"Excuse me young lady, but this is a private meeting you'll have to leave..."
At first she didn't know where she was or how she had gotten there. All she knew is that she was exactly where she was supposed to be. It was three years to the day that it all started. And as she stood there filthy, covered from head to toe in earth, all the events, her most recent, most tragic memories played over and over in her head.
"Young lady, are you alright?"
She stood in silence, staring a hole into the ground. Remembering, examining every little detail, all the while, forcing herself to relive these moments. She needed to. She had to, in order to do what she must.
"Young lady?"
There are fifteen people in this room. The Ministry, four guards, and two others.
"Kingsley, please check and see if she's alright?"
So, I guess this is it.
"Excuse me, mam, are you..."
She was utterly exhausted. She could feel the lull come over her again. But with the lull came those moments. And before this Kingsley fellow could place his hand on her shoulder she had begun.
"Dormio"
She whispered the curses aloud, almost hissing. Casting sleeping charms at every guard in sight. They shouldn't have to pay for their loyalties. Then she set her sights on the door.
"Obstruo in speculum. Confundo"
By the time she had finished jinxing the door, the entire Ministry were up on their feet. They each had drawn their wands and seemed to be poised for this situation. Maybe they were expecting me. Voldemort? Who's Voldemort?
The gentleman in the middle gestured fancifully with his wand, but instead of casting a curse, his spell shot straight upward and struck a gem imbedded in the ceiling. It burned vermilion, and whined like a tuning fork before it settled down to it's original translucent white. For a moment she became lost in the colors, swooning with every swirl of violent red.
He's eager to prove himself to the others. He's terrified, but insanely eager.
"So Voldemort's seeking the aid of children now? How the mighty have fallen, eh?"
The man in the middle spoke, spitting the name "Voldemort" at her like a hex, then chuckled to his followers in his pseudo-triumph.
"It's tough luck for you, though. You chose the absolute worst day to try something. Luckily for us, we had an appointment with Headmaster Dumbledore. There is no escape for you now."
Dumbledore? My father spoke very highly of him. I have no quarrel with anyone except this Ministry. These two don't matter.
"So you can either surrender now, or you can try to attack us. Either way, you lose."
"So what'll it be?"
The one to the right spoke. Her falsely girlish voice was almost as disgusting as her face, almost. She spoke again.
"If you give up now, I guarantee a cleaner cell in Azkaban."
She, our mysterious mud covered lass, takes a step forward. Alarming three of the members, who bolster their courage, then glare at her with a sense of hatred.
"When I ask you a question, I expect to be answered. Are you going to surrender or do I get a few minutes of target practice?"
I wonder, can I really go through with it? If I don't do anything now, there won't be any second chances. I have no choice...
"We are awaiting your answer. What are you going to do?"
What am I going to...?
"I'm going to kill one or all of you."
The middle one, Fudge is his name.
"Oh really, you seem confident for someone outnumbered eleven to one."
"Confidence is useless now. Only one thing matters, my vengeance."
At this declaration, the Ministry board members look to each other in confusion. They clearly were expecting something, someone different.
"Well young lady, I would like to know what we've done in order to incur your wrath."
Fudge looks to the other ministry members confused but all the while smirking in his self-imposed glory.
That smug son of a...
"Don't patronize me, I could kill you in a breath."
He chuckles again. He's clearly nervous but he refuses to show it.
He's their leader.
"One of you ordered the death of my father."
He looks to the board members. A few of them are taken aback, but the disgusting one looks to the girl and smiles.
"I am Madam Umbridge. I oversee all activities regarding Azkaban and I assure you there recently haven't been any executions except for that minor accident at Hogwarts. Of which the Ministry sincerely apologizes for."
Umbridge looks to the old man, Dumbledore, who merely nods and smiles in acceptance. Our soiled lass, studies the old man from head to toe. But once again she finds herself swooning, lost in the pure white light reflecting off of the old man's spectacles.
"I am Cornelius Fudge and I am the Head of the Ministry of Magic. Every request for execution has to be reviewed and signed by me before they are even owled to Azkaban. And I haven't signed one in sixteen years. You are obviously mistaken in your..."
Insulted, she deliberately interrupts Fudge.
"My father has never been imprisoned. It would be wise to watch what you say from now on."
Umbridge cackles aloud. She is amused by this exchange of rude discourse.
"And who is your father, little girl?"
How many men have they killed?
"I am Serenity M. Raynes. My father was Maximillion Raynes IV."
The board members immediately recognize the name and look to each other in astonishment. The one at the far right of the bench speaks.
