Chapter Six
"Today, we will be studying hexes and curses, which are generally the same thing. Now, with a show of hands, who here has ever been cursed or hexed personally, or has cast one of these on somebody else?" Serena watched as one, two, three… seven hands went up. Her hand, Rayne's, Ivory's, Faith's, and three other Slytherins. Professor Ewan seemed at a loss for words, seemingly disappointed in the Hufflepuffs at the front of the class. "Am I right to assume that most of you have never held a wand for more than three minutes?"
Most Hufflepuffs nodded feverishly, and Serena could only laugh at their shaking upon seeing most of the Slytherins twirling their wands at the Hufflepuffs and stopping the twirling once it was pointed to a yellow and black clad student. Foxy grins were displayed behind the professor's back when he turned to write some of the hexes on the blackboard, and one Hufflepuff asked to be excused from the class immediately.
"Well then. Let me see here." Professor Ewan turned back and pointed at Serena and Faith. "You two." Serena smirked at Ivory and made her way to the front of the class. "You two have been handling your wands since you were old enough to speak, haven't you?" The two Slytherin girls nodded. "Well then, I'm sure you know a number of curses. I'd like you two to demonstrate a small duel. Nothing much. Just a hex and a blocking spell. Yes?"
Serena and Faith nodded, and stepped into the middle of a circle that the professor had charmed so that no stray curses would fly out and hit a bystander. Faith and Serena stood back to back in the center, then turned slowly, joining their wands together. Counting to ten, each of them walked backwards slowly, and then raised their wands, waiting for the professor to start. "And… Begin!"
Both girls instantly brought down their wands, and Serena shouted, "Ignati!" "Protego!" Faith held her wand in front of her as a large turret of flame that erupted from Serena's wand hit against an invisible barrier, and quickly threw the hex aside. "Sindania!" A light blue light swept past Serena. Watching as it bounced off one of the many mirrors that littered the DADA class, Faith opened her mouth in awe as the jet of light turned an eerie dark purple, and it directed itself at Serena's back. Faith smiled, convinced that she had won, and stomped her foot when Serena ducked. Not noticing the jet of light that had reflected, Faith had almost stepped out of the circle with her back turned when the jinx slammed itself into her backside.
Faith, eyes wide with surprise, fell forward. When the other girl still hadn't gotten up, Serena rushed to her side, and sat Faith up. Her friend's eyes were wide and blank, the face one of astonishment. "Faith?"
Professor Ewan moved forward through the tight circle of Slytherins that hid the two girls from the view of the Hufflepuffs. Some of the yellow and black clad students tried pushing and shoving their way into the circle, but the Slytherins held tight, and nothing was seen inside the circle they had formed. All of them had acted instantly and unanimously, even though not a word had been said.
Pointing his wand at the unconscious girl's temple, Professor Dane muttered a spell. "Enervate." Watching as Faith opened her eyes, Serena helped Faith stand. "Faith?" The other girl turned to Serena and pushed herself away from the latter, a look of utter confusion on her face. The next words that were asked by the black-eyed girl crushed the heart of Serena, who just hid her emotions like 'a good little pureblooded girl', as her Father liked to put it. "Who are you?"
Madison sighed as Ostaris checked the time once again. "She's late." Stroking Sakura, her kitten, Madison bit her lip. "Maybe one of the Prefects caught her. Maybe a teacher asked her to stay for detention. I don't know. Maybe-" Ostaris shook his head. "She knows she's supposed to be here." Madison stared into the roaring fire of the Head Boy and Girl's common room from the large cushioned armchair where she was sitting. Shadow, Serena's cat, wound itself around Ostaris' legs until the Head Boy picked him up and scratched the animal behind the ears.
The noise from the portrait opening alerted them of the entrance of their younger sibling, and both the older brother and sister rushed over to her, questions on the tips of their tongues. "Serena! Why were you late?" Madison took her sister by the shoulders and shook her. Ostaris put a hand on the third year's shoulder to stop her motioning to their sister. Serena's face was completely devoid of emotion. Blank eyes stared at them and her mouth was set in a straight line. "Serena?"
Serena moved from where she had stood, movements mechanical. Sitting on an armchair, she picked up Shadow and reflexively, started to scratch the kitten behind the ears. "That's exactly how I asked Faith today." Ostaris passed Madison, who was standing stock-still with her mouth open, and sat himself on the carpet at the first-year's feet. "Serena, where's Faith?" Madison shook herself from her trance and sat beside Ostaris, taking her younger sister's hands in her own.
Serena's eyes instantly were drawn to the intertwined fingers, and with a snarl, she pulled free of Madison's grasp. "Do not touch me." Serena's icy voice froze Madison to the core, and Ostaris pushed her behind him. Serena sat back and now looked like a fragile china doll with icy cold eyes. "Serena," Ostaris started once again, "Where's Faith?"
Madison watched as her sister's eyes flickered for the briefest moment, and then the girl had turned to the fireplace as she herself had done a few moments earlier. "Gone." Ostaris inched forward. "What do you mean, gone?" Serena's head tilted to the side, and Madison, who was now watching every single movement intently, could have sworn that if someone had taken a picture at that very moment, all they would see would be a porcelain doll. "Faith had memories, she had experiences. Now, that Faith doesn't exist anymore." Serena pulled her wand from her robe pocket with nimble fingers, making Shadow jump, and then began to twirl it with nimble fingers. "Now, all she is, is…" Serena pointed the wand, and a miniature figure that had appeared suddenly proceeded to vanish in a puff of smoke. Ostaris seemed unfazed as his youngest sister began to laugh; a hollow laugh devoid of joy.
