Another day another pool of blood to clean, even Salazar Slytherin would object to what the school is now. Soon after conquering the United Kingdom Voldemort, for there was no longer any reason to fear the name, what could he do to them that he had not already done? He had turned Hogwarts from a school to his royal castle. The hallways, which once rang with the laughter of a thousand years worth of children, now dressed itself with heavy silence broken by the hideous screams of the dying, or those that wished they were. For the first time since the war ended he entered the Great Hall, to clean, as it were. Where once hung the banners that showed off the pride of the students, now hung the macabre trophies of the dark lord's, now king's, triumph, as well as splattered blood from friends and family coating the walls like paint. Most that see it for the first time are sickened, but blood is no longer a bothersome thing. The mop up begins, it appears that the dark lord caught another traitorous family and executed them as examples recently; the blood was fresh and somewhat confused. It happened in that puddle of confused blood, for all blood gets confused as to why it is now longer in its owner, in the center of the hall. It was time.
When Ron Weasley began giggling many were confused but most of the guards dismissed it, they all knew that the man was crazy but harmless. The Slaves knew different however, he was crazy but never harmless. Blaise Zambini, one of the few Slytherins who denounced Voldemort, sent out the signals that, unknown to the guards, told the other slaves to remain alert and that the time was coming, though they could all feel it. Voldemort, his queen, the inner circle, and their families, all watched in amazement as one of the slaves began giggling into a puddle of blood and apparently, talking to it. He looked up and many thought they saw striking emerald and lovely chocolate streak through his sapphire gaze; they dismissed the notion, mistakenly, but oh well. His voice, still choked with laughter, filled the hall with two words, "It's Time". This was all that needed to be said as the blood caked on the stone walls liquefied and slid to the floor, leaving the walls as clean as when they were first built, if only for a moment, for the next the wall themselves began to bleed. Blood also burbled from the floor, and the enchanted ceiling, which had showed a sunny day before, now rolled with clods tinted red. The Blood puddles seemed to hiss at the guards, but each Slave that was touched by it started to be revitalized, ready to fight again.
"Bad Blood will tell", the lunatic in the center of the room cackled, "But good blood has better secrets. Got to be kind to blood or it won't tell, but I was and so the blood told, it's always about blood" the blood on the walls seemed to ripple and swirl shapes and even people seemed to be coming out of the walls, "Shouldn't have taken her children away from her, made her angry, made her weep" At this the swirling blood leapt out at them in the shape of Molly Weasley mouth open in a silent scream of pain and madness, then transformed into Lily Potter begging for the life of her child, and on into Narcissa Malfoy standing as strong and proud as she did when she took a green light for her beloved son, and finally Maryanne Granger lips spewing threats to those who would dare hurt her daughter. Forgotten Mother's, sacrifices to the hatred of one man. Mothers whose blood was spilt, whose lives were stolen, all for the sake of their children. As the figures faded back into the blood, the only one unaffected was Ron, who watched in silent amusement as the death eaters and guards drew away from the bloody images on the walls, frightened of the faces that they saw there, comrades, friends, enemies, all those that died by hand or command of Voldemort screamed their fates from the walls, demanding retribution, a tear of mourning, or even just acknowledgement of the hell they were trapped in.
"Naughty, naughty secrets, ooh 'Mione said that it was time to get a move on", a frown flitted its way across a demented face, almost as frightening as the manic grin of before. "You tried to take them away from me, and it couldn't work, it never works 'cause I am them and they are me, can't tell one from the other anymore, was the last straw for her, though, drenching her in her children's blood, forcing her to listen to her children's screams. You tried to turn home into hell and so she asked us to call to Hel, to collect her wayward children" at this statement a pulse went through the room, rippling the blood, chilling the guards and comforting the Slaves, as the spirits of the dead faded in to view, from the Stately Dumbledore to the quivering Cornelius Fudge, men and women, children and adults, death eaters and victims, all trapped and observing silently almost eagerly from the edges of the room, being careful not to touch the still bleeding walls.
That wasn't what held the attention of the room, however, it could even be said that there are those who didn't even notice the specters, so intent were they on the center of the room, where Ron Weasley had, seemingly, stood alone, but he was alone no longer. The spirits of Hermione Granger and Harry Potter seemed to flow from his body to wrap around him, showing that he was truly never alone, that they were one. Another pulse and two more figures came into view, one was extremely familiar, and all who saw her swore that she looked exactly like their mother. The other figures featured seemed to shift constantly it was hard to get an exact perception of what she looked like. Ron, with his two companions, bowed deeply first to the familiar figure then to the shape shifting one. "Lady Hogwarts, Lady Hel, it is a pleasure to see you both in person." Lady Hel looked around the room. Lady Hogwarts gave a light laugh and answered the silent question, "Go ahead, and collect your naughty children". The lady moved silently almost gliding through the gore that surrounded her and, starting with Voldemort and Ginerva collected her children. All she did was touch them and they would disappear, spirit, living, guard, prisoner, death eater, phoenix member, it mattered not, and a few of each were taken. Everyone silently watched as she approached the Marauders, she tapped Peter and he faded away then she paused at Sirius and Remus, who held each other tightly afraid that they were going to be separated, and for the first time she spoke, her voice gravelly but her words music "You two are of the few out of all my children that I will never collect, the ones whose hearts have touched darkness, but will never be consumed by it, I am… proud of you" then she went on collecting, oblivious to the gob smacked stares she was receiving.
Soon, she had finished and returned to the center. She spared a look of silent apology to the blood stained room and, without a sound, sunk into the puddle of blood as if she was never there. Lady Hogwarts at the exhausted Trio and spoke to them, "Rest now, you three deserves it". Smiling all the while, as Ron's body collapsed into the puddle of confused blood, the three spirits remained intertwined even as they faded with the others. Soon all that was left was the living and Lady Hogwarts herself. With one last glance around the red soaked room she vanished in a flash of light that blinded them all for a moment, and got rid of the blood. The last thing any heard was her whisper, which echoed throughout the castle, and some even said the country, "Rebuild, Remember, and Learn from the mistakes of the past."
Years later when laughter once again rang through the halls, Blaise Zambini, the History Professor, taught his students of an the war between two orphans, one twisted by hate, one surrounded by love an how insanity can equal Hope.
END
Well what did you think? Don't forget R&R CYA-Evil Older Sister