"Demons and Wizards"
Disclaimer: See Chapter One
Chapter Five: Death
Damien flamed into the Dwelling to see his family. He noticed that it was deserted. He could see his mother's lap top sitting on the table. He knew that electronic devices didn't work in this magical world, but why on earth is it on? He thought to himself long and hard before coming to the conclusion that Dumbledore must have worked his magic.
He rolled his eyes and headed out of the Dwelling by normal means: the front door. He entered the dingy hallway to be met with a bone-chilling draft. He rolled his eyes as he crossed his arms to keep warm. He could smell a horrible smell. His demon senses took over and he was able to feel a malevolent aura near by: demonic? No. It didn't have that demonic distinctness to it. It was human, he was sure of it. He rounded the corner and saw it. A burning corpse by the window, which was opened to reveal the cool September air. An act done deliberately to attract someone. Damien didn't feel sick by the corpse: being demonic was always good; you weren't resilient to the more disgusting aspect of humanity.
He quickly glanced around his surroundings and flamed into an empty classroom near the common room entrance. Upon arriving at the portrait, he saw Chris arriving with Hermione, hand in hand. "Um, Chris? Can I borrow you for a second?" Damien asked, making Hermione giving him a mean look. Chris nodded and whispered in Hermione's ear something Damien couldn't make out, not that he particularly wanted to.
"What is it, Damien?" Chris asked as the picture closed behind him, signaling that they were alone except for the prying ears of the Fat Lady.
"Body. Charred. By Dwelling. Need Maria. Now." he said quickly, Chris grasping every word. "I'll get her." he said as he muttered the password and entered the common room.
Five minutes later, the three cousins appeared in a swirl of orbs and a flash of fire next to the charred body of either a student or a teacher. "Maria?" Chris said, Maria catching on. She knelt next to the charred body. Her hand, pale and adorned with rings, glided over the body, careful not to the touch the burnt skin. She could sense the person's last emotions, fear and pain. Emotions lasted in a human's body, even after death.
"Nothing. I can't get a premonition." She said as she put her hand on the wall to help herself up. However, in doing so, a premonition soared into her. Her eyes clamped shut and a gasp of breath was released.
After about thirty seconds, the young witch opened her eyes. They were tear-filled.
"Maria?" Chris asked with concern. She stared at the wall opposite the body.
"Maria!" Damien said fearful. He knew something was wrong, he could sense it.
"MARIA!" both men yelled at her, after another failed attempt at her to speak.
She stared at them, her eyes were full of fear and pain. She saw something, she necessarily didn't want to see.
"What did you see?" Chris asked concerned, as he sat on the ground next to her.
"It's –.." she started, but was cut off by a sob.
"It's –..." she started again, but was once again cut off by a sob.
"It's Lavender Brown." she said before another sobbing fit enveloped her.
"Oh my god." Damien said as he sat against the wall opposite the two witches and the charred body of Lavender Brown. Lavender was a good friend of Maria. She opened up to the Wiccan, they were room mates., friends, confidantes..and now she was dead. Burned alive. Damien was mad and sad all at the same time. Lavender was so nice, she always flirted with the young gay witch, she shared her notes, he liked her as a friend, and now she was gone. Chris, on the other hand didn't like her at all. Despised her beyond hate. Yet, he felt sad.
Damien threw an energy ball at the wall, where it made a loud impact, and some stone fell to the ground.
"We should tell Dumbledore." Chris said.
"Yes, we should. And we need to find the demon, immediately." Damien said.
"That's the thing, Damien, it wasn't a demon. It was a human. I could sense his emotions all around here." Maria said as she felt the vibes of empathy.
"I know. I sensed it too with my demonic senses."
"Then why did you say demon?" Chris asked.
"Because I would like to think that a person with a soul didn't this."
"Can we find a loop hole in the whole "protect the innocent, don't punish the guilty" clause?" Maria offered.
"I wish. Let's find Dumbledore." Chris said.
"You two tell him. I'm going to get Mom and everyone." Maria said as she orbed out. Chris and Damien looked at each other and orbed and flamed out.
Little did they know, that they were being watched. "I'll get you witches." the onlooker said as he disappeared.
Midnight That Night
New of Lavender's death spread through the castle like wild fire. Many students were affected by her untimely passing. Her parents had come to the castle to claim the body of the young girl. Dumbledore tried to console them, but to no avail. Hogwarts wasn't safe to them anymore. But the question lingered, was it safe for anyone?
Piper, Phoebe and Paige had been working overtime on the case. Trying to get a lead. They had been granted full access to all parts of the castle. An action which aggravated certain teachers, Snape and Slughorn, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.
"This is useless." Wyatt muttered as he orbed another book back onto a library shelf.
"You're telling me." Damien responded as he pulled another book from the highest shelf and levitated back onto the ground.