"Surely, you must be joking. Maximillion Raynes died almost twenty years ago."
Twenty years ago? He told me left the wizarding community a while back, but twenty years?
"My father was alive and well up until three years ago. When two aurors showed up at our door and attacked him."
The shocked look on their faces seem glued on as they listen to Serenity. And just when it seemed the expression would fade, the door is rattled slightly. On the other side, an explosion goes off.
The barrier's holding.
Umbridge speaks again.
"Where were you when all this occurred?"
She's hiding something.
"My father pushed me into a crawlspace under our fireplace. I panicked, couldn't get out."
"Then, how do you know that aurors attacked your father?"
What is she getting at?
"The same way I know that there are a half dozen aurors standing outside that door. Three have already tried to disapparate and apparate into the room. They should be back in a few minutes. It's the same way my father knew that the aurors were coming. And the same way I will find my father's killer."
"What are you?"
She knows I'm a vampyre. She knew it from the start.
"You know exactly what I am Umbridge."
"I haven't the slightest clue."
Fudge feeling left out decides to speak up.
"Hold on a minute, young lady, how do you know that these men, that came to your door, were aurors? You said it yourself that you were hiding the time that they supposedly attacked your father. An accusation of this magnitude, if based on falsehoods, will not sit lightly, my dear. I trust you do have proof."
Blatantly ignorant of Fudge's inquiry, she stares at Umbridge, moreover into Umbridge. She slowly inches toward Umbridge, her head cocked to one side, almost as if she's trying to get closer in order to hear better. And the whole time, Umbridge solely smiles, bemused with Serenity's audacity, or the notion of Serenity's plight.
The rest of the Ministry, becoming wary of Serenity's closing distance and her sudden interest in Umbridge, bolster their courage or boldness in preparation for the worst. Fudge still talking, finally concedes to Serenity's ignorance. He turns to Umbridge, who still manages to find everything hilarious.
She did it. She's not even trying to hide it. She's telling me. She did it.
Seeing the change in Serenity's expression, Umbridge finally speaks.
"Something wrong? You look a bit sad. If you end all this right now, I promise that the matter concerning your father will be looked into. So, what do you say? We really don't have time for this, my dear. We were in the middle of an important meet..."
The attention is turned to Serenity as she reaches behind her. Three years before, she wore these simple clothes to bed every night. Now, these same clothes, stained brown where there was white, would be the clothes she would sleep in, rest in, die in. At this quaking discovery, all she could do is laugh, laugh aloud, laugh maniacally. From the simple garment she pulls a dagger, and oddly, it is the only thing pure, clean, that she has. But she plans to rectify that. By this moment's end, this jagged, craggy blade will be saturated, and soiled with Umbridge.
"It was you. You have not an ounce of a human conscience, do you? You're not even afraid either. You find this all terribly entertaining."
"I beg your pardon, are you implying that I had your fathered killed?"
Once again Serenity laughs aloud, this time with tears in her eyes. How pitiful she looks now, absolutely hysterical, inching toward the elevated bench with crimson streaming from her eyes. The council members gaze at Umbridge, trying to discern what shred of evidence Serenity found in her. But all they find in her is the incredulity, of how she could be smiling at a time like this.
So, it ends here? All of this is awfully cliché, like something out of a book. Let the end begin.
Serenity stops in her tracks. The old man and his giant companion stand calm and composed, as if they are just taking in the sights. Serenity, staring at the old man, feels the lull come over her once more, this time in full force and she finds herself teetering before she can collect herself.
It won't be long now. There will be time for sleep later.
With a smile, Serenity explodes into a burst of speed. And before any of the council members could act, they all find that they are without their wands. Umbridge, without her wand like the others, starts to perceive her predicament for what it is, grave. And the smile gradually changes into a fearful grimace. But unbeknownst to Madam Umbridge, her situation is worse than she thinks.
The council is on edge as Serenity is no where to be seen. But one of them knows exactly where she is. Fudge turns to his right, and nearly yelps in surprise. Serenity now standing behind Umbridge, acknowledges Fudge's fears and half-heartedly tries to calm them.
"Don't worry only one shall die here today. The rest of you shouldn't have to pay for the crimes of this putrid, old hellcat. Isn't that right?"
She talks into Umbridge's ear as the dagger which she held before, carefully caresses the folds of skin on Umbridge's neck. With every shy stroke of the blade, she feels Umbridge go rigid. And again she starts to laugh.
Fudge, wand-less and now afraid for Umbridge, can only do one thing, talk.
"Please, will you stop and think for a moment? What reason would this woman have to kill Maximillion Raynes? No one on this council even knew he was alive, let alone harbored ill will towards him. Why would anyone want to kill him?"
"A great question, Mr. Fudge. Why did you want my father dead? Were you scorned by him earlier in your life or was this a political matter? Why did you have him slain?"
Mme. Umbridge, now quivering, remains silent as the blade dances about her neck.
"Come now, if you answer, you will have that much longer to live. Who knows, maybe you can stall long enough for your faithful aurors to come in and save you. Why was my father killed?"
And as Serenity stressed the word "killed", she pressed the dagger to Umbridge's throat forcefully, causing her to gasp but without leaving a mark.
"I was only following our policy. It is known by the council that all..."
"You disgusting, sow of a hag, you killed him because he was a vampyre!"
"All vampyres who drink human blood must be executed by order of the Ministry of Magic."
"My father never drank human blood. He lived in a forest, away from any and everyone, so he wouldn't be tempted. He'd awake in a bloodlust and be raving for hours, before I could calm him down."
"Never drank human blood you say. Then how on earth did you become a vampyre?"
With that said, the menacing smile returns to Umbridge's face and Serenity finds it difficult to stay her hand any longer. Grabbing a handful of Umbridge's extremely gelled hair she wrenches her head back.
He died because of me? No, he died because of her. Either way, this ends now.
With the edge of the blade pressed firmly to Umbridge's throat, she steadies her tremblinghand to deliver the quietus of this ordeal. Her eyes now filled with tears, she starts to pull the blade of the dagger across her victim's throat but it isn't meant to be. She freezes. She feels a tap at her shoulder, and instantly her prized instrument of vengeance is sent flying to the floor down below.
"I believe it's time that we ended this, don't you?"
Shocked, Serenity, turns to see the old man standing at her side with his wand carefully aimed at her chest. She immediately goes for the knife, now two and a half meters below them. Imagine the alarm on her face, to see the old man standing beside her as she knelt to pick up the knife, only to have it once again shoot across the room at the beckoning of the old man.
"You're pretty agile for an old man."
"Old? I'm only two hundred give or take a few years."
Serenity with her incredible speed moves instantaneously to the other side of the room. But just as before, the old man is waiting.
"I promised you already that none of the others will come to harm. I only want her."
"I'm sorry but I find that unsatisfactory. I prefer that no one comes to harm today, including yourself."
"Stop it."
She reaches for the dagger and it bolts across the marble floor, stopping only after hitting the leg of a table and skidding under a chair. She looks up at the old man. His modest grey robes, his white beard almost as long as his arms. Nothing in his demeanor suggests any hint of strength, but his cobalt blue eyes radiated a mysterious sense of power. And as she gazed into his eyes she started to drift again, nearly falling faint. She was fading fast, yet had it not been for the jar at the door she would've been fast asleep.
The barrier's going to fail. I have to do it now.
She goes for the knife again, desperate to get there before the old man. She reaches for it and turns to find the old man standing where he had been before, glaring at her with those intense yet gentle blue eyes. She looks to Umbridge, who hasn't moved an inch since having her head jerked back before. Instantly, she is standing beside her. Serenity now enlivened, claps a hands over Umbridge's mouth, muffling the screams, all the while, yanking her head back again. With the familiar caress of the blade, she starts the game again. Drawing the blade slowly across Umbridge's skin, loving the sporadic jolts of sensation she could feel coursing through Umbridge's body.
"Time for the big finish. Don't flinch."
She feels Umbridge tense, and the little jolts become a steady pulse, a drumroll. She presses the blade to her victim's throat, and that alone is enough to cause her own body to quiver. Serenity prepares for the final draw as the others look on helplessly. She looks down at Umbridge's face, sweat has broken out on her forehead, and beads are forming at the corners of her eyes.
Can a demon cry?
She starts the blade dance again, pausing between frantic thoughts.
What are you waiting for? It's now or never. Do it now. Do it.
Serenity's grip tightens on the blade. And a strange air descends on her. Like many of the books she's read, this is exactly how she thought the climax would be. She starts to pull the blade but something's wrong. She's frozen. She can't move any part of her body. All she can do is tremble.
I can't do it...
She looks to the old man, who only offers a smile and a question.
"Something wrong?"
Serenity feels it again, the lull. The old man, still smiling, commands "Expelliarmus", and the dagger shoots to the floor again.
Again and again. It won't stop. Why don't they just end it?