Madison shook Ostaris' robe sleeve. "What's wrong with her? Why is she-?" Ostaris stood, and took Madison by the arm over by the portrait entrance, out of Serena's earshot. "She's gone into… 'Reserve'." Madison shook her head confusedly. "Reserve? What's that?" Ostaris ran a hand through his hair, something he'd been doing a lot lately. "Reserve. It's something Father taught us. It's when… Well, he never showed you because of mum. But Serena and me, well, that's a different story." Madison nodded for him to continue. "Reserve is what we do when we set aside or, hold back our feelings, emotions, whatever you want to call it. Dad taught us. Back when Voldemort was in power, he was anxious of the thought that they'd want to recruit Serena or me if the war went on until we were out of school. But since Voldemort fell, he needn't anymore." Ostaris crossed his arms; waiting for his sibling's response to the newly revealed information he'd given her.
"Reserve? That's what it's called? Looks more like the death of your soul." Ostaris smiled. "How many times have you used it?" Madison inquired. "Not many, just a few times. And nowhere close to you. You would have freaked." Madison laughed, and started back to where her sister was. Halfway there, she stopped. "How long does it last?" Ostaris walked over to where Serena was and waited for Madison to come. "As long as it takes for the pain to fade."
When Ostaris entered, the first thing he noticed was Faith's mother and father sitting diligently in the chairs Headmaster Gaunt had transfigured for them. They both looked perfectly fine, and not as if something had happened to their daughter. Then, he noticed Gadriel, the Ravenclaw Head Girl standing quietly behind Faith's father, and Headmaster Gaunten looking like his namesake. Standing behind Verity Danye, Ostaris waited for the headmaster to start the meeting that they were all here and present for.
"Mister and Mis'ess Danye, I have some bad news to tell you. It appears that during a small dueling demonstration that your daughter and another student were doing, Faith cast a jinx that reflected off a mirror, and as you know, some jinxes tend to go through a transformation of sorts when hitting a reflective surface. The jinx then entered her, and she's lost her memory — a form of amnesia, if you will. We are looking for a way to bring her back, but for the meantime, we can only wait."
Ostaris saw Faith's father stiffen, and then both he and his wife stood. "Can we have a word with Ostaris and Gadriel?" Headmaster Gaunt raised an eyebrow. "Yes. Yes, of course." Ostaris and Gadriel shot each other quick, inquisitive looks, and silently followed the Danyes.
Domovoi Danye turned to Ostaris once the group was out of the headmaster's earshot. "Do you know who she was fighting?" "My sister. Both of them were acquaintances." "What was the spell Faith used?" Gadriel spoke. "It was the Sindan Curse." Verity nodded. "Ah yes, Faith is a bit too fond of that one." "The curse turned into Oblivato. A heightened form of Obliviate, we believe." Ostaris explained. Verity seemed confused. "Are all of her memories gone or are they stored…?"
Gadriel took out a piece of parchment from her robe pocket and began to read. " 'When a being is struck by Oblivato, their memories are not lost forever, as it is widely believed. Instead, they come into someone's possession. The person to whom they come is often a family member or a love — one who they trust with their lives. The carriers will have the memories on a small vial on a chain around their neck, but it is not visible. The memories cannot be returned to their rightful owner until the carrier has once again gained the afflicted's trust. Once the trust has been regained, the vial shall become visible once more, and can be returned. ' So no, Faith's memories aren't gone. They're more like misplaced. I was wondering if you could form a list for me of students that she has had a friendship with for a long period of time or whom she has mentioned in her letter's home."
Ostaris laughed inside. No wonder she was a Ravenclaw. Verity and Domovoi nodded, determined looks on their faces.
Moonlight from the charmed "windows" spilled over Serena's tossed hair as she ran an unconscious hand through it. Serena stirred in her sleep, a frown upon her features.
"They are here to help!" "The so-called Daughters know nothing of our lives! They have not suffered as we have. They do not know what it is like to know someone for hundreds of years and to lose them in an instant. They know not our hardships!" "How can you be so foolish Flayt?" A woman stood in the moonlight. She was tall and pale, with dark brown hair that fell past her waist in a cascade, and was decorated with hidden braids. Her eyes were black with the faintest red glowing, and long, full lashes curved, almost touching her colored cheeks when she blinked. Her arms were firm and Serena was sure they were stronger than they looked. The arms were covered in elaborate tattoos that seemed to pierce her whole body, from her rosy cheeks to her long legs. She was wearing an open, black, collared shirt and a blood red tank top underneath. A short black skirt and buckle boots finished the picture. The pale woman seemed familiar to Serena, and confused, she stepped forward, towards her.
Upon moving closer, Serena saw whom Adany had been fighting with. It was a young man. He was also tall and pale, with speckled red eyes and tossed golden hair. He was clad only in a pair of black, cargo baggy pants, and Serena noticed that he was snarling at Adany's words. With his lip pulled back, Serena nearly stumbled unto herself as she saw the long fang that protruded from the rest of his teeth. He was a vampire! "Adany, you do not know how you and your brother have endangered the clan. The Daughters were not supposed to be awakened in the ways of our world for another three years."
"Three years? We do not have that time! You know as well as I do. There are only thirty-two of us left. More than two hundred slaughtered during that idiot Voldemort's war. We need them. We have no choice." Flayt scowled and shook his head. Turning, Serena watched as two large, bat like wings unfurled and stretched. Flayt shot one last look at Adany and beating his wings, flew off into the dark sky.
Serena looked over to Adany. The vampire was gone.
Serena awoke with a slight daze and pulled the sheets closer around her. "Professor Dane. She looks exactly like Professor Dane." Before Serena could even get out of bed, the dormitory door for the room that she and Faith shared was flung open, and Ostaris' candle-lit face appeared. "Madison'll be down in a few."