"Why would someone kill her though? It doesn't track. Her parents are shop owners, and she was just a student." Wyatt said outloud.
"Maybe it was just a wrong place wrong time situation." Damien said as he pulled a cigarette out of the pack and lit it with his lighter. He took a long drag and exhaled.
"I don't know why you insist on killing your lungs." Wyatt said to him, not in the stern way like his mother, Phoebe, but more like an older brother.
"I'm immortal in a way. I can grow to be as old as my dad. Smoking won't kill me. A potion maybe, but not this." Damien said absent mindedly.
Wyatt rolled his eyes, and continued the search.
Chris and Maria were going through Lavender's school files on the opposite side of the library.
"This girl was a gifted student." Maria said as she looked over teacher recommendations for this NEWT program.
"Especially in Divination." Chris said as he read a report card.
"She was probably a seer." she said absent mindedly.
"Is that like Uncle Cole's demoness friend?" Chris asked.
"Yeah, except Lavender wasn't a maliciously evil future seeing bitch." Maria said.
"True. Maybe whoever killed her was after her power of precognition?" Chris suggested.
"Maybe, but Uncle Leo said that their premonitions are different than mine. Theirs rely on enchanted objects, such as: crystal balls, tarot cards, palm reading, tea leaves, numerology and astrology. My power is based on touching the psychic energy left on an object." Maria pointed out, "Mine's a physical power, hers is aided. So I doubt it."
"This is ridiculous. I say we cast a truth spell." Chris said frustrated as he threw down her report card.
"Yeah, because that will turn out to be wonderful." Maria said sarcastically.
"You know, we better get some sleep." he said to her, "Its making us cranky."
"I can't. Not until I find this son of a bitch and vanquish his ass."
"He's human, you can't vanquish him. It's against the Wiccan Rede." Chris pointed out.
"Fine. I'll settle for hexing the little shit." Maria spoke as Wyatt and Damien strolled over; defeat etched on their faces.
"What now?" Chris asked as he saw his older brother and cousin.
"Damien and I were thinking, what if we could summon the one person, witnessed the crime?"
"What are you talking about Wyatt? No one witnessed the crime." Chris said marveling at his brother's blunted statement.
"Yes, this person had to." Damien spoke.
"Who?" Maria asked interested.
"Death." the two males spoke together, as Chris and Maria's faces lit up with surprise.
"It might work. In order for her to die, Death had to be present." Maria said.
"Exactly."
The four of them appeared in the Dwelling in their forms of transport. Phoebe and Paige were passed out on the couch, while Piper and Leo were cuddled up on the love seat, both passed out as well. The Book laid on the table, where it had been abandoned when the witches fell asleep.
Careful not to wake them, Wyatt orbed the Book to them, and orbed out. The three younger witches following Wyatt's orb-trail.
Wyatt rematerialized by the lake outside on the Hogwarts grounds.
"Why here?" Damien asked.
"The spell invokes the spirits of air, sand and sea." Wyatt said as he found the spell, written delicately in their late aunt Prue's handwriting.
"Oh, but it's a lake, not a sea." Maria pointed out.
"It will work." Wyatt said as he took of his running shoes and socks and stepped onto the sand around the lake. It was cold to his feet. The other three did the same, and stepped next to Wyatt.
"Spirits of air, sand and sea,
converge to set the angel free
in the wind, we send this rhyme,
bring death before us, before our time!" the four chanted. There was a swirl of black light and Death appeared.
"Why did you summon me?" he said rather irritated.
"We want to ask if you collected the soul of Lavender Brown from these premises earlier today?" Wyatt asked.
"I did. It was her time." he said simply, "If you are trying to make an attempt at bringing her back–" he started only to be cut off.
"No, we just want to know if you saw who did this to her." Maria spoke.
"I did."
"Who was it?" Chris asked eagerly.
"I can't disclose such information."
"I will kill you, you bastard! Tell us!" Damien yelled.
"Kill death. How ironic." the Angel of Death laughed. Damien blushed, embarrassed.
"Please, tell us!" Wyatt urged.
"Your killer lies among you, safe within the school. His heart is full of hatred, hatred towards you." Death spoke in a rhyme like elegance and disappeared.
"I hate cryptic." Chris muttered as he looked to the stars.
"You aren't the only one." Maria said as she looked into the water.
"Well find her killer. We just need to know where to look." Wyatt spoke as he slipped his shoes back on and orbed out. The three looked at each other. They nodded and disappeared.
"I will kill the Wiccans." a voice spoke to the blackness of a dungeon. "Just like I did Brown."
"Good, my servant. Good." a voice spoke from the black. "Kill them. But leave the demon one alive."
"Yes, my king."
I hope everyone liked this chapter! More will come soon! Review!