Serenity pushes Umbridge down into her chair. Whether from sheer exhaustion or her inescapable lull, she jumps, moreover drops from the bench to the floor. She doesn't care anymore. Her vendetta, which seemed so important, seems more pointless now than anything else. She walks over to the dagger and crouches down, she just sits there. The chamber doors, once spellbound, burst open revealing a dozen or so aurors, who immediately crowd the room. But instead of surrounding Serenity, they stand at the door, held fast by a gesture from the old man. He slowly approaches Serenity and begins to speak to someone unseen by her.
"Phineas, would you mind fetching him for me? And please make haste."
It was a portrait. Who is he going to get?
A few minutes later, Phineas returns.
"Sorry for the delay, they put his portrait in the cellar downstairs."
"And it's about time I got some fresh air."
At the sound of this voice, Serenity is paralyzed.
"Dumbledore, good to see you. I take it Hogwarts is doing as excellent as always. What brings you to an unwelcoming place like this?"
"I was here on business when a familiar face caught my eye.", the old man gesturing to the girl fastened to the floor.
"It's amazing how much she resembles you. And she has your knack for insults as well."
The man in the portrait, young looking, 25 at the most, black hair, glowing green eyes, and Ministry of Magic issued robes, looks down at this girl and is startled by his discovery.
"Serenity! What in the bloody hell are you doing here? Why are you in your nightclothes? And furthermore why are you covered in mud?"
She looks up at him and nearly passes out in her overflow of emotion. She sinks to one side letting her arms fully support her.
"Serenity, what's wrong? Serenity? Dumbledore, what's happened here?"
"She came here to kill one of the council members."
"What! Why? How? I never even told you how to get here."
"I'm sorry to say, but apparently you were killed by aurors three years ago, on the order of Madame Umbridge."
"What! I'm dead! You fat sow, how dare you have me killed! And you young lady, what have you got to say for yourself?"
She can't even speak. She looks around as if she's waiting for the punchline. But when no one says anything, she starts to weep. The old man speaks again.
"She is very clever, not one person here is injured. And Umbridge still being alive, you can see she couldn't bring herself to it."
"At least I did something right? Umbridge, don't make me regret it. So you were gonna kill the old bag, I don't blame you. But if you ever put yourself in danger again, I will personally bind you inside a painting for the rest of eternity. Don't look at me like that. Stop your crying and say something."
"If it wasn't for her you'd still be alive. She deserves everything she gets."
"That's perfectly true but her fate isn't for you to decide. You think you alone can dictate what goes, who lives, who dies?"
"No."
"Then why are you here?"
"I don't know...We could've been together forever, literally. And she comes along and destroys it all."
"Forever? By the time you hit sixteen, you wouldn't have wanted anything to do with me. You greedy little brat, you think time is guaranteed to us. We aren't immortal. Vampyres don't age, yes, but we are just as vulnerable as normal wizards. Our injuries may not prove fatal but they hurt just as much, maybe even more. If you learn anything, know that time is as fickle as this new council. Always plan for tomorrow, but remember tomorrow may never come. Let me stop before I make you a paranoid idiot like Fudge."
Serenity and a few of the council members laugh at Fudge's expense. But they all feel the levity of the situation lifting. Fudge finally takes his seat and the others follow suit.
"Dumbledore, I thank you once again for your help, I owe you how many favors now? Forget it, I can't remember? I'm going back to my portrait to finish my book."
"On the contrary, I did almost nothing. It seems you have a knack for raising children as well."
"If I could only get her to not try and kill people, that would be amazing."
"Sorry to interrupt gentleman but, she did just attempt murder. But under these extreme circumstances, I will allow you to decide the proper course of action. Speaking of course of action, I would like to see you in my office later Umbridge, to discuss what other extracurricular activities you've had. But back to the subject, what do you suggest Dumbledore?"
The lull is back. But instead of fighting it, she gives in fully. By the time Dumbledore and the others can finish their conversation, she's asleep.
"I feel the best thing for this girl right now, would be schooling. She can stay at my school for as long as she likes. And Maximillion, I promise you she will be well taken care of. Hagrid, would you mind carrying Serenity?"
"Not at all, sir."
Hagrid tries to walk softly in this room. But his steps cause the room to shake from time to time.
"Up yer go, Reni."
"Cornellius, I believe you have more pressing matters to attend to. I will reschedule another meeting for sometime this week?"
"That would be fine."
"Maximillion, it was good to see you again."
"Dumbledore, I can not thank you enough. Anything you ask of me, anything, I will do my best to see through."
"Thank you. To you all, I bid you good evening."
That's how it all started. Serenity M. Raynes, daughter of Maximillion Raynes IV, now a student of Hogwarts School of Magic. I wonder, is this the last of her troubles? Well, let's just say...no, not by a long shot.