her brother was the darkest izard alive?
Lily was in bed....she was sleeping tiredly. Remus and James were standing over Voldemort while Kal went to get Dumbledore...she had wanted to help but they had simply pushed her to bed.
Tera felt a presence that she knew she shouldn't. Incase it was important... she wouldn't bring her any attention to it. Fire... White fire!! she thought suddenly. A vivid image of an inferno sprang to her mind with a heat so intense she was surprised that she could imagine it. Her skin felt like the flames but she couldn't feel it. But the two people holding her arms did.
"Bloody hell!" yelped Lucius as he jumped back, clutching his hand. Snape held in for a bit longer then fell to the ground yelling.
"What happened? It burns!" Snape screamed. Tera smiled then thought of water... cool calm water. Steam shot upwards as if water had just put out a flame. Tera was surprised at herself but instantly thought of her wand. It came rocketing into her hand from where Snape had dropped it on the ground.
"Expelliarmus!" she cried then, after having a firm grip on their arms she continued on her way down the hall, barely hearing the voice behind her also awed by her magical performance. So that's why Voldemort wants me... For my innate magic!
Sirius watched Tera. He was amazed. It was awesome. He quickly went after her and caught her arm. Before you could say DAMN she had hexed him. HE had to do a quick shield charm that barely held up under the intensity. She turned around and when she saw Sirius gasped
"Oh! I am sooooo sorry Sirius...."
"Its ok though you pack a mean hex." Said Sirius grinning
Tera grinned back. She was amazed, it was if you couldn't help smile when you were with him.
"Uh about these where should we put them?"
"How bout....vanishing cupboard....haven't shoved anyone in there for a while."
"Sirius!" said Tera admiringly yet reproachingly
Sirius shrugged and they dragged them there. Sirius did the honours of shoving them in and Tera kicked the door shut. Wham! It was gone. No clue when they were gonna show up.
Dumbledore strided into the Heads Room with Kal in tow. He drew in a sharp intake of breath when he saw Voldemort. He quickly strengthened the bonds around him and muttered "Enervate". It was then that Sirius and Tera walked in. They were the first ones that Voldemort saw.
"You..." he spat
"Yes me Tom." Said Tera calmly though she was shaking inside.
"And you." Voldemort's gaze whipped around at Sirius "I thought you were dating a low mudblood of some sort....but a Black....I approve dear sister."
Tera instantly recoiled from the words he'd just said. She was sure that it was Voldemort talking... but why would he agree to any of her decisions? She was inwardly shaking even more but outside she was shaking her head and looked at him in the eyes. Hers were filled with indecsion.
"Y- you don't... mean that..." she stuttered, feeling even more suspicious about him approving then him not. "Y- you're..."
"I- I'm! I'm what?" he mocked back. She shook her head again and took a step back. All this was comeing so soon... Voldemort... Weapon... Innate magic... Death Eaters... Her destroying her friends... She wanted to run away to be far away from everything. And to top off the list... she was in love. Her face was obviously confused and she tried to speak.
"You're... lying, you have to be!"
"And what makes you say that?" he asked innocently.
"You're Voldemort... I think... why in the world would you agree with me?!" she was so confused.
Sirius was suspicious....here was the most evil person in the world saying that he approved of his sisters choice.... Lily was now awake and sitting there on the stairs watching Sirius and Tera. Nobody seemed to notice that she was there.
"I'm not her choice." Said Sirius quietly
"What? Not her choice? Hah! I've seen the way she looks at you." Sneered Voldemort
Dumbledore seemed to come into his sight.
"Dumbledore...here....ah yes you're the Headmaster I suppose?"
"Yes Tom I am."
"Don't call me that." Snarled Voldemort
Dumbledore merely nodded. Voldemort looked at him suspiciously.....Dumbledore was listening to him....something was up
"What did you do Dumbledore?"
"Ah Tom you catch on very fast. The ministry will be arriving soon."
"Ministry? So you think that you can not fight me?"
"No I merely think it would be more humiliating for you to be captured by Fudge....instead of myself."
Then Voldemorts gaze settled back on Sirius
"Now listen Black...of you hurt my sister I will hurt you....wait I was going to do that anyway."
Tera looked in surprise at Tom. He still loved her? Why else would he say that? No he didn't...his heart had dissapeared when he turned into Voldemort. A small part inside of Tera didn't want Tom, er Voldemort, to be caught. Damn the mercy in my heart... she thought sadly. She didn't want anything to happen to anyone. But there seemed to be no way. No way out of the deep hole that had been dug.
"W- what'll happen to him once Fudge gets here?" asked Tera, afraid to hear the answer. Dumbledore looked at her with sympathy and sterness.
"That will be Mr. Fudge's decsiion. However, I would advise Azkaban," he replied somberly. This would not do... this could never do if Tera kept love in her heart. If she continued to love her brother, now hardly recognizable for even that, then all could fall to ruin. Tera's love for her brother might begin the death of all